ARC Book #Review: The Hookup (The Jordan Brothers 1) by Erin McCarthy .@authorerin .#TheHookup #NetGalley

Book Title: The Hook Up (Jordan Brothers 1)
Author:  Erin McCarthy|Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher:  Loveswept/ Random House
Genre: Romance, New Adult
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: ebook

Cost: $4.99

Pages: 218

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: May 8,2018
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Synopsis:

Is there an equation for the perfect hookup? Turns out it’s a lot more complicated than one plus one. . . .

Sophie: Numbers are my comfort zone, which explains why my sex life is a big fat zero. Then again, if I’m smart enough to earn a PhD, why can’t I calculate a way to get a guy into bed, just to see what all the fuss is about? With my prima donna sister, Bella, getting married in Maine, I figure her wedding is the perfect opportunity for my little experiment. And Cain Jordan seems hot enough—he’s certainly drunk enough—to show me what I’ve been missing. Judging by the body of evidence, it’s a lot. . . .

Cain: Being stuck in the same town as my lying SOB twin brother, Christian—who may or may not be the father of the son I’m not allowed to see—is a hell of a reason to drink myself silly after the lobster boat docks each day. Any port in a storm . . . But Sophie’s different. She doesn’t play around. And she’s becoming a habit I don’t want to break. Because the smartest woman I’ve ever met is also the sexiest—and the only one who makes me want to change.

Don’t miss Bella and Christian’s story in The Breakup!

I went into this one as always blind beyond knowing that the author is an auto-buy for me. I absolutely loved this one.  The characters were well written, complex, broken and hurting in so many ways.  Sophie is a genius obsessed with numbers and her way to a Ph.D. in math, she's, however, struggling with OCD and social anxiety issues. I both loved and hated her sister Bella because she was a good sister and a terrible sister at the same time, she pushed Sophie to embrace life instead of hiding with her books and totally had her back but at times she aided in Sophie's awkwardness by putting her on the spot.  As we were reading I wanted to know more about Bella, and why Christian was such a terrible brother. I was hooked and I laughed, teared up and rooted for them throughout the whole book.

Sophie is on vacation in Maine for her sister's wedding and while there she's hoping to get a few things checked off the bucket list, she's hoping that her anxiety won't knock her out before she accomplishes her goal. Cain is a local who has been hurt and betrayed in the worst way possible and he's drinking his way into an early grave.  He's not looking for more than a hook-up when he comes across Sophie.

I identified with Sophie more than I did Cain although I understand why he is the way he is.  I totally get Sophie's sense of awkwardness and social anxiety. She's smart yet being smart and out of sync with the crowd is something I can totally understand.  I also admire her because despite being awkward she's going out of her comfort zone to get what she wants.  With friends, I'm great with strangers?? Lost cause.  With that in mind, I loved them hanging out in Cain's home and around town together because this was way more relaxing for them both.

There are some really great moments in the story including their meet-cute because Sophie is way too literal, she totally reminds me of Brennan from Bones and I lol'd during their conversation because too cute.  I loved Sophie's inner monologue as she decides she likes the look of him.  My least favorite moment also happened in a bar, I totally knew the feelings Sophie was having as the scene went down and kept wanting to scream that it wasn't fear and yet I felt her heartbreaking as well.  Oh my gosh, it was so painful to read.  This book ran the gambit of emotions for me, I loved it, I laughed, I was totally turned on by their moments, and I understood their pain.  I was so invested in their story. I was afraid of what the ending could be because I wasn't sure about Cain, but for me, Bella's actions weren't a surprise I mean really.

In this, even the secondary characters were pretty well done since they didn't have a POV in the story we didn't get their motivations for their actions it made the story more real because in reality we never really know why people do the things they do.  I did love the POV of Cain andSophiee though, especially Sophie because she was just as honest with herself as she was with Cain.  She was pretty raw and real, she was so confident in so many things and like many of us doubting in outers.  This story was sadly way too believeable in some aspects especially int he sense of betrayal because way too many people don't respect boundaries.

I highly recommend it for lovers of romance and finding our place stories.

 ★★★★★

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Rule by Jay Crownover
• True (True Believers Series) by Erin McCarthy
• One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy

Happy Reading my loves, 

Stacking The Shelves (10) May 2018

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page! Stacking The Shelves now has a new host and check out that new image!!

Sit back my friends this is going to be a huge haul;  because this is everything I got in the mailbox since March.  Everything from ARCs to physical books from charity shops, I've managed to bring in a few good books.  I hope you enjoy and of course don't forget to share what you got as well.

Pre-Orders

Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope

Oh my gosh I read this and I'm addicted I can't wait until the next book comes out. I also have a Review if you want to see why I loved it.

Amazon (Physical & Ebooks) 

Tell My Horse by Zora Neale Hurston. This has been on my wishlist for a while now and I just had to get it when I ordered a few things this week.

Beverly Jenkins:

Through The Storm  This starts the Le Veq family Saga including the spin-off series of the Fontaine's Saga and I could not skip it after reading the Fontaine family.  I had to see where it all started.  I also have a few more to get in this series as well.

These were on sale for the cost of one book so I got the trio and have almost finished the series by the time I post this.  This series features a trio of brothers living in California post Civil War.

Destiny's Embrace (Destiny 1)

Destiny's Surrender (Destiny 2)

Destiny's Captive (Destiny 3)

Then because I read and fell in love with L. Penelope's writing I had to get whatever else I could get my hands on (virtually) so I purchased the following ebooks.

Angelborn (Book 1) 

AngelFall (Book 2) 
I've already read these and can't wait to share my reviews. *Spoiler* I loved them!!

For a religious book, I got Living With Honour by Emma Restall Orr. She's a Druid who has written work that I love. I wanted to see what she

Then I wanted a few erotic reads so I snagged a few freebies and purchased a few more. 

Tempted by her Boss by Karen Erickson (Free)

Castaways (free) from a fave erotica writer. Lily Harlem.

And I have all the other books in the series but not the first so I purchased the first one. 
The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

Purchased Charity Shops:

Shadow Reaper Christine Feehan Turns out this is the second book in a new series form her so I snagged it.

Outlander Diana Gabaldon Old school Cover. I got because it was brand new and it's one of the old covers from the 90s. 

A Good Dose of Pleasure Zuri Day Book 2 in a series and I have been trying to add more of her books to my shelves. I snagged it.

Paperbackswap Trades:

Since I have been purging books from my shelves I traded some of them into paperbackswap and ended up with over 70 book credits.  With that, I decided I would get some books I have been wanting for a while.

 Viper Games. I  happen to have the rest of the series when I was ordering book 3( which is one of the few I don't have)  they also had this so I snagged it.

Shadow Rider book one in the new series by Christine I found book 2 at the charity shop so I snagged this one here.

Night Game Book three in a series,m I have all the others just needed this to be able to move on to those

Locked in Temptation Brenda Jackson book three in a new series by her and I have the other two so why not right??

Destiny's Embrace Beverly Jenkins Yes I got both an ebook version and the physical copy.

Jewel Beverly Jenkins because it's Beverly.

Mind Game Christine Feehan the second book in the series. I have all the books from book 4 forward so I just needed this one.

Torn Monica Murphy, because I've loved most of her works so far.

Then I needed a few books for the Lemonade Syllabus shelf plus my Melissa Harris Perry books as well. I snagged these.

Temple of My Familiar Alice Walker

Coming of Age in Mississippi Anne Moody

Dollar Tree:

Hardcover of Shards of Hope by Nalini SIngh

Cliff notes on The Scarlet Letter because I need to read a few more classics this year and I want to read them critically.

940 Saturdays Harley A Rotbart MD

And that's it. I would love to say I won't be hauling anything else, but that's a lie, even as we speak I'm waiting on a few more trades to make their way here. What'd you get in your haul this week?? Share in the comments down below and I'll see you next week.

Happy Reading & Haulin' my loves

Book #Review: Did I Mention I Miss You (DIMLY 3) by Estelle Maskame .@estellemaskame

Book Title: Did I Mention I Miss You (DIMLY 3)
Author:  Estelle Maskame |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Mature YA, New Adult, Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 2
Format: ebook, Trade Paperback

Cost: $10.99

Pages: 352

How I got it: Purchased 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: Dec 2016
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Synopsis:

One last chance for love.

It’s been a year since Eden last spoke to Tyler. A year since he left her all alone after nearly destroying their family. But Eden picked herself up and headed to Chicago for college where she found a new boyfriend—someone who doesn’t run when things get tough. She’s finally moved on from Tyler…right?

Despite their breakup, Tyler’s determined to rekindle what they once had. He’s restarted his life in Eden’s hometown of Portland, and he wants her in it. But when a tragedy draws them together, Eden must search her heart and decide if Tyler is worth the risk once and for all. (

Even months later this book has been stuck in my head. I ended up ordering physical copies so I can re-read the series whenever I want to.  I loved this one especially.  We are back in the world of Eden who is back home for the summer from her first year of college. She's just bidding the time until it's August so she can go back to school, her life had imploded back home and she's been surviving by suppressing all the memories.  Tyler who is working on his recovery ended up breaking Eden's heart when he made the choice to pick himself instead of her because he needed to make sure his recovery hinged not only on her love and acceptance of him but on his own strength. Which is admirable, however that left Eden dealing with the fallout of their declaration to their families. 

I felt so many emotions reading this book. At the end of the story, I smiled.   I absolutely loved Eden & Tyler as well as their friends because they were amazing in this novel. Her friends were the first to really embrace them as a couple and they were the ones to push her to face her fears about Tyler and to confront him. And her biggest ally?? Man I didn't see that coming. I absolutely loved it.   Eden is afraid because she tried to go outside of society's norms and is now building herself back up despite the heart breaking failure. Most of this story happens back in Eden's hometown I loved how the cities played a part in the story & how each city brought it's own change to their relationship with it. In NYC they could be anyone they wished to be and that brought its own level of freedom.  LA was where it all began and that brings with it so much history.  Chicago is where she ran to recover and here in Oregon where she came from; they really could learn to be more.

Both characters have both broken each other's hearts in each book and Eden's left to face the fallout from their families.  In this third book, it takes a while for Tyler to gain her trust and they start again from scratch.  I loved that the characters learned that happily ever after is what you make it and that it may not look like what you originally thought you wanted.  There was so much growth from the characters int heir understanding of themselves, of what they would accept from their families and what they wanted the world to see.

My favorite part of the books came from their drive from LA to his new home.  Because it's how they begin to rebuild their friendship, which allows them to begin to learn each other from the ground up.  Both who they were before and who they have become since is shared in such a great way.  Once again Eden's dad's reaction is my least favorite part of the book. He's still mad at Eden and as an adult, you should be better at handling this when dealing with your child.  Especially because you haven't understood that she was too young to understand what was happening in your relationship with her mother.  Being angry at the child who once hero worshipped you for picking her mother makes you very childish. 

Once again the ending wasn't predictable because the author has lied to us before and kicked our teeth in from the previous books.  But omigawd I loved the ending just amazing, very sweet and totally worth the read.  I loved that the series came full circle and the place that Eden originally ran to California from became the place she could be her best self.  One of my favorite parts of the story was Eden learning what happened to Tyler when he was away from her, as they took their road trip it helped to unravel the story is such an amazing way and finally we get to hear from Tyler as well!!!

A great story about learning to love yourself and trust who you are. It's also an amazing story about the power of love, and how it makes a person want to not just be better for the person you love but for yourself. Tyler's journey was very admirable and he needed to learn who he was away from all that he thought he had to be.  He first had to confront the past in order to claim his future, and it was amazing to read. 

 ★★★★★

Series Order

• Did I Mention I Love You (1)
• Did I Mention I Need You (2) 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The Rules Series Monica Murphy
• Shattered Past Series Cecy Robson

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: Did I Mention I Need You (DIMLY 2) by Estelle Maskame .@estellemaskame

Book Title: Did I Mention I Need You (DIMLY Book 2)
Author:  Estelle Maskame |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Mature YA, New Adult, Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 2
Format: ebook, Trade Paperback

Cost: $10.99

Pages: 384

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: March 2016
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Love has no rules.

It's been a year since Eden Munro last saw Tyler Bruce: her stepbrother...and secret love. Although they swore to ignore their feelings and put their family first, Eden can't help but feel excited when Tyler invites her to join him in New York City for the summer.

But it's not like anything is going to happen. Eden is happy with her boyfriend Dean, and she knows gorgeous, green-eyed Tyler must have moved on as well. But as they spend the long, hot summer in the city that never sleeps, it becomes obvious that those old feelings are still there...simmering beneath the surface. Will Tyler and Eden be able to resist temptation?

Did I Mention I Need You? is book two in Wattpad sensation Estelle Maskame's DIMILY trilogy: three unforgettable summers of secrets, heartbreak and forbidden romance.

Look for the companion novels: Did I Mention I Love You? in December 2015 Did I Mention I Miss You? in June 2016

This picked up so well from the first book and moved very quickly. We have a few who know but are keeping the secret, however now Eden & Tyler are far away from home, with no one who knows them here and this will allow them to explore who they are. Eden is done with her senior year and she's heading to NYC to spend the summer with Tyler and they are going to see where they go from here.  Tyler is in the city because he's working on the Rehab tour and he's been working on coming clean and staying sober.

"You know what?? Fuck It. I don't want you, I need you"  "Need " I echo. "Need" he confirms, nodding once, " I need you because you're one of the few people I trust. I need you because you saw me the way I used to be and you still stuck around. I need you because I'm in love with you Eden, & I have no idea how I''ll get over you"

Such an angsty story. I absolutely loved it. I also loved Beth, Tyler's roommate because she was so understanding and non-judgmental. She was great practice for them on sharing their secret.  This was so well written and again it's told from Eden's POV so we only know and see the things she knows and sees. Once again the city becomes apart of the story (and being a native New Yorker this made me love the story even more).

 Eden's doing her best to go with the flow while exploring this relationship from a safe point and then after a while, she dives right in to see where it goes.  Tyler is still working on his recovery and I thought for a while he had replaced his addiction with an unhealthy reliance on Eden.  They are trying to find a way to be together despite what others would have to say about their relationship.  I love the growth they both experience and the adult consequences when they try to take the cowards way out one too many times.

I loved that the author didn't make their HEA easy. We have to in real life work at it, and so did they. I love that there was a song that they both loved that kept repeating some great advice that they tried to take to heart and that at times Eden got it and at times she ignored the advice that was given to her. I mean we know we should do better but sometimes it's just easier to do what others are doing. There were so many awesome scenes but I truly loved the rooftop scene *once I got over the fear of her falling to her death*

Several times throughout the book I yelled at Eden to get it out; just come clean, but she was so cowardly she wanted her cake and to eat it too.  She had plenty of time to stop the blowback but didn't and even kept her actions encouraging to the situation getting worse.  You really are the worst Eden all because while trying not to be the "bad guy".  So many times in the book my heart broke for them. I get where Eden was coming from but she made herself the bad guy because she didn't want to be the bad guy she kept putting off this important discussion even as she had several times to fix it.  Just UGH. Of course, then there is the ole' biotch who flies halfway across the world just to start things. Girl y'all have graduated high school and almost no relationship survives the first year of college  What is wrong with you??

As the story progressed and the climax came closer I knew there was going to be some serious devastation and fallout.  Their parent's reactions especially Eden's dad my gawd!! He lost it so badly, I just know it couldn't have been me because I would have emotionally kicked his teeth in. His behavior was the absolute worst and just made me rage as I was reading.  In the end, I was so devastated at what unfolded I couldn't deal and at the same time, I understood. I would have gone about it differently but I understood and was glad Tyler recognized that Eden couldn't be his reason to be sober, he had to be his own reason.

Poor Eden is facing so much when all she wanted was the man she loved.  I absolutely loved that it was not easy or perfect. I loved that there was fallout and that not everyone took it so easily but they are also right in their belief that it will look wrong from the outside; however knowing the full relationship it isn't wrong at all.  Also, we can't live for the opinion of others, we have to live for ourselves. This was a lesson Eden struggled with throughout the book.

Once again I didn't read the premise of the story and I've managed to not be spoiled for this so I wasn't prepared for the wildness this book proposed as to what went down.  I so didn't like the uninvited guest who showed up. I mean who pushes themselves in on a trip you weren't invited to?? Who does that?? Come on girl let go and move on...damn!! I enjoyed that the secondary characters were so well written that I hated the people I was supposed and liked/loved the right people.

Reading this I felt giddy, excited, nervous, and just all of the emotions especially anger. As I was reading I couldn't understand how Eden didn't realize that being cowardly was going to blow up in her face. Like girl what??!!!. I highly recommend this., I finished it in one sitting because I just couldn't believe all that was happening and couldn't stop reading because I needed to know how it was all resolved or not resolved. I can't wait to grab the third book.

 ★★★★☆

Books In Series

1. Did I Mention I Love You (Book 1)

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: The Luck of the Bride by Janna MacGregor .@JannaMacGregor #TheLuckOfTheBride #NetGalley

Book Title: The Luck of The Bride (The Canensham Heiress 3)
Author: Janna MacGregor Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 3
Format: ebook, Mass Market

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 384

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Family secrets, mistaken identities…love and money make people do crazy things in The Luck of the Bride, the third Cavensham Heiresses novel.

March Lawson has never had much luck, and in a desperate move to save her family, she's been posing as the Marquess of McCalpin. But when she's summoned to a meeting with the Marquess himself, March expects jail time…not to be bewitched by dark hair and sapphire eyes.

Michael Cavensham, the Marquess of McCalpin and heir to the Duke of Langham, finds himself drawn to March despite the judgments from his peers. He isn't sure he can trust March, especially since Michael has a secret that could ruin him and his family.

But society conspires to keep March and Michael apart, and when March is accused of not being who she says she is, will Michael toss her aside or fight for the woman he's come to love?

This was a very emotional read and I loved it. I so understood the struggle of the main female character and fell in love with both of them and their struggle to be who they needed to be for their families while finding who they wanted to be for themselves.  I absolutely loved the characters of the book, even though I didn't read the series in order of publication, you don't need to as the book is written in a way that you can read it without the knowledge from the other books.   Michael is a future Duke who is struggling with a major secret. March is one of his charges that the future Duke has regulated to his stewards to take care of and in so doing left her to fend for herself and her family.  March was doing her best to take care of her siblings, she's struggling and she comes up with an idea to be a little more successful to protect them and in doing so comes to the attention of Michael.

Some of my favorite characters in this book were Lord Bennet Lawson the youngest of the Lawson siblings and seriously the funniest as he attempts to fill in as Lord while still being a child who hasn't learned all there is to know about the job.  I loved how his letters helped to further the story, bring grace to his sister's struggle and also injected the much-needed humor into the story.  March is the second favorite character because she's loyal, loving and despite her plans going awry she still protects everyone she loves even if it means she's in pain herself.

One of my favorite scenes has to be March's trip to London, the different sights described to show the countryside, her journey from there to proper town was mirrored in her eventual journey financially and socially as well.  I loved that she loved her country home but realized that for her siblings to have the proper futures she needed to adapt and leave and she was willing to do so.  The author does a fantastic job making you feel as if you are apart of the world of the aristocracy, the dizzying journey from where they were to be the Belles of the ball and the fears that the journey brings. As I was reading I kept thinking about Downton Abbey and it's inhabitants; this felt like an episode of the show in a way that felt right at home and this made me love the story even more.

While this is a romance and the ending is almost guaranteed to be a happy ending the journey to get there is the part I read for and until the very last few pages, the author kept us right on the edge of the seat.  I was uncertain how it would end and I was freaking out as the pages flew by and the final confrontation didn't happen.  ahhhhhhhhh so nerve-wracking, and emotional.  I wanted to cry, sobbed a few times and anxiously read to get to the ending. There are several times I wanted to reach into the book and knock Michael in the head because he kept stumbling, he so desperately wanted to hang on to his secret that he was willing to believe the 'evidence' of March's betrayal and yet claimed to love her.  Ugh silly man, the biggest part of love is trust and if you don't trust her then you can't really love her like you claim.

There was a moment in March's home estate that Michael confronts her but because he's struggling with his secret he didn't look beyond the surface and March had communicated with him however due to a misunderstanding Michael missed the letter.  Those moments as they stood there hurting each other without really knowing the full scope of the others pain made me want to cry, poor March was unaware that he hadn't read the letter and he was too prideful to admit to wanting her for himself and they both just. Ugh the tears. I wanted to scream at him to go home and find the letter, and at the same time beg March to hold out hope.  It was just a roller coaster ride of emotions and even writing this now remembering that scene I'm getting a little misty-eyed.

I do definitely need to read the other stories in the series because the glimpses of the secondary characters were wonderful and they were such good friends to both Michael and March when they needed them.  Michael came from a great strong family and his parents really reminded me of Downton's family and I just absolutely loved the way they embraced the Lawson children.  I loved that they discussed how the secret was handled and when Michael finally owns it that it doesn't bring him to his knees like he thought it would. I would, however, like five minutes with his former nanny. I loved his brother and their relationship and I can't wait until we get his book, he's so fiercely loyal and loving, he certainly deserves a great story as well.  There were a few great discussions about the laws that affected so many and I just really loved how the book touched on so many things including how women couldn't handle their own money unless they were widows.

I highly recommend this story and I can't wait to get to the other books because I'm sure they're going to be good emotional reads as well.  It was fun, it was sweet, emotional with smart women and loving charismatic men.  Even the mystery that needed to be solved was complex in its reasoning. I just loved it.

 ★★★★★

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Tempest by Beverly Jenkins 

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: Did I Mention I Love You (DIMLY) by Estelle Maskame .@estellmaskame

Book Title: Did I mention That I Love You ( DIMLY 1)
Author:  Estelle Maskame |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Mature YA, New Adult, Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: ebook, Trade Paperback

Cost: $9.99

Pages: 422

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: December 2015
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Love is everything but expected.

Eden Monroe came to California for a summer of sun, sand and celebrities what better way to forget about the drama back home? Until she meets her new family of strangers: a dad she hasn't seen in three years, a stepmonster and three stepbrothers.

Eden gets her own room in her dad's fancy house in Santa Monica. A room right next door to her oldest stepbrother, Tyler Bruce. Whom she cannot stand. He's got angry blue eyes and ego bigger than a Beverly Hills mansion. She's never felt such intense dislike for someone. But the two are constantly thrown together as his group of friends pull her into their world of rule-breaking, partying and pier-hanging.

And the more she tries to understand what makes Tyler burn hotter than the California sun, the more Eden finds herself falling for the one person she shouldn't...

Did I Mention I Love You? is the addictive first book in Wattpad sensation Estelle Maskame's DIMILY trilogy: three unforgettable summers of secrets, heartbreak and forbidden romance.

I went into this blind (like always). I just knew several fellow YouTubers love it and I decided to give it a try. OMG, I wasn't ready. I so wasn't ready for the depth, the development or for the full-on crazy that this story holds.  We start with Eden who is angry she has to be in California with her father and his new family. She's still angry at him for abandoning her so this summer before she finishes high school isn't going to be any fun.  Tyler is currently drinking & drugging his way through his senior year and for him, this summer is also going to suck.  At the end of this rollercoaster, I fell in love with Eden because she was sarcastic as heck, & witty when she wanted to be. 

At first, I was totally unsure of where this was going, the cover, and the bright colors didn't really give a clue of what this story entailed.  I was originally thinking this was going to be another painful Gossip Girl wannabe but oh nooo this was actually really good. I got hooked so fast and before I knew it I was laughing, talking back to the book and totally absorbed by what was unfolding.  This story is told from Eden's POV, she's trying to get ready for college, find her place in her father's new family while still being loyal and loving to her mother who has never abandoned her.  I absolutely loved how the LA landscape was described and how it played as much of a character as the humans. My favorite scene from the book would have to be the Hollywood sign scene, the description of the hike and the landscape just made me feel like I was there.  I just loved the daring hike up to the sign, and the trip of getting away before getting into trouble. It totally felt like something my friends and I would have done during the summer in high school. 

As with all teen romances, there has to be angst, drama and of course a bit of the forbidden.  This book was truly about Eden and her growth as a young woman. She came to California to get away from the old her, & to prep for college. She certainly grew and somewhat learned to open her eyes to how adult relationships look different from the outside.  While there were so many things to enjoy about this book I personally didn't like Eden's anger at her father, but I understood that as a child she simplified it down to two choices, even though there were way more things that she wasn't seeing.  I also didn't like her father's anger at her, because at the end of the day he should have realized that she's a kid and she didn't see all that was happening. However, because humans fail at many things this felt the most real. 

For me, the ending wasn't predictable at all because I didn't know what I was walking into. I knew I was a bit shocked by some of the turn of events and I absolutely loved that the author didn't gloss over the consequences of Eden's actions. This didn't go smoothly, her friendships and relationships were thrown into turmoil because of her choices and it was raw and real.  I really enjoyed the friendship between the girls, I really had expected it to be a backstabbing kind of friendship but it wasn't and I loved that it was a bit of a sore point for all the girls.  They all had insecurities and yet they didn't feel they could be completely honest even with their friends and this was awesome to see them learning who they could open up to.

Since this was told from Eden's POV we only know and see what she sees. this both worked and didn't because we only knew what she did about the secondary characters, we didn't know their emotions, take or feeling on a situation unless they verbalized it.  I went into this not knowing what to expect and walked away absolutely addicted to the point that I ordered all three physical books plus the final ebook so I could read at work.  I really enjoyed this one and all the emotions it evoked. 

 ★★★★☆

RECOMMENDATIONS

Movie:

• Clueless

Books: 

1. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry
2. Raine by J.C. Valentine

Happy Reading my loves, 

May 2018 To Be Read:

My goal this year is 150  books, if I break that down it comes out to 13 books per month, with 3 to 4  books a week. Totally doable in my books, so as the proverb says, you can eat an elephant one bite at a time, so here are my first few bites:

Books Read 

Read So Far this Year: 

49

TBR Pile 

150

TBR Balance:

101

I'm not sure what this month's theme will be I just want to read all the things, especially books that are on the lighter side of things. Here are my prompts and I can't wait to see how I do at the end of the month.

Lemonade Syllabus:

1. .
2. .

Perpetual Author Challenge:

• 2-3 Brenda Jackson books
• Ghostwalker series book by Christine Feehan
• Lora Leigh Book
• Nora Roberts/ JD Robb

Finish Series Challenge:

• Grave Book Darynda Jones
• Sweet book by Maya Banks
• L.A Banks
• Gena Showalter

ARC

• The Bashful Bride by Vanessa Riley
• The Billionaire's Intern Part One 
• .
• .
• .

Black Out Challenge:

• Destiny's Embrace by Beverly Jenkins
• Destiny's Surrender by Beverly Jenkins
• Through The Storm by Beverly Jenkins
• Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins
• Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyami 

Erotica books:

• Syndelle's Possession by Jory Strong 
• .
• .

Non-Fiction Books:

1. Religious Book
2. Religious Book
3. Finance Book
4. Social issues Book
5. Personal Interest Book

What are you going to be reading my loves?? Share in the comments down below if you have read any of these and as always

Happy Reading