Book Review – Conviction

Story (4 out of 5)                               Hottness (5 out of 5)

                                  

Book Description

She was mine. Our love, unquestioned. Our futures planned. But she didn’t show. All that we had, all that we meant, and after all that was said, she just didn’t show. That one act changed everything, but it especially changed me and from that moment on, there was no going back. No words of love, no whispered promises, just sex and drugs and rock and roll. No one gets a piece of Reed, but what they will get is the night of their life, the chance to let go, break their own rules and enjoy the best, the dirtiest, filthiest sex ever… along with the other four people in my bed.

I thought he loved me, I believed everything he said, every promise that he made but then, when I needed him more than I’d needed anyone in my life, and when I was at my most vulnerable, he let me down. He chose to take a different path and leave me to pick up the pieces of my now broken life. I was changed forever and chose the easy option letting others take charge of my destiny, until, once again, I’m let down in the cruellest of ways.

Dirty filthy sex. Love. Heartbreak. Betrayal. High emotion and angst.
Everything and more that you would expect from a Lesley Jones novel.
Conviction is a stand alone novel, which contains adult content. Tissues may be required… For many reasons.

Amazon.com

Review

Conviction is the first book I’ve read by Lesley Jones and I will definitely be picking up the rest of her books ASAP! This one was definitely a page turner. I started this book in the morning and ignored my life into the evening until I read the very last page. I was taken on an angsty and emotional roller coaster of a second chance at love.

Within the first 7% of the book, my jaw had dropped and I was reaching for a much needed glass of water. Rock god, Connor Reed is a naughty boy with a predilection for making the rules and being in charge. He likes to push people beyond the limits they set out for themselves. We get to see the softer side of him when the one that got away 15 years ago falls back into his life.

Book Review – Wicked White

Story (2 out of 5)                               Hottness (3 out of 5)

                                                  

Book Description

After his mother dies, rock star Ace White—lead singer of the red-hot band Wicked White—is done with the celebrity game. The phony people, the meaningless one-night stands: he doesn’t want any of it anymore. Quitting in the middle of a sold-out tour, Ace sets out to find some place—any place—where he can be alone.

Aspiring singer Iris Easton’s life has never been easy. First, her mother walked out on her when she was a kid. Now she’s buried in debt, weeks after losing her beloved grandmother. When a mysterious and sexy new guy moves in next door, Iris can’t help but be drawn to his soulful gaze. She can tell there’s something from his past haunting him—something he’s not telling her.

Just as Ace starts falling for Iris, the media go on a worldwide hunt to find the missing rocker. Will true love conquer all, or will the truth be the very thing that tears the couple apart?

Amazon.com

Review

I love a good rock star romance. Unfortunately, Wicked White fell pretty flat for me. The characters were OK. Ace and Iris share similar hopes and dreams, painful childhood memories, and recent losses in their families. As Ace says, they’re kindred spirits. That should make them perfect for each other. And BOOM goes the insta-love. I give Valentine credit for acknowledging the fast love by having Iris question the swiftness of her feelings, but it doesn’t deter her from falling even deeper.

So it’s at this point that I got a bit lost in the hubbub of the story. They’re both single adults looking for someone to care about since their only remaining family is gone. I get that. And I also get that there is an undeniable attraction that immediately sparks between them. I was really on board with this story. Then all of a sudden the story starts dragging, they start spouting love and Shakespeare, and make plans to stay hidden away from life together. Throw in some neighbor drama, a few thrown fists, miscommunication, and stubbornness and there you have it.

I was hoping to get more of his reconnection to the band once he returns to the spotlight. But we don’t see that and it made me lose my sympathy towards him. His need to constantly hide and avoid his responsibilities was understandable after the tragedy he struggled to cope with. However, his avoidance of Iris puts him solidly in the a-hole column. If their reconnection was more of a struggle, I could have appreciated the realistic qualities of the story. However, insta-love tends to go hand-in-hand with insta-forgiveness.

This story sadly left me unsatisfied and the cheesy incorporation of Shakespeare made it over the top sappy. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good literary quote, but there weren’t enough scenes or conversations supporting Ace’s love of literature to make his quotes appear seamless and free flowing. Instead I felt like they held him back and made their lovemaking a study in Shakespearean literature and not their emotional connection. Speaking of lovemaking- I may have yawned while reading them. That’s never a good sign.

If you were looking for a stereotypical bad boy macho rock star covered in tattoos and delicious bad behavior, then this is not the book for you. Ace is a Shakespeare quoting philosopher with slight anger management issues, whose dream is to break away from pop rock and embrace the indie artist within. If that’s your thing and insta-love makes you insta-happy, then read away! If not, feel free to give this book a pass.

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Click the book covers below to see them on Amazon.com

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Click on the cover below to see another book by Michelle A. Valentine that I reviewed.

Book Review – Last Second Chance

Story (4 out of 5)                               Hottness (4 out of 5)

                                   

Book Description

With her shiny new degree from Texas A&M and her love of horses from growing up on a ranch, Stella Jo Chandler finds herself the newest employee at the Second Chance Ranch celebrity rehab facility. Her goal was to help people even if it had to be spoiled celebrities. How hard could that be?

She didn’t expect to be sucked into infamous rocker Van Ransom’s world. As a three-time rehab drop out, this isn’t Van’s first rodeo, but it is his last second chance to avoid completely destroying his life and he’ll need Stella’s help if he hopes to accomplish that.

Review

This is the first book I’ve read by Caisey Quinn and I’m glad I read it! It was fun to read a book that stepped out of the normal lead singer rock star story – giving us a deeply troubled man struggling with addiction in a world surrounded by temptations being thrown in his face – booze, drugs, and groupies.

His salvation comes in the form of a recent grad starting her new life with a new job at a rehab center in Texas. One look at her and he swore he was either cursed or saved. Their journey of personal discovery with the mutual need to need have someone holding them together brings them closer to something they never thought they would have – love and acceptance.

I really enjoyed this story. It stepped out of the rock star story box, had really hot and steamy sex scenes, and gave me a great and satisfying HEA. I love stories with characters who overcome their darkness but are realistic enough to know that the struggle is forever and “overcoming” really means finding a way to handle what life throws at them. I do think that Van’s struggle didn’t seem very realistic in that Quinn didn’t go into his detox or his coping at all. There was a bit about him opening up to his therapist, but it would have rounded out the story a little better to show just how hard the struggle to remain sober really is.

Overall, I’m really glad that I gave Quinn’s book a chance. I will definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.

Wino Wednesday – Old Moon

Wino Wednesday has graced us with her presence yet again! Thank Bacchus! Today I am pairing the delicious Old Moon Zinfandel with the action packed Five Weeks by Dannika Dark.

With aromas of black cherry and oak in combination with the tantalizing flavors of plum and vanilla, Old Moon Zinfandel leaves your taste buds completely satiated and begging for just one more drop. I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth and just plain yummy this wine is. I picked up a bottle of Old Moon Zin from Trader Joes for $5.99 (I know! Only $5.99). I am really glad I picked up this wine because the deepness of the flavors pairs so well with the depth of Jericho’s personality in Five Weeks.

Rocker and Shifter wolf Jericho Sexton Cole never thought he would see the fiery redhead again after she bailed on him five years ago. When he spotted her serving at a Shifter bar in his town, he couldn’t believe his eyes. She had been on his mind since the day she left him just as he had been on hers.

Izzy Monroe still felt the knife twisting in her heart from the day she caught Jericho with another woman. The last thing she needed was for him to prove her right that he was a jerk of a rocker looking to score, whether it’s drugs or women. However, as they become reacquainted they fall back into their long friendship and sparks start to fly.

[see the full review here]

Since you can’t taste the wine through the screen, here is a taste of the delectable Jericho in Five Weeks.

“Jericho didn’t have a mate, despite the two bombshells curled up next to him. He loved the ladies and loved them good…in bed. But outside the sheets, no woman had ever made his wolf pace restlessly. No woman had ever made him feel an inexplicable desire to behave irrationally, all for the sake of making her smile. No woman had ever made him want to be a better man, one who would spill blood to protect what he loved. No woman had ever incited the hunter in him. No woman had ever denied him.

Except one.”

Five Weeks, Dannika Dark

Grab yourself a glass of Old Moon Zinfandel and a copy of Dannika Dark’s Five Weeks and fall in love with Jericho Cole one sip and page at a time!

Happy reading and happy drinking, my friends! ❤

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Click on the images below for more information on how you can get a bottle of Old Moon Zinfandel  or a copy of Five Weeks.

                          

 

Wino Wednesday – Thorny Rose

It’s that day of the week again…Wino Wednesday! Today I am pairing the bright flavors of Thorny Rose Chardonnay with the delectable Rock It by Jennifer Chance.

With aromas of vanilla and juicy fruits, Thorny Rose Chardonnay offers fresh and fruity flavors of apples, pears, and bright citrusy layers. This zesty wine is the perfect accompaniment to the frisky Lacey Dawes, who is featured in Chance’s book, Rock It.

Junior talent agent Lacey Dawes had a crush on rocker Dante Falcone from the time she was a tween up until her twenties, when her crush turned more into a woman’s appreciation. When she finds herself in the position of his manager for a two week tour, she wonders if she is still living in her teen dreams.  She soon discovers that it’s not a dream, but her fantasies come to life as Dante takes more than a professional interest in her.

[see the full review here]

With Rock It in one hand and a glass of Thorny Rose Chardonnay in the other, you will be set for a delicious and satisfying Wino Wednesday!

Happy reading and happy drinking, my friends! ❤

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Click on the images below for more information on how you can get a bottle of Thorny Rose Chardonnay or a copy of Rock It.

                               

Book Review – Rock It

Story (4 out of 5)                       Hottness (4 out of 5)

                         

Book Description

As a junior talent agent at IMO Worldwide Media, Lacey Dawes is working hard to move her way up in the company. Though her job consists of coffee runs and editing, she is shocked when sexy rocker Dante Falcone requests that she be his interim manager during his upcoming two week tour.  Little does Dante know that Lacey is his number one fan since the beginning of his career as a young teen. As she struggles to put her tween crush behind her and remain professional, she cannot help but fall a little more in love with the rock god of her dreams.

Though Dante appreciates the love from all of his screaming fans, he is ready to step out of the starlight and get back to the music. When he sees Lacey for the first time, he knows that she will be a perfect distraction from his hectic tour life. Although she tries to hide behind her tight bun and business suits, Dante knows there is more to Lacey than the uptight professional that she projects…and he is more than willing to peel back the layers to find the passionate woman underneath.

Review

I really enjoyed reading Jennifer Chance‘s Rock It, which is the first book in her Rule Breakers series. Rock It was a sweet story about a girl’s dreams coming true. I loved that this book is every girl’s fantasy come to life where the celebrity of her dreams actually falls in love with her and finds her fan girl behaviors endearing. It was refreshing to read a book about a rock star that doesn’t come off like a complete asshole cursing and boozing without a care in the world. The smoking hot Dante Falcone is a rock star who is an absolute sweetie doing charity shows and looking out for little kids. Oh yea, and he is chiseled, musically talented, and the best kisser a girl could ask for…What’s not to love?