Book #Review: Commanded by Stacey Kennedy .@Stacey_Kennedy .@TastybookTours .@readloveswept

Book Title: Commanded ( Club Sin 6)
Author: Stacey Kennedy |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: LoveSwept (Random House)
Genre: Erotic Romance
Series/Standalone: Series
Format: ebook, 

Cost: $3.99

Pages: 195

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: July 7th, 2015
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Club Sin comes alive once again in this decadent new romance from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy, perfect for fans of Fifty Shades of Grey. A dedicated cop, Sawyer Quinn blows off steam by immersing himself in his role as a Master at the hottest club in Las Vegas. But when Sawyer goes after the perp who brutally beat his sister, he teams up with Chloe Nash, a sexy private investigator who awakens a sweet new need: to keep her to himself, away from the dungeon of Club Sin. Chloe is beautiful, smart, and too innocent for the BDSM lifestyle. Sawyer’s never wanted a woman like this before. Is her love worth swearing off the one thing that keeps him sane? There’s something different about Sawyer: a commanding strength that pulls Chloe into a vortex of heady desire. But when she learns about his double life as a Dom, she’s shocked—and afraid she could never complete him. Then he saves her life, and just like that, Chloe knows she will be able to give him anything he desires. She is his—wherever and however he wants to take her.

I both liked and disliked this story, and the dislike had more to do with a character's point of view which didn't seem to mesh with what had happened before he made that comment.  So his point of view made me lower the stars to three and a half instead of four.

I really liked the characters, especially Chloe, who was quick witted and smart, when faced with danger her reactions were all real and smart, she did what was necessary without trying to be a superhero, or any tstl (too stupid to live) moments.  I loved that she took a leap of faith in dating Sawyer because it gave us a really great story.

This story progressed really quickly, and although it was a part of a series it didn't feel like you had to have read the others to get the story and understand the characters.  Chloe and Sawyer met and felt an instant connection to each other, however Chloe was involved at the time and they didn't do anything about their attraction.  When the story starts, Sawyer is in need of a good private investigator to help find a criminal who is being hidden by everyone who should be turning him in.  Chloe is so happy to get to help, and not just because she wants to spend time with Sawyer, but especially because she learned even more from the victim than Sawyer had and this gave her an even greater need to help.  It was great to see how everyone rushed to help Sawyer when he needed it and the mystery unfolds quickly and is apart of the story without overwhelming it nor getting lost behind the romance that is also building.

I enjoyed reading the two characters confront the fact that they are from two different sexual experiences.  Chloe isn't a part of the lifestyle and Sawyer is a Dom, it was interesting to watch their relationship unfold, especially because of their two different desires.  Chloe didn't believe they could mesh and Sawyer did his best to show her how well they connected; and boy did they connect. I enjoyed how Sawyer was able to find a way to balance his need to be a Dominate and Chloe's non submissiveness.  It was great to see them bend BDSM to their lives and not feel the need to meet the preconceived notions of what it was.   This isn't a BDSM heavy book, it's mostly mentioned as something that gave Sawyer structure when coming out of the military, the couple however doesn't really engage in many scenes, it is however written in a way that lets you know that they would engage later in life as the relationship grows.

I liked the glimpses of previous characters and their relationships in progress.  I enjoyed that they learnt that they could also still remain friends even thought they may not share the same things all the time.

I disliked  Sawyer's attitude that submissive in a club aren't innocent or pure.  Lookie here sir having sexual experience and experimenting with your sex life doesn't make you unpure or not innocent.  It just didn't seem to mesh with what he had been thinking at the very beginning of the story.  It also didn't seem to fit because he is a Dom and a Master at a Club, and has been for years.  It felt too close to slut shaming when he was celebrating it earlier in the book.

 ★★★1/2☆☆

Happy Reading and share your comments down below.

YA Book #Review: Powerless (The Hero Agenda 1) by Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs .@sourcebooksfire .@teralynnchilds .@tracywolff

Book Title: Powerless
Author:  Tera Lynn Childs  |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: ebook, Trade Hardcover

Cost: $16.99

Pages: 295

How I got it: BEA 2015 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Kenna is tired of being "normal". The only thing special about her is that she isn't special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates. She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers.

This was one of the most fun books I have read all year. I kept telling myself one more page, then I'll go to sleep, before I knew it, I was done and it was 330 am in the morning.  I loved this story. I laughed, I cackled, I gave it dirty looks, and I just couldn't put it down. I was totally enchanted and didn't stop reading until I got every last drop from it.  I kept looking at the pages left and freaking out that there was so much more story left. and man did these ladies leave us a cliffhanger.  I can't tell you how much this story made my day.  It was good I mean really good.  Filled with lots of actions, small mysteries and of course an overarching mystery as well.  I loved the way this story built and created a story without trying too hard to create a huge world.

Kenna isn't your typical character, an ordinary girl in a world of superheros she's got plans to make them respect her as well as seek revenge for what happened to her many years ago.  She was funny, relateable quirky without being too far out and man did she have some epic lines.  She totally made the story worthwhile.    The story is told from her point of view and I loved that she wasn't just a wonderful character, she was also smart, she didn't just throw herself into danger, she had a plan, and when it didn't work out she had a back up.  She never pretended to be more than she was and I loved her for that.  Her moments of vulnerability made her a more rounded and relateable character and I couldn't wait to see her growth.  Her friends were also funny and her best friend was so wonderful as well, complex, flawed and still a kick ass chick.

This story wasn't just about a romance (of which there are two really good ones), or all action (of which there is plenty) or the mystery (again of which there is plenty), it felt like tuning in a catching up with a great story, like what a good tv show should be, a mystery for this episode but something that makes you tune back in next week.  The cast of characters were entertaining, and witty, silly at times, but felt real and very much like the teenagers they were.

I loved the way information about their world was shared without information dumping, nor did it drag out, things happened and unfolded naturally and in a way that pulled you along and allowed you to feel like you were there and already understood how the world worked without complicated explanations.  I loved that, I got to see the characters instead of being told who and what they were.

I will say I guessed a few plot points, only because I'm a suspicious kind of woman, but I felt they were worked into the plot extremely well.   I enjoyed the humour, the conversations, the inner monologues of Kenna, the romances we see and the knowledge that we are going to get to explore more of this world and the others that are here.

What really made me love this story wasn't just all of these, but the real moral of the story. Not everything can be black and white, and titles are only that, the people wearing them may not always live up or down to them. And I loved Kenna's discovery and how it challenged her world view.

 ★★★★1/2☆

Happy Reading and I hope you really enjoy it 

Book #Review: Undefeated by J.C. Valentine .@authorjcv .@indiesagepromo

Book Title: Undefeated (Wayward Fighters 3)
Author:  J.C. Valentine |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 3
Format: ebook, paperback

Cost: $0.99, $12.00

Pages: 

How I got it: Publicist

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes
Publication Date: May 26th
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

*Note* While this book is a part of the Wayward Fighters series, unDefeated can be read as a standalone. Spencer Bradley ruins everything he touches. Addicted to gambling, he’s lied, cheated, and stolen to get what he wants. Now, in order to protect those he cares for, he’s keeping his distance. Rehab’s taught him a lot, but when his time runs out and he finds himself with nowhere to turn, he seeks help from the one person he’s capable of destroying. Olivia Carter fell in love the day she met Spencer Bradley. Despite him being responsible for the downfall of his best friend’s career and landing himself in rehab, she can’t bring herself to stay away—even if it means risking her own recovery. (

I so didn't know this was a part of a series, and it doesn't read like it is. You meet some new characters who are clearly from previous books but these characters have their own arc and are only secondary characters here, so you don't need their stories to understand who they are to Spencer and Liv. 

I loved this series. It was amazing. I haven't read a book about addicts in recovery in a while , and they are struggling to become full humans again.  Having left his rehab, Spence doesn't have anyone he can go to. His past actions burnt all the bridges he once had, and now he has to rebuild his life all alone.  Liv has always loved Spence and when he went away he took her heart with him, she's slowly building her life without him in it, even though she doesn't want to.  Her friends all want her to move on but she can't without her heart.

These two are amazing characters to read, and it made me enjoy the story more, especially when you realize that Spencer was originally an anti hero and a character that wasn't the best character at all. He's done everything for his next fix and it cost a few people their livelihoods and of course has broken way too many hearts along the way.  Olivia is a child of privilege and her life hasn't been easy, her attempts to gain her parents attention led her down a dark path and this has led her where she is now.  In love with a addict who helps to feed her addiction to adrenaline and man does Spence help her embrace the dark side.

I wanted a bigger book because their story could have gone on for a few more chapters, I really want to know what happens with his sister, do Spence and Olivia make it, how do they look a few years from now. Will their therapist start seeing them alone to help them grow even more??  I loved watching the healing that took place, reading their pain and their triggers, watching as they learnt that they weren't alone and even seeing the struggle not to give into their addictions.  It was eye opening and very good to read, especially their love scenes. Very steamy.

My favorite scene will always be the bathroom scene no, not that one, the third one, when Spence and Olivia get into it, and just those moments leading up to her getting there, were just so..wow.

I really enjoyed reading this one and can't wait until the next installment comes out.

 ★★★★☆

Tell me what you thought down in the comments.  Happy Reading

Book #Review & #Giveaway: Cherry Lane ( A Cavanaugh Island Novel) by Rochelle Alers .@rochellealers .@

Book Title: Cherry Lane (Cavanaugh Island Book 5)
Author:  Rochelle Alers |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Hatchette Books
Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 5
Format: ebook, paperback

Cost: $8.00

Pages: 400

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BAM | iBooks
Publication Date: May 26th, 2015
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

A place to call home . . . In New York City, attorney Devon Gilmore devoted all her time and energy to fast-track her career. She lost her boyfriend . . . but found herself with a surprise baby on the way. To begin a new life, Devon needs a place to settle down-a place like Cavanaugh Island, where the pace is slow, the weather is fine, and the men are even finer. From the moment David Sullivan meets Devon, he knows he can't fight the laws of attraction. Whether it's helping fix up the old cottage she just bought on Cherry Lane or working together on a pro bono legal case, he can't help feeling a little protective. But will the most eligible bachelor in town be ready for an instant family? Only if he can convince Devon to put her heart on the line one more time-for all time.

This is a sweet romance that makes me want to relocate to North Carolina, because Rochelle has made the island and the coves sound so amazing.

I really liked the romance of this story, this being book five, which can be read as a standalone, (the story would be richer if you read it as part of the series) was very well done, yet done in a way that allows you to meet and fall in love with the characters from the other books as well. I very much liked Devon and like her I kept looking at everyone wondering why they were so nice to a stranger, yet as a woman who spent most of my summers as a kid in West Virginia totally getting how having roots in the area instantly makes you family (to some people at least).   

I really enjoyed and loved that the author acknowledged the differences in their relationships, the way in which they both came to be on the island and the fact that they really had only just met, yet they were feeling like they had known each other for far longer that than.  I loved their family dynamics and how the cousins teased each other because it reminded me of my own family and made me feel like I totally understood where they were coming from when they talked to each other and to Devon.  I enjoyed the history that was shared and how it was interwoven into the story without being a heavy handed history lesson, The richness of Gullah life was shared in a way that made it all the more amazing to read and I laugh because so much of Gullah culture is the same for the Jamaicans in my family and it felt like reading about home.  

Devon and David as characters were pretty interesting, yet I felt we could have gotten more from them that would have made the story richer, but I understand that they are learning about each other and as they do we learn about them as well.  I loved that Devon wasn't a character that was too afraid to stand for herself and made a career choice and a life choice that made it easy for her to move and live how she wanted, her life was on her own terms even if her family didn't accept it completely.  The same can be said for David who when given the choices made a life that would allow him to be closer to home and still have a great career helping those who needed it most. And the quote that he choose to live by is amazing. 

I however still felt that David should have shared with Devon and let her have a choice in how things were done.  Had he done so she would have be more aware.  He made an arbitrary decision and then was surprised when it didn't pan out well, she isn't a child and didn't need to be coddled away, and in the end that came back to haunt him.  We knew who was involved due to the cut away scenes and this did add a few moments of tension and mystery for the characters, and it certainly helped to move the plot along.  I loved that actual real life examples were used and that Rochelle shaded so many with just simply sharing the facts. I laughed quite a bit reading this book, especially those scenes.

I loved that they shared so much in common and even if the romance developed quickly you could see where they messed well.  I loved that they were a great mix of modern and old world, they acknowledged their backgrounds of being mixed race without it being a huge issue in the book.  they loved food, so when they cooked together they shared so much about themselves and I enjoyed reading those as well.  Plus those scenes both made me envious and hungry, because the man can cook,. dance, and he's educated, Devon is one lucky girl.  

The romance was a slow burn and wasn't a fast buildup because they both made decisions at the beginning that allowed them the time to grow and know each other.  I am looking forward to seeing them more in the other romances and I loved Francine and can't wait to read about her wedding as well.  

Want a chance to read all about it yourself?? Enter into the giveaway down below to win a copy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 ★★★1/2☆☆

Happy Reading and Good luck to all those who enter. Excuse me while I go look at Gullah brochures. 

Book #Review: "Summer by Summer" by Heather Burch .@heatherburch .@blinkyabooks

Book Title: Summer by Summer
Author:  Heather Burch |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Blink
Genre: Young Adult
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: paperback

Cost: $12.99

Pages: 288

How I got it: Unsolicited from the Publisher

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

When Summer took a job as a nanny for a couple vacationing in Belize, she imagined it would be a fresh start before starting college in the fall. And while she adores her charge, Josh, she can’t say the same for her employers’ oldest son, Bray. He’s cocky, inconsiderate, and makes her feel she’s a chore he has to put up with. In short, he’s everything she dislikes in a guy. Bray had a plan for the summer: party, hang out with friends, and forget all the responsibilities waiting for him back home. But every time he’s forced to be around Summer, her dour, serious mood sets him off. Not to mention she has a habit of picking up on what he already knows is wrong with him. Then the two find themselves on a dive trip gone wrong, stranded on a remote island. As they focus on survival, their differences melt away, and they find being together may be what both needed all along.

This has been one of the best Christian romances I have read in a while.  This book really did a wonderful job of sharing the faith of the character without knocking you out with a sermon that would make you feel guilty. I loved how the character growth took place, because let's be real this could have gone oh so wrong for her.  I loved the lessons shared without them being loud, brash or in your face and I think this would be a wonderful addition to any teen of faith's library.  It's a good clean romance, that shared that what is important isn't the trappings and the words; but the actions of the person who claims to love you.

At the end of the book Heather wrote a note sharing how she named certain places for God and it really enhanced the story in my opinion and made it so much more especially when you realized how much this affected their growth and facilitated the story progress. I would have loved a cut away from the characters showing how their parents were handling the search and what was going on, but since this was told through the two characters point of view, we only knew what they knew and learnt what they learnt as the story progressed. This didn't take away from the story, but I was curious to their families reactions to them being missing.

I loved that at the beginning the two characters were at crossroads from each other, Summer having her own issues and needing the vacation as a way to heal and progress before she went off to college.  We learnt only when Bray did, why she needed this job and it was heartbreaking to learn, but I loved Bray's reaction to the news & how Summer learned to progress in her growth and healing.  This story kept me glued because I wanted to see how they would progress, I laughed at both of them because boy; they certainly had their moments of being silly, and yet they were so realistic it felt like this story was one of them sharing in a conversation of what happened to them.

The story really relied on both Summer and Bray to move  and even though there were a few times where things  could have gone wrong, if it weren't' for the fact that both of them were down to earth and good campers, they wouldn't have survived the first day.  Reading the story as it progressed I felt sucked in, I wanted to know what was going to happen next, I felt their despair, their fear, their anger at each other and at fate, the desperation when it seemed like nothing was going to go right and then oh my gosh as things slowly started going in their way I loved it.

Summer grew so much in this story, learning to look beyond the surface, and truly see the human being that is revealed is her biggest lesson, not just about Bray but about herself as well. I loved that when tested she felt comfortable falling back into helpful habits and made no apologies for it. I loved how she embraced herself and her faith and how she quietly shared that with Bray without being preachy or superior.  This endeared her to me and I loved reading those moments when she took the time to talk to God.

Bray had a bit of growing up to do, as a college freshman with the world as his play ground he wasn't at all enchanted to discover his parents had hired a nanny, one who dressed like she was 90 when she was only 18 and one who acted as if he were a plague in his own family.  Summer wasn't fazed or fascinated by him and when she called him out about his behavior, he wasn't at all thankful for her presence.  However, she was a enigma and he loved finding ways to annoy her and as they lived and fought to survive the island, he came to realize there was more to Summer than meets the eye.

I loved watching how they worked well together, and how they kept each other motivated and sane; as it seemed like hope dwindled each day of a early rescue.  I loved the discussion of Summer keeping the promise she made years ago and how Bray decided he wanted to be the kind of man worthy of her.  I totally loved their conversations and how they got to know each other and felt like the progression of the love and the story were done extremely well.

I enjoyed reading this and am looking forward to more books by the author.

 ★★★★1/2☆

It's a wonderful clean love story for those looking for that, and it carries a great message.
Happy Reading

Book #Review: Salvation (Nashville Nights 2) by Robin Covington .@Barclay_PR .@RobinCovington

Book Title: Salvation (Nashville Nights 2)
Author:  Robin Covington |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Burning Up The Sheets LLC
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 2
Format: ebook, 

Cost: $0.99

Pages: 210

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
Publication Date: 5/11/2015
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Letting go never felt so good. Carlisle Queen is dying and no one knows it. Burying the pain of losing her friends and her professional swimming career in a terrorist attack, America’s former sweetheart dulls her pain with drugs, pills and parties. The bomb left her with more than nightmares; shrapnel is lodged in her back and inching closer to her spinal cord. When the doctors tell her paralysis is inevitable, she decides to take her own life rather than face a lifetime in a wheelchair. Mateo Butler isn’t anyone’s hero. Reeling from the death of his little sister and his own cowardice, he spends his nights partying and his days ignoring the medical school acceptance letters and his parents’ concerned phone calls. Just a couple of months from graduation, he’s facing a future filled with shame and regret. The last thing he needs is to meet the woman who compels him to be a better man. Can they save each other? When Carlisle and Mateo meet, the chemistry between them is combustible. They play, party and hide their true selves until one night turns their lust into something more…something real. As secrets are revealed and walls collapse, what they were and what they might become doesn’t matter as much as who they are together. When the choice comes down to life or death, can love be their salvation?

Why won't Robin leave my emotions alone?!!! Just about every book she writes, she demands that I feel then jerks my feelings around, squeezes out some of my tears then drops me off. Sigh... so when can I get the third one??

I loved this book because the topic it took on, I especially loved the rawness of the characters' emotions.  And their reactions to the situation, and the twist and the ending, yeah I just loved it all.  Carlisle is an amazing complex character, she was raw & brutal and still a coward, but I emphasize with her and I loved her I understood her and I totally get her reasoning.

Teo is awesome he truly tries but he's completely unprepared for Carlisle.  He never saw her coming and when she hits, his world is never the same.  The two of them have been circling each other for a while, and with Teo set to graduate in a few days, & the summer coming up Carlisle feels she's safe to get what she wants and get out.  She isn't prepared for how much Teo makes her burn, challenges her, makes her laugh and just genuinely makes her feel damn good.  I absolutely loved her roommate and best friend,  who totally made her laugh, loved her and didn't really judge her, (even when I did).  At the beginning of the story for me Carlisle wasn't a likeable character because of her personal choices, I'm not a fan of drugging your problems away, & I get why she did it, and why for her it was necessary, but I still believe it's a cowards way of handling life; it's all going to be there when you come down from your high.  I felt for her and as the story progressed Carlisle grew on me and as she opened her eyes to the world again, so my eyes were opened to her world and her pain. ( I still don't believe in using drugs but I see why she did it).

I liked the semi-ending we got.  Because for me that was good, they were better but it's good that they acknowledge that it isn't always perfect and it doesn't always work out just because you love each other.    I really loved the research done and shown in the novel.  The clear and well understood changes they would each have to embrace.  And the challenges ahead were very daunting.

This isn't my first book dealing with a lead character who is disabled, Catherine Anderson does wonderful romances where they are characters that are physically disabled in some way.  This however was the first that explained her disability affected her life, her relationships, her psyche as well as intercourse.  Some of the other tales just brush over it,& I loved that Robin wasn't shy about it, she talked about the differences and how it changes, I even learnt a thing or three.

Matteo and Carlisle are written in a fun way, their conversations just drew you in and I know I laughed a few times, I so could hear her bad accent and it made me laugh and cringe to think about.  I loved their sexy times together, they certainly knew how to be inventive, and as Matteo says, he's very creative with the right stimulation.

Seeing that totally made me love this story even more than I did.  I was engrossed and enjoyed that others within the books were vocal about their doubts as if they could read some of my thoughts.  And that ending?? Those last few chapters?? Maaaan listen. Yeah I can't wait for book three.

It's going to be pretty darn interesting.

★★★★1/2☆

Have you read the series?? What about book 1?? I'll have my review up tomorrow for it.  Share your thoughts down below, and I'll catch you on the next blog on the tour.   Don't forget to share the love with the author and of course the other bloggers on tour.  

Happy Reading

2015 Clean Sweep ARC Challenge TBR

This challenge is created and hosted each year by Kimba over at the Caffienated Book Reviewer blog. I love this challenge and suggest everyone us it as a motivational tool especially if this month is a distracted month for you as it is for me. Check out Kimba's blog for all the rules.

It’s that time of year again to gather up those ARC’s and make a Clean Sweep. For the month of May I will be challenging you to get those advanced reading copies read! These can be e-arc’s, finished copies, audios and physical arcs. (regardless of release date) As an added bonus you will be able to schedule advanced reviews and free up your time to enjoy the warmer weather. To make things fun there will be challenges and a grand prize.

Now here's my TBR, these books have to be read before Book Expo America which is fast approaching at the end of the month.

1. One Wish by Robyn Carr
2. Commanded by Stacey Kennedy
3. Salvation Robin Covington
4. His Reverie by Monica Murphy
5. Awake Natasha Preston
6. Kiss of Deception Mary E Pearson
7. When Darkness Ends Alexandra Ivy
8. Sugarbaby Crystal Green
9. Love on the Ledge by Zoraida Cordova
10. Dreams of My Mothers by Joel Peterson

Yep that's my list this month.  What's on your challenge list??? Have yous signed up?? Share down in the comments down below.  Make sure to show some love on twitter as well, and help cheer on the other participants.