[Review] Ten Tiny Breaths - K.A. Tucker

Released: December 11th, 2012

Kacey Cleary's whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she's working hard to bury the pieces left behind - all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls' college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it's time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen "profession". But Kacey's not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can't handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn't want to feel. She doesn't. It's safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she's not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn't the only one who's broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgivable past of his won; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey's newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

"Just breathe. Ten tiny breaths...Seize them. Feel them. Love them." 

WOW WOW WOW. Basically, I read this book so long ago but it's just so freaking perfect. I loved every single one of the characters. Kacey with her traumatizing past which shaped her into the person she became. And Trent, who's such a lovable asshole, who seems so strong yet is broken deep inside. The plot was pretty normal but K.A. Tucker formed and created a story that was so heart-warming and emotional. A definite, must-freaking-read.

At first I was only...

by the end I was like...

KACEY OH GOD KACEY. I just absolutely love love loveeee this woman. She's undeniably hilarious, smoking hot and feisty.

"For two years, I haven't given anyone the time of day. Now, here I am, day one into our new life, and I'm ready to straddle this guy on the washer."

All her lines are basically hilarious but that's not the only side to Kacey. We see how she's bottled up all her emotions and nightmares inside of her. It's almost ready to explode. She keeps things to herself and she tries to be strong for Livie, everyone around her and, of course, herself. She pretends as if she's going to be fine even though she's channeling all her rage and feelings in a wrong way. As I quote her, she's "seven layers of fucked up with a side of bullshit." But then comes along Trent. And she goes:

"I think I'm going to fall in love with this man."

Kacey's not the only character with deep, life-altering issues. Trent is just the sweetest. He's a man on a mission. He is on a mission for Kacey.

"I'll make you whole again, Kacey. I promise you, I will."

Trent cares so much for Kacey. He's pledged to make her whole. He's promised to fix her. He's vowed to make her happy. At first, Trent is basically just the hot male that exists in every book. But as we delve deeper into his character, we realize that there's more to him that meets the eye (and that's my cliché line of the day!). But he's coping. He's coping like Kacey but in a different way. He has the most romantic and sweetest words.

"I want to make you smile. For real. Always. We're going to go for dinners, and see movies, and walk on the beach. We'll go hang-gliding, or bungee jumping, or whatever you want to do. Whatever makes you smile and laugh more. Let me make you smile."

HOW DO YOU NOT SWOON WITH THIS MAN?!

MY RATING:

6 GO-READ-THIS-BOOK APPLES!!!!!

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❤ READ MY REVIEW OF HER BOOKS ❤

One Tiny Lie (Ten Tiny Breaths #2) ❊ 5 APPLES!!!

Four Seconds to Lose (Ten Tiny Breaths #3) ❊ 4.5 – 5 APPLES!!!

About The Author:

K.A. Tucker is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from fantasy to chick lit. Kathleen currently resides in a small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures. She has written two series so far, which includes the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Casual Enchantment.

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

[Review] Promise Me Darkness - Paige Weaver

Released: April 8th, 2013

"He was my darkness and I was his light. We couldn't exist without each other."

For me, life was simple. I went to school and studied. I spent time with my friends and stayed out of trouble. I didn't drink or swear and I only dated gentlemen. I was the typical good girl with a bright future. My world seemed perfect.

But that was about to change.

Ryder Delaney was the one imperfection in my life. He was the bad boy, the black sheep, the one your mother always warned you about. He had only one hard-and-fast rule - Don't fall in love.

But some rules were meant to be broken. 

We were best friends, inseparable since childhood despite our differences. I knew the real man hiding behind the tattoos and bad attitude. He knew all my secrets and dreams. But he didn't know there was one thing I wanted and couldn't have...him. 

But sometimes Fate has a way of intervening. Soon our world collapsed. War erupted. Darkness prevailed. Alone and on the run, our only goal was to survive and to ignore the feelings we had for each other. But love is powerful...

and so is the darkness.

"You're my light in the darkness. I belong to you, Maddie. Without any doubt, I belong with you and I love you. I love you more than all the stars in the sky."

This is the type of book which has a better blurb than the actual story. I mean, read that summary. It sounds absolutely fantastic! There seems to be suspense, romance, and, of course, completed with the bad boy. Honestly, the book was pretty great. I loved the characters at times, but also loathed them at others. The plot was interesting too! There was the sweet love story, and also the freaking apocalypse where war breaks out in the US. There was the theme about war desensitizing people and how But it just gets worse from there...

First, there's Maddie. She is undeniably stubborn and reckless. Really. It's cool sometimes because she's all badass but then she can get really stupid and impulsive that you want to throw her across the room. And she falls so damn easily for Ryder's sweet words. She keeps coming back to him even after everything. She suffers and tortures herself by pining for Ryder but that's because she has always been in love with him. 

Then Ryder Delaney. Local badboy and man-whore. He has his head up his ass and he can't seem to realize how much he's actually worthy of love. He thinks that he's not good enough for Maddie and that she deserves better. I think that that's very noble of him. But he has this urge to always protect her and shield her away from life's bad shit. He's stubborn just like her and hard-headed. But I really hated how he kept sending her mixed signals. I mean, really, MAKE UP YOUR MIND! I feel horrible for Maddie because once he gives her tiny ounce of hope, it all just plummets when he acts like an ass again.

I loved the book because the plot was definitely different and it was really interesting. I mean, come on, a love story in the midst of a bloody-motherfucking apocalypse! How will they ever survive? But I felt like the author was pushing too many problems into the story that the plot gets all over the place and becomes disorganized. 

Minor faults:

• Story was all over the freaking place - not arranged very properly
• Ryder kept giving her false hope which sucked ass even though he was trying to do the right thing.

MY RATING:

3 AND A HALF APPLES!!!!

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About The Author:

Paige Weaver has always had a passion for reading. This turned into a love for writing at a young age. She wrote her first book when she was a teenager but Promise Me Darkness was the first book she had publicly published. She's a Texan who lives in her hometown with her husband and two children.

Check her out in these sites:

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[Review] Bully - Penelope Douglas

Released: June 17th, 2012

My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all.

We're neighbors, and once, we were best friends. But then, one summer, he turned on me and has made it his mission to screw up my life at every opportunity. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to hide from him. I worried about what was around every corner and behind every door.

So I left.

I spent a year studying abroad and bathed in the freedom of life without Jared. Now i'm back to finish up high school and get the hell out of here forever. I'm hoping that after a year of breathing room, he's moved on and forgotten all about me.

But even if he hasn't changed, I have. I'm not interested in avoiding him or turning the other cheek anymore. We're going to go head to head, because neither of us wants to back down.

"Yesterday lasts forever. Tomorrow comes never. Until you."

MY GOD. THIS BOOK IS WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR [cue in Sharpay and Ryan from HSM]

Moving on. Anyways, it's the plot that I've always wanted to read. The guy who bullies the girl even though they were friends in the past. The idea's very fanfiction-ish but this book was honestly so freaking great. I absolutely loved the plot, admired all the characters, and the writing style was pretty awesome too.

Take Tate. She's a character who I thought was very well-developed. Initially, she was this weaker figure. She merely accepted the bullying, the pranks, the torments. But after she returned, she became wittier and smarter. She became so much tougher in facing all her "opponents". She grew up. I particularly loved her comebacks.

And then there's Jared Trent. WARNING: EXTREMELY SWOON-WORTHY. At first, he's obviously a jerk. It's the boy-pulls-on-girl's-pigtails-because-he-likes-her kind of thing. It's so freaking cute! He's so sweet and charming. He's a racer, ladies, a RACER. He drives a muscle car *faints* I'm a sucker for those kinds of guys so.

Minor faults:

I'm going to start to list the things I don't like about the book. It's only fair since I've gone on about the things I liked about it. 

• Jared seemed to like Tate more than she did him
• They didn't really develop the romance thoroughly, more of a sudden relationship kind of thing.

MY RATING:

4 AND A HALF APPLES!!!!

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About The Author:

Penelope Douglas lives in Las Vegas with her husband and daughter. She teaches second grade along with being a writer. Even though it's tough to juggle responsibilities, she enjoyed putting the book together this past year.

Check her out in these sites:

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[Review] The Angel - Tiffany Reisz

Released: June 24th, 2012

Infamous erotica author and accomplished dominatrix Nora Sutherlin is doing something utterly out of character: hiding. While her longtime lover, Søren - whose fetishes, if exposed, would be his ruin - is under scrutiny pending a major promotion, Nora's lying low and away from temptation in the lap of luxury.

Her host, the wealthy and uninhibited Griffin Fiske, is thrilled to have Nora stay at his country estate, especially once he meets her travelling companion. Young, inexperienced, angelically beautiful, Michael has become Nora's protégé, and this summer with Griffin is going to be his training, where the hazing never ends.

But while her flesh is willing, Nora's mind is wandering. To thoughts of Søren, her master, under investigation by a journalist with an ax to grind. And to another man from Nora's past, whose hold on her is less bruising but whose secrets are no less painful. It's a summer that will prove the old adage: love hurts.

"We value the most what we must sacrifice to have."

JUST LET ME DIE OKAY. PLEASE JUST TAKE ME NOW. Ughh, this is another brilliant masterpiece by Tiffany Reisz. The Original Sinners Series is slowly, painfully becoming one of my most favorite series ever. Maybe even my most favorite series in erotica. Her writing is just so fucking perfect okay. I love how this book isn't only about the hot sex and romance, but it's also about understanding the meaning of sacrifices and letting go. Like the first book, it was perfect. It was hilarious, slightly creepy and just made me grin like an idiot. 

I still absolutely love love love Nora Sutherlin. I have like a major girl crush on her. She's funny, witty, sexy as fuck, and she's probably the only one who isn't afraid of Søren. Honestly, she's just probably my most favorite heroine. EVER. She's best okay. She's just like...

but you know hotter and cooler.

We understand more about Griffin Fiske here and him and Michael OH GOD! This isn't technically a spoiler since it was mentioned in the summary from goodreads shown above. I liked his character in the first book because he seemed amusing and open. I love how Reisz develops and gives us a better outlook towards his character. In The Siren he was merely Nora's fuck buddy but here, it's so much better. We understand more about why he did the things he did or why he thinks the way he thinks. I looked up his name and this is what I got

He's so freaking hot omfg.

I don't know why but I love love LOOOOVEEEEE Søren's character. He's like a giant contradiction. He's so different from the characters I'm used to read about. I swear, I'm not even sure how to describe him. He's such a complex character - one of the most complex I've ever seen.

WARNING: Do not read if you are uncomfortable with the idea of extreme dom/sub activities

MY RATING:

5 SEXY-AS-HELL APPLES!!!!

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❤ READ MY REVIEW OF HER BOOKS ❤

Seven Day Loan (The Original Sinners #0.5) ❊ 4.5 APPLES!!!

The Siren (The Original Sinners #1) ❊ 5 APPLES!!!

The Prince (The Original Sinners #3) ❊ 5 APPLES!!!

The Mistress (The Original Sinners #4) ❊ 5 APPLES!!!

About The Author:

Tiffany Reisz lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her boyfriend and two cats. She graduated with a B.A. in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and is making both her parents and professors proud by writing BDSM erotica under her real name. She has five piercings, one tattoo, and has been arrested twice. When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. 

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Waiting on Wednesday: Losing Hope - Colleen Hoover

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine to spotlight releases that we're looking forward to! Here is my choice this week...

Losing Hope - Colleen Hoover

Title: Losing Hope

Author: Colleen Hoover

Is it a sequel? Yes. To Hopeless

Release Date: July 8/9th, 2013

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder's past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him...

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder's head during all those hopeless moments - and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

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My Comments:

WAY TOO LONG!!! I'M WAITING WAYYY TOO LONG FOR THIS! I'm so freaking excited to read this book. Hopeless was such a delightful and wonderful book. Now, we're seeing it from Holder's point of view??? Hell, sign me up! I loved all the characters in the first book as well as the plot. So seeing this through Holder's perspective might be refreshing.

What are YOUR choices this week? Let me know in the comments below!

[Review] Breathe Into Me - Amanda Stone

Released: April 22nd, 2013

Eighteen year-old Kelsey Rien is more than ready to leave her past behind her.

Wanting nothing more than to walk into a room without everyone knowing the horrific details of an event that changed her life six years ago, she vows to concentrate on school and make something of herself.

But then she meets Kane Riley - the local bad boy. Kane's reputation is far from perfect, but is there more to him than everyone sees?

Kelsey soon learns that you can't run from your past, no matter how hard you try. When her nightmares find her once again, Kelsey must find the courage to face the demons that have  been haunting her and save the people she loves most.

"Like the tiny dandelion seeds, I had longed to be set free. Free from the memories, free from the pain...and the shame. Maybe Kane was that tiny puff of wind I had been waiting for to come and set me free."

I absolutely, completely love the romance. It was honestly so unbelievably sweet because it was the best-friends but also boyfriend-girlfriend kind of relationship. I swear, I'm a total sucker for those kinds of connections. They seem so much more familiar and thoughtful. The only thing that ruined this book for me was that it was way too fast paced. The book's development of plot was really quick. I barely had time to register anything before the next scene happened.

This book's main theme is probably the fact that Kelsey is trapped in the nightmare of the past. Because she is unable to fully move on from whatever happened six years ago, she becomes more closed off. She's the typical average girl next door. Kelsey is the stereotypical damaged girl in the book universe. She was tormented in the past somehow and so she basically stops trying to stand out. This kind of character is honestly getting so boring. I wish they'd make more creative and interesting heroines we girls can look up to.

Kane Riley on the other hand is your usual bad boy. He used to sleep around a lot. But he, as I quote Kelsey, is "the epitome of sex appeal". Amen, girlfriend. He just leaks and oozes out sex from every pore of his body and he doesn't try. Not to mention how protective and how completely in love he is with Kelsey.

MY RATING:

3 AND A HALF APPLES!!!!

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About The Author:

When Amanda Stone is not writing, she plays wife and mom to two wild kidlets. She lives in the beautiful state of Kentucky where she is a diehard University of Kentucky Basketball fan. At the end of the day, when she is done being super mom, you can find her curled up with a heating pad reading a book. 

Check her out in these sites:
Website | Twitter | Facebook

[Review] Twisted Perfection - Abbi Glines

Released: April 24th, 2013

Life outside of her house was a new experience for Della Solane. The dark secrets of her past weren't something she ever intended to share with anyone. They would never understand. No one would ever get close enough to find out. There was always a chance she'd go crazy sooner than they expected...

Woods Kerrington had never been one to be attracted to fragile females. They seemed like too much work. He wasn't in it for the work just the pleasure. A night full of naughty fun had been exactly what was on his mind when he'd laid eyes on the hot little number that didn't know how to pump gas and needed some help.

What he didn't know was she was as fragile as they came. The carefree girl who spoke her mind and didn't care what the world thought of her was more breakable than he could ever imagine...

"There is someone out there that will love you. They'll want you for you. Don't settle for less. Life is short and I'm tired of wasting it."

UGHHH, THIS WAS SO GOOD. Truthfully, I think that this series might be so much better than the Fallen series by Abbi Glines too. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Woods in the Fallen series and, if you did too, you will absolutely, irrevocably love him here. The book was not too fast-paced like Fallen Too Far, the characters more charming and the plot was different.

Woods Kerrington. I swoon and faint at his name. He was so sweet. I mean, in Fallen he was already so considerate with Blaire. With Della, it's so different. We understand more about his character and his world, about his issues with his family and also with his relationships. I love how here we unravel his personality here. We see his world through his eyes.

Della Sloane is a tough chica. If I've been through what she's been through, I would've probably broken down somewhere. She's survived through bad shit, well I think it's bad shit. I'm not sure what to categorize it as. She's different and I really like that.

MY RATING:

4 SMEXY APPLES!!!!

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About The Author:

Books published by Abbi include The Vincent Boys and USA TODAY bestseller The Vincent Brothers, Breathe, Because of Low, the USA TODAY bestsellers While It Lasts and Just For now, the Existence Trilogy, and The New York Times bestseller and Wallstreet Journal bestseller Fallen Too Far. When Abbi isn't locked away in her office typing away, she is hauling her kids to and from their many social activities. You could say her second job is the Glines Kids personal chauffeur. It's a rather illustrious job.

Check her out in these sites:
Website | Twitter | Facebook