Review – When We Were Reckless by Emery Rose

When We Were Reckless; Lost Stars #3 
(An interconnected standalone within a series)

Publication Date: August 27, 2021

Genre/Tropes: Age Gap/Unrequited Love/Best Friend’s Sister/Contemporary Romance

Author: Emery Rose

Review Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:

A heartbreakingly beautiful story of how love can repair a broken soul and make you stronger than you ever thought possible.

I wish I could share all of the beautiful moments that happened in this story, but I’d basically be documenting most of the book verbatim, so, I’ll stick to a review 🙂

Considering Jesse is a broken man and Quinn is suffering from unrequited love, these two have the most beautiful souls that continually lift each other up and truly want nothing but the best for each other out of life. They have known each other all their lives, given the age difference, Jesse is the best friend of one of Quinn’s older brothers (she has three of them, who are all overly protective), so Jesse has known Quinn since the day she was born. When We Were Reckless highlights another great family, the Cavanaugh’s, which I hope we see more of in the future.

Of the McCallister brothers, I’d call Jesse the charmer. It’s no surprise that when Quinn was just five years old she declared her undying love for him and told him that she was going to marry him. Thirteen years later her affection has only grown for him, but when Jesse comes home after retiring from motocross, (a mystery in itself, since he’s lived and breathed the sport for years) Quinn wants to help the man she knows, but she also wants to explore the feelings that have blossomed into something deeper now that she is officially an adult.

I’ve always loved Jesse, a guy so bright, full of life, full of everything – competitive spirit, integrity, hard work, he is just a likeable guy, but in this book he is a fallen man, his spirit is broken, and he is afraid to try, afraid to fail, afraid to love again. It was fascinating to watch someone who was the king of his own world, a shiny light to everyone around him become so dim. His mood now affected those around him and because he saw what his mood did, it kicked him in the pants and made him want to get better. That is the spirit I love about Jesse. He’s that guy you root for because he is simply amazing and he doesn’t stay down for long, not just for himself, but because he wants the best for everyone around him.

Quinn may be young, but she is wise beyond her years. She’s also a lot like Jesse, full of optimism and passion (or at least the old Jesse). She may have a bit of hero worship from when she was younger, but they are also family friends and she wants to believe that their long time friendship will help now that he’s home and hiding out from the world. She wants to bring the light back to Jesse’s life and perhaps open his eyes to the possibilities of the two of them now that he’s single.   Could she finally have her fairy tale ending or will Jesse break her heart?

The McCallisters and Cavanagh’s are both great families and I hope there are more stories to come from both of them. There are interconnections to past books, but When We Were Reckless can be read as a complete standalone.

Synopsis:

What happens when the love of your life refuses to love you back?

Jesse McCallister.
Motocross legend. Reckless heartbreaker. And the love of my life.
Too bad he only thought of me as his best friend’s little sister.
Naïve and innocent. Only eighteen. Completely off-limits.

Unrequited love… was there anything more painful?
Turns out there was—when he kisses you but has no memory of it.
When he tells you his heart was broken, and he doesn’t believe in love.
When he doesn’t want you kissing anyone else, but you’re stuck in the friend zone.

Despite the odds stacked against us, my foolish heart refused to stop loving him.
Now I’m falling under his spell. Drowning in his perfect lies. Addicted to his stolen glances and forbidden kisses.
I’m on a collision course with disaster and only one thing is certain… Jesse McCallister is going to ruin me.

Find more of my reviews on Amazon under Kayreader
on Goodreads under Kay Daniels Romance
At Bookbub under Kayreader
or you can follow me on Facebook at Kay Daniels Romance

New Release – Finding Prince Charming by Nikki Ash

NEW RELEASE

 

From USA Today Bestselling Author Nikki Ash From USA Today Bestselling Author Nikki Ash comes Finding Prince Charming: a secret baby romance…

 

 

 Finding Prince Charming is LIVE & FREE with Kindle Unlimited!  

 

One-click FPC while it’s on sale (or in KU):  http://bit.ly/3gf2Zmj

Add to your TBR: https://bit.ly/3lbddY4

Signed Paperbacks: https://bit.ly/3ubkcBr

 

 

Check out the blurb! 

 

From USA Today Bestselling Author Nikki Ash comes Finding Prince Charming: a secret baby romance…

As a little girl, I dreamed of finding my own Prince Charming—just like in the story my mom used to read to me.

But as a woman who grew up living a life that was anything but a fairy tale, I never expected it to happen to me, and certainly not in the bordello I worked at in Las Vegas.

When our eyes locked, I knew, in another life, Liam could easily be my Prince Charming, but in my world, those kind of men didn’t exist.

He was determined to prove me wrong, though, and in one weekend, he not only showed me the world in a different light, but made me feel like a princess—before he disappeared without a trace.

After he walked away, I was determined to write my own happy ending—turns out the first chapter was becoming a single mom. Because that handsome prince… He left me the most exquisite crown jewel, who’s now my entire world.

And while I might’ve given up on finding my Prince Charming, I’ll make sure my daughter has the fairy-tale life I never did.

 

 

*Please note: If you purchased Knocked Up: a Secret Baby Anthology, you have purchased this story.*

 

Read Kay’s Review: Finding Prince Charming

Join Nikki Ash’s master list to receive all things Nikki Ash: https://bit.ly/35KJnAR

Excerpt Reveal – ALL IN WITH HIM by Lauren Blakely

ALL IN WITH HIM by Lauren Blakely

Release Date: August 27th

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58457792

GET READY FOR ALL IN WITH HIM!!!

The final book in the Men of Summers series from #1 NYT Bestselling Lauren Blakely is releasing in ONE WEEK!! Make sure to preorder this SEXY, consuming emotional MM romance TODAY!!

PRE-ORDER IS AVAILABLE:

✦ Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/2TkBGyH

✦ Apple ➜ http://blkly.pub/AppleAllInWithHim

✦ Nook ➜ http://blkly.pub/AllInNook

✦ Kobo ➜ http://blkly.pub/KoboAllInWithHim

✦ Google ➜ http://blkly.pub/GoogleAllIn

✦ Audible ➜ Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan narrate!

http://blkly.pub/AudibleAllIn

Excerpt:

Declan brings me close, wraps an arm around me, dropping a kiss onto the top of my head. “I want to be enough for you, Grant,” he whispers.

“You are,” I tell him. I desperately want to be enough for him too.

Declan Steele feels like the home I’ve always craved. The one true place where I’m wanted in every way.

Yet, this is what I’m most afraid of. This is what I worried about when I talked to Reese last night. That we have cracks. After tonight, I’ve seen them clearly for the first time.

We’re not as perfect as we felt a few months ago.

The illusion of a sweet, sexy slide into our happy ending has faded away, and I’m realizing how fragile love is, how easy it can be to shatter a couple. I see that the real work comes after the fantastic kiss on a Ferris wheel high above the city.

I don’t want to make the wrong move again. I don’t want to cause another crack.

Or worse, a fissure.

I don’t know if epic, soul-shattering sex will be enough to stitch us back together every time we fall apart.

Blurb:

Once upon a time all I needed was baseball, friends and extracurricular activities. Then everything changed when Declan Steele stormed into my life and upended all my priorities with his heart, his love, his passion.

So my next five-year plan will include this new ground rule—Love big.

Only, that’s easier said than done when my man and I come face to face with hard truths and new troubles about what it means to be all in.

That’s when I learn that finding love isn’t the hardest part.

Keeping it is.

All In with Him is the final novel in the Men of Summer series, and should be read following Winning With Him.

PRE-ORDER IS AVAILABLE:

✦ Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/2TkBGyH

✦ Apple ➜ http://blkly.pub/AppleAllInWithHim

✦ Nook ➜ http://blkly.pub/AllInNook

✦ Kobo ➜ http://blkly.pub/KoboAllInWithHim

✦ Google ➜ http://blkly.pub/GoogleAllIn

✦ Audible ➜ Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan narrate!

http://blkly.pub/AudibleAllIn

START THE SERIES WITH BOOK #1, SCORING WITH HIM, TODAY!

https://laurenblakely.com/scoringwithhim/

WINNING WITH HIM #2

https://laurenblakely.com/winningwithhim/

About Lauren Blakely:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sweet, sexy and witty. She also writes red-hot, sexy romance and USA Today bestselling LGBTQ romance.

With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, with more than 50 titles on the USA Today Bestsellers list alone. She’s sold more than 4 million books. She likes dogs, cake and show tunes.

Connect w/Lauren:

Website: laurenblakely.com

NL Signup: laurenblakely.com/newsletter

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/laurenblakely3

New Release – Cross by Shantel Tessier

“I’m going to worship her like a born-again believer.”

Cross, an all-new dark standalone romance from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Shantel Tessier, is available now!

CROSS

Have you ever stood next to a fire and felt the heat of it on your skin? Stared into the flames and thought how amazing it would be to be that free? It changes directions with the wind, destroying everything in its wake.

That’s what she felt like.

Alexa was a wildfire that torched everything she touched, and I couldn’t wait to be consumed by her.

She was off-limits. Even though I promised to stay away, I couldn’t resist. She was the spark I had been missing in my life. The fire I craved.

I knew from an early age I was destined to burn in hell, but she was born to walk through fire.

ALEXA

I was single-minded, focused, and independent. Just how my mother raised me. I didn’t have time for anything other than myself and work.

Funny how everything can change in an instant when you least expect it.

A King entered my life. What was supposed to be one night ended up being too many to count.

He was afraid that I’d see his darkness, but I couldn’t get enough of him.

After all, a fire burns the brightest in the dark of night. And it only takes one match to cause total devastation.

Cross is the third standalone in The Dark Kings Series. You are introduced to the Kings in Code of Silence: A Dark Mafia Romance.

Start reading today!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kbkB3k
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/crossst

Add CROSS to Goodreads→ https://bit.ly/3tWsJI4

Read Kay’s Review: Cross

Connect with Shantel
Join Shantel’s Sinful Side Reader Group: https://bit.ly/3d02WHc
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2w8PyQQ
Instagram: https://bit.ly/39ETUNa
BookBub: https://bit.ly/2UWXRHT
Stay up to date with Shantel by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/2JClgZO

New Release – Crooked Crows by Elena Lawson

CROOKED CROWS by Elena Lawson

Release Date: August 20th

Genre/Tropes: Dark romance/Enemies-to-lovers/Contemporary romance/Reverse Harem

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58176895

AVAILABLE NOW!!! FREE IN KU!!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09888JD9W

Universal: https://mybook.to/crookedcrows

Read the First Chapter HERE:

https://bit.ly/3hGcxXr

Blurb:

Unapologetically f*cked up. Heartlessly cruel. Broken beyond repair.

Corvus, Rook, and Grey – The Crows.

Bred in a world of gang wars, violence, and secrets, they rule the bloody town of Thorn Valley and all the people in it…too bad for me I’ve never been good at kissing ass or keeping quiet.

Even if their savage spirits awaken something inside of me I thought was long dead, I can’t break. I won’t.

They think they scare me, that I’ll run and hide, but the joke’s on them. The Crows aren’t the first monsters I’ve faced, and they won’t be the last. There are worse evils out there waiting to take their stab at Ava Jade Mason.

I say let them try. I’m tired of running. Tired of holding back my darkness. Thorn Valley isn’t ready for a new boogie man. Too bad I’m already here.

Crooked Crows is a dark enemies-to-lovers reverse harem romance, meaning the main character will have more than one love interest.

Warning: This series contains foul language, explicit sexual content, graphic depictions of gang violence, and jealous/possessive themes. Recommended for readers aged eighteen and up. Please read responsibly.

Read Kay’s Review: Crooked Crows

Playlist (Spotify):

https://spoti.fi/3ArDFSq

Playlist (YouTube):

https://bit.ly/2VbVmo

About the Author:

Elena writes stories full of feisty heroines and unforgettable heroes. She may also have a small thing for bad boys and often gravitates towards the darker things in life. When she comes out of her writing cave, she can be found obsessively rearranging her bookshelves, drinking an unreasonable amount of wine, or cooking overly fancy meals for her family and friends.

Connect w/Elena:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/petalandthornbooks

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/elenalawson

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Elena-Lawson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18165503.Elena_Lawson

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elenalately

NL Signup: subscribepage.com/ElenaLawson

New Release – Savior of Regrets by L.A. Cotton

RELEASE BLITZ
Title: Savior of Regrets
Series: Verona Legacy #4
Author: L. A. Cotton
Genre: Mafia Romance
Release Date: August 20, 2021
BLURB

Savior of Regrets: A Mafia Romance

Caitlin O’Connell hides the scars of her past.

Lost. Alone. Afraid.

When she wakes up in the hospital, broken and bruised, Caitlin has no choice but to accept help from the Marchetti crime family… and the one guy she never thought she’d see again.

Matteo Bellatoni wears his heart on his sleeve.

Loyal. Determined. Devoted.

Watching his best friends find love has left him wondering if he’ll ever have that… especially, since he’s pretty sure he already let his soulmate slip through his fingers.

When Matteo and Caitlin’s paths cross unexpectedly, all those feelings come rushing back, and he’s determined to prove to her that some guys are worth the risk.

All is not what it seems though.

Caitlin isn’t the woman he thinks she is, and her secrets might be too big for Matteo to overcome. But he won’t give up without a fight. Even when the past catches up with her and threatens the family he loves so much, Matteo refuses to let her go.

Because he lost her once…

He won’t lose her again.

* Savior of Regrets is a 80,000 word story set in the Verona Legacy world. Due to mature content that some readers may find distressing, this book is recommended for readers 18+


GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54569993-savior-of-regrets


PURCHASE LINKS

US: https://amzn.to/36fC8AY
UK: https://amzn.to/2UnNBfk
CA: https://amzn.to/3dLhM6S
AU: https://amzn.to/3hvQAdq
B&N: https://bit.ly/3jLxhPS
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2SZa6XC
Apple Books: https://apple.co/36bNG8x
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3xR4Aoe


EXCERPT

“M-Matteo?” Her eyes flickered open. “What time is it?”
“Late. Everyone already went to bed.”
“They did?”
I nodded, offering her my hand. “Let’s get you into bed.”
Without argument, Caitlin took my hand and I led her down the hall to her room.
“Where will you sleep?” she asked around a yawn.
I pulled back the covers and flicked my head for her to get in the bed. Pulling off her hoodie, Caitlin slipped into the sheets and nestled down.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.
“Stay.”
The word echoed through my skull. My eyes found hers in the dark, and she smiled. “Matteo, will you please stay with me?”
Without a word, I yanked off my sweater and shucked out of my jeans, climbing in beside her. Caitlin burrowed into my side and laid her hand on my breastbone. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”
I pressed a kiss to her hair, hardly able to wipe the smile off my face. “You’re worth it, Tink. I hope you know that.”
A beat passed, and another, and Cait still didn’t answer.
“Cait?” I gently shook her. Nothing.
She was out for the count, curled into my side like she belonged there.
It was disarming, the deep sense of peace I felt having her close. We didn’t know each other, not really, not beyond the surface. Yet, I felt tethered to her in a way I couldn’t explain.
I wanted to hold her like this every night and wake every morning to her green eyes and blinding smile.
I wanted her—plain and simple.
But as I closed my eyes, and allowed myself to fall into oblivion, I couldn’t help but feel like I was one breath away from losing her.

Read Kay’s Review: Savior of Regrets

ALSO AVAILABLE

Angel of Tears – a series prequel

FREE on all platforms!

US: https://amzn.to/36yUOvO
UK: https://amzn.to/3jPJRO3
CA: https://amzn.to/3dKSWnt
AU: https://amzn.to/3hjjcri
B&N: https://bit.ly/3hj0YWR
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3hAWVUW
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3e7tLfp
Book2Read: https://bit.ly/3kebUau

#1 Prince of Hearts

US: https://amzn.to/2UwuX0Y
UK: https://amzn.to/2QFlFii
CA: https://amzn.to/3dm6wvW
AU: https://amzn.to/2Ur33U5
B&N: https://bit.ly/3abD4qx
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2J9h3Nb
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2WuLHIw
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2J7sNU7
Audio: https://amzn.to/2LZIZo5
Paperback: https://amzn.to/2XuOXTn

#2 King of Souls

US: https://amzn.to/2ZTscLM
UK: https://amzn.to/3evY1yb
CA: https://amzn.to/2TTgEnP
AU: https://amzn.to/2ZPqYkw
B&N: https://bit.ly/2THB1UL
Kobo: https://bit.ly/38SYFnR
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3d6kotI
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3o4zkxr
Audio: https://amzn.to/3ftca0N
Paperback: https://amzn.to/39fBnuq

#3 Villain of Secrets

US: https://amzn.to/360U7Ml
UK: https://amzn.to/2Kx7wmR
CA: https://amzn.to/2IVsgob
AU: https://amzn.to/37b6HYS
B&N: https://bit.ly/3nPWrvC
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2KE0vkr
Apple Books: https://apple.co/39axF5c
Audio: https://amzn.to/3AqzPZX
Paperback: https://amzn.to/2TuwwAl


AUTHOR BIO

Author of over thirty mature young adult and new adult novels, L A is happiest writing the kind of books she loves to read: addictive stories full of teenage angst, tension, twists and turns.

Home is a small town in the middle of England where she currently juggles being a full-time writer with being a mother/referee to two little people. In her spare time (and when she’s not camped out in front of the laptop) you’ll most likely find L A immersed in a book, escaping the chaos that is life.


AUTHOR LINKS

Website: http://www.lacotton.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorlacotton
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorlacotton
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authorlacotton