Friday 30 May 2014

Blog Tour ✪ Hooked Up ✪ Parker James





SYNOPSIS

A body-builder working for a cable company, Shay Masterson, gets sent out on a trouble call to discover whos pirating the companys signal. He not-too-gently meets Jagger.

Jagger Holmes, a muscled, bad boy bounty hunter, comes home to manage his elderly fathers recovery after an accident. He discovers someone trespassing in his dads back yard and jumps the man. The contact results in sexual heat thats a game changer.

Two major conflicts brewhow to catch the con man bilking the elderly by selling stolen cable and, more importantly, how two tough guys come to terms with the need to dominate.

Submission will be a deal breaker or a revelation. The men are forced to discover whichor lose their budding love.

 ARC received for an honest review

Gah, novellas are so hard for me to review!  I am a huuuuge fan of m/m romance, so I jumped at the chance to read Hooked Up.

I loved the synopsis of this book, but it didn't quite do it for me.  

Shay is nursing a broken heart after his lover moves for work.  Jagger has moved back home to care for his ailing father.  When their worlds collide - literally - things sure do take off.

I know that things move along a lot quicker in novellas, but I am not a fan of insta-love relationships, and this one went from insta-lust to I love you's in half a blink of an eye.

I did like how Shay and Jagger, both big alpha males fought within themselves about submitting to the other, but again, this was resolved in no time. I know, I know, there is only so much that can happen in 80 pages and everything need to move at warp speed, but this just moved at warp factor 10!!

Another thing - I get that both the boys are extremely well endowed, and that Shay has a "beer can d*&k" - but I did not need to be told this every time he got naked.  I got it the first time.

I would have liked to have known more about Shay and Rex's relationship before they broke up, and would have loved to have got a bit of Jagger and his bounty hunter exploits (as he kind of puts them to use in part of this story).

I feel that if Hooked UP had been a full length book (or even just another 80 pages!!) I would have felt happier with it.  There was just so much that happened off the page that things just seemed to jump to and fro.

But, this is just my opinion and you might absolutely love it.  It just left me wanting.


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Taking a deep breath, Shay simultaneously executed a quick reverse arch of his back, scissored his legs, and bent one knee, getting just enough flex so he could raise a hip and accomplish a roll under his attacker. The element of surprise had been on his side because the man on top of him hadn't expected a practiced move like that, much less the core strength Shay had carefully built and nurtured during all    his long work-outs at the gym.

In that one quick motion, Shay had turned himself completely and got a clear view of person who had put him in this position.

Holy shit! He's a goddamned god! Shay's brain registered the surprising fact when he looked up into the most beautiful brown eyes he'd ever seen. The man had been taken off guard, but had recovered quickly enough to grab Shay's hands, pinning each to the ground next to his shoulders. That move brought the attacker's face into very close proximity to Shay's and allowed him to see the gold and black flecks in the chocolate brown eyes.

The man's hair hung like a curtain, partially obscuring his face and tickling Shay's. He gazed down with a look of fierceness that would have struck fear into most people, but the intensity of the man's glare went straight to Shay's cock. In a quick minute, his mind registered the well-defined musculature, the bad-boy ink, the slight sheen of sweat, and the deep, musky odor that emanated from the man above him.

Shay looked directly up into the piercing eyes and reacted in an instinctive and completely natural way. He licked his lips, smiled gently, and offered, "Hey there, I'm Shay. Nice to meet you."






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MENDED - KIM KARR - Connections #3

© Bianca Janeane




KIM KARR - MENDED
• 304 pages
• release date: 3 June 2014 

 • CONNECTIONS Series Book #3

★★★★★
5 Stars

 
MUSIC HAS THE POWER TO HEAL ALL…BUT NOT ALL BROKEN HEARTS CAN BE MENDED.

Always in control, Xander Wilde considered life on the road to be a perfect fit for him. But when disaster strikes on the Wilde Ones’ latest tour, fate intervenes…and a newly single Ivy Taylor, the only girl he has ever loved, steps back into his life.

After moving past her painful breakup with Xander years ago, Ivy was poised to become the next big name in pop music…when suddenly she withdrew from the limelight—the same day she announced her engagement to her controlling agent, Damon Wolf.

Xander knows he should keep his distance. But once they’re on the road, he can’t resist pursuing her for a second chance. Yet a jealous Damon can’t let her go—and he’s keeping dangerous secrets that could destroy them all.

When the three of them come together, everything falls apart. But if Xander and Ivy can hold tight to the bond that connects them, they just might have a chance at reclaiming the powerful love they thought they had lost forever...




MY THOUGHTS - Bianca

 The book starts 12 years ago with Xander and how he's soooo madly in love with his girl Ivy.
They're both just 18 and about to graduate high school - they plan on leaving LA to go to Chicago - to get away from their families. Other than his drunk of a father, Xander's family is not really bad, but Ivy's mother is depending too much on her - she pressures Ivy to become a famous actress and make lots of money. But Ivy and Xander's real passion is MUSIC.

Xander dreams of Ivy one day winning a Grammy - she's that talented.

But things happen - bad things - and Xander has to end his relation-ship with Ivy.

We never formally broke up. We were just no longer together. I loved her, and that was it - I loved her enough to do what was best for her.

We don't find out what and how and why all at once - we go back in time a few times and piece by piece we find out what happened back then.

The present day story is set 12 years later - Xander is managing his brother River's ex-band The Wilde Ones, but their new lead singer has some medical problems that's why it looks like the planned tour has to be cancelled.

That's when Ivy shows up. She just split from her manager/fiancé Damon - and she's looking for something new - a new kind of music - not the pop-sound that Damon kind of forced on her.

Xander is not really sure if he's happy about the new development - he still has feelings for her. He never loved anyone the way he loved her. He never loved anyone else at all.

She's not just a girl I used to date ... she's the only girl I ever really loved. She's also the girl whose heart I broke.

And because it means seeing more of Ivy, he lets her join the Wilde Ones and we find ourselves on a tour bus with the band and Ivy & Xander ☺☺☺

 The sight of her is so familiar it doesn't seem like a day has passed since I last saw her - and everything I ever felt for her, it's all still inside me.

And even though Ivy still hates him for what happened 12 years ago - she still has all those feelings buried deep inside of her. She just doesn't know if she can ever forgive him...

 What I do know without a doubt is that I want him.

 They spend a lot of time together on the bus, but Ivy only wants to be his friend.
But Xander wants more - he wants everything, because his live isn't all that perfect.

 I'm thirty fucking years old and I have nothing - nothing that matters, anyway.

He finally wants more. He wants what he wanted 12 years ago - and now it could finally happen...

And little by little he manages to gain Ivy's trust again - and her wanting him like crazy is really helping him too ☺  



It takes them a while, half the book, to be exact ☺ but they finally get together again.....
but the happiness is a very short one....
Lots of things happen - bad things - sad things .....

"...something once broken, irreparably, like us, can be so easily mended?"

We'll need the second half of the book to find out if...


THE TWO OF THEM WILL GET THEIR HEA???


I'm not telling you that of course!! GO READ IT!☺☺☺
 _____________________________________



I LOVED THE BOOK!!!!!

Even though Xander is not a Rock-Star, the whole book still has this rock-star-feeling and I REALLY LOVE THAT...



The book was soo cute and moving - the way Kim describes the young Xander and what he had to go through....and then everything that happens in the present...

I laughed, I cried...


But most of all I just ENJOYED the time I had with Xander & Ivy!


I was so happy when they finally got back together and then BAM!!! They're forced apart again...

The book had sooo much emotion and story, I couldn't stop reading!
So many interesting twists and new Information about not only Xander and his past, but also about everybody else....


IT REALLY WAS THE PERFECT SEXY ROCK-STAR ROMANCE WITHOUT THE ROCK-STAR!!


Well, ok - Ivy is a star - but a rock-star Romance - for me - has to have a male Rock-Star ☺

THANK YOU KIM!!!!

And thank you for giving us a little bit of River & Dahlia again.... have I mentioned that I cried a lot while reading this book??? ♥

and now PLEASE HURRY - I need to read the next book ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

______________________ 



MY THOUGHTS - Janeane


ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review

I absolutely adore this whole series, and have always been interested in what made Xander tick. 'Cos let's face it, he was a bit of a dick a lot of Connected and Torn.

But now we get into his mind, and could understand a lot more about the man he is today.

Loved tge "reverse rock star" in this book - you know, this time she's the rock star and he isn't.  

There was also a lot more background into Xander and River's childhood, and what tore Xander and Ivy apart in the first place. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to slap some sense into people, I wanted to hug them hard.

Most of all I loved that Ivy and Xander reconnected.  But then, Ms Karr put my heart back together, only to rip it out again. I was all
Did my heart get put back together again, or is it still shattered?  Nope, for that you will have to read for yourself.

Mended is full of emotion. Laughter, tears, anger, hope.

I couldn't stop reading Xander and Ivy's story.  From the moment I picked it up I coudn't put it down, I had to know what happened with them.  There were a few twists and turns and surprises.

I loved that we got more of Dahlia and River, Aerie and Jagger in this story.  Just love how close this group of friends are.  But now I need to know more about Ben and Belle, because



♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪


Prologue Passenger "Let Her Go♫  Keane "She Has No Time"
Chapter 1 Haim "The Wire"
Chapter 2 NeedToBreathe "Something Beautiful"
Chapter 3 The Pretty Reckless "Under The Water"
Chapter 4 Dawes "Just BeneathThe Surface"
Chapter 5 Five For Fighting "What If"
Chapter 6 Hinder "Talk ToMe"
Chapter 7 Robin Thicke "Blurred Lines"
Chapter 8 Imagine Dragons "Radioactive"
Chapter 9   Michael Franti "I'm Alive  Katy Perry "I Kissed A Girl"
Chapter 10 Kodaline "All I Want"
Chapter 11 One Republic "Feel Again"
Chapter 12 Hoobastank "Disappear"
Chapter 13 Stone Sour "Through Glass"
Chapter 14 Michelle Branch "Everywhere"
Chapter 15 Justin Timberlake "Mirrors"
Chapter 16 Parachute "Something To Believe In  Katy Perry "Roar  Kelly Clarkson & The Script "Walk Away"
Chapter 17 Marie Miller "You're Not Alone
Chapter 18 Michael Franti "I'm Alive"
Chapter 19 Incubus "Dig"
Chapter 20 B. Taylor "Let'sGet This Party Started  Collective Soul "You  Maroon 5 "Harder To Breathe  No Doubt "Marry Me"

 ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫


LINKS TO THE BOOK AND AUTHOR






1 CONNECTED
amazon.com  |  amazon.ca  |  amazon.de  |  amazon.it  |  amazon.es  |  B & N

2
TORN
amazon.com  |  amazon.ca  |  amazon.de  |  amazon.it  |  amazon.es  |  B & N

2.5
DAZED
amazon.com  |  amazon.ca  |  amazon.de  |  amazon.it  |  amazon.es  |  B & N

3
MENDED
amazon.com  |  amazon.ca  |  amazon.de  |  amazon.it  |  amazon.es  |  B & N

3.5
BLURRED 5 August 2014
amazon.com  |  amazon.ca  |  amazon.de  |  amazon.it  |  amazon.es  |  B & N

 4 FRAYED 2 September 2014
amazon.com  |  amazon.ca  |  amazon.de  |  amazon.it  |  amazon.es  |  B & N

5 FLAWED 2015
|  goodreads  |

6 PERFECTED 2015
|  goodreads  |


STALK KIM KARR ON:

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I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I've always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don't need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There's nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore--it's time I love and cherish.

I like to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. I love to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart. <3