Sassafrass

Slave to Sensation - Nalini Singh 

This was reread for me and the second time around was just a amazing as the first.  This series is just the ultimate.  Revisiting Sasha and Lucas's story gave me so much joy.  This time, I listened to it and Angela Dawe did a great job with the narration.

I fell in love with the original, interesting, and completely captivating series, so I may just have to read them all over again.  Now on to book two.

One Fell Sweep - Ilona Andrews 

The Innkeeper Chronicles is an amazing series.  And ONE FELL SWEEP is no exception.  

There was a ton going on with this book and the action was there from beginning to end.  We got to meet Dina's Sister, Sean's parents, and some very interesting intergalactic species along the way.

I was stunned by the progression of Dina and Sean's relationship in this one.  I expected the authors to drag it out a little longer.  I'm glad that they didn't though.

There were some really funny moments (Arland, Maud and Helen...so perfect together), and some really sad ones (I'm not sure what kinds of effects losing that "seed" will have on Dina), but everything was so perfectly woven together, it was just some amazing reading.

And then we were left with a cliffhanger of what might be next on the horizon for Dina, Sean, and Gertrude Hunt.  Alls I know is that I can't wait.

I will definitely be continuing on with this series.  In my opinion, these authors can't do anything wrong. And I know this next chapter in the series will be just as amazing as the rest of it has been.

#Hater (Hashtag Series Book 2) - Cambria Hebert 

Such a great continuation of this series. I loved the fact that through it all, Romeo and Rimmel stayed together. I know it couldn't have been easy but they never doubted each other.

The ending was very dramatic. I have no idea what's going to happen next. But, I sincerely hope that the hater gets exactly what's coming to his psycho self!

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America - Michael Eric Dyson 

Ok, this a huge departure from what I usually read, but I'm making a point this year to read more non-fiction. It's something that I need for my soul right now. I have to stop always escaping into fantasy because the real world is out there and it's not going away.

Anyway, to get back on TEARS WE CANNOT STOP: A SERMON TO WHITE AMERICA. I felt that this was really powerful. It didn't mince words, it didn't just scapegoat one race while victimizing another. But what it did do is breakdown why we are having so many problems in this country right now...lack of empathy.

I see it all the time in my own life, my own work how this lack of empathy is eroding our society. It is as if if something didn't happen that way for you, then there must be something wrong with that person and they need to get over it. But, if you can't even try to put yourself in that person shoes, then how can you possibly begin to understand their plight.

But herein lies the problem with the book. TEARS WE CANNOT STOP: A SERMON TO WHITE AMERICA, while a fascinating book for me as a black woman in America, but I'm not the target audience. Even white Americans who fight for social justice and racial equality are not the target audience. It's the people who feel that blacks have had it so easy and white people in this country are being persecuted by all the black and brown people getting a free ride who are the audience. And I have to say, I doubt that this book will even be on minds of people who are not already open to what Michael Eric Dyson has to say not to mention the nightstands.

I hope that one day soon, we'll have better communication. That we will try to listen to each other instead of just surrounding ourselves with people who only think the way that we do. Because I fear if we don't our future is in a wold of hurt.

But the other thing this book did was outline some ways in which I've become tone deaf. I have turned a blind eye to hearing what some people have been saying as they are just racists and/or kooks, but that is just as bad. We have no hope of coming together as a country is we all just paint the other side with a broad brush. I pray that we can do this, and books like this--the ones that get you thinking--are a good start.

*Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for an honest review*

The Exception (The Exception Series Book 1) - Adriana Locke 

*3.5 STARS*

I read the first in the series of the Landry family by this author recently and really enjoyed it.  There are only three books out in that series right now so I'm trying to spread things out some in the effort to not just gobble the series up.  Since Adriana Locke was a new author to me, I decided to see what other books were out and came upon this one.

Unfortunately for me, this series didn't quite live up to the Landry family.  The writing wasn't as good in my opinion, and the hero in the beginning of the book was so awful that it was hard for me to warm up to him.  And the plot had too many things going on and it seems things got dropped because of that.

Despite that though, I thought that the story had potential.  I did start to care about the hero by the end of the book, and some of the love scenes were really hot.  

And while I think that I will go back to the Landry family for now, I probably will revisit this series again. 

Easy Kisses (The Boudreaux Series Book 4) - Kristen Proby 

This one was almost perfect to me.  Shoes and sex like Charly are my idea of heaven as well.

I really thought the premise was interesting with how Charly and Simon met. I adore the Boudreaux family so I was happy to see them again.  I thought Charly and Simon were extremely hot together, and really just perfect for each other.

BUT, I was unhappy with the way that Simon, the self-help guru, screwed the pooch in the way that he handled things with Charly.  IT.WAS.NOT.COOL!  I felt like I held him to a higher standard because of what he did for a living.  And he acted like a complete idiot.

I'm glad things worked out in the end, but man, I wanted to kick him in the bollocks.  LOL

Narration was a tad better.  My girl, Rachel Fulginiti is always on point, her voices are amazing.  But, this time, Sebastian York stepped up his game some more too.  He still isn't so good with the southern (like he doesn't even really do those), but he did a decent job with Simon.

I'm looking forward to much more of this series.  I can't wait to see Beau book's next.

Hot Rocks - Nora Roberts 

I read Big Jack because I'm currently trying to make my way through the In Death series by JD Robb, but I didn't realize that there was a beginning part to this story.  If you have read Remember When by Nora Roberts and JD Robb (who are the same person) then you have already read Hot Rocks.  I wasn't aware of that before getting to Big Jack.

But, I totally went off on a tangent.  I'm supposed to be telling you about this book.  This book tells the story that is at the center of the mystery in Big Jack.  It's a story of Laine Tavish who is an antique store owner who has a past that is about to get exposed when a man she pretends not to know shows up in her shop.  There's a lot of mystery, intrigue, and a hot insurance investigator named Max.

The story was fun and easy to read, but I really missed the grit of the In Death stories.  This one was a much more lighter tone (I guess more along of the lines of what Nora writes).

Susan Ericksen narrated this one too, so it was aces from that standpoint.

*4+ Stars*

I really did like this one.  I did, it has some similar traits to Pride and Prejudice which I thought was pretty good.  What made me not bump this one up was the fact that it dragged on in a lot of places.  I felt like what could have been covered in a few pages went on for many more.

But, the story was a good one.  I find that I would have had a hard time living in those days. There were so many rules.  I think I would have broken a great many of them.  LOL

Some people feel like this story was a tragedy even though both sisters had good lives at the end.  I don't see it as a tragedy but as a reality.  It showed that sometimes, the fantasy of the young aren't what bear fruit as we get older.  And while you're life my not be exactly like how you always dreamed, it can still be full and happy and content.

I like to think that both sisters were better off with the way things turned out and lived very happy lives.

It was interesting though that the "villains" in the story ended up rich while our heroes and heroines had much more modest lives.  But, that doesn't take anything away from the fact that they may have gotten the better end of the deal.

I'm glad that I read this classic.  I'm going to start making my way through some classics over the next couple of years.  It's amazing to me the story was still very relevant today even though the times are much different.

Sway (Landry Family Series Book 1) - Adriana Locke 

I really enjoyed this one. This is a brand new author for me, but I really fell for the Landry family. Also, how could you not love Huxley?

The story was good, a cinderella love story. But, even though I thought some of the situations were too over the top, I thought that the author did a good job of showing the struggle of being forced into the limelight, especially with having a child involved.

I really can't wait to enjoy more of this series. I'm really excited to get to Lincoln's story next.

Special Delivery - Heidi Cullinan 

Just melt me in to a puddle of goo right now. This was so sweet. I LOVED this. Seriously. So perfect.

Now let me just be clear here, this was sweet. It was a story of self discovery and all that good stuff, but it was also freakin' hot! HOT!!!

There was stuff in here that, I mean, WOW. Ms. Cullinan has a wonderfully smutty mind. But, even without that, this story at it's core was just amazing. Sam, Mitch, and even Randy (who grew on me by the end of the story) were these characters who went beyond the stereotypes and truly grew during this novel.

I was so sad to see it end but had a smile on my face as it was. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next in this series but I truly hope that we'll get a chance to see Sam and Mitch again. 

Lost Rider (The Coming Home Series) - Harper Sloan 

*4.5 STARS*

I became familiar with Harper Sloan through her Corps Security series which I loved. Those hot, alpha, ex-military men were something else. So, when I saw that she was going to have a new series featuring cowboys, I couldn't wait to see what it was all about.

LOST RIDER was full of loss and redemption, love and pain, family and hope and so many other things that I felt like my heart was going to burst right out of my chest reading it.

We start with Maverick Davis, a rodeo star who has just been grounded for good. He had one injury too many and now the doctors won't clear him to go back to competing. Feeling at a loss, he now not only has to turn his back on the one thing in his life that meant something to him, but he's also has to head back home to the place he swore he'd never return to when he left it and all those in it behind ten years ago. He knows that there is a lot more than ghosts waiting for him there.

When he gets there though he ends up pissing off the one person he was most scared of seeing, the woman he ran from all those years ago, but seeing her again is like no time has been lost at all. Only, she's spitting mad and wants nothing to do with him.

Leighton James didn't expect to see Maverick Davis again, but when she does it's like a punch to her gut. The boy she was in love with her whole life is back and her traitorous heart beats him like he never left. She's not going to let him waltz back in and trample all over love again. She wouldn't be able to take it.

But, he now knows what he's meant to do and he's meant to do it with Leighton at his side. He just has to convince her that it's safe to give him her heart again.

This was just so many things. So many things. I hated how much pain both Maverick and Leighton went through but that made their HEA that much more sweeter. Seeing all of the back story and understanding why things happened the way that they did really made how hard they worked to be together that much more important. Maverick was really dealt a crap hand, but I was glad to see how whole he was when he came out of other side. And it doesn't hurt that Mav and Leigh were hot as hades between the sheets, or outside, or up against a door. *sigh*

The rest of the Davises, Mav's older brother, Clayton, and his younger sister, Quinn, were integral to the story as well. I look forward to seeing them get their own stories as well.

LOST RIDER is the first book in the Coming Home series and I look forward to seeing where the series will be going next. The author hinted that maybe it will be Quinn's turn next, but I'm really looking to see what's going to happen when Clayton finally falls.

So, LOST RIDER was a definite hit for me. I can't wait to go back the little Texas town and visit with the Davis's and the James's again.

*Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Twist (Dive Bar) - Kylie Scott 

TWIST is the latest installment of the Dive Bar series by Kylie Scott. The gang's all here again but this time it's Joe Collins in the hot seat. And the big, burly, lumbersexual hottie is trouble when what he thought of as an innocent deception blows up in his face.

It was supposed to be innocent. When Joe starts using his brother Eric's online dating profile instead of closing it like he was asked to do, he really didn't think much of it. But when the woman he has been chatting with over the last several months shows up at the Dive Bar, ready to meet the man she thought she had been building a relationship with, it all comes to a head.

Alex Parks has no idea that when she shows up at the Dive Bar to see her online friend, that he'll have no idea who she even is. But, when she finds out about the deception, her humiliation has her wanting to run back to her home in Seattle as soon as possible. Fate will have other ideas and she is left grounded in northern Idaho for several days. Days in which she is left getting to know the big, blonde hunk who is the cause of all of the problems.

And although neither Joe nor Alex wants to admit it, the more time they spend together, the more time they have to realize that they are just what the other needs.

I really thought TWIST was cute. From the horrible mix up when Alex showed up at the Dive Bar unannounced, I knew that I was going to be in for a treat. Joe for all the trouble he caused was adorable and sweet. I was glad that he got someone that could appreciate him and not just what he was doing for them.

And Alex was a lot stronger than she gave herself credit for despite all of her neuroses. I was just happy she was able to get past most of them in order to get the ending that she deserved.

All of the drama between Nell, Eric and Patrick continued as well, but we got some resolution with that. That was bittersweet, but I was glad that things worked out the way that we all thought that it should have.

TWIST is the second book in the Dive Bar series, but it could be easily read as a standalone. The Dive Bar crew makes recurring appearances but you'll get the gist if don't read the first one. However, I recommend reading the first book because it was just as fun as this one.

My only problem with TWIST was the fact that Joe totally shut down there in that last third. I didn't understand why he just wouldn't talk to Alex and avoid all of the heartache he put them both through. I felt like he should have had to work just a bit harder to get back into her good graces after that, but who am kidding? I probably wouldn't have been able to hold out very long either.

All in all, I thought TWIST was fun, sweet, and sexy. Just what I was expecting from this author. I love the characters, the stories, and the setting. I can't wait to see what kind of trouble they will get into next.

*Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for an honest review*

BOSSED had so many of the best things I love in romantic comedy: excellent chemistry between the main characters, laugh out loud banter, smoking hot sex, and situations that leave me smirking long after I'm finished reading. 

In all of those ways, BOSSED was pretty perfect in my opinion. It was just the infuriating way that the heroine acted that made this one a little less than perfect.

Ethan and Jenny started off on the wrong foot. Imagine telling a guy off in the park and then seeing him fifteen minutes later when he's interviewing you for a job. YEP, that happened here. But underneath all of their snark is a undeniable chemistry that you know will eventually combust. Both Ethan and Jenny have issues and protect their hearts at all costs, but in order to make things work, they will have to let the other in.

As I stated earlier, I thought this was pretty much perfect for the most part. I loved Jenny and Ethan's back and forth, their chemistry, and the story overall. But, I wasn't happy with the way handled many things during the book. It took some of my enjoyment out of the book because I was too busy screaming at her for acting like a ninny.

So, BOSSED was a solid *4 STARS* for me. I've only read one other book by this author and I really enjoyed that one too. I definitely will be keeping him on my radar!

*Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I really thought that it was a fluke that I liked the first book in this series. I mean the man was a total stalker, completely obsessed and a total control freak. But, for some reason it worked for me. And at the end of the book, I mentioned that I thought book two would be better because the hero and heroine would be on more equal ground.

Well, let me just say that we've got stalker, obsessed, total control freak part two here because HIS ALONE was cut from the same cloth as the first book in the story but this just worked for me too. I don't know what this writing duo called Alexa Riley have going on but they certainly have some writing mojo.

Anyway, this story involves Paige Turner, who is Miles Osborne's --the hero from the first book- younger half sister, and Ryan Justice, who is the head of Miles's security team. They have a love/hate type of relationship that is basically just repressed sexual tension but once Miles and his fiancé, Mallory get together, things come to a head for Ryan and Paige. Unable to deny what they feel any longer they start a relationship.

They both want each other but they both have secrets. But, Ryan's hiding a lot more than Paige can even fathom and it may be enough to destroy what they just started.

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. Captain America, indeed. He was so alpha, so controlling, so caveman, but he just worked it. I think I would have succumbed to his machinations just as much as Paige did. Seriously the man was ridiculously irresistible in the book. And at this point, I'm just thinking that this is this author(s) thing: Insta-love and a hot but crazy male lead because HIS ALONE was like that and so was the first. I'm not familiar enough with this writing duo's work to say that for a fact, but hey, it totally works.

HIS ALONE is the second book in the For Her series, and it can be read as a standalone, but the first book has a lot of backstory that will make the reading experience of this one a lot fuller. I definitely recommend reading the first book before this one but it's not necessary.

I totally devoured this book. Paige and Ryan were on fire right from the start. It was nice to see Paige's vulnerable side since she always puts up a hard as nails persona. I loved the way Ryan was able to break down her walls. I loved the epilogues at the end. I was hoping for more and more glimpses into the future and was sad to see the last one end. They were just a enjoyable as the main story.

I'm not sure if this book will be the last in the series or if they will continue on with other characters. But, if they do continue on, I'm there. I love the way these author's pull me in and literally make me care for their characters. I said that I was going to look into the backlist of the authors and I haven't yet, but I need to get on it right away.

I definitely recommend this book to those who want an HEA, don't mind their hero being slightly warped, and like a good story. If those qualities suit you, you definitely won't be disappointed!

*Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This was a bit of a departure from the normal Eve Dallas books and I really enjoyed it.  Loved the intrigue about the story that happened 50 years previously crossing over into Eve's world.

I haven't read the back story on this because I didn't realize that there actually was one until I was finished with this one, so I will definitely be going back and reading that.

Loved seeing Peabody get into her role as detective, even if she can't get her clothes right just yet. LOL, Eve having a fit about that was hilarious.  

I really love this series and can't wait to continue.  I've listened to the whole thing on audio and Susan Ericksen has become my ear crack.  :)

Full Package - Lauren Blakely 

Awww, what a sweet friends to lovers story. And although I wanted to beat them both over the head when they wouldn't fess up about their true feelings, I loved the way they finally got themselves together.

Loved both the epilogues and can't wait to see more book set in this world. I'm enjoying them all thoroughly so far.