Release Blitz: Blow (Tainted Love Duets #1) By: Kim Karr

Hey ya'll. I'm sure you've been able to tell that I am in love with this book by now, but just in case you haven't seen the billion posts yet about it... I hope I can convince you to go pick up a copy today. This one is probably my favorite Kim Karr book yet, it's suspenseful, and hot, and so much oh gosh! (Ok I'm not sure that's really a describing word, but you get my point hehe)

Also I believe this beauty is on sale for only $.99 cents through today, so be sure to scoop it up while it is :D

Blow: Book #1 in the Tainted Love Duet

She’s anything but a damsel in distress…

He knows better than to be anyone’s white knight.

2 fatal sides.

1 epic love.

7 days to survive.

They met in the face of danger. They weren’t looking for love. They both knew better. But they couldn’t stay away, and they fell hard.

He is heart-stopping handsome, fearless—and haunted by deadly ties.

She is breathtakingly beautiful, determined—and in harm’s way.

They should have parted. They didn't. They never should have fucked. They did. And now time is running out. One hundred sixty eight hours. That’s all that remains. While Logan McPherson fights to save them, Elle Sterling is forced to make a choice that could change everything.

When torn between right and wrong, tainted love doesn’t have a chance...or does it?

AmazonUS | AmazonUK | AmazonCA | AmazonAU

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Kim Karr is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author.

She grew up in Rochester, NY and now lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She's always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, she wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. She went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise her family. Kim currently works part-time with her husband and recently decided to embrace one of her biggest passions--writing.

Kim wears a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of her family. However, she always finds time to read. One of her favorite family outings was taking her kids when they were little to the bookstore or the library. Today, Kim's oldest child is seventeen and no longer goes with her on these, now rare and infrequent, outings. She finds that she doesn't need to go on them anymore because she has the greatest device ever invented--a Kindle.

Kim likes to believe in soul mates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. She loves to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.

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Blow (The Tainted Love Duets #1) By: Kim Karr

Ok, I want to start this review out by saying thank you so much to Kim Karr for sending me an ARC of this book to review. I have loved all of the books she's written so far and could not wait to dig in to this baby.

I hope you check it out when it goes live on the 21st :D

2 fatal sides.

1 epic love.

7 days to survive.

They met in the face of danger. They weren’t looking for love. They both knew better. But they couldn’t stay away, and they fell hard.

He is heart-stopping handsome, fearless—and haunted by deadly ties.

She is breathtakingly beautiful, determined—and in harm’s way.

They should have parted. They didn't. They never should have fucked. They did. And now time is running out. One hundred sixty eight hours. That’s all that remains. While Logan McPherson fights to save them, Elle Sterling is forced to make a choice that could change everything.

When torn between right and wrong, tainted love doesn’t have a chance...or does it?

Let me just give you a little of an idea of what I was going through when I finished this book. It was after 2 AM (This was the third night of this late night reading business with this book) and I may have considered throwing my phone across the room. Why you ask? Well I'm pretty sure sleep deprivation is one reason, but the other would have to be the ending to this book. I mean pretty much the entire book I had a hard time putting it down. It was so suspenseful, and every time I thought I would be to a stopping point something would happen and of course I had to keep going hehe. Well the problem with the ending is just that. It was the end... And after reading that last sentence I about jumped out of my bed and started pacing and yes there was phone throwing contemplation. I knew that this wasn't going to be the only book, but man if I thought it would end like that. And please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I didn't love it. I did, which is probably why I was so mad. I just NEEDED MORE!!!!!!!! 

So... Just to be clear I loved it. Although I will tell you, I have yet to read a Kim Karr book I didn't like and this one may be close to my favorite, although I really did like Toxic too.


Lately I have seemed to be all over the place with what books I've read. I went on a sports romance kick for a while back between March and May sometime, and then pretty much crashed from it for several months. I had a really hard time picking up another book until July after close to a 2 month hiatus and when I did it just happen to be when Toxic ARC's were being read. So really that should tell you something that her books can pull me out of my slump lol. Anyways, after I finished Toxic I fell into a pretty big romance stint and have been going non stop. So after some pretty incredible books by Emma Chase, Christina Lauren, etc... Finding out this book was next on my list had me doing a happy dance and some major fan girl squeeing. I love Kim's books, but this cover just drew me in on this one. I mean the cover model is gorgeous, but I think it was actually the bright green text mixed with that that pulled me to it. I mean literally I saw the cover to this one and just felt this possessive need to read this one.  Which truth be told is usually my downfall. I am a sucker for a pretty cover, but usually get the book for this reason having no idea what it's about and never being able to finish it. This book was exactly the opposite though. I loved the cover, knew what the book was about, and loved the book as much as its wonderful cover.

***Ok so I kinda just had a moment here where I realized that this book actually has a character from Toxic and I kinda feel a little duh for not realizing that. I mean I just got done talking about how I liked that book and couldn't put it together until I read a post on Kim's FB group. Some reader I am lol***

So like I mentioned before, I found myself unable to put the book down. AM zombie reader right here *points to self. 
It wasn't just because of the suspenseful nature of this book either.

I really enjoyed Elle and Logan's POV's. Both characters were so complicated and I really liked seeing how their pasts unfolded as they began to feel more emotions towards the other. Both of them were so closed off at fist, and as they grew closer their stories just kinda fell out. Both went through so much when they were younger and my heart did kinda break for them. But watching what kind of adults it made them made things better. The fact that two people that were by all intents and purposes were broken were able to start working to being whole through each other really made me happy when reading. I don't want to give anything away, and believe me this book wasn't an easy romance by any stretch. The characters had to work for it, and the delay made it that much better when things finally started to happen.

So lets break things down a little.
I want to talk about both Elle and Logan.

I'll start with Elle.
I wasn't really sure what I thought of her at first to be truthful. She was such a mystery. She had people around her and as I read I tried to figure out all the dynamics. Once the book got going everything came out and it all started making sense. Once I knew everyone's rolls in her life I could better understand her. 
She was a complex character with a bit of a shady? (not sure that quite the word I want) past. You could tell she had a lot of demons she was dealing with, and all the present drama with her sister wasn't helping. 
But as the book progressed we get so see more of her strength, and more of how she came into that strength. 

But I also liked how Elle wasn't afraid to lean on Logan when she needed him. After so long of dealing with things on her own, I think it was good she finally had someone to share all that with. I also love her connection to Clementine. The addition of the little girl in her life really showed Elle's character. She adores the little girl to the point she is willing to risk her own life for her. I liked that she had someone there to protect, that she needed to do that after the childhood she had and feeling like she couldn't do that for her mother. Clementine gave her purpose and a reason to keep pushing forward.

To be honest I'm having a hard time articulating things about Elle. I know I really liked her, and I was extremely intrigued in her back story no matter how sad and terrible it was. But I just can't seem to find the words to keep going on about her. I think ya'll will like her though, and will be able to see what I see. That she is a strong caring woman, and is not afraid to kick some butt if need be. But that she also just needs someone to love her and care about her and only her in every way possible.

I'm going to go ahead and jump into Logan for now, and if I think of anything more about Elle I'll be sure to share it with you later in this review.

So Logan...
I really like this guy. We meet him on sort of sketchy terms at first, but the more we know about him the more his true character shows. In an early Goodreads update while I was reading this one, I made the comment that I wasn't really sure if he was a bad boy with a good streak in him or a good guy with a little bad going on. And now that I've read the whole book and the little snip it we get of book #2 Crush I'm still not for sure. I feel like I had been leaning towards good guy with the bad streak, but as the ending unfurled I was starting to change my mind. He is so complex, and as more of his past unfolds the more I feel like I don't have him pegged down. He is obviously a sweet guy, caring, kind, not afraid to go after what he wants. He doesn't let much get in his way. But he is also tails to this coins heads. He can throw down with the best and is a little broken in ways when it comes to his ability to care and have relationships. Right from the start we can tell he cares deeply for his family. He tries to right the failures of his past, and works hard to protect Elle and Clementine even though he knows so little about them, but there is a thread of wanting revenge on the one person that made is past so bad, and for what they are now threatening in his present. And while it isn't technically a part of this book but the small preview for Crush, we see that Logan just may be willing to do literally whatever it takes to get rid of the threat to him and Elle.

But his bad boy good guy thing isn't the only thing I liked about him, or how determined he is. This guy is sexy as sin. Like whoa there buddy put those abs away before you hurt someone with their abyness. But it isn't just the looks that are so attractive. He is really the whole package. Hes sweet when he wants to be slow and caring even, but man he takes what he wants. I like how concerned he is with Elle though. He always thinks about her first in most of the situations and worries how she will react. I like that he can separate himself enough from his emotions, and carnal lust to be able to do that. 

This whole book in general was really good though. Suspenseful as heck, and even nerve racking at times when I just had to know what was going to happen. But so so good.

I cannot wait for book #2 to be here, and hope that ya'll go get a copy of this book as soon as possible. IT IS THAT GOOD!

I give Blow:  *****5 Stars*****

Blog Tour: When A Scot Ties The Knot By: Tessa Dare

Hey ya'll, I am super excited to get to be a part of the tour for A Scot Ties The Knot.

This book was so good and I cannot wait to share with you an awesome excerpt from it, along with a great giveaway.

Also my review for this book is still to come so be looking for that real soon :D

WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT:

On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shy, pretty and talented with a drawing pencil, but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: she invented a sweetheart.

A Scottish sweetheart. One who was handsome and honorable and devoted to her, but conveniently never around. Maddie poured her heart into writing the imaginary Captain MacKenzie letter after letter … and by pretending to be devastated when he was (not really) killed in battle, she managed to avoid the pressures of London society entirely.

Until years later, when this kilted Highland lover of her imaginings shows up in the flesh.  The real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep—handsome as anything, but not entirely honorable. He’s wounded, jaded, in possession of her letters… and ready to make good on every promise Maddie never expected to keep.

Where to buy WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT:

HarperCollins     

Amazon     

Barnes and Noble     

iTunes     

Google Play     

And as promised her is that awesome excerpt from the book. Hope you enjoy :)

Excerpt:

Prologue September 21, 1808 Dear Captain Logan MacKenzie, There is but one consolation in writing this absurd letter. And that is that you, my dear delusion, do not exist to read it. But I run ahead of myself. Introductions first. I am Madeline Eloise Gracechurch. The greatest ninny to ever draw breath in England. This will come as a shock, I fear, but you fell deeply in love with me when we did not cross paths in Brighton. And now we are engaged. Maddie could not remember the first time she’d held a drawing pencil. She only knew she could not recall a time she’d been without one. In fact, she usually carried two or three. She kept them tucked in her apron pockets and speared in her upswept dark hair, and sometimes—when she needed all her limbs for climbing a tree or vaulting a fence rail—clenched in her teeth. And she wore them down to nubs. She sketched songbirds when she was supposed to be minding her lessons, and she sketched church mice when she was meant to be at prayer. When she had time to ramble out of doors, anything in Nature was fair game—from the shoots of clover between her toes to any cloud that meandered overhead. She loved to draw anything. Well, almost anything. She hated drawing attention to herself. And thus, at sixteen years old, she found herself staring down her first London season with approximately as much joy as one might anticipate a dose of purgative. After many years as a widower, Papa had taken a new wife. One a mere eight years older than Maddie herself. Anne was cheerful, elegant, lively. Every- thing her new stepdaughter was not. Oh, to be Cinderella in all her soot-smeared, rag-clad misery. Maddie would have been thrilled to have a wicked stepmother lock her in the tower while everyone else went to the ball. Instead, she was stuck with a very different sort of stepmother— one eager to dress her in silks, send her to dances, and thrust her into the arms of an unsuspecting prince. Figuratively, of course. At best, Maddie was expected to fetch a third son with aspirations to the Church, or perhaps an insolvent baronet. At worst . . . Maddie didn’t do well in crowds. More to the point, she didn’t do anything in crowds. In any large gathering—be it a market, a theater, a ballroom— she had a tendency to freeze, almost literally. An arctic sense of terror took hold of her, and the crush of bodies rendered her solid and stupid as a block of ice. The mere thought of a London season made her shudder. And yet, she had no choice. While Papa and Anne (she could not bring her- self to address a twenty-four-year-old as Mama) en- joyed their honeymoon, Maddie was sent to a ladies’ rooming house in Brighton. The sea air and society were meant to coax her out of her shell before her season commenced. It didn’t quite work that way. Instead, Maddie spent most of those weeks with shells. Collecting them on the beach, sketching them in her notebook, and trying not to think about parties or balls or gentlemen. On the morning she returned, Anne greeted her with a pointed question. “There now. Are you all ready to meet your special someone?” That was when Maddie panicked. And lied. On the spur of the moment, she concocted an outrageous falsehood that would, for better and worse, determine the rest of her life. “I’ve met him already.” The look of astonishment on her stepmother’s face was immensely satisfying. But within seconds, Maddie realized how stupid she’d been. She ought to have known that her little statement wouldn’t put paid to the matter. Of course it only launched a hundred other questions. When is he coming here? Oh, er . . . He can’t. He wanted to, but he had to leave the country at once. Whatever for? Because he’s in the army. An officer. What of his family? We at least should meet them. But you can’t. He’s from too far away. All the way in Scotland. And also, they’re dead. At least tell us his name. MacKenzie. His name is Logan MacKenzie. Logan MacKenzie. Suddenly her not-real suitor had a name. By the end of the afternoon, he had hair (brown), eyes (blue), a voice (deep, with a Highland burr), a rank (captain), and a personality (firm, but intelligent and kind). And that evening, at her family’s urging, Maddie sat down to write him a letter. . . . Right this moment, they think I am writing a letter to my secret kilted betrothed, and I am filling a page with nonsense instead, just praying no one looks over my shoulder. Worst of all, I shall have no choice but to post the thing when I’m done. It will end up in some military dead letter office. I hope. Or it will be read and passed around whole regiments for ridicule, which I would richly deserve. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Now the clock is ticking, and when it strikes doom I will have to confess. I will firstly be compelled to explain that I lied about attracting a handsome Scottish officer while staying in Brighton. Then, when I do, I shall have no further excuse to avoid the actual rejection of countless English gentlemen come spring. My dear imaginary Captain MacKenzie, you are not real and never will be. I, however, am a true and eternal fool. Here, have a drawing of a snail. October 5, 1808 Dear not-really-a-Captain MacKenzie, On second thought, perhaps I won’t have to explain it this year. I might be able to stretch this for a whole season. I must admit, it’s rather convenient. And my family looks at me in a whole new light. I am now a woman who inspired at least one headlong tumble into everlasting love, and really—isn’t one enough? Because, you see, you are mad for me. Utterly consumed with passion after just a few chance meetings and walks along the shore. You made me a great many promises. I was reluctant to accept them, knowing how our nascent love would be tested by distance and war. But you assured me that your heart is true, and I . . . And I have read too many novels, I think. November 10, 1808 Dear Captain MacWhimsy, Is there anything more mortifying than bearing witness to one’s own father’s love affair? Ugh. We all knew he needed to remarry and produce an heir. To take a young, fertile wife made the most sense. I just didn’t expect him to enjoy it so much, or with so few nods to dignity. Curse this endless war and its effect of hampering proper months-long honeymoons. They disappear together every afternoon, and then I and the servants must all pretend to not know what they are doing. I shudder. I know I should be happy to see them both happy, and I am. Rather. But until this heir-making project takes root, I think I shall be writing you fewer letters and taking a great many walks. December 18, 1808 Dear Captain MacFantasy, I have a new accomplice. My aunt Thea has come to stay. In her youth she was a scandalous demimondaine, ruined at court in France by a wicked comte, but she’s frail and harmless now. Aunt Thea adores the idea that I’m suffering with love and anxiety for my endangered Scottish officer. I scarcely have to lie at all. “Of course Madeline doesn’t wish to attend parties and balls in London! Can’t you see, the poor dear is eaten with worry for her Captain MacKenzie.” Truly, it’s a bit frightening how much she cherishes my misery. She has even convinced my father that I should be served breakfasts in my room now, like a married lady or an invalid. I am excused from anything resembling public merriment, I am per- mitted to spend as much time as I please sketching in peace. Chocolate and toast are delivered to my bedside every morning, and I read the newspaper even before Papa has his turn. I am starting to believe you were a stroke of brilliance. June 26, 1809 Dear Captain Imaginary MacFigment, O happy day! Ring the bells, sound the trumpets. Swab the floors with lemon oil. My father’s bride is vomiting profusely every morning, and most every afternoon, as well. The signs are plain. A noisy, smelly, writhing thing will push its way into the world in some six or seven months’ time. Their joy is complete, and I am pushed further and further to the margins of it. No matter. We have the rest of the world, you and I. Aunt Thea helps me chart the routes of your campaign. She tells me stories about the French countryside so that I might imagine the sights that will greet you as you drive Napoleon to the other side of the Pyrenees. When you smell lavender, she says, victory is near. I must remind myself to appear sad from time to time, as though I’m worried for you. Sometimes, oddly enough, it’s quite an easy thing to pretend. Stay well and whole, my captain. December 9, 1809 Oh, my dear captain, You will be put out with me. I know I swore my heart to be true, but I must confess. I have fallen in love. Lost my heart to another, irrevocably. His name is Henry Edward Gracechurch. He weighs just a half stone, he’s pink and wrinkled all over . . . and he is perfect. I don’t know how I ever called him a thing. A more beautiful, charming angel never existed. Now that Papa has an heir, our estate shall never pass to The Dreaded American, and I will never be thrown into genteel poverty. This means I do not have to marry, and I no longer need a fictional Scottish suitor to explain it. I could claim that we’ve grown apart, put an end to all these silly letters and lies. But Aunt Thea is ever so fond of you by now, and I am ever so fond of her. Besides, I would miss writing. It’s the oddest thing. I do not understand myself. But sometimes I fancy that you do. November 9, 1810 Dear Logan, (Surely we can claim a Christian-name familiarity by now.) What follows is an exercise in pure mortification. I can’t even believe I’m going to write it down, but perhaps putting it on paper and sending it away will help rid me of the stupid habit. You see, I have a pillow. It’s a fine pillow, all stuffed with goose down. Quite firm and big. Almost a bolster, really. At night I put it on one side of the bed and place a hot brick beneath it to warm it all up. Then I nestle up alongside it, and if I close my eyes and fall into that half-sleep place . . . I can almost believe it’s you. Beside me. Keeping me warm and safe. But it’s not you, because it is a pillow and you are not even a real person. And I am a bug. But now I’ve grown so accustomed to the thing, I can’t sleep without it. The nights simply stretch too long and lonely. Wherever you are, I hope you are sleeping well. Sweet dreams, Captain MacPillow. July 17, 1811 My dear Highland laird and captain, You have pulled off quite a trick for a man who is no more than a pillow stuffed with lies and embroidered with a hint of personality. You are going to be a land- owner. Aunt Thea has convinced my godfather, the Earl of Lynforth, to leave me a little something in his will. That “little something” being a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Lannair Castle, it’s called. It is meant to be our home when you return from war. That is the perfect ending to this masterpiece of absurdity, isn’t it? Dear Lord. A castle. March 16, 1813 Dear captain of my heart’s true folly, Little Master Henry and Miss Emma are growing like reeds. I’ve enclosed a sketch. Thanks to their doting mama, they have learnt to say their nightly prayers. And every night—my heart twists to write it—they pray for you. “God bless and keep our brave Captain MacKenzie.” Well, the way Emma says it, it sounds more like “Cap’n Macaroni.” And each time they pray for you, I feel my own soul sliding ever closer to brimstone. This has all gone too far, and yet—if I were to reveal my lie, they would despise me. And mourn you. After all, it’s been almost five years since we did not meet in Brighton. You are part of our family now. June 20, 1813 My dear, silent friend, It breaks my heart, but I have to do it. I must. I can’t bear the guilt any longer. There’s only one way to end this now. You have to die. I’m so sorry. You can’t know how sorry. I prom- ise, I’ll make it a valiant death. You’ll save four—no, six—other men in a feat of courage and noble sac- rifice. As for me, I’m devastated. These are genuine tears dotting this parchment. The mourning I shall wear for you will be real, as well. It’s as though I’m killing off part of myself—the part that had all those romantic, if foolish, hopes. I will settle into life as a spinster now, just as I always knew I would. I will never be married. Or held, or loved. Maybe if I write those things out, I’ll get used to the truth of them. It’s time to stop lying and put aside dreaming. My darling, departed Captain MacKenzie . . . Adieu.

About Tessa Dare:

Tessa Dare is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of more than a dozen historical romances. A librarian by training and a book-lover at heart, Tessa lives in Southern California with her husband, their two children, and a big brown dog.

Giveaway:

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Promo: Sacked By: Jen Frederick

Get Sacked!!!

Have you gotten your copy of Sacked yet? Be sure to go go grab one today, it's worth it ;)

Overview:

What he wants he gets...but he's never met her before.

Knox Masters is a quarterback's worst nightmare. Warrior. Champion. And...virgin. Knox knows what he wants--and he gets it. All American Football player? Check. NFL pros scouting him? Check. Now, he's set his sight on two things. The national title. And Ellie Campbell. Sure, she's the sister of his fellow teammate, but that's not going to stop him. Especially not when he’s convinced Ellie is the one.

But Ellie isn't as sure. She's trying to start a new life and she's not interested in a relationship...with anyone. Beside it's not just her cardinal rule of never dating her brother's teammates that keeps her away, but Ellie has a dark secret that would jeopardize everything Knox is pursuing.

Knox has no intention of losing. Ellie has no intention of giving in.

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Dark Wild Nights (Wild Seasons #3) By: Christina Lauren

I would like to start off by saying thank you so much to Gallery Books for sending me an ARC for review. Ya'll are always so generous about sending me stuff and I cant tell you enough how much I appreciate it. If I could send hugs through the computer I would :D

I absolutely love the Wild Seasons series and was so excited when this book showed up in the mail. I may have even stalked the UPS guy just a bit (no not really... ok seriously, maybe just a tad. Nothing creepy though ;) )

That UPS deliveries app is the worst thing they could have given someone like me lol. I literally checked it like 4 times a day till my package was delivered, and even then I wasn't really for sure it was this book or not. If you look at my Instagram I'm sure you can see I was practically worshiping the book as I read it (Once again, no not really. There were just a ton of pics of it because it's so pretty and I am a terrible bragger hehe)

Hope you enjoy my review, and be sure to pick up a copy of Dark Wild Night when it hits shelves September 15th :)

Lola and Oliver like to congratulate themselves on having the good sense not to consummate their drunken Las Vegas marriage. If they’d doubled-down on that mistake, their Just Friends situation might not be half as great as it is now.

…Or so goes the official line.

In reality, Lola’s wanted Oliver since day one—and over time has only fallen harder for his sexy Aussie accent and easygoing ability to take her as she comes. More at home in her studio than in baring herself to people, Lola’s instinctive comfort around Oliver nearly seems too good to be true. So why ruin a good thing?

Even as geek girls fawn over him, Oliver can’t get his mind off what he didn’t do with Lola when he had the chance. He knows what he wants with her now…and it’s far outside the friend zone. When Lola’s graphic novel starts getting national acclaim—and is then fast-tracked for a major motion picture—Oliver steps up to be there for her whenever she needs him. After all, she’s not the kind of girl who likes all that attention, but maybe she’s the kind who’ll eventually like him.

Sometimes seeing what’s right in front of us takes a great leap of faith. And sometimes a dark wild night in Vegas isn’t just the end of a day, but the beginning of a bright new life…

I cannot tell you enough how much I truly love this series. It took me a while to really get into Christina and Lauren's books. More out of time reasons. I get very little time to read books just for pleasure these days now that my blog has kinda taken off, and until Beautiful Secret came out a few months ago I really wasn't even interested. Don't get me wrong, I have an Audible account I can listen to books on, and I finished Beautiful Bastard a little over a year ago on it. I loved Bennett and Chloe's story but just never pursued much more after that. (God what was I thinking... Because if I would have just kept going I would have been introduced to Will from Beautiful Player so much sooner. He's my favorite hehe) Anyways Beautiful Secret was coming out and it sort of sparked my interest again in the books and Gallery was nice enough to send me out a copy.

At this point I was frantically trying to play catch up because I was so ready to dive in. I wanted to read it all and in 3 days I had finished both Stranger and Player on Audible.

And don't even ask how one listens to an audio that fast (let alone 2) because I'm pretty sure those 3 days were a blur of hot British guys and science nerds. I'm not even sure I slept much in that time. I remember house/dog sitting and vaguely remember a whole lot of driving for work that week too. But I was determined to get them read, or listened to in this case, and I did it.

So that was what I considered my real dive into these books, and from there I was finally introduced to the amazing series I'm supposed to be talking about in this review. It took me about 5 days to finish the first 2 books, and about 4 to finish DWN after an even quicker reread of Sweet Filthy Boy and Dirty Rowdy Thing. I'm a pretty fast reader but I also had to juggle reading with going to a book signing for... you ready?... CHRISTINA LAUREN!! and JAY CROWNOVER!! (Needed to add her in there too hehe) Which was a pretty awesome experience. All three authors were so sweet and put up with my mile high stack of books and goodies to have signed. And I have to say I had a great time getting to talk with them (There are perks to being the last in line at a signing)
So going to that was well worth putting a hold on my reading.

So I guess I should really dive into this review for real now...

Like I've said, I really loved this book.

Lola and Oliver were the two characters through pretty much the whole series so far that were the... I guess, sensible ones?? They didn't sleep with each other in Vegas like their friends and have even become best of friends sense the fateful trip and short lived drunken marriage. So finally seeing them drop all the barriers and really explore their feelings for each other was a nice change.

I really wanted to focus on Oliver in this one, because I love my book guys, and was waiting quite impatiently for his story. But sadly after not only listening to C and L's thoughts about the book and reading it for myself I realize that this book is more about Lola. So in a very un-Kayla like way I'm going to start with Oliver and work my way to Lola *gasp!! (I know, I know. Something must be wrong with me if I'm not ending a review gushing about a guy. I just feel like Lola should be my focus in this book, and that means saving her for last)

So Oliver...

He has actually been the one guy out of the three in this series so far I have found myself wondering about the most. Call it an attraction to the Australian accent, or the adorable geeky thing he has going on, but I have just always wanted to know more about him. He is the character that all the other guys go to when they need advice or really need a butt kicking in the right direction. So getting to see him deal with those kinds of situations was quite different. He hides so well behind his amazing poker face and finally seeing what was really going on inside that pretty head of his was interesting. Oliver is so much more passionate than I ever thought he would be. And so open and upfront (ok, that part wasn't really a surprise). So when he finally makes a move on Lola I was not expecting the intensity of it. but oh gosh talk about heart melting sweetness. I was pretty much a pile of goo in parts of this book hehe.

I think something else that I like about Oliver was we get to see a breaking point with him. I know ya'll have to be going what? Crazy lady you are seriously nuts for liking that in a man. But I think it's an important part. Oliver never seems to let things bother him, and yet we see this strong man finally throw his hands up and say enough. And I can't blame him. I think it shows Oliver's personality the best. It shows he isn't the perfect, I can deal with anything kinda guy. That he has feelings and has a past maybe similar to Lola's in the fact that his childhood may have not been the best. That was actually something that really didn't sit right with me on this, we kinda get told a bit of his back story, but not enough to really know what happened. And I would seriously like to know more about his past (C and L, if you read this, please! I'm begging. Give me more. I want to know about him!!!) 

Some things I really do love about this guy though is his too cute geekyness. I mean it is not every day a hot guy with a bit of a nerd side pops up in books. I love the description I picture in my head when I think of him. And no lie the hot geeks are my weakness hehe. But it isn't just his looks. It's the fact that Oliver is so so smart and works hard for what he wants. He has a passion for something, and he made something from that passion I.E. Downtown Graffick, his newly opened comic book store. Not only did he make his dream come true, but he was successful at it. And makes sure that it will be a place everyone wants to go to and even hang out at. I love the spark I see in him and I love how much he cares about those he loves. He literally is the guy that will go miles to make you see reason, and to point you in the right direction. He's loyal and humble, and just a good guy all around. 

Please someone find me a real life version to go run away with and have a billion tiny geeky Australian babies with ;)

Well, on to Lola now I guess.

I must say she is too adorable. I loved getting a look into her complicated head. we get to really see how her creativity blossoms, even in regular day situations. One of my favorite things about her POV were the little panels she created in her head to understand situations. When something made a particular emotion rise to the surface (love, fear, nervousness, confusion, etc...) she would imagine a panel like in one of her books. It was her way to process what was happening. Just like when she created Razor Fish. And I really liked that about her. It was nice to see how she was picturing situations (even if they were on the more fictional side of how something would play out)

But let me tell you there were a couple times I just wanted to pull that NCIS head smack Gibbs always does, to this girl. she was so clueless sometimes and of course me being the weirdo I am was about to start yelling at my book like she could really hear me lol. I guess you could say she was naive, but I think more it was that she is so clueless to the fact that someone could care about her and she could feel the same for them back without either of them running from the situation only after a short period of time. Oliver is an intense bloke and when he lays everything out I think it becomes a bit overwhelming. I liked it though in a twisted way. I think it made her seem more human to feel so scared to rush into the romance thing. Now granted in the time line of the books, Lola and Oliver have been dancing around this attraction thing for almost a year, but I think her worry of being so consumed by someone so fast is normal. And let's face it, in a world where romance books push the extreme of a trait and the boundaries of relationships and timelines, I really appreciate a character not fitting that mold. Not that Oliver particularly fits the mold either, but ya'll know what I mean hehe.

And on a plus side I do have to say the ending is good. Lola finally gets out of Gibbs head smacking territory and I quite enjoyed how things play out. I don't want to give to much away, but I mean what kinda romance doesn't end things on a good note? So really you can't be surprised at all I am happy with her at the end of this.

It may sound odd but I really first got into the NA genera I had a hard time reading these continuous series like Wild Seasons. I would read book 1, fall in love with the characters, and then start book 2 not knowing it was about other characters. And that would lead to me only getting about a chapter in before moving on to something else because all I wanted were the original characters. But over the past few years I've come to realize I actually prefer this style. Every now and then I get stuck and have to put some space between the books in the series, but I always wind up coming back. It happened with the Beautiful books, Kristen Proby's With Me In Seattle series, Jay Crownover's Marked Men series, Cora Carmack's Rusk University series, and even JLA's Wait for You series. All big amazing series that follow the same group throughout them but focus on different leads each book. I mean I look at my story about the Beautiful series earlier. I waited a year. A Year!!!! And yet when I went back to read/ listen to them later on, I blew through all the books within a few weeks, or in that case days. 

The point to all that? 

When I picked up this series, both books 1 and 2 were already out. And I went straight from one to the other. No year long pauses or anything. I loved how easy it was to flow from each. I never missed the old characters, and enjoyed seeing how they grew, even if just as background characters. And I have to say I really do enjoy that C and L write the books that way. I don't feel like I'm really missing anything, and still get this new angle to the original story line in each of the books.  Plus the writing between these 2 ladies is amazing. They bring so much humor, spice, and balance to their books. If you tried to ask me who wrote what I would never even be able to tell you. I mean I didn't even realize they were a they until I restarted the Beautiful series. How shocked was I when I looked them up to find a them instead of a who. But I think having the experience of two people can add so much more to a book. Everyone experiences different things in life and having double the experience makes for very exciting stories. But I seriously have to say how much I respect both of you on being able to mesh your ideas and writing into one coherent book. I write in my free time and I have a hard time just in my own head much less having someone else in on that process. So this long freaking paragraph pretty much is just me telling all of you ho much I enjoyed the writing style of this book. How I love the different POV's and characters stories.

So I have another character I kinda want to touch on because he may just be my absolute favorite from the entire series. 

And that would be Not-Joe. He is seriously one of the funniest characters I have ever seen. I mean talk about an oddball, the guy is a complete mystery to almost everyone. I feel like though, that in the past 2 books he's been in we learn a little more about him. There are just little clues hidden in the books, and if anyone should get a book I want it to be him. I want a look into that twisted hazy head of his. He is the guy that most of the time is doing crazy things and also stoned out of his mind most of the time. But we see these glimpses of this super smart, quite observant man on occasion and it leaves me wondering what exactly his deal is. 

He is a fun character though and just adds this goofy quality and insight when things got intense or awkward. 

This book is just has so many things in it that I loved, and I really enjoyed reading it. I am sad to see it finished though, at least until the next book is out. I'm interested in London's story and seeing what happens between her and Luke. 

I totally suggest that all of ya'll go out and either start this series or pick up this book as soon as it's out. It really is a great set of books and I think all you NA loving fiends will like it ;)

I give Dark Wild Night:  *****5 Stars*****