Romance book reviews. Reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending.

Romance book reviews. Reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending.

Aestas Book Database
SIGNED GIVEAWAY of DOWN TO YOU & EXCLUSIVE TEASER from EVERYTHING FOR US by M. Leighton

SIGNED GIVEAWAY of DOWN TO YOU & EXCLUSIVE TEASER from EVERYTHING FOR US by M. Leighton

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BAD BOY FANS!!! This post is for YOU! 😀

I’m a big fan of M. Leighton’s Bad Boy series and if you haven’t met Cash and Nash yet, you are missing out on some serious yumminess!

The third book in this series, Everything For Us, will be released on September 3rd and today I have an exclusive teaser for you as well as a signed (international) giveaway of the first book, Down To You!!

Enjoy! ♥

 ❤  ABOUT THE BOOK ❤

DTY 3

Book #3 in the Bad Boys series
Release date: September 3, 2013

When it comes to passion this hot, it’s all or nothing. 

Olivia Townsend’s wealthy cousin Marissa had everything a girl could ask for—a great job, a privileged life, and all the friends she wanted. Or, at least, all the friends money could buy. But one case of mistaken identity has turned her privileged world upside down.

An abduction gone wrong lands her right in the lap of the sexiest, most dangerous man she’s ever met. To Marissa, he’s an enigma, but one to whom she’s irresistibly, inexplicably drawn.

With him comes a new world of freedom and passion, of dark shadows and dangerous secrets, a world where nothing is what it seems—except for the blind passion that Marissa can’t escape—or maybe even survive.

 ❤  SERIES READING ORDER ❤

Book #1 — Down To You
Kindle | Paperback | My review

Book #2 — Up To Me
Kindle | Paperback | My review

Book #3 — Everything For Us
Kindle | Paperback

 ❤  TEASER ❤

I glance down at the outfit I agonized over.  “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”

He walks slowly toward me. For some reason, the mental image of a lion stalking his prey comes to mind and chills spread down my back.

“Nothing’s ‘wrong’ with it.  I’m just wondering how you expect anyone to concentrate.”  He stops when he’s within a few inches of me. He’s close enough that I can feel his body heat, but still far enough away that I can breathe somewhat naturally.  Part of that might have something to do with the fact that he’s looking me up and down rather than staring into my eyes with that sexy black gaze of his.  “I can just make out the shadow of your nipples through that shirt. The material is like the perfect tease.  Makes me want to peel it off you.  And that skirt cups your ass the way I’d like to. Makes me wanna dig my fingers into it, then my teeth.   And those shoes—they make your legs look like they go on forever.”  He drops his voice down to a whisper when he glances back up to my face, to my eyes.  “Makes me wanna wrap them around my waist and show you how good I can make you feel.”

 ❤  SIGNED GIVEAWAY ❤

Giveaway is Open Internationally. One winner.
Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Special thanks to InkSlingerPR for coordinating the feature.

❤

SIGNED GIVEAWAY of THE BLACKSTONE AFFAIR SERIES by Raine Miller

SIGNED GIVEAWAY of THE BLACKSTONE AFFAIR SERIES by Raine Miller

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Any fans of Alpha males here??

Yes? Perfect! Come check out what I’ve got for you here today!!

To celebrate today’s paperback release of Eyes Wide Open by Raine Miller, the publishers at Atria are offering a giveaway of 2 signed sets of the entire Blackstone Affair series right here!!

Check the details out below!

❤  THE BLACKSTONE AFFAIR SERIES ❤

If you’re looking for a story with a possessive, protective and swoon-worthy Alpha hero and a romance that will make your heart race, this series will deliver. Highly recommended!

Book #1 — Naked

My Review | Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback

Book #2 — All In

My Review | Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback

Book #3 — Eyes Wide Open

My Review | Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback

“Are you real?” He whispered, brushing up my face with the back of his fingers in a cherishing caress. “Because I’ll want you forever.”

 

❤  SIGNED GIVEAWAY ❤

2 winners. Each will get all 2 (signed) books in the Blackstone Affair series.
Giveaway is being offered by Atria. Open to USA/Canada residents only.
Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!! 😀

Sylvia Day Video Interview with Aestas Book Blog about Afterburn/Aftershock & Crossfire

Sylvia Day Video Interview with Aestas Book Blog about Afterburn/Aftershock & Crossfire

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When it was announced that Sylvia Day had written a new book series (Afterburn/Aftershock), I couldn’t wait to meet the new book hero written by the creator of one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends, Gideon Cross!! Her Crossfire Series is one of my top recommendations for any romance readers and now I’ve fallen in love with her new books as well.

Sylvia Day’s writing is sinfully addictive and her heroes are positively mouthwatering. But her stories also have a lot of emotional depth, wonderful character development and growth, and they really just draw you right in. For anyone who loves dominant and Alpha yet also flawed heroes as well as strong, independent heroines, her books are must reads!

A few days ago, I was given the incredible opportunity to do a video interview with Sylvia Day where she talked about her new book Afterburn and it’s upcoming sequel Aftershock as well as the 4th Crossfire series novel “Captivated by You.”

The interview is spoiler-free.

Enjoy!! ♥

❤  AFTERBURN & AFTERSHOCK ❤

#1 Afterburn — Kindle | My Review
(currently available)

#2 Aftershock — Kindle
(to be released November 12, 2013.)

Afterburn/Aftershock — Paperback
(to be released November 12, 2013.)

❤  THE CROSSFIRE SERIES ❤

#1 — BARED TO YOU
My Review | Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

#2 — REFLECTED IN YOU
My Review | Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

#3 — ENTWINED IN YOU 
My Review | Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

Book Review – Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken

Book Review – Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken

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“I can tell you have a good heart… because the minute I met you, I wanted to fight for it.”

4.5 stars

Ruin made me laugh, cry and swoon. If you want a book that will both leave you uplifted and make you smile while still having a lot of emotional depth, then pick this one up and fall in love with Wes Michels. But bring tissues! It’s a tearjerker!

This is the story of a sweet, innocent, small-town girl, lost in hurt and reeling from a tragic loss, and a cocky but charming boy, who understood her pain and could reach through to her because he too had deep painful secrets that made him value every moment of life.

This book is really hard to describe without spoilers so I’m going to stay very vague about it and say only this: you find something out about the hero very early on and yes, your suspicions are going to be right. Just hold on to the fact that there’s a HEA and you’ll get through it just fine. It’s totally worth the journey.

Despite the fact that the emotional undercurrents of this story are quite heartbreaking, the majority of the book made me laugh and smile and just feel good. I’ll give you an example that’s close to the beginning of the book. This is their first meeting:

“I turned around… and ran smack dab into a tree.

Or at least it felt like a tree.

But trees weren’t warm.

And they didn’t have one, two, three, four, six, Good Lord, eight? Eight packs? Furthermore, had I actually been feeling said person’s eight pack? And, dear God, I was counting. I had touched each muscle. And great, my hand was still firmly placed against the guy’s stomach. 

I jerked my hand back and closed my eyes.

“Were you just counting my abs?”

Wes was the kind of hero who it was impossible not to fall in love with. What a total sweetheart! He had a wisdom that came out of surviving painful heartbreak, and a protective caring side that just made me swoon for pages on end. I’m smiling here just thinking about him. The things he said melted my heart over and over again.

“I can tell you have a good heart… because the minute I met you, I wanted to fight for it.”

She was silent.

“That’s how you can tell when someone has a good heart… when you want to be the one to make it beat.”

Kiersten was a little more ‘innocent’ than I’d usually like but at the same time, she didn’t let anyone walk all over her and certainly wasn’t stupid and so given her history, I could understand where she was coming from. She was hiding a lot of pain though behind her smiles and Wes was just the right kind of guy to help her through it.

“Open.” He nipped at the corner of my mouth. “I won’t hurt you.”

“I don’t bite.”
“But you do lick.”
“Always.”

The writing was awesome! Their banter back and forth was just gold! Fast, snappy, fun, flirty. But it was their deeper connection that really made me care. He chased away her nightmares, made her smile again and taught her to live.

“My new job description is making you laugh and chasing away the bad dreams.”

“Just because you need help to cope doesn’t make you any less strong. The truly weak people in this life are the ones who can’t admit they need help. They’re the ones who can’t admit that they can no longer go at it alone. Those are the people who are weak. By asking for help, by taking help, you’ve just admitted your weakness and in that, you find your strength. The weak of the world are those who think they’ve got it all figured out and flaunt it to others.”

Now because of the ‘situation’, Wes refused to let her fall in love with him at first. But at the same time, couldn’t stay away.

“I was keeping something epic from her, which sort of made me the villain in this tale. But damn, I wanted to be the hero.”

The side characters in this book were equally wonderful. I loooooved Gabe! He was kind of a protective big brother character to Kiersten and the way he mother henned her was endearing and totally hilarious! I really hope he gets his own book! I’d love to see him in the hero role!

The ending kind of snuck up on me. It wasn’t a ‘surprise’ per say because we knew what was going on from very early on in the book but I guess I was so caught up with them falling in love that it just hit me in the face a little and I read the last 20% of the book quite choked up. And, this might sound weird though but I didn’t cry until a certain reveal very close to the end but when I read it, just BAM. Tears. Full body shivers. It was such a beautiful little twist. I loved it.

The book leaves you with a wonderful message to appreciate every moment of life. It’s an uplifting ending. One that gives you hope.

“I want all of [your heart], even the broken pieces, the shredded ones that no longer fit. I want all of them – all of you. I need it all.”

This really is a very swoony book. Almost no angst, and no stupidity or eye-roll inducing moments. There were times when I found it a little too ‘perfect’ but at the same time, with all the gritty and ‘real’ books I’ve been reading lately, this was exactly what I wanted. I think the point of it was to be uplifting. Miracles do happen. And sometimes, you do get a second chance.

I loved Ruin and would definitely recommend it.

This is a standalone romance with a HEA (and epilogue).

4.5 stars.

Casting

ruin promo1

SALES, NEW RELEASES & NEWS — August 17, 2013

SALES, NEW RELEASES & NEWS — August 17, 2013

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Here’s what’s going on in the book world right now!!

My Top Weekend Recommendations

Present Perfect by Alison G. Bailey (read my review) – NEW BOOK!!

This is easily one of my favorite books of 2013! This book was just phenomenal!! It made me feel with every part of my heart and I really truly mean feel.

It was everything. Amazing. Breathtaking. Heartbreaking.Original. Intense.

Once you start reading, I promise you will not be able to put it down!

If you’re a fan of Thoughtless, The Opportunist or Sweet Thing, you’ll love this too!

 

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay (read my review) – SALE!! 

OMG! This is on sale right now, guys!! Only $3.99! That never happens! *squee* This book is a beautifully written New Adult standalone and has one of the most powerful endings I have ever read. EVER.

Absolutely everyone should read this book at some point in their lives. It was unforgettable. Trust me, its totally worth it!

 

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker (read my review) – SALE!!

This is a must-read standalone New Adult romance and, for a limited time, it’s on a very rare sale for only $3.99 so if you haven’t read it yet, now’s the time to grab it.

This is a story about a girl who was drowning in the pain of her shattered life and the boy with a dark past of his own who pulled her out and helped her to breath, to live, and to love again.

 

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken (read my review) – NEW BOOK!! $0.99!

I just finished this last night and loved it! It made me laugh, cry, and swoon. There’s a very emotional twist to it but there is a lot of sweetness and humour as well and it’s pretty impossible not to fall in love with Wes.

“I can tell you have a good heart… because the minute I met you, I wanted to fight for it.” <— *swooooon*

 
Sale Alerts

  • $0.99 sale — Friend-zoned by Belle Aurora. This seems like just the kind of book I was looking for! I just added it to my reading list! It looks fun, light-hearted and romantic. I can’t wait to read it!
  • $1.99 sale — Love Thy Neighbor by Belle Aurora. This is the next book in the Friend-zoned series but it’s about different characters. Since it’s also on sale, I’m adding the link in here too 🙂
  • $0.99 sale — Kaleb by Nicole Edwards. I keep hearing that these books are scorching hot and I just noticed that book #1 is only $0.99 so I’m adding it in case you want to check it out. Each book reads as a standalone.
  • $0.99 sale — Watch Over Me by Tara Sivec. I haven’t read this yet but I’ve heard good things and have it on my reading list. It’s a standalone romance.
  • #3.99 sale — The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. Like I mentioned above, this is a beautifully written New Adult standalone and has one of the most powerful endings I have ever read. EVER.

       

New Releases

  •  Stripped by Jasinda Wilder. This is a New Adult contemporary romance standalone on my reading list. “He’s a movie star sex god. She’s a virgin… and a stripper.”
  • Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken. OMG this one looks amazing!! I’ve received several recommendations for this one recently and wow is it ever rating highly! This is going to be my next read! I’ve been told its a standalone and that I should read with tissues on hand ♥ **Edit: finished this and loved it. Review coming soon.
  • Into The Deep by Samantha Young. This is a new second-chance romance from the author of On Dublin Street! I hear it doesn’t have a cliffhanger but leaves you looking forward to book #2 which will be out in 2014.

Book News

  •  Sempre by J.M. Darhower is available for pre-order for only $1.99!! This is the newly edited version to be released by Simon and Schuster in November. I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book! Highly recommended! Read my review. “This is a story about sacrifice… death… love… freedom. This is a story about forever.”
  •  J.A. Redmerski (author of The Edge of Never) has announced her next standalone New Adult romance book called Song of the Fireflies, which follows two characters that are introduced in The Edge of Always, but also includes several other characters you’ll read about in Camryn and Andrew’s final book. Release date is February 4th, 2014. Pre-order here for $1.99.
  • Jessica Sorensen announced that she’ll be writing another book for Callie & Kayden called The Resolution of Callie and Kayden that’ll take place after Luke’s book!! Here’s the series reading order:

#1 The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden
#2 The Redemption of Callie & Kayden
#3 The Destiny of Violet & Luke
#4 The Resolution of Callie & Kayden

  • CJ Roberts fans!! She’s beginning to write Agent Reed’s book!!! My heart rate just spiked! C.A.N.N.O.T. W.A.I.T!!!!!! ♥

“Matthew Reed believed in few things with absolute certainty. He believed in order. He believed in control over oneself. He believed that if one lived their life according to these two principles, anything could be achieved.” — Untitled, by CJ Roberts

  • Fisher Amelie (author of Vain) has revealed the new cover for Vain, the cover and blurb for Greed and the titles for the entire rest of the Seven Deadly Series. Click here to see them.
  • This Girl by Colleen Hoover is now available in paperback!! This is book #3 of the Slammed series – one of my TOP favs ♥
  • Tara Sivec has announced a spin off of the Chocolate Lovers series called Chocoholics. The first book is Love and Lists which will follow Gavin’s story and will be released on October 1, 2013.

Cover Reveals

 …

Read More  >
Book Review – Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan-Miles

Book Review – Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan-Miles

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Savannah Marshall is a gifted flutist and daughter of musical royalty when she enrols in the elite New England Conservatory of Music. Brilliant, eclectic and passionate, she lives music, but struggles with her plans for the future.

Gregory Fitzgerald is one of the most renowned cellists of his generation. A member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and professor at the Conservatory, he is laser focused on his career to the exclusion of friends, family and especially romance.

When Gregory and Savannah’s paths cross in the classroom, it threatens to challenge more than their wildly differing beliefs on music. Friendships, ethics, and careers are put on the line as Gregory and Savannah play a symphony of passion and heartbreak.

In the final movement, Gregory and Savannah are handed their greatest challenge, as the loss of absolutely everything they’ve held as truths hangs in the balance.

Nocturne was a beautifully written, very ‘real’ forbidden love story. These authors have true talent!

The story spans almost a decade and is told in a few parts. It begins with Savannah auditioning for the Conservatory fresh from high school in front of a panel of teachers headed by Gregory, the youngest cellist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It then skips forward three years to her second last year where, for the first time, she is in one of Gregory’s classes. And finally, the last part of the story is told five years after that and then again, another two years after as well.

Savannah and Gregory were polar opposites in so many ways. While they both shared a deeply passionate love for music, Savannah was very much of a free spirit and always looking to bend the rules and discover new forms of music, while Gregory’s world was defined solely by strict adherence to rigid discipline and the proper rules. She was a natural rule breaker and he lived by them and yet somehow, they were undeniably drawn to each other from the moment they met.

Their connection through the music was so… intense. It was palatable. Everyone around them could feel it too. These weren’t the kind of feelings that just  couldn’t be hidden, especially when they played together…

“I caught my breath because it was as if she was speaking to me in a private language only we knew. The room had narrowed, only the two of us, and the music between us.”

“Music is communication. It’s emotion. It’s passion and love and hate and expression.”

While this is in part a student/teacher romance, there is absolutely nothing uncomfortable about it at all. At the start of their relations, she was already in her early twenties and for the most part, he was not her instructor at the same time so really there was nothing that ever put me on edge.

The story was a very slow burn, building in quiet intensity. And the writing was just absolutely beautiful! Truly exquisite. The smooth flow of the story and vivid descriptions made it a joy to read.

I believe it takes great skill as an author to describe music in such a way as to make the readers genuinely feel it even though they can’t hear it and this book managed to do that do vividly. Every detail was projected onto me in a way that fully immersed me in their world. However, as a person who is not very involved in the classical music world, there were times when I found the descriptions to be a little too ‘much’ and some of the dialogue and mannerisms were a little too formal for me to fully be immersed in it. I have no doubt that it was an accurate reflection of their world, but on a personal level, I couldn’t fully relate to it and as such, I sometimes felt a little like I was on the outside looking in rather than living it. But this was not a fault of the story or the writing in any way, it was just personal.

As a reader, I was deeply frustrated by Gregory and his “broody, insufferable uptight exterior.” He just was not the kind of man that I am personally attracted to. He was too rigid and too obsessively devoted to his music. While I personally never fell for him over the course of the book, because of the skill of the writing, I still felt Savannah’s feelings for him and felt much more connected to her. She was strong willed and confident and everything about her spun his world right around. He just had so much personal growth to go through and every time he put something else in his life before her, I was simultaneously angry and heartbroken.

“I am in love with you, but there’s nothing I can do about it, and I’m sorry for that.”

I was so mad at him. I wanted him to fight for her. To go after her. To fix things. To choose her. I knew he loved her, but he didn’t love her enough. Not until the very end.

I felt like the traditional ‘romantic roles’ were reversed in this book because truly Savannah knew all along what she wanted from their relationship. She was the one who went for it, fought for it and never let go. I admired her for it and yet my heart still broke for her. In a way though, Gregory’s journey of discovering his priorities was a large part of the book. And most often, life doesn’t teach us lesson in easy ways. Mistakes were made. Years were lost. But sometimes that’s life. In many ways, this was a very ‘real’ love story. Maybe a little ‘too’ real at times?

I liked the story but I wasn’t as completely taken over by it as I might have wished. At the same time though, whenever Savannah and Gregory were together, I got swept back into their connection and my heart wanted them to make it through.

This is a standalone with a HEA.

4 stars

nocturne promo

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