REVIEW: Bad Boy By Elliot Wake

Genre:

New Adult/ Contemporary Romance/ Psychological Thriller

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / B & N / KOBO / BD

Connect With The Author:

Blog / Twitter / GR

Summary On Goodreads:

Vlog star Renard Grant has nothing to prove: he’s got a pretty face, chiseled body, and two million adoring video subscribers. Plus the scars on his chest and a prescription for testosterone. Because Ren is transgender: assigned female at birth, living now as male. He films his transition and shares it bravely with the world; his fans love his honesty and positivity.

But Ren has been living a double life.

Off-camera, he’s Cane, the muscle-bound enforcer for social justice vigilante group Black Iris. As Cane, he lets his dark side loose. Hurts those who prey on the disempowered. Indulges in the ugly side of masculinity. And his new partner, Tamsin Baylor, is a girl as rough and relentless as him. Together, they terrorize the trolls into silence.

But when a routine Black Iris job goes south, Ren is put in the crosshairs. Someone is out to ruin his life. He’s a bad boy, they say, guilty of what he punishes others for.

Just like every other guy: at heart, he’s a monster, too.

Now Ren’s got everything to prove. He has to clear his name, and show the world he’s a good man. But that requires facing demons he’s locked away for years. And it might mean discovering he’s not such a good guy after all.

REVIEW

"An eye for an eye. I’d blind the whole world if I had to." 

Just as it was the case with Black Iris and Cam Girl, the last page of Bad Boy by Elliot Wake left me feeling emotionally drained and in urgent need of hugs, but as every emotional junkie/ masochist reader I'm addicted to this type of books. Books that make you feel and leave some profound impression on you.

First of all - before reading Bad Boy, I highly recommend reading Black Iris #1 and Cam Girl #2, because the stories and the characters are intertwined. Otherwise you'll feel out of the loop if you jump right on this one. Bad Boy is a story about Ren, one of the members of the vigilante group called Black Iris which is dedicted on getting revenge on those who have wronged women. But this is not your typical revenge story. The story is more complex and thoughtprovoking than that, where revenge only makes a small part of it. First and foremost, for me, it's a quite powerful and poignant story about everyday life and struggles of a transgender with the addition of gender and rape culture.

Without spoiling anything all I can say is that you should read Elliot Wake's books if not solely because of the writing which is outstanding. Whereas I adored Black Iris and Cam Girl and can't recommend them enough, when it comes to Bad Boy I'll have to agree with readers who said that the concept of the story was good, I liked it, but I wasn't exactly satisfied with the way the author concluded some situations. With this I refer especially to the ending which was in my opinion rushed and to some point anticlimatic. To sum it up- there were some parts I loved and then some not so much. That's why this time it's 3.5 stars.

Recommended to the fans of thoughtprovoking mindfucks!

“We’re all trapped by something. Freedom is an illusion. It’s the wind in your hair as you plummet off the cliff’s edge." 

RATING: 3.5 / 5 stars

xoxo,

Purple

REVIEW: Wildfire (Hidden Legacy #3) by Ilona Andrews

Genre:

Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy

Buy The Book:

amazon /   b & n / kobo

Connect With The Author:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Summary On Goodreads:

Just when Nevada Baylor has finally come to accept the depths of her magical powers, she also realizes she’s fallen in love. Connor “Mad” Rogan is in many ways her equal when it comes to magic, but she’s completely out of her elements when it comes to her feelings for him. To make matters more complicated, an old flame comes back into Rogan’s life…

Rogan knows there’s nothing between him and his ex-fiance, Rynda Sherwood. But as Nevada begins to learn more about her past, her power, and her potential future, he knows she will be faced with choices she never dreamed of and the promise of a life spent without him.

As Nevada and Rogan race to discover the whereabouts of Rynda’s kidnapped husband and are forced to confront Nevada’s grandmother, who may or may not have evil motives, these two people must decide if they can trust in each other or allow everything to go up in smoke.

REVIEW

Ilona Andrews simply can't do wrong when it comes to creating a compelling, action-packed and breath-taking urban fantasy/paranormal romance story with a fair dose of humor and fierce, charismatic and lovable characters. They show that with their every next book, just as they showed it with the third installment of HL series. The book was simply addictive. Unputdownable. I've read it in one day.

These two authors are one of few authors who know the perfect receipt when it comes to my ideal uf/pnr romance book and they keep delivering it every time. The series is fairly new, but they've become one of my favs as soon as I've read the 1st book. One of the biggest reasons for that are kick-ass, witty main and secondary characters who never disappoint. And I can't finish this review without mentioning the main hero - the (in)famous Prime Connor Rogan who makes me think R rated thoughts...dayum... that guy is definitely my new Barrons. 4 stars because of the Rynda case which was a bit irritating in the beginning.

Highly recommended to every urban fantasy/paranormal romance fan!

***  My Review of Burn For Me (Hidden Legacy #1) By Ilona Andrews

RATING: 4/5 STARS


xoxo,

Purple

REVIEW: Torn (Devil's Wolves #1) by Carian Cole

*Add on Goodreads*

Buy from Amazon

SUMMARY:

He’s loved me since the day I was born.
He’s taken care of me.
He’s awakened me.

Tor. My father’s best friend.
Fifteen years older than me, he’s always been my protector.
The one I should never, ever want.
But I was born to be his.

She’s always loved me.
She’s shattered me.
She’s healed me.

Kenzi. My best friend’s daughter.
I held her the day she was born, and I never let go.
She’s forbidden to me. But she’s the only one that really gets me.
We’re slowly being torn apart by everything we love.
Everything we want.
Everything we desire.

And now I want the one thing I can’t have... I want her.

** Please note: There is no underage sex in this book. This is a romance. **

MY RATING:

MY REVIEW:

Taboo romance lovers, behold!

So, in the morning I was browsing this list ’11 taboo books you should read’ or something like that and this one was on it. By that evening, I was already reading this. Never mind that I have 100 other books to read. Taboo books are my weakness.

As Drake would say:

Anyhow, this was unexpectedly good. A lot of books try to sell themselves as taboo, but you don’t feel that forbidden factor. Here I felt it all. There is the age difference of 15 years between Tor and Kenzie, plus he’s her father’s best friend and he helped raise her. So you can see how it’s all very tricky.

I think all relationships start with an invisible line, and even though we can’t see it, we all know it’s there because we can feel it. We respect that line because it keeps the bounds of the relationship intact. The line guides us within our relationships and dictates who is our friend, who is our family, who is our lover, who is someone we can or can’t trust.

But I loved how everything was handled; there is a slow transition from family to friends to lovers. They don’t get together too fast and I love that. They struggle with their feelings and attraction towards each other.

Ah, the sexual tension, the angst, it was all so very hot and emotional.

I feel sick.
I feel twisted.
I feel unhinged with want for her.

So yeah, this book will make you uncomfortable, but if you’re like me, and like these books that dance on the edge of appropriate, you’ll like this.

xoxo,

Beatrix

ARC REVIEW: Tell Me Something True (Truth In Lies, #3) By Katherine Owen

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book:B&N AMAZON KOBO 
Connect With The Author:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter

Synopsis On GR:

Tell Me Something True is the third book in the Truth In Lies series and cannot be read as a standalone. Please read This Much Is True and The Truth About Air & Water, books 1 and 2 in the Truth In Lies Series, first.
 

TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE
The star ballerina finally marries the major league baseball player and the truth about Linc and Tally—his being her air and she being his water—becomes clear after the couple finally realize that their love is all that matters.

But that was the first day. The day they said, “I do." The day the demons seemed to leave them alone, at least, for a little while.
Nevertheless, there were other days, when all the lies of the past and their ways of coping with their fears caught up to them.

And, this is that story.

"If you believe in fairy tales and happy endings,
and you want to stop right here and bask in the wonderment and joy of it all, please do.
If you want to know the rest of our story,
you need to take a deep breath
and tell yourself that everything will be okay,
that everything works out,
and life happens,
and in the end
love is all you need.
Someone has to tell you these things,
just like someone had to tell me.
All I know is that the truth never dies,
and it does set you free, whether you want it to or not.
And in the end? All you have is love.
Love is all there is."
~ Talia Landon Presley

Author’s note: Tell Me Something True CANNOT be read as a standalone novel. There are two books in the Truth In Lies Series before this one. Those books are: This Much Is True, Book 1 - Truth In Lies and The Truth About Air & Water, Book 2 - Truth In Lies.

READ those two novels first and then read this one.

Truth In Lies Series Order:
This Much Is True
The Truth About Air & Water
Tell Me Something True
 

BUY the Truth In Lies Series that many readers say they just can't put down once they start reading! Enjoy!

Something for you! Are you a fan of Katherine Owen’s books or would you like to be? To hear first about Owen’s latest new releases, sign up for her newsletter and get a free ebook of Seeing Julia for doing so. Keep up to date on Owen's novel release dates and other news, sign up for her newsletter http://eepurl.com/benyOD or stop by her websites: www.katherineowen.net or www.katherineowenauthor.com

REVIEW 

 

That feeling when you are writing a review about one of your favorite new adult series...and it's a negative one. *sad sigh* That's why I'll keep it short. First of all I want to say that I pretty much devoured the first two books of Truth In Lies series, but unfortunately I did not like this one at all.

The reasons for my rating:
 

1. the never ending melodrama and overload of angst
2. cheesy content
3. disappointing behavior of the MCs

The only thing I liked about this book is the writing style, but as far as I've seen and read the reviews of other fans of the series I'm definitely in the minority, so as always- the only way to form your own opinion is to read the books yourself.

Check out my reviews of other books in the Truth In Lies series and the interview with the author:

•  Review Of Book 1
• Review Of Book 2  
• Interview 

xoxo, 

Purple

ARC REVIEW: Jefferson Blythe, Esquire By Josh Lanyon

Genre: MM Romance/ Contemporary

Buy The Book: AMAZON B & N  KOBO

Connect With The Author:  

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter

Synopsis On GR: 

In this fast, fun and dead-sexy male/male new-adult caper from multi-award-winning author Josh Lanyon, twentysomething Jefferson Blythe gets lost, gets found, falls in love and comes out...all in the span of one wild summer

After his first relationship goes disastrously awry, Jeff Blythe uses his savings to tour Europe—the old-fashioned way. Armed with his grandfather's1960 copy of Esquire's Europe in Style, Jeff sets off looking for adventure but finds much, much more than he bargained for...

In London, dodging questions from shady criminals about a mysterious package he most certainly does not have is simple. Losing the gunmen who are convinced he's someone else is not. And when George, an old friend, offers him help—and a place to stay, and perhaps something more—things become complicated.

Is George really who he seems? And is Jeff finally ready to act on his attraction?

From Paris to Rome and back again, Jeff and George fall for each other, hard, while quite literally running for their lives. But trusting George at his word may leave Jeff vulnerable—in more ways than one.

REVIEW

The short version of my thoughts about this book would be: mixed feelings. This type of reads are probably the hardest to review for me, because I can't say neither I liked it nor I hated it and to be honest I'm really lacking any inspiraton right now and two of my most expected reads of 2016 are waiting for me on my shelf, so I'll keep it short.

I read and enjoyed Lanyon's Dangerous Ground Series last year which was for the most part just like this one- a suspenseful, action-packed, advetourous and humorous mystery/ crime story with a little romance, which was more of a background story. The protagonist Jefferson Blythe, a 22 year old American sets off on a short journey around Europe in order to escape the drama back home and give himself some time to finally figure out what he wants from life- to continue being this person others expect him to be or to finally let go of his fears and be his true self, but the journey turnes out to be more than he bargained for. A crazy stalker girl and her gang, a dangerous mob boss on his tail, the constant life or deaths situations and an old friend who brings back all these long forgotten, supressed feelings- this is definitely not the the journey he paid for. This is the type of a journey where he could loose more than his heart.

The focus of the story was the mystery which was at the same time the part that annoyed me and made me yawn the most. No offense, the whole story behind the mystery (and the poorly done villains) seemed from time to time quite bizarre and unrealistic, not to mention the anticlimatic ending. At some point I really stopped caring or trying to solve it and that is never a good thing. On the other hand I've enjoyed the romance and the characters for the most part, even though they did have some immature drama queen moments. The parts I've enjoyed the most are the detailed description of all the places Jefferson visited in London and Paris. It made me want to buy a ticket, but then I remembered my financial situation and delayed my travelling plans, lol. Btw. The abrupt, unfullfilling ending left me thinking: What? That's it??? The book is definitely one epilogue short.

All in all, I can't say this wasn't a well-written story like always when it comes to Lanyon's work, but as a whole, I must admit I liked her Dangerous Ground series much more.

RATING: 3 /5 stars

xoxo,

Purple

REVIEW: The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar

Buy links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Author links:

Website / Twitter

*BOOK SUMMARY*

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.

They lie.

For 21 days she held on.

But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.

Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.

A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense. Please note: This is NOT a love triangle.

A full-length, standalone novel, intended for mature audiences due to violence, sex and language. Subject matter may be disturbing for some readers.

Add on Goodreads

MY RATING:

***MY REVIEW***

And – here is my first 2016-favorite! 

Revenge. Mexican cartels. Action. Hot sex. Drama.

Basically, everything you may need. 

I have no idea why I choose to read this book. I guess I just wanted something light. And that’s when biggest surprises happen! I was so swept with the story, I couldn’t stop reading. I was reading the Paper Swan before my classes, while eating, during breaks, when I should’ve been studying, I couldn’t stop; I had to know what happens next, where the story would take me. 

If you close your eyes and think about someone you love, what comes back is not a precise list of hair color, eye color, or the things that go on their driver’s license. Rather, it’s the bits and pieces that seep through your consciousness, the things about them that you never realized were storing away.

I liked the writing, there were some really poetic passages. I also liked the characters, they felt real to me, and I loved their chemistry (Skye + Damian). Moreover, I liked the story, my favorite part is that it spans over the years, so we really get to know the characters.

I think this book would be perfect for a movie! There are some things towards the end that could’ve been avoided (drama drama), but all movies have those unexpected twists, so it was fine. For a book like this one, it was even suitable. 

Therefore, I must admit I rather enjoyed this! I recommend this to anyone who wants a fast, action-packed story, but also filled with emotions and hot, yet tender romance. The author managed to perfectly balance all the elements. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for Leylah Attar.

In the grand scheme of things, we do the best we can, all of us, and we make up our stories as we go along; we write them and direct them and project them into the world. And sometimes we get other people’s stories, and sometimes we don’t, but always there is a story behind a story behind a story, linked in a chain that we can only see a small part of, because it’s there when we’re born and it continues after we’re gone. And who can comprehend all of it in one lifetime?

xoxo,

Beatrix 

PRE-RELEASE ARC REVIEW: Unmasking Zach (Ellery College #2) by Edie Danford

Expected publication: December 1st 2015
 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 

Genre: MM Contemporary Romance

Buy The Book:
AMAZON / KOBO /B & N

Connect With The Author:

GR

Synopsis On GR:

The missing piece of the puzzle might be the one piece he can’t keep.

Before heading for grad school, Zach O’Malley needs downtime from his superhero-worthy schedule. Painting houses seems like the perfect summer gig for some mindless mellowing out.

There’s just one wrinkle in Zach’s Zen plan. Coworker Kirby Kurtcehajic, a hippie kid who starts hitting on him with happy and hardcore voracity three seconds after they meet. And has the ability to make his mind and body leap with a single smile.

Kirby would be the first to call himself a cockeyed optimist, but even he admits he’s had a tough year. After busting his knee, losing his cat, and accidentally demolishing his Vermont house, seducing way-too-serious Zach is the ideal distraction.

But when another spectacular mishap lands Kirby in crisis, Zach puts on his superhero cape to come to the rescue. And as boundaries dissolve, Kirby realizes he may be in too deep. Because the end of summer is coming, when Zach will be moving on, and Kirby will have to continue his quest for independence—alone.
 

Warning: Contains an unlikely friendship, an unwanted attraction, undeniable emotions, and enough outdoor sexy times to make a full moon blush.

RATING: 2.5 / 5 stars
 

*** REVIEW ***

I've read this book 3 -4 weeks ago, but unfortunately real life has prevented me to write  a proper review until now. To tell you the truth, I barely even remember the plot now, which can only give you insight into what kind of impression it left on me as a reader and that is: forgettable.

The story did start out good at first, I even thought that it might be a winner, but later on the more the plot developed the more I was losing interest in it. That's why I'll keep it short. The biggest reasons for my rating are:

a) The plot's main focus was the romance which became boring for me, especially in the 2nd half of the story.

b) The characters were portrayed quite one-dimensional and there were a lot of questions about them left to our imagintion.

c) There were some soap opera moments which made me wish I were a dnf reader. Even one of the characters in the book compares one situation to soap opera, so there you have it.

All in all, the book ended up rather disappointing and therefore I give it 2.5/5 stars.

***

Dear friends, bloggers, followers and authors,

Sorry for being AWOL for about a month now. I've taken a second job to teaching (which barely paid the bills), so I have almost none free time nowadays which I usually spend sleeping or hanging out with friends and family since I barely see them during the week. That's why I'm forced to take a break from the blogger life until I find a job with reasonable working hours, lol. I will try to keep in touch from time to time. Miss you,

 

xoxo,

Purple

Spotlight Tour + Giveaway: Too Hard To Handle by Julie Ann Walker

Hi everyone!  Julie Ann Walker here, delighted to be talking today about my mad love for men on motorcycles whose hearts happen to be as big as their... ehem... hogs.  (That's slang for their bikes!  Get your heads out of the gutter, you naughty readers! *wink, wink*) 

But seriously, from the King of Cool, Steve McQueen, to Marlon Brando in The Wild One, to Charlie Hunnam in Sons of Anarchy, there has always been something about a guy riding around with rolled steel and a V-Twin engine between his legs.  It sets our hearts aflutter.  And in my Black Knights Inc. series, I try to take those badass bikers to a whole new level by also making them covert government operators.  The series is all spies on bikes, leather and chrome, romance and redemption, action and adventure.  So, what's not to love?  Nothing!  I guarantee it. 

Read on for an excerpt of  TOO HARD TO HANDLE.  You'll see the men of Black Knights Inc. have heart, humor, and everything a woman could want in a man... 

  

Excerpt: Too Hard To Handle by Julie Ann Walker

“Luke Winterfield,” Dan growled. “Under the authority granted to me by the government of the United States of America, I hereby inform you that you’re totally screwed. You made a choice to sell out your country and now you’re gonna face the consequences. Reap the whirlwind, asshole.”

“Nice,” Zoelner said. “Have you been holding on to that one for a while?”

“Came up with it in Bogotá,” Dan admitted, a definite grin in his tone.

“I like it.”

“Thought you might.”

“Really though,” Zoelner went on, “I was expecting some quote from Ted Nugent or Eminem.”

“I can come up with my own material, you know,” Dan insisted. “It’s just I like to give credit to my hometown whenever I can. To make up for the place getting such a bad rap.”

“Maybe it’s because so much bad rap has come out of there,” Zoelner mused. “Insane Clown Posse comes to mind.”

“Hey,” Dan whispered urgently, “don’t say that too loud. You’ll have groups of juggalos beating down your door.”

Zoelner snorted.

“And just so you know,” Dan went on, “what I’ve learned out of this lifetime is you should be proud of where you come from.”

“I’m waiting…”

“Kid Rock said that. Via his Twitter account.”

“And there it is.”

***

About the Book

Title: Too Hard To Handle

Author: Julie Ann Walker

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Summary

"The Man" is back
Dan "The Man" Currington is back in fighting form with a mission that takes him four thousand miles south of BKI headquarters, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. He's hot on the trail of a rogue CIA agent selling classified government secrets to the highest bidder, when Penni DePaul arrives on the scene. Suddenly the stakes are higher, and keeping Penni safe becomes Dan's number one priority.

And this time she's ready
A lot has changed since former Secret Service Agent Penni DePaul last saw Dan. Now a civilian, she's excited about what the future might hold. But before she can grab onto that future with both hands, she has to tie up some loose ends-namely, Dan Currington, the man she just can't forget. And a secret that's going to change both their lives-if they can stay alive, that is.

Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1M9j6Mn

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1Q5vXyc

iBooks: http://apple.co/1RfS4En

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1OUhLZ0

Author Biography

Julie Ann Walker is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling Author of the Black Knights Inc. romantic suspense series. She is prone to spouting movie quotes and song lyrics. She'll never say no to sharing a glass of wine or going for a long walk. She prefers impromptu travel over the scheduled kind, and she takes her coffee with milk. You can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission. For more information, please visit www.julieannwalker.com or follow her on Facebook www.facebook.com/jawalkerauthor and/or Twitter @JAWalkerAuthor.

Social Networking Links

Website: http://julieannwalker.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jawalkerauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JAWalkerAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5342916.Julie_Ann_Walker

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ARC REVIEW: The Moment of Letting Go By J. A. Redmerski

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Buy The Book:
Amazon / B&N / iBook / GooglePlay / Kobo / BAM

Connect With The Author:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads 

Synopsis On Goodreads:

You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart...

THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO

Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she'd always craved-until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he's convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can't deny the deep connection he feels. But there's a reason Luke doesn't do long-term. He can't promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has shown him just how fragile the future can be . . . 

RATING: 3/5 stars

*** REVIEW ***

"Most of people never let their feet leave the ground, whether they're afraid of heights, or afraid of hospitals, or they stay in the same place all their life because they're afraid of change. So many people go through life on the ground and die without ever knowing that they can fly."

You know that one perfect read from the author you like you keep comparing his/her every next book? Well, that type of read is In the Company of Killers series by Redmerski for me. Therefore, while I did like this book, at the same time it didn't manage to dethrone ItCoK. 

Having said that The Moment of Letting Go is a well-written, slow-building and emotional contemporary romance about two people helping each other conquer their biggest fears while at the same time falling in love.  The main characters are a 22 year old event coordinator Sienna Murphy and 24 year old surf instructor Luke Everett who accidentaly meet in one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world- Hawaii. The whole plot is focused on them slowly getting to know each other, learning from each other and starting a romance with a few "bumps" in the way of their happiness. It's a fairly light read without bigger drama which is probably one of my main reasons for 3 stars rating, because I prefer more complex and thrilling stories. The charcaters were likable and relatable enough, but overall, I don't know, I guess I failed to connect to them on some deeper level.

Life is too short and uncertain to live it in a cage paralized by fear. We all need more moments of letting go of our fears and worries in life, taking risks and just enjoying life to its fullest, otherwise we'll die with all those "what ifs" haunting us in the afterlife. That's the thought-provoking and inspirational message of the story which I think anyone of us can relate to, but the book as a whole was a 3 stars read for me. I would recommend it to romance junkies who are fans of light, sweet and emotional love stories or if  you are more of a romance suspense/ dark thriller fan like me- I higly recommend Redmerski's ItCoK series.

xoxo,

Purple

RELEASE DAY & GIVEAWAY: THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO by J. A. Redmerski

THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO by J.A. Redmerski (August 11, 2015; Forever Trade Paperback)

Synopsis:

You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart...

Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she'd always craved-until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he's convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can't deny the deep connection he feels. But there's a reason Luke doesn't do long-term. He can't promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has shown him just how fragile the future can be . . .

Buy the book:

Amazon / B&N / iBook / GooglePlay / Kobo / BAM

 

Excerpt

  

Then he gets up and grabs my hands from the tops of my bare knees, pulling me to my feet.

“We’re going swimming,” he says. “And we’ll talk more about this later…like on the day your vacation is over and you’re standing at the gate in the airport about to kiss me goodbye.”

“Wow, you really think highly of yourself, don’t you?” I can’t keep the laughter from my voice.

“Damn straight!” he says and pulls me along beside him. “Before these two weeks are over, I can guarantee you three things.” He holds up three fingers as we continue onward toward the water. “One”—he holds up one finger—“you’ll never want to go back to San Diego once Hawaii is done with you.” He holds up two fingers. “Two—that photography love of yours will start to take the place of everything else in your life. And three”—he wiggles three fingers and we stop on the beach where the water can pool around our feet—“you’ll kiss me at least once before you go home.”

I blush hard and it feels like my eyes are bugging out of my head. “I might peck you on the cheek or something, but—”

“No,” he says, smiling and quite serious, “it’ll be a full-on, tongue-dancing kind of kiss.”

I smack him playfully on the arm—something is fluttering around inside my belly.

“Geez!”

Luke grabs my hand and pulls me out to the water with him, where we swim and hang out on the cliffs until late in the afternoon. People come and go throughout the hours, sometimes leaving us with Alicia, Braedon, and a few of their close friends to have the area to ourselves for a while before more people show up in intervals.

“Backflip!” someone says just before Luke jumps into the water for probably the twentieth time.

And every time he does it, it ties my stomach up in knots. But there’s something about him that I can’t quite figure out when I watch him leap off the edge of that cliff; it’s not overconfidence or showing off or recklessness, but something deeper, more profound. Maybe it’s a sense of freedom, or a natural high that consumes him while he’s in the air, as if he had been born with a pair of wings that only he can see. But the more time I spend with him, the more intrigued I become. Sure, he’s gorgeous and funny and polite and all the kinds of things—so far—that would make my mom love him to death. But what intrigues and excites me more is how he kind of makes me want to jump off that stupid cliff regardless of how scared I am of it.

 About the author: 

 

J. A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries.

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Purple