Sammy

**ARC courtesy of the author, Lisa Eugene, in exchange for an honest review**4 Where-Is-My-Hot-Hobo Stars!Maggie, an OR nurse, is on her way home from work when she comes across a hobo who appears to be seriously injured. Maggie does her best to help stabilize his injuries until an ambulance can arrive to take him to the hospital. Little does Maggie know that by her helping Gabe (the hobo), she unwillingly gets involved with an ex-Navy SEAL who is currently a gun for hire and his latest assignment.Maggie is definitely not the typical heroine that I read about in novels but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her character! She is feisty, moralistic, likes control, and is a total germaphobe!Maggie to Gabe after he saved her life: "I can't believe you pushed me onto the floor. Do you know what kind of microbial soup-"*~*~*~*~*Maggie's thoughts about when she purchased a sex toy: "David called the shop his 'grocery store of genital goodies.' And she'd been surprised that it was so much like a grocery store, with seemingly ordinary people pushing shopping carts filled with its and other curious items up and down isles. He'd teased her mercilessly because of the wig and dark glasses she'd insisted on wearing, and repeatedly assured her that she looked like the only weirdo pervert in the store, especially after she'd spent a great deal of time questioning the manager about the most efficacious ways of cleaning and sterilizing the device she'd reluctantly purchased."Her comments and thoughts about germs really cracked me up! Another hilarious aspect of this story is Maggie's gay best friend & neighbor, David. Maggie: "Well, he was still dangerous! He was huge and packed with muscles."David:"Ooh. My kind of hobo."Maggie: "And he was so dirty."David: "Even better!"*~*~*~*~*David talking about Gabe: "And damn, Mag, I don't know what's inside his pants, but from what I could see on the outside, he's pretty damn hard to forget!"Gabe is the typical type of bad boy that I drool over in books. He is an ex-Navy SEAL, a loner, HOT, controlling, dirty (in the good kind of way), possessive, and surprisingly sweet at times. "There's so many parts of your body that I love," he admitted huskily. "It's sometimes hard to decide which I love more."*~*~*~*~*"You're beautiful Maggie. So beautiful you take my breath away."Overall, If you are looking for a fast paced romantic suspense novel with a quirky heroine, alpha hero, and lots of twists, Steal My Heart is the book for you!

Amazon Freebie 9/12/13. Book blurb:This is Book 1 of the Against the Odds series. Rebecca is finally settled into her mundane life when she accidentally meets Clayton, a brash lawyer who unsettles her world and demands to understand her and her secrets. He wants to know everything about her, but will he handle the truth about who she really is? Will her desire for him allow her to risk keeping a secret that has been in her family for generations?

Amazon Freebie! 9/3/13

$0.99 on Amazon 8/30/13

Amazon Freebie 9/14/13

Amazon freebie 8/14/13

Amazon freebie 8/14/13

**ARC courtesy of Ellora's Cave via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Read unedited version. Will be waiting to rate AND review this book until after re-reading this book with the edited version the Author is providing to our Smexy Bookaholics blog.

Free on Amazon 8/7/13

Resisting Love BR with Sara and Jo continues!ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the authors in exchange for an honest review.We were introduced to Kade and Nikki in Chase (Resisting Love #1) where we found out that Nikki and Kade actually slept together before Layla and Chase ever met but we weren’t really given any details as to what happened and why the two of them seem to be so uncomfortable around each other. Kade (Resisting Love #2) is about Kade and Nikki, their relationship, and the obstacles they must overcome if they want to make a relationship work. KadeI think that Kade is by far my favorite of the three brothers. He is very attractive, well endowed, and is HILARIOUS! The scene with a naked Kade, Nikki, and Nikki’s mom had me laughing my ass off! I loved how he pursued Nikki relentlessly (even when she kept trying to push him away), was very protective of her, and he helped her deal with some of her trust/self esteem issues. How I imagined Kade: Kade isn’t without his faults though. His friendship with Ashley strained his relationship with his family, friends, and Nikki. I just wanted to smack some sense into him when it came to that bitch. Some of his decisions when it came to Ashley infuriated me. NikkiNikki has HUGE commitment issues that stem from her being burned very badly by a guy in the past. She is the love ‘em and leave ‘em type of girl. Kade is the first guy that has ever made Nikki want more than just a simple hook up. He makes her want to trust him and take a chance on a relationship with him, even though she is terrified of being hurt again. Nikki is also a hot head and looks for any excuse to get into a fight. And let me tell you, she isn’t the normal kind of girl fighter. She doesn’t slap, scratch, or pull her opponent’s hair; instead, she would rather punch or slam the person’s head into the floor. Honestly, her fights were one of the aspects of this book that I struggled with. I never really understood why she resorted to such violence in order to protect and defend her friends and family. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that she would do anything to protect the people that she cares about, but I felt like she didn’t have to physically hurt others in order to get her point across. She is lucky she was never charged with assault or battery! Overall, this was an enjoyable addition to the Resisting Love series. I didn't struggle as much with the writing style as I did with the first book and was definitely entertained by the humor and characters. This is why I would give Kade 4 solid stars =D

Resisting Love BR with Sara and Jo!ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the authors in exchange for an honest review.*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Layla Crawford is screwed. She has one week until her college classes start and she hasn’t found a place to live yet. She visited several potential rentals but all of them have been horrific so far. Resigning herself to the fact that she might not find a place to live close to the university, Layla drives to the last potential rental on her list. Thankfully, she likes the house and the potential roommate she meets so Layla moves in with Kade and James, two very attractive guys, and their mysterious landlord who is never home. Shortly after moving into the house, Layla and her best friend Nikki decide to go out dancing. While at the club, Layla locks eyes with Chase, a handsome and tatted guy with whom she has an instant spark with. The only problem? He is surrounded by women. Chase eventually blows off the women vying for his attention and spends the night with Layla. After that night, he decides that he needs to claim Layla as his. There is something about her that makes him want to give up his playboy ways and become a one woman man. Their relationship isn't easy, however, obstacles from Chase's past keep threatening to push Layla away. What I Liked *Layla is a girl who isn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself and those she cares about. “I don’t like confrontation, and I don’t like to fight. I don’t like to get involved; I like my life drama free. But that doesn't mean I won’t fight back. I don’t let anyone disrespect me. People tend to mistake my kindness for weakness. Their mistake.”Though Layla acted immature and spoiled at times, I liked her character overall. *I loved all three guys: Chase, James, and Kade. Even though all three of them are total man whores, their relationship with Layla was really sweet. Kade is probably my favorite though because he was hilarious and apparently he is HUGE in all the right places ;) Minor Things I Struggled With*The writing style felt rushed and choppy at times. There were times when I wish the authors had gone into more detail instead of ending the scene where they did.*This is going to sound strange but Layla fell asleep a lot and at the most inconvenient moments. There were a few times that I couldn't figure out why she fell asleep, given what was going on around her. It just bugged me *shrugs* *I have seen in other reviews where people thought this story was predictable and somewhat unbelievable. I can understand where they are coming from. Layla finding a place to live, with three hot and very rich guys, who instantly like her and want to protect her is a little unbelievable. I also saw most of the drama coming before it even happened. Regardless of this, I still really enjoyed the story. It was entertaining, the characters made me laugh, and despite the predictability of the story, I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to see what happened next. Overall, this is a quick and fun read so I would give it 3.5-4 stars. I definitely plan to read the rest of the series to find out more about Kade and James =)

Resisting Love BR with Sara and Jo continues! ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the authors in exchange for an honest review.When his cousin Tenielle (Tee) unexpectedly shows up at Ryder’s apartment with her gorgeous friend Lexi, Ryder finds himself with two temporary roommates. There is an instant attraction between Ryder and Lexi and their shared interest in music sets the stage for a great relationship between the two of them. But someone from Lexi’s past threatens to ruin not only her relationship with Ryder, but his music career as well. Ryder is by far my favorite story in the Resisting Love series so far. You might be wondering how a novella could possibly be my favorite in a book series… my honest answer for you would be that I fell for the hero Ryder... and I fell hard. What I Loved About Ryder:♪ Talented musician? ✔♪ Uses a unique nickname (Queen of Hearts) for the heroine? ✔♪ Hot, tatted, and pierced (including down south)? ✔♪ Loyal, protective, loving, romantic at heart, and alpha male? ✔✔✔✔✔Other 5 Star Attributes:♪ Tee – I think Ryder’s description of his cousin was very fitting. ”While Layla makes you want to protect her, her older sister, Tenielle, makes you want to hide your valuables and cup your balls. She’s one of the hardest girls in my life to protect because she’s so damn independent. It frustrates me, but it also makes me proud as hell.” Tee definitely isn’t afraid to be herself and doesn’t seem to care what others might think about her. She also made me laugh out loud on several occasions! ♪ Lexi – She has had a difficult life. Her father left when she was young and she lost her mother three years prior to the beginning of this story. During the three years following her mother’s death, Lexi was travelling the world, working random jobs, and pretty much lived like a nomad. I loved that even though she hasn’t had the easiest circumstances in life, she didn’t let that drag her down as a person. ♪ There was a huge twist in the story line that I did not see coming at all! Overall, I could not put this novella down! The characters, story, and humor completely had me hooked! It was definitely a 5 Star read for me! Memorable Quotes:♪ “There are no words for how stunning you look, Lexi, and I write songs.”♪ Lexi: “this is the best desert ever. It’s like an orgasm in your mouth!”Ryder: “It’s pretty amazing, but I just tasted your lips, and I have to say they beat this chocolate thing hands down.”

First official BR for the Smexy Bookaholics blog with Sara and Jo!**ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the author, Sadie Grubor, in exchange for an honest review**"I was fourteen when it happened. The day the Mackeys moved into the house next door. The day that changed my life, as much as it was, forever.A tiny, blonde girl standing on my doorstep would be the beginning of the craziness which became my life. This girl became my best friend, my confidant and side kick. She also introduced me to the love of my life."All Grown Up by Sadie Grubor is a story about love, heartbreak, friendship, and as the title suggests, growing up. This book starts off when a fourteen year old Chloe meets her neighbor and future best friend Mina. Chloe and Mina are polar opposites of one another. Where Chloe is quiet, shy, and into computers; Mina is outgoing, into fashion, and is very popular. Despite all their differences, a fast friendship is formed and they are inseparable. Mina has a very overprotective older brother, Leo, who Chloe instantly begins crushing on even though she realizes he will never see her as anything other than his little sister's best friend. While this book focuses on Chloe and Leo growing up and realizing their feelings for one another, it also has a large cast of secondary characters that you get to know and see how their stories unfold as well. What I Liked*The friendships between the characters. You could tell that these characters really cared for one another and stuck by each other no matter what happened. I think one of my favorite examples of this was Chloe, Mina, and their other girl friend's tradition when one of them was experiencing a bad break-up. All the girls would get together and go to the beach for a bonfire where they would drink and have a man bashing night. *Chloe and Leo's relationship didn't start out with insta love. While Chloe was instantly attracted to Leo and had a crush on him, it took time for their feelings to develop and for them both to acknowledge those feelings. *None of the character's stories are perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, has to deal with the consequences, and deals with other life struggles (just like in real life). What I Struggled With*This story jumps around a lot. You basically watch the characters grow up from the age of 14 through adulthood so time jumps forward a lot. I felt like this took away from experiencing what the characters were going through and inhibited me from connecting with the characters as much as I could have. Like I was given the description of some of the major events in their lives, but I didn't really get to experience it along with the characters. *I didn't feel like I connected with the characters as much as I could have. Chloe and Leo's decisions really confused me at times and I didn't understand why they chose to do what they did. For example, why Leo kept walking away from Chloe and just ignoring her. He wouldn't answer her calls or texts. I never completely understood that even after he tried to explain it.*Chloe made a decision that really upset me and I lost a lot of respect for her character. She never really redeemed herself in my eyes. I could not believe that she got pregnant with Leo's baby and tried to pass the baby off as Dom's (her husband at the time)! Leo didn't even know he had a child until the kid was like 2 or 3! Her reasoning was weak to me and Leo deserved a lot better than that. He had a right to know he was a father and to see his child grow up. NOT OK! Overall, I would give this story 2 stars for the reasons mentioned above. I am in no way discouraging you from reading this book. Different books work for different people, so just because this book didn't necessarily work out for me, doesn't mean it won't work out for you. I still plan on reading other books from this author; her Modern Arrangements series is on my TBR :)

BR With Sara & Jo**ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the authors, Miriam Brady & Amber Best, in exchange for an honest review**After losing her entire family in an accident, Madison (Maddy) Grey is broken. For six months, she is a shell of the happy, fun loving person she used to be. In an effort to pull their friend out of her depression (even if only for a short time), Maddy's friends take her to a concert of her favorite band, Murder of Crows, where Maddy catches the interest of the lead singer Calvin (Cal) Hunt. The moment Cal sees Maddy, he knows there is something different about her from the women he normally pursues so he invites her backstage after the concert in an attempt to get to know her better. Despite being told that Maddy is single but unavailable for a relationship, Cal pursues her anyway and does his best to convince her to take a chance on a relationship with him. Maddy's guilt over moving on after the tragic loss of her family and Cal's womanizing past are both HUGE obstacles they will need to overcome if they want to make a relationship work. The ironic part of this entire situation is that Maddy and her friends created what they call a back-up list which means the following: If the woman carrying this card has been recently made single, through the accidental death of her husband, untimely demise due to unforeseen natural causes (or deliberate murder) or has become single due to the fact that her husband was a cheating bastard who left her, then this is an emergency. A new husband must be procured for her promptly. A list of suitable candidates is provided on the other side. The back-up list was created as a joke and none of the girls ever intended to date any of the guys on their lists. That is why is why it is so ironic that Maddy and Cal start a serious relationship because he was the #1 guy on her back-up list.My ThoughtsI really enjoyed reading about Maddy, Cal, and their relationship. I can't even imagine what I would do if I lost my entire family in the manner that Maddy did. I was a little surprised at just how emotional this book made me. There were several times that I had tears in my eyes and my heart was aching for Maddy and the others affected by the death of her family members. I thought she was a very strong person and I was really happy to see her have a second chance at happiness with her dream guy! While Cal could be immature at times, I thought he was sweet, generous, understanding, and super supportive when it came to Maddy. Especially considering he didn't know that Maddy had recently lost both her husband and children. I loved the friendship between Maddy & Kinley (her best friend). I loved the fact that the girls have been life long friends and that they were there for each other, through good times and bad. I loved the fact that they were completely honest with each other, even though the truth wasn't always pretty. I also LOVED the fact that the girls had an obsession with shopping and Coach handbags :)))"You know us, we never just admire things-cash and credit, first born children and organ donations have all occurred when we go shopping."Why Not 5 Stars?I fully admit that a character can make or break a book for me. While I adored Maddy's character for the most part, her decisions in the last 50% of the book made me angry, frustrated, and I lost a lot of respect for her. I get the fact that Maddy was pretty inexperienced when it came to dating and that she had insecurities stemming from the fact that she is dating a rockstar who used to be a man-whore. However, I was not ok with the fact that she so easily judged Cal when he had done nothing but be supportive and understanding when it came to her. I hated the fact that Maddy took anything the media said about Cal as truth and would not give Cal the chance to defend himself. Especially when she found out she was pregnant and made the decision that Cal did not deserve to know about her pregnancy because of a misunderstanding that the media caused. Seriously, that is NOT a good reason to cut the father of your child out of the child's life! He has every right to know that he is going to be a father and to be a part of that child's life! I would like to point out that not everyone will have the same issue with the book so please don't let my mini rant discourage you from reading this novel. I just feel very strongly about situations like this in books where the woman hides her pregnancy from the father and I don't feel her excuse for not telling him is a legitimate reason.The epilogue was another aspect of this story that I am on the fence about. While it was definitely a twist I was not expecting and it sets up the story up for the next book, I found the situation a little far fetched and unbelievable. This is all I am going to say about the epilogue though as I don't want to spoil it for anyone else. Overall, I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy emotional books about second chances, love, friendship, and rockstars =D

Resisting Love BR with Sara and Jo continues!ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the author, Chantal Fernando, in exchange for an honest review. In the first 2.5 books of the Resisting Love series, James was always such a mystery to me. Out of the three brothers, he is very quiet, private, and secretive. His job required him to disappear for various amounts of time and he would return sore and bruised. He refused to give anyone any details on what his job entailed; even his brothers didn’t seem to know much. So coming into this book, I was definitely looking forward to learning more about him and what he does for a living. And let me tell you, waiting to find out his secret was worth the wait.Sasha and James have a very complicated history. At one point in time, they were very much in love but one day Sasha found James with another woman, and their relationship was left in shambles. After seeing each other a handful of times since the break-up, Sasha decides to take a two year vacation with family in Scotland. When she returns, James is dating his co-worker, Tatiana, and a situation causes James and Sasha to be in each other’s lives again. Will James and Sasha try to work things out? Will James end his relationship with Tatiana? Will the secrets that both James and Sasha are hiding destroy their fragile relationship? All are questions that are answered in this novel.Why Just 3 Stars?While I definitely enjoyed learning about James’ secret and his history with Sasha, I don’t feel like I connected with these two characters as much as I connected with the characters in the previous books. James and Sasha both made some pretty big decisions that I never really understood their reasoning for. For example, James should have been honest with Sasha about his job the first time they dated. He didn’t have to give her specific details, but he could have at least given her a general idea of what he does. This would have prevented a lot of their issues and saved them from a lot of heart break. Sasha also hid a huge secret from James as well and I lost a lot of respect for her because of her decision. I can’t say she ever fully redeemed herself in my eyes. Another reason for my 3 star rating is that I found aspects of this book predictable. I saw a lot of the drama coming before it even occurred. This isn’t the biggest reason for the lower rating but I just found some of the drama (meaning drama caused from women from James' past) that occurred in this book very similar to what happened in previous books. Overall, I did enjoy reading James (Resisting Love #3) and would definitely recommend this series to anyone that is considering reading it. Memorable Quotes:J: “I’ll make it up to you tonight, okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”S: “Good, you can go down on me for two hours.”J: “Is that supposed to be a punishment for me? Cos it sounds like a reward.”*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Tee to the guys: “I thought I’d liven the place up a little. Besides if I were a man, we all know I’d have the biggest penis.”