Review ~ Stinger (Signs of Love 3) by Mia Sheridan

Reviewed by Dawn ~ 4 Stars

**ARC received for honest review**

Once again Mia Sheridan does it...she pulls you in twists your heart and messes with you emotions...I love her!!!!

“Life is wild, Carson was right."

Grace Hamilton is a good girl, she training to be a lawyer and she has a plan that sets out her life on a path that she won't veer off....until she meets Carson Stinger "Straight Male Performer". To say they don't hit it off straight away is an understatement! They run into each other in the lobby, are both drawn to each other but put their own guards up instantly.....

“Let me guess, law student conference?” I started to walk around him, but stopped when I heard the clearly condescending nickname and the amusement in his voice. “Yes, actually. Is there something wrong with that?”
“No, not at all. Looks like we’re both here to learn how to be the best at getting people off.”

They meet again later then after exchanging a few words at the bar they end up trapped in a lift together for hours. Carson proved himself to me straight away when he instantly helped Grace through a panic attack by singing to her and making a fool of himself. So they warm to each other, although he already made Grace pretty hot anyway, and to pass the time they play a game...

“All right, Buttercup. I've got a proposition for you. How'd you like to play a little game? It's called, 'Sink one for a Secret.' It's not like we've got much else to do. Especially if you planting yourself on my lap is off the table.”

During the game they both open up to each other pretty quickly which builds on that connection they have. Grace finally agree to spend the weekend with him and that's where the fun begins. Carson's hot hot hot but also sweet and loving and caring and has a deep hidden past he puts on a front to cover.

"And suddenly we were kissing. Hard core, angry kissing, our hands everywhere, groping and grabbing. And Damn it if she didn't taste like sunshine and everything sweet and fresh this world had to offer"
Then he says stuff like this....

“Lose control, baby. Just for a weekend. Let me take charge. I'll take good care of you, I promise.”

They go into this thinking it will be a weekend of hot sex and no more but they soon begin to fall for each other the more they spend time together....they are both so much more than the fronts they put on.

“I had told her that we were friends, and we were, but we were more too–what exactly, I wasn't sure and there was no way for us to explore any of it. The fact that we lived in two different cities was the very least of our challenges.”

Carson's "profession" plays on Grace's mind alto but she puts it to the side then their final night comes and she gets a reminder of what it is he does. She makes a decision I hated her for!
This is where the book changes for me it's gone from a hot sex romance to a heat breaking emotional roller coaster and my chest hurt reading it.

Carson makes huge changes to his life after they part he tries to become what he believes is a better person for Grace to have something to offer her. He becomes a Navy SEAL and the only thing that keeps him going through all the horrible training is the thought if Grace.
Grace tried to get her life back on track and finish law school but she constantly thinks of him.

I feel if I go into any more of the story here I'll spoil it as this is where it had me totally gripped wanting more and the book is just kept giving.
I absolutely loved it. Carson was yum but kind and caring and sweet and sexy and just yum!
Grace was a bit of a sap to begin with but she pulled herself through and came out a strong (ish) woman.

The back story to this was amazing, heartfelt and had you wanting to know more.
The side characters were great and it was just an all round wonderful book but I didn't expect any less from Mia!!

The reason I've dropped a star is because of the huge time jumps but reflecting back I guess it was needed to give the full story of their lives.

"Sometimes you don't even realise anything is wrong until someone comes along and changes you, and makes you want more. In my case, it was a beautiful girl with a plan who shattered the world I thought I knew. And when I put the pieced back to together, they were all re-arranged, different; and so was I. Until her, I had never even considered the possibilities."

This is book number 3 but it's a standalone and in no way connected to the first 2. However if you haven't read Leo, & Leo's Chance, I would highly recommend them my reviews for both are on the blog.

Blog Tour ~ Review ~ Starlight (Peaches Monroe 2) by Mimi Strong

Book Description:

So, I fly my rockin' curves off to LA for the big Peaches Monroe (that's me) underwear shoot.

I'm nursing a broken heart from you-know-who, when along comes Keith Raven. Sexy, tanned, and nearly naked. He's my new co-model, and let me tell you, Keith is the full package with a big package (wink, wink).

My new bestie Mitchell warns me that all male models are walking disasters, but I think Keith's different. He meditates, for example. And, unlike some people, he doesn't toy with my affection.

Staying at Keith's apartment in LA and swimming in his pool is heavenly, not to mention the more intimate details of our Rebound Arrangement. What's a Rebound Arrangement, you ask? It's a fixed-length romance and a great way to turn your world upside-down.

Meanwhile, Dalton Deangelo is trying to redeem himself and win me back. He sucks at redemption, but he is charming.

Somebody please stop me, because if I keep slamming my heart like this, it's going to break.

***Peaches Monroe is a 3-book series or trilogy, and book 3 will be released December 2013***

Find it on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18217840-starlight

 

Our Review:

 

**ARC Received for honest review**

 

Reviewed by Dawn ~ 4.5 Stars

 

This book picks up where Stardust left of with poor Peaches heartbroken and angry about what she's found out Dalton has being doing all along. And quite rightly so, I was mad with him too!!

Peaches continues with her modelling for the underwear line where she meets the male model, Keith Raven. The relationship that forms between Peaches and Keith is cute but I just didn't feel it! Don't get me wrong I loved Keith but I just didn't think they had as great a connection as her and Dalton.

Peaches ends up staying with him because she can’t go back to Dalton’s and they develop more than just a physical relationship and at times Peaches can see herself settling down with Keith, they decide on a rebound relationship as he is just out of a long term relationship with Tabitha, they're going to help lick each others wounds, literally!!

"I'd make fun of your ex, Tabitha," I said. "Except I do a lousy impression of skinny-ass-having, ex-boyfriend-fucking, Las-Vegas-slutting, bag-o-hair-best-friending, meek little anorexic whores. Mainly because of my cheekbones."

Keith is a little odd at times, and he's got a past he's not proud off. 

"You act like an earth muffin, but you're a sex freak."

He has a sister who is a whole bag of crazy and I SERIOUSLY dislike!!

There's a huge "OH MY GOD" moment where we find out what the BIG secret from Peaches past is and when I found out I thought "I can't believe I didn't figure this out!"
I had mixed feelings out this secret, I'm not sure of some of the decisions she made but I can see why she made them. It also made me realise why she has some of the issues she has, her lack of confidence in herself and her choice of relationships or lack of them. It also made me feel incredibly sorry for her at the same time.
I loved that she found it so easy to confined all this in Keith when she's kept it hidden from the world for so long it showed she felt a great connection to him.

Through her journey in LA she makes a new friend in Mitchell who is absolutely brilliant, I'd love to have him as a friend and they have some great times and laughs together.

We see some of Dalton in this one but not as much as I'd have liked I want him to fight for Peaches more to show her it was more than just a movie to her and he really cared.
At one point she has to decide if she should choose him over Keith.....(you'll need to read it to find that out!)

Now she's back in Beaverdale she's back to reality with a bit of a bump. Also at home is Aiden her high school crush that never was! I think deep down I'd love to see how they get on in a relationship together. But I guess we'll need read the next two books to see if anything will happen there.

In summery I loved this one I didn't find it had quite as many lol moments as Stardust and was slightly more serious that said I also felt it needed to be to answer the questions that were left burning. I still giggled and I still loved Peaches and the situations she somehow always manages to get herself into.

"If you're trying to make me feel like s*&^ on toast, it's working. I'm dressed in a drag queen's clothes, I got a tattoo I'm too scared to look at, I narrowly escaped getting arrested, and now the world's most beloved TV vampire is telling me I suck at life"

As it left us with a bit of a "What the hell" moment and I'm desperate to read book 3 now, like RIGHT NOW!!!!

Another great book from Mimi Strong who is now one if my fave authors.

Mimi Facts!

 Q. Wasn't the first book originally called “We are Made of Stardust?” Why did you change it?
A. I love weird titles, but it was too weird, even for me. Even I kept mistyping the thing, so I knew readers were having trouble with that mouthful.

Q. How many Peaches Monroe books will there be?
A. After Book 1 came out, I asked my readers how much Peaches they wanted. Everyone said they loved Peaches, wanted the experience to never end, and wanted many, many books. I don't usually write long series, so I decided to make it 4 books, total. That's a quadrilogy. Each one is a full-length novel with its own storyline, and the books are inter-linked

Q. When is book 3 coming out? And book 4?
A. I haven't set a date yet. I write fast, so it won't be too long, but I need to take my time and take care of Peaches while simultaneously torturing the poor girl. Writing a series with a character that readers love so much makes me feel like Peaches Monroe is a real person, and I'm just licensed to write her story. If I don't do a great job, I worry I'll get fired. So, I'm going to try to get you more books as quickly as I can without getting fired. (Don't worry about my mental health; I hear this is completely “normal” for authors of series.)

Q. What's the hardest part of writing?
A. Usually I say it's the words. But today I'll be serious and give you a serious answer: fear. Always the fear. I'll be typing a sentence and imagine a specific person reading that sentence, and it stops me cold. It's a huge mind game to get over that stage fright. Some authors drink. I've tried a beverage or two, and it doesn't help at all, so I just have to stare down the blank page and the fear, totally sober, like a good role model. (You're welcome!)

Q. Will Peaches find love?
A. Um, what do you think? Do I seem like a particularly cruel author? ;-) I'm trying to write a romance here! I think it will happen, eventually.

Author Links:
www.mimistrong.com
www.facebook.com/mimistrongauthor
www.twitter.com/mimi_strong

Book 1 ~ Stardust

Book #1, STARDUST will be ON SALE for 99 cents during the blog tour, and is available now at:
Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/14vIWmi
Amazon.co.uk - http://amzn.to/18ZKGVu
Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1abvAl6
Kobobooks - http://bit.ly/12ib911

 

You can read our review for Stardust here: http://www.theromancecover.com/2013/07/review-giveaway-we-are-made-of-stardust.html

Review: Wicked Beat (Sinners 4) by Olivia Cunning @oliviacunning

Reviewed by Willow & Dawn

**ARCs received for honest reviews**

What Willow says: 4 Stars

I am a massive fan of Olivia Cunning's Sinners series. Over the last 4 books we have gotten to know the characters well and so diving back into the sinners world felt like meeting up with old friends.

Now I have to say for those of you that don't know, although this is the last Sinners book to be published, it is actually book 4. Double Time, which is Trey's story is the final book, book 5, but it was published before Wicked Beat. I understand that this was the publisher's decision and not Olivia's due to demand for Trey's book. Now I cannot stress this enough - if you haven't read the series yet or are only half way through, please read them in the order they were meant to be. Because I read Double Time when it came out, I read about events that happened after Wicked Beat. This meant that when reading Wicked Beat I already knew things that where yet to be revealed to me. I wont say that it ruined my enjoyment, because I love these books, but I do wish I had read them in the proper order to get the full effect of Wicked Beat. Here is the correct order:

Book 1 Backstage Pass ~ Brian's Story

Book 2 Rock Hard ~ Sed's Story

Book 3 Hot Ticket - Jace's Story

Book 4 Wicked Beat ~ Eric's Story

Book 5 Double Time ~ Trey's Story

I have to say that going into Wicked Beat Eric was my least favourite Sinner. But on reflection I think that this is because we didn't see as much of him in the previous books as the other guys. My view of him has totally changed after reading this book, he is actually a really nice guy that just really needed some one to believe in him. He has had a tough life and you see how this has effected him.

Enter Rebekah. Following the tour bus crash Dave, the sound technician, is still recovering. The Sinners need a new sound Tech and Dave knows just the person - His Sister. Things are not going to be easy for Rebekah though, being a female, will she be accepted by the band and the crew? Especially as one crew member thought that he was going to get the sound tech job.

The moment Eric lays eyes on Rebekah he instantly feels he's got to have her, so when the band ask him his thoughts on Rebekah joining the crew, he says yes. His happiness is short lived though when, like most girls she seems to only have eyes for Trey.

As Eric and Rebekah get to know each other Rebekah starts to see Eric in a different light. Rebekah has a secret though and when Eric finds out will he still want her? Eric has always doubted his worth, and so when challenges are thrown there way Eric is left questioning what Rebekah sees in him and what he has to offer. Can they heal each other?

I actually loved Rebekah's character, although I did find her odd at times and I loved how she was totally lusting after Trey in the beginning, but once she got to know Eric starting taking notice of him more. I challenge anyone to read this book and not fall in love with Eric Sticks. Like Jace (my favourite Sinner) he is so much more than you see on the outside.

A Sinners book wouldn't be a Sinners book without super hot sex scenes and there are plenty of these as the characters get to work through their issues. 

As always you also see snippets of the other Sinners lives which is always great. I am really sad that this is the last Sinner book, I will miss these characters alot, but they will be filed on my kindle under "super hot pick me ups" for when I need to get out of a book slump!

I highly recommend the whole series!   

What Dawn says: 4.5 Stars 

I have loved all the Sinners books and was really looking forward to meeting Eric Stick as I found him a little odd in the other books.
He was involved in a few of the hot scenes in the other books but I felt he had a story to tell a reason he was always involved in the bedroom with the other guys but never really had his own girl. He always seemed lonely and a little sad.

When I first started reading this and there was a lot of Trey I was worried this wasn't going to be entirely Eric's story, but it was.
Rebekah is the replacement sound technician who will be touring with the guys and Eric takes to her straight away but she's all about Trey and doesn't telly see Eric for what he is. So I wasn't too sure if she was gonna be the right girl for him but then there's a scene with all three of them and she declines to have both of them. Her and Eric make a mutual agreement to have a relationship of sorts and when offered to have them both again she chooses Eric over Trey and that's when I began to really like her.
Eric needs a bit of love, affection, TLC and a help with his control issues. Every fantasy they have had, they cover it—naughty nurse, misbehaving French maid, cowboy, naughty school boy...the list goes on. While they're "at it", they heal a lot of old wounds they both have.

During all this they have some current issues to be dealing with too. One being Rebekah's mum and the other her ex!
Her mum is a whole bag of crazy and hates Eric, she thinks he's no good for and is horrible to him at times. She also thinks the sun shine Isaac's, me I didn't like him and I thought Rebekah showed him too much attention and he made Eric feel like nothing.

In this book Eric becomes so much more than the guy in the background. His character truly develops and what a great character he is. Rebekah really annoyed me in places and I wanted to shake her but in the end she proves her self to be worthy of Eric. This is the main reason I'm dropping half a star and only giving it 4.5. As always a great book from Olivia. I'm off to read Double Time now.

Review & Giveaway ~ We are Made of Stardust (Peaches Monroe 1) by Mimi Strong

Today we have a Spotlight on We are Made of Stardust by Mimi Strong. We have a review, excerpt, a quick Q&A with the author & a Giveaway!  

 

 

Our Review:

 

Reviewed by Dawn ~ 5 Stars & Donna ~ 4 Stars

We have had the pleasure of reviewing one of Mimi's other books and enjoyed it so we were looking forward to this. The fact it's compared to a certain British Chick-Flick gives the impression of a fluffy read. It's anything but, it's outright hilarious here are the texts we shared whilst reading it:

"Seeing him on my TV screen made my woowoo smile. Smelling him in person made my woowoo jump up and down doing a rain dance."

Dawn; God We Are Made of Stardust is sooooo funny!
Donna; Yeah I enjoyed it. Sad at the end though.
Dawn; Oh no!!!!! Is it not a HEA???
Donna; Semi cliffy.
Dawn; Oh No!!!! ;-(
Dawn; Donna Peaches is annoying me a little!!! Why does she keep running from him??? And why did she not enjoy the s e x??? He's a god!!!!!
Donna; He is good but is he all that he seems :-( I need book 2 as I am sure he will redeem himself.
Dawn; Ah is he not what he's making out?? I'm only 47%.
Donna; He is lovely but at the end something happens, it is always at the blinking end. Lol
Dawn; Well if she stopped running away from him we wouldn't need to wait till the end!!! Lol
Dawn; Omg this book is soooooooo funny!!!!! I can't stop laughing.
Donna; It is funny Peaches is a scream.
Dawn; I've got the giggles now and have tears running down my face! Peaches is brilliant!!!!
Dawn; Donna is Dalton using Peaches ??? I'll not be happy with him!!!
Donna; Cant give anything away. How far are you?
Dawn; 66%. I'm loving him but I'm worried he's gonna hurt her. I love Peaches!!
Donna; There is something and I am worried read quicker then we can talk.
Dawn; Ok I'm finished and......Gaaaaaaaaah!!!! It can't end there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Donna; Told ya!
Dawn; I don't think it's what she thinks. I think he loves her. And he did that after he met her.
What kind of movie do u think he's making?
I want to know what her secret is that she wouldn't tell him!!
Donna; I know I want to think that too but he recited so many lines why???
Dawn; I think he said the lines then wrote that. I hope so anyway Peaches is to nice to get her heart broken. And he seemed to really care!
But then there's Aiden he's into her too and I think she still likes him! And would he be better for her??
Donna; I have so many questions too but I guess we need to wait for the next book.
Dawn; I want it NOW!!!!!!!

"Join me in the darkness, walk through my dreams, and hold my hand in the morning light."

Here's our what we said afterwards;

Dawn; I loved that Peaches wasn't your average stunning paper thin book girl she was a bubbly "curvy" girl with a lot of character with a lot of wit.
Donna; She was definitely not your stereotypical waif that we are constantly reading about!! She was curvy, she was bubbly, she was quick witted, she was ballsy, she took no s**t, she told it how it was no sugarcoat. You knew where you stood with her but she had an amazing dry sense of humour.

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” she snarled.
“Let go of me before I punch you some new freckles!”

Dawn; Yeah she was funny as hell. But you know she did annoy me that she ran from him a few times though. And I want to know what her secret is too. How do u feel about Dalton?
Donna; I think the reason she ran was because she had no self confidence, she could not believe that he would be remotely interested in her and was just waiting for him to tell her it was all a joke. She wanted to get out before he asked her to leave. Only after a few dates did she let herself believe he did actually feel something for her.
Dawn; I think he did actually feel something for her but at the same time he seemed too good to be true. he seemed to have fun with her and be himself, though except that once when he was Drake (fans face!!).
So are you team Dalton or Adrian??
Donna; Dalton Dalton Dalton, I loved him right up until the end and then I was like WTF! Personally I don't think it is as it seems but it doesn't look good. I actually thought he really really cared about Peaches and the way they were around each other was comical to read, they brought out the best in each other and complimented each other hence why I don't want to see anything happen to them.
Dawn; Totally agree. I don't think it is as it seems either but I still don't know if she will believe him if its not. When they were together they were so at ease it seemed like they'd always been together. Their banter was brilliant even in their texts to each other.

He growled in my ear, "Tell me if I'm moving too fast."
"I've been here less than a minute and you've checked out my tits and now you're frisking my ass for concealed cameras or something. I don't know, is that too fast?"

There is a tiny part of me that's holding out hope for Adrian to save the day but I want her and Dalton to work too they are so good together.
I want book 2 NOW!! 2 months is to long.
Donna; I can't wait to see where this is going, there is so much to find out still, secrets to come out the ending was cruel and a b***h...not the worst cliff hanger but one of those where you are like no no no no you cannot end it there...it's just getting to the best bit lol.
Dawn; Yeah I hated Mimi for doing that to us (but I don't anymore)!! There are loads of questions to be answered from Mr Hot-shot-actor!!

"Lets just be two souls tonight. Two souls who are made of stardust, and made their way back to each other, the way they were destined to."

Our ratings and overall thoughts;

Dawn; So a definite 5 from me it had me in fits, it was hot and steamy, the side characters were fantastic too (her mum had tears rolling down my face) and I would recommend it to everyone I know!! How about you?
Donna; I wouldn't go to a 5 but a strong 4 from me I loved it and I cannot wait for the next one and yes I would recommend it, a light hearted, yet steamy romance a perfect blend!

Some more of our fave quotes;

"I'm the girl you ask to come over and give your cat his daily pills while your on vacation. And, by the way, I don't like the way your cat looks at me. Like even he knows I'm the dull one."

I stopped laughing, shocked by how hard and big his arm felt under my fingertips. My goodness. More food comparisons came to mind. Was I hungry or horny? I couldn't tell.

"And I'm doubly sorry to be poking my boner into your belly button while your telling me this very personal story."

  

Excerpt:

 

Dalton's hand landed on my knee.

Hand-on-knee alert!

The hand lingered on my knee, sending delicious heat into my body, including the zesty taco zone.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I was coming on too strong, wasn't I? I can be dramatic sometimes. Hazard of my career, I suppose. At least I'm not on a cop show, or I'd probably interrogate you or put you in handcuffs.”

I swallowed hard at the idea of handcuffs. “I'm not entirely against the idea of kissing you, but if you're going to do it, just do it. Don't tell me you're going to—”

He moved swiftly, hooking one arm behind my back so I couldn't fall off my chair or get away. His lips were on my mouth, his face in my face, and the kiss felt as right as anything had ever felt right in my life.

Fireworks.

He gathered my lower lip between his and gently sucked as his breath warmed my face. People were still tapping silverware on glasses and encouraging people to kiss. The room swam around me, and it seemed like everyone was kissing, in the beautifully-decorated banquet room, with soft music playing and the scent of flowers and fresh bread in the air. How could you not kiss in a room like that?

Dalton pulled away, quickly looking down, as if embarrassed.

I looked at his hand on my knee and found my own hand on top of his, squeezing his thick fingers. I loosened my grip, and at thesame time, he flipped his hand to be palm up, holding my hand tenderly.

His voice husky, he leaned in toward me and said, “Thanks for letting me tag along with you today.”

“Thanks for running into my bookstore. Why were you running, anyway?”

He winced. “Stupid reporters.”

“Was it just the usual Hollywood stuff, or did you do something scandalous?”

“You mean like crash someone's wedding?”

“I guess you don't have to tell me.” I squeezed his hand and reached over with my free hand to take a sip from my second glass of wine. “I am a woman, though. And we're curious. Why don't you just tell me what's happening, so I don't have to sneak off to the ladies' room and scan through the gossip sources on my phone?”

He looked away, gazing at the newlyweds while displaying a breathtaking profile. Strong jawline, thick dark hair. That chin dimple was probably insured for a million bucks. Ugh. Even his ears were the cutest things ever, with all his cartilage folds being a thousand times more handsome than the ears of regular folks.

Where was that evil photographer? Why was he not getting more evidence of my once-in-a-lifetime handsome actor date?

I took a deep breath and let out an audible sigh—audible by accident.

Dalton turned to me with an intense look, the kind I'd seen him do on TV about a thousand times, right before he delivers a bombshell of a line.

Those gorgeous lips of his began to move. “Let's just be two souls tonight. Two souls who are made of stardust, and found theirway back to each other, the way they were destined to.”

Gulp. “And?”

“Let's wait for our table number to be called, go stand in line for roast beef, and never let each other go.” He squeezed my fingers.

The way he was looking at me. The effect he was having on my whole body, from my swollen ladylumps to my actual freakin’ heart. Two souls made of stardust? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I reached for my wine and tossed it back.

Nodding, I said, “Tonight, we are two souls.”

 

Buy Links:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/14vIWmi
Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1abvAl6
Kobobooks - http://bit.ly/12ib911
AllRomanceEbooks - http://bit.ly/1aKWgYG

Q&A with Mimi Strong:

Q. Where did the idea for We are Made of Stardust come from?
A. My favorite romantic movie is Notting Hill, and I think any of us who've worked a retail job have fantasized about our favorite actor walking through the door! I think this story has been in my head for years. Most people would get so nervous, they wouldn't even speak to the actor, so I needed a girl who could hold her own and then some. Along came Peaches. She doesn't see herself as a fun girl, but oh boy is she fun.

Q. What kind of music do you listen to when you write?
A. The band that lives below me. But! Not anymore, because I've just moved. Me, Mr. Strong, and our two handsome kitties are now in a quieter neighborhood. Actually, We are Made of Stardust is the reason we moved. All that writing about quaint, quiet small town life in Beaverdale gave me a ferocious craving to move. So, in the middle of writing the book, we gave notice and started looking for a new place! I uploaded the book to Amazon about 8 hours before the movers showed up.

Q. Is the Peaches Monroe series going to be long? Is it a love triangle? Will every book end on a brutal cliffhanger?
A. I've never written a long, multi-book series. I hope that you readers will guide me. Please post reviews and talk about the book. Tell me what you'd like to see happen. I have some big, big plans, but nothing is locked in until it's published.

Q. Thong or granny panties?
A. I like a little coverage, but not so much that it sticks out above the waistband of my jeans.

Author Links:
www.mimistrong.com
www.facebook.com/mimistrongauthor
www.twitter.com/mimi_strong

Did you know Mimi's book For You is currently on sale?
 

Giveaway!

 

We have 3 ecopies of We are Made of Stardust to giveaway!

 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour ~ Leo's Chance (Sign of Love 2) by Mia Sheridan

 

As part of the blog tour we have our review, an excerpt, an ebook giveaway and a Tour wide giveaway you won't want to miss! 

 

Leo's Chance is book two in the Sign of Love series by Mia Sheridan. 

 

 

Does everyone deserve a second chance? Even someone who lies and deceives to get it?

Do we all have a second chance coming? Even if we play a part in our own destruction?

How hard would you fight to have a second chance at love? A second chance at life? Another chance to tell your own story?

Every love story has two sides. Evie told hers. This time it's Leo's chance.



  

**ARC Received for honest review**

Reviewed by Dawn & Donna ~ 5 Stars

What Dawn says:

I'm always scared to read the same book from a different POV, I've been burnt in the past, especially from the guys POV but I loved Leo and I love Mia's writing so I was excited to read this. And I'm so glad I did. 

I loved how once again she went from past to present and we got to see why he did what he did to Evie all those years ago. I feel better now I know more from his side and I understand his true emotions better. 

Even at the end of Leo I thought...deep down if he wanted out he could have just left. 
Right?? 
Wrong!! 
And what made that clear to me was his conversations with Dr Fox not only his psychologist but obviously a guy who cares about him a lot. There is a part in the book that I wanted to shake his hand and say "thank you, for doing that" cause it was something Leo wanted to do but could find it in himself to do. I think this is a break through point for him where he realises he is actually worth caring for, and people actually do care about him even when they know his past, who he was, what happened to him and the scar and daemons he still carries from it all. 

All the lying he did in the start of Leo didn't sit well with me but I forgive him now and I see how much he struggled with it, he wanted to tell her but he was scared of the rejection he could face and losing her all over again after getting her back. 

     "I'm a worthless coward who took what I wanted. And I wanted her, and I thought that was the only way I could keep her from leaving. I panicked and lied, and now…. I know I have to tell her but I'm so fucking scared."

I felt more emotion in this one too. I cried A LOT (I was blubbering) the emotions for Leo are so raw in this book as we watch him heel and open up to Dr Fox there was one scene in the hospital where my heart broke for him then when he has to tell Evie the whole story that was so emotional I couldn't see my kindle for a fair bit of this book. 

But I was also happy a lot too. As well as getting inside Leo's head for the horrible raw emotions we are also there for the good stuff I loved too, like the worlds greatest ice-cream, mint and the t-shirt I think I laughed more at that this time. 

And being in his head for the sex scenes is just WOW it's H O T!!! 

Having read the first book and in my review saying I wanted more of their future together I was ecstatic when I got to the epilogue and we go so much more than I expected. 

If anyone deserved a beautiful HEA it was these two right here. 

My favourite lines from the book are in this one too. 

    "Why are you looking at me?" she asks. 

I know what she wants from me though so I give it to her "Because I like your face." 

I will definitely be buying anything Mia writes she is a talented and amazing writer and I highly highly recommend you to go out buy this and devour it like I did.  

"Despite all the pain that we had endured to be where we are, in the end, love won."

If you have read Leo what are you waiting for get reading this!!!! 

If you haven't read it now then read this. Both fabulous books you can find my review of Leo here

What Donna says:

Just a reminder that this is Leo (Mia’s first book in this series) told from Leo’s POV, so therefore you need to have read this first for this book to have any meaning. Leo was always going to be a hard act to follow as it was a gorgeous book, but Mia outdid herself with this one. I always thought it would be extremely difficult for a woman to write a man’s POV and some authors have tried and miserably failed, but this author is not one of them.

Just like the first book, the writing style pulled you in and the writing just flowed and flowed, it is very easy to read. Even though I knew what was going to happen it did not detract from the story as you were seeing it through a totally different perspective.  I loved the way that the book went from past to present, it helped a great deal in understanding Leo, I don’t think that anybody truly appreciated what he went through in Leo, but this book brings it all out into the open all the good, bad and the ugly and it could get pretty ugly.

Leo had gone through a lot of abuse at the hands of his step mother and he had internalized a lot of the blame for this. He somehow felt that it was his fault and he should harbour some of the guilt because of the way his body had reacted to her. His shrink in the hospital was amazing and such a fab character and I was so glad that he had managed to try and break through Leo’s walls to get him to understand how his step mother had operated. It was also really good to read how he had ensured he did not taint his step fathers memory and had thrown himself 100% into the company as a way of trying to make up for all the wrongs he perceived he had made. I believe deep down he knew that his step father had shouldered a lot of guilt for what happened to Leo and that is probably what ultimately caused his demise.

I loved the way that Mia Sheridan managed to make me love Leo even more than I did before. He was always her protector and yet we never truly appreciated the depth of his feelings. The mental torture he puts himself through in this book, trying to weigh up the pros and cons of what he is doing, whether it was fair on Evie what he was doing. Agonising over revealing his true identity, the love he had for her that just oozed out of the pages. I was anxiously awaiting the tattoo reveal and was dreading it, especially knowing what was going to happen…but his torment was crushing…you could tell he truly loved her and it was heart breaking to read. I loved the way we were also shown his agony when he first moved away and the reasons behind him not keeping in touch, it helped to understand so much better.

I am a sucker for an epilogue and this book did not disappoint, I was soooo happy, and we got extra scenes. The epilogue was told from Evie’s POV which was a lovely touch. I loved that the steam level in this book was hotter than the first, this really added to the intensity of Leo’s feelings. Reliving the popping of the V was emotional especially when he realised she had saved herself for him.

All in all I love this series and this was a brilliant addition and I am so glad that we got to experience this story from both sides of the coin.

Loved it!!

 

I’m Mia Sheridan and I’m an avid reader, and now writer! of romance and erotic novels. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio with my husband who is a police officer and my biggest fan (not necessarily in that order).  We have four children here on earth and one in heaven. When I’m not sitting on my couch with my head buried in my Kindle, I can be found writing or doing anything creative from building a patio, to sewing pillows. The wild hairs I get know no bounds. Leo is my debut novel, but my head is swimming with more…

 

Win an ecopy of Leo's Chance by Mia Sheridan

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Mia also has this amazing tour wide giveaway going on!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tangled by Emma Chase

Reviewed by Donna, Dawn & Willow

What Donna says: 5 rolling on the floor laughing, tears streaming, rib tickling tummy spasms from laughing so hard stars!!

OMG, what have I just read….only the funniest, craziest, jaw dropping book I have EVER read…are we sure that Emma Chase really is a woman???? Seriously, how can a woman have so much insight into a blokes head….and be so freaking accurate…I had to ask a few blokes what they thought of a few of Drew’s thoughts etc and they were like yeah I can relate to that, or yeah why didn’t I think of that…who is this Drew, can I meet him, I think we could be best friends!!

I absolutely adored Drew, he was hilarious, even though he just thought he was being a player!! Pre Kate he was just soooooooo…..whats the word I’m looking for…obnoxious, head up his own arse, confident, cocky, arrogant…everything you would steer clear of on a night out..he just wants to play the game, no strings, no names just an easy lay to release the stress…

The prologue was hilarious, you could tell that Drew was not suffering from man flu, but it made you want to find out what had happened to make him fall into this state…it could only have been the love of a woman…7 days holed up in his flat…it was the embarrassment that he had actually failed to get a woman, how could anybody dare to not want Drew Evans, how dare any girl break the heart of the player that was Drew Evans??

I loved Kate, she was successful, confident, stunning and she took no shit in a mans world…. Drew had already met Kate in a bar a few nights before he was introduced to the new Exec at his dads firm…Kate had been on his mind for days since she knocked him back at the bar and now his worst nightmare was sitting across the meeting room from him and they were in competition…not good!! But this makes for some amazeballs writing, my personal favourite is when they are both trying to get to the office the earliest..before it was even mentioned in the book all I could think was War of the Roses..this had me peeing my pants especially as I had been there and done that..it was oh so familiar.

Emma Chase style of story telling was both imaginative and so different from anything else I have read, the narration from Drew’s mind, his little anecdotes and his thoughts and sub conscious had me howling with laughter, this is total genius from Emma Chase. If you ever want to know what a man is thinking, this is the book to read.

I don’t want to say too much as it will spoil it and there is only so much you can say about being inside a blokes head…other than it is messy…but here are some of my favourite quotes from the book…I had highlighted loads (well almost the whole book) and I ain’t typing all of them out so a select few will have to do….

“You know on TV when there’s one of those awkward, shocking moments and all you hear are the crickets in the background?

Well chirp fucking chirp...this is one of those moments.”

“For God's sake, don't let her watch Cinderella. What kind of example is that? A mindless twit who can't even remember where she left her damn shoe, so she has to wait for some douchebag in tights to bring it to her? Give me a frigging break!”

“It makes me want to kiss her and strangle her at the same time. I’ve never been into S&M. But I’m beginning to see its benefits.”

“Newsflash, ladies: We can’t read your thoughts. And frankly, I’m not entirely sure I’d want to. The female mind is a scary place to be.”

“It’s simple guy logic: If a woman is angry? It means she cares. If you’re in a relationship and a chick can’t even be bothered to yell at you? You’re screwed. Indifference is a woman’s kiss of death. It’s the equivalent of a man not interested in sex. In either case—it’s over. You’re done.”

Absolute freaking genius, Emma Chase I love you…you have to write more…I cannot pimp this book enough, go out and buy, you will not be disappointed!!

What Willow says: 5 stars

This book is so refreshing. Its not often a book is told solely from the male's POV, but that's not just it - the way it's told, being inside Drew's head is witty and funny. Ok so I'm going at admit something here - don't throw anything at me - I wasn't finding it as funny as some of you were, my husband never had to ask me what I was having a laughing fit about, but that doesn't mean I didn't find it funny - I did smirk quite a lot. It was quick to read, light and fun and I enjoyed it a lot.

The way it started was great, I love prologues that start the book halfway through the story and then you have carry on reading to find out how they got to that point.

The characters are all great. As I said Drew is witty and funny and the change you see him go through as he realises is emotions is great. Kate is strong and feisty at times and even the side characters are fab.

There are many great lines in this book, but being a twilight fan this one springs to mind:

Edward Cullen can take his stupid Heroin and OD on it. Kate is my own Personal brand of Viagra.

I'll admit something else here too - I had never seen The Notebook (I know right?) but reference to it in this book made me go watch it!

A great book that is simply a must read!

What Dawn says:  5 Stars

This book was fantastic. I loved it was from the male POV. We get right inside Drew's head feeling all his crazy male emotions. Cause let's face it they to have a crazy way of thinking!! 

Drew is used to getting things he wants and not having to wait around for them.... Until Kate comes along and makes his work his ass off to get her. 

Kate is a strong woman who has got where she is by working hard. She's not about to let Drew walk all over her in the office or otherwise. 

The book was fun, witty and entertaining. Like Willow I wasn't laughing out loud but I did get asked a couple of times what I was smirking at!! 

It's a quick refreshing read but it still has the angst and steam we all love in our books. 

The side characters were good too. I loved his relationship with his niece. And "The Bitch" was a great character. 

I would definitely recommend this. 

I'll leave you with a few of my fave bits; 

 "Fine’s a funny word, don’t you think? I don’t think there’s another like it in the English language that says so much while actually saying so little. How many wives have told their husbands, “I’m fine,” when they really mean, “I want to cut your balls off with a butcher knife”? How many men have told their girlfriends, “You look fine,” when they really mean, “You need to go back to the gym and work out—a lot.” It’s the universal way of saying we’re just peachy—when we’re really anything but."

"Yep, you heard me right -she's a nun. But not just any nun, kiddies. Sister Beatrice was a NILF. I don't need to spell that one out for you, do I?" 

"Pussy whipped, thy name is Drew.

Yeah, I know. It's okay. I don't mind. 'Cause if this is the Dark Side? Sign me up. Seriously. Don't be surprised if I start skipping down the street singing, "Zip-a-Dee-fucking-Doo-Dah." I'm that happy."

Willow: I just want to say I have just read the girls reviews whilst preparing this post, and have been chuckling away to myself at the lines they have quoted! it is a really fun read and if you haven't read it you should - so thanks to Emma Chase, we've got an ecopy to giveaway!

 

The giveaway will be up on the blog shortly :-)   

Cautious (Disastrous 2) by EL Montes

Reviewed by Dawn, Donna & Willow ~ 5 Stars

To see our review of Book 1 ~ Disastrous click here

We've been patiently waiting for Cautious and were so excited when author EL Montes offered us an ARC to review for the blog. We've decided to do this review a little bit different that we usually do. We are going to share with you the messages we sent each other whilst we were reading the book so you can see what we were going through, and then we'll share our conversation after we'd all finished! 

Willow: Have you guys read the prologue? OMG!!

Donna: The Prologue is badddddddddddd :-(
Willow: I know WTH? I love that E's done it again, though this prologue is more shocking!!
Donna: Will probably finish today, but I'm scared!
Willow: I'm scared too!
Dawn: OMG who was that in the prologue!!! This better be a HEA!!
Donna: I'm now at 60% and bricking it!
Dawn: Oh no!
Donna: Only because I feel something bad is going to happen!!
Willow: I'm only at 25% but E can't do this to us can she???
Dawn: I hope not. In the prologue was that Marcus or Mia?
Donna: Or not them at all?  
Willow: I assumed Marcus was narrating, but it's not clear.
Dawn: I thought it was Mia narrating?!
Donna: I thought Mia too
Willow: Im going back to re-read!
Donna: Ooooo 70% think this is where it hits the fan! Need to take a breather.
Donna: OMG 86%...........
Dawn: Stop it I'm only 4%!! lol
Willow: No no no Donna!!
Donna: I'm on the Epilogue now and only answered a few emails today I'm sooo bad - it was just too good to put down.
Willow: I'm so Jealous right now Donna!!
Donna: Finished!
Dawn: Are you happy or sad?
Donna: There were some sad bits and some happy bits lol
Dawn: I think in the prologue it was Mia speaking, he calls her Babe, she calls him Baby.
Donna: Not saying
Dawn: Gaaaaaaah!!!
Dawn: I need to know about that prologue - we'll ask E in her interview whether she writes the prologue first or the book first and adds the prologue
Willow: Once again the prologue is genius!
Dawn: I'm dying to know what "the" secret is! And they are sure to find out the other one knew about it and they really wont be happy!!
Dawn: 57% and Gaaaaah! The way she's writing it is keeping the secret from us!  I just want to know!!
Willow: lol I felt like that, it's coming I promise! :-)
Willow: Wait until you get to around 83%, there's a line there that killed me! let me know when you get there!
Dawn: Gaaaaaah! I thought he was going to tell Jimmie on the phone, not skirt around it!
Willow: It is genius how she keeps you guessing though don't you think?
Dawn: I got to that line! "My deepest regret that night...." right?
Donna: Awwww sob sob sob!
Willow: Yep that's the line that broke my heart!
Dawn: I'm Scared.
Dawn: OMG they're going to walk in on it aren't they?
Donna: Have you got Kleenex? I cried lots

Dawn: Willow you've a heart of stone did you cry?

Willow: As you say I'm a cold hearted bitch, I didn't cry but I was extremely upset. I think the non crying was just shock more than anything. I just couldn't believe it!

And here's the discussion we had after:
Willow: The thing I loved about this book and Disastrous is although you have the story Marcus and Mia's relationship, there is just so much other stuff going on that grips you.
Dawn: I know I love all the side characters. Jeremy is funny. And Elle is so cute.It's good we get to see Mia building relationships with her family too in this one. And I felt for Marcus more in this one. He really doesn't want that life but he's trapped in it with very little options to get out. But he tries his hardest because he loves Mia and want a better life for them than his mum and dad had.

Donna: I felt that Marcus matured a lot in this book although I did feel that his reaction to "the secret" was not like him..he has led the family for so long I just felt that he would have reacted a bit differently. I did really feel for him though...I cried at his turmoil

Willow: I agree Donna, Marcus did seem much more mature in this book, but I get what you are saying about his reaction. The relationships with the other DeLucas was lovely to see - I am excited that EL has decided to do a book on Jimmies story. As you know I'm a sucker for alternative points of view in a story and I loved that Cautious does this, you get to feel both characters highs and lows. 

Dawn: Jimmies story will be good. He's a great character and has had some tough times and I think Ellie is going to give him some more!! Ha ha Hope he finds love too though.  Yeah the alternate POV is good. It means there's no gaps in the story and you're not left wondering what the other on is thinking or feeling. I felt Mia had grown a pair in this book too. She was much more willing to try for their relationship despite what Marcus did in his "other" life. She still didn't like it but was more willing to give it a go I thought.

Willow: So Dawn after Donna was warning you about Kleenex, did you cry?

Dawn: Of course!!! U know I cry at anything!! Lol

Donna: I went through a box of tissues and had red eye for ages...again I cried at the epilogue as well. I am wondering what will happen after the event with a certain character...I cannot see it being let go especially as there was no "punishment". Marcus did something that was so right yet so wrong but understand why he did it. I am just worried about the future repercussions. 

Willow: Perhaps this is what we'll see in Jimmie's story? 

Our Rating and Final thoughts:

Willow: Definitely 5 stars without a doubt. I couldn't put it down, I loved it. It's a great story and if you haven't read them you must! I <3 EL and will read anything she puts out there.

Dawn: 5 stars from me too. It's so much more than just a romance book. And we need more of them like this. I'll be waiting in line for her next one out.
Donna: 5 stars! One word: Amazeballs.

Undertaking Love By Kat French

Reviewed by Dawn 4 Stars

The moment love-phobic Marla Jacobs discovers that the shop next to her Little White Wedding Chapel is to become a funeral parlour, she declares all-out war.

 

Marla’s chapel in the sleepy Shropshire countryside has become a nation-wide sensation, but the arrival of Funeral Director Gabriel Ryan threatens everything Marla has worked for. She can picture the scene: wedding limos fighting for space in the street with hearses; brides bumping into widows; bouquets being swapped for wreaths

 

Marla’s not going down without a fight. She enlists a motley crew of weird and wonderful local supporters, and the battle lines are drawn. But, as soon as Marla meets her nemesis, she realises just how much trouble she’s really in. His gypsy curls and Irish lilt make her stomach fizz – how is she supposed to concentrate on destroying him, when half the time she’s struggling not to rip the shirt off his back?

 

This book has it all. I was in a total book funk when I stared this and I couldn't have picked a better book to get me out of it and cheer me up. 

This is like your favourite rom com in a book. But at the same time it's so much more.  

 

Kat manages romance, a little bit of steam, lots of laughter with some fabulous one liners and tears (I cried, like proper needed tissues and couldn't just use my sleeve tears) 

 

There are a lot of very touching moments in this book and they're not always much to do with the romance between Marla and Gabe which helps give a great feel for the side characters. 

 

There's also lots of LOL moments too my favourite being when Marla was on the floor hiding on her Birthday and Gabe was knocking on the door then he posted a note through the letter box, what he had written on it was brilliant. 

 

All the characters have a story and big parts to play even Bluey the dog. 

In each chapter there are parts told from the main group. Which sounds like it could be a muddle but its not and it totally works.....It lets us get a feel for everyone and your kept flicking the pages to find out what's going on then it flips to another character and its like mini cliffhangers in ever chapter. This is genius writing as it keeps the reader gripped. 

 

Marla is a tough cookie to crack and has no intentions of getting involved with Gabe cause he's not a safe option for her. But she can't seem to stop how she reacts to him. And how could she.....Gabe is a hot, tall, dark, handsome, tattooed, motorbike riding, Irish undertaker. Need I say more?! No not really. 

 

   Gables accent was enough to make a nun's knicker elastic twang 

 

And he does the sweetest things for her despite the fact she keeps pushing him away. (Which annoyed me!!) And he knew he wanted her he just had to convince her about it. 

 

    Because the simple, inescapable truth was that from the moment Marla Jacobs had opened the chapel doors and deliberately insulted him, Gabe had known with utter certainty that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. 

    It was just a shame that she couldn't stand the sight of him then. 

 

 

This book is WELL worth your money and your time reading I read it really quick. But it wasn't a short read it was a long read so there was no rush in the writing everything flowed really well and wasn't all rushed towards the end like some books are. 

 

The ending is great and it could be left just like that but it could also take off from there with anyone of them as the "main" story but with everyone else still in the background. I would love to read more books with this cast.