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Showing posts from February, 2018

slightly silly: shadowhunters, season 2b, episodes 11-20

it's been a while since i talked shadowhunters . but that doesn't mean i'm still not slightly obsessed with this ridiculous show. i mean, i'm just going to show you all the things, because you guys know i know this is ridiculous and yes oh so entertaining. the second half of season 2 picks up right where we left off, with simon and clary still together. (barf) alec and magnus in a really good place. izzy still a mess from her yin fen addiction. and jace still pining for clary, even though at least now he knows he's not her brother. he doesn't tell her at first, but valentine always likes to mess with his "children" not that the reveal ends the grossness of simon and clary. that doesn't happen until the epic seelie court moment when it becomes clear to everyone that jace is the person who is truly in clary's heart. she loves simon, but not the way he loves her. and honestly some of the best scenes in the back half of the season wer

seriously romantic: long shot by kelly jamieson

every time former navy seal turned tequila bar owner cade hansen crosses paths with waitress reece kirkwell he can't stop the sparks that fly, usually as they have words. he has no idea what it is about her that raises his hackles. or well, he knows that there is more to her than what appearances would have you believe. and her refusal to share anything about her past disturbs him. also the fear that she only plans to stick around temporarily bothers him. but when they suddenly find themselves spending more time together, it's hard for reece to maintain the walls she's built around her heart. and cade has a way of sharing things about his past with her that help her heal her own past traumas. i really enjoyed cade and reece together. i liked the push-pull of their relationship and how well the complemented each other. long shot is the last book in the last shot series, and i might just have to go back and read the previous two given how much i enjoyed this world.

seriously romantic: playmaker by l.p. dover

in the latest breakaway novel, playmaker  we learn more about lacey's past with maddox ledger. a past we only just got a taste of in blocked . i'll be honest, maddox was not my favorite character and i wasn't sure how it would be possible to redeem his incurable jerkiness from the earlier books. but, actually having his perspective helps. because honestly, dude was dealt a terrible hand. it still doesn't actually make sense why lacey ran away from him in vegas. even having some of the background on lacey from the previous novel, it still doesn't make sense that she is so afraid of maddox hurting her. especially given all the other details of their vegas weekend. so anyway, poor maddox (you see how completely i switched my loyalties there?) has to do sooooo much wooing. and it's a little exhausting. because by the time everything comes out into the open, the bizarre thing is that there is no big blow up. nothing terrible happens. and that's fine. i ac

simply all about alpha by jus accardo - a cover reveal

Let us know what you think of the cover for Alpha (The Infinity Division, #3) by Jus Accardo, which releases July 3, 2018! This cover reveal is brought to you by Entangled Teen.

seriously romantic: one and only by jenny holiday

when cameron mackinnon comes back into town in   one and only , responsible plain-jane jane denning is on babysitting duty for her bridezilla friend's fiancé's troublemaking little brother. the problem is that cameron's reputation is kind of unearned. all the rumors and stories about him are just rumors and stories. and jane quickly finds that while cameron keeps encouraging her to take risks, spending time with him is fun and exhilarating and way better than any other bridesmaid's duties her friend can come up with. the bond that grows between cameron and jane is sweet, and it's a true case of first impressions not being what they seem. i liked both characters, though a part of me wishes that cameron's first impression of jane hadn't been so dismissively detailed. basically describes her as a chubby woman with hair and eyes the color of wet mud. which isn't so flattering. and less so when you realize as a reader that you're the same clothing siz

seriously romantic: the sweet spot by heather heyford

deep in the willamette valley, near the base of mount hood, is oregon's wine country. the sweet spot   is a small, family-owned, biodynamically run winery that also boasts a thriving bed & breakfast-style business. hank friesatt's family has lived here for one hundred and fifty years, but running a winery was never hank's dream. when his parents were killed in a plan crash when he was about to graduate college and go on to flight school, he had to put his piloting dreams aside to ensure the family business continued to run. when philadelphia-based music teacher, jaime martel shows up, the operations at the sweet spot make her feel at home. she grew up on a working farm in lancaster county and there is so much happening at the sweet spot that is familiar but different. soon she is involved with the winery as a summer staff member instead of hotel guest. and as she and hank work together they forge a deepening bond. this bond is threatened by hank's college frie

seriously romantic: want you by stacy finz

it's a total coincidence that the previous review i wrote also had two characters who've known each other since their school days and have loved each other since then, and that the male lead's name also happens to be t.j. hey, at least the female lead has a different name, but deb has similar money and family problems.  anyway, so in want you , t.j. and deb finally stop protecting their hearts and glaring and realize that all that heat was crazy sexual attraction. and it's pretty great once they stop circling each other and just go for it. interspersed with t.j. and deb's deepening relationship is t.j.'s younger brother and deb's on-and-off-again ex, win's story. my guess is that the next book will be about win and darcy, and if you are wondering why i'm focusing on that instead of t.j. and deb, it's that we spend a lot of time hanging out with other characters.  colt garner might have been charming as the lead in his book, but he's

seriously romantic: maybe this time by nicole mclaughlin

jen mackenzie has always had it bad for t.j. laughlin. ever since high school. even when he was a total jerk. she loves him, but still goes out of her way to bait and annoy him. it's her way of protecting herself from hurt. the thing is, she has it all wrong. t.j. has always loved her too. in maybe this time , t.j. and jen finally get their crossed wires uncrossed. and find that all that antagonism was a cover for true blue friendship and love. and because they've known each other for so long, their relationship is built up quick. maybe a bit more quickly than is comfortable, because for all that they are more or less on the same page, they still have no idea how to communicate with each other when it matters. in some ways, their biggest problem has always been assuming that the other person is thinking the worst possible thing of them. so when they hit a stumbling block, they fall a bit harder because they keep failing to tell each other openly how they really feel. leav

seriously romantic: the marquis and i by ella quinn

so i'm always a little skeeved out by regency romance novels that start out with the lead hero having a mistress or visiting prostitutes. it's kind of gross. the marquis and i starts out like this too, except the heroine is so opposed to men having mistresses that she basically believes the hero to be an abuser of women and a seriously vile human being. even though constatine, lord kenilworth is actually the guy who came to her help when she was abducted by some thugs out to sell her into sexual slavery. so then, even though i think he's kind of gross, i'm also don't believe he's an abuser of women because he has a mistress. yes there are some power dynamics in play that are horrifically anti-feminist, but i also think that the mistress has some agency. so it's weird. this is a weird issue to base the foundation of a romance novel on. listen on the one hand, con is actually pretty open-minded. and when he's challenged by lady charlotte to ask his m

seriously romantic: lady gone wicked by elizabeth bright

lady gone wicked  picks up the story of adelaide and nicholas, the two missing twins from twice as wicked . because they were kind of antagonists in the first novel, it's hard to switch gears and see them as protagonists in this second one. especially given the resentment between nate and nick. if this had been less fraught, perhaps switching gears and perspectives would have been more easily accomplished. nick has every right to hold his grudges. and he's done a lot of terrible things. none, so terrible as abandoning adelaide. especially not realizing how she needed him. and now he's ready to step up and do the right thing. but she doesn't want that from him. or she does, but only as a last resort.  she doesn't want to entrap him. she doesn't want to be with someone who doesn't love her. except he does. this is what she fails to see, he loves her so deeply and so much that every time she says he doesn't need to marry her she cuts away another

seriously romantic: the curse by harper a. brooks

the curse  ensures that every wolf who has not found their soulmate by their twenty-fifth blue moon dies. both astrid and erec are approaching the time their curse is up, and neither has found their soulmate yet. except now that they've met. there's this pull. this attraction that keeps them coming together for more. but is it love? what is love? and how is a rogue wolf ever going to be worthy of an alpha's daughter? the heart wants what the heart wants, even if you are a werewolf. and given that astrid's pack is currently being hunted down by a power-hungry alpha, they have a lot to worry about. finding love is about life or death for them. that it's not immediately identifiable makes it feel less real, less true. but sometimes your heart knows things before your mind recognizes them as true. and the fun of this book is reading astrid and erec come to terms with what they're feeling. **the curse will publish on february 26, 2018. i received an advance r

something from the archives: stranded - part 6

and this one comes to a close here...

seriously romantic: a duke in the night by kelly bowen

so here's the thing, i liked august and clara's story in a duke in the night . from the start, i liked their chemistry. i liked how clearly they both yearned for each other and how they were both afraid to take a leap. but so much of their romance is spent talking about august's sister anne. and like it's a good topic, she wants to be a more productive member of society than women are generally allowed to be in the regency period. and august is fairly progressive, he's just crazy protective about his sister. but it makes sense because they had a really rough childhood and he wants to provide for her. he wants to give her a sparkling future because her past is full of dirt and grime. and maybe part of the problem is that august is made out to be in the wrong, but he's also such a good character it's really painful to see him in the wrong. and maybe it's because it goes against the grain to want the feminists in the room to just let the man be. he rea

seriously romantic: rock king by tara leigh

kicking off her nothing but trouble series, rock king  introduces us to shane hawthorne, lead singer and guitarist for the highly successful band. he's got some addiction issues. and some guilt issues. and when he meets and connects with delaney fraser he's drawn to her the way he hasn't been drawn to anyone for a long time. so he hires her to be his fake girlfriend. but then he finds that with her, he wants things to be real. and so he opens himself up to all the grief and trauma of his past. and delaney understands it all because she also has the same guilt issues. and she's also got some trust issues. and some self-esteem issues. because she doesn't believe that shane loves her the way she is in love with him. and part of her believes that she doesn't deserve his love. these two couldn't be more on the same page if they tried. so they just need to get over themselves, and believe that no matter what happened in their past, they are still entitled to

seriously romantic: playing to win by laura carter

in playing to win , brooks adams has a complicated past. his girlfriend's teenage pregnancy gifted him with the most incredible baby girl and the biggest heartbreak of his life. he's carried a torch for alice since then. even though time and life has changed him. has changed her. in the present, he's a successful fitness trainer who runs his own gym. when he encounters izzy coulthard, the author of a book promoting a new fitness and health regime he's repelled by her attitude and attracted by her looks. mostly he's drawn to the fact that when he's around her, he feels something. he's been walking in a fog of heartbreak for 18 years, and so feeling challenged and angry and lustful is new. he can't get enough of it. even as she infuriates him at every turn. they spend a lot of time behaving like children. and izzy especially needs to grow up and learn when to admit that she is wrong. because a lot of the time she was being completely unreasonable and

simply all about the scorched releases

i had a chance to read the books entangled's scorched line is releasing this week. here's a little extra information on them. 

simply all about the latest embrace releases

i covered the three books embrace is releasing today, and i have some additional information on them, including where to buy.

seriously romantic: approaching the bench by chantal fernando

the latest entry in the conflict of interest series is approaching the bench . law intern, callum starts a clerkship with hardass judge trinity williams. and it's pretty explosive. this novella was delightful. callum is an easygoing guy, and his relentless good cheer in the face of trinity's standoffishness really works. he wears down her walls in ways that are oh so charming. when he saves her from an abduction attempt, they end up having to go into protective custody. if you are enjoying this series, then this is another great entry and you should definitely read it. it stands alone too, so even if you have read the series, you'll enjoy this. **approaching the bench will publish on february 19, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/gallery, threshold, pocket books (pocket star) in exchange for my honest review. 

seriously romantic: the test by tawna fenske

when lisa michaels decides that she should stop trusting her instincts and do the opposite of what she would normally, she somehow ends up tangled up with dax kensington, a super succesful steelworker who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and his lisa's total opposite.  from the moment they meet, sparks fly. and they have all sorts of crazy sex in all sorts of crazy places and its super sexy and fun. i loved it. it's not all smooth sailing, they both fail to confess their real feelings and when an uncomfortable social situation makes dax feel inadequate he lashes out.  once they figure out their real issues, they find a way to be together in spite of their differences.  **the test will publish on february 19, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (scorched) in exchange for my honest review. 

seriously romantic: his for the week by alice gaines

when sex columnist désirée knight is invited to review an erotic resort in his for the week   she decides it's time to ask the hot guy she's been eyeing at the coffee shop. the problem is that rae feels like she needs to put on a persona to embody the sexy and bold désirée. nate winslow knows that désirée is the quiet, unassuming woman he's been watching at the coffee shop for weeks now. so when she propositions him, he doesn't hesitate to go for it. especially since he's been dying to ask her out. being together at the sex resort has them breaking down barriers and succumbing to sexual attraction quickly. but as they reach new levels of intimacy, both nate and rae realize that they want something more than a no-strings week. this was a steamy, enjoyable read. **his for the week will publish on february 19, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (scorched) in exchange for my honest review. 

seriously romantic: straight up irish by magan vernon

when connor murphy learns that the only way he'll inherit his third of his family's distillery is by marrying a girl and staying married for six months, he's got the perfect solution. his brother's assistant, fallon, needs money and is the only woman who challenges him. the unholy attraction between them is going to make this whole platonic wedding of convenience thing difficult. connor doesn't just up and marry fallon. they take some time to get to know each other. they date. and soon this fake relationship feels awfully real. but neither of them is ready to admit it. the blend of humor and sexual tension makes this relationship so much fun to read about. connor is truly a delightful character and fallon is his perfect match. i'm not always a fan of the reformed man-whore trope, but connor is fun enough to allow you to forget the skeeviness he starts with. **straight up irish will publish on february 19, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of

seriously romantic: disarmed by love by gail chianese

the changing tides series continues with disarmed by love . fiona is a single mom with a jerk of an ex. a yoga instructor who offers a form of meditative physical therapy to navy officers who have suffered injury in the line of duty. dante torres has a traumatic brain injury that makes it unlikely he'll ever go back to the sandbox. he's struggling with his next steps, and trying to get back to normal. fiona is recommended to him by his doctors and from the moment they meet there is a spark. soon they find themselves entangled in each other's lives. with dante, fiona finds a man who is good with her kid, who cares for her, and who understands the importance of family. and with fiona, dante finds someone who understands his limitations and who will help him overcome the moments when his past hurts haunt him. **disarmed by love will publish on february 20, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/kensington books (lyrical shine) in exchange for my

something from the archives: stranded - part 5

as per usual, the latest installment can be found after the jump

seriously romantic: cinderella and the geek by christina phillips

alice is about to head off to university and leave behind the best job ever. before she leaves she wants to finally make a move on her cute boss. the one she's had a crush on ever since she started. harry is a hot nerd, in my head i basically pictured harry styles with glasses. in cinderella and the geek , these two crazy kids are crazy about each other and cannot manage to communicate enough to figure out that they are entirely on the same page. i was both charmed and irritated with these two. when they are in sync the romance really clicks and there is so much promise to their story. but they overthink themselves into fights somehow. once they figure out that they are doing this, they manage to get their act together. **cinderella and the geek will publish on february 19, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (embrace) in exchange for my honest review. 

slightly silly: riverdale, episode twenty-six: the tell-tale heart

the story referenced by the episode title is very suited to the overall mood of this episode. everyone is hiding something and at the end of the day, the truth will out. i mean, the biggest secret is still hidden, but plenty of revelations happened this episode. archie confessed his interactions with agent adams to hiram and then learned that the actual boss in the lodge family is hermione. she's like lady macbeth and i can't wait to see what happens when she cracks. i think this is one of those revelations that might have been decided late in the game, because i'm not sure this is consistent with the hermione who started out fresh in riverdale. that being said, it could just be that hermione has always played one hell of a long game. it will be interesting to see what happens with the lodges and archie, and how that affects fred. another thing outed this episode? the fact that mayor mccoy has been having an affair with sheriff keller. she is forced to step down,

seriously romantic: kiss me, sweetheart by codi gary

book two in the something borrowed series has rylie templeton teaming up with dustin kent as the bridemaid and groomsman for hire at the latest celebrity wedding. this is rylie's dream job, and she's not happy about being stuck with dustin. she suspects his motives. and his morals. and doesn't want anything to ruin this opportunity for her. kiss me, sweetheart  lets us know early on what nefarious scheme dustin is up to. he's planning to write a tell-all book about what goes on behind the scenes at a celebrity wedding. at first he doesn't worry too much about who this might hurt. but when he starts spending more time with rylie, he realizes that she's someone who has been hurt plenty by others. he gets her out of a potentially abusive situation and moves her into his pool house. he's her friend first, but he also wants to be something more. and he hasn't felt this way about anyone ever. she might actually change him. and one of the things i found s

strictly literary: surprise me by sophie kinsella

whenever i read a sophie kinsella book, i inevitably find myself laughing out loud at least once. there are some moments of pure physical comedy in surprise me , and they lightened the at times highly emotional subject. sylvie and dan have been married for years, after a physical, their doctor informs them that they have sixty-eight more years of matrimony to look forward to. suddenly they find themselves thinking of the long road ahead. and are slightly concerned by the monotony. so they decide to surprise each other to keep things interesting.  and, while surprises sound good in theory. the reality is that they are not always good. and sylvie and dan learn this lesson quickly. and when additional tension arises, sylvie begins to suspect that she's getting the worst kind of surprise.  it's not what she thinks, but the truth isn't good either. there are some surprising emotional twists in this novel, but as always kinsella counterweighs the heavy with some tru

seriously romantic: lake + manning by jessica hawkins

the something in the way series was originally a trilogy, but after move the stars  the characters still had more story. and so we have lake + manning . and this time, these books aren't about finding their way to each other. this is the story of how do we make sure our happy ending stays happy. finding their way to each other has hurt and angered a lot of people. manning is lake's sister's ex-husband. that's weird. there were many reasons why they shouldn't have stayed together. the intensity of their love, of their connection has always silenced the naysayers. you don't see them together and doubt that they belong to each other. so they set about making peace with lake's family. and doing this frees them up to a deeper commitment. marriage. family. this is what both lake and manning want most of all. and for a long time it seems like they won't get it. there are moments where lake feels like she's failing manning, that he'll never have wh

slightly silly: riverdale, episode twenty-five: the wicked and the divine

you guys, bughead gets back together!! and they finally go all the way. of course things don't say shiny and happy for long. and betty is also keeping some major bombshells from jughead that will totally blow things up later (ahem, that kiss with archie and her webcamming ways) but whatever, i thought their reunion was hot. while part of me wishes betty didn't hold information back, i did love that jughead confessed his tryst with toni.  elsewhere in the episode, veronica is getting confirmed and archie is torn between the fbi agent and the lodges. and the thing i love about this version of archie, is that he embraces his darkness. and i find the way he handles veronica and her crazy family very interesting. because archie isn't above making questionable choices. he proves over and over again that he's not going to be manipulated into being someone's patsy.  shit is starting to get real in riverdale. there is a lot darkness and insanity up ahead for t

seriously romantic: how to ensnare a highlander by michelle mclean

when the highland highwayman targets lady elizabet harding's family in how to ensnare a highlander , she's defiant yet also charmed. because she's spent an afternoon with him, after a spooked horse almost killed her, and he was attractive and quick-witted and everything she could like in a man, except the whole he's a villian who steals from people. and he seems to be targeting her father. when she is accidentally shot by an overzealous minion, laird john macgregor refuses to leave her behind. even though that might be the most convenient course of action, he's been enchanted by lady elizabet since they'd first met. he tries to protect her and keep her from knowing his identity. and then he tries to protect her from the fallout of his choices. he's actually a criminal so even though he has valid reasons, knowing that his quest for vengeance will hurt elizabet he finds that he can't bring down her family to save himself. but elizabet won't let

seriously romantic: leaving everest by megan westfield

i loved lessons in gravity , megan westfield's debut that introduced the walkabout productions universe. this book has less to do with the crew in general, though april and josh do make brief appearances in leaving everest . but it's not an outright sequel to their story, it's more like a spin-off. this is a story of taking chances. of letting go of the past. of conquering your greatest fears. and all of these things happen for emily and luke on a climb of mount everest. as a new adult romance, there is plenty of angst in the story. but the life-or-death stakes really amps up the tension. because the truth is emily and luke figure out early on how much they love each other. how much they've always loved each other. the question is how to make things work now that emily has given up the idea of college and luke is locked into finishing out his degree. especially since they both really dream of climbing. they want to climb professionally. they don't just want to

slightly silly: riverdale, episode twenty-four: the wrestler

one of the things i love about riverdale  is that even though the plot moves quickly, they don't forget things. so moments from earlier episodes come into play at the most opportune times. it's the founder's day celebration and politics, intrigue and melodrama are sure to be on hand. most of the wrestler is focused on archie and hiram's relationship or lack thereof. he's trying to spy on hiram, but the truth is that archie is more interested in earning a seat at the table, than he is being a government patsy. while veronica is knee deep in festical plans, one of which is to reunite the pussycats. but when josie's mother convinces her that veronica is manipulating her. it becomes an epic battle, which hermione and sierra playing their daughter's like fiddles behind the scenes. this is the kind of layered melodrama i love about riverdale . even though we know the lodges are working with the mayor, it's pretty clear that she's playing but highly s

slightly silly: riverdale, episode twenty-three: the blackboard jungle

so, like i said, somehow i missed when riverdale  started back up again. it's been an insane january. and february isn't much better between life and illnesses and work and life. nothing bad, just busy. but all that crazy is what makes riverdale  so fun to watch. the ridiculous lives and petty dramas these teenagers are handling are entertaining and angsty and fun. anyway, this episode opens with more machiavellian manuevers from the lodges. but what they've chosen to do totally works, because having south side high shut down and the few serpents whose names we actually know transfer over to riverdale high is brilliant. it brings jughead into the fold in a way that feels realistic. and it also sets up some decent tension among the different social groups. too often our cast of characters move in and out of each other's orbits with no obvious social drama. so this wrong side of the tracks stuff all up close and personal really works. veronica is all in on her pare

simply all about spark - a cover reveal

a new standalone from s.l scott has a rock star musician trying to prove that he can be someone to count on beyond that first spark of attraction...check out the cover reveal for spark.

somewhat scientific: road to eugenica by a.m. rose

drea smith has always been a bit of a klutz and an average student. but after a car accident that kills her father she finds that things are different. she picks up surfing in an afternoon. she can suddenly speak spanish fluently. and she keeps having these dreams or visions of this other place. with her best friend, dylan, who she's always been in love with. and new friend maddox, who seems to have a thing for her. drea is trying to make sense of all these crazy things. but the truth is something she could have never imagined. and the connections that maddox and dylan have to what is happening to drea makes everything complicated. maddox in particular blows hot and cold. you know he's more involved than he's saying, but then how his part in the story is resolved is so sudden, you feel like there were missed opportunities there. at the end, not everything is fully revealed. and drea's journey is only just beginning by the end of road to eugenica . i'

seriously romantic: the dating debate by chris cannon

the boy next door has an attitude problem. and nina barnes is happy to debate that with him until the sun sets. when west smith claims that they are attending the valentine's dance together, she holds him to it. she says it's because he said it was happening, and she doesn't lie, so they need to make it so and thus the dating debate  begins. and before west even knows it somehow he's in a relationship that he never intended. he doesn't let people get close. because all he wants to do is leave everything behind. his home life is not good. his mother is a hoarder who doesn't leave the house. and his father, besides not being the warm and fuzzy type, ignores the problem never realizing how it affects west. but opening up to someone as open and generous as nina, puts west's secrets in danger. and he wants to confess the truth to her. but his shame about his home, the extent of his mother's mental illness, run very deep. and he'd rather cut everyt

something from the archives: stranded - part 4

things start to get steamy here... just a warning.

strictly literary: by a charm and a curse by jaime questell

by a charm and a curse  starts off on the fairgrounds, in claremont, oklahoma and takes us on a journey to new orleans a place where magic has always been a possiblity. the charm of invincibility inherent to the le grand's carnival fantastic is anchored by a terrible curse, something emmaline king learns when she's conned into taking it on after a visit to the fair with an old friend. alone and terrified by the fact that her body is no longer her own. she's like a mannequin but alive. she doesn't have a pulse, can't cry, can't breathe but she still feels cold. she still feels. and the only way she can get rid of the curse is to pass it on to someone else. but she hasn't lost her humanity quite yet. she can't imagine condemning anyone else to this existence. and then there's ben. he's grown up as part of the carnival. his mother is the master carpenter and he is her apprentice. from the moment he meets emma, though, he can't stay a

seriously romantic: wicked attraction by megan hart

book two in the protector series, wicked attraction , picks up right where dangerous promise  left off. nina has been rehired by ewan for protection, and he's basically trying to win back the trust he broke by not confiding his role in developing the enhancements that are slowly going to kill her as they deteriorate. he's also working on a plan to alter the ban he was instrumental in enacting, so that those who have already received enhancements may be eligible for updates. he's still keeping secrets though. he hasn't shared the extent of his work with nina, or what his actual plans are. trust is very much an issue between them. on the one hand, ewan trusts nina with his body. he enjoyed the pain she gives him. he loves to be under her control. but when it comes to his business dealings, his political intrigues, he is less forthcoming. part of this is because he is afraid of her judgment. but part of it is also that he isn't very good at letting others in. so

simply all about the protector series by megan hart

The Protector series trilogy is an action-packed, fast-paced sci-fi romance with tons of heat and sizzle. I pretty much binge-read the series as soon as I had access to it. There are cliffhangers at the end of the first two books, so the individual books don't standalone. You will want to begin at the beginning and you will want to read to the very end. I loved Nina and Ewan's story. Keep reading for some information on the books, including an excerpt of Dangerous Promise .

strictly literary: assassin of truths by brenda drake

the library jumpers series comes to a close with assassin of truths , and battle to defeat connemar continues with new and old allies alike. gia must still navigate her teenage drama with the whole saving the world thing, but this book brings everything together to a high-stakes confrontation and a satisfying conclusion. everything that gia has been learning on her journey comes into play at just the right time, but not in tired predictable ways. there is suspense and drama and sadness and grief and love and happiness. all the right emotional notes are played for maximum enjoyment. this is one of those series that is a perfect binge-read. the world-building is complex, and there are so many characters to keep straight that reading them in close succession means less time to forget all the details. if you've already read the first two books in the series, then you will be happy with where things go in the third and how the love triangles/rhombuses resolve themselves. **assas

strictly literary: guardian of secrets by brenda drake

the library jumpers series continues with guardian of secrets . gia and her friends are keeping busy by hunting for the chiave that will unlock the prophecy foretold before gia's birth as well as battling the mystical demons that make up conemar's army. on top of that gia is still learning to harness her magical abilities. and dealing with family, friend, and boy drama. her changeling "twin" hates her. her pop is starting a new relationship that involves some serious pda. her best friend is a mess because he's just discovered he's adopted and his birth father is totally evil. the guy she keeps thinking about isn't the guy she is dating. and the guy she is dating is acting totally weird. so it's totally high school meets the end of the world. love triangles become love rhombuses and it's not clear where the relationship musical chairs will end. between the fighting for her life and the fighting in her love life, gia would just like to catch a

strictly literary: thief of lies by brenda drake

thief of lies  introduces us to a world where there are wizards and sentinels who protect the human world for mystical creatures using the libraries of the world to jump between place to place. when gia kearns accidentally opens a portal, she has no idea how drastically her life is going to change. it turns out that her entire life was sort of a lie. her mother and father are both sentinels and this makes her the child mentioned in a prophecy that foretells the destruction of the world the wizards and sentinels have been protecting for so long.  luckily her friends and family are with her to walk the crazy journey. but as more truths get revealed, and lucky enough gia's magic happens to be a truth serum sphere, things really start to go crazy. while there's no cliffhanger, this is clearly book one in a series. so while some things seeem to be resolved there's a lot going on that makes me happy i can binge-read the whole series. keep an eye out for the review for b

strictly literary: by the book by julia sonneborn

it's no secret that i love jane austen. and i know i've previously expressed my love for pride & prejudice  and pride & prejudice   retellings . but did you know that i feel the same way about persuasion ? i've re-read jane's entire catalogue many times, but the two that get the most love from me are pride & prejudice and persuasion . i love anne elliott. i love elizabeth bennett. both are very different leading ladies. i love that about them. it's hard for me to pick a favorite between these two. they each embody a different trope that i am an acknowledged sucker for: enemies-to-lovers ( pride & prejudice ) and second-chance-at-love ( persuasion ). anyway, that very long intro basically explains why i am predisposed to love by the book , a retelling of persuasion. it resettles bath society on a small university campus. all the characters have modern equivalents, even though the story is created and told in a way that pays homage but does not c

seriously romantic: branded by firelight by paula altenburg

branded by firelight  finds claire brand returning home to sweetheart, montana for her sister's wedding. claire was always the model child, the most likely to succeed, but something about her is changed. no one knows that she had a baby and gave it up for adoption. it's been a year to the day of her sister's wedding, and all she can fixate on is how her life went off the rails. she doesn't expect to bond with groomsman ben nichols. he'd always been a flirt, and claire's been burned by men enough to last her a lifetime. but being with ben is easy and fun. he knows how to make awkward silences no big deal. he soothes her in just the right ways. and even though claire thinks it's all temporary, that there's no way a man like ben would stick around, especially once he knew her secret. especially ben given his own abandonment issues. but she doesn't give him enough credit. because the more time ben spends with claire, the more he wants to convince h

simply all about sinner - a cover reveal

the latest book from sierra simone goes back to the world of priest  and midnight mass , which if you haven't read them before are like the most epic forbidden love story, crazy hot and sexy and emotional and just plain good. i've been waiting for this book to release for a while, and i'm so glad i get to share a sneak peek of the cover.

strictly literary: fade to us by julia day

in fade to us , brooke has plans for her summer before senior year. those plans don't include babysitting her stepsister, natalie, who happens to have asperger's. but when natalie is forced to move into her father's home for the summer, brooke's plans must change. brooke inadvertently shares information about a theater camp with natalie, who loves performing and is genuinely interested in the camp. her mom, jill and stepdad, jeff, proceed to lay all the blame on brooke for natalie's interest in the camp. but her parents didn't inform her about their plans. how they thought they would manage natalie's inclusion in their family dynamic. they leave brooke to figure out this stuff on her own and then get upset with brooke when she tries and the result is something they didn't plan for. this is kind of a recurring theme throughout this book. every conflict, brooke is expected to be the bigger person every single time. her relationship with jeff for ex