ARC Review: Daring Wes by Jules Barnard

I have really enjoyed everything I have read from Jules Barnard and Daring Wes was no different. This book is the second Cade Brothers book, with each one being a standalone story. I had a great time reading this one and recommend this as well as anything else by Jules Barnard.

Kaylee and Wes were in love back in college, until she walked away breaking his heart and causing his golf game to suffer. Forced to take a job working at a resort as a golf pro, the last thing Wes expects is for Kaylee to walk in the door as someone else's fiance. But when sparks start flying between them, he begins to rethink everything he thought he knew. 

I really liked Wes and Kaylee. Both had so much under the surface that they hid from the world, and I loved getting to know them and see what all they were each dealing with. I absolutely loved how Jules Barnard handled things here. Readers should know that there isn't any cheating involved here, so don't let that keep you from giving this one a shot. There was a clear connection here and so much chemistry between these two, but I was so glad that they waited for Kaylee's relationship to be over before anything happened. I really admired them for that, and it just made me love them that much more. 

Overall, this was another solid read from Jules Barnard and one I would recommend for contemporary fans. I am really liking this series and I can't wait for the next one! Jules Barnard has a way of drawing the reader in from the first page and holding their attention all the way through and that was the case here for sure. This one was an emotional read, and I felt like I was right there with Wes and Kaylee through all the highs and lows they experienced. Great read, and think readers will like this one as much as I did.

**ARC Provided by Author**

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ARC Review: Tempting Levi by Jules Barnard

Tempting Levi is the first book in the Cade Brothers series by Jules Barnard. This series stands alone, but it is a spin-off of Barnard's Men of Lake Tahoe series. That was the series that first introduced me to Jules Barnard's writing, and I was so excited when I heard about the Cade Brothers getting their own series. Tempting Levi was a great start and I already can't wait for more. 

All Levi wanted was to leave Lake Tahoe behind, but an accident and the loss of his father changed everything. No longer able to pursue his ambitions of being a firefighter, Levi was left in charge of his family's resort and he knew he needed help. With his advisers trying to tell him what to do, Levi knew that Emily was the perfect person to have on his side. But he also couldn't help the attraction between them or the fact that he wanted her despite her being his ex's little sister. But will she end up betraying him like her sister did? 

I love forbidden romance stories, so this book would have drawn me in even if I didn't know what a great writer Jules Barnard is. I really liked Levi and Emily though, and it quickly became more about the story than the trope for me as I was pulled in right away. Levi and Emily were both real and genuine characters, and I loved that they were each strong and capable yet had vulnerabilities as well. Each of them struggled at times with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. I really felt like they were great for one another and that they needed one another. I enjoyed their journey and seeing how they were able to overcome their struggles together. The chemistry between these two was really strong and you could feel the attraction between them. 

Overall, this was a great start to this series. Jules Barnard continues to deliver fun and sexy stories that are easy to get lost in. I love her characters and the fact that I feel like I can relate to them. She has a way of keeping things interesting, while also making them believable and I know with each book I read from her that I will enjoy it. If you are new to Jules Barnard, I definitely recommend giving her books a try if you like contemporary romance. If you are already a fan, Tempting Levi is everything that you will have come to know and love from her previous books while also being fresh and new. I can't wait to get more in this series, and I am already looking forward to the next book!

**ARC Provided by Author**

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ARC Review: New Blue by Jules Barnard

New Blue is the fifth and final book in the Blue series by Jules Barnard. Don't worry about jumping in here if you haven't read the previous books as they can easily be read out of order. I have enjoyed this series a lot, and New Blue was no exception. Even if I hadn't read previous books in this series, the blurb was one that would have convinced me to read it. If you haven't read this series yet, I would definitely recommend giving it a shot. 

Hayden has returned to Lake Tahoe after leaving at sixteen due to her devastating past. Back with a confidence she didn't have before, she is determined to find success at Blue Casino. Adam Cade appears to be the exact type of privileged man that she is ready to stand up to, but Adam is also dealing with more than most would see at first glance. Soon Adam must decide whether his job and the chance for freedom from his father is more important than supporting the girl that is quickly getting under his skin and capturing his heart.

I really liked both Hayden and Adam. Each of them had so many layers to them, and I really felt like Jules Barnard did a great job developing them. Adam is struggling with wanting to be independent and break out from being under his father's thumb. He is used to living a life of leisure and the perks that come with being a child of privilege. But for the first time he is learning that there is more to life and I think Hayden had so much to do with him starting to really grow up and mature here. She was a great influence on him, and I really liked seeing her fun side brought out with Adam. Hayden had a new confidence and strength after all she had been through and I really liked her determination. These two had great chemistry and I enjoyed them together so much. 

I will say that there were times that I felt like there was a lot of outside influence on their relationship, and I didn't really care for that at times. While it was great to see other characters here, I would have preferred them not becoming so involved as they sometimes did here. But this was still a really great conclusion to this series and I have enjoyed each of these books. I know that I will definitely be looking for more from Jules Barnard in the future, and I think if you like NA/Contemporary stories that this series is definitely one worth checking out.

**ARC Provided by IndieSage PR**

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ARC Review: Blue Streak by Jules Barnard

Blue Streak is the newest addition to the Blue series by Jules Barnard. This story is a novella, so it is pretty short. I enjoyed it though and I thought that it was sweet and funny while also sexy. This is one of those quick and easy reads that most NA readers will be able to lose a bit of time reading. Nessa has liked her friend Zach since she moved and started working at the casino. Though they are good friends, Zach has always kept her at arms length. Nessa sees him eyeing her and at times believes that he wants more, but he always manages to shut it down and continues to sleep with other women. But Nessa is determined to change his mind and get him to act on the feelings he believes he has. Soon Zach finds it hard to continue to fight his feelings as Nessa fights to show him what they could have together. 

I liked Nessa and Zach. I didn't feel overly connected to them, but they were decent enough characters. Nessa was in love with Zach and yet she never really said anything to him. She never talked to him about what she wanted or tried to make a move. She sat back and let him continue to be with others while she pined away for him, and that was a bit irritating to me. But she also was able to show him that they had something worth taking a chance on and I liked that she wouldn't settle for being just another hookup to him. Zach should have talked to Nessa and figured things out earlier. He knew his situation needed to change and that it wasn't right, yet he didn't do anything to change it until Nessa started to really pursue him. It seemed pretty sudden for him to have a change of heart and seemed to be a reaction to something that happened with Nessa. (Can't really get into much of that without spoiling anything, but it wasn't handled the best in my opinion.) I thought that Nessa and Zach had great chemistry and I liked seeing them get to know one another. It boggled my mind a bit that they had been friends for awhile and were both attracted to each other, and yet they really didn't know each other that well. I think that was a bit weird to me, and it seemed like these two were almost acquaintances rather than friends. 

I think that this was a short and sweet read though, and I think part of my issues were because of the length of the story. If we had been given more of these two I might have felt differently. It just seemed as though with it being a novella that we never really dug deep with these two and pretty much everything was on the surface. I think I would have believed it more had I seen their friendship strengthen a bit before they decided to go the relationship route. I do like this series though, and it was good to see some familiar faces. I thought that Jules Barnard did a great job of setting up the next book in this series, and I am looking forward to reading that one.

**ARC Provided by IndieSage PR**

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ARC Review: Blue Crush by Jules Barnard

Blue Crush is the second book in Jules Barnard's Blue Series and can be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed this book and I liked the characters a lot. I hadn't read the first book in the series before reading this one, but I can't wait to go back and read it. This book takes place at the same time that the first book does, but it is about Genevieve and Lewis while the first book is about Cali and Jaeger. I was drawn in instantly with this story, and didn't put it down until I had finished. This one was a quick and enjoyable read, and I look forward to the reading more in this series.

After finding out that her boyfriend betrayed her, Genevieve Tierney decides to spend the summer with her best friend Cali working at a casino to save money for grad school. She is determined to avoid men and relationships and quickly makes friends with another casino employee, Nessa. Nessa introduces her to her friends, and Gen is instantly drawn to Lewis. Lewis however had a complicated relationship with Mira, another friend of Nessa's. Gen decides to try to stay away from Lewis, but the connection between them is hard to fight. When Gen decides to sign up for the Alpine Mudder Competition, she ends up with Lewis to help her train. He was a finalist in the competition a year before and knows how to help her prepare. As they train together, they find it impossible to stay away from each other, and soon Lewis and Gen give in to their passion. Lewis might not be with Mira, but he does tend to put her before others and it becomes an issue for his relationships. Can Lewis find a way to make Gen his top priority and give their relationship a chance?

I really liked Lewis. He was strong and sexy, sweet and loyal. He was fiercely protective of Gen and Mira, and went out of his way to try to always look out for them. I thought that he let Mira get away with far too much, but it was nice to see him care so much about her as well as Gen. I think he definitely should have handled a few things differently, but he meant well and didn't always know what to do. Gen was strong and determined, but she was also insecure at times and had a tendency to run first and ask questions later. She jumped to conclusions at times, but she had been hurt and that was understandable. I did like that she was able to dedicate herself to doing something for her and that she took the competition seriously. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do it, and I admired her determination a lot. I also really loved that she refused to settle for less than she deserved. Regardless of her feelings for Lewis, she wouldn't allow him make someone else his priority over her and put their needs above her own. I thought that Lewis and Gen had amazing chemistry right off, and they were seriously hot together! But I also loved their playfulness and watching them fall for each other as they trained together and got to know each other.

I have to say, I had an intense dislike for Mira right from the start. I didn't understand why Lewis put up with some of her crap, regardless of what she had been through. I understand that she had it tough, but that doesn't excuse her to act like a bitch and take over his life the way she did. I am curious to see what is between her and Tyler (Cali's brother), but I am a bit skeptical on how I am going to get behind her story. Hopefully she can turn her life around and redeem herself, but frankly she has a lot to make up for. She took advantage of Lewis's friendship and did a lot of things she shouldn't have. I will say that the ending of this story was also pretty abrupt and I felt like even though things were happy for now with Lewis and Gen, that their story felt unfinished to me. We are left with a cliffhanger, and that will get me to read the next book alone despite the fact that it is Mira's story. I would recommend this book to NA fans, especially if you have read the first book in the series. I look forward to reading more from Jules Barnard in the future.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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Guest Post with Author Jules Barnard and Giveaway

Meet Jules Barnard, author of Deep Blue.

Jules is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended UC Davis, whose college landscape often finds its way into her New Adult novels. She has a Master’s degree and spent many an hour running statistical analysis, until she realized her favorite part of the job was writing reports. She decided to cut out the math and add in some hot guys, and so began her career as a novelist.

Jules is a Northern California native living on the coast with her husband and two children. She has no impulse control around cupcakes and credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.

Find Jules at:

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