Always Jane by Jenn Bennett

Always Jane by Jenn Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have really enjoyed other books by Jenn Bennett, so I know I had to pick this book up and read it. It did not disappoint me in the least. I loved the characters, all the talk about music. But most importantly I loved the content. There were so many subplots in this book that made you think, there was issues with the family, suspicions about who family was, issues with discovering who you were going to be when you grew up. There were drugs, music, love, hospitals and so much more. This book had a little bit of everything.

What I really enjoyed the most was the interactions between Fen and Jane, they had a magnetic unspoken pull to one another, not an insta kind of a love though. Something that slowly burned throughout time, especially on Fen’s side. It was beautiful to read and even though each character had so many issues behind the scenes it’ how they handled it together that mattered the most. Enjoying this book was inevitable.


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Review: Got Mine by Nicole Loufas

Got Mine
By: Nicole Loufas
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Series: Men of Trance #1

Description:
When his precocious daughter is accepted into a hipster private school - Theodore Sway sacrifices his ego, his morals, and his body hair so Lulu isn’t damned to a life of ramen noodles and broken dreams. 

Theo takes a job at Trance; the city’s only women’s club, and soon becomes its star attraction. That still isn’t enough to pay his daughter's tuition and the ever-rising cost of his San Francisco neighborhood. With the help of Rico, a fellow entertainer and part-time pimp; Theo earns extra cash through a series of hilarious side jobs.

Soon, Theo’s sexy stage persona becomes a liability and threatens his role as the world's okayest dad.

Review:

I saw this cover and read the description and thought ok this definitely sounds like a book up my alley let me check it out.  I’m glad I did because it really wasn’t what I expected. 

We meet Theo as he ventures on to stripping trying to pay for his daughter’s education, which is a noble thing if you think about it because he’s being selfless about it.  I really thought the book was going to go somewhere and it eventually did but it was so typical that I didn’t feel any excitement.  It really wasn’t what I expected but then again the description didn’t go much further than he’s taking a job at Trance. There was a lot going in in the story, the plot was good I just wish it was a little more.   

I really couldn’t relate to the characters, at times it felt rushed or like there was way more to the story that could have been told but there wasn’t.  Overall it was an okay book.  I really love the cover, the guy just looks amazing.  I think the ending is definitely where it gets you.  Just when I was ready to give up on it, it just hooked me back in.  The book was interesting, maybe I’ll read the next one in the series. 

I will say this the other characters in the book they were questionable at best, I wonder about them, why they strip etc.  maybe I really will check out the next book. 

Disclaimer:

I received this book from NetGalley and Nicole Loufas, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

Review: Convicted: A Dark Ex-Con Romance by Piper Sullivan

Convicted: A Dark Ex-Con Romance
By: Piper Sullivan
Release Date: March 10, 2017

Description:
Will an ex-con’s dark past keep him from a second chance at romance? 

Jason 
Prison had been no walk in the park, and after I served my time for murder and stepped back into society, I had no idea what to expect. 
Certainly not sweet Ally, my sister’s best friend. 
I knew I should have left her alone. 
But I just couldn’t help myself. 
She was just too tempting. 
I knew she still craved my touch, she tried to hide it, but her body betrayed her. 
Just like the first time I put my hands on her virgin body. 
The look of fear and disgust in her eyes shredded me, I knew she saw nothing but a criminal. 

But I’d risk anything to protect her…even my freedom. 

Ally 
My life was on track. Finally. 
I was working part time and still managing to carry a 4.0 GPA at college. 
Best of all, my roommate was my bestie. 
The last thing I needed was my best friend’s brother naked in my bedroom. 

Or to be pregnant with his baby. 

Review:

Sometimes you just need a little bit of quick romance in your life, and this book definitely provided that.  It was a dark romance, although I didn’t find it that dark.  There was not a lot of detail throughout the book and everything was pretty quick.  We meet Jason as he’s getting out of jail, there is a brief flashback as to what happened before he went to jail with his sister’s best friend.  I always love books that have to deal with siblings best friends, I don’t know maybe it’s the convenience of having that person around or just that mild attraction that always seems to form somehow but books about this subject always lure me in.

He’s back and Ally is everywhere he is, their attraction is undeniable and they had a few really great moments throughout the book.  But I have to say the book was really rushed through and through.  I wanted a little more emotion, a little more depth to each of the characters, even the sister Jamie.  I felt like they were all accepting of everything without going into too much detail.  Like who is Mac and why is she the way she is?  I want to know more about Jamie, I mean I know the story wasn’t really about these secondary characters but a little more history would have been great.

Overall this was a really quick romance book, something to whet your appetite but definitely left me wanting more.   

Review: Fraternize by Rachel Van Dyken

Fraternize
By: Rachel Van Dyken
Release Date: September 12, 2017
Series: Players Game #1

Description:
Emerson just made her dream come true as a professional cheerleader for her favorite pro football team. But even though the plus-size athlete is breaking down boundaries, she still has to contend with the massive rulebook. Carbs? Nope. Chocolate? Definitely not. Still, Emerson loves her curves, and she’ll rock the hell out of this job even if it kills her. Except for one mandate that is easier read than done…

No fraternizing with the players.

Problem one is Miller Quinton: Emerson’s first love, first sex, and the guy who still ignites her daydreams and R-rated fantasies. Thrown back together, Miller and Emerson feel the undeniable pull of passion again, even if the conflict that tore them apart seems insurmountable. Then there’s way-too-sexy Grant Sanchez. He has a serious reputation with the ladies, and when it comes to winning someone he wants, he doesn’t let anyone stand in his way.

Now Emerson is breaking every rule in the manual. But what she doesn’t know is that she’s part of a wicked little game—one that could steal both her dream and her heart. 

Review:

So I’ve seen this author around for a while and have always wanted to pick up one of her books and I’m so thoroughly thrilled that I finally had the chance.  Rachel Van Dyken is quite addicting, this book was nothing what I expected.  I didn’t think it would flow the way it did but I was pleasantly surprised.  Definitely a book you should pick up, because it’s worth it.

We meet Emerson and Miller during their high school years through flashbacks, which I love because sometimes you just need a little bit of history thrown in to make that story that much more powerful.  The two were inseparable but things happened and as you can imagine they grew apart.  Fast forward a couple years and here they are face to face again, both still very hurt but both still very much loving each other.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away because really you have to read it.  Just throw in a really hot new player into the mix and this love triangle gets more and more interesting each page you turn.  There was a lot going on this book, not only the romance throughout but also the different forms of friendship, comraderies, strong connection for being on a team, family issues and even bullying.  This book touched a little bit upon all of that.  Also status in life, where someone had more than the other, that’s always a tough subject matter as well. 

I enjoyed Emerson’s story, I felt for her throughout the book she became a real person to me and I could relate to the character as well as ride the different waves of emotions she was going through.  Again it really didn’t end up like I thought it would like every other typical romance or contemporary I’ve ever read but I was really pleasantly surprised.  Sometimes you don’t’ really meet your true love in high school, sometimes things have to happen for you to experience life and then things seem to fall into place during the hardest time in your life.

I wholly enjoyed this book.  The cover is absolutely eye catching, after all who doesn’t love a good love triangle?  The story was amazing and had me so hooked that I had to finish it within 24 hours, I stayed up real late for this one but I couldn’t put it down.  The setting is great, football players, cheerleaders, best friends, new friends and life experiences with realities of family thrown in to make it just that much more realistic.  Must read. I want to talk more about the book but don’t’ really want to give too much away.  

Disclaimer:

I received this book from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

Review: Breaking the Rules of Revenge by Samantha Bohrman

Breaking the Rules of Revenge
By: Samantha Bohrman
Release Date: September 11, 2017

Description:
Mallory Jones is tired of being the girl who stays home and practices French horn while her identical twin, Blake, is crowned homecoming queen. So when she has the opportunity to pretend to be Blake, she takes it. At Camp Pine Ridge, she will spread her wings and emerge a butterfly. Or at least someone who finally gets kissed by a cute guy. That is, until bad boy Ben Iron Cloud shows up, ready to get revenge on Blake—aka Mallory.

If it weren’t for that infuriating girl, Ben wouldn’t even be at camp. Luckily, he now has six weeks to soak up some rays and get even with his nemesis. But the more time he spends with Blake, the more he realizes she’s nothing like the girl he thought she was—she’s kind and innocent and suddenly way too tempting. And soon enough, revenge is the last thing on his mind. Unfortunately, the girl he’s falling for is keeping a major secret…

Disclaimer: This book contains a super-hot bad boy out for revenge, all sorts of camp hijinks, and a girl who realized she’s been a butterfly all along. 

Review:

Now that summer is coming to an end so is the lovely world of sleep away camps, and we all know what happens at camps (or at least we can imagine) a whole lot of shenanigans.  This book did not disappoint in the whole camp pranks that’s for sure.  Samantha Bohrman did a great job bringing this camping experience to life.  We met some interesting characters and had a laugh or two.

We meet Mallory, who is Blake’s identical sister (but she’s also the one no one notices), she decides to take over Blake’s life for her at camp.  Yes they are pulling the old switch-a-roo almost parent trap like but not, man I really loved that movie.  Anyway so Mallory wants to come out and be a different person, someone people will notice and will interact with her more, little did she know that Blake’s nemesis will also be at the same camp, Ben. 

I really liked the fact that Ben was a Native American, as you don’t often see that in young adult novels (not included you know what Team Jacob lol).  But it was sad to see that he really didn’t know much about his heritage to begin with, regardless he was an interesting character.  Especially when he thought he was dealing with the real Blake and was fooled the whole time.  Oh the regret of those silly, silly pranks.  Although they were quite funny and unique. 

Anyway the dynamic between Mallory and Ben is adorable.  They get each other and complement each other very well, but again there are secrets that are being held and won’t be revealed until the end, with that as I’m sure you can imagine will be consequences.  Things happen between the two of them, truths come out and realities are finally in play.  It’s what you do with the information you are given that make you the better person and I think the two of them figured out exactly what they needed to do with each other.

Overall I thought the book was a quick and easy fun read.  Perfect for the end of summer, with a few funny hi-jinks, some very interesting secondary characters and typical people you would expect to see at camp.  The setting was great, the people were great, just an overall good book.  I really liked the cover too, it was very eye catching.  

Disclaimer:

I received this book from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

Review: Boomerang Boyfriend by Chris Cannon

Boomerang Boyfriend
By: Chris Cannon
Release Date: September 11, 2017
Series: Boyfriend Chronicles

Description:

Working with her best friend’s brother at Betty’s Burgers, free-spirited Delia starts to see Jack in a new light. Not only has Jack-the-Jerk turned into a hottie, he’s even acting like a niceguy, who rescues dogs and knows how she likes her coffee. But if Jack is into her, then why is he keeping her a secret? Of course, if her best friend doesn’t approve, Delia could lose the only family she’s ever known.

Seeing Delia in her retro waitress uniform throws Jack’s world out of whack. She’s always been just another pain in the butt little sister...not a datable female. But she’s rockin’ the Pie Princess tiara, and even her hot-pink striped hair is sexy. What’s that about? He needs to get his head on straight, because artsy, funky Delia and her nonconformist ways don’t fit in his safe and ordered world.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains kisses that make the world fall away and snarky humor that may cause you to LOL in public places.

Review:

This book was absolutely adorable in every way.  Who doesn’t at some point fantasize about your brother’s best friend?  Sometimes the best things are right in front of you and you don’t even know it.  Chris Cannon did a very good job of showing us this concept in Boomerang Boyfriend.

We meet Zoe and her best friend Delia. Delia is always at their house because her parents are always working, she’s always around her brother too, Jack.  But they have a sister/brother vibe, that is until things change and they begin to see each other in a new light.  Many girls throughout time have always fantasized about their best friend’s brother, especially if he was older and good looking.  But to see these two awkwardly grown into that stage was adorable.

Jack seems like an average kind of guy, going with the flow of things although he is going through some things of his own.  The book wasn’t very serious but I wouldn’t have minded if they touched upon some of those feelings a little more.  I think it would have bought him out more and made him a stronger character.  Jack was definitely a little aloof and well very high school boyish.  There were times I wanted to smack him upside the head for being so dense about things, but again he is just a boy.

Delia wasn’t much better either though at times you wanted to knock some sense into her, although I think this is why I enjoyed the books.  The characters truly seemed like their age, they didn’t pretend to be older, do more adult things everything was pretty innocent and adorable and simplistic.  Yes they all had background issues with family or about family but they didn’t let it rule their lives.  Even the secondary characters such as Aiden had something going for him.  It’s hard keeping secrets for friends but even harder when it starts to disrupt relationships you are trying to grow.

Overall the book was good, I liked it. The characters were believable as high schoolers.  The story was interesting and the read was very quick and fun.  I wouldn’t mind finding out more about Jack’s best friend though, perhaps the next book in the series?

Disclaimer:

I received this book from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

Review: Tied Up in You By Erin Fletcher

Tied Up In You
By: Erin Fletcher
Release Date: July 10, 2017
Series: All Laced Up #2

Description:
Everyone says hotshot goalie Luke Jackson is God’s gift to girls, but the only girl he wants is his best friend, Malina Hall. He’s always known how brilliant she is, but now that he’s “accidentally” kissed her, he can’t stop thinking about her…or wanting to kiss her again.

Problem is, things have been a little…awkward since the kiss. Because she likes him, too? Hopefully, but even if she did, their futures—and the ridiculous schedules that come with them—are in the way. And now one of his teammates is showing interest, and the guy has more in common with Malina than Jackson ever will.

As her best friend, Jackson should get out of the way. But if there’s one thing he’s learned from hockey, it’s that you have to go for what you want, even if it means falling flat on your face. And he’s definitely falling for Malina.

Disclaimer: This book contains a hot hockey player who goes after what he wants, a super-hot, super-distracting shirtless workout, and the kind of best friends to lovers romance every girl in the friend zone has dreamed of. 

Review:

This was an adorably sweet contemporary novel that hit just the right spot.  Erin Fletcher did a great job bringing us into the world of Malina and Jackson.  That time in your life when the big decisions about the rest of your future are made, and who you want to spend that time with.  It’s a daunting task but it’s always better when there are people who have your back.

We meet Malina and Jackson, who have been best friends forever but something just clicks and something else seems to form between the two of them.  You know what they say it’s very hard for a female and a male to be best friends because there is always one that may feel just slightly more than the other, and when they both do it’s a very magical thing.  The two of them are struggling with what will happen next in their lives but they figure things out together, maybe not the easiest way but the best way for them.

This book was very fast paced and seemed to move very quickly through the relationship, but if you think about it they’ve been in a relationship for many many years since they’ve known each other since probably elementary school.  It went so quickly because they know each other, they didn’t have to go through the whole learning phase of getting to know you and what you do and do not like.  They already have that in the bag.  So of course when they have a big blow out all the real daggers come out to play.  Because they know exactly where to dig.

Overall I liked the book, I’m intrigued to see what happened in the first book and I really can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.  This is a great read if you want something quick and fun, something that will get your emotions left and right but still simple young contemporary. I really enjoyed all the family moments too and this book had me googling Hawaiian food left and right.  Really enjoyed it. 

Disclaimer:

I received this book from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!