Review: Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game

 Don't Hate the Player....Hate the Game by Katie Ashley

Description:
For Noah Sullivan being the best friend to a douchebag and player like Jake Nelson has never been easy. It's been a rocky road since kindergarten when Jake duct taped Noah to his chair before recess. With just six weeks to high school graduation, Jake accidentally blows his drunken ass up on his grandfather's tractor, and Noah finds himself immersed not only in a whirlwind of grief, but on a quest to find a mystery girl from Jake's past. 

While cleaning out Jake's room, Noah and Jake's dad make a startling discovery. Instead of the obligatory porn collection or pot stash, they find a ring, but not just any ring. Its half a carat of commitment in a platinum setting-proving even man whores have taste. After Jake's mom pleads with Noah to find the girl who meant so much to Jake, Noah begins a modern day Grail quest to track the girl down. 

Since Jake was a notorious player with a legendary collection of trophy panties, Noah finds himself in over his head. There are the usual suspects like Avery, the Ice Princess Jake dated for appearances, or Presley, the school mattress Jake dated for convenience. But the trail begins to point to the most unlikely of suspects: Maddie, the Valedictorian and choir girl who was trying to help the unmotivated jock graduate--the girl who also has surprisingly caught Noah's eye and meddled with his heart. 

Hanging out with Maddie shows Noah a different side of Jake--one that was deeply human and surprisingly douche-free. And the more he tries to solve the mystery of the ring and of Jake, the more Noah starts to discover about himself and of love.

My Thoughts:

This is the first book in awhile that I have read that was a stand alone. Lately I have been reading lots of series books and felt the need for a break and a somewhat quick read. I choose this one because I have ready several of Katie Ashley's other books and really enjoyed them so figured I would enjoy this one as well.  What I wasn't prepared for was all the emotions involved in this story. I was shedding tears and reaching for the Kleenex before I hit chapter 2.  I haven't had such an emotional involvement in a book in a long time.  I was really shedding tears from the beginning of the book until the final pages.

Noah Sullivan is what you would expect from a seventeen year old High School Senior. All about hanging with his friends, living life to the fullest, and not thinking about the future anymore than just graduation and getting to college.  Maddie Parker has been the invisible good girl of Noah's class. Working to achieve Valedictorian status, do all the good things she was supposed to do, and always obey the rules.  When a tragic event hurls these two together suddenly life takes on a whole new meaning.

This book kept me reading from page 1 to the end. I was never sure what was going to come of Maddie and Noah and in between crying about events I was laughing at the crazy stuff that was said by them.  Oh I must mention that Noah is definitely on my good list because he drives a Jeep. :)  LOL  

This book will make you remember your High School years, even if you weren't into the parties and such, just the whole how you waited your whole life to grow up and suddenly you are and now what?!  Sometimes life doesn't go as you plan and you have to regroup and adjust, just like the characters in this book had to.

I honestly loved this book, despite the fact that I cried over it! How she could write it without constantly crying is beyond me! The title makes sense after you read it, but at first glance it doesn't give the impression of the book it actually is.  

Please, go read this book! It will touch your heart, but make sure the Kleenex is close by because you will need it!!

Rating:  ©©©©

Cover Reveal for Permanent Lines by Ashley Wilcox

So today is the cover reveal for Ashley Wilcox's newest book, Permanent Lines.  It is about Merrick Drake, Kayla Reynolds best friend from Running from Forever. AKA the hot bar tender! :)  Anyway, now that you are done swooning over him I can say that Ashley allowed me to Beta read this book for her and it is SOOO good!!  Like couldn't put it down good! Today she is doing the cover reveal for the book and it is definately worthy of Merrick.  Sooo....here it is!



What do you think? :)  Well, the book doesn't come out until January 13th, so you will just have to wait until the new year to have some private time with Merrick.  In the mean time I will keep you busy with other fantastic books!!

Review: Rage

Rage by Michelle Pace and Tammy Coons

Description: 
Phillip Kersey finds himself and his hotheaded girlfriend, Stephanie, at a crossroads. He's the singer of the chart-topping rock band, Fury, and they're forever in the studio laying down tracks for their third album. Steph's photography career has exploded. She's always on location and out of his grasp. Tired of Skype dates and stolen weekends, Phillip makes plans to whisk her off to Ireland so he can pop the question. 

When Steph returns to the U.K. for the birth of their friends' baby, Phillip finally gets his chance. He's down on one knee when tragedy strikes. Aching hearts cause tempers to flair chaotically out of control. Phillip feels pushed aside and vanishes. Assumptions and accusations follow, and the public fallout between them becomes the stuff of legend. 

When fate brings both Fury and Stephanie to a remote Brazilian paradise, the former lovers have no choice but to face each other head on. Will their wildfire chemistry burn down the wall between them, or will the tumultuous pair simply go up in flames?

My Thoughts:
When I posted my review of Fury back in June, I had no idea that there was going to be a book 2. I was so excited when I found out and then the authors gave me an ARC because I had reviewed Fury I was floored.  It has taken me longer than I wanted to do this review, but the book is awesome!

Fury leaves off with us having witnessed the birth of Cheyenne's baby and wondering what is going on with Stephanie and Phillip.  That's exactly where Rage starts us.  Love it when a series flows together so smoothly.  

I fell in love with this band all over again and with the female roles too.  However, I will admit that I was ready to reach into the book and smack some sense into the characters!! Sometimes people can be so stupid!! LOL  

This story keeps you on your toes wondering when things are going to change. You always have a feeling that something is going to happen, but it never happens the way you expect.  One thing that I took away from this book is how much you should value a good relationship and communication is key to a successful one.  Not only in just this story, but in real life.  Stories that you can actually take away good advice are hard to come by and should be cherished when they are found.  It doesn't help that this story makes it apparent that sometimes men are just dumb! LOL  :)  

I felt this story had a better ending than Fury did. It wasn't rushed and still left you with a HEA ending. I had tears in my eyes at the ending, but I think that it was still leftover hormones! The little things still tear me up! 

Again as I said in my previous review the band is British. It still cracks me up to read how they speak because some things are so different than how we Americans speak. I can almost hear them speak with their accents as I read and that in my opinion is the making of a good book.  I know I wasn't specific about any parts of this story, but I really hate to ruin the story for you readers. It only took me about a day and a half to read this, which makes it a pretty quick read...especially considering I have my 3 kiddos taking up a lot of my day!


Please, read this book!! But read Fury first because it gives you the introduction to all the characters and the story line continues in Rage. I have no idea as to if they are writing another book for this series, but I can tell you that if they do I will be reading it!

Rating:  ©©©©

I'm back!!

Hello blog readers!! I am back! Pregnancy is over, baby is big and healthy, and I am ready to start posting reviews for everything I have been reading!! I have TONS of books to write reviews on, but no promises as to how fast I can get them out to you. However, I have one ready to go so thats a good sign, right? :)  I have missed being on here and hope that now and in the upcoming year I can give many reviews and help you find new things to read.  If you haven't already, please go like my blog page on Facebook too!  Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/BarefootAndReading

Thanks for sticking with me and being patient with all my life changes! I hope I can help you with all your future reading!

So here's the deal....

Okay, so I have to say I am so sorry to all that have been following my blog posts. I haven't been on here much of any in recent times.  I have just been so busy and tired with this pregnancy and just life in general. I wanted to just make everyone aware that I more than likely won't be on here posting anything new until after this little one makes his appearance in less than a few months.  I appreciate your understanding and hope that when I am able to begin posting again you will follow and enjoy them!  Thanks!

Wow I'm so sorry!

I seriously didn't realize it had been this long since I was last on here. I am so sorry to those of you that read this blog! Life gets crazy with 2 kids, one on the way, holidays, and being pregnant! Throw in fevers and some stomach bug and the days fly by with little to nothing getting accomplished it seems!  Have no fear. School starts in less than a month, so one kiddo will be gone all day and the other will be gone part of the day 3 days a week.  Hopefully I can get all caught up before that all changes or at least have time to do it when it happens. Then I have like a month and a half before things go crazy again with kiddo #3!  I'm getting a lot of things read, just not having the time to sit down and give my opinions!! 

OMG SOO Excited!!

Okay so I just had to share. I have 1 chapter left in Dirty by Megan Hart. Once I finish it I am soo not going to accomplish much in my life nor get much sleep because I have both Rock My World by Michelle Valentine and Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover on my Kindle waiting for me to read!  Sooo excited I can't stand it!! :)

Review: Savor You

Savor You by Emily Snow

Description:

Kylie Wolfe and bassist Wyatt McCrae have been bad for each other for the last several years, but it’s impossible for them to end their toxic push and pull. Not when their attraction is constantly fueled by lust and proximity—she’s her older brother’s Lucas’s assistant and Wyatt is his best friend and band mate.

So when Your Toxic Sequel makes a move to record a new album in Nashville, Kylie decides to make the latest break with Wyatt official by getting the hell out of town. She’ll spend a week in New Orleans. A week to immerse herself in the Mardi Gras scene. One week to not think about the last time she was in New Orleans, seven years ago with Wyatt. Seven days where she won’t have to see Wyatt every day just to fall ridiculously in love with him all over again—where, if she wants to, she can have a normal, no-strings attached fling that won’t end in heartbreak.

Too bad Wyatt ruins everything by showing up, as gorgeous and demanding and awful for her as ever.

Wyatt refuses to let Kylie give up on him. Not without reminding her why they both fell so far and hard in the first place. Not without making her savor the good memories and what could be their last chance with each other.

*Contains adult content

 

My Thoughts:

So, in order to understand this story, you will have needed to read Devoured at least and All Over You would help too.  Keep that in mind. :)  This is book 1 in the Savor Us series. I'm not sure how many books will be in this series. 

 

The main characters are Kylie and Wyatt.  Kylie's brother is Lucas, who is the lead singer in Your Toxic Sequel.  Wyatt is the bass guitarist for the band.  So that being said you can see how these two began their history together. 

 

The majority of this story takes place during the same time that things are occurring in Devoured, so there is a lot of seeing a new side to things that you would have read about in it.  It did help answer some questions that were looming in my mind after reading Devoured.  \

 

As much as I did like this story, I just had trouble totally falling for it.  I really enjoyed Devoured, so I guess I was looking for more of it when I read Savor You.  Wyatt and Kylie have what seems like a toxic relationship. Right from the start you get the feeling that there have been many bad moments between them. Yet by the end you are pulling for them to have a HEA. 

 

I loved how descriptive the author was when it came to the tattoos both characters have and she made sure to tell you what they meant too.  That was important to me because it didn't leave me wondering. 

 

Overall I did enjoy this book and it was a pretty quick read for me.  I thought it was well written and kept me involved, so I didn't put it down very easily.  It is definitely going to be one that I reread in the future when I don't have as many books waiting for me to read.  :) 

 

**One side note.  When reading this in my Kindle App, the book finished at 85%.  The rest was an unpublished version of events in Lucas' POV from Devoured and 2 excerpts from other books.  Keep that in mind when reading!**

 

Rating:  ©©©©

Just another Monday...

Yep, its Monday. Haven't gotten myself motivated just yet.  :)  Just wanted to pop in and say that I hope you have been enjoying my reviews that I've gotten posted last week!  I have 1 more book that I for sure need to get a review posted before I have to take it back to the library. Then I owe the awesome author Ashley Wilcox a review over her upcoming book Giving You Forever.  I was given an ARC for it and somehow didn't get the review for it typed up! I have 2 or 3 books that I need to read and return too because I am running out of time for them, so I guess I will be spending a lot of time with my nose in a book!!  If there is a book that you have been curious about and I haven't reviewed please feel free to comment about and I'll be happy to post a review if I've read it or see what I can do to read it and get back to you! Not sure how much I'll be on this week with all the reading I need to do, so until next time!!

Review: Hopeless

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Description:

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

My Thoughts:

I am speechless, without words, in shock. That is the best way to describe how I feel after reading this book. Nothing happened in it the way I thought it would, which is why I loved it.

The story is about Sky, an almost 18 year old who has been home schooled her entire life.  In addition to not going to public school, she has also had very little exposure to technology, meaning no Internet, cell phone, television, etc.  Talk about not your typical teenager!!  Sky convinces her Mom to let her attend public school her senior year, but ends up attending minus her best friend and neighbor, Six.  After her first day that is not anything like she thought it would be she meets Dean Holder.  Her life will never be the same.

After a very interesting few meetings (Dean) Holder and Sky seem to be moving forward, but as is typical in teenage lives there are multiple bumps in the road.  I don’t even think bumps are the right word for it.  At times they are more like craters and endless black holes.  Life for these two will never be the same. 

I really don’t want to give anything away in this story, but I will say that it deals with very real life situations and is not for the weak at heart.  There is mild sex involved, but it is not described in the typical romance story way. It is a very mild exposure to sex in my opinion.  The other matters that occur in the storyline are far more involved and traumatic.  This story has multiple mentions of suicide and abuse of a minor, which is cause for discretion. 

However, do not let that keep you from reading this book!  I feel that this is such a moving book that everyone needs to take the time to read it.  It will touch your heart and cause you to think about life in ways you didn’t before.  I love how moved I was while reading it and how I couldn’t bear to put it down!  Please, go read this!!

One final note. There is a 2nd book coming out in July called Losing Hope which is written in Holders POV. I soo look forward to reading it and learning even more about both of their lives. 

Rating:  ©©©©©

Review: This Girl

This Girl by Colleen Hoover

Description:

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

My Thoughts:

Well, I do have to say that I am not as in love with This Girl as I was with both Slammed and Point of Retreat. But there is a good reason for this.  Its not that it is a bad book because believe me it isn’t.  However, this book felt more like it was there for closure.  It answered many previous unanswered questions and just left you feeling like you knew Layken and Will were in the right place and that things were going to be just fine for them. 

This book is written in a different format from the other two.  It is still in Will’s POV, but does a LOT of flashing back to the past.  The majority of the current events take place during the weekend of their honeymoon.  Okay, so there is sex this time around, but the author spares us the details and leaves it out of the book. I liked that fact. I felt that if she had given us details it would have taken away from the whole story and feel of the series. 

Will still didn’t fail to shock me. At times I even thought Lake was going to smack him when he told her about the past.  I couldn’t believe some things that he told her, but understood their history a lot better.  It made you wonder if he would have done this different would they be together now? 

As I said, I am not nearly as emotionally tied to this book, as I was the other two.  I walked away from it feeling as though I now knew everything and there were no untold parts to the story.  However, it did make me want to reread Slammed and compare how he was dealing with things to how Lake handled them.  I love when an author does that! It brings me back to the beginning and I just know I could sit down and reread all three books and be just as in love with them now as I was the first time. 

This Girl is the end of the “Slammed” series.  I will say it again, GO READ THESE BOOKS!!  I plan to have them up on my bookshelf soon beside the other books that I have totally fallen in love with.  I also look forward to reading more books by Colleen Hoover and I hope that I will love them just as much as I loved these three. 

Rating:  ©©©©©

Review: Point of Retreat

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Description:
Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.'

My Thoughts:

Again I am in shock. Emotions everywhere. This second book is just as good as the first, but pulls me in a totally different way. No longer am I hoping for Layken and Will to get together. That happens at the end of Slammed. However, I am still in shock about what happens in this book. Again, absolutely NO SEX, so the first thoughts of her becoming pregnant, get rid of them.  Which might I say I am so glad is not an issue in this book!!

Okay, so Point of Retreat is written in Will’s POV. Totally different from Slammed and took me a bit to adjust to.  Even though you should be pulling for him the entire time, since this is after all his book, I still wanted to smack him many times!!  LOL

Again the book is divided into 2 parts and again, part 2 hits you and you are floored. So much happens in this book. It mostly takes place a year or more after Slammed and Lake and Will have been together as a couple the entire time. However, with both of their lives anything but the usual it seems the world is working against them with every turn the story takes. 

Can I just say that while during Slammed I kept thinking Will is the biggest jerk in the world, in Point of Retreat I learned many things about him that just make you realize he is a guy (lol) and is just as new to everything as Lake is, but at times doesn’t use both his head and his heart to make decisions. 

I love love love Suck and Sweet time.  I am thinking about once all my kids are older and can understand that we need to do this. Such an easy way to keep up with their lives and how things progress.

We meet a new family, next door to Lake and Kiersten is the funniest thing ever!  Her mom, Sherry really reminds me of a hippie, but that explains a lot about Kiersten.  Who knew an 11 year old could have so many incites to an adult world!

When I reached the end of this book I felt that I had read their HEA.  I closed the book and was very content. Then I found out there was a third book.  Needless to say, I downloaded it right away!! J Stay tuned for my review of book 3, This Girl. 

Rating:  ©©©©©

**Note:  The cover I have pictured is the same cover I read. However, there are 2 other covers for this book as well. I have seen a different ebook cover that still has the butterfly on it and then there is the newest that has a picture of Will on it. Don’t let the cover fool you, its still the same great book!!**

Review: Slammed

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Description:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

My Thoughts:

OMG That is the first thing I have to say. I can honestly say that when I first picked up this book I did not think I would feel about it the way I feel right now.  I remember picking it up and reading the back and thinking, why did I request this from the library?  However, now I know why. I LOVE this book.  Actually, let me rephrase that I love this book series!  I haven’t felt quite this passionate about a book since I read Beautiful Disaster.  I could pick it up and read it again and again. In fact I just want to scream at you, why are you reading my review…go read the book!! J 

Okay, so why do I love this book so much you ask? Well, I must first tell you that this is not the typical kind of book that I have been reading lately. There is absolutely NO sex in it. At all. None.  Shocking?! I know!!  However, there isn’t a need for it!!  This book sucks you in like it’s a black hole and you never want to leave. 

Layken and Will are the main characters in this story, but Layken’s (Lake) brother Kel, mother Julia, and Will’s brother Caulder are very important parts of the story too. It has a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe to it, but doesn’t go to the extreme of their story.

The book is divided into two parts and is written in Lake’s point of view. In part one we meet everyone and get a feel for what is happening in his or her respected lives.  Lake is going through some pretty major changes in her young life and is pretty much shocked when Will enters her life.  To say he shakes things up is an understatement.  The two of them really connect going to a poetry slam, hence the name of the story.

This story had so many ups and downs that it was next to impossible to put it down. You kept reading hoping for things to improving and then shocked at what happened next. Part two really floored me and totally did me in. I will admit, I cried. More than once too.  It is a very emotional story and written in a way that the reader feels the pain right along with the characters. 

You reach the end and feel as though you must continue and thankfully you can! There is a second story to this series and I am so grateful that I didn’t discover this series until after all three books were published.  Waiting would have killed me!!  I know I haven’t told you very much about this story, but I am truly afraid of spoiling anything and don’t want to do that to you. All I can say is that it is worth the time to read and you should go get it immediately!  If you want to learn more and don’t mind things being spoiled, then please comment or email me! Please look for the next book, Point of Retreat for the review on book 2.

Rating:  ©©©©©

**Note:  The cover I have pictured is the same cover I read. However, there is a different cover out there now, I believe its the newest one, that has a picture of Layken on it. Don't let it fool you, its still the same great book!!**

Review: Fury

Fury by Michelle Pace and Tammy Coons

Description:

For years, Cheyenne Carson clawed her way up from her meager upbringing and strove to distance herself from the skeletons of her past. Finally success is within her grasp. A journalist for the music magazine, The Sound Wave, the assignment of a lifetime just landed in her lap. An all access pass to tour with the British rock band, Fury. Their latest album went triple platinum and they've never granted interviews.

Once her assignment begins, Fury's tour explodes in a Molotov cocktail of sex, scandal, and violence that threatens to ruin Fury's quest for worldwide success. Can Cheyenne navigate her treacherous path unscathed, or will the demons of her past poison her blossoming career?

My Thoughts:

So I will admit that I got this book when it was free on Amazon.  It had been sitting on my wish list for a while, so I jumped at the chance when it was free.  J  I thought sexy guy on the cover, rock stars, love story, can’t go wrong right? 

Well, the first thing that threw me was that the rock stars were British!  Wow!  It was a bit funny reading how they talked and described things.  I loved that they said things like snogged and shagged to describe sexual encounters.  Sure sounds better than some ways we Americans describe the same acts. 

Cheyenne and Stephanie are complete opposites when it comes to personalities, but how they are opposite just complements their friendship.  It only makes sense in a journalism world for a photographer and a journalist to be best friends. 

I loved how the band treated each other like family.  Everything they did was not only for the better of the band, but to cover one another's backs….even when they disagreed.  There were the typical rock star antics, but nothing that anyone that has read books about rock stars wouldn’t expect.

I immediately thought something was up when Cheyenne and Stephanie were sent on their trip, but it takes the entire book to find out what it is.  I wasn’t impressed with all the alcohol that was drank throughout the book, but it is fitting for the story.  The main thing that bothered me was how rushed the ending felt.  Yes, it had a HEA, but I felt it could have been better written. 

Fury is a stand-alone story, even though I was hoping that the author would write other stories giving more details about the other band members or more details as to how Cheyenne and Stephanie’s lives end up.  However, I am glad that I read this book and I truly enjoyed it more than I originally thought I would.  If you are into the whole rock star books then this must go on your TBR list!!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

Rating: ©©©©

Bombarded!!

Okay, so my goal on Monday was to get on here every day this week and post a review to get caught back up.  Here it is Thursday and the first day I've been back on here.  Oops!  Well, be prepared to be bombarded!  I have 4, that's right 4 books that I am going to post reviews on! One is a stand alone, the other 3 are a series that I swear once I started in on page 1 I couldn't stop until the end of book 3!!!  :) Gotta love when that happens!!  So I am going to get my reviews of them posted and then I might not be back on here tomorrow because I have a cake to make and decorate for Saturday and I can't blog and decorate at the same time. :) I hope you enjoy these reviews and maybe find yourself something new to read!!

Review: Mine to Hold

Description:

A friend’s duty.
Tyler Murphy was an LAPD detective, single and happy—until a near-fatal tragedy crippled his friend, fellow detective Eric Catalano. While Tyler supported Eric, he also became a shoulder for Eric’s wife, Delaney, to lean on. But with one naughty suggestion from Eric, a drunken night with Delaney spilled into erotic abandon. Before it was over, Tyler saw his best friend’s wife as a woman and yearned for more. When Eric struggled to deal with the aftermath, Delaney begged Tyler to leave. Crushed, he fled to Louisiana, hoping to escape his longing for the one woman he could never have again…and unaware of what he’d left behind.
A lover’s desire.
After two years of living with regret, Tyler finds Delaney on his doorstep, her husband having abandoned her long ago. She’s protecting a shocking secret and desperately needs refuge from a stalker determined to see her dead. As they fight to stay alive and catch the killer, they struggle to resolve the guilt of their past pleasures. But they can’t deny that what was once a spark is now a flame burning out of control. To possess Delaney—body and soul—Tyler must heal her pain and thwart the evil that’s a mere breath behind her…

My thoughts:
Well, first of all this is the first book I have written from this series.  It is actually book #6, with 5 others and 1 novella ahead of it.  You MUST read these in order to understand all the characters in the book.  That part has been hard for me to do since I requested these books via my local library and had to wait my turn on them! It was really hard when I had books 4, 5, and 6 arrive weeks before book 1, but well worth the wait!!  I love each of these books and they are definitely on my list of books to watch for to buy later down the road when I get rich off of this blog. Ha ha ha!! :)

Okay on with the book! As always I will try very hard to not give anything away, but it is sooo hard to do!  From the first 10 pages I was hooked.  Wow talk about a first chapter to make you want to read faster! This book is not loaded on sex, which is nice, but boy when it is there you pay attention.  What really made me enjoy this one is the fact that it was a love story tied in with mystery and action all together.  Loved that you were constantly trying to figure out who was good or bad and always cheering for the good guys.  In the end this book ended as the other 5 in this series had, lets you see the good, but doesn't totally give you the happily ever after. I know that I enjoy reading how they characters are doing on down the road, but I'm sure that book #7 will give me in site to that as this one did with the lives of other characters from books 1-5 that appeared during the story. 

Overall, go start this series!!  You must keep in mind that she does tie some BDSM into it, but I honestly don't feel that most of the series has anymore of that than Fifty Shades did.  Would I read this book again, yes. Will I keep reading the series, yes! The books don't leave you hanging so you aren't waiting months for the next to come out, but when it does you can feel confident in just picking it up and remembering the other characters without having to reread all the other books.  Shayla Black has done an awesome job in creating a group of characters that you care about, yet as she adds new ones you care for them just as much as the others.  I look forward to reading the rest of this series as I get a chance to get my hands on them!


Rating:  ♥♥♥♥


Other Books in this series:
Wicked Ties
Decadent
Delicious
Surrender To Me
Belong To Me
Wicked To Love **Novella**

**Please note:  The cover I have pictured is the cover of the copy I read. They are currently redoing the covers, so the new one has a picture of 2 wine glasses.  I like both covers, but posted the one that matched my book.**

Trying to adjust to things..

Okay, so it has been like over a month since my last post.  I have read MANY books in that time, but have been unable to post on them, which sooo sucks. So, over the next several days, I am going to attempt to make up for lost time!!  I have several books that I have read from the library that are due back, so I really want to get reviews done on them before I ship them back. That means some of them are books later in a series, but that I haven't gotten the first reviews posted yet. I'm sorry for any confusion I cause, but have hope that later down the road I can get the earlier books posted and then link everything together. :) I just ask that you have loads of patience with me while I try to get my blog going again...even with the crummy computer I am stuck using!! 

UGH!! Computer Issues!!

I am undergoing MAJOR computer issues and am not sure how long its going to be before I am back to having regular access to internet/computer. I am pulling my hair out with frustration!! Please be patient with me! I am trying my best to figure something out so I can become a regular blogger again.  Thanks for understanding!!

Review Waiting on Forever

Description:

College.

Parties, sororities and getting drunk.

Oh, yeah. And learning.

This may be true for most college students, but not for Leah Bennett. College life for her includes studying, working, and excelling in school. When it comes to the social ladder, Leah is at the bottom. Popular girls, hot guys and star athletes are of no importance to her, except for one.

Matthew Jacobs.

Matt is the starting wide receiver at SUNY Cortland, the most wanted guy on campus and Leah’s best friend. Although Leah’s feelings toward Matt run deeper than just a friendship, it is something she would never let be heard because the odds of someone like Matthew Jacobs going for someone like Leah Bennett are slim to none.

When Matt starts showing an interest in Leah that goes beyond friendship, she is dumbfounded and doesn’t believe it is possible – until one weekend that changes everything.

Will Matt and Leah’s popularity status get in the way of having a chance at a real relationship?

Or does status mean nothing when it comes to true love?

My thoughts:

I received this book as an ARC to give an honest review. I strive to never be anything but honest with the followers of this blog, so here is my thoughts.  I LOVED this book!  I can honestly say that I have wanted to read this book ever since I first read a preview of it.  Each time I read a teaser it made me anxious to read it even more, so when the opportunity came up for me to get an ARC, I jumped at it. 

So here's the scoop on Waiting on Forever. It is a love story that is based in college.  Matthew Jacobs (Matt) is a star football player and is in his freshman year.  Leah Bennett is also a freshman, but a complete opposite of Matt being into art and having nothing to do with sports at all. 

I loved Matt.  He is such a sweetheart!  I really don't want to spoil this book for you, but I'm finding it hard at the moment! Its obvious from the books description that Matt and Leah begin a relationship, so by telling you that Matt is not the typical boyfriend is not ruining anything.  Through out the course of the book Matt struggles to tell Leah about his secret.

Leah doesn't think that she is good enough for Matt.  She knows she isn't popular and doesn't see what a star football player sees in her.  However to say that being with Matt isn't a thrill is an understatement.  She begins to realize that not only is he a great boyfriend, but that they both need more than just their relationship they need someone that they can count on even when things get hard. 

Through all their up and downs through the story Matt and Leah find that although they are different they fill a void that they both are missing.  The story is one of very few I have found that actually fills you in on the rest of their lives in the Epilogue.  There are no unanswered questions when you reach "The End."

I said it before but I totally LOVED this book!!  This is one that when I finished it, I immediately started to reread it.  I fell in love with both characters and found many moments of laughter while reading and a few moments that I wanted to reach into the book and smack the character because they weren't doing what I thought they should!  I totally recommend this book and scream go out and get it and fall in love with Matt and Leah too!!

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥

When Life Gives You Lemons....

Well, I obviously haven't been as active on this blog as I originally planned. To say that things haven't been going my way is an understatment.  Last week my computer decided that it didn't want to work anymore. The motherboard fried. :(  So, when this happened I lost the 3 reviews that I had typed up and hadn't had time to get posted on here, along with loads of other things that are a necessity in my everyday life.  Its been a very stressful week trying to make do and things haven't gotten easier yet.  However, I did manage to get 1 review redone, even if I feel it isn't as good as the original.  I will be posting it after this update, but just wanted to let you know what was going on and why I hadn't been on here more!  Things can only go up from here!

Living Life a Page at a Time

So I totally need to get some reviews posted on here.  I've read more than 4 books since my last review! I haven't had time to sit down and get the reviews typed up, but have been bouncing between books.  I'm trying to keep my "What I'm reading now" and my "Bookshelf" up to date.  There are sooo many more books that aren't listed on my Bookshelf and one of these days I'll get it up to date.  In the mean time I wanted to let you know that I now have a facebook page linking to this page.  I'm moving up in the world!! :)  Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment with what you are reading right now and please follow me on facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/nwijeepers/#!/BarefootAndReading?fref=ts

Soooo Busy!!

I have managed to find a little bit of spare time the past couple days to read, but haven't had time to get on here and blog!!  As a hobby I make and decorate cakes and I am working on a huge order at the moment of 5 sheet cakes! I have to have them finished by this evening and then tomorrow my hubby and I are going four wheeling! So excited to go, but I don't see any spare time in the next couple days to get my reviews up for Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster, so please be patient with me! I will get them done soon!! <3

Can't put this book down!

I just wanted to share that at the moment I am reading Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire.  I've been reading it since 8 this morning and can't put it down!! I'm only 50% done and loving every page.  I will be posting a review of both it and Beautiful Disaster when I am finished...well maybe after I read WD a 2nd time. LOL  Happy Reading!!

Review A Taste of You

Description: 

For lovers of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes a deliciously sexy romance with a culinary twist!

She didn’t know how hungry she was…Beautiful and talented Catherine Kelly is intent on starting over as a food photographer in Chicago. With her painful past buried over 2000 miles away, she’s focused on her career and is hungry for little else. Until she meets William Lambourne, a wealthy bachelor with arresting blue-grey eyes filled with enough tragedy to match her own. William urges Catherine to step out from behind her camera and fully taste all that life has to offer, stirring an appetite in her she never knew she possessed - and it’s one only he can satisfy.

He couldn’t wait to feed her…A gourmand who takes great pleasure in food and in women, William Lambourne is rich, powerful, and gorgeous -- and as talented in the kitchen as he is in the bedroom. Longing for a woman to truly savor, William finds his match in Catherine. From the moment he meets her, he is determined to discover the perfect recipe to unlock Cat’s resolve, awaken her senses, and make her his own.

Theirs is a meal worth savoring…William is as mysterious as he is passionate, but as Catherine begins to fall for the stormy-eyed billionaire, she knows she must reveal her own dark secrets. But first, William must win Cat’s heart to ensure their pasts don’t undo them.

Book 1 in The Epicurean series, A Taste of You will leave you ravenous for more of Cat and William’s story!



My Thoughts:
Well, being new to this I went into the book with as much of an open mind as I could.  However, the very first sentence of the description had me concerned.  I've read books before that were described to me as being like "Fifty" or "Crossfire" and I spent the entire book trying to find how they were alike instead of enjoying the book.  I opted to NOT do that this time and just read the book for what it was.  I am glad that I did.

I hope to not ruin this book by giving anything away!  First, it reminded me a lot of "Crossfire".  Hot single billionaire, sexy single female, and gay male best friend...for those that have read "Crossfire" this should all ring a bell!!  However, I've never read a book that made me look at food as sex.  This one did!  It made food so sexy.

I loved Catherine.  She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, had goals in life that she wasn't going to give up just for William, and didn't let him command her at all times.  Oh and of course there was Laird, her dog, that was never far from the story and was never forgotten about.  That warms a spot in my heart.

William is mysterious, sexy, and cooks! That in my book is bonus points!  There are moments where you just want to smack him for the way he handles things, but I find that to happen in a lot of books that I get wrapped up in. 

Overall, I really did like this book.  I had trouble putting it down and I will say that it is Book 1 in a series and it LEFT ME HANGING!!!  That drives me crazy!!  I have no idea when the next book will be out and its going to drive me nuts waiting!  I hope that others find this sweet treat as enjoyable as I did. 

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

Reviews

Okay, so before I said I was going to do my first review over Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire,  but I have been forcing myself to wait until this weekend to reread this book in anticipation of getting Walking Disaster on Tuesday!  Yea!!  So, instead I read one of my first ever ARC's and am getting read to post my review of it.  I hope you enjoy it!  Hope to post a review of BD before I get my hands on WD.  If not, I'll be posting both sometime next week, but once I get WD in my hands I'm checking out of the world to obsess over Travis once again. :) 

Update on me

Well, I am so disappointed to say that I haven't gotten any reviews posted yet. I had a super busy weekend and then have been fighting with nausea the past few days, which for those that had morning sickness know it can just wipe you out.  I just finished reading book 4 in the Wicked Lovers series by Shayla Black.  Its along with the other 3 books are in a stack for me to write reviews about.  I hope to have a review posted in the next couple days.  My first review is going to be over the book Beautiful Disaster.  If you haven't read this one yet then I recommend you need to!  I hope to post new info soon!

Greetings and welcome to my blog! I am extremely new to this. Heck, I'm pretty new to the whole having high speed Internet thing. I have survived for YEARS on dial up, but finally gave in and got high speed this past month and am now doing what I have wanted to do for a few months....start a blog about the books I am reading/have read. I hope that I post books that others will enjoy and give others new material to read.  Some background information on me, in case you don't know me.  I am a mother of 2 girls (ages 3 and 5) and pregnant with my third.  I live out in the country and have to use my library or ebooks to get the majority of my reading material since its a drive to get to town.  The majority of books I read are Adult, but I do read some YA.  I can't wait to get started!!