Stealing Our Hearts

This is only the second time I’ve done a double review, so I apologize if it ever gets confusing. I didn’t take the time to write a review on the first book, A Lovely Obsession, because I desperately needed to read the second book as quickly as I could. You see, the first book ends with a sort of cliffhanger. It’s not a normal cliffhanger, but it’s a painful one to say the least. I won’t tell you exactly what happens, but be prepared to start the second book ASAP. 

This story (both books) revolve around the obsession of one man. His obsession is named Roe and she’s a very special type of girl. We first meet her on her eighteenth birthday.  She’s a loner. She sleeps around and never gets attached. She suffers from abandonment issues and insecurities. But she is absolutely incredible. She’s the strongest female character I’ve ever read and that makes her flawless in my mind. She is living with her uncle after she lost both her mother and her father by the age of ten. We don’t learn the truth of their deaths until much later in our story, but we figure something might be going on behind the scenes. Roe has a stalker, a protector, and guardian angel. His name is Hunter and he’s been obsessed with Roe, his “Pretty Debt”, since she was born. In the beginning, we don’t understand why he feels this need to protect her at all costs. He claims that he hates her, but we know it’s not true. We read about the way he sees her, the way he wants her, craves only her. His obsession runs deep. After the first time Roe and Hunter kiss, all bets are off. He’s angry and hateful towards her and she enjoys the power she holds over him with her body. The obsession grows on both sides. Roe loves the fact that she knows Hunter is watching her, even though she hates him. She loves to hate him. Hunter can’t stop, he’s in too deep with her. He desires her beyond his control. In the first book, someone is after Hunter because of someone he killed. Oh right, I guess I should mention that Hunter is an assassin. So he murdered some guy and it turns out that guy’s daughter is out for vengeance. She knows how important Roe is to Hunter and exploits her. She uses the fact that Roe craves information about Hunter against her and tries to kidnap her. A lot goes on the first book, but you get the idea. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that actually never stops. By the end of book one, your heart has been through the ringer and you finally feel some semblance of hope that these two lovers might find their happily ever after. 

NOPE. 

Cue book two. Five years have past since Roe and Hunter have seen each other. Yeah, I’m telling you guys, emotional rollercoaster doesn’t cover it. These two people love each other, but for various reasons, hold back. Well, in this book we find out why Hunter kept his distance from Roe. Roe is desperate for him. She’s searched for him everywhere and can’t figure out where he’s hiding. After stealing her uncles phone and calling Hunter, she travels to New York to speak with the head of the assassin organization that Hunter works for. Turns out, if she wants to know where he’s living, she has to trade something. So she promises to bring Hunter back to work for the Bullets (the assassin organization). WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT IS GOING TO END. Bad idea, girl. So she finds him. And her heart breaks. Hell, MY heart broke. It was devastating to see him again, to see his new life…his new woman. Even typing this right now brings tears to my eyes. I couldn’t take it. I had to put the book down. Hunter is so angry with her for showing up. He’s back to hating her again. He lives with a guilt that we don’t know about until he finally spills it. He finally lays all the cards out for Roe and she hates him again. The tether between these two pops and their love dissipates. It’s heartbreaking, it’s painful and raw, it’s gruesome. Guys, no joke – I was a mess. Ugly tears and open-mouth wailing during this. I didn’t think I could take it. I needed to see these two together no matter what. Well, I guess Roe felt the same way because she found it in her heart to love him anyway. 

This time around, Hunter had to go on one last mission to save Roe’s uncle (who isn’t really her uncle, but she still sees him as family). A lot and I mean A LOT happens in the second book. Hunter almost dies, Roe almost walks away, everything comes crashing down. But oh lordy, does the end make up for all of it. Our two lovers get their HEA. They do. As unbelievable as it may be. I kept wondering if something bad might happen, I was constantly on my toes until the very end, afraid of another disaster. But when it ended and I allowed it to soak in, man was I happy as a clam. They finally gave into their obsessions and started really living their lives. I don’t know if 5 stars really covers how I felt about these two books. I’m beyond impressed with CoraLee June. I’ve never read any of her work, but I will now. After this masterpiece, I wonder what other gorgeous heart-wrenching stories she has to tell. This duet was simply outstanding. Bravo!  

“I’d die for you.”

“It’s not always like that?” He shook his head, cupping my cheek, and I leaned into his touch, reveling in his warmth. “With you, it’s…something else.”

Jenna Hartley always surprises me with her brilliant work, but this one really knocked it out of the park. Okay, so here’s the thing. I feel like it’s really difficult to write about drawing…you know what I mean? Art is so visual, it takes a very special type of talent to convey with words what something looks and feels like on canvas. Jenna Hartley does that so well, I almost felt like I was inside this book, painting right alongside our characters. Every adjective that is used to describe the way our leading man, Xander, paints and draws with the help of his muse, Kate, is so poignant. What’s even more special is that the drawings and paintings themselves are left up to the readers imagination. You’re never told what anything really looks like, so these pieces becomes whatever you want them to be. It’s such a smart move from our author.

Xander is an artist that had an accident and broke his wrist. He’s been in recovery but never gained back full function, though he’s been cleared to get back to working on his art. He meets Kate when he subs for a live drawing class that she has volunteered to model for. Yes, it’s sexual chemistry from page one. No joke. Kate just recently began taking classes at this art school after dropping out of med school, unbeknownst to her parents. While slowly falling in love with Xander, Kate constantly fights her nagging guilt about not telling Xander the full truth about her past. It all comes to a screeching halt when Xander shows up unannounced to a gala that Kate and her family are attending, and the truth comes out. It’s devastating and heartbreaking to watch Kate’s life come crumbling down. But with perseverance and strength, Kate fights her way through it and comes out with her very own HEA.

This was a truly special story. I’ve already read Irresistible and Unexpected by Jenna Hartley, so I thought it was about time I read her first book! I was not disappointed in the least. This is another age-gap romance, truthfully, I think these might be my favorite. Whether it’s reverse age-gap or not, I tend to love them. This is a story about rediscovering who you are and finding joy in life even in dark times. It’s perfect for what we’re experiencing in our world today, and it was a great escape for me. Thank you Jenna, for giving us another beautiful love story! 5 stars!

The last piece of advice my mom gave me before she died was to never give up on love.

Book three in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series and I’ve met my match. This is my favorite of the books and I can’t imagine anything topping this. This one deals with everything from death to drug and alcohol use to verbal abuse. Elle Kennedy has truly outdone herself with this one. I am beyond impressed and totally obsessed with her now.

The five star review is made part by Beau, it’s dedicated to Beau. He is a secondary character in all of these books, being the quarter back of the football team, but he’s almost just as important as our leads in this book. For that reason, and many others, I devote this review to him.

So! Our leads are Dean and Allie. Allie is Hannah’s best friend, Hannah is the lead from book one, The Deal. Dean is close friends and lives with Garrett and Logan from the earlier two books in this series. Dean is the biggest playboy EVER, the king of hookups, the procurer of one night stands. He’s just a man-whore. He truly believes that he was put on this earth to sleep with as many women as possible, preferably multiple at the same time. Allie is the complete opposite of him. She’s what they call a “nester”. She likes monogamy and long term relationships. They meet after Allie breaks up with her on again off again boyfriend, Sean, and needs a place to crash to hide from him. Hannah, her best friend and roommate, lets her stay over at the guy’s house, in Garrett’s room while they are away for the weekend. Except Dean is still in the house…thus they meet. They pretty much fall into bed together immediately and have a wild, amazing night. The next day Allie wakes up regretting everything and wants to pretend like their night together never happened, but Dean is begging for another round. He continues to beg day in and day out until she finally agrees and they begin their “fling”. As their fling continued, feelings started to arise on both sides. Allie started to view Dean more like a boyfriend and Dean realized he didn’t want to sleep with anyone else and he liked spending time with her. They fell in love and then shit hit the fan. It was heartbreaking watching these two spiral in different directions. Dean, relying on drugs and alcohol and Allie trying to pick up the pieces. So they ended it. UGH. I cried so hard. These two are MEANT to be together. 100%, no lie. They are perfect for each other and it was so difficult to watch them turn away from each other. Of course, it all turns out okay in the end. They get their HEA and a bright, gorgeous future. And all is right in the world again.

Let’s not forget the most important part of this book. Beau and Dean talking about Twilight.  Seriously. Beau calls Allie Dean’s “Bella” because he’s imprinted on her. Basically, at the beginning when Allie kept denying Dean after their night together, Dean tried to go out with other women but he couldn’t get it up. He was stuck on Allie, obsessing over her. She had a hold on him and he couldn’t get her out of his head. Dean asked Beau if it was similar to Bella’s blood being Edward’s weakness and Beau said it was more like when Jacob imprinted on Bella’s baby. THAT had me rolling, ladies. I about died when I read that part of the book. It made me deliriously happy. Two grown, very masculine men, talking about Twilight over beers at a bar. What an incredible picture. Man, I love this book.

5 stars for this total gem. Elle Kennedy has completely won my heart and soul with this series. I’m bound to her stories forever! Seriously though, I’m buying all of these in paperback because I need to hold them in my hands. As both myself and my best friend agreed to other day, we wish these men were real!! They are the BEST. Thank you so much for writing this series, Elle. You are amazing!!

He shrugs. “I’m doing what I want.” My eyebrows knit together as I wait for him to clarify. “I’m making you happy.”

“You hide behind that beautiful smile, don’t you?” “Sometimes it’s easier to. Sunshine always follows the rain, doesn’t it?”

SOPHIE SINCLAIR IS A GENIUS. She has taken a whole new spin on rockstar romance with this series and I’m completely blown away. I’m in love with this band and these characters so much so that when the novel ended I cried. I cried because I was so sad that it was over and I don’t want to wait for the next one!!

This story revolves around Sarah, the makeup artist, and Lex, the Irish guitar player. Sarah has been in love with Lex from the moment she first laid eyes on him and it was coincidence that they ended up working together on the band’s tours. Sarah is a ball of sunshine. Like no joke, everyone calls her Sunshine because she’s always in a good mood and has a beautiful smile. Lex is a ladies man and a complete flirt. But…come to find out…he’s always had a thing for Sarah too. When an international tour takes the band back to Lex’s hometown in Ireland, sparks fly. But of course, Lex’s past comes to stab him in the back sending these two lovebirds in a downward spiral. But don’t worry, they do eventually get their well-earned HEA.

There are a TON of twists and turns in this story. It was a huge emotional rollercoaster for me, but boy was it worth it in the end. These two were a force to be reckoned with. Both of these characters have suffered so much in their lives, and they find healing in each other. The first book in this series, Coffee Girl, was beautiful and brilliant and I absolutely adored it. But, the character development and depth in this story was so much more. It made you feel connected with these people, it humanized them in a way we haven’t seen before in this series. Even as you read this book, we get more insight into Kiki and Tatum from Coffee Girl. All of these characters continue to grow as you read and it’s such a pleasure to witness. 

Something that I absolutely LOVED about this book were the Irish phrases used throughout the story. It makes it feel even more romantic when Lex calls Sarah “my pulse” or “my heart”. I thought it was a brilliant way to increase the passion in the story. It all happens so quickly, the falling in love, so it’s important to make it feel deep and rich – a forever type of love. The phrases helped with that. Nothing felt rushed or forced; everything felt perfect. Another 5 star review from me for Sophie Sinclair!! 

“Is ceol mo chroi thu,” he says against my lips. “You’re the music of my heart. I love you so much, Sunshine.”

I beta read this book for Traci Sek and absolutely loved every moment of it. This book is about redemption and about new beginnings. It’s a book where two people, who could not be more opposite, find love in each other. They have very different pasts, but share one traumatic experience that helps them bond. They understand each other in a way that no one can comprehend. They fit together perfectly, like two missing puzzle pieces. 

Emily comes from a dark past. Her mother was murdered by her father, and then she was sent from foster home to foster home, running from the evil people of this world.  She has witnessed more pain and suffering in her eighteen years, than most people experience in their entire lives. At the start of our novel, she is finally free of the system! She’s on her way to a job interview that will hopefully employ her, but also house her.  On her way to the interview, she is lost in thought. She crosses the street and gets hit by a car. Turns out, the driver of this car was Jake. Jake is a millionaire (maybe even a billionaire? It’s never confirmed.) and he is on his way to view an abandoned building for his company to rehab. When he hits her, he completely loses it. He fears for her life, while he starts experiencing PTSD from when he witnessed his own mother’s death. Yes, these two unlikely characters experienced the murder of their own mothers. After Emily is taken to the hospital, Jake convinces her to comes live with him as repayment since she has nowhere else to go. And with that, our love story takes off. 

Jake is completely taken with Emily from the first moment he saw her, laying on the ground, surrounded by her own blood. His affection only grows as he gets to know her. Emily is much more timid. Her father was an abusive drunk, so she fears men in a way. As they continue living together and getting to know each other, Jake’s alcoholism rears it’s ugly head. Jake uses alcohol as a means to cope with the loss of his mother. This is their ultimate demise. Emily fears who Jake might become with the alcohol addiction and Jake fears what life will be like when he has to face it head on. Ultimately, Jake makes the decision to heal, with Emily’s help, and all is right in the world. 

This was a gorgeous journey of two broken people, finding the strength to heal. They love each other so ardently, that they never give up, even in the darkest of times. Jake has a LOT of baggage. Some of it makes his character almost unlikeable at times, but with Emily, he is a better man. Emily, as fearful and moody as she can be, becomes a better woman when she is with Jake. Their love helps them overcome. 4 stars for this tale!

Well this was an interesting one, that’s for sure. The book was included in the Big Book Lover Box’s Spring Addict Box. I don’t usually read fantasy novels, but I figured I’d give this one a shot since I paid for it. Guys…I feel so many different emotions right now, I don’t really know what to say.

First things first: this is a PG book. Like there is nothing going on here between these two characters except 2 measly kisses. That was a big deal for me. Not because I demand sexy scenes, but I felt that it lacked the necessary passion to make it believable that these two characters were falling in love. Prince Rhen often speaks of his sexcapades with all the other women that he’s tried to fall in love with, so why wouldn’t he and Harper experience more together? Is this rated as a YA novel? I’m not really sure.

Second thing: there’s kind of a love triangle going on the entire time and it makes me really mad. Like furious. This is supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Harper is off making googly eyes at the Prince’s right hand man?! WHAT??? I desperately needed Harper to choose Rhen over Grey like the entire time I was reading the novel and that moment never came. Even in the end, she was thinking about Grey as she made her decision to try and begin to love Rhen. Is there going to be a second book because I really need more insight on what’s going on inside this girls head. She is pissing me off! 

Third thing: our author did a FANTASTIC job of jumping us in between worlds. Like holy crap, I felt like I was right there with the characters, seeing and feeling everything. Harper is from Washington DC and she is taken to Emberfall by Grey when she witnesses him abducting another woman. She is frightened and a bit hateful at first, but as she gets to know Prince Rhen and Grey, she warms up to the idea of Emberfall and it becomes her home. Like I said before, this is a twist on the classic tale, Beauty and the Beast. Rhen is cursed and turns into a beast every 3 months. In order to break to curse, he needs someone to fall in love with him. Is Harper that girl or isn’t she? Well you won’t find out in this book!!! Honestly, for all the complaining I’ve just done, this book is still receiving a 4 star review from me. It was absolutely addicting, I couldn’t put it down for a moment. My head is still swimming with thoughts of this novel. This author knows how to keep you on your toes and begging for more. There’s no other book I would have wanted to spend my Sunday afternoon reading. This is truly a gem and I honestly hope there’s another book. I hope there’s a continuation of this story because I’m not done. I’m not over this book yet, I need more. 

“My own eyes see only you.”

“What are you doing?” I whisper. “Well, you were looking at me like you wanted me to kiss you.” His blue eyes become heavy-lidded. “So I was thinking I might do that.”

This is book two in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series and oh my god am I invested. It’s been so long since I’ve been this invested in a series. So, my best friend that I’ve mentioned to you before, owns these books on her Kindle and lent them to me. Did you know you can loan books on Kindle? Yeah, neither did I. It has opened an entire magical world for us (my best friend and I). So anyway, she lent me this book and the last two in the series. I’ve put my entire queue on hold so that I can just read these and nothing else because I’m so obsessed. And yes, when I have money, I will be buying them all in paperback. 

In this novel we get to know John Logan on a much deeper level. He appears in The Deal, the first book in this series, and when the story ends, he’s pining after the leading lady, Hannah. Now THAT was tough. Logan is nothing but kind and gentle towards Hannah, so even though she’s with Garrett and totally happy, you feel terrible for Logan.  He spends the first 30% of this novel wishing he was with Hannah. He meets Grace, a freshman, and enjoys spending time with her, kissing her, playing around with her, but he still feels like he belongs with Hannah. Then, one day, after he’s completely ruined everything with Grace, Hannah approaches him and totally schools him. She talks him out of his apparent crush and helps him realize what he really wants: a loving relationship with someone. Like what Hannah and Garrett have. It’s the most beautiful epiphany when he realizes he wants that with Grace. Grace, on the other hand, has not forgiven him for the way he treated her before. He does SO MUCH groveling, but it’s worth it in the end. When these two are together it’s like night and day. They complete each other. Grace holds Logan accountable for his actions and Logan brings Grace down a notch and helps her loosen up. These two characters are so dynamic and have incredible backstories, it’s impossible not to fall in love with them, even when they are both being a bit ridiculous. 

This book was absolutely stellar. I applaud Elle Kennedy for roping me into this world. I’m clearly addicted now and as I’m writing the end of this review, I’m starting Dean’s story, The Score. Get ready for another review coming soon for that one!! I’m so excited!

“All those girls who came over to us? I don’t even remember what they look like. I don’t remember half their names. You’re the only one I see tonight, the only one I see ever.”

“How did I go so long without noticing you, damn it? Why did it take seeing a stupid A on your midterm to make me notice?”

This book was free to purchase on Amazon, which is the only reason I’m able to review it at this time. This was my very first experience with Elle Kennedy, and it will definitely not be my last. I fell so in love with her writing and these hockey players, that I’m considering purchasing the remainder of this series in paperback before I even read them. Yeah…I’m pretty obsessed. So anyway, none of Elle Kennedy’s books are available on Kindle Unlimited which kind of sucks, but I also understand it. Elle is brilliant because now her devoted followers (a la ME) are going to just go ahead and purchase all her books. Voila!

So here we are. I finally read this book after receiving a recommendation from one of my very best friends (this is the same best friend who recommends most of the books I read). I feel so many things right now, but above all: happy. Genuinely, truly happy. I was so engrossed in this story that I didn’t even stop to collect quotes like I ALWAYS do. I just kept turning pages, obsessed with what would come next. I will admit, when I started the book and read the first chapter, I didn’t want our hero to be Garrett. I really would have preferred anyone else. But holy hell, does he grow on you. He has a ginormous character arc and it is absolutely beautiful to witness. He goes from sleeping around with anything that moves to becoming best friends and eventually falling in love with a girl so completely different than what he’s used to. Garrett is so special. I love him so much. I don’t even know how to express how much he means to me. Our heroine, Hannah, was raped in high school. She suffers extreme trauma from the incident and has never been able to full allow herself to be vulnerable with a man while being intimate…until she sleeps with Garrett for the first time. She confides in him about her trauma and, in return, he takes wonderful care of her body and her heart. They fall in love and it’s MAGIC. No joke. Everything about this story was absolutely stunning and remarkable. 

This novel explores everything from domestic violence to underaged drinking and what it means to fall in love for the first time. Hannah is strong and level headed, cautious but optimistic, and she has a beautiful singing voice. I think that’s what connected me with her the most. She’s creative and unique and she completely steals the breath from Garrett when she sings for him the first time. He is mesmerized by her, something he’s never experienced with a girl before. She changes the game for him. She makes him better, in general. A better student, a better hockey player, a better man. In turn, she finds her own strength in being with him. She allows herself to open up to experiences again. She finds comfort and safety with him that she never felt before. GAH THIS STORY IS EVERYTHING.

If I could give this novel a hundred stars, I would. That’s how phenomenal it is. The passion, the innocence, the PERFECTION. Ugh. Bravo. What an amazing read. 5 stars!

“Baby, I could watch you watching paint dry, and I still wouldn’t be bored.”

Side note: After I wrote this review, my best friend lent me the remainder of the series on Kindle (because you can do that?!). This is my favorite sports romance series EVER. I’m still going to buy them all in paperback, but now I don’t have to wait to read them. 🙂

“Because there needs to be a record somewhere,” I told her. “There should be proof, undeniable proof, of the very best thing I’ve ever achieved in my life.” I wrapped my arms around her back and lifted her up in my arms so I could whisper where no one but us would hear. “Falling in love with you is the greatest thing I’ve ever done, Molly Ward.”

This was my first book by Karla Sorensen and I’m beating myself over the head for not having read anything by her sooner. This story was just…wow. It was so freaking good. I’m not always the biggest fan of enemies to lovers but this one was perfection. The history between the two leads and their chemistry brought everything together perfectly. This novel had me laughing out loud, crying my heart out, and left me feeling warm and fuzzy. A perfect triple threat, if you ask me.

This is a sports romance that takes on a different perspective from many of the other books in this category. This story revolved around a pro-football player, Noah, who was recently traded to a new team in Washington and Molly, a marketing specialist for this Washington football team. Molly has been tasked with helping coordinate the filming of Noah for an Amazon series about football players. What no one knows, though, is that Molly and Noah have a past. A very tiny, adolescent, minuscule past…but still, a past. They were next door neighbors and Molly had the world’s biggest crush on Noah when she was sixteen. Some interesting stuff went down, and Noah moved away, with only bad blood between them. Now, many years later, they are forced to work together and get to know each other again.  As the filming commences, Noah and Molly get closer and closer until they both realize they have feelings for the other. The growth between the two is epic. I enjoyed every second of their banter and Molly’s uncanny ability to understand and empathize with Noah. Even though Noah isn’t always very nice to Molly, you’re still rooting for him. When he shows his true colors and lets his guard down, your heart can’t help but melt. 

My favorite part about this book was Molly. I don’t know what it is about some of the leading ladies in these romance novels, but they make me feel so much less alone. They feel like my friends, like someone I’d love to go out with and talk to about life. They are charming and relatable, and that’s exactly Molly, in a nutshell. She is sophisticated and professional, but she can also let her hair down and enjoy life. She understands people and how they operate. She’s brilliant at feeling out situations and diffusing sensitive matters. She’s like that with Noah too. She can see straight through him, and that’s why he’s so drawn to her. I adore her and everything that she is. She’s a perfect character and I’m so glad to have met her.  This book deserves allllll the stars, but 5 will have to do. Bravo!!

“Sometimes, the best things in life come straight from your blind side.”

Okay, I’ve just got to get this rating out of the way before I start this review. This was a 3 star read. I didn’t finish the book. There were a few issues that I had but the biggest one was the dialogue. It was impossible to follow especially in scenes with multiple people. It was choppy and didn’t flow well at all. There were also waaaay too many “Oh’s” and “Um’s”, in my opinion. It felt like the characters never had full conversations because there were so many “oh’s” and “um’s” throughout. That and the fact that our characters were so obsessed with keeping secrets from each other, the conversations changed course at least a dozen times. It was just incredibly irritating. I skipped through some chapters because the leading lady, Skye, was so insecure that it became too difficult to read her sections. I wanted to scream at her. And don’t even get me started on Forest. For the entire first part of this book, he’s hung up on his ex, who cheated on him. And he decides to be in a fake relationship with her cousin, who also just happens to be his best friend. He can’t see past the heartbreak to realize his true feelings. He is in love with Skye. 

There were also a lot of things that I really loved about this book – I don’t want to focus solely on the negative. I thought the storyline was well crafted and unique. It has a ton of potential, and I imagine, as this author continues writing, her work will only get better and better. I’m actually really excited to read Holden’s book, The First Taste, coming in Spring 2020. I loved that Skye was a plus-size instagram influencer/model. I think that needs to be incorporated more into the romance community. I loved that Forest was totally into Skye’s body, he craved it and desired it. He constantly raved about her breasts and dreamed about her thighs. I really did enjoy parts of this book and I have high hopes for the next one. 3 stars.