Review: Price of a Kiss

I don't care what my cousin says; I am not the queen of impossible relationships. I mean, just because my last boyfriend tried to kill me and left a bit of a scar on my neck, then forced me to move across the country and legally change my name to Reese Randall to escape him, does not mean-

Oh, who am I kidding? For a freshman in college, I have to have the worst dating track record ever.

It's no wonder love is the last thing on my mind when Mason Lowe enters my life. But the chemistry between us is like bam! Our connection defies logic. And he's just so freaking hot. Being around him makes me feel more alive than I've ever felt before. I even like bickering with him. He could be my soul mate...except for one teeny tiny glitch.

He's a gigolo.

Boy, do I know how to pick them.

Title: Price of a Kiss
Author: Linda Kage | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: August 14 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 373 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Perfect, love the colors.
Point of View: 1st person, following Reese

My Rating: 5 Stars

Holy prologue Batman.  Never before has a prologue done such an amazing job of sucking me right into the story.  There was absolutely no way that I was not continuing with this book after THAT beginning.

“Brace yourself for this one, ladies: He had a tattoo.  I know.  I almost spontaneously combusted right then and there.”

Mason.  Holy swoon.  This guy is book boyfriend gold.  I mean that is of course if you are willing to put aside the fact that he sells his body for cash... but other than that, he is perfect.  Your heart will break as you learn more about why it is he has gotten into this profession.  He now feels that he is well and truly stuck.  Honestly, I just wanted to give him a big hug.

“You’re the warm sun that shines when everything else is dark,” he went on, lifting his hands to rest them on the wall on either side of my face.  “A smile and a hug in a roomful of disapproval.  You’re…” Wincing, he pressed his forehead against mine. “You’re everything.”

Reese.  Loved her.  It is rare that I fall completely in love with a female narrator.  But I can say without a doubt that I love Reese.  She made me laugh so many times, I lost count.  I loved being in her head.  Her thoughts about Mason had me laughing till I cried.  I also respect the way she handled her friendship with Mason at the start.  She treated him like he deserved to be treated, like a human being.  She never belittled him or made him feel inferior.  I loved her even more for that.

“Every woman treats me that way, Reese.  I'm not a person to them . I'm just… a good time or something vile to be avoided at all costs.  And then you can along and you… you hugged me.  You are the first person who sees me, Mason, not sex for sale.”

Sadly, this isn't to say I loved every character.  Reese's friend and cousin Eva, I disliked her so much.  In fact, dislike is actually a little too nice of a phrase.  I hated her.  And in my opinion she never redeemed herself for her actions and comments made to and about Mason.  She showed no respect, and had no loyalty either in friendship or family toward Reese in my opinion.  Just didn't care for her at all.

“Eva was right.  I could never deserve you.  You’re too good for me.  You’re out of my reach.  You’re…you’re Reese Randall.”

“You’re wrong.  I’m not.” I wasn’t really Reese Randall, and I certainly wasn’t out of his reach. “All you have to do is stretch out your hand, Mason.” Pressing my palm against my chest, I whispered, “I’m right here.”

And then there is also heartbreak.  I refuse to post spoilers, but I think I am okay to say that there is one part in this book that absolutely broke me.  Honestly. Broke. Me.  I cried my eyes out.  I had to put my Kindle down, sat there with my hand covering my mouth and I was shaking my head no.  I just could not believe what I was reading.  I was in shock.  I was angry.  I was devastated.  *sigh*

Honestly, I can not recommend Price of a Kiss more.  I swear if you just start it you will see right off the bat what I am talking about with the prologue.  You will be sucked in, and you will not be able to put it down.  You will instantly fall in love with both Reese and Mason, you will more than likely cry, you will most definitely laugh and swoon.

“If you love someone enough, you can make them invincible.  Like your feelings for them are so strong they work as a magical shield, protecting them from all harm and pain.”

MORE QUOTES FROM PRICE OF A KISS

Two Roads: Blog Tour Stop, Review & Giveaway

The only person poetry-loving Cali Monroe hates more than herself is Logan Waters, the geeky kid who lives in the dorm building next to hers.

Ever since Cali's parents told her she would amount to nothing, she has felt entirely inadequate. Friendless and alone, she takes on the mean girl role in hopes it will make her feel better--and Logan serves as the perfect target. He infuriates her with his obnoxiously long lashes, his all too perfect dimpled smile, and his complete lack of personality outside of his intelligence. It doesn't hurt that he's part of the reason her brother is dead, either. So Cali hates him, and he returns the favor. Thus, their prank-filled, insult-driven rivalry is born, and torturing Logan quickly becomes the highlight of her life.

But when Cali's parents set them up on a blind date, she begins to realize Logan might not be as boring as she always thought. He shares her love of poetry, takes a sadistic pleasure in making fun of crepes, and he makes her blush when he calls her smile pretty.

And hey, maybe those long lashes of his aren't that obnoxious after all…

Title: Two Roads
Author: L.M. Augustine | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Author Spotlight
Publication Date:
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 208 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Tour Hosted By: Shh Moms Reading

Source: ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cover Love: Absolutely perfect, and I am loving the colors.
Point of View: 1st person, following Cali

My Rating: 5 Stars

Two Roads is L.M. Augustine's second published novel, however this is his first attempt in the New Adult category.  This is everything that a New Adult book should be.  It is full of witty dialogue, angst, and plenty of swoonworthy moments.

“Our rivalry is beautiful because it makes us both forget about everything else.”

Cali.  She is a complex character.  At first I wasn't a huge fan, but I think that is part of the point.  Cali is battling depression that has been brought on by a death of a loved one.  That loved one was her brother Ben, who was also Logan Waters' best friend.  When Logan enters Cali's life again in college, she turns up the mean girl act.  She starts engaging in an all out war of pranks with Logan.  It soon becomes clear that the outward hostility that is shown to Logan is all an act.  Cali is suffering inside, but feels that by picking on Logan, it is the only way for her to escape her own reality.

That is until she is forced to spend some real time with him, and she finds that they are not all that different.  And most importantly, they both share a love of poetry.

“Everything else fades away, and it’s just him in front of me right now, him and me in our own little world.  And I love it.  And I hate it.”

Logan.  oooOOOooohhh how I have fallen in love with Logan Waters.  He is so sweet and caring.  Logan is suffering also, but it is not as evident as it is in Cali.  Which is why she finds herself disliking him so much.  He laughs, he has real friends, he walks around in his geeky t-shirts... Cali despises that outwardly it would appear that Logan is perfectly normal, and that he doesn't miss Ben at all.

“There are not two roads when it comes to you; there is only the road that leads to your love.”

As the story unfolds, more secrets are discovered that help you to understand the deep hurt that both Cali and Logan have been carrying around.  Your heart will ache for them, but then as they slowly start to lower their walls, your heart will be bursting with love.  There are so many wonderful moments and quotes in Two Roads, but my favorite will always be Logan professing his love for Cali.  Talk about a swoonworthy moment.  You knew it was always going to happen, but it truly touched my heart.  *sigh*  He is such a romantic.

“And that's the thing about love; no matter how hard you search, no matter how hard you run, sometimes, just sometimes, true love is right in front of you all along.”

I strongly suggest that you read this book, you will fall in love with Logan and your heart will break for Cali as she tries to rebuild her life after the loss of her brother.  L.M. Augustine has proven he can write Young Adult with Click to Subscribe, and now New Adult with Two Roads.  I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.

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Waiting on Wednesday #43

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is a perfect way to highlight books that we are waiting patiently to be released... it is also a sure-fire way to watch your TBR pile grow!

Ashton Taylor. Six foot one, Dark hair, chiseled jaw, riveting hazel eyes, and a body cut in all the right places. He’s a natural. Things just come easy to him. He’s used to getting everything he wants, excelling at everything he does. The grades, the recognition, the beautiful women.

His path was set. A girl, a full scholarship to UCLA, and a bright future. To others, his life seemed perfect. But, things are never what they seem, and life, well, at any moment, something or someone can come along and turn it upside down.

That something…the death of his father.

That someone… Cara Hayward. The girl with the hypnotic eyes, melodic voice, enchanting smile, and lips sent straight from heaven.

The girl who doesn’t want to be seen.

So what happens when a guy who everything comes easy to, meets a girl who doesn’t come easy?

Can he crawl through all the broken glass to find her? Will the girl he discovers deep down be able to see past his perfect exterior?

Together, do they have the power to heal one another? Or, could the very thing that brings them together, be the one thing that tears them apart?

Expected Publication: September 26 2013
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads

Why am I so eagerly awaiting this release you ask?

The number one reason for why I am so eagerly awaiting this release would be because of the author, Beth Michele.  I absolutely adored Love Love, and if she can do that great a job with her debut novel... I know that any book that follows will be just as awesome.

The second reason I am so excited is because Lovely is a male point of view book, that's right... it will be told 100% from Ashton's perspective.  It honestly can not get any better than that.  I just love the male POV, and from what I've learned about Ashton so far, I just know I am going to fall head over heels in book love with him.

Thankfully, there isn't long to wait at all before we get to meet Ashton, so don't forget to add this to your TBR.  You can also check out my review of Love Love by clicking on the cover below.  If you haven't read this book, I must insist that you get right on that.


What is your Waiting on Wednesday?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know!

Review: Keep Me Still

Scarred by loss, Layla leaves her hometown of Hope Springs, Georgia, hoping to put her painful past behind her and start over in college in California.

When she runs into Landen at freshmen orientation, she has a choice to make. Reinforce those steel walls she's built up around herself or give the only boy who can keep her still a second chance.

Landen’s more than ready to tear down those walls, but this time when they come crashing down, they might bury her.

Title: Keep Me Still
Author: Caisey Quinn | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: August 1 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 278 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Lovely.
Point of View: Alternating 1st person between both Layla and Landen

My Rating: 4 Stars

Firstly, I would like to point out that I read the version of Keep Me Still which came with the novella Let You Leave, which is a prequel to the time in which Keep Me Still takes place.  From what I can gather, this special edition version with the novella is only going to be available for a limited time.  Then, the novella will be removed and no longer available for separate purchase.  Why is this important information?  Because, I can honestly not see how somebody would be able to read Keep Me Still... without reading this novella first.  There is so much backstory that is given in Let You Leave.  You get some of the more important moments highlighted in the main novel, but it just wouldn't seem enough. 

“We both have secrets.  I wonder if they'll bind us together or tear us apart?”

It is my opinion that the author should actually combine the novella and novel, making it one larger book.  Rather than removing the novella all together.  It simply follows a natural progression as the story.  I really do not believe that if I had never read Let You Leave, that I would have connected to the characters, or enjoyed Keep Me Still as much as I did.

“This isn’t just my chance to start over like I thought- It’s our chance.”

The build-up of Layla and Landen's relationship fully takes place in that prequel novella.  By the time we get to the timeline of events in Keep Me Still, they have already met, fallen in love, and built their previous relationship.  Without being able to be a part of them meeting, that gradual build-up of trust and being able to watch their relationship grow... I would be afraid that a reader just would not connect to them as a couple. 

Which would be a travesty, because I adored Layla and Landen as a couple.  There are a lot of walls and barriers that they must crash through, but the issues they were facing were real and believable.  Landen is an absolute sweetheart.  You will undoubtably fall in love with him.

And even though this is a New Adult book, there are in fact some pretty steamy scenes.  You will never be able to look at a cherry in the same way after reading this book.  The chemistry between Layla and Landen is intense... a very good kind of intense.

“Not a minute has passed since the first time I laid eyes on you that I haven’t wanted you.  Needed you.  I will always want you.”

I am of course a huge fan of dual point of view books, and this is no exception.  I think this story needs the ability to have you in both Layla's and Landen's head.  There are a lot of secrets kept between the two, there would really be no way of following what was happening to each of them if this wasn't dual POV.

You are probably wondering if this is a standalone?  My answer to that would be no.  Even though it is not listed as a series, there is an epilogue that leaves you are a rather large cliffhanger.  It appears as though there will be a novella, Hold Us Close, which is at the time of this review set to be published in November 2013.  So if you stop reading at the end of Keep Me Still, then it could be classed as a standalone.  But if you keep reading through the epilogue, be ready for a bit of a cliffhanger until you can get your hands on the upcoming novella.

“Suddenly, I have no idea why we’ve been doing this to each other. It’s love. Plain and simple. You love someone, you show it. Every day, up until your last.”

Cover Reveal: Convicted by Aleatha Romig

There were still lessons to learn and consequences for the truth! When Claire Nichols met Anthony Rawlings, she didn’t know they had a past, or that he had plans for her future. Over time, the role of teacher changed—games became reality—and domination turned to desire. Despite an insurmountable history, Claire and Tony found their way back to one another. Just when they seemed to have it all—love, respect, and the promise of a family—the game master exposed the truth. Claire’s world once again spun out of control. Unwilling to allow her child to suffer the consequences of an old vendetta, Claire fled...

At one time, Claire was held captive in an opulent mansion—then her incarceration was a cell inside a state penitentiary. Was her new prison—a tropical island—truly less lonely? Perhaps that was the game master’s plan, all along?

Who will save Claire from her oldest nightmare and her newest reality? Will it be Tony? Can he forgive her for leaving him—again? Harry? Will he utilize previously unknown connections to save the woman who infiltrates his thoughts? Maybe Phil? Will his devotion in keeping Claire and her child safe be rewarded?

As the cards are played—sins of the past, innocent victims, and truths are revealed. With compartmentalization no longer an option, is the reality too much? Could there be an even worse isolation?

With the game master dealing from a stacked deck, can this new high-stakes game possibly be won?

When it’s all over and their cards are on the table—SOME will discover their bets were too high—they have nothing left to lose—ALL will learn the crucial lesson—the most important rule—there are CONSEQUENCES for the TRUTH!

Expected Publication: October 08 2013

Add to your Goodreads TBR

If you have yet to start this series, you can read my review for both Consequences and Truth by clicking on the covers below. I strongly recommend this series to every single person I meet. They are dark, twisted and spectacular. Your mind will be racing with possibilities and you will constantly find yourself on the edge of your seat.

Aleatha Romig is a bestselling author, who has been voted #1 "New Author to Read" on Goodreads July 2012 - Present! She was also #9 most followed author on Goodreads - July / August 3013.

Aleatha has lived most of her life in Indiana growing-up in Mishawaka, graduating from Indiana University, and currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of twenty six years, they've raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include exercising, reading and creating heros/ anti-heros who haunt your dreams!

Aleatha enjoys traveling, especially when there is a beach involved. In 2011 she had the opportunity to visit Sydney, Australia to visit her daughter studying at the University of Wollongong. Her dream is to travel to places in her novels and around the world.

CONSEQUENCES, her first novel, was released August 2011 by Xlibris Publishing. October 2012 Ms. Romig rereleased CONSEQUENCES as an Indie author. TRUTH, the sequel, was released October 30, 2012 and CONVICTED, the final installment of the Consequences Series, is scheduled for release in October of 2013!

Aleatha is a “Published Author’s Network” member of the Romance Writers of America and represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Brown and Miller Literary Associates.

Find Aleatha Romig on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website