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Review: The Night Belongs to Fireman (The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel #6) by Jennifer Bernard


When fireman Fred Breen rescues a bachelorette party after a construction crane collapses onto their limo, the media labels him the "Bachelor Hero." But all Fred can think about is the petite brunette with the sexy mane of dark curls who bolted away from him faster than a wildfire after he carried her to safety. And when he discovers she's none other than Rachel Kessler, the daughter of a tech billionaire, the girl whose kidnapping riveted the nation, he intends to learn every intimate detail about this intriguing woman who sets his pulse on fire.

Rachel can't deny the lean-muscled firefighter is smokin' hot. But after having one too many drinks at the bar where she first meets him, Rachel knows she's made a fool of herself. Yet when he rescues her from the limo, she feels safe for the first time since she was held for ransom as a child. Then her overprotective father insists Fred be her bodyguard—and his close presence kindles a burning desire that only he can extinguish.

*I received a copy through edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

Oh, Fred, you're just such a sweetie. Seriously this guy is so nice, which I know is a terrible thing to say about a guy. Though in this case it's meant well. Fred is a nice guy, often too nice for people. Still in a world full of jerks, this can actually be very refreshing. Don't start thinking puppy nice though, rather think how german shepherds can also be nice, but they have this protective streak. Now as I think of it, that really would be the best animal representation for Fred. Overall a nice little doggie, though he can be tough and protective when it needs to be. 

It's mostly Rachel who brings out that other side of him. When she has had one too many drinks on this crazy bachelorette night, Fred sees it as his civic duty to keep her from harm. His intentions were never not honorable, but he's not blind either. He's not quite sure what it is about this mysterious girl and he can't keep her out of his mind. Learning about her past, he definitely realizes there is something more going on between them as he fears for her safety, becoming very protective of her. Though not in that alpha testosterone filled way, Fred's reasonable about it, kind of.

Through "unfortunate" circumstances they now get to spend a lot of time together. Fred and Rachel aren't ones to let an opportunity go to waste, they use this time to get to know each other better in and out of the bedroom. Mostly things look pretty good, but there is always drama waiting around the corner.

I really, really liked this book. Mostly I liked Fred, I'll admit to that. He's just such a great guy and so dreamy. Certainly when you find out about his little bit darker side, which he mostly just shows in the bedroom. That came as a very nice surprise. Rachel is not a bad character. The horror from her past isn't that much in the past as she would like and it's weighing her down. She has a lot of baggage, so it takes a while get into her, without constantly feeling sorry for her. Still when Rachel's together with Fred we get to see this more open and silly side from her, that appealed to me more.

Another fun book in the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series. I simply love the heroes Jennifer Bernard writes and in this series they really are heroes. You read a lot of books about cops and soldiers, though not often we get the chance to be so close to the real fire. These firemen are amazing and I just can not get enough of them.

3.5


The Bachelor Fireman Of San Gabriel - Reading order and purchase links
All novels can be read as a standalone, though you will probably want to read them all :)



The Author
Jennifer Bernard is the USA Today bestselling author of the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series. A graduate of Harvard and a former news promo producer. The child of academics, she confounded her family by preferring romance novels to any other books. She left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She’s no stranger to book success, as she also writes erotic novellas under a naughty secret name not to be mentioned at family gatherings.

Besides reading, writing and living romance, another passion is Ashtanga yoga. She practices daily, and has traveled to Thailand, India and Hawaii to learn from the best teachers on the planet. Other than that, she love hiking, meditating, hazelnut chocolate, the children she is graced to have in her life.

Connect with Jennifer Bernard:

Review: The Fine Art of Pretending (The Fine Art of Pretending #1) by Rachel Harris


According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

While no points might get given for originality, this books is exactly what you expect it to be. The Fine Art of Pretending is fun, flirty, sappy and comes with a very happily ever after.

By reading the synopsis you know exactly how this plot is going to play out. Aly and Brandon are good characters, though there is some obvious depth missing to it all. There were also a lot of clichés, like Brandon only really realizing Aly is a girl, when she's starting to show some serious skin.

Honestly I don't know much else to say about this book. I could go into a rant about how a girl shouldn't need to get all skank before a guy would notice her, but I won't 'cause that's obvious not the point of this book. It's meant to entertain, to spend some time relaxing and enjoy a cute young adult romance, nothing more.





The Author
Award-winning and Bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls next door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Emotion, vibrant settings, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books...and kissing. Lots of kissing.

An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, and LOVES talking with readers.

Connect with Rachel Harris:

Music Monday (Sep. 29)

Music Monday is a weekly book meme. Everyone can join in, you just have to do the following:
  • Choose a book or a scene from a book.
  • Choose a song that fits said book or scene.
  • Tell us why you paired them together.
  • Don't forget to share the title and author.
  • Be careful not to include spoilers!





I can not help it, but every time I think of Hawaii, it's not just the palmtrees and the blue ocean I think about, but also Lilo & Stitch. While most of that soundtrack contains Elvis songs, it also has a couple more tropical tunes, that just simply make me happy. So when I was reading Hidden by Selena Laurence this song would often go through my mind. It might not be the most appropriated song suited for the story, but they are freaking living in Hawaii, that alone should make you feel happy!

Leave a link to your Music Monday post in the comments :)

Saturday Series: Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter


She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


Life for sixteen-year-old Alice had been pretty good, though a bit weird up until now. She went to school, but unlike other teenagers she could never go out after dark. Her father believed in monsters and wanted to keep his family safe. Alice doesn't believe her father and thinks he's simply paranoid, hating the way they have to live. Still one night, one choice and everything changed for Alice.

With her family death, Alice moves in with her grandparents. Starting at a new school is the least of her problems, when she's constantly on the lookout for those monsters her father always talked about. It isn't until after the accident she believed him, realizing how wrong she was. Hellbent on revenge she learns about Cole and his group of friends. They can also see the monsters, even more, they've been fighting them for years.

I'll admit I'm not the biggest fans of zombies, though I liked how Gena Showalter approached it. She has created a whole new concept for these monsters and a pretty cool world around it. Alice is a great female main characters. That girl kick butt and has a very strong personality. Which you'll need if you want to go up against zombies and guys like Cole, who eats zombies for breakfast (though not literally).

As always Gena Showalter has added a very healthy dose of humor to keep it from getting too dark at times. Some of these dialogues just had me cracking up. There are still a lot of questions unanswered and I love how we get to discover this new world along with Alice. I really have no idea where this will go next, but as long as we get more Cole and his smexy friends, I am good.

3.5


White Rabbit Chronicles - Reading order and purchase links

    


The Author
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.

Connect with Gena Showalter:

Review: Rome (Marked Men #3) by Jay Crownover


Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray. Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .


When Rome returns from his last tour of duty, something has changed. Gone is the optimistic, always keeping the peace, happy guy. Instead we get dronken, moody, captain No Fun. His life is kind of up in the air and he has no clue what to do with it. Every night waking up from nightmares, having no clear path or goal in his life is starting to take its toll. Everyone around him are trying to keep it safe and peaceful, just waiting for him to come back to them.

Cora isn't really the waiting type. She doesn't know the big Archer brother that well, but when his behaviour is hurting her friends, she is ready to throw things down and get all up in his case. Which is exactly what she does, tell him as she sees it and who cares if he doesn't like it.

Getting yelled at by Cora, seems to be the first moment Rome is really awake after coming back. He actually doesn't mind the way she behaved, making him clearly see that things need to change. Her getting all up in his face even catches his attention on a more primal level, he likes the Half Pint. Cora can not deny the hotness that is Rome and soon things get out out of hand.

Things seem to be going well between them, except Rome needs to learn to let Cora in, not keep pushing everyone around him away. They love him and are there for him. Cora meanwhile has been all about proclaiming to find the perfect guy and well Rome is far from perfect, but it seems she likes him well enough. While Rome is doing his best and slowly giving her his all, it's actually Cora who starts holding back.

So lot's and lot's of drama, I love it. Cora is simply wonderful and amazing. That mouth just won't stop talking, I love how direct she is, while it's still obvious she has this softer side. She's the girl you wish as a friend, always having your back, supporting you and caring.

Rome seems more of the strong and silent type. Though when he has something to say, you better listen. He's always been the protector and I love how he shows that towards his friends and Cora. This is a guy who's purpose in life is to be needed and now he needs to find a way to mix that in his normal day to day life.

The chemistry between these two was off the charts. Steamy and hot does not even begin to describe it. Though it was the more quiet and real moments, that really stole my heart. It was not just action, there is intimacy between them that makes you connect with them.

Another awesome book in the Marked Men series. We also get to see the other characters again and some of the developments they've made. This is a group of friends/family I wish I was a part of.

4.5

Marked Men - Reading order and purchase links

    


  

RowdyAmazon - Kindle (Oct. 21)

The Author
Being native Coloradan is a source of pride if you ask Jay. She loves all the things her home has to offer, and that is why she set her books in this familiar place. Writing about what she knows is why her stories feature plenty of rock and roll and body modification.

Jay has been a bartender since she was in college, spending over forty hours a week watching interactions between men and women. This 9 to 5 job offered great insights into relationships - how they start and how they evolve in a social setting.

This cutting-edge author likes to write New Adult novels because she remembers being in her early twenties and thinking she had it all figured out, only to be proven wrong time and time again. When she looks back, she see's that those years defined who she is today, and, good or bad, those decisions ultimately set her current path.

Connect with Jay Crownover:

Excerpt & Giveaway: The Game series by Eve Silver



Release Date: June 11, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. 

There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.


Jackson reaches for me and cups my cheeks with his palms. My questions die an abrupt death. His hands are warm against my skin, his palms callused where they meet his fingers. “I have to go,” he says. “And that was more than five questions.”

He leans a little closer.

“Wait,” I whisper, frozen in place, heart pounding, half hoping, half dreading that he’ll close the distance between us and touch his lips to mine. “You can’t go.”



“Yeah”—he smiles a little—“I can.” His thumb sweeps across my lower lip. My breath locks in my throat. “I have to.”

Available from (US links):
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On sale for only $1.99 at the following links only:

Books in this series:
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About the Author
Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up. She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013. She also writes books for adults.

Author Links:
     





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