Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas’s life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she’s living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals’ super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn’t just a game. It’s life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

My Review:

I’ve been wanting to read this book for so so long. But I was avoiding baseball books, especially romances because I was writing my own. I’m so glad that I finally was able to read it and I’m so glad I did.

This book combines two of the things that I love the most: baseball and romance. And it makes me so happy. I also really loved that it was very different from the books I’m writing haha so I didn’t feel a despair at failing to write as well as Julie. Because she writes so well and I totally loved her story.

And I seriously loved Jason. Oh god. He’s a fictional baseball player but I love baseball players. Oh how I love baseball and baseball players and I was so in love with Jason Brody, both as the guy off the field that Annie falls in love with and the incredible pitcher on the field. He’s an incredibly complex character and I love him so much. Thank you, Julie Cross, for extending my love of baseball boys into the fictional world. Really, I didn’t need that.

I think the thing that made me love this book the most was the blend of romance and sports. There was a great balance between the two. I think that’s hugely important when it comes to sports related books. Not everyone is going to love it so you have to find a great balance. There’s a ton of romance, but great romance, a realistic beautiful friendship, leading into a believable, great romance. And there’s a lot of great baseball.

I loved every time the Royals played the Angels. I was like, ah, my babies. But, like, the Royals wouldn’t beat them ;)

Actually they probably would…

Go Angels!

Anyway, I really loved this book. Not only was it great to read a really great romance, it was great to get some baseball love too. I think Julie writes a great novel and I love all the characters in the book. Annie, Jason, Annie’s father, all of them. Great characters, great story. The story flows well and it works so great. I love it. I wish she would write more!

Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

Book Review: Leveled by Jay Crownover

December 20, 2015December 19, 2015Leave a comment

Genre:

New Adult, buy Romance

Pages:

224 pages

Part of a Series?:

Prequel Novella to the Saints of Denver series. This is a spinoff of the Marked Men series.

Release Date:

November 2nd, clinic 2015

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads Summary:

Orlando Frederick knows what it is to be leveled by pain. Instead of focusing on his own, he’s made it his mission to help others: sports stars, wounded war vets, survivors of all kinds. But when Dom, a rugged, damaged, sinfully attractive cop, makes his way into Lando’s physical therapy practice, he might be the biggest challenge yet. Lando loved one stubborn man before and barely survived the fallout. He’s not sure he can do it again.

Dominic Voss is a protector. The police badge he wears is not only his job, it’s his identity, so when he’s sidelined because of an injury, the only thing he cares about is getting back on the force. He expects Lando to mend his body, he just doesn’t realize the trainer will also have him working toward a hell of a lot more. As attraction simmers and flares, Dom sees that Lando needs repair of his own…if only the man will let him close enough to mend what’s broken.

My Review:

Dear Jay Crownover:

Damn girl, you write some good M/M. And I think this was a GREAT introduction into the Saints of Denver. It may have taken me some time and push to get into the Marked Men series but I fell hard and I’m so excited for the Saints of Denver series. More tattoos, more sexy men and more romance and drama. Everything that makes Jay’s novels fabulous.

So I loved this short introduction into the series. I discovered recently that I really enjoy reading M/M stories. I wasn’t sure if I could relate to them at first. I’m obviously not a boy. I’m not a boy attracted to other boys. I’m great at hetero-romances and I’m great with lesbian romances (yay for being bi!) but I wasn’t sure if I could connect.

I was proven so so so wrong. I loved the first few M/M books I read and now I seriously love this book. Dom and Lando have such a quick, and crazy relationship but I love every single moment of it. I love how they meet, I love the immediate chemistry, I love how they fall in love. I’m rooting for them from page one to the last page. There’s something about them that just seems to work.

Plus, sweet jesus, Jay Crownover has a way of writing the sexiest scenes sometimes. She makes me pant even in an M/M story and I love it.

I did have a small problem with a decision that Dom makes at the end of the novella. I thought it was a slight cop out and I was a little disappointed that he made it. I have been trying to rationalize it as sacrifice or compromise or something like that but I don’t know, its hard for me, especially…okay, its so hard to do this without spoilers. But read it and talk to me and I’ll explain haha. Because despite this little tiff I had, I still loved this novella and can’t wait to read the first book in less than a month!!!

Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

Book Review: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

December 19, 2015December 19, 2015Leave a comment

Genre:

Mature Young Adult, cost Romance

Pages:

496 pages

Part of a Series?:

First in the Thunder Road Series

Release Date:

May 26th, 2015

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

My Review:

I absolutely adore Katie McGarry. I think her books are absolutely fabulous. Before I turned my novel Benched into a straight up new adult novel, I was trying to accomplish that sort of in-between YA and NA feeling that she has in her books and damn, I just don’t do it the way she does. She blows my mind every single time in creating fabulous characters and incredible stories.

Here’s the thing: the whole motorcycle gang thing has never ever appealed to me. I don’t know. I love motorcycles but the story of it really never appealed to me. But its Katie and I figured…I need to read this. She just writes such fantastic romance stories and I was so in the mood for one of those.

Now I want to be part of the Reign of Terror. The camaraderie and the family feeling and all the amazing characters that Katie created in that family ….I love them all. I want to be a part of that. I love that there is such a family feeling to it. There’s a magic to the way Katie describes the Reign of Terror, who they are, what they stand for, the things that they do. God I loved every single bit of them. I wanted so badly to be a part of all that.

I also, of course, just loved the romance. The build up between Emily and Oz, the undeniable chemistry, the way they get together. Be still my beating heart, it was beautiful. As always. Katie writes amazing, but also incredibly realistic and relatable romances. I always love all the couples. They don’t always have happily ever afters, and they have to work hard for the things they want. Its not easy. Its ups and downs and Emily and Oz have all of those. And that’s what makes their relationship so beautiful.

But its more than that. Its more than just the romance novel. Emily creates a bunch of new relationships and I love every bit of her. Her grandmother, her grandfather, her biological father, new friends, Oz. She even builds different relationships with her mother and stepfather. I love that its about discovering different parts of herself and figuring out how she can expand her family, to both biological and not biological people. Its so much about her overcoming fears and growing up and I loved every bit of it.

And I’m seriously DYING for the sequel.

Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

Tuesday Top Ten – Books I Want to Be Under My Christmas Tree!

December 8, 2015December 9, 20151 Comment

It’s almost Christmas! It definitely feels like Christmas time. The red cups are out at Starbucks. The Christmas music is playing. There’s a slight breeze blowing in California. You know, more about typical Christmas time.

And the best part about Christmas – you know beside the whole spending time with your family thing, cialis 40mg I guess lol – is presents!

I’m kidding. Mostly.

But I thought it would be fun to make this week’s Tuesday Top Ten a sort of wish list. The one thing that I want the most under my Christmas tree every year is a huge stack of books. So here are the top ten that I wish would appear under my tree this year.

For the Record by Charlotte Huang

I honestly hadn’t even heard of this book until my dear friend Stephanie mentioned that she was friends with the author and that everyone should read it. I liked the title and the cover, case so I immediately looked it up. And it sounds absolutely amazing. The premise is great, I love the idea of mixing music and love and all of that. I honestly think its going to be a great read so I really want to get this book in my hands.

The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare – New Editions

Okay, so I already have these books. I already have multiple copies of a lot of these books. But I absolutely am in love with these covers and I really want these box sets in my life. I am so so in love with these covers. Don’t ask me what I would do with all these extra copies because I’m running out of room but I really do want them…

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

This book has been out for awhile and I had it for awhile, through the library, but I couldn’t make myself read it. Not because it isn’t good because its Libba Bray, so of course its good. But I’m in such a slump and I really feel like if I have my own, physical copy, it’ll help. I love Evie and I really want to continue to read her story into this book so hopefully I can get this gorgeous thing in my hands soon.

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

I both super super want this and also super want to avoid it at the same time. I want to read it because its sports and its BASEBALL and its romance and all of that sounds so awesome and the love interest sounds fantastic. I also don’t want to read it because I’m writing my own baseball romances right now so I don’t want to be influenced by others. But it just sounds SO good, and it IS YA…I want it. I don’t know when I’ll read it but I definitely want to read it.

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Why do I want this book? Because its Huntley Fitzpatrick and she writes so well and her romances are so damn good. I’ve been wanting my hands on this baby for months and for some reason, I haven’t bought it yet so maybe this one will make its way under my Christmas tree. Plus its a companion to the first book I read by her so it makes it even better.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

All I’ve heard are amazing things about this book and I just want to make this happen already. I tried to get it from the library but I’m, like, 27th on the waiting list and I’m just not down for that. So I need this, physical copy, in my hands so I can finally read it. It sounds fun and exciting and awesome.

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

This is the first of this series that I have not jumped on automatically. So obviously I need this in my life. Because I’m constantly reading YA books, I’m not quite used to buying adult books, which means when a book is 25 dollars, my wallet kind of wants to cry. But these Cormoran Strike novels are SO damn good and I’m sad that I haven’t had a chance to dive into this book yet!

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

I’ve seen this book. Haven’t read it yet but I flipped through it one day at Barnes and Noble and its just absolutely gorgeous. Nail Gaiman is an incredible writer and I really need this book in my life. Its just SO beautiful and I really need this. Plus its Neil! Ugh. Neil just makes me happy in whatever book he writes.

Stay With Me by Jennifer L Armentrout

Mostly because I don’t have it. I literally have every other book in this collection and I don’t have this one. Which makes no sense whatsoever…I feel like I bought these books completely out of order haha. So yeah, having this book under my tree would just make me happy because my Wait for You collection would be complete.

The Fidelity Files by Jessica Brody

I have read every single book by Jessica Brody. Except her adult series. And the drives me absolutely insane. One, because she’s an absolutely fantastic writer and two, she’s my friend and I feel like a fail. I’ve had such a hard time finding this book so I really wish I could wake up to find this underneath my Christmas tree. It just SOUNDS like it would be a great book too. One day, one day…

*****

What are some of the books you hope are under your Christmas tree this year? Share in the comments!

Music Monday – “Dial Tones” by As It Is

December 7, 2015December 9, 2015Leave a comment

“Dial Tones” by As It Is

I’m pretty sure I already did this song but its just…its SO good and I can’t get it out of my head and its helping me write lately so I decided to share it.

It really hurts to know that I’m why your bed’s half empty
Why you sleep alone or just stare up at your ceiling
And if you’re a mess, and god knows what that makes me
‘Cause the weight from all my guilt is all too much for me to carry
I’m sorry
Am I all that you never wanted?
Or has it been so long that you’ve forgotten?
All we ever share are dial tones (dial tones)
Take your caution or take your chances
I’ll mend your heart and break it in the same breath
All we ever share are dial tones (dial tones)
I’m getting more of what I’ve always wanted
But becoming less of who I’ve ever been
‘Cause I promised myself I’d never hurt you and I did
If you can’t trust a liar, how can you trust me again?
I’m running out of ways to say I’m sorry
Forget me like you know you want to
Forget me like you know you have to
It really hurts to know that I’m why your bed’s half empty
Why you sleep alone or just stare up at your ceiling

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For the Record by Charlotte Huang

The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare – New Editions

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

Stay With Me by Jennifer L Armentrout

The Fidelity Files by Jessica Brody

“Dial Tones” by As It Is

Find As It Is

Books Pledged to Read in 2015:

Am I On Track:

Books Read So Far:

Total Books For November:

Leveled

Winter

How I Found You

Body Check

Pride and Prejudice (Re-Read)

Pure (Re-Read)

Elixir (Re-Read)

Deity (Re-Read)

Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer

Apollyon (Re-Read)

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Re-Read)