Review: Hooked By Love - Toni Aleo

Things are out of control for the Sinclair boys! With two already in the NHL, Jace Sinclair is ready to follow in his brothers’ HUGE skates in the last Bellevue Bullies novel…

Jace Sinclair here, and I’m amazing. There is no other way to describe me. I am the leading scorer for the Bellevue Bullies, I’m the captain, and people love me: my family, my teammates, my coach, and the NHL. I already have one foot in the draft and I’m ready. This is my last year in college–it’s basically a conditioning year to get me ready for the NHL, to further my game, and I have to be focused. But then, it’s also my last year to have fun and not give a damn before my life really starts. Which means I’m gonna run through every girl I meet. That’s my plan. Because my one and only love is hockey. It keeps me warm even when it’s freezing. It’s always there when nothing else is. And it pushes me to be the best I can be. It’s my love.

That is, until I see her against a tree with a guitar.

Avery.

The last thing I wanted was to meet anyone. My heart is on the bench because I’ve watched my mom get broken by the person I call my father, and I don’t want that for myself. I don’t want to be hurt by anyone. I can’t give them that power.

But my heart is begging for ice time, and I can’t control it around her.

* * *

I’ve always been in the background. No one has ever had time for me and that’s fine; I’ve learned to cope. Coming from a family where hockey is life, the last thing I want is some big, burly hockey player charging at me. I don’t have time for it, but Jace Sinclair isn’t one to be deked around. The thing is, I came to the University of Bellevue for one reason and one reason only. To make my dreams of being a singer/songwriter come true. To work in the industry and pay my dues. Become who I really want to be.

I didn’t want to meet anyone. I didn’t want to end up freezing the puck with him. It’s not what I want.

I have demons.

I have issues.

Living in the shadows, no one even knew until it was too late. But Jace wants to know.

He wants me.

And that scares me the living hell out of me.

We were so worried about what would happen if we fell, but we never thought what could happen in the process of falling. We never saw it coming. But it’s here, and the repercussions are not pretty. We should have known that there is no way out of the zone when you are being Hooked by Love.

(Courtesy of Goodreads website)

My review:

I actually read this a couple of days ago, but needed time to get my head around just how absolutely fucking amazing this book is!

Confession- I pretty much binge on anything written by Toni Aleo, but Jace's and Avery's story grabbed me by the throat and just would not let go. Even though it has been more years than I care to admit since I stepped foot on a college campus, I felt as if I was reliving those years- feelings of insecurity and new-found freedom, delight in independence but still wanting someone to count on, everything.  

I have stated before that switching POVs is not something I really like, but no one does it like Toni. She makes it seem so easy to slip from Jace's mind into Avery's that I never felt lost or confused- each character's voice was so distinct that it was pretty clear who was speaking.

Toni- this book made me laugh, roll my eyes, cry and cheer. I simultaneously wanted to hug and strangle characters. And, much as it pains me to say, the hate that I feel for one character in particular can't be healthy. But you, my dear, have written yet another book that I can't wait to tell everyone to read!!

It Feels So Good to Be Back!!!!

I can't even begin to describe the craziness that has been my life lately... School starting...surgery...back to school...7th graders are crazy...trying to keep my sanity and now, THANK GOODNESS for Christmas break!! I recently found a new series--new to me, at least- and I devoured the whole series in a week. I am so lucky that my GT students like to read--they get their work done, open a book and you better believe I read too. I have to show that I practice what I preach, right? So, the series is the Black Knights, Inc series by Julie Ann Walker and OH MY GOD!! The link to her site is here. If you like your men former military, total alphas and on motorcycles--check these out immediately!!

Teaser Tuesday: Here comes Jordie!! Toni Aleo's Overtime is coming soon!!

Overtime by Toni Aleo

Series: Assassins Series #7

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads

PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON

Down and out with an injury keeping him away from the game, Assassins’ defenseman Jordie Thomas lives for the blades of his skates on the ice and the feeling of oblivion off it. With no choice but to heal, he’s forced away from the sport that runs through his veins. With everything at stake and darkness setting in, he quickly finds himself spiraling even further out of control. As his life begins to come crashing down around him and his contract with the Nashville Assassins on the line, he’s given an ultimatum. Ready or not, Jordie is forced to face his past, the fears that consume him, and the one woman he let walk away.

Kacey King had her professional dreams come true, yet her heart was battered and broken. With an Olympic gold medal around her neck, she’s ready to look forward to the future but without the one man she wanted in it. She’s missing the key pieces of her heart she left months ago with the only person who was capable of destroying it, causing her to falter in all her plans to move on.

In the game of life, there are winners and losers, and neither Jordie nor Kacey want to be on the losing bench. If only Jordie could convince Kacey he’s a changed man and that he wants her right by his side as his MVP for the biggest and best parts of a life they build together. With emotions running high and the game on the line, can two proud people find happiness with each other, or will their hearts and souls be left in the cold? Will they see that sometimes having someone by your side who knows the good, bad, and broken is better than going it alone and losing everything through the back of the net? They are out of time on the game clock and fighting for the win of their lives.

But overtime was made for an Assassin like Jordie.

---------- Teaser ----------

     “What? Scared I’ll get my feelings hurt?”

“You don’t have feelings, Jordie. You’re allergic to them,” she said simply, her hand digging deeper into his skin. 

He smiled, covering the grimace that was surfacing. She did her job great, but she had always been a little rough. “That’s not true. I have feelings for you.”

She paused and looked up at him. “Wanting to fuck me may be a feeling but not the feelings I want.”

---------- About the Author ----------

Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, Falling for the Backup, and Blue Lines.

When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel.

She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog. Read more about Toni here.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 

Teaser Tuesday: Toni Aleo's Overtime

Overtime by Toni Aleo

Series: Assassins Series #7

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads

PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON

Down and out with an injury keeping him away from the game, Assassins’ defenseman Jordie Thomas lives for the blades of his skates on the ice and the feeling of oblivion off it. With no choice but to heal, he’s forced away from the sport that runs through his veins. With everything at stake and darkness setting in, he quickly finds himself spiraling even further out of control. As his life begins to come crashing down around him and his contract with the Nashville Assassins on the line, he’s given an ultimatum. Ready or not, Jordie is forced to face his past, the fears that consume him, and the one woman he let walk away.

Kacey King had her professional dreams come true, yet her heart was battered and broken. With an Olympic gold medal around her neck, she’s ready to look forward to the future but without the one man she wanted in it. She’s missing the key pieces of her heart she left months ago with the only person who was capable of destroying it, causing her to falter in all her plans to move on.

In the game of life, there are winners and losers, and neither Jordie nor Kacey want to be on the losing bench. If only Jordie could convince Kacey he’s a changed man and that he wants her right by his side as his MVP for the biggest and best parts of a life they build together. With emotions running high and the game on the line, can two proud people find happiness with each other, or will their hearts and souls be left in the cold? Will they see that sometimes having someone by your side who knows the good, bad, and broken is better than going it alone and losing everything through the back of the net? They are out of time on the game clock and fighting for the win of their lives.

But overtime was made for an Assassin like Jordie.

---------- Teaser ----------

         He had consistently been making bad decision after bad decision. Each one was staring back at him from behind his closed lids, and he wished he could make them all go away. But still they flashed in his face, demanding his attention. 

       Going in for the puck when he knew there was a goon of a player behind him and ending with his leg in two. Which resulted in his career being up in the air.

       The drinking. Fuck, the drinking.  

       Getting involved with his best friend’s sister.

       Falling in love with said sister, and then pushing her away, like he always did everyone. 

       And all of Louisiana. 

       It was time to make the right choice for once. 

       He had to, because he had already lost the one person who meant everything to him, and he couldn’t lose hockey too. 

       That couldn’t happen.

---------- About the Author ----------

Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, Falling for the Backup, and Blue Lines.

When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel.

She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog. Read more about Toni here.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 

Review of Ravaged: An Eternal Guardians Novella (#7.5)

"Duty crumbles to ashes in the fires of love."

Summary from Goodreads.com:

Ari—Once an Eternal Guardian, now he's nothing but a rogue mercenary with one singular focus: revenge. His guardian brothers all think he’s dead, but he is very much alive in the human realm, chipping away at Zeus’s Sirens every chance he can, reveling in his brutality and anonymity. Until, that is, he abducts the wrong female and his identity is finally exposed. It will take more than the Eternal Guardians, more even than the gods to rein Ari in after everything he’s done. It may just take the courage of one woman willing to stand up to a warrior who’s become a savage.

Let me first say that I have been on a historical romance binge lately, so I was a bit concerned about re-entering the world of the Eternal Guardians after a long absence.  Let me next say that I should've kept the faith, because once I started reading, I felt as though I had never left!!

Once again, the gods are calling on someone to do a less-than-pleasant job for them, and this time it is Daphne.  The former Argonaut Ari is viewed as a threat and Daphne is sent to deal with it. But as she spends more time with Ari, she discovers her information is inaccurate. But now can he trust her?

I found myself having to stop reading several times, and not because there was anything wrong with the story. Rather, my heart was pounding and I needed to settle down before I could continue.  So many series lose a bit of their "punch" after a few entries- not so with Ms. Naughton's Eternal Guardians.  This latest installment in the series is just as powerful and exciting as any of others and is a perfect example of why the Eternal Guardians are on my auto-buy list!!

(**I did receive an ARC in exchange for a fair review**)

Review: Clipped by Love - Toni Aleo

I can't even begin to put into words how this book made me feel.  My reviews tend to be pretty straightforward, so here goes:

READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY!!

Okay, maybe a bit more.

I almost wish I was in college again so that I can relive the craziness. Ms. Aleo does a phenomenal job of not only describing the experience of being in school, but also the ups and downs when you have no control over your emotions or the person who evokes them.

Jayden's and Baylor's relationship is overpowering from the start and never has a dull moment. It seemed almost effortless for Ms. Aleo to switch from the POV of Jayden to Baylor and back again. Being able to slip into their heads (and hearts) truly made me feel as though I was in the story rather than an observer.

Don't fret if you haven't read Boarded by Love (though you really should!!) - Jayden's and Baylor's story can certainly be read as a standalone. And don't think that you have to be a hockey fan (though, again, you should be!)

But you should be concerned if you miss out on such a strong and beautiful story!!!

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it on Barnes and Noble

Buy it on Kobo

Clipped by Love (Bellvue Bullies #2) by Toni Aleo

Things are heating up for the Sinclair boys! With one already in the NHL, Jayden Sinclair is hoping to be next! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This has been the toughest year of my life. I watched my brother go into the draft without me, my mom got divorced, and the weight of my family’s issues is heavy on my shoulders. I feel like it’s my job to fix everything while working my butt off in school and trying to make my game better. I have to go into the draft. It will give my family the support they need, and it will prove that I’m good enough. But to get there, I have to show I can be the best captain for the Bellevue Bullies. The spot is mine—no one can take it. First though, Jude is making me go on a brother’s weekend. Innocent enough, I guess…until I see her. She’s the biggest competitor I’ve ever faced. Not only for my spot but also my heart. It’s hard to ignore someone like Baylor Moore. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don’t lose. I can’t. My dad has bred me to be the best in anything I do. I am driven, I am smart, and I am going to be the first woman in the National Hockey League. No two ways about it. I’ve worked too hard. I’ve been through too much not to have what I want. I know I can do it. I will make my dad proud, and no one will stand in the way of that. That is, until I let him in. He scares me. He makes me feel. And he could very well be the one person who can make me want more than just to win. 

We both have the same goal. Victory. But how do you compete against the person you want to win? It’s not easy. Love isn’t something you can control. It isn’t like a puck that can be handled by a stick. No, it has a mind of its own and does what it wants. 

Neither of us saw it coming, and we really don’t know if there is a way to score, especially when you’re being Clipped by Love.

Yes, I'm still around!!

I am so glad that this blog is for me and my own entertainment. I have been so overwhelmed with work and life that I simply haven't had time to post or anything. But I think the craziness is dying down, at least for now. As for my reading list for the remainder of April, good question. I planned on a reread of Lisa Kleypas's Hathaways, but now I'm not sure. We shall see!
How about any of you? Suggestions? What are you reading?

Review: Laurie London's Enticed by Blood

This description is courtesy of Goodreads.com:

Stockbroker Juliette Bishop gets more than she bargained for when she flies to New Orleans to handle a business matter for her ailing father and comes face to face with her former lover, the handsome, yet mysterious Andre Lescarbeau.

* This Sweetblood World short story (dark vampire romance) was originally published in the Mammoth Book of Southern Gothic Romance.

(I was given an ARC in return for a fair review)

 I typically am not a huge fan of short stories- I don't feel that there is enough time for a story to develop. Enticed by Blood, however, is an exception- it was fast paced and drew me in immediately. Juliette and Andre already had a connection, so the story was able to jump right in to the action. For those who haven't read the series, they may feel as though they are missing something, but for the most part, one can certainly read Enticed by Blood as a standalone. I highly recommend this as a new edition to the Sweetblood world and look forward to new additions!!


The Sweetblood series:

Author Laurie London's website

Laurie London's Goodreads Author page 

Feature and Follow Friday - okay, Sunday, but I'll do better next time!

I am having a fun time looking at other blogs and meeting new people. I truly do love the ease in which the internet allows me to chat with fellow book nerds!

So much for my moratorium...

One of my book buddies over in the OSRBC posted some wonderful, yet terrible information last week.  Amazon was having a .99 cent sale on ebooks.  I was kind of looking, until something even more horrible was shared - Search for "Avon Romance" and filter by price. Holy spending frenzy, Batman!!

Old favorites - Johanna Lindsey, Liz Carlyle, and so much more Johanna Lindsey!!

New favorites - Kerrelyn Sparks, Victoria Alexander, Loretta Chase

Authors new to me - Miranda Neville, Sandra Hill, Jennifer McQuiston, Caroline Linden, and so many more!!!

I have one week until this crazy state test for my students is over.  Until then, I will be looking over this list with joy and avarice...and planning my attack!!


---And not that any of that stopped me from going to one of my favorite used bookstores today...It's a disease!!

My March Reading List

I have put myself on a two part moratorium for books until March 31st. No books bought and no new books read. I had to do this for a few reasons.
First of all, school is going to be pretty hectic until March 31st. I teach 7th grade writing, and in Texas, students will be taking their STAAR Writing Test on March 30th and 31st. I really need to focus on what's going on at school, so I'm planning on doing re-reads of my comfort books to get me through with my sanity intact. Doing this is a very good thing because I haven't tracked books as "read" on Goodreads since I'm still fairly new to the site. Also, I am CRAZILY behind with my Malory re-read and the corresponding posts-- Three birds, one stone.
Second, books cost money and there are several new books coming out on March 31st. Perfect timing- paycheck, testing is done for me, and I will need to celebrate!!


Here is a pic of my iBooks library collection for March. Let's get this done!!

Review: Breakaway by Catherine Gayle

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: 

She’s reaching for a breakaway pass.

Dana Campbell has spent the past seven years in self-imposed isolation for a crime she didn’t commit. The danger is well in the past, but her panic attacks make it impossible to have a normal, healthy relationship with a man. Even her counselor has given up on her. She has to find someone she trusts to help her fight through the panic, or her seven-year ordeal will become a lifetime sentence. There’s only one man she feels safe enough to ask.

He got caught with his head down.

As the captain of the NHL’s once elite but now fading Portland Storm, Eric Zellinger knows a thing or two about keeping his focus on the job. Questions are flying about his ability to lead the team back to the playoffs. If they don’t make it, he might be shipped out of town. It’s the worst time possible for his best friend’s kid sister to divide his focus. How can he give her what she needs without jeopardizing both the Storm’s playoff hopes and his future with the team?

It’s her only chance, but it’s his last shot.

My review:

I absolutely loved this book!! Catherine Gayle's style is straightforward but still evocative of every emotion available. I frequently found myself having to stop reading so I could pull myself together- it drew me in that much.  The pain and insecurity that Dana experiences, as well as Zee's thoughts and feelings...sigh. The various relationships that are developed with others also played a huge part of understanding the two of them and what they are going through. 

 It was just a beautifully written story of two people who need each other more than they possibly imagine, yet stumble and fumble to that point.  

If you haven't read sports romance, this would be a great place to start. Even if you aren't a hockey fan - and I can forgive you for that- give Breakaway a shot!

Oh, Spring Break- I've been waiting for you!!

 As per usual- I'm behind on things that I wanted to post. But that is the beauty of having my own blog where I have no real responsibility- if I want to delay, I can delay. If I want to binge read, I can binge read.

BUUUUT-- I do have a list of things I said I was going to do, so I need to get on them. Luckily, Spring Break is here and so I don't have real-life things to stop me.

A few things for this week:
Reviews:
Alexandra Ivy - Darkness Eternal
Chloe Neill - Dark Debt
Sabrina Jeffries - How the Scoundrel Seduces
Suzanne Enoch - Mad, Bad, and Dangerous in Plaid

I have a few more, but those are my priorities.

Blog Posts:
Continuation of Malory read-along
One of my favorite bookstores - Murder by the Book

Worth the Read! Trust Me!!!

Review: When the Marquess Met His Match

From Goodreads.com:

What happens when a carefree, disreputable, stone-broke bachelor is forced to find a wife in a hurry? He hires a matchmaker, of course. What happens when the matchmaker doesn’t want to help him? Well, that’s when the fun begins…

Nicholas Stirling, Marquess of Trubridge, loves his life just as it is: dissolute, scandalous, and deuced good fun. His father, the Duke of Landsdowne is not amused, and when he cuts off Nicholas’ trust fund, the fun-loving marquess is forced to find an alternate source of income—in other words, he has to marry an heiress.

Every new-money American heiress knows Lady Belinda Featherstone is the key to social acceptance. Once a new-money nobody herself, Belinda discovered first-hand how heartbreaking the game of love and matrimony could be after a reprobate British earl married her for her money. Now a respectable widow, Belinda has become England’s most successful matchmaker, guiding young American heiresses through the hazards of the London season and helping them to find husbands worthy of them. To her mind, the Marquess of Trubridge is nothing but a fortune-hunting scoundrel and she has no intention of allowing him to charm his way into any American girl’s heart, including her own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, let me start by saying again that I had really wanted to read How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days, then found out that this book was book #1 in the An American Heiress in London series. I'm one of those that prefers to read books in order, just because it drives me nuts when they overlap and things are not chronological.

I started When the Marquess yesterday, and it was kind of hard for me to get into.  It started a bit slow and the setup of the characters and the situation was kind of drawn out, at least to me. (Oh- I don't do spoilers! I try to keep things a bit vague because everyone has their own druthers as to what they are okay with learning before they read a book!)

Anyway- it took a bit for me to really get into the story- chapter 7, to be exact. But once Ms. Guhrke got my attention, it wasn't difficult for me to just sit and finish the novel.  I loved the way Belinda and Nicholas got to know each other- so many novels have everyone declaring love within the first week, but not this one! And yes, I found myself cheering out loud when Belinda did what needed to be done to ensure their HEA.

I wasn't the only one to struggle with staying with this love story, as many in my book group felt the same. However, I certainly encourage anyone who loves Ms. Guhrke's work to trust that she will definitely make it worth it!!

And now--- on to the next!!

My TBR just keeps growing!!!

I love being on Facebook. I love being a part of various book groups on Facebook.  The discussions are lively, thoughtful and often silly.  But the number of books that I keep adding to my TBR list is just CRAZY!!! And that, of course, means that books that have been patiently waiting are having to wait even longer.

So, in an effort to keep myself honest, I am going to keep myself with this schedule. It helps that next week is #rollbackweek with Under the Covers bookblog, so I know that I'm not alone in this struggle!!

Marissa Meyer - my students absolutely rave over this series and consider me a loser because I haven't read it yet.

Johanna Lindsey- I've been staying on track with my re-read and while #rollbackweek isn't for re-reads, I'm gonna fudge a bit because I only read it once when it came out.

Laura Lee Guhrke - I had been looking forward to reading How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days, then I found out that there was a book 1. Now I finally have a long weekend in which to relax and read away!!!