Virgin Heroes, Age Gaps & A Whole Lot of Romance Books For Your TBR

Happy Tuesday, loves!

How's everyone doing? I'm swamped with school work, but of course, still procrastinating studying by reading as many romance novels as I can. I read a couple of great romance novels last week, and I can't wait to share my thoughts with you. Later in the post, I also share some books recently added to my TBR. One can never have too many romance novels in one's TBR!

OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR by Ainslie Paton [★★★★] 

Well folks, I think it's safe to admit that I love Ainslie Paton's writing. Offensive Behavior was only my second book from her, but I love the way she crafts her romances. I was chatting with the author on Twitter and basically admitted to my full-blown love affair with grumpy, buttoned-up heroes, when she told me all about her grumpy heroes. Ainslie was kind enough to send this broke college student review copies, so THANK YOU, Ainslie! Anyways, this was the first book I picked up from the ones she sent for one simple reason - VIRGIN HERO. And she certainly delivered on that front. Reid isn't the sort of man you'd think would be a virgin. I mean the guy is a drunk who frequents strip clubs after all. And usually the broody kind of hero is known to be quite proficient in bedroom activities, but not this one. He could honestly be a class-A jackass from time to time, but this was a guy with principles. I loved that when he made mistakes, he repented AND groveled. Hello, I'm a sucker for a groveling hero! Zarley was an even greater girl! After a failed Olympic career, she has had to turn to dancing at a gentleman's club to afford school and life. She's sharp, brutally honest, and has a heart of gold. Both these characters are slightly messed up, but together they start to untangle all that messiness. I loved how well-developed the relationship between the two was. It starts of as a sexual education of sorts, but grows into something much more intimate than that. Ainslie Paton writes great romance, and even banter, dialogues and sexy times. Phew! The sexy times are wild, and steamy and fan-yourself hot! I was honestly into the book from start to finish, it's so addictive. I also really enjoyed the glimpses of the secondary characters here. I'm eager to read the next books as soon as I get a chance! If you haven't discovered Ainslie Paton yet, then change that ASAP, because she knows what she's doing with romance!

Teaser: Tapping that Asset by London Hale

Hey, guys!

London Hale has a new book coming out on November 2nd and it's hot hot hot. It's called Tapping the Asset, and I have a couple of teaser graphics to share today. Check them out!

Beer and business have never been so sexy!

Tapping That Asset by London Hale will be #ONTAP November 2nd!

FOLLOW LONDON FOR RELEASE DAY ALERTS → http://bit.ly/2t5EPzS

ADD TO YOUR TBR → http://bit.ly/2xO4MW6

BLURB:

She only wanted one night

Being on the road all the time because of the family business makes for a lot of lonely nights. So when handsome, charming AJ Phelps finds me in the hotel bar, I’m ready for more than casual conversation. After an amazing night, my hope to continue a brief affair with the town charmer is derailed when I come face to face with him the following day. This time, he’s not just handsome, charming AJ. He’s all business...and the owner of the brewery my brother is dead set on ruining. All may be fair in love and war, but there’s nothing as cut throat as beer and business.

He wants it all

As an ex-pro baseball player turned business owner, I have it all. Or I thought I did until Kennedy Rochester crossed my path. A one night stand with a woman as hot, intelligent, and feisty as that? No brainer. At least not until the following morning when she steps into my brewery and tells me in no uncertain terms her family business is there to put me out of mine. I should loathe her for threatening my livelihood, but I don’t. I can’t. Not when all I think about when I look at her is our single, toe-curling night together. Not when I’d give nearly anything for just one more.

About London Hale:

London Hale is the combined pen name of writing besties Ellis Leigh and Brighton Walsh. Between them, they’ve published more than thirty books in the contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense genres. Ellis is a USA Today bestselling author who loves coffee, thinks green Skittles are the best, and prefers to stay in every weekend. Brighton is multi-published with Berkley, St. Martin’s Press, and Carina Press. She hates coffee, thinks green Skittles are the work of the devil, and has never heard of a party she didn’t want to attend. Don’t ask how they became such good friends or work so well together—they still haven’t figured it out themselves.

Find London online:

Amazon → http://amzn.to/2uybkLD

BookBub → http://bit.ly/2t5EPzS

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLondonHale

Goodreads → http://bit.ly/2tY7vxA

Twitter → https://twitter.com/haleyeslondon

Website → http://www.londonhale.com

“What even is a post title if not an added stress?” –a soliloquy

Hello, everyone!

I can't believe October is almost over and we're approaching the second last month of 2017. I'm so ready for 2018 because 2018 releases!!! I'm going to make a list of my 2018-anticipated books sometime soon. 

Reading update: I'm behind on my October ARCs and I'm a bit stressed out. I feel like my reading momentum this month is not as high as I wanted it to be, and some days I feel like reading is such a chore... Time for a reset. 

Anyway, I managed to finish and review a couple of books which I'll be sharing in this post. Now, onwards!

Review: Taken by Jennifer Dawson

TAKEN

by Jennifer Dawson

Series: Undone #4

Genres: Erotic Romance

Publisher: Jennifer Dawson

Publication Date: October 24th 2017

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★★

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Brandon Townsend III

Rich, beautiful and entitled, once upon a time he was king of the trust fund babies. He took anything and anyone he wanted, until one day, he walked away without explanation. Now, he’s an untouchable mystery, one I’m determined to crack. And I’m not talking about anything mundane like his bed. No, I want something far more valuable.

I want into his head.

Veronica Westwood has blown into my life creating chaos in her wake, and I don’t know quite what to do with her. Rich, beautiful and entitled, she represents everything I’ve sworn off in life, and her being unexpectedly clever doesn’t change that. Instincts warn me to stay away, and that’s just what I intend to do, no matter her attempts to wear me down. I’m good at saying no, or at least I was until I met her. I don’t understand it, but she’s like a weakness, and a man like me can’t have weakness.

I simply won’t allow it.

When My Favorite Authors Continue To Slay

Hello friends!

How are you all doing? I had to take a bit of a break last week because I forgot to post ... oops? But anyways, I'm back! I'm happy to say my reading slump is gone. I'm not reading as much as I did in the summer, but I AM reading, which I think is cause for celebration. :) I've read a few romance books lately, so I thought I'd briefly chat with you all about them. Unfortunately, I've also had some DNFs! So boo! :(

Also, do you see this shiny new banner below? Mana made it for us, and I love it!

Check out my quick thoughts for some of my recent reads below!

UNDERCOVER ATTRACTION by Katee Robert [★★★★] 

You may have heard me singing all the praises for this AMAZING series by Katee Robert on Nick & Nereyda's Infinite Booklist before. But I'm here to tell you, if you STILL haven't checked this series about a mob family yet, what are you even doing??? Anyways, I was quite eager to read Undercover Attraction. It features the head of the family, Aiden, and though he has done some shifty things to his siblings in the past in the name of protecting, I knew there was a lot more to him. And there definitely is! In Undercover Attraction, Aiden is trying to undermine everyone's favorite bastard, Dmitri, and he finds himself seeking the help of an ex-cop, Charlotte in his mission. Of course, what ensues is the stoic man winds up falling hopelessly in love with Charlie. I loved Aiden so much more than I thought I would. I don't know how Katee manages to write compelling characters. You can tell that Aiden was battling a lot with his conflicting emotions. He wants to protect his family, but he also wants to keep them happy, and often times those don't go hand in hand. Despite all the vitriol he faced from his siblings though, there was nothing but love on his side for them. Charlie was a great girl to balance him out. She too has her own baggage, but the girl was fierce af. The chemistry between the two simmers and slowly builds up over the course of the book. Seriously, Katee knows how to write good romance. I loved watching the two fall for each other - I had all the butterflies in my tummy! I've also got to mention all the scenes featuring Dmitri and Keira and OMG, I'm so pumped for the last book, The Bastard's Bargain. I'm ready to be inside Dmitri's head. So yes, I hope you give this series a try if you haven't read it yet ... otherwise we can't be pals!

Review: Making It Complicated by Clarisse David

MAKING IT COMPLICATED

by Clarisse David

Series: i Heart Iloilo #2

Genres: New Adult

Publisher: Clarisse David

Publication Date: October 16th 2017

Source: ARC received for review

Rating: ★★★1/2

Amazon 

No promises. No expectations. Just one night on a paradise island that could mean everything.

Nineteen-year-old Cam has a metric ton of emotional baggage and is in no mood to unload them on anyone. After her parents' marriage imploded, stress-free is the only way she wants her life to be. And what could be more freeing than spending the summer on Boracay? Absolutely nothing... until she bumps heads with Hunter, the hot drummer who screams incoming heartbreak from a mile away.

Hunter has grand plans, none of which include angry-at-the-world Cam, best friend to the girl he always thought he'd end up with. He likes his life steady, thank you very much. But steady has now become synonymous with boring. His grand plans don't seem so grand anymore. So when Cam comes home to Iloilo City and reaches out to him, he surprises himself when the one answer he can think of is... yes. Definitely yes.

Sometimes, complications are the only things that make sense.

Release Boost: Knocking Her Up by London Hale (and giveaway!)

Have you gotten knocked up???

Knocking Her Up by London Hale is now live and #FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Those Sporty Boys Though

Hey romance lovers!

How's everyone doing? I'm still as grumpy as ever, and the hot, rainy weather is certainly not helping my mood. I'm waiting for fall to be here already, but it's taking FOREVER. I think I may be finally out of the slump, though I've been reading VERY VERY slowly. I'm fine with it as long as I'm enjoying reading the books that I'm reading. After reading 100s of pages of school textbooks, it's nice to fall into something light and easy.

Anyways, so last week, I received Played by Jen Frederick and Bountiful by Sarina Bowen for review. You can bet your ass that I rushed to read both of them. 

Check out my quick thoughts on them below!

PLAYED by Jen Frederick [★★★★] 

I'm super in love with this series. After Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus series, this is one of my favorite NA sports romance series. It's got some swoony heroes, some awesome female leads, and romances that are realistic AND sexy. I've been anticipating Ty's book since the very beginning. I loved the glimpses we got of him in Sacked, and was desperate for his book. And it was everything that I wanted and so much more. It also had one of my favorite tropes, the friends to more romance, and I thought it was done really well here. I grew to really love Ty. Jen Frederick is good with character development, and she does such a fantastic job with Ty's character. I also liked Ara a lot, even though, I admit sometimes her unwillingness to go after what she wanted was a teensy bit frustrating. I appreciated that even though she was a famous artist's daughter, she wanted to pave her own way in the art scene. Their relationship is another thing I adored in Played. I loved the comfort level in their friendship, and I loved how devoted and sweet Ty was to her. There was also some very obvious attraction between the two, that are both unwilling to act on in the fear that it will ruin their relationship. Of course, before the end of the book, they can't resist but giving in, and I loved them even more as a couple than as friends. I think their friendship really solidified their bond, and made for a relationship with a great foundation. I also appreciated that the book was drama-free for the most part. Jen Frederick doesn't rely on over the top twists to separate her couples, which I really really love. I also loved seeing Knox again. He and Ty may be identical twins, but they could not be any different from each other. But their sibling bond is so great, I loved every scene/conversation between them. Played was another hit in the Gridiron series for me, and if you haven't checked out this football romance series yet, you should. 

Can you fall in love in 36 questions? Click to find out!

THE LOVE EXPERIMENT
by Ainslie Paton
Series: Stubborn Hearts #1
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: October 2nd 2017
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon - Kobo

Can you fall in love in thirty-six questions?

The closest rookie lifestyle writer Derelie Honeywell gets to megastar reporter Jackson Haley is an accidental shoulder brush in The Courier's elevator. That is, until the love experiment: a study designed to accelerate intimacy using thirty-six questions and four minutes of sustained eye contact.

As far as Derelie is concerned, Jack Haley has always been a man best imagined in his underwear. He's too intimidating otherwise. But participating in the love experiment is her make-or-break chance. With another round of layoffs looming, Derelie knows holding on to her job means getting the story no matter what. Even when the what is kissing Jack like a maniac.

Jack Haley has zero interest in participating in a clickbait story. He didn't plan on finding Derelie smart and feisty and being mesmerized by her eyes. He certainly had no intention at all of actually falling in love with her.

The conclusion to this experiment? Thirty-six questions might lead to love, but finding the answer to happily-ever-after is a lot more complicated.

OMG I have so many feelings about this book! I initially planned to do a mini review on it in my Thursday post, but it ended up being too long so I decided to let it have its own spot, LOL. 

I have Nick to thank for putting this book on my radar. Look at that cover! All the colours drew me in, and when I read the first chapter I was immediately hooked. Nick also did a mini review about this book here.

Onwards!

TGIF! Knocking Her Up by London Hale (TEASER!)

Hey, guys!

London Hale (a.k.a writing duo Brighton Walsh and Ellis Leigh) has a new book coming out on Oct 10th, and I have some teasers to share! I have Nick to thank for bringing LH on my radar because so far they've really come through with all the quick, dirty, and taboo romances ;)

I'm currently reading the ARC and *fans self* John just might be my favourite LH hero.

Anyway, onwards!

♪♪ We'll have a happy ending now / Taking a chance on love ♪♪

Happy Thursday!

Wow, it feels like forever since my last Thursday post/wrap-up thingy. And wow, it’s October, how did that happen?

Life update: I turned 27 on Sept 20^th! Honestly 27 doesn’t feel any different than 26… It’s kind of sad that birthdays lose their specialty as you get older. I didn’t do anything special on my birthday as it was a school day, but getting birthday wishes was still pretty exciting. Also, I’ve turned in the first full draft of my Master’s thesis to my supervisor so she can go through it and give her feedback. I’m expecting at least two more edits before the thing’s ready to be submitted—I’m so having a pizza party for one the day I submit my thesis, truly.

September reading recap: It’s been a good reading month for me, I think. There were so many September releases that I enjoyed. For one, A Kiss in Lavender by Laura Florand is my 5-star read this month; it exceeded my high expectations and I wrote a long email gushing to Laura about it. I’m going to reread it before writing my review here sometime soon. Acting on Impulse by Mia Sosa is also a very great one and pretty much flawless, and so is Completely by Ruthie Knox. Lastly, Jennifer Dawson’s latest, Head Over Heels is also a winner for me. I wrote my review almost immediately after I finished because I had so many emotions about it, which literally never happen to me—unlike books I dislike, it usually takes two reads for me to properly review a book that I love. I want to make sure that I cover everything, LOL.

October has some pretty exciting releases too, and I’m looking forward to a greater reading month.

Today I'll be reviewing two titles that share a common theme: taking a chance on love. The heroes and heroines in both books are stubborn and have their own reasons as to why they think love is too good to be true, but love (and HEAs!) can be just as stubborn. I'll just stop here before I get too corny but proceed for the mini reviews! 

I'm In A Book Slump, So Here Are 6 Books I Hope To Read Once I'm Out of The Stupid Slump

Friends!

I'm in a book slump. Or at least I was the last week and could not seem to get into any books at all. BUT I'm finally reading something and enjoying it a ton, so I think I'm slowly edging out of the slump. I'll admit though, I've been gravitating more towards watching TV than reading ... 

Anyways, I don't actually have book reviews/chats for you today, but I also didn't want to miss posting after I didn't post a few weeks back. So I'm sharing with you, some books that are on my immediate-TBR that I'm hoping to get to in the next couple of months. I hope you find some books to add to your own TBRs as well! :)