Geri's Ever After Romance

3.5 stars“I’m not Jet so I can’t write you a song that makes you understand how important you are to me. I’m not Nash so I can’t find a building and paint you a mural that makes see that it all starts and ends with you for me. I’m a tattoo artist, I’ll probably always be a tattoo artist and I don’t know how that plays into your future or the future you have planned after school and frankly I don’t care. This is what I have to offer you Shaw and just like you let me be your first, I’m letting you be mine,”Rule Archer, the titular main character of the story is your quintessential bad boy. He’s gruff, tough, handsome, tattooed, pierced and an unapologetic manwhore. Shaw Landon is the exact opposite of Rule. She’s a sweet girl, straight-A student, rich, beautiful and Rule’s dead twin brother’s girlfriend or so they thought.To the people around them, Rule and Shaw tolerated each other. Rule thought Shaw is a stuck-up, snotty girl who's too good for him and his dead twin's girlfriend. In other words, off limits to him. But Shaw, unbeknownst to Rule, has been in love with him since she was 13. Struggling to live her life, under the shadow of her controlling parents, Shaw managed to control her feelings for Rule, never acting on it until one night.I have to say, this book is so much more than your typical NA, bad-boy-falls-for-the-good-girl story. It also about family, acceptance, expectations and forgiveness. Both Rule and Shaw struggled with expectations and both dealt with it the way they know how. And when they finally came together, they learned from each other.As a reader, I loved the emotions this story evoked. Not all of it are pretty and yes, this book definitely has all the elements of an "NA" novel--the angst, drama, jealously, etc. Surprisingly, I never felt that it was over the top. The author did a great job of exposing the motivations of each character that I was able to take all the drama and angst in stride.So why only 3.5 stars? The editing. Yeah. I'm no grammar police but I want my books well edited. It doesn't have to perfect but I would love it if I could just go through a book without mentally rearranging sentences, substituting commas with periods, etc. I'm funny that way. I know that the author did release a newly edited version so maybe if I had read that, I might have a different rating. But otherwise, my rating stands. That said, I would definitely read more from this author. I quite liked her voice and with a professional editor, I feel she can deliver a very well-rounded novel.

3 starsThere are things that worked for me and things that didn't.First off, I liked this book but it didn't blew me away. I know most people loved this book better than the first one but I'm the exact opposite. I actually liked the first book better despite Izzy's immaturity at that time. Axel and Izzy's story just grabbed me but here, it just didn't sink in. I found myself skimming the middle part of the book. I don't really need my characters to be perfect but it's important that as a reader I am able to relate to them. It just didn't happen here. I did like the steam in this book though. Cage definitely delivered in more ways than one. And Cohen, bless his heart, was adorable. I am even more intrigued about Maddox and Emmy. Yeah, I'm looking forward to their story the most. Not sure about Dee and Beck. I would hate to read another female pushing a perfectly hot and interested guy just because she doesn't "trust" him. There better be a good reason for that otherwise, the whole pushing and pulling thing would just drive me batty.Don't let my lukewarm review deter you in reading this book though. A lot of my GR friends loved this book. This is strictly my own feeling and opinion. ♥

5 wonderful stars!!For me Winning the Boss's Heart was a wonderful story about second chances. It had all the right elements that makes for a truly romantic read.Mason Christian is a man on a mission. He has 12 weeks to renovate a historic house. The problem was, his latest secretary had quit on him. Again. He has to hire another one fast if he has to make the deadline. Enter number 42. And no, that's not her real name. Her name is Wilhelmina "Billie" McCloud and she's going to be his 42 secretary. Hence, the number designation. What he didn't count on was that Forty-two was a little crazy herself and is not afraid to challenge him. Every time he calls her Forty-two, she just calls him by other names, too, like Philbert, Sheldon, Engelbert, Jimbo, etc. It was downright hilarious. Mason couldn't quite figure her out. And there is this apparent attraction between them that no matter how hard he tries to ignore, just wouldn't go away. Billie McCloud has a plan. Work as Mason's secretary for 12 weeks and then after that culinary school. Being raised in a commune with a flighty mother, all Billie wanted was to belong to a community, to be someone's perfection. Her first marriage taught her not to settle for anything less. She was determined to achieve this even if it means putting up with her new boss's inconsiderate demands. Plus, she might also have a chance at saving the historic house that Mason has set out to destroy on behalf of the community she adored. The CharactersI find Mason's character truly fascinating. He started off like an unfeeling jerk who doesn't allow anyone close to him. He is single-minded in this goal. He doesn't sought human interaction. But even though he was very inconsiderate and unfeeling, we get a glimpse of the pain that he was hiding beneath that impenetrable façade. And let me tell you, his story and the reason why he's changed so much was so heartbreaking, you would just want to reach out and hug him and make his pain go away.And Billie, as I've said was a strong character. I have to thank Hayson Manning for creating a female character that isn't annoying, whiny or indecisive. What a relief to actually read about a lead female character that doesn't get on your nerves. Billie was such a wonderfully layered character. She had a hard time growing up as a child in a commune, no less. She also married young. It wasn't an ideal marriage and she lost her husband. Even with these hardships, she never complained once. She was optimistic and determined to make a life for herself. I loved how she recognized the pain that he was hiding and set out to help him. Although, I did feel that her feelings for the Mason were stronger that Mason's were for her at that time, she was no doormat. She wasn't afraid to call him on his bullshit. And when Mason began to thaw a little bit, we see how deep this man actually feels and how capable he is to fall in love again. But he's stubborn so he did some stupid shit there for a while. But nothing too drastic though and it was totally in keeping with his character. What I loved…Aside for my obvious love for the two main characters and their love story, there are other things that I loved as well. First off, the writing. Loved it. The dialogue was superb. It was funny, light and witty. The characterizations were superb. You get these people. The author was able to draw a very vivid picture of each character, even Stanley, the Great Dane was really written well. I love character-driven stories and this book delivers on that 100%. Another element to the story is Footsteps Bay itself and its townspeople. The author was able to draw me into that world. I was so seduced by the place, I was contemplating moving to New Zealand specifically to Footsteps Bay. The whole thing just worked for me. The chemistry between Mason and Billie was superb. The sexy was steamy without be overdone. And thank God there was no token, 'I'm-going-to-make-you-come-so-hard-the-neighbors-will-hear-you-scream,' statement that's so common in Contemporary Romance today. Nonetheless, the physical connection between the two characters were palpable. But I want to do it with you.Me, you, and Stan. And jam. And all those goddamnedpinecones.Stay with me, Billie. You have to. Because if you don’t, hear thisnow. I will always come for you. And that would make me a stalker.Don’t let me turn into a stalker, Billie.Overall, Winning the Boss's Heart was a wonderful story from start to finish with wonderful and likable characters. The ending was fantastic. I'm not going to tell you what Mason did to win back Billie's love but let me tell you now, I was oohhed and aahhed and swooned when I read it. It was just so sweet and satisfying. Plus, that epilogue was just beautiful. I will definitely recommend this to Contemporary Romance lovers out there. A copy was provided by the author to Ever After Romance Book Blog in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 starsI honestly didn't know what to expect when I started reading Fate Book. I was intrigued with the blurb. I mean, who wouldn't? A dorky high school girl who had trouble fitting in, made up a boyfriend based on an image he saw on the Internet and the next day she found out that her "made-up" boyfriend was real and pissed at her. I just couldn't resist. I had to read it.Fate Book had a lot of promise but I was a little bit let down during the first half of book. I couldn't connect to Dakota at all. I questioned a lot of choices she made. Santiago, Dakota's made-up boyfriend, blew hot and cold that I had trouble keeping up with his feelings or his non-feelings for Dakota. Fortunately, the mystery that was hinted at the very beginning was slowly, unraveling and before I knew it, I was hooked to the story. I liked the twist and turns in this story. And I liked even more that Dakota and Santiago finally got both their head on straight and just confronted their growing feelings for each other. Santiago finally proved how uber hot and badass he can be by being there for Dakota. And when they came together, I was like, "Yipee!"The ending was okay. It was satisfying although I wanted more answers regarding Dakota's father's involvement in the whole thing. He was a major player in the story but except for a few explanations here and there, I never really got to know him and the state of his relationship with his wife. Overall, still a satisfying read though. :)Copy is generously provided by the author to Ever After Romance as part of a blog tour and in exchange for an honest review.

Okay. Don't shoot me. I know I initially gave this a solid 4 but now that I was able to think about, my rating is closer to 3.5 rather than a solid 4.Don't get me wrong. I think this book is hot. It reminded me a little of Ella Frank's Exquisite Series. I like the characters especially Jax. I mean, gawd, even his name is hot. Plus, he's a little wild and a little reckless and he's dynamite in bed. In other words, he is every woman's fantasy.I liked Lexi, too. She gorgeous, of course. Tall, blond, great in bed, and hear this, she's a former model and from what I gathered, she has no gag reflex. And here in lies the problem, at least for me since more often than not, I would prefer my heroines closer to earth. Although, I did love her wit and her inner strength, I struggled to relate to her. Yes folks, I'm a jealous biatch, so beware, hmm.I actually adored Lexi's best friend Rubi. I thought she was funny and potentially hiding some pain beneath that sass. I also loved the pacing of the whole story. So what if it's a little predictable? When it's done well, predictability can be good. So I can't really complain much about that.As I have said, this book is hot. But I have to be honest though, there were times especially during the sex scenes. I swear if I read, “But when I’m inside you, you’re going to come so hard you scream,” or any other variation one more time in every goddamn erotica/CR book, I'm gonna lose it. It's become as common as growling and saying, "Mine." *Roll eyes*Other than that, I still very much enjoyed this one. This is a perfect book to read when you need some pick-me-up or if you're in between darker or heavier themed books.And oh, I was looking for an epilogue but found none. The ending was okay. A bit cheesy for my taste but still a good ending.

Review to follow!!

4.5 fangirling stars!!This book was like the retelling of every single fairy tale stories I adored as a child. And what's wonderful about fairy tales is that they make you believe in happily ever after. When Fangirls Lie is kind of like that.Sapphire "Saffi" March is a beautiful girl from a well to do family. She's a genius too. The only problem is that Saffi is very eccentric, a fish-loving eccentric genius, but socially awkward girl. And coming from a conservative family, she stands out like a sore thumb. But Saffi's biggest eccentricity isn't her penchant for all things fish but her all out devotion to Sweden's #1 sex god, Staffan Aehrenthal. Ah, Staffan. Described in the blurb as handsome like a classical statue but earthy and sexy like a pagan god, Staffan is your typical rock star man 'ho. He wasn't always like that though but he had been betrayed in the past by the woman he loved and her betrayal sent Staffan down the path to self-destruction. So what happens when Saffi, the naive, innocent and lovable girl meets Staffan, the cynical, jaded, albeit hot rock star? Yeah. I forgot to tell you. This fairy tale ain't for little girls folks. Let me just say I was pleasantly surprise by how, ahem, steamy this book was, which really, really, really made me happy. But it was Saffi and her love of all things fish that made this book for me. I just loved her eccentricities and her expressions. She was quirky and lovable and I was totally rooting for her from page one. She was a breath of fresh air, which was a surprise because if it had been any other book, she would probably be annoying. But considering the story line and the way the author developed her character, Saffi endeared herself to me. As much as Saffi was adorable, Staffan really tested my tolerance. Not because he was unlikable but because of the things he did that really, really hurt me--I mean, Saffi. I wanted to kick his beautiful ass to the curb for doing those things to poor Saffi. He did some really nice groveling though, so I forgive him but boy, did he put me through the ringer with his antics.To me, what makes a book wonderful isn't just about the writing, and this one was really well written, but as a reader, I wanted to be able to relate to the characters. If I don't feel any connection to them or their story, the author pretty much failed in my book, no matter how brilliant the writing is. Fortunately, I did feel the connection here. The fairy tale element, as I mentioned before, was quite strong. Meaning that as a reader, I had to suspend reality and allow myself to be pulled into a surreal world where rock stars do fall in love the quirky and nerdy girl. So if you like your story a bit on a realistic, gritty side, this might not work for you. But if you're in a mood for some good old romantic tale, then this book is totally for you. Yes, this book did end with an HEA but Saffi and Staffan's story has a continuation. But this book can be read as a standalone, whether you continue to read book two or not, is up to you.

4 stars!!Biting my nails at that last scene...full review to come...Just got my ARC for this baby!Yeah!

4 solid stars!!Not as good as the first one but I still liked it. Full review to come...

3.5 stars!This the second book that I've read from this author. I loved Kissing the Maid of Honor, so I was excited to read this, and I wasn't disappointed. Robin Bielman definitely knows how to write romance and this book is no exception.Lucy Davenport is an archeologist but she also does extra work recovering important artifacts and selling them to a bidder. Keats McCall (I love that name), is a conservationist. They met during one of Lucy's "adventures" and the attraction between them was instant. They met again three months later, only this time, the stakes were higher and Lucy is fighting tooth and nail to gain a very important artifact that's part of McCall's conservation project. I love how this book alternates between Lucy and McCall's POV. I'm privy to their motivation and feelings at the moment. It's pretty obvious from the get go that these two have feelings for each other but it was confounded by their work, Lucy being who she is and McCall being conservationist. The sexual tension between them is through the roof hot, and one of the things that I like in this book. The plot was pretty straightforward and well delivered.So why give only 3.5 stars? Well, for me, it was too short. I never felt like I connected to Lucy and McCall, not because they were unrelatable characters but because the book didn't really allow me to do that. Second, I didn't really care much about the insta love/lust thing between Lucy and McCall. Nothing against the book, but inta love/lust isn't really my cup of tea. Other than that, the story really worked for me.But don't let my rating dissuade you from reading this book. If you're in a mood for some hot romance with a hint of intrigue, then this book is definitely for you. ARC provided by the publisher to Ever After Romance Book Blog in exchange for an honest review

Amazon freebie!!! http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Never-Forgets-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00B14PNAG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

3.75-ish stars for the holy hotness that is Cage York!!I originally rated it a solid 4 but after thinking about it and sleeping on it, I decided to give it a 3.75-ish stars only because of Cage. In a way, this book was okay but it's nowhere near the first book, While It Lasts, story-wise. "No else for me ever. You're it. you're my always."Sometimes It Lasts starts off with Cage finally getting a full baseball scholarship at a college in Tennessee. The plan was for Eva to join him there. Unfortunately, Eva's father got sick and although Cage doesn't want to go without her, he must, in order to secure their future. Right there and then, I was like, "Uh-oh." I know something bad was going to happen, and what eventually happened didn't come as a surprise at all. Of course, the Prologue pretty much killed, so I know, I was definitely in for a ride. The premise, I thought, was great. I was excited to see how Cage and Eva would handle being apart especially when Jeremy entered the picture again. The execution was just okay. It was expected and I enjoyed it. I thought the conflict was going to be dragged out but it wasn't, so I was happy. I hate needless angst. I was happy that that particular conflict wasn't the focus of the book, fortunately.Unfortunately, Eva started bugging me. I liked her in the first book but I thought she was just, meh, on this one. I still liked her naughty side but I was put off by her constant reference of Josh, her dead boyfriend, as being the one she loved and lost, the boy who loved her unconditionally, yada, yada, yada. I get it. Really. No need to rub it in. "Make no mistake. There will always be an us. You can pretend like what we had never happened. You can ignore your feelings. Hell, baby, you can even marry ***** fucking Beasly. But there will always be an us. No one and nothing can change that."Thank goodness for Cage York! I think he's the best among Abbi Glines' heroes. I already thought he was hot in the first book and I didn't think it was possible for him to get any hotter but he did. Holy hell, did he ever. He's more grown up here but he hasn't lost his cheekiness and his dirty mouth. Thank god! I just loved how he handled the situation with Eva. Cage York is truly "the man" in this story. Another standout for me is Cage and Eva's chemistry. Abbi Glines sure knows how to write them steamy scenes. This book sizzled from beginning to end. There were plenty of steamy scenes but it didn't really overpower the book, which was wonderful. That barn scene after two weeks of being apart was ==> scorching. I thought my Kindle was going to spontaneously combust.So why give this only a 3.75-ish rating? Well...I don't know how to put this delicately but here goes...For one, the editing in this book sucked. I'm not even kidding. Considering that this was published under a well-known publishing house, I was appalled by the number of errors that I noticed. I thought they uploaded the unedited draft or something and not the finished book. I thought it was just me until a GR friend also pointed it out. I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to errors unless it becomes too much that it takes away my enjoyment for the book. The errors in this book, I feel, were substantial enough that it did bother me. Second reason. In principle, I don't usually spend more than $6 on an ebook but there are a few authors out there that are an exception to this rule for me, and Abbi Glines was one of them. So after shelling out $9.99 for this ebook, I was expecting something a bit more polished but editing wise, this was just, in my opinion, sloppy. And remember folks, this was published under Simon and Schuster not some fly by night publishing house. I mean, really?The final verdict?Unless Ms. Glines' publisher re-edit this one, wait until this goes on sale. Or you can order the paperback for a dollar less or better yet, just wait for the library copy. I'm sending mine back to Amazon with a little note to the publisher. My Cage and Eva...

One of the most difficult book to rate. I feel that the potential is definitely there, the whole idea is there but the execution seems to be lacking, at least for me. Back-Up tells a story of a 25-year old aspiring rock and roll singer, Leila Marino, who suddenly found herself singing back-up for an up-coming band Devil's Lair. Jack Lair (love that name) is the Devil's Lair frontman. He's the unapologetic manwhore in the group, the charmer and the all-around Mr. Sex-on-legs. Sparks started flying the moment Jack and Leila met, and inevitably, fell in love. My ThoughtsAs I've said, this story definitely has potential. If I were to rate a book on potential alone, I'd say this is a 4.5 to a 5 star read for me. And there were moments where it took me there; witty dialogue, great chemistry between the characters, et cetera. I wish it stayed like that throughout the book. Sad to say, it didn't, hence the 3 stars. I did like the story, overall. It has been done before but I'm always a sucker for rock star romances, so I didn't mind. There were some great moments there especially with Jack Lair's band mates.I thought their interaction were golden throughout the book. Even Jennifer, the beautiful and ruthless agent was a great character to have in the book.I did also like Leila. Although, I must say, she acts more like a 16 year old rather than a 25 year old woman. She was naive and cute. I know this because this was repeated throughout the whole book. Her innocence, naivete and cuteness were always brought to your attention, and after a few chapters of that, I was just over it. Jack Lair fit the rock star mold perfectly. But I never really felt like he was a bad boy. He was a charmer, definitely, and actually a nice guy. Too nice, in fact. My only problem with Jack was that he sometimes sounded awfully like a girl especially when he starts describing what somebody, preferably Leila, was wearing. He's definitely observant but I just find it weird when a guy starts describing women's clothing in detail unless he was in the process of taking it off. Other than that, Jack was wonderfully sweet. Loved, loved the moments with the whole band. There weren't too many of those moments but I thought the band was hilarious.I also loved the side story of Evan and Leila's father. I thought that added a little bit of layer to Leila's character.Overall, I think this book could have been better with the right editor. Some misused words, grammatical and spelling errors were just too distracting for me, which was a shame because I really think that there is a story there. Could have been a lot better with editing but otherwise this was an okay book considering this was a debut. And by the way, Jack and Leila's story will definitely continue in the second book. This didn't end in a cliffhanger per se, considering they are still together but they are about to face their toughest test yet. And I really want to know what happens next, so yes, I'll definitely read the book in this series.

I think this book was way ahead of its time. I've read this way back, and I mean way back and it's safe to say, Cash Bordreaux popped my bad boy cherry. This was written way back when the word 'Fuck" wasn't used in romance and heroes are supposed to be good and kind. Cash was none of those things. He says fuck a lot and man-whored his way into my heart. Romance readers nowadays wouldn't bat an eyelash at Cash's behavior nowadays but back then, many readers were scandalized. I just loved it.The story wasn't all that but I find the characters fascinating, all of them and it's nice to read books that really breaks the mold. Another wonderful reread for me! ♥

4 solid stars!!This is my first Courtney Milan read, and I must say, she did not disappoint. Unlocked reminded me of Bully, albeit the HR version. I enjoyed Bully, so it was no surprise I enjoyed this one as well.Elaine Stockhurst had been the object of the ton's ridicule ever since she came out to society years ago. She was different, you see and attracts an unhealthy attention due to her laugh and her, ahem, generous bosoms. Elaine has long accepted her place in society by making herself as invisible as possible. But when her number one tormentor, Evan Westfield came back to town and started being nice to her, she immediately became suspicious. After all, he tormented her for years and basically made her a pariah.But Evan was a changed man. His travels around the world mellowed him and he regretted making Elaine's life hell and wanted to make up for it. You see, Evan, for a long time, has harbored deep feelings for Elaine but his plan to make her noticed him backfired and he ended up bullying her instead. So years after those humiliating first season, Evan was ready to make amends, but will Elaine ever trust him again? I highly recommend this little novella for those who have a hankering for a well-written historical romance book. It's sweet, short, with lovable main characters and interesting secondary characters. ♥

5 Out of this world stars!!Review to follow...