3 Star Review: Rock Rebel by Tara Leigh

Monday 10 December 2018 No comments




Rock Rebel by Tara Leigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story had so many layers to it which stemmed from the h’s abuse at the hands of so-called industry professionals. Covering the current and deeply emotive subject, namely the #metoo movement, the author managed to address this highly evocative area with grace and sensitivity. 

Rock Rebel introduces readers to an actress/pop-princess who is trying to re-invent herself via the music industry. Having been abused during her previous endeavours, Verity is trying to find her own way in life, and away from her parasitic, co-conspirator mother. 

When Travis Taggert, NBT’s manager, also becomes Verity’s manager, their paths were destined to overlap, especially when Verity becomes friends with Piper and Delaney. Having seen Dax at a party, Verity is stunned when she finds herself in an elevator with him especially when she realises he doesn’t recognise her, although the chemistry between the duo is immediately tangible. 

Despite not recognising Verity, Dax is stunned when he finds out who she is and immediately starts to distance himself from his feelings towards her. With a joint tour on the cards, Dax is keen to avoid a repeat of what happened with his ex. That said, Verity and Dax soon find more than music in common as their friendship grows. 

As the book progresses, Dax and Verity become close but Dax tries to resist his feelings towards Verity. Verity, with her own issues stemming from her past, also finds it hard to open herself up to potentially more heartbreak but despite her misgivings, Dax manages to reawaken something in her. 

The connection between Dax and Verity was very slow to develop, mainly due to their past and relationship misgivings, and I found my interest in their story waning slightly as a result. Despite my best efforts, I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the storyline on this occasion. I applaud the author for tackling such a sensitive subject as the #metoo movement but I felt that the subject matter made the story a little too reflective. For me, the story really kicked in around 70% at which point Dax and Verity suddenly find their pasts inexplicably overlapping and the story suddenly became captivating.

As always with Tara Leigh’s books, this was well written with some memorable quotes but on this occasion was less about the music and more about portraying a poignant message. 

Kindle I iBooks I Nook I Kobo I Paperback 

Review: Acquisition

Acquisition Acquisition by Chelle Bliss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An out of this world enemies to lovers story, I loved it, and need Merger NOW!!!

I want it all. I want her. I want Interstellar. I want everything. I’m the type of man who’s used to getting it too.


It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book in one sitting but that’s exactly what happened with Acquisition. Having had the book sitting on my e-reader for weeks, I am now kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I love stories which swing from enemies to lovers and whilst they are indirect enemies, as rival CEO’s, Antonio and Lauren’s story was breathtaking.

He flirted. I blushed. He smiled. I swooned.


Bringing me into an unknown world of the aerospace industry was a refreshing change and something which fascinated me in its own right. As mentioned, the key protagonists are each CEOs of their rival firms which set the story up for an interesting set of problems as each falls for the other but with a takeover on the cards, life for Antonio and Lauren was never going to be easy.

I’m only her enemy inside the boardroom, not in the bedroom.


From their initial meeting, where they each pretended to be someone else, I knew I was going to fall as hard for each of these characters as they did each other. Antonio was your usual powerful businessman but this time his character wasn’t overpowered by his ego. Lauren, equally as powerful in and out of the boardroom, knows that she will do anything to save her company from Antonio’s clutches and whilst not trusting him, she finds it hard to forget their one night together.

The kiss. The touch. The smell. The sounds. The taste. Everything in this moment is about Antonio and me, with a dash of Elizabeth and Lou.


With bodies ruling minds though, both Antonio and Lauren struggle with their feelings for one another. Antonio is determined to win Lauren’s heart but with her father’s memories ruling her mind, she is not prepared to lie down in front of this man again.

One minute I hate him, and the next I’m falling for the man. None of it is fair either. There’s no way we could have a future.


Lauren’s work life gets as problematic as her love life when her ex, and head of research and development, starts to cause ripples for her and it soon becomes clear that he still holds a torch for her but will their working relationship win out and can Lauren keep him as a friend and a colleague before things turn nasty?

So, from boardroom to bedroom, with some sea, sand and sex thrown in as well, I was treated to a captivating story and one which will has left me crying out for the sequel, Merger, which fortunately releases very soon.

This ebook was kindly provided by the author prior to release date in return for an honest and unbiased review.

View all my reviews

Review: Merger

Merger Merger by Chelle Bliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I want Antonio Forte. The complicated Italian man with an ego that preceded him and gave me pause.


I so wish this story could have been in one book. After loving and not being able to put down Aquisition, I found it difficult to re-ignite my interest in the story initially with Merger. That said, after a slowish start, I did manage to quickly fall in love with Antonio and Lauren again.

The whole merger part of this story seemed to be over and done with relatively quickly in this book and it left me wondering where Lauren and Antonio’s story would go next. Well, that’s easy to explain. With business aside, readers are introduced to Antonio’s delightful family. With his relationship with Lauren growing stronger day by day, Antonio is more than ready to introduce her to his mother and the rest of his family, much to Lauren’s initial reluctance. With their business dealings pretty much now opening the door to their relationship, it’s not long before colleagues realise that there is something going on between the two as they spend so much time together. As expected, there are one of two disgruntled employees unhappy at their personal “merger” but Lauren and Antonio are more than capable to quash any internal uprisings.

Thankfully, we get to revisit Antonio’s island again, with an extra treat in store this time, and we are also rewarded with a visit or two to Lake Como in Italy, where Antonio’s family live. During their time in Como, readers get to appreciate a different side of both Lauren and Antonio and at this point, the book’s story seemed to take on an altogether different focus. Gone was the hardened business minds, and in their place, we spend time with two people who are finding their way towards a HEA.

I did enjoy Merger but I would recommend reading both books together to experience the full effect of the story. There is one again fun times to be had between Lauren and Antonio between the sheets and although their initial connection has taken on a different feel to it, it is still a rewarding relationship to see develop. The large family we meet on Antonio’s side is clearly an important part of Chelle’s personal and book life and it would be a shame not to explore more of the characters in this book as was done with the Men of Inked series. With punky Violetta to the equally attractive but dangerous Stefano, I think readers would really enjoy more from the Forte family.

This duo of books had a different feel to them from what Chelle normally writes. Whilst Merger was an enjoyable story, I felt that it lost some of its business intrigue, or maybe it was intentional. There is the usual Chelle Bliss heat between the pages, so don’t worry about it being a tame romance, it just felt different, but in a nice way and the ending simply made the story all the more worthwhile, especially Lauren’s gift to Antonio.


This ebook was kindly provided by the author prior to release date in return for an honest and unbiased review.

View all my reviews

Cover Reveal: The Kiss Thief by LJ Shen

Friday 7 December 2018 No comments




Blurb:

They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage. 

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.



Release Date: January 9th



4 Star Review: Rock Legend by Tara Leigh

Thursday 6 December 2018 No comments





Rock Legend by Tara Leigh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another enjoyable story from the Nothing but Trouble stable of rock stars and another reason why the band carries the name it does!

This time, it’s Landon Cox’s story waiting to be told. Landon, the effervescent drummer with Nothing but Trouble, is all about the partying and rock star lifestyle and believes in taking his excesses to an impossible height. The women he takes to his bed are there for one reason only and relationships are clearly not an option. That is until he sees the girl who stole his heart many years before he became a rock God.

Unbeknownst to Landon, Piper Hastings works for Travis Taggert the band’s agent. Keeping herself firmly away from Landon’s presence, Piper has successfully avoided a confrontation with him, that is until Delaney, lead singer Shane’s girlfriend drags her to one of the Nothing But Trouble gigs. With emotions running high, Piper flees backstage and into what she assumes is a safe area but unfortunately for her, she finds herself in Landon’s room.

Landon is stunned to see Piper again and it is clear that their chemistry and feelings for one another have not diminished with time. Piper knows starting anything with Landon would be asking for trouble but unfortunately, her heart and mind don’t see eye to eye.

4 Star Review: Rock King by Tara Leigh







Rock King by Tara Leigh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When you’re a rockstar, you can buy anything you want, right? But does that include girlfriends designed to meet your every need? For Shane Hawthorne, that’s exactly what it means!

With no current “girlfriend”, Shane looks to his agent, Travis, to find him a pool of suitable candidates in order for him to find someone fitting to go on tour with him. In the eyes of the media/fans, girlfriends have to openly display affection towards Shane and anything else, well, that can be negotiated behind closed (bedroom) doors! For Shane though, his girlfriends must also act as sober companions and be distracting enough to steer him away from the many temptations of alcohol and drugs.

Delaney Fraser is living a life far from what was mapped out for her prior to her mother’s death. Working as a waitress, she has no idea how to get her life back on track. When an old school acquaintance walks into the steakhouse where she works, her prospects suddenly start to look up especially when her friend’s boss invites her to one of his infamous parties. Little does Delaney know that this particular party is to find Shane Hawthorne, rock star extraordinaire, a new girlfriend.

Corrupted Hearts Series by Tiffany Snow

Monday 3 December 2018 No comments

 



Follow Me (Corrupted Hearts, #1)Follow Me by Tiffany Snow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this story, despite being slightly challenged by all the sci-fi nerd talk at times. The story was refreshingly different and with two male leads both vying for the attention of China Mack, I was kept intrigued right until the very end of the book.

China Mack was a fascinating character. A 23 old with a brilliant mind working in computer programming, she is sought-after for her skills and also her looks and quirky ways. Despite having OCD, and her religious routines, she intrigues those around her and especially her boss, Jackson Cooper. When Jackson employs her services on a special project, working closely with him, China is awestruck but jumps at the chance of spending time working alongside him. The only problem is that he leads her down a dangerous path which puts her life in danger and her skills to the test.

This was a real "who do you trust" storyline. With her new neighbour interested in her but having appeared out of the blue, China is suspicious as to why she attracts his attention, and add into the mix the sudden interest Jackson has in her, who exactly can she trust?

Although this book is part of a series, you could read it as a standalone but there is also a separate development calling you to read the next instalment.