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
Add To Goodreads
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

ARC #Book Review: Song Of Blood & Stone by L Penelope

Book Title: Song of Blood & Stone ( Earthsinger Chronicles Book 1)
Author:  L. Penelope |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Romance, Sci-Fi
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: Ebook, hardcover

Cost: $26.99

Pages: 384

How I got it: NetGalley

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

"Wonderful characters, unique setting, and an engaging romance set against the backdrop of ancient magic. I can't wait to see what L. Penelope will do next."--Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author
L. Penelope's Song of Blood & Stone is a treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and its people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their vicious captors and together embark on a perilous journey to save the land and to uncover the secrets of the Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

"Prepare to be hooked. Song of Blood & Stone is brimming with captivating lore, unique magic, and plot-turns you never saw coming. L. Penelope has written your next fantasy obsession." --Elise Kova, USA Today bestselling author of The Loom Saga

Wonderfully written I was completely hooked from the get-go.  I wanted to know what would happen next, who would betray whom, & how everything would pan out. I ignored everything else in my life so I could complete this book. I needed to read it and find out what happened.  It's an adventure story, a journey to save a home, to reunite a people who are broken that becomes more about saving a country on the brink. 

This book features two amazing characters, the first one is Jasminda born a half-breed & made to know exactly why their people are at war. She's been outcasted by her town and pushed into a corner by those who should be taking care of her.  Jack was a spy who was undercover in enemy lines. He's running from a team that is bent on killing him before he makes it to his general to pass on the information that would help prevent a war.  I loved that they had hidden depths and secrets as well. Jasminda knew very little about her parent's history as they wanted to forget what brought them here to this space and move on.  As such she was unaware of just where she belonged.  I started to guess Jack's secret as the story unfolded and we drew closer to certain destinations, but it was still a surprise for Jasminda and seeing her reaction made me like her even more.

I absolutely loved this book.  The characters were well written Jasminda was my favorite character because despite having so much lost in her life she still gives her all.   Reading Jasminda and how she kept trying to talk herself out of falling for Jack.  I absolutely identified with her because she dealt with so much in her short life.  Including so much that happens right now in our modern world was seen in this and I totally understood how she felt when the townspeople acted up.   loved that the author didn't shy away from confronting racism, the ugliness of war and how our ideals of our country aren't always what is true in practice.

My favorite scenes are from the cityscape when she first got there and saw the whole thing. The description of the royal palace and I really enjoyed her favorite places within the castle.  I loved that the city was a mix of steampunk, futurism, today's tech and of course old tech as well. It was amazing. I  I also loved the scenes from the library, when Jasminda & Jack confront what's going on between them. It's also where they slowly learn that they need to do more than what the original mission was. 

The secondary characters were well written & dimensional.  Some were well rounded & some were written as if we should have known more about them but we really didn't  I enjoyed the POV as it switched between the two main characters and that made it more in-depth with their reasonings and ideas.

I felt so many different emotions while reading this book.  I was angered when certain scenes where Jasminda had to deal with the townspeople and the city people.  I absolutely loved Jack and her conversations, I loved their personal moments. I was intrigued, worried, nervous, and had a slightly unhealthy level of anxiety as things were unfolding.  For me, the ending wasn't predictable at all. It's such a fantastic story, that seemed to grow, the mystery of where it was going unfolded at a great pace. There were so many different layers and betrayals  And I was extremely excited to see that there are other books in the story. I also loved the little antidotes at the beginning of each chapter as I felt it added to the overall story as well.

 ★★★★★

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Warlord Series by Elizabeth Vaughan  
• Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

I absolutely loved it and have ordered myself a copy and highly recommend it to you as well.  Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: Bella and the Beast (Cinderella Sisterhood #4) by Olivia Drake

Book Title: Bella & The Beast (A Cinderella Sisterhood Novel #4)
Author:  Olivia Drake |Website| Twitter| |

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 4
Format: ebook, Mass Market

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 352

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |IndieBound
Publication Date: Nov 03, 2015
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Even a confirmed bachelor can meet his match. Because sometimes fairy tales do come true...

OF ALL THE FABLED TREASURES
Bella Jones feels like a fish out of water in civilized England. Raised abroad by her explorer father, she's amused by the very proper manners of the nobility. Nevertheless, to save her younger siblings from ruin, she must infiltrate a ducal household in order to find the map to an ancient treasure trove. Alas, the haughty, handsome duke stands in her way...unless she can tame his beastly temper, that is.

THE MOST PRECIOUS ONE IS LOVE
Miles Grayson, the Duke of Aylwin, prefers antiquities to, well, everything else. Especially prying females with their irksome questions. But Bella's blue eyes and beguiling smile are improbably charming, and the temptation of her kiss is impossible to resist. As the pair is swept into a mystery that reaches back to their childhoods, Miles realizes that Bella has made the rarest discovery of all-the key to his heart... 2016 Finalist for Best Historical Romance: Long!

This was a fantastic beauty and the beast mixed with Cinderella retelling, even if the hero is a grave robber.  I thought the characters were put together well, I was intrigued the whole time and couldn't wait to see how it all came together.The main plot pivoted around the treasure map that these two characters are vying for and there was a greater mystery about what happened all those years ago in the desert.  The mystery complicated the loved story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

For me, the ending wasn't predictable (except the love story otherwise why would we be here??) because of the mystery of what happened all those years ago. Bella was too young to remember everything and Miles was left out of the full loop and is dealing with his guilt of what happened.  It was a pretty good ending even if the villain was kind of cliche which made it "ok" for the justice that he got. 

Some of my favorite parts of the book included the description of the ballroom and the library. I loved how the ballroom was covered in Egyptian artifacts and how all the relics were described.  His library sounded like my dream library.   I also loved that these two were trying to get to the same ending but had two different paths to get there. Based on the secrets they kept they were floundering around in the dark way more than they needed to.  My least favorite part also pivots off of the ballroom. I personally don't like the 'exploration" aspect of the grave robbing that took place. I also disliked that he and his family removed these things from their rightful place and he had no plans to share them with the rest of the world. 

Bella was a pretty unique character. I loved that she was so used to taking care of things and she wasn't one to be cowed des[pite how she was being treated by those who judged her based on her dress.  I also loved her siblings especially her brother who clearly thought he was supposed to be more of an adult than he truly was. I loved how they interacted as a family.  It would be nice if we got their stories int he future to see how it all turned out for them, trying to fit into 'polite society'. 

The POVs were good because it switched between them and gave us a chance to see their motivations and how they saw things so differently from each other.  The Cinderella similarities are all there especially in the beginning and the beauty and beast parts come later. I really enjoyed this rendition of these two classic stories. A quick fun read.  It doesn't read like a fourth book, which was great because I haven't read the first three yet. 

 ★★★1/2☆

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Atone by Jessica Grey

Happy Reading my loves, 

ARC Book #Review: Save Me by Cecy Robson #SaveMe #NetGalley

Book Title: Save Me ( O'Brien Book 5)
Author:   Cecy Robson |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Cece Robson LLC
Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Finale
Format: ebook

Cost: $3.99

Pages: 349

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
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Synopsis:

RT Book Reviews proclaims that the O’Brien Family series from award-winning author Cecy Robson “has the hottest brothers ever!” And in SAVE ME, it's time for Seamus, the family’s most notorious bachelor, to find true love.

Three weddings. No date. What’s a hot stud to do when all the women on his speed dial are either serving dinner to their families or serving time?

Out of all the O’Briens, Seamus is the best-looking, most creative, and, did I mention, best-looking? Single at almost forty wasn’t a big deal until every sibling in his large and loud Irish family found “the one.” Now, he’s desperate for a wedding date, one he doesn’t have to worry will make out with the limo driver or rob the bride and groom blind.

Allie Mendes is the good daughter, who’s spent her life living in her perfect sister’s shadow. But when her sister steals the man Allie was supposed to marry, that shadow she’s lived in threatens to swallow her whole. Allie wants to believe a bright future awaits. But when she begs God to save her from this disastrous twist of fate, the last person she expects Him to send her is Seamus O’Brien.

Allie needs a stand-in boyfriend to avoid appearing as lonely as she feels. Seamus needs a decent woman without an ankle bracelet or a rap sheet as long as his muscular arms. The two make a deal to pose as each other’s perfect date. But weddings mean romance and a chance at forever neither had planned.

*sob* This feels like a final book in the series and I'm not ready to let them go.   This has been a fantastic series showing off the O'Brien siblings and their friends It has highlighted that family isn't always blood, love comes in many guises and that healing takes time.  I absolutely loved this story, it was a wonderful ending to a series, that has made me laugh, cry, rage at the injustice and still love the characters in all their complexities.

This is Seamus's story, he's the big brother who gave so much of himself to make sure his siblings didn't need to sacrifice as much. Stepping up after his father failed to be a better man Seamus left school to pursue a construction career that it turns out he's pretty darn good at. Creating customized homes for clients who ask for the unique Seamus and his brothers have gone from the poor kids to being pretty well set.  As all his siblings fall in love and get married Seamus finds himself in desperate need of a date for all the family events and he can't bring any of his "normal" women.
Allie's family is also celebrating a wedding and she can't wait to get out of it. However, her mother keeps insisting she makes an appearance and Allie is desperate to get away. When a chance encounter with a childhood crush leads to a misunderstanding that she now has to embrace to keep from being the only single woman at the wedding.

I totally fell in love with these characters. I absolutely loved that despite her family's input Allie has become a successful woman.  Seamus is a fantastic character even though to everyone else he appears to be the one left behind in the family he's a man comfortable with where he is and who he is.

I laughed so much when it came to this story, from the meet-cute to the final scenes. I loved the wit between Seamus and Allie. I loved how they were doing their best not to be single people at their families weddings and yet they found themselves slowly sliding towards coupledom. Seamus's antics when dealing with Allie made me love him so much. His internal monologue gave us such an insight into him and just made this story funny sweet and sexy.

Even though they appeared to be the most well adjusted of their family members Allie and Seamus had their own scars that they dealt with as well. Seamus had a good reason why he was still single and how he dealt with it.  Confronting it with Allie made him realize that he was holding himself back in a way that wasn't healthy. Allie's family??? My gawd they were definitely terrible. First of all, I can't even deal with her sister, her mother was trash and deserved everything she got at the end.  I never understood parents that treated their kids like that then expected loyalty, like no. When I was reading Allie's interactions with them I wanted to jump in a defend her so badly.  I loved that she shared this vulnerability with Seamus & that when it mattered she took his advice.

I laughed quite a bit with this novel because Seamus is hilarious. However, this novel still had its heart-stopping moments and even a few moments that brought tears to my eyes as we caught up with family members and got to see them as they headed towards their happy endings.  His sister's wedding was a tearjerker moment for sure.  I loved the talk about Catholic weddings and all the traditions that went into them as it definitely brought me back to my school days and reminded me of those moments with my family as well.

Although this novel didn't have as many of the sexy times moments as the others did, it was still sweetly passionate and I loved how they interacted with each other.  Some of my favorite moments were when Allie brought Seamus food because they took such good care of each other in those moments. They shared their vulnerabilities in a way that was sweet and funny and Seamus never allowed the moment to become too bogged down so they felt comfortable.  His lessons?? Absolutely hilarious.  I loved the ending scenes because you just know that they are all going to be alright.  Although I would have loved to have seen more from his other brother who was engaged the entire series, I loved the ending we did get. Maybe Cecy will revisit the family through their kids?? Who knows, even if she doesn't  the ending we got was still wonderful.

 ★★★★☆

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Marked Men Series by Jay Crownover
• The Reed Brothers by Tammy Faulkner

Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: Tempest (Old West #3) by Beverly Jenkins .@authorMsBev

Book Title: Tempest (Old West 3)
Author:  Beverly Jenkins|Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Avon Publishing
Genre: Historical Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Finale
Format: ebook, Mass Market

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 384

How I got it: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: Jan 30, 2018
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Synopsis:

From USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins comes a new novel in a mesmerizing series set in the Old West, where an arranged marriage becomes a grand passion . . .

What kind of mail-order bride greets her intended with a bullet instead of a kiss? One like Regan Carmichael—an independent spirit equally at home in denims and dresses. Shooting Dr. Colton Lee in the shoulder is an honest error, but soon Regan wonders if her entire plan to marry a man she’s never met is a mistake. Colton, who buried his heart along with his first wife, insists he only wants someone to care for his daughter. Yet Regan is drawn to the unmistakable desire in his gaze.

Regan’s far from the docile bride Colton was expecting. Still, few women would brave the wilds of Wyoming Territory for an uncertain future with a widower and his child. The thought of having a bold, forthright woman like Regan in his life—and in his arms—begins to inspire a new dream. And despite his family’s disapproval and an unseen enemy, he’ll risk all to make this match a real union of body and soul.

This is the third & final installment from the Fontaine family and I'm sad to see them go.  This story was addictive, fantastic, realistic fun and funny. I loved how much history we get in all of Ms Bev's books.  This is Reagan's story, she's the youngest sister from the first book and despite how she was raised she's perhaps the most resilient. She doesn't cling to the past as hard as her sister does, she's happy with the life she's had with her Aunt and Uncle, she's, however, looking for a new adventure especially after she sees her sister fall in love, she wants some of her own.  She decides to be a mail-order bride and from there one heck of an adventure unfolds.

After Reagan gets the idea in her head of being a mail order bride, she ends up going to a whole new state leaving her family behind to meet Dr. Colt. He's a widower with a young child and certain ideas of what the ideal bride and mother should be. He's in for a treat because while Reagan is all of that especially on paper, she's a whole lot more, she's a woman who had helped to create the new west and she's not afraid of hard work.

As with all of Beverly's characters I absolutely loved Reagan. She was so vibrant and so matter of fact. I hollered when I read their meet-cute because no one was ever going to let the Doc forget that.  Reagan was such a lady, yet she needed to be more to survive in the West and she rose to the challenge. By being herself she helped a little girl who was afraid of her own shadow learn to live again.  I laughed a lot reading this story. Reagan's stepdaughter was just too adorable and made me fall in love with her.  I also felt Reagan's fear that this wasn't going to workout and I also felt her hope that it would.

I loved even the description of the town and the areas they were traveling through.  Within the story, we saw Reagan embracing change and finding herself a husband, Colt learning to let go of what he believed he needed to get what he truly wanted and need from a happy marriage.  Some of my favorite parts of the book was seeing how Reagan began to thrive away from the bosom of her family.  It was also interesting to read the story and realize that society still hasn't changed in how we treat women & the options many of them have when they are poor.

Like so many of Beverly's books, we don't just get an amazing love story we also get a bit of a history lesson, especially little-known history. First, this is a story about many of the small towns created by Blacks after the Civil War, we then learn the history of just how long the Chinese have been here int eh US and their parts int he history of the West.  I also learned where potato chips come from. And about several other members of the resistance to the Natives being moved to the reservations, I hadn't heard of the female warriors who fought and now I want to go learn all about them.

I would love a story from Reagan's sister in law Spring as I'm sure she has one heck of a story to share, what we saw was eventful enough that was just a few pages.  I loved the POV we got and how that helped to not just advance the story but help us understand how the events affected each character differently.

 ★★★★★

Books In Series

• Forbidden 
• Breathless

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Amanda Quick's Mistress or Ravished
• Springwater by Linda Lael Miller

I highly recommend for those are lovers of historical romance and want an adventure.  Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: Breathless (Old West 2) by Beverly Jenkins .@authorMsBev

Book Title: Breathless (Old West 2)
Author:  Beverly Jenkins|Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Avon Publishing
Genre: Historical Romance

Series/Standalone: Book 2
Format: ebook, Mass Market 

Cost: $5.99

Pages: 384

How I got it: Purchased 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2017
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

A strong-willed beauty finds herself in the arms of the handsome drifter from her past, in this second book in the sizzling series set in the Old West, from USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins
As manager of one of the finest hotels in Arizona Territory, Portia Carmichael has respect and stability—qualities sorely missing from her harsh childhood. She refuses to jeopardize that by hitching herself to the wrong man. Suitors are plentiful, but none of them has ever looked quite as tempting as the family friend who just rode into town…and none has looked at her with such intensity and heat.

Duchess. That’s the nickname Kent Randolph gave Portia when she was a young girl. Now she’s a stunning, intelligent woman—and Kent has learned his share of hard lessons. After drifting through the West, he’s learned the value of a place to settle down, and in Portia’s arms he’s found that and more. But convincing her to trust him with her heart, not just her passion, will be the greatest challenge he’s known—and one he intends to win…

Even though this is the second book I actually read it last, I so wanted to read the third book and see her story that I skipped ahead, and I have no regrets. This is the story of the oldest child of Eddy's sister, Portia, this is years after the events in Forbidden. We do still see Rhine & Eddy as Portia and her sister still live with them.  I was glad to see that Beverly gave them a realistic ending in this one since we all know whites in this era wouldn't have taken to being treated that way by Rhine.

I went into this one already knowing how Reagan's story ends and also was given a bit of spoiler for this one (but nobody told me to read the series backwards so there is no blame right??) in this Portia and her family have built a successful business and while still being supported by Rhine's brother they have an outlet that other blacks at this time might not have had.  I loved the glimpses we have of the Black upper-class and of course the Suffrage movement that was taking place.

This is both a wonderful second chance romance and a coming to terms with who you are tale. Portia has repressed herself so that others would never link her to her mother's choices, she wants to be seen more like Eddy and her choices of living an upstanding life, even though no one in town knows her family history. Unlike Reagan who is able to embrace the present and the future with a spirit of adventure, Portia has everything planned out to the smallest detail, including the fact that according to her she's never going to get married. She also wants to ask her mother why she gave them up and wants to know what has happened to her.

Kent Rudolph comes from a more established family, his father was the Doctor in town and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps.  Kent has other ideas and after the night that he aided Rhine with his family, he drifted around learning how to be a man, when he realizes the drifter life was no longer for him he looked Rhine and his family up. He was surprised to see Duchess there and decided to be her friend while deciding if this town was where he could settle down.

From there we get the sweetest and funniest romance. With Portia learning what she really wants and not to hold back to Kent learning what forgiveness looks like.  In between, we get great family reunions, see history unfolding, get to read fun characters and be involved in a mystery.  As the story unfolds we get a bit of adventure for the girls, see Rhine and Eddy sharing their love and of course a bit of history lesson as always.

I loved everything about this romance.  I loved Portia's blooming into a woman she could be proud of, with Kent she didn't feel she would be repressed, and for that, she happily embraced the secret dreams she had including becoming her own business owner.  I loved her discussions and the love she had for both Eddy and Rhine. I loved her relationship with Reagan and how they motivated and held each other up.

Her romance with Kent was beautiful to read and he was such a wonderful and complicated man. He had his experiences and knew that they had shaped him into the man he was, he never apologized nor did he flaunt his background or his education. I really loved how he was with Portia.  I loved that he also had a journey with his past that he needed to take and boy did those scenes make me cry.

I highly recommend the story and the series.

★★★★★

Books In Series 

• Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins

Happy Reading my loves,