Review: Clipped Wings by Helena Hunting

CLIPPED WINGS

Author: Helena Hunting

Series: Clipped Wings

Pages: 400

Publisher: Gallery Books

Amazon

Release date: 4^th March 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

An emotional love story that follows the touch-and-go relationship of Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts.

As Hayden and Tenley navigate their newfound but slightly unstable relationship, they want to trust each other, but Hayden is hiding a dark and shameful past that he doesn't ever want Tenley to find out about. And Tenley has secrets of her own that could make Hayden run away forever. When Tenley asks Hayden to put a beautifully elaborate tattoo across her back, the two form what they thought was an unshakeable bond. But when Tenley's past shows up on her doorstep, will Hayden stand by her side...or run?

Review: 4  out of 5 stars

Clipped Wings is a wonderful story filled with heartfelt emotion, wonderful yet broken characters, a sweet romance and a story-line that kept me eager to know more.

Our main protagonist is Tenley Page who is trying to heal and move forward after great loss, she is broken and alone and working in a book/coffee shop still feeling guilty and struggling daily to get past her pain and grief.

Hayden Stryker is a tattoo artist, who comes across as domineering and abrasive, but underneath the badass, tattooed exterior lays a heart of gold, he too has quite the interesting past but has moved on from his wild ways and now runs a tattoo parlour, Inked Armor.

When Tenley asks Hayden to tattoo an intricate design across her back, they form a fragile bond but a lot isn’t talked about and secrets are kept which causes drama when Tenley’s past is still lingering and forcing her to make decisions she isn’t quite ready to make. I loved the depth and the passion in Clipped Wings, the relationship between the characters was one I found to be quite fragile, it was slow to develop and the characters pasts really made them both quite wary.

Each chapter is told from both Tenley and Hayden’s POV which I think was needed for this story to grasp the full plethora of emotions and reactions. The back-story is developed well and dribbled out slowly over the course of the book, we are given small snippets of information that leaves us guessing about what had happened but until it was all openly revealed we don’t truly understand just how broken and vulnerable both of the characters are. The friendship they formed was great and I loved the chemistry between them.

My biggest gripe was the ending - a cliff-hanger, I wanted closure and a HEA which I hope we’ll get in the sequel, Inked Armor. I also felt a few things became repetitive and dragged out and character actions were at times questionable but overall I did enjoy this story.

Overall, Clipped Wings is a poignant story with depth that kept me captivated right from the onset. With wonderfully detailed writing and convincing yet flawed characters, I am definitely eager to read the next installment asap.

Thank-you to Gallery Books via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Clipped Wings.

 

About the author: Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s putting her degree in English Lit to good use by writing contemporary erotic romance. She is the author of Clipped Wings, her debut novel, and Inked Armor.  

Also known as hunterhunting or Hunter Hunting.

Review: Torch (Take It Off #1) by Cambria Hebert

Torch

Author: Cambria Hebert

Series: Take It Off

Pages: 252

Publisher: Self

Genre: Adult contemporary

Release date: 13^th August 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

If you can’t take the heat… stay away from the flame.

Katie Parks has been on her own since the age of fifteen. All she’s ever wanted is a place to call her own—a life that is wholly hers that no one can take away. She thought she finally had it, but with the strike of a single match, everything she worked so hard for is reduced to a pile of smoking ash. And she almost is too.

Now she’s being stalked by someone who’s decided it’s her time to die. The only thing standing in the path of her blazing death is sexy firefighter Holt Arkain.

Katie’s body might be safe with Holt… but her heart is another story.

As the danger heats up, sparks fly and the only thing Katie knows for sure is that her whole life is about to go up in flames.

Review: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

Torch by Cambria Hebert was a quick and easy read and follows the story of Katie Parks who is a bit of a loner until she meets fire-fighter Holt Arkain who rescues her from her burning house fire.

Katie has never allowed herself to form attachments; everyone she has loved has left her so she has learnt never to depend on anyone so when Holt starts showing a keen interest she becomes quite unsure about her feelings. Katie came across as a naïve character and although she was likeable there wasn’t a lot of depth to her as a person.

Holt was a dominant hero with a kind, selfless nature, I liked him despite him coming on really strong, he had goals and I liked the way in which he pursued them.

Torch has a severe case of insta-love, lust, attraction! I enjoyed the chemistry between this couple but it was pretty much right from the get go unfortunately, there was no slow to build romance which I tend to prefer. Holt offers Katie a roof over her head and to take care of her whilst she is still in the hospital, being a complete stranger I found this aspect a little odd since someone had just tried to kill her.

The plot was interesting and flowed well, there was someone out to murder Katie and to be honest throughout the course of the book I had no idea of who it could possibly be since she was more or less always by herself with no friends or family so I was surprised by the outcome.

This is my first Cambria Hebert book, the very beginning of the book was chilling and I found the writing to be engaging with witty banter and vivid imagery; I liked the premise of the story, smexy firemen always appeal to me but overall it just didn’t wow me.

Thank-you kindly to Cambria Hebert and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of Torch to read and review.

 

About the author: Cambria Hebert is a latte sipping author of the Heven & Hell series, the Death Escorts series, and the Take It Off series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and children (both human and furry) where she is plotting her next book. You can find out more about Cambria and her work by visiting http://www.cambriahebert.com 

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Review: Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

Sweet Thing

Author: Renee Carlino

Series: -

Pages: 331

Genre: Adult Contemporary

Publisher: Self

Release date: 17^th April 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Mia Kelly is a twenty-five-year-old walking Gap ad who thinks she has life figured out when her father’s sudden death uproots her from slow-paced Ann Arbor to New York City’s bustling East Village. There she discovers her father’s spirit for life and the legacy he left behind with the help of an old café, a few eccentric friends, and one charming musician.

Will Ryan is good-looking, poetic, spontaneous, and on the brink of fame when he meets Mia, his new landlord, muse, and personal heartbreaker.

A story of self-discovery and friendship, Sweet Thing shines light on the power of loving and letting go.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Sweet Thing intrigued me right from the onset, it was a book filled with hope, friendship, self-discovery and love that I found myself really enjoying.

Our main protagonist is twenty-five year Mia Kelly who has moved to bustling New York City to run her recently deceased fathers’ coffee shop. My thoughts about Mia are truly conflicted, I honestly felt sorry for this broken-hearted, seemingly lost girl but she came across as uncaring and aloof and frustrated me on so many occasions with the way she treated others without even realising that she was hurting them but I also saw that she was trying to find herself and determine what she wanted to do with her life.

On the plane on her way to NYC, Mia meets musician Will Ryan and after running into him again offers him her vacant room to rent & I have to say this smexy, carefree and loveable guy honestly made the book for me, he knew what he wanted and worked hard to achieve it. He was charming, smexy and with his love of music it showed his passion and sincerity to follow his goals. As the story progresses you could see how much he loved Mia who was not only his room-mate and best-friend but someone he thought he could trust and who supported him whole-heartedly, it’s just a shame she couldn’t admit her feelings or accept him completely for who he was and for this she made me so mad.

Both of these characters were on a journey of self-discovery but for different reasons and I enjoyed seeing them find their way, but not without miscommunications, disagreements and a few partners who weren’t so right in between. I loved the banter between them, the chemistry and attraction, the time they spent making and playing music, it all came together beautifully and the slow to build romance was so worth it in the end.

Overall, Sweet Thing is wonderfully written with a great cast of characters, it doesn’t come without angst and drama but the end result is all worth it.

Quote: You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together... then you'll hear the sound of your soul

About the author: Renee’s first friends were the imaginary kind and even though her characters haven’t gone away, thankfully the delusions have. She admits she’s a wildly hopeless romantic and she blames 80’s movies starring Molly Ringwald for that. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on the next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

Reviews: Surrender Your Love & Conquer Your Love by J.C. Reed

Surrender Your Love

Author: J.C. Reed

Series: Surrender Your Love

Pages: 324

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Self

Amazon 

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice.

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed.

Sexy, dangerously handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield attracts trouble, and women, like a lightning rod. But the night he meets Brooke he gets more than he bargained for. The green-eyed millionaire playboy isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and he isn’t about to start now.

When he proposes two months of no strings sex, Brooke is intrigued and accepts his proposal. Little does she know Jett’s determined to claim the one woman he can’t have, pulling her deeper into his dangerous world.

A man who doesn't take 'no' for an answer.
A woman afraid to surrender to love.
Two lives that are about to cross...and secrets laid bare.

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

This book is Adult Contemporary Romance - Please be advised that this book is NOT YAfriendly, not even in a New Adult category.

I have been curious about this book since I first glimpsed the smexy cover and read the intriguing synopsis and despite having a few small issues, I found myself riveted by it.

The story follows twenty-three year old Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York who is given an unbelievable offer to work for high profile property millionaire Jett Mayfield, travel to Italy, research a property he wants to acquire and explore their mutual chemistry.

Brooke was a likeable heroine with a sad backstory and was hesitant when it came to relationships; Jett was a dominant, smexy hero who was a bit of a mystery, I was a little cautious about him and his intentions because the initial interactions between them were really odd and hasty and boy was I right! The chemistry between them was off the charts but I felt some of their dialogue came across as corny and there is a lot we still don’t know about Jett, his history and his purpose.

The plot - I felt it was far-fetched but it was enjoyable none the less watching Brooke and Jett come to an understanding both professionally and sexually but my gosh was the twist we are given a big one and we are left with an amazing cliff-hanger ending.

The writing is simplistic and entertaining and despite the dialogue feeling cheesy I did like the overall story. I am interested to see in which direction the author will choose to take us, I think this series has a lot of promise and is a great debut novel.

Quotes:

“He was dazzlingly gorgeous. Forget gorgeous. He was beautiful. Utterly, totally, mind-blowingly stunning. On a scale from one to ten, he was a hundred.” 

“The guy was a piece of sin. If he were the devil holding a contract, this would be the moment I might just give in to temptation and sign over my soul.” 

  

Conquer Your Love

Author: J.C. Reed

Series: Surrender Your Love

Pages: 350

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Self

Amazon 

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Meeting Jett was like bad luck. Dangerous. Unpredictable. And better avoided. In his game, the stakes are high. But are they worth the risk?

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, finds forgetting is hard, but forgiving is harder. When the man she trusted, betrayed her, the only way to forget is to move on. Brooke is determined to start a new life, until she meets him again: the green-eyed, sexy as sin, six foot two sex god. The man who played dirty. The man who played her.

Sexy, rich, and arrogant Jett Mayfield knows he has made mistakes. He could have any other woman, and yet it’s Brooke he wants. When second chances collide with secrets and Brooke is threatened by the past, Jett is determined to protect her. She accepts his help unwillingly because she needs him but she wants to play his game on her own terms. And she has no intention to forgive or let him back into her bed.

When the man she is supposed to hate is the one she should trust, will he conquer her…or lose her forever?

A woman who can’t forgive.
A man who has made mistakes.
Two lives that are about to cross again and more secrets laid bare.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

This book is Adult Contemporary Romance - Please be advised that this book is NOT YAfriendly, not even in a New Adult category.

After the cliff-hanger we are left with at the end of Surrender Your Love, I was relieved to have Conquer Your Love ready and waiting to read.

Brooke was left hurt and deceived by Jett at the end of Surrender Your Love and is now in Italy with her best friend Sylvie sorting through some legal issues, what he did was unforgiveable but in this installment it appears she easily forgives and we find out the true reasoning behind Jett’s actions although he wasn’t so forthcoming with information initially which did grate on my nerves.

We learn a lot more about Jett in Conquer Your Love which I appreciated because the first book was more or less about Brooke’s past and insecurities, we also get more insight about his deception and the questions that surround Luccazone estate and see there are a few more key players in this story; Just as you think the mystery of it all is revealed you begin to realise that things are not as they seem, the constant questions really kept me engrossed and I love how Ms. Reed has woven everything together.  

The relationship between Jett and Brooke is emotional and complex but at the same time smexy and filled with quite a few romantic moments. He really needed to win back her feelings and trust and show he can be the person she needs him to be.

I still found the cheesiness to be apparent in this book and the dialogue at times was a bit strange; one moment they could be having (or trying to have) a serious conversation about what had happened and he would start talking about going on dates rather than giving answers which I found odd when you are trying to win back someone’s affections rather than explain your betrayal.

We do get some character progression, Brooke was a little more confident and self-assured, Jett showed a softer side and the secondary characters were each interesting; I am not a fan of Sylvie though! Her recklessness and immaturity doesn’t endear me to her at all.

The overall story, the romance, mystery and cryptic inheritance all moves the plotline forward but there are still a lot of questions unanswered that I am curious to unravel in the final instalment, Treasure Your Love.

Quotes:

“I'd do anything for you. You know that?" he whispered into my ear. "If you fell, I'd hold you. If you were afraid, I'd wrap my arms around you and take away your fears. I'd die to keep you safe but more than anything I'd do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. For you I'd conquer anything, everything, anytime.” 

“I Don't want someone who's perfect because I'm not perfect. I want someone who's real; someone who complements me rather than completes me.” 

 

About the author: J.C. Reed is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of SURRENDER YOUR LOVE. She writes steamy contemporary fiction with a touch of mystery. When she's not typing away on her keyboard, forgetting the world around her, she dreams of returning to the beautiful mountains of Wyoming. You can also find her chatting on Facebook with her readers or spending time with her two children.

To find out about Jessica's work, future releases, competitions and great giveaways visit her blog or Facebook page

Review: Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsession

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: -

Pages: 370

Publisher: Entangled

Genre: Adult Contemporary

Amazon

Synopsis (Goodreads)

He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

This book is Adult Contemporary Romance - Please be advised that it is not YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category.

Obsession takes place in the same world as the Lux series; this is the adult version and was great to see the story from the Luxen ‘evil’ counter-parts, the Arum.

Selena Cross, a high-school guidance counsellor thought her best friend Mel was going crazy when she told her she had witnessed the senators sons turn into glowing light bulbs; it didn't sound like a believable story until she saw it with her own eyes and watched on as her friend was blown up right in front of her; the drama and danger which came to follow became her worst nightmare as she was hunted for any information she could possibly know about what her friend had seen and told her.

Hunter, working for the Department of Defense is an Arum – a race bred to kill and has certainly changed my opinion of what I have always believed of them from reading the Lux series. He is certainly not a ‘nice’ man; he is a snarky, arrogant, smexy alpha who is protective despite what he is. I loved the interactions between him and Selena, she didn’t seem to have a filter and he found her feisty temper quite humorous so the banter between them had me giggling on numerous occasions.

The plot was fast-paced and seeing Selena and Hunter trying to work through the Luxen, Human and Arum politics & the information about Project Eagle, Daedalus and the powerful Senator was interesting and action-packed – it was nice to get a different perspective and to see things from an Arums POV.

The secondary characters were each interesting to read about, I liked the appearances of a few of the Lux series characters such as Luc and a certain green-eyed alien. I am also quite curious about Hunter’s brothers, they are so different but so intriguing.

I absolutely loved everything about this book! JLA never fails to disappoint with her wonderfully, detailed writing, true to life characters that you can't help but adore and a sweet yet complicated romance.

My fingers are crossed there will be more books written in the world of the Arum – I need more.

About the author – # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Jennifer would love to hear from you. If you have questions about any of her books, would like to set up an interview, book signing, etc, please use the email address below. Please check out each book/series individual page for more information about each title and the FAQ section.

For rights information on any of her titles, please contact Kevan Lyon from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

To contact Jennifer directly, please email: jenniferlarmentrout@live.com

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Review: Act Like You Love Me (Accidentally in Love #2) by Cindi Madsen

Act Like You Love Me

Author: Cindi Madsen

Series: Accidentally in Love

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 242

Publisher: Entangled Bliss

Puchase: Amazon
Release Date: 10th June 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

All’s fair in acting and amore…

Brynn McAdams isn’t the awkward drama geek she was in high school—she’s grown up and confident, or at least she likes to think so. But when her old crush, the impossibly handsome and impossibly unattainable Sawyer Raines, comes back to town to direct her community play, Brynn finds herself determined to be someone other than the girl he doesn’t even recognize. Good thing she’s an excellent actress.  

After his bad breakup in NYC, the last thing Sawyer wants is to get involved with another actress. But the glamorous and beautiful Brynn draws him in, even though as her director, he knows she’s off-limits. There’s just something about the woman that feels…familiar. Like home.  

As Brynn’s lies start to snowball, she struggles to stop acting and come clean. But what if Sawyer is already falling for the fake Brynn, not the Brynn she truly is? 

Reviews: 4 ½ out 5 Stars

Cindi Madsen first came to my attention when I stumbled across her Young Adult novel, All the Broken Pieces. I didn’t realise Act Like You Love Me was a part of a series but it didn’t feel like a second book to me and I don’t think I missed out on anything by not reading the first book, Falling for her Fiancé although I will be grabbing a copy sometime very soon.

From the onset, I found myself really liking our main heroine Brynn McAdams, a lover of drama and working with her brother in her parents bait shop; her quirky habits were endearing and notions about true romance really sweet; but her school years were tough and as a result she is quite wary.

When her high school crush and the boy who shattered her heart, Sawyer Dodd returns to town to renovate his parents old home and take over directing the local production he never expected to meet and slowly fall for Brynn; he has no idea they went to school together and believes certain things about her that just aren’t true and she doesn’t fix up the lies, she goes with the flow to save her heart and to not remember her humiliating senior years of school knowing he is only in town for a few short weeks. I really loved reading about Sawyer, he was smart and charming and I appreciated the way he trusted Brynn despite her evasiveness; they had some really cute moments together.

Madsen’s engaging writing and believable dialogue captured me instantly; I loved the chemistry and banter between Brynn and Sawyer and the way their romance developed. You could see from the onset of the book Sawyer had been hurt so when Brynn’s revelation came out it really hit a sore spot and caused a great deal of pain; I liked the way everything was dealt with and how the characters came together.

The plot is humorous and fun with a great cast of characters, it is a light-hearted read that kept me engrossed from the first to the very last page; you couldn’t help but hope for love and a HEA for this wonderful pair.

Overall, a really cute, entertaining and quirky read. I highly recommend Act Like You Love Me to all fans of contemporary romance and adorable relationships.

Thank-you kindly to Entangled Bliss for the opportunity to read and review Act Like You Love Me.

Favourite quotes:

“I have seven kissing figurines and I’m obsessed with love stories and the reason my birds are named Lance and Guinevere is because I always wanted those two to find a way to be together.”

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, and I guess I deserve to have my heart ripped out of my chest, stomped on, and put back in all mangled”

About the author: Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. She is the YA author of DEMONS OF THE SUN & ALL THE BROKEN PIECES, and the adult author of FALLING FOR HER FIANCE and CINDERELLA SCREWED ME OVER.