The BookWhisperer: 01/2016

Sunday, January 31

Review: Built by Jay Crownover

Title: Built
By: Jay Crownover
My Copy: Amazon.com
The BookWhisperer's Rating:

Sometimes you have to tear everything down to build something new…

Sayer Cole is frozen inside. At least, that’s what it’s felt like for as long as she can remember. She’s yet to let anyone past her icy exterior – and the one guy she thinks might melt her heart couldn’t possibly be interested in someone so uptight.

Rough, hard and hot-as-hell, Zeb Fuller has rebuilt his life and his construction business since protecting his family sent him to jail all those years ago. His elegant client, Sayer, makes him feel like a Neanderthal in denim, but despite the many hints that he’s been dropping to get to know her better, she seems oblivious to his charms.

Just as things finally start to heat up, Zeb’s past comes back to haunt him and he needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. As these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, fire and ice collide in an unstoppable explosion of steam…

Just a quick question, is there a machine where you can put a book in it and it takes character and builds him into a real life person for you to love and marry? If so, please point me to it because I want to build Zeb! Seriously, he is amazing. Who wouldn’t love a giant sized man who is tatted all over, builds things from his bare hands, has a kind heart, is protective of those that he loves, and is seriously sexy?

Sayer has quietly wanted Zeb but shut him out because opening herself up was more than she could handle. Zeb hasn’t quietly always wanted Sayer…in fact, he has openly flirted and bluntly told Sayer how much he wants her but she never gave in until Zeb comes to her for some legal help.

I hope this is not a surprise but we find out that giant sized Zeb has son that he has never met, nor has he known about. And Zeb being Zeb, the sexy, tatted, construction worker who has always protected his family vows that he will work to obtain custody and protect his son all while winning Sayer’s heart.

“One thing was clear: getting my son in my life on a permanent basis wasn’t the only thing that was going to take a hell of a lot of work on my end. If I wanted the girl, whatever version of her I could get my hands on, then I was going to have to fight for her as well.”

Sayer, being a family attorney, starts working with Zeb immediately to bring Hyde home to Zeb but during their time together she starts to realize what love actually is and it terrifies her. There are many obstacles that Sayer has to overcome before she can finally fully give herself over to Zeb. While it is mostly something that she has to do, there are a few characters that give her a hand – Poppy and cute, little Hyde. The relationships that Sayer builds with them made this book even more enchanting.

Everything about this book was adorable; adorable characters, adorable plot, adorable love, an adorable little boy that melted my heart, and an adorable Zeb.

Friday, January 29

Release Day Blitz: Just This Once by Cee Smith

Just This Once by Cee Smith

Publication Date: January 29, 2015

Purchase: Amazon

Blaire didn’t know much about one-night stands, but she knew how they’re supposed to go. A night where inhibitions are thrown out, no names, no attachments, and in the morning you both go your separate ways, never to speak again. At least that’s what was supposed to happen. Mother nature had other plans. She established boundaries: No details, no more sex. But Joel was never much for following the rules. With a body built for sex and an appetite to match, one night with him would never be enough. Torn between the case that could make her legal career and a man who thinks of clothes as optional, how long could she stick to the rules?

About the Author

Cee Smith is a lover of the written word. Since first learning how to string a sentence together, she’s been putting pen to paper and hasn’t looked back. Though she’s no longer obsessed with blood and gore, the dark side still calls to her, often finding refuge in her current writings. Her addiction to reading is what finally inspired her to take a chance at publishing. A California native, currently residing in North Carolina with her husband. She loves salacious stories, true love and forbidden romances—the more angst the better. Other than reading and writing, some of her other obsessions are peanut butter (don’t get her started), Michael Fassbender, and watching TV. She loves talking about the creative process and what books she’s reading, so feel free to shoot her a line. Or if you just want to say hi that’s fine too. She swears she’ll respond.

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Wednesday, January 27

Review: Dolce by Rachel Blaufeld

Title: Dolce
By: Rachel Blaufeld
Series: Love at Center Court #2
My Copy: Ebook from Publisher
The BookWhisperer's Rating:

“Who just stole my thunder across the Hafton airwaves, you ask? Right now, right this very second, listeners, I have Hafton’s one-and-only, the main man with the ball in hand, Blane Steele is in the studio. Mark my words—he’ll not only steal the ball, but your lady’s heart too. Watch out, gentlemen, the Stealer is in the house!”

— Sonny Be Knocking Boots, Hafton Radio 96.9

Coed antics.

Chaos.

Angst-ridden twists in fate.

Caterina is an intern. Sonny is her shock-jock boss. And Blane is a good-hearted baller…except when he steps on the court. Between on-air dares, an evil feminist professor, a straight-shooter of a coach, and rumors from the league surrounding Steele, these three are destined to screw it all up.

Rather than a love triangle, this is a friends-to-lovers story where the disc jockey acts as the catalyst, and a basketball player finds his life transformed when center court intersects with love.

This review is going to be a hard one for me so please stick with me as I try my best to explain all the things that I loved and all the things that were confusing.

Blane and Cate’s worlds collide while Blane accepted to do a piece on Sonny’s (and in my opinion the college jerk) show and Cate, Sonny’s intern, comes busting in the interview with her foul mouth spewing words and her clumsiness. This moment started not only the beginning of the book but the attraction for each character (and it was some sexy attraction.) But their love story wasn’t the only story happening in this book. The other subplots did a lot, in my mind, to make my love for Dolce wax and wane off and on.

Let’s talk about what I loved:

Blane was amazing! Seriously, a smart and sweet basketball player that had the looks and was an all-around good guy made him my favorite character. He was there for his friends when they needed him, he was there for his school and rocked his athletic title, and he was there for Cate the entire book. Once he saw her, he knew she was different from all the other girls and was instantly driven to get to know her. And the way he got to know her was so gentle and sweet that you knew there was more to this man than just an athlete.

Cate’s sass made me deliriously happy. I love it when a girl can give it as good as she gets it. There was always a comeback, a witty reply, or a stand up for how she felt when she was in her sass-tastic mood (yes, I made a word up.) But that mood didn’t continue throughout the entire book and that is where I got lost.

So, without shedding any spoilers, something happens and Cate gets the wrong side of the deal. This sends her into a tailspin of reevaluating what she is doing with her life. With this reevaluation comes some, what I would say, bad choices that I couldn’t quite understand. Even if I just accepted the fact that Sonny and Cate’s horrible professor could do what they did and get away with it (side note: they couldn’t at all!) I still can’t see why Cate chose the path that she did in the end. Cate went from a sass-maniac to a very meek woman in a matter of pages. And then to pick up a new profession that would never be something that the earlier Cate would do, really threw me off, even if it was an undercover project. I think this is where I found myself wondering why couldn’t this story just be about Cate and Blane’s love story and not about all these other over the top subplots.

There you have it. I loved Cate and Blane’s love for each other. How they got to know each other and took things slow. I couldn’t get behind the extreme happenings that character change for Cate in the end.

Tuesday, January 26

Trailer: Stardust Destiny (Nazarea Andrews upcoming book!)

Monday, January 25

Release Day Blitz: Boiling Point by Tessa Bailey

BOILING POINT by Tessa Bailey Crossing the Line, #3

Publication Date: January 25, 2016

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N| Kobo | iBooks

Synopsis: Falling for a con man is the most dangerous game of all… Con artist Austin Shaw’s been in disguise so long he’s not sure where his fake identities end and he begins. Now that he’s been strong-armed into working for a specialized undercover unit working with the Chicago police—criminals with unique “skills”—the last thing he needs is to risk his iron control. Especially when it comes to a certain stunningly sexy hacker who tempts him with every look of disdain. Polly Banks will never, ever trust a con man. On the trail of a ruthless crook who destroyed the only family she’s ever known, Polly is unnerved by the shadow who follows her every move. The one who makes her pulse pound and breath short with lust. Austin. He’s infuriating, enigmatic, and pure sex appeal, and she’s determined to resist him. But an untrustworthy man of disguise can become anyone he wants…including a man that Polly must trust if she’s to escape their dangerous game alive.

DON'T MISS THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SIZZLING CROSSING THE LINE SERIES....

RISKIER BUSINESS by Tessa Bailey Crossing the Line, #0.5

Publication Date: January 5, 2015

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N| Kobo | iBooks

Synopsis: One more game. And this time, there are no rules…

After a life of pool hustling and living on the wrong side of the law, Ruby Elliott is living on the straight and narrow with sexy-as-all-hell NYPD detective, Troy Bennett. Now the only trouble Ruby has with the law is the naughty kind, pinned against the wall by Troy's strict and spectacularly hard body. Obeying his every command. Both of them losing themselves in a lust that borders on obsession... But then her father returns with an offer she can’t refuse: one last hustle in exchange for information. Information she’d die to have. As the pieces and the players of the game reveal themselves, Troy feels the fine edges of his control slipping—control he can’t channel without hurting Ruby. The stakes are high, and the risk higher. Because losing this final game could cost more than Ruby’s heart…it might cost her life.

RISKING IT ALL by Tessa Bailey Crossing the Line, #1

Publication Date: January 27, 2015

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N| Kobo | iBooks

Synopsis: NYPD detective Seraphia Newsom will avenge her brother’s death at any cost. Even if it means insinuating herself into a rough, Brooklyn street gang and going so far undercover, she’s not sure she’ll be able to get out. Every minute she spends in their midst means the clock ticking down on her life, especially when she overhears something that could get her killed. Bowen Driscol is the heir to a crime enterprise. He never asked for the job, but with his father behind bars, he has no choice but to step in and keep the operation running. But when the NYPD blackmails him with a piece of damning information in exchange for aiding an undercover cop, he finds himself on the other side of the law for the first time in his life. Bowen knows the danger Sera is in, and keeping her safe trumps saving his own ass. The problem? She can’t know he’s on her side. And there's the matter of the seriously inconvenient heat sparking between them that's incinerating his resistance. But Sera only sees Bowen's past, and men like him are the reason her brother is dead. If they're to get out alive, he'll have to risk exposing the man beneath, and hope to hell he doesn't blow the whole operation in the process.

UP IN SMOKE by Tessa Bailey Crossing the Line, #2

Publication Date: June 23, 2015

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N| Kobo | iBooks

Synopsis: Never start a fire you can’t control… Connor Bannon is supposed to be dead. Dishonorably discharged from the Navy SEALs, he's spent the last two years working as a street enforcer in Brooklyn for his cousin's crime ring. Through a twist of fate, he's now in Chicago, working undercover to bust criminals. But when a cute little arsonist joins the team—all combat boots, tiny jean shorts, and hot-pink hair—Connor’s notorious iron control slips. Erin "she's getting away" O'Dea knows two things. She hates authority. And… Nope, that's it. When she's forced to operate on the “right” side of the law, her fear of being confined and controlled blazes to the surface. The last thing she expects is a control freak like Connor to soothe her when she needs it most. Worse, something behind the sexy ex-soldier's eyes ignites a dangerous inferno of desire. One that invites Erin to play with fire. And one that could get them both killed…

ABOUT TESSA BAILEY

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention. She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

GIVEAWAY

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Sunday, January 24

Review: Happily Ever Now by Jen Meyers

Title: Happily Ever Now
By: Jen Meyers
Series: Happily Ever After #0.5
My Copy: Ebook from Author
The BookWhisperer's Rating:

Wedding planner Everly Vaughn has three rules for a Happily Ever After:

1. Find a nice guy.

2. Make sure he passes the BFF test.

3. Never—no matter how much you like him—engage the Player (aka Austin, your best friend’s brother).

What happens if you don’t follow them? A Happily Ever Now. (Those don’t last.)

Too bad Ever doesn’t follow her own rules.

Such a nice, little peak Jen has given us into the world of Everly Vaughn and playboy Austin. They are perfect best friends, meeting every Sunday for coffee to catch up and are only friends! Only friends…seriously…except there is something there…under all of it…waiting to bust out (and I can’t wait!)

Everly has a boyfriend; why would she be interested in Austin. Austin is a playboy; why would he want a serious girlfriend. And, Austin is Everly’s best friends brother so it could never happen. Except when their paths collide at just the right time.

I am excited about the next installment!

Friday, January 22

Love & Decau Revoltion Release Week Blitz

Love and Death: Revolution: Volume 1 Synopsis:

It’s not easy being a badass Zombie killer. But somebody’s got to do it.

Page Parker grew up in the aftermath of the Zombie Apocalypse. She grew up running from Zombies and fighting against the constant threat of death and disease. She knows what it’s like to suffer, to go hungry, to hurt… to lose loved ones.

But Page isn’t a little girl anymore.

And she’s no longer satisfied with the quaint life her family has carved out in their remote research station. She craves conflict. She demands retribution. She will stop at nothing until she has her revenge.

Matthias Allen is responsible for her older brother’s death. For her family’s banishment from the former United States. He’s killed, he’s tortured and now he runs his Colony with all the cruel brutality of an evil tyrant.

Someone needs to make him pay for his sins.

And since she was nine-years-old, Page has believed that person to be her.

She’ll just have to convince her family to leave their home, travel the length of South America and take on a psychotic dictator first.

Love and Decay: Revolution is a Dystopian Romance Novella Series about Zombies, the end of the world and finding someone to share it with. Every L&D Volume is a compilation of four episodes and approximately 80,000 words long. Look for Love and Decay: Revolution, Volume Two coming March 18th, 2016.

Rachel Higginson Bio:

Rachel Higginson is the author of The Five Stages of Falling in Love, Every Wrong Reason, The Star-Crossed Series, Love & Decay Novella Series and much more!

She was born and raised in Nebraska, and spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days writing stories and raising four amazing kids.

Buy Links:

Amazon: Pending

Barnes and Noble: Pending