Category Archives: New Adult

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*REVIEW* – Broken Limits (The Limit Book 3), by Marissa Farrar and S. R. Jones

#RomanticSuspense #ReverseHarem #WhyChoose #DarkRomance

Blurb

It’s all fun and games…until someone gets hurt.

It was meant to be a game. A way of surviving and gaining some money, but somewhere along the line emotions got involved, and I lost all perspective.

They did too. No matter what they might like to pretend, those four troubled men got as swept up in the dangerous allure as I did. They pushed me to my limits and beyond, but I pushed them, too.
One of them couldn’t take it though, and our pact fell apart.

I ran. I ran fast and far but instead of running to safety, I raced straight into the arms of danger.
Who will save me now?

Are they missing me? Do my broken, messed up men think about me as much as I think about them?
My new captor thinks he holds all the cards, but my time on the island has taught me how to play his depraved games, and I will fight with all I have.

My Review

Action packed and emotionally intense conclusion – 5 stars!

Following on from the absolute doozy of an ending in the previous book, I was itching to find out what was in store for Honor and her men. I was not disappointed – Broken Limits is an action-packed and emotionally intense read which kept me on the edge of my seat. To gain maximum enjoyment from the read however, I recommend reading the previous books first.

In this, the final instalment in the trilogy, Honor finds herself held captive. She hopes that her men will realise she is missing and that they are able to rescue her before her old nemesis manages to enact whatever nefarious plan he has in mind for her. Throughout the series I have enjoyed how Honor’s character has grown in strength and it is this strength that is put to the test during the shocking events that play out.

I have also enjoyed the emotional journeys Honor’s men, Asher, Brody, Wilder and Rafferty, have gone on as they come to realise just what Honor means to them. In this book I just loved how they step up to the challenge of her disappearance, whilst grappling with a gamut of emotions and soul searching, including guilt, fear, and anxiety.

The plot is suspenseful and fast-paced, with scenes of violence, non-consent and references to abuse and I was itching for a HEA. It also contains a number of twists, as Honor’s past and that of her men converge before it reaches its satisfying conclusion.

Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

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Author Links

Marissa Farrar

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S.R. Jones

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*REVIEW* Mr Whippy goes to Schaumberg, by Robin Tudge

#Humour #comingofage 

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Blurb

It’s the mid-90s. Jim, a naïve, film-obsessed student who’s suicidally in love with Elly, goes with her to Chicago where they plan to spend the summer making thousands of dollars selling ice-cream to cute kids in the shadow of the Sears Tower, and where he’ll win her over. He finds the Land of the Free is anything but, and time and again through sweltering days, bitterly cold realities trammel his dreams. But through adversity Jim grows, and grows to love himself again, while tempering his infatuation for Elly. But will a man break out of the boy, win the girl, and escape with a bound?

My Review – 5 stars

A humorous read, full of emotional highs and lows

This is a very funny read that also tugs at the heartstrings as the reader witnesses the emotional high and lows of Jim, the main character, and his attempts to win over his fellow student Elly. The story takes place in the oppressive heat of the  summer as they along with others spend their vacation selling ice cream in the US and contemplating life, love and the universe.

I enjoyed how the book delved into the boundaries separating friendship and love, and how the characters of Jim and Elly progressed throughout the read. I was also entertained by the self-depreciating internal dialogue of Jim in his quest to secure Elly’s affections, often cringing at his painful emotional journey to realise his self-worth. I found myself empathising with the situation – Elly is quite a girl and their relationship is one which many of us have either witnessed or been part of.

The supporting cast of characters is varied and colourful and make for a riotous read with the many escapades they get into individually and collectively. Indeed, the book, peppered with insightful clutural references, fully encapsulates the spirt of youth and the heady decade of the 1990s. 

Recommended if you are looking for a humorous and perceptive read.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of the book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

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Purchase Links

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*REVIEW* ~ Touch of Smoke, by Karissa Laurel

 #Romance #Paranormal

Book Blurb

Three years ago, Rikki Albemarle watched her best friend die at the hands of a supernatural evil. Certain she was slated to be the next victim, Rikki fled her small Smoky Mountain hometown, vowing to never come back. Plagued by nightmares and knowing she’s the only one who believes Mina’s death was no accident, Rikki returns with hopes of finding answers and holding the killer accountable.

Rikki is convinced the key to unlocking the secret of Mina’s death lies with Owen Amir, the alluring young army vet who once claimed her heart. But the deeper Rikki digs into Owen’s past, the more she’s torn between the urgings of her heart and her memories of him on the night Mina died.

After falling further into the rabbit hole, Rikki lands at the feet of an ancient and powerful evil determined to finish what it started years before. To survive, she’ll have to make a decision: believe Owen is the monster she always feared he might be or trust him enough to stay and fight for a second chance at love.

My Review ~ Riveting second chance romance with a paranormal twist

5 Stars *****

I hugely enjoyed Touch of Smoke, by Karissa Laurel, a flawlessly orchestrated second chance romance with a paranormal twist. It is the first book that I have read by the author and I found it to be a compulsive read.

The story commences in the present day when the heroine Rikki, plagued by nightmares of what happened in her home town, returns there, after an absence of three years. She vows to find answers. Her quest compels her to confront Owen, a young man whom she was once very close to. It soon becomes clear that she still has strong feelings for him, however, it is Owen whom she fears is the source of her nightmares. Can she trust him? Is Owen the monster? What really happened the night Mina died?

I was glued to my Kindle throughout this read. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and the way the book was constructed, using flashbacks to progress the story and link the present to the past. Both the central characters, Rikki and Owen have considerable baggage from their past: Rikki through personal loss, which has resulted in trust issues, and Owen through the trauma of having served in the US military. Rikki is a strong character, despite her inner fears and self-doubts and Owen is a real hottie, whose secrets the reader wants to get to the bottom of!

The couple has many hurdles to overcome, even without the increasing menace of evil the reader senses as the book unfolds. I was rooting for the couple throughout and once Owen’s secrets were out of the bag I was on tenterhooks as to how the story would play out. Once more, the weaving of the paranormal element into the story and their relationship certainly added to my enjoyment of the read.

I’d recommend this read to lovers of romance and the paranormal.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note that a copy of this book was given to me by the author for a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Connect with the Author

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http://www.karissalaurel.com/

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ARC REVIEW ~ Cinderella and the Geek (British Bad Boys), by Christina Phillips

#newadult #romcom #contemporary #romance

Blurb

From Christina Phillips a sexy, new romance with a hero you won’t forget…

I’m not looking for love or a Happily-Ever-After because I know how that ends. I just need to concentrate on my degree and look after myself. But there’s something about my boss, Harry, I can’t resist. It’s crazy since he’s so hot and smart it should be illegal.
And then, just like Cinderella, I have my night at
the ball and a midnight kiss, and for a week all my sexy daydreams come true. That fake date changes my life in a way I could never imagine. It turns out, Harry wants me too.

But I’m off to pursue my dreams, and he’s taking his business to the next level. There’s no way this fairytale has a happy ending, but that doesn’t keep me from wishing for it.

My Review

Enchanting twist on the Cinderella story ~ 4 stars

I loved this sweet new adult romantic comedy by Christina Phillips. It’s a perfect feel-good read with a distinctly British flavour which re-creates perfectly the excitement and angst of a new relationship between two young people who are very much in love.

Alice has been attracted to her boss Harry as long as she has been working at his high tech gaming firm. However, she has never had the courage to let him know her true feelings and is soon to leave his company and attend university hundreds of miles away. She is desperate to seduce him at some point during her remaining weeks at the firm, after all what does she have to lose? However, it never seems to happen, until  Harry invites her to a ‘fake date’ which sees her accompany him on an unforgettable night at an awards ceremony.

The night is a game changer for them both and afterwards they begin to spend time together. It becomes clear that Harry does not just see Alice solely as his irreplaceable office administrator, but as something more… However, has their relationship got staying power or is it just a quick fling before Alice begins her studies?

Both Harry and Alice are thoroughly likeable characters and it is obvious to the reader that they are destined for each other. Harry is the quintessentially handsome geek – in his case an expert in computers, but a man who is not so good at letting his true feelings be known. Alice’s’s experience of relationships with the opposite sex is a big fat zero, her lifelong ambition before meeting Harry being to gain a degree and embark on a stellar career. She also has her own insecurities – what young person doesn’t?

The story is told in their dual POV and there are are some very funny scenes and internal and external dialogue as the couple navigate around each other, their colleagues and family. The physical scenes between them are sweet, funny and romantic at the same time and are beautifully depicted, although at times I did feel like banging their heads together!

Between them the path to lasting love is fraught with ups and downs, as they deal with intense feeings and situations they have not experienced before and issues arising from their past. The reader is left wondering whether their fragile bond will last.

All in all a cute and sexy feel-good read!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

An ARC of this novel was given to me by the publisher for the purpose of a fair an honest review.

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Connect with the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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*REVIEW* ~ Ascension: Placard of Shame, by Carmen Capuano

#dystopian #thriller

Blurb

I am blessed–or cursed–with the ability to see the colour of peoples’ souls, something I dare not reveal. Keeping my secret hidden has kept me safe. Until now.

Now I am afraid that I can no longer hide from the evil in our society. Our laws are intended–or so I have always believed–to protect us from sinfulness and chaos. But my friend, Sarah, is pregnant and unmarried. Her child will be taken from her at birth and she will be forced into a life of shame. Time is slipping away. I must discover where the father of her child is and why he’s disappeared.

But will the answers I find save, or destroy our society? Will they save, or destroy Sarah?

I’m torn between doing the right thing and the wrong thing. The trouble is that I don’t know which is which.

I settle for the truth. It’s all I have.

My Review ~ 4 and a half stars

Thought-Provoking Dystopian Novel

This is the first book that I have read by the author and I found it both page-turning and thought-provoking, which played on my emotions. I enjoy dystopian novels and in Ascension Carmen Capuano has written a worthy heroine in Jessica, as she delves into her own abilities and unearths some sordid truths about the society she lives in.

Written in the first person POV, the narrative has an immediacy about it that pulled me into the story, as Jessica gives her all to solve the mystery of the whereabouts of the man who fathered Sarah’s unborn child. The consequences for an unmarried woman giving birth in the dystopian society of Ascension have grave and life changing impications for both mother and baby, implications which are especially brutal for the mother.

It has a number of themes which have resonance for me – the control of society through the rule of doctrine and law; the treatment and control of women in a patriarchal society, particularly their sexual freedoms (or rather lack of); whether we are born good or evil and whether we have any choice in what we become. We are also left to ponder whether or not we should tolerate some evil is to exist for the greater good to prevail.

The main character’s ability to sense the colour of people’s souls is key to the plot. Jessica has hitherto kept this a secret, but in order to help her friend Sarah, she will have to learn to use and exploit it to its full potential, a potential she has yet to explore. This could put her at grave risk as her path exposes truths about the society she lives in.

I won’t reveal anything about the intracacies of the plot as it would spoil the read, but I will say that I enjoyed it immensely. It will appeal to readers of dystopian novels, particularly those who enjoy coming of age stories.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of  a fair and honest review.

Buy Links

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Connect with the Author

http://carmencapuano.blogspot.co.uk/

 

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*ARC REVIEW* ~ The Divinity Bureau, by Tessa Clare

#newadult #dystopian #romance

Blurb

The Hunger Games meets Romeo and Juliet in a stunning debut about a forbidden romance between a young activist and a government employee for a corrupt bureau that controls the population by deciding who lives and who dies.

Roman Irvine is a disgruntled IT Technician for the Divinity Bureau, a government agency that uses random selection to decide who lives and who dies. In a world where overpopulation has lead to pollution, a crippled economy, and a world in crisis, he’s accepted the bureau’s activities as a necessity… until he meets April McIntyre.

April has every reason to be suspicious of Roman. He works for the Divinity Bureau, which sent her father to an early grave. But he’s also sweet and loyal, and unbeknownst to her, he saved her life. As Roman and April fall deeper in love, the deeper they’re thrust into the politics of deciding who lives and who dies. Someone wants April dead. And the bureau’s process of random selection may not be so random after all…

My Review – 5 stars

Super Dystopian Romance 

The Divinity Bureau is a page-turning New Adult read, full of danger, suspense and romance. It has a thought provoking plot, with well-rounded and believable characters, which kept my interest throughout.

In the novel science has found a way to render the lucky few who can afford it immortal. The ensuing overpopulation has resulted in an environmental and economic catastrophe where there are huge divisions in society. To manage the population the government has set up the Divinity Bureau, an organisation which decides by random selection who can live or die. Although this is brutal Roman, an IT Technician for the Bureau, has accepted it as a necessary evil. However, he inadvertently discovers evidence that the selection is not as random as he believes, a discovery that will change his life and that of another…

Roman’s actions save the life of April, a young woman of privilege, whose own father was selected for death. Their growing friendship and romance, against the backdrop of growing civil unrest, is a sweet one. It is also full of danger and suspense as both Roman and April find themselves under threat, a threat that for April may result in her death. I enjoyed how their relationship develops and how they come to empathise with each other despite their differences in social standing and personalities. I appreciated how the author slowly revealed the secrets at play and the motivation behind the threat that hangs over April, which made for a page-turning read.

Roman is an out an out geek, but clearly a good guy and his actions are honourable throughout, even if he is less than truthful with April. He has a lot to lose and must tread carefully, lest he lose all he has achieved. Can he step up to the mark, reveal all that is rotten at the heart of the Bureau, save his skin and protect April in the process? It is a tall order and I was totally gripped at how the story develops!

April is a young woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and will not shy away telling it like it is – a character trait that has got her into a lot of trouble in the past. She is nonetheless a poweful individual, due to her family background. When she discovers exactly what and who she is up against, she must re-evaluate her close relationships, including that with Roman, and the couple must decide where their loyalties lie.

I don’t want to say any more about the characters and plot, except to say that it’s a super dystopian read. I would love to see other books set in this world. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note that an ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK  Amazon US

Connect with the Author

https://www.facebook.com/tessaclareofficial/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16900628.Tessa_Clare

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~*RELEASE BLITZ*~ Ascension by Grace White

#youngadult #paranormal #romance

 Ascension (The Lilituria Prophecy #3)

BY GRACE WHITE
ADD TO GOODREADS

 BLURB

Daiya Cattiva knew loving Kai Stanton had the power to change everything—she just didn’t realize how much.In the aftermath of bonding with Kai, Daiya struggles with guilt, and doubt over the prophecy. But as the Dei Venatores begin to close in, time for her and the Lilituria starts to run out. Daiya knows her personal feelings must be put aside for the greater good, and with the help of an unexpected ally, she embarks on a journey that uncovers who she really is. But all truth comes at a price. One she isn’t sure she’s willing to pay.

The lines between good and evil have been redrawn … but can love prevail?

  BUY

http://myBook.to/AscensionGW

START THE SERIES FREE

HTTP://myBook.to/AwakenGW


TEASER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Grace White is the paranormal pseudonym of romance writer, L A Cotton.She resides in the UK with her family, and lives for binge watching series on her Firestick, losing herself in a good book, and reliving her younger days through trashy teenage movies … not necessarily in that order.

For all the latest news about The Lilituria Prophecy, you can follow Grace at: