Ramblings From This Chick

Thursday, October 13, 2016

ARC Review: Say it Louder by Heidi Joy Tretheway

I have been a huge fan of Heidi Joy Tretheway's ever since I read Tattoo Thief! I quickly devoured everything of hers that I could get my hands on, so it seems like I have been waiting forever for this installment in the Tattoo Thief series. This book was worth the wait though, and it was great to head back to this amazing world that she has created.

When given the ultimatum to dump his toxic girlfriend or lose the band, Dave knows what he needs to do yet finds himself in an impossible situation. Not only does Kristina have dirt on Dave, but on each member of Tattoo Thief as well. Just as Dave's life seems to be up in the air, he finds himself growing closer to emerging star Willa. As Dave and Willa grow closer, both find themselves wondering what their future looks like as their pasts threaten their everything.

I have not been the biggest fan of Dave over the course of this series. He always felt like he was a bit too much of a doormat for his awful girlfriend, and I hate how he treated the guys because of that at times. But there was clearly a lot more going on behind the scenes and we got to see more here that really she a lot of light on why he did certain things. I really liked him with Willa, and it was so nice to see a different side to him than we had seen before. Willa was easy to like and I loved the depth to her character. The chemistry between these two was great and I loved getting to see these two build something together.

Overall, another great book from Heidi! It was great to see some familiar faces and get to know some of these characters better. I have really enjoyed this series from the beginning, just as I have everything that I have read from Heidi. If you are a fan of rockstar romance stories and like something different, I highly recommend this series! These aren't your typical rockstar romance books, and I love that they are sexy, fun, and emotional. Heidi is great at delivering a solid story every time that captivates the reader from the first word to the last. I can't wait to see what she writes next, and I am already anxious for more from her.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

Feature and Giveaway: Say It Louder by Heidi Joy Tretheway

I had a choice—dump my toxic girlfriend, or break up my band.

It should have been easy. But she’s been collecting dirt on all of us for years.

Just when I think I’ve hit rock bottom, a pink-haired street artist rocks my world. They call Willa “the Parking Lot Picasso.” I call her my refuge, my center, my last reason to hope.

When Willa’s life on the streets collides with a sudden spotlight on her art, I’ll stop at nothing to protect her. But when the spotlight turns on my secret shame, she might be my only salvation.

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Wednesday, October 12, 2016

ARC Review: The Fix Up by Kendall Ryan

The Fix Up is a spin-off of Kendall Ryan's Hitched series, but it is a standalone story. If you have read the Hitched series, you will recognize Sterling and Camryn as Noah and Olivia's best friends. I enjoyed this story a lot, and Sterling was super sexy. While you do not need to read the Hitched series first, for full enjoyment I would recommend it.

Sterling and Camryn know each other through their best friends Olivia and Noah. While they know each other on the surface, it isn't until Sterling learns that he is set to inherit millions that they two begin to spend much time together. While Sterling is the British bad boy, Camryn is looking for a relationship and the one she can settle down with. But he knows that he needs Camryn's help if he ever hopes to go from being a bachelor to a husband. As they spend more time together, the attraction between them grows and they soon realize that they have more in common than they thought. But can Sterling and Camryn turn their growing connection into forever?

I liked Sterling and Camryn. Sterling was so hot and sexy, and everything you expect from a British hero. I loved him right away in the Hitched series and loved getting to know him better. Camryn was easy to like and I felt like she was easy to relate to. The connection between them was one I enjoyed seeing grow, and it felt real and genuine despite the crazy circumstances going on surrounding them. Their chemistry was off the charts, and these two seemed perfect for one another when you might not think so at first glance.

The one thing I will say is that I felt there were some unrealistic things that happened here and that is what kept me from rating this story higher. I still enjoyed the story and the characters, I just felt some of what happened wasn't entirely believable. If you are a fan of Kendall's, this is one you will want to pick up. It was sexy and fun, yet also had enough emotion to keep the reader invested all the way through. If you haven't read anything by Kendall Ryan before, I definitely recommend giving her a shot.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

ARC Review: Down Shift by K. Bromberg

The original Driven Series by K. Bromberg featuring Riley and Colton is one of my favorite series of all times. I read the first three books twice. I was a K. Bromberg fan from that time going forward. I’ve read all of the other books in the Driven series so I feel like I grew up with the Hero of this book, Zander Donovan. I’m trying to give you very thorough background on my history with this series and this author because it might make my review biased. I may be giving this book a more generous rating than it actually deserves because of my love for this author and this series. OR, I might be undercutting this rating because I have such extreme high expectations of this series. Either way, it’s important that you be able to read the review in the context in which I wrote it.

You don’t need to have read any other books in this series to read this one so don’t be deterred by the fact that it is book #8. If you have read other books in the series than you know that Zander has some extremely effedupness (new word alert!) in his past. Zander’s father was an abusive drug addict who killed his Mother while Zander was present. Zander was later adopted by one of my favorite couples of all time, Riley and Colton Donovan. When this book kicks off, Zander has learned some things about his past that make him question his present. As a result, he starts self-destructing in a very agonizing fashion. Zander escapes to a pull town to pull his life together and runs (literally), smack dab into Getty Caster.

Getty is also trying to get a fresh start in a small town. Getty is escaping an abusive ex-spouse and a loveless family situation. Getty is struggling to learn to assert herself and Zander gives her plenty of practice. Getty first has to learn to stand up to Zander’s rapidly changing moods (which were annoying) and then how to stand against her past. Along the way, Getty and Zander learn to co-exist in the same house.

Their initial attraction quickly evolves into something more. Zander tries to resist because he just feels like he is too messed up for someone as good as Getty. Getty tries (and fails) to protect her heart because she knows Zander is planning to return to his life in LA without her. The connection between the couple is undeniable and well depicted. I loved how Getty monitored Zander’s fix it list and I loved how tender the two were towards one another. I believed Zander and Getty as a couple and I was rooting for them.

So why the three stars? It was the level of angst in this book. The angst level was so extreme I almost couldn’t take it. Zander is in constant emotional turmoil over the events of his past and whether he should “open the box” to his past. There are pages and pages of Zander reliving the same emotional issues over and over. The same is true for Getty. It is angst on 10 about her past and her future and her feelings for Zander, just everything. Even worse is that the angst is internal to the characters. That means that a lot of the book is about the characters internal dialogue instead of their communication with one another. If angst is overdone, for a reader like me, it can feel like emotional torture. I love this author, I like the couple, the writing is good but I need the angst level reduced by 2/3. If that was the case, this book would probably be 5 stars for me.

**ARC provided by Publisher**