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SIGNED GIVEAWAY of TEN TINY BREATHS – TODAY ONLY!!!

September 1, 2013 by Aestas · 232 Comments

** EDIT: Since this giveaway is over now, I’ve backdated it just to keep it off the blog’s main page.

As part of the 10 Days of Ten Tiny Breaths event to celebrate this book’s paperback release on September 24th, I have a special one day only signed giveaway for you!! See below for details! 🙂

❤ ABOUT THE BOOK ❤

Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them.

Four years ago Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend, and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, holding her boyfriend’s lifeless hand and listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, twenty-year-old Kacey and her fifteen-year-old sister, Livie, escape Grand Rapids, Michigan, to start over in Miami. Struggling to make ends meet, Kacey needs to figure out how to get by. But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D.

Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes, deep dimples, and he perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable and Trent is determined to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means that an explosive secret could shatter both their worlds.

❤ SERIES READING ORDER ❤

#1 TEN TINY BREATHS
My review | Kindle | Paperback

#2 ONE TINY LIE
My review | Kindle | Paperback

#3 FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE
Excerpt | Kindle | Paperback

❤ SIGNED GIVEAWAY ❤

Open Internationally.
One winner will get a signed copy of Ten Tiny Breaths.
Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MY CURRENT TO-BE-READ LIST

September 1, 2013 by Aestas · 29 Comments

Before you read this page, if you haven’t already checked them out and are looking for a hot new romance recommendation, check out this link:

Completed list of July & August’s book recommendations

But…. if what you’re looking for is what’s next on my reading list, then you’ve come to the right place 😀

Please bear in mind that unless I have a review posted these are not official “recommendations” as I have not yet read them but rather these are books that look good to me and I’m interested in reading so hopefully you’ll be able to maybe find something new to read here too!

Also, since I read based on my mood of the moment, I may not necessarily read everything on this list! I also add and delete books from here all the time and am very much of a ‘last minute’ reader so I rarely know exactly what I’m going to read next until about five minutes before I actually start the book. My “full” reading list is considerably longer than this but, at the moment, these are the books sitting at the top of my list!

And finally, given how many indie books get released all the time, it’s quite likely that one might come out suddenly that just shoots to the top of my list so again, this is just a general selection of the books I’d like to get to in the near future.

** They are not listed in any particular order.

** If you are ever looking to find this list again, the link to it is in the blog’s right side bar.

Ohhh and, if you have suggestions for books you’d like to recommend to me, just comment below with the name and author!! 😀

Breach (Breach #1) by K.I. Lynn. I’ve been told this one has a very tortured hero and that pretty much sold me. Plus, book #2 just came out and does not have a cliffhanger so this got bumped WAY up the pile! **EDIT: Finished this and loved it! Read my review.

My Unexpected Forever (Beaumont #2) by Heidi McLaughlin. This is the standalone sequel to Forever My Girl and My Everything and the author suggest reading it only after both of those. I’ve read FMG so I’m eager to jump into this one. The blurb sounds incredible!!!! Second chance romances are my absolute favorite! **EDIT: Finished this! What a sweet ending! Read my review.

Don’t Make Me Beautiful by Elle Casey. Quote from my review: “A deeply touching, beautiful and inspiring story with a powerful message about the strength of survival and the healing power of love. It’s both heart breaking and heart warming with a strong heroine, a to-die-for hero, and a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading!” 5 stars!! Read my review.

All Of You by Christina Lee. What’s this? A tattooed hero who is not only “not” a manwhore, but is actually a VIRGIN??! Holy unicorn! This I must read!

Keep Me Still by Casey Quinn. The blurb on this one looks so good and I’ve heard the hero is very swoony!! It’s a New Adult romance that can be read as a standalone but there will be more coming in the series.

A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers. Holy double taboo!! Seriously, we’re talking stepbrother and a deacon!! “Have you ever gone just a little too far? Lexie Banks has… She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.” <— this is my next book!!

Cross My Heart by Katie Klein. This is an older one from my TBR that I’ve been wanting to read for a while now. It’s a bad boy romance and apparently there’s a twist that no one sees coming so I’m very, very intrigued!!

What I Didn’t Say by Keary Taylor. Hmmm this one caught my eye because of how different the premise sounded. It’s about a guy who loses his ability to speak in a car accident but was never able to tell the girl he’s been in love with for years how he felt… it’s a second-chance romance standalone.

The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James. Technically this is an older standalone romance I’ve had on my TBR for a while now but it since it just got a new cover (and an included epilogue) so I’m bumping it back up my list. From the blurb: a fast-paced story about a girl who is tough enough to survive and tender enough to learn to trust in love.

In The Fields by Willow Aster. This is rating very highly and seems completely different than anything I’d ever read. It’s a forbidden, interracial romance that takes place in 1971.

Jane’s Melody by Ryan Winfield. This is an unconventional standalone romance that’s gotten crazy high ratings! From the blurb: “A touching love story that will have you equally tantalized and in tears, Jane’s Melody follows a forty-year-old woman on a romantic journey of rediscovery after years of struggling alone.

Suicide Watch by Kelley York. This book looks beautiful and heavy – read the blurb, you’ll understand what I mean. It’s far from my typical style of read and my gut feeling says that everyone doesn’t ride off into the sunset but some journeys aren’t about that and this is one I want to read.

Everything I’ve Never Had by Lynetta Halat. This one is rating quite well and looks really good! From the blurb: One night. One song. One kiss. The perfect trifecta to unleash the floodgates of a forbidden attraction between the widow and her husband’s bad boy cousin, Adrian.

Rule by Jay Crownover. I have a soft spot for bad boys… add tattoos to the mix and I’m pretty much a puddle of goo so I’m looking forward to this one. Oh, and it’s a standalone 🙂

Just Remember To Breathe (Thompson Sisters #1) by Charles Sheehan-Miles. This series has been on my TBR for ages. Readers are just raving about these books! They’re interconnected standalones and are guaranteed to made you cry. I love those kinds of books!! So I can’t wait to read all 3!

Promise Me Darkness by Paige Weaver. Ok I’m a little fuzzy on the details ‘cuz I didn’t want spoilers but this seems to be a bad boy meets good girl story set in some sort of post-disaster scenario… It’s another one that I added to my list due to recommendations from other readers so I’m intrigued by the setting and premise and it’s also got some very high ratings! I’ve been told though that the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger but the next book will be out on Sept 24th and the blurb says it’s the “conclusion” to their love story.

Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan. I’ve had this NA romance suggested to me a few times so I’m bumping it back up my list. “If you’re broken, I’ll fix you…If you shatter, I’ll find you…”

Broken and Screwed by Tijan. I’ve had this author’s books recommended to me several times by readers and this series rates very highly. The first has a cliffhanger but the second one has a resolved ending.

Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves. This just sounds amazing and it’s from one of my most favorite authors (same one who wrote On The Island). Release date is September 17, 2013. ** EDIT: Finished this too. Read my review & enter the giveaway.

Broken by Megan Hart. I’ve been wanting to read more of her books ever since I read Dirty so this is an older one that I’ve had on my TBR for a while that I’m looking forward to. Megan Hart writes very deep but unconventional romance stories and sometimes, you just need something ‘different’.

Because of Low by Abbi Glines. I just love Abbi’s books so I’m looking forward to trying this one out! Here’s the series reading order.

Wanderlust by Skye Warren. Ok so I’m on the fence about this one. I hear it is d.a.r.k. and not for everyone… it’s like the people who love it, really love it and the people who don’t feel strongly as well. I do like dark books though so I’m curious to try it out sometime.

Lost & Found (Emi Lost and Found #1) by Lori Otto. This series is on many readers’ most favorite list. It’s a completed trilogy and I hear it’s an ‘atypical romance’. I’ve been told by the people who have read it that it’s one of the most emotional series they’ve read so that peaked my curiosity! I’ve heard that the first one doesn’t have a happy ending but the last one does.

By A Thread by R.L. Griffin. I hear this has a dark subject matter and a lot of twists and turns and really sucks you into the story. It’s the first of a trilogy (second book will be out in August).

Kiss This by Hadley Quinn. It’s about a girl who’s ex was killed and since then has promised herself she wouldn’t kiss anyone she didn’t love. When she meets the hero, he’s the first guy to make her want to disregard that rule and so she makes a bet not to kiss him for a week…. oh, and the hero has a secret! Looks good!

Providence (Providence #1) by Jamie McGuire. This is another older one from my TBR that I’ve been wanting to read for a while. It’s a paranormal trilogy from the author of Beautiful Disaster and I’ve heard such amazing things about it! I haven’t read a paranormal book in a while so this is at the top of that list. All 3 books are currently available for purchase and the series has a HEA. Reading order: Providence. Requiem. Eden.

Lost and Found (Lost & Found #1) by Nicole Williams. I can’t wait to read this one! It’s “a story about a troubled girl, a good guy, and one summer that will forever change them both.”Plus, Book #2 “Near and Far” was just released as well!

The Tied Man by Tabitha McGowan. This is a very “dark” book but sometimes that’s just what I want. A friend of mine read this recently and gave it 5 stars! But warning, there are instances of non-consentual sex in it and some of the scenes are extremely graphic. In this book though, it’s the guy who is held captive and “In a dark, modern twist to an age-old story, Lilith Bresson proves that sometimes it’s the princess who needs to become the rescuer.”

Untraceable by Lindsay Delagair. This is an older one from my reading list that I’ve been meaning to read for a while. It’s the first book of a completed trilogy and I love the premise from the blurb. It’s about a wealthy heiress who is in hiding at a high school and “when two new guys enroll. Both guys are gorgeous, and both are trying to win her over. The only problem is that one of them has a million dollar contract to put a bullet in her. When her pure and innocent heart is offered to him, will this cold and empty hitman fall, or will he remain untouchable?” See? Intriguing, huh?

Almost by Anne Eliot. I’ve had this recommended to me several times as a great standalone. I’ve been told it’s a little humorous, a little sad, and a lot swoony. Apparently I need to meet this hero so… it’s on my list oh and, he has a secret!! Teehee, I’m always drawn to those 😉

Simple Perfection (Rosemary Beach #5) by Abbi Glines. I love this series! Can’t wait for more! Here’s the series reading order. (Release date: Sept 23rd)

Red Hill by Jamie McGuire. This is a romance set in the middle of a zombie apocalypse written by the author of Beautiful Disaster. Really and truly, that’s all I need to know. Can’t WAIT for this!! Oh, and it’s a standalone – no cliffhanger! (Release date: Oct 1st)

Book Review — Beautiful Broken Rules by Kimberly Lauren

September 1, 2013 by Aestas · 6 Comments

SQUEEE!!!

Bad boy fans, you’re going to love this book!!

I had been in such a reading funk the last few days. I’d started and stopped so many books that I was starting to wonder if it was ‘me’, y’know? But THIS BOOK pulled me right back into happy reader land!

Beautiful Broken Rules was a wonderfully addictive and romantic read with a bad boy hero who I promise you will fall for! There was heaps of swoon, awesome banter, and a delicious kind of angst that made my heart race and kept me flipping pages. Once I started, I could not put it down!

Fans of Beautiful Disaster should definitely check this book out! Although the plot lines are very different, this one gave me many of those same wonderful ‘feelings’.

This book also pretty much defied one of the norms because instead of having a manwhore hero, we had a heroine who pretty much was the female equivalent. Kinda weird to think of it when the roles are reversed, huh? But it totally worked for this character. Emerson was a strong heroine and I loved that she didn’t make any excuses for the way she was and the things she did.

Ok, I’m getting ahead of myself here…

The book is about Emerson, a college student who has three rules that she never breaks: 1) Never sleep with someone a friend has feelings for, 2) Never sleep with someone in a known relationship, 3) Never sleep with the same person more than three times. These rules keep her ‘safe’ within her comfort zone. She was deeply scarred by events in her past that basically left her terrified of relationships and so these rules are her coping mechanism that both allow her to have fun and keep her clear of being bogged down in any relationship drama or heart break.

Until Jaxon Riley showed up.

With his gorgeous tattoos, his cocky but endearing attitude, and his naturally protectiveness, this bad boy sweetheart spun her world right around and for the first time in her life, she found herself actually wanting more than just a fling. He didn’t care about her past, he just wanted her future and was determined to win her heart.

*swoons*

“I don’t need a protector, okay?” I breathed.
“I’m trying my fucking hardest here, Beautiful.”

Only a few pages into this book and I knew it was going to be a winner! I was smiling and chuckling and swooning and it just kept on getting better. I really honestly loved pretty much everything about it.

I fell hard for Jax. Everything about him was either alluring, intriguing, or downright hot! And Emerson was a surprising and fun heroine. She certainly had her share of issues but I felt like I could understand them and better yet, Jax understood them and I seriously just loved the way he was with. So sweet and tender but yet totally possessive and protective. The perfect combination! He knew about her issues and yet he was willing to be patient with her.

“I love you… Relax, I won’t say it again for a while. I just want you to get used to the fact that one day, when you’re comfortable with it, I’ll tell you every day, multiple times a day. I want you to know how much I love you every single damn day, but for now, I’ll just let you soak it in.”

I loved that this was more than just a romance. The core group of friends and family were just as awesome to read about. Some of their scenes were seriously just priceless!

“Ew, guys, stop it. Not on the couch.” Quinn was right next to us, batting me off of Jaxon.

“Oh, like we haven’t gotten plenty of fluids on this couch already, sweetheart,” Cole laughed from behind her.

“All of you are disgusting, shut up, push play and keep your fluids to yourselves,” Jace complained.

There were definite undercurrents of tension though through the story because of how Emerson clearly shied away from all relationships and there were some moments of full on angst and drama but at the same time, all of it was the delicious kind. I revelled in it even though there were times when I just wanted to shove her and Jax into a room together and not let them out until they’d worked through their issues.

One thing that I did really like was that throughout the drama, I never once doubted their feelings for each other and despite being a tad frustrated at how long it took them to get through their last issue, because I could tell they were still just crazy about each other, it allowed me to ride it all out with a good feeling instead of being worried sick. They both made mistakes but I also *knew* they’d work things out and was excited to see it all come together.

“You’re my heart. You don’t walk away from your heart.”

Beautiful Broken Rules was exactly what I’d been looking for. A fun, delicious blend of swoon and angst with a possessive but sweet bad boy and a strong but damaged heroine. It just pushed all the right buttons for me and is definitely one of my new favorite New Adult romance reads.

Highly recommended!

4.5 stars

PS – This reads as a standalone but the next book, Beautiful Broken Mess, is about Jax’s brother Jace!!

Casting

Standalones

SIGNED GIVEAWAY & COVER REVEALS for KILLING SARAI & REVIVING IZABEL by J.A. Redmerski

August 30, 2013 by Aestas · 282 Comments

Look how beautiful!!!! Both books in J.A. Redmerski’s latest series In The Company of Killers now have brand new covers! The first book Killing Sarai was released earlier this year and I loved it! It was unputdownable, unpredictable and left me dying to know what happened next!

The second book, Reviving Izabel, will be released before the end of 2013 and has a blurb that you can see below! Reviving Izabel will have a resolved ending but for readers who want more, there will also be a third spin-off book following Victor’s brother, Niklas, and a brand new character ❤

Also, the author has offered a signed giveaway of 2 sets of both Killing Sarai and Reviving Izabel!! It’s open Internationally. See details at the bottom of the post 🙂

❤ BOOK #1 — KILLING SARAI ❤

Currently available for purchase.

From the author of the New York Times, USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling novel, THE EDGE OF NEVER, comes a story of passion and survival…

Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.

Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.

While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.

As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.

This is their story…

BUY for KINDLE | BUY in PAPERBACK | READ my REVIEW

(paperbacks will be available in the next 2 weeks)

❤ BOOK #2 — REVIVING IZABEL ❤

Reviving Isabel SM

To be released December 10th, 2013.

Determined to live a dark life in the company of the assassin who freed her from bondage, Sarai sets out on her own to settle a score with an evil sadist. Unskilled and untrained in the art of killing, the events that unfold leave her hanging precariously on the edge of death when nothing goes as planned.

Sarai’s reckless choices send her on a path she knows she can never turn back from and so she presents Victor with an ultimatum: help her become more like him and give her a fighting chance, or she’ll do it alone no matter the consequences. Knowing that Sarai cannot become what she wants to be overnight, Victor begins to train her and inevitably their complicated relationship heats up.

As Arthur Hamburg’s right-hand man, Willem Stephens, closes in on his crusade to destroy Sarai, she is left with the crushing realization that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. But Sarai, taking on the new and improved role of Izabel Seyfried, still has a set of deadly skills of her own that will prove to be all she needs to secure her place beside Victor.

But there is one test that Izabel must face that has the potential to destroy everything she is working so hard to achieve. One final test that will not only make her question her decision to want this dangerous life, but will make her question everything she has come to trust about Victor Faust.

ADD to GOODREADS

❤ SIGNED GIVEAWAY ❤

2 winners – each will receive signed copies of both Killing Sarai and Reviving Izabel.
Books will be sent out after the release of Reviving Izabel later in 2013.

Open Internationally (one winner will be International, the other US only).
Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SALES, PRICE DROPS, NEW RELEASES & UPCOMING BOOKS

August 30, 2013 by Aestas · 2 Comments

$0.99 Sale Alerts

$0.99 — Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. This is a must-read for absolutely everyone!! It is one of my all-time top recommendations. Beautiful, heart-wrenching and uplifting. Read my review.

$0.99 — Bully by Penelope Douglas. An addictive standalone New Adult romance that put a twist on the bad boy meets good girl tale. I loved it! Read my review.

$0.99 — Lost & Found by Nicole Williams. This is the first of the Lost and Found series. I’ve heard such good things about it! Can’t wait to start!

$0.99 — Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken. This book made me laugh, cry & swoon. Everyone should read it!! It’s a standalone New Adult romance with a HEA. Read my review. “I can tell you have a good heart… because the minute I met you, I wanted to fight for it.”

$0.99 — Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki. This is a dystopian forbidden romance that is fast-paced and action packed! I loved it! Read my review.

$0.99 — Beyond Shame (Beyond #1) by Kit Rocha. An erotic dystopian set in “a dangerous world of sex, lust and violence…” I’ve heard this is H.O.T.

$0.99 – The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher. This is book #1 of a phenomenal, completed 5 star trilogy that I promise will leave you with an epic (but wonderful) book hangover! One of my top favs! Read my review.

$0.99 — More Than This by Jay McLean. This is a standalone New Adult Romance. A very sweet and sometimes heartbreaking book about love, loss, healing and friendship. Read my review.

$0.99 Series Sale!! There Is No Light In Darkness and Darkness Before Dawn are only $0.99 each for a limited time! They were the perfect blend of romance and mystery and the hero was SWOONY! The series is completed and has a HEA. Here are my reviews of Book #1 and Book #2.

$1.99 Sale Alerts & More

$1.99 — Own The Wind (Chaos #1) by Kristen Ashley. Alpha male fans, you MUST get this book!!! It is hot, badass and flat-out awesome!!!! Highly recommended! Read my review.

$1.99 — Afterburn (Afterburn #1) by Sylvia Day. Short, hot and sinfully delicious! Here’s the latest new romance from the creator of Gideon Cross! Read my review.

$1.99 — While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3) by Abbi Glines. Despite this being the 3rd in the series, it can be read as a standalone. From what I hear, this book is fan-yourself-hot! I can’t wait to read it and meet Cage! Regular price is approx $8.

#1.99 — Just For Now (Sea Breeze #4) by Abbi Glines. Again, like the one above, this too can be read as a standalone despite it being part of the series. Regular price is approx $8.

Series sale!! The Education of Sebastian and The Education of Caroline have dropped in price from $4.99 to $2.99 each. If you’re a fan of forbidden love stories, this is definitely a series to check out! I loved them both! Here are my two reviews: Book #1 & Book #2. “Everything had a price: every glance, every kiss, every stolen touch… I knew it was wrong; I knew it was right.”

Special Sales – These are rare publisher sales on highly recommended books. Regular price is approx $8 each.

$3.79 sale — The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. This book is a beautifully written New Adult standalone and has one of the most powerful endings I have ever read. Absolutely everyone should read this book at some point in their lives. It was unforgettable. Trust me, its totally worth it! Read my review.

$3.79 sale — Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker!! This is a must-read standalone New Adult romance 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. Read my review.

$3.79 sale — Point of Retreat (Slammed #2) by Colleen Hoover. The Slammed series is a must-series! One of my all-time TOP favorite 6-star reads! Be sure to read book #1 Slammed first though because this is not a standalone!

$3.99 sale — The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. A beautiful but heart breaking story… it’s hard to say anything about this one but just… bring tissues.

$3.99 sale — Simple Perfection (Rosemary Beach #5) by Abbi Glines. This is a pre-order sale but be sure to read the first 4 books in the series first! Here’s the reading order.

$5.00 sale — Entwined With You (Crossfire #3) by Sylvia Day. This is not a standalone and should only be read after both Bared To You and Entwined With You but I can’t recommend this series highly enough. One of my TOP favs!!

$5.00 sale — Breathe (Sea Breeze #1) by Abbi Glines). This is the first of a series of interconnected standalones that is on many of our reader’s favorites list. I can’t wait to read them! Abbi’s writing is absolutely addictive!

New Releases

Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters. I’m really excited to read this! It’s a New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance and this line from the blurb grabbed my attention: “My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.Then it all changed. I was sold.”

Good (Too Good #1) by S. Walden. Holy taboo!! This is a well written, rebellious student/teacher romance that defied rules and crossed lines!! Bold. Daring. Forbidden! It’s the first of a 2-part series. Read my review.

Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan Miles. This is a standalone romance and is next on my reading list! It sounds amazing and these are some very talented authors!

Price of a Kiss by Linda Kage. A cute, swoony, heartwarming standalone New Adult romance. The hero is a gigolo and the heroine is determined to be his friend no matter what. I loved it! Read my review. “He could be my soul mate…except for one teeny tiny glitch. He’s a gigolo. Boy, do I know how to pick them.”

Wethering The Storm (The Storm #2) by Samantha Towle. The sequel to one of my most favorite rock star romances, The Mighty Storm. This is the last book centering on Jake and Tru’s story and has a HEA.

Shooting Scars (The Artists Trilogy #2) by Karina Halle. What a wild ride this series is! Be sure to read them in order! First is Sins & Needles, then the prequel On Every Street, then this book Shooting Scars, and the last book will be out next month called Bold Tricks.

Arsen: A Broken Love Story by Mia Asher. I have never ever felt as conflicted over a book as I did with this one. It was a raw, compelling, strong debut novel that took the reader through the beautiful and the ugly side of love. Read my review.

Beyond Pain (Beyond #3) by Kit Rocha. I haven’t read them yet but they’re on my list and are set in a dark, gritty, futuristic world but I hear they are H.O.T.!!! Book #1 is Beyond Shame, Book #2 is Beyond Control.

Sometimes It Lasts (Sea Breeze #5) by Abbi Glines. This continues the story of Eva and Cage from While It Lasts. For the full reading order of this series, click here.

Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The next installement in the Lux series. This is a mature Young Adult paranormal romance series that recently scored a movie deal! Book #1 is Obsidian. I loved it!

Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino. This was a sweet, heartbreaking and romantic story that kept me up reading all night! It’s a standalone romance with a HEA and has now been re-released by Atria with a new cover. Read my review.

Vain by Fisher Amelie. This is actually a paperback re-release now that the gorgeous new cover has been launched. I loved this book. It was a beautiful, unique YA romance. Read my review.

Upcoming Releases

Sept 2 — My Unexpected Forever (Beaumont #2) by Heidi McLaughlin. I loved the first book in this series, Forever My Girl, and can’t wait for this one. Just read the blurb, it’s amazing!

Sept 3 — Conversion (Conversion #1) by S.C. Stephens. I adored this vampire series from the author of Thoughtless! It’s very unique and I think it will appeal to all romance readers regardless of whether they are fans of paranormal romance or not.

Sept 3 — Breaking Nova (Nova #1) by Jessica Sorensen. The blurb calls this “a powerful story of love, scars, and impossible choices . . . “

Sept 3 — Everything For Us (Bad Boys #3) by M. Leighton. Love this series! Be sure to read the first two books first: Down To You and Up To Me.

Sept 16 — Finders Keepers (Lost & Found #3) by Nicole Williams. This is the 3rd book in the Lost & Found series by Nicole Williams. I can’t wait to read this series. They are not standalones though so be sure to read Lost & Found and Near & Far first.

Sept 17 — A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers. Oh my! This one looks sinfully good! A double taboo forbidden love triangle! The blurb says she’s “torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have.”

Sept 17 — Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves. One of my most highly anticipated books of the year! I can’t wait to read it! “What if the life you wanted, and the woman you fell in love with, belonged to someone else?”

Sept 17 — All of You by Christina Lee. This is a standalone New Adult romance and get this: the hero is tattooed and a virgin!! Holy unicorn!

Sept 23 — Simple Perfection (Rosemary Beach #5) by Abbi Glines. Be sure to read the first 4 books first! Here’s the reading order.

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Book Review — Arsen: A Broken Love Story by Mia Asher

August 27, 2013 by Aestas · 32 Comments

Buy ARSEN (Kindle)

Love can destroy you.
Love can erase you.
Love can heal you.
Love can reinvent you,
And if you are lucky enough,
Love can make you whole again.

For the first time in my blogging life, I have no idea how to rate a book. My feelings are just too all over the place. Let me try and explain…

I’m not going to lie, when I first heard about it, I was 99.99% sure that I would hate this book. It basically seemed like the polar opposite of what I might love and truthfully, in a way, it was. It had almost all of my “no-no’s” in it, the biggest one being cheating, which is almost always a deal breaker for me. But… it wasn’t as clear cut here as I expected it to be and even though I’m not sure about where I stand on it, I can certainly understand why readers are loving it.

So hear me out and see if maybe this book might be for you. I think every reader will just have to decide for themselves on this one. But I’ll be honest and tell you that the only way I was able to bring myself to read this was because a good friend gave me all the gory details in advance. There was no way I was going into this one blind but all the insanely high ratings had my curiosity peaked. So, she told me everything and knowing those details pushed me over the edge and made me decided to give this book a shot.

Warning though: THIS. BOOK. WILL. RIP. OUT. YOUR. HEART. For real. You WILL want to throw your eReader at the wall. You WILL be angry. You WILL roll your eyes and want to throttle people. You likely WILL cry. And you’ll probably hate the heroine at some point (or several). But… you might also end up loving the book. It’s just one of those books I guess that really hits home with some people.

So, about the book….

Cathy has the perfect life. Or so it might seem on the outside. She has a gorgeous, sweet, kind, thoughtful, loving husband, Ben, who thinks the world of her, is always there for her and who cares for her more than anything. But after three miscarriages, she begins to fall apart. Her sense of self-worth (which has always been shaky at best) shrivels leaving her sad, lonely, and miserable. She can’t bring herself to accept her husband’s unwavering support and can’t bear the thought of not being able to have a child. Emotional numbness begins to take over and she just slips away.

Enter Arsen. Young, confident, handsome egotistical playboy who doesn’t remotely try to hide his attraction to her and, for the first time in a long while of being closed off, he makes her feel and… she’s drawn to that.

“When our eyes connect, I see danger, and maybe something exciting. Something forbidden. Some basic instinct in my instantly recognizes that this man doesn’t make love to a woman. He fucks her.”

The more she spends time with Arsen, the further she pulls away from Ben, the perfect man who has unquestionably loved her since the day they met, until the lines between love, lust and friendship have not only been blurred but are utterly shattered.

Now, about my feelings…

For the entirety of the book, my heart bled for Ben. I mean BLED. He was one of the good guys, y’know? The keepers. The kind that you fall down on your knees and thank the high heavens for and the fact that Cathy couldn’t see it was just fucking tragic. He was the one. The hero. There was absolutely no question in my mind. Ever.

“For you I will do anything. Anything.”

“Babe, talk to me. You’re scaring me. What’s the matter? Tell me so I can fix it… please.”

Breaks my heart just reading that. 🙁

Cathy… hmm… ok, brutal honesty here. My conclusion based on the entirety of the book was that she needed help. I mean that in a very serious, non-judgmental way. She needed professional therapy. She was going through some serious depression and had a whole mix of issues going on and the way she was coping on her own ended up destroying years of many people’s lives. Again, truly tragic. It was hard not to see her as flat-out ungrateful and selfish. She had a lot of issues and truly was an anti-heroine. The only way I can come to terms with, no.. more like ‘deal with’, her actions is by feeling pity for the fact that she was in a bad place and just didn’t receive the help she clearly needed. I think it was because she didn’t know how to love herself that she couldn’t accept Ben’s love for her.

Now Arsen was interesting because in all honestly, I didn’t connect with him as a character until the epilogue. He raised my hackles because of the threat he represented and I wavered back and forth on my feelings for him. Maybe, in another book, away from this situation, I might have felt differently for him but in this book, I never personally fell for him. I couldn’t relate to Cathy’s obsession with him and because of the cheating aspect, I just felt a little ill during most of his scenes with Cathy. Especially the sex scenes. I think the best description of Arsen was this quote right here: “Arsen, a friend gone wrong.”

I think what hurt the most was that there was no justification. This wasn’t a situation where Cathy and Ben fell apart, no, this was Cathy, just Cathy, drifting away. And a big part of me hated her for it because she had Ben. She loved Ben and she threw him away.

“I wish I could save you, Cathy. Take the pain away; erase it from your body. I wish I could hurt for you, but I can’t. You have to save yourself. All I can do is love you. Through it all, just love you. But you need to let me back in.”

While the story is primarily told from Cathy’s POV, we do also get a few scenes from Ben’s side partway through and later on, some from Arsen’s. The first half is actually fairly slow building. I was enjoying my read and I liked all the flashbacks that built the foundation of Cathy and Ben’s relationship but at the same time, nothing was really putting my heart in my throat per say. But then one tiny lie started the downward spiral… and that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach began to grow as I watched bit by bit as something that I’d come to love got torn to shreds.

The real cheating didn’t begin until the second half and even when Cathy was in a place where she felt like she needed Arsen, I still just didn’t feel anything for him. It was like a total emotional disconnect and I just felt sick to my stomach for what they were doing to Ben. There was never a point where I was torn between Ben and Arsen. I didn’t blame Arsen though… he was just being Arsen. I wouldn’t have expected different or better for him. He just came, he saw, he conquered and in a weird way, he was trying to help her. He did have real feelings for her. But Cathy… fuck. I was pretty disgusted with her because what she wanted from Arsen wasn’t something that Ben wasn’t offering, it was just something she wasn’t in a place in her life (I guess) where she was able to accept it. And she was the one in the position to say no. And she didn’t. And I hated her for it.

“No one said cheating was pretty but hell, it’s downright disgusting. Yet, I can’t stop myself from doing it… I feel revulsion turn my stomach upside down by my own actions. I want to scream, I want to throw up, I want to die. I’m repulsed by me, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay to be with Arsen.”

But as much as I hated that Cathy needed Arsen, I won’t deny that he did help her in a way. For some unfortunate reason, he was the person who was able to help her reach a level of healing that she sadly wan’t able to get from Ben even though he was offering it to her.

My heart just broke for Ben over and over again. Every tear I cried was for him. The first time was around the 60% mark and just suddenly… TEARS and full body chills. That man just did not deserve what he was delivered. Dear Lord but he did not deserve it. It was tragic and just… heart breaking.

It wasn’t until the very, very, VERY end that I came to terms with some of what had happened. There was one line in particular that actually made me reconsider a lot of what I’d read and look at Cathy in a different light. Not that it made me understand her, but more that it made me understand something about her. The ending… well, I’m not going to give it away directly but it’s a bittersweet, tragic HEA. “Technically” I’m happy with the ending. Even though “happy” really does NOT seem like the right word. Relieved, maybe?

“There never was a choice for us, was there?”

To tell you the truth, I have NO idea how to rate this book. Was it good? Yes. It absolutely was. For sure. But a part of me wants to give it 2 stars because I’m so fucking angry and then another part of me wants to give it 5 stars because holy hell did it make me feel. I don’t feel good rounding out that number though because 3.5 honestly doesn’t feel right either. Ben was a 5 star character and, tragic as what happened was, I think they had a 5 star love. Most of my ratings are based on my feelings but at the same time, I don’t just want to ‘feel’ any emotion, I want to feel specific ones and… this book made me feel some things I wish I hadn’t felt. *sigh* I just don’t think it’s possible in this case to generalize my feelings down to one specific number.

Overall I’d say it was partly 2 star and partly 5 star but not an average of them. It just was what it was.

There’s a line actually that kind of resonates with how I feel about the book as a whole:

“I hate you as much as I loved you.”

Mia Asher has written a strong, compelling debut novel that takes you through the beautiful and ugly sides of love and betrayal. Truly, a broken love story in every way.

Buy ARSEN (Kindle)

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