Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Dirty Little Lies


From #1 bestselling author Lora Leigh comes a scintillating novel of the Men of Summer—and the scorching hot women who set their hearts on fire…

THE HEART HAS ITS SECRETS.
Zack Richards knows he’s asking for trouble. Trying to protect a member of the notorious Maddox family could get a man killed—even a battle-scarred, muscle-ripped alpha like Zack. But the woman who has captured his wildest fantasies is nothing like the rest of her power-hungry clan. She’s innocent, beautiful, and has quickly become the one shining light in his dark, desperate world. The only woman worth fighting for…and dying for…

BUT PASSION NEVER LIES.
Her name is Grace Maddox—and everybody knows that she is a marked woman. Targeted for her family’s sins and hunted like a wild animal, Grace has no choice but to accept Zack’s protection. In his arms, she finally feels safe. In his eyes, she sees an insatiable desire that mirrors her own. But the truth is dangerous—and could end up tearing them apart. Will surrendering to Zack end up being the biggest mistake of Grace’s life?



In Dark Little Lies Lora Leigh brings readers into a world full of betrayal, lies, and sex. Telling the story of Grace Maddox and the man she's wanted for far too many years this book captivates you from the first page. Zack kept his distance from the tempting young woman, but when he hears she's been injured and her life is in danger he decides no more. no more hiding his feeling for Grace, and no more excuses for why he can't be with her. Now he just has to convince Grace that his feelings are true. 

Ms. Leigh kept this book intriguing throughout the whole story, and there was never one page where I was bored or tempted to put my Kindle down. It's the reasons he's a favorite author of mine. She has this way of creating a story in such a manner that there's always something happening, and yet never too much happening. We got a heavy dose of both suspense, and sexiness and it was all written fantastically. 
There were a few moments during the book that I had to stop and think about what happened in previous books so that I wasn't confused. But it was never anything super important to the story that I couldn't just ignore if I didn't remember what had happened in the past. So I would recommend reading this series together so there's no confusion. Also because the other books are just as good. 

Bottom line, if you read romantic suspense this needs to be on your tbr. The tale of Grace and Zack is gripping and will have you hanging on the edge of your seat while you try to unscramble all of the puzzle pieces to figure out what's going on. 

Meet the other Men of Summer

Loving Lies (Book 1)

Wicked Lies (Book 2)





An Indecent Proposal















Title: An Indecent Proposal 
Author: Katee Robert
Series: The O’Malley Series #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 30, 2016
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing- Forever

Greed. Ambition. Violence. Those are the "values" Olivia Rashidi learned from her Russian mob family-and the values she must leave behind for the sake of her daughter. When she meets Cillian O'Malley, she recognizes the red flag of his family name . . . yet she still can't stop herself from seeing the smoldering, tortured man. To save her family, Olivia sets out to discover Cillian's own secrets, but the real revelation is how fast-and how hard-she's falling for him.

Plagued by a violent past, Cillian is more vulnerable than anyone realizes. Anyone except Olivia, whose beauty, compassion, and pride have him at "hello," even if she's more inclined to say good-bye to an O'Malley. While his proposal of sex with no strings seems simple, what he feels for her isn't, especially after he learns that she belongs to a rival crime family. Cillian knows that there is no escape from the life, but Olivia may be worth trying and dying for . . .




“Hey, stop!”

Meant to be Mine


















Title: Meant to be Mine
Author: Lisa Marie Perry
Series: Guilty Pleasures series #1
On Sale: August 30, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Formats: Mass Market & eBook
Price: $6.99 USD (MM) / $6.99 USD (eBook)

Sofia Mercer may have been sick as a teen, but she’s no delicate flower. And she’s proven it by making it on her own and starting a new life away from the town that turned against her, away from the boy who broke her already fragile heart. But when her aunt Luz dies unexpectedly, leaving Sofia with a mountain of regrets and the keys to a quirky boutique, Sofia has no choice but to return to Cape Cod. Only, this new life in her old town comes with complications.

Burke Wolf was Sofia’s first love—a relationship that burned bright and went up in flames. Seeing him again, Sofia can’t help but get caught up in that all-too-familiar tornado of passion and pain. He’s battled his own demons—that much is clear. But Sofia can’t afford to be careless with her heart . . . and loving Burke again might just break it completely.


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Meant to be Mine is the start of Lisa Marie Perry's Guilty Pleasures series, set in Eaves, Massachusetts. The story follows Sofia Mercer, one time resident of the small town, as she comes back for her Aunt's funeral. She was the "sick kid" in town, so dealing with her heart condition left little time to worry what people thought of her. But now that she's back all the old memories and gossip come around again, and she can't wait to leave. The plan was to pay her respects and then leave town as soon as possible. But now she's left with all of her Aunts possessions to deal with and on top of that, a sighting of her old friend, Burke Wolf, leads her plans to change and she's just not sure what to do. 

I stupidly have not read anything else by this author, but I can tell you that that will change very soon. I loved her writing and how she could create this emotional story without it being obvious. There wasn't crying and there were no blatant emotions thrown at you within each page of the story, but when I finished the book, it made me just sit back and think, "damn." It's the overall story that affected my soul in ways I wasn't expecting. Meant to Be Mine is far from the typical contemporary romance, and for that fact, I loved it.

Sofia and Burke's romance showed how hard love is. Loving someone is far easy, it takes work, and patience, and being able to forgive. It's fighting for the person you want to be with, and dealing with heartache and pain to get to be with them. But it's worth the fight, and this couple perfectly portrays why so many of us are willing to crawl our way through hell to get to that feeling of being loved. 

"I'd kiss you hard every day if it meant your mouth would be this sexy when I let you go."

Mixed with the emotions that we got, we also saw a very eclectic group of people ban together to help one of their own. Part of what Sofia inherited was her Aunts sex shop, which, as you can imagine, lead to some very interesting scenes, but it was also home to some of the best moments between friends. Seeing the different people that came in and out of there added the humor, and sense of belonging to the story. I really adored all of the secondary characters, so I'm already impatiently waiting for the next book. 

Sofia was a very strong character, and I felt like the majority of the story focused on her, more than Burke. But I also really liked that fact because we got to see the struggles she went through to get to this point in her life and it made me connect to her character. Burke was still a big part of the story, and I liked his character, but Sofia was the true star. 

Burke and Sofia both had a really hard life growing up, but it's what made them strong in the present. I liked that they both had a lot to overcome and we got to see the after affects of all they went through. Most of the past we learned about was the recent years, and not too much from when they were younger, which I would have liked to see. I think it could have made them even more relatable than they were if we got that backstory, but their characters were still amazing without it. 

Overall, this is a book you're going to want to read. Sofia and Burke had an epic love story that I know I will remember for the rest of my days. It may not have been a tear jerker type of emotional read, but it still affected me just as much. I hope it will affect everyone else just as much.

About the Author

Lisa Marie Perry encounters difficult fictional men and women on a daily basis. She writes sizzling, deep fiction featuring flawed heroes brought to their knees by the love of complicated women. She has received high praise from USA Today and has been nominated for an RT Book Reviews literary award. She lives in America's heartland, drives a truck, enjoys indie rock, collects Medieval literature, watches too many comedies, has a not-so-secret love for lace and adores rugged men with a little bit of nerd.

For laughs, randomness and occasional inappropriateness, visit LMP at www.perrytalebooks.com 


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When Stars Collide




Title: When Stars Collide
Series: Light in the Dark #2 
Author: Micalea Smeltzer
Genre: New Adult
 Release Date: August 30, 2016



Blurb

We were like two stars orbiting each other—dancing around the possibility that one day we might collide. When we finally did, we opened up a black hole, obliterating everything around us. No one would be the same.

Least of all, us.

Waking up in Vegas married to the guy of your dreams sounds like a good thing, right? Not when you’re Thea Montgomery and said guy is your brother’s best friend.

Thea and Xander have always avoided the connection between them because her brother would never approve. Now, they’re married— the strongest bond you can have as a couple—and they’re not even a real couple…unless they want to be.

Thea wants an annulment immediately, but Xander’s waited too long to see her become his and he won’t let her go easily.

If she wants a divorce, fine, but he wants the summer to convince her that he’s the one. If at the end of the summer she still wants to end their marriage he’ll sign the papers, but until then…


All is not fair in love and war.



Read the first 3 chapters on Wattpad now






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AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

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Trailer




Excerpt

Unedited and subject to change.

Holy mother of all hangovers.

I’d succumbed to the lure of Vegas and gotten completely wasted. Granted, that’s what everyone did in Las Vegas but I like to think I usually have more sense than the social norm.

I rub my eyes and blink them open. The hotel room comes into formation around me. The walls are a warm golden color and the flat screen on the wall plays some home improvement show. I can see the bathroom from the bed, the tiled walls and large soaking tub.

I roll over onto my side, hoping I can sleep off the hangover, and reel back.

“Oh my God,” I cry, flailing in bed.

My legs kick the sleeping guy beside me.

Not just any sleeping guy.

Oh no.

Xander Kincaid, my brother’s best friend, lays in the bed beside me.

His dark hair tumbles over his forehead and his cheeks are covered with several days worth of scruff. His chest is bare and…holy shit. He’s naked.

I look down.

Oh God, I’m naked too.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, reaching his left hand out to pull me closer to him. That’s when I see it.

“Is that a wedding band?” I scream shrilly.

His eyes narrow. “You don’t fucking remember?”

I shake my head and look at my own hand. A thin silver band rests on my finger. “What did we do?”

He sits up in bed and I try to ignore how adorably rumpled he looks with his hair sticking up.

Everything begins flooding back to me in quick bursts.

Drinks.

Kissing.

Laughter.

Confessions of love and desire.

A wedding chapel.

Vows.

Rings.

A contract.
 

“We’re married,” I whisper. “Holy shit.” It’s all I’ve ever wanted—to be with Xander, but not like this. Never like this. “My brother is going to kill us.”



Also Available


Book One in the series. Cade and Rae’s story.
Can be read as a standalone.

Currently FREE everywhere.
 

What I remember the most about that day was that it was completely ordinary. Then with one stupid decision everything fell apart and nothing was ever the same.

Rae Wilder wants nothing but a do over—but life doesn’t work that way. She’s stuck living out the consequences of her actions. At times the burden feels unbearable.
College is supposed to be her second chance.
New place.
New people.
New life.
No one to know what she did.
Despite that, she has still vowed to avoid everyone and everything at all costs.
Unfortunately for her, an accidental run-in with the campus heartthrob, Cade Montgomery, derails that plan.
He’s determined to thaw the ice around her heart and expose the girl she used to be. He wants to show her that life is worth living for and that she really is a Rae of Sunshine.


Free

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B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS



Author Bio


Micalea Smeltzer is a bestselling twenty-something author. She started scribbling stories before she even knew her alphabet. She currently resides in Virginia with her doggie side-kick Ollie.


Author Links

Winner Takes All















Title: Winner Takes All
Author: Erin Kern
Series: A Champion Valley Series
On Sale: August 30, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Formats: Mass Market & eBook
Price: $6.99 USD (MM) / $6.99 USD (eBook)

Money. Fame. Endorsements. Blake Carpenter had it all—before his professional football career spiraled out of control. Determined to rebuild his life, he takes on coaching the high school team in his Colorado hometown. Despite a few fumbles, Blake knows he can lead these boys to victory. As long as he can keep his eyes on the prize and off the team's distractingly gorgeous physical therapist.

Annabelle Turner knows all about the scandal that cost Blake his NFL career, and she'll be damned if she's going to let his mistakes hurt her team. What she doesn't count on is the intense attraction that turns every heated run-in they have into a wildly erotic competition. Point by point, play by play, kiss by kiss, they try to keep things professional for the good of the team. But when the score is this close—and the passion this fierce—it's anybody's game . . .


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Winner Takes All tells the story of Blake, a retired and disgraced NFL player, and the headstrong woman, Annabelle, that he tries to push away. As his hometowns new High School Football couch he already has enough to deal with, so the last thing he wants is to have the teams physical therapist trying to tell him how to couch his boys. Doesn't matter how cute she is when she's arguing with him...or so he tries to tell himself. 

This was a small town romance filled with a lot of heart that I think any contemporary fan will love. The characters were sweet, and funny, and even sexy at times. I liked the slow build to their relationship, it wasn't so slow that it got boring and it also wasn't rushed to where we missed pertinent information. The secondary characters were woven into the story in a very easy manner and it was great to meet all of them. Some of who I hope will get their own stories. 

Overall, this was a super cute story that I really enjoyed reading. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that wants a light and funny read.

About the Author

Erin was born in Houston, TX. but spent the majority of her life in the Bay Area. She married her high school sweetheart and began her writing career while being a stay-at-home mom to her daughter.

Her first book, Looking for Trouble, was on the Amazon top 100 for four months, and on the indiereads.com top ten for four weeks. The second book in the Trouble series, Here Comes Trouble, was also a top seller on Amazon. Erin currently lives in North Texas with her husband and two children.

Author Information
Twitter:  http://bit.ly/2aKdXvD | Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2aKbWQ8 



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Friday, August 26, 2016

The Bachelor Auction

We have your first look at THE BACHELOR AUCTION releasing on October 4 and we can guarantee, you do not want to miss the first book in this brand new series from Rachel Van Dyken!

TheBachelorAuction11_RGB300 (1)
   

Cinderella never had to deal with this crap.   Jane isn’t entirely sure that Cinderella got such a raw deal. Sure, she had a rough start but didn’t she eventually land a prince and a happily-ever-after? Meanwhile, Jane is busy waiting on her demanding, entitled sisters, running her cleaning business, and . . . yep, not a prince in sight. That is, until a party and a broken shoe incident leave Jane wondering if princes—or at least, a certain deliciously hunky billionaire—maybe do exist. Except Brock Wellington isn’t anyone’s dream guy. A prince would never agree to be auctioned off in marriage to the highest bidder. Or act like an arrogant jerk—even if that is just a façade. Now, as Brock is waiting for the auction chopping block, he figures it’s karmic retribution that he’s tempted by a sexy, sassy woman he can’t have. But while he and Jane may not get a fairy tale ending, maybe they can indulge in a little bit of fantasy . . .

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU |iBooks | B&N | Kobo | GooglePlay


Excerpt 

Thick wavy auburn hair fell in disarray over his forehead. It was lush, shiny, perfect. Were guys born with hair like that? Or was his somehow chemically engineered? His full lips pressed together in a secret smile as the equally handsome man next to him said something, then erupted in laughter.

The first man stiffened, then shook his head. His broad shoulders seemed to grow tight as a drum. A slight tic in his jaw was the only clue that he was irritated or maybe outright angry.

And then his shoulders slumped as he was handed another drink and then another.

Nervous. He must be nervous. But what could a man like that possibly have to be nervous about?

He easily towered over most of the men in attendance. Suddenly his posture changed, then he smiled.
Jane felt her mouth drop open in shock.

Dazzling.

He was…like a duke or a lord or a prince from a storybook. Clearly, she read too many romance novels, but his entire presence demanded attention; screamed authority, importance, and sex. Lots and lots of sex.

Yes, his virility was a tangible thing, as if she could reach out and grasp it with her fingertips.

“What are you doing?” Esmeralda yelled in her right ear, interrupting her blatant sexual fantasy about a complete stranger. Great. That’s what her life had come to. And sadly? It was the most fun she’d had all night.

Jane turned to Esmeralda, prayed for patience, and answered. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“You’re so boring.” Esmeralda rolled her eyes. “No wonder you got dumped.”

Another fun fact? Esmeralda was mean when she was drunk.

The reminder of the breakup burned like acid.

It had been a year ago, not that it mattered. It still hurt that the last guy she’d dated had told her that although she was cute, she wasn’t really doing it for him anymore.

Right. Doing it.

Maybe that was because she hadn’t done anything for him or with him, and he found that lacking. But they’d only dated for a few weeks. Did normal girls do that? Put out after a few weeks? Apparently. 

She wasn’t normal.

But if that was normal, maybe she was better off being strange.

“Jane, are you even listening to me?” Esmeralda whined. “Essence needs you to dance next to her for a bit. I’m tired and tipsy. I want to sit. Plus your dress blends in enough that it won’t take attention away from her.”

No way. What? What had she just said?

Jane wrapped her arms around her middle. “I’m sorry, what?”

Without warning, Esmeralda grabbed Jane’s hand and jerked her toward the dance floor, causing Jane to lose her footing and crash directly into Esmeralda’s back. Then, like a domino, she slammed back into Essence.

Jane opened her mouth to shout out an apology, but Esmeralda was already too drunk to listen to reason. With determination in her eyes, she reached for the pearls at Jane’s neck but grabbed the fabric of the dress instead.

Her poorly sewn dress ripped instantly, causing the fabric to slink past her strapless bra. A diagonal slit split up her thigh almost all the way to her hip. In an effort to cover herself, she took a step and tripped, thanks to her clunky shoes.

And then she fell to the floor. Hard.

Her sisters watched in horror—but neither of them offered a hand. They were probably kicking themselves for forcing her to come. Esmeralda leaned over but missed Jane’s shoulder by a mile, grabbing her hair and giving it a tug, which only made Jane wince harder.

Both sisters were completely tanked.

And she was less than two minutes away from being trampled by the other sweaty bodies around her. 

She glanced up.

And into the eyes of the man she’d just been lusting after.

Oh God, the humiliation was complete.

That one glance told her he’d seen it all. She swallowed back the thickness building in her throat. Of course the only time he’d notice her would be when she’d ripped her dress and nearly took out a few guests on her way down to the dance floor.

The crowd gathered around her. And the sexy man disappeared—probably off in search of a girl with perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect clothes.

She really should have stayed home.

Tears filled her eyes as a heel pressed into her right hand. With a jerk she tugged her hand free, struggling to get up to stand on her wobbly feet, when suddenly she was pulled to a standing position and then swept up in strong arms.

Jane’s eyes were still so blurry from unshed tears she couldn’t make out the man’s face as he carried her out of the crowd.

He smelled like heaven.

She fought the insane urge to press her face against his chest and just…close her eyes.

Because he felt safe.

Pathetic, when a stranger’s arms provided more safety than her own family. And yet he felt…right.

In a world where things for the past ten years had felt so wrong.

He felt right.

Maybe she’d had too much champagne.      

About the Author


rachelborderRachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers! Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866! 






You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken or join her fan group Rachel's New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com . FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE / NEWSLETTER      

Thursday, August 25, 2016

The Lost


"If the romantic character study is a genre, this fascinating contemporary novel is its exemplar. McCade digs deep into the difficult topics of rape, incest, and sexual abuse via the remarkable voice of Clarissa Leigh VanZandt." - Publishers Weekly

There's something wrong with Leigh.

She's known it her whole life. She knows it every time she spreads her legs. Every time she begs for the pain, the pleasure, the heat of a hard man driving deep inside. She's a slave to her own twisted lusts--and it's eating her alive. She loves it. She craves it. Sex is her drug, and she's always chasing her next fix. But nothing can satisfy her addiction, not even the nameless men she uses and tosses aside. No one's ever given her what she truly needs.

Until Gabriel Hart.

Cold. Controlled. Impenetrable. Ex-Marine Gabriel Hart isn't the kind of man to come running when Leigh crooks her pretty little finger. She loathes him. She hungers for him. He's the only one who understands how broken she is, and just what it takes to satisfy the emptiness inside. But Gabriel won't settle for just one night. He wants to claim her, keep her, make her forever his. Together they are the lost, the ruined, the darkness at the heart of Crow City.

But Leigh has a darkness of her own. A predator stalking through her past--one she'll do anything to escape.

Even if it means running from the one man who could love her...and leaving behind something more precious to her than life itself.

TRIGGER WARNING: 18+
This book contains material that may be triggering or deeply disturbing to some readers, including scenes discussing or detailing rape, physical and emotional abuse, and incest. Please focus on self-care and, if this book is triggering to you, do not be afraid to put it down and walk away, or skip certain chapters. Be good to yourselves. -C



If you saw her on the street you would probably walk right past her. You'd likely even go out of your way to avoid making eye contact or getting too close to her. This girl with the dirty hair and sad eyes. No one sees her pain, or acknowledges the hurt that's as clear as day on her haunted face. All they see is a girl who isn't up to societies standards. You'd judge her just from a glimpse, and then you'd forget her. Too bad she can't forget herself. Her name is Leigh, and this is her story.

The Lost was not a pretty story. There is no fairytale ending or a prince charming coming to save the day. There's only Leigh, on her own trying to survive a cruel life, but with no idea why she's even trying. Her story is raw, and gritty, and it takes you to the dark depths of this life that we would rather pretend don't exist.

I found myself enthralled with this book and I hated each second I wasn't reading it because of real life interrupting me. Stupid real life. But when I was reading, I was completely involved in Leigh's story and felt like I was a part of her and on this path to destruction along with her. The author wrote this story in such vivid detail that it was impossible for me to not feel like I knew these characters better than I know myself.

The grip that this book had on my heart while reading, and even now after I've finished, was one of the reasons I in love with it. Leigh was a broken character and has a life most people wouldn't understand, yet she was easy to relate to and to connect with. Were the actions she took something people would accept? No. But when you read her story you truly get a sense of understanding as to why she would set herself on a destructive path.

I wish I could give it a full five stars, but the ending was just too abrupt for that. I needed more! At least just a little more to get a sense of closure before it was finished for good. But the bottom line is that this is a huge recommend from me, and a book that I absolutely loved. Though I will warn that this story is not for the faint of heart and any reader should take note of the trigger warnings.

The Found (Crow City Book 2) Now Available on Smashwords



Bad Judgment

BADJUDGMENT-banner   

Bad JUD Cover Front

He’s so arrogant.
She’s so self-righteous.

I can’t stand him.
I want her.

He’s a distraction I don’t need.
She’ll say yes eventually because I’m not giving up.  

Justine Porter is stuck between a rock and a stripper pole. She lost her law school scholarship, which means she has two choices to keep her life on track: strip for her tuition or tutor the most distractingly sexy guy in her class—the one she’s been turning down for two years straight. It should be an easy choice, but tutoring Ryker Grant could derail her plans to graduate with honors faster than two-for-one night at the Déjà Vu. Then again, topless has never really been her color.

She could take the easy road, just this once . . . but the deal has enough loopholes to trip anyone up.

Who knew they taught bad judgment in law school?  
     
Amazon US → http://amzn.to/2bvjADp

Excerpt

“I’ve got some things I need to say to you, and you’re going to let me.”

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Furious Rush













Title: FURIOUS RUSH
Author: S.C. Stephens
On Sale: August 23, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Trade Paperback: $12.99 USD
eBook: $4.99 USD

Audio: $22.98 USD

The first in an emotion-fueled, New Adult series from the #1 bestselling author of the Thoughtless novels!

Too fast, too furious—and way too hot to handle… 

Mackenzie Cox has a lot to prove. Daughter of a racing legend, she is eager to show the world that she has inherited her father's talent in the male-dominated sport of professional motorcycle racing. The last thing Kenzie needs is to be antagonized by her rival team's newest rider, Hayden Hayes. Plucked from the world of illegal street racing, Hayden immediately gets under Kenzie's skin. His insinuations that Kenzie is a spoiled princess who was handed her career fuels her desire to win, and much to her surprise, Kenzie soon learns she performs better when she's racing against Hayden.

As Kenzie and Hayden push each other on the track, the electric energy between them off the track shifts into an intense—and strictly forbidden—attraction. The only rule between their two ultra-competitive teams is zero contact. Kenzie always does her best to play by the rules, but when her team slips into a financial crisis, she has no choice but to turn to Hayden for help. The tension simmers during their secret, late-night rendezvous, but Kenzie has too much to lose to give in to her desires. Especially when she begins to doubt that Hayden has completely left his street life behind...




Mackenzie Cox is the good girl, the one that doesn't go against what her father wants and who isn't willing to blow her chance at becoming a great racer like he was. Hayden is the bad boy, the illegal street racer that laughs in the face of the official racing rules. When Hayden comes into Kenzie's world she isn't happy, and wants nothing to do with him. 

The electricity they have while on the track can't be denied, though, and neither can the fact that they both race better together. Practicing after hours seems the best way to deal with this competitive heat, but when that electricity starts to become more than just competition they don't know what to do. There's no way they can be together, not with their team rules, and not when Kenzie isn't sure she can actually trust Hayden. Yet neither of them are willing to walk away from what they share. 

This is kind of a hard review to write because I have many conflicting emotions about this book. I was instantly drawn to the blurb and intrigued about a heroine that's part of a male-dominated sport. And Hayden definitely interested me with his implied bad boy ways. Going in I was expecting a strong connection between the two, which we got, and a push and pull kind of relationship. I was happy with how the author made the romance an enemies-to-lovers kind of connection and it kept me captivated for a big part of the book. But the enemies part of the story kind of lost me. 

I found the beginning hard to get into because of the conflict between Hayden and Kenzie. It just felt awkward to read and like their hate for each other was an immature school ground kind of thing. During the moments when they were arguing or throwing insults at each other it made me not like Kenzie very much and that carried through the whole book to where I could never like her much after that. Her character came off as too judgmental and bitchy for me, and even though it was only in those parts I couldn't seem to get my initial thoughts on her out of my head. 

The whole middle and end, minus the very end, was what had me liking the book. I loved when the competitiveness came out in Kenzie and Hayden and how it led to them finally doing something about the attraction between them. It was fun to read about Hayden getting Kenzie to take a chance on life and stop hiding in her bubble of rules. As a couple I loved them and the sexiness they brought to the book.

Hayden was my favorite character. I mean, who doesn't love a hot bad boy with a sweet side? His character brought a little mystery to the story and it had me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out if my theories about him were correct. I wasn't expecting the suspense aspect to be apart of the story but I really liked it and how it had me enthralled. 

The very end kind of lost me again and left me confused. I'm honestly not even sure if that was the end of these character and the author just wants to leave us on this ambiguous type ending or if there's going to be another book where I'll finally get my answers. I'll be on the look out for it! 

Bottom line, I did enjoy this story and even with the few issues I had it's a definite recommend from me. I think many people will find it as intriguing as I did and I can't wait for everyone to read it and meet Hayden. 

About the Author

S. C. Stephens is a #1 bestselling author who spends her every free moment creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance. In addition to writing, she enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and family. She and her two children reside in the Pacific Northwest.



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