Every Last Breath (Dark Elements #3) By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

So I'm sure many of you were excited to finally get this book in your hands. I know I sure as heck was. This series is by far one of my favorites from Jen, only behind her Lux series. But I mean I'm not sure even sexy Crown Prince's of hell can beat sexy aliens hehe.

But I am sad to see the end of this series come with this book. It took me quite a while to get into these books, but once I did I completely fell in love and wanted to kick myself for not reading them sooner.

Some loves will last 'til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

Like I said in my intro, I wish I would have gotten into this series sooner. Surprisingly this happens frequently with Jen's books. I fall in love with one of her series and then have an extremely hard time trying to start one of her new ones. I think it's because even after months of ending the other book I still get lost in that world and have a hard time picking up a different one in it's place. It happened between Lux, The Covenant books, Wicked, between The Dead List, and Frigid series. I mean it happens all the time and with any of her books. I guess that just proves that she writes such good books they can draw you in. The weird thing is though, that there is usually several months between them. I read a ton of other books between all them, and yet this still happens. Every time I go back into her creative world though it takes me just a bit, and a ton of pushing. Then once I start I can't put the new book down.

I want to talk about this series in general for a bit. You know it took me a little while to start (I picked them up right around the time voting for Roth and Zayne started) A friend I introduced to Jen's books read them before me and couldn't believe I hadn't started them yet considering I had read almost all of Jen's other stuff and pushed her to read the books too.
Eventually we figured out my problem. And don't take this the wrong way, because after I read both WHK and SCT I went back and wound up enjoying it... But I tried to start the series reading Bitter Sweet Love. And while I did in fact like seeing Jasmine and Dez's story later, I just couldn't get into their story as a starting point. So my friend turned on her audio version of White Hot Kiss and forced me to listen to the first few chapters while she was visiting me on a mini weekend vay-cay. After that I went out and got a copy of the book for myself and bam, finished it and Stone Cold Touch within 3 days. Like I said, now, I love BSL I think the story is pretty cute, and I enjoy seeing how Dez and Jaz met. While I did have a lot of unkind feelings for Dez in that book, he did redeem himself in Stone Cold Touch when he saved Layla and even his actions in this book as well. Funny because after all that I really have a fondness for Dez and Nicolai too. He's another one of those supporting characters I really grew to like. The 2 of them weren't cruel and even defended Layla when everyone else blamed and lost trust in her.

So lets talk characters:
I'll start with Dez and all them since I just mentioned them. Like I said After he and Nicolai helped to save Layla I gained a pretty good amount of respect for them. I knew I liked them both earlier in the series, they both treated everyone like equals including Jasmine and Danica. And while I had some hard feelings towards Dez for treating Jasmine as he did in BSL he really grew as a character. And I was happy to see him so strong and good. Especially with so many Wardens being on the corrupt side of things *cough Petr *couch Elijah *Cough Abbot at times. Someone else I was happy to get to see now and then was Morris. I love that dude. He's just so sweet and cute how he cares for all the Wardens and Layla. But holy crap! I did not see what was coming involving him. Just so you know... total mind bender there.

Next we have Danica. I really really liker this girl. I love how strong she is. And the fact that she insists on going out with all the guys to fight? Yeah that's pretty brave. I think it's good though, it shows that things are starting to change for the Wardens. That their archaic ancient ways need an update, and the next generation like her and Zayne are working to make the changes needed. But I am all about me some strong females and Danica is exactly that. Plus I like seeing her happy and getting what she wants for once.

I guess I'll go ahead and dive into Abbot. While I've never been a huge fan of him. Even before he went all King of the A-holes on Layla. It never settled well with me how he made her feel so alone in their clan. I get that she is different, but come on dude it doesn't take that much effort to make someone feel at least a little accepted. And then after that mess in SCT I think it took every bit of me not to want to reach into that book and throw a fist in that man's face (if that was a possible thing to do). I'm only doing it for the grater good my butt. Uhhhh like I said I'm not his biggest fan hehe.
But I did manage to gain back a bit of the respect I had for him. He does try to make things right in this book and that speaks a lot for the jerk. I almost even got a bit soft after a particular part and felt bad for what happens. But that could also be sympathy pains for the other characters in that scene too. Abbot is a very complex character in this series and as much as I don't like him, I think he added a good sense of how Layla grew as a character. He allowed her to see the side she always considered bad as something to be proud of, by proving him wrong (And with Roth's help of course lol)

Ok one more character before we get to the good stuff. Promise.
I LOVE CAYMAN. I mean really really love. The demon cracked me up the whole time I read this book. Between his funny pet names for Layla and his clothing choices I found myself giggling all the time. (And commence the strange looks from my family members as they passed by my giggle party of 1) There is one part in particular involving a Hawaiian shirt and Roth and when you read and get to that part you will know exactly what I'm talking about. It really made me laugh how Cayman did his whole thing. But on a serious note. We also got to see a part of the Demon I always sort of suspected but wasn't really made clear until this book. Cayman actually has a pretty big heart and the lengths he would go through really impressed me. Who would think demons would have so many layers. But seriously I dare you to keep track of all the pet names. Some are seriously funny as heck.

Oh wait! Hold the phone I have one more group of characters to discuss then I'm done. Although apparently I am bad at keeping promise hehe. Ok so we got to talk Bambi and the rest of the familiars, I love Bambi as much as I love Cayman. For a big snake that likes to eat people she actually is by far the coolest character in the whole series. And I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone but we get to see little miss snaky in a whole new fun way in this book. I have to say though, I want me a Bambi. She is the best thing ever. And we get to meet Thumper!!!!!! Roth's dragon? Remember him? yeah we get to finally see him in action. Bout time too lol
Plus we cant forget the triplet terror kittens. The adorable little puffballs with a taste for blood. We get to see them in action too so that's pretty cool. And we get to meet a new familiar too in this book. He's pretty cool. I like him, he's pretty funny as well. There is a part with him and Bambi that had me rolling, I won't say why because you will see. But it  was good. I so approve of your animal characters Jen. They are always my favorites.

Ok onto the good stuff now right??

I'll start off with this whole love triangle thing. While I wont tell you who Layla picks I can tell you that I was one very excited reader. And in other good news you get to find out who she chooses pretty quickly in this book. Which I was happy about. Not that a good love triangle isn't always a bit fun, but I get tired of them being drawn out until the end of these things. And by allowing that decision to made so soon it made the book much better. The characters could focus on what they needed to, like trying to kill the Lilin. And while we get a lot of mushy sexy time (so hot!!) it also sets up for the losing man to regroup and begin to move on. In the books where they girl doesn't decide till the end we better get a good look into how the losing guy does on the moving on part. But with this, and finding out so early a seed of moving on gets planted and we get to see it start to bloom. Which I like. I like my HEA thank you very much haha.

Ok Layla Time. I really like her character. And I have to say I think Jen really allowed her to grow in this book. But something I really respect about how Jen wrote Layla was that while she was become a stronger person and really started to embrace both her Demon and Warden halves I liked that Jen still left her a bot vulnerable. So many times authors create these fearless strong females, and that is great and all but when you see this sort of vulnerability, it makes them seem more human. And Layla will have to face something that would make many people tuck tail and run from. And while she knows she has to face her fears we still see the fear there. And I know this probably sounds so bizarre but I really appreciate a character like that. I like knowing they have doubts too. Because let's face it. If a character just jumps head first into a scary situation with no fear or worries at all we would all be sitting here going, oh that character was so bland.
I also like how Layla has grown into her powers. At the start of the series all Layla thought was that she didn't really belong in the world of demon or warden. And with Roth's help she began to embrace both sides and except herself for how she is. In this book that's made even more clear. We realize that Layla is actually more than she ever thought she could be and that both sides of her are actually good and needed to do what she needs to do to be able to defeat the Lilin. I think it's a great way to show that you need to believe in yourself and embrace every side of you, no matter how different. Here I go again, sounding like an advertisement for self empowerment lol

Ok one more person till we get to the sexiness that is the Crown prince of Hell. And that would be our sexy warden Zayne. I have a really hard time talking about him because so much happens and I don't want to give any of it away. Pretty much though we know Zayne is a good guy. I mean a really good guy. He doesn't blame Layla for trying to suck out his should at the end of SCT, He goes after her even after his clan tries to kill her, he sticks with Layla even with Roth hanging around most of the time. He even is nice to Roth on occasion even though he is technically his sworn enemy and the person trying to steal the girl he loves away. There are other things from this book I found that made him incredibly strong. Things I cannot speak of  so I don't spoil things for ya'll. If you want to talk about this book though feel free to comment or shoot me an email and we can get all down and spoilery together lol
And something else I like is that Jen didn't just allow Zayne to back down from anything. No matter how he was feeling he still put that behind him and did what needed to be done. I respect that in a person.

And now for my baby. ROTH!!!!!!!!
I absolutely love this guy. He is by far one of my favorite guys from Jen, right behind my honey Daemon lol. I think I love Roth so much is his sarcastic I'm trying to be a bad boy but I'm really a sweetie at heart attitude. And the arrogant I'm the Crown Prince of Hell thing is pretty sexy too hehe.
Like with Zayne, I would love to say more then I can here, but if I start blabbering on you will get all mad because I will wind up telling who she picks, and ugh this review is harder than I thought.
But ok some safe things to talk about Roth. Something I liked about his character was that even being this big bad demon he probably had more heart and a conscious than any warden in Layla's clan ever had. He wanted her to embrace who she was no matter if it was good or bad. He knew Layla had both in her, and instead of only supporting her demon side, he always let her show both. I also didn't know demons could fall in love the way Roth does. I mean, at the end of SCT my heart literally broke for the big softy when he thought he was going to loose Layla. He literally gave anything to save her.
There were  also plenty of classic Roth moments in this book. The possessive guy is back full force, which upped the Stony jokes sometimes. You know really if Roth and Zayne didn't have this whole Layla love triangle thing between them, they really would make a great bromance #TeamRyne or #TeamZoth anyone? haha

Pretty much to make a long review short I really loved this book. It did not disappoint and I have to say other than book one this may be my favorite from the series because of particular scenes in it.

My favorite would definitely be the drunk Roth scene. You have not lived a book nerd life till you have read that scene hehe


I give Every Last Breath: *****5 Stars*****

Sustained (The Legal Briefs Series #2) By: Emma Chase

I want to start this whole shebang out by saying thank you so much to Gallery books for not only sending me an eARC of this book, but for also sending me a finished copy too. I love Emma Chase's book so much and couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book in this amazing series. And let me just tell you, this book did not disappoint. It is probably actually my favorite she has written so far.

Hope you enjoy this review, and I really do hope you go out and grab a copy of not only Sustained but The first book In The Legal briefs Series Overruled.

A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.

When you’re a defense attorney in Washington, DC, you see firsthand how hard life can be, and that sometimes the only way to survive is to be harder. I, Jake Becker, have a reputation for being cold, callous, and intimidating—and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand.

Complications don’t work for me—I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will turn you on. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming—and I don’t pretend to be.

Then Chelsea McQuaid and her six orphaned nieces and nephews came along and complicated the ever-loving hell out of my life. Now I’m going to Mommy and Me classes, One Direction concerts, the emergency room, and arguing cases in the principal’s office.

Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent, and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be tough, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, defend her…and the kids.

And that—that, I know how to do.

Ok ya'll I think I have found the love of my life and his name is Jake Becker. (Chelsea McQuaid watch your back girl I'm coming for him hehe)

But in all seriousness I really did love Jake, and Chelsea, and well the whole book when it comes down to it.

Emma Chase never fails to amaze me with the comedy and characters she creates. I love that her books always come from these strong amazing men. Yes they are a bit over controlling and full of themselves, but I think that's what makes them so lovable. They think they are all big and bad and can do whatever they want and most of them are perpetual man whores (shock! gasp!) (And not all of them are, yes I know) and yet, I find it amazing that these men always wind up falling for women that are just a s strong and make them rethinking everything.

So lets go ahead and talk characters, just get it out of the way now, because ya'll know I can go on forever about them hehe. And you also know i never start with the guys, but in this case I am. Just because I feel he needs to be discussed to be able to talk about the other characters. 

So... Jake Becker

Like I said I am in love with the dude. He's hot, smart, knows how to argue, has tattoos, (So many tattoos *shivers)  is funny as heck, has amazing friends, and a seller job. I mean seriously is there anything the man doesn't do? Oh yeah, and he has an awesome Mom and Step dad. Can't forget that, the parents are always a big one when they're around. But even with all those things going for him, I just like Jake as a person. He really is a hard worker and cares about the people in his life.  He knows that he has made mistakes, and yet he has worked his butt of to make something of himself from them. 

Jake is also pretty brutally honest, which truth be told I like. He isn't one to lie to you about things and if asked will give you the full story. Including the story about his past and the bad things he did as a young man. He is so open with Chelsea and even makes some pretty dumb decisions out of that honesty (no matter how misguided). This is what makes him a good lawyer. Well that and the fact that he is intimidating as heck.

Also something I like about Jake's character is how passionate about things he is. Take his work. He is one of the best defense attorneys in D.C. and almost never loses a case. And he's like that because he know's what needs to be argued, how to spin a story, and how to make the other team run away screaming. He's pretty ruthless when it comes to his job actually. He knows he's working for the "Dark Side" but he also knows that someone has to do it, and that he does it well. And yet he does realize when defending someone can be the wrong choice. That right there is the one thing that makes him the man he is. Because even though he may be working for who are considered the bad guys he knows it, and he knows when it is time to draw the line. 

Something else I think that really needs to be talked about about him is that Jake was not always the good straight and narrow man he is. When he was younger he went through his bought of Bad Boyness. But Jake was able to find someone who cared enough to give him another chance and help him to learn the right things to do. He made him work for it but in the end made him so much stoner. Jake knows what it means to get a second chance and he knows what you have to do to fully make something of yourself from that. 

I think the most important thing was that he had someone who was willing to give that to him. Who didn't just see him as some screw up lost cause kid. 

The person who gave him that Jake fondly calls the Judge, and although we don't get a ton about him, he pops into the story enough that I really liked the man. He is tough but also a good person who cares a whole lot about the people around him. He took a messed up angry kid and showed him the potential he could have. And there were a few parts involving him that did make me a bit sad, but only because I grew to like this minor character that is barley even in the story so much.

Ok time to talk Chelsea.

This poor woman has really been through a lot when it comes down to it. Her whole life has been uprooted, and she is now the sole guardian to her brother and Sister-in-law's six crazy children, and yet no matter how crazy it gets she is there for them, and loves them like they are her own children.

She is strong, and kind, and acts like someone way beyond her twenty six years.

I really liked her relationship with the kids too. You could tell things weren't perfect between them all, but the kids care for her and she them. They all help Chelsea out when needed (Fighting included) and stick closely together. But no matter how on top of things she is there is only so much she can do to help them. And that is where I love that she's not afraid to accept help when it's given. Like when Jake come into the picture. It isn't really on the best circumstances considering her nephew is trying his hand at petty theft. But as soon as Jake walks into her and the children's lives and starts helping her, she never pushes him away or pretends that she can do it all alone (As much as she wants to be Super Woman she is not. And that's ok) 

I also like how she brings this completely different person out of Jake. Mr. I'm married to my job finally is given something he can care about and come how to with Chelsea and the kids (As long as he doesn't screw it up *cough cough) (Stupid man)  But she makes Jake see that he can be a caring person who has more to his life than work and a few quick hookups. She makes him want more and that scares him. 

Something else I really liked about Chelsea is that she isn't afraid to fight for what she wants. There is a scene in the book where the mama bear in her comes out and I had to say I was ready to give the girl a high five for it. I mean she seriously bared her teeth and was ready to throw down to protect those kids. 

Next I want to talk about all those adorable little monsters. Let's see if I can do this... There is Rory (The trouble maker) his twin Raymond (The smart one) their older sister Riley (Fourteen, need I say more. Oh yes and One Direction) their younger sister Rosaleen (The adorable curly headed cutie) Regan (the two year old "Hi" monster) and Ronan (The adorable little baby)

I think I got all of them, there's six there right? hehe

Ok so these kids are probably one of my favorite parts of this book, minus their dog It (Fuzzy little hairball) They all have such different personalities and add so much to the story. They are the reason Chelsea is in D.C. the reason Jake meets her, they provide comic relief to the plot, and I mean come on six kids in general in one household can make anyone laugh. Think about how many movies are out there with big families as the plot line. 

There is just something special about the way Emma writes these kids though. I mean they have gone through so much tragedy at such young ages and yet when they need to they come together and are always there for one another, not to say there isn't a whole lot of fighting and name calling involved in the process. And while there are also times where they get in a whole lot of trouble *couch Rory *cough Riley they know they have made mistakes and try to make things better from there. When it comes down to it they are scared kids who are grieving and they will make stupid decisions. 

Something I like about Jake being in their lives, is that he helps them see things from a different perspective. He doesn't just tell them things they need to hear, or condescending stuff adults tell kids when they screw up. He gives them advice out of experience, and wants them to earn a second chance and make something from that chance like he did.

Rory is probably my favorite because of how sarcastic and quick he is. They boy has the jokes and I like that fire I see in him. You can tell he is going to be so much trouble but yet he is smart and knows exactly what he's doing (even when it's the wrong decision) He's not afraid to speak his mind in the least, and really he's almost like a little mini Jake Becker (poor Jake haha)

We also get more Sofia, Stanton, and Brent. I love the three of them (Book 1, Overruled is Sofia and Stanton's story for anyone who hasn't had a chance to read it yet)

The four friends make such an amazing team throughout the books. They all help and defend each other, and are there when times get hard. They all have their own pasts, and personalities may be a bit different but that doesn't keep them from doing their jobs or supporting their friends. Even if that means giving them a kick in the butt when needed.

It's always fun seeing past characters though as series progress, I felt the same way when reading Christina Lauren's books and Kristen Proby's. All three series follow the same group of people but each book is about different characters from those books, and while it took me some time to enjoy books written like that, I can say that makes them so much better.

I love getting to see how things are still going with Sofia and Stanton, and I loved Sofia anyways so getting more of her is just great in general. And in the next book, Appealed we'll get Brent's story so I'm excited to get that when it finally is here too.

Well... I love talking about characters and could seriously talk about them all day (Not kidding)

but I just want to talk about some of my favorite parts of this book in general. And seriously there were a lot. I wont give you details because I don't want to spoil anything but I hope to give you places to look forward to.

So, my favorite part in the whole book you ask? When Stanton and Jake take Riley and Stanton's daughter to the One Direction concert. Literary gold there, I'm telling you. I laughed so hard, and the best part? Emma posted a list from Jake today on FB on how to survive going to a 1D concert. And it was so so funny. I shared the post on our FB page but I'll post it here too, because ya'll have got to check it out.

How to Chaperone a One Direction Concert (Without Killing Someone) by Jake Becker

Another part I really liked in the book is when Jake is telling you about all the crazy stuff that has happened with him, Chelsea, and the kids sense coming into their lives. It's all written in flashbacks, but Oh-em-gee those were some of the funniest scenes in the whole book. 

Also whenever there is a scene about It the dog, there is usually something funny said. One scene isn't really even with the dog. It's when Jake is teaching Raymond how to handle a situation from school and Rory does some pretty funny stuff involving It's uh... droppings haha

Drunk Jake is funny too. It only happens once so be ready, but he had me laughing a whole lot. The scene this happens in too though is also a very intense and eye opening scene. It is good on so many levels so it classifies in my top ones.

Ok so now that I've tried to giveaway all the fun I guess I should get this thing wrapped up.

Pretty much to recap, I loved this book. I loved how much humor and sarcasm was in it. And I loved how this book really talks about second chances and how when given them by the right person they can make all the difference. 

I also love anything Emma Chase so I really couldn't tell you I hated this book now could I? lol

The book was beautifully written and am so happy was able to get the chance to review it. I love books like this from a man's perspective. We get so few of them, other than split POV's and Emma always does a super job at making these men very colorful and fun.

I would suggest to anyone to get a copy as soon as possible.

I give Sustained: *****5 Stars*****

Cover Reveal: Built (Saints Of Denver #1) By: Jay Crownover

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Cover Reveal and Prologue for BUILT by Jay Crownover! BUILT is the first novel in her upcoming Saints of Denver Series, a spinoff of her Marked Men Series, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins. BUILT is releasing on January 5, 2016! This is a definite one click, friends!

Check out the cover of BUILT!

 

Preorder BUILT Today!

Amazon US ** iBooks ** Barnes & Noble ** Kobo

  About BUILT: From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes an electrifying new spin-off series,Saints of Denver, featuring all the characters fans have been dying to read about. Sayer Cole and Zeb Fuller couldn’t be more different. She’s country club and fine-dining, he’s cell-block and sawdust. Sayer spends her days in litigation, while Zeb spends his working with his hands. She’s French silk, he’s all denim and flannel. Zeb’s wanted the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her. It doesn't matter how many smooth moves he makes, the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest—either that or she doesn't return it. Sayer is certain the rough, hard, hot-as-hell Zeb could never want someone as closed off and restrained as she is, which is a shame because something tells her he might be the guy to finally melt her icy exterior. But just as things start to heat up, Zeb is blindsided by a life altering moment from his past. He needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. He can’t risk what’s at stake just because his attraction to Sayer feels all consuming. But as these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, battling together to save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide can no longer be ignored.

And don’t miss this sneak peek of BUILT! Check out the prologue here!

Prologue

I met her at a bar. She had a beer bottle in her hand even though she looked like she should be sipping champagne out of an expensive flute, and that inexplicably turned me on. She was pretty and looked completely out of place in the no-name bar sitting across from one of my longtime friends who also happened to be her long-lost brother. He was the reason she was here. In that split second that I laid my eyes on her I wanted to be the reason she stayed. I knew it was rude and that the two of them needed some time together, some time to figure out what they were to each other now that she had blasted into his life unannounced. If I was a better friend I would have left them alone. As it was, I made my way over to the tiny table and sat down. I was covered in sawdust and had drywall mud caked in the hair on my head and on my face, but she didn’t flinch or bat an eyelash when I purposely broke up their party of two and placed myself as close to her as I could without actually touching her. My buddy Rowdy St. James lifted his eyebrows at me as I stared at her while he introduced us. Sayer Cole. Even her name was elegant and sophisticated sounding. She was an enigma, this pretty woman that seemed like she should be in any place but this bar with the two of us. She’d showed up out of the blue a couple of months ago claiming to be Rowdy’s half sister, claiming that they shared a father, claiming that all she wanted was to be in his life and have some kind of family of her own. She looked too delicate to be that brave. Came across as way too proper to have said “fuck it all” and picked up her life to move it someplace unknown without being sure of her welcome. She looked like silk, but if my guess was right about her, it was silk wrapped around steel. Luckily Rowdy was a good guy. After the shock of discovering he wasn’t alone in the world, and once he realized he had someone tied to him by blood forever and ever, he had warmed up to the idea of having a sister and appreciated that the sister was Sayer. I liked Rowdy a lot. He was a stand-up guy and a good friend, but I had a feeling I was going to like his newly found big sister even more. In my usual tactless way I asked him without looking directly at the knockout blonde, “So you have a sister? A hot, classy sister?” A sister that was also a lawyer, so beautiful and smart. I expected a giggle from her or an eye roll at the outlandish compliment, but what I got was a wide-eyed stare of disbelief as eyes bluer than anything I had ever seen on earth danced between me and her brother like she wasn’t sure what to do with herself or with my overt interest in her. I thought that I had gone too far, pushed the beautiful stranger too far out of her comfort zone. I was a big guy and knew I looked far wilder and rougher than I actually was. I figured it might be too much for a woman already obviously out of her element and depth to take. Instead, Sayer surprised me and I could see by the way he stiffened that she surprised Rowdy, too. While she wasn’t exactly overflowing with welcome and warmth, she did ask me about the current project I was working on after Rowdy explained I was a general contractor and had rebuilt the new tattoo shop he worked in. She seemed genuinely interested, and when I told her that my specialty was rehabbing old houses and giving them new life, her eyes practically glowed at me. I wanted to touch her to see if she felt as smooth and polished as she looked. I wanted to leave streaks of dirt on her perfect face to mark the fact that I had touched her, that she had let me touch her. It was a primal and visceral reaction that I couldn’t explain and I liked the way it felt. Liked the weight and heft of it in my blood even if I knew the feeling wasn’t likely to be returned. She told me all about a fantastic but crumbling Victorian she had purchased that was falling down around her. She asked me for a business card and I saw Rowdy stiffen across the table. I sighed and rubbed a hand over my already messy hair. I watched her eyes follow the light cloud of dust that escaped the strands. I was great at my job, loved what I did, but I couldn’t do anything with her or for her without laying everything on the line. Especially not with Rowdy giving me the death glare from just a few feet away. I dug the card out of my wallet, and when I handed it over our fingers touched. I saw her eyes widen and her lips part, just barely. She looked a little dazed when I grinned at her. “You take that card, but understand that the man giving it to you has a past.” She blinked at me and cleared her throat. “What kind of past?” It wasn’t something I liked to tell a beautiful woman when I first met her. It was something I liked to work up to, liked to prove it was behind me, but with this one it seemed like I wouldn’t get that chance. “I tell everyone that I do any kind of work for or that considers hiring me on for a project that I have a criminal history. I spent time locked up for a few years, and while I’m not proud of it I can’t deny it happened. I was a hotheaded kid and it got me in trouble, but I’m the best at what I do, so I hope that doesn’t discourage you from giving me a call.” Hopefully for more than some construction. Usually I got a concerned frown followed by a hundred questions about what had led me to serving time. I got none of that from the stunning blonde. She tilted her head to the side and considered me silently for a long moment before reaching down and slipping my card in her purse. If anything, I could have sworn she was wearing a look of sympathy when she told me softly, “I see it every day from the inside. Sometimes the system simply gets it wrong.” A slight grin turned her mouth up at the corners, and I wanted to lean over and kiss it. “People make mistakes. Hopefully they learn from them.” I don’t know that “wrong” was accurate in my case so much as misguided, but the complete lack of judgment or censure coming from her made me want to pull her into my arms and hold on to her even more. I had made a mistake, a huge one, one that I was forever going to have to carry around with me, but I had learned from it, was still learning from it. That kind of understanding from a total stranger was so rare, especially coming from someone in the legal field. I wasn’t accustomed to someone looking at me and seeing me, just me, not an ex-con loser after I explained where I had been. It was wildly refreshing and attractive. I couldn’t quite get a handle on what made the woman tick, but I would welcome any opportunity she gave me to figure it out. I found her outwardly flawless and pristine demeanor tempting to taint with my dirty hands and ways, and there was something about the way she watched me, the way she turned toward me like she was drawn to me, that made me think maybe I wasn’t alone in the inexplicable pull department. Rowdy left and she stayed. We had a couple more beers and talked some more about her house and what she wanted done with it. She already hired one contractor but felt like the guy was ripping her off. It happened a lot in the industry, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy was taking her for a ride. Spending time with her was easy. She was fun to talk to and really fun to look at. I really wanted to get my hands on her house and of course on her, and I felt like she was maybe, kind of, slightly leaning in the same direction when I made the mistake of asking her about her past. I asked about where she had been before she found out about Rowdy and decided to move to Denver so that she could get to know him. I was curious what kind of life she had where she could leave everything behind and not be missed. Really I wanted to know if she had a boyfriend or husband stashed somewhere, but the simple inquiry must have touched a nerve. The next thing I knew she had paid out the tab for both of us and disappeared into the night. She went from glowing and bright to frigid and untouchable in the span of a heartbeat. I figured I blew my shot by being too blunt, as always. I assumed she probably did have someone else in the picture and had been friendly and polite only because I was good friends with her brother. I thought I would never hear from her again and was baffled why the thought of that made my chest ache and my heart feel like it weighed two tons. Imagine my surprise when she called me and hired me to renovate her house a week later without a bid, without a contract, without even knowing if I was half as good as I claimed to be. Of course I accepted, but I knew once I was inside I would need to knock down and rearrange more than just the walls of the house, in order to get at something beautiful and lasting.

 
About Jay Crownover: Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.        

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Sweet Temptation (Sweet Evil #4) By: Wendy Higgins

I am so so honored to be able to do a review for this amazing book. This is one of my absolute favorite series, and by one of my favorite authors. I want to send a huge thank you to Stephanie at Harper Collins for being so wonderful to me. She not only got this lovely book to me, but has been working with me a ton on all the little questions and problems I have had. You rock woman :D

Embrace the Unexpected

Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent . . . hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father's ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he's good at his job. And he enjoys it.

Until he meets Anna Whitt—smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve.

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the Dukes' oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

Sensual and swoonworthy, this companion volume to the Sweet Evil series, told from the perspective of the mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into the true emotions that drive him.

So I'm sure you can tell from that intro that I really really love this series. And Sweet Temptation was no exception to my love. In fact I think this may be my favorite one of all of them.

Getting this series from Kai's perspective was interesting to say the least. If you follow this series you know what is going to happen, and yet, Wendy managed to give us some new scenes of not only Kai when he was away from Anna but also a more in depth look at things that happened when they were together.

This book was so much fun to read because it is so much the opposite from the ones Anna narrates. Where she is sweet and innocent, Kai is wild and well no other way to put it but sex on a stick hehe. And that made for a very interesting look at the world Wendy created. We also lost that sense of newness that Anna experiences by being dropped into the Neph world so suddenly. Kai has been raised in it and knows the rules from day one. He knows what's at stake if he does not work or if he defies his father. And I really think that makes the battle Kai faces within himself more understood.

From the start of Sweet Evil we knew Kaidan Rowe was the arrogant lustful rock star. But one of the things that I found so interesting and probably my new favorite side of Kai was how insecure and worried for Anna he was. I mean we know he cares about her after a few important things that happened in books one and two, and well book three too. But after reading this book we see why he put up so many road blocks and tried not to show his feelings towards her. And to tell you the truth, I think I fell for him even more because of those reasons. It makes him such a complex character.

Lets talk Anna for a moment. I love her. She is by far one of my favorite book heroins. But I think that is because if I could relate to any book character it would be her. Well her and Katy from JLA's Lux series hehe. But really I feel like I was just as naive and innocent as Anna was going through high school. I mean I had a ton of  band and drama friends so I was use to all the lewd terrible bad jokes don't get me wrong. But I was so naive when it came to other things. And I was ok with that. I liked the way I was, and when it came time to change that I was ready to fight however I needed to. Now I wasn't fighting demons out to destroy me or anything (That would have been a way better story. Obviously since it is a story lol) but I fought my own sort of battles dealing with a crazy divorced family, a pile of duel enrollment classes, going off to college, losing/gaining friends, meeting new people, not getting in trouble, living on my own... The list goes on and on. And why those seem like fairly normal things I can tell you a few of them were pretty hard to deal with. But characters like Anna remind me to always have strength, and to stand up for your beliefs and what you think is right. Sounds like a cliche add for one of those be your self campaigns, but I think it's something that people always tend to forget. We all want to fit in, and if Anna can stand her ground against icky demons out to kill her, than I sure as heck can stand my ground on the things that make me myself.

I also want to get in something about supporting characters here. Because everyone's favorite Neph's including Kope, Marna, Ginger, and Blake are back. And while they all had their own relationships with Anna we see them a bit differently in this book. And that's because we see them as the life long friends of someone instead of new acquaintances and love interests.
Oh oh! side note for a minute. Yeah Kope and Kai... That was so much better in this book. But I love a good guy tiff so that could be why haha.
Ok back on track now, seeing all the Neph from Kai's POV gave them a bit more depth as well. He knows a lot more about them all and understands why they act the way they do more than Anna could understand sometimes. Plus I love his relationship with the twins and Blake. Blake especially was fun because he is a lot more open with Kai, and well they are what you could call Kai's bestie. If big strong Neph men have such a thing lol

And what would a  book about a guy in a rock band be if we didn't talk a little about said band? 
While we know Anna and Kaidan met at a Lascivious concert we never got to see much about the other band members before. Now we get a pretty decent look at them. And they are pretty much what you would expect. Lot's of partying, groupies yada yada. While they weren't really my main focus in this story they were still super fun to finally get to see more of.

The last thing character wise I want to talk about was Kaidan's relationship with both Patti and Belial. Patti in general to everyone was the self appointed mother figure. Something none of the Nephs had. I love how supportive but yet stern she could be. That and she always showed so much love towards them all. She didn't care what sin they were burdened with from the daddy demons. She just saw that they needed the love and care she could provide and gave it to them. That in particular touched Kai I think. Especially after living under the thumb of the slightly disturbed, and very nasty lust demon Pharzuph. 
Now Belial's relationship with Kai is very different than Patti's. Belial never really approved of Kai, but I mean can you really blame him? I'm pretty sure if I know the son of the demon of lust was interested in my daughter I would be pretty pissed too. But what I found so interesting is that over time Belial really does begin to trust Kai. Not just because Anna loves him, but because he sees the good in Kai. And sees how he would truly do whatever he had to do to keep Anna safe. Including staying away from her, or standing up for her even if it meant his own life was on the line.

So I have waited till close to the end here to really get into this because I know I am going to get kinda ranty. Not even the bad kind either. More the oh-em-gee kinda rant lol
We need to seriously talk demons. I mean this story would go no where without some grade-A spooks and that is just what Wendy gave us. After the other three books we got a pretty good idea just how despicable and terrible the whole lot of them are. But I have to say, Really getting a look into Lusty Daddy Rowe was quite an interesting experience. I mean talk about creep. That guy had some seriously bad things going on. And through him we saw some of his twisted relationships with the other dukes and man they are seriously a messed up bunch. I think my skin crawled a few times even. Then we get more of that Marissa lady, and oh God what I wouldn't have given to reach into this book and yak that woman's hair out. I swear I'm not a violent person either hehe.
But the badies in the book are something that I always thought Wendy did a great job of writing. She gives them just enough eww factor to give the heebie-jeebies, but just enough personality so you really get a sense of the nastiness and can truly feel the hate for them. Coming from my writing experience. The bad guys are the hardest to write. It's easy creating a character people will love, but the ones people hate... that can be difficult. And Wendy pulls it off amazingly.

So if you really need me to spell it out... I loved this book. It is simply amazing, and I think really gives a good closing to this series. Well that is unless there is plans on a few novellas about the Neph couples other than Kaidan and Anna. If those are in the works, than bring it on lol. But if they aren't I stand by my previous statement. We know the whole story now. What happened to each of our favorites when they weren't together. I always wondered what devious things went through Kaidan Rowe's head at a given minute, and while a good amount of what did didn't surprise me in the least. There were many things that did. And I have to say I loved that. He is so multi-dimensional, and it makes me fall just a bit more in love with him than before. Not that there was much more room to do that :D

Ya'll are probably going to say that I've already talked about this, but I want to give this topic it's own little spotlight and not just a few mentions. And that is because this is my favorite part of this book and Kaidan. I loved that Kai was so dang insecure about himself. That he really truly believed he was never good enough for Anna. I'm sure I'm getting strange looks for saying that too, but let me explain. All throughout the Sweet Evil series we saw Kai as this cocky guy. But knew it mostly an act, because he really did care for Anna and was just protecting her. But now we get a front row seat to those feelings. We see just how much he felt he wasn't worthy of the goodness that was Anna, and to me that shows more of how you are worthy of someone like that. Because he was so worried about how his relationship with Anna will effect her pureness and goodliness he really shows his love in a way not many people are willing to do. You will see this a lot in part three of this book. He actually made me get a little emotional there a few times, because I knew he deserved to be able to love someone and have them love him in return. I think it's good to see everyone's favorite bad boy rock star have a sweet and a bit unsure side. It allows you to see he is more than what he appears and is a truly deep character. I love that Wendy was able to do this giving us this book. It's just a great thing seeing how the characters develop and change throughout a story.

Oh and one more thing to add real quick. A full book of nothing but that sexy British accent? Yeah that was perfect. For the past week I have literally been trying to walk around using slang from the book. I didn't even realize I was doing it until I went to curse and used something from the book instead. (I live with small children and try not to curse in general. I'm always using words to replace the bad ones like Firetruck, that sort of thing. And now I find myself replacing them with this slang) Oh and let me tell you. I have a terrible British accent when I try so it just doesn't sound the same :(
But it does get me some laughs. Apparently I am pretty funny now with my "new lingo"

But can I just say if any hot Brits want to volunteer, I will seriously take you up on the offer to just read to me. That is the hottest thing ever. And Kai if you by chance are real, that invite goes out to you too bhahaha

I give Sweet Temptation: *****5 Stars*****

Cover Reveal: Missing Dixie By: Caisey Quinn

 Hey Ya'll, I am so excited to get to help share this amazing cover for Caisey's new book. She writes the most amazing books, and I cannot wait to see what this one has in store for us :D

MISSING DIXIE

Snyopsis:

Fighting for redemption…

I’ve lived most of my life in darkness, beneath the shadows of secrets and addictions. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt the only girl I’d ever loved—the one who brought me into the light. In my entire life I’d made one promise—a promise I’d intended to keep. I’ve broken that promise and now I have to live with the fallout. Dixie Lark hates me, and I have to tell her that I love her. I also have to tell her a truth that might destroy us forever.

Can she love me even if she can’t forgive me?

Learning to move on…

Gavin Garrison broke his promise to my brother and he broke my heart in the process. I may never love anyone the way I’ve loved him, but at least I won’t spend my life wondering what if. We had our one night and he walked away. I’m finally beginning to move on when my brother’s wedding and a battle of the bands brings us back together.

Our band is getting a second chance, but I don’t know if I can give him one. How do you hand your heart back to the person who set it on fire once already?

USA TODAY reveal link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2015/08/14/missing-dixie-cover-reveal-caisey-quinn-new-adult-carmack-jordan/31643511/

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

HarperCollins Publishers

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