Monday, May 28, 2018

Release Blitz: Screwed by Kelly Jamieson

Screwed
by Kelly Jamieson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: May 28th, 2018
 
Blurb:
 
Cash Hale has been in love with his best friend’s wife forever. Now Callie and Beau are divorced, but she’s still way off-limits. Dating her would betray his friendship with Beau. And Cash is nothing if not loyal.

Callie Sutherland is starting over. The end of her marriage was just one more way she failed to live up to her wealthy family’s expectations, so from now on she’s not even going to try. It’s time to live her life the way she wants. And she wants Cash.

Cash and Beau aren’t just friends, they’re business partners, and the drop in the price of oil has hurt their business. They need to win the bid for Sutherland Industries’ next big project—but it may get messy since Callie’s family owns the business. Not only would Cash risk his friendship with Beau to be with her, he’d be risking the company they worked so hard to create.

But this new Callie isn’t taking no for an answer.

He’s so screwed...
 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39788868-screwed
 
 
Buy now:
 
About the author:

Kelly Jamieson is a USA Today bestselling author of over 40 romance novels and novellas.
Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. She likes black coffee, white wine and high heels…and of course cheering on her Winnipeg Jets during hockey season!
 

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Release Blitz: Cocktales - A Cocky Collective

Cocktales Anthology
Release Date: May 26th, 2018

Blurb:

Each story was specifically written for this anthology.

The goal of the Cocktales Anthology is to raise funds to fight against obstruction of creative expression. Specifically, what we believe are obstruction attempts through the trademarking of common (single) words for titicular use in books / or as a book series (eBooks, print, and audio).

http://bit.ly/CockTalesGR


Cocktales will only be available May 26th-August 26th.

Buy now:
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/Cocktales


Contributing Authors Include:

Nana Malone, USA Today Bestselling author – Foreword

Dylan Allen – 'Cocked and Loaded'

Jana Aston, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Double Cocked'

Whitney Barbetti – 'Cocksure Grin'

Author Sawyer Bennett, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'A Wicked, Cocky Plan'

K.f. Breene, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Magical Cock and Bull'

Ruth Clampett, Amazon top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Don’t Get Cocky'

L.H. Cosway, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Illusionist Seeks Neanderthal'

Mariah Dietz – 'Landmines'

Amy Daws, Amazon Top 25 Bestselling author – 'Cock and Balls'

BB Easton, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Cocky BB: Two Boys, One Prom.'

Jaymin Eve, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Cockier the Dragon, the Harder They Fall'

Emma Hart, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Tricky Bond'

Staci Hart, Amazon Top 10 Bestselling author – 'Cockamamie'

Jessica Hawkins, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Couture'

Julie Johnson Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Culinary Cock-Up'

Karpov Kinrade, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Crimson Cocktail'

Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Swag'

Lex Martin, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Love & Hate at the Stallion Station'

Aly Martinez, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Going Down'

Katyi McGee - USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocksure Co-Star'

Corinne Michaels, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cockblocked'

Liv Morris, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Getting It Up'

Red Phoenix, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Her Cocky Russian'

Daisy Prescott, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Confessions of a Cockblocked Wingman'

Jessica Prince – ‘A Cocky Corruption Engagement’

Meghan Quinn, Amazon Top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Fight or Flight'

CD Reiss, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Capo'

Penny Reid, WSJ and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Beard and Hen'

Julie Richman, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Color of Love'

Aleatha Romig, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Aligned'

Kennedy Ryan, Top 40 Amazon Bestselling author – 'All'

Kylie Scott, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Short Story with Mal and Anne from The Stage Dive Series'

Sierra Simone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Until the Cock Crows'

Tara Sivec, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Chocolate and Cockup'

Kate Stewart, Amazon Top 30 Bestselling author – 'The Golden Sombrero'

Leia Stone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Alpha'

Karla Sorensen – 'Tristan & Anna: A Bachelors of the Ridge short story'

Rachel Van Dyken, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Mafia'

April White, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Code of Conduct'


*ALL* net profits will be donated to:

Authors already impacted by creative-obstruction (10%), and Romance Writers of America (RWA) (90%) as a general donation intended for their Advocacy Fund.

*Disclaimer: This anthology is not being conducted on behalf of RWA, nor does RWA endorse this anthology or effort. They have, however, graciously agreed to accept the funds.

For more information, visit: https://www.cockyauthors.com

Friday, May 25, 2018

Release Blitz: Forever by Anna B. Doe

Forever
by Anna B. Doe
Series: New York Knights Novella #3
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
Release Date: May 25th, 2018
Cover Design: Oh So Novel; Graphic Design: Čitaholičarka

Blurb:

Anabel
This story is as old as time.
Girl meets boy.
They fall in love and, after their fair share of highs and lows, they finally get their happily ever after …
Only in my story, happily ever after seems to be so far away.
William and I are together, but we’re apart.
It’s hard and painful, but we make do because not being together is harder than having a long-distance relationship.
Every turn is more painful than the last, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for it.
If we are ready for it.

William
For more than a year, I waited.
For more than a year, I was a good boy playing by the rules.
For more than a year, I’ve been waiting for the right moment.
I gave her time she needed.
The time we needed.
I watched her go in and out of my life, time and time again.
But I’m done playing this game.
I can see the pain in her eyes. The pain that matches my own.
It’s time to end this and claim what’s mine.
Because I’m hers, and she’s mine and we … We’re forever.
 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38466789-forever


Buy now:
Amazon US: http://a.co/diXB8Rf
Amazon UK: http://amzn.eu/6KHIQCs
Amazon CA: http://a.co/gfC6UWB
Free with Kindle Unlimited


Giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/48e2bfe21/

START THE NEW YORK KNIGHTS SERIES HERE:

Lost & Found
by Anna B. Doe 
Series: New York Knights #1
Buy now:
#Free with Kindle Unlimited


About the author:

Anna B. Doe is an author of the contemporary romance novel Lost & Found and Until. She has bachelor’s degree in education science and Spanish from the University of Zadar. She works full time in an office and gives English and Spanish classes in her free time. When she’s not working for living or writing her newest book you can find her reading books, watching TV shows, or traveling the world. She is addicted to coffee and a big lover of dogs. Anna writes what she loves to read, which is romance. She is currently working on various projects. Some more secret than others.

Facebook / Facebook Group / Goodreads / Instagram / Amazon / Pinterest / Bookbub

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Cover Reveal: Survival of the Richest by Skye Warren

Survival of the Richest
by Skye Warren
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 12th, 2018
 
Blurb:

A Park Avenue princess...
 My story starts with a plunge into the cold water of Manhattan's harbor. A strong hand hauls me back onto the deck of the luxury yacht. Christopher was supposed to be my enemy, the son of my mother's latest husband. Instead he protects me with fierce determination when I need him most.

This tale begins with a fall, but it doesn't end there.

Because another man wants me.

Sutton wants to consume me with a passion more feral than kind. In the lush emotional wilderness I'm not sure I want Christopher to save me this time...

Or if there will be anything left if he tries.

SURVIVAL OF THE RICHEST is a book about finding your soul's desire, even if the search leads you places you never expect. A woman torn between two men. An impossible choice. And a war fought on the most dangerous battlefield--the heart.
 
https://bit.ly/2IbzSR6

 
Pre-order here:
 
About the author:

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Pinterest / Instagram / Instagram / Website

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Cover Reveal: Him & I by Melody Eve

Him & I
by Melody Eve
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 5th, 2018
Cover Designer: Shanoff Designs
 
Blurb:

Love is a risk.

Roman has never been willing to take those odds, until now.

A beautiful stranger, overheard telling the desk clerk she’s on her honeymoon alone, arouses something in him. Something primal. Something protective. He finds himself doing and saying things he swore he never would in an effort to understand the pain in Aria’s sensual eyes.

His scars are so deep, they may never heal.
His need for control is ingrained.
His desire for her is unparalleled.

The challenge of winning her may be the biggest risk of all.

http://bit.ly/2ISvPJJ
 

About the author:

Melody Eve is a Midwestern mother of five children and five fur babies. She is a contemporary romance author who loves writing sexy Alpha male heroes and smart, passionate heroines. Keep your eyes open for Melody's new release, Him & I on Amazon in 2018.

Newsletter / Facebook / Twitter / Website

Monday, May 21, 2018

Blog Tour: Without Promises by Delancey Stewart

Without Promises
by Delancey Stewart
Series: Under the Pier #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 21st, 2018

Blurb:

Trent McNeil was a classic trust-fund kid until he watched a team of firefighters save his family home. From that moment on, he rebelled against the path his parents were determined to keep him on. Now a San Diego firefighter, he knows he'll eventually be expected to take over the family empire. But until that day, his only plan is to have fun and enjoy life.

After a childhood of upset and uncertainty, Amy Hodge is going to make something out of herself. She has her future all planned out. She's starting medical school and is going to be busy...far too busy for a relationship. But she does have time for a quick fling before she buckles down and concentrates on her studies.

Amy quickly realizes that playboy Trent is not all he seems to be. Never relinquishing control and sticking to her plans has done well for Amy, but no one has ever made her want to throw caution to the wind like this sexy firefighter.

Each book in the Under the Pier series is Standalone:
* Without Words
* Without Promises


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39725952-without-promises


Buy now:

 
Excerpt:

A sexy smile slid across his face as he looked at me, maybe picturing me with jet-black hair, and then his eyes dropped to my lips, causing a little jolt of energy to dance in my stomach. I didn’t do it on purpose, but I licked my bottom lip, and his eyes widened slightly.
What the hell was that? Now he thinks I’m trying to seduce him or something. God, I’m terrible at this. This. This is why I don’t date.
I stiffened, but Trent’s smile didn’t fade. He was still watching me, and his hand found mine where our thighs touched beneath the edge of the bar. His strong fingers wrapped around mine, and I felt my breath catch at the contact.
“Can I kiss you, Amy?” His voice was sandpaper.
Oh my God. Say yes. I nodded, and he gently wrapped his other hand around the back of my neck and pulled me toward him, his mouth lingering just centimeters from mine. I closed the distance, curious to feel his mouth on mine, to taste those perfect laughing lips, to press myself into this easygoing playboy and absorb a bit of his light.
Trent’s lips met mine softly, and they stayed pressed gently there for a beat, and then he moved, slanting his mouth against mine, pressure building. We were facing each other fully now, and I let go of his hand and slid my palms up his arms, lingering on those swollen biceps. Trent rose to stand between my knees where I perched on the high stool, deepening the kiss. For what felt like long moments, I was lost in the push and pull. It was like being taken out by a wave, giving myself to the undertow and letting go, being sucked under into sweet, cool, dark water.
When he broke the kiss and pulled back to look at me, a wide smile spread across his face.
“Exactly what I expected,” he murmured. “Fucking perfect.”


About the author:

“I'm not big on labels, but there are a few that fit me (not necessarily in this order. Or maybe in this order):
- wine drinker (and wine geek)
- mother of small boys
- military spouse
- writer
- chocolate eater
- ice cream addict

I write about emotional connection and intimacy, and love giving readers smart, sexy books to curl up with.”


**********

Delancey Stewart is an award-winning author who writes romantic fiction with humor and heart.
Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a wineseller.
A wife and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler and story reader. She tackles all these efforts at her current home outside Washington D.C.

Facebook / Facebook Readers Group / Amazon / Twitter / Instagram / BookBub / Goodreads / Website

Release Blitz & Book Review: A.C.H.E. by M. Never

A.C.H.E.
by M. Never
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Ménage
Release Date: May 21st, 2018

Blurb:

 A.C.H.E.

A is for Ache
C is for Choice.
H is for His.
E is for Everly.

I've always gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to my personal life. Drug-addicted mother, obsessive stepfather, shitty upbringing, and one soul-shattering, heart-wrenching relationship.

But everything changed when I met Alec Prescott. I couldn’t stand the cocky, hotshot lawyer at first, but after assisting him on one case, my opinion changed drastically. He became the beginning I so desperately needed, even if romantic relationships at work are completely forbidden.

Unfortunately, falling in love with a coworker is the least of my problems. Funny thing about the past, it’s never truly far away. No matter how fast you run from it, or how hard you try to suppress it, it’s there, lingering like a fog, blinding your vision, impacting your decisions, affecting your life.

That’s where Tage Andrews comes in. He’s the heartache I can never outrun. The man who saved me from my past while pillaging my emotions. I want to avoid reliving it—avoid him—but he’s always there, lingering like a fog, blinding my vision, impacting my decisions, affecting my life.


This is my paradoxical predicament.
Two men.
One choice.
Inevitable heartbreak.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40035393-a-c-h-e

 
Buy now:
99c for a limited time
US: http://1click.bz/ACHEAMZNUS
UK: http://1click.bz/ACHEAMZNUK
CA: http://1click.bz/ACHEAMZNCA
AU: http://1click.bz/ACHEAMZNAU
Free in Kindle Unlimited


About the author:

M. Never resides in New York City. When she's not researching ways to tie up her characters in compromising positions, you can usually find her at the gym kicking the crap out of a punching bag, or eating at some new trendy restaurant.

She has a dependence on sushi and a fetish for boots. Fall is her favorite season.

She is surrounded by family and friends she wouldn't trade for the world and is a little in love with her readers. The more the merrier. So make sure to say hi!

Newsletter / Website / Facebook / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram/ Goodreads / Goodreads Group / Amazon

Giveaway:


My review:

Um... I dreaded writing this review because I don’t want to offend anyone as I am not really good with words so I just tell you right up front that I didn’t like this book. I’ll try to explain why but please keep in mind that it’s just my personal opinion.

The blurb sounded promising and I was really excited about my first read from this author. As great as the prologue started out though, it sadly didn’t continue this way. First off, I never warmed up to Everly. I just didn’t like her tedious and repetitive thoughts. Her character was dull and Alec’s wasn’t much better. I couldn’t form any excitement and found no interesting characteristics of either of them which was a pity because Everly thought of herself as 'fucking damaged, plain and simple - a defective product of her destructive past', which would have been interesting but I just didn't see a damaged character in her. Color me surprised when the plain and boring girl with glasses and no make-up only bought clothes from brands and had perfect never worn dresses for any occasion in her closet even though she never went to parties. And although she never wore make-up, she knew exactly how to apply it without much of practice and owned enough to make her look so different that she didn't even recognize herself in the mirror afterwards.

I was very confused about Alec who I disliked right from the start. His thoughts were weird and I didn’t understand him at all. He was supposed to be this cranky lawyer but then Everly thought of him as sweet and funny and I just saw neither.
The way Everly and Alec started off was strange as well because how could he have not recognized her just because she wore make-up and was dressed differently, when he had just hours ago talked to her at work?!
Everly really had balls and no reservations whatsoever to talk to him in a way I would have never dared to talk to a superior at work right from the start. If you develop a certain friendship and atmosphere where you know you can loose up and talk back that way, that’s fine. But going from almost no contact to being that relaxed with each other at work was a mystery to me, especially in a world of lawyers. The lawyers I’ve met so far looked down to their assistants and there’s rarely something like instant friendship. That’s not to say that it can’t develop over time but the way it happened here bothered me. There was also no development of feelings and I never felt any building connection between the characters.

Feelings came out of nowhere and a lot of things happened way to fast. I felt like the story played within just a few days. I've also never been bored reading a sex scene before but I guess there's always a first time. The writing was just too clinical and matter of fact. Where was the passion and the deep feelings?! Where was the depth of the story and the talking through of important situations?!

I'm not sure if it would have made much of a difference but I felt like it would have been better to write the story from the third person instead of first person and three POVs. The writing sometimes felt like written in third person and I think it would have made more sense.

This was all in the first quarter of the book and the rest wasn’t much better. The only slight silver lining was Tage but even he had flaws and couldn’t give the story what it was missing. He was an alpha and overall enigma which was the only tiny joy in this book. And because he's the only positive in this story, I wanna share my favorite quote from him:
'There's a saying I once came across about the sun loving the moon so much he died every night just so she could breathe.'
To be honest, Alec bored me, even during the sex scenes which were such a disappointment; not to mention Everly’s thoughts during the sex which bothered me a lot. Why couldn’t she just enjoy what must have been overwhelming feelings?! I obviously couldn’t deal with the writing. I’m sorry. Things like 'Her body bows and her voice squeaks every time I thrust upwards. Around and around we continuously go...' bothered me too much. The scenes didn’t give me the feelings they were supposed to be because of how they were explained instead of felt from Everly. Even the way it came to the scene with the three of them happened without much afterthought and they acted as if it was the most mundane thing in the world.

I hope you can understand my reasons for my rating. I really tried to give a few examples of why I didn’t like this book without being mean and as I mentioned before it’s my personal opinion and just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy the story as so many others did.

This quote sums up my feelings of this book quite well:
'Do you ever feel like your life is just a set of revolving doors? In, around, and out, day after day. Time seems to bleed together, and you find yourself in the exact same place over and over wondering exactly how you got there?'

-- I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given by Give Me Books Promotions. --

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Blog Tour & Book Review: Bane by L.J. Shen

Bane
by L.J. Shen
Series: Sinners of Saint #4
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 10th, 2018

Blurb:

Bane
Naked surfer. Habitual pothead. A con, a liar, a thief and a fraud.

Last I heard, he was extorting the rich and screwing their wives for a living.

Which is why I’m more than a little surprised to find him at my threshold, looking for my friendship, my services, and most puzzling of all—looking humbled.

Thing is, I’m on a boycott. Literally—I cut boys from my life. Permanently.

Problem is, Bane is not a boy, he is all man, and I’m falling, crashing, drowning in his sweet, perfect lies.

Jesse Carter
Hot as hell, cold as ice.

I wasn’t aware of her existence until a fat, juicy deal landed in my lap.

She’s a part of it, a little plaything to kill some time.

She is collateral, a means to an end, and a side-bonus for striking a deal with her oil tycoon stepdad.

More than anything, Jesse Carter is a tough nut to crack.

Little does she know, I have the f****** teeth for it.

http://bit.ly/2BVlUPy


Buy now:
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2rqvtiI
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/BaneLJShen
Free with Kindle Unlimited


Excerpt:

Bane
Then.

A liar.
A con.
A godless thief.
My reputation was a big wave that I rode, one that swallowed everyone around me, drowning every attempt to fuck with what’s mine.
I’d been known as a stoner, but power was my real drug of choice. Money meant nothing. It was tangible, and therefore easy to lose. See, to me, people were a game. One I’d always known how to win.
Move the rooks around.
Change the queen when necessary.
Guard the king at all fucking times.
I was never distracted, never deterred, and never jealous.
So, imagine my surprise when I found myself being all three at once.
It was a siren with coal black hair who robbed me of riding the biggest wave I’d seen that summer. Of my precious attention. Of my goddamn breath.
She glided from the ocean to the beach like nightfall.
I crouched down, straddling my surfboard, gawking.
Edie and Beck stopped beside me, floating on their boards in my periphery.
“This one’s taken by Emery Wallace,” Edie had warned. Thief.
“This one’s the hottest masterpiece in town.” Beck had chuckled. Con.
“More importantly, she only dates rich bastards.” Liar.
I had all the ingredients to pull her in.
Her body was a patch of fresh snow. White, fair, like the sun shone through her, never quite soaking in. Her skin defied nature, her ass defied my sanity, but it was the words on her back that made my logic rebel.
It wasn’t her curves or the way she swayed her hips like a dangling, poisonous apple that warranted my reaction to her.
It was that tattoo I had noticed when she swam close to me earlier, the words trickling down the nape of her neck and back in a straight arrow.

My Whole Life Has Been Pledged to This Meeting with You

Pushkin.
I only knew one person who went gaga over the Russian poet, and, like the famous Alexander, he was currently six feet under.
My friends began to paddle back to shore. I couldn’t move. It felt like my balls were ten tons heavy. I didn’t believe in love at first sight. Lust, maybe, but even that wasn’t the word I was looking for. No. This girl fucking intrigued me.
“What’s her name?” I snatched Beck’s ankle, yanking him back to me. Edie stopped pedaling and looked back, her gaze ping-ponging between us.
“Doesn’t matter, bro.”
“What’s. Her. Name?” I repeated through a locked jaw.
“Dude, she’s, like, way young.”
“I will not repeat myself a third time.”
Beck’s throat bobbed with a swallow. He knew damn well that I didn’t mess around. If she was legal—it was on.
“Jesse Carter.”
Jesse Carter was going to be mine before she even knew me.
Before I even knew her.
Before her life turned upside down and her fate rewrote itself with her blood.
So here was the truth that even my lying ass wouldn’t admit later on in our story—I wanted her before.
Before she became business.
Before the truth caged her in.
Before the secrets gushed out.
I never did get to surf that day.
My surfboard broke.
Should have known it was an omen.
My heart was going to be next in line.
And for a small chick, she did one hell of a fucking job obliterating it.


START THE SINNERS OF SAINT SERIES HERE:

Vicious
by L.J. Shen
Series: Sinners of Saint #1
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30839185-vicious
Buy now:

 About the author:

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Newsletter / Website


My review:

Wow. I was unsure of what to make of Bane because although I liked him in the previous book, I couldn’t wrap my head around having an H whoring around in a story. So, anyway, I was surprised that I found myself loving him despite his flaws or even because of them. A manwhore, massive jerk, cocky Roman Protsenko alias Bane was one of those characters you will either hate or love. I obviously belong to the latter.
'Roman 'Bane' Protsenko was beautiful like a Pushkin paragraph. You could read his face a thousand times, and each time, you'd find something new to admire.'
Jesse was a spitfire hiding behind walls she had built around herself for protection, but her sass shined through thanks to Bane who tried to break through her defenses. Though the consequences of the burning desire and growing feelings could only have a fatal outcome because he’s bound to give in to the attraction and break the contract with her dad. Both was bad enough but worst was the inevitable - that she was going to get hurt in the process.
'Because I found you in the dirt that's called life, and you stood out. Like an opportunity I cannot miss.'
Although I wish I could have read this story in one go, life got in the way, but the story managed to pull me out of a small reading slump and each time I picked up the book I was instantly captivated. The writing was phenomenal and the story lured me right into Bane’s world. There was more to him than meets the eye and although his reputation was the opposite of a golden boy, his broken aura was fascinating and pulled me in. It was also just a matter of time until his fragile and carefully constructed house of cards was tumbling down.
'The secret to being an asshole was to not be an asshole.'
Bane and Jesse couldn’t have been more different, right?! While he was out living his life to the fullest and not giving a damn about anything, she was hiding in her room not giving anybody the opportunity to harass her, whether it’s with stares or hurtful words.
But when you look closer, you notice that these characters actually do have a lot in common. Because Bane was as broken and hurt as Jesse was. He’s just dealing with it in another way and burrowed his dark thoughts deep inside, hiding them behind walls nobody can see. Jesse on the other hand erected walls so high that people couldn’t even see her because of them. She wanted to be invisible and she let her fears rule her life while Bane couldn’t look his demons in the eyes. Both have lonely hearts that seek love and companionship. They didn’t even recognize that their world was going to crumble and that they needed to hold on to each other.
'I was really a special kind of fucked.'
The characters of this story weren't all black and white. They were in a grey area where I questioned a lot and tried not to judge due to my upbringing and life experience. A lot of things were impossible to put in a box and label, whether I tried to or not, because they just didn't fit anywhere. And that's the hardest part, the one that still has me pondering about this story after I’d finished it.
'Hey, being the only guy who was from the wrong side of the tracks in a town that had no tracks had its appeal.'
I’m sorry if I don’t make any sense here, I’m just not really good with words. Read the book and you’ll know what I’m trying to say because this was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it did not at all disappoint.
'My Whole Life Has Been Pledged to This Meeting with You.'
-- I received an ARC of this book from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. --

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads