Review: Be Mine by Jen Frederick

Be Mine by Jen Frederick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this e Arc novel from the author. This is my honest review.

Lainey hasn't had the best of times lately but when she's forced to go to Dallas instead of staying with her mother she testifying somewhere to live somewhere to work and somehow make a living to take care of her baby girl Cassidy.

One thing Lainey does know is that she is never going to trust a football player again in her life. That's why she's in this predicament in the first place. But who should she run into when she reaches Dallas but of quarterback football player who she is insanely attracted to. But Laney knows how that life can lead so she avoids the temptation as much as she can.

Nick saw Lainey for the first time and instantly knew he had to be around her. He even met her daughter Cassidy and even though Nick has no idea what to do around children he was wrapped around her little finger immediately. But being just tired as a second string quarterback he knew he needed to focus on his career rather than a new girl in his life.

As much as Nick and Lainey tried to ignore the attraction between each other it seemed fate was interrupting and the two kept finding each other over and over. But with secret pasts and unknown futures Nick and Lainey are not sure if their lives are meant to be intertwined or not.

I thought I had read the first book in the series but I can't seem to find a rating that I gave it. Even without reading the first book I was able to thoroughly enjoy this novel. I especially thought Lainey was a very tough person to go through all of that in her short life and still be optimistic and hopeful for the future.

Nick was a bit naive at the beginning being wet behind the ears and a rookie on his football team, but his actions we're kind and sincere which makes him a great person. He didn't think everything through at the beginning but by the end of the novel he was determined to get what he wanted and had the means to do so.

I have to say what happened to chip did not hurt my feelings at all. He was a nasty person and he deserved everything that happened to him throughout the book. And I'm very proud of Lainey for doing everything she had to do to protect the ones she loved.

I'm glad I got a chance to read this novel and I know fans of Jen Frederick will enjoy this book as well!

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Review: Hollywood King by Monica Corwin

Hollywood King by Monica Corwin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.

After being left by Heath, Cathy has spent the last 10 years living her own life. She's not using her family's money, but rather went to med school and is making her own money by being a dotor and helping people.

But then Heath shows back up in her life. And Cathy has changed so much. Now she wants nothing to do with him, and just wants him to leave. Excpet Heath isn't taking no for an answer, and Cathy can only resists the man she's loved her whole life for so long. Just when life is looking up, Cathy receives some terrible news that will change everything...

I read the prequel, Hollywood Princess, which is actually the first 13% of this book, and I enjoyed it but thought it could be better. Well, Hollywood King came along and made it better! I think I just needed more from the characters than a novella could do for me, but this novel more than made up for that!

I loved Heath's viewpoint the best, I think. He is a mysterious character, so being able to get inside of his head and seeing what he is thinking was a vital part of this novel.

And Cathy. That poor girl. She has been through so much crap in her young life, it is heartbreaking to see her give up - even for a brief second.

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this novel, and I am going to keep my eye out for more novels by this author!

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Review: The Risk by Elle Kennedy

The Risk by Elle Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this eARC novel from the author and publisher. This is my honest review.

Having a dad who coaches hockey, Brenna has been around the sport her whole life. And with her best friend dating one of the hockey players that her dad is coaching, she is still very much into the sport. Which is why the idea of be nice to the enemy is not high on Brenda's list of things to do.

But it seems Brenna needs Jake to help her for something and Jake want something in return. The more Brenna and Jake get to know each other the more they forget that they are supposed to be enemies.

With Brenna's touchy past and Jake's bright future, both are unsure how things will actually work out between the two of them. And keeping it a secret from everyone also doesn't help either. Both have a lot of issues to hurdle over before they can decide what they really want in life.

I love the series! The characters are amazing and the story is phenomenal. I really enjoyed Brenna and Jake story because it went from enemies to friends and both characters respected each other.

Brenna is one of my favorite female characters so far. She acts like a bad girl and has a tough act but in reality she's just another girl hoping to find the one person to make her feel whole again. And Jake isn't your typical hockey player. Yeah sure he has Flings but he is also ambitious and dedicated and has a huge goal in mind that he is striving to get. With the two of them the sparks fly off the pages and you can tell that they tried to ignore the attraction but it over takes both of them.

It was nice to see all of the characters from the first novel and I'm intrigued to see who the next book is going to be about. I'm really glad I got a chance to read this and I know that people who enjoy Kennedy's novels will devour this one as well!

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Review: Hold On by Samantha Young

Hold On by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this eARC from the author and publisher. This is my honest review.

Autumn has had a rough life so far so when she goes through another terrible spell she decides to go to Montana to a ski resort to relax and just do things for herself. What she didn't want was to attach herself to another guy but after literally running into a ski instructor she finds herself wanting another chance at love.

When Grayson first sees her he immediately decides that he has to get to know her and he's not taking no for an answer even though Autumn is trying very hard to say no. The more Grayson and Autumn are together the more they realize that the other might be the one for them. But there are a lot of issues on why that can't be. It looks like heartbreak might be in the near future for both of these characters...

I adore this novel! Autumn was such an amazing character in Killian's novel so I'm really glad that we were able to get her story as well. It's a bummer that it's a novella and not an actual full novel because I feel like we could have seen a lot more happen with Grayson and Autumn, but I'll take what I can get!

The immediate attraction between Grayson and Autumn was off the page and Grayson's determination would make any girls swoon. I felt like something bad was going to happen but because this is a novella it was all good things!

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this novella and it will definitely be something I won't forget anytime soon. Fans of both series are going to enjoy this spin-off novella for sure!

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Review: Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills

Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

Sophie loves her hometown, Acadia, IL. In fact, she's planning on never leaving the area because she loves it so much. She knows that her really close group of friends don't feel the same, but she thinks she can talk them into loving Acadia just as much as she does, eventually. And Sophie loves the story about famous Megan Pleasant becoming a country star right here in Acadia. Even Megan loved Acadia enough to make multiple albums about her time in Acadia!

When a new boy, August, comes into town and ends up being the brother to Sophie's next door neighbor, Sophie thinks this might be a sign for her. She gets to know August and is always having him hangout with her and her friends, and it seems that August wants to be distant, but has a hard time once Sophie gets him to open up.

Sophie also loves her band at school, and she is determined she will raise enough money for their tour once school starts. And what better idea than to get famous Megan Pleasant to come do a concert right in Acadia again! Except it's been pretty hard to get ahold of Megan.

Things start to look down for Sophie, and her always bubbly personality is starting to wan, because it seems like nothing is going right for her. And then she finds out a lot of secrets to the "happy" life in Acadia, and things don't seem as cheerful anymore...

This was a good book. I actually took the title to mean differently than what was actually going to happen. I thought August was going to be a famous person hiding out in a small town, not that it was about Megan. It was still a cute novel - very clean - but I wasn't 100% in love with it, to be honest.

Sophie and August's relationship was a bit strained and awkward. Then again, this is a YA book about teenagers, so maybe it was realistic, but I just wasn't able to really root for the two of them to be together. I did like the friendships that Sophie has with her friends. Though it was a bit too much on how much they relied on each other. Maybe I was just more independent than these kids nowadays.

Overall, it was a cute novel that I'm sure other readers will love. I'm glad I got a chance to read this!

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Review: The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren

The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

Liv doesn't want to go back to her hometown, and she especially doesn't want to go to her high school. 12 years later, and she still has nightmares and panic attacks about the school shooting during her senior prom, killing so many of her classmates and friends.

But they are filming a document about the students who perished and the students who lived during that horrific shooting, and all of the proceeds are going to the families who lost their loved one. So how can Liv say no to that?

What she didn't expect was to see was Finn Dorsey, her secret boyfriend in high school. And she didn't think that the sparks and attraction would still be there, but they are. The biggest thing, though is that she is reminded of their friendship, and that she lost more than just the students who were killed that night.

Both Liv and Finn are going through their own personal nightmares, and are afraid they will lose one another when they just got each other back...

This was a great novel! Roni Loren really did an amazing job giving the reader the dreadful feeling of going through that terrible experience - as if we were living through it ourselves. I could never imagine being in that situation, but the reality is that this happens so often in this day and age.

And it just shows that this event will never leave a person - they will always be affected by these terrible actions that will shape their future.

Liv and Finn are very strong characters in their own way, but they really don't become truly strong until they reunite with one another. The sparks between them were crazy, and it just goes to show that time doesn't change anything when it's meant to be.

I'm really glad I got a chance to read this, and I may have to look out for the rest of the books in the series!

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Review: The Cold Is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale

The Cold Is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review.

Milla has always wanted love and compassion from her parents her whole life. The only person who ever gave her a smidgen of that was her brother Niklas and he now leaves every day to work with their father. Milla has to follow a strict rules to keep the demons out of her house and away from her family but it seems that no matter how well Milla does everything right her mother never really approves.

So when Milla finds out another girl her age is moving to their Farm Milla is very excited to have a companion and a friend to call her own. And Iris is such a wonderful person that Milla cannot complain about anything now.

But when things start to change as Iris and Milla notice abnormal events happening, Milla finds out many dark and deep hidden secrets that her family has been hiding from her. Milla is about to find out exactly what she is capable of and how far her love will go to save the ones she cares about.

I have to admit the cover is what got my attention at first. It's very unique and beautiful and after I read the synopsis I knew I wanted to read this book. I didn't realize it was a retelling of Medusa, but that would not have stopped me from requesting the advanced reader copy. This is set in a little village that seems to be in the past with strict rules and hard-earned living where the men farm and the woman stay at home to make meals and clean house.

Milla is a great character. She's very confused and very unloved and just wants comfort and joy in her life. She's also kept in the dark a lot and life would have been easier for her if everybody could have been upfront and honest with her. I felt sorry for her when she didn't get the love and attention she wanted from her mother, and I don't blame her for attaching to Iris the way she did. She is also a very strong character and very independent of her ways once she it makes her decision about saving the people she loves the most in her life. She's also very brave and doesn't let fear control her actions in the end.

Millas mother Gitta did not impress me at all. She was very fearful very strict very stern and a very cold character. The reader finds out why later but it still doesn't change how she was toward Milla which was heartbreaking.

This is a very powerful book that shows how one action can change the lives of so many people. It also shows you that everyone wants to be loved - a simple act of kindness goes a long way in someone's life.

I'm really glad I got a chance to read this book and will be looking for more novels by this author!

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