Kassiah

We've got an amazing interview with THE DUFF author Kody Keplinger on Swoony Boys Podcast (with Giveaway).

 

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We've got a great excerpt of It Started with a Scandal by Julie Anne Long (with giveaway) on Pretty Sassy Cool. Check it out :)

 

 

 

-- For more reviews and bookish talk, visit our blog at Pretty Sassy Cool

Back to the Future meets Fast Times at Ridgemont High? OMG I can't wait for this!!

Who is this on the cover? Nick? idk but OMG I can't wait to read this book!!!

July?!? I think I'll die before then! I neeeeeed itttt

Here's the info from Leah's blog about this book:

My next book (codenamed NACR2—because I’M CREATIVE) is a New Adult contemporary romance/suspense novel. Our main character, Laney, has a secret she’s been keeping from everyone—one that drives her to do things she never thought she’d be capable of. Things like causing pain.

And ending it.

In Laney’s freshman year of college, she meets two people who change her life forever: Armin, a boy who becomes the light in her darkness (not a sexual euphemism, swear)—and Blythe, a girl with her own secrets, who is willing to cross any line for those she loves. The three of them become inseparable…until a crime one of them has committed threatens to tear their trio apart.

I’m doing a few things very differently in this book compared to most New Adult fiction, and I’m a little nervous about how it’ll be received. But I took risks with Unteachable, too, so apparently I’m setting myself up to be That Author. The one who pushes boundaries and makes you uncomfortable. This novel is much darker than UT, but in some ways I think it will, ironically, be less disturbing, because there’s no huge age gap. Will the other elements squick some people out? I can only hope.

She's also got a pinspiration board. I can't wait to read this, even though she says this is darker than Unteachable!

5 swoonworthy stars.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

I have a confession. I've been waiting to read this guystory for a loonnngggg time. I've enjoyed Brighton Walsh's work for years, and let me tell you--the girl can write some super hot smut. She's not about PWP, though, and always has a compelling story to go with her sexy characters. So, I was already excited about this story before I really knew much about it. And ever since Walsh sent me her picspiration on twitter, well, let's just say I was super excited:


I know, I know. You want to stop reading this review and dive right into reading Season of Second Chances rtfn, right? I don't blame you. So go ahead.

Still here? Now I'll tell you why you shouldn't be (and why you should be reading the book instead).

I love reunion stories. I love that we can experience all the feelings that the characters go through without questioning why they're jumping into a relationship (even if it's just a physical one) so quickly. Even if we as readers don't know the characters very well yet, we know that they know each other and lived through whatever their history was, and that familiarity gives them liberties that strangers don't get.

Thirty-year old Claire Hanlin finds herself stranded at an airport in the city that she least wants to be in on Christmas Eve. Her search for an available hotel room is interrupted by her ex-fiancé, Logan Dawes. Claire goes through a myriad of emotions at seeing him and hearing his voice again.

His sea-glass eyes were boring into hers, the same heavy, intense stare she'd noticed when they'd met more than four years ago. And when she looked into them now, it was like no time had passed. Like they hadn't broken an engagement, hadn't been separated for two years, hadn't lived through the heartache of ending the best relationship either of them had ever had.

Logan insists that she come stay with him until the storm passes and she can get another flight. She reluctantly agrees, and you know what happens. Chemistry! Flails! Holy hotness, Batman!

Of course, with every good story, there's a dilemma, and Claire's is that even though it's hard to resist Logan's charms and the way he always made her feel, she can't help but forget how she felt when Logan constantly chose his job over her when they were together. Logan realizes that he made the biggest mistake of his life when he let her go the first time, but can he do what it takes to get a second chance with her?

Read it and find out!

You know I loved pretty much everything about this story. Obviously, my favorite part was Logan. This guy is hotness personified. Dark hair, light green eyes, sexy muscles. And he's a doting dad to a seven-year old girl who has him wrapped around his finger. *swoonysigh* He's sweet and determined, and he's hot as hell.

Her argument died in her throat when his tongue traced her pulse point and then his teeth bit into the juncture of her shoulder and neck and the scruff on his face brushed against her delicate skin, and oh God, he didn't play fair. "Logan."

He groaned, his hands covering the expanse of her lower back, his chest now pressed right up against her so she could feel the vibrations of his voice against her breasts. "Jesus, I've missed you saying my name like that."

I really liked Claire, too, and that sort of surprised me. It's not often that I actually love the heroine, but this time, I did. I was proud of her for standing up for herself and understood her. The perfect combination of kick-ass and vulnerable, she was a great character, and I'm sad that I won't get more of these two.

There were very few things that I didn't love, and I can honestly say both of those were totally because I'm a long-time reader of Walsh's work. I'm weird, I know, but I just didn't like Claire's name. And there are a few words that I was surprised that Walsh used. With that being said, who really cares about her name? Not me, and not you, either, once you start reading this fantastic story.

Want one more thing that I loved? This novella is short (less than 100 pages), and I can't even tell you how many times I have "perfect description" in my notes. Walsh portrays her characters' emotions with such authenticity, I felt like I was right there, feeling all the feelings with them.

The low, smooth rumble of his voice still managed to send chills down her spine, firing all the synapses in her body at once. She remembered that voice. How it washed over her like the rain when he was breathless and happy. How it crashed into her like a tidal wave when he was angry and frustrated. How it settled right into her bones when he whispered into her ear while aroused and overcome with need.

::flails:: There are several other instances, and the whole story is pretty damn close to perfect. Readers will share Claire's utter heartbreak as she contemplates the demise of her relationship with Logan, will experience the longing that Logan still feels for what might have been, and will feel their passion as they appreciate this second chance that fate has handed them.

It's the best holiday-pick-me-up if you need one, but whether you're looking for something to read to keep you warm in the winter, or if it's in the middle of the sweltering dog-days of summer, Season of Second Chances is the story for you. I can't express how much I enjoyed it--it's a must read!

I love this author and her stories. So glad there will be more!!!

4 stars.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

This followup to Recipe for Satisfaction, Gina Gordon's first book in this series, brings us an amped-up level of hotness and characters for us to flail over, and definitely does not disappoint.

I loved Jack and Sterling but might love Neil and Carson even more. It's a toss-up.

Chef and entrepreneur Neil Harrison is also a dare-devil illegal street-racer, something he would prefer that no one ever find out about, especially his architect, Carson Kelly.

He'd wanted her from the very first day she rode up to the Madewood farm on her bike. But he'd pushed his desire aside not only because she was his architect, but because he didn't have time to deal with this particularly infuriating woman. From their first meeting, Carson Kelly was a ball-breaking hard-ass.

When she confronts him at a race, he realizes just what he needs to distract him from dangerous the thrill of racing.

"There's only one thing that will keep my mind off the track...and I don't think you're up for that challenge."

"Are you daring me to have sex with you?" The smile that spread across her face told himm she wasn't displeased with him. "You're bad."

"Not bad," he corrected. "Determined. I'm going to race or you're going to distract me. It's a simple as that."

And distract him she does.

I really liked the characters in this book. Both of them have pasts to work through and both of them are realistic. Carson is sexy and snarky and stands up for what she believes in. She doesn't let Neil push her too far, and she knows her limitations. Neil is tortured by his past demons and wants to live up to the memory of his adoptive mother. I loved him, though, especially when he said stuff like this:

"I want what I want. And I want you. Right now, on this desk."

Their chemistry was off the charts.

"And what is it exactly that you like?" she challenged, stroking him through his slacks.

He leaned in and whispered against her ear. "That sexy mouth of yours wrapped around my cock."

For a second time, her insides fluttered. He definitely knew how to get her heart rate going double time. "But you don't even know what that feels like."

His response was a kiss, his mouth descending upon hers hard and fast. It caused her hard hat to fall off her head.

He pulled away and stopped the kiss by biting her bottom lip between his straight white teeth. "I'm going to find out what it feels like right now."

They're so hot together. And there's a scene in here that makes me want to buy every book ever written by Gordon and read them all rtfn.

You know me--there are a few things that I didn't love. I thought that they were in a few, ahem, compromising situations that I find it hard to believe that someone as driven as Carson would allow herself to get swept away in. Admittedly, she thinks the same thing herself so I guess that's all good. I felt like the dude Carson's dad wants her to be with was a total slime-ball and didn't get what was coming to him. I also felt that the end was a little abrupt.

One thing that I did love, though, is seeing Sterling and Jack so happy and in love, so Recipe for Satisfaction lovers will really enjoy seeing them again.

I loved this book--the characters, the steam, the story. I think you'll really love it too, and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.

3 stars.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

Hensley University senior Everleigh Carsen hasn't had a serious boyfriend since sophomore year, and she's not looking to change that anytime soon. Because of some brutal attacks on women on campus, she enrolls in a self-defense class with her roommate, Samantha. It is there that she meets the handsome and enigmatic instructor Hunter Charles. She definitely thinks he's hot but their first meeting leaves a lot to be desired.

"Miss Carsen, everyone is here of their own free will and at no expense to themselves. Most are here because they are justly afraid for their safety. You are belittling their concerns, diminishing the seriousness of the threat, and minimizing the suffering of the victims with your flippancy."

After finding that the two of them have some classes in common, Hunter and Everleigh strike up a friendship. Even though she totally wants him, she dismisses his lack of interest in anything other than a platonic relationship to the fact that she thinks he's gay. Turns out, she's wrong. Despite this revelation, Hunter tells her the classic "we're best friends and I don't want to lose you" speech, and Everleigh shifts her focus to trying to seduce Hunter.

I would subtly lay the groundwork this week, and then lure Hunter into my carnal web with sultry dancing next Saturday.

All the while, the attacks on campus escalate from assault to rape to murder, and Hunter is extra vigilant in keeping Everleigh safe. There are a lot of other things going on, like clubbing and watching Sam's budding relationship with her new boyfriend unfold. I'm not going to tell you how things end, but there is a twist in the story that I definitely didn't see coming.

There are some things that I really liked, like Hunter.

"I wish I could hold you right now. I need to feel you in my arms and know you're safe."

I also liked her friends, especially Griffin.

There are some things that I really didn't like, too. This story is very verbose. It's almost as if Rulon took out a thesaurus and replaced every single word with something bigger and more important-sounding. The descriptions go on and on.

Hunter had been as enthralled as I was, closer than ever to capitulating and indulging my inaudible pleas to satiate our desire.

Translation: "Hunter was about to kiss me."
The word choice and superior intellect don't always hold true, though, like when Everleigh talks about having a food baby or her "Ride 'em Cowgirl" plan.

There are also some things that happen that I don't think are very realistic, like Sam's parents' reactions to pretty much everything. I also felt like there were a few loose ends that weren't tied up. They could be mentioned in the forthcoming Pieces for You, which is the next in the series but is supposed to be stand-alone. Also, I didn't really love Everleigh, but that shouldn't be a surprise to any of you. She's rude and jumps to conclusions, and I would have flounced when I read a reference to Bill Clinton, but since I was reading for a tour, I didn't. I think Everleigh was let out of her responsibility in some of the things that happened by some information we find out at the end, and I really hate that. I can't mention the other things because they would be too spoileriffic.

Only for You has an exciting storyline with mostly-likable characters and a bit of a mystery. Definitely check it out if you're looking for something intellectual that breaks the almost-typical prosaic mold from which a lot of new adult books seem to be cast.

3 stars.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

This book picks up pretty much right after the end of The Law of Attraction, with Gabrielle and Braden still facing each other in court, still having hijinks with their friends, and still trying to figure out who left the ominous threatening notes that warned them to break up.

Gabrielle is still smart and funny and a great character. Their friends are still totally down to help them, and their families are still crazy. Braden's still sexy.

"I think you know the answer to that. You're driving me crazy. I can't wait until tonight," he said in a low voice. "I need it now."

...and swoony:

"You and I belong together and nobody's going to get in the way of that."

While I love these characters and am so excited (!!!) that there will be more of them in this series, I am not sure if these two books had to be split. Since the ending of The Law of Attraction was so abrupt, I don't know. I also felt like their situations were a little on the ridiculous side of humorous this time, which I didn't feel in the first book. Though it wasn't as great as The Law of Attraction, I really liked this book and will miss the focus being on the Gabrielle and Braden. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Silber.

4 stars.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

I really loved this one.

Public defender Gabrielle Ginsberg has had her eye on sexy assistant district attorney Braden Pierce ever since they started presenting cases against each other six months ago.

He always offered me fair plea bargains, although sometimes he made me work hard for them, and with him it was always a good clean fight, even if it made me want to be a dirty girl. Battling in court could be pretty stimulating to tell you the truth. Sometimes there's a fine line between pissed off and turned on.

Since Braden's known for being a player, Gabrielle isn't willing to pursue anything with him. Until she finds out that he's interested and after a hilarious negotiation on the ground rules for them dating, they decide to go out.

The pair find themselves pretty much instantly smitten with each other, but not in a manufactured way. They've got some ups and downs, including Gabi receiving some notes, warning her that she should break up with Braden. Since Braden's father is a senator and presidential-hopeful and Gabrielle's dad is a high-powered CEO known for working with politicians, the threatening notes could be coming from anyone, and Gabrielle enlists her friends' help to get to the bottom of who's behind them. For the most part, though, Braden and Gabrielle are adorable, and I love them.

Debut author Silber is a former attorney and brought us some hilarious and highly entertaining cases throughout The Law of Attraction. Some of them were literally laugh-out-loud funny. I really loved the banter between all of the characters in this book, too. The realness of all of them was probably my favorite thing about this story. Gabrielle is strong and sassy, but underneath it all she's vulnerable and wants the guy she likes to like her back. When it's all said and done, though, she has to be who she is, and I love that about her.

Braden's sweet and sexy and swoony.

"But with you, I'm thinking, 'She's so beautiful. I want to wake up with her every morning.'"

And he's a dirty talker, which you know I love. I loved all of their friends.

Be confident! You are sexy and he wants you. And it's okay for you to want him back. As long as he treats you with respect you can screw his brains out if you want!

There were a few things that I didn't like. It ended too abruptly, and I thought that there would be more conflict than there actually was. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about lack of angst--I just expected more based on the summary. There were also some errors, like overuse of exclamation marks that drove me a little crazy. Also, I was surprised at some of their choices for locations and times for their trysts. You'll know what I mean when you read it.

The Law of Attraction was a sexy, quick read that will satisfy your need for funny and thoughtful. You definitely want to check this one out.

2 stars.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

Even though what happens in this novella is not my cup of tea, I'm glad that Grace seems to come to terms with exactly why she's trying to be successful at The Dining Club--it's all to make David happy.

She wondered how she'd ever let it come to this. How she, Grace, a well-respected theater director who'd been in the Sunday Times list of most promising new directors the year before, had allowed herself to be in this position. Tears of humiliation and disbelief filled her eyes.

"What's the matter?" asked David quietly. "If you want this to stop now, all you have to do is say so. That one word will end it all. Say 'stop' and it's over, Grace. You must choose to do this yourself."

"For us," she replied, struggling to regain her composure. "This is for us."

"But the choice is yours. Now do you want to stop?"

Grace shook her head.

"You have to say it."

Her tongue moved over her dry lips. She hadn't come this far to be defeated now. "I don't want to stop," she said clearly.

I was pretty shocked by Grace's words at the end, and I can't really say what else happens here without giving everything away. I'm pretty sure this was my favorite of all of the novellas, even though I didn't like anything that happened in it. One more to go.

1 star.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

Touch, the fifth installment of The Dining Club Series, begins right where we left off and ends on the biggest cliffy so far, and has Grace thinking that she wouldn't be opposed to Andrew joining in whatever is planned for later in the evening. Which. Whatever.

That's pretty much the way I felt about this novella's challenge. And the series as a whole. I still don't understand David's motivations--does he want Grace to succeed or not? He doesn't even know. He says things like this:

"Remember failure tonight means you can never return for the final test, and we'll never see each other again. Don't let me down, my darling."

But then he does his best to be sure she doesn't succeed, and thinks things like this:

...this time a part of him wondered if it would be better if he released Grace soon, by ensuring that she failed the fourth trial, rather than ruin both their lives. And that was what would happen, he knew it would, because in truth no matter how perfect she was, or how much he loved her at the start, eventually he would tire of her.

We also get a glimpse of a cockamamie plan set forth by two key players in the story, and more of Grace's friend, Fran's, whining and asking about the size of David's dick. I did like Grace slightly more in this one. Her jealousy made total sense to me, and I'm glad she recognized it.

There were still the things I didn't like, like the cringe-worthy words ("urethra" and "love juices" come to mind) and the douche-baggery in general. I also forgot to mention this in a previous review, but there is a "special lubricant" that's imported from the far East that makes me giggle every time it's mentioned. It's powerful stuff. Maybe I need some of that.

1 star.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

The novella starts off with Andrew letting Grace know what he wants her to hear. Grace questions him as to his reasoning for coming to warn her:

"Because I care for you and don't want to see you hurt by him. Believe me he will hurt you eventually. He doesn't know the meaning of love."

"And you don't seem to know the meaning of loyalty," she pointed out.

Score one for Grace. Fucking finally. Then she says stuff like this, and I'm ready to smack her again:

"David's very complex, and I don't pretend to understand him all the time, but I love him and I want him to love me too. The Dining Club is my only chance of making that happen. He's made that very clear."

Despite Grace and Andrew's very enlightening conversation, this was definitely my least favorite of the novellas. Some really gross stuff happens here, and we get to see even more of David's manipulative bastard side. Does he have any other sides? Oh yeah, the douchebag side.

"Just remember, if you succeed this weekend I'll be happier than I've ever been in my life before. That's all you need to think about over the next two days."

We also get a little more of Fran's sparkling personality.

Is it some kind of posh gym that you have to be invited to join? If so, and if it's expensive, you're being robbed because you don't look any different from the days when your idea of exercise was stumbling to the tube station early in the morning!"

She also asks--yet again--how David is in bed, and outright tells Grace that she'd "have him" if Grace didn't want him. Yes, after she's gone on and on about how much of a ladies' man he is and how he can never commit to Grace for real. I might hate Fran the most of all the other characters, which is really saying something.

Caress ends on a cliffie, but with a more-determined-than-ever Grace. Thank rob it's almost over.

4 stars.

This review also appears on Steamy Guys After Dark.

Yours to Keep featured lovable characters, authentic dialogue and storyline, and sizzling hot chemistry. Author Serena Bell tackled a plot that I've personally never read, and I loved it.

Spanish tutor Ana Traveres is an illegal immigrant who lives in constant fear of being sent back to the Dominican Republic. When the gorgeous Dr. Ethan Hansen overhears his son's principal getting more than overly familiar with Ana, he comes to her rescue, and asks for her to tutor his son. She finally agrees, even though she's been trying to stay out of the limelight as much as possible. Throughout it all, we learn about Ethan and how he's been dealing with being a single parent since his wife died eight years ago and Ana's dealing with US immigration troubles and trust issues because of her previous boyfriend. Eventually, of course, Ana gives in to her resistance to Ethan and sparks fly.

"We're going on a date."

"I don't want to go on a date. I want you to kiss me like that for hours. And you can do other stuff at the same time if you want, but I don't want you to stop kissing me."

And my rob, when they're in the car and he says, "I want to feel how hot you are." *fans self* It's hot.

I really loved these characters. Ethan was pretty swoony, and Ana was definitely a character that I was rooting for. I loved Ethan's son, Theo, too. I didn't like Ana's brother, and while I understand the reason for the education on illegal immigrants living in the United States, I wasn't necessarily crazy about a political agenda being pushed on me. Also, some of the descriptions went on and on a bit too much. As far as the romance and story and other characters go, though, I loved it.

Even though we knew where this story was headed, I thought it got there in an original way and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this. This was the first thing that I read by Bell, but I will definitely be checking out everything else she ever writes. You should, too.