Tana Rae Reads

 

Riviera Benson has a talent...one she discovered by accident. She’s a painter, but canvas isn’t her medium. She creates her lovely masterpieces on walls and ceilings of million dollar homes as murals and faux finishes. Her art is in high demand now, but life wasn’t always that way. Riviera has secrets from her past she intends to keep tightly locked away...terrifying secrets that keep her awake at night...that prevent her from getting close to anyone...anyone that is, until she meets Shan.

 

A.M. Hargrove's Bio:

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life.  So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase.  Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodge ball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head.  Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what laptop out the window.  She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone, called her boss and quit her job.  Grinning, she made another call to her hubs and told him of her new adventure (after making sure his heart was beating properly again).

So began A. M. Hargrove's career as a YA/NA and Adult Romance writer. Her books include the following: Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge and Kissing Fire (The Edge Series); The Guardians of Vesturon series (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent and Beginnings); Dark Waltz and Tragically Flawed.

Other than being in love with writing about being in love, she loves chocolate, ice cream and coffee and is positive they should be added as part of the USDA food groups.

 

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Between The Sheets (Against the Wall #2)

This is the story of Mel and Ty and how they find their happy ever after.

Mel is Shelley's best friends from book 1 Against the Wall. The story is still quite romantic and Mel is hilarious.

I will say that what I loved most about this series is how Julie keeps you updated on What is going on with Shelley and Matt.

She gives them their own chapter like the are also part of the story.

This series is definitely one of the and well written series I have read.

Julie Prestsater has down an outstanding job of bringing everyone together from both books and I loved it.

So yes read Mel and Ty's story and you will see what I mean.

I couldn't stop reading this series and read all three books in one day. As we all know that what Sundays are for.

I found this book on amazon the other day and sent it right to my kindle.

I was rather shocked at how come I never heard of this author and these books.

Against the Wall was a great read, I loved the characters, the plot and the story flowed so well I went and found book 2 and 3 in this series.

Julie Prestsater is a wonderful author and I have to say she is now one of my favorites.

This was a fantastic romance novel, starting over, finding a new love and one of the best HEA stories I've read in a long time.

I truly have to say that Julie writing is fantastic and anyone reading this should go purchase the entire series.

I love this entire series so each time a new one comes out it's like catching up with old friends.

Losing Virginity by Ava Michaels

Book provided by the author in return for an honest review.

Losing Virginity was a cute, funny romance novel, it was an enjoyable, easy to read and I laughed out loud a couple of times. I thought it was a sweet romance novel and I would read more of Ava Michaels work.

We meet Olivia who is attending college and also works as an intern for a Charity organization. Olivia’s friends find out that she is a virgin and think it’s about time she loses her virginity. Her two work friends and roommate think Olivia just needs to meet someone and do it. Next thing you know her roommate sets her up an online profile so she can find someone to take this on. Poor Olivia cannot stop thinking about her situation and having sex, even to the hot stranger she meets in the elevator. She goes on a few dates and then she meets Ryder aka (Big Stick) and the story picks up from there. The romance is sweet, funny and gets a little hot once in a while and was worth the read.

Olivia character did seem a bit immature but I did laugh out loud a few times. I will say that even though sometimes I found some of her friends a bit unrealistic and immature I still really enjoyed this story. Like I said I am looking forward to reading Ava Michaels next book as I did enjoy Losing Virginity.

I have rated Losing Virginity a 3.5 star rating, and if you’re looking for a cute romance novel this one is worth the read.

Recklessly (Documentary #3) by A.J. Sand

Okay let’s just get one thing clear A.J. Sand is a great author and she has written a phenomenal romance novel. This was the first time I have read a book written by her so now I have to go add the other books in this series to get caught up.

This was my kind of book, hot surfer Wes Elliott and a carefree biker girl named Lana with all of their best intentions of having a casual, no strings, and sexual relationship/fling. But right from the start you see that this is not going to happen. Wes if feeling things he never has before and Lana was very interested in this hot surfer dude but she stands by her convictions of keeping this relationship casual. I loved Lana’s personality and loved that the story was told mainly from Wes.

Recklessly is a must read, it is full of romance, humour (laugh out loud at times), some drama added and of course some hot sexual tension with a mix of great chemistry between Wes and Lana.

I have rated Recklessly and A.J. Sand 4.5 stars. I loved it and cannot wait to go back and read the first two books in this series. I highly recommend anyone who is reading this to go pick up these books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.

Consonance (Dia-Matic Keys #1) by Lisa Malabanan

This is the first book I’ve read by Lisa Malabanan and I have to say that Lisa is one fantastic author. Her writing is superb and the plot and characters mostly were very well written. I thoroughly enjoyed Consonance and cannot wait to read more in this series.

We meet Elle who is just starting college, she has a great roommate who happens to be the girlfriend of one of her best friends. Elle loves and lives for her music and when she has a chance at joining a band she jumps at the chance. Of course it helps that her best friends are in it also.

This story is about the Elle and some of the choices she makes. Some of the best parts of this story is the music and I have to say reading about all the men in Elle’s life does lead to some very interesting reading. Some of Elle’s mannerisms did kind of drive me a bit crazy and I found I was annoyed with her at times but in the end I did enjoy reading Consonance.

I have rated this book a 4 star rating and would defiantly recommend it to anyone who is reading my review. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

Feeling This by Casey Blue

I received a free copy of Feeling This in exchange for an honest review.

Feeling This, we meet Jordan who is totally in love with his girlfriend, lately Jordan notices her moods and temper seem to be all over the place. He is a bit worried about her and approaches her dad to talk about getting her some help. Her dad brushes off Jordan’s concern and that same night tragedy strikes.

Jordan who has no idea what he is going to do know, leaves town to figure things out and find a new direction for his life. Jordan stumbles across a small town and just by chance gets a job on a farm. Figuring he will work hard and not have to think of anything he decides to stay for a while. Here we meet Kimber who is struggling in her home life, working two jobs, trying to go to school and take care of her sick mom.

So when Jordan and Kimber meet sparks fly and the attraction is immediate. But things don’t always go smoothly for them and they have their own past issues to deal with. When Jordan has to return home for his friend’s wedding he brings Kimber with him telling her he cannot do it on his own. Kimber see’s firsthand how different the two of them are but she tries to be there for him. Jordan makes a few mistakes here and Kimber ends up running back home. But the story doesn’t end there he returns to prove that he wants Kimber and knows he has to prove this to her and earn her trust.

Feeling This, starts off great you shed some tears, and really want only the best for Jordan. The new romance is sweet and romantic and has a few steamy scenes. This is one of those stories you want the happy ever after ending for both Jordan and Kimber.

I have rated Feeling this a 4 star rating. Anyone who enjoys romance novels and wants to read a new author this is the book for you.

Pieces of Me by Ann Garner

Ann Garner first book is called Pieces of Me, I am not sure I have enough words to express how much I truly enjoyed reading this story, there are some many beautiful words and feelings that come across in this novel that it’s hard to express the emotions you have while reading Pieces of Me. There are many NA books coming out of late, but I have to say this is one of the best ones I have read. There are parts of this book that stick with you.

And you carefully gather the pieces of yourself.
You collect them together in your mind.
The old pieces, the new pieces, the ones that are too shattered for you to tell what they are.
You collect them and hold them close.
You will need these pieces one day.

Pieces of Me is story of a young woman named Delaney who moves thousands miles away from her home town and parents. She wants to start fresh where no one knows her and what better place to start besides the beginning of her college years. As you get to know Delaney you know something has happened to her, you can feel the heartbreak and the sadness. Delaney’s dorm mate is Grace who has been raised in a very loving, affectionate home and growing up with a bunch of brothers makes Grace a fun character to get to know. Grace and Delaney become fast friends.

Grace does everything she can to bring Delaney out of her shell, making her go out, introducing her to her friends and her brothers. Delaney has some personal struggles being around so many people and at times she cannot handle all of it. Keeping herself away from people has kept her sheltered and not very comfortable in social situations. Some of the situations are funny and heartbreaking. But you cheer for Delaney each step she takes in reclaiming her life.

Then of course there is Cole he is heartwarming and you begin to see that he truly cares for Delaney he is a nice young man who has had his fun but see’s Delaney as someone he really wants to get to know. Delaney of course feels the attraction but she is not sure she could ever truly let someone close never mind touch her. The small touches and the comfort she feels immediately in Cole’s presence does say something to Delaney but can she ever trust him.

Of course things don’t go smoothly for Delaney and she makes some big mistakes, not sure she can fix things with her new friends she ends up pulling and slipping away.

Pieces of Me is a beautifully written story, it’s about finding the strength to move on, love, trust and finding the courage to become the person you always wanted to be.

I have rated Pieces of Me a 5 star rating and highly recommend it to anyone who is reading my review to go purchase a copy you will not be disappointed.

Fire On Ice by Dakota Madison

This is another first time author for me, Dakota Madison writing is good, her story flows well, plot and character held my interest and I definitely would read any other books that Dakota has written or will write.

We meet Taylor is appears to be a shy reserved young woman attending college, for one of her classes she is sitting in a bar studying (experiment to see how much a person can retain) anyway as she is reading in walks Kian.

Kian Kavanagh is a professional hockey player (oh who doesn’t love hot sexy hockey players) so as he is checking things out he spots Taylor. First he wonders why a pretty young girl is sitting in a bar reading a book. So he strolls over and tries to talk to Taylor.
Taylor has been hurt by a hockey player before and has sworn of all athletes and hockey players, but she gives in and lets Kian put his number in her cell phone.

This is a new adult romance novel, with a bit of suspense, full of romance, bad boy meeting nice girl with a small bit of hockey. I have to say it’s two of my favorite things. We know there is more to come by the ending so I cannot wait to find out what happen next. I have rated Fire on Ice a 3.5 star rating.

Shrouded in Illusion by H.D. Thomson

H.D. Thomson writes an absolutely fantastic novel, its full of suspence/mystery and a bit of romance. Once you start reading Shrouded in Illusion you will have a hard time putting it down. It is what we call a page turner. The story is well written, flows smoothly and is one of the better written books I’ve read in a while. H.D. Thomson has written a great story and I feel the need to go back and read the other books in this series.

Skye and her son our on the run from some very dangerous people, Skye will do anything to keep Tyler safe. Skye ends up in Las Vegas to search out David Bishop who she believes has the power to help her protect Tyler. A mother will do anything to keep her son safe.

When Skye meets up with David things don’t go smoothly as she wishes, but she shares her secrets with him and soon he understands that him and Skye must of some kind of history/past. Besides sharing the same gifts David and Skye also find that there is another type of connection between the two and you can certainly feel the tension between the two of them. All Skye can worry about though is keeping her son safe.

Shrouded in Illusion was easy to read, it held my interest right from the beginning and I had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend Shrouded in Illusion to anyone who is reading this review. H.D. Thomson has written a really great story and I cannot wait to read more from her.

I have rated Shrouded in Illusion 5 star rating as this story does not disappoint in anyway.

Heartstrings (Love Notes #2) by Heather Gunter

The title of this book says it all, this story pulls at your heartstrings and may even bring tears to your eyes. This is the first book I’ve read written by Heather Gunter, her writing is fantastic, the plot and character are well developed, the entire story flows rather nicely and I found I didn’t want to stop reading it till I reached the end.

Tori is a senior in high school, who has kept a secret for over a year, never disclosing to anyone what has happened to her one night. Nightmares are causing her lack of sleep and she knows she has to say something. Finally she confides in her mom and best friend.

Will who has been Tori’s friend for a very long time, knew Tori had changed over the last year. A year ago they were just about at the point where they were finally comfortable enough to move past friendship and acknowledge that they did have feelings for each other. But tragedy strikes Tori and her plans changed. Tori being a bit insecure is scared to tell Will what happened to her a year ago and thinks it will change the way he sees her.

She finally does tell Will her secret and he treats her with respect and reiterates that this was not her fault. Of course Will lets Tori knows his feeling for her have not changed at all.

This story is about healing, trusting and having the strength to take back your life.

I have rated Heartstrings a 4 star rating and would recommend it to anyone who loves to read the YA Genre.

Heather Gunter has written an exceptional story and portrayed a horrible situation in a very positive manner for young women to read.

Across the Line by Amy Lee Burgess

I was given a copy of this book for a honest review, thank you Amy.

Across the Line is book 6 in the series Wolf Within by Amy Lee Burgess, I came across this series by accident a while back and fell in love with it. To me when Amy releases a new book I get quite excited it’s like I get to catch up with some old friends. I absolutely love Amy’s writing. All the books in this series are written beautifully, the plots are exciting, and I love all the character she introduces us to. And of course because I am a big romance junkie I love the romance between the two main characters.
But don’t jump to any conclusion this series is not all about romance, there is suspense, adventure, mystery, humour and much more to this series. Oh did I mention my second favorite kind of book is about wolfs. (I want to be one)!

Across the Line is a fantastic read, the plot and character description are written perfectly, this is a book I never once stopped reading except to fill my coffee cup and do a few other things.

We meet up with Stanzie who is watching her mate and his sister struggle with the death of their best friend and mate. Stanzie is strong and is doing everything she can to help them both get through these dark days. Besides this going on Stanzie has some of her own internal struggles and doesn’t have anyone right now to confide in.

Murphy, Stanzie mate is grieving right now for the loss of his best friend, he has his own past and history that makes him appear quiet and dark at times, but you love him as you get to know him. Murphy loves Stanzie very much but he doesn’t realize that she is not quite sure of his love for her. This relationship is hard at times for both of them the insecurities show but it makes it all that much better when they finally talk.

Then to make matters worse Councillor Allerton calls her to work, Stanzie has to leave to investigate a dispute between two other packs.

As Stanzie and her new work partner begin to investigate the dispute things go astray as usually, Stanzie knows something is going on and needs to figure it out soon. Stanzie always seems to end up either in situations where she could be harmed or gets herself in some kind of trouble, but you are there eyes glued to the pages to see what she is going to do.

Across the Line is once again one of my favorite books this year, I have rated this a 5 star rating and would highly recommend anyone who loves a fantastic, interesting books to go purchase a copy of this book. And if you haven’t read this series I would highly recommend you go purchase the first 5 books in this series.

Amy Lee Burgess once again has written a best seller in my books and I cannot wait to read more from Stanzie and Murphy.

Talking Dirty With the Player (Talking Dirty #2) by Jackie Ashenden

I received Talking Dirty with the Player by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read anything written by Jackie Ashenden before this and I will say I have already added the first book in the series to my reading list. I enjoyed Jackie’s writing style, the characters were well developed and I found this story quite exciting, the secondary characters were great and this is probably why I feel the need to go read book 1 in this series.

We meet Judith Ashton she is the little sister of Joseph Ashton who is getting married and of course his best friend Caleb Steele is right there by his side. Judith is a photographer and trying very hard to stay clear of her brother’s best friends Caleb.

Caleb is a tall sexy rugby player who loves to tease Judith, he quite enjoys making her uncomfortable. Caleb things Judith has very little patient for him and does things to her just to get under her skin. When they do have conversations you can feel the heat rolling off them. But of course there is some history here and it didn’t end well and Judith prefers to stay far away from Caleb.

But Caleb has a job he would like Judith to be involved in and Judith of course wants nothing to do with it. But it is for charity and things start to heat up.

This is a story of two old friends who have a past and you know deep down could have a future. The story full of romance, tension, some funny moments even announce (in a good way) at times while things were playing out between these too.

Talking Dirty with the Player is a fun, sexy, romantic, and hot, sizzling read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance. The ending is fantastic!

I have rated Talking Dirty with the Player a 4 star rating.

Scarred Love (Sulfur Heights #1) by M.S. Brannon

M.S. Brannon debut novel is riveting, emotional, brought tears to my eyes kind of novel. Her writing is fantastic, her characters are well developed this is one of those books you can’t put down. Well I did put down to control the emotional turmoil I was going through. I absolutely love M.S. Brannon’s writing and this series; I cannot wait to read more. Reading the prologue had me hooked.

This is a story of a young woman named Darcie who has suffered from all kinds of abuse growing up. From being raised by a drug addicted mother to being left with her abusive step father. Her life was a living hell!

We meet Reggie who has just rescued Darcie from that hell, and from this point he will make sure she is protected and safe no matter what he has to do. Reggie brings her home to his make shift family and Darcie for the first time feels safe. This story shares with us some of the tragic life Darcie survived and how she moves forward. We meet the Evan’s family and fall in love with all of them.

The love, romance and tragic way Darcie has lived and reading how she has coped and gained strength to go forward is fantastic. We get to meet her brothers and how they all develop their protective side towards Darcie. You absolutely can’t help fall in love with the entire family. I am hoping each brother will have his own story.

The plot is fast paced, everything is written brilliantly. I have rated Scarred Love a 5 star rating. This is the first book in the Sulfur Heights series and I cannot wait to read more.

Fantastic, emotional, riveting, dark, and the romance makes this a top rated novel and the ending was perfect. I definitely recommend Scarred Love to anyone who enjoys the New Adult Contemporary Romance genre.

Play Me (Take a Chance #3) by Diane Albert’s

I’ve read the first book in this series Try Me and it was quite enjoyable, so of course when I seen the blog tour for Play Me I signed up immediately. Play me is a short, sexy, enjoyable read. The cover is fantastic.

Diane Albert’s writing is great, her words flow well, and the characters are relatable and realistic. It’s a great book when you have an hour or two to lose yourself in a story.

Play Me is a story about two people Garrett and Kiersten who have been friends for years, Garrett actually had a crush on Kiersten all through high school. Garrett’s best friend is Kiersten brother and he sees right through Garrett every time he denies he still has a crush on his sister.

Kiersten loves having Garrett as one of her close friends, but she has been hurt and won’t ever trust a man again. Knowing she has to protect her heart and her son’s this time around she is sure she will never want a relationship with a man any time soon.

On the day she was supposed to getting married Kiersten makes a play on Garrett thinking he doesn’t want a relationship and probably be game for a little fun for one night. Boy was she wrong.

Things from here get bad to worse, and then through in a surprize, will Garrett every be able to see Kiersten as a friend again and will Kiersten realize that she is made a huge mistake? You just have to pick up a copy of Play Me and find out what happens for yourself.

Diane Albert’s has written another fantastic story and I cannot wait to read more from her.

I have rated Play Me a 4 star rating and recommend to everyone and anyone who loves the adult romance genre.