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!

The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden (Coincidence 1) - Jessica Sorenson

There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.

Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.

For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.

Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved.

Can I first just start by saying… I FREAKIN’ LOVE THIS COVER!!! It might be one of my absolute favorites.

Okay, now that that’s done.  I started this book after I read Hopeless by Colleen Hoover.  I usually try to give myself a couple days after something as emotional and epic as Hopeless was, but instead it more re-energized me and I wanted to dig my teeth into something else asap.  I had seen a lot of posts about this book and I was seriously drawn to the cover so I dove right in.  The only thing I should have been asking myself is, What took me so long?!?

This book is amazing! This was my first Jessica Sorenson book and I can tell you with certainty it will not be my last.  Her writing style keeps you reading and keeps you a part of the story so much so that I didn’t want to put it down.  Even though I thought I knew what had happened or what was going on in their lives (and I was right), I felt like I had this need to keep reading, I had to know what was going to happen and whether or not they would both be okay.  I didn’t want to be pulled away from the story for any reason.  

It is a heavy story, with serious issues, so if you are looking for something light and breezy, I would hold off on this one until you are looking for something that is more.  There are times your heart will hurt for Callie and Kayden.   

Also, if you are someone who can’t stand a cliff hanger…I would wait until the next book comes out so you don’t have to wait. because yes, this book has a cliff hanger.  But believe me when I tell you it is so worth it.  This book is captivating, well-written and these two beautifully broken characters deserve to be read.   

Five stars for Callie & Kayden and a dying reader who cannot wait for the sequel.