Series Review: Neon Dreams

It's been a while guys and I hate that I haven't been writing. This is a new review system I'm going to use for certain books to make writing more fun. Series reviews will be mini reviews for an entire series that I've finished, most will be New Adult since I've been reading a lot of those lately. Let's see how this goes!

Neon Dreams by Caisey Quinn
Nashville meets New Adult in Neon Dreams, a dramatic, sexy series from bestselling author Caisey Quinn, about a country band’s rocky road to fame—and the ambition, dreams, and love of the people who make the music.

Leaving Amarillo
Published: March 17th 2015
5 Gold Stars

Dixie Lark has had a hard life. She lost her parents when she was young and been raised by her grandparents and older brother, Dallas. Music has been her saving grace and her violin is her most treasured possession. Dixie and Dallas are living their dream and playing music together, along with Dallas's best friend Gavin. On the verge of hitting it big, Dixie should be happy, but her feelings for Gavin are clouding everything. Gavin has been told not to touch her and he listens, but Dixie needs him so she devises a plan - one night. One night to get him out of her system, one night to move on. Gavin agrees, though it's a struggle for him to break his promise to Dallas, and that one night changes everything. How do you get back to where you were after you've crossed a line that should never have been crossed?

Dixie is a tough cookie. She's been through hell but instead of wallowing, she puts all her sadness into her music and focuses on her band. Her feelings for Gavin sometimes get in the way, but she's pretty good at not letting them rule her life. I can't blame the girl though, Gavin is one hot drummer. He's tortured, has had a rough past, and cares for her more than a brother's best friend should. The tension between the two of them is so hot it comes off the pages and I waited the whole book for their night together and it was worth it. It's clear these two belong together, but circumstances make that impossible. Emotions fly off the pages. The band is finally going on a real tour and that changes a lot of things. Dallas is loving the stardom and music companies want him to go solo. Women hang off of Gavin and all Dixie can do is watch. The drama is high in this one and it's so beautifully tortured that I craved the next page to see what would happen. Dixie and Gavin are the kind of couple I love to find in New Adult. Forbidden love, but a real love. They have the kind of love for each other we all hope to find. But there's a lot Gavin needs to face before he can be ready for Dixie and the ending of this one made me immediately pick up the next book.

Loving Dallas
Published: June 16th 2015
5 Gold Stars

Dallas is living a good life now. He's so close to achieving his dream of making it big in country music. Having just signed with Mandy Lantram, a successful manager who promises big things, Dallas's life is luckier than ever. But fame comes with a price and Dallas has left behind his band, sister, best friend, and high school sweetheart, Robyn, in the pursuit of fame. When he starts the tour, a pleasant surprise shows up. Robyn is now the rep for the beer company sponsoring the tour and as soon as they are forced to work together, Dallas and Robyn realize that the old spark they thought they'd extinguished might still be a burning flame. 

Dallas isn't a bad guy, I think a lot of people would leave behind those they love to pursue a dream, but you can tell he misses them. As soon as Robyn enters his life again, he makes it his mission to win her back, but Mandy gets in the way. I love the moments Dallas and Robyn share together, even though there is a lot of pain from the past. Robyn has closed herself off since Dallas broke up with her and it takes a lot just to be near him now, but she can't fight how he still makes her feel. The chemistry between them is still potent so they decide to have fun, try not to let feelings get involved and just be friends with benefits. Of course feelings are always involved and drama ensues, but this is what relationships are like and Dallas and Robyn have a lot to work out before they can get to a good place. 

There were a lot of twists and turns, some crazy events and a surprise I didn't see coming. I got a look into the good sides and the bad sides of the music industry and what we do for the people we love. Dallas and Robyn's story is beautiful and I really hope Dixie and Gavin get their happy ending as well. 

Missing Dixie
Published: October 27th 2015
5 Gold Stars

In the final book of the Neon Dreams trilogy, Gavin is ready to tell Dixie all the reasons why he left after their night together. He's ready to fight for her and ask for forgiveness. Dixie is ready to move on and live her life without Gavin in it. But when Dallas says he wants to put the band back together and tour again Dixie finds it hard to say no and the night of her brother's wedding she finds Gavin hard to resist, especially when they are in the bathroom together. The band is getting a second chance and Gavin is asking for one. Dixie isn't so sure but Gavin is going to do everything he can to prove he's worthy of her.

Dixie and Gavin own my heart. Gavin has done a lot of things he isn't proud of. His drug addict mother rules his life and every time she calls, he goes running. But if he's going to be good enough for Dixie, he needs to start putting his own needs above his mom's, a woman who doesn't really care about him. The more Gavin tells Dixie, the easier it will be for her to forgive him. Throughout the story, he pours his heart out to her and tells her the truth about where he was when she was on her road trip, why he didn't contact her when she got back and why he lied about being in Amarillo the entire time. There are so many gut wrenching moments and I swear I went through every emotion as I read this book and by the end of it I was a mess but I was the happiest mess there is. Dixie and Gavin are the perfect characters and the love they have for each other runs so deep there was no way they wouldn't end up together. This was the perfect ending to a fantastic series and oh man can I not wait for another series from Caisey Quinn.


This series is full of raw emotions, great character growth, and the feel that only music can give you. Dreams can change, new beginning can emerge, love can grow and blossom and lives can forever be intertwined. This series has quickly become one of my favourites and I hope it is or will be one of yours.

“Life doesn't always turn out how you expect and sometimes parts of you get broken along the way, but there is always hope and even broken pieces can be rebuilt into something beautiful.”

Review: Right Kind of Wrong

Right Kind of Wrong
Author: Chelsea Fine
Published: March 3rd, 2015
Paperback, 320 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Jenna Lacombe needs complete control, whether it's in the streets... or between the sheets. So when she sets out on a solo road trip to visit her family in New Orleans, she's beyond annoyed that the infuriatingly sexy Jack Oliver wants to hitch a ride with her. Ever since they shared a wild night together last year, he's been trying to strip away her defenses one by one. He claims he's just coming to keep her safe - but what's not safe gor her is prolonged exposure to the tattooed hottie.

Jack can't get Jenna out from under his skin. She makes him feel alive again after his old life nearly destroyed him - and losing her is not an option. Now Jack's troubles are catching up with him, and he's forced to return to his hometown in Louisiana. But when his secrets put them both in harm's way, Jenna will have to figure out how far she's willing to let love in... and how much she already has.

Two characters who pretend to not have feelings for each other even after they've had one night of wild sex together makes for such good drama. Jenna needs to be in control of her life. She's independent, hard core, smart, sexy and witty and without control she can't survive. Enter Jack Oliver, her good friend who she lost control with one drunk night. He's in love with her and continuously tries to show her this, but Jenna doesn't have time for a relationship. She wants to graduate college, open up an art gallery and buy herself a house. Jack isn't part of her plan. When her grandma calls her saying she's sick, Jenna has no choice but to road trip home to New Orleans, a road trip she plans to do solo. But when Jack finds out he also needs to be home in Louisiana, he tags along for the ride, much to Jenna's dismay. Jack thinks this will be the perfect opportunity to tell Jenna how he feels about her, but Jenna will have none of it, hiding her feelings and pushing him away. But how long can she lie to herself, especially when they are sharing hotel rooms along the way.

Oh my god, you guys, this book was fantastic. Jenna is so stand offish and bitchy, and Jack is the sweet guy trying to break away her armour. It's such a great change from the characters you normally see in New Adult books where the guy is the bad boy and the girl just swoons for him. These two have so much history and been friends for a long time. Jenna doesn't want to ruin that and all Jack wants to do is ruin it. She's stubborn and though it takes Jack a long time to get to her, it's worth the wait. I loved his point of view, the way he thinks of her is so sweet and I wanted her to realize he was the right guy for her every page. Jenna's control issues remind me a bit too much of my own and how long it took for me to open my heart to the one I love after so much pain. Their chemistry was fantastic. They bickers, fought and joked around all at once and they were so comfortable with each other until they started getting too close. The nights they slept apart broke my heart and each night I wanted Jenna to just crawl into bed with him.

The families in this played an important part. We find out a lot of Jack's past from his family and it's great how Jenna excepts it and stays to help with the issues they are dealing with. Jenna's family is much more laid back, her grandma is hilarious and even though the parts with them were short, they were full of heart. I'm so happy when I see families in NA books as I know for me, my family is still such a big part of my life even though I'm in my 20s. Parents don't just disappear and we still go to them for advice, so I love it when an author includes that into the plot, even if the characters have to road trip to see them.

One of my favourite things about New Adult series is that each book focuses on different characters that have previously shown up in the other books. This was the perfect ending to a great series about six characters who already know how they really feel and the chance encounters that help them realize it. Just like Pixie and Levi and Kayla and Daren, Jenna and Jack have finally admitted to each thoer that they have feelings for the other and only because Jack forced his way into her road trip. These plot devices were great for this series and I loved reading about characters making fate work for them.

"Love is the absence of control and the presence of faith. And you won't truly be happy until you surrender to it."

Review: Perfect Kind of Trouble

Perfect Kind of Trouble
Author: Chelsea Fine
Published: June 17th, 2014
Paperback, 336 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Twenty-one-year-old Kayla Turner has lost everything. after spending most of her life taking care of her ailing mother, she just wants to spot a glimmer of light at the end of tunnel. So when her late father - a man she barely knoew - leaves her an inheritance, she finally breathes a sigh of relief... until she learns the inheritance comes with strings. Strings in the form of handsome playboy Daren Ackwood, her father's protege. To see any of her inheritance, she's forced to team up with him. From his expensive car to those sexy dimples, Kayla's seen his type before. But Daren isn't wo he seems to be...

Struggling to make amends for his family's mistakes, Daren has a life more like Oliver Twist than Richie Rich these days. He's beyond grateful that James Turner included him in his will, but working with Turner's princess of a daughter to fulfill his cryptic last wish is making Daren wonder if being broke is really so bad. Still, she's just as beautiful as she is stubborn, and the more time he spends with Kayla, the less it feels right being without her. Soon Daren and Kayla being to wonder if maybe the best gift Kayla's dad could have let them... was each other.


I love a good story about two people who can't stand each other being thrust into a situation where they need to work together and get over their hang ups in order to accomplish their task. Daren and Kayla certainly proved that sexual tension is a real thing and being hand cuffed to someone is just as alluring as it sounds. Kayla and Daren have both lost everything and Kayla's late father is giving them a chance to get it back. He's left them an inheritance but in order for them to receive it, they must be hand cuffed together and follow a string of clues around town to find it. Kayla knows her father liked playing games, but she's not in the mood to go on a wild goose chase attached to Daren. But she'll do anything to get the money, having run away from the problems her late mother left her. Daren needs the money too. Everyone thinks he's still a rich brat, but he's been picking up his father's mess for a long time and James Turner was more of a dad to him than anyone else. Together they track down the clues, seethe at each other, and realize that they are attracted to each other along the way.

New Adult always has such deep characters. They always have something in their past that makes them stronger and needing to overcome something. Daren and Kayla are no exception. Each of them is fighting their past and struggling to move on with their lives. James has somehow found a way to bring them together in the most uncanny way and it works  out, with a few huddles along the way. The plot of this one was so much fun. I loved the mini adventures the two of them went on, along with the quiet moments they spent together where they allowed themselves to feel the way they were really feeling. I'm so glad we got to see Pixie and Levi and my other favorite characters from Best Kind of Broken, another thing I love about New Adult series. Everyone gets their own story but we still get to sneak peeks at our other favorite characters as they live out their happily ever afters.

This was a really fun book with some steamy scenes, some adventure, and a whole lot of fighting. If you're looking for two characters who at first don't seem like they have anything in common and seem to hate each others guts and realize that they kind of actually do like each other and have more in common than they think, this is the book for you. This series has quickly become a favorite of mine and I can't wait to read more from Chelsea.

"Real love isn't something you plan or earn, it's something that just hits you - like a bolt of lightning - and changes you forever."

Review: All Played Out

All Played Out
Author: Cora Carmack
Published:May 12th, 2015
Paperback, 320 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

First person in her family to go to college? CHECK.
Straight A's? CHECK.
On track to graduate early? CHECK.
Social life? yeah, about that...

With just a few weeks until she graduates, Antonella DeLuca's beginning to worry that maybe she hasn't had the full college experience. (Okay... Scratch that. she knows she hasn't had the full college experience).

So Nell does what a smart, dedicated girl like herself does best. She makes a "to do" list of normal college activities.

Item #1? Hook up with a jock.

Rusk University wide receiver Mateo Torres practically wrote the playbook for normal college living. When he's not on the field, he excels at partying, girls, and more partying. As long as he keeps things light and easy, it's impossible to get hurt... again. But something about thr quiet, shy, sexy-as-hell Nell gets under his skin, and when he learns about her list, he makes it his mission to help her complete it.

Torres is the definition of confident (And sexy. And wild), and he opens up a side of Nell that she's never known. But as they begin to check off each crazy, exciting, normal item, Nell finds that her frivolous list leads to something more serious than she bargained for. And while Torres is used to taking risks on the field, he has to decide if he's willing to take the chance when it's more than just a game.

Together they will have to decide if what they have is just part of the experiment or a chance at something real.

As if this series couldn't get any better! Cora has once again made me fall in love with two characters who by all means shouldn't be able to work, but work perfectly and beautifully! We met Nell and Torres briefly in the earlier books, Nell is Dylan's roommate and Torres is the wide receiver for the Rusk University football team. She's a study-aholic who just wants to graduate early so she can go to grad school and he is hoping Rusk will set him in the right direction for a career in the NFL. They both have big dreams but neither expect the other to play a part in them. After watching Dyland and Silas being super adorable, Nell realizes she's missing out on her college experience, so she makes a to do list of normal college things she wants to experience. She follows Dylan's advice and goes out with her group of friends, catching the attention of resident playboy Mateo Torres. She decides he'd be perfect for her hooking up with a jock item and he thinks she's perfect period. Together they begin to check off items from her list, their sexual tension and feelings for each other growing every step of the way.

Leave it to Cora to make me fall for a playboy jock who seems to hook up with everyone he knows. She finds a way to get us inside his head without cringing. We find out that he was hurt badly by the one woman he loved and that's why he won't get close to anyone else. But Nell brings out something in him and the way he treats her, respects her, loves her, is everything a girl could hope for in a guy. And Nell, who's so used to controlling everything and being in control finds that she's able to let herself go around Torres and he brings out this great side of her without risking her dreams. There are great moments between these two characters, some awkward times and some hilarious antics as they move around campus completing the list. They're sweet moments are swoon-worthy and Torres certainly knows how to make a girl feel good. Cora is the queen of New Adult, I've said it before and I'll say it again. This is exactly what I look for in NA. Drama, love, heated moments and realizing what you want by making mistakes, taking things for granted, and falling in love.

This is the kind of book I just want to talk about. I want all my friends to read it, I want to hand sell to my customers at work, and I just want to pick it up and read it again, falling back into Rusk and my friends there. This makes me want to make my own to-do list of things I haven't experienced yet and go on crazy adventures with my love. It's never too late, even though I've long graduated from college? Right?

"Don't worry about whether you might be wrong someday. Worry about whether you're right now. Tomorrow can wait."

Review: All Broke Down

All Broke Down
Author: Cora Carmack
Published: October 28th, 2014
Paperback, 368 pages
5 Gold Stars

(from Goodreads)

Dylan fights for lost causes. Probably because she used to be one.

Environmental issues, civil rights, corrupt corporations, and politicians you name it, she's probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause lands her in jail overnight, she meets Silas Moore. He's in for a different kind of fighting. And though he's arrogant and infuriating, she can't help being fascinated with him. Yet another lost cause.

Football and trouble are the only things that have ever come naturally to Silas. And it's trouble that lands him in a cell next to do-gooder Dylan. He's met girls like her before, fixers he calls them, desperate to heal the broken, and he definitely doesn't need a girlfriend trying to change him. Until, that is, his anger issues and rash decisions threaten the only thing he really cares about: his spot on the Rusk University football team. Dylan might just be the perfect girl to help.

Because Silas Moore needs some fixing after all. 

Cora Carmack does New Adult unlike anyone else. She's funny, awkward and captures that spirit and essence of new love in 20-somethings who are still trying to to figure out their lives. Cora introduced us to the lives of Rusk University's students in the first book in this series, All Lined Up, a school focused on football and those who get involved with it. Silas Moore is a great football player and Dylan is a great activist. When they are both put in jail for the night for two completely different reasons, neither can fight the attraction they feel right off the bat. The more time they spend together, the more the attraction builds and damn does Cora know how to build sexual tension between two characters. Like holy hell, is all I'm saying.

At first sight, Silas is your typical bad boy football star: cocky, arrogant and damn good looking. He's not the type to settle down with any girl, especially one who thinks she can fix him. Based on our first impression of Silas from All Lined Up, you'd think he'd be a jerk, a womanizer, but the minute we get into his head we realize all the shit he's had to put up with, all the pressure and stress that football is causing him and the reasons behind why he does what he does. I fell in love with him right away, my kind of boy that's for sure. His dark past and how he's trying to be a better person for Dylan was perfection to me, and even though it didn't seem like these two would work, they meshed so perfectly together that I fell in love with them and their story quickly and without hesitation. Dylan's parents would rather her just sit tight instead of making a fuss in the world and when the two meet they may just be what the other one needs, but is chemistry enough to solve the problems these two have been running from for years.

Rusk University is my new favourite fictional place. I would go there if it were real and in Canada (wishful thinking I suppose) The footballers are good enough to go pro and they are sweet, loving guys beneath all the padding and hitting. I love that Cora doesn't let us see what's beneath the surface until we are in their heads an watching them fall in love. Carson and Dallas are there throughout the book to give advice and encouragement to our new lovers. Series like this make me so happy. When each book has a set of characters, but our favourites come back so that we can see them living happily after their own story ended. We are introduced to the characters that will lead All Played Out and other characters that will help the story along. There is a side story that doesn't really finish, an awful thing happening to a friend of all the characters, but I'm glad to know that she will soon get her own story to tell. I still love these characters long after I've finished the book and I'm not ready to leave Rusk yet. Cora has created such a great group of friends, lots of laughter, some heartbreak, and a whole lot of love, and to me, she is the reigning queen of New Adult.

"Dudes who look dangerous should just be dangerous. Period. The end. They should not be dangerous and beautiful all at the same time. It leaves the universe out of balance, and it makes me do stupid things like stare."

"I will never be able to turn this girl down. Whatever she wants from me, it's hers."

Review: Best Kind of Broken

Best Kind of Broken
Author: Chelsea Fine
Published: March 4th, 2014
Paperback, 272 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Pixie and Levi haven't spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working - and living - at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are... awkward.

All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But not that they're forced to share a bathroom, and therefore shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy, it's going to be a long summer.

I love finding new New Adult series that I love. It's tough sometimes, not knowing if you'll like the book or find it too cheesy. but I'm glad this one was great and will be added to my favourites collection. Chelsea has taken what I love to see in New Adult: comedy, sexual tension, sad back stories and lots of good times, and has given me new characters to fall in love with and root for. Right off the bath you know Pixie and Levi have history but something clearly went wrong because now they avoid each other like the plague. But suddenly living together for the summer in Pixie's aunt's inn, they have no choice but to see each other every day, mostly near the bathroom. Can they get past what happened and remember how they felt each other?

The sexual tension was palpable and holy cow was it good! From the first page, I knew I just wanted them to make out and the story leading up to that moment was great and it was well worth the wait. The kissing scenes were hot (understatement) but I loved the story that unfolded around these two even more. They have both been through so much and the deeper we delved into their view points, the more we found out how they got to where they are. It was heartbreaking and I could understand why it would be hard for them to get past it and focus on the future. Every time they mentioned it or remembered it, I teared up a bit. The contrast between the loss and the love was so well written that I just had to keep reading. This was a story about forgiveness, moving on, and figuring out what's really important in life.

The secondary characters were fantastic. Pixie's aunt was like a mother to her and the moments they had together were great and made me think of my own mom. Darren was a great addition, having him in there to set us up for the next book in the series which focuses on him and a girl we briefly meet in this one. I find that the parents are never around in New Adult and the characters rely on their friends a lot, which is so true in real life. Jenna was a great friend to Pixie and I can't wait to read her book as well.

This was the perfect book to read if you're looking for something fast, fun with a bit of emotional trauma. Perfect for fans of Cora Carmack and Ann Aguire!

"And I'm yours. Even when you don't want me, I'm still yours."

Review: All Lined Up

All Lined Up
Author: Cora Carmack
Published: May 13th, 2014
Paperback, 320 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else - football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn't bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball... as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again. 

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.

Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter. And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to read a Cora Carmack book, but man am I glad I've read them now! All Lined Up is the first in her new Rusk University series, but you'd probably know her name from her first New Adult series Losing It. I've been having really good luck with NA lately and Carmack has quickly become one of my favourite authors in this genre. Dallas' life revolves around football whether she likes it or not. Her dad has just taken a job as the head coach at Rusk and her quarterback ex-boyfriend constantly shows up whenever she's around. Dallas just wants to have a real college experience, but football haunts her every move. When she meets Carson in a funny, dramatic, awkward way, she thinks she's found a guy that has nothing to do with football. By the time she finds out he's second-string quarterback, ready to take her ex's spot in the line up, and he finds out she's the coach's daughter, it's too late for them to stop the feelings riled up inside of them.

This is one of my favourite plots. As a reader, we know that Dallas is the coach's daughter and that Carson is a football player, but each character is in the dark and I loved waiting for the moment when all would break loose. Carmack wrote this wonderfully, in dual perspectives, keeping the dramatic irony going for just long enough for us to fall in love with both characters together. Dallas was very different from the girl NA characters I've seen out there. She's smart, ready to step away from her father's shadow, and put her bad relationship behind her. She's strong willed and not afraid to speak her mind, and her relationship with her father is very touch and go, as she tries to figure out who she is but still make sure her father knows she loves him. Carson has to work much harder than Dallas to get to where he wants to be. He works out and trains constantly, while also studying in his free time. When they start hanging out, Carson loses his focus and it's a harsh reality when you put someone you love before your needs. The conflict between the two of them, trying to keep the relationship under wraps, deciding if the relationship is worth it, and figuring out how to get through college, is written beautifully and captured me the entire time.

The fun part of reading NA, as I'm sure we all know, are the sexy scenes. These are the selling points to this genre and for good reason. You get all the angst and drama that you get in YA, but you also get the experience that us adults enjoy without the boundaries that YA puts on it. Carmack writes these scenes really well. They are too graphic like some and it's more about the tension between the two characters than anything else. I love a good steamy scene and boy does this book deliver! I lvoed that this involved sports, I feel like that broke it out of the very small NA shell and I loved getting to know the characters at Rusk University and I'm excited to get more of them. Every side character could have their own story and I hope Carmack has a plan for them. Stella was a long of fun and I know Silas is getting his own book next, All Broke Down, which actually comes out tomorrow! If you're looking for a fun, quick, saucy read, pick this one up! I'm sure you'll fall in love with Dallas and Carson as much as I did.

"I swallow and stare and swallow again, because dear, sweet Jesus riding a unicorn, he's perfect."

"It takes talent to be a gawking hot mess, and I am a gawking hot mess to the third power."

Review: Ugly Love

Ugly Love
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: August 5, 2014
Paperback, 337 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn't love at first sight. They wouldn't even go as far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn't want love, she doesn't have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules miles has for her.

Never ask about the past. Don't expect a future. 

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can't handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated. Promises get broken. Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly.

Colleen Hoover is the queen of New Adult. She takes two people, makes them fall quickly head over heels for each other, and then takes it away so quickly we don't have time to understand why. Something unfathomable happens and we hope for a happy ending, but we don't know if we'll get it. If anyone has read any of her books, you'll know she does this well, and Ugly Love is no exception. Tate knows too many pilots, her father and her brother both are, so it's no surprise when Miles is also a pilot. But it is a surprise when he's almost passed out in front of her brother's door, her new door since she's moving in, and she has no idea who he is or why he's calling her Rachel. Their relationship continues just as it started - rough around the edges with a lot of tension. She doesn't have time for him as she's working full time as a nurse as she continues through med school. But she can't help looking at him and she knows he feels it too and the moment they take things further, she knows she's lost.

They agree on sex without strings, but does that ever work out for anyone? They hide it from her brother but Miles soon gets very protective. Tate doesn't mind, except for the fact that he's still hiding his feelings from her and she knows he cares about her but he won't admit it. The further Tate falls, the harder it is to get back up. Tate wants to know everything about Miles, but she knows she can't ask, she knows she can't find out who Rachel is, and maybe it's best if she doesn't. But the truth always comes out and when it does, Tate doesn't know if she can handle it or if it has even made them stronger. She must decide if she'll be sticking by Miles or if it's best to stop their relationship once and for all.

These two tore at my heart. They clearly have feelings for each other but will not admit it at all. The more Tate falls for him, the more we find out about his past. Tate's chapters are in the present, but Miles' are in the past and we slowly become clear as to why he is how he is and what happened between him and Rachel. We find out before Tate does and it's brutal as we watch her struggle to find a way to get him to open up when we know how hard it will be when he does. This book is ugly. It will make you smile on one page and then rip out your heart on the next. I wanted to slap Miles and I wanted to tell Tate to stop sleeping with him, but yet I still wanted them to continue doing it all because I wanted them together.

Hoover is a fantastic writer. She weaves everything together to explode at the climax. Her dual perspectives work in her favour and I fell in love with her characters as I normally do. I seriously can't wait for more from her even though I know I'll be crying by the end of it.

"Love isn't always pretty. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it'll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you're back to square one, and you lost your heart somewhere along the way."

Cover Reveal: Inspire by Cora Carmack

Inkslinger Blogs is thrilled to bring you the cover for Cora Carmack's INSPIRE. INSPIRE is a New Adult Paranormal Romance novel and is due to be released on December 15, 2014.

About Inspire:

Kalliope lives for one purpose.

To inspire.

As an immortal muse, she doesn't have any other choice. It's part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors - they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life - a normal one. She's spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she's ready for something real.

Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly... he's not an artist. He doesn't want her for her abilities. But she can't turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It's happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal.

Her presence may inspire genius.

But it breeds madness, too.


About Cora Carmack: 

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her her life - boring jobs (like working retail), fun jobs (like working theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need move too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Add INSPIRE to Goodreads
Cora Carmack on Twitter
Cora Carmack on Facebook

I'm a huge fan of her other novels so I'm really excited to dive into this new genre of hers. Anyone else a fan of Cora's? Are you excited for Inspire?

Review: Maybe Someday

Maybe Someday
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: March 18, 2014
Paperback, 370 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her;and she's forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

Hoover has officially become my favourite New Adult writer. She takes what all of us want in NA and makes it a really story, unlike other NAs I've read. She has a way with words and characters that make me want to read the story over and over again, and Maybe Someday was no exception. Sydney's 22nd birthday starts off horribly - discovering that her boyfriend is sleeping with her roommate and best friend.  So she leaves and somehow ends up at her neighbour's apartment, the mysterious Ridge who plays his guitar on his balcony just for her. What starts out as an awkward encounter soon turns into an awkward friendship. They begin writing music together and feelings begin to emerge - feelings that shouldn't be since Ridge is in a serious relationship. 

Yes, I know, a love triangle! But for once (well there have been a few times) this love triangle wasn't cringe-worthy. Told from both Sydney and Ridge's perspectives, we get to see how each of them are trying to cope with the feelings inside them. And although I don't condemn cheating, I do understand how couples can drift apart, especially if you are in two very different places in life. and Hoover delivers us a story that will break your heart not only for Ridge and his girlfriend, but for Sydney as the other woman trying desperately not to fall in love with him. This story is truly heartbreaking and Hoover loves to add in twists and plot points that make you re-think everything you've felt until that point, making this an unforgettable journey.

Ridge is not the kind of love interest you see in books these days. It's wonderful that Hoover explores this whole other world, and the way she treats it with respect is fantastic. I don't mean to be vague, but I don't want to spoil anything. It took a character who could very well be like every other love interest and turned him into something completely different. Sydney has never met anyone like him, but the way she reacts to it is beautiful and heart-warming, the way you hope everyone would. It was amazing and I hope more authors take a risk like this to show people that there are more diverse people in the world - not everyone is just a bad boy with issues.

What I loved most about this book was the music aspect. Hoover joined up with Griffin Peterson to create the soundtrack to this book. The songs Sydney and Ridge write in the book can be listened to while reading and it turned this book into an experience. The songs are touching and tender, just enough to send you into a tailspin of tears and mixed emotions - just like Sydney and Ridge. They sum up the relationship perfectly and follow along as Sydney and Ridge try to figure out how to live this life they know they should both walk away from. This book will take you through every emotion on the spectrum, but it will leave you smiling and singing along. Hoover gives me faith in the NA genre.

“We try so hard to hide everything we're really feeling from those who probably need to know our true feelings the most.”

“Sometimes in life, we need a few bad days in order to keep the good ones in perspective.” 

Review: Hopeless (Losing Hope and Finding Cinderella)

Hopeless
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: December 19, 2012
Paperback, 406 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

My adventure in New Adult continues with a very good lead. Hoover's novel excelled every exception I had for it and now I know what NA is supposed to be like. Real characters going through a stage in their life where they're not sure what comes next. Real, raw emotion and love that isn't always perfect. Though her characters are still in high school, this is more mature than YA and will certainly pull at the heartstrings of anyone who reads it.

Sky has a reputation even though she's still a virgin. She lets boys come into her window at night and she feels numb when they kiss her. She lets them because she likes feeling nothing. Home schooled all her life, Sky has decided to go to a public school, alone and already with a reputation. But when Sky meets Holder at the grocery store, she's not so sure about public school. Holder's intense, but there's something about him that makes her want to know more. They keep running into each other and their relationship gets really tricky. Sky likes the way she actually feels something around Holder, but it seems like he's hiding something from her. The moment Sky realizes what he's been hiding, her world shatters and she's not sure if she can ever glue it back together.

Sky is a beautiful heroine. She keeps to herself and doesn't let what others say about her affect her. She is iffy about getting close to Holder, but in her head, I saw how much she wanted to be near him because he actually made her feel important. The way their relationship formed was beautiful to read and I didn't want anything bad to happen, though I knew it would. Holder is intense because he's holding back a lot. His sister killed herself almost a year before hand and something happen when he was a child that he just can't get over. There is a companion novel, Losing Hope, told through Holder's point of view that gives you a really in depth look at the pain and suffering that Holder puts on himself. It made me understand his character so much more and I just wanted him to get a happy ending as much as Sky. I fell in love with these two as quickly as they fell for each other. Their relationship is far from perfect, but I love how real it all felt. Holder is sweet and caring and would do anything for Sky, wanting to protect her with his life. 

Hoover knows how to fill your heart with love and then break it to pieces. This story took a turn that I was not expecting at all. Everything Sky knows is wrong and Holder holds the answers. It played out beautiful and terrifying and there was no telling how it would all end. It felt so real and I haven't felt that kind of emotion in a story in a long time.

Losing Hope was a wonderful read as well. Told at the same time as Hopeless, we really get into Holder's head and find out some back story about him and his sister. Both of these novels together made for a fantastic read that made me laugh, smile, and cry buckets. This is a story about love, forgiveness, and accepting the things in life we have no choice but to accept. Sky is so strong and I hope that anyone who has gone through what she has can be strong and live a life without regret and with the love that they deserve. The novella that goes along with this story as well, Finding Cinderella, follows Sky's best friend, Six, and Holder's best friend, Daniel, as they go through their own heartbreaking story. It's a nice little addition to the family and it will tear out your heart just like the others. I know that sounds awful, but these books are fantastic reads and I can't wait to read more from Hoover. Sometimes it feels good to get your heart ripped out and watch as it's dragged across the floor, don't you think?

“Not everyone gets a happily every after. Life is real and sometimes it's ugly and you just have to learn how to cope.” 

Review: Foreplay

Foreplay

Author: Sophie Jordan

Published: November 5, 2013

Paperback, 320 pages

4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Before she goes after the life she’s always wanted, she’s about to find the one she needs. 

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…

I think this has been my favourite New Adult book yet. I'm still new to this genre and have been iffy about picking up some books. But Jordan's Firelight series is one of my favourite's and I just finished Uninvited, so I hoped that because I enjoyed her YA so much, I'd like something out she's written. I wasn't wrong. This book had as much fire and heart as her others and I had a really great time reading it. Pepper is very sweet and innocent and has her future planned out - she is going to marry her best friend's brother, Hunter. But Hunter only sees her as his little sister and she is determined to change this. The problem is she has no experience at all and doesn't want to go in unprepared. So when her friends tell her about a hot bartender who beds lots of women, Pepper is ready to track him down and get him to teach her a thing or two. But things don't work out as planned. Reece is hot yes, and he sure looks experienced, but he is also really good with kids, cares a lot about his bar and rescues girls from the side of the road when their cars break down. Can Pepper just be involved with him to gain experience or is the way he's making her feel going to interfere with her plans for Hunter? 

Pepper is an average girl and more relatable than some characters NA these days. She focuses on school, babysits to be able to afford it and tries to make her friends happy by going along with their plans. So when her friends finally get her to the bar, her awkwardness getting his attention. Everything Pepper has planned changes when she really gets to know Reece and would could blame her? Reece is not the player Pepper pegs him to be. He is sweet and caring, and shows his affection for her in more ways than one throughout the novel. I love that nothing goes as planned. As soon as we meet Reece, I knew he'd be more than a fling for Pepper. Both Pepper and Reece regret their first impressions of each other, gradually becoming more aware of each other and their needs throughout the novel. Their interactions are fantastic to read, both when they first meet and have very different opinions of each other and later when they can't decide the next steps to take. I fell in love with them as they discovered each other. The pacing is perfect, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, toes curled, as I begged Pepper to go to Reece every time she told herself not too. The amount of tension between them is frustrating, as I think I wanted them to get together more than they did!

The notable difference in YA and NA is easily pinpointed - there are no hold bars when it comes to sexuality in NA. I love the young love, the first kisses, and the stolen moments in YA, but I won't deny how enjoyable it was to read about physical contact in its truest form. Relationships are taken to the next level and it adds to the story in a way. I felt a real connection between Pepper and Reece as they experience real life moments that college students would definitely be involved in. The title tells it all, I supposed, and I wasn't let down. This whole book was foreplay and I didn't get satisfaction until the end. Throw in some humour, genius side characters (Emerson is the main character in the second book, Tease) and a very dramatic happy ending, and I'm willing to give NA another try. 

“I wouldn’t have waited this long for you. I would have already showed up at your dorm the minute I decided I wanted you. I wouldn’t leave until I convinced you that you were mine” 

Review: He Belongs With Me

He Belongs With Me
Author: Sarah Darlingtion
Published: March 4, 2014
ebook
Received an ARC from author in exchange for an honest review
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Two girls. One Leo.

Identical twins, Maggie and Clara Ryder, both grew up with Leo Maddox, billionaire playboy, apparent alcoholic, and heir to his grandfather's world-famous Maddox hotel empire. Their roles were cemented long ago: Maggie, as his best friend and Clara as his childhood nemesis.

But when a simple twist of fate changes everything and both girls start to fall for the lean, mean, ridiculously sexy and seemingly spoiled Leo... which girl will win his heart?

Throw in a little mischief, drama, and one smoking-hot bartender and lines are sure to blur. But one thing's for certain, neither good-girl Maggie nor rebellious Clara will be satisfied until they each figure out where they belong. 

*NEW ADULT ROMANCE. Recommended for 17+ due to sexual situations and adult language

I'm still new to the New Adult scene. I've read a few and I've noticed that they are drastically different than how Young Adult is written. There is less focus on discovering who you are and more focus on the relationships. They are swoony, dramatic, and all around a good time. They play out much like a romance novel and it's a nice change when you're reading a book and you know things are going to work out for the best. Even though they are identical sisters, Maggie and Clara couldn't be more different. Maggie fits her father's idea of country club class and Clara is rebellious to a fault, eager to get as far away from her family as possible. So when Leo, the girls' childhood friend, asks Clara to join him in New York for the weekend, both girls are confused. Clara was always the nemesis, the bad twin, and Maggie and Leo have been best buds since childhood. Clara never thought twice about her feelings for Leo (no way would she ever get together with him) but being in New York with him, the sexual tension is flowing through them and suddenly Clara doesn't know what she feels. Jealousy hits Maggie like a brick. Her and Leo don't really have feelings for each other, but she always thought if someone would end up with him, it'd be her. So when she's distracted by a hot bartender, someone she remembers from her past, she's not sure who to fight for. 

Told from both Maggie and Clara's viewpoints, this is a nice quick read that will have you rooting for both girls. The friendly competition between the twins is realistic, two girls that were born exactly the same trying to prove to the world that they are two different people. Maggie is known for being the good girl and Clara the bad, but both want to be known as themselves instead. There could have been more focus on the relationship between the girls instead of solely focusing on their relationships with Leo and Dean. There's never really any backstory as to why they don't get along. 

There's no doubt the men are dreamy. Leo Maddox is a playboy millionaire, a guy who has been in the twins' life forever. He drinks a lot, sleeps around, and shows off his money whenever he can - at least this is how he seems to most people. Get past all that and he's sweet, understanding, and ready to do whatever it takes to keep Clara. Guys in New Adult always seem to have the same makings - bad boy with lots of experience beneath his belt - but I like it when they prove me wrong like Leo did. He is genuinely a good person and maybe he's made some mistakes, but his love for Clara is something we dream of. Dean is worthy of this title too. He's done some things he's not proud of. He's hurt Maggie and now he's trying to make things right. Maggie isn't so easily persuaded but he fights for her. There isn't as much of a love triangle as I expected and I'm happy for it. The way everything plays out is believeable. Of course Maggie would develop a crush on Leo once she realizes he may not stay on the market. He's always been her go-to guy and it's now or never. 

Darlington tells this story fluidly, hints of suspense and twists and turns along the way made for an exciting read that had me wondering to the very end if I had predicted things right. And there's no denying how great those sexy scenes were. That's the fun part of New Adult - no hold bars. It's a nice change sometimes, don't you think? I'm glad I had the chance to read this as it gave me a better idea of the New Adult genre, I like to find ones I actually enjoy reading!

“Leo backed me against the door frame, his demeanor turning all 'take-no-prisoners' as he pinned me in place with his hips. His hands traced up and down the curve of my body until they wound their way through the loose strands of my hair. He was in control, I was totally at his mercy, and I. Didn’t. Even. Care.”