No Prince - Stevie J Cole & LP Lovell

Ruminations of an Insomniac..

Holy hell in a hand basket. Zepp and Monroe just took me on a ride, to say the least. Stevie J Cole and LP Lovell wove these words so stunningly. It's just the story of two kids (I say that, but they're 18) figuring out what love means. But I assure you there is no actual just about any part of it.

Zeppelin Hunt is every girl's bad boy fantasy come to life. And he knows it. Tall, dark and angry; he's rough, with sharp edges. But the pieces of himself he tries to keep hidden, his loyalty and soul, run deep. He knows who he is, without hesitation. Until Monroe James, his best friend's neighbour, steps into his path. Physically, she's Jessica Rabbit, personified. But Monroe is no stranger to a rough life. Dripping with attitude but full of heart, she is exactly what Zepp didn't know he needed. Two poor, rough kids, isn't a dynamic I read about often. So this one felt special.

He felt like home when I’d never truly had one , and I wasn’t sure that was a good thing. - Monroe James

Their connection is like a flash flood. Sweeping in, catching everyone off guard, then leaving catastrophe in its path. I loved the raw edges of this story. The pages doused in the reality of imperfect. Everything from blow out fights to their gut wrenching self-doubt, broke my heart over and over. But there was hope that shone through the cracks. There was love, bigger than so many will encounter. And THAT is what made No Prince so enchanting. 

Rating:

Book Boyfriend: 9/10

Flow: 8/10

Plot: 9/10 

Overall: 9/10

Currently available on Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited).

Synopsis:

Zepp Hunt wasn’t the king of Dayton high school. He was the top of the food chain. And I was next in line to be dragged into the lion’s den. At least that’s what he thought…

Good girls wanted to tame him. Bad girls wanted to be tainted by him. Everyone bowed down to him. And me?

I hated Zeppelin Hunt with every fiber of my being.

Which was why I stayed away from the arrogant bad boy with tattoos and a rap sheet.

Until I couldn’t.

Until we traded favors, and I owed him three months of my life. I never thought I would end up in his bed, and when I did, I had to remind myself that he hated me as much as I hated him.

Until I didn’t.

Zepp Hunt was no prince, and I absolutely refused to be his damsel in distress…

Final Serenade - N.N. Britt

Ramblings of a Bookworm...

I've said it before, I'll say it again - I love rockstar romances, and Final Serenade was no exception.  A magical storyline filled with diverse characters, I was hooked from page 1.  Cassy Evans lives a life that any music fanatic (myself included) would swoon over, getting paid to attend shows and interview the best and brightest in the industry.

I was him and he was me, and it was the scariest and the wildest adventure of my entire life.

Take a moment and think back to when you were a teenager.  Who was your celebrity crush - be it a musician, actor, model, etc?  Mine was Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco.  Now, imagine being an adult, meeting that individual in person and having an instant connection.  Can you picture it?  ...no?  Me neither, which I think is one of the many reasons I fell hard for this novel.  N.N. Britt paints a brilliant picture with just enough twists and turns to keep you engaged.

I was completely enthralled, and I cannot wait until the second installment of The Encore duet, One Last Verse, to become available in May - especially after that cliffhanger.  You're killing me, N.N. Britt... absolutely killing me...

Book Boyfriend: 8/10 

Flow: 10/10

Plot: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

*Synopsis*

A secret affair with your teenage celebrity crush? Yes, please!

Music journalist Cassy Evans believes her career is made when she snags an exclusive interview with rock singer Frankie Blade.

Once a superstar of the generation, Frankie has been a recluse since a freak motorcycle incident sent his career into a tailspin seven years ago. Now that he’s returned to claim back his crown, Cassy hopes to kill two birds with one stone—secure her magazine a top spot in the rankings and meet with the man of her adolescent dreams.

A dinner invitation isn’t what she expects to get out of this interview, but the chemistry between them is undeniable.

With paparazzi watching Frankie’s every move as the two jump into a stormy relationship, Cassy risks her career and her privacy—and possibly her heart—to be with the biggest rockstar on the planet. But is Frankie worth it? Is he the humble man she thinks he is or is he just that good at hiding his demons?

Final Serenade is the first installment in “The Encore” series. Cassy and Frankie’s story concludes in One Last Verse.

Tell Me Pretty Lies - Charleigh Rose

Ramblings of a Bookworm...

I genuinely think this is the highest rating I have given for a book thus far.  I was blown away and on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.  Do you like second-chance romance?  Bully romance?  Step-sibling romance?  All of the above?  If you answered yes to any of those genres, then you're in for a treat, because Tell Me Pretty Lies is all of that combined into the pretty package of Shayne and Thayer.

"That kind of love - the kind that doesn't fade with time or distance - it's rare.  Like catching lightening in a bottle."

Give me a brooding "bad boy" with lip piercings, and I'm already a goner (no shame), but when you pair that with a deeply complex personality, a protective streak a mile wide, and loyalty, almost to a fault?  I had no chance against the charm of Thayer Ames.  Bring in a strong heroine with sass and bravado, and you have the makings of a truly incredible story.

I'm usually pretty good with theories and predicting the ending of a book as I'm reading it, but I can honestly say that Charleigh Rose threw me for a loop.  I had one theory in particular that I stood behind for the majority of this read, and when I found out I was wrong, I straight up just stared at my Kindle for several minutes, reading the same few sentences over and over, shook to the core.  Beautifully written, intricately woven, character depth and development...  Tell Me Pretty Lies was a journey that I'm thrilled to have been on.

Book Boyfriend: 9/10
Flow: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

*Synopsis*

Three things my mother acquired when she became engaged:

1. A brand new Tiffany's ring.
2. A lavish home on Heartbreak Hill.
3. Three privileged stepsons.

The last thing I expected was to fall for one of them, least of all Thayer Ames.
Beautiful, brooding, and untouchable.
I knew it was a bad idea. He warned me himself.
But he was a thunderstorm, and I never could resist the rain.
It was perfect…
Until it wasn’t.
One night was all it took for our world to crumble, leaving only secrets and lies between us.
Now, I have to face him again, but the boy I used to know has become the man who loves to hate me.

Glass Heart Savage - Lindsey Iler

Ruminations of an Insomniac.. 

Ever read a whole book with your heart in your throat? Because I have. Lindsey Iler killed me yet again with her newest novel, Glass Heart Savage (Book 1 - Glass Heart Academy). The pages, saturated with darkness and mystery held me captive.

Dynamite with a lit fuse. Only a matter of time before significant damage is done. Marek and Palmer are explosive, a dark secretive boy and a sassy underestimated girl. Both whom play their parts seamlessly. With the added intrigue of equally vivid secondary characters (that are going to be getting their own books too!! Eeep!) this story kicks off the series flawlessly.

“You have glass hearts. All four of you. It’s just a matter of time before someone comes along and exposes the cracks.” - Palmer Weston

I do need to take a breath though and admit to you that I may or may not have tossed my Kindle (it survived) when the pages ended.. THAT CLIFFHANGER. Lindsey, girl, what are you trying to do to me?? Suffice to say, I cannot wait for the next Glass Heart Academy installment. Are you ready to burn whatever weighs down your spirit?

Rating:

Book Boyfriend: 9/10 

Flow: 9/10

Plot: 10/10 

Overall: 9/10 (only because that cliffhanger KILLED me) 

Currently available on Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited).

Synopsis:

Glass Heart Savage is a dark, bully romance set in the world of the privileged and depraved that will have you questioning everything you think you know about the boys at the top of the hill.

HAVOC. DECEIT. PRIVILEGE.

The elite come to play on the campus of Glass Heart Academy.

Palmer

My sister was their everything. I’m their nothing.

They waited three hundred and sixty-five days after her disappearance to acknowledge I’m alive.

Their wicked games should scare me.

Except they don’t know I’m not much different than her.

Marek

Palmer Weston isn’t anything like her sister.

She’s sweet and naive. There are plenty of reasons why I should keep my distance.

Except where’s the fun in that.

I’m a boy who loves his toys and I’ve kept her on the shelf long enough.

It seems someone is determined on giving Palmer the same fate as her sister.

Problem is I’ve never been good at sharing.

Warning: Glass Heart Savage is the first title in Glass Heart Academy Series. This is a series of New Adult/High School titles and recommended for mature readers due to graphic language and sexual content.