Best Kind of Broken - Chelsea Fine

Pixie and Levi haven't spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working―and living―at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are... awkward.

All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they're forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer.

I was excited to see that Chelsea Fine had written a NA book.  I was lucky enough to get to meet her at an Occasionalist Author Event in Phoenix and thought she was super sweet, very friendly and ridiculously adorable.  I have been staying away from YA books because they tend to leave me feeling annoyed so I hadn't read anything she had written but heard mention she would be venturing into NA.  I was excited to see this title pop up on Net Galley and couldn't wait to give it a try.  Chelsea Fine was finally doing NA...

Well...sorta....

This story is about two college age kids, Pixie and Levi, who were lifelong friends turned into people who didn't want to be in the same room together.  Tragedy separated them, and a year later fate...and Aunt Ellen...threw them back together for the summer - working together, living together and sharing a bathroom.

I have to say this - Levi is supposed to be football star kinda hot, and the name just wasn't doing it for me... I didn't picture Brady Quinn, I pictured an Amish Farmer - Levi... nope...didn't work for me.

Anyway, this story is of two broken people pulling themselves out of the wreck of tragedy and putting together the pieces of their lives, the way they think they have to.  Most of the time, it's a little frustrating because it's a dual POV so you know what both people are thinking and you kind of want to slap them both.

This book read to me like a YA author trying to write for an older crowd.  Most of the feel of the book was younger with a few awkward, not completely developed sexy scenes thrown in to appease those of us that wanted to see more.

I felt like even though there were a ton of short chapters, I would have liked to have seen the beginning condensed a little better and then maybe more of an ending (more time spent on the current state of affairs at the end of the book).  I would probably recommend this book to those I know that like YA books with a little sneak peak into NA.

*ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Net Galley*

Wrecked - Priscilla West

A New Adult Romance Novel by USA Today Bestselling Author Priscilla West

“There would be no happy ending for us. He was too damaged. I was too broken.”

Two years ago, Lorrie’s mother was murdered. But that wasn’t the end of it. Reeling from the tragedy, Lorrie’s father spiraled into alcohol, depression, and finally suicide.

The two most important people in Lorrie’s life are both gone but she’s still alive.

Trying to recover from the tragedy, Lorrie returns to campus, ready to pick up the pieces of her life. All Lorrie wants is to get back to “normal.”

Then she meets Hunter. The man, the legend, “The Hammer.”

Hunter is a cage fighter who takes on every fight like he’s got nothing to lose. His life is a tangled mess of girls, booze, and fist fights. And while it may seem like he’s got a devil-may-care attitude, he’s fighting a private cage-match with a monster he can’t defeat.

Lorrie knows that Hunter is exactly the type of guy she should stay away from, especially in her fragile state, but Hunter has other ideas.

As Hunter and Lorrie grow closer together, will they be able to overcome their pain and heal each other? Or will they both end up wrecked?

To be honest, it was absolutely the cover that attracted me to this book in the first place. 

This book was strange for me. It took me quite some time to get into it, at one point I wasn't sure I would finish it but I think it was Hunter that kept me pushing through. I just couldn't walk away from him. This tough MMA fighting bad boy that was willing to put himself out there and then be friends with the girl that turned him down.

There was something about Lorrie that I just couldn't relate to. Yes, everything she had been through was absolutely tragic, but I think it was her overreactions to everything that kept me turned off to her. 

It wasn't until I was about half way through with the book that I finally stopped being distracted by the errors that I thought the proofreaders and editors should have picked up on. And then it was just about the book for me.

Secrets, secrets are no fun...and in this book, they might just be the end of you. 

In the end, I will probably read the second book just to see what happens. The story itself has a lot of promise...the execution is probably not my favorite. 

*ARC provided by Blackbird Publishing via Net Galley*

Maybe Someday - Colleen Hoover

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to his playing his guitar every day out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…


Everyone has at least one author.  The books you buy without looking at the blurb, the reviews or any of the spoilers because you refuse to have it ruined for you.  If Colleen Hoover wasn't that author for you before this book, she absolutely should be now.

I'm not going to do it either - I'm not going to spoil this book.  I'm not going to tell you what happens or ruin it for anyone because everyone should experience this for themselves.  You learn so much in the first 14% of this book, and if affects every single piece of the story moving forward after that - that it just wouldn't be fair of me to take that away from any reader.  

Here is what I can tell you...

Maybe Someday isn't just about a boy and a girl.  It's not just a love story.  It's not just about writing music.  It's about how all of those things fit together and make a person who they are, who they are truly meant to be when they are honest and put everything on the line.  Maybe Someday is about choices; right vs. wrong, what the heart wants vs. what the heart needs.  

It's about what you do when those things are so at odds, you don't know which way is up, "Hey, heart.  Are you listening? You and I are officially at war."  - I felt that way too through this whole book.  This book will bring out every emotion you have.  

I laughed, uncontrollably at times.  I sighed, I cried...and then I cried harder.  I found my laugh again and then the mother-butterflying butterflies in my stomach took off.  The fact that I felt butterflies...literally in my stomach, my nervousness was real.  And in the end I found tears again.  All of it playing out in the span of one night because I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN!

"There are only twenty-six letters in the English alphabet."  That's it, twenty-six letters... letters that make up words that make up stories.  Things we use everyday, but nothing we do in the same way as Colleen Hoover.

I've said it before, and I will continue to say it - there is something incredibly special about this woman.  Her ability to take a serious situation and wrap you into the story so that you don't focus on the negatives and only see the story.  It's like you are somehow a part of it.  Right there watching it all unfold.  It's how you want for something you know is wrong to happen anyway because she makes you want that.  

Her talent is limitless.  

She had me at Slammed.  She won me a Point of Retreat.  She's kept me through Hopeless, This Girl and Losing Hope.  She made me fall in love all over again with Maybe Someday.  

Since this book deals mostly with music, I'll leave you with this - they say great singers could sing the phone book and keep us entertained...Colleen Hoover could re-write the dictionary and have us all sitting on edge waiting for a sequel.  

Off the Record (Record #1) - K.A. Linde

Liz Dougherty has no idea a single question is about to change her life.

Her first big reporting assignment for her North Carolina college newspaper has her covering a state senator’s impromptu press conference. Brady Maxwell may have everything it takes to be a politician—a winning pedigree, devastating good looks, a body made to wear suits—but his politics rub Liz the wrong way. When Liz’s hard-hitting question catches the upstart senator off-guard, it impresses Hayden Lane, Liz’s editor who feels she’s headed for a promising career as a reporter.

But Liz is also headed into a secret romance with Brady that could destroy both their ambitions. Though he’s a bachelor, potential voters might frown on Brady cozying up to a reporter. And Liz isn’t sure sneaking around is enough for her—especially when things between her and Hayden might be less platonic than she thought.

Sleek, sexy, and smart, Off the Record ventures into a high-stakes campaign and an even higher-stakes affair to answer the question: When politics and love collide, can there ever be a winner?

4.5 red, white & blue stars!

My fellow readers, I've seen your buttons, your bookmarks and your Vote for Maxwell posts and I sit before you now...a believer. 

Why you ask? Because, "You should know that voting records don't always tell the whole story...Sometimes you really have to get to know a person before judging them so thoroughly." And that's what I did in reading this book. I've heard from the betas that Brady was ah-mazing. Better than the AC boys...well my Ramsey loving heart didn't just believe them. I had to find out for myself. 

Here's the thing, I didn't fall for Brady the way I feel for Ramsey. That's not what this book was about for me. This book was about Liz. At the end of AC when Lexi gets on the plane and walks away from everyone, I sat up straighter, I fell for her (before she went and screwed it up again) and I was proud of her. That's how I felt about Liz through most of this book. She's smart, strong, witty and she can hold her own. She was a character you cheer for. 

The writing in this book is done so well that many times I forgot it was being told in the third person. I truly felt that Liz was telling me her story and I was along for the ride. There were even a few times I saw the word "she" and got confused, forgetting the story was in the third person - which I don't usually care for. It honestly, couldn't have been better. 

Now, this IS a K.A. Linde story so you will have more than one hottie to fall for; Hayden - the mixed signal giving, polo wearing editor-in-chief, that Liz has been crushing on for years. Brady of course - the politician, and I'm giving away nothing on this one. Chris - Brady's best friend who I instantly fell for and Clay - Brady's cocky younger brother. You'll have to read about them for yourself and choose wisely. Your choice today will affect you, well knowing how her books affect me, probably forever.

Then, there was the last chapter...yes I said it, the last freaking chapter. The whole book, I was all girl power and Vote for Liz! Then, he did it. Brady won my vote! And then there were the last few sentences that left me hanging on and needing more. I'm in love with a politician. God help me. 

So make sure on March 11th, you get out and click your Vote for Maxwell on Amazon, B&N (paperbacks only), or where ever your polling station may be. A vote for Maxwell is a vote for Liz. A vote for Maxwell is a vote for K.A. and a vote for Maxwell, is really for yourself. Trust me, I'm not a politician!

I would easily say this is K.A.'s best work to date. I am absolutely hooked and will be anxiously awaiting book 2 - AUGUST CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH (K - Seriously, book 2, pleeeeeaaassseee?)

Girl in Love (Kylie Ryans #3) - Caisey Quinn

She's living her dream...

Kylie Ryans is the biggest thing to come out of Nashville since, well, since Trace Corbin. With a hit album and a powerful label behind her, she appears to be the girl who has it all.

But appearances can be deceiving.

Fresh out of rehab, Trace Corbin is ready to take on the world. Just not the girl he walked away from. Because if there's one thing he knows for certain, it's that the people you love are the ones who have the power to destroy you.

As their worlds collide, they'll have to make the ultimate choice. Follow their dreams, or give it all up for love.

They say love conquers all, but for Kylie and Trace, it just might wreck everything they've worked for.

"I gave my heart away and he didn't want it. Now I can't find it anywhere." 

Okay...where to start with this book... 

First, can I just say I love Trace Corbin. I wish he was real. Honestly, I want to fangirl all over him. Moving on...

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. Caisey Quinn writes in a way that makes you feel like you are right there watching everything that's going on. She brings you into the world of her characters and when the story is over, you're left feeling like you're missing out on something because their world is somehow continuing on without you. 

That being said...this story was mostly a frustrating one to me. So much of it was spent on the back and forth; push and pull of Kylie and Trace, that I wished it was real so I could shake the shit out of everyone. 

I felt like while I understood why Kylie had changed, I couldn't always sympathize with her because she was driving me freakin' crazy. I wanted to "junk punch" her and I honestly wished sometimes her friends would tie her down and make her listen because she was just being stupid and immature most of through most of it. 

But it was a train wreck I couldn't look away from...and believe me, I tried. I closed my Kindle on numerous occasions while reading it - I tried to look away from them. In the end, it was Trace that kept me coming back for me. "I was going to tell you that you looked beautiful, but you took my breath away." - WHO WOULD NOT LOVE THIS GUY?

I felt like, even though he still wasn't perfect, he grew a lot over the series. 

In the end, I also felt a little disappointed in the predictability of the story line. You can see what's coming a mile away through the whole book, and while that's not always a bad thing, there wasn't enough Tylie to distract me from they annoyance of it.

Believe me when I tell you, I AM IN THE MINORITY. Most people loved this book. I love Caisey's writing, I truly believe she is a captivating storyteller. I just didn't love the direction this particular story went. To each his own, right?

Reborn (The Guardian Trilogy #3) - Sara Mack

When Emma Donohue wakes to find her world turned upside down, she wants nothing more than to return to the life she knew. To a life filled with a loving family, close friends, and college classes. To a normal life that didn’t involve the supernatural, odd bracelets, or three strangers who refuse to leave her side.

Unsure of what truly happened during The Allegiant’s attack, Emma tries to reconcile her past with her growing feelings for James, Garrett, and Dane. They remain steadfast in her protection, awaiting the arrival of the only people who hold the answers.

The Larvatus.

When Madeline and Ash appear, the revelations they bring not only rock Emma’s world, but everyone she touches. Her mind is twisted, caught up in new abilities and new desires. Her old self forgotten, she has never been more scared. She has never been more confused.

She has never been more empowered. 


You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
But, sometimes, the absence leaves space for something better


This review is a little different, but go with me here for a second…

In June of 2013, I received an email, not unlike others I had received before it, saying I’ve read your reviews on Amazon and I think you might like my book, would you consider giving it a try? Now, let me tell you – I’m nowhere near the top when it comes to Amazon reviewers, but I have gotten this email on more than a handful of occasions. The first time, I got burned buying and trying to read a book that I could not get through…and was NOTHING like any of the books I’ve reviewed previously. So then I started to send questions back first; which reviews of mine led you to email me? When this email received no response, I went no further. 

I received almost an immediate response from this particular author and figured, okay we really do like some of the same books – I love a good paranormal story, what have I got to lose? 

Here’s the thing… I honestly fell in love. I was hooked by Sara and her story…and I fell in love with James. I wrote my review and thought, I am definitely going to read the remaining stories in this series whether this author liked my review or not. 

Best part, I really love this author too. She is interactive with her fans, she writes well, and honestly cares about her story. This isn’t a formula based. She’s not mass producing. She’s a normal, working mother, who also happens to write. She’s appreciative and humble and then because you love her, you love her stories that much more. 

Okay, on to this last story Reborn because that’s what this review is really about right? We all know I love James, and everyone else loves Dane – so I knew it would come down to this last book (if you haven’t read the first two, Guardian and Allegiant – stop reading this and do that first!). Everything was primed for this to really go either way James vs. Dane in the battle for Emma’s heart not to mention the other battles that were going on. 

So much happens in this story that I cannot tell you about because it would ruin this, and this story is too good to ruin for anyone. I can’t even give you a good quote because I voraciously read it and didn’t take the time to stop and highlight – I read it for pure pleasure and then wanted to beat myself for not saving anything to share with everyone. 

Here’s what I can tell you without giving anything away…just like the first and second book, this book brought me to tears. Yes, it was in a different way than let’s say Allegiant where I cried when James was hanging out with Emma and LB. This time it was sobbing, need to walk away from the book for a little while tears! It was oh my God my heart is a mess tears – I was a complete mess. And that wasn’t the ending, that was just a moment in the book. 

There was so much emotion for me in this book, the waiting, the investment I had in these characters all coming together in this last installment ready to make or break my heart. I won’t tell you how it ends, which team gets their happily ever after but I will tell you I loved this story. It was the perfect ending to this trilogy. If you fell even in like with the first two books, you will love this – but as with my original Sara Mack warning, you should probably have tissues with you. 

Sara Mack – I’m with you “Until the end of forever.”