Blog Tour: Give Me Something by Elizabeth Lee

Here’s the deal…I learned a long time ago that sometimes you have to use what you’ve got to make things happen. What I happen to have is a pretty smile, long legs and the ability to make men believe anything I say. Before you get on your high horse and start judging me, can you honestly say you’ve never batted your lashes at some guy for a free drink at the bar? That’s what I thought.

Keep in mind as I tell you my story of how I took it one step further. My story of lies, deceit, manipulation and love. Yeah, love. Believe me, it fits. Especially, when you factor in Nick and Tucker – one had my heart and the other one wanted it all for himself. Which one? Well, I can’t tell you that. It would defeat the purpose of the story. If I’m going to fill you in about me, Lila Garrison, and my life as a con artist you’re going to need to know all the facts, including the ones about the two guys who made me want to give up the life of fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, fast cars and easy money. Because sometimes, one person can give you something that’s more valuable than all of that.

If you’re still interested, stick around. Just remember, I’m pretty good at convincing people to do what I want, so if by the end of this whole thing you feel worked over, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

"I was pretty sure I was in love with Nick, falling for Tucker, and lying to them both." - Lila

A con artist, her sexy partner, an even sexier mark…and a bucket load of perfectly cheesy pickup lines. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a sucker for cheesy pickup lines; they make me laugh, and as Marilyn Monroe said, “If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything.” Give Me Something is Elizabeth Lee’s second novel, and I love this book just about as much as I love her!

Give Me Something is a perfect mix of deception, angst, love, and suspense. The storyline is original and draws you in from page one; I was so wrapped up in the mess between Lila, Nick, and Tucker that I read the entire novel in a matter of hours! I seriously couldn’t put it down. I would tell myself, “Okay Ash, one more chapter and then you need to get some shit done,” but let me tell you something – the only shit I got done that day was starting and finishing this book.

The characters are some of my all-time favorites, and honestly, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be a big fan of Lila before reading this. She is the type of girl who knows just how beautiful she really is and uses it to her advantage. And while I think we can all agree that we’ve all used our looks to get our way at some point, I was concerned that she would come across an arrogant girl with her nose up so high it might as well be in the damn clouds. I seriously could not have been more wrong; there was not one time during this book that I disliked her. Sure, I don’t agree with her and Nick’s business of conning people but even with that baggage, she was still a likable character. That’s the sign of a talented author, y’all!

Nick and Tucker…where do I even begin?! My feelings for Nick were all over the freaking place because the guy just seemed like a sneaky, little bastard. I liked him and then didn’t like him…and then I’d forgive him, and then there was one particular scene where I was all, “OH HELL MOTHER FUCKING NO HE DIDN’T!!!” I hated him in that moment; and then Elizabeth throws another curveball right at my face and makes me regret screaming angry obscenities towards him! The only thing that kept me from forgetting which was up was Tucker Kline. Sweet sassy molassey! I absolutely adore him!! His cheesy pickup lines were adorable, and his whole persona is like a breath of fresh air. Well, a steaming hot breath of fresh air. Excuse me for a moment while I wipe the drool off my face and collect my thoughts………

Okay. Good enough.

Honestly, I could go on and on about this book but now I have Tucker Kline on the brain, and it doesn’t appear he’s going away any time soon. If you haven’t read Give Me Something yet, you’re missing out. Buy this book and buy it noooow! Oh and E, the irony is not lost on me that this book is called Give Me Something and you really did give me something – a badass read and a hot, new book boyfriend. ;)

PS – Just because of the pickup lines in this book, I thought I’d share my all-time favorite cheesy pickup line with y'all: You’ve got 206 bones in your body. Want one more?  

You know that made you laugh… :)

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**Enter to win signed paperback copies of both Elizabeth Lee novels, SHATTERED and GIVE ME SOMETHING here!**

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About the Author

Born and raised in the middle of a Midwestern cornfield (not literally, that would be weird), I've spent my entire life imagining stories. Stories where the right guy always gets the right girl, first kisses are as magical as they are on the big screen and anything is completely possible if you believe. 

Although this journey began years ago, it recently took on a whole new life. After years of devouring hundreds of romance, YA and new adult novels, I had an epiphany...I should write a book. And I did! My first YA/New Adult novel is out now!

If I'm not reading, writing, enjoying drinks with my amazing group of girlfriends or chasing around a sarcastically funny one-year-old, I'm probably watching television shows that were created for teenagers, while my husband teases that I'm too old to watch them. 

Elizabeth Lee I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads

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Cloud Walking by A. Meredith Walters

(Find You in the Dark series, book 1.5)

While Clay and Maggie were falling apart…

Daniel and Rachel were falling in love.

Rachel Bradfield has loved Daniel Lowe for most of her life. She has had to sit quietly by while he throws his feelings away on a girl who doesn’t deserve them. Rachel knows she can be everything he needs.

Daniel has always known Rachel was special. She is one of his best friends. But what Daniel doesn’t realize is that the girl he has known forever might just be the one he really wants.

Love pulls two people together, while tearing two others apart. As Daniel and Rachel discover the beauty of first love, their best friend loses her heart to the deepest darkness. Unable to hold Maggie together, Rachel and Daniel find out that love doesn’t have to hurt and that it can change your life.

*The author gifted me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

“Love has a way of consuming you. Making you lose all focus. But it could also lift you up and make your life that much better. Make you feel like it was the only thing in the world you needed.” – Daniel

Cloud Walking is a novella in the Find You in the Dark series and should be read after Find You in the Dark due to spoilers. 

This review is going to be short and sweet – much like Cloud Walking. I am so glad A. Meredith Walters gave us the opportunity to get inside the minds of Daniel and Rachel, and see firsthand how they turned a life-long friendship into something so much more.

Daniel, Rachel, and Maggie have been best friends since they were all knee high to a grasshopper. While Maggie and her boyfriend, Clay, are touched upon in Cloud Walking, they aren’t the focus; Daniel and Rachel are. Rachel has been in love with Daniel for as long as she can remember, but refuses to voice those feelings. Instead, she sits back and watches him date a girl who doesn’t deserve him, and lets Daniel walk all over her feelings. Daniel has always loved Rachel – in a best friend sort of way. Except lately he’s been seeing her in a different light. He doesn’t see her as just his best friend Rachel anymore; he sees her as a beautiful girl that would do anything for him – and he would do just about anything to kiss her. But does he want to chance it and risk losing her friendship forever?

I have been a huge fan of A. Meredith Walters ever since I read Find You in the Dark. Her writing style flows wonderfully, and she has a way of really making you connect with her characters. When I found out there would be not only a sequel to Find You in the Dark, but a short novella about Daniel and Rachel as well!? I think it’s sufficed to say, I was one happy girl.

I loved seeing the relationship between Daniel and Rachel evolve from friendship to romance on a firsthand basis. Sure, we got a little bit of that in Find You in the Dark, but it was from Maggie’s POV – we were on the outside looking in. In Cloud Walking, we finally got to see what was really going on in both of their heads while they wrestled with their overwhelming feelings for each other. It also really showed me that Daniel felt just as strongly about Rachel, as she did about him; in Find You in the Dark, that wasn’t horribly clear. It seemed a little one sided to me, at least up until the night at the cabin.

I said this was going to be a short review. Well, I guess I’m a liar so I’ll try to wrap this up. As I stated earlier, I would highly recommend reading Find You in the Dark before this novella, because it will give away spoilers. I adored Cloud Walking, and I think it was nice to have a feel-good romance to break up the angst-driven books in this series that showcase Clay and Maggie’s relationship. Plus, best friend romances are my absolute favorite – Christ on a cracker, I just love them! This was a great, quick read that shows us love shouldn’t hurt, it should make you feel wonderful…whole…damn it, it should make you feel like you’re cloud walking! ;)

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Burned by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 12)

It’s spring break, and the pretty little liars are trading in Rosewood for a cruise vacation. They want nothing more than to sail into the tropical sunset and leave their troubles behind for one blissful week. But where Emily, Aria, Spencer, and Hanna go, A goes, too. From scuba diving to tanning on the upper deck, A is there, soaking up all their new secrets.

Emily is smooching a stowaway. Aria’s treasure-hunting partner is a little too interested in her booty. Spencer’s going overboard trying to land a new boy. And a blast – or rather, a crash – from Hanna’s past could mean rough waters ahead for everyone.

The liars better tighten their life jackets. A perfect storm is brewing, and if they aren't careful, A will bury them at sea…

First of all, I went into this book thinking it was the end of the series; it would be the last book, the story would be over, all the answers would finally be revealed. Nope. I was pissed when I got the end and found out that there is not only one more book being written, but two more books! What?!? I want to be done with this series! It should have stopped after book 8, which is where it was originally supposed to end, but they just keep tacking on book after book after book…WHEN WILL IT END?! Whew – let me take a quick breather…

…Okay, I think I’m good to continue.

The only reason I keep reading these books is because I’m so far in that I have to finish it out. I wish I could just walk away…damn it, I wish I could…but I can’t. This series started out as 4 girls getting blackmailed for relatively harmless acts; there was no doubt that they were innocent victims. Well, those girls are gone and have been replaced with actual criminals; for real. They commit actual crimes, and can’t believe A is still blackmailing them. Really? I mean, really? Y’all are criminals and A has blackmailed you for much less; how the hell are you surprised that they’re still hanging around? *facepalm*

In a nutshell – they go on a cruise for Spring Break, and of course, A happens to be on the cruise with them. Aria befriends a dude named Graham and after finding out who his ex-girlfriend is, the girls start to question his motives. Hanna and Naomi get paired as roommates and while Naomi appears to be repairing their friendship, Hanna finds out Naomi is related to someone Hanna royally fucked, and you guessed it…the girls start to question her motives. Emily gets all lovey-dovey with a fugitive stowaway on the boat who tries to convince her to run away to Thailand with her. Yeah; and that’s not even the worst part. Emily actually considers it! Because it’s always a good idea to flee to a foreign country with only a freaking knapsack and someone you’ve known for 4 days when you’re 18 years old. Christ on a cracker. Lastly, Spencer gets involved with Reefer, only to find out he was previously involved with someone she knows, and let’s all say this together now…they start to question this girl’s motives.

This series started out great, and has just taken a serious nosedive since book 9. The story lines don’t seem to flow, not to mention they are downright ridiculous and not remotely believable. The girls have lost pretty much all credibility in my book because they aren’t innocent victims anymore. And you know what happens when your main characters become the bad guys? I stop rooting for them. I stop caring if they get caught – nope, scratch that – I actually want them to get caught. I want A to turn them in. Sure, in this book they start to go grow consciences but it’s not because they want to give the families of the people they hurt some closure; it’s because they can’t handle A blackmailing them. It’s not because they are trying to do the right thing – they’ve just done so many wrong things that they are living in constant paranoia.

I hate that I have been severely disappointed in the last four books of this series, because the first 8 were pretty damn good. It just seems like they are grasping for straws to keep this series going, and it’s just getting run into the ground. I don’t really care for any of the girls anymore which bums me out. It seems like everyone is related or connected to each other somehow; I mean, I’ve heard of six degrees of separation but this is sooo far beyond that. It’s annoying. And for the love of all that is holy, we still don’t know what Aria did in Iceland. This “cliffhanger-esque” moment has been strung along for the past 4 books. At this point, I almost don’t even care what she did anymore. I’ve been strung along so long that I’ve lost interest. I understand not divulging it right away to keep the reader guessing, but making them read four books where it gets brought up but never explained?! Dumb…just plain dumb. I’m upsetting myself just talking about this, so I’m done. Another Pretty Little Liars novel, another Pretty Little disappointment.  

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A Beautiful Lie by T.E. Sivec

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(Playing with Fire series, book 1)

He saw her first, but his friend made the move.

She settled for the safer choice, but her heart knew the truth.

They love, they crave, they lie.

Garrett McCarthy, Annabelle Parker, and Milo Roberts were as close as friends could get. They shared in each other’s joy during graduations, promotions, and engagements. They consoled one another through heartache and loss.

When one of the friend’s life is cut short, it’s up to the two left behind to pick up the pieces and find out the truth – no matter the cost. As they slowly start to uncover the nature of his deception, and the very powerful people behind it, they begin to question everyone and everything, including themselves.

Everyone has secrets – some do it for love while others do it for power. Those secrets can change perceptions, alter reality, and sometimes destroy lives.

What do you do when you find out your whole life has been a lie?

Tara Sivec never ceases to amaze me. I fell in love with her writing after reading the Chocolate Lovers series, and was as giddy as a kid in a candy store when I found out she was writing another novel. That being said, I was a little nervous when I found out it wasn’t going to be anything like her previous books – I mean, the woman is freaking hilarious, how could I read something of hers and not want it to be funny?! Well, let me tell y’all something; this book doesn’t need funny and not once did I think to myself, “Man, I really wish this had some of her inappropriately hysterical humor in it.” You know why? Because it’s absolutely fucking perfect.

The story of Garrett, Parker, and Milo is one fueled by secrets, deceit, and guilt, then lit on fire with passion, what if’s, and so much sexual tension I wanted to jump into the story, smack both of them and yell, “JUST DO IT ALREADY, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST PUT YOUR P IN HER V!!”Now, as much as I clearly wanted both of them to give into their desires and push their consciences aside, I feel like the sexual build up was absolutely necessary in this novel. They are both wrestling with a huge cloud of guilt; how could he betray his deceased best friend by sleeping with his former fiancée? How could she be disloyal to him and sleep with his best friend since childhood? It’s this constant tug of war between their heads and their hearts that kind of rips you apart a little.

Oh, and when they do finally give in to each other…holy mother of God; it’s everything I wanted it to be and so much more! If every author gave me a scene like that after a lot of sexual tension and word foreplay, I would never, ever complain about having to wait for shit to go down. It was that good!

The characters were easy to love, and the storyline and writing were both flawless; just when you think you have it all figured out, Tara unveils a new layer of deception that you probably never even saw coming. I know I didn’t. My heart broke for not only Parker, but Garrett as well; as more and more of the pieces started to fall into place, you could feel him questioning just how much of his friendship with Milo was real. How could he not have seen past his façade to see the monster that he really was? It’s the mother load of deceptions that will leave you slack jawed…or wanting to punch him in his stupid face. Yeah; definitely wanting to punch him in the face.  

A Beautiful Lie just reiterates why Tara Sivec is absolutely one of my favorite authors. Her writing sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the very last word of the very last page. Well, actually longer than that considering I thought about this book for days after I finished it. She effortlessly transitioned from the humorous brilliance we were all used to, to something…well…beautiful. While I don’t normally love stories written in third person, I understand why Tara did it. We needed to see exactly how both of them reacted not only to certain situations, but to each other. We needed to feel the chemistry and the want between these two, and I think it worked impeccably. This torrid love story coupled with the air of mystery, and a healthy dose of angst left me absolutely, 100 percent satisfied. 

And in case you're interested, here are my casting picks for Garrett and Parker:

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Laced in Malice by Riley Gray

(Laced series, book 1)

Behind the creepy castle like exterior of Birchtree Academy is the sound of gossip, backstabbing, and malice. When Zara’s dad takes on the new principal job at the elite boarding school, Zara knows she’ll be an outsider. She dreams of true love and marriage instead of possible frenemies and secrets. Definitely not Birtchtree material.

In the cusp of everything are the twins. Oliver and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Nixon are renowned for their different – yet equally effective – methods of torture. And both have their eyes set on goody, goody Zara. Oliver wants to date her and Lizzie wants to befriend her.

At first, Zara is caught in the Nixons spell, but it’s not long until cracks begin to show through their dazzling façade. An anonymous email account, which targets students with their own secrets, has focused its energy on Zara using weapons only the Nixons could have provided. But have they turned on her? Is there a hidden agenda behind Lizzie’s interest in Zara? It’ll take four months, three warnings, two released sex tapes, and one dead body for Zara to finally learn the truth. And the truth can either destroy the boy she’s fallen for – and his twin sister – or save them both.

*This review does contain spoilers; although, they aren’t really spoilers if you’ve seen Cruel Intentions. Regardless, check yourself before you wreck yourself.*

It’s kind of hard for me to review this book – I love the story line, I really do, but it’s too familiar. Cruel Intentions has been one of my favorite movies since the day I first saw it, and I knew after reading the synopsis for Laced in Malice that it would be a similar plot; I just didn’t realize how alike it would be. Sure, there are a few tweaks but overall, it just seemed to me that this book was Cruel Intentions in book format.  

Here’s a brief rundown for you: Zara’s father accepts the position of principal at a prestigious boarding school, which she is will now be attending. Before she arrived on campus, she gave an interview to the school magazine that explained her stance on abstaining from sex until marriage, and she prided herself on the fact that she was still a virgin. Enter the Nixon twins: Lizzie and Oliver. Lizzie seems picture perfect on the outside, and immediately befriends Zara, while her twin brother, Oliver, continually tries to charm the pants of Zara – literally. It soon becomes clear the twins have ulterior motives for their actions with Zara, and everyone can see that…except her.

Now yes, there are a few differences between Laced in Malice and Cruel Intentions, but not many. When I started this book, I was hoping for a similar idea with a different direction, but (and this is just my opinion) what I got was a knockoff of a movie. I just wish the author had put more original concepts in this story, and then maybe I would have been able to enjoy it a little more. I just don’t like reading a book feeling like I’ve already seen the movie, when in fact; it’s a book that’s not even supposed to tie to a movie.

Here are a few examples of the similarities to support my opinion:

(The character names in Laced in Malice are Zara, Oliver, and Lizzie; in Cruel Intentions, they are Annette, Sebastian, and Kathryn)

1. The characters are essentially the same: Zara and Annette are both virgins who did an interview with a magazine pledging their vow of abstinence, and the importance of love and marriage before sex. Oliver and Sebastian are both womanizing, man whores that sleep with pretty much anyone, and then try to convince the virgin on campus that sex isn’t that big of a deal. Lizzie and Kathryn are both essentially the ringleaders; they have ridiculous control over their brothers, pretend to have a tremendous amount of faith in God, and on the outside they look like the model student.

2. Journals: Sebastian keeps a journal, Oliver keeps journals. Sebastian ends up giving his journal to Annette to read, hoping it will explain why he did what he did. Oliver ends up giving his journals to Zara to read, hoping it will explain why he did what he did. The notes that accompany the journals are awfully similar as well, but I don’t really feel like typing out both of them. Just know…they’re similar.

3. The hypocrite speech: Sebastian and Oliver both give a nice little speech where they call Annette and Zara hypocrites. They’re not identical, but pretty freaking close. Check out the comparison:

Sebastian to Annette: “You spend all your time preaching about waiting for love. Well here it is. Right in front you, and you’re going to turn your back on it. So I guess we’re just fucked. I’ll move on. But you’re going to have to live the rest of your life knowing that you’ve turned your back on love. And that makes you a hypocrite. Have a nice life.”

Oliver to Zara: “You’re a hypocrite, you know. You go on and on about waiting to find someone and love and intimacy and then when you finally find what you say you’ve been looking for, you run the other way. You did this to me, Zara. You made me fall for you and now I’m not good enough? You know what, screw you.”

4. The escalator scene: Anyone who has seen Cruel Intentions knows exactly what scene I’m talking about. It’s quite possibly the best…and most memorable…scene of the entire movie. It gives me chills every time. I love it. And that scene is duplicated almost exactly in Laced in Malice, even the dialogue is the same!

Cruel Intentions: Annette says, “I’m impressed,” to which Sebastian replies, “Well, I’m in love.”

Laced in Malice: Zara says, “Well, I’m impressed at least,” to which Oliver replies, “Well, I’m in love. With you.”

That scene was what irked me more than anything. How are you going to copy the dialogue and just add a few extra words?! Gaaaah, it drove me nuts! It was after that when I started to get really annoyed with the unoriginality; luckily I only had about 4% of the book left.

Ultimately, I gave it three stars because the book itself was very well written and Riley Gray obviously has talent as an author. I wish I could rate it higher, I really do, but the fact that it seems to just be a knockoff of Cruel Intentions bummed me out. You can’t top that movie, or even match it content wise, in my opinion. It appears Riley may be veering from the movie plot in the next book of the series, which would be pleasing; regardless, I’ll still read the sequel and hopefully I can produce a more positive review the second time around.   

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Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

(Love Me With Lies series, book 2)

Dear Opportunist,

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he’s mine I’ll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn’t ever think about you anymore. I won’t let him go…ever.

Dirty Red

“He thought Olivia could hurt him, I’ll hurt him worse. I’ll keep hurting him. And if he goes after her again, I’ll rise up and do everything in my power to keep them apart. Some people never change. I guess I’m one of them. – Leah

Never in a million, billion, gazillion years did I ever imagine I would be saying what I’m about to say……….

I actually like and was rooting for Leah.

Yep. Let that soak in for a minute. Continue when you’ve composed yourself…

Dirty Red throws us into the deceitful, manipulative mind of Leah, and allows her to essentially tell her side of the story. Going into this book, I was freaking pumped. I was so pumped I might have even fist pumped a couple times (don’t you judge me). I wasn’t excited because I liked Leah after reading The Opportunist; in fact, two words kept replaying in my head while reading that book… “Bitch crazy.” I didn’t like her. At all. But if you had the chance to get inside the mind of a “crazy bitch” you knew, wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity? I sure as hell would. Hence, my excitement for Dirty Red and all the conniving antics that came along with it.

My change of heart for Leah didn’t happen immediately or even within the first half of the book. Her attitude and actions towards Estella disgusted me and made me want to reach through my iPad and smack the shit out of her. But then something happened that hadn’t ever happened before – I felt for her. My heart hurt for her a little bit. It was like Tarryn chipped away at her bitch exterior and finally revealed who Leah really was – a vulnerable, needy, desperate woman. A woman who had been so emotionally hurt in the past that she was willing to do absolutely anything to keep the one man she loved – even if he didn’t love her quite as much; even if she was just a second choice. It’s quite sad really, but it made me see her differently. It humanized her.

Although we did get a little of Olivia, I wanted more; I wanted more confrontation, I wanted more Olivia/Caleb moments, and FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY I wanted to know what the fuck was in that blue box!! I have my suspicions on what it could be…but damn it, I want to know! If it is what I think it is, what does that mean for Olivia and Noah? Or does it even matter? It couldn’t not matter, right? Ahhhh! Tarryn Fisher is an evil genius for leaving these little unanswered questions bouncing around in my head until she releases Thief.

Of course I have to discuss this – the ending. The ending…well…all I’ll say is, it gutted me. Plain and simple. And I don’t blame Leah for that last line, even if it’s not true. I mean, it’s a bitch move, but I’d pretty damn pissed off too if I found out my husband had lied to me about something so incredibly huge. Oh my God, it was just a perfect ending/cliffhanger…freaking perfect.

While I didn't love Dirty Red quite as much as The Opportunist, Tarryn Fisher certainly didn't disappoint with this second novel. It gave me something I wasn't expecting, which made it all the better, while continuing to give my emotions a pretty severe workout. I mean, not that I would expect anything less from this series…nor would I want anything less. Tarryn is 2 for 2 in making me never want to put down her book, while at the same time never wanting the story to end. The writing is fantastic, and I feel like everything I knew about this series got flipped on its ass. I don’t know what I want anymore! Do I want Caleb and Olivia together? Do I want Leah to find someone new? Do I want Noah and Olivia to have a HEA, while Leah and Caleb suffer? I. JUST. DON’T. KNOW. I’ll tell you one thing I do know… I need a drink after this and a dirty martini seems quiiiite fitting…

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Bad Rep by A. Meredith Walters

“Who gives a damn about their reputation? Oh, that would be me! Especially since mine has gone straight to Hell in the span of thirty minutes.”

Maysie Ardin is soaking up the summer before her junior year of college, shopping, hanging by the pool, and shopping some more. But when her black belt in spending lands her in trouble with her parents, she is forced to take a second job at a local bar to dig herself out of a deep financial pit.

She thought she’d be miserable. But then Maysie didn’t count on Jordan Levitt, the hot, pierced and tattooed, drum playing bartender who also happens to be very interested in her. And the feelings are totally mutual.

It had the makings of the perfect romantic set up. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Boy has girlfriend? Okay, maybe not.

But attraction is a hard thing to ignore and soon Jordan and Maysie find themselves in the middle of a gossip induced firestorm. Maysie has to learn whether she can set aside her fear of public disapproval in order to be with the one she wants. Or will she let the opinions of others dictate her life and her heart?

**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**

“His voice was like liquid caramel. And I knew exactly what I wanted to do with him. I wanted no holds barred, throw-me-against-a-wall-and-pound-me-within-an-inch-of-my-life sex.” – Maysie

Maysie gets a little too swipe-happy with her credit card so after she racked up a $3,500 bill and royally pissed off her parents, she gets a serving job at Barton’s, a local bar, to earn more money and pay back her parents. Enter Jordan; the tattooed, pierced, bad boy-ish bartender. They are instantly attracted to each other, except there’s one little problem: Jordan has a girlfriend. And his girlfriend isn’t just anybody. After this new revelation, Maysie finds herself battling what her heart and her head are telling her to do; which will she let win?

You know those people who care more about what people think about them than how they actually feel? The people who will do things they don’t want to do, date people they don’t want to date, steer clear of confrontation at all costs because God forbid someone say something bad about them? The people who care more about their reputation than their character?

Well, you do now; Maysie is one of those people. She lives to please her constantly disapproving parents, keep her sorority sisters happy, and make sure her reputation stays intact. She lives in constant fear that someone will think badly of her. I gotta tell ya, it was a bit exhausting at times and there were several times I just wanted to reach through my Nook and smack her; the girl didn’t even necessarily like being in a sorority but stayed anyway because to her, it was a good way to meet people. I guess so? (I can’t speak firsthand, I was never in a sorority; I dropped out of rush week the second day when I found myself rolling my eyes at 90 percent of everything involved. Well, that and I didn’t want to stay away from the 3 B’s: boys, bars, and booze. Who wants to spend their first week on campus sober and surrounded by all girls? Not me.)

I was really torn on how I felt about Jordan. I ended up loving him, but really?! The dude says he’s crazy about Maysie, yet refuses to break up with Olivia?! That deserves a dick punch. I understand they’ve been together for a long time, but he gives perfectly good explanations as to why they aren’t good together anymore; so whyyyy is he still with her? Homeboy, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Pick a chick. He did manage to make it back into my good graces though, and ultimately I think he and Maysie are pretty damn great together. These are two people who, for the most part, really did try to do the right thing but failed miserably.

Bad Rep isn’t just an angst-driven romance – it’s about accepting the fact that you can’t please everyone. No one wants to be the source of whispers and rumors, but at some point you just have to tone it out. Live for you, do what makes you happy, and if somebody doesn’t like it…well…fuck ‘em. Throw in some incredibly panty-tingling sex scenes, bitchy sorority sisters, douchebag fraternity brothers, and a handful of genuinely great friends and you have the makings of a pretty great read.

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Avoiding Responsibility by K.A. Linde

(Avoiding series, book 2)

Lexi has finally given up her once destructive relationships and moved onto bigger and better things with a sexy new man in town. Just when she is starting to figure it out with him, her world is tilted once again with a phone call from none other than Ramsey Bridges. A year after his entrance into her life, Ramsey is trying to make amends and does the one thing she never expects – invites her to Jack’s wedding.

The wedding she had evaded at all costs. But no matter what she does, Lexi can’t seem to escape her past with Jack. But does she really want to?

Despite the explosive chemistry between Lexi and Ramsey, she is skeptical about trusting him after everything that has happened. When things are amiss with him, she starts questioning his motives. Can Ramsey be the one to remove Jack from Lexi’s life permanently or should she move on with her blossoming new life?

“There was no reason to lie for him…not anymore.” – Lexi

Everything changed. And there was no way in hell I could have ever seen it coming.

After reading Avoiding Commitment, I was 100 percent planted on Team Jack. I didn’t care that he was a huge dick and refused to give Lexi a real relationship; when they were together, it was almost like I could feel the steam rising off my Nook. I felt the sexual tension in every way possible. As dysfunctional as they might be, they just fit together. I wanted them together. I wanted Jack to pull his head out of his ass, kick Bekah’s bitch ass to the curb, and ravage Lexi right there in his office.

Not anymore.

K.A. Linde made me abandon ship on Team Jack and take a lifeboat over to Team Ramsey.

That’s right, y’all; I am in love with Ramsey. While reading Avoiding Commitment, I thought to myself several times, “Ramsey seems like a nice guy” but I never actually wanted him and Lexi together. I was so firmly rooting for Jack and Lexi that I didn’t want to even entertain the idea of her being with anyone else; even someone as mysteriously intriguing as Ramsey. All that changed after Avoiding Responsibility.

I fell for Ramsey Bridges…HARD. The little things he did for Lexi showed just how much he absolutely adored her, and it made my heart smile. And the scene in the kitchen at Ramsey’s house?! CHRIST ON A CRACKER. I needed a cigarette after that; it was that fucking hot. It was at that moment that I realized I was riding shotgun with Ramsey at the wheel, and Jack was in my rearview mirror, standing in the dust. How in the hell K.A. Linde managed to completely rip me away from Jack and throw me into the waiting arms of Ramsey, I’ll never know. But one thing I do know is that she’s good. Damn good.

Now don’t get me wrong, Ramsey and Lexi’s relationship isn’t all rainbows and unicorns; they have their fair share of shitstorms but it’s nothing that seems unfixable. They seem to perfectly balance each other out and the ending was like a breath of fresh air; just plain perfection.

Avoiding Responsibility gave me so much more than I thought it would. I never expected to love this new path K.A. Linde decided to take me on, but I did. I loved it. Sure, all the characters still pissed me off from time to time and they all deserved a nice punch in their suckholes on several occasions, but the frustration level (for me) wasn't nearly as high as it was in Avoiding Commitment. I absolutely can’t get enough of this series, and thankfully it’s not over yet. I can only imagine what K.A. Linde has up her sleeve for the third book; I’m already mentally preparing myself…

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Kiss Me by Jillian Dodd

(The Keatyn Chronicles, book 2)

I’ve always written scripts for my perfect life.

But no way could I have ever scripted this.

My life is so far from perfect, it’s not even funny.

All because of a stalker.

I’m at a boarding school where I have to lie about who I am.

I can’t see my family.

I’m tutoring a Hottie God that tortures me with his smile.

The most popular girl already hates me.

Bu there’s this boy.

This hot, sweet, sexy boy.

So I’m going to stop trying to script my life and just live it.

Because who knows how long I have left.

*I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

“If only boys came with warning labels. Like, yours would be: Do not kiss when drunk. Riley’s would be: I’m going to sleep with you and your best friend, too.” – Keatyn

Okay, let me just start off by saying that if the boys at boarding school are all as hot, sweet, athletic, charming, adorable, funny and whatever other adjective I can think of, as they are in Kiss Me…I wish I would have known about that sooner. I probably would have begged my parents to send me away! Seriously. My bags would have already been packed and loaded in the Jeep. I would have been strapped in my seatbelt with bells and whistles on yelling, “Let’s goooooooo! Hurry uuuuuuup!” So to sum that up: Keatyn’s boarding school sounds like a feasting ground. And this girl’s hungry.  

Kiss Me starts off on the same night Stalk Me ends; Keatyn got a weak-in-the-knees kiss from Aiden on top of the Ferris wheel, she learned she made the dance team at her new boarding school, and starts to think that maybe this new life won’t be so bad after all. This second book in The Keatyn Chronicles takes you through the beginning of Keatyn’s journey in boarding school and follows her through new friendships, new relationships, and as if you couldn’t tell by title…lots…and lots of kissing.

For those of you who read my review of Stalk Me, you know I was 100 percent, all lady parts aboard the Team Cush train…and if you didn’t read my review, well, you should have. But now you know. I just loved Cush and I honestly didn’t think there would be any way Jillian would be able to sway me to another guy, no matter how many fine pieces of meat were roaming around Keatyn’s boarding school. Welp…Jillian Dodd, I underestimated your abilities to make an even swoonier (yeah, swoonier. I made it up, deal with it) character than Cush. So, in the words of Joey Tribbiani: “Hey Dawson. How YOU doin’??” ;)

I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I don’t want to say who she ends up with, but I will say this; I’m not a big fan of Aiden because he kind of acts like a girl, and I want Keatyn and Dawson to be together, get married and have lots of babies. Well, don’t hold me to that; who knows what kind of hotness creation will be in the next book to make me change my mind…again.

Here are a few other things that made Kiss Me pretty freaking great:

1)     “Keatie”

2)     Greek mythology references (I geek out hard when it comes to mythology)

3)     H.O.M.E.C.O.M.I.N.G.?

4)     The naughty librarian

Kiss Me was a good sequel to Stalk Me, and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. The main reason I didn’t give Kiss Me 5 stars is because it lacked the suspense factor. We get little bits of information on her stalker, but he plays a pretty minor role in this book. I loved that there seems to be ends tying up with Brooklyn and Cush, and I must say, I was pretty dang surprised by both of those story lines. All-in-all, Kiss Me is another great read by the lovely Jillian Dodd. Is it too early to ask about Date Me??? ;)

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