Carries Book Reviews

Traitor
Alyson Santos
Publication date: June 6th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

They may be refugees but Andie Sorenson never chose to flee when government forces abduct her to the “safety” of a military-operated compound. Caught in an ugly civil war no one understands, she’s now a number, a uniform, her future reduced to three stale meals a day with the strangers who share her fate. She’s nothing, no one—until a random act of compassion and an electric smile turn her prison into a refuge.

It’s his eyes, his heart, his beautiful soul drowning in an ocean of secrets. Lance Corporal Kaleb Novelli is an enigma, but with each plunge through another layer, Andie finds herself captured in a way she never imagined. She knows they have no future. They can’t even have a present, but that doesn’t stop her heart from committing to a man she can never have. The only one she trusts in this battle of lies and manipulation.

But they’ve found their paradise in hell, and she can’t shake the feeling that Kaleb Novelli is not just a player. He’s the game.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

His teasing smile plunges through me, settling low, hot and pulsating. It’s a dangerous offer, because soon, I’m on his lap, grasping his hair, claiming his mouth before he can change his mind. Our kiss intensifies, and my brain surrenders to instinct. It wants more, weeks of imagination straining for release. I want to own the smile that melts me, the eyes that haunt me, the compassion that transforms me.

He braces his hands on my back, and I gasp at the flames ripping through my veins. My groan leaks out when he hardens beneath me, and my body instinctively tries to pull him in. God, he feels so good, tastes so good. He’s infinite. There is no enough of this man. There are too many layers, and each one leaves me aching for the next.

I grip the collar of his shirt as he tugs at my hem. Fabric can be damn frustrating, and I’m desperate to fight through it. I want it all: mind, body, and soul, but he pulls

back. Eyes clenched, captivating in that moment—overwhelming—I can’t bear the pain of the separation about to come. I’m already suffering the chill of the space between us. I breathe in my own recovery while he hauls himself together, but I don’t object. I care about him too much to make his battle unbearable with a direct assault on his will. I know his struggle against feelings he’s not supposed to have. A relationship he’s not allowed to have. I already broke my promise and won’t cause more agony for the man I’m terrified I’m coming to love.

It takes all my strength to distance myself when he can’t break us apart this time. His expression mirrors my heart, anguish and relief, as I round the corner of his desk to lean on a safer side. Our eyes lock through the gap, both of us aware of what happened, and all the reasons why it shouldn’t have.

Author Bio:

I’m a writer, musician, and cat lover. I also have an alternative music obsession. Seriously, it’s a real problem.

I write what needs to come out, whether it’s pain, tears, or laughter. I write people and relationships, about the beauty and horror of what we do to ourselves and each other. I write Love. Vengeance. Compassion. Cruelty. Trust. Betrayal. Forgiveness. Darkness, and the incredible way humans destroy and heal each other.

I like to eradicate barriers, refusing to be confined by the laws of physics or limitations of reality. I will befriend a vast population of possibilities and introduce them in ways that might surprise you.

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Two Sisters by Kerry Wilkinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Megan is at school when she gets a visit from the police which she knows can’t be good. They have come to inform her that her parents have been involved in an automobile accident and did not survive. Megan is speechless and doesn’t know how to take the news having barely known her parents with always being sent off to schools, camps or anything to get her out of the way over the years.

Ten years before the family had been closer and were spending time at their cottage in the small town of Whitecliff when Megan’s brother Zach had disappeared. There was never a body found but it had been assumed that Zach had drowned. Now after her parents deaths Megan receives a postcard from Whitecliff that is signed with a simple Z. Needing to visit the house that she and her younger sister now own Megan gets her sister Chloe and they pack up for a visit to Whitecliff after all these years hoping to find some answers.

The first thing I would want to mention about Two Sisters is that Megan seems to suffer from an eating disorder. There wasn’t a mention of that in the official synopsis so if this would bother some readers I thought it should be brought to their attention. It became fairly obvious in the book when Megan showed a compulsion to checking calories in everything around her and continues throughout the book but isn’t really addressed.

Now with the mystery in this book I would have to say that part of that reveal I had actually guessed fairly early on in the read but this is because it reminded me of a television show I had watched. Even with guessing some things though I still enjoyed Megan’s investigating and found there were several twists and turns that added to my guess and made this an interesting read in the end.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Hello Readers! Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Right, Text Wrong Number

by Natalie Decker

presented by Swoon Romance!

Be on the look out for this upcoming title!

What do you think of the cover?

High school juniors Layla and Tyler are complete opposites. Sure she’s a cheerleader and he’s a football player, but she thinks he’s the biggest jerk in the school and he thinks she is too high on her horse to even be worth of a second glance from him. And when the two of them are near one another, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. They are NOT interested in speaking to one another, let alone date.

But when Layla unknowingly sends Tyler a smack-down text meant for the girl sending naked photos to her then-boyfriend, Adam, Tyler has no idea it’s Layla and decides to play along. After all, Tyler cannot resist messing with the pissed off girl firing off texts about junk pictures, cheating, and girl code.

As the fallout from Adam’s sexting scandal plays out in front of the entire school, Tyler and Layla secretly continue to text one another using fake names. But as days and weeks pass, things take a turn for the serious between them, and suddenly, their texts mean more. They both begin to consider revealing their true identity to the other and taking the relationship from texts to dates, then kissing and maybe more.

They say there’s a thin line between love and hate. Can reality live up to the fantasy, or will Layla and Tyler be forever offsides?

Right Text, Wrong Number

by Natalie Decker

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Publication Date: July 11, 2017

Available for Pre-order:

Amazon

Natalie Decker is the author of the bestselling YA series RIVAL LOVE and NA Scandalous Boys Series. She loves oceans, sunsets, sand between her toes, and carefree days. Her imagination is always going, which some find odd. But she believes in seeing the world in a different light at all times. Avid reader of everything. She’s a huge Denver Broncos fan, loves football, and fuzzy blankets. She’s a mean cook in the kitchen, loves her family and friends and misses her awesome dog infinity times infinity. If she’s not writing, reading, traveling, hanging out with her family and friends, then she’s off having an adventure. Because Natalie believes in a saying: Your life is your own journey, so make it amazing!

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Hello Readers! Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Submerge (Mer Chronicles #2)

by Tobie Easton

presented by Month9Books!

Be on the look out for this upcoming YA title!

What do you think of the cover?

Now that Lia and Clay’s love has broken the Little Mermaid’s curse, everything has changed. Will Lia’s family remain on land, leading the only life she and her sisters have ever known, or will they move below the waves, to the sparkling new capital city? Lia is adamant about staying on land with Clay for her senior year. But at Melusine and her father’s trial, new revelations threaten what Lia holds most dear.

The verdict will shake Lia’s whole world, calling into question her future with Clay, her feelings for Caspian, and the fate of all Merkind. As she wonders who to trust, Lia sets out on a treacherous path that will lead her away from her sheltered Malibu home to a remote and mysterious school for Mermaids—Mermaids who may hold the secret to ancient magic Lia can use to either get back all she’s lost or to embark on a thrilling and dangerous journey.

Submerge (Mer Chronicles #2)

by Tobie Easton

Publication Date: September 12, 2017

Publisher: Month9Books

Google Play | Amazon | TBD | B&N

Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books on www.TobieEaston.com.

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Falling for Dante
DJ Hunnam
(A Clean Slate Novel, #2)
Publication date: May 31st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Romance

I fell for my brother’s best friend when I was just a kid. He broke my heart one unforgettable night at a frat house party. Now he’s back and ready for another shot. There’s just one problem. I’m damaged goods.

I’m a demon… on and off the football field.. The only thing I like more than scoring touchdowns is scoring with the ladies. When my best friend’s little sister begs me to take her virginity, I’m not surprised. Erica has had a crush on me since she was an awkward fourteen-year-old. So I do what any man would.

I reject her.

Fast-forward five years and Erica has blossomed into one irresistible woman. Too bad she still hates my guts. Convincing her to give me another chance might be the hardest play I’ve ever had to execute. But I’m willing to give it the old college try.

I’m a fool… for falling for Dante. He stole the playbook to my heart when I was just a kid, and has been running defense with his ever since.

I offered him everything. My heart. My soul. My body. His rejection propelled me into a world where my innocence was the price for admission.

Now I’m running scared. From my past. From my present. From the feelings that Dante stirs up every time he’s around. It’s only a matter of time before I trip and fall into the arms of the only man I’ve ever loved. But will the fall come at a premium my heart can’t afford?

Falling for Dante is a full-length, second-chance romance. It contains steamy scenes with a ton of heat and strong language intended for mature audiences.

Drowning in Talon and Faking It with Damian occur before Falling for Dante. All three can be read as standalone novels. Falling for Dante does contain some spoilers for Faking It.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“I didn’t pick her. I picked you.”

His words were like a tuning fork and my body was humming. With his bottom lip tugged between his teeth, he patted the spot next to him. I considered bolting, because I was completely out of my element. I had to remind myself that I came to California for a reason. And attending the Stanford homecoming game had only been the excuse.

I slumped down beside him and caught a whiff of Ivory soap and the heady scent I’d associated with masculinity ever since Dante had breezed into my life four years ago. His hand dropped to my shoulder and I tried to shift away, but he pulled me closer with a gentle squeeze.

“Did you enjoy the game?”

“Yeah. You played really well. But you don’t need me to tell you that.” Watching Dante dominate the football field, front row in a stadium filled with captivated fans had been nothing short of a spiritual experience.

His full, sensual lips lifted into a broad smile. “Maybe you’re the only one I want to impress.”

“Please. You have screaming fans and scouts to impress. I can’t imagine I register high up on your list.”

“If I had a list, you’d be the only one on it.”

Was he drunk? I perused his face for the truth. In all the years we’d known each other, Dante had never flirted so openly. Putting my plan into action might be easier than I had anticipated. I grabbed the red cup out of his hand and downed the lukewarm beer before he could stop me.

“Babe, slow down. I don’t want you to get sick.”

“You’re as bad as my brother. I’m not a child anymore.”

“No. You. Are. Not,” Dante said, his eyes caressing every inch of my body. My face warmed under his inspection.

“Are you flirting with me?”

A low rumble vibrated up his chest, and he threw his head back to laugh. I wanted to trail my tongue up his neck and across the stubble peppering his chin. Would it tickle or scrape my tongue raw?

“And if I am?”

“Then you must have a death wish,” I said, only half-joking.

He reached over and rubbed a strand of my hair between two fingers. My breath caught in my throat. He wasn’t even touching me, but liquid, hot lust boiled between my legs. “I’m not scared of your big bad brother.”

“Well, you seem to be the only one. Every guy here is avoiding me like I have the plague and not one person is willing to give me a drink.”

“Come on, let’s get you a beer,” Dante said as he pulled me to my feet.

“Really?”

“Sure.”

Something told me I was going to need all the liquid courage I could get, and I trailed after him, his firm hand wrapped around mine.

Author Bio:

First introduced to the genre by her grandmother, DJ Hunnam is an author with a true love for great romance novels. After reading hundreds of them over the last twenty years, she finally decided to put pen to paper and craft her own. She loves to write about strong heroines who fall in love with sexy heroes, while tackling real-world problems.

When she isn’t writing, you might find her curled up with a book, chasing her two wild sons, or pursuing her own HEA with her husband of ten years. She’s a sucker for dark chocolate, a good bottle of Malbec, and a sexy six-pack.

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