[Review] Lockout - Maya Cross

Released: May 19th, 2013

Who is Sebastian Lock?

Sophia had never felt attraction like that before. Raw. Electric. Irresistible  Swept off her feet by the dashing, enigmatic billionaire Sebastian Lock, she was taken on a journey of self-discovery, taken to places she never dreamed she'd go. 

But things are never as simple as they appear. Sophia's trust is a fragile thing, and Sebastian seems insistent on testing it. He has his own demons to battle, and nobody has brought them to the fore like she has.

As their relationship deepens, and Sophia begins to break down his walls, all that greets her are more questions. Why is Sebastian fighting so hard to keep her at a distance? Who is the girl on the background of his phone? And why does the strange tattoo on his chest seem so familiar?

These puzzles plague her, but as Sebastian's mysteries begin to unravel, she must face an entirely different truth. Staying in the dark may be painful, but finding the answers could be deadly.

"Love was supposed to be a connection that triumphed over everything else."

This book was slightly better than the first one I must admit. We see more of how their relationship has developed and also a glimpse into Sebastian Lock's mysterious life and past. But, of course, there were such heartbreaking scenes in this book. IT'S A CLIFFHANGER BY THE WAY!!!

But, damn, this book was good honestly. Since this was a novella, this is going to be a pretty short review.

Sebastian is still as perfect as always. I still love how closed off he was. It gives him a certain personality unlike in the first book where he was just slightly too bland. But sweet mama the things he says!!!

"Everything you saw was real, Sophia. I'm a lot of things, things that might not be easy to understand, but I'm also the same man I was a few days ago. The man who danced with you and held you and felt so impossibly lucky to wake up next to you. The man who thinks he's falling in love with you."

THE LAST LINE. SWEET JESUS. Now, that's a confession.

I might or might not be in love with Sebastian Lock ;)

And unf, when he gets feisty!

"Why would I need to lie? You think I'm so hard up I need to trick girls into coming to bed with me? You think I stand on porches for hours on end on the off chance it might get me laid?"

HOLY SHIT!!! Sophia was upset, thinking that he had lied to her and then he waited for hours on her porch, waiting for her to come back so he can explain (since she wasn't picking up her phone).

But Sophia had trust issues. It was because of a previous relationship that it's become so hard for her to believe completely in someone. And when Sebastian kept hiding secrets from her?

"How am I meant to be with a man who keeps things like this from me? How can I trust anything you say?"

Although I must admit that Sophia got a bit too insistent in the end. I get it that she wanted answers but she has to wait until Sebastian was ready. It was as if she was giving him an ultimatum.

BUT THE LAST PARTS OF THE BOOK. I want to weep!

Sophia: "I'm not going to pretend like I have any idea what the hell is going on here, but I can't deal with the constant questions anymore, Sebastian. I can't keep finding new secrets behind the curtains."

Sebastian: "I know."

Sophia: "So can you promise an end to all that?"

Sebastian: "[long pause] I don't know."

Wait, wait, do you hear that sound? It's not that loud.

It's the sound of my heart breaking into a million pieces.

THANKS MAYA CROSS FOR DOING THAT.

Minor Faults:

• Sophia was too demanding here

MY RATING:

THREE AND A HALF APPLES!!!!!

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❤ READ MY REVIEW OF HER BOOKS ❤

Locked (The Alpha Group #1) ❊ 3 APPLES!!!

Unlocked (The Alpha Group #3) ❊ 3 APPLES!!!

About The Author:

Maya Cross is an author who enjoys making people blush. Growing up with a mother who worked in a bookstore, she had a lot from a very young age, and soon enough picked up a pen of her own. Her previous work spans many genres, including horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and she has no started this pen name as an outlet for her spicier thoughts (they were starting to overflow). She likes her heroes strong but mysterious, her encounters sizzling, and her characters true to life.

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

BOOK TOUR: Love Waltzes In - Alana Albertson + REVIEW AND INTERVIEW!!!

Released: July 23rd, 2013

To her millions of fans, ballroom champion Selena Marcil seems to have the perfect life: a great dance partner, a hit reality show, and celebrity perks. But underneath the glamorous ball gowns, Selena longs to find someone to share her life with when the stage lights dim.

Selena's childhood sweetheart, Bret Lord, hung up his dance shoes after winning two national titles with her as a teenager, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He never saw his former fiancé again, except on television and on the cover of men's magazines. Ten years and three deployments later, Bret gets an offer to audition for Selena's dance show. When the Marine Corps gives him temporary leave to appear on the series, Bret can't refuse the quick cash that will enable him to provide financially for the widow of his buddy, even if it does mean coming face to face with his past.

When Bret shows up at her national championship, Selena is shocked. For years she searched for him to no avail. After spending time with Bret, Selena realizes despite their past romance, they have no future. He has no desire to live under a spotlight and she has no desire to leave it. Can Selena and Bret recognize when Love Waltzes In?

**COPY PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR/RABT**

"We don't always fall in love with someone who is like ourselves. It would be too easy."

Surprising. That's one word I'd use to describe this book. I honestly didn't expect much when I went into this book. Well, I was expecting it to be a cheesy, cliché romance and it was actually. But it was so damn good! It was a romantic, easy, fun read.

The characters were awesome. I liked how they reacted realistically to their situations. Selena, of course, felt guilty for ending their relationship the way she did. And I really liked that. Usually, when the girl screws up, she just sits around and whine and whine. This time, once she sees Bret again, she actually tries to make up with him. I was just like:

AND GOD! How at first sight she just remembered everything back then

"It was hard not to look at him and remember that he'd been her first love."

And then all those hormones come up:

"Like what it would be like to nuzzle his neck, fondle his muscles, taste his kisses. Those strong hands exploring every inch of her body."

And then there's Bret *swoons and sighs dreamily* He's apparently changed so much since back then when they were teenagers. He, as I quote, was a "shy, lean teenage boy", but now he was all man. HOLY SHIT.

Plus, he's in the marines. Nothing is better than a man in uniform. Trust me. They're freaking hot. And Bret knows that he's been hurt before. Of course, because he's a man, he doesn't bitch about it to everyone. He keeps his emotions under control and tries not to fall back in love with Selena.

But, well, we know how we just can't forget our first loves.

I really like Bret's character though. He was masculine, hot, and a marine! Okay, moving on. But he was really thoughtful. He was doing the show to help the widow of his friend and then he has a dog named Banjo who he brings almost everywhere. Also, he was a dancer! Mm-mm, I love me a man who can bust out some moves. It's not gay, especially if it's ballroom dancing. Meeting a guy who can actually dance in a formal event is just wow.

Despite their differences in character and situations, they manage to compromise an agreement. Their relationship goes up and down from the very beginning. With Selena being with Dima at first, their feelings from the past, Bret having to deal with being in the spotlight, their disagreements. It seemed as if it was never going to work! But it did.

I liked how the author went back and forth between their points of views. It gives us a chance to look into each of their minds and thoughts. The book was so beautifully written. The romance was fantastic. The sex was intense and steamy. The issues are all resolved completely in the end.

A great read for all romance lovers!

Minor Faults:

• Little grammar mistakes here and there, nothing big.
• When they first had sex, it was a bit too rushed. They just met a few days but then BAM! Sex. 

MY RATING:

4 I-WANT-A-MARINE APPLES!!!!!

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EXCERPT:

Staff Sergeant Bret Lord sat on the dirty floor of his tent, going through the day’s mail: the latest Men’s Fitness magazine from his sister, a care package from his mom. He ripped open the package—socks, lip balm, sunflower seeds, and a thin letter that contained an old magazine clipping.

Dear Bret,

I miss you very much. Benny asked me to send you this article. I really wish you would consider his offer. Please stay safe.

Love, Mom

He swallowed hard. A neon sticky pressed on the wrinkled page had a note scrawled on it from his former master dance coach.

Bret, m’boy,

We’ll make it worth your time.

Cheers, Benny.

Thumbing the edge of the article, Bret stared at the sixteen-year-old boy in the picture and could barely recognize himself. His shoulder length, wavy blond hair was slicked back, not shorn in a “high and tight” like his current haircut. No signs of the tattoos or muscles that currently defined his body. Golden skin stained from a bottle, not the harsh sun of Iraq. His arms were wrapped around a gorgeous, curvy young girl with long jet-black hair. The jade Latin gown she wore matched the color of her almond-shaped eyes.

Bret tossed the article aside and removed his nine-mil pistol from his holster to clean it.

Lance Corporal Hernandez walked by Bret and snatched the article off his cot. After staring at it, Hernandez’s face brightened.

“Hey, Staff Sergeant, this you?”

“No, it’s my clone who’s also named Bret Lord.” Bret slid the rail back on his weapon and began disassembling it.

“Staff Sergeant, you know Selena Marcil? Did you hit that?”

“Shut up, Hernandez, or the one getting hit will be you—with the butt stock of my rifle.” Bret grabbed the paper out of Hernandez’s hands, and smacked him on the side of the head. The kid didn’t flinch.

“Staff Sergeant Twinkle Toes. Hey—can you hook me up with Selena? I’ll be her boy toy. I love her. Man, she’s smoking. Has the nicest ass. Not like all those skinny, Russian chicks on that show.” He nodded to himself with an eyebrow dancing. “Selena’s on my list. She’s Latina, too. We’d be perfect together. What was she doing with a gringo like you?”

“Hernandez, you’re way out of line.” Bret reassembled his pistol.

“My bad, Staff Sergeant.”

Bret grabbed the article, his pack, and his rifle. It was impossible to get some privacy in the tent. His only option was to sit outside in a sandstorm but even that sounded like a welcome retreat from his immature men. He walked about five hundred feet, then plopped down in the hot sand.

The red sky hung above him, thick from smoke from the nearby town. Bret struggled to catch a glimpse of the distant mountains. Sand seemed to pelt down from the heavens, blinding him and settling into every crevice in his body. He closed his eyes against the sting of the sand, and turned his thoughts to Selena. Was she the diva the tabloids made her out to be? Even after ten years, he could almost smell her buttery-coconut scent. A welcome change from the overflowing shitters, toxic diesel, and stench of his fellow Marines who hadn’t bathed in three weeks. 

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:

1. What inspired you to do a romance like this?

I was a professional ballroom dancer and my husband was a marine, albeit the non-dancing kind. But my first professional dance partner was a Marine. After I watched J.R. Martinez on Dancing with the Stars, I decided to write about a Marine and a ballroom dancer.

2. Can you relate to any characters in the book? And why?

I sympathize with Selena's desire to find love while not wanting to sacrifice her career. I felt the same way when I was competing.

3. What were some of the challenges you faced while writing this book?

I originally wrote this book in first person present POV with 2 narrators, Selena and Vika. It was very chick litty, I rewrote it as a romance per advice from my agent. It was a challenge, switching to 3rd person POV past and writing from the Hero and Heroine's perspectives. But ultimately I feel the change made me a better writer.

4. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Join a writer's group – like RWA. And enter many contests to get feedback on your writing. Find some amazing beta readers and an editor. And don't give up.

About The Author:

Alana Albertson holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes contemporary romance and young adult fiction. She lives in San Diego, CA, with her husband, two young sons, and four dogs.

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

BOOK TOUR: I RIZE - S.T. Anthony + REVIEW, INTERVIEW AND EXCERPT!

Released: July 23rd, 2013

From a poetic point of view, Miss Nora's classroom is my Garden of Eden. Everything is so perfect and peaceful during those fifty minutes that I am in her class each day.

Then the stupid bell has to ring and ruin everything.

That annoying, ringing bell taints my ears from evil lurking the halls. The ringing of the bell tempts me to take one step out for the next class.

And when I do, all hell breaks loose. 

When evil walks the halls of Valley High, Adny's life is put to the ultimate test. Three weeks before senior graduation, she leaves a series of videos behind for her best friend to relive the days leading up to the moment that would impact everyone who crossed her path. Adny's family and close friends search within themselves and the outside world for not only who would hurt her, but why.

The search would be one they won't regret, but one they'd hope to forget.

"Sometimes you wake up from the storm. Sometimes it kills you. Child, this storm will make you rise to greatness."

What first attracted me to this book was the cover. Holy shit. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? Maybe I'm overanalyzing here but I think that this cover is the perfect representation for the book. There's a sense of serenity in Adny's life and that could be seen from the soft shades of the sky. But then the stark contrast in colors shows the inner destruction inside of Adny as well as the war that was about to unfold due to Adny's actions.

The book had such a powerful and dramatic synopsis. Some of the characters were brilliantly written that I just fell in love with them over and over, some were just disappointing unfortunately.

Let me start with Miss Nora. This is a woman I'd love to have as my teacher. She's stubborn and determined as hell. After the "incident", Miss Nora jumped into action and went to the principal straightaway.

But then…

The ignorance from his lack of attentiveness about the situation angered her as she flung a pile of papers off his desk to garner further attention. "This entire situation could have been prevented if you would have alerted your blind eyes in her direction." 

And she did this to the principal! THE FREAKING PRINCIPAL!!!

I was just like, "YOU GO GIRL, FOUR FOR YOU!!!"

And I loooved Junior and Mickey. Junior was the most supportive best friend ever. Through everything, he was always ready to defend the people he cared about or even just people who he thought deserved justice, like Gracie.

On the other hand, Mickey was carrying a heavy load of guilt throughout the whole book. I didn't really understand why until the end. The two of them were too adorable together. Despite everything that has happened, they managed to cooperate through all of their issues and stay together.

Oddly enough, I actually loathed Adny's character. Like, really hated her. I even liked the bullies' characters like Madison and Shandi. Adny didn't seem like the girl who was bullied. If she was the type of bullied who fought back then I'd understand her character, but she wasn't. Adny was the type of character to wallow in her own pool of self-pity.

I thought that some of her lines were just so unbelievably rude. She looked more like the bully rather than the bullied.

"Try to imagine a plus size girl who should be wearing a size twenty, fitting into a size two."

I know that she was pissed at Terri but then, come on, even if you hated her, you can't say things like these. Even as a girl, she should know this.

She was also unforgiving. I know that Shandi did a lot of bad shit to her in the past but when she apologized and tried to fix her mistakes, fuck, I wanted to punch Adny.

Shandi: "Everyone needs to feel accepted by someone no matter what the situation is."

Adny: "You poor, poor girl. Terri has your mind warped for the worse that you became her little ventriloquist doll. Her boyfriend has twisted her mind to the point where abuse is acceptable."

And when she said sorry?

Shandi: "Adny, I remember coming to you and feeling so scared. I'm sorry for everything."

She said this with so much freaking regret, and guess what Adny said?

"In regards to your hospital visit, all I will say is God works in mysterious ways. I'll give you credit for trying, but it's a little too late for sorry."

SHE DIDN'T EVEN FREAKING TRY TO ACCEPT THE APOLOGY. Adny is a bitch. End of story.

But there was this one quote in the book I found so damn true.

"Miserable people need to feel a false sense of hope, so they will push you deep into the ground until you are too weak to stand up for yourself."

Minor Faults:

• Adny. FREAKING ADNY MAN.
• Some scenes were unbelievably irrational.

MY RATING:

THREE APPLES!!!!!

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EXCERPT:

She walked up to the gym doors, peering through to see if anyone was in there. She couldn’t see a soul, so she took a chance by walking in. She walked passed seat forty-nine, and the smell of Jace’s familiar body spray sent tingled through her body.

A familiar voice asked, “Adny, can I finally have your number?”

She jokingly replied, “What if I say no?”

He embraced her, placing a finger up to her mouth. He gently grabbed her hand to place it on his heart. She could feel it beat against his chest at if it were going to jump out at her. “This is how you make me feel every time I see you.”

She smiled as he ran his fingers through the back of her long black hair; a smile lost until that moment. As he reached in to kiss her, she hesitated for a moment, looking at his eyes. His blue-green eyes illuminated against the blinking ceiling lights. Both of his hands were placed around her, comforting her, pulling her against his body. On her tiptoes, she rubbed her fingers through his rough chin hair. Heavy breaths lingered in her ear and made her yearn for more of him.

They came in closer.

She could smell his chocolate scent even more, while he kissed the upper part of her neck. His fingers trickled down her spine as her entire body flinched from pure pleasure. His lips led up from her neck toward her lips.

Their eyes closed instantly.

Their lips touched as if they were magnets, surrendering to the forces of love between them, each unable to relinquish control. She felt his lips soften with each instance of her touch.

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:

1. What inspired you to write this book?

This book was inspired by a conversation I had with my five year old cousin who was bullied by a classmate. She was very confused because she didn’t understand why the girl was mean to her, but she was always nice to the girl. I explained it to her in a simple way and that entire conversation formed a very powerful scene in the beginning of the novel. 

2. What was the hardest part of writing this book?

The hardest part of writing this book was writing the characters and the situations they had to go through. Just like the main character Adny, I was also bullied throughout high school. As I wrote her parts, I felt the pain all over again. 

3. Do you have any authors/books that influenced your writing?

The Color Purple by Alice Walker developed my initial interest in writing. Her story was powerful and I connected with on a personal level as I read it.

4. What can we expect from you in the future?

I love writing young adult books because I have so many experiences that other young people can relate to. In the future, I plan to write a humorous view on high school called The Moppets. It will be a series about Spinelli’s wacktastic journey through her freshman year of high school. Her mother inherits a mansion from a billionaire who died. Inside the basement live four orphaned children who make Spinelli’s life miserable. The funny adventures will be a year to remember. It will be released September 16, 2013.

About The Author:

S.T. Anthony has had a crazy imagination since the old kindergarten days and excited to finally put it down on paper. She is currently in college and loving every moment so far. Her love to pursue medicine and to write is her passion in life. She is also True Blood obsessed and her eyes will be glued to the TV every Sunday. She is ecstatic to be releasing her first self-published book called I RIZE.

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook