Even Money and Double Down by Alessandra Torre...... Review by Dawn

Sometimes it only takes a minute. A connection of eyes across a room, a quickened heartbeat, and everything changes.

I was a cocktail waitress with a fondness for partying and meaningless sex.

He owned half of Vegas, with the reputation to match.

I should have turned away. Instead, I stepped closer.

Then, the lies started.

Rumors spread.

Stalking commenced.

And someone died.

None of it stopped me from falling in love.

In Vegas, there was one man who was off limits. One man... and I fell for him. 

I knew there were risks. Still, I played the game. When Dario Capece called, I answered. When he beckoned, I came. When he broke all my rules, I looked the other way. 

I knew there were risks. I just never realized they included death. 

Dawn's Review

Bell, was a character that I loved... in the beginning.
Dario, was someone who bothered me, but then grew on me.
I really did enjoy this story and the second book Double Down as well.  I thought the plot was interesting and kept me engaged. I was far more interested in knowing more about Dario and Gwen at cretin points in the book. We did get the full story and I was really vested in their "marriage."  It was believable and made my heart heavy for poor old Gwen. I was really happy to see that she did love "Ranch hand Nick," see everyone was happy.
Now, with Bell's past and it being mentioned many times, when she felt uneasy, I was left saying 'GIRL, WHY ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO YOUR GUT?" I just thought since she had this "feeling" why did she ignore it. Of course, we are readers and we pick up on it, because we are getting the entire picture and have to wait on the character to "get it."
Dario, was truly a gentlemen, he treated Bell with respect and let he know right from the start that he was married and the reason for his wedding.  I believed him, I really did, he married Gwen, for her protection.  Dario and Bell, has amazing chemistry , sparks and super sexiness!
The supporting cast were FANTASTIC. I loved Lance and Rick, they were hilarious and so fiercely loyal to Bell.  Bell's roommates were fun to read about. Meredith and Bell, had me cracking up!
It is a dark read at times, kidnapping and rape are discussed, many times. I didn't mind the darker side of this story, as it was not a constant conversation.
The story did get a bit wordy at times, but other than those few things, I did really enjoy it.
The ending to Even Money, left us with a cliffhanger, I KNOW! But Alessandra, being the giver that she is, only made us wait a week for book 2, Double Down, so cliffy be damned!

The Double Down, picks right up where Even Money left us, with a dead body, but who's?

STOP READING THIS REVIEW.....SPOILER ALERT

 

So,  Bell lives.... and someone else is shot. I'm going to let you take a minute, before you go on...

Bell, lives and Gwen dies. I mean I saw that coming but it still was a shock. I believed Dario's pain, he lost his best friend, but his true love was in the very room, suppose to be dead. All of this leads to Dario, swiftly getting Bell out of Vegas and sending her to the only person/people he trusts. 

Things transpire between the local police, the feds and Gwen's father Hawk. Talk about a character that had zero redeeming qualities. I hated that man, like to his core. I was so happy when he died. I took a minute to let myself enjoy his death, although it was a bit rushed, I needed Hawk to suffer...A lot.
Dario and Bell, still had the same chemistry and they were brought even closer with the constant threat of who wanted Bell dead. Even with Hawk, gone the threat was still there.
The dark underlying topic in this story was Hawk's penchant for kidnapping young women and breaking them.  The FBI was on the trail with Dario's help. This played out and was a huge part of the book and sometimes I felt a little uninterested. I didn't have a connection to these victims, and I was glad for that, because this story had enough players to keep up with. 

I love that this was left a bit open ended. Not everything was wrapped up and that is exciting! This duo is worth the read and you will enjoy it. Alessandra, tells a story that is steamy, drama filled and always with her tendency to go a little twisted.  

4 Stars for Even Money and Double Down by Alessandra Torre

Honest Review based on book provided by NetGalley

Arden: An Undercover Billionaire Novel... Review by Dawn ....SPOILER

No one would guess that dedicated teacher Arden Forbes is a billionaire. His profession gives him a purpose that wealth alone can’t provide. He’s developing another passion, too, for Keera Thompson, the new principal. She’s beautiful, enigmatic, guarded, and—after a series of violent school break-ins—in need of protection. And Arden is eager to supply it. But what he wants most is to unearth the mysteries that surround her.

After a troubling past, Keera thought she’d be safe in this sleepy town and that she’d never be shaken again. Yet nothing has unsettled Keera more than her desire for Arden—honorable, gorgeous, and available when she craves him. But despite their explosive chemistry, when it comes to letting Arden in, Keera has her limits…and her secrets.

As the threats escalate, Keera fears that everything she’s been running from is closing in, and there’s only one man to trust. But will the truth drive Arden away…or will it bring the two closer than ever before?

Dawn's Review

This is the second book in this "standalone" series by Melody Anne and I will have to say that, it is not a favorite.  




Arden, was perfectly likable and sweet, but he did not leave a lasting impression on me. I sort of felt like this was a filler book so we could get to meet the rest of the brothers, that will get books. I'm excited for Owen and Declan's books, at least they were more memorable. 




Keera, was the same amount of excitement.  She had a bad past with a dead brother, dead beat drug lord father, mom died, just a lot of things that had potential, but yet, her biggest fear was falling for Arden? OH-KAY!?!

I often have issues with second book in a series or in a standalone, connected characters stories. This was just not my cuppa.




This story just fell flat for me, especially with Ethan, being the bad guy. Who didn't see that coming from a mile away? The step brother/half brother thing was literally the only twist. I finished it and was glad that I did, but just for the reason that I want to know who's book is next. 
















3 Clock for Arden by Melody Ann



Honest Review based on book provided by NetGalley

Ace of Hearts by Chantal Fernando ......Review by Dawn

The New York Times bestselling author of the “swoonworthy and addicting” (Kim Karr, New York Times bestselling author) Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series is back with more bad boy bikers in this first novel in the Cursed Ravens Motorcycle Club series.

Erin Dawson had the perfect life growing up in a perfect home with a perfect family. Her parents gave her and her sister everything a child could want. But after learning that the man she’s called “dad” her whole life isn’t actually her biological father, Erin is determined to find the man who is.

Armed with her original birth certificate, she finds her father, but begins questioning if her mom had been right all along to keep this information buried. It turns out he is the president of a motorcycle club, which could not be further from the life Erin leads. But, she’s determined to get to know the man who she gets her striking blue eyes from. Despite getting what she wants and finding her biological father, it’s the slightly older, much rougher but incredibly sexy biker Ace that catches Erin’s eye.

As the new “princess” of the Cursed Ravens, Erin is learning a whole new world, but her father has made it clear she is off limits. Will Ace follow his President’s orders or will he put his heart ahead of his duty? A sizzling tale of family and passion,

Dawn's Review

This is the first Chantal Fernando book that I have ever read and..... I'M A FAN!!!!
I really enjoyed that we didn't have to wait for the story to be drawn out. Right from the get go we meet Erin, and know immediately why she has shown up on the door step of The Cursed Ravens MC. Erin, is on a mission to meet the father that she never knew was her biological father. She never knew the man that raised her was not her "bio dad." Family secrets have created this meeting and now Erin, is stepping into a world she knows nothing about. Meeting an man that could easily turn her away and crush her. Little did she know that day, she would be meeting two men that could crush her. 
Ace, is taken with Erin, as soon as he lays eyes on her. This urge to protect her form the eyes of his fellow Ravens is powerful. But, at what cost? She is the newly crowned Princess and is off limits and he is a solider in her father's MC. Rules and consequences be damned, when they collide nothing matters. 
This is a GREAT BOOK! I loved it. I loved that is was not a slow burn book, but also not an insta love story. The story flow was fantastic and the timeline was believable. I often get caught up in the little details and it casts a small black cloud on the book for me. Nope, not this one. 

There was the right amount of sexiness, mystery and angst. I would have loved for it to be a little longer, but that is the greedy reader in me, wanting more of Ace and Erin! 

5 Clocks for Ace of Hearts
by Chantal Fernando 

Thank you.

I sit here and realize that I have been blogging now for 5 years! I can not believe it, it seems like its only been a minute since I launched Up All Night Reading, it's what I do and my blog, Abibliophobia: Reading It's What I Do.

I LOVE what I do, I mean it I LOVE IT! Finding one's passion at the ripe old age of 40, was the best thing to happen to me. I am happier, I am invested in others and I am SMARTER! I know that may sound strange, but it isn't. I have become this person who is obsessed with words, their meaning and most importantly their power. I love learning... who would have ever thought that I, would love to learn?
I adore the book community that I am apart of. The people I have met, I will always keep as friends. They are my kindred spirits, we get it, even if no one else does.
The author's that I have met and worked for, I admire and love. I have become friends with a few of them and I am honored to call them "my friends." I have met almost every author that I could ever imagine meeting. From HUGE industry mega authors, to the Indie author, putting her first book out. I am equally proud to support each and everyone of you.
I just posted my 442 review on my blog. This is not a BIG number, but considering I have been doing this as a 1 woman team for the last 3 years, I am happy with that number.
This is a post to say "THANK YOU" to my friends, family and dare I say "fans?" Kidding!!!! To those of you that follow my pages and take the time to purchase the books that I recommend, I, Thank you.
People, find your passion. Find what makes you happy. There is an entire world out there waiting on YOU to grab your slice.
I plan on doing some sort of giveaway between now and my birthday in July. So stay tuned.
Thank you all so much and I LOVE YOU!

Riven by Roan Parrish.... Review by Dawn

~Riven~

Theo Decker might be the lead singer of Riven, but he hates being a rock star. The paparazzi, the endless tours, being recognized everywhere he goes—it all makes him squirm. The only thing he doesn’t hate is the music. Feeling an audience’s energy as they lose themselves in Riven’s music is a rush unlike anything else . . . until he meets Caleb Blake Whitman. Caleb is rough and damaged, yet his fingers on his guitar are pure poetry. And his hands on Theo? They’re all he can think about. But Caleb’s no groupie—and one night with him won’t be enough.
 Just when Caleb is accepting his new life as a loner, Theo Decker slinks into it and turns his world upside-down. Theo’s sexy and brilliant and addictively vulnerable, and all Caleb wants is another hit. And another. That’s how he knows Theo’s trouble. Caleb can’t even handle performing these days. How the hell is he going to survive an affair with a tabloid superstar? But after Caleb sees the man behind the rock star, he begins to wonder if Theo might be his chance at a future he thought he’d lost forever.

Dawn's Review

This is my first Roan Parrish book and I was impressed. I had applied for this book back in February and received it and forgot what the story was about, I love going into a story blind. So, I really liked Caleb and Theo as individuals as well as a couple.  I enjoyed that there was a courtship and not insta love. This is an emotionally charged story. Caleb, you feel his pain and fear of relapsing. His sobriety is his number one priority. He has cut himself off the world , as he thinks this is the only way to keep the drugs at bay.  It is actually quite heartbreaking to read, the desperation is very believable,
And Theo, the reluctant Rock Star. He loves the music and the creating it, but hates the notoriety that comes with it. He is not really close with his band mates and doesn't really give them a chance to get to know him. Theo, escapes when he is with Caleb. He forgets the fame and just feels and his feelings run deep for our, brooding Caleb.
This story works in many ways, it is sweet and loving. It has a bit  of a "what do I do with my life?" as an underlying topic. There are many things that I think readers will gravitate to and enjoy. 

I am not a real big fan of sugary sweet romance and this had that at times. The beginning was a 
little slow paced and a bit wordy. But all in all this is an enjoyable and well thought out story. 

4 Clocks for Riven

Book Provided by NetGalley for

honest review. 

Knocked Up by Stacey Lynn ....... review by Dawn

First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes baby in a baby carriage. Just not necessarily in that order. . . .

 

Braxton: I should probably be dead or in jail right now. Instead, thanks to some tough love, I worked my ass off and now I own a string of tattoo parlors throughout the Pacific Northwest. And yet the one thing I’ve always wanted—a family—still seems out of reach. When my best friend gets married, I’m just hoping to blow off some steam with the super-hot maid of honor. But after Cara Thompson tracks me down to tell me she’s pregnant, she’s more surprised than I am when I tell her I’m all in.

 

Cara: For the first time in my life, I’m living for myself—not for my parents and their ridiculous expectations. I gave up on my MBA, dropped out of the Ivy League, and moved to Portland to pursue my dream of becoming an artist. And what’s the first thing I do? Get knocked up. For a tatted-up sex god, Braxton Henley seems way too eager to “be there for me.” Is this guy serious? Maybe. He sure is patient. Because he won’t back down until I admit what I know in my heart: that our one night stand might’ve led me to the one.

Dawn's Review

This is my first Stacey Lynn read and well, I am a fan. I really enjoyed this book so much. You get the title right from the start. No waiting around on the story to play out, we get it from page 1. I appreciate that, because too often the story gets dragged out with the leading lady trying to prove she can do all things alone. Nope, not this one, Cara needs help even if she does not want to admit it and Braxton, is having none of it.  

Cara and Braxton work so well together. The chemistry is off the charts. Their one night stand, was believable and the out come, I bought it as well.

The story had a beautiful flow to it. It was never hard to follow or keep up with. It tugs at your heart and you are rooting for these two people to make it.  Two people who are determined to make up for the mistake that happened, but never treating it like it was a mistake. They are in it for their baby, no matter the cost. 

The supporting cast are fun as well, and you even hate a few of them, just the way I like it. 

I am a fan of Ms. Lynn, now and I am looking forward to reading her past and future works.




5 Clocks for Knocked Up 

I received this ARC for my honest review 

from NetGalley