Bad Rep - A. Meredith Walters

"Who gives a damn about their reputation? Oh, that would be me! Especially since mine had gone straight to hell in the span of thirty minutes."

Maysie Ardin is soaking up the summer before her junior year of college, shopping, hanging by the pool and shopping some more. But when her black belt in spending lands her in trouble with her parents, she is forced to take a second job at a local bar to dig herself out of a deep financial pit.

She thought she’d be miserable. But then Maysie didn’t count on Jordan Levitt, the hot, pierced and tattooed, drum playing bartender who also happens to be very interested in her. And the feelings are totally mutual.

It had the makings of the perfect romantic set up. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Boy has girlfriend? Okay, maybe not.

But attraction is a hard thing to ignore and soon Jordan and Maysie find themselves in the middle of a gossip induced firestorm. Maysie has to learn whether she can set aside her fear of public disapproval in order to be with the one she wants. Or will she let the opinions of others dictate her life and her heart?

Oh this book... Okay, I know I'm the first one to say these stories are fiction and we need to go along to get along with the 21 year old virgins that fall into having sex with the multi-billionaire, sexy bad boy turned Prince Charming men.  We have to believe in love at first sight and the paranormal angel who falls in love with the human...and I'm totally for all of that.  I can be the first one to fall head over heels for those situations.  

Maybe I should start with the positives, I liked Jordan.  I liked that he was smart, seemed to be hard working and was a rock star drummer.  I liked that he felt like he could be a more honest version of himself with Maysie (although I still don't understand why he just didn't break up with Olivia when she got back from summer break if he thought he was having feelings for someone else). I liked that he didn't fit the stereotypical part for a drummer or a fraternity boy, and I loved when he stood up to Maysie's parents.

I loved Gracie and Riley, they would definitely make my best of the best friends list because they were loyal, funny in their own ways and brought out different sides of Maysie that let her be herself. They supported her even when I got tired of her life falling apart or her running away.  

Unfortunately, this book took a topic probably far too personal for me and for that reason I just couldn't get past some of the issues I saw.  Yes, I believe you can go to a small college (though 700 students small would have to be a TINY college) and have your reputation shredded by the entire student body since it would practically be like being in high school.  Or I believe you can go to a bigger school that can feel small when you join Greek life because it really is it's own community, and have your reputation shredded in the Greek system.  But I believe you have to pick one or the other.  If the story is a small college, then there is no way that at a school this small (that supported a Greek system) a member wouldn't have known every person in their chapter and probably in the Greek system as a whole because each chapter wouldn't be that big.  And because you would know all of your sisters, you would most likely know all of their significant others as well.  You would certainly know the President and her boyfriend, especially if they were a beautiful, perfect couple.  So I'm just not buying that Maysie and Jordan didn't know each other.  Maybe, if she was just rushing and wasn't already in the sorority, but no way did she spend a semester or a year in this chapter and not know the president and her boyfriend.  She would have seen them at mixers and formals and just hanging out on campus.  As a pledge, she would have made it her business to get to know everything about the President, especially in a sorority that hazes (I AM NOT EVEN GOING TO GO THERE WITH THIS ONE).  At a bigger school where you could have over a hundred girls in your chapter at a time and forty to fifty girls in your pledge class, yes...but when there are only 700 people in the school total...there is just no way.  I think I just have way to much intimate knowledge of the inner-workings of the Greek system for this book to have worked out in my head.

And yes, girls (not just sorority girls, but girls in general) can be bitches.  They can be backstabbing, jealous and evil.  And they can get even more vicious when it comes to boys.  I hate to admit I've probably been on all sides of these kinds of wars.  And I can live with the fact that the author made most of the girls look shallow and ridiculous because in most people's eyes that is what sorority girls are (from the outside looking in you can never understand it from the inside looking out you can never explain it), but I do think that some of it was a bit over the top even if this is your opinion.

As for me, I think I'll stick to the angels and egomaniac billionaires because I don't have real life experience at having those stories not make sense.

Ruining Me - Nicole Reed

Eighteen year old Jay Stevenson is living a horrible nightmare.

Two years ago, she had the world in the palm of her hand, but in one moment, it was ruined. Secrets, lies, and the worst imaginable betrayal haunt her new reality. Burying her problems under a cold façade seems to be the only way to cope until it all catches up with her. Soon, she loses control of the lonely world she built around her, and the past, present, and future collide.

Three guys are there when it all comes crashing down: JT, the perfect boyfriend she never wanted to give up; Rhye, the local bad boy “rock star” who made her forget the past; and Kane, the funny and sweet tattooed bartender who wants her future.

Secrets must be kept. Choices must be made. Is it possible to move forward while still chained to the wicked vices of the past?

At first this book reminded me of a Jillian Dodd novel, too many hot guys only one novel!!

I fell first for Kane pretty quickly and pretty hard.  There was just something about him, he was older, sexy, strong…and while it all happened so fast, I couldn’t help but want her to choose Kane.  And then there was JT…and he won my heart too.  He was the all-American boyfriend that every girl dreams of having in high school (and college and so on).  He loved her completely and never truly gave up on her even though she pushed him away.  The longer the story went on, the more of my heart he won over.  And then Rhye would throw himself into the mix, and while I never really saw him with Jay, there are a lot of girls who cannot turn down a bad boy rock star with a sweet side, so I could totally see why she may fall for him too.  Personally, I went back and forth between Kane and JT pretty much the whole book.

I knew right away what and who had caused her nightmares.  I figured the what was easy, but wasn’t sure if the who was supposed to be as easy to figure out.  Because of it though, I also understood a little bit why she kept that information to herself.  And the more I learned, the more I understood why she pushed everyone away.  I can’t even imagine what it would be like to live in that world inside your head.  I can see how it would be a living nightmare. 

But then Kane brings Jay back to the surface, back to the living and in doing so re-introduces her to the life that has been going on while she’s been in the dark.  Creating that new spark in Jay, also created an opening to bring JT back into her life.  I know people say they would love to have those kinds of problems, but even in the book world I was having trouble choosing so I couldn’t imagine that having to be someone’s real choice.  Someone’s heart will get broken.  Will it be the guy who owned your past? The guy who wants your future? Or both of them, and you run away with the bad boy? UGH!!!

And just when I thought I had made a choice and was happy with it, along comes the twist and GOOD LORD, THIS I did not see coming.  I wanted to crawl into Nicole Reed’s head and find out what she was thinking…how this came about and what the hell is going to happen next!

I’m mostly thankful I waited a bit to read this so I don’t have to wait too long for the next book to come out.    

Saving Grace - J.M. Hill

Grace Burke doesn’t need a thing.

She enjoys her quiet life in Fall Rivers, Colorado—running a bookstore and coffee shop with her cousin, Kate. The two have a successful business, a small circle of friends, and each other. What more could she want?

When the Anderson brothers move into the house across the street, it doesn’t take long for her to realize exactly what she’s been missing. At first sight, the youngest brother, Michael, captures Grace’s heart, and her quiet life is disrupted.

Then it turns upside down. 

Grace isn’t the only one with eyes for Michael. Nina Sandler, one of Michael’s clients, threatens to come between them. When Nina can’t get Michael’s attention, she focuses on Grace—in a very dangerous way.

But love is never easy and if the best things in life are worth fighting for, then Grace must find the courage to fight. Not just for love and happiness but for her very life.


I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book.  I honestly bought it because it was on others peoples TBR list and I saw it had made the lists for a couple of my favorite bloggers.  Add to that the amazing cover and I was sold.

How happy was I to find that I really loved this story.  I took a risk and it paid off.  I loved Grace! I found I had a lot in common with her, "Yes, I like football. I'd always felt a little insulted when guys presumed I didn't like sports just because I was female."  (Meanwhile I am writing this review while watching the NFC Championship game.)  So, J.M. Hill wrote a female lead who knew football, and was a Yankee fan...I can overlook the fact that she was a USC fan (as I'm an Irish fan) and a Broncos fan because she was in Colorado, and be totally sold on the chick that loves sports and quotes The Replacements "Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever."  I was in love.  Also, Grace loves books, ummm...is it possible that she is my best friend soul-mate? She is one of those characters I wish was real so I could be friends with her.

On top of that, there is  not one, not two, but THREE hot guys that are all amazing in personality as well.  WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE?!?

Oh, the crazy girl - yeah I guess I didn't love her so much!

There is so much love and loss that has happened in the lives of all of the characters in this book.  And even though they have every right to be angry and/or bitter, they've found a way to be thankful for what they do have.  I found this to be the best quote to fit that, "I wanted to comfort him in some way, but I knew when you've lost someone you love, comfort was difficult to find.  It doesn't matter if it's one year or eight, the heartache is always there."

I read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down.  I will definitely be waiting to read the next book, Garrett's story because I absolutely adored him.

I also want to love J.M. Hill a little extra for sending the Jets to the Superbowl in this book...it may not ever happen in my lifetime but I actually did let out a little cheer when I read it. :)

Flat Out Love - Jessica Park

He was tall, at least six feet, with dirty blond hair that hung over his eyes. His T-shirt read Nietzsche Is My Homeboy.

So, that was Matt.  Who Julie Seagle likes. A lot.  But there is also Finn.  Who she flat out loves.

Complicated? Awkward?  Completely.

But really, how was this freshly-minted Boston transplant and newbie college freshman supposed to know that she would end up living with the family of an old friend of her mother's? This was all supposed to be temporary.  Julie wasn't supposed to be important to the Watkins family, or to fall in love with one of the brothers.  Especially the one she's never quite met. But what does that really matter?  Finn gets her, like no one ever has before. They haveconnection.
But here's the thing about love, in all its twisty, bumpy permutations—it always throws you a few curves.  And no one ever escapes unscathed.

Do you know that feeling when you read a book or see a movie and you KNOW what is going on, right from the very beginning, you know what the mystery or secret is? You torture yourself the whole time because you don't want to believe what you know is true, but you KNOW you are right.  Your head fights with your heart but then all the little clues point to your head winning out...that's what reading this book was like for me.  I knew right away what was going on and it made me feel split down the middle.  Half of me was okay with it and half of me was heartbroken and the longer it went on, the more at war with myself I felt.

I think because I knew the whole time, it held me back from really falling head over heels for this book.  That's not to say that I didn't love it, because there were pieces that I absolutely loved.

I loved the facebook statuses, and the chatting.  I loved the relationship dynamics.  And in the end, I was sad to be done with the story, I could have continued reading about their lives now.

I think if I had been surprised by the twist in this story, there would have been no holding back for me and it would have been flat out love.  But, given that I did hold back some, and still loved the book, I would think that speaks a lot to the talent of Jessica Park.

The Edge of Never - J.A. Redmerski

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she's ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she'd do. He shows her what it's really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew's dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

I feel messed up... I feel drained... I feel... well that's the point right? Just that I feel.  This book made me feel.

I have to be honest, at first I wasn't sure I got it.  Everyone was raving about this book and I'd been putting it off because Angie (of Angie's Dreamy Reads) had told me it wasn't a light and breezy book and I wanted to be prepared for that.  I could never have prepared myself...

I was 18% into the book and someone asked me how it was going, I was afraid to admit - I'm not sure why everyone is loving on this book.  Don't get me wrong, it was well written and I really liked Camryn, but I wasn't in love with her just yet.  She's been through a lot in her life but I think because we didn't go through it with her, I wasn't overly emotional about it.  I wasn't as invested as when I've gone through those things with characters in other books.  The thing I really admired was that she wanted to let go and be who she wanted to be no matter what anyone else thought about her.  She took off into the unknown because it was what she wanted to do, "I guess when you just don't care it kind of makes fear your bitch."

And then I met Andrew Parrish...I think I fell instantly in love and I just didn't realize it until a little while later in the book.  Andrew is everything.  He's strong and passionate, he's possessive and persuasive and he is his own person.  He got on that bus to do one thing, and instead found that fate had left him with another plan.  "I was taking the long road and Camryn was taking the road to nowhere and it just so happens that they led to the same place." 

Even still I was thinking this is a good story, probably 4 - 4.5 stars for me, until I got to last few chapters and the story took a turn I never saw coming.  I had tears dripping down my face before I even realized it and the next thing I knew I ugly crying and yelling at my Kindle.  THIS is why Angie wanted to prepare me for this story! 

At the end, the quote from Remember the Titans rang in my head and I wanted to shout it at J.A. Redmerski, "does the term cruel and unusual punishment mean anything to you?"  And then the masochist in me felt like I had to re-read the last two chapters just to make sure I read it correctly.  

It's amazing how when a story comes together it can completely change the way you see the rest of the story...and I give in - FIVE FREAKIN' STARS!!!! YOU ALL WERE RIGHT!!!  

Okay, I am going to go try not to read that letter again... no promises! 

Fallen Too Far - Abbi Glines

To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far. 

First let me be honest and say I’ve had an on/off love affair with Abbi Glines since the first book of hers that I read The Vincent Boys.  I am not someone who just gives 5 stars to every book she writes because she wrote it.  That being said, I think this might be her best book yet! 

I absolutely fell in love with Blaire.  She’s a gun carrying southern girl who has struggled and worked hard.  She’s been through heartbreak that nothing can compare to…more than once.  She has already lost so much and given up so much of herself just to do what she believed was right.  And it left her alone. 

Abbi introduces us to a few swoon worthy men in this book.  I first thought I would love Grant…I mean what guy can laugh with, and feel protective of a girl who just pulled a gun on him?  I was holding out a little hope that maybe he would be the one.   

A little later on in the book we meet Woods who, although I’d been warned he’s not the nice guy he seems, I couldn’t help but fall for.  He seems to really like Blaire and treats her with some respect.  He protects her at work and tries to make her life there better.  I think even if he was a player, she could have been a game changer for Woods.   

And then there is Rush.  *sigh* I didn’t want to fall for him.  I tried to talk myself out of it.  He’s the spoiled son of a rock star that I knew was supposed to be no good for her.  He’s been all about himself forever.  He’s a jerk the moment we meet him, and he’s not shy about it either.  But there is something about him.  Something I couldn’t help but fall for and you can watch her fall for it too.  He kept saying that she didn’t know everything about him and she wouldn’t like him when she did…I knew I was setting myself up for heartbreak…I just didn’t know how badly. 

And now I’m left waiting until March to see if this broken heart can be mended.  Oh Abbi Glines…I have definitely Fallen Too Far!  

"Inside I knew he was meant to be the guy that taught me about life."

Up to Me (The Bad Boys #2 - Sequel to Down to You) - M. Leighton

Happily ever after doesn’t come easy. But for love, it’s always worth the fight.

Olivia finds bliss unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms. He sets her skin on fire and melts her heart right inside her chest. Unfortunately, their happily ever after is short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside down.

Dangerous people from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could put them away for a very long time. And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt anybody—to get it back. Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of his father and the life of Olivia.
Having nearly overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new threat arises. Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well. She soon discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only option. And this is one of them. If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her life. But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him with her heart.

"Every day, every hour, every minute I spend in his presence, Cash is getting further and further, deeper and deeper under my skin." Oh Olivia I know the feeling!

I started reading M. Leighton books with the Blood Like Poison trilogy, and I really enjoyed them...but this, the bad boys series, this is a whole different M. Leighton and I want to squeeze her so hard for bringing Cash into our lives.  I love her and hate her right now.  I love that she created this lovable bad boy and I hate that we are going to have to wait for more, because while I didn't think there was as bad of a cliff hanger at the end of this one, there is still a lot left unresolved and I have no idea how long I will have to wait for book 3.  But wait I will because I cannot get enough of Cash.  "I can't bear the thought of a world without him in it, even if he's not mine."

I love that we get both POV's from Olivia and Cash.  It's the ability to see into both of their heads that makes this story work. I also love that we get to see the thought process behind Cash's possessive, dominating side.  It's like everything he does is sexy and he's not even always trying.  And the sex scenes written for this book are HOT! But then there is this side of him, the side that makes him different from the other bad boys, "I'm asking you to trust me, Olivia. He turns to face me. "Trust in what you know about me.  Because I know, if you stop listening to your fear, you know who I am.  Deep down.  You know me, Olivia.  You know me." How could you not fall for this guy? Honestly!

This book did a better job of deceiving me.  There is one line where Cash says "What the fu-" and I was saying it out loud as well.  There were a few twists I just didn't see coming and that was exciting.  I mean when is the mob (Russian, Italian, Irish - doesn't matter) not exciting?

We were introduced to a few new people including Cash's friend Gavin who was dangerous and sexy.  I love a little accent! We also got a few moments with Olivia's mom who, well...she's just a mean girl all grown up.  Definitely icy.  We were also introduced to a new side of Marissa...one I'm not quite buying just yet...but we'll see in book 3.

I really enjoyed this sequel, maybe even better than the first book.  I can't wait to see what is in store for us in book 3.

"Cash's cover might be that of a bad boy, but the book, the inside is so much more." - AMEN!

A Beautiful Lie - T.E. Sivec

He saw her first, but his friend made the move.

She settled for the safer choice, but her heart knew the truth.

They love, they crave, they lie.

Garrett McCarthy, Annabelle Parker, and Milo Roberts were as close as friends could get. They shared in each other's joy during graduations, promotions, and engagements. They consoled one another through heartache and loss.

When one of the friend's life is tragically cut short, it's up to the two left behind to pick up the pieces and find out the truth - no matter the cost. As they slowly start to uncover the nature of his deception, and the very powerful people behind it, they begin to question everyone and everything, even themselves.

Everyone has secrets - some do it for love while others do it for power. Those secrets can change perceptions, alter reality and sometimes destroy lives.

What do you do when you find out your whole life has been a lie?

Is it safe to say I had reservations about starting this book? Yes.  I have read and loved Tara Sivec's Chocolate Lovers Series.  I laughed, I've cried from laughing and I briefly considered a kidnapping plot to move her into my house and make her tell me stories to make me laugh.  But can the same woman who used the words you can't say on TV (or Amazon) and used many sexual situations to make us laugh write something serious, and will I love it as much? Will it change my opinion of an author I absolute adore? - The answer is yes.  Yes, it changes my opinion of Tara Sivec.  If I thought I loved her before, I have no idea how I feel about her now because this book was amazing.

It picked me up from the first page and kept me reading through to the very end.  I did not want to put this book down.  Now that I've finished it, I keep thinking about it.  How much can one lie change your entire life? It's like the butterfly effect.  The ripples it leaves behind are ever reaching.

Parker is strong, independent and keeps a little piece of herself guarded from everyone.  Some of that is because of a secret she is keeping, but part of it is to protect herself from getting hurt.  In that way, I found her to be completely relatable to any female who doesn't want to get hurt.

Garrett McCarthy is a sexy, loving, wonderful best friend and Navy SEAL who would do anything to keep his best friend happy and safe.  It's what he's been trained for.  It was impossible to not fall in love with Garrett.

There are so many twists and turns in this book, and just when I thought I'd figured it all out...I was wrong.  The web of secrets and lies and SEALS is so great, I had to keep the pages turning to see what was going to happen.  I fell a little in love with each of the men on Garrett's SEAL team, and I found that I truly loved Parker.  A lot of female characters annoy me mostly, but I really loved her.

While at times there were things about Garrett and Parker that frustrated me and made me want to scream at them, I think that just shows how invested I was in them.

I once said I had a lot of respect for an author who started writing paranormal and then switched and had to create the magic and mystery without using supernatural means.  I honestly think this transition was even more impressive for me.  To read an author who used sex to make me laugh, to writing sex scenes that make you want to jump into the book.  The simple F word in her first books was used to make us laugh and in this book conveyed so much more feeling.  I'm not sure which part of her gets to wear the superhero outfit (Tara by day, T.E. by night?) but it's safe to say both sides of her are amazing.

This book erases all doubts...I am all in when it comes to whatever Ms. Sivec decides to write!