Stealing Our Hearts

“Maybe it’s better to have a short life filled with great things than a long life full of unfulfilled promises.”

Addiction is such a difficult thing to read about, and I would imagine that it’s hard to write about too. Chase is an addict. Spoiler: he falls off the wagon after being sober for 10 years and it’s because of Taryn. It’s because he’s obsessed with her and he doesn’t know how to handle it. He’s in love with her but he doesn’t know how to face that fact. Wow this story was a rollercoaster but I never wanted to get off the ride. Frost wins me over with her perfect prose and gorgeous imagery. She writes about a painful topic, but makes it relatable for her audience. We are able to connect with Chase on some level even if we’ve never been where he’s been. Frost crafts incredibly relatable and captivating characters; she’s truly brilliant.

Being privy to Taryn’s innermost thoughts are what really MADE this novel. Taryn was discovering herself right alongside discovering the love of her life and letting go of her crutch. Taryn was a complex and thrilling character who stood her ground but also allowed herself to be swept up in the romance that Chase laid at her feet. It was lust at first sight for both of them. Their chemistry and passion…it bubbled over into their day to day life. You could feel it in waves coming off the pages. Taryn is passionate and strong when it comes to her job. She’s smart as a whip and able to hold her own, especially when we see her go up against her best friend Tori (who book 6 is focused on). The incredible thing is, she doesn’t need Chase to live. She doesn’t need him to breathe or to thrive, but he makes her a better person. She definitely does the same for him. He pushed Taryn away because he didn’t want to suck her into his addiction, but that only hurt her more. Chase tried to escape his feelings for Taryn through drugs, but he came out on the other side of it, realizing that he needed to own his feelings. It’s something he actually says in the book. “Because I love you. That’s the truth, and I own it.” Owning his feelings and owning up to his faults was a big thing for Chase during this book.

Oooof watching them swim around each other, both afraid of admitting what they really feel, was so difficult to read. I just wanted to yell at Taryn and slap Chase. But it all worked out in the end, as it always does 🙂 it’s the greatest feeling when two people who are meant to be together, finally find each other. I can’t wait to read about Logan and Tori. I just know it’s going to be completely fascinating and oh-so-delicious. 5 stars!! 

“I’ll always follow you.”

“Life wasn’t made up of the big moments like weddings or graduation, it was lived in the small, quiet moments. The tender kisses we shared. The times Sophia wrapped her arms around my neck or told me she loved me.”

This book is the definition of something feeling “right”. Everything about this story screamed perfection. A puzzle coming together. I cried, I laughed, my heart was so warm. I’m so happy right now, I’m basking in the afterglow of this incredible bookgasm. 

Thinking back, I don’t know if I’ve ever read a more ideal male lead. Preston is perfection personified. He went through so much, only to come out on the other side so strong and wise beyond his years. It’s why he and Alexis work so beautifully together. He’s the calm to her storm. Alexis is a head strong, gorgeous business woman/mother. She came from nothing and made something of herself so she could give her daughter the best life. She employs Preston as her daughters nanny…only to end up falling in love with him. I’ve got to be honest, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the reverse age gap subtrope, but holy crap I was completely blown away. The idea of an older woman and a younger man has never really been something I’ve been interested in reading before, but this took me there. This story changed everything for me. And oh MY god can we talk about the sex. For just a second. I’m drooling. The chemistry between these two? It melts off the page. There’s just enough room for your imagination and whew, ladies, just get ready.

A standing ovation for this masterpiece, a million rounds of applause, 5 stars all the way. I was completely blown out of the water and taken by surprise with this story. I’m so so SO glad our author asked me to read and review. BRAVO!!! 

“I’d stay for as long as she’d have me.”

“Maybe his head just needs time to catch up to his heart?”

I’m such a sucker for a good sports romance. When I first started my blog, I was a bit wary of the subtrope. I don’t like sports much and I didn’t think I’d find them interesting enough to review but BOY was I wrong. I fell in love with the sports romance subtrope because of author Meghan Quinn, and my love for it has only expanded. This book takes that and adds a delicious, sexy Scottish man on top with a storyline to die for. An incredibly addictive and fun read. I wish it would have never ended! I laughed, I cried, and my heart was so full by the end.

Mac, our leading man, is a professional Scottish football player. Our leading lady, Freya, is a seamstress with a cat obsession. They bond over their love for tv shows and become the best of friends. Their friendship is something they both hold dear, even though they are both attracted to one another. Freya is inexperienced in the world of men, so when she gets asked out on a date by a barista that she’s been crushing on, she asks Mac for help. Our story takes off from there. Freya admits to Mac that she has barely even kissed a man, let alone had “The Sex” (this is what she calls it throughout the entire novel and it’s hilarious). Mac is determined to help her, but also blind to his own love for her. Holy moly my friends, the first time they kiss you know it’s end game. Mac doesn’t speak to Freya for three days. THREE DAYS, because of a stupid kiss that was HIS IDEA. Ooo he is infuriating sometimes! Anyway, so as her “practice” continues, she admits her virginity to Mac. He surprisingly takes it well. Until he decides that he should be the one she gives her virginity to. I’m just sitting over here thinking…how can two people be so blind to their love for one another. To make matters worse, after the first time they sleep together, they decide to be friends with benefits for an entire month to help Freya get practice in before she goes out into the real world. LOL YEAH RIGHT. 

I could go on and on about this book. It’s THAT good. The character development is deep and significant. Our authors writing style is unique and fun; she keeps you invested in both Mac and Freya, even when everything comes crashing down. Eventually, Mac gets it through his thick skull that he loves Freya and they get their well deserved happily ever after. The banter back and forth between them, the delicious love scenes, the blazing fights…everything is perfect. I loved this story and I can’t wait to read more of Daws work. 5 stars!!

“We all have to come out of the shadows eventually.”

“Though stories and movies tell us otherwise, love is not a fire. Sure, it flares up, and yes, it can have passions that don’t get talked about a lot within the walls of a church. But there are also tough times, and low times, and sad times. Love is about walking through the fires together, withstanding the rain together, breathing in the present together, and creating a foundation for the future together. And that takes hard work.”

That quote pretty much sums up this entire book. This one was fun, lots of overzealous characters and interesting dynamics. The sex was hot and the romance grew at a comfortable pace. It didn’t feel rushed or too over the top like romances can sometimes be. Overall, I had a fun time. This wasn’t a super memorable story, but it was another really great pallet cleanser. There isn’t a lot to say. 4 stars for this one!

“Because I’ve fallen for him. Slowly, over the years, and then fast, all at once. But I have.”

“It’s always been you, Maisie. From the first time we met to the last time I saw you and all the years separating then from now, every woman has been held up to your standard and every woman has been found lacking. Why do you think I stay away from short-term? Because I’m looking for the meaning I had when you were in my life.”

The idea of soul mates is prevalent in this one. Caleb and Maisie are perfect together. There’s no question. There aren’t even any other potential love interests in this book (thank god because my heart always bleeds when another woman or man is introduced). Caleb tells Maisie that he’s going to marry her when she was six years old. She grew up incredibly poor, came from nothing, sometimes didn’t even have any food to eat, and he stood by her. He loved her at her lowest, like the saying always goes, if you can’t love me at my worst then you can’t have me at my best. Or something like that? Anyway, this was a sweet, romantic story about two children who fell in love even before they knew what love was and never let that feeling go. They always loved each other as they grew up, they just didn’t recognize it until they ran into each other again. Maisie thinks her hotshot LA life is everything she ever wanted until she runs into Caleb again…years and years after not seeing each other. I think she fell in love with him that very first night that they spent talking and catching up at the bar. She had changed and so had he but their dynamic never did. They fell right back into routine. Like two puzzle pieces finally coming together. This was a very light read. I read it in a single sitting. A great pallet cleanser (I would highly recommend). Beautiful phrasing and a brilliantly crafted plot. 5 stars from me!! 🙂 

“The rest is just noise.”

Hi All. I’d like to start out by saying that this review is going to be a little different than my past few. This is more a collection of thoughts and emotions triggered by certain moments in the novel. Therefore, going into the review, please keep in mind that there are a LOT of spoilers. I’m not holding back here. This was a ten star read, but not without all the pain that was caused. But nothing beautiful in the world exists without something tragic hiding behind it. 

“I wasn’t sorry the first time I kissed you, even when you weren’t mine, and I’m not sorry I kissed you the other night, even when I wasn’t yours. Because the truth is you’ve always been mine, and I’ll always be yours, and that’s just the way it is.”

I read the ending first. I’m so sorry, Kandi. I couldn’t wait. I knew my heart would burst, but I needed to feel the sting, the burn. I’m raw. This was the most “real” book I’ve ever read. There is nothing like it on the shelves right now. This is a story about life. Real life, not the fairytale bullsh*t. Timing plays such an important role in our lives every single day. At any moment you could meet a person that will change you forever…or destroy you. This story was everything. Steiner deserves so many awards for this beautiful tale. 

Timing. What does that even mean, timing? Why does something so small, so simple have to play such a huge role in our lives? I hate the idea of “perfect timing”. It’s naive. Yes, I think B was naive. For most of the book. Naive and very afraid. Afraid of being abandoned, afraid of truly letting herself feel and love. She came around though; it only took the entire book. Jamie, oh dear, sweet, incredible Whiskey. What to even say about you? How do I even begin? So beautifully flawed. But the perfect match for our courageous, intelligent B. She just needed to find the strength within herself to love you. It was there all along, just waiting to blossom. 

I think sometimes life is about embracing what hurts, because pain is one of the most vivid emotions we can feel. Pain reminds us that we are alive, and I’ll always appreciate that stinging reminder.

As I was reading, I had different songs playing in my head. Ideas about what our beloved characters might be feeling during certain times in their lives. One that stuck with me was when Jamie received B’s wedding invitation. He went to her. He begged her to be with him. He laid it all on the table for her and she still walked away. She still got married. Whiskey Glasses by Morgan Wallen played through my head. My heart was ripped from my chest, and all I could think about was Jamie sitting at a bar, drinking a glass of whiskey, thinking about B and how he’d lost her. 

Now this next part is very close to home. Almost like a diary entry. Don’t freak out if you know me personally, what I’m about to say in no way takes away or changes anything about the relationship I’m currently in. The man I have the privilege of calling my boyfriend (soon to be fiancé) right now is, quite possibly, the best man I’ve ever known. My soul mate in every sense. That’s not the point though. The point is, once upon a time, I thought I met my own Jamie, in high school. He’s still out there, living his life right now. Eventually he’s going to get engaged and married to his current girlfriend. She seems like an incredible person. I’ve never met her, but to have won his heart, she has to be. My Jamie once told me, when we were young, that I wasn’t the girlfriend type, I was the marrying type. I think we had stars in our eyes for so long that we forgot to see the sky for what it really was. A huge, vast space that pushes and pulls. We were pulled apart. By time, by life. He was my first love, before the man I ever gave my virginity to. Before my first kiss. The beautiful thing about this life is that it gives you the time and space to find love again when it’s not right that first time. I’m so thankful to have known him, to know him still. Reading this made me realize that it’s okay when the timing isn’t right. It’s okay when things don’t work out because eventually what’s meant to be WILL happen. Trust this life. 

Even if you must move on, please don’t ever let us go.

Whew. That was a tough one. So deliciously brilliant and magical. This book will change your life, it will make you think, it completely redefines the romance genre. This is what I’m taking about when I’m looking for a five star read. Seriously. Incomparable to anything I’ve ever read. Kandi Steiner is an impeccable writer but she really went above and beyond with this one. I know I’m a little behind, it’s been out for a while, but I wasn’t ready to read it until now. I’m glad I did. Steiner knows what her readers need and she delivers every single time. I’ve never been more impressed. Bravo.

“There’s more courage in admitting you love someone and fighting for them than letting go because it hurts less.”

I was so hopelessly hers.

This story was totally and completely different than anything I’ve ever read. The characters are two incredibly unique, special people made exactly for each other. This novel was a total wildcard and I was SO INTO IT. 

Dani, the drummer in the band Sunset Revival, and cousin of Caleb from the last book is a total badass. She has some issues, yes, but she’s strong and talented and smart. We meet both her and John, our leading man, in the first book during Caleb and Emma’s story. I absolutely LOVED that these two stories were going on simultaneously. I thought it was brilliant and our author did a fantastic job of maintaining consistency though these two books. Dani ends up staying behind and living with John while the band goes back to Tennessee to deal with Caleb’s crisis that we learn about in book one. Dani and John are soul mates. It’s clear from the moment they first lay eyes on each other. John is this super tough looking tatted and pierced dude who’s actually a total romantic at heart. His heart is so ginormous and caring, Dani wouldn’t have been able to leave him even if she wanted to. He is selfless and kind and oh-so giving. Ugh I love him. 

I adore how Sarah Darling tells stories. The crisis isn’t ever enough to scare you into wondering if our two lovers will end up together or not. Whatever the dilemma is, you’re always more interested in how the two lovers are going to get through it, than anything else. I felt that way with both Caleb and Emma’s story and Dani and John’s tale. I knew Dani wasn’t ever going to leave John.  She needs him just as much as he needs her. Like they are each others oxygen source. It’s so romantic and captivating. I think I read this book in about 4 hours over the weekend. Definitely in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down, it was so addicting. Another 5 star review from me. Beautiful work. 

“You’re my home.”

“Grief is not weakness,” he said to me. He had found me out of bed in the middle of the night staring out the rain-spattered window in the living room. “It’s just love that has nowhere to go.”

Thomas is quite possibly my favorite romantic leading man that I’ve ever read. He’s is perfection personified. Wow, just wow. He subconsciously waited almost ten years for the love of his life, his high school best friend, to return home to him. Even after she left to go to college without a single word. He didn’t even know what happened! For ten years! This story was pure excellence.

Our tale starts out with a sad beginning, Claire, our leading lady, goes home after her father passes away to take care of his affairs. When she gets there, she runs into her old high school best friend, and the guy she had a major crush on for years, Thomas, only to find out that he lives right down the hall from her father and they were very close after she left for college. Claire is very cautious around Thomas at the beginning because he apparently spread nasty rumors about her during their senior year of high school, causing her to pack up and leave for college without so much as a goodbye. Of course, it turns out that he never actually spread those rumors…so they pretty much fall into bed together. Like, great! Glad that’s cleared up – let’s get it on! It was MAGIC. 

I think grief is such a beautifully tragic theme. It’s prevalent in this story as Claire begins to heal from her father’s death, but starts using sex with Thomas as a means of coping. It’s interesting watch the dynamic because, I think Claire was right when she initially says that she was relying too heavily on Thomas. All her fears of not being good enough, not knowing how to love the right way, all of it comes from the fear of being abandoned. Claire’s mother died when she was younger, so maybe that’s where it comes from? There’s not enough back story to really allow us to dive deep into it, but it’s very intriguing. Thomas is the best person to keep her grounded and comfortable. His reassurance is eventually enough to help her overcome her fear. 

This novel was a treat! I’m so glad our author reached out and asked me to review. I thoroughly enjoyed my experienced in Sunrise Valley. I can’t wait to check out book two!

“I will always love you, Claire Walker.”

Oh my god I am dying right now. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE STORY. My heart was stolen from my chest by our author’s impeccable writing. I was seriously not prepared for how much I was going to adore our two lovers. Our author reached out to me and asked me if I’d like the ARC of her second book in these series (to which I obviously said yes because who can deny a rockstar romance?). I decided to go ahead and read the first book in her series even though they are standalones because I always like to be extra prepared. BOY am I glad that I did. If I could give this 6 stars, I would. There was not a dull moment in this entire novel. I was hooked from the very beginning.  Caleb is irresistible and Emma and brave and resilient. I just don’t think my review will do this novel justice. I wish there was more I could say. Words fail me this evening. 

At the beginning of our story, Emma wins a date with famous rockstar, Ollie. But it’s Ollie’s brother, Caleb, that really sees her for who she is. Emma’s crush on playboy Ollie is quickly extinguished leaving her feeling embarrassed and angry. Caleb, knowing the way his brother usually acts towards women, feels bad and also a bit protective of Emma. Their friendship blossoms, but there’s always something a little more going on under the surface. Emma has a boyfriend that she doesn’t really care for, although he’s ideal in her family’s eyes. Family. That’s a huge overarching element in this novel. Emma’s mother is sick with breast cancer and Emma has the same gene, meaning she will most likely get it as well. She makes a life changing decision that effects her greatly during the duration of this story. It’s heartbreaking but also beautiful to witness Caleb’s unwavering love and support. 

Of course, we do get scare in there…what good is any story without a little stress mixed in. Luckily the issue that causes the stress turns out for the better and our two wonderful characters get their HEA. I literally can’t wait to start book two. Like I’m not waiting. It’s pulled up on my kindle right now and as soon as I finish typing this, I’m going to get started. I am SO glad I said yes to reading this book. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time. It had me smiling from ear to ear and sobbing my eyes out. Beautiful work. A true masterpiece.

It felt like she was the air in my lungs, and I needed more of her to breathe.

“If a kiss has a color, this one is the muted shades of the sky overhead, a menage a trois of midnight and indigo and moonshine silver. If a kiss has a sound, this one is the concert of our breaths and sighs and moans. If a kiss has a taste, it tastes like this. Hunger flavored with wearing and spiced with desperation. With bites and growls and tender licks and soothing whimpers. Perfectly served portions of sweet and scorching.”

OMG CLIFFHANGER!!! I’m dying right now. I need the next book STAT; I can’t wait. Geez that was the most emotional, beautiful, incredible journey. I was weeping halfway through, I’m not kidding. Like outwardly wailing about these two lovers and how their story isn’t fair. How much I desperately needed them to have more time. You won’t find a more perfect couple than Lennix and Maxim. Even their names are compatible, unique in a way that stands out among the rest. They are a match made in heaven in every way, their minds, their bodies, their souls. 

It’s true, Maxim doesn’t tell Lennix who he is when they meet the first time…or the second time, four years later. She has to find out from the news after he almost dies. She loves him but she loses all trust in him. Maxim’s father is the man Lennix hates most in the entire world. His family name is the bane of her existence. She can’t forgive him for not telling her who he is…until she does. Lennox is an incredibly complex and exceptional character. She’s observant and strong, she’s got great people skills but struggles with herself emotionally. She lost her mom at a very young age, and with her background, growing up on a reservation in the US, that kind of loss would take a toll on anyone. 

There’s a crazy push-pull that goes on between Maxim and Lennix during the entirety of this novel. They desperately desire and need each other but are fighting it because they are both so ambitious and put their careers first. What they don’t realize until it’s too late is that your career and the idea of “saving the world” will only get you so far.  Life isn’t worth living if you’re without the person you love most in the world. Gah, this story was pure brilliance. I’m angry with myself for not reading this earlier but also happy that I don’t have to wait long for the next book to come out because did I mention the CLIFFHANGER?? Ugh. I haaaate cliffhangers. Although this one was important…I know there’s more to come with Nix and Max, their story couldn’t have ended with just the one book. These characters are too important, they mean too much. Their story deserves more than what only one book can provide us.  I cannot WAIT to start book two. Gimme gimme! 5 stars!!

“On rare occasion, you come across someone who just gets you, and you don’t have to figure out your place. Wherever you are is okay.”