EMILY'S REVIEW HOW TO SAVE A LIFE...BY EMMA SCOTT

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!

WOW!!!  Let me start by saying that How to Save a Life is the first book that I have read by Emma Scott and if this book is any indicator of how she writes, well it certainly won’t be my last!!  I finished HTSAL last night, and I was dreaming and up thinking about it all night.  This book is way different than anything I have read in a very, very long time.  The story itself builds and flows along so naturally, I was completely lost in it!  I honestly don’t know how Emma Scott manages to write a story so sweet and innocent, yet so dark and truly sad at the same time! I am completely blown away because it absolutely works and was totally amazing!

Jo (short for Josephine) Clark has just moved to Planerville, Iowa with her guardian and Uncle Gerry.  Gerry is a long haul trucker who is rarely around.  Jo has lost everyone else in her life tragically.  Jo herself has suffered terribly and has the scar to prove it.  Moving often she likes to choose which reputation she wants in her new school. Slut happens to be one of them, but always on her terms.  Jo is one of the loneliest and saddest girls I have ever read about.  Poetry is her escape and therapy and she keeps herself at a very large distance from everyone.

Evan Salinger also has a reputation at the school and it’s not chosen or a good one; he’s the freak.  Beautiful blond hair and blue eyes, Evan has not one friend, even though his brothers attend the same school.  He is ridiculed and abused physically every single day fueled on by those 2 brothers.  He loves the calm tranquility of sneaking into the town pool every night, the only place he can find real peace. Evan is one of the loneliest and saddest boys I have ever read about.  My heart broke for this sweet, gentle and intuitive boy.  

We exchanged looks, a commiseration; the girl with a scar and the boy with the freaky rep….

All of that changes when Jo and Evan become friends.  They are kindred spirits and fate has most definitely given them each other.  The love and pure beauty of their relationship is unmistakable from the beginning.  The story unfolds and heartbreaking events occur and they are torn apart so brutally that I was completely shattered.  But, Evan made a promise to Jo, that he would always come back for her and he keeps his word. 4 years later Evan knows that Jo is in trouble and he moves heaven and earth to get to her and save her, putting them on a journey envisioned in Evan’s dreams that they must follow.  I was so completely lost in every word that Emma Scott wrote that I completely neglected the world around me… This book is just that powerful!!!

Evan and Jo’s journey of survival through hatred, tragedy and terrible sad events was always underlined by the feeling and absolute pure love they have for one another. The sexual chemistry was off the charts, and the fact that it builds and smolders from the minute they meet makes it even hotter!  Always honest with each other; they were able to build a foundation that was so strong and so deep. I am telling you, I felt it.

“I felt happy. Because of Evan. Evan breathed his love into me and I was happy”   -Jo

This book was like a roller coaster of events and emotions.  Evan and Jo had to fight and scrape against the world for every little piece of happiness that they had. At times it seemed as though the trouble was too much to overcome, but, like Jo, I too had faith in Evan Salinger.. I am a believer!

“I’ll always come back to you” - Evan

This wonderful, amazing and beautiful love story had me dreaming about words like faith and trust and hope and love.  This book is in my bones and I will remember and revel in it for a long time to come.  Emma Scott has given us a gift with these characters and their story.  It is undoubtedly one of my favorite books ever and will easily top my list for 2016. Five seriously beautiful lip smacks from me!!!

RILEY'S REVIEW FIGHTING SOLITUDE...BY ALY MARTINEZ

I didn't think I could love a Page brother more than I loved Till Page in Fighting Silence. Then I read Fighting Solitude and met Quarry Page. How is a girl supposed to choose? That's the good thing about book boyfriends, you NEVER have to have just one.

When we met Quarry in Fighting Silence he was a little boy. A precocious boy who was trying to be a grown up at 6 years old. Since his dad was a criminal and his mom was useless, Quarry's two older brothers raised him. What? You haven't met the older Page boys? I suggest you meet them by one clicking Fighting Silence and Fighting Shadows. The Page brothers are about as swoon worthy as they come. Anyway back to Quarry's story.

Quarry himself admits he was born into the world fighting. His parents were in his own words, losers and basically Till and Flint raised Quarry. When Till gets together with Eliza, she becomes Quarry's mother figure. But I'm getting lost again.

Fighting Silence begins with Quarry meeting Liv James. If she seems familiar she is. Her dad is Leo James, the head of security for Slate Andrews, boxer and owner of the gym the Page brothers fight for. All of the Page boys are fighters, literally and figuratively. They have worked themselves up from nothing to well respected members of the boxing community. But believe me, they struggled for everything they achieved.

The day Quarry meets Liv they become automatic friends. Liv is having trouble with two boys from the gym. She's adamant that even though she's a girl, she can defend herself. The two forge a bond and know everything about each other (well almost). Liv is always Quarry's calming influence.

Unfortunately, an incident takes place that severs Liv and Quarry's friendship and basically sends Quarry into a downward spiral. They miss each other terribly, but spend several years apart. During their time apart and probably even before that Liv realizes she's in love with Quarry.

By the time Liv comes back, Quarry's got a girlfriend and somehow the three become the very best of friends. Let's just say things don't always turn out the way we think they will and Quarry realizes Liv is someone he can't live without. I don't want to say too much and it's definitely not a cheating story.

I am in absolute love with Quarry Page. Dark hair, hazel eyes and a body that is lethal. Even though he's rough around the edges, Quarry is supremely swoon worthy. When Quarry decides to make something his there's no stopping him. Some of the things Quarry said and did for Liv made me melt into a puddle. 

There's so much more to this story, but I don't want to give anything away. I will tell you if you like books about hot, boxing alpha males, this is a series you should definitely one click. All three Page brothers love their women like crazy and Aly Martinez has given them sassy women who give them a run for their money.

Aly Martinez creates a great story. Fighting Solitude is more than just a boxing story. It's more than just a love story. It's a story about family and friendship and fighting your demons together.  It's about exactly what Aly Martinez says, overcoming the madness to finally realize you might just be meant for each other. 

A super swoon worthy five lip smack review for Fighting Solitude and Quarry Page.

Every. Single. Day.

RILEY'S REVIEW CHASING YOU...BY KELLY ELLIOT

Kelly Elliot is and has always been one of my go to authors. She has solidified her status with me in Chasing You which is part of the Love Wanted In Texas series. You've already met Meg and Grayson in Finding You which is Grace and Noah's story.

Grayson Bennett is Noah's hotter than hot former stripper turned detective. He and Meg Atwood, Brad and Amanda's daughter have been hooking up for about a year. Gray has developed some feelings for Meg and even though Meg has feelings too, she doesn't want to move out of the friends with benefits zone.

It's not that she isn't into Gray. She is most definitely. Meg's incredibly afraid of getting her heart broken. It doesn't help that she's overheard a conversation where Gray is telling Noah he's kind of into some new girl at work, Claire.

What Grayson doesn't know is Claire is a girl who bullied Meg all through college. Bullying so bad that it influenced the path she took in life. She counsels at risk children who are being bullied. Meg is extremely dedicated to her and you see it when she interacts with Mitchell, a boy who is being bullied. She does everything she can to help him.

So back to Gray and Meg. Let me tell you. They have the most amazing chemistry of any of Kelly Elliott's characters. No joke, they are blazing hot. Like I need a cold shower or Grayson Bennett in my bed kind of hot.

I mean it. I am completely enamored with Gray. Admittedly, he is beyond gorgeous and the description of his body alone gets me tingly all over. As book boyfriend material, holy swoon worthy. He is ready to be all in with Meg and even though she's not on the same page, he does everything right. I loved the day they spent in the friend zone. It was funny to see two people with combustible chemistry try to fight it.

Anyway, my girl Kelly Elliot knows how to write a sexy scene. Literally, every time Meg and Gray are together the pages of the book sizzle. Whether they're in the heat of raw passion or being tender and romantic, they are hot! Hot! Hot!

Whoa! I just got a little lost there. In the midst of all this hotness there is a really good story. The main part of the story is the growing relationship between Meg and Gray. But there are other pieces of the story that just add to the perfection of Kelly Elliot. Claire makes an appearance in this book (and oh how I love karma).

Let's not forget the awesomeness when all of the Wanted and Love Wanted in Texas series come together. Oh my glitter! I love when all the girls get together on phone calls. And of course the shenanigans of the original Wanted series are always fun to read.

So yes, I love, love, love Chasing You. With the exception of Gunner, Grayson Bennett is by far one of my most favorite book boyfriends ever. When Gray dances for Meg...ahhhhhhhhh I just can't. A five lip smack review for this book and even though I can't wait for the next book, the idea of this series ending hurts my heart a little bit.

RILEY'S REVIEW UNDO ME...BY M. ROBINSON

I spent a lot of yesterday in tears as I read M. Robinson's latest installment of her Good Ol' Boys series Undo Me. Dylan and Aubrey's story will grab you, suck you in and yes, quite literally undo you. I discovered this series in December and devoured the first two books within days of each other. Like most everyone else on the planet, I eagerly awaited the day Undo Me appeared on my Kindle. I picked it up and couldn't put it down.

M. Robinson is a fantastic storyteller. Her characters become a part of you and Dylan and Aubry were no different. Many Good Ol' Boys readers mention they weren't crazy about Dylan from the first two books. I always liked Dylan. He went through his teenage manwhore days, but when he got with Aubrey, she was it for him. Dylan is cocky and arrogant, but it totally worked for him.

I loved going back to their high school days when Dylan and Aubrey first met. I loved her sassiness and how she was the complete opposite of all the girls who were willing to give Dylan McGraw whatever he wanted. I loved that he wanted to date Aubrey and prove she was different from the other girls.

Let's talk about Dylan, shall we? Because I never thought I'd fall for someone so opposite of my usual book boyfriend, but I did. Dylan is an absolute Alpha male. He loved fiercely and completely. He would do anything for the people he loved and that drew me to him. Not to mention that drawl. Good Lord all he would have had to do was call me darlin' or suga' and he would have owned me.

Which leads me to how very sexy Dylan is and how he knows how to please a woman. He's got a very naughty mouth and damn does he know how to use it. But he's also so much more than that. 

As much as they love each other, and they do from a very young age truly love each other, the tragedy that tears them apart is gut wrenching. My heart actually hurt for both Dylan and Aubrey as they fought to get their lives back. 

Once again, I liked Aubrey from the start. I loved when she called out Lucas for denying his feelings for Alex in Complicate Me, and I like her even more now that I know her whole story. I won't lie. There were some parts I was really frustrated with her, but I ultimately got it and forgave her.

M. Robinson has an uncanny ability to make you feel like you're actually a part of her characters. You feel what they feel and let me tell you I was a tear stained mess for at least half of Undo Me. There's so much of Dylan and Aubrey's story that's heartbreaking, but there's a bigger part that is a beautiful love story. 

I love when the rest of the good ol' boys show up in the story. I love how Alex is still the glue that holds them together. I love when M. Robinson goes back to scenes from the first two books and you get the POV from a different character.

So M. Robinson once again thank you for the angst and the ugly cry. Let's face it, sometimes we all need an ugly cry. I suspect it will be the same with Austin and Briggs story and I can't wait. Once again a five lip smack review for Undo Me. Beautifully written and so far one of my favorite books of this year.

RILEY'S REVIEW AN ACT OF SALVATION...BY K.C. LYNN

I know I've said this before and I will probably most definitely say it again.  On occasion, I tend to read books and series out of order. So, after I read An Act of Redemption before I ever read the Men of Honor series, I promised my friend Marcia I would absolutely get to the Men of Honor series and I'm sorry to say, even though the whole series is on my Kindle I still have it on my TBR (sorry Marcia sad face emoji).

But guess what? I devoured An Act of Salvation and found a new book boyfriend to be in love with. Nick Stone, even his name is super swoon worthy. With steel blue-grey eyes, dark hair and a body Kate describes as lethal, he is male perfection. Add the decorative ink down one arm and across his shoulder to the mix with a huge alpha male vibe and I stopped breathing because he is everything every girl wants.

Nick hasn't had an easy life. Abandoned by his mother at age six, he vows to never love anyone again so he doesn't have to go through the hurt of losing them. Problem...he is very attracted to his best friends sister. Only he won't let himself go there because Katelyn Slade is worth more and he knows he can't be the one to give that to her.

Kolan and Katelyn Slade are brother and sister. They grew up in a horribly abusive household and Kolan and Nick spend a lot of time as teenagers trying to protect Kate. This is no easy task because at age seventeen Kate is a complete head turner. Nick himself calls her a bombshell.

Nick knows Kate is attracted to him. One night when Nick is "rescuing" Kate from a party she wasn't supposed to be at, he gives into temptation and gives Katelyn one night. Only one night because he knows he could never give her more. After that night Nick disappears. Leaving Kate with only a memory and a heart stone that says "you are more".

After their one night together Nick disappears and the two don't see each other for seven years. It's not until Kate calls Nick to help her after a huge scandal blows up with her brother Kolan, who's now a very successful boxer.

They've never gotten over that one night together and even though they've both been with other people their attraction is ignited the minute they see each other again. Nick and Kate's chemistry is so hot, I swear I needed a cold shower to cool off. Nick is naughty and perfect and so in love with Kate it's ridiculous.

That doesn't mean it's happily ever after for Nick and Kate. Remember he still deals with abandonment issues and Kate's dealing with the abuse she lived through as a child.

K.C. Lynn writes a story that had me on the edge of my seat. I love the storyline and I love the characters. And heaven help me I love Nick Stone. Of course K.C. brings the Men of Honor into the story and they are a force to be reckoned with.

If you haven't one clicked An Act of Salvation yet, what on earth are you waiting for? It was one of those books that I absolutely could not put down. I literally couldn't stop reading. It's a book that made me tear up, gave me that achy feeling in my heart and ultimately made me thankful that I have discovered K.C. Lynn. This is the second book of hers I have read and it's another five lip smack review!