5 stars

“I’m not saying goodbye,” he says as he shoves his hands in his pockets.”Because this isn’t over. One day, fate’s going to fix this. Bring us back together. I believe that.”

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Leisa Rayven will make you laugh, cry, and swoon in this highly addictive addition to the Starcrossed series. Elissa and Liam’s love story is brimming with emotion, intensity, and hotness that will keep your heart racing. Once you start reading this book, you won’t be able to stop. 5 STARS!!

The one guy she can’t have is the one she can’t forget.

Whenever you start a Leisa Rayven book, you know you’re in for a roller-coaster of feels and romance. From the very first chapter, the intensity sparked when Elissa was confronted with the only man she’d ever loved — who happened to also be the same man who broke her heart and her trust — after years apart without so much as a goodbye. They’d met six years ago by chance and, even though she promised herself she’d never give her heart to an actor, they’d fallen for each other. But Hollywood was calling his name and life just didn’t allow them to stay together then. And when his actions crushed her, her heart was never same. After their brief time together, she went on to become a Broadway stage manager, and he became the world’s hottest, most successful, and lusted after movie star. And as luck would have it, he landed the lead in the Broadway show she was currently managing, throwing all their past hurt, longings, desires, and heart-break right back into the spotlight. That alone was enough to turn her world upside down, but to further complicate matters, his co-star happened to also be his beautiful, sweet fiance.

RECIPE. FOR. ANGST.

“In that moment, he’s not a movie star, and I’m not his stage manager. We’re the same two desperately connected people who fell down a rabbit hole years earlier and climbed out forever changed.”

Now, I know that some of you are going to read the blurb and think this book is a love triangle, and I know some of you don’t like love triangles (I don’t either) buuuuuuut…. *grins* just trust me on this one, okay?? I don’t care if you adore or detest love triangles, if you’re a fan of romance, read this book. TRUST ME. You’ll be thanking me by the end, I can almost guarantee it!

It’s very rare for me to say this, but this book is genuinely PERFECT. In my eyes it is 150% perfection. Actually, I’d even go so far as to say that… This is the best book I’ve read this year!!

“I’ve missed you, Liss. It hurts not seeing you for all those years, but this? You being right here and me not being able to have you? Hurts so much more.”

Every single interaction between Elissa and Liam was supercharged with spine-tingling feels and raw sexual tension. I was laughing out loud one moment, swooning the next, fanning myself, hyperventilating, tearing up, falling in love. This book put me through almost every single emotion you can think of!

I felt for Liss so strongly as I was reading. The whole book is told from her POV so all you see is her side of the story (which was perfect for this book, by the way) and my heart broke right alongside hers because this girl had actually really gone out on a limb, against everything her instincts told her, and trusted him. She’d had this amazing time with a man she fought so hard to believe in, and then just when she’d given her heart over, he’d broken it. And now here he was — right back in her life again. With him half a world a way, it had been easier to forget the pain, but with him right here and engaged to someone else, while her feelings for him were just as strong as they’d been when they first met… IT TORE MY HEART OUT.

“Jesus Christ.” He rakes his fingers through his hair. “Could you please stop talking to me like you’re my bank manager? Like we don’t even know each other?”
“I don’t know you anymore.”
“You’re the only one who’s ever known me.”

At one point, I even cried. She’d done everything in her power to protect her heart but when she fell for him, she fell with all her heart and soul. She fell forever. And the pain of her not being able to have him just about broke me. I wanted to hug her, slap some sense into him, cuff them to each other, and march them down to Vegas for an immediate wedding because THEY NEEDED TO BE TOGETHER. Dammit.

Seriously. I almost couldn’t take the angst. I wanted to simulaneously hug the book has hard as I could and throw it across the room. THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT ONE HEART CAN TAKE!! Gah. Feels. So many feels! And then taking a step back to a more serious look on this situation, it was like — ok, let’s be honest. I love Liam and (as Elissa says) he makes me swoon like it’s his damn job, but how am I actually supposed to forgive this dude for what he did? I mean, he makes my heart melt into a puddle of goo every time he comes near her but I was genuinely getting nervous that there was really no way out of this mess.

BUT THEN!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhh. A huuuuuge reveal that just… ahhh. Omg. YES YES YES. It was perfect. BRILLIANT. I did not see it coming. I repeat: DID NOT SEE IT COMING. Like, I didn’t even suspect this.

You guys, Liam is pure book boyfriend material. He’ll make your heart melt as soon as you meet him, but once you learn his secrets, be prepared to swoon even harder. It’s been a long time since I fell this strongly in love with a book boyfriend, but if I had to pick, he’d be right up there with the old school favorites like Kellan and Travis and Will. Just give him a chance and before you know it, he’ll steal your heart!

“I notice that every single person has their eyes glued to him, and this is why he’s a star. Liam is one of those actors who just has it. It’s part talent, and part confidence, and just enough raw vulnerability to make you want to fuck him and hug him at the same time.”

Leisa Rayven is brilliant. She is the queen of angsty romance. Her books have the perfect balance between angst and emotions that always delivers a heart-felt, deeply satisfying love story. With the way she pulled this book together, she has completely gained my trust as an author. It was genius. From now on, I will read anything and everything she writes next. Honestly, even if she were to write a book about a subject that I’m not comfortable with, I’d still read it without question because I totally feel like I trust the direction she’d take the story in. I can’t tell you enough how much I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Wicked Heart can be read as a completely separate standalone novel. You do not need to read any other books before reading this. Unless you want to. So, how does this relate to the other Starcrossed books? Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet are a duet about another couple (Ethan & Cassie). Ethan is the brother of Elissa, the heroine of this book. Wicked Heart is a single standalone novel about Elissa & Liam. I’ve read all three books and highly recommend them all. But you can easily choose to only read Bad Romeo & Broken Juliet, or you can only read Wicked Heart, or you can read them all together. The choice is yours.

This book rocked my world. It is the perfect read for fans of heart-racingly intense angst, smoking hot romance, and passionate love stories. I highly recommend grabbing it immediately and clearing your schedules to read because once you start this book, you won’t able to stop.

“You’re everything to me. You always have been.”

Rating: 5 STARS!!! Can be read as a standalone.

• Buy WICKED HEART (Kindle)
• Buy WICKED HEART (Paperback)

“I’m that guy for you, Eva. Every milestone, angel. Every rite of passage… Everything.” He swiped at the tear that leaked out of the corner of my eye. “And you’re that girl for me.”

• Buy ONE WITH YOU (Kindle)
• Buy ONE WITH YOU (Paperback)

This was one of my most highly-anticipated books of the year and it delivered everything I’d hoped for and more!! The Crossfire series is one of my all-time favorites. Gideon and Eva’s tumultuous and intensely passionate love story first captured my heart years ago and this final book kept me glued to the page from the moment I started until the very end. I adored every word and I couldn’t be happier with the ending. It’s extraordinarily gratifying to read about these two damaged people who love each so deeply and with such intensity working as hard as they can to build a healthy relationship and emerging stronger as a couple in a way that makes you truly believe that their love will last forever and ever and ever.

His hand curved around my nape, the hold possessive and tender at once. His face was impassive, giving nothing away, but his eyes… those blue, blue eyes… they raged with emotion. “We’re going to make it, angel.”

I’m not going to mention the plot at all in this review because if you’ve read the series, then you know where Gideon and Eva are at and if you haven’t, then I don’t want to give anything at all away. So this review is more about my reaction TO the book.

The one thing I’ve loved since the first book was that you are always made to believe that Gideon and Eva’s love for each other is the kind of love that transcends pure desire, but has the depth to wether any storm. Even when they fight (as any couple naturally would in a growing relationship), you can always feel that there’s a genuine reason behind their disagreements. Given their respective painful and damaging pasts, being open and communicative is an area that is shaky for them and so you definitely see them stumble and fall, but they always get up stronger. You genuinely see the strength of their relationship grow over the series. I really applaud Sylvia Day for writing such an incredibly erotic series that was balanced with so much depth and complexity that it truly made this story one that you can’t stop thinking about.

So often it’s people’s insecurities and fears that are the root cause behind actions that might seen irrational or unwarranted but in this book, Gideon and Eva have grown so much and we’re always shown the causes of their actions. It’s like getting an exclusive behind-the-scenes view into their minds and you don’t just see their actions, you see why they’re acting a certain way. It’s the ultimate example of ‘showing not telling’ with writing and this level of emotional depth and detail kept me constantly connected to the these characters. More than anything, this quote represents the book so much to me:

“Gideon and I challenged each other. We pushed each other to change and grow. Sometimes, we hurt each other to accomplish something or make a point, which worried Dr. Petersen but somehow was working for us. We could forgive each other for anything except betrayal.

It was inevitable that others, especially those close to us, would look at us from the outside and wonder how and why it worked, and whether it should. They couldn’t understand— and I didn’t blame them because I was only just starting to really grasp it myself— that we pushed ourselves harder than we ever pushed each other. Because we wanted to be the best possible versions of ourselves, to be strong enough to be what the other needed.”

Even when one of them messed up, it was never out of insensitivity or ignorance, but rather it was usually out of a desire or in an intense circumstance where one of them truly believed that they were doing the right thing for the other person. It was a learning curve for both of them to trust each other and do the right thing, but it really gave validity to their mistakes and strength to their growth.

“We both had a rough moment there, but we didn’t fuck it up. It was like we knew how to make it right between us. And we knew that we would. There wasn’t any doubt about that, either.”

For those of you wondering and needing reassurance, there is no cheating, no love triangle, and no stupid drama in this book. Gideon and Eva love each other more than anything. They’re not the kinds of people to ever jeopardize that relationship and in this book, you see that more clearly than ever. They belong to each other and no one else. I can honestly say that that was one thing I never questioned.

From the very start of this series, I’ve been completely captivated by this beautiful, erotic, and heartfelt love story. There’s a special intensity that Gideon and Eva’s relationship always had that really resonated with me deeply. Back when I read Bared To You when it was first released, I remember it was the first book in my life that I read, finished, and immediately flipped back to page one to read again. Since then, I’ve been addicted to this story and loved each one of the books.

Every time I start a Crossfire book, I get this supercharged feeling of excitement. My heart races, emotions are heightened, and this time it was bittersweet anticipation because, while I couldn’t wait to read more of Gideon and Eva, I was sad to see their story end. However, by the end of the book I was left with such a full-filled and satisfied feeling that I couldn’t be happier with the way their story concluded. Sylvia Day really did justice to this series because the ending was gorgeous. I truly loved it and highly recommend the Crossfire series to everyone as a top favorite!!

ALWAYS MINE. FOREVER YOURS. — GIDEON

Rating: 5 STARS!!

• Buy ONE WITH YOU (Kindle)
• Buy ONE WITH YOU (Paperback)

PS: at the very end of this book, we’re given a sneak preview into Sylvia Day’s next series and all I’m going to say is….. I CAN’T WAIT!!! It sounds amazing and exactly like the kind of story I’d fall in LOVE with!!

PPS: I’m hiding the rest of this because it’s my personal responses to some of the criticisms…

*** CROSSFIRE SERIES READING ORDER *** 

BARED TO YOU (Crossfire #1)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

REFLECTED IN YOU (Crossfire #2)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

ENTWINED WITH YOU (Crossfire #3)
Buy on Kindle | Buy  in Paperback | Read my Review

CAPTIVATED BY YOU (Crossfire #4)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

ONE WITH YOU (Crossfire #5)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review

Love is strange. It comes out of nowhere. There’s no logic to it. It’s not methodical. It’s not scientific. It’s pure emotion and passion. And emotion and passion can be dangerous because they fuel love… and hate.

• Buy SO MUCH MORE (Kindle)
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WOW!! This book was absolutely beautiful! I’ve been meaning to read one of this author’s books for ages so when she announced this one, I couldn’t resist and… HOLY FEELS!! I mean woah. I went from swooning in love to literally shaking with anger to shedding tears and back to swooning. The writing was gorgeous and the story was captivating. I highlighted 64 favorite quotes!! It tackles, with stunning insight, topics such as marriage, divorce, love, loss, family… and at the story’s heart is the overwhelmingly powerful depth of a father’s devotion to his children. I guarantee that you will fall in love with this hero. It’s impossible not to. He will straight-up steal your heart forever. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

This is a spoiler-free review but if you don’t really want to know too much about it, just rest assured that this book is fully safe for you to dive in without knowing anything. It’s a standalone with deep feels but it will leave you healed. I loved everything about it, and you can just grab a copy without reading the rest. Again, it’s spoiler-free though (more my reaction TO the book) but I wanted to give you that option.

Ok. On to the review…

In a world where bad boys rule contemporary romance, Kim Holden has stepped outside the box and given us an amazing good guy hero to fall in love with — a saint among husbands and fathers.

The story has interwoven layers of emotion that you can’t help but feel deep in your heart as you read, and complex character development that can make you go from hating a character to hoping for their redemption in the breadth of just a few chapters. You’ll feel everything: love, hate, joy, anger, pain, healing… This book is intricately crafted and rich in detail; an emotionally intelligent story.

“That’s what life is, it’s fucking trying. You don’t get a medal for it. It’s expected, as a member of the human race, that you try.”

We begin the story in the aftermath of a divorce that tore a family apart. Miranda betrayed and left Seamus, her loving devoted husband and father to their three wonderful children. Why you might ask? You’ll have to read the book to truly understand the depths of how damaged she was, but a short version could be to say because, at the time, she was incapable of compassion or love and so blinded by the desire for power that she truly didn’t care who she hurt in her quest for it. Through a series of flashbacks, we’re shown how their relationship first developed and how they got to be where they are. And as the story moves forward, we see the roller-coaster they go on as they find their way to new happiness and stability. When Seamus and his kids settle into their new home, Faith comes into the picture. A mysterious woman, wise beyond her 22 years, who shows him for the first time how beautiful and selfless love can be…

I found Miranda to be an absolutely fascinating character. She was warped and shaped by her childhood to harden her heart against love, and to separate herself from the world around her, stopping at nothing to reach the ends of her goals. She was so blindly devoted to building the perfect life and world for her that she was willing to sacrifice anyone and anything to get what she wanted. But the most interesting thing was that she was self aware enough to recognize how abhorent her actions were. She didn’t necessarily want to be the way she was, but she felt she had to be that way to survive. It was a twisted survival mode.

I’m going to burn in hell atop the hottest pyre for all of eternity.
Because the truth, everything else aside, is that no one’s better for me than Seamus. In the deep, dark recesses of my mind, I know that… Seamus can’t be king to my queen.
Because he’s a saint.
And no one measures up to a saint.

She did things that were downright despicable, and made me shake with pure rage towards her… but if you looked beneath the surface, you could see the fear and insecurity fuelling her actions. However, there were certainly times when her actions went so far that it stopped me from being able to sympathize at all. I wanted her locked away. With the key thrown out. But mostly, I just felt incredibly sad for her. She was so damaged… so deeply damaged that it had twisted her into someone even she felt was irredeemable.

“I love him. I know I don’t love like other people do. My version of love is driven by selfish need, a little self-loathing, and some jealousy. But it feels so damn real when it beats inside my chest, and it’s starved for his touch, and his adoring stare, and his loving words, and his complete devotion. God, I miss that… I wasted years on games. I thought I was winning, most of the time I was losing. Losing him.”

The most horrible thing to me was that, damaged though she may be, she was highly functional — sharp, intelligent, and driven. But also incapable of showing care or developing emotional attachment to anyone other than herself. Even though what she craved most in life was validation and love. She was truly tragic.

I’m waiting for his eyes to meet mine. I’m waiting for him to say something sweet. I’m waiting for him to kiss me. I would give anything to kiss him.
Anything.
But that can’t happen because he’s a saint.
And I’m a bitch.
And everyone knows it.
Including me.

Seamus on the other hand was simply too good for her. This amazing man was the most pure, kindhearted, selfless, nurturing person you can imagine — a devoted husband and a loving father. It broke my heart to see him subject to her callous cruelty and to be so emotionally beat down by the divorce which had not only torn his family apart and robbed him of the wife he genuinely once thought he loved, but also had stolen his kids’ mom away from them at an age when they were too young to fully understand why.

“You still love her?” she asks sincerely.
“She’s a bitch,” I answer solemnly. I mean it… and I don’t mean it… in equal measure.
“Bitches need love too.”

Some of my favorite parts of the book were seeing him interact with his children. Seamus is the husband every woman wishes for and the father every woman dreams of for their children. He cared on such a deep level for them and his commitment to their happiness and well being was mirrored in every one of his actions. As a father, he didn’t just care for them, he was also involved in their lives. In everything. I swear, he’s going to steal your heart when you meet him. He’s literally the most amazing dad you can imagine.

“Parenthood isn’t genetic, it’s about love and commitment. Period.”

Like I’d mentioned above, this is where Faith comes in. After the divorce, he had to relocate himself and the children to a place he could afford and Faith was their free spirited neighbour who slowly became a part of their lives. She was, in every way, unlike anything he ever expected. A non-judgmental, openly-loving woman with secrets of her own, who showed him that he didn’t have to give up on love.

“Seamus’ lips told a story. A story I wanted to live in. Forever. A realistic story that was sprinkled with darkness, but that always came back to the light. A light that made me believe love exists. Pure, intentional, forgiving, enduring love.
Bone-jarringly beautiful love.”

This story has a delicious slow burn, but I was unable to put it down from the moment I started. The beautiful writing captured my heart, and the characters compelled me to keep reading.

I really have to applaud Kim Holden on her stellar characterization of Miranda. It takes great skill as a writer to portray someone as being as damaged, twisted, and even cruel as Miranda without making them out to be a senseless villain. You were made to understand her. You were shown the reasons why she did such despicable things. And even if her actions were repulsive, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelming pity for such a wretched creature. It’s incredibly easy to make a character be superficially unlikeable, but it takes much greater skill to make you understand their perspective and even feel remorse for them. Her character arc, development, and growth over the course of this book was a masterpiece of writing.

“Are you trying, Miranda? Is this you trying to be a parent? I want so fucking badly to believe you’re being real with me and that you’ve finally come to the realization that you have the most amazing children on the planet, and that it’s a privilege to be their mom.”

Seasmus really was the heart and soul of this book for me though. In so many ways, this father’s unconditional, unwavering, and powerful love for his children filled my heart to the brim, and made it break that much more painfully to see the things he was put through. You know that feeling when you’re reading a book and your heart just HURTS and you’re this close to tears?? That was me for a whole chunk of this book. But not all of it! There is a lot of healing and redemption. You’re taken to the lowest low point of all and then raised up again. The story comes full circle in a beautiful way and at the end, I was smiling.

“I’ve moved around a lot in my life. I’ve met a lot of people. I like your heart, Seamus.” She cups my cheek, kisses me softly on the corner of my mouth, and whispers, “My heart really likes your heart.”

In so many ways, this is a story of human resilience and undying love. Of what happens when life knocks you down as far as you can go. Do you give up? Or do you stand up once again and fight for what is right?

“I would sell my fucking soul to fight for my kids.”

Ahhh. *deep sigh*
It’s a life story.
It’s a love story.
Life is messy.
Life is beautiful.
Love is messy.
Love is beautiful.

Beautifully written and brimming with raw honesty and emotion, this book captured my heart. You don’t just read this story, you live it with these characters. I so much more than loved it.

It’s definitely a Top Favorite of the year!

Rating: 5 stars. Standalone.

• Buy SO MUCH MORE (Kindle)
• Buy SO MUCH MORE (Paperback)

“Do you remember what I told you? That last night…?”

The rain poured down like tears on our faces. He raised a hand to touch my cheek, his eyes full. “I’ll always come back to you.”

“I remember,” I said softly.

• Buy HOW TO SAVE A LIFE (Kindle)
• Buy HOW TO SAVE A LIFE (Paperback)

WOW!! What a gorgeous book! It had flawless writing, breathtaking intensity, and a captivating love story that made my heart race. I loved every single word. This was pure book heaven! 

From the moment I heard about this book, I knew I wanted to read it. The unique sound of the story grabbed my attention and made me desperate to find out more…

Josephine Clark is trapped. A harrowing past haunts her every time she looks in the mirror, and she can’t escape the violence of her everyday life. More and more, her thoughts turn to Evan Salinger, the boy she knew in high school. The boy they called a mental case. A loner. A freak. The boy who seemed to know things no one could know. For a few short weeks, Jo had found perfect solace in Evan’s company, sneaking every night to meet him at the local pool. In the cool of the water and the warmth of Evan’s arms around her, Jo had tasted something close to happiness. 

Cruel circumstances tore them apart, and four years later, the sweet memory of their time together is dissolving under the punishing reality of Jo’s life now. Evan seems like a fading dream…until he reappears at the moment she needs him most. Guided by Evan’s strange intuition, they flee her small Louisiana town, on the run from the police, and Jo begins to suspect there is something more to his sudden return than he admits. 

Over twelve days across America’s heartland, deep secrets come to light, buried pasts are unearthed, and the line between dreams and reality is blurred as Evan and Jo fight to hold on to their soul-deep love, and discover that there is more than one way to save a life. 

It honestly felt like the story came alive in my mind as I read. All the emotions were portrayed so vividly. That intense *pull* between the hero and heroine… the spark… the pain… the longing… the secrets… it was all there in the perfect balance. And the more I read, the more invested I became in the story.

Jo was such a compelling heroine. Emotionally scarred in the worst way and betrayed by an uncle she should have been able to trust, her life fell apart after she gathered the courage to speak out. Left without her parents, a scarred face, and no where to belong, she still wouldn’t allow herself to become the victim. Regaining control of her life in any way she could, she survived and she stayed strong.

But everything changed when she met Evan. The loner, the freak, the pariah of the school… but also a heart-stoppingly gorgeous guy who she felt drawn to and couldn’t stop thinking about. And the more she learned about this mysterious, misunderstood boy, the more she fell in love with him.

No black clothes or emo make up or stringy hair. Not this guy. Evan Salinger was, to put it mildly, fucking gorgeous.

I kept staring. For all his hard angles and masculine ruggedness, there was some intangible softness about him too. I don’t know how or why I could possibly know this at first glance, but to me Evan looked like he’d spill the deepest secrets of his heart to the first person to show him any kindness.

Evan is one of those guys who will straight up steal your heart forever. He was such an incredibly selfless, protective, kind-hearted person that it made my heart ache to see the kind of life he’d been forced to live. Given the pain in his life, seeing him fall in love with Jo was beautiful. It was just so right.

We exchanged looks, a commiseration; the girl with a scar and the boy with the freaky rep, and something shifted between us. An unspoken understanding that drew me closer to him without having moved an inch.

They were downright adorable together! Every scene pulled my heart strings…

“Wait here.” I ran back up to my room to grab his blue-and-black plaid flannel shirt, still in my possession. Back on the porch, I handed it over.

“My shirt. I forgot you had it.”

“It’s ‘my’ shirt. You need to go home tonight and sleep in it. I made the mistake of washing it and now it doesn’t smell like you anymore.”

He turned the shirt over and over in his hand, laughing and shaking his head.

“And I want it back first thing in the morning. You read me?”

I especially appreciated just how functional they were as a couple. There was really no stupidity in this book and I respect the author so much for not using misunderstandings as a way to drive the story forward. Instead, the drama came from sources external to their relationship and you very much get the feeling that it’s all about them together against the world without ever questioning their love.

His fingers ran through my hair and caressed my cheek. “Let’s do something really fucking crazy and trust each other.”

As the blurb says though, things don’t all go according to plan and they’re ripped away from each other at the worst possible time. That moment though right before when I could see this perfect future for them as a real possibility and it was like right there — I could almost reach out and touch it —  but I knew things were going to get messed up and there was nothing I could do about it….. ahhhhhhhh THE ANGST!!!

Evan. Where are you? Come back to me. I can’t breathe…

When they were separated, it was heart-crushing. Especially with everything that happened after *sniff*. But the way he saved her brought ALL THE FEELS!!!!! I don’t want to say anything more but literally the way they find their way back to each other and the whole rest of the story kept me flipping those pages as fast as I could. I didn’t stop until the very end and let me tell you — the very last words of this book are absolutely perfect. My eyes filled with happy tears and I just sat there for a few minutes hugging my book and allowing all the amazing feels to just sink in. I didn’t want to let go. And I still don’t.

There is a tiny hint of paranormal in this book too. I wanted to quickly address it because I want you to know that this is not a paranormal romance per se, it just requires a tiny bit of suspension of belief. There’s no magic, no ghosts, no vampires, no tangible supernatural thing you have to accept. Rather, Evan just knows some seemingly inexplainable things that are essentially real. But that’s it. I honestly think even the most devout contemporary reader would have no problems accepting this story.

This is a standalone romance told primarily from her POV, although there are also several chapters from his POV as well. And, I’d consider it somewhere between New Adult and Adult in terms of steam levels. The love scenes are hot and yet beautifully passionate — focusing just as much on the emotional connection as the physical one.

“Do you ever…” I heard her swallow hard. “Do you think about us? What we had?”

My chest ached at the longing in her voice. The fearful tentative reaching across the space between us.

“Every minute,” I said. “I think about us every minute of my life. All I do is think about us.”

Gah. I FELT THIS BOOK. The writing was so strong that it kept me totally in the story at all times. Real true confession here: I cancelled dinner out with my husband (at a really tasty restaurant too!) just so that I could finish reading this book. It was that good. I quite literally couldn’t put it down.

This book has it all. It’s passionate and intense, it’s heart-breaking and hopeful, it’s captivating and addictive, it’s beautifully written, and it leaves you with the powerful and uplifting message to never ever give up on true love. I highly recommend it for everyone!!!

“I’ll always come back to you.”

Rating: 5 stars! Standalone romance.

• Buy HOW TO SAVE A LIFE (Kindle)
• Buy HOW TO SAVE A LIFE (Paperback)

“Let me make sure I have this right. You’re banging the prosecutor on your case?” 

I swallow a mouthful of turkey club. “Yep. Well, sometimes we bang — sometimes we just hang out… Sometimes we talk… And sometimes we make sweet, sweet love.”

Stanton clarified. “And it doesn’t affect how you’re trying the case?”

“Nope. We go at each other hard all day in court, then we go at it harder all night in bed. And nothing about it isn’t awesome.”

“And the prosecutor is your childhood friend, who you pretty much fell in love with when you were seventeen but didn’t see again for fourteen years?” …

“That’s right.”

• Buy APPEALED (Kindle)
• Buy APPEALED (Paperback)

WOW!!! This book was fantastic!!! Emma Chase is one of the leading authors in contemporary romance and she consistently delivers a delightful balance of hilarious laugh-out-loud comedy mixed with hot, sexy, heart-warming romance that’s guaranteed to make you swoon! I read this book in one sitting and loved everything about it!! A new top favorite recommendation!!

The story starts off with a hilarious bang — pun intended — and seriously, the first chapter alone sells the book better than anything I can ever tell you. If you love the first chapter, you’ll love the whole book. In true Emma Chase form, this book is told entirely from the male POV and let me tell you: IT. IS. PURE. GOLD!!!!! Ohhh, the win!! It’s funny, witty, sarcastic, adorable, sexy, everything you could possibly want! This author’s comedic timing is absolutely flawless, and her ability to bring emotional depth to light-hearted romance is exactly what makes so many readers fall in love with her books.

Insults are our flirting. Arguing is our foreplay.
One time, she was so worked up she hauled off and took a swing at me — and my reaction was a boner that couldn’t be denied. It’s not as twisted as it sounds.
It works for us.

This is actually a second chance romance. Over a decade ago, Brent and Kennedy were best friends. Then one amazing night brought them together… and then she was gone. Both of them nursing broken hearts. He never knew what happened to the girl he’d fallen for, and she spend years toughening her heart — knowing that she’d never let anyone trample over it again.

Once upon a time she was my best friend. For a hot minute, she was more. After that, she hated me. And then she was just… gone.

I haven’t seen her for fourteen years, and the last time I did, she sure as shit didn’t look like this.

“Kennedy…” I whisper, still not entirely convinced it’s her.

She regards me with a tilted her, a cocked hip, and a disdainful smile.

“Hello, Dickhead.”

Okay. Now I’m convinced.

When they finally meet again, it’s on opposite ends of the courtroom — as opposing lawyers on the same case. She’s harboring years of anger towards him, and he doesn’t haven’t have the slightest clue why. But one thing he knows is that he’s going to get to the bottom of it and win back the only girl he ever fell for.

I look into the gorgeous eyes of the girl I’ve known my whole life, and my only thought is, what the hell took me so long to do this?

I know that some people might consider Kennedy a little bit prickly but I actually adored her. Seriously. This girl had so much sass and fire. She was awesome! Even though she did sometimes take it a little far — I still loved how feisty she was. To be honest, given what she thought happened so many years ago, I could really see where she was coming from. That level of hurt is bound to make a person a little cold and distant. But it was so clear to me that what she had was hurt, and nothing more. And who she really was underneath it was was genuinely wonderful and I loved her character. Luckily, so did Brent….

“What are you doing?”

She turns sharply, like she wasn’t expecting me to wake up. “I have to get home. I have to shower and get ready for court.”

With a yawn, I say, “Okay, I’ll drive you.”

“Don’t bother. A cab will be faster.”

Ahhhhh. Sweet, cuddly, open Kennedy has left the building.

Defensive, jumpy, prickly-like-a-cactus Kennedy is in the house.

Now Brent was an awesome hero. He was wealthy, but uninterested in living the pompus lifestyle his family indulged in. Rather, he worked hard every day and loved every minute. Incidentally, I know many of you like to read about wounded heroes — and he only has one leg (childhood accident), but that’s more of a side note, not really relevant to his personality. This guy had spend over a decade moving from one meaningless fling to another never understanding the real reason why he never wanted to give his heart away — until Kennedy came back into his life and he realized that she still had it. She always had had it.

“All these years, she’s never let anyone else in. She’s had her reasons, but the bottom line is, there hasn’t been any guy who’s gotten past her fire-breathing dragon. And what if… what if the reason I’ve never let myself fall in love with anyone is because I didn’t have anything to give? Because I’d already given my heart to her when we were seventeen years old? And all these years… I’ve just been waiting for her to come back to me with it.”

This was such a fun, thrilling, sexy story as fifteen years of broken hearts, resentment, unresolved feelings, unrequited love, and sizzling chemistry came flooding back into their lives. Seriously, this is one of the few stories that actually managed to twang my heart strings and make me almost tear up in the same paragraph that just made me literally laugh out loud. Brilliant writing!

“I don’t know why I’m here.” And she sounds genuinely bewildered — even a little panicked.

“Obviously because I’m irresistible.” The wind blows, spraying ice cold drops across my bare skin where my shirt hangs open. “You’re shivering, honey, come inside.”

She stares at me, so many emotions swirling in her expression. She’s like a skittish kitten who can’t decide if she should let the stranger pat her head or haul ass up the nearest tree.

And it breaks my heart.

Another thing I loved was that the sex and heat in this book was very well ‘built up to’ rather than just throwing it right in. It was sexy and intense because the story first developed their characters and relationship to a point where, once it was time for them to get together, it just felt right.

When her eyes dip, I lift her chin. “If I could go back and change all of that, I would. But this is where we are now. We have to move forward. I’m in love with you. And if it takes a while for you to wrap your head around that — to wrap your heart around it — then I’ll wait. Because you’re worth waiting for. You always were.”

Not to mention that all the romance is heavily laced with hilarious moments…

“What’s your nickname”?”

“BC.”

She frowns, trying to figure it out. “Because your middle name is Charles?”

I shake my head and tell her with the straightest face, “Big Cock.”

The awesome thing about it is that it can easily be read as a standalone. It honestly doesn’t matter whether or not you’ve read any other standalones in this series (Overruled – which I haven’t read, or Sustained – which I have reviewed), you can just jump right into this one and be fine! Ohhh, there’s this double epilogue at the end and the very last page seriously made me shed a happy tear — just gorgeous!!!

I LOVED THIS BOOK and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted feel-good romance that’ll just make you genuinely HAPPY!! This is definitely going to be a Top Favorite of 2016!!

Rating: 4.5 — 5 stars! Contemporary romantic comedy.

• Buy APPEALED (Kindle)
• Buy APPEALED (Paperback)

“Come back to me. Promise you’ll come back to me.” She whispers…

“Always.”

• Buy COME BACK TO ME (Kindle) 
• Buy COME BACK TO ME (Hardcover)

******** Note: This book was originally self-published in the summer of 2014 (with a different cover). That was when I first posted about and reviewed it (my original review date was July 9, 2014). However, shortly after it was picked up by a major publisher and they set a date to rerelease it on December 8, 2015. That is the reason some of you either already have copies of it, or think it sounds familiar etc, and that is also why it now has a different cover. But fundamentally, it is the same book.

I absolutely LOVED this book!!!

It was so much more than I ever expected. Deeply emotional, sexy, funny, romantic… and it had that special heart-pounding intensity to it that only my favorite books give me. I highly recommend it!!

The story was a forbidden romance about a Marine, Kit Ryan, who was home on leave and drawn to the one girl he couldn’t have, Jessa Kingsley… his best friend’s little sister. But even though he was only home for four weeks before he was going to be sent out again for another nine month deployment, they couldn’t deny their feelings for each other so every second they had together was stolen and precious.

“I just had to see you again,” he murmurs.

The emotional impact hit right from the start. The prologue actually made cry. The reason I find that so impressive is that it means that even without any prior connection to these characters, without knowing their histories or relationships or anything personal about them, the author was able to have me so feeling so strongly for them in a matter of only a few pages that it brought tears to my eyes. To me, that’s a sign of really good writing.

I loved the way the story’s timeline was built. The prologue introduced the reader to the story at a crucial, heart-stopping cross-road with a life-altering question hanging in the balance. Then the first chapter went back three months to the start of Kit and Jessa’s summer, where their relationship began, and took us through their gorgeous forbidden romance… then it caught us up to the prologue and went beyond into the future and wrapped up with a beautiful epilogue.

Right from the first chapter, this book made my heart race. I just felt that kind of breathless intensity and connection to the story that I’m constantly searching for in books. I had a huge smile on my face and my review notes are pretty much filled with “OMG LOVE”, “SO MUCH AWESOME”, “I LOVE THIS”, over and over again.

I also really loved this author’s writing style. It was the kind of writing that just allowed me to get lost in the story as opposed to having the story told to me, y’know? I felt like I was experiencing the story along with the characters.

The forbidden aspect of their relationship was so thrilling!! The reason it was forbidden was two-fold. First, Jessa’s father (also in the military) ruled the house. His word was law. He unfortunately was also suffering from PTSD (which he refused to see anyone for) and while he was never physically abusive, it was definitely an unpleasant environment to live in. And for a reason (that was later revealed), her father strongly disliked Kit in particular. Also, there was the whole thing about him dating his best friend’s little sister — Riley was a very protective brother and Kit had a bit of a colorful past so there was that aspect too.

I won’t give spoilers but there was a backstory which was revealed and incorporated into the story later on that really rounded everything out in a way that gave it a lot of added depth and I was really impressed with the way every piece of the story was dealt with.

Kit made me SWOOOOOON!!!! He was a hot, protective, kind, loving, young Marine who was totally falling for a girl completely off limits to him in about every way you could think of but who loved her enough not to care. She was worth it to him and he was going to do whatever it took to be with her.

“If you ask me do I want you to be waiting for me the day I get off the plane? Yes. Do I want to talk to you every night on the phone and know you’re my girl and that I’m coming home to you? Yes. Am I going to be thinking of you every single moment while I’m gone? Yes.”

Jessa was a really sweet heroine. She was quite sheltered in many ways and had grown up in constant fear of the consequences of her actions so she was a total ‘good girl’ but I loved the way Kit challenged her to go after the things she wanted and dreamed about. There was so much she hid from the world and Kit made it his mission to bring the real her out.

Throughout the whole first half of the book, during their summer together, there was that constant feeling of time slipping away. Every single second was precious and every happy memory they made took them one step closer to him leaving…

“I want to take a piece of her with me and leave a piece of me with her. How do I get enough of her to last me a year?”

Oh gosh… this book really just had gorgeous emotions!!! I didn’t expect the story to be so deep but it really just reached right into my heart. I love a wide range of books but the ones the are my most favorite are the ones that make me FEEL with all my heart and that was what this book did.

The last quarter of the book had a different vibe to it (understandably, given the turn of events) but I loved it just as much. Things got a lot more serious and my eyes were rarely dry in the last few chapters. I was constantly choked up and on the verge of tears — just feeling so much. I really, truly loved it!!

Now, just to be completely honest here… there are things I could nit pick about in the book if I wanted to but the reason I’m not is that overall, none of them matter to me. The thing that is most important to me is that I genuinely “bought” this whole story, if that makes sense? I believed it. I felt it. I loved it. And that’s all that matters to me. It was a gorgeous romantic escape and it’s absolutely a new favorite of mine.

This was exactly the kind of book I was searching for!! It was romantic, sexy, emotionally intense, and it swept me away in the story. I highly recommend it!

Rating: 4.5 — 5 stars!! Standalone New Adult romance. HEA.

• Buy COME BACK TO ME (Kindle)
• Buy COME BACK TO ME (Hardcover)

PS: graphic below is based on the original cover