Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Letting Go by Molly McAdams

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Letting Go by Molly McAdams, hosted by bookslapped. Check out my review below and enter the giveaway!

~Synopsis~

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author returns with a sizzling novel of love, loss, guilt, and forgiveness.

Grey and Ben fell in love at thirteen and believed they’d be together forever. But three days before their wedding, the twenty-year-old groom-to-be suddenly died from an unknown heart condition, destroying his would-be-bride’s world. If it hadn’t been for their best friend, Jagger, Grey never would have made it through those last two years to graduation. He’s the only one who understands her pain, the only one who knows what it’s like to force yourself to keep moving when your dreams are shattered. Jagger swears he’ll always be there for her, but no one has ever been able to hold on to him. He’s not the kind of guy to settle down.

It’s true that no one has ever been able to keep Jagger—because he’s only ever belonged to Grey. While everyone else worries over Grey’s fragility, he’s the only one who sees her strength. Yet as much as he wants Grey, he knows her heart will always be with Ben. Still they can’t deny the heat that is growing between them—a passion that soon becomes too hot to handle. But admitting their feelings for each other means they’ve got to face the past. Is being together what Ben would have wanted . . . or a betrayal of his memory that will eventually destroy them both?

~Review~

Letting Go was a powerful story of loss, love and moving forward. Grey and Ben have been together since they were 13 and 2 days before their wedding, Ben dies unexpectedly. Grey and Ben's best friend Jagger are left behind to pick up the pieces and grieve their loss. Jagger is the only person that really understands what Grey is going through and he is the only person that doesn't treat her like she's breakable. 

I really love Jagger. He is sweet, kind, charming and so protective of Grey. He has been in love with her since they were kids and always hoped she would see him differently. Ben swooped in and took Grey before Jagger ever had a chance to tell her how he felt. I think he was so noble because he stood back and let them be happy. He never tried to come between them or tell them how he felt. He was a true friend to both Grey and Jagger. 

Grey is really struggling to move on after Ben dies. She doesn't know how and when she finally finds out how Jagger feels about her and realizes she feels the same, she definitely harbors some guilt. I totally understand why because she feels wrong for moving. However, all of her friends and family tell her it's okay to move on and Ben would want her to be happy. I was really glad to see that she took that to heart and realized they were right. 

I really loved the development of Grey and Jagger's relationship. Someone is trying to sabotage them and using Grey's vulnerability from Ben to do it. I liked that Jagger continued to support her even when he felt like he was losing her. He helped her get through a really tough time in her life and showed her that it's okay to be happy and love again. 

Overall, I felt that this book was really well written. Molly really made me feel the emotions that Grey and Jagger felt. The plot was relate-able and definitely realistic. Jagger is a man any woman would want and I definitely fell in love.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON

About the Author:

Molly McAdams grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband and furry daughter. Her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling and long walks on the beach, which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes. When she's not at work, she can be found hiding out in her bedroom surrounded by her laptop, cell, Kindle and fighting over the TV remote. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies, fried pickles and loves curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm...or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren't really happening.

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ARC Review: Home to Whiskey Creek by Brenda Novak

Home to Whiskey Creek

Whiskey Creek #4

Author: Brenda Novak

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Publication Date: July 30, 2013

~Synopsis~

Sometimes home is the refuge you need-and sometimes it isn't Adelaide Davies, who's been living in Sacramento, returns to Whiskey Creek, the place she once called home. She's there to take care of her aging grandmother and to help with Gran's restaurant, Just Like Mom's. But Adelaide isn't happy to be back. There are too many people here she'd rather avoid, people who were involved in that terrible June night fifteen years ago. 

Ever since the graduation party that changed her life, she's wanted to go to the police and make sure the boys responsible-men now-are punished. But she can't, not without revealing an even darker secret. So it's better to pretend.... 

Noah Rackham, popular, attractive, successful, is shocked when Adelaide won't have anything to do with him. He has no idea that his very presence reminds her of something she'd rather forget. He only knows that he's finally met a woman he could love.

~Prelude~

When I read the synopsis for this one on NetGalley, I was very intrigued and decided to request it. I didn’t realize it was the 4^th book in a series. However, they are all companion novels so I realized it was ok that I haven’t read any of the other books. However, now that I have read Home to Whiskey Creek, I am definitely interested in reading the first 3 books.

~Review~

Home to Whiskey Creek was a deep and thoughtful contemporary romance. Addie is traumatized as a sophomore in high school and moves away as soon as she graduates high school. She doesn’t return to Whiskey Creek for 12 years and she is only back to take care of her ailing grandmother and then wants to get the hell out of there. She has worked so hard to recover from the past and the last thing she needs is to see the people who almost destroyed her life or relive that nightmare. Noah is a successful mountain bike racer and owns his own bike shop in Whiskey Creek, his home town. When he comes across Addie, he feels something that no other woman has made him feel but she has barriers that even he struggles to break. Addie may be the woman to settle Noah down and he may be the man she can finally give her whole heart too. However, revelations about that night 15 years ago could tear them apart forever.

I loved Addie and found her to be a very strong character. She was traumatized by an awful event at 16 but she didn’t let it take over her life and consume her. She got help and she found a way to heal and put herself back together. While she can never forget what happened, she has learned to forgive and move forward. I admire her for being strong enough to go back and face her fears head on. It would be hard to see them with families and living normal lives knowing what they did. I loved her resolve with Noah too because she has always been in love with him and now that he is showing interest in her, she needs to keep him at bay and she does a pretty good job of it.

“The boys of Whiskey Creek hadn’t broken her yet. She’d survived. Again.”

Noah was definitely a character I could get caught up in. He was handsome, charming, sweet and successful. He is thought of as a player by his friends but he has just never found the right woman to fall in love, that is, until Addie falls back into his life. In high school, he was a few years older than her and really popular so he didn’t pay much attention to her. However, he notices her now and he feels something with her that he thinks could be real. He desperately wants to get to know her but she has a tough exterior and he isn’t sure he can break down her barriers. His life was forever changed that same night 15 years ago but in a very different way and he has no idea about the connection Addie has to it. When he found out the truth about what happened and it came out to everyone in town, I fell in love with him for sticking by Addie’s side and supporting her.

“And, oddly enough, he wasn’t thinking about how he could slip out of the relationship without hurting her when it was over. He was letting himself go, too, in a way he’d never let go before, and that made this very different.”

One of the things I loved about this book was that Addie’s trauma wasn’t some big secret to be revealed at the end. It was known right up front and I liked that because the plot was all about Addie dealing with her emotions about being back and her feelings for Noah. There was still a little mystery because someone was watching Addie and taunting her and the author did a really good job of keeping the intrigue and mystery alive with that. I also loved having the dual POV with Addie and Noah. I love being able to get into the mind of both characters and know what they are thinking and feeling in each situation.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Home to Whiskey Creek and it has me very intrigued to check out the other 3 books to get some insight into some of the characters that make a small appearance in this book. The book had great character and plot development and I was super satisfied with the ending and felt that the author wrapped up Addie and Noah’s story very well.

~IPOD Picks~

“Starts with Goodbye” by Carrie Underwood

“All Your Life” by The Band Perry

*An e-ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher and NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.*

Review: Undertow by Leigh T. Moore

Undertow

Dragonfly #2

Author: Leigh T. Moore

Publication Date: July 18, 2013

~Synopsis~

Bill Kyser has a plan to take the sandy farms of his hometown and turn them into a world-class tourist destination--and become a billionaire in the process. 
Alexandra "Lexy" LaSalle has a plan to change her life by becoming a world-famous artist. 
Meg Weaver has a plan to hold onto Bill no matter what she has to do.

Three friends, three dreams.
One fatal decision will change all their lives forever.

In Dragonfly, Bill Kyser gave Anna the three journals that held the story behind the powerful developer's seclusion and the damaged lives of his family members. 

Anna hoped to find a way for Julian to know the truth, but as she digs deeper into the tragic events of the past, she realizes silence could be the only option. 

Now she's in an alliance with the man she formerly feared. And if Julian finds out what she knows, she could lose for good the boy she's starting to love.

~Prelude~

After reading Dragonfly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Undertow. While Dragonfly was an enjoyable read, I couldn’t connect with Anna and Jack was a total tool. Julian was the saving grace and I enjoyed the tiny bit of mystery in the plot. Undertow is very different from Dragonfly and I have to say I was impressed. If you haven’t read Dragonfly, there may be some small spoilers from that book in this review.

~Review~

At the end of Dragonfly, Bill Kyser gives Anna three journals to read in hopes that she will understand why it is so important that they keep their secret from Julian. The journals belong to Meg, Bill’s deceased wife; Alex, Meg’s best friend and Julian’s mom; and Bill. As Anna reads through the journals, she learns more than she probably wanted to about the events that led to Meg’s death, Alex’s loneliness and Bill’s distance and isolation. Reading the journals also gives her perspective and understanding into Jack and Lucy’s lives and how these events trickled down to all the children involved.

The book is written as if Anna is reading the journals and we start off with Meg’s. Immediately, I was not a fan of her. She was very stuck up and self-centered. She came off as very vain and a bit spoiled. The more I read of her story, the less I really liked her. She wanted to reap all of the benefits from the hard work that Bill was putting in but she bitched and moaned at him all the time about never being around. She did some crazy stuff and I could see where their relationship was going. However, she was a loving and caring mother and the loss of her definitely played a role in her children’s lives. She was also a very loyal wife and friend and the betrayal she faced in the end was heart breaking. No matter how much I didn’t like her, I was sad for her in the end.

"I was not going to lose my prince charming or my mansion on Hammond Island!"

After Meg’s journal, Anne moves on to Alex’s. Even though I knew what Alex was going to do and I wanted to dislike her for that, I couldn’t help but like her. She was smart, artistic, kind and full of ambition. She wanted to make her mark on the art world and be somebody big. She seemed to be a really good friend and always there for Meg when she needed her. However, Alex made many poor decisions, especially when it came to men and her decisions affected so many other lives. While I know she didn’t anticipate falling for Bill, I was so disappointed in her for losing control and betraying Meg.  

"It's funny, we are sort of like night and day-- her glowing sunshine, and me quiet night."

Bill’s journal definitely gave me more insight into why he was the way he was and I disliked him less after that. All the things he had said and done in Dragonfly were put into perspective after reading his version of the events so long ago. I actually felt sorry for him because he really seemed like a good guy in the beginning. He was ambitious and he knew what he wanted. He loved Meg and he tried to be a good husband. She didn’t make it easy on him. However, the things that happened between him and Meg were never the kids fault and I hated that he didn’t spend more time with them. His marriage was disintegrating and Alex became a really great, close friend. He never meant to fall for her and I truly felt sorry for him because he ended up losing both women he loved. However, he made his bed and now he would have to lie in it.

"Yeah, I know I'm not the first guy to say this, but I will never understand women."

Anna wants to be with Julian and she knows that they can be good together but now that she carries around this huge secret that will have a huge impact on his life, she is worried about losing him. I don’t blame her but I am actually proud of her that she recognizes this is not her secret to tell. While, she wasn’t really in this book much, I did feel some growth with her character and I was happy to see that she finally realized how wrong Jack was for her and how right Julian will be. I was happy with the ending and I can’t wait to see what will happen with everything in Watercolor.

Overall, Undertow was riveting and I enjoyed it even more than Dragonfly. I loved going into the past and seeing how Alex and Bill got to where they are which affected how Jack, Lucy and Julian got to be where they are. The way that it was written was really fun and unique; with the journal entries having some dialogue to make you feel like you were right there experiencing it with them.

~IPOD Picks~
"Mess I Made" by Parachute
"Night Minds" by Missy Higgins
"When a Heart Breaks" by Ben Rector

Blog Tour: Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris ~ Review

Today, I have the blog tour for Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris on the blog. Rachel is a super sweet lady and this was such an awesome read. She is very talented and I am so happy to share my review of Taste the Heat with y'all today.

Taste the Heat

Author: Rachel Harris

Publisher: Entangled Bliss

Publication Date: July 8, 2013

~Synopsis~

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas. 

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no. 

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

~Prelude~

When I saw the Taste of Heat tour signup, I read the synopsis and was immediately intrigued. I am so honored to be given the opportunity to read this book and I can’t wait to share all my feelings with you.

~Review~

Taste the Heat was such a cute and fun read. It is so nice to read a light romantic book once and a while and take a break from the intensity of new adult novels. The writing style is so reminiscent of Lauren Blakely, whom I adore, so I am an instant fan of Rachel Harris.

Colby is a renowned chef in Las Vegas, where she owns her own Italian restaurant. She is back in her home town in Louisiana after leaving 12 years ago. She immediately reconnects with her childhood crush, Jason, who happens to be her brother’s best friend. All of her feelings come rushing back but she doesn’t know if she can ever trust another man again. Jason is instantly attracted to Colby before realizing who she is. Once he knows, he can’t stop thinking about her and she may be the woman to bring down all his barriers.

“Coming home was always a tug and pull—warm memories with apprehension.”

I really liked Colby. She was smart, funny and one hell of a chef! She has been through some traumatic events when she was younger when it comes to men. It has made her guarded and un-trusting of them. When Jason comes back into her life, she really struggles internally with her feelings for him and her distrust in men.

Jason was an amazing and loyal man. He was a good father and everything he does is for his daughter. He immediately feels things for Colby that he hasn’t felt since his wife died and it is very confusing for him. He can tell that there is something holding Colby back and he wants to open her up and get her to trust him.

“When was the last time he’d had such a visceral reaction to the simple sight of a woman?”

Emma was the star of this book and I loved her. She loved her dad so much and she was such a fan of Colby. It was so cute how she tried to play matchmaker and encouraged Jason to go after Colby. She made me laugh and smile throughout the entire book.

Colby and Jason are two people who have both been through a tragic event that has caused them to put up barriers and not allow people in. Their re-connection couldn't have been more perfect because they both needed someone to bring them to life again. Both of them started out with a physical attraction and thinking that they wanted just a fling with no emotions attached. I knew that wouldn’t work because Colby has always been in love with Jason and he is such a passionate man. I loved the way they shared their most painful memories with each other and the way they really connected. The sexual tension between them was smoking hot but the emotional connection that Colby made with Jason and Emma was heartwarming and endearing.

“He bought himself an entire summer with Colby, and maybe, just maybe, it would convince her to stay.”

Overall, I loved this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was a light; fun read and had all the elements to make me smile. The characters were likable and easy to connect with. The plot was fun and flowed well. The writing was excellent and the style was fun and easy to read. This is my first Rachel Harris book and I will definitely be reading more.

 

~IPOD Picks~

“Collide” by Howie Day

“Just a Feeling” by Maroon Five

“Feel Again” by One Republic

Rachel Harris Bio:

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her atwww.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Links:

Website: www.RachelHarrisWrites.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RachelHarrisYA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RachelHarrisYA

Goodreads Author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5347676.Rachel_Harris

Entangled Website: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/

*an E-arc copy of this book was provided to me by the author and Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*

Follow the rest of the Tour:

July 7^th

Between Fantasy & Reality
Fantasy Fairy

July 8^th

All Romance Reviews

July 9^th

Mostly YA Book Obsessed
Starbucks & Books Obsession

July 10^th

A Book Lovers Review
Unforgettable Books

July 11^th

Romancing Rakes
Every Free Chance Reader

July 12^th

Always YA at Heart
Oops! I Read Again

July 13^th  

A Bookish Escape
Comfort Books

July 14^th

Pink Fluffy Hearts
Brianna Lee Reviews

July 15^th

Dazzled by Books
Library of a Book Witch

July 16^th

ReaderGirls
Books Mystify

July 17^th

Ticket to Anywhere
Tangled Up in Books

July 18^th

Stuck in Books
The Cover Contessa

July 19^th

Books, Coffee, & Wine
Refreshingly Riki

July 20^th

Book Bitches Blog
Harlie’s Books

Review: The Vincent Boys & The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines

The Vincent Boys & The Vincent Brothers (Extended & Uncut)

Author: Abbi Glines

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: December 18, 2012

Ashton is getting tired of being good, of impressing her parents and playing ideal girlfriend to Sawyer Vincent. Sawyer is perfect, a regular Prince Charming, but when he leaves town for the summer, it’s his cousin Beau who catches Ashton’s eye. Beau is the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, and even though he’s dangerous, Ashton is drawn to him.

Beau loves his cousin like a brother, so the last thing he wants to do is make a move on Sawyer’s girl. Ashton is off-limits, absolutely. That’s why he does his best to keep his distance, even though he’s been in love with her forever. When Ashton wants to rekindle their childhood friendship in Sawyer’s absence, Beau knows he should say no.

Ashton and Beau don’t want to hurt Sawyer. But the more they try to stay away from each other, the more intense their urges become. It’s getting way too hard to resist..

Lana has lived her life in her cousin’s shadow. Ashton always made perfect grades, had tons of friends, and looks model-perfect. And she’s always had Sawyer Vincent—the only boy Lana’s ever wanted—wrapped around her finger. But now things are different. Lana has a chance to make Sawyer see her, and she’s taking it. If only he’d get over Ashton—because Lana is sick of second-best.

Sawyer’s heart is broken. He’s lost his best girl to his best friend. And then Lana comes to town. Ashton’s cousin has always been sweet and soft-spoken, but now she’s drop-dead gorgeous as well. Sawyer doesn’t know if Lana can heal his broken heart, but spending time with her might at least make Ashton jealous.

What starts as a carefree fling becomes a lusty game of seduction. Sawyer and Lana may have different motives, but their scintillating hookups are the same kind of steamy. . . 

********************************

I really enjoyed reading The Vincent Boys & The Vincent Brothers but there were a few things about the plot that bothered me as well as some character flaws that lead to my 3 star review.

I wasn't a huge fan of Ashton or Beau. I liked that Ashton had finally decided to be her own person and not let everyone dictate who she should be. However, I didn't like the way she went about it. She only opened up her real self to Beau but continued being someone else around everybody else. I disagreed with so many of the decisions that she made and it made it difficult to connect with her character. Beau was your typical bad boy and while I liked the way he truly loved Ashton, I didn't like the way he pursued her or the decisions he made with Ashton. However, I liked that he never pretended to be someone else and that he was willing to put every thing on the line, including his relationship with Sawyer, to do the right thing and be honest. 

While I loved the fact that Beau and Ashton rekindled their friendship and discovered the true love they held for each other, I am not a big fan of cheating in a story line because it makes it hard for me to fully invest myself in the romance. I did like the little twist added into the story that I wasn't expecting and I was satisfied with how the book concluded.

As far as Lana and Sawyer go, I wasn't anymore impressed or connected with them than I was with Ashton and Beau. Despite Sawyer being the perfect Vincent boy, I think he showed some of his true colors at the end of the first book and definitely in this book and I think it actually made me like Beau more. Lana was a little to desperate and obvious to me. She was always so quick to jump to conclusions and she had serious insecurities. Even though I think Sawyer needed to move on from Ashton, I felt like his sudden all consuming love for Lana was a little too realistic, especially considering his lengthy relationship with Ashton and his love for her. I liked the conclusion of this book and I liked the epilogue, which gave a satisfying closure to the series.

I did enjoy reading the books and I love Abbi Glines writing. I think she did an excellent job on writing and developing the plot and characters. However, I had too many issues with the characters and the plot is not a favorite topic of mine. Overall, I read the books quickly and still love Abbi Glines and her writing.

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Favorite Quotes:

"I swatted her hand, horrified that my grandmother had admired Beau shirtless. She chuckled. "What?" I'm Old, Ashton baby, not blind." I could only imagine how Beau looked shirtless and sweaty."~ The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

"I forgot to breathe as I stared up at him. He looked torn between fear and longing. The sweet guy I'd fallen in love with years ago was there, but he was underneath the other guy he was slowly changing into." ~The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines

IPOD Picks:

"We Belong Together" by Gavin Degraw

"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz

"Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars

"It's Time" by Imagine Dragons

Sources:

Synopsis: Goodreads

Cover Photo: Goodreads

Review: Sea Breeze Series by Abbi Glines

So I warned you that you may be seeing Abbi Glines reviews all up on my blog after I read Twisted Perfection. I have been spending every spare minute reading her Sea Breeze series books over the last 4 days so I decided to a combined review instead of doing 4 separate posts.

Sea Breeze Series

Author: Abbi Glines

Breathe (Sea Breeze #1)
Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.

When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.

Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationships never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie

****************************

This book was not what I was expecting it to be at all but in a very good way. This was more of a young adult contemporary novel and after reading a few of her other books, I was expecting it to be more adult contemporary. However, I have been loving young adult contemporary novels lately so I was pleasantly surprised. I also really loved the characters in this book, especially Sadie and Jax. Sadie was such a strong young girl and I loved that she didn't love Jax because he was a rock star  but because of the person that he was. She hated the fame and loved seeing the real Jax that know one else knew. I was also really surprised by Jax because I expected him to be this arrogant rock star who was humbled by a normal girl. However, he wasn't like that at all. From the beginning, he was this sweet young guy who wanted to be normal and saw something in Sadie he had never seen in anyone before.

Sadie had such a rough life and when things got tough with her and Jax, my heart almost broke for her. I was glad that she had made friends and had a support system because when she needed them, they were there. Even though I felt like Marcus was selfish and used Sadie's pain to get an advantage for himself, I liked him in the end because he did what was right for her. No one deserved to be happy more than Sadie and I was glad that Jax wised up in the end.

Favorite Teaser:

"He closed his eyes tightly. 'You don't know how good thinking about it makes me feel, but now I am going to have a harder time going to sleep at night knowing I'm singing in your ears.' He opened his eyes to look at me, I saw something there I'd only wished for, or my heart was lying to me."~ Sadie (Breathe by Abbi Glines)

________________________________________

Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)

Marcus Hardy had hoped to enjoy a year away at college while he put the summer he’d rather forget behind him. But instead, he’s jerked right back to the coastal town of Sea Breeze, Alabama due to a family crisis. His dear ol' dad found himself a girlfriend only a few years older than Marcus. So now his sister needs help dealing with their mother who is mentally falling apart. The only bright spot to returning is the fascinating red head who sleeps over several times a week. The problem is she's sleeping in bed with his new roommate, Cage York. Willow “Low” Foster needs a place to live. Running to Cage’s apartment every time her sister kicks her out isn’t exactly a long term solution. Juggling her courses at the local community college and a part time job doesn’t produce excess income. But Cage has a new roommate and suddenly sleeping over at her best friend’s apartment isn’t such a bad thing. Not when she gets to see those sexy green eyes of Marcus Hardy’s twinkle when he smiles at her like he wants her there. 
Even though Cage seems a little territorial where Low is concerned, Marcus finds time to spend with Low without upsetting his roommate. Cage may use his small college baseball star persona to sleep with every hot female in his path but he’s still under the disillusion that when he’s through sowing his wild oats, he’s going to marry Low. Marcus intends to change that assumption for both Cage and Low. Until his carefully laid plans come crashing down with a revelation he never expected. He’ll have to choose between Low or his family. Because once the truth comes out.... there’s no other choice.

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I am really glad that Marcus got his own story because I wasn't a huge fan of his in Breathe but after reading Because of Low, I realized he was a really good guy who just fell for the wrong girl and he fell hard. He deserved his chance at love and that was exactly what he got. Marcus is a really good guy who clearly loves his family and will do anything for them. He is instantly attracted to Low and he can see that she has a tough home life. He has been trying to get over Sadie and Low turns out to be just the girl to help him do that. I loved Low because she was such a sweet and smart girl. She had such a tough life and never thought she was good enough for Marcus but she let herself believe that she could be and she was. I also admired her for being the only woman who wouldn't sleep with Cage. Even though he was a man whore, I loved that Cage had one woman he could really care about.

 The obstacles that Marcus and Low had to face were definitely unexpected and I once again saw the selfish side of Marcus that I didn't care for. Low deserved better than that and I was glad he finally pulled his head out to see that. No matter how different their lives were or what drama they faced, Low was definitely worthy of Marcus.

Favorite Teaser:

"I sat on the edge of the bed and cradled my head in  my hands. What the hell had just happened? And why had I not been able to reach her? Watching her bury herself in Cage's arms had been more than I could handle. The jealousy that he was the one she went to ate me alive. I was second best. Again. But this time it was ripping me apart. Sadie hadn't consumed me this way. She hadn't owned me. Low did." ~Marcus (Because of Low by Abbi Glines)

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While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)
Maybe driving home after a few (or more) shots of tequila had been a bad idea, but hell, he did it all the time. The cops had to have been freaking bored to have pulled him over. He wasn’t even swerving! That’s Cage York’s story and he’s sticking to it. Unfortunately, his baseball coach isn’t buying it. Cage has a free ride to the local junior college for baseball -- or he did, until he’d gotten a DUI. Now, Cage has to decide: does he drop out and give up his dream of getting noticed by a college in the SEC, and possibly making it into the Major Leagues -- or does he give in to his coach’s demands and spend his summer baling hay?Eva Brooks planned out her life step by step when she was eight years old. Not once over the years had she lost sight of her goals. Josh Beasley, her next door neighbor, had been the center of those goals. He’d been her first boyfriend at seven, her first kiss at ten, her first date at fifteen, and her first tragedy at eighteen. The moment she’d received the phone call from Josh’s mother saying he’d been killed along with four other soldiers just north of Baghdad, Eva’s carefully planned life imploded in the worst way possible. Cage isn’t real happy with his closet-sized bedroom in the back of a foul smelling barn, or his daily interactions with cows, but he knows that if he doesn’t make his coach happy then he can kiss his scholarship goodbye. Only a sick and twisted man would decide his punishment was to be working on a farm all summer. No hot babes in bikinis waiting to meet a Southern boy to make her vacation complete. Just him and the damned cows. Oh -- and an uptight, snarky brunette with the biggest blue eyes he’s every seen. But she doesn’t count, because as hard as he’s tried to charm her out of her panties - he’s pretty sure she’d rather see him hung from the rafters than let him get a taste of her pretty little lips.

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While it Lasts was definitely one of the more heart wrenching books of the series. I found myself tearing up already in the prologue and I hadn't even gotten to Cage & Eva's story yet. I really liked Cage in Because of Low so I was glad to read an entire story focused around him. Even though he is a man whore and player, you could always see a good guy in him because of how protective he was of Low. Just like Marcus, he could be selfish at times but he let her go because he knew Marcus was what was right for her. In the end, he was rewarded with Eva. 

I loved seeing the emotions that Cage goes through as he realizes that he has finally met a woman that he really cares about as something more than a one night stand. I was so emotionally connected to Eva and I loved that Cage helped her open up and love again. He made her feel things that she thought she could never feel again. These two were such an unlikely pair so the fact that they found each was really amazing to me. It did bother me that Eva let the opinions of other people skew her decisions and make her question being with Cage. It only made him feel like he wasn't worthy when really he just needed someone who could help make him a better man. In the end, Eva listened to her heart and made the right decision.

Favorite Teaser:

"When Eva had pleaded with me earler I'd almost cracked. The only thing that kept me from turning back to look at her had been the image of her with the other guy. She'd let him touch her and help her into the Jeep. He hadn't been snubbed. He was good enough. I couldn't do this with her. Being someone's dirty little secret hadn't bothered me until now. I didn't want to be Eva's secret. Things had been different with her. I'd felt something. It had been real. It had been more. So much more." ~Cage (While it Lasts by Abbi Glines)

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Just For Now

The day Preston Drake figured out that wealthy women paid well for a set of tight abs and a pretty face his life turned around. The run down rat-infested trailer he had shared with his alcoholic mother and three younger siblings was now only a place he visited to pay the bills and stock the pantry with food. He no longer worried about his family starving or living without electricity. The money he made entertaining rich older women more than covered his family’s needs and his own. He had it all figured out. Except… There was this girl.She was as innocent as he was tainted. Amanda Hardy wished her knees didn’t get weak when Preston walked into a room. She hated the fact her heart raced when he flashed his smile in her direction. He had a different girl in his bed every night. He was the kind of boy a smart girl ran from. So, why was she coming up with ways to get close to him? Even when it was obvious he wanted to keep her at a distance. Maybe her heart knew something the world didn’t. Maybe Preston Drake was more than just a pretty face.

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Out of all the books, I think I liked the plot in Just for Now the best. The situation that Amanda and Preston were facing was definitely different and it really made my heart beat to think about how they would get through this. We don't get the best impression of Preston in the other books so I liked getting into his life and seeing a side of him that isn't there from other's perspective. He is definitely messed up but after the glimpse we get into his home life, it is easy to see how that happened. However, when he really cares about someone, he loves hard. He took so much heat for going after Amanda but in reality, she pursued him relentlessly and he tried to push her away because he didn't think he deserved her either. 

I loved that Amanda didn't care what anyone else thought about Preston or that they were from completely different backgrounds. She saw into him when no one else did and she could see the person that he could truly be. She got to see the softer side, the side that loved his siblings more than anything and she was the only person he had ever let into his life like that. 

Favorite Teaser:

"The teasing lilt to her voice was sexy. Everything about her was sexy. And she had a small bag packed with her things so she could sleep over. I wasn't going to be able to control myself. I needed something from her. the emotions swirling inside me were taking over. Everything from attraction to gratefulness to relief. We'd conquered something together today. I wanted to celebrate. With her." ~Preston (Just for Now by Abbi Glines)

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As the series progresses, the men get more and more troubled and the books become less and less "young adult." I really liked that progression of writing from the author and the maturity of the characters along the way. I loved that each book had its own separate plot but the characters from the other books are woven into each story so well. I think the author made wise decisions when picking which characters to pull out of each story and make the focal point of the next book to keep the story flowing. I really loved the way this series was a companion novel series instead of written just as sequels. This allowed us to get to know so many more of the characters on a more personal level.