It Took a Few Books

In the past few days, I have read exactly 5 books and started a 6th. I wanted to read a few and then post a few different reviews since I am still new at writing them and therefore they are still a little short. But anyways, I have read First Kiss by Tara Brown, Trouble by Samantha Towle, Against the Wall by Julie Prestsater, A Beautiful Struggle by Lillian Anderson, and Acquiring Hearts by S. Donahue. Here is a review on three of them. When I finish the 6th book I will write the review for the other three.

Since there are so many I am going to start with Acquiring Hearts since it was the shortest.

Bradley Roberts is a CEO of a major technology company that he inherited from his deceased father. He basically gave up his life at the young age of twenty-three to take on the many responsibilities he was not ready for. Seven years later, Bradley is not ready to settle down but one day he accidentally meets his secretary’s sister, Giavonna Coppi. He immediately has an attraction to her. She's not like any of the women he has dated before. Bradley finds himself wanting to spend more time with her.

Gia is an independent, hardworking lawyer who's been hurt in the past. She invested all of her time into establishing her career. When she meets Bradley she senses the connection but is afraid to give her all.

Can their relationship withstand the dilemma’s that come between them? Are they meant to be together or is it easier for them to be apart. Only time will tell…

This book was not what I thought it was going to be. It started out alright, giving a little background on why Bradley was not that into relationships, but from there it got really confusing. It jumped all around on POVs, including that of some of the secondary characters. The book was very unrealistic in it's timeline of events, and everything felt very rushed. I really felt that this book could have been a lot better if the author had taken the time to develop the characters a little more.

The next book up for review was Against the Wall. I liked this book a lot more than I did Acquiring Hearts. I would have to give this book 4 **** stars. But first, the synopsis.....

Shelly Gelson had it all...a job teaching English at Carver High, her best friend Mel working by her side and engaged to her high school sweetheart Chase Marino. That is until Chase breaks her heart and leaves her for another teacher at the school. Now Shel is left broken-hearted and trying to figure out what she wants while watching Chase and the home wrecker make moon eyes at each other. Enter Matt Fuller, Shel's friend for the past 5 years and the perfect rebound. He's gorgeous, smart, funny and fits into Shel's idea of the right guy. Only problem is there may be more there than just a simple rebound. Is it a way to fill a void left by Chase, or is there more smoldering between these two friends? Find out what happens when the bell rings and the teenage drama ends and the adult drama begins. Who says being a teacher is boring? They obviously haven't met the teachers at Carver High.

The book starts out at the beginning of the school year and Shelly, an English teacher at Carver High, is trying to still get over having her heart broken by her high school sweetheart, Chase. The only problem with that is that she has to work with him and the woman he broke up with her for 5 days a week. Shelly's best friend Mel decides that the best way for her to get over her ex is to get a new man. So they go out to a few different places, but Shelly is rather picky. If she doesn't think the guy has a good choice in drinks, she won't even give a guy a shot. Imagine her surprise when she finally sees a man drinking what she would consider an suitable beer, and it turn out to be her best guy friend Matt.

What follows is a sweet development in the relationship where Matt tries to prove that he isn't just a rebound relationship for her. He even encourages her to go on dates with other guys, because he is confident that Shelly will always come back to him, proving that he is the right man for her. Everything is going perfectly until they go to the New Years party and one thing leads to the next and it's more drama. Everything ends up working out in the end with a Happy Ever After which is all that matters.

Link to buy on Amazon (P.S. This book is FREE at time of posting) http://www.amazon.com/Against-The-Wall-Julie-Prestsater-ebook/dp/B007WFK47U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385686835&sr=8-1&keywords=Against+the+Wall

Next book up is A Beautiful Struggle. This book was alright, earning itself 3 *** stars. Here is the synopsis:

Katrina Mahoney lives in Sydney's western suburbs. She has a very full life attending university to study a law degree, training for triathlons and now she is working part time as well. She couldn't possibly find time for a relationship, especially after her last one ended so catastrophically.

Right now she is content focusing on work, study and training while hanging out with her best friend David Taylor, a womaniser with a heart of gold that would do anything for Katrina - except watch her get hurt again. That is, until the dashing Elliot Roberts, a junior solicitor from her work, shows an interest in her despite their office's 'No Dating' policy.
Katrina struggles with following her heart or following her mind and has trouble seeing where her heart truly lies.

 

This book is about Katrina who is a law student who wanted to get her foot in the door, so she decided to get a job at a law office. She became the librarian at a nice law office where she worked part time while she finished her law degree. Her first day she meets Elliot, a junior lawyer, who is the stuff women's dreams are made of. There's just this small pesky detail of a no dating policy within the office. And Elliot is the type of guy to not break the rules....at least until he gets to know Katrina. Once he realizes that she is the athletic type and not one to gossip, unlike all the other women in the office that try to thrown themselves at him, he decides that they should try to have a secret relationship.

Now Katrina had gotten out of a pretty bad relationship not too long ago, but she had to be saved by her best friend David. It took almost losing Katrina for David to realize that he loved her as more than a friend, and he gets upset that when she is finally ready to start dating again, she wants someone else. They end up fighting, pushing her more towards Elliot to lean on, at least until he breaks her heart. Everything works out in the end for Katrina and her guy with a HEA.

Link to buy (FREE AT TIME OF POSTING): http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Struggle-Series-Novel-ebook/dp/B00ATC7GLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385687763&sr=8-1&keywords=a+beautiful+struggle

The Thrill of Reading Lauren Blakely

I finished reading The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely! I love reading all of her books and this one is no different. But first the synopsis.

A new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power...
Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it's the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love...Love isn't patient, love isn't kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that's how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I've never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I'm being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don't regret.

Trey...
With all the other women, I knew what they were. They were temporary. They were pills, they were bottles, they took away all the pain, and numbed the awful memories that wore down my ragged, wasted heart. Until I met Harley. She's the only girl I ever missed when she walked away. But now she's back in my life, every day, and there are no guarantees for us, especially since I don't know how to tell her my secrets. What happened to my family. All I know is she's the closest I've ever come to something real, and I want to feel every second of it.
How can you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?

Ok so anyways...Harley was a high-end call girl, who is a virgin and Trey was a man whore who only had relations with older married women. They met the night before they each decided to go to an addiction anonymous group for sex and love addiction. They never thought they would see each other again, but when they see each other at the meeting, it was the start of an amazing friendship. They help each other through tough times and when either of them start thinking about backsliding. Trey is there for Harley when she is being blackmailed. When they both realize that they are developing deeper feelings for each other, they both react differently.

This book is amazing. I had a really hard time putting it down so that I could take care of my other daily duties. The friendship that Harley and Trey were able to develop while working on themselves was amazing. And them for them to be able to take that friendship further and help each other from backsliding is something that everyone looks for in life. I am looking forward to Lauren's next book and can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

Link to buy book:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Thrill-It-No-Regrets/dp/1492884685/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385253474&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Thrill+of+It

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-thrill-of-it-lauren-blakely/1117473119?ean=2940148750086

Learning to Breathe

So I just finished Learning to Breathe by Joanne McClean and I have to say that it was a pretty good book. Here is the synopsis and then I will give my opinion.


Darcie Gilmore just wanted a fresh start.
When her mother packs them off to live in Dover Springs, Darcie is given the chance to start over. However, having spent the last six months haunted by terrible nightmares and feeling isolated and alone, Darcie doubts that anything will be different.

Even when she meets carefree Danny Fletcher, Darcie insists that she wants nothing to do with him. But, when Darcie needs a favor and Danny is the only one who can help, the two must spend time together. As they grow closer, Danny is determined to discover why Darcie is so private about her life but little does he know that he's not just breaking down her barriers ... he's helping her learn to breathe again.

Ok. So I love books that deal with real tragedies and how people cope with them. In this book 17 year old Darcie is trying to deal with the death of her father. She believes that his death is her fault because he died trying to keep her from drowning when their boat was destroyed in a storm. She has shut everyone out and this results in her mom moving her to a new town to start over. Her first day in Dover Springs she meets Danny at the local bookstore and thinks that he is pretty cute. But since she doesn't want to let anyone in, she decides to let it go.

Danny knows that there is something special about Darcie, and continues to try to wear her down by asking her out and trying to find out what she is hiding. Because Danny knows a little about having a tragedy to overcome as well. When school starts up and Darcie learns that her mom pretty much trapped her into overcoming her fears, she turns to Danny for help. He pushes her to do her best and let go of the past as best as she can. Over the course of 8 months they become really good friends and then Darcie realizes that she has fallen in love with Danny.

Loved the way that they book and characters developed. I can not wait to see what Ms. McClean comes out with next. But for now I am off to find a new book to read! Happy reading my friends!

Link to buy book: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Breathe-Joanne-McClean-ebook/dp/B009QBZXLK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1385062639&sr=8-5&keywords=Learning+to+Breathe

Wow...I suck

I can honestly say that I didn't think I would SUCK so badly at blogging! Especially since I am blogging about reading! I have read at LEAST 100 books since the last time I blogged, and yet I haven't written anything about any of them! In my defense, I did find out that I was pregnant, as well as complete said pregnancy, give birth, and try to juggle three kids, cleaning, work, and a husband since the last blog. But that is still no excuse.

So anyways, let me see what I just finished reading yesterday....Take My Hand by Nicola Haken. I have to say that it was really good. But here's the blurb, and then I will give you my overview.
(Not suitable for under 18's  due to language, drug/alcohol abuse and sexual content)

 

Twenty-four year old Dexter Michaels has arrived in the UK for a fresh start - leaving everything and everyone he knows behind in the states. Determined to put right some of the wrongs he'll never be able to forgive himself for making and make his Aunt Sarah - the only person left who still believes in him - proud, he lands in London with the intention of working hard, getting his degree and keeping himself to himself. He can't destroy anybody else that way...



His heart and his body have other ideas however when he finds himself sitting next to nineteen year old Emily Barton in his Psychology class. Moving down south to find her own New Life, Emily is shy, smart and beautiful - everything Dexter knows he should stay away from... everything he knows would be too easy for him to break.



But she makes him feel things he'd forgotten even existed. She makes him laugh, smile, care... forget. Without her trying, and without him realizing, Emily has wound her way into the one place he swore to keep locked away forever - his heart. But can she stay there when she discovers the dark past he's so determined to keep hidden from her? Or will he destroy her too, just like he always expected?

Ok, I thought that this book was well written. I didn't know exactly what to expect when I started this book, even after reading the blurb. I mean what kind of problems does Dexter aka Dex have that he thinks he destroys everyone that he becomes close with? And what is it about Emily that makes him forget everything? But once I got to reading I was really happy that I heard about the book.

Emily is a very awkward girl when it comes to social settings. She is only comfortable talking to two people, her brother Chris and her best friend Rachel. Her parents are very background people, but her mother is a stuck up woman who doesn't think her children do anything right and her father allows her mother to treat her badly. The only family member that leaves is her brother. He now lives 4 hours away from her, but still makes sure to check on her every couple of days.

Dexter is running from his past. He drowns himself is women, but only after choosing the right one for a one night stand. He doesn't want any kind of relationship, even friendship. But after meeting Emily, who starts dating his somewhat friend and co worker, and then getting paired up with her in one of their university classes, everything starts to change. He can't stop himself from thinking about her, and it gets to the point where he can't even use his usual outlet of women to get her out of his mind. But then his past comes calling and he needs to figure out if Emily is going to stand by him or run like he thinks she should.

The book ends on a little of a cliffhanger, and as much as I hate those, it does make sure that you go and get the next book Hold on Tight when it comes out in a few weeks. I can't wait to see how that book turns out, because I think Emily and Dexter are amazing together.

Link to buy Take My Hand http://www.amazon.com/Take-My-Hand-Nicola-Haken-ebook/dp/B00FLCU4RQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385044505&sr=8-1&keywords=Take+My+Hand