Book Review : Upside Down (Off the Map, #1) by Lia Riley

Upside Down
Off the Map, #1
by Lia Riley

Release Date:
August 5th, 2014

Publisher:
Forever

Source:
Publisher via NetGalley

Synopsis:

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act. 

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

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Review:

I have to be honest and admit that the cover sold me this book from the very beginning. Even before I read the blurb my eyes were all over that cover! Seriously!? Have you seen the beautiful covers for this series? Intense, passionate, tender and romantic. A perfect reflection of Talia and Bran's love story. I was shocked to find out that this was Lia Riley's debut novel. Wow!!! Absolutely AMAZING!!!! My bookworm radar is ready! I will be adding to my TBR list anything she writes! I loved every single minute of my reading escape, and I can't wait to follow the rest of Talia and Bran's beautiful journey together.

Australia. Two strangers. One unforgettable journey. For Talia it's time for a new beginning. When she takes a step towards turning the page on her heartbreaking past, she never expected to meet Bran Lockhart. From the moment their paths cross, a hurricane of feelings comes crashing down on them. Bran is irresistibly addictive, but his behavior turns Talia's world upside down. Every time she takes a step forwards with him, he takes a step back. Will Talia and Bran be able to overcome the obstacles of their pasts and move forward together? 

Upside Down, by Lia Riley, was an emotional roller coaster ride! I was engaged from the first chapter and it never stopped until the very last page. This beautifully written story had everything that I look for in a NA book. The most important thing for me when I read a book is my connection to the main characters. Talia and Bran's chemistry was powerful! I felt everything that they were feeling. I had butterflies in my stomach when they first met, my heart was beating fast when they shared that sensual first kiss, my heart broke for them when they put up those walls not to get hurt, and I was at the edge of my seat to see if they would take a chance on love and move forward together to a future they both deserved. It was easy to relate to them. I think that's why I connected so easily with them. I have seen friends struggle with the same problems that both these characters had. I don't want to give out too much of the story because you totally have to feel this journey.

After reading Upside Down, I feel like I really know Talia and Bran. I would absolutely hang out with them. I also loved Marti, which is Talia's friend, she's super funny. I LOL at some specific scenes because Marti is from Montreal. I live in Montreal so I had a huge smile on my face while reading some scenes. Her sense of humor is contagious and it reminds me of some of my friends, and yes, I have used the same swear word that she does ... LOL!!! 

I am so happy that there is another two installments in this series. Talia and Bran's amazing love story is far from over! The bad news is I have to wait until October to read Sideswiped :( The good news is that by the end of the year the final installment, which is Inside Out, will be out and I can indulge in another amazing reading escape :)

Rating:

I give, Upside Down, by Lia Riley 5 tender, passionate, heart-melting, emotional, marvellous stars!

About the Author

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult Romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. 

A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn't mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. Right now, Icelandic hot springs and Scottish castles sound pretty sweet. 

She and her family live in Northern California. 

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Release Day Blitz : Sugar on the Edge (Last Call, #3) by Sawyer Bennett

SUGAR ON THE EDGE

By USA Today Best-selling Author Sawyer Bennett

Last Call, #3

Adult Contemporary Romance

Released July 28, 2014

He’s utterly alone…

Tortured and existing in a dark spiral of despair, bestselling British author, Gavin Cooke, has come to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to escape the seedy lifestyle he had been living in London and in a desperate attempt to regain his writing focus. He’s twisted, bitter and angry at the world. He’s a loner… needing not a single thing other than his Scotch and a laptop upon which he can bang out his next erotic, dark thriller.

She’s running in place and getting nowhere…

Savannah Shepherd’s life is falling apart. Her dream of being a wildlife photographer seems a distant memory and she’s barely able to make ends meet. Driving herself forward with no clear goals apparent, she’s about ready to pack up her bags and head home with her tail between her legs.

Two unlikely lovers…

He’s raw, forceful and a dirty talker. She’s a flowers and romance type of girl. Yet within each other, they find a mutual craving that can only be satisfied by giving in to their desires for one another.

Lust turns into something more… something they were not looking for but tentatively accept. Will it be enough to push them past the obstacles of Gavin’s bitter past?

*SUGAR ON THE EDGE can be read as a stand-alone*

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Hot Excerpt

My hands grip the steering wheel with white knuckles as I realize all of a sudden that I’m driving a $140,000 vehicle. 

Then they start to sweat.

“Relax,” Gavin croons at me. “You’re doing fine.” 

“I don’t want to wreck your car. It would take me a lifetime to pay it off,” I mutter.

“That’s what insurance is for,” he says casually. Then he demands, “Go faster.” 

I push a little more firmly on the accelerator and the Maserati leaps under my request, the engine growling sexily at me. I can’t help the smile that comes to my face.

“Nice, right?” Gavin says. 

“Oh, yeah,” I agree, and my smile goes wider. 

“You’re f*cking sexy as hell,” Gavin says so softly that I almost doubt I heard him right. I turn to spare him a glance… and his eyes are pinned on me, the gray irises darkened, even with the noon sun sparkling bright. I swallow hard, because it’s the same look he gave me the other night, when I told him to touch me between my legs. 

A tingling sensation spreads out from the back of my neck and my thighs involuntarily clench together, as I turn my eyes back to the road. 

Gavin’s left arm raises up and his fingers skim along the back of my neck, pushing upward over the base of my skull and sifting through my hair. “Have you thought about the other night?” he murmurs. 

My hands grip the steering wheel harder and my foot eases up off the accelerator a tiny bit, but words are stuck in my throat. I’m afraid to say anything. 

“I have,” he admits softly as he shifts in the seat and leans closer to me. “I’ve thought about it a lot. About what I could have done differently.” 

“Gavin—” I croak, but he cuts me off. 

Bringing his right hand across, he places it on my knee and starts sliding it up my thigh. My pulse skyrockets and my foot actually falls off the gas pedal, as it’s almost impossible for me to concentrate on driving while he’s touching me. “Speed back up, Sweet,” he whispers as he leans closer and sticks his nose under my ear. 

“Don’t want a cop to pull you over for going too slow.” 

“I can’t—” 

“You can,” he insists quietly, and his hand travels higher. I blink hard and push the gas pedal, getting my speed back up to within a normal range. 

My legs fall open a bit to give him easier access and within just a moment, his fingers sit at my hipbone. His index finger strokes back and forth over my brown tights, but I can feel the burn of his touch all the way through to my soul. 

“Let’s do this a little differently,” Gavin says with his finger moving softly against the inside of my thigh. “I really want to touch you and all I want from you is to say ‘yes’.” “Oh, God,” I gasp out as his finger drifts over to press up against my center. “Say ‘yes,’” he urges, his lips now against my ear, and I’m helpless. 

“Yes,” I moan. 

Gavin sits up suddenly and pushes my skirt all the way up so it bunches around my hips. 

“Lift yourself up a bit,” he growls. 

I do as he commands, my foot pushing down on the accelerator inadvertently, causing the car to jump forward. 

“Easy,” he chuckles, and I let up off the gas a bit. Taking both of his hands, he pinches at my tights with his fingertips and with a grunt, jerks at the material, causing it to rip right at the inside of my thigh where it meets my hip. 

“F*ck yeah,” he groans, and I glance down to see him pulling one edge of the tights away from my skin with his left hand while his right hand tunnels in. 

“White lace panties,” he murmurs as his finger slips under the edge. “And they’re damp. My favorite kind.” 

Teasers

About the Author

USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

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Launch Day Blitz: Lady Luck (Colorado Mountain #3) by Kristen Ashley

Lady Luck
Colorado Mountain #3
By: Kristen Ashley
Published:
Publisher:  Forever Romance
Mature Content
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GR's Summary:

Is love in the cards?

Since birth, Lexie Berry has had nothing but bad luck. Orphaned at an early age, she had a rough childhood and a boyfriend who was murdered. Now the beautiful, stylish Lexie is determined to change her luck and her life. But first she's got to make good on a promise: to pick up Ty Walker from prison. One look at the gorgeous ex-convict and Lexie knows she's in trouble-and already thinking about taking a walk on the wild side . 

For five years, Ty was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Now he wants revenge on the people who framed him. Yet when the high-stakes poker player sees the leggy Lexie, he suddenly has other desires on his mind. Realizing that Ty is innocent, Lexie tries to stop his plan for vengeance and help him become a better man. But as Ty battles his inner demons, dirty cops and criminals plot to take him out. Can he and Lexie find a way to escape the past? 

Colorado Mountain Series:

My Review of The Gamble

My Review of Sweet Dreams

My Thoughts:

Wow, Lady Luck, by Kristen Ashley, absolutely blew me away!  I have been falling madly in love with the Colorado Mountain Series, but this story was my absolute favorite!  Words cannot possibly do justice or explain how much I loved this story, but I'm going to try my absolute best.

In Lady Luck, we get Ty and Lexi's story.  Ty grew up in the small Colorado Mountain Town of Carnal.  He had a dysfunctional childhood, with an alcoholic father, and abusive mother.  His mother Reece, was a white woman, and his father, Irving "Irv", was a black man.  Unfortunately, due to the color of his skin, Ty was forced to endure harassment from the corrupt police department of Carnal.  His whole life changed, when he was set up for a murder that he didn't commit, by Arnie Fuller, a powerful and corrupt man that ran the C.P.D.  Ty was locked away in a prison for five years, where thoughts of revenge consumed him.  He made a good friend, Julius, who became like a brother to him.

Ty's luck changed when he met Lexie.  Luck had never been on Lexi's side.  She grew up as an orphan, and the man she fell in love with, Ronnie, became involved in pimping girls and brought a very dangerous man, Duane "Shift" Martinez in to her life.  The only good thing that ever came from being with Ronnie was his family.  His mother Ella, and sister's Honey, and Bessie, became precious to Lexie, and she considered them her family.  

Unfortunately, Shift, wanted Lexie under his control, and forced his agenda on to her.  She was very fearful of Shift, and rightfully so.  When Shift sends Lexie to pick up, Ty, a man from prison that she knows nothing about, he only tells her to follow Ty's instructions.  Shift owes Ty a large debt, and hasn't been truthful to Lexie.  Ty needs a wife, and he wants Lexie to be his.  When Ty meets Lexie, he is highly attracted to her, and he loves that she is a classy woman.  He offers her fifty Thousand dollars to marry him, and tells her she can get out of the marriage, as soon as his business is taken care of.

However, Lady Luck, has other plans for Ty and Lexie.  These two haven't had the best of luck in their lives, but everything is about to change.  When Ty gets to know Lexi, she gives him something he never knew he wanted, a home.  Ty brings Lexi passion, loyalty, and most importantly, a place to belong.  These two find romance, and love, but in order to keep it, they have to deal with many dangerous obstacles in their path, and people, that aren't ready to let them live their lives in peace.

I loved Lady Luck for so many reasons.  For one, I was completely hooked from the very first page.  There was a tremendous amount of suspense in this story, and I had to see how it all played out!  There were a ton of plot twists, and the feeling of danger and foreboding, grew with the story.  Lexi and Ty's characters came to life.  They felt like real people with a real story to tell.  I was so excited to have previous characters from books one and two in this series.  My favorites being Tate Jackson, Lorie, and Wood.  I was also introduced to many new characters, and loved getting to know all of them, but Julius and Detective Angel Pena were the two that I fell in love with.  The passion between Ty and Lexi was so intense.  These two could never get enough of each other, and while the sex scenes were very steamy, it was the emotion, loyalty, and sense of home that they felt for one another, that made me love this story with all of my heart!

My Rating:

If I could, I would give Lady Luck, by Kristen Ashley, 5 million stars!  I loved this book so much.  It touched me deeply.  I could't put it down, and fell in love with Ty and Lexie.  I give, Lady Luck, 5+ Suspenseful, Dangerous, Fiery Passion, "Finding a home" filled Stars!  Read the Colorado Mountain Series!  It has it all; passion, romance, love, suspense, danger, unforgettable characters, and a beautiful setting!

My Favorite Quotes:

"You're part-goof all class.  Never walked in a room, any room, with a woman on my arm, any woman, who's got your looks, your style, the kinda beauty you got and the light that shines from you. So I don't get it.  I don't get how a woman leads a life full of shit and comes out of it bein' part-goof and all class.  That shit's impossible but there you fuckin' are.  Part-goof, all class."  (eARC, Loc. 1487)

~Ty

" 'Your nightmare, mama, was my dream.'  My heart clenched.  He kept going.  'Never had a home until you gave me one.'  My breath started sticking.  'Never had anyone give to me the way you gave to me.'  My breath stopped sticking and clogged.  'Never thought of finding a woman who I wanted to have my baby.'  Oh God.  'Never had light in my life, never, not once.  I lived wild but I didn't burn bright until you shined your light on me.'  Oh God.  'Whacked, fuckin' insane, but, at night, you curled in front of me, didn't mind I did that time that wasn't mine 'cause it meant I walked out to you.'  He had to stop.  He had to.  He didn't.  'Your nightmare, ' he whispered, turned his head and against my neck he finished, 'my dream.' "  (eARC, Loc. 5282)

~Ty

Excerpt:

“I know it’s fake but thank you, Ty. I never expected to have anything that nice and it is nice, no matter what. So thank you for giving it to me.” 

He didn’t speak but his eyes changed, one of those changes I didn’t know, didn’t yet understand but this one was meaningful. They all were but this one was more meaningful than the rest. 

A lot more. 

And I couldn’t stop myself, his eyes so close, that look in them, my arms moved from around his shoulders, my hands framed his face, I leaned up and whispered, “Thank you.” 

Then I pressed my lips to his. 

I meant to give him a soft kiss of gratitude. This was not to say I didn’t want to give him a long, hard, wet kiss of something else. And just what I wanted to give him and what that would lead to had also been filling my head space the last couple of days but that wasn’t where I intended to go just then. Not yet. Not with a house full of people downstairs waiting to eat fried chicken. 

But when my mouth hit his, he didn’t give me the chance to give him a soft kiss of gratitude. 

Instantly, his fingers slid up into my hair, cupping my head, and his mouth opened over mine making a demand. 

Mine complied. His tongue spiked into my mouth and I liked the taste of it, I hadn’t had it in what seemed like a decade, I missed it and he tasted so fucking good my body pressed into his and not just because his arm around me grew super tight. 

Then I was twisted, on my back in what was, I noted vaguely and was unbelievably happy for, a bed. His torso was on mine, his hips beside mine, his long, heavy leg moved to tangle with mine as his tongue moved in my mouth. I wrapped one arm around his back, one around his shoulders, my hand moving to cup the back of his head and hold him to me. 

God, he couldn’t kiss. He could kiss.

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About Kristen Ashley:

Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

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Book Review: Thorn Jack (Night and Nothing #1) by Katherine Harbour

Thorn Jack

Night and Nothing #1

By: Katherine Harbour

Published:  June 24, 2014

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Source: Publisher

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Goodreads Summary:

They call us things with teeth. These words from Lily Rose Sullivan the night of her death haunts her seventeen-year-old sister, Finn, who has moved with her widowed father to his hometown of Fair Hollow, New York. After befriending a boy named Christie Hart and his best friend, Sylvie Whitethorn, Finn is invited to a lakeside party where she encounters the alluring Jack Fata, a member of the town's mysterious Fata family. Despite Jack's air of danger and his clever words, Finn learns they have things in common. 

One day, while unpacking, Finn finds her sister's journal, scrawled with descriptions of creatures that bear a sinister resemblance to Jack's family. Finn dismisses these stories as fiction, but Jack's family has a secret—the Fatas are the children of nothing and night, nomadic beings who have been preying on humanity for centuries—and Jack fears that his friendship with Finn has drawn the attention of the most dangerous members of his family—Reiko Fata and vicious Caliban, otherwise known as the white snake and the crooked dog. 

Plagued with nightmares about her sister, Finn attempts to discover what happened to Lily Rose and begins to suspect that the Fatas are somehow tied to Lily Rose's untimely death. Drawn to Jack, determined to solve the mystery of her sister's suicide, Finn must navigate a dangerous world where nothing is as it seems.

My Thoughts:

Thorn Jack, by Katherine Harbour, is an intriguing story filled with mystery, enchantment, and darkness.  I love fairytales.  I especially love multicultural fairytales and retellings.  Thorn Jack is the retelling of Tam Lin, a legendary Scottish Ballad.  I found myself intrigued and full of curiosity as I read this story.

On a positive note, there were many things I enjoyed about Thorn Jack.  I loved the beautiful imagery that Ms. Harbour's words painted in my mind.  I enjoyed the magical and mysterious quality to the story, that had me yearning to quickly turn each page and unravel what was to come.  I loved the main characters, Serafina "Finn", Christopher "Christie," Sylvie, and of course Jack.  

Finn and her father moved away from San Francisco, back to his childhood home, Fair Hallow, after her older sister Lily Rose committed suicide.  Once she begins college, she meets Christie and Sylvie who become her two best friends.  She starts to quickly learn that there is more to the small town of Fair Hallow than their appears when she meets Jack Fata, and the rest of the Fata family.  There is something sinister about the Fatas, and therein lies a mystery.  What is Jack?  What are the Fatas?  

As Finn begins to fall in love with Jack Fata, she see's a strong, brave, and loyal person.  However, Jack is not human.  Along with Christie and Sylvie by her side, Finn is determined to find out what Jack and the Fata's really are.  However, the more she digs, and the closer she gets, the more she endangers herself and her friends.  Soon after, strange things start to happen.  Finn realizes that Lily Rose's journal that at one time seemed filled with imaginative fairytales, is in fact filled with horrific truths.  Jack is in danger from, "Reiko," the powerful and evil head of the Fata family.  Finn is on a mission to free Jack from whatever hold Reiko has on him.  As Finn embarks on her dangerous mission, who will come out on top, herself, or Reiko and the powerful Fata family?

Overall, I enjoyed Thorn Jack.  However, there were a few things in the story that didn't work for me.  For one, I thought that the story was too intricate and complex.  It would have been easier to read if it were simplified.  There were a ton of characters to memorize, a lot of detail to the story, and at times I found myself lost and confused.  Also, I got a bit frustrated because I never got direct answers to some of my questions.  There were certain Gaelic terminology that I had to keep looking up, and other terms, which caused problems with the flow of the story. I am still a bit confused about what Jack and the Fatas are, as well as other characters I encountered.  I think I know, but there was never a direct enough answer, as far as I was concerned.            

My Rating:

I give, Thorn Jack, by Katherine Harbour, 3 Dark, Otherworldly, Mystery Filled Stars!  If you enjoy dark multicultural fairytale retellings, this one might be for you.  If you are a fan of intricate plots with many characters and non-stop twists, check out Thorn Jack!  

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About Katherine Harbour:

Katherine Harbour is the author of Thorn Jack, the first book in a trilogy of dark fantasy novels to be released by Harper Voyager in May 2014. Read more about Thorn Jack's world in my blog darkfaeryblackrabbit.blogspot.com

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