2 stars-- Never Tear Us Apart (Never Tear Us Apart #1) by Monica Murphy

Never Tear Us Apart had me curious. It showed up on my doorstep with the promise of a dark and twisty read. It totally had my number and I enjoy Murphy--she can deliver such vastly different experiences with her series--so it definitely peaked my interest. And for the most part I enjoyed this twisted tale of two people damaged so thoroughly during their childhoods coming back together years later as adults. And things went well...until they didn't. There are going to be some semi-spoilers so *waves hands about* be warned and all that.

1.5 star--Loud is How I Love You (Hub City #1) by Mercy Brown

I love rocker romances. But Loud Is How I Love You was a struggle for me. Which is incredibly surprising after seeing the hardcore fangirling over this one (including from a well known author). I'm not sure how that's happening, really. The gist of it is that two band members have had sex. And the heroine, Emmy, pretty much freaks out over it. And continues to freak out over it and in her panic to not ruin the band dynamics because of it she pretty much does just that. Rinse and repeat. Ad nauseam.

Alright so the good things

Need Me (Broke and Beautiful #2) by Tessa Bailey

Well now. That was an interesting romance. Older hero, younger heroine (by a nice sized clip)...a teacher and his student...big city guy and a girl from Kentucky. Need Me was a little edgy but oh it worked. It so worked.

The quick of it is that Honey...she's crushing hard on her English professor. And she's ready to start her seduction of this tweed and glasses rocking man. An accidental encounter locked in a cabinet, finding out they're friends know each other and, well, attraction through the roof despite the taboo-ness of it all and sparks...they are a flying.

Chase Me (Broke and Beautiful #1) by Tessa Bailey

College drop-out, Roxy Cumberland, moved to New York with dreams of becoming an actress, but her dwindling bank account is quickly putting the kibosh on that fantasy. To make some quick cash, she signs up to perform singing telegrams. Her first customer is a gorgeous, cocky Manhattan trust-funder if she ever laid eyes on one. And what could be more humiliating than singing an ode to his junk, courtesy of his last one night stand? Maybe the fact that she’s dressed in a giant, pink bunny costume...

After a night out to celebrate winning his last case, lawyer Louis McNally II isn’t prepared for the pounding in his head or the rabbit serenading him from the front door. But the sassy wit and sexy voice of the girl behind the mask intrigues him, and one look at her stunning face—followed by a mind-blowing kiss against his doorjamb—leaves Louis wanting more.

Roxy doesn’t need a spoiled rich boy who’s had everything in life handed to him on a Tiffany platter. But there’s more to Louis than his sexy surface and he’s determined to make Roxy see it...even if it means chasing her all over NYC.

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | BAM | Goodreads

I just want to <tackle hug> Tessa Bailey. Chase Me was oh so fun, sexy, touching and everything that is amazing about Bailey and her stories. It's been a bit since I've read one of hers and I swear I just wanted to roll around swoon a little in it all. lol

"Please, oh keeper of the golden penis, let me worship at your flawless phallus."

The quick of it is that Roxy has hit rock bottom and is doing whatever she has to to survive including delivering singing telegrams and belting out an ode to Louis and his mighty fine cock ---thanks to his hook up from the night before. It's...quite the first meet. Whew boy! And oh she catches the playboy's eye something fierce. So now not only does she have to find a job...and a place to live...and deal with new roommates who wanna be friends but she's got to keep her cool around one sexy cocky man with a dirty mouth and a thing for prickly females.

Nice Girls Don't Ride by Roni Loren

Natalie Bourne thinks she has the perfect night planned for her twenty-first birthday. But when her car breaks down and her boyfriend bails on her, she’s left stranded in an auto shop dealing with a way too cocky, way too hot mechanic, who seems to be intent on pushing every button she has.

Monroe Hawkins knows he shouldn’t be messing with a girl from the uppity private college. Especially when he can tell she sees him as the help. But he’s having trouble resisting the redhead with the smart mouth and the killer legs. So when Natalie’s night goes from bad to worse, there’s no way he’s letting her spend her birthday alone. He makes her a deal—he’ll take her home but not until the sun comes up.

Ten hours, one motorcycle, and the city of Austin at their fingertips…things are about to take a major detour. And soon, there may be no U-turn in sight.

Type: Contemporary, New Adult,Novella
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | Goodreads

Did you hear the *squeals of delight*??! Tuesday came in all dreary and rainy and blah at Casa Herding Kitty. And I was bumming on that and trying to figure out what to do with myself so I busted open Nice Girls Don't Ride and holy freaking awesome novella! It totally put a smile on my face and turned Tuesday into a damn good day. So. Today. 10 reasons why Nice Girls Don't Ride was so fucking awesome and why you need this novella in your life *grins*

Oh oh. First! The quick of it is that Natalie's having a bitch of a day. Her car's broken down and her boyfriend won't answer his phone to come get her. On her birthday no less. And now she's dealing with a knight in tattooed armor aka...the random drive by tow truck guy..who's shaking her day up even more as he rescues her. Alright. Now on to the 10 reasons...

10. It's Roni Loren. At this point...she can do no wrong and is an auto-buy for me. She's an amazing storyteller and 'd totally do naughty things to get my hands on her books :D No matter what the genre or type of relationship she tackles...she just rocks it something fierce and creates a stellar romance that charms, delights and will heat you up too. <can you tell I'm smitten? lol>

Meant for Me (Blurred Lines #4) by Erin McCarthy

Since Ethan Walsh realized his fiancé was in love with another guy, his life has been spiraling out of control. He’s spent the last eighteen months drinking too much, hooking up with random girls, and flunking out of law school. When his sister Aubrey has a baby, he goes to visit her on the remote island off the coast of Maine, expecting it to be awkward.

What he isn’t expecting is Aubrey’s neighbor to be a beautiful and aloof blonde, Chloe, whose piano playing lulls him to sleep every night. He wants to talk to her, get to know her, kiss her.

But Chloe doesn’t speak, and no one knows why. So Ethan makes it his mission to learn the truth and instead falls in love with her smile, her music, her notes and texts to him. Helping Chloe feel safe enough to open up is actually healing him, but what happens when the darkness of reality threatens to destroy their new life?

Type: New Adult
Heat: 3ish out of 5
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Amazon | Goodreads

Well Meant for Me was...pretty dang unique! And that's not something you can say all that often in romance anymore but was definitely the case this time as Ethan and Chloe forge a relationship in their own way.

Alright so the quick of it is that Ethan is in a bad place and has hit rock bottom--drinking, random hook ups, dropping out of school-- and a trip to visit his baby sister shocks him into some truths about his current life and how he's living. And brings him face to face with a women named Chloe who is going through her own struggles with an anxiety disorder that prevents her from speaking. And the two...spark something in each other.

Quote-tastic/Review--For the love of horny sanity! + Contradictions by Tiffany King (@BerkleyRomance)

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Soooo! Tiffany King is one of my New Adult authors I adore. She brings something special to the table with opposites attracting and she really makes her characters grow which I love. There's usually a good mix of serious and funny and this was one of those totally made me snort moments. Trent's been smitten with Tressa but she's not seen him that way until she arrives at his apartment a bit before he's ready. There's a review happening down below too if you wanna check it out :D

When We Met Anthology w/ Jackson, McAdams, King & Lee

Two of my new favorite authors this year are Christina Lee and Tiffany King. These ladies completely won me over to New Adult so I was ALL over When We Met. And it was a pretty entertaining anthology as four authors tackle a group of college roommates and each tell one of their tales. Overall, it was a nice antho. I enjoyed the set up and most of the characters. It was a little angsty now and again but not too bad. Each of the romances was unique, and the love stories sweet. A little humor, a little steam. Yeah, not a bad couple hours reading.

A little about each is below...

When four girls decide to live off campus together as juniors at a college in Michigan, they expect it to be their best year yet. Little do they know, it’s a year that will change the rest of their lives.

Amazon | Book Depository | BAM | Goodreads

Heat: 3 out of 5, Rating: 3 out of 5

The Quick of it: Misha's ex was a complete douche and just using her to win a bet which left her pretty broken and unwilling to let men close again until her edgy, sexy neighbor proves irresistible and just the one to mend her broken trust..

Promise Me This (Between Breaths #4) by Christina Lee *Pick of the Litter*

Nate has developed quite a playboy reputation around campus. It's not that he doesn't respect or trust women; he doesn't trust himself. The men in Nate’s family are prone to abusive behavior—a dirty secret that Nate’s been running from his entire life—so Nate doesn't do relationships. But he can’t help himself around one girl…

Jessie is strong, independent, and works at a tattoo parlor. Nate can’t resist getting close to her, even if it’s strictly a friendship. But it doesn't take long for Nate to admit that what he wants with Jessie is more than just friendly.

With Jessie, he can be himself and explore what he’s always felt was a terrifying darkness inside him. Even when Nate begins to crave her in a way that both shocks and horrifies him, Jessie still wants to know every part of him. Testing their boundaries together will take a trust that could render them inseparable… or tear them apart.

Type: New Adult
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 5 out of 5-- Pick of the Litter

Amazon | All Romance | Goodreads

So this...was pretty much me the entire time I was reading Promise Me This.

You know how sometimes you read a book and it just takes a hit at your heart and when you turn that last page you're left sitting there just...kind of holding your breath because, whew, yeah....it was that powerful? And you really don't know what to do with yourself next? That was Promise Me This for me. And I don't even know if I can explain why exactly. It just...was.

Before You Break (Between Breaths #2) by Christina Lee

The star catcher of the college baseball team isn't supposed to have skeletons in his closet. But Daniel Quinn is hiding a guilty past so dark he refuses to let anyone get close. Except there’s something about gorgeous, studious Ella Abrams that goes beyond the electric attraction between them—something that makes him want to open up.

Ella has suffered enough heartache and guilt to fill one of her psychology textbooks, but she keeps that part of herself hidden behind a bubbly exterior. Until she receives an anonymous call while working the suicide helpline and the voice on the other end touches something inside of her that she can’t ignore.

Soon Ella and Quinn’s physical connection heats up, even as their deep and revealing hotline talks intensify. But by the time Ella realizes that her seductive jock and her sensitive caller are the same guy, it might be too late to save him—or to stop herself from falling too far.

Type: New Adult
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | BAM | Goodreads

Whew! Before You Break was quite the read. It's not all smiles and roses but a powerful journey of two individuals whose lives were shattered by loss and are trying to come to grips with it. With the guilt, fear and heartache that's been a constant companion. And with finding a bit of peace, light and hope with someone they never expected.

Review/Quote-tastic--parasites exploding?! Gah!--Shatter by Erin McCarthy

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So this week I'm picking Erin McCarthy's latest release--Shatter. This is a New Adult series and turned into one of my favorites. Just great characters and interesting set ups. Anywho. This scene freaking cracked me up. One of the funniest things I've read and so showed Jonathan's personality perfectly. It's actually a pretty serious read but had some really hilarious moments mixed in...

How to Reprimand Your Rock Star by Mina Vaughn

Thea is a star basketball player at UConn on track to be Rookie of the Year. That is, if she can stay focused on the game. Lately that hasn’t been going so well, as her knee has been bothering her. But that’s not the only thing on her mind…

Ever since rock star Keaton Lowe surprised her in the girl’s locker room, Thea can’t stop thinking about him. On top of his status and enticing ways, he seems to know everything about her. But some of his actions cross the line, and Keaton needs to be punished. Will Thea keep her head in the game, or get distracted by her other favorite pastime—reprimanding her rock star?

Type: New Adult, Erotic
Heat: 3.5 out of 5--light BDSM
Rating: 3 out of 5

Amazon | Goodreads

Well that was cute! How to Reprimand Your Rock Star was a fun little jaunt as a young basket ball star runs into a sexy rock star and the two heat things up while getting to know each other and realizing they might just have a little kink between them. Ooo la la!

No Attachments (Woodfalls Girls #1) by Tiffany King + a wee bonus mini review!

Ashton Garrison walked away from a privileged life in order to hide from the one thing she's not willing to face. She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn't count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything.

Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. He's done it over and over again. What he thought was a typical lost-and-found job has turned into a life examining moment as Nathan is forced to deal with something he has always ignored--his feelings. Now faced with a decision, Nathan must choose to either follow his heart or complete the job.

Love can come when you least expect it. The question is: If the odds are stacked against you, how far are you willing to go for the one you love?

Type: New Adult-ish
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | BAM | Goodreads

I've had No Attachments for a while now and for some reason decided today was the day to pick it up. And what a lovely surprise it turned out to be. A bit heartbreaking, a bit fun, some steamy happening and a romance that snuck up on two people and gave them something to hold on to when life got hard. How could that not be a simply amazing journey?

Review + Quote-tastic (61)-- I can totally throw them out!--Live For Me by Erin McCarthy

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This week one of my more recent reads. Live for Me from Erin McCarthy. This one was a little different than most I've read from her. It was an interracial romance plus there was a decades age difference between the hero and heroine. Which, gotta say, I loved. It was a nice read but was one that didn't totally blow me away even with a lot of fun moments. Review is down below for those interested. Anywho. These two have been living together--she's his housekeeper--and things are heating up one night but some house guests are throwing a wrench in "the moment". I just loved his reaction. lol

All of You (Between Breaths #1) by Christina Lee

Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He's irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.

Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.

When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.

Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.

So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.

Type: New Adult
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | BAM | Goodreads

Oh yes. Lee definitely has a fan. I'm loving the Between Breaths series. Reading it a little backwards but still...loving it. I finally got back to book one and oh All of You was fun! And a little different seeing as the hero is a virgin. *lifts eyebrow* Yes. I love that little twist.

Whisper to Me (Between Breaths #3) by Christina Lee

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson—except one person…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along.

Type: New Adult
Heat: 2.5-3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | BAM | Goodreads

Yeah. In one fell swoop Christina Lee has totally just become my crack. I seriously couldn't put Whisper to Me down! omg it was addictive. I just...needed...to read...one...more...chapter. From amazing characters to some creative body adornments, best friends becoming lovers and a sweet romance I was just a goner as Kai and Rachel forge a new path for themselves.

Some Like It Wild (The Wild Ones #2) by M Leighton

"Leighton put together an endearing romance that's full of funny, sweet and steamy moments." ~herding cats & burning soup

Laney Holt is a preacher’s daughter. A good girl. Her only goal was to get married, have babies, and live happily ever after, just like her parents. Only that didn’t happen. The two people closest to her betrayed her, and Laney’s dreams came crashing down. Now she’s left with an empty space she doesn’t know how to fill. Until she meets Jake Theopolis, a daredevil with a death wish who has heartbreaker written all over him.

Jake has no interest in thinking beyond the here and now. All he wants out of life is the next rush, the next “feel-good” thing to keep his mind off the pain of his past. His latest rush? Showing Laney there’s more to life than being a good girl—and that going bad can be so much fun. Her only concern now is how she can ever hope to satisfy the wild side of a boy like Jake. She’s looking forward to trying. And so is Jake.

Type: NA Contemporary Romance
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | BAM | Goodreads

So. We've got one covergasm worthy cover. A notoriously bad boy hero. And a notoriously good girl heroine. A little bit of a past together and a whole lotta time up close and personal that gets a little...wild and a whole lot sexy. Yep. I had a pretty good time with Some Like It Wild as Jake *mmmm Jake* helps Laney let down her hair and have a little naughty time for once in her life.

Mini Review: The Trouble with Christmas by Debbie Mason & Taken by Storm by Kelli Maine

The Trouble with Christmas (Christmas, Colorado #1) by Debbie Mason

Resort developer Madison Lane is about to lose the one thing she loves most in the world—her job. Dubbed "The Grinch Who Killed Christmas," Madison spoiled a deal that would turn quaint Christmas, Colorado, into a tourist's winter wonderland. Now the citizens want her fired but the company gives her one last chance, sending Madison to the small town to restore the holiday cheer.

For Sheriff Gage McBride, no hotshot executive from New York City is going to destroy the dreams of the people he loves. But one look at this beautiful woman and it's his heart that may be broken. In just a few days, Madison causes more trouble than he's had to deal with all year. He can't decide if she's naughty or nice, but one thing is for certain—Christmas will never be the same again...

Type: Contemporary Romance

Heat: 2 out of 5

Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | BAM | Goodreads

Yes, yes. I know. It's...February. But yall are getting a little more Christmas from the herd. lol I love Christmas stories and read them all year and this one kinda slipped by me back in Dec but I loved it so much and wanted to share it with yall even if it is late.  

4 stars! Believe (True Believers #3) by Erin McCarthy

Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend. Now she’s faced with being THAT girl, and couldn’t be more disgusted with herself. She can’t even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that’s good and oh, so bad…

Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin’s house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he’s drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn’t care that he’s done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.

But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it’s a naïve dream to believe that his record won’t catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

Type: New Adult, Contemporary
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Amazon | All Romance | Goodreads

I don't know how McCarthy manages it but she's got me falling more and more for this group with each addition book. They're just incredible reads and Believe was no different. McCarthy created a rich, unique and heart warming romance that completely captivated me as Phoenix and Robin found an unlikely friendship and helped each other heal from the pains of their pasts.

So, Phoenix and Robin. These two. Whew. I freaking LOVED Phoenix. His life has been a real bitch. He's never gotten any breaks, his family is beyond dysfunctional and he really doesn't have anything to call his own. But this guy totally doesn't let it break him. He's got his issues, for sure, but he's sweet, keeps plugging along and is just a great guy and damn sexy to boot.