More Than This by Jay McLean

More Than This
by Jay McLean
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Published by: Skyscape - July 21, 2014
Genre: NA, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars

NOTICE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When Mikayla imagined her prom night, she envisioned a fairy-tale evening full of romance. So when betrayal and tragedy come in quick succession, Mikayla is completely destroyed. Suddenly, everything she loved and everyone she relied on are tragically, irrevocably gone.

Jake, a handsome boy she just met, happens to witness her loss. With no one to turn to, Mikayla is forced to depend on this near stranger and his family, and he in turn is determined to take care of her. But Mikayla—thrust into adulthood with no one to guide her—is desperate to contain her grief and hide what she considers to be her weakness. Mikayla and Jake both want more, but despite their growing closeness and intense chemistry, she tries to keep her distance and protect her heart. As he does everything in his power to win her trust, Mikayla must choose between remaining alone and safe or letting love in.

While this was a very sweet romance, you have to suspend disbelief a bit. You have to be able to believe that a robber would be skilled enough to shoot 3 people clean in the head. You have to believe that within a day of meeting a new person, there family will let you move in with them and redo their entire garage (even add a window in the garage 1 day) to look like your old bedroom. You also have to believe that the murderer won't give up his accomplice at the end of the book and that person will simply get away with their part in the murders. Ok - had to get that out of the way.

With all of that said, Jake and Kayla are very sweet together. I would love to have a Jake. He gives her everything she needs, including space, until she is ready to fully be with him. Sweet, as I said before, although there are definitely some hot and heavy scenes for the typical NA fans like me.

I definitely recommend it if you can suspend belief a bit.

Wicked Ways by Lisa Jackson & Nancy Bush

Wicked Ways
by Lisa Jackson & Nancy Bush
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Published by: Kensington Books - November 28, 2014
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Supernatural
Rating: 2.5 Stars

NOTICE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Greatest Terrors

Elizabeth Gaines Ellis is an ordinary suburban wife and mother. That's what she tells herself as she flits between her realtor job, yoga class, and caring for her daughter, Chloe. But for months now, Elizabeth has worried that she's far from normal…that she's somehow the cause of a series of brutal, horrible deaths.

Are The Ones

Her mean-spirited boss. A bullying traffic cop. Her cheating husband. Elizabeth had reason to be angry with them all. She didn't mean for them to die. No one will take her fears seriously--except the private investigator prying into her past. . .

Too Close To See

The more scared and angry Elizabeth becomes, the higher the death toll grows. But those who wrong her aren't the only ones in danger. Because others have secrets too, and a relentless urge to kill without mercy or remorse…

I've read many thrillers by Lisa Jackson over the years, so I was eager to read her latest. I'm not familiar with Nancy Bush.

Unlike all previous Lisa Jackson books (that I've read), this one deviated from the formula a bit. Quite a few characters had special "gifts." The supernatural element seemed strange at times any time talk of Siren's Song was mentioned. In it lived a house full of women with gifts. Elizabeth comes to learn that she is related to them.

I'm not one for supernatural books, so I wasn't as into this as most people will probably be. I was expecting another hair-raising thriller from Lisa and this book just didn't fit that bill.

Also, there were a lot of loose ends and important details left out of the book. It was never explained who the killer really was in relation to Elizabeth in terms of where they first met. It was mentioned that they went to high school together, but never if they interacted or anything of that nature. There wasn't a lot that convinced me the killer's unnatural obsession with Elizabeth made sense.

The final chapter was also very rocky. It felt like the authors were trying to throw in a bunch of details at the end, and rather than write them out, occurrences were almost in bullet-points. Strange.

TTT: Top 5 Debuts of 2015

From the Broke & the Bookish
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Top 5 Debuts of 2015!
1. Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay - Hasn’t everyone wondered what if? One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride.

2. Like It Never Happened by Emily Adrian - Can you say theatre-themed book?

3. Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira - When Phoebe finds out that Dev, the hottest guy in the clarinet section, might actually have a crush on her, she turns to her favorite books for advice. I was totally a band geek who played clarinet AND brought a book to slumber parties, much to the chagrin of my friends. lol.

4. Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper - I've gone. I've never seen the water, so I've gone there. I will try to remember to come back. Etta's greatest unfulfilled wish, living in the rolling farmland of Saskatchewan, is to see the sea. And so, at the age of eighty-two she gets up very early one morning, takes a rifle, some chocolate, and her best boots, and begins walking the 2,000 miles to water.

5. When Reason Breaks by Cindy L Rodriguez - Two different teens struggling with trauma come together over their love of Emily Dickinson. Emily's poetry has gotten me through a few hard times too, especially this one.

The Charlotte Chronicles by Jen Frederick

The Charlotte Chronicles
by Jen Frederick
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Published by: All Night Reads - December 8, 2014
Genre: N/A, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars

Charlotte and Nathan were supposed to be forever. They grew up together. Their families were intertwined. Charlotte was Nathan's first love. Nathan was Charlotte's first everything.

Until they weren't.

How do you hold on to the person you know in your heart you are supposed to be with when everything and everyone in the universe is telling you it's over?

How many times does a heart break?
When is enough…..enough?
How long is forever?

I've had a hard time rating this novel. I have to be honest and say that with 25% left in the book, I stopped reading. It wasn't because the writing was bad or even the story. It just went on too darn long. It was obvious what was going to happen during the last quarter of the book and I didn't feel like reading a dragged-out version of it.

Another issue that I had was that the turmoil that broke Charlotte and Nate apart as teenagers really wasn't that bad. I get that he was embarrassed but was that any reason to run off to the Navy and not speak to Charlotte for 9 years? Probably not. I also didn't like the new Navy Nate that showed up 9 years later. Being controlling isn't romantic or enticing to me.

I know I wrote quite a few dislikes, but although this wasn't the right book for me, I don't want to discourage others from reading it. I think a lot of other New Adult lovers will really like it, angsty saga and all.

White Nights by TT Kove

White Nights
by TT Kove
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Published by: Less Than Three Press - January 14, 2015
Genre: LGBT, M/M, Romance, Novella
Rating: 3 Stars

Radimir has loved Aleksandr for more than a decade. Long convinced that Aleksandr will never love him in return, however, he has spent the years drifting from bed to bed, unable to settle when what he really wants is out of reach. And has been all the more out of reach since an impulsive, ultimately disastrous night together while out hiking. And will definitely be forever gone when Aleksandr returns to St. Petersburg.

Aleksandr wishes he could forget the night he gave in to a long-held desire for his friend, but more than anything he wishes that one night had led to so much more. But Radimir is a player, and Aleksandr doesn't want to be simply another conquest.

Then family turmoil strikes Aleksandr hard, and he realizes the stability he's always wanted was there all along...

Being a novella, the story wasn't too in-depth, but I definitely felt the author's attempt at revealing the back story of the two friends-turned-lovers.

Radimir, a player, and Aleksandr, a perpetual pessimist, have missed their chance to be together for years because they were each afraid that the other didn't reciprocate their love. Radimir lost himself in other men, trying to forget Lesya (Aleksandr) and the other man practically lived like a monk.

Although the story is short, I was happy to finish reading it all the way through. The secondary story is the love story between the boys' mothers.

The only thing I'm confused about is the title, although it looks like it's book 4 in the "Arctic" series. . .

If you're looking for a short, quick m/m romance, pick this one up.