The Untouchables

The Untouchables by J.J. McAvoy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.25 Stars

I wasn’t sure what was coming, but I knew it was coming straight from hell.

We met the incredibly insane Callahan family in Ruthless People and I can assure you their demented ways haven’t changed a bit. The suspense, the banter, and the psychotic twist were just as phenomenal as the first book.

My mother…was dead. She died when I was young…she was murdered when I was little…but that was a lie.

Everything Melody knows about her past appears to be a lie. Growing up knowing her mother was murdered wasn’t easy but having the knowledge that she’s alive isn’t something she wrap her brain around. Not only is Aviela alive, she’s out for blood…Callahan blood.

When it comes to Liam and Melody’s marriage, sex appears to be the only thing they can agree on. With new targets out to take them down, while trying to ensure their families safety, they seem to fall into one complication after another.

“Being untouchable is just an illusion people like us create to intimidate others. Everyone has a weakness.”

Liam’s love for Melody is with out a doubt his weakness. Aviela manages to toy with his family without getting caught. She’s always there just lurking in the background always ready to strike and not knowing her motives is almost as bad as knowing her ultimate goal of taking them out.

While Melody’s family is out for blood, Liam’s family is still adjusting to the change in power. Sedric passed the business down to Liam, but with Liam comes Melody and not everyone in the Callahan family is willing to bow down to their newest member adding to their list of problems.

Family is family, even when you wish they weren’t.

This series is not your typical romance novel. I personally wouldn’t label it as dark but it’s not cute and fluffy either. The Callahan are truly Ruthless People. They make money from selling drugs and wouldn’t even bat an eye at killing a family member if they felt it was needed. If this was real life and I heard about these people on the news I would be appalled at their story, however it’s not real and while some readers might find subject matter disturbing, I found it entertaining.

The next and final book American Savages is expected to release on March 19th.

*ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
**Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.**

View all my reviews

The Innocent Liar

4 Solid Stars

When Eli’s father asked him for a favor, he ends up with a beautiful but desperate woman begging him for a job. She claims her name is Fiona, but the only thing Eli knows for sure is…she’s lying.

She’s running from an ugly past that’s threating her future when she’s promised safety in the form of job. But when she won’t come clean about her real identity, the owner refuses to hire her.

She was here to disappear. She was here to stay alive long enough to reappear.

Just when Eli starts to feel guilty for turning away someone who obviously needs help, Fiona returns to once again ask for a job. Whether it’s her desperation or just her desire to fight for something she needs, Eli decides to hire her.

Eli hates liars, but the more he’s around Fiona, the more he can’t stop thinking about her. She’s a mystery and the sudden need to not only help her, but possibly solve her problems out weighs his need for the truth. His only request…

Eli is falling hard and fast. This unknown woman has the power to destroy him and while Fiona might not being lying to him, the amount of secrecy that comes with helping her becomes more than he can handle.

”We can’t build a life on secrets.”

One of my 2015 reading goals is to clean up my kindle. I have no idea why I skipped over reading The Innocent Liar because I loved it! Thank goodness for my goal or otherwise I might have missed out on an awesome read.

Eli is a moody asshole that treats Fiona like crap in the beginning, but once he stops fighting the attraction they feel for each other he becomes a strong alpha hero that really redeems himself. Fiona is an equally great heroine and when you add in the suspenseful plot and the steam, it makes for a great story.

Outside the Ropes

   

Synopsis:

In the ring, Regan has control. Outside the ropes, she fights to survive.

Regan Sommers spent her life fighting. Fighting foster parents, kids in the group home, and classmates. But the night she has to fight for her life changes everything.

Now, she’s fighting for money in the ring, and from the first punch she’s addicted. Every addiction has a price though, and this one is the gym’s star boxer, Gage Lawson. He may come in an enticing tattooed package, but his demands are more than she can handle.

The responding officer from that night, Anthony Fields, comes with no demands. He want’s whatever she’s willing to give, and Regan can handle that. She can definitely handle him.

But no help comes string free, and Regan’s not the only one with a hard past and scars to cover. The life she was trying to escape is nothing compared to the danger she’s in the middle of now, and she can’t fight her way out.

My Review:

4.5 Stars

You never know what to expect when you read something from an author that’s new or new to you, so I will admit I was a little nervous when I started Ashley Claudy’s debut novel, Outside the Ropes. However it didn’t take long to discover that this author has some real talent because I could not put this book down once I started.

Outside the Ropes is the story of Regan Sommers. She’s lived a hard life growing up in the foster care system then gets dumped into the real world with no high school degree, no money, and no family at the age of seventeen. Sleeping on one couch to the next, working a dead end job is her only form of survival.

With barely any money in her pocket and after working a late shift, she ends up walking to her friends house after work only she never makes it that far. Out numbered by at least six boys, she held against her will while they violently attack her. Regan has spent most of her life fighting to survive and even though she’s out numbered she’s not about to go down willingly.

That attack brings four men into Regan’s life. An officer working on her case named Anthony, and the three men who stopped the attack. Anthony is seven years older than Regan and seems to have his life in order. As far as Regan is concerned, he’s way to good for her but Anthony is persistent and keeps claiming he only wants to help with no strings attached.

“He was the type a girl would want to take home to her family, I could tell. But I didn’t have a family, and I wasn’t the girl you’d want to show off to your parents.”

Gage and Dexter Lawson and Silas Tillman are the men who stopped the attack on Regan. All three men are professional boxers and after Silas witnessed Regan’s fight for her life, he offers her a chance to fight in the local woman’s league.

From Regan’s perspective this is a chance of a lifetime. She can earn serious money using one of the only skills she knows. Feeling like she’s already hit rock bottom, this might be her last chance to provide a stable life for herself.

Dexter and Gage might be brothers but they don’t act anything alike. Dex is excited to help Regan train while Gage repeatedly reminds Regan she doesn’t know anything about the sport. But all it takes is one fight, and Regan has a taste of something she’s not about to give up.

Gage acts like he can’t stand Regan but he seems to pop up every time she’s around Dex. Her mind knows she should stay away, but her body can’t seem to resist him.

I was expecting the typical fighting romance plot, so I was pleasantly surprised at how unique this story is. Regan’s life appears very different from Gage’s but when dangerous people appear to be after her, she discovers her past might be more connection to Gage than her future is.

Outside the ropes is book one of three in this series and end with a mild cliff.

*ARC kindly provided by Ashley Claudy in exchange for an honest review*

Cover Reveal-A Father’s Fight

 

A Father’s Fight

Life changes in the span of a heartbeat. One, tiny heartbeat.

Blake and Layla have lived through disappointment and regret, only finally finding relief with the powerful love they have for each other. A love they intend to fight to keep.

They’ve had to forgive each other, but can they truly move forward without facing the pain of the past?

Layla’s been avoiding the phone calls. Nine months pregnant and exhausted, she doesn’t want the complication. But she can’t run from the truth. Whoever’s calling was there eighteen years ago. Unlike her, he remembers the night that changed the course of her life, and he’s ready to talk.

Blake’s preoccupied with an email, a few simple sentences sent through cyberspace that have the capability to rob him of his sanity, his freedom, and the people he loves most in the world. When he’s called home for a mysterious reason, leaving Layla isn’t ideal, but hope for reconciliation combined with his brother’s secrecy ignites a curiosity he refuses to ignore.

Putting the pain behind them is no longer an option.

To get the answers they need, they must face the past and open up old wounds that threaten to bleed them dry.

Expected release date: Jan 26th. Amazon pre-order:http://amzn.to/1vFNkeW

Add to Goodreads:http://bit.ly/13JjuyA

You can enter to win one of ten ebook copies of Fighting to Forgive here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Top Ten for 2014

 

My top ten favorites for 2014

1. Made by J.M. Darhower. After reading Sempre, I never gave Corrado Moretti another thought. When I was given an ARC copy of Made, I knew I would enjoy it at least on some level because J.M. Darhower is an amazing author. However Made ended up being my top read for the entire year and Corrado Moretti gave me a new meaning to a “dark hero”.

2. Six of Hearts by L.H. Cosway. Now you see him, now you don’t. Jay Fields is an illusionist and puts on a show you don’t want to miss. But be fair warned…somewhere along the way, you just might lose your heart.

3. Nocte by Courtney Cole. When you read as much as I do, you learn the shock factor keeps getting higher and higher, but Courtney Cole managed to keep me guessing until the biter end. Nocte is book one of The Nocte Trilogy with next two books due to release in 2015.

4. Thin Love by Eden Butler. When Kona and Keira meet, sparks fly and it’s a strong case of “hate at first sight”. Their relationship is anything but easy and goes through many ups and downs over a course of sixteen years.

5. Beautiful Broken Promises Lane has a secret. One he’s kept from even his closest friends. When Rae enters his life, he not only finds a piece of himself, he finds the love of his life and is willing to do anything to keep her. While this is the 3rd book in this series you can read this one as a standalone.

6. More than Forever by Jay McLean If you’re a fan of the More Than series then you probably already read Lucy and Cam’s story. Their journey is a beautiful story of two teenagers going through life’s ups and downs and managing to whether the storm together.

7. Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson Colton and Lilly have an incredible love story. One that will touch your heart in so many ways.

8. Devil’s Game by Joanna Wylde Em and Liam come from two rival MC clubs and their relationship starts off with a kidnapping. When everyone else would rather see them apart, it’s up to them to make to prove everyone wrong.

9. Until Lilly by Aurora Rose Reynolds What happens when the man of your dreams not only breaks your heart but leaves you pregnant? That’s just what happen to Lilly Donovan. She was forced to step up and prove to the world just how strong she really is…but what happens with the man of your dreams reappears and everything you thought you knew ended up being a lie? Until Lilly was an amazing second chance love story.

10. Push by Claire Wallis. When reading a new author I never know what to expect, but I can honestly say, Claire Wallis blew me away. While I didn’t care for how this series ended, Push still ended up making my list.

A lot of bloggers give a top five, but I read over four hundred books in 2014, so I decided to go with a top ten.

The Pact

4.5 Stars!!

What if you met The One only moments after your best friend started dating her? What if The One became your best friend instead of the love of your life? What if you can’t stop wanting the only woman that’s now completely off limits? You make a pact that if you’re both still single at the age of thirty, you’ll marry each other. At least that’s how Linden McGregor decided to handle his relationship with Stephanie Robson.

Stephanie, Linden and James are extremely close friends, only once upon a time… Stephanie and James dated for almost a year, but even after breaking up the three of them remained close. But as the years tick bye, Stephanie starts to wonder what could have been if she never dated James or if she dated Linden instead.

 

Linden has a well earned reputation for being one of San Francisco’s most known playboys and the fear that he might not feel the same way about her and ultimately ruining their friendship, is why Stephanie keeps her feelings a secret.

Stephanie and Linden were twenty-five when they agreed to The Pact and those five years weren’t easy on them. Other relationships come and go, some serious, some not but watching the other one with someone else doesn’t get easier with time.

The Pact is written with dual POV’s, so we know just how much both Stephanie and Linden want a relationship with each other. But as their thirtieth birthdays start to approach they have to act on their fears…they either move forward with the pact or let the idea slip away forever. Only now, it’s not just the two of them they have to think about.

 

Relationships are left broken and friendships are tested, but finally claiming The One should make the world perfect, right?

“When did I get so lucky again?” “When you accepted a dare.”

I’m shocked to say that I completely devoured The Pact. I’m not shocked at the amazing writing Karina Halle continues to deliver but I will be the first to admit that her books seem to push me out of my comfort zone so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading.

Yes, The Pact hit one of my serious dislikes when I’m choosing what to read next[For at least the first 40% of the book they are with other people (hide spoiler)] and yes it was a little more angsty then I normally prefer, but somehow everything came together in a way that didn’t bother me. This book hit me right in the heart and will be one that I will remember down the road and is something I would highly recommend!!!

The Pact is currently on sale for only .99 cents until the first of the year! You can get your copy here: http://amzn.to/1BiKMXH

Something Reckless

 

4 Stars!!

When it comes to Sam and Liz’s relationship, they both have regrets. Every choice they’ve made has led them to a moment that will change their lives forever.

“Liz has always been there. This fixture in my life that always felt out of my reach. And I helped put her there. She stayed beyond my grasp because she was scared to trust me with her heart.”

Reckless & Real is a three part series. For readers that didn’t read the free novella Something Wild you can read it at the beginning of Something Reckless.

Liz Thompson tried to give her virginity to her friend’s older brother Sam Bradshaw when she was only 17. While Sam’s not usually a man of honor, he turned Liz down. Sam wanted Liz, but she was underage and had been drinking and he wasn’t about to take advantage of her. Unfortunately he never explained his reasons for turning her away and that starts his long list of regrets where Liz is concerned.

Years later, Sam is dealing with a serious problem, but he’s not telling anyone what’s wrong. When Liz crosses his path they agree on one night, no strings and he decides this is just the distraction he needs. But for the first time in his life and after only one night with Liz, Sam’s thinking about the possibly of something more. The following day, how Sam decides to handle his “problem” ultimately shuts the door on any future he might have had with Liz.

Another two years later, and Liz is tried of being single and she’s ready to find someone to share her life with. She wants a man who looks at her like her soon to be brother in law looks at her sister. With nothing to lose, she decides to try a local online dating site.

Every guy she meets ends up being a loser, but there’s one she hasn’t met and he’s the one Liz is starting to fall for. Their exchanges are anonymous, but their words are filled with passion. But something feels familiar about this stranger and Liz is starting to think maybe, just maybe it’s Sam.

“Elizabeth Thompson is my downfall. My temptation. My shouldn’t-want-it-but can’t-stay-away. .”

When Liz starts working for Sam’s father, they start seeing each other almost daily. It doesn’t take long for them to give in to the desire they still feel for each other. For so many reasons Liz should be the last woman Sam should have a relationship with but she’s still the only woman that’s tempted him to think about the possibly of settling down.

Sam is falling for Liz, Liz is falling for Sam but now Liz is starting to question the real identity of her online love interest. He knows things that only someone in her real life would know and if she’s wrong and it’s not Sam then the list possibilities might shatter her already fragile future with Sam.

Sam and Liz’s relationship is a classic example of cause and effect. They continue to unknowing make decisions that effect their relationship. If either of them had been honest about how they really felt about each other, their list of regrets would be much shorter. However even saying that, I understood why both of them have been afraid to emotionally out themselves to each other.

You can purchase Something Reckless here:http://amzn.to/1A1fS7S

You can pre-order a copy of Something Real,  the conclusion of Sam and Liz’s story that’s due to release on March 3rd 2015 here: http://amzn.to/1x82v3z

Something Wild

4.5 Stars!!

At seventeen, Liz decides she’s going to lose her virginity to her best friend’s older brother Sam but he turns her down.

Four years later and Liz still feels the sting of Sam’s rejection when suddenly she’s has a one night, no expectations offer from him.

Sam didn’t reject Liz, he just didn’t take advantage of a drunk seventeen year old but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t desired her for a very long time and when he finally has his chance with her he decides to take what he’s wanted for four very long years.

But Sam’s life is currently weighing on a decision he has no control over and getting involved with Liz is something he not ready to handle. But when he’s with her, he feels a calm he never knew existed.

They’re bonded by friendship, but it only takes one night to change everything.

Something Wild is a prequel to Something Reckless. For such a short story, the character development was amazing and now I can’t wait to start this series. The added bonus, this book is currently FREE: http://amzn.to/1xa59Jb

The Reckless & Real series:

Something Wild (Reckless and Real #0.5) by Lexi Ryan –Release Date: December 8th, 2014

Something Reckless (Reckless & Real #1) by Lexi Ryan –Release Date: December 22nd, 2014

Something Real (Reckless & Real #2) by Lexi Ryan –Release Date: March 3rd, 2015

One to Leave

3.5-4 Stars

Stuart Knight has devoted his entire life to being a marine. Because of his career he feels he has no room for love in his life and never wants the guilt that comes from leaving someone he cares about behind.

When Stuart becomes wounded and learns he’ll never see active duty again he starts self medicating with pain killers and alcohol until finally his life spins so far out of control he knows he has to stop and get a handle on his addiction.

Mariska meets Stuart for just a brief moment, but it was enough to leave her wanting to know more. When she learns that he’s staying on a ranch in Montana she decides to do something wild and crazy and takes off to see him.

Mariska has one connection to Stuart that keeps her from looking like a crazy woman who traveled across the country to see a man she only met for a few minutes and that’s his younger brother Patrick. Patrick and Elaine were already heading out to Montana to check on Stuart so Elaine decides to help Mariska out by pretending they’re friends.

When Stuart starts to get a handle on his pain and his addiction something wakes up inside of him whenever Mariska is around. Love is still not in the cards for him because even without active duty, he still plans to serve his country and won’t be staying long.

“Sometimes it takes more courage to give up one dream for a new one.”

Mariska went to Montana to help Stuart, but after spending time with him, she’s wants everything including his heart. Now, Stuart has to decide if he wants a future with Mariska or if he will always just be the One to Leave.

“Deep in my heart, I knew he belonged to me, but that wounded warrior wasn’t letting anyone in. He had his plans, and for whatever reason, they didn’t allow room for love.”

I would recommend One to Leave to readers who are a fan of the series. Stuart’s makes for a perfect tortured hero and while he doesn’t always make good choices his heart always seems to be in the right place.

I found Mariska to be a slightly strange heroine. Her reasons for taking off to see Stuart again did make her borderline crazy. If you’re a fan of Patrick and Elaine then you’ll especially enjoy the Epilogue of their wedding day!

*ARC kindly provided by Tia Louise in exchange for an honest review*

 Pre-order available~  http://amzn.to/1GUpsJQ

Justified

3.5~ She is my Obsession Stars

When I pick up a book by Aurora Rose Reynolds I feel confident that she’ll deliver a strong alpha male and she’s never failed yet.

When Nolan first sets his eyes on Chloe he decides before even talking to her, that he’ll do anything it takes to claim her.

”She was mine. She just didn’t know it.”

Nolan’s ex-wife did a real number on him and he never thought he would fall for another woman, but with Chloe everything is different. She’s sweet and innocent and his desire to protect her has turned him into a bossy and controlling man.

”My feelings for her go above and beyond the realm of normal and into the categories of slightly crazy, obsessed and extreme possession.”

When deciding what to read next, I’m always looking out for alpha males. While I’m in my fictional world they are my weakness, so it shocks me to say this but even I thought Nolan was a little too over the top. Justified is told by Nolan’s POV and being inside his head and knowing his thoughts added to his crazy side. Still, Nolan is twelve years older than Chloe and at times it almost felt like he was parenting her.

Justified is only a novella, but it’s packed with a lot of steam and mystery and I would recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of Aurora Rose Reynolds.

Available on Amazon- http://amzn.to/1GMFHJ3