REVIEW: Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker

(Ten Tiny Breaths series, book 3)

When a gorgeous young dancer walks through his door, a strip club owner must decide whether to follow his rules or his heart in the third novel by the author of One Tiny Lie and Ten Tiny Breaths. 

Owning a strip club isn't the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine-year-old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict "no sleeping with the staff" rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain's self-control...and it's been a long time since any woman has done that. 

Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it's too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she's putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she's not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn't really exist -- and the girl pretending to be her can't get distracted by romance. 

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, and that those feelings may not be unrequited -- but losing him when he finds out what she's involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her. 

BUY: Amazon

   

OH. MY. STARS.

 This book rocked my world HARD! 

Y'all remember how much I loved Ten Tiny Breaths? Sure you do. I gushed over that book for months, and harassed (nicely, of course) quite a few of my friends to read it. It was fan-freaking-tastic. I kept putting off One Tiny Lie and I honestly don't know why, but I finally got around to it last week and it was great…

But Four Seconds to Lose?? This one might take the cake. It's THAT good! If it doesn't edge out Ten Tiny Breaths, it's damn near close. I was completely enraptured by this story – it's gritty, it's provocative, it's sexy as all hell – it has everything to comprise a novel that I can easily dive head first into and never want to come up for air.

(Just a side note: This could be read as standalone novel, but I highly discourage that. Reading the two previous books in the series will give you so much more depth to not only Cain, but the other characters and the relationships they've all formed that make this series so great. Okay, that's it…carry on!)

Cain Ford is the mysterious, drop dead gorgeous owner of Penny's, a strip club in Miami. With a past full of violence and guilt, he decides to open Penny's to help women find their way out of this lifestyle – and to gain some semblance of redemption in his own mind. He figures if these women are going to take off their clothes for money, he might as well give them a safe place to make their living. He also has a rule – never sleep with a dancer. But when Charlie Rourke walks into his office, everything changes. Because for a second, he's not looking at Charlie…he's looking at Penny.

Charlie Rourke needs to disappear. Well, technically she already did…but she needs to find a way to vanish from the man who forced her to disappear to Miami in the first place; the man holding her under his fatherly thumb. Walking into dangerous situations on a regular basis, communicating through burner phones and composed (but never sent) emails isn't a life she wants any part of. But she knows Sam will never allow her to bow out, so she has one option – make money without him knowing, and when she has enough saved up for a new identity, become a ghost to the man who raised her. She has no intention of making friends in Miami, and she certainly has no intention of getting into a relationship; those lead to questions, and she needs to keep her stripping life separate from her…*ahem* other life. Unfortunately, that's not as easy as she thought it would be…

When Charlie's two separate worlds collide, she is forced to make a decision: stay and risk putting Cain in danger, or disappear off the grid and tell no one where she is…including the man who has effectively stolen her heart. But when Cain finds out all of Charlie's secrets, will he even want her heart anymore?

The story line, the characters, the writing were all just utterly phenomenal! There was not one flaw within this novel. While this type of story line has the potential to get repetitive – man with damaged past meets damsel in distress,  they fall in love, sh*t hits the fan, they live happily ever after – K.A. Tucker has found a brilliant way to put her own unique spin on it. Four Seconds to Lose was the perfect blend of romance, angst, and humor all coupled within an air of suspense. It sucked me in right away, and never let up. While the story line was wonderful, this novel couldn't have been perfection without the flawless way Tucker writes her characters. They all have so much depth! I absolutely love both Cain and Charlie, and the secondary characters are just as freaking amazing. We get glimpses of Trent, Kacey, Livie, Storm, Ben, Dan, Nate, Ginger, Tanner…holy hell, the list goes on and on but they are all such fantastic characters that I get all sorts of giddy when they make their appearances throughout this series. I think the only other series where I have genuinely loved the entire ensemble as much as I do these characters, is the Addicted series by Krista and Becca Ritchie. (If you don't know how obsessed I am with those books, you have been living under 10,000 rocks because I rarely shut up about them.) I would gladly read a book that focuses on each and every one of these characters, and I absolutely can not wait for Ben's book!!!!! But right now, we're focusing on Cain and Charlie…and all I can really say is that they are absolutely perfect, and without a doubt one of my favorite couples EVER. (Go ahead, let the weight of that comment sink in. I'll wait.)

(Has it sunk in? Yes? Fantastic.)

To be honest, I could talk about this story for days and still not properly convey just how much I loved everything about it. K.A. Tucker's caliber of writing is on a whole other level. She creates characters and story lines that stay with you for days, weeks, months, years (I still can't let go of Ten Tiny Breaths and I read it over a year ago!) and I just know that this latest installment will be no different. A year from now, I'll be thinking about how much I loved Cain and Charlie's story…and naturally, I'll push all the other books on my never-ending TBR to the side just so I can reread Four Seconds to Lose and fall in love with them all over again.

This is absolutely one of my favorite series, and if you haven't read these novels yet, READ THEM RIGHT NOW! Sorry for yelling, I just get a little passionate when I fall in love with a series. But seriously…read them right now. See, I can be demanding in a nice way! ;)

5 STARS

Reviewed by:

COVER REVEAL: Tied by Emma Chase

Title: Tied

Author: Emma Chase

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Summary: In the fourth sexy romance by the New York Times bestselling author of Tangled and Twisted, Drew and Kate can't wait to tie the knot -- if they can survive the pre-wedding festivities. 

For most of my life, I never imagined I'd get married. But Kate did the impossible: she changed me. I think we can all agree I was pretty frigging awesome before, but now I'm even better. 

The road to this day wasn't all rainbows and boners. There were mistakes and misunderstandings worthy of a Greek tragedy. But Kate and I made it through with our inexhaustible lust, boundless admiration, and everlasting love for one another intact. 

That being said, there were some unexpected incidents in Vegas last weekend that could have been the problem. It was kind of...my final test. 

I know what you're thinking -- what the hell did you do this time? Relax. Let's not judge, or call for my castration, until you've heard the whole story. 

And hole on tight, because you're in for a wild ride. Did you expect anything less?

✦Amazon✦

✦Barnes & Noble✦

✦iTunes✦

COVER REVEAL: Where's There's Smoke by Elizabeth Lee

We are thrilled to bring you the cover for Elizabeth Lee's WHERE THERE'S SMOKE!! WHERE THERE’S SMOKE is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel being released on May 20^th.

This cover was designed by Lauren Perry of L. Perry Designs.

 

  About WHERE THERE’S SMOKE:

There is something to be said for letting go. Ryland Roberts knows that better than anyone. He'd let go of his ambitions, of his family and—most of all—of her. He'd perfected the art of putting his past behind him and accepted the fact that the town he wanted to leave in his rearview was the place where he was going to live out his days. But sometimes the past doesn't just go away. Sometimes it comes back to haunt you. Piper Jameson convinced herself that she left for all the right reasons. She'd saved people by leaving—made sure that they weren't tainted by her rebellious ways. When her little sister asks her to come home and say goodbye to their ailing mother, she's forced to see that things aren't always as they seem. The people who she'd left behind might not have been saved at all. In the amount of time it takes a bullet to travel from point A to point B, Piper and Ryland will have to put their feelings for each other aside and make a choice. Forced on the run with Piper's sister, they begin to understand that the future they thought was gone was never really lost.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand. Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination! Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

 

     Facebook I Twitter I Website  I Author Goodreads  I Novel  Goodreads

REVIEW: One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

(Ten Tiny Breaths series, book 2)

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. "Make me proud," he had said. She promised she would...and she's done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action. 

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she's dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she's going to someday marry. What isn't part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can't say 'no' to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men's rowing team. Definitely him. He's an arrogant ass who makes Livie's usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn't want in a guy. Worse, he's best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fit Livie's criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn't have, she's forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows. 

BUY: Amazon 

   

I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner!

This is a beautifully written story that gave me the perfect amount of angst, humor, and romance. I had high hopes for this novel, because of how much I was utterly and completely consumed by Ten Tiny Breaths. While this one didn't quite measure up to its predecessor, it was still a really wonderful read and made me adore Livie even more than I already did.

Olivia Cleary is an old soul. After her parents are killed in a car accident and her older sister spirals into the depths of drugs and alcohol, Livie is forced to be an adult; to be responsible well beyond her years. She has been the solid constant amongst uncontrollable chaos. With her dream of attending Princeton and eventually becoming a doctor on the horizon, her life path is still very much intact. Until she meets Ashton Henley; the biggest womanizer on campus with a past no one really knows much about…because that's exactly the way he wants it. While Livie battles with the fact that he is the exact opposite of who she should be with and yet refuses to let him go, she begins to question everything – Princeton, her career choice, her whole entire future. It's not a clear path anymore. It's blurry. With a blank slate in front of her, she is left to decide whether to continue down the path she has had laid out for her since she was eleven years old, or start living for her and realize that what needs may not be what she always thought she wanted.

Not surprisingly, One Tiny Lie is incredibly well written and while there are a ton of college romance stories out there, K.A. Tucker found a way to make this particular one unique. While this technically could be read as a standalone novel, I wouldn't recommend it. Reading Ten Tiny Breaths first will give you really valuable character insight, as well as establish the relationship Olivia has with her older sister, Kacey and various other secondary characters mentioned throughout this book, including Dr. Stayner. I absolutely love how much he genuinely cares about Livie's wellbeing, and any scene that includes him is guaranteed to give you a laugh!

There is a love triangle, but honestly, it doesn't feel like one. I am someone who isn't a big fan of triangles – I usually always find myself pulling for the guy that isn't picked, and let's face it, that's heartbreaking to me. It's like I got invested in a relationship only to be dumped through a text or something equally as awful at the end. So, yeah…love triangles aren't usually fun reads for me. However, there are some that I can tolerate and actually enjoy; the ones where it is a blatantly clear who the main character should choose. Sure, it might take out some of the drama or suspense of "oh my god, who is she going to choose?!" but that's better for me. I don’t want to fall in love with the guy she doesn't pick. I want to be happy with who she chooses, not left pouting in a corner. Needless to say, One Tiny Lie falls into the category of "love triangles I actually enjoyed." Connor was charming and a very likable character, but he never outshone Ashton to me...and that's saying something considering how many times I wanted to smack Ashton right across his perfect face! That boy frustrated me to no end, but I still always found myself rooting for him.

One Tiny Lie is a beautiful story that, to me, is more about self discovery than the actual romance. There is the element of romance, but this is the journey of Livie discovering how to live for the present and let go of the past; that maintaining the same route all of your life isn't always the best option. Sometimes you need to take a detour to get to where you're supposed to be. 

4 STARS

Reviewed by

;

REVIEW: Emancipating Andie by Priscilla Glenn

Ever since the one time Andie Weber threw caution to the wind - and paid the price for it - she’s learned that it’s safer and smarter to live life playing by the rules. Now she’s got a great apartment, a steady job, and a wonderful boyfriend in Colin; he’s sweet, stable, and essentially perfect – except maybe for the fact that his best friend is Chase.

Chase McGuire lives his carefree, unstructured life strictly for himself. Dripping sarcasm and oozing wit, he refuses to censor his feelings or opinions for anyone, making no apologies for either and wearing his abrasiveness like a badge of honor. No one has ever gotten under Andie’s skin the way Chase does – and vice versa.

So when Andie and Chase find themselves forced to take a two-day road trip together, they are already dreading an inevitable all-out war. But as the trip progresses, and the undeniable friction that has always defined their relationship slowly begins to wear away their preconceived notions of each other, Andie and Chase discover they both have a lot to learn about life, courage, happiness, and the age-old battle between logic and love.

 

BUY: AMAZON 

   

Priscilla Glenn, are you inside my head? I can’t believe how much I could relate to this book!

This book had all of the elements that I love in a good book. My favorite type of books to read are the self-discovery and slow character building romances. Not to mention a good road trip! I love a good road trip! I am ecstatic to be able to say that Emancipating Andie is now on that favorite list right beside The Edge of Never, The Sea of Tranquility, and Hopeless. I didn’t expect it to blow me away like it did, but, man, was I pleasantly surprised.

In my opinion, slow character building romances are the best kinds of stories. I prefer the slow burn feel as opposed to the in-your-face approach. I always feel like I get more emotionally attached and wrapped up in the characters when the story builds gradually. The key to this to make sure it pulls this off without letting me get bored. Priscilla Glenn did just that! I adored Andie and Chase. She managed angst without having annoying characters that made annoying decisions. Such a beautiful read.


So, the story starts when Andie is about to go on a second date with her soon-to-be boyfriend, Colin. They go to a party and that's when Andie accidentally gets herself locked in a wine cellar with Chase. She judges Chase immediately and decides that she doesn't like him. When she did that, I got a little worried. I didn't understand what her problem was, because he seemed nice enough to me. I thought for sure she was going to drive me crazy throughout the book with irrational decisions. I was wrong! She turned out to be a solid female character. The writing allowed us to get inside her head a little bit to see where she was coming from. She always wanted to take the safe route due to something that happened to her in the past. Also, her think-with-your-head-not-your-heart-mother was no help!

"Love with your head, and you'll be safe."

 WORST. ADVICE. EVER.

Anyways, she gets out of the wine cellar. Life goes on. Andie falls into a safe and passionless relationship with Colin. The story picks up seventeen months later in Chapter 2. One of Colin's friends is getting married and Andie and Chase end up traveling together to the wedding.  On the trip together, Chase helps bring Andie out of her shell and she begins to show him the real her. He gets her to do things she would normally never do.

"What makes you happy might not make that woman over there happy. But human beings have a terrible habit of thinking they know what's best for each other."

It becomes obvious about halfway through the trip that these two have a pretty intense connection with each other. Neither of them know what to do about it though because neither of them want to hurt Colin. Without giving anything away, Andie and Chase are forced to face their feelings after their trip. Their main obstacle is Colin. I loved the way that played out. The story could have easily taken a more rotten route in that regard, and I was pleased with the way it unraveled. It's not a cakewalk though.

"I don't want you to act like an asshole....And I don't want to be happy that you're here right now... And I don't want to love the way you smell....And I don't want to feel this way when you hold me...And I don't want to be with you anymore...Did you hear me? I don't want to be with you anymore."

I just loved these two together. Chase  had my heart beating of my chest with his charm. Their scenes together towards the end....sigh....so good!  This is a story where you see love grow from the ground up. You see Andie blossom and really find herself. She always knew who she was, but she was afraid to show it. It was nice to see her let go, but grab a hold of life at the same time. This is WAY UP there on my favorites list.

"No plan. No itinerary. Just you and me."

 

 

5 Stars

 

 

 

REVIEW: Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher

When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat...and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free. 

BUY: Amazon

   

It pains me to write this review because I adore Tarryn Fisher, so I am going to keep it as short as possible.

There was an unbelievable amount of hype surrounding this book, and with Tarryn Fisher being one of my favorite authors, I ate it up. My excitement levels kept rising and by the time Mud Vein was released, I was almost shaking with anticipation. I dove in, reading to be blown away; to read it start to finish in one sitting. I was expecting greatness. I didn’t get it. I got *sigh* disappointment. It took me 3 days to get 31% into this book, that’s how little it pulled me in. Boredom was the main thing I felt during the first third of the book. It seemed repetitive, and there was little to no advancement. I understand the need for detail, to paint a picture of the nightmare that these two were living, but it just didn’t draw me in. I was purposely finding other things to do instead of reading this book. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I rarely ever label a book DNF without giving it a fair shot. I always try to at least make it to 50% and if at that point I’m still struggling, I’ll throw in the towel. So, I stuck with it – not just because of my own little rule and not just because I heard from other readers that it picks up exponentially after the halfway mark – but also because I refused to believe that Tarryn Fisher could write a book that I wouldn’t be able to finish. There was just no way that was possible. It had to get better, it just had to.

I read the final 70% in one sitting – partially because it did pick up around 55% which peaked my interest level, but partially because I just wanted to finish it. So, now that I have had some time to really contemplate how I feel about this story, here are my final thoughts…

It wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t great. It was just…okay, I guess. I have seen so many rave reviews (Erica LOVED IT) but personally, I just don’t get it. And that sucks. 

I am incredibly bummed that I didn’t fall in love with this novel like so many other readers did. The storyline was creative, I like psychological thrillers, I absolutely love Tarryn Fisher’s writing, but this novel just fell flat for me. The main characters weren’t tugging at my heartstrings, and to be honest, I didn’t even like Senna the majority of the time. Did I feel for her in certain situations? Absolutely. But she had so few redeeming qualities in my eyes that it was hard for me to legitimately care about her. Isaac was just…*shrugs* I don’t quite know what to say about him. I didn’t dislike him, but I didn’t really like him either. He was just there. 

I was also incredibly disappointed with the carousel scene. It was built up into this huge incident that clearly made both of them unnerved considering the room, and when I actually found out what the significance of the carousel room was…and what happened on a carousel years ago…I was sitting there thinking “That’s it??? THAT’S why the room is so dreaded?!”.

Regardless of how I feel about this novel, Tarryn Fisher will always be an auto-buy author for me. Her writing is wonderful, but this particular story just didn’t capture me. I wish it had. I think the slow beginning and my nonchalance for the characters are what killed it for me. Also, I didn’t necessarily buy the identity of the “zookeeper.” I mean, I guess it makes sense and I certainly wouldn’t have guessed that person but…meh, I don’t know. That’s kind of how I feel about this book. “Meehhh.”

So, I’m going to stop talking about it and move on. It wasn’t for me, that’s the bottom line. Even though I didn’t like it, PLEASE don’t let this deter you from reading it. This is strictly my opinion. Tarryn Fisher is an amazing author, and I don’t regret reading this simply because her writing is superb and there were some wonderful lines that I highlighted – I just wish I had better things to say about it overall. 

3 STARS

REVIEW: Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher

 

When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat…and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free

BUY: AMAZON 

   

Ouch!! That stung!

This book has been stirring the pot this week! And I have to say that I liked the taste of it. In the spirit of full disclosure, I will say that the book has a bitter taste. The author even wrote a letter to her readers, so I strongly advise you to take the disclaimer for what it is.  If you read The Opportunist series then you know that Tarryn Fisher's writing style can be a bit sour, but you should also know that this book is a different bird. It's not going to appeal to all of the readers in her current audience. If you are a reader that wants heavy romance or a nice HEA, this is not for you and that's ok. Don't force yourself to read a book that's not your style. However, if psychologically twisty things intrigue your mind, this is SO for you (and me!). Yay!

Guys!! The writing!! Impeccable. I totally loved it. I thought it was incredibly engaging. I NEVER got bored. I was really just so caught up in the quirkiness of the main character's personality that I couldn't tear my eyes from the book. It was so obvious to me that the author paid really close attention to detail, and I found myself doing the same thing. I took my time reading and tried to commit every little nuance of the story to memory.

The story is written in sections so there are little time jumps, and I thought they were clever. I thought the whole thing was clever. The whole time I was itching to know who, what, where, and why. It's not really suspenseful, but more of a mystery. Really it's meant to mess with your head and get you thinking. I'm really big into psychological stuff.

For me, this is an easy 5 star read. I really, really liked it. Many of my friends didn't though and that's why I'm pointing out the disclaimer. I think that the feel of the story was similar to Gone Girl's. I felt very similar feelings about the end of Gone Girl as I felt about this book's ending. The end is pretty sour and non-traditional, but a traditional ending just wouldn't work with this storyline.

I thought it was brilliant. I was impressed. Plain and simple.

5 Stars