Review – Catch Twenty-Two by Marie James

Catch Twenty-Two; Westover Prep #2 
(A standalone within a series)

by: Marie James

Review Rating:

Review/Synopsis:

Review:

A bully romance that has a great push and pull and up and down of emotions. Catch Twenty-Two has a broken, vulnerable bully that not only broke my heart over and over, but also made me cry for the girl who he was broken up over.

Zeke and Frankie had that magnetic chemistry where they were constantly being pulled together and when the magnets were correctly aligned they couldn’t stay apart, but if the magnets were flipped they definitely pushed each other away.

Zeke was probably the most vulnerable bully I’ve read to date. He was already broken by life, taking on the burden of his family, having lost their ranch and home, and then watching his father deteriorate right before his eyes. Zeke was angry at circumstance, at things he had no control over, and lastly at his own hormones when he finds himself attracted to Frankie when she arrives for the summer to live at the ranch Zeke works at. It doesn’t help that his family keeps telling him that he’ll adore Frankie and they will be great friends and probably more. He was building up to already dislike her before she arrives and his attraction to her just adds fuel to the fire.
Is Zeke spout vile words? Yes. Is he mean? Yes. Does he care about his family? Yes. Does he loathe treating Frankie horribly? Every single time, but he still does it because deep down…well, he has a lot of emotional reasons which I won’t give away here, but he really is just a broken boy.

Frankie went out to Utah for the summer to visit her grandmother and was hoping to escape the bullying she received while living at home. She never thought she would receive it from the beautiful boy working on her grandmother’s ranch, especially since she speaks so highly of him. Zeke turns out to be two different people; a kind, sweet boy in front of everyone else and a vile, mean bully when they are alone. The hot and cold gives her whiplash all summer until she leaves and finally returns back to Westover where she believes she will never have to see him again. Little does she realize that he will be standing in the hallways of Westover Prep on the first day of school. Which Zeke will she be greeted with, the good or the bad?

As much as you might want to hate Zeke, all I wanted to do was give him a hug. His wounds were so fresh and he really did inner-reflect a lot. He carried guilt and self loathing over how he behaved, but he couldn’t stop himself from hurting those around him. The lion with the thorn in his paw that lashed out in anger.

Frankie is also no delicate flower. She holds her own against his mean behavior, which is why he is continually drawn to her and has a hot and cold shoulder as well. She’s grown up with boys very similar to him, but he’s also new in his emotional state.

I adore this couple and really look forward to updates going forward in the Westover Prep world.

Synopsis:

He can’t stand anything about her, but can’t keep his hands off of her.

Frankie

I wasn’t looking for him.
He found me.
With his sexy smirk and irresistible body.
I wanted nothing to do with someone like him.
Judgmental and brooding.
So full of himself.
But now, I’m stuck playing the fool.
Falling for him.
And losing it all.
If only for one night.

ZEKE

Stuffy, rich, entitled.
The kind of girl that gets what she wants.
When she wants it.
And I want nothing to do with her.
Yet, I can’t stay away.
I’m drawn to her kindness and compassion.
Her beauty.
She holds me when the pain won’t subside.
And now, if I can help it, I’m going to hold on to her…
Forever.

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Review – Old Fashioned by Kandi Steiner

Old Fashioned; Becker Brothers #4 
(A standalone within a series)

by: Kandi Steiner

Review Rating:

Review/Synopsis:

Review:

The final Becker Brother is finally here and while Jordan has always been the quietest and stoic brother of the four, he is also the best one to finish out the series.

Jordan Becker is a man of few words, but everyone knows that when he does offer them up you listen. As a high school football coach who has won the last two championship seasons, there is a lot of pressure on him to bring home the title again. It’s always a challenge with students graduating and new students coming on the team, but as a coach that is his job, but his greatest challenge this year will be working with the distraction of Sydney Clark, the new female athletic trainer. It’s hard enough wrangling hormonal teenage boys around the beautiful woman, but when he finds himself thinking about her nonstop, he knows she is more than just a distraction, she is someone he wants to know better. He has always been a man of few words, but around Sydney he finds himself opening up like he never has. He wants more with her than he has with anyone else, but the only problem is she wants to keep them a secret.

Sydney Clark is fresh from a nasty divorce and working as an athletic trainer has always been her dream. When things with Jordan get heated, working with Jordan Becker becomes complicated. He isn’t exactly her boss, but he is her superior and not to mention she’s a woman working in a male dominated field, the last thing she wants is to have rumors flying around that she doesn’t deserve her job. As much as she would love to date Jordan in public, there are so many factors for keeping their relationship private. Unfortunately the longer it goes the harder it becomes to actually come clean. Can they really have a future if all they can ever do is hide?

Old Fashioned is a slow burn romance, with lots of good Becker family moments entwined, and the big family mystery finally solved. While this can be read as a standalone, you would probably enjoy Old Fashioned if you’ve read some or all of the other books, but it is not required.

Synopsis:

The epic finale of the Becker Brothers series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone.

It’s a man’s world.

When I declared sports medicine as my major and every man narrowed their eyes, that saying proved true. It was true when my ex-husband decided I’d give up my career when our daughter was born. And again when I divorced the Chief of Police in our small town, and he made it painfully clear that I could leave him, but I would never be free.

Landing the job as the new athletic trainer for Stratford’s high school team is my chance to start over. And walking into a male-dominated sport and staff, I’m ready for the challenge.

I’m not ready for Jordan Becker.

The head coach of our championship winning team is a Herculean force of nature—as severe as he is determined. His icy blue eyes and permanent scowl drive the women in this town mad, and his quiet power and undeniable command conjure respect from every man.

When I join his team, I expect the doubt and anticipate the fight from him. And I get them both.

I don’t expect to form a friendship.

And I never expect to fall for him.

My breath catches when those cool eyes fall to my lips. My body comes alive when his is near. And as those lines begin to blur, every warning bell sounds.

My job, my reputation are on the line.
And my ex is around every corner, waiting to remind me of his power.

It’s a man’s world, and if I want to survive, I can never fall in love with Jordan Becker.

Even if he falls in love with me first.

Binge the series to get the full effect when Old Fashioned releases! (Old Fashioned CAN be read as a stand-alone, if you don’t want to read the other brothers)
OLD FASHIONED — Coming March 19th.

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Cover Reveal – SWEET CHAOS by Emery Rose

🔥🔥 HOT COVER & BLURB REVEAL 🔥🔥

He’s chaos… she’s the sweetest temptation. An angsty, forbidden romance, Sweet Chaos by Emery Rose will destroy your heart in the very best way. Add to your TBR!

Fall in love with Dylan St. Clair on April 3rd!

BOOK BLURB

𝗗𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲. 𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱.

I’ve had a crush on Dylan St. Clair since he climbed into my bedroom window ten years ago.

𝘞𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸, 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰.

I was eleven, he was seventeen. A bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks with a chip on his shoulder and fresh bruises from his latest fight, he went on to play the starring role in all my teenage fantasies.

But I always knew he was off-limits. So, over the years I gave up wishing and hoping we could ever be together.

Until he kissed me on a cold beach one starry winter’s night.

Until he said those five words that changed everything.

𝘐 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳.

 

Add SWEET CHAOS to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/33bx8ua

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the cover reveal of Sweet Chaos, Emery Rose is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card! Head to her Facebook page to enter: https://www.facebook.com/EmeryRoseAuthor/

 

EXCERPT

Before he lit a cigarette, Dylan checked that I was done eating. “You go to the gym and you obviously work hard for that body…” That was a fact, no use pretending I hadn’t noticed. You didn’t get a body like Dylan’s by sitting around on your ass. “but you still smoke?”

“It’s all about balance.”

I laughed.

He took a drag of his cigarette, his eyes narrowed, the little lines around his eyes crinkling. He could even make smoking look sexy. But then, Dylan could make just about anything look sexy. Feeling bold, I plucked the cigarette out of his mouth and claimed it as my own.

He scowled. “You’re not a smoker.”

I took a drag and tipped back my head, blowing the smoke into the cold night air. “I know. But I know how to do it now without coughing up a lung.”

“That’s a shame,” he said, extracting a cigarette for himself. Cupping his tattooed hand over the tip, he flicked his Zippo and took a drag, the cherry glow burning brighter as he inhaled.

 

We sat side by side on the tailgate, smoking our cigarettes, and the undercurrent of electricity I’d always felt around him was still there. I knew it was just a chemical reaction, a trick my body played on me whenever he was near, but I wished my brain would send a signal to make it stop.

“You don’t talk as much as you used to,” he observed after moments of silence ticked by.

“I thought you’d appreciate the peace and quiet.”

“I never minded it when you talked.”

I laughed. “Could have fooled me. You told me you didn’t have time for my teen drama and shit.”

He took another drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke out of the side of his mouth and huffed out a laugh before he spoke. “You remember that.”

“Why do you think I stopped texting? You injured my pride.” It had been more than my pride. Those words had hurt my foolish teenage heart far more than they should have. But he didn’t need to know that I’d cried over him.

I opened the plastic lid of my shake and tossed the cigarette into the cup, the dregs of the milkshake dousing the fire and making it sizzle. Replacing the lid, I tossed the cup in one of the takeout bags and leaned back on my hands, watching the lights in the canyon.

He gave me a sidelong glance. “Funny. I used to have a hoodie just like that.” He smirked.

I stifled a groan. What were the chances I’d be wearing his UC San Diego hoodie tonight? The same hoodie he’d given me the night I snuck in to watch his underground fight. I took it off and tried to give it back to him.

He waved it off. “Keep it. You ruined your sweater for me.”

“You were bleeding. What else was I supposed to do?”

“Not ruin your sweater.”

“You got in that fight because of me.”

“I wanted to kill those assholes for messing with you.”

He’d gotten into a fight over me, after beating his opponent in the underground fight. I remembered thinking that nobody had ever fought for me before. That was the night I’d fallen in love with Dylan St. Clair, a few weeks shy of my sixteenth birthday. It was also the night I realized that he would never be mine and I needed to forget him.

As he crushed his cigarette under the sole of his high top, his eyes were on my face. It felt like he was seeing me for the first time. His hooded gaze lowered to my mouth and I licked my bottom lip at the same time he did. Then he shook his head and strode away. “Let’s go. I’ve got shit to do.”

And just like that, I was fifteen again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emery Rose has been known to indulge in good red wine, strong coffee, and a healthy dose of sarcasm. When she’s not working on her latest project, you can find her binge-watching Netflix, trotting the globe in search of sunshine, or immersed in a good book. A former New Yorker, she currently resides in London with her two beautiful daughters and one grumpy but lovable Border Terrier.

 

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Cover Reveal – LOVE, ANONYMOUS by Cassia Leo

We are so excited to be sharing the cover for New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo’s LOVE, ANONYMOUS, a new intensely emotional and inspiring standalone love story. LOVE, ANONYMOUS will be released on April 21 – be sure to pre-order your copy today!

About LOVE, ANONYMOUS

From New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo comes a new stand-alone novel Love, Anonymous, the intensely emotional and inspiring love story of Briley Tucker and Kieran Wells.

It was weird seeing you today after all these years. It was even weirder trying to explain to my new coworkers how you and I know each other.

How do I explain I had a one-day fling with a handsome British gentleman I met on the New York City subway?

How do I explain I fell in love with an anonymous stranger?

Our flame was supposed to burn one day, but for me it never died.

***

I almost pretended not to know you. I thought that might be easier for both of us.

I’ve always wondered what would happen if we ran into each other. I didn’t think I’d be rendered speechless.

God, that was embarrassing.

I know we’re supposed to stay away from each other. But that rule was a lot easier to follow when I didn’t know your name.

Add LOVE, ANONYMOUS to your Goodreads TBR!

Pre-order LOVE, ANONYMOUS today!
Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo |

 

 

About CASSIA LEO

New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo loves her coffee, chocolate, and margaritas with salt. When she’s not writing, she spends way too much time re-watching Game of Thrones and Sex and the City. When she’s not binge watching, she’s usually enjoying the Oregon rain with a hot cup of coffee and a book.

Find her on…
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Teaser Reveal – CHARLIE by Siobhan Davis; BULLY ME anthology

BULLY ME: CLASS OF 2020 ANTHOLOGY
Release Date: March 24th

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48775725-bully-me

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PREORDER TODAY:
ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO DITCH THE LABEL!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2pkwz2k
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Kobo: https://bit.ly/379qGGj

BULLY ME ANTHOLOGY:
Loving your tormentor isn’t easy, especially when they collect broken hearts and parade them around like trophies. They’re the bad boys, the alpha a**holes, and the thorns in our sides. They push us past our limits, turn us on, and break us.

They’re our bullies.
They’re the class of 2020.

Eight bestselling authors are teaming up to bring you eight unique stories about the guys we love to hate.

This anthology benefits one of the largest anti-bullying organizations in the world, and all proceeds will go toward helping to support victims of bullying.

Shantel Tessier
Callie Hart
CoraLee June
Siobhan Davis
Kaydence Snow
K Webster
C.M. Stunich
Sam Mariano

CHARLIE (Rydeville Elite#4) Bully Me: Class of 2020

Demi

Dropping out of college senior year was never part of my plan. But Dad needs me, and I’d move mountains for the only parent I’ve ever known—even working for the company that fired him. It makes me sick, but I’m low on options. My boss, Charlie, is determined to make my life a living hell, availing of every opportunity to undermine my confidence, to humiliate and threaten me.Sleeping with him the night of his wedding might have something to do with his attitude. Or the fact I’m the spitting image of the woman he really wants. If our financial situation wasn’t so dire, I’d tell Charlie to stick his job up his delectablebutt.But I’m trapped, and things are only getting worse. Because the more layers I uncover, the more I realize he is nothing l expected and everything I crave.

Charlie

If there was a manual for all the ways a person could mess up his life, it’d have my name written on it. I can’t undo the things I’ve done, no matter how badly I want to, and every day is a constant reminder of my epic failure. Especially her. It’s as if Demi has been put on this earth to punish me. To inflict more torture and pain. Because every second I’m around her, she makes me feel things I don’t want to feel. So, I lash out. Doing my best to push her away. Until I realize she’s everything I never knew I needed, and the fight becomes a new battle-one to win her heart.

Do you love #bullyromance books? Get ready for this #darkromance anthology! #comingsoon #preorder

 

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult fiction, across a number of different genres, with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime!

Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.

She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.

Join the author’s mailing list to receive free books http://eepurl.com/bv8gKz (just copy and paste this link into your browser.)

 

Connect with Siobhan

Facebook: http://smarturl.it/SiobhanDavisFacebook

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Cover Reveal – CRUEL BILLIONAIRE by Luma Rose

Release Date: April 16

Unbeknownst to her, Isla Flores returned to town with more than just her suitcases in hand. She dragged a shitload of baggage from the past into my present.


Her reappearance spurs my father’s twisted mind into overdrive. He devises a plan for me to marry the woman I love to hate. I want to tell him to go to hell, but he knows my secrets. Our secrets.

 

The Classholes.

 

We never speak of what happened on our prom night, but Isla Flores’ arrival threatens to bring that night to the surface and reopen the cold case file.

 

Doing my father’s bidding will not only make me more like him, it will destroy Isla in the process.

 

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.

 

Add to your Goodreads TBR List!

 

 

Check Out This Excerpt

Garrin

I sip my whiskey neat as my date, Melody, or at least that’s her name on the high-end escort site, continues to prattle on about the different types of squash. Apparently, Melody aspires to be a chef someday. As if I give a fuck about squash or what she wants for her life. All I care about is that she looks good on my arm, keeps her mouth shut when I converse with someone important, and she spreads her legs at the end of the night if I want her to.

It’s not that I don’t want to be here. I’m happy to support Ford’s candidacy and donate money to the cause, but it’s likely that his father, Senator Masterson, will be here, along with my own father. And I do what I can to avoid those pricks.

Polite murmurs become louder and the attendees begin to glance at the doorway. The man of the hour hasn’t shown up yet and the crowd is growing impatient. He’s just making his job that much harder by being late.

He can’t be lost, what with the event being held at the Cherry Hill Country Club. Most of the potential donors here are members anyway, as is anyone with any real money who lives outside of the city. Even the Classholes and I are members, though none of us ever come.

Asher and Ryker walk in the room and I nod at them. They stop and shake hands, saying a few polite hellos to people as they make their way over to me.

“Any sign of Ford yet?” Ryker asks.

I shake my head.

“What about Dick the Prick and Charles Manson? They show their faces yet?” Asher uses the nicknames for mine and Ford’s dad in mixed company which adds to my theory that the way his left side of his mouth is tipped up in a perpetual grin says that the filled champagne glass he swiped off a server’s tray on the way over isn’t his first drink of the night.

Neither of them addresses my date, my best friends know that she’s rented and won’t be making another appearance in my life.

“Haven’t seen him.” I lift the glass to my lips again. “Where’s Lincoln?”

Ryker shrugs. “Called him but he didn’t answer.”

“I’m gonna hit the head. Be back in a minute,” Asher says and heads toward the bathrooms.

Ryker and I share a quick glance, having a pretty good guess that he’s really going to shove some white powder up his nose.

The voices grow louder, spurring everyone to turn their attention to the entry of the room. I have to assume behind the throngs of people, Ford is there with his staged smile and you’re all my best friend handshakes.

“Ford’s here,” Ryker says. We both watch for a moment, he has a better view. The crowd slowly parts, people milling back to small groups after they’ve welcomed the host. “Oh shit.”

My forehead creases. “What?” I shift to the side, pulling away from my date who’s clutching my arm like I’m the last Christmas cup at Starbucks.

As the crowd thins, Ford emerges and just as I assumed, he’s all smiles and shaking hands as he glides into the room.

Then my eyes slide to the woman on his arm.

And I see her.

Isla Flores.

The reason Ryker’s voice shook with worry a moment ago.

It’s been almost a decade since I last saw her. I’ve imagined what she might look now, but my internal musings didn’t do her justice. As quickly as my appreciation of her appearance hits me, red hot anger jabs me like an iron poker in the stomach.

“No, man,” Ryker reaches out for me, but I shrug him off.

I stalk across the room to where her and Ford stand side-by-side.

I shake his hand and smile like I’m happy as fuck for him, but when I lean in, my voice is anything but joyous. “What the fuck is she doing here?”

I draw back and the surprise and hurt that flashes in Isla’s brown eyes says she heard me. Good. I don’t really give a shit. She flinches but quickly regains her composure, raising her chin in the air.

“Garrin, you remember Isla Flores, I assume?” Ford gestures to her serenely, unfazed by my reaction.

“I know who the hell she is, what I want to know is why she’s here.”

He reaches out and squeezes my shoulder, his eyes already on someone behind me. “Isla’s agreed to come on as my press secretary for the campaign. Isn’t that wonderful?” He sticks his elbow out to his side and Isla takes his arm without hesitation.

I scowl at him with the heat of a thousand suns, but he doesn’t even flinch, moving away from me to a cluster of guests.

Bastard.

“You couldn’t find someone with a better reputation to work on your campaign?”

He stops and they both turn like Ken and Barbie dolls on a circular pedestals. “That’s no way to speak to a lady. Now excuse us, we have a room to work.”

They make their way over to the group of people and begin conversing as if our confrontation never happened.

What game is he playing? Would he really bring Isla Flores back into our lives just because I took his date home last weekend?

Asher comes over, another drink in his hand, smelling like a fucking distillery.

“Isn’t that the broad I fucked in that sex tape?” he asks and chuckles.

I toss back the remainder of my drink, and stalk over to the bar. There’s not enough whiskey in this place to get me through tonight. 

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