In the Crease The Assassins Series by Toni Aleo

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Jensen Monroe is a unicorn. As handsome as any model, as polite as can be, a goalie of unmatched skill, and the best friend anyone could ask for. But he longs for a particular special someone to make his life complete. He’s been in love with Wren since he was a teenager, but as his best friend’s sister, she’s always been off-limits.

Wren Lemiere has prided herself on being a love ’em and leave ’em girl her whole life. She’s all about equal opportunity in the battle of the sexes. Why should guys like her brother and his best friends get to be the only ones allowed to play the dating game? One wrong move, however, and she finds herself in violation of her own rules.

In need of a fake husband and baby daddy for her unexpected bundle of joy, Wren finally accepts Jensen is the logical one to ask for help. Except he has a counteroffer…one with so many strings attached, they may just find themselves wrapped up in ties that bind. Forever.

Brie snickered as Vaughn went on. “I know this is going to be hard. Like, really hard on you. But, buddy, I’m sorry to say, we bought a house.”
Jensen just stared back at him. “Okay? Why is this hard?”
“Because you’re not moving with us.”
He rolled his eyes. “Jo, we haven’t lived together for six months since you moved in with Brie.”
“I know, but we were across the hall.”
Jensen laughed. “I’ll be fine without you guys—”
“Now, I know this comes as a shock, but we’re having a baby, and we need space for us and the baby.”
“I know—”
“Now, Jenny, I know this is going to be difficult, putting space between us—”
“You know we lived apart for years, right?”
But Vaughn went on. “Just know I will always and forever love you as my brother, and nothing will change. Not the space, the new ball and chain, or the baby.”
“Are you done?”
Brie apparently thought this was hilarious since she was basically choking she was laughing so hard. Which wasn’t anything new. Vaughn might be an idiot, but he was a funny one. As always, Vaughn was unaffected as he said, “We’ll never be done, Jenny, never.”
“Okay,” Jensen said, rolling his eyes again. “Listen, this is awesome. I’m happy for you guys, and let me know when we need to start moving stuff.”
“You’re such a good man,” Vaughn proclaimed before clapping his hands together. “This weekend good for you?”
Laughing, he just shook his head at Vaughn’s antics. “Yeah, man.”
“Thanks, Jensen.”
He smiled over at Brie. “Anytime.”
Rolling his eyes, he went back to eating as a grin played on his lips. He wanted nothing more than for his friend to grow and be in love. Brie was that for Vaughn. They were moving and having a kid, and it was great. Vaughn needed that. So did Wells, who was getting married the following month. Both his best friends were living life, happily and to its fullest. Meanwhile, Jensen was stuck.
He didn’t know how it happened, or even why, but it had. He wasn’t interested in anyone he met, and he didn’t just want to fuck around. He wanted someone to love him for him. The quiet, weird guy in the corner. The one who would lay down his life for anyone he loved. He had redeemable qualities, but for some reason, no one wanted them. They just wanted to have sex.
He didn’t want Netflix and chill; he wanted Netflix and breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and more.
Hmm, he should copyright that.
Taking a huge bite of his chicken, he felt his phone start to vibrate. He pulled it out, seeing that it was a text from Wren, as he chewed. Like always when she texted him, his heart sped up, and his palms went clammy as a lump formed in his throat. Or maybe that was the chicken, he wasn’t sure. Either way, he slid the notification over so that his text thread with her opened up before he read her message.
Wren: Are you free anytime this week?

My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.
… and did I mention I love hockey?

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Flutter by Olivia Evans.... review by Dawn

Dylan Walker has spent six years trying to move on from the loss of his girlfriend, Presley Cooper. Motivated by grief and the desire to do for others what he couldn’t do for her, he burns the candle at both ends to make it through medical school. After graduation he moves west, putting as much distance as possible between his past and his present.




Or so he thought.




Unknowingly, Dylan has been set on a path that will destroy everything he thought he knew. All the pain, all the grief, was all for nothing. With the help of an unexpected ally, Dylan must find the answers and save the girl he loves before it’s too late.




Deceit.




Betrayal.




Revenge.




A second chance at love.




But first, he must find a way to make her remember her past. Remember him. Remember everything.

Olivia Evans is a new to me author and I am now a fan. Flutter is such a great story, there is no real build up making you wait to chapter after chapter, she dives right in. The story of Dylan and Presley is gut wrenching.  You can feel the love and loss of both collectively and separate. This struggle has propelled Dylan to enter the field of psychiatry. Thinking if he can help just one person it will ease his pain. Determined to make up for missing the signs Presley had to be showing, his mission is clear... Help prevent suicide. 

For Presley, I have to believe that Ms.Evans understood the care she had to take writing her. The tenderness, the guilt, the pain, the suffering... it was so believable. The loss she felt and then the abandonment she must have felt, she wanted help, she agreed to help, only to be taken advantage of. I hated her father and I still do. There is so much I would love to tell you about this story, but I simply can not, it would ruin it. This book will stick with me for a long time.

5 Clocks

TRUST by Kylie Scott...... 5 Clock review by Dawn.

Being young is all about the experiences: the first time you skip school, the first time you fall in love…the first time someone holds a gun to your head.

After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.

While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.

An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.

Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.

My Review

Absolutely hands down, one of my favorite reads so far this year! And I do not say that lightly. 
Trust by Kylie Scott, is in a word...phenomenal! 

This is categorized as YA, but I would never let that dissuade you from reading it. It is about two teenagers but the writing, my god the writing!  It is so smart ,gritty, age appropriate language, witty, and beautiful. I at no time felt like this was YA. Which is important as I am not normally a fan of that genre. Simply because many authors use terms and language that as a mother of 2 teenage boys, they do not use. It is often too mature, even for 18 year olds and that bothers me. Not the case with Trust.

The two leads John and Edie (E-DEE) are linked together because of a horrible tragic event. That one night changes everything in their separate and collective lives. The way this story was told, I connected with Edie and her struggle. If you have ever had a daughter who has struggled with self esteem issues or if you have. This is brilliant. Edie, often puts herself down, but not so harshly that it is off putting. I loved this less than perfect, but perfect in so many ways, leading lady. She is discovering that she is not meant to be this shrinking violet. Escaping a life or death experience has made Edie, live for the moment and that may not always be the safest or smartest way to live. Feeling the need to suppress the events that unfolded at the Drop Stop, sleep has become the enemy. Midnight rides with the only person who understands what she is going through is her choice of therapy. But can John keep all of their combined demons at bay?

John Cole... Is. It. He is everything that Edie, likes, but is everything she is afraid of, until he saves her life. John is a wonderful leading man. He is the popular guy and that is not because he is the winning quarterback. No, John is the local pot dealer, making him a favorite among the high school. He just happens to be at the wrong place at the right time. When you are faced with life or death, you choose how you want to walk away, better or worse. For John, better was the only way he could go. He was distancing himself from those who only wanted him for what he could get them. In walks the only person who knows how it feels to have your life flipped upside down in a matter of minutes. The only person to step up and try to save him, when he is falsely accused. He is looking for a friend and maybe this girl can be that. Showing up at her bedroom window and midnight rides are their therapy sessions. John, is looking toward the future for the first time in his life and Edie is struggling to get through each day. They need each other, they need that connection with the one person who just "gets it."  Friends can be many things, but can they be everything? Learning to Trust is one of life's toughest lessons to learn.  It can either lead you to the greatest loves of your life, or show you just how much you can hurt.  Do you trust yourself to know the difference?

I could easily go on and on and on, as if I have not done this already. But this is a wonderful story and so perfectly written. The entire cast was vital to this story. The supporting characters are so well written and believable I was flooded with memories of my HS days! I was totally invested in these characters. 

This is by far a 5 clock read for me. I absolutely love it. 

Luca: A Ruin and Revenge Novel by Sarah Castille... Review by Dawn

The mafia men of New York Times bestselling author Sarah Castille’s Ruin & Revenge                              series are hard, hot, and ruthless. They show no weakness and take no prisoners.                                               But the right woman can soften their stone cold hearts and make  them come alive with dark desire. Luca Rizzoli was nearly destroyed by a brutal betrayal that cost him his family.  Now a ruthless crime boss in Las Vegas, he lets nothing touch his frozen heart... until a smoldering encounter with a beautiful stranger ignites his passion.  One night isn’t enough for a man who takes what he wants—and  Luca will do whatever he can to possess his mysterious temptress... Police detective Gabrielle Fawkes lives for revenge. She lost everything  at the hands of an unforgiving ruler of the Vegas underworld.  Now she wants to see him six feet under.  But when a near-fatal attack leads her into Luca’s arms, what was meant  to be one night of unbridled passion becomes something forbiddingly more.  Luca has his own agenda, but when strong, determined, kick-ass detective  Gaby sets her sights on her target,  Luca feels compelled to stand by her side and protect her at all costs.  However, pursuing danger comes at a high price—and both Gaby and Luca  must work together in order to eliminate the dark enterprise that threatens them,  in Luca by Sarah Castille. My Review I am going to be 100% honest. The first half (30-45%) of this book really did not sit well with me. I am an avid Mafia reader and was just very put off by what I call the "MOB checklist." Now, this may be my very own undoing, as a mafia book fan. I felt like the beginning of this story had all the boxes checked,... ~ Use of EVERY Mob term, every one. You are writing mafia, we know what they are no need for an explanation for every term. ~ Over detail of his fancy suit, got it, he dresses well. ~ Too many cliches' The fact that Gabby had survived the horrific death of her husband and child, her need for revenge is all consuming. She makes no excuses about her need for revenge. I loved that she was such a force. I loved that Luca loved that about her! She made for an awesome leading lady. I am not saying this story is bad, because it is far from bad. It is very exciting, once I got past the checklist. I loved the fact that Gabrielle and Luca were on opposite sides of the law, that was very intriguing. I absolutely was enamored with Luca. He had this coolness about him. He has this tenderness that made you just love this good man who did bad things. He was living with guilt on two fronts. His fathers betrayal and his wife's death. He took on the weight and was out to prove himself. I really enjoyed the writing when it came to Luca. He has my heart. The combination of Luca and Gabrielle was explosive. Those steamy scenes are some of the sexiest I've read in a very long time. The kitchen scene alone, if it was the ONLY sex scene in this entire book, it is worth it!!!!!!!! This would be a 5 * review if I could have gotten past the beginning. I will most definitely read more books in this series, bc I have to know what's up with Frankie!

MAY and JUNE RECAP.... by DAWN

May and June recap. 

3 rereads

 ~ 1 Top Read so far of the year~ 

~1 New to me Author~

~ 8 Great Books, that I would recommend to my fellow romance peeps~

The Love Series (Unscripted and Rehearsed) on of my favorite series EVER!

Bounty ~ One of my favorite KA stories, I cry every time!

Chelle Bliss, my Go To Author. 

Cherrie Lynn, never lets me down.

JJ McAvoy, well she is a writing Unicorn! 

Cat Mason, is fast becoming one of my favorite MC authors 

Alice Clayton, always makes me laugh. 

CD Reiss, I am a FAN of this series. 

Vi Keeland, I'm playing catch up with all your books.
AC Baxtor, diving into your books, makes me happy

INSTICATION: TWISTED MAYHEM book 2 ...... Review by Dawn

LIVE 6/30

Cheyenne West grew up 

living and breathing the club life. Being the daughter of a founding member, the Twisted Mayhem MC is the only family she has ever known. While coming to terms with the secret life of her traitorous husband, and the guilt that comes along with having slept with the enemy, Shy learns that the danger is far from over.

For M.C. playboy, Jason Schrader, life is all about chasing the next rush. Taking every day at full-throttle, Schrader lives every octane-fueled minute like it could be his last. When ties are severed with a former ally, threats come at the club from every direction, putting everyone he cares about at risk.

After a club vote puts Schrader in charge of keeping Cheyenne safe, he makes it his mission to put a smile back on her face. One adrenaline-laced kiss changes everything. The spark that ignites between them has Schrader addicted from the jump and ready to fight for something he never knew he was capable of wanting.

REVIEW

First off let me just state that MC is my favorite genre of contemporary romance  to read. So I feel like you should listen to me when I say " GO READ THIS BOOK! READ THIS SERIES!" Jason Schrader, is everything you want in a MC badass. He is the man who always has the backs of his brothers. He is always up for a good time and never misses out on gettin' a little somethin' somethin'. Schrader is always ready for a fight, with guns or his fists, he will never walk away form a battle. 

He has a heart that he tries to hide from most people, but those who know him best, know that he has a soft spot for those who he holds dear, Cheyenne...

Cheyenne, we got to know in book 1 Retaliation. She is a life long resident at the clubhouse. Being born into the Twisted Mayhem world, it's all Shy has ever known. She married a member and loved him, only for him to betray the club and shattering Cheyenne's heart. When he meets his maker, Shy is left with the guilt and humiliation of his actions. She keeps to herself and keeps busy taking care of the members of the MC. By cooking and cleaning her mind has no chance to fixate on what she THINKS the club is thinking about her. She has the constant love of her brother, father and Jason Schrader. Even if he is pushy and annoyingly persistent on making sure she is smiling again. 

But one kiss changes everything. 

Schrader had my heart in book 1, but this just made him burrow in deeper. With his filthy mouth and dirty mind, he just had me swooning.

 He really had good intentions in his protection of Cheyenne, he never saw her that way, or so he thought. There is a time when he takes her shooting and my lord, it was so sexy. The way Ms. Mason, wove the words into this picture you could vividly see and wanted to experience, was masterful. I can not go into details, but trust me ... have mercy!
Shy is struggling with her feelings and her guilt left behind from "DA." The even bigger surprise comes as a blow that may just do her in. Hiding things from her beloved family, she is torn in making the right decision for herself. But when danger comes knocking on her door, she knows it time to fight and will stop at noting to protect those she loves. Cheyenne is a very STRONG leading lady and I just adore this character! Ms. Mason, has a gift for giving us these tough, take no crap leads and I believe her, I believe they are strong and I believe this is empowering in a genre that sometimes, makes women seem weak and needy. BRAVO.
I have hinted at the smoking hot factor of this story and trust, it is HAWT!  Once Schrader, sets his mind on getting Shy, there is nothing that is going to stop him, not even Cheyenne. Although she does TRY to resist him, it last about as long as a bottle of Jack at the MC clubhouse.

I loved this story, for me it ranks up there with Kristen Ashley's Chaos series. I am not kidding! It has it's humor, drama, sexiness and amazing characters! 

5 Clock read! 

Book 1 Retaliation is LIVE and on SALE 

FOR A LIMITED TIME

Book links: 

Retaliation- Live NOW!

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Instigation- Live 6/30: 

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Universal Link:

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REVIEW

I am a die hard MC fan. If it's MC, I'm in. This Jensen Stone is going to become one of the great "MC alpha's," I'm saying right now . I am almost embarrassed to admit that this is my very first Cat Mason read. This book was suggested to me by an author, who read it fell hard and told me to get on it.

This is a non stop story, you get a glimpse of Jensen and Roanne's past , without it dragging on. It was enough that you understand the connection, without beating it down our throats, I appreciate that so much. 

Roanne is such an awesome leading lady. She is a princess of sorts, but watch out when she gets riled up. She will absolutely not back down and will do her best to best Jensen. This is an action packed story that takes you for a wild ride. Never expecting who is going to show up or what is going to happen next. The supporting cast of characters has me so excited for the books to come. Schrader and Cheyenne have my interests peaked, as well as Colt and Henley. I am so looking forward to what is next!

Roanne and Jensen's chemistry is, for me up there with some of my favorite MC couples, Deuce and Eva, Tack and Tyra, Grizz and Ginny "the greats" as I like to call them. This is a sexy sexy story! They argue and then take out on each other in just the absolute best way...

I will tell you that there is a good amount of violence in this story, but hello...it is called "Retaliation" and boy does it live up to its name.

I am such a fan of this book and the ones yet to come! 

5 Clocks!