EMILY'S REVIEW STONED...BY MANDI BECK

I NEED YOU, TO BE ME… My new favorite words from any book! <3 o:p="">

4:52… That’s 4:52 a.m., which is when I looked at the clock having just finished Stoned by Mandi Beck.  When I tell you I couldn’t put this book down, believe me that I am now ready to pass out having only had 3 hours of sleep last night!!  There is nothing in the world like the feeling of connecting with a book and its characters and Stoned did just that for me.  I found myself personally sympathetic to Stone’s character as well as Willow, and I think that is what has completely blown me away. 

Stone has become the ultimate bad boy rock star. Drugs and sex and more drugs and sex and damn the consequences.  It was absolutely devastating reading Stone’s fall from grace and hitting rock bottom.  Stone not only hurt himself, but his band mates and his girl, the love of his life Willow.  He completely decimated their relationship and her. It was dirty and disgusting and heartbreaking, but it was honest and realistic and true. My heart broke into pieces as their lives were shattered.

            “I need you, Birdie, Man, do I fucking need you so damn bad. Don’t you know I need you, to be me?” - Stone

Willow just might be the strongest female main character that I have read about.  I admire the way she made her decision to walk away and she stuck to that.  She made it nearly impossible for anyone from that life to find her, as she worked on getting her own self together and taking back a lot of what Stone took from her…. Man was she fierce!

            “A part of me died that night. A part of my heart, my soul” - Willow

Stone’s recovery was long and extremely painful but he did it, with one focus on his mind.. Get Willow back.  Willow, was the love of his life and he needed her to be whole. Birdie, aka Willow was determined to move on with her life and that did not include being with Stone.  As Stone fights with everything he has in his arsenal of memories I was just in awe of the flashbacks that Mandi Beck gave us.  They are deep and soulful and just filled with so much heart and love.  I was done for, I mean completely, hopelessly in love with their love affair and Stone and his sexy, romantic yet hot as hell ways and words.  The pair really shared a profound love for music and lyrics and they connected so deeply through song, again, totally freaking killing me.  I was completely drawn to them and every word written in this book! 

            “My heart doesn’t beat in rhythm when you’re not around. I need you, to be me. I’m your rhythm, and you’re for damn sure mine” – Stone

As well as the words, Ms. Beck referenced a few songs throughout this book and boy oh boy did she get me with the music.  At one point I stopped reading and listened to a song by Imagine Dragons as Stone was singing it and my heart just cracked open a little bit more.  The song so painful and hopeful and filled with love, I swear I was there with them, listening and watching as Stone sang to Willow!  I sat in my bed in the middle of the night with tears rolling down my face.  I was totally moved by the power the song had in this book!

            “Want you. Need you. Live you. Breathe you” - Stone

Love, heartbreak, angst and beauty. The pages in this book are filled with it all! Without a doubt, Stoned is a top book of 2016 for me! Be warned, do not make the same mistake I did and start reading early on in the day! You won’t be able to put it down!!! I know Stoned will be a book that stays with me for a very long time and I am definitely going to add it to my small list of books that I will re-read over and over again!! I am in LOVE with this book and I give it 5 lyrical lip smacks!! 

RILEY REVIEWS BAD BOYS AFTER DARK ~ MICK...BY MELISSA FOSTER

"I love you, baby. I've loved you for a very long time," he whispered on deaf ears. That was okay, because he hadn't been sure he could actually say the words out loud. This all-consuming love terrified him, but he'd managed to say the words, and it felt incredible.



So this happened again. By reading one new book, I have discovered I need to obviously read all the rest of the books in the Bad Boys After Dark series, but now I have to read the Wild Boys After Dark series because I think I might love them too. 

So let's start with Mick Bad shall we? Brilliant lawyer, strikingly gorgeous, over six feet of yumminess and convinced because of a terrible tragedy from his past there's no such thing as happily ever after.

Then there's Amanda Jenner, Mick's equally brilliant and beautiful paralegal. Buttoned up and perfectly polished, she's looking to unleash her inner bad girl with the help of a book. That being said Amanda does believe in happily ever after and just to make things interesting, she'd like that happily ever after to be with Mick Bad, her boss.

Here's where the fun really begins. A bar crawl. Yep, you heard me, a masquerade bar crawl. Amanda goes dressed up and sexified to practice the seduction skills the rule book has taught her and Mick is there because well our lawyer hottie just needs a little release. Until he spots Amanda talking to another guy (no he doesn't know it's her) but their eyes meet and you feel their intense connection across the crowded bar. 

In one of the hottest bathroom scenes I've ever read Mick and Amanda connect in more ways than one. They almost seal the deal but,  Mick notices something on his mystery girl that makes him realize just who he's actually with in the bathroom. In an act of incredible restraint he stops what they're doing and puts Amanda in a cab home. Before he lets her go, they make a date for the following night.

You can only imagine what happens when Amanda walks and realizes her mystery man is the person she's had a crush on for the last three years. After the initial shock, believe it or not, Mick convinces Amanda to give him one night. One night of passion that they both clearly want. One night for her to use the seduction skills she's worked so hard to acquire. Um, seriously do you think she'll turn that proposition down? Only here's the thing. One night isn't enough for either of them so Mick proposes they share a weekend together and then everything goes back to normal on Monday at work. The two go back to being friends and coworkers. Sounds like a plan right?

The weekend Mick and Amanda share is beyond anything they could imagine. Their chemistry is absolutely steaming hot. And yet Mick keeps insisting to Amanda and to himself he can't give her all the things she deserves. Amanda who promises this weekend only arrangement is cool with her, falls a little more in love with Mick everyday. 

So what happens friends? After an amazing weekend together how does it all play out in the end? Come on. Did you really think I'd give it away? No, sillies. I want you to read Melissa Foster's Bad Boys After Dark starring the oldest Bad brother Mick.

Yes, there are three more brothers to read about, but I don't know if I'll be able to love any of them as much as I love Mick. He's romantic even when he says he can't be. He's sweet, he's chivalrous and he is uber swoon worthy. Jeez I fell in love with him with every turn of the page. 

Of course I love the chemistry of Mick and Amanda and the heat between them is just delicious. I love the relationship of the brothers. They're a tight family and even though they've suffered a horrible tragedy, they've stuck together with Mick as their glue. 

Younger brother Dylan's story is next and I can't wait to see what Melissa Foster has done with him. But for now, Mick Bad is my newest addiction with a solid four lip smack review.

EMILY REVIEWS DEEP REDEMPTION BY TILLIE COLE

Deep Redemption is book 4 in The Hades Hangmen series by Tillie Cole and you should read the first three books.  Each time I await a new release in this brilliant series by Tillie Cole, I think there is no way she can continue to write such a crazy amazing stories with these crazy amazing characters.  I wait for the next book thinking that like most series the stories and books will become rushed or kind of lame.  Well, not in this case!!  Book after book in this series I am astounded by the fact that each story is uniquely different, yet always heartbreaking and full of love.  Deep Redemption is so gut wrenchingly sad yet beautifully hopeful, Tillie Cole has written us another captivating story in the Hangmen series.

Cain aka Rider is a grown man who, even though horrible things surround him, is innocent in so many ways.  Having never felt real love he is absolutely desperate to find some good in his twin brother, Judah, who is pretending to be the prophet.  Even though Judah is holding him prisoner and seeing that Rider gets beat daily, Rider believes he deserves his fate and that there is some good in his brother. Judah is as seriously sick and twisted as his Uncle David, if not more.  He’s absolutely batshit crazy and I believe that he truly believes what he is doing is just and right and for God.  The torture and rape and pedophilia continue under his guidance while the real prophet suffers through beatings and locked in a cell all alone.  Until one day, in the cell next to him he hears her and they become friends under the worst conditions possible.

Harmony has come from Puerto Rico with her chapter of the Cult and is deemed the last remaining Cursed woman. Destined to wed Judah, Harmony knows that her life will be in horror as she has met the evil prophet.  Meeting Rider who is in the cell next to her has brought her some form of peace.  But, of course on the commune that never lasts.

Rider risks everything to escape with Harmony and seek the help of the men that want him dead more than anyone….. The Hades Hangmen.  What unfolds from that point on is absolutely catastrophic and completely and utterly broke my heart.  Rider, as much as I did not want to like him is a victim. He tried to fight the evil ways of New Zion, he tried to stop his brother but he was not strong enough on his own.  Rider is such a tortured soul, and we know Tillie Cole can certainly write them.  I cried hearing his anguish and pain and remorse.  I felt it with everything I am, that Rider was a truly good man. 

The Hangmen are a very unforgiving bunch, and Rider is a rat to them.  He will not be forgiven, nor will they see the remorse in his eyes. Styx, Ky and the Hangmen all want him dead, heck Rider himself feels he deserves to die. Rider, who has turned his back on everything he thought was true, feels he needs to be punished, he feels undeserving of any kind of love or happiness.  So Harmony has to fight for him.  Her strength and tenacity are incomparable and damn, but she is one tough chick. 

There are so many secrets revealed in this book.  I was shocked page after page when they were uncovered! There were times I had to go back and re-read because I could not fathom what was revealed.  As everything fell into place, I understood so much about not only Rider but the girls as well.  I loved how the other cursed women grew stronger every day they were out from under the New Zion and felt the love and kindness of these hard men.

Tillie Cole has weaved a story of deceit of sacrifice and of redemption.  I was completely riveted with this story and felt such love and sorrow for Rider.  I am truly amazed at the world Ms Cole has created for us and once again, I am in awe of this sweet author writing about such depravity!! I give Deep Redemption 5 very forgiving lip smacks for Cain!!

EMILY REVIEWS RAMSAY...BY MIA SHERIDAN

I was lucky enough to once again see Mia Sheridan at a signing event in May in which her husband was in attendance.  We were talking and he started to spill the beans about a big secret; Ramsay, Mia’s next book release.  He told me he was very excited for me, and the readers to read this book and that we will love Ramsay as much as, if not more than Archer Hale.  I told him that there was no way that is possible because my sweet boy Archer is and will always be my favorite book and book boyfriend ever!!  Having read Ramsay, I could totally see why he said that and why that would be possible!  Brogan Ramsay is an absolute LOVE!! 

Mia Sheridan has a very unique and truly amazing talent of writing male characters that, even though they have been through, done or seen bad or horrible things they still manage to be completely vulnerable and innocent in so many ways.  I don’t know how she does it, but her men are always so endearing and truly loveable and admirable.  Big, strong strapping men who are so sweet and loving.  The perfect combination and I fall in love every time!

Brogan Ramsay is the full embodiment of all of these qualities. Dark hair, blue eyes and totally beautiful inside and out. Brogan has a sensitivity about him which can sometimes cause him actual physical pain. He feels things so deeply, which makes him so completely empathetic and can sometimes lead him to be vulnerable to manipulation.  But what gets to me the most, what makes me fall in love with him every time he speaks, is his devastatingly sexy Irish brogue and his beautiful Gaelic words. This comes out even more during gentle moments or really sexy times!  Gah!!  I am in love with his words!!!

            “Hush, mo` ghra`.”  “Mo aingeal. ” “Mo` shaol.” – Brogan

            Hush, my love.            My angel.         My life.

Ya feel me here?  There is so much of this beautiful language, these beautiful words throughout this book….  I can’t even begin to describe the seductiveness, the sensuality and the sexiness every time Brogan whispered these Gaelic words of adoration or affection.  Can you tell I am in LOVE with Brogan Ramsay?

Enough gushing over my new obsession for now, let’s talk Lydia De Havilland, the girl who has Brogan’s heart.  Lydia and Brogan met because Brogan’s dad was the gardener and groundskeeper on Lydia’s family property. Lydia was a tease, a game player and a major flirt. Though Lydia seemed to be a spoiled and entitled brat I don’t believe she was that at all, and she proved me right when things went bad for her family leaving her close to broke and desperate.  I found Lydia to be a strong, honest girl who accepted her own flaws and was very forgiving of others.  She had suffered in many ways, yet she did not complain or become an opportunist to get out of the hole she found herself in. 

            “I learned that life isn’t all about me. I learned that every choice has an outcome and I learned that holding on to bitterness is a poison that eats away at you from the inside” - Lydia

Brogan and Lydia shared something very special and intimate as teenagers, causing his family to have to leave her family home and her behind in the worst possible way.  Brogan felt used and tricked by Lydia and he was destroyed.  Desperation and destitution forced him to do things and become a person he did not like.  Pulling himself up from the rubble, Brogan used his genius intellect to garner wealth, while Lydia became the desperate one, A complete role reversal finds them in each other’s lives once again, just as Brogan has planned.  Lydia, has no choice but to be at his mercy and Brogan seemingly having all the power now.  What a twist!  In their new relationship, we find out all the secrets, regrets and sadness that have occurred because of what happened so many years ago between Lydia and Brogan.  Both of their lives were altered in so many ways, for the good, the bad and the sad. 

            “Is tu` amha`in a bhi ann I gco`nai,” I breathed, not sure if I’d said it out loud or not. It’s always been you, and no one else. -Brogan

I also want to mention the adorable, loveable and seriously funny Fionn.  Brogan’s mo chara; his best friend.  Fionn is a wonderful secondary character, who I would love to read more about.  As beautiful as Brogan uses the Gaelic language, Fionn uses it to be oh so naughty!  He is a true friend and brother. I loved every minute of him on these pages!

Ramsay had me completely enraptured from the first page to the last. The story was so deeply heartwarming and beautiful as was the characters. Brogan Ramsay stole my heart and kept it throughout the entire book, and Lydia was a woman who I really admired.  Mia Sheridan has a beautiful gift that she shares with us once again in Ramsay!  5     devastatingly loving and beautiful lip smacks for Ramsay!!!  Now I’m off to go re-read this book, because I simply need to be with Brogan some more!!

RILEY REVIEWS ALL THE RAGE...BY T.M. FRAZIER

In the words of my good friend who introduced me to T.M. Frazier and the King series, I am obsessed with Rage! I thought she was a badass when she was "babysitting" Tia for Bear in Soulless. I didn't know she was going to get to tell her story and damn, I am so glad she did. Her new "babysitting" job in All The Rage  is not for anyone's girlfriend or the little boy who's picture she holds in her hands. It's for a very sexy, built, tattooed, man and for the first time in a long time, Rage feels something.

Here's the thing, Rage doesn't feel like other people feel. She never has. As a child her poor parents brought her to doctor after doctor who tried to make sense of why their beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed daughter wasn't like all the other kids.

See Rage has issues. Lots of issues. She's got anger issues (boy does she ever). On top of that there's a "small" case of OCD, some serious germaphobia and then there's the hypochondria.

Rage has known she was different from the time she was a child. She didn't feel things the way other kids did. There were only three people in her life she cared about, her mom, her dad and her only friend Cody. Things that would cause other child to cry or feel compassion NEVER phased her.

Cody, who truly loves and cares about Rage wants to help her. His idea is fake it. Cody invents Rules For Being Rage. He honestly believes he can teach her how to act like a "normal child". He invests a lot of time trying to make Rage understand what proper reactions in social situations are, but underneath it all she's still Rage. Rage, who has the desire to destroy. Incidentally, Cody for the most part is Rage's savior, until he isn't.

Incidentally, Rage has a real name. Cody is the person who gives her the name Rage and each time she introduces her self, she gives a made up reason what Rage is short for. You know I'm dying to tell you her real name, but of course I'm not going to. I want you to become as obsessed with Rage as I am.

This all changes the night of Rage's sixteenth birthday. Her parents throw their beloved daughter a Sweet Sixteen party. Anything to make her normal. It doesn't work. That's the night Rage's Rules go out the window and she becomes the person we met in Soulless and in a scene that will make your jaw drop she meets Smoke, who will become her mentor.

Now back to babysitting. She's keeping an eye on Nolan Archer. Smoke's got beef with his parents and apparently Nolan will be the collateral damage that Rage is sent to take care of. Only Rage didn't expect Nolan to be all grown up and hot as sin. In an almost comedic accident, Rage feels something for this man and rescues him from a germ infested pool that has her angry and disinfecting like crazy.

The delicious Nolan, who is at his grandparents cabin recovering from an unfortunate injury, sees this angel in a white bikini rescuing him from certain death and becomes obsessed with her.

Smoke insists Rage stay close to Nolan and their attraction grows into something very real. The time they spend together almost seems normal, but keep in mind, both of these characters are anything but normal and they both have secrets. Dark secrets that they've never shared.

As I read All The Rage, I couldn't help but be amazed that T.M. Frazier can create such dysfunctional, deviant characters and yet it's easy to fall in love with them. Honestly, think about it, if you've read the King series you know exactly what I'm talking about. We all love Preppy and yet...well I'm not telling because you might not know. But, I am literally fascinated by each and every one of  her characters. I will read what ever she writes because even in the darkest places, she finds light. Not to mention she can write some seriously naughty sexy scenes.

It feels like I'm talking too much, but All The Rage is just an awesome story. You think you know what's going to happen, then there's a twist and you're just like whoa, I didn't see that coming. It's not a typical or predictable story and I'm completely obsessed with Rage and Nolan.

An amazing job by T.M. Frazier who I finally got to meet in Washington, DC and absolutely gushed over! Never run out of ideas girl, because I will read a post it note if you write it!

Five rage filled lips smacks for T.M. Frazier and All The Rage. And yes I'm in love with Nolan, but don't tell Rage. I don't want to piss her off.

RILEY REVIEWS STAY WITH ME...BY KELLY ELLIOTT

Let me state for the record, I automatically fall for almost every book boyfriend with dark hair and green eyes. It's my thing. It always has been and I'm sure it always will be. So yes, I was attracted from the start of Stay With Me's Athanasios "Thano" Drivas. He's not only gorgeous, he rocks the body of a Greek god. He's successful and sweet and for some strange reason he's single. Did I mention the panty melting smile? Dimples? Perfect white teeth? **swooning**

He's not single for any of the ordinary reasons. Thano suffered an unbearable tragedy and he's sworn off love. It's not for him. Similarly, Kilyn O'Kelly feels the same way. She is definitely not lucky in love and has a special "friend with benefits", however she doesn't think love is in the stars for her.

Fate has a way of changing things though and fate seems to be bring two people who believe love isn't for them together.

Thano and Kilyn meet for the first time at a bar. Their attraction is instant. One of my favorite things about Kelly Elliott's books is you always know how into the girl the guy is by little things he does. In this case, sexy Greek Thano finds himself speaking in Greek to Kilyn. **panting** Something he never did before, not even with the woman he thought was the love of his life.

Several more chance encounters start making both Thano and Kilyn think for the first time, they might want more. Each time fate brings these two together you can feel the sexual tension between them and it is steamy. I don't know how Kilyn didn't jump all over Thano because I would not have had the restraint to stay away. But she does, until they both can't anymore and end up spending the night together snowed in Thano's mountain cabin that Kilyn has helped design.

If you thought their sexual tension was hot, when then finally get together it's like spontaneous combustion. They are incredibly hot together and in my Kelly Elliott book boyfriend world Thano is third in line next to Gunner Mathews and Lark Williams and that's saying a lot. Thano is delicious and sexy and rates super swoon worthy in my book.

So, Thano and Kilyn seal the deal and we get our happily ever after right? Not quite. Into every love story a little rain must fall and Stay With Me is no different. Remember, both Thano and Kilyn have dealt with life changing tragedy and readily admit to being unlucky in love. The two have obstacles to work through. Ah, the path to true love is never easy.

Do Kilyn and Thano have what it takes to stay together? Can they make it through Kilyn's insecurities and Thano's fear of commitment? Not to mention Thano's overbearing Greek family who want nothing more than for Thano to marry a nice Greek girl.

Kelly Elliott does it again in my opinion. Thano and Kilyn are funny and adorable together, yet there's still that angst that keeps you reading and hoping for a happily ever after. One click Kelly's five lip smack review Stay With Me and see how their story plays out. You won't be disappointed!

RILEY REVIEWS UNTAMED...BY CALLIE HARPER

After reading Callie Harper's Undone I thought that she created a delicious book boyfriend in Ash Black. Then I met his younger brother Heath and all bets were off.  Ash had that sexy rocker thing going on, but Heath is an alpha god and just about everything he did got me hot and bothered.

Heath is six feet five inches of solid muscle. He's got dark hair and dark eyes and facial hair that made him even more attractive to me. He's got the silent, brooding thing going on and he just drove me wild.

Untamed is the third book in the Beg For It series. The series centers around the Kavanaugh brothers and the women who tame them. If you don't know who the Kavanaugh brothers are, I suggest you get started on the series. You've got a lot of catching up to do. Heath seemed to be the least tamable of the brothers. So, you know it had to be someone super special to get under his skin.

Violet, a production assistant for The Fame Network,  drives her Mini Cooper into Heath's rural Vermont town to scout a location for a new reality show. Not only does she drive right into a snowstorm. She drives herself right under the illusive Heath's skin.

Heath can't figure out why he's so incredibly attracted to this woman that is clearly the high maintenance type of woman he has spent his life avoiding. As much as he tells himself and even tells Violet they aren't right for each other, every time they get close enough, they attack each other like horny teenagers. It makes for very interesting banter and very steamy make out sessions. Just a note here, Heath is sexy at EVERYTHING he does.  So even the way he kisses Violet was enough to get me going.

As Violet explores Watson, she finds she enjoys the country way of life. She trades in her Louboutins for some snow boots. Goes more natural with her make up and starts appreciating things she never thought she would before. Including one hotter than hotter lumberjack (her words not mine), that knows exactly how to handle this city girl.

Heath is a very different man than his rock star brother Ash and definitely nothing like his business tycoon brother Colton. He left his family's life style behind when he escaped to Vermont and never looked back. That's not to say he has no contact with his family. In fact, he's grappling with whether or not to accept Ash's offer to be best man at his wedding. While he loves his brother that whole scene makes him nervous. Then there's Gram, the woman who raised him and his brothers after his mom went off the deep end. He loves her and she's always got some words of wisdom for her grandsons. It seems Grams is always right when it comes to the love lives of her boys.

Anyway, after an awful lot of, we shouldn't be together and we're not right for each other, Heath decides he wants Violet and they're chemistry is smoking hot. No seriously, everything about Heath is like hot, hot, hot. He's beyond an alpha male. He's a caveman and I LOVE every bit of him.

Does everything work out with Heath and his Cali girl? He decides to go for her, but is Violet sincere, or is she one of those girls? You'll have to read Untamed for yourself to find out. I promise Heath will not disappoint. He is just super yummy and this will definitely be on my list of books to reread.

Five delicious lip smacks for Callie Harper and Untamed.