ARC Review: Rush by Shae Ross

Rush is the third book in the Pretty Smart Girls series from Shae Ross, but each book in the series is a standalone story. I have to admit that I read a previous book in the series and it wasn't my favorite, but the cover for Rush was enough to convince me to give this one a shot! I really loved it and it just instantly drew my attention. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the story itself, and I ended up throwing in the towel at the 30% mark. While I hate to DNF any book, I just couldn't force myself to finish and this one wasn't working for me at all. 

Rush is about Priscilla Winslow and Preston Rush. Priscilla is the captain of the soccer team and Preston is the star quarterback for their school's football team. When the two of them attend the same Halloween party at a local bar, it ends with Preston being involved in a fight. Looking to help him out, Priscilla jumps in and they both end up in jail. But when Priscilla is suspended from the soccer team, Preston and Priscilla must work together to try and get her reinstated. The attraction between them is something neither of them can fight, but with Priscilla hating Preston for everything that has happened can he win her over? Or will both of the futures be destroyed? 

Part of my problem here was that I just didn't connect with the characters. I liked them at first. There was so much promise with the first meeting in the bar and how they were dressed in costume and you could really feel the pull between them. Things were interesting when they were in jail together. But it was after that that this one lost me. Priscilla was angry (and I totally understand that and even sympathize with her) but I just found her impossible to like. I wasn't feeling the connection between her and Preston beyond that first bit and it just felt like they weren't really progressing at all. There wasn't any real depth or development and my interest started to wane. 

Besides just the characters though, I felt like the humor was forced and over the top. It just wasn't funny to me and came off as the author trying too hard. I'm not trying to be rude, but it just didn't feel natural and there was just something off about it to me. Any interest I had left was quickly lost because of it, and I just couldn't bring myself to continue. I think that there are plenty of readers that will enjoy this story, and I encourage any that are interested to give this one a shot. If this sounds like one you might like, you should definitely give it a try. Just because it wasn't working for me doesn't mean that it won't for you. I think maybe I just wasn't connecting with the story or characters or in the right frame of mind to read this one. After a few different books of hers not working for me though, I think maybe her style just isn't one that works for me and this will likely be my last book from her.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | 

May Embrace Release Blast with Jennifer Blackwood and Shae Ross

Welcome to the endless possibilities of New Adult fiction. Let us Embrace you with swoon-worthy heroes, butt-kicking heroines, contemporary issues, intrigue, fantasy, edge-of-your-seat thrillers, paranormal adventures, and everything in between. All entangled with a heavy dose of romance, be it sexy or sweet. Let Embrace usher you from the halls of high school graduation and into the wide open world beyond... To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and check them out on Instagram.

Today I'm happy to be featuring Embrace's May releases:

The Rule Book by Jennifer Blackwood

Jennifer Blackwood is an English teacher and contemporary romance author. She lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When not chasing after her toddler, you can find her binging on episodes of Gilmore Girls and Supernatural, and locking herself in her office to write.

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Starr Media Second-Assistant Survival Guide

1. Don't call your hot boss the antichrist to his face.

2. Don't stare at hot boss's, um, package or his full sleeve of tattoos. (No. Really. Stop!)

3. Don't get on the malicious first assistant's bad side.

4. Don't forget to memorize the 300-page employee manual.

5. If you value your cashmere, steer clear of boss’s dog.

6. Boss’s dimples are lust-inducing. Do. Not. Give. In.

7. “The elevator ate your clothes” is not a valid excuse for showing up to important meetings half dressed.

8. Don't break seven of the rules within the first week of employment if you, ya know, are in dire need of money to support your sick mom.

9. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the boss. See rule eight about sick mom.

10. Never forget the rules.

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

Rush by Shae Ross

Shae Ross was born and raised in Ferndale, Michigan. After graduating high school, Ms. Ross attended Michigan State University and continued her education at Detroit College of Law. Prior to 2014, she spent the majority of her career practicing corporate law, running a successful business and engaged in entrepreneurial ventures.

After having one too many stressful days at the office, Ms. Ross began to consider pursuing her lifelong dream of writing. Armed with an English degree, an interest in historical settings and a huge collection of romance novels, Ms. Ross put pen to paper and began converting the characters in her head to ink. She soon found herself happily immersed in a new working world that included heroes and heroines, agents and editors, and a multitude of secondary characters.

Ms. Ross’ debut novel, PRETTY SMART GIRLS – LACE UP released in January of 2015. The second book in the series, PRETTY SMART GIRLS – FEARLESS will release August 18th of 2015. She currently writes in the new adult and contemporary romance genres and lives with her husband and three children in Holt, Michigan.

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College Quarterback Preston Rush is living the dream. He’s leading his team to the National Championship and days away from earning a ‘first round draft pick’ label. When he meets Little Bo Peep at a Halloween party, he thinks he’s scored big. Instead, he wakes up in a jail cell with the corseted beauty. Because of him, she’s in trouble and when he discovers her true identity, he realizes, his nightmare is just beginning.

The always shooting-for-perfection Priscilla Winslow can’t believe her good deed has cost her a soccer career. Even though she knows it isn’t Preston’s fault, she can’t forgive him for the disaster that is her life. She just wishes her damn body would get the message. Every time she sees him, it’s all she can do not to kiss him.

When everything crashes down around him, Preston will have to decide if doing the right thing is worth losing it all.

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

ARC Review: Fearless by Shae Ross

I don't even know where to begin right now. This is my first book by Shae Ross, though it is actually the second book in her Pretty Smart Girls series. Fearless can be read as a standalone story though with no problems understanding anything. Unfortunately for me while I really loved some parts of the story, this book took a huge turn that I wasn't prepared for, and it wasn't a good one in my opinion. I will do my best to avoid being super spoilery, but just be warned that there might be some ahead as it is almost impossible for me to express what I had problems with if I don't go into some detail.

Devi and Ben have been more than friends since the moment they met, however they have never actually been together. So when they both move with their friends to NY, Ben is determined to finally convince her to give them a real shot. Ben has spent the last six months trying to win Devi over, but her fear of relationships has kept her from allowing them to be anything but friends. But when something unexpected comes up, Ben realizes that he might have screwed up any chance of having Devi just as she was beginning to allow him in.

I liked Ben. He was straight forward and a good guy. I liked that he was able to be upfront with his feelings and the fact that he fought for Devi. I will say that I thought that his excuse for what happened in regards to the big twist was absolute BS, and if he was fighting so hard for Devi and had such strong feelings for her that I felt he never would have done what he did. It didn't make sense, and to me it was a total mood killer when it came to his character. I liked how he handled things, but it was his fault he was in that position and it was something that I felt never should have happened. I found myself relating to Devi pretty easily. She was strong and fearless, and I loved her sass. She was always blunt and to the point, yet her weakness was her own insecurities especially when it came to her upbringing. She let her circumstances get in the way of her life and relationships, and I wish that she had been able to see herself better earlier on. I didn't like that she kept turning Ben down, forcing him to keep pursuing her, but I did understand why she did it. These two were great when they were together though, and I really enjoyed the connection they shared. 

So obviously my biggest problem here as I sort of alluded to above was the huge plot twist that happened at about 40% of the way through. Up until that point, this book was honestly one I couldn't put down. I was loving the dynamics between these two, and I really enjoyed the group of friends and all their antics. The pranks and fun they had were some of the best group moments I have read in any NA story, and I was expecting a fantastic read. Then 40% through happened, and I felt absolutely betrayed. I took Ben's actions personally, because I felt like his personality wouldn't have allowed him to do what he did if he had been legit about his feelings for Devi. The next 50% was hard to get through, and I honestly thought about throwing in the towel multiple times. I really wish that the author hadn't gone there, and I am pretty gun shy now about reading more from her because of this. While I think the situation was ultimately handled well and came out okay in the end, I wasn't satisfied with this story or the ending at all. The twist is one of those things that can either go horribly wrong for me or work itself out in a way that I can get on board with, and unfortunately here it was the first. I think that this is one of those things that could be personal to me and might not affect everyone who reads this, but I also think that there are a lot of other readers out there that will feel exactly the same as I did here. I also felt like the blurb was a bit misleading as it made sure to bring up the fact that Ben was a cage fighter multiple times, yet that was such a small part of the story that it didn't even really have much to do with anything here. Those expecting a fighter book should know that that is not what this book is ahead of time, and that the blurb made it out to be something completely different. 

**ARC Provided by Author**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 

Feature and Giveaway: Fearless by Shae Ross

Devi Dalton won't let anyone hold her back. With the help of her friends, she’s taken control of her future and traded her messed-up family life for a new job in Manhattan. Her only obstacle? Ben Winslow, the sexy friend she’s desperately trying to resist. If she’s going to succeed, she can’t afford to be distracted, no matter how hot the chemistry burns between them.

Cage fighter Ben spent six months trying to convince Devi to take a chance on a relationship. Now that they’ve reunited in New York, he's not letting her push him away again. They're more than friends—always have been—and he'll do whatever it takes to prove it to her. First, he has a few demons of his own to slay…one of which could ruin his chances with her for forever.

But every fighter has a weakness. Ben’s is Devi. And this time, she’ll need more than just her favorite “Fearless Red” lipstick to protect her heart if she lets him in…

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |

Guest Post with Author Shae Ross and Giveaway

Meet Shae Ross, author of Pretty Smart Girls - Lace Up.

Shae Ross was born and grew up in Ferndale, Michigan. After graduating high school, Ms. Ross attended Michigan State University and continued her education at Detroit College of Law. Prior to 2014, she spent the majority of her career practicing corporate law, running a successful business and engaged in entrepreneurial ventures.

After having one too many stressful days at the office, Ms. Ross began to consider pursuing her lifelong dream of writing. Armed with an English degree, an interest in historical settings and a huge collection of romance novels, Ms. Ross put pen to paper and began converting the characters in her head to ink. She soon found herself happily immersed in a new working world that included heroes and heroines, agents and editors, and a multitude of secondary characters.

Ms. Ross currently writes in the new adult and historical romance genres and lives with her husband and three children in Holt, Michigan.

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |