Sweet Thing-- Renee Carlino

The title of this novel totally hits the nail on the head here, this really is such a sweet story of Mia and Will, two musicians who meet on a flight one day, on their way back to good ole New York. Mia, going to start her new life by taking over her recently deceased father's coffee shop, all the while trying to figure out what she wants and needs out of life. Will, just heading back home to his, and yes- this is how he describes it- "storage closet". While Will is an actual practicing musician, being in a band and just doing the "rock star" thing, Mia on the other hand, seems to be fighting her true self in order to pursue what she feels is a more logical purpose in life. Personally, I feel as though she wastes quite a bit of time on this endeavor, giving that she seems to be quite the talented musician on not one, but several instruments.
I simply love the banter and playfulness between Mia and Will, they are just so easy going- you just wonder why they don't get together so much sooner than they do. And I LOVE the fact that he calls her "Sugar"....... For some reason, that is just my all time favorite endearment. Too bad my hubby doesn't call me that!!! Anywho, this story is awesome, and does have the ever so important HEA, no cliffhanger here, even though I would like to see the story continue I think. 4 stars.

Ten Tiny Breaths-- K.A. Tucker

My oh my, what a mind f*#k this book was, but in the best way!! So, what was have here, is Kacey, a twenty year old chick who just four years prior lost both parents, her boyfriend and her best friend in a horrific car accident. Caused by a drunk driver- yeah the worst of the worst type of accident. So, after dealing with some major family drama, she takes her fifteen year old sister and takes off for a new life in Florida. Now, let me just say- this is one ice cold chick- I am talking exterior of steel, one that she has carefully built over the last few years as her own form of self preservation, and her way of holding onto all of the anger and guilt that she carries over the accident. Now, enter her new neighbor- Trent, who without any major effort on his part, completely shatters every last brick in her wall and leaves her reeling. She cannot understand why she has fallen so heavy and quick for this guy, except that she takes glee in the fact that he seems to have fallen just as hard for her.
So, they have some happy times together, and she FINALLY makes a HUGE (and I mean huge) step for her, and gives herself completely to him- trusting him with her whole heart. Now- enter the mind f*#k...........
Without it being in his control, he breaks her heart, and then has to go above and beyond to try and win back her trust. Luckily, she takes him back- because really, we see why the guy did what he had to do. I mean, when I figured out the twist to the story, I felt my heart rip in two for the guy- I felt like I bled his pain right along with him.
There are some truly heart wrenching moments in this book- all perfectly written. You cannot help but to be pulled into the story and feel everything that these two are going through. I loved it, beginning to end- highly recommend to everyone. 5 stars. Already have the next book, One Tiny Lie, in my TBR list, just gotta get to it now!!!  :)

Beneath the Surface-- M.A. Stacie

Okay, I think I need a drink after this one!! I feel like my head is still spinning, from all of the emotional tornados that ran through this book. Crazy stuff..... First, let's talk about this hero that is so addicted to pain- Mr. Kyran Reese, and lemme just say- damn does he sound yum with his tatted up arms and such...... Okay, snapped outta that. So, this dude is a member of this underground boxing club called The Metro (remind us of good ole "Mad Dog" Maddox anyone???--- definite swoon!!!!), and when I say he is a member- I mean, he is the main man it seems. Like top opponent that you do not wanna fuck with. Of course, this is his "night job"- by day, he is CEO to some large family owned corporation, where he meets Dale (yeah- she is a chick), new assistant to his brother, Taylor. He falls for her right away, even though he is the silent and brooding type that doesn't do relationships and only the casual sex shit and all that. Plus, as far as he is concerned- office relationships are a big No Freaking Way, giving his brother's history with such...... however, he cannot get away from thinking about Dale day and night. So of course, he does what any pain freak would do, and immerses himself in inflicting it onto as many opponents as possible at Metro to try and get his mind off of her. Sucks for him, as her brother is a bartender there- anyway, long story short on that- his distraction for her literally gets him knocked on his ass. Hence kinda begins their thing. Now, when I say this book is hot- I mean it. There is sex, not the kind where it talks about them kissing and then skips all the good stuff and cuts to the end- nah, we get it all. Real good smexy shit. This goes on for quite a while, him refusing to label them as anything more than just sex, and her not being able to not fall for him. When in the mean time, he is doing the same thing, he just will not admit it. So, of course, there is love and heartbreak here too (no, you know I don't give out spoilers- except to say- it is good). I kinda feel like we had an up in the air ending, even though it isn't really a cliffhanger. I don't know if there are plans for another book yet or not- I honestly haven't checked. I would like to see if there is another further to their story, but if not- I think it ended okay. I would rate this one 4.5 stars.

White Trash Beautiful-- Teresa Mummert

So, I found this awesome little book on Netgalley (yet again, I am falling in love with this site, lol). And I must say, I really did love the story- however, I did hate how things were left unfinished. Not on a cliffhanger, and yeah I get it- there is another book coming out, but I just felt like things were left up in the air and shit. I don't like having that feeling. You all know that I hate a cliffhanger as much as I hate a frog (yes, they are my one deathly fear- they are predators that hop toward you and chase you down- neurotic I know- but hey, it's my fear), however, I would rather have a cliffhanger than have things just be left dangling. It just leaves that "yuck" feeling to the story for me.
That all being said- it really was a good book. Not really on the hot and steamy side- yeah there was some sex (one time and, whoa- life changer), but it wasn't rated R by any means. Even though these were twenty something peeps and it dealt with an adult subject matter (don't want to give stuff away)- I really felt more like I was reading a YA novel than a Contemporary Romance. But hey, no bigs. The two folks, Tucker and Cass (yeah- she is a chick), are pretty suited for each other, except for the fact that Cass is a complete and total freaking moron. I seriously wanted to slap the shit out of her!! Except that was kinda already going on and she still hadn't gotten smart about things, so I didn't think it would help. She really made me sick with the whole "Oh, I need to try and see if I can find the guy I fell in love with" bullshit (this refers to the asshole boyfriend- not Tucker- yeah I know, confusing as hell). I mean, here she is- a waitress in some small town diner, stuck in a shit hole life and out of the blue, in walks shit hot Tucker, offering her something more than she could have ever imagined and she continuously turns from it to try and save the two pieces of shit in her life!! Who does that?? And Tucker- give that boy a medal or something.... patience of a saint that one has!! Anyway, all in all- it was a beautiful story- full of love, and a hell of a lot of loss. Other than the ending- I loved it, even though it coulda been a little hotter ;)
4 stars for me.

Unbeautifully- Undeniable Book 2-- Madeline Sheehan

Well, I actually read this book a couple of weeks ago, but am just now getting the chance to review it- told ya I would eventually get there!!! Anywho, my oh my, I do adore this book. Just as I did the first in the series, Undeniable. This book starts in a weird place after Undeniable, so that you are kind of lost in the beginning and going, "Wait, what the hell?" However, you quickly realize the things that have occurred to get us to the point where this book begins, then we go back in time a few years to start the story of Danny and Ripper. Yeah, that Ripper (if you read Undeniable-- which you ABSOLUTELY should, then you know all about Ripper). All I can say is Yummy Yum Yum. Regardless of his physical scars, he is one of the most beautiful people, with such a beautiful heart when it comes to Danny. He really would go to the ends of the earth to save her or just to keep her safe from hurt or harm. I love that he loves her that much, not to say that she doesn't feel exactly the same for him. It really is such a tragic but beautiful story about life and love. It is definitely not a typical love story, just as the author says. It is dark and gritty, rough and ragged, and rode hard and put up wet-- but it is FANFUCKINTASTIC. Yeah I said it-- read it damn it. You will not be sorry!! 5 glorious stars!!!!

Darkness Before Dawn-- Claire Contreras

Holy hades Batman, this book is dark....... But damn oh damn did I love it!! Second book to There is No Light in Darkness, and by far, even better. We pick up immediately where we left off in book one, after the evil cliffhanger occurs that tore our hearts out of our chests. Here we see just how dark and ugly the lives of Cole and Blake can get, and how desolate they are when separated. It is heart wrenching to read what they have to go through to find their way back to each other, and that they have to face the ultimate loss to get there. This book also delves deeper into the mystery of both of their pasts, as well as how they are intertwined even more than they imagined. New relationships are formed, which sometimes strains, almost breaking old ones. You basically have to see someone start their life over again- after having everything that they believed their life to be- really not be true at all. It is a nice balance of romance and suspense and all out heartbreak. Some of the most heart breaking stuff that I have ever read- and I even read Jacinda Wilder's Falling Into You..... which was the most gut wrenching story ever. I simply loved the story of these people and love even more that they finally got their happy and peaceful ending. 5 stars all the way.

There is No Light in Darkness-- Claire Contreras

Wow, what a book. I came across this title as I was browsing through another book blog one day, and thought- what the hell? Let's check it out. SO glad I did. It is a great book. This is the first of a two book series, which I will be reviewing next, and I must say- Kudos to the author. Even though it did do the evil CLIFFHANGER at the end-- I had already downloaded the second book so I wasn't too pissed about it. So, there is my first piece of advice- download both at once or at least the second as soon as you finish the first. If you don't, it's gonna drive you crazy.
One of the main things about this book is that it spans events over several years, focusing on the lives and love of Blake and Cole. These two kids met at the ripe old age of thirteen when one of them (not saying which one) came to live in the same foster home that the other one lived in. And they fell from there. Like instant attraction- but this deals with something from both of their pasts-- so not saying anything about this because it would be a major spoiler. And I do not do spoilers, sorry folks. Just believe me when I say- get it, read it, cry with it, scream at it and love it. That's all you have to do. The book carries itself- it is so entangled in not just the hero and heroine's story, but all of the characters story as they grew and loved together. I cannot say anymore, I just can't. You will not be disappointed with this book. 4 stars.

Driven-- K. Bromberg

Well, let's just add yet another book to the long list of ones that I have totally fallen in love with!! This novel, another by a previously unknown to me author- K. Bromberg, is most definitely a winner. It deals with Colton, a race car driver and international playboy type who unwillingly falls head over heels for a spunky, yet has a heart bigger than Texas social worker- Rylee. At first, I didn't know about it seeing as it was about a race car driver and all (nope, I am not a NASCAR fan), but luckily- it really didn't have much at all to do with his career. More so, it had to do with just how broken this man is himself, and how he has not dealt with his past at all, so it is still running most of his life. Mainly, you guessed it, his love life. He is widely known for having "arrangements" with various women, in which he only gives them a few nights a week of his time- solely for the purpose of their mutual pleasure and public exposure. However, he never thought he would fall so fast for Rylee, whom he um, encounters, at a charity date auction that he attends in place of his sick mother. Rylee, on the other hand, does all that she can to distance herself from Colton after their "unique" introduction, due to her truly heartbreaking past. And yeah people- I mean tears will flow when you read about what happened, and the fallout from it. This story does dabble a bit in BDSM, just like all the good ones seem to do nowadays, lol. But nothing to heavy. It does appear to be the first in a trilogy, which is fabulous- since we are left with the evil and highly dreaded------ CLIFFHANGER!!!!! I am sorry to all those authors out there that use this for effect or whatever, but I just hate it. If your book is truly good, then you shouldn't have to use a cliffhanger to lure readers back for seconds. If we love, we are coming back for more- trust us. Even though I hated the ending of this one, I do look forward to reading the next books to see how Colton and Rylee's story ends. 5 stars.

Twisted- Book 2 in the Torn Series-- K.A. Robinson

Finished Twisted last night, and just as referenced in my last blog-- the second half was that good!! A fantastic conclusion, as I am not aware that there will be another book at this point, to Chloe and Drake's story!! Love that they finally get their HEA, as they are truly one couple that deserve it. Such a powerful story about love and loss, both heartbreaking and joyful. This series is so close in comparison to Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster, which just so happen to be simply brilliant. I love the journey that we go through with both characters as they both struggle to overcome the demons from their past. That's right peeps, not just one, but both halves of this couple are messed up. That's what is so great about it- they both royally screw up and then have to remedy it- not just one or the other. There is no one sided blame here, they completely share it for all of the problems that they have. I do hate that both characters seemed to fall so easily back into old habits in this book, and no- I will not tell what they are, just to say that- Wow, are they really that stupid. Yep and even more yep. But, that is what makes their story worthwhile-- it is a hell of a bumpy ride back to paradise- but they withstand it and make it back in one piece!! This novel, like the first, receives 5 huge stars from me-- highly recommended to all!!!