Uncategorized

CROSSFIRE SERIES TELEVISION NEWS!!!

August 5, 2013 by Aestas · 4 Comments

The Crossfire series by Sylvia Day which is one of my all-time favorite book series has a televison deal!!! The television rights for the series have been bought by Lionsgate – the same studio that has produced both The Hunger Games and Twilight.

I’m so incredibly excited about this!!!! Gideon Cross coming to TV! *squee*

Here’s the official Lionsgate press release:

LIONSGATE ACQUIRES TELEVISION RIGHTS TO THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES CROSSFIRE BY AWARD WINNING AUTHOR SYLVIA DAY

Book Franchise Has Sold Over 12 Million Copies Worldwide Since Its Debut Last Year

Santa Monica, CA, and Vancouver, BC, August 5, 2013 — LIONSGATE (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, has optioned the rights to the bestselling CROSSFIRE series of romantic novels by Sylvia Day, it was announced today by Kevin Beggs, President of the Lionsgate Television Group, and Executive Vice President Chris Selak, who will oversee development for the studio.

The CROSSFIRE franchise of adult novels has become a global phenomenon, selling over 12 million copies since its debut last year and topping bestseller lists in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Australia. Entwined with You, the third and most recent book in the series, sold over 550,000 copies in its first week alone, becoming a #1 New York Times bestseller. The second novel, Reflected in You, also debuted as a #1 New York Times bestseller and was Penguin UK’s fastest selling paperback ever. The first novel in the series, Bared to You, was named one of Amazon’s Top 10 Romances of 2012 and recently returned to the New York Times bestseller list.

“The CROSSFIRE series is an incredible property and it is a thrill to bring it to Lionsgate,” said Selak. “Sylvia has created an enduring, sexy and edgy story, and we’re looking forward to working with her to create a show that both excites and connects with audiences as her books have done.”

“I am thrilled to have Lionsgate as a partner on the CROSSFIRE series,” said Day. “This is a studio that has been incredibly successful with book adaptations and I can’t wait to collaborate with them in bringing the story to life.”

Lionsgate is home to the highly successful book-to-television series Orange is the New Black which debuted on Netflix to critical acclaim in July and was picked up for a second season before its premiere. The studio also produces the blockbuster movie franchises Hunger Games and Twilight which have collectively grossed more than $4 billion at the box office worldwide.

The project was brought to Lionsgate by producers Jeremy Bolt of Impact Pictures (Resident Evil, Pompeii) and Stephanie Johnson of Clover Entertainment, Inc.

www.lionsgate.com

SERIES READING ORDER

BARED TO YOU (Crossfire #1)
My spoiler-free review | Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

REFLECTED IN YOU (Crossfire #2)
My spoiler-free review | Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

ENTWINED IN YOU (Crossfire #3)
My spoiler-free review | Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback

Book Review – Beneath The Burn by Pam Godwin

August 4, 2013 by Aestas · 1 Comment

Buy BENEATH THE BURN (Kindle)

4 stars

Dark, gritty and intense!!

I repeat: DARK. GRITTY. INTENSE. (oh, and kinky 😉 )

All I knew going into this book was that there was a tortured hero slash rock star and some kind of captivity theme mixed in with a second-chance romance… and while it’s rare for me to go into a book blind, I have to admit that that was enough to sell me on it.

The story centers on Charlee and Jay. Charlee has spent years held captive by a brutal, powerful and sadistic billionaire who uses and abuses her in every way possible. Jay is a tortured soul, haunted by the nightmares of his past, trying his best to lose himself in music. They cross paths and although the timing isn’t right, they each unknowingly become the other’s salvation – inspiring the strength to endure throughout suffering and the drive to become a better person.

Three years later, they meet up again by chance but the past years have been tainted by more horrors. She’s now on the run, a survivor trying to heal from the physical and mental scars left over by her captivity and he’s now a broken rock god who has turned to drugs to find release from the pain he keeps buried inside, and yet sometimes in a crazy world full of evil psychotic billionaires, endless crowds of paparazzi, and a rock tour that must go on, they help each other help to heal and find happiness again.

“You showed me beauty in survival. I’ll show you strength in healing.”

I loved that Charlee was able to immediately see past Jay’s scars. To her, they just were a part of him and she fully accepted him just as he was. She knew his boundaries and respected them while also gently pushing them to try and help him heal. And, in turn, her acceptance of him made him determined to become a better man for her.

“That decided it. He would confront the thing that made him like this. He would become a man she could hold, despite his tattered and worn edges.”

It was heartwarming to watch these people finding support and healing in each other. They understood each other’s pain and also recognized the extreme necessities of each one’s situation.

“You trust me not to put my hands on you, and I trust you not to take my control.”

“Putting your trust in someone is the most vulnerable thing you can do… Dare to be vulnerable with me.”

I think initially I fell in love the book because the dark, gritty intensity just really punches you in the face when you start it. It’s shocking in the best of ways. It put my heart in my throat and kept me flipping pages like mad because with the way each chapter ends, it really compels you to keep reading. It’s definitely the kind of book that can keep you up til 4AM. But, once the shock wore off, I’m not necessarily sure how I feel about all the details of the story.

This book was fast-paced. There was always something new happening. It moved from scene to scene quickly and at no point did the story drag. Every time I thought I had a handle on where it was going, it veered in a different direction. But, there were times when I felt like it was a lot, almost too much, to pack into one book. It was like a mix between a dark and kinky BDSM book, a rock star book, and an action flick mixed in with a little second-chance romance. But at the same time, it all kind of worked.

On a random note, I have no idea how to work this quote into the review so I’m just going to throw it in here for fun as a bit of a glimpse into the crazy rockstar world just because it made me laugh 😉

“OhmyGod, you’re haaaaawt, Jay Maaaaaayard.”

Click. Click. Click….

Did a boob just flash in his face?

“I love you, Jayeeeeeee. Looking good. You’re so handsome.”

No, several boobs. Huge naked boobs… How far away was that damned car? .. More crying. More bouncing nipples.

Teehee. Ok, back to the review.

I found a few of the scenes just a little too blatantly over-the-top while others just didn’t quite add up. The middle of the book got a little craaaazy a times and there were a few parts I had to read twice to be sure of what had happened. But still, again, this is fiction so I pretty much just decided that I’d rather enjoy the story than pick it apart so I just went with whatever happened and tried not to ask too many questions because at the end of the day, I really couldn’t put it down.

It’s all told in third person but we still get alternating POVs. I found the transitions smooth and easy to follow and appreciated being able to get both sides of the story.

I warn you though – this book is not for the faint of heart. Heed the disclaimer warning on the blurb of this book because some of the captivity scenes in here make Captive In The Dark look tame. Okay? I’m serious. But, despite those scenes, this is not a Stockholm Syndrome book. Not at all. Charlee’s captor is a cruel, evil, sadistic psychopath and at no point is the reader made to feel anything but extreme hate for him.

My heart really broke for her. I think the freakiest part was that she was held captive right in the middle of town. She was right before everyone’s eyes and yet completely hidden from the world. “Every action supervised. Every. Single. Breath.” Her captor had everyone (even the cops) in his pocket and his intense obsession with her was so unnerving because hiding was nearly impossible. What do you do when the person who has made it his life’s mission to hurt you pretty much owns the world? Where do you turn?

This book is also full of dark twisty kink. It is graphic, it is hot and did I mention kinky?? There was this one scene that … um, hmm, ok all I’m going to say is this: Sandpaper. Belt. Cheese grater. Ice Pick. Plug. Ginger root. Drumstick. Cable. Bamboo pole. Guitar pick. Oh, and… a nipple clamp. That’s it. My lips are sealed on the rest 😉

In all seriousness though, I liked that Charlee and Jay were able to give each other what they needed. They didn’t choose what had happened to them and had no choice but to live with the scars left behind from their pasts and rather than succumb to them, they embraced them and embraced the things that the other needed to heal – even if those things made them uncomfortable and pushed the boundaries of their comfort zones.

“I fucking love you. I don’t deserve you, but I will spend the rest of my life earning that right. You are my music, do you understand?”

I felt like I wanted a little ‘more’ out of the story overall but, I still liked it. I was in the mood for dark and twisty and this certainly delivered.

I’m a little torn on rating here. I’m going to give it 4 stars because overall that’s where it sat with me… but there were moments that dipped down to 3.5 stars and others that almost reached up to 4.5 so it’s really not a clear cut rating.

It did have a happy ending though so you are rewarded at the end of the 500 pages with the characters finding peace and happiness. I did find it a little rushed at the end, but I was happy that they were happy.

“No matter what happens, no matter where we go from here, we go together.”

4 stars

Buy BENEATH THE BURN (Kindle)

Book Review – Remember When (The Remember Trilogy #1) by T. Torrest

August 1, 2013 by Aestas · 2 Comments

Buy REMEMBER WHEN (Kindle)
Buy REMEMBER WHEN (Paperback)

“Years before Trip Wiley could be seen on movie screens all over the world, he could be seen in the desk behind me in my high school English class.”

4 stars

A light-hearted quick read that took me right back to high school and that whole first crush/first love feeling! Of course, my high school crush didn’t grow up to be the next Brad Pitt, but I digress.

This book had me smiling, swooning and chucking to myself from the first chapter. There were a few moments so that were so funny that when I tried to read them aloud to my husband, I was laughing and crying too hard to get the words out!

“Are you there, God? It’s me, Layla. I know I just jerked off some guy who is not even my boyfriend in the bathroom of this crappy, brown house. But if you could find a way to kill me quickly and painlessly within the next ten seconds, I promise to never touch another penis again. Well, I’ll be dead so, I guess I promise not to whore it up in heaven. Which, of course is where you’ll be sending me, right? I mean, I’d hate to think you’d deny me an eternity behind your pearly gates just because of one impetuous hand job. Thank you. Sincerely, Layla Warren. Amen.”

LOL! See what I mean? 😉

The trilogy is a second-chance romance. The hero, Trip, and the heroine, Layla, met in high school and fell in love. But, at the end of the year, their lives took them in opposite directions and it was years before they reconnected. This entire book is a flashback showing us how they met and taking us through their year together in school and is told from Layla’s POV, as though she’s looking back and directly telling the story to the reader.

It’s all total high school fun. There are crushes and jealousies and miscommunications but I found everything really endearing. The characters were quite lovable and I really just enjoyed my read.

Most of the time, the purposes of a high school party were to socialize, drink and hook up. The latter of which I was reminded of while waiting in line for the bathroom as Coop Benedict tried to stick his tongue in my ear…
“He your boyfriend?”
I stammered out, “Uh, no. God, no. Why’d you think that?”
Trip raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know… Maybe because I saw him tonsil-deep in your ear a few minutes ago and yet he still has his balls.”

I absolutely adored all the parts of the book which were focused on Trip and Layla. I do wish their romance had developed a little further though. They certainly had feelings for each other from the start but a part of me wished that there was more time in the book spent on “them” but I’m sure we’ll see more of that when they reconnect in the next book.

“No, Layla. I won’t stop.” He moved closer, cradling my head to his chest before continuing. “I know you’re leaving and I would never try to keep you from going, and I guess I have my own path to follow as well. But don’t ever ask me to stop loving you, because I can’t. Don’t ever think I’ll be able to forget you, because I won’t.”

I read it in one quick sitting but I do wish that I had waited because this book does end on a cliffhanger. Well, technically it wasn’t a surprising cliffhanger (‘cuz we all know they get separated after high school) but still… I wish I had the rest of the story ready to go because fucking hell, I hate goodbyes 🙁

“Is there anything so powerful as the love of two teenagers bring ripped apart?”

I heard book #2 has a cliffhanger that’s even bigger than this one so I’m going to wait til the third and final book is released and then read 2 & 3 back to back but I will definitely be reading on in the series. The little snippet I saw from book #2 had me intrigued so I’m looking forward to seeing where their story goes from here 🙂

** Edit: all books are now available!!

4 stars

Buy REMEMBER WHEN (Kindle)
Buy REMEMBER WHEN (Paperback)

My casting:

Trip (just imagine him in high school for this book)

Book Review – Fixed On You (Fixed #1) by Laurelin Paige

July 30, 2013 by Aestas · 4 Comments

“I’m drawn to you, Alayna… because you’re beautiful and sexy and smart and yes, a little crazy, maybe, but you’re not broken. And that makes me hopeful. For me.”

Buy FIXED ON YOU (Kindle)
But FIXED ON YOU (Paperback)

Yep! This one did it for me! I totally loved this book!!! It gave me that amazing belly fluttering, thrilling feeling of excitement that only my favorite books give me 🙂

If dominant and controlling yet tortured heroes make your heart race, then Fixed On You will rock your world!

Pretty much my most favorite story line type is flawed or damaged characters working together to try and build a functional relationship while fighting understandable issues but with no stupidity or frustrating behaviour and this book basically delivered that to me on a silver platter. I couldn’t have been happier – absolute book heaven!

Fans of the Crossfire series should definitely check this one out! Ever since I’d finished those books, I’d been in withdrawal wishing for another book of that type yet I couldn’t find one that quite hit the spot… but this one gave me that same ‘intense’ feeling and I just reveled in it!

That being said, it totally stood on it’s own as far as the story went. Yes, many of the base points were the same as a lot of the other billionaire stories out there but the details were unique and so it definitely felt like a fresh story.

The story follows Alayna who, as a result of the circumstances of her past, had developed an obsessive relationship disorder – meaning that she would very easily latch on to relationships and fall in love so much so that she’d strayed into stalker territory at times in her past. It was an issue she was battling and gone to therapy for but she still fought it every day. But she was building her life, had gotten an MBA and was working a great gig at a club bar when the club was suddenly purchased by billionaire Hudson Pierce.

Hudson was exactly the kind of guy she should stay away from – the kind that would trigger her. Gorgeous, alluring, confident, controlled, dominant. Problem was, he had his sights fixed on her and came to her with an intriguing proposition…

He wanted to hire her to act as his public girlfriend. He was in a situation that he wanted to get out of and having a girlfriend would sort out all of his problems so he needed to sell the fact that they were in love.

“This pretend relationship – to what extent would I be expected to perform?”

“Don’t pussy foot about it. You’re asking about sex.” His eyes darkened again. “I never pay for sex, Alayna. When I fuck you, it will be for free.”

Granted, Alayna was understandably wary of the proposition at first knowing full well that it would just feed into her compulsion making it even harder for her to not latch on emotionally and it didn’t help that Hudson’s interest with her was not solely professional…

“I apologize for overwhelming you. That wasn’t my intent. But I want you to know that whether or not you decide to help with my situation, I will continue to seduce you. I’m a man who gets what he wants. And I want you.”

And he was also harboring dark secrets from his past that made him almost incapable of love…

“First, let me clear up one thing… I will be saying and doing things – romantic things, perhaps – that are not genuine. I need you to remember that. Out of the public eye, I will seduce you. That will be genuine, but it can never be misconstrued as love.”
“Because you’re incapable of love.” …
“Yes.”

… but despite all of this, their attraction and feelings were real and even her issues and his secrets couldn’t keep them apart 🙂

I absolutely adored Hudson. He was the kind of guy that makes my heart race. He was alluring and yet contradictory. He remained distant and aloof while at the same time he seemed totally infatuated with her. But I’m just such a sucker for the controlled yet tortured heroes…. they make my heart melt every time and Hudson was no exception.

I honestly wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Alayna at first given what I knew about her obsession but I ended up liking that it made her flawed because while she was very aware of her limitations and while it made her wary of their relationship, I liked that she had something real she was struggling with.

I also have to say that I absolutely loved that while Alayna did have issues, she wasn’t broken and she certainly wasn’t a pushover by any means. The scenes with her facing off with Hudson’s mother were just awesome! Here’s just a little taste…

“Tell me, Alayna – were you first attracted to my son because of his money or his name?”
Pissed didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I was seething, but in control. Without skipping a beat, I wrapped my arm around Hudson’s arm and answered. “Neither. I was attracted to him because he’s hot. Though, I stayed with him because he’s fucking awesome in bed.”

So she had issues, he had secrets, and their relationship was a sham but somehow it all just worked.

There were so many times when you’d wonder… how much of what was going on between them was for show and how much of it was real feelings developing? Where was the line? When did it begin to blur?

“If I wondered that the whole act was a display… his whisper in my ear said otherwise, “This, precious. This is for real.”

There’s just something about characters with deep problems actually trying to work through them in a functional way that just makes my heart happy. I loved that I never once rolled my eyes or wanted to throttle either Alayna or Hudson. Yes, they both messed up on occasion. No, neither of them were perfect. But… I loved that I could sense that they both did want to make things work and because of that, I loved reading about their ups and downs.

And as the story progressed, their connection deepened and it wasn’t just a physical connection, they were a match in intelligence too and because of their dark pasts, they both found things in each other that they could sympathize with.

“I turned to him and found his gaze absent of pity. Instead it held understanding. More and more I realized that I was special to him because of this unique recognition he saw in me.”

This book also kept me smiling and fanning myself. It wasn’t light-hearted but it was a lot of fun! There were some total shocking moments, some laugh-out-loud moments and boat loads of hotness but the heart of it was what drew me in. For a good chunk of the time I was reading, I had that delicious butterflies-in-my-belly feeling. It was hot, thrilling, and engaging. I really loved it 🙂

This is the kind of book that gets better as it goes along though. In the beginning, for the first 40% or so, I was sitting at a comfortable 4-star rating. I liked it but was waiting for that extra ‘spark’ and then just the pieces really started to come together until by the end, I was pretty much at 5-star love. So I’m going to round it off to a very happy 4.5 star rating.

Oh, and I seriously just want to hug the author for not leaving this book on a cliffhanger. I really mean it. Despite this being the first book in a trilogy, there is no cliffhanger!! Nothing. Not even a dark something from the past that creeps in or anything. I mean sure there is more of their story to tell but it was like the author totally trusted that you’d want to read the next book of your own accord and you know what?? I TOTALLY DO!!!!!

All in all, this book pushed all the right buttons for me. I loved the characters, cared for them, and wanted to see them work their issues out. Not to mention that this book has some serious hotness in it – I mean… that’s what you get with a dominant, controlling hero *grins* … so overall, it took a little while in the beginning for this book to fully capture my heart but once it did, it didn’t let go and kept it through ’til the very end.

This is definitely the start of a new favorite series for me. Fixed On You is the first book in a trilogy but again, no cliffhanger! You’re totally safe to go ahead and read this now!

*squee*

4.5 stars

** SERIES READING ORDER **
This is now a completed trilogy.

BOOK #1 — FIXED ON YOU
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

BOOK #2 — FOUND IN YOU
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

BOOK #3 — FOREVER WITH YOU
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

COMPANION NOVEL — HUDSON (his POV)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback

MY TOP “TO-BE-READ” LIST OF THE MOMENT

July 29, 2013 by Aestas · 59 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’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 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!

Happy endings are a ‘must’ for me. If the book isn’t going to have a happy ending I want to know in advance so I can mentally ‘prepare’ for the impending devastation and choose the exact right time to read it. I also am the kind of reader who likes to know in advance if the book is a standalone or part of a series (for example, if there’s a cliffhanger, I want advance warning) so I’ll almost always give a heads up on both of those elements.

** 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 🙂

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!

A Song For Julia (Thompson Sisters #2) by Charles Sheehan-Miles. To read after Just Remember To Breathe.

The Last Hour (Thompson Sisters #3) by Charles Sheehan-Miles. To read after A Song for Julia. #bringtissues

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken. I added this in after I read it in case anyone on here is browsing for a new read. It wasn’t one of my planned reads but it was a pleasant surprise that made me laugh, cry and swoon. It’s a standalone with a HEA. Read my review 🙂

More Than This by Jay McLean. I added this New Adult book to my reading list after having several readers recommend it to me. It was just released this month and is getting great reviews! I hear it’s an emotional roller coaster but also has a happy ending. From the blurb: “One night I met a girl. A sad and broken girl, but one more beautiful than any other. She laughed through her sadness, while I loved through her heartbreak. This is our story of a maybe ever after.” **EDIT: I finished this and here’s my review!

Fixed On You by Laurelin Paige. I’ve had a couple readers tell me that this one is HOT! It’s the first book of a trilogy but there’s no cliffhanger!! From the blurb: “She drowns in her obsessions. He has secrets of his own. Finding each other may be the fix they both need.” **EDIT: finished this one and loved it!! Here’s my review.

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.

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

Unteachable by Leah Raeder. This one looks amazing! It’s a student/teacher romance standalone with a happy ending and this line sold me: “And you don’t pray for a happy ending. You pray for it to never end.” **Just finished this one! Here’s my review 🙂

Spark by Brooke Cumberland. I hear that the hero of this story is a tattooed, pierced firefighter… YUM!! This is part 1 of a 2-book series (book 2 will be out in the fall) but a reader told me she loved it and that there isn’t a major cliffhanger.

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’.

Unbreakable by Rebecca Shea. I just had some readers recently tell me that I should read this so I’ve added it to my list. It looks like it’s an emotional romance standalone.

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 soon.

Wide Awake by Shelly Crane. I’ve been recommended this book several times. It’s a standalone with a happy ending and I love the premise –> “This is a YA love story about a girl who has her life turned upside down. A girl. A coma. A life she can’t remember.”

Out Of Breath by Rebecca Donovan. I need to know what happens!! This is the conclusion to the Breathing Series.

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!

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).

Beautiful Broken Rules by Kimberly Lauren. Everyone keeps saying they love this book! I’ve been told it has a bit of a Beautiful Disaster feel to it too ( yay!). It’s a standalone with a happy ending!

Razing Kayne by Julieanne Reeves. I had a bunch of people message me recently saying I had to read this. I hear it’s a really good blend of mystery and emotional tear-jerking romance.

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.

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!

Beneath The Burn by Pam Godwin. I’ve been told it’s hardcore, raw and gritty and it seems to have a little bit of everything in it – rock star, captivity, second-chance romance, tortured hero, and some seriously dark themes… oh, and it’s a standalone. **EDIT: Finished this one. Here’s my review.

Into The Deep by Samantha Young. This is a new second-chance romance from the author of On Dublin Street.

Rock And Roll Never Forgets by Barbara Stewart. A rockstar book that I hear is highly emotional and well recommended by many readers. It’s the first of a series but from what I understand, this one has a happy ending.

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?

Present Perfect by Alison Bailey. This one is on my list because several readers have told me it’s one of the best books they’ve read this year. They’ve called it unputdownable and emotionally intense so that caught my attention. Here’s a quote: ““I’ve been unsure about many things in my life except for one thing, that I have always loved him. Every single minute of every single day that I have been on this earth, my heart has belonged to him..” **EDIT: THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! READ IT!!! Here’s my review!

How To Kill A Rock Star by Tiffanie DiBartolo. This book is on sooooooo many reader’s most favorite list that I can’t resist. I want to read it and see what everyone is raving about!! It’s a standalone romance that I’ve heard makes nearly everyone cry at some point!

Irreparably Broken by K.J. Bell. This one is also rating well and I hear there’s a love triangle. It comes recommended by author Jessica Park!

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.

Stardust by Mimi Strong. This one seems light-hearted and fun with a famous hero and a ‘regular’ girl. “I’m just a regular girl, and he’s rich and famous with no body fat. The guy has a butler! So, why is he chasing me? And why can’t I say no?” *Edit: I was just warned this has a cliffhanger but is still soooooo good!

Remember When (Remember Trilogy #1) by T. Torrest. This is the first of a very highly rating trilogy about a woman who used to be high school sweethearts with a guy who is now a mega Hollywood heartthrob. From the blurb, “You know how sometimes, your high school crush grows up to be an insanely famous movie star? Okay, probably not. But I do.” The final book is likely to be released sometimes this fall (no date yet).

Happy Hour (Racing On The Edge #1) by Shey Stahl. I’ve been told this is a must-read racing & romance series that follows the same couple throughout their lives. I love the sound of it!! This is the first in the series of 5 books – all of them are available (the last is being reformatted and rerelease soon). Here’s a quote I saw from one of the later books and just loved it: “Every time I smell nail polish … I remember my mom. Every time I smell rain … I think of being with Charlie at the track. Every time I smell racing fuel … I think of Jameson and the moment I fell in love with him.”

Afterburn (Afterburn #1) by Sylvia Day. Since her Crossfire series is one of my top top TOP favorites, I’m so excited to meet her new book hero in this book! I’ll be reading it the day it gets released 🙂 **EDIT: Finished this too! Here’s my review.

And I have Advance Reading Copies of…

Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves. This just looks downright incredible and it’s from one of my most favorite authors (same one who wrote On The Island). Release date is September 17, 2013.

Wethering the Storm by Samantha Towle. Sequel to one of my favorite rockstar romance books The Mighty Storm. Release date is August 20, 2013. ** EDIT: Loved this! Here’s my advance review.

Stripped by Jasinda Wilder. First, since this is a Jasinda Wilder book, it’s automatically on my list. But second, the premise intrigued me a whole ton. Check it out: “He’s a movie star sex god. She’s a virgin… and a stripper.”

Good (Too Good) by S. Walden. A new book by the author of Going Under that she says it’s going to be a NA unconventional love story – I’m intrigued! And better yet (and I could hug her for saying this), she says “I do a lot of market research, so I’m aware that readers are fed up with cliffhangers… I will not end Book 1 with a relationship cliffhanger.” *WHEW* Release date is August 27, 2013. (No pre-order, link goes to Goodreads)

What about you? What’s on your reading list? I love getting recommendations!

Book Review – Thief (Love Me With Lies #3) by Tarryn Fisher

July 24, 2013 by Aestas · 32 Comments

Buy Book #1 – THE OPPORTUNIST (Kindle) – read my review
Buy Book #2 – DIRTY RED (Kindle) – read my review
Buy Book #3 – THIEF (Kindle)

5 stars!

Note to self:

Love is patient; love is kind.
Love doesn’t boast or brag.
There’s no arrogance in love;
it’s never rude, crude, or indecent – it’s not self absorbed.
Love isn’t easily upset.

Love doesn’t tally wrongs.
Love trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what.
Love will never become obsolete.

I’ll fight for her.

– Thief

Thief is the conclusion to the beautiful, tangled love story that started out in The Opportunist. Please note that this is not a standalone. The three books in this series must be read in order because it’s one continuous story.

Caleb and Olivia have one of the most heart-breakingly dysfunctional and yet achingly beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. They had an irreplaceable love proved unbreakable even by a lifetime of mistakes. They were destructive, made the wrong choices and paid the painful price for their mistakes but you couldn’t help but root for them every step of the way. Their journey was an intense, heartbreaking, non-stop roller coaster filled to the brim with every possible emotion you can imagine.

“She’s mine. She always has been, she always will be. We’ve been running in opposite directions for the last ten years, and we collide at every turn. Sometimes it’s because we’re looking for each other, other times it’s fate.

She has the kind of love that can stain your soul, make you beg not to have one, just to escape the spell she’s put you under. I’ve tried to break myself of her over and over, but it’s pointless. I’ve got more of her in my veins than blood…

We’re not over. We’ll never be over.”

The truth of is that this is a second-chance love story. The difference between this one and the usual ones is that in this story you live through the years of separation and mistakes along with the characters and go through their whole tangled love story with them – start to finish – and because you’ve been through every moment of heartbreak and pain right along side them, when the happiness shines through you value it so much more and can appreciate it with every part of your heart and soul because you *know* the price they paid for it.

My heart was racing with anticipation from the very first line of this book. This was IT. It was really happening. The last hurdle. And what an incredible opening chapter!!! One of the very best!

Because of the way this story had built from the first book, I really felt like I had lived these characters lives with them. Their memories were my memories. Little things like “the pool where I first kissed her” came loaded with a whole slew of heart-pounding emotions.

This book tells Caleb’s POV. Finally we get to see what was going on inside his mind. Why did he fall in love with Olivia? Why did he push so hard? Why did he walk away? Why did he waste those 5 years? What made him hurt? What made him love? What drove his actions? And most importantly we see the true depth of how completely and all-consumingly he loved Olivia.

It’s like he finally got her. Or maybe he did all along and wasn’t ready to admit it. But either way, this was the turning point. He was ready to fight for her.

“I can’t stay away from you. I’ve been trying for ten years.”

But I won’t lie, sometimes it hurt to see the raw honesty of Caleb’s thoughts. They were… naked. Uninhibited. Painfully truthful. He was no Boy Scout, that’s for sure, but it was impossible not to love him. Flaws, mistakes, imperfections and all.

As with the first two books, this one wove both the past and present together – starting from flashbacks of when they first met and going through their lives highlighting milestones and key turnings points that, for better or for worse, changed their lives forever. There was no repetitiveness in the flashbacks but rather they gave new insight into everything and filled in the blanks by giving us answers, clarifications and explanations that slowly brought the last broken threads of this story together.

I absolutely loved that Caleb genuinely loved Olivia for who she was. He wasn’t some starry eyed romantic who saw her in a different light just because he was in love with her. No, he saw right into her and he fell in love with her just. as. she. was.

“I tried to break her before. Now, I just wanted her as she was. I wanted every last beautiful flaw. I wanted the witty one-liners and the coldness that only I knew how to warm. I wanted the fight and the friction and the make-up sex. I wanted her to wake up in my bed every morning. I wanted her shitty cooking and her beautiful, complex mind.”

Overall I found this book more sad than angsty, unlike the first two. I’d reached the point where my heart was almost permanently broken. I just wanted them to be happy so badly. I wanted them to be together in more than just their hearts. The weight of it all was almost too much. Too sad. Too heart breaking.

“Do you remember the orange grove, Olivia?”

And just when I thought things couldn’t get sadder, new bombshells of pain were dropped. There were moments so powerfully emotional that I could do nothing other than just sit there and cry.

“I want your babies, and your anger, and your cold blue eyes…” I choke on my words and I am the one to look away. I bring my gaze back to her face and realize that if I can’t convince her now, I’m never going to be able to. “I want to go on anniversary dinners with you, I want to wrap Christmas presents with you. I want to fight with you about stupid things and then hold you down in my bed and make it up to you. I want to have more cake batter fights and camping trips. I want your future, Olivia. Please come back to me.”

Caleb and Olivia were just such a heart-breakingly dysfunctional mess – desperately in love with each other and yet forever ruining their chances of happiness. I don’t even have words to describe the frustration and pain.

“How many times can a heart be broken before it is beyond mend?”

My heart was yo-yoed with. Toyed with. Trampled. Broken. Shattered. Mended. And broken again.

The book made me angry. Furious. Frustrated. I wanted to punch the wall, scream at the characters and then just sob into my pillow because I loved them so much and their pain became my pain and their precious moments of happiness became seconds I’d desperately cling to.

“I don’t love anything more than I love you.”

I find it interesting that I loved this story as much as I did (5 stars for every book) because even though it was loaded with nearly everything that usually bothers me in books, I still loved and was captivated by every single word of this trilogy. I swear to you, more than half my book is highlighted.

Tarryn Fisher has a way of making you feel every moment of the story with every piece of your heart. The writing is just phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal.

This book is full of these little beautiful things that are just loaded with memories, meaning and emotion. Airport blue. The penny. The tree. Cherry Garcia. The deflated basket ball. The orange grove. Jaxson’s. Duchess. Peter Pan. *sob*

The ending was bittersweet. Perfect in it’s imperfections… just like them.

I didn’t know what to think at first. When I finished (at 3AM, I might add) I actually just sat there on the couch for about an hour staring blankly in front of me processing my various emotions. I needed to come to terms with the story. Then, over an hour later, my heart still heavy and aching, I went back and reread the epilogue and just sobbed. It was like I needed that time to come to terms with it and accept it.

I loved it. I hated it. I loved it. I hated it. I was mad. Mad at them for their decisions in life. If only they’d just made different choices. They came so close so many times to happiness. The pain and devastation that they brought down on themselves and had to go through over the years gutted me. But their love had held strong throughout all of the pain, the mistakes, the wrong turns. It withstood it all and survived. They survived. Together.

We are gonna be okay. That’s what happens when two people are meant to be. You just work it out until you are okay.

If you’re looking for a fairy tale, this isn’t the story for you. Nothing could erase the past. Mistakes were made, wrong turns were taken, and their promise of a better tomorrow would forever be haunted by the ghosts of ‘what if’s’ and laced with regret for the past and for missed opportunities they could never get back. There was hope, happiness and healing but it was won at a heavy price. In the end, I was given the things I needed at the cost of the things I wanted.

I have to say though that it was incredibly well done and I seriously commend Tarryn Fisher’s brilliant storytelling for this because I think that in the end, we were left feeling exactly how Caleb and Olivia felt.

They’d had an unconventional romance and so their ending was no different. They were happy and together at the end and honestly, I couldn’t ask for anything more. But still, the tears wouldn’t stop falling, my heart won’t stop aching, and I can promise you that I will never forget this story.

I’m writing this almost a full 24 hours after finishing the book and I have the book hangover of the century. I can’t stop thinking about this story. Pieces of it just keep playing over and over again in my mind.

Flawed. Dysfunctional. Beautiful.

This is a must-read trilogy!

5 stars!!

Casting – I actually really like the pics used on the covers…

“LOVE ME WITH LIES” SERIES READING ORDER

Book #1 – The Opportunist – Kindle | Paperback | My Review

Book #2 – Dirty Red – Kindle | Paperback | My Review

Book #3 – Thief – Kindle | Paperback | My Review