Review: Fearless (B.B. Reid)

Fearless
Series: Broken Love, #5
Author: B.B. Reid
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: B.B. Reid
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

Take one last ride with Keiran and Lake and the rest of the Broken Love gang in this fifth and final installment as they face stronger enemies and bigger obstacles while fighting to hold tight to the tattered existence of their love.

When faced with broken love…

Have you ever had the feeling you were a stranger?
Out of reach, I watched and mourned me.
Nothing moved. Breathed. Nothing lived.
I was in an alternate universe.
No longer an innocent.
I had blood on my hands, and I wasn’t even sorry for it.
I was only afraid for Keiran.
Of his reaction when the shock wore off.
It would be an explosion.
Of hurt, anger, and mistrust.
He’d know I lied.
And to him…
The betrayal born of my good intentions is worse than the act of murder.

…will you succumb to fear…

She was supposed to be my light.
The one who saved me from the monster.
But when I looked in her eyes that day, I didn’t see her.
I only saw my father’s killer.

Her love saved me from the monster.
Mine turned her into one.

…or will you be fearless?


I’ve had a love-hate relationship with every book in this series. The mystery / suspense plot that has continued throughout each book has been exceptional. The addictive quality of the writing has been as well. What has bothered me is the abusive relationships and the way they have been depicted. I have a real problem with anyone finding the male characters and / or the way they treat the women their lives worthy of swooning. Everyone in these books needs therapy. That’s made all of the books hard for me to review and rate. I have given them all three stars because that’s how I averaged what I loved with what I hated. You’ll notice this book gets three and a half stars. Here’s why.

I was very impressed with how the plot ended up wrapping up. B.B. Reid crafted a truly exceptional mystery that kept me hanging on. Things finally came full circle, and all of the revelations were perfect.

Despite the fact that I don’t truly believe that Lake and Keiran should be together due to the nature of their past relationship, I appreciated the growth they showed individually and together. It did give me hope that maybe they could have a healthy relationship. There were a couple of tender moments that made me question my feelings about Keiran. I have to admit to swooning because they were so perfect for a romance novel. That disturbs me a little, to be honest.

I know this review doesn’t really tell you much, but I don’t want to give anything away. Fearless did a great job of wrapping all of the storylines up. I’m happy to be done with this series because it’s been hard on my heart and conscience. Although, I’m glad B.B. Reid has a book outside this series planned for the supporting characters Jesse, Diana, and Quinton. I’m really curious to see what’s next for those three. Hopefully it’s something a little happier.

Review: Breaking Love (B.B. Reid)

Breaking Love
Series: Broken Love, #4
Author: B.B. Reid
Publication Date: November 24, 2015
Publisher: B.B. Reid
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

She’s the girl who got away, but now she’s back…

Four years was all it took.

I told myself I didn’t need friends. I didn’t need family. I sure as fuck didn’t need him.

And you know what?

I was right.

He had been inside of me, coursing through my veins.

So I cut and bled Dash Chambers until I was free.

But the day I returned to Six Forks and was thrown at his feet, I realized I would never forget how it felt to have every inch of him inside me.

…and he’s waiting.

Angel thought if she ran far enough, she’d be free.

What’s mine will always be mine.

This time I do things my way.

* * *

DISCLAIMER: While Breaking Love isn’t dark, the first of the series contains sensitive themes many people aren’t able to swallow. 


Okay. First, I have to comment on that disclaimer above. I disagree with it. Breaking Love IS dark. The themes may not be quite as sensitive as the first three books in the series, but they are still sensitive. The relationship(s) depicted in this book is not healthy.

That being said, the writing and plot other than the relationship is very addictive. It’s what has kept me reading. The mystery / suspense plot continues through each book and is built on. It got even more twisted and interesting in Breaking Love. I loved all of the revelations and how they effected the entire cast of the series.

Back to the relationship aspect of this book… Dash might not be the monster Keiran or Keenan were in the previous books, but he wasn’t a saint. He was manipulative in more ways than one. His relationship with Willow was sweeter than any of the others. Despite a few of his actions, I actually liked Dash a lot. His intentions were a lot purer than his friends’.

I hate to say it, but I am not a fan of Willow after reading this book. I didn’t like how she treated her friendships with Sheldon and Lake. Her whole reason for being absent was just ugh. When Willow did return to town, she made one bad decision after the next. She hid things she didn’t need to hide. I don’t know why she couldn’t trust the people who obviously had her back, but it made me so irritated.

This may sound weird, but my favorite thing about Breaking Love was the end. I wasn’t expecting it and it was an amazing cliffhanger! I was so happy to have the next book ready to read.

Review: Fear Us (B.B. Reid)

Fear Us
Series: Broken Love, #3
Author: B.B. Reid
Publication Date: September 22, 2015
Publisher: B.B. Reid
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

KEENAN
It’s been four years since I ran away—from home, my brother, and my maybe father. I created a life free of expectations while pretending I wasn’t being hunted by all of the above. I managed to stay under the radar all this time… or so I thought. When big brother shows up and saves my ass, I’m forced to face everything I left behind, including her.

SHELDON
It’s been four years since I became another statistic. I made a lot of mistakes when it came to Keenan Masters. The first was loving him at all. He took something from me the night he left, and when I told him I still loved him, he told me he’d always hate me. After that, I learned how to be okay… until he came back. Gone was the boy who always knew how to make me laugh, and in his place was a cold, arrogant monster.


I’m completely addicted to the Broken Love series, and yet I’m a little disappointed in the direction it has continued to go. The first two books in the series, Fear Me and Fear You, were great with the exception of Lake and Kieran’s abusive relationship. That relationship made me so mad. I wanted to love them together, but I couldn’t. I was really, really hoping that Keenan and Sheldon’s book was going to be different. Was it? No, not really.

Fear Us takes place four years after Fear You left off. It’s important to have read the first two books prior to Fear Us because a big part of the story is woven around situations that take part in the past. Everything leads up to where Keenan and Sheldon are now. I had a feeling I knew where Keenan and Sheldon’s story was headed — I just didn’t know it was going to be so twisted and maddening.

Keenan pretty much turned himself into a version of Kieran. That made me sad for a couple of reasons. One, I liked who Keenan was for the most part prior to anger taking over his life. He was tough like Kieran, but he had a jovial sweetness to him. I missed that Keenan. I didn’t want mean Keenan. Two, I was done reading about a volatile, abusive relationship. I mean, why do all these guys have to be so abusive? Why can’t they be alpha without the intimidation and forcefulness? The things these brothers have done make me sick to my stomach.

I was proud of Sheldon in so many situations in this book. She didn’t back down to Keenan when it came to some of the most important things. I do wish she wouldn’t have given into Keenan in other ways, but I guess it does show the reader how love can make people stay/put up with situations they shouldn’t.

What surprised me the most in this book was Ken. It wasn’t Ken’s character so much as how Kieran’s relationship with Ken was depicted. I was surprised by how much I liked that part of the story. It made Kieran seem like less of a monster to me. I could almost — not really — forget his past.

My favorite thing about Fear Us was the same thing as the first two books. I loved the mystery/suspense plot that continued. It kept me wondering how everything was going to play out for this group of friends.

So… Plot good. Abusive relationships bad. I know that’s how the whole series is going to be. I should get over the abusive part, but I can’t. I won’t. It’s just too wrong…but I need to know how everything is going to shake out in the end, so I will keep reading.

Review: Fear You (B.B. Reid)

Fear You
Series: Broken Love, #2
Author: B.B. Reid
Publication Date: March 11, 2015
Publisher: B.B. Reid
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

What happens when she’s had enough?

Lake Monroe has given in to her childhood tormentor too many times. She knows it, he knows it, and even their enemies know it. When he returned after being found guilty of a crime he didn’t commit—a crime he thought she set him up for, he returned darker than ever, demanding her body and her submission. To survive him, she knew she had to give in to fear once more or suffer the deadly consequences…

But Lake experienced what it was like to submit to the dark and demanding boy who invaded her dreams. Now she’ll experience what it’s like to fight him.

What happens when he wants more?

Keiran Masters has a past that is both shocking and dark. Once enslaved, he now has demons he can’t escape—demons that have followed him for ten years, demons he blames his beautiful obsession for. He promised to make her pay. He promised to make her break…

But after Keiran had conquered her body and tasted her submission, he found a new addiction instead—one he has no intention of giving up.

As secrets unfold,
Identities are revealed,
Danger closes in,
And they both discover what it really means to fear…


Fear You is the second book in the Broken Love series. It begins where the first book, Fear Me, left off. Without reading book one, you won’t understand the plot or the relationship dynamics. Just a warning: This book contains sensitive themes that will be disturbing to some readers. You can check out my review for Fear Me here, if you’re curious.

Like I said above, Fear You continues Lake and Keiran’s story. They’re not on good terms–not that they ever truly were on good terms. Lake has to deal with the fall out for what she’s done to Keiran. He’s back to torment her, but this time she feels she has the power to stand up to him. It is hard because Keiran is relentless. He’s not willing to give Lake up. She’s his obsession.There’s also the matter of Keiran’s past haunting both Lake and Keiran. His demons have shown up, and it puts both of them in danger.

Fear You was a little easier for me to stomach than Fear Me. The abusive relationship between Lake and Keiran was still there, but I got some answers I needed. I now understand why Keiran is the monster he is. I still hate it, but I understand it. Lake stood up for herself as much as she was able to without completely giving in to Kerian, so I appreciated that. There were actually a few loving moments in Fear You that bordered on sweet. I still believe they both need years of counseling and that this book needs a warning about abusive relationships and where to get help if you’re in one. Basically, Keiran and Lake’s messed up relationship was pretty close to what it was in Fear You. It was horrible and no one should live that way.

What was outstanding about Fear You was the writing itself. It was utterly addictive. The story that was wrapped around Keiran and Lake’s twisted love affair was so good. It was suspenseful and kept me wondering how it would all play out. It is the only reason I kept reading this series other than to hope I would get to see Lake and Keiran get some therapy. I couldn’t believe some of the twists B.B. Reid came up with. I loved how the plot wrapped up — with the exception of Sheldon and Keenan’s arc. They moved into dangerous territory. Fear Us, the next book in this series, is theirs and I’m worried it’s going to be another Fear Me / Fear You situation. I don’t know that I can handle another abusive relationship like Lake and Keiran’s. I guess I’ll find out since I’ve already started reading the third book.

Review: Fear Me (B.B. Reid)

Fear Me
Series: Broken Love, #1
Author: B.B. Reid
Publication Date: January 26, 2015
Publisher: Bebe’s Reads LLC
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

I don’t believe in fairy tales and Prince Charming.

I believe in fear.

He taught me how to be afraid.

We first met on a playground on a wonderful summer day. It was the first time he hurt me and it wouldn’t be the last. For ten years, he’s been my tormentor and I’ve been his forbidden. But then he went away, and yet I was still afraid.

Now he’s back and wants more than just my tears. You see…he thinks I sent him away so now he wants revenge…and he knows just how to get it.

Warning: Fear Me contains sensitive themes.


Before I get into the nitty-gritty of my review, I feel the need to preface it with a few statements. B.B. Reid is a talented writer. She infuses her writing with passion and emotion, making her books highly addictive. I read Fear Me in one evening because I couldn’t put it down. It had some amazing twists and unforgettable characters. I feel the need to tell you these things because my review isn’t going to sound super positive. If you read the blurb above, you will notice the warning that this book contains sensitive themes. It truly does, and some of my negative thoughts revolve around those. I’ll get to that in a minute.

Fear Me is a book I downloaded for free. I had never read a B.B. Reid book before, and I wanted to give her books a try. Prior to actually starting Fear Me, I read reviews from some sources I trust. They were all super positive four and five-star reviews. One was by an author talking about how this book could disturb some but to remember it is fantasy. It’s not a real-life situation. That made me even more curious, so I decided to give Fear Me a shot.

Fear Me is told from Lake Monroe’s first-person point of view. From the beginning, Lake is filled with fear. Her childhood tormentor is returning to town for their senior year of high school. All Lake can do if try to fly under the radar and hide from Keiran Masters. Too bad Keiran isn’t going to let her do that. He has a plan to extract revenge against Lake, and she is going to be his unwilling participant. As Keiran sets his plan in motion to torment her, the fear Lake has of him forces her to abide by Keiran’s rules. She’s forced to give him everything he wants.

**Possible SPOILERS AHEAD (for sensitive themes not the plot)**

This book was royally messed up. It’s probably one of the most messed up books I’ve read. The things that happen in this book are so very wrong. Keiran uses Lake’s fear and her attraction to him to his advantage. He forces her to do things that should put him behind bars. He sexually assaults her constantly throughout this book and basically holds her captive. I hated the way his actions were romanticized. Stockholm Syndrome is the only way to describe Lake’s feelings toward Keiran. Their entire “relationship” was sick, and I honestly don’t get how readers can can “ooh and aah” over their relationship or swoon over Keiran’s character. Under all his anger and aggression, he might have loved Lake, but his actions were not loving, and they were downright illegal. Keiran was controlling, manipulative, and savage.

The reason why I’m putting spoilers in my review for Fear Me is that I am uncomfortable that younger new adult readers may pick it up due to the new adult tag. I’m scared they’re going to romanticize Keiran and the things he does. No one should be in a relationship like this book portrays. Fear Me needed more than a warning that it contains sensitive content. It needed a statement saying that if you’re in a relationship anything like the one portrayed in this book, you should contact a help line with the phone number included.

Keiran’s not the only monster in this book. His friends aren’t much better. His cousin Keenan is a cheater whose girlfriend, Sheldon, looks past his indiscretions. He has no problem aiding Keiran in his torture of Lake. Dash is Keiran’s best friend who is also willing to help in any way. Then, there’s Quinton who helps keep an eye on Lake. They’re like the male equivalent of high school mean girls but only worse.

High school. That’s another thing that blows my mind about this book. It’s set in freaking high school. None of these guys act or are described as looking like high schoolers. They’re bigger and badder than that. They have power over people like I can’t even fathom. The things they get away with…it’s unbelievable. Maybe that’s what makes them so interesting?

One thing I feel like I need to comment on was that this was another one of those books where the characters are still in high school, but the parents and guardians are rarely seen or heard from. They leave for extended periods of time and leave their kids home alone to attend school, etc. It makes all the things the characters do easier. They don’t really have to hide what’s going on from authority figures. I kept wondering who leaves their kids home all the time like this? My parents didn’t. My friends’ parents didn’t. I won’t leave my kid like that. Maybe some do. It just seemed way too convenient for the plot. I wish they had been around so it would have been harder for the kids to get away with stuff.

**END SPOILERS**

Now, I know what you’re wondering. If it was so horrible, how can I even give it 3 stars? Like I said earlier, B.B. Reid is a talented writer. I may have hated everything that was involved in the relationship Kieran and Lake had, but I was mesmerized by the story woven around it. It was a suspenseful mystery. There were so many secrets to uncover. There were so many fascinating revelations. Lake had amazing friendships with Willow and Sheldon. If Kieran hadn’t been such a monster, I probably would have loved this book. Despite my uncomfortable feelings regarding the sensitive subject matter, I have to read the next book. I need to know Lake that is going to be okay. I’m hoping Kieran gets the help he seriously needs. I guess I need some closure.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Haven’t Read

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s is Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Haven’t Read. I need to make these books a priority this upcoming year.

1. Flight Patterns
Author: Karen White

2. The Opportunist
Series: Love Me With Lies, #1
Author: Tarryn Fisher

3. From Sand and Ash
Author: Amy Harmon

4. The Fire Between Us
Series: Elements, #2
Author: Brittainy C. Cherry

5. The Mother Road
Author: Meghan Quinn

6. Amour Amour
Series: Aeriel Ethereal, #1
Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie

7. Now That You Mention It
Author: Kristan Higgins

8. All the Crooked Saints
Author: Maggie Stiefvater

9. Cocktales
Author: The Cocky Collective

10. The Charlotte Chronicles
Series: Jackson Boys, #1
Author: Jen Frederick

Series Review: Infamous (N.A. Alcorn)

The Infamous Ellen James
Series: Infamous, #1
Author: N.A. Alcorn
Publication Date: February 18, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

If you didn’t know, N.A. Alcorn is one half of Max Monroe. When I found out this summer who these authors were, I decided I had to read their individual works. I had several people recommend The Infamous Ellen James to me. I am so happy they did because I loved this book so much!!!

Ellen was outrageous. If she was my friend, she would have the nickname Crazy Ellen. She’s that friend who doesn’t mean to do dumb, crazy, funny stuff but always ends up making a scene. The things that happened to her are only things that could happen to Crazy Ellen. (I have a friend like this in real life, so I feel like I could totally see everything going down the way it did!)

Ellen wasn’t alone in her craziness. Ellen had her best friend Amy Jackson to back her up. Some might say Amy is even crazier than Crazy Ellen. (That’s something I will have to come back to when I review Avoiding Amy Jackson.) Ellen and Amy had the best friendship. They got into some insane trouble, but they always had each other’s backs.

Since Ellen was so fabulously outrageous, she needed a special man to fall in love with her. Dr. Trent Hamilton was that man. He wasn’t afraid to embrace the craziness of falling in love with Ellen. He saw her for the true gem she was.

One thing that really surprised me about The Infamous Ellen James was the serious place it went towards the end. It was all fun and games until something major happened. Then it became more emotional. I liked that N.A. Alcorn was able to take a book that was extremely fun and flirty and make it something deeper and more emotional.

The Infamous Ellen James was laugh out loud hilarious. I cannot even put into words how much joy this book brought me. I loved everything about Ellen and Trent. Their story of falling in love was a crazy good time. I can’t believe this was N.A. Alcorn’s first novel. It was so good!

Avoiding Amy Jackson
Series: Infamous, #2
Author: N.A. Alcorn
Publication Date: February 18, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

N.A. Alcorn gives a bit of preview of what’s to come in Avoiding Amy Jackson in The Infamous Ellen James. I’m happy she did that because the Amy and James’ story was… Well, I’m not even sure how to describe it! Amy was so angry wi James for turning down her offer of a one-night stand that she decided to hate him. She was mean and rude to him. For some really crazy reason, he still wanted to be with her. I didn’t get it, but it made for a great story!

Amy Jackson and Ellen James are two peas in a pod, so I was worried this book could feel like a repeat of the last. It wasn’t. Amy was just as crass as Ellen, but she had her own issues. She didn’t believe in love, and she was all about the one-night stand. That was bothersome at times to me, but as her issues slowly revealed themselves, I began to understand her decision-making process. It didn’t make me feel any better about her actions, but at least I could understand them. She had a lot of pain inside, and seeing how everything played out made me like her more as a person than I did at the beginning.

James was an idiot. Or an extremely patient and nice guy. It’s hard to determine which based on his holding out for Amy. I’m not quite why he continued to pursue her when she was so nasty to him. I did like how he waited her out and used some sneaky tactics to make her fall for him. He was really very sweet to her, and I loved how he treated her. I just didn’t completely get why he did it. That’s okay, though. It made for a great romance.

Now back to Ellen…I was happy she and Trent played such a big part in Amy and James’ story. It gave me the opportunity to get a little more of their love story. It was also fun to see Ellen and Amy back in action together. I also can’t leave out Ellen’s sister Lizzy. I loved the sneak peek at what was going on there. I was excited to see that Lizzy had a book coming — until I remembered that Max Monroe said they’re only writing books together right now and Avoiding Amy Jackson was released in 2014, so I might not get Lizzy’s story. 🙁

Avoiding Amy Jackson may not as be as amazing a read as The Infamous Ellen James for me, but it was still very good. It had humor, deep emotions, and a sweet love story. I’m crossing my fingers that N.A. Alcorn will eventually give me that third book in this series about Lizzy. I’m dying to read it and find out what else is to come in the Infamous world.

Review: The Sweet Gum Tree (Katherine Allred)

The Sweet Gum Tree
Author: Katherine Allread
Publication Date: May 12, 2005
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction, New Adult, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Sweet tea, corn bread, and soup beans—everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family. But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson, a boy from the wrong side of town. Armed with only a tin of bee balm and steely determination, Alix treats the raw evidence of a recent beating that mars his back, an act that changes both of their lives forever.

Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick’s abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer.

Suddenly, Nick is gone—leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick’s abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. But finally, she’s starting to get her life back together. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she’s content if not happy—until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. He’s back…and he’s not alone.

Once again Alix is plunged into turmoil and pain as Nick tries to win her love, something she resists with all her strength. Only one thing might break the protective wall she’s built around her emotions—the truth about Frank Anderson’s death. But when that truth comes out and those walls crumble, neither Alix nor Nick is prepared for the emotional explosion that could destroy as well as heal.


The Sweet Gum Tree is not a book that I normally would have picked up. Honestly, the cover and title wouldn’t have appealed to me. Luckily, I read a review of it by Stephanie. Her review made The Sweet Gum Tree sound so interesting. I decided I wanted to read it and requested it from my local library. I’m so happy I did! I ended up really enjoying this book. I didn’t want to put it down. I read it one night and stayed up super late to finish it.
When I first started reading The Sweet Gum Tree, I wondered what I was getting myself into. While the story was written in my favorite first-person narration, it was told straight to me by the main character Alix rather than experiencing it with her. That felt really odd to me. I got used to it and kind of forgot about it. It didn’t ruin the book for me.

I loved the setting of The Sweet Gum Tree. I’m a big fan of books set in the southern United States. This one was even more special with it being set in a small town. I could easily imagine how closely tied together all of the characters were.

I really liked how the story started when Alix was a young girl and grew with her until adulthood. This was done in a great way. I got just enough of her story at important times in her life to understand how she ended up where she was an adult. I loved seeing how her relationship with Nick in all those years changed Alix. I adored Alex and Nick’s love for each other. It was so sweet, and it grew from a very special friendship.

What drove me nuts about The Sweet Gum Tree was the lack of communication between the characters. That caused the majority of the problems, and showed just how immature the characters were — even into adulthood. Another thing that was a little frustrating was all the cheating involved in the story. It wasn’t described, so that wasn’t the problem. It was the way that the characters all reacted to it. It seemed like no big deal and was easily forgiven. That was just so odd.

Overall, The Sweet Gum Tree was a surprisingly addictive read. It wasn’t perfect in my eyes, but that didn’t matter. It drew me in, kept my attention, and left me satisfied in the end. If you’re a fan of women’s fiction, books set in the South, or books set in a small town, you might want to give The Sweet Gum Tree a try. It’s a special book.

Review: Road-Tripped (Nicole Archer)

Road-Tripped
Series: Ad Agency, #1
Author: Nicole Archer
Publication Date: August 21, 2016
Publisher: Twist Idea Lab, LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

What’s worse than driving a phallic-shaped RV across the country with a coworker you hate? Falling in love with them.

Copywriter Callie Murphy has a bad attitude, a vicious tongue, and a serious aversion to Shimura Advertising’s resident manwhore, Walker Rhodes. Know where he can stick his good looks and Southern charm? She can think of a few creative places. Avoiding him wouldn’t be a problem, except her boss threatens to fire her if she doesn’t go along with him on their RV client’s cross-country tour.

Burnt-out art director, Walker, is sick of his job, tired of women, and in a big old creative rut. The upcoming client road trip is just what he needs to shake things up and rediscover his lost passion. But his plans go south when his partner drops out at the last minute, and Callie, the foul-mouthed tiny terror, takes her place. Unless he can find a way to thaw his icy coworker, he’s looking at two months of pure hell.

Road-Tripped is a stand-alone novel and the first book in the Ad Agency Series.


Callie Murphy is not a fan of her co-worker Walker Rhodes. The guy is a ladies’ man working his way through all of the gorgeous woman they work with. Callie has no desire to be one of those women, so she stays as far away from his pretty face as she can. That lasts until Callie is forced to go on a cross-country RV trip with Walker to save the company they work for. Walker isn’t exactly happy to be stuck traveling with prickly Callie either. Living and traveling with each other day in and out shows them sides of each other they weren’t expecting. Maybe there’s more to the other than either of them anticipated.

I’m not sure what inspired me to download Road-Tripped or when I even did it, but I’m so happy I did! This was a book that was sitting on my Kindle for who knows how long. I didn’t have any ARCs to read, so after looking through all of the titles I own, and I haven’t read yet I decided to pick it up. I was pleasantly surprised by it.

Callie and Walker were adorable! They had amazing chemistry like only enemies to lovers characters can have. They were both holding onto so many negative things. It was nice to see them run through all of their emotions together and apart. Their characters grew so much. I loved how they ended up growing together. Their experiences on their road trip were simply magical.

The one thing that would have made this book even better was if it had been in first person. Don’t get me wrong, I barely even noticed the third person narration after the first couple of chapters. It worked well. I just prefer first person narration. I felt that I would have connected even more with Walker and Callie if their thoughts and feelings were in first person. Still, like I said, I barely noticed it was in third while reading.

Overall, Road-Tripped was a great romantic read filled with humor and emotion. It is one of my favorite road trip books yet. I am very excited to read more of Nicole Archer’s books.

Review: Guilty as Sin (Meghan March)

Guilty as Sin
Series: Sin, #2
Author: Meghan March
Publication Date: September 18, 2018
Publisher: Red Dress Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Guilty until proven innocent.
That’s the way the world works, right?
I’m tired of being convicted without evidence, all because my last name is Gable.
The Riscoffs might own this town, but I’m done following their rules.
If only I could forget just how easily Lincoln Riscoff can drag me under his spell.


Holy moly! Why do I NEVER see Meghan March’s cliffhangers coming? This entire book was fun to read, but that ending! Oh, man. I was expecting that! I can’t wait to see where the third book is going to take me. But I’m jumping past the rest of this book. I need to tell you all about it.

Guilty as Sin picked up right where Richer Than Sin left off. Whitney and Lincoln are at odds again. This time, Whitney’s not standing down to Lincoln and his money. Lincoln, on the other hand, has a lot to figure out. I loved the current dynamic going on between them. The drama was amazing!

Book two wasn’t all about the present. The past was perfectly sprinkled throughout the story. I loved finding out more about what went down ten years ago when Whitney married Ricky Rango. There was some juicy stuff there, and I couldn’t get enough.

This is where I should have put that first paragraph, but I was so excited and shocked that I couldn’t wait. So, I’ll repeat myself a bit. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. I love it when that happens! There were some major revelations in this book that have me wondering how things are going to pan out for Whitney and Lincoln. I know it’s going to be a wild ride!