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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Review: Love, Your Concierge by Jessica Ingro


Let me start off by saying that I love the cover for Love, Your Concierge. I think that is what immediately drew me to this book! That and the fact that I love Jessica Ingro's writing style. She always writes such real and complex characters that are unique from anyone else out there. Not to mention she has written some of the hottest sex scenes I have ever read. All that being said though, what really kept me turning the pages with this story was Grant and Elizabeth. I really enjoyed their journey, and I honestly can't wait for more from Jessica Ingro after she proved once again why her books are so great.

Elizabeth has been building her concierge business since she was in college, and now she serves as the personal concierge to many of the most rich and famous individuals in New York. Her one rule is that she never mixes business with pleasure. She was never tempted to break her rule until she met client Grant Morgan. Grant is a top Manhattan attorney and has a playboy reputation. The attraction between them is beyond anything Elizabeth has ever felt before, but she doesn't want to be just another notch on his bedpost. But when she finally gives in to the connection between them, she finds herself falling for him fast. As they both try to adjust to their new relationship they must also deal with jealous ex-lovers, and family and friends that would keep them apart. When the trust between them is broken, will they be able to forgive all that has happened or will the love they share not be enough?

For the most part, I loved Grant. He had a few moments when he wasn't my favorite, and a few where I seriously wanted to junk punch the guy. But then he had these incredibly sweet and romantic moments where he would make up for his awful behavior. At first he comes off as the arrogant playboy he is thought to be, but when you dig deeper you see and incredibly vulnerable man that has been hurt and would do whatever it takes to protect himself. He didn't always make the right decisions, and I wished that he would have used his head a bit more, but I could honestly see that he cared for Elizabeth and that he was doing what he thought he had to for himself. Elizabeth also had her moments. She was smart and driven, but yet she made some really dumb choices. She was also extremely stubborn and prideful. I just wanted to shake her a few times, but eventually she started to figure things out. These two had such a strong connection and chemistry that I really believed they were meant to be together. The sex was off the charts for these two, but they also just got each other. They were the perfect pair, which is why some of the drama between these two just about killed me. 

While the poor decisions between these two really affected their relationship, it was also their lack of communications. They let others interfere in their relationship and didn't both to actually talk to each other about it, rather they chose to make assumptions and judgments based on what others told them. I thought that things would get straightened out fairly quickly, but these two proved me wrong. They were so stubborn, and I hated that they let outside influences change the course of their lives so much. Luckily these two finally woke up and were able to see everything that was true and I really ended up liking the ending. I will say that I liked the secondary characters in this book, especially Matt and Travis. I felt badly for Matt, and I honestly would love for him to get his own book. I also really liked Travis and thought that he was just an all around great guy and a wonderful friend to Elizabeth when she needed him the most. Her friend Maya though drove me a bit nuts. She was supposed to be her best friend, and yet she was always trying to push Elizabeth to be with Matt and make all these huge life changes that weren't right for Elizabeth. It honestly felt like she didn't know Elizabeth at all, and I had to wonder what her motivation was. I am looking forward to reading her story with Travis, Forever Your Concierge, and I am hoping that she will redeem herself a bit and that I will like her more in that story. Because I have to say right now I am not a fan of hers. I definitely would recommend this story though if you are looking for some steam and a book that centers around real characters. These are not your cookie-cutter romance characters, but rather real and flawed individuals who sometimes make bad choices and do things that aren't great. But what I love about them is that Jessica Ingro takes them as well as the reader on a journey and they always end up where they should. I am really looking forward to more from her in the future and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

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ARC Review: Taking Control by Nina Croft


Taking Control is the third book in the Babysitting a Billionaire series by Nina Croft. Each book can be read as a standalone with interconnected characters. I was really excited to read this one because not only is it a second chance love story, but the heroine was a total badass. She was fun and feisty and wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind. This was a fun read, and it had some really great steamy moments as well.

Jessica Bauer has a bit of an attitude problem and isn't afraid to admit it. But when her friend Jake tells her that in order to get her promotion she needs to tone it down and be nicer, she vows to be so nice that her new client will be singing her praises. That is until he meets her new client and finds out that it is none other than Declan McCabe, the same man that left her and broke her heart ten years ago. Jess knows that she needs to make things work, so she sets out to be as professional as possible even though it about kills her. But as the passion reignites between them, she decides to explore the chemistry between them once again and get him out of her system for good. But just when it is looking like they will be able to finally put things to rest, she finds out that Declan isn't willing to let her go so easily this time.

I liked both Declan and Jessica. Declan was the buttoned up billionaire that had lived his life according to what his parents wanted. He always did the right thing and was exactly what was expected of him. But he had a bit of a wild streak underneath that seemed to only be brought to the surface with Jessica. When he was with Jess, you could see all the passion and fun that his life was otherwise missing. I loved seeing him loosen up, and I thought that he was so much better with Jess in his life. Jess was an awesome heroine, and I really liked her character. She wasn't into makeup and fashion, but rather was into guns and kicking ass. She was fun and feisty, and told it like it is. I liked that while she had never fully gotten over what happened with Declan, that she wasn't just sitting around pining for him either. She lived her life and became very successful at what she did. I did think that it was great to see her soften a tiny bit with Declan though. Not that she lost her edge, but just that she was able to have another side to her with him around. They had a ton of chemistry, and I enjoyed the back and forth between them. The tension was so thick, and I just knew that sooner or later there was bound to be an explosion.

Overall, Taking Control was my favorite that I have read from this series. These two were great, and I really enjoyed their story. They had both moved on with their lives, but it was clear that they weren't really living. They were going through the motions and trying to ignore the hole that the other had left behind. I enjoyed seeing the previous characters as well, and I thought that all the secondary characters added a lot to this story. I am looking forward to reading more from Nina Croft in the future, and I would love to see more of some of the others from Knight Securities.

**ARC Provided by Entangled Publishing**

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A Naughty New Year...Brazen Style with NIna Croft and Giveaway


Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia, which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.

Nina writes all sorts of romance often mixing in elements of the paranormal and science fiction.

Find Nina at:

Friday, January 9, 2015

ARC Review: One Mad Night by Julia London


I am a big fan of Julia London when I got the opportunity to read an ARC of her newest contemporary novella I jumped at the chance and I got to tell ya…it was so worth it. I loved this book. It kind of reminded me of one of my favorite movies Lover Come Back to Me an old Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie about advertising firms fighting over an account. Here we have Chelsea Crawford and Ian Rafferty working for the same Advertising agency; after all a little in-house competition is healthy.

The newest and high profile account that comes with a partnership is up for grabs and Chelsea and Ian are in a silent war for the account and the job. While one of the bosses has told Chelsea flat out the account is hers one of the partners has told Ian it’s his and it’s only just a formality of letting Chelsea pitch her idea. Ian feels like shit over it he knows how had she has worked on that and it isn’t fair. Chelsea hates that she is attracted to her “arch-nemesis” but Ian is just too hot to ignore. Ian wouldn’t mind being friends with the competitive and beautiful Chelsea but she pushes him away at every turn. That is until a freak snow storm blows in and traps them in the office over night and they finally confront each other about this account and other ones in the past and about each other feelings. Together for one crazy night that changes every thing.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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A Naughty New Year...Brazen Style with Elle Kennedy and Giveaway


A RITA-award-nominated, best-selling author, Elle Kennedy A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. Visit her website www.ellekennedy.com or sign up for her newsletter to receive updates about upcoming books and exclusive excerpts.

Find Elle at:

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Weekly Winners

Below is a list of all of the winners from last week.

Yadira
Elizabeth C
Sherelle
eBook copy of Roulette by Megan Mulry


**Replacement Winners**
Janice
One Bite Per Night by Brooklyn Ann

Sophia Rose
Box of Goodies - Xmas Eve Grand Prize


All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

ARC Review: Earls Just Want to Have Fun by Shana Galen


Shana Galen is such a fun author! I have a list of her books that I want to read. The last book of hers that I read was “Sapphires Are an Earl's Best Friend (Jewels of the Ton, #3) , which I loved. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to read “Earls Just Want to Have Fun” which kicks off the “Covent Garden Cubs” series. Whereas her other book was about a group of females that are undercover spies this one has a “My Fair lady” / “Pygmalion” feel to it. Marlowe or Lady Elizabeth as she is known at the beginning of the story is a pick pocket. She lives in London’s Seven Dials. One day a private detective that has been hired by her family to find her takes her to his home. Unfortunately, since he is busy with his work he leaves her with his brother, Maxwell, Lord Dane.

Although Marlowe comes from a well-off family she grew up on the streets as part of a gang. She survived pickpocketing and in very dismissal living situations. When she is sent to live with Lord Dane she is very rough around the edges, to say the least. Her manner of speaking and her appearance are not that of a lady but a homeless girl that grew up on the streets. Maxwell is not very impressed with Marlowe and it takes a lot of work on his part and his sister’s part to make her presentable. As Marlowe begins to transform, Maxwell begins to see her real beauty and falls in love with her. Marlowe doesn’t take to kindly to being held “prisoner” by Maxwell and she spends a large part of her time trying to escape but she starts to wonder, where is she escaping back to? The Seven Dials? Living on the streets without food or a clean place to sleep?

First, I really enjoyed the story, I also enjoyed the authors writing style and the plot. I thought both were very creative. As seems to be Galen’s style, she writes in many funny parts and witty conversations, which I love.

So, why didn’t I rate it higher? I had two big issues with this story. One was the hero. I liked him but I did not love him. At first he is so stuffy and stuck up, he is difficult to like. But that wasn’t the worst part for me. He decides that he is going to enjoy some “intimacies” with Marlowe even though no one knows if she is still Lady Elizabeth. So he basically decides that if she is a poor street thief or a lady he will share a night with her. She doesn’t refute him but he was so adamant that either way he would not marry her. I really disliked that he was willing to have his fun and cast her aside, even if she was willing. Second part of the story that I had a difficult time with was her reunion with her family. The entire reason that Marlowe is there is to discover if she is really the abducted Lady Elizabeth and the scene with her parents was very disappointing to me. Her father disregards her but her mother takes more of an interest. This scene with her parents fell flat for me because I thought it was rushed and there should have been more to it! They just found their lost daughter! Anyway, I will continue to read Galen and am hoping to catch up on her previous reads. I’m positive her fans will love this story!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Lovers Restored by Kelsie Leverich


I will admit that after reading the blurb and seeing the cover for this book, I was torn on whether or not to read it. While it sounded like it was right up my alley, I have had a few issues with some of Kelsie Leverich's previous books. This one seriously checked almost every single box for me though as far as my favorites, so I had to read it. I am just a sucker for a second chance romance and the fact that its a best friend's older brother for a hero was it for me. I will say that while I had a few issues with this story, I did like it and I am glad that I read this one. Lovers Restored was frustrating at times, but I found it sweet and sexy and enjoyable.

After a tragedy forced her to leave town, Halle Morgan is finally heading home to fulfill a promise to her best friend. Ten years away have done nothing to lessen the pain she felt from losing not only her best friend, but also the man she loved, Cooper Bale. Though she knows that Cooper now hates her, she can't help but want to see him again while also wanting to avoid him altogether. When they run into each other, they are both forced to deal with things from their past. Cooper wishes that he could keep Halle away for him, but he finds himself drawn to the one woman he should stay away from. Though he doesn't want to hurt her, he finds himself feeling relief from all the pain only when she is in his arms again. Can Cooper and Halle find their way back to one another and leave the past behind them, or will there be too much between them after everything that has happened?

Cooper was frustrating for most of this book even though I did like him. He had lost so much and carried so much pain and guilt from the past. He had a lot of anger as well, and didn't really know how to deal with it. While he had always cared about Halle, he also treated her pretty badly for parts of this book. He would run so hot and cold with her, and I could tell that he was struggling. I just wanted him to figure things out faster, because it was clear that he loved her. He was always so protective of her and I loved that he looked out for her regardless of what was happening between them. Halle was sweet and had developed a successful business, but she still had issues from her past. She had left town never to return and had lost pretty much everyone that had ever meant anything to her. I did feel like she let Cooper get away with a ton in the book, but I understood just how much she cared for him. She saw the best in him and I loved that she never gave up on finding the boy she had once known in him when he thought that boy was long gone. She was exactly what he needed, and he was the same for her. These two had so much history between them both good and bad, but it was clear that the chemistry and connection between them had never changed.

Overall, I thought that this was a good book. I did get frustrated with the push and pull, and I felt like it went on longer than it should have. I wanted them to figure things out sooner and I either wanted Cooper to get his act together or for Halle to finally put her foot down. But I was glad that they finally started to figure things out and realize that things between them were worth fighting for and that they could heal each other and move forward. I also enjoyed the secondary characters in this story a lot. I really loved their friends and thought that they really added a lot to this story. I will look for more from Kelsie Leverich in the future after reading this book.

**ARC Provided by Entangled Publishing**

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A Naughty New Year...Brazen Style with Kelsie Leverich and Giveaway


New York Times bestselling author Kelsie Leverich lives in Indiana with her husband, two adorable monsters—who are better known as her kids—and her three little fur babies. Whether she is reading it or writing it, Kelsie is a sucker for romance. Add some toe-curling passion and she’s done for. When not writing, she can usually be found behind the chair at the salon, or out on the lake with friends and family.

Kelsie is a lipstick junkie, nail polish hoarder, and lover of words. She is most definitely not a morning person, has a soft spot for animals, loves musicals, hates seafood, and thinks laundry is the source of all evil.

Find Kelsie at:

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

ARC Review: Take Me if You Dare by Nina Crespo


Take Me if You Dare was a short and sweet novella from Nina Crespo. I was excited to read this one since I usually love the Brazen line from Entangled, and while this one did have some heat it left me with some mixed feelings. While I liked it, I didn't love it. What starts off as a one night stand between Jasmine and Ethan quickly turns into more, even after she tried to leave him only with a note. But soon they find themselves drawn together again, and don't want things to be over yet. They agree to two weeks together before Jasmine returns home, knowing that a long distance relationship would never work. But as their time together draws to a close, they both realize that they want more. Can they take their fling and have a chance at a relationship though with the distance between them?

I liked Ethan and Jasmine, but they both had their issues for me. Ethan was afraid to commit because of his job and the dangerous situations he found himself in. As a soldier he had seen too many guys killed in action that left women and children behind, and he didn't want to put anyone through that. But he was really sweet with Jasmine, and he made an effort to treat her well and do nice things for her. You could see him starting to develop real feelings for her, and he started to rethink his stance on things. Jasmine was smart and dedicated to her job. She had been hurt when her fiance cheated on her and got another woman pregnant, and it had left her scared to put herself out there again. But she took things too far with Ethan by constantly running from him without ever really talking to him. She was developing real feelings for him, but acted immaturely and ended up hurting both Ethan and herself. While these two had a lot of chemistry and I could see them starting to form a connection, it felt rushed to me. I think it was honestly a combination of the time period in which this book takes place as well as Jasmine's constant running.

I will also say that besides the problems with Jasmine and the connection between her and Ethan, I felt that this book was rushed. They started off as one night that turned into two weeks, and yet instead of just seeing each other for the two weeks they decide to live together? I mean these two had never met before and suddenly they are staying with one another? It just didn't ring true for me, and I found it unrealistic. I will say that I liked that Ethan originally started off as the one against commitment, and yet he ended up being the one to force the issue. I just wish that Jasmine had been able to get her head on straight much quicker. While I did enjoy this story, I wish that it would have ended a bit differently. I liked the ending, but I did feel as though it was rushed after everything that happened and I wish we had been given a bit more of what happened for these two after everything had played out. This book was enjoyable though, and if you are looking for something short and sweet while steamy you might give this one a shot.

**ARC Provided by Entangled Publishing**

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A Naughty New Year...Brazen Style with Nina Crespo and Giveaway


Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions -- the beach, kick boxing, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a "borrowing spree" in her older sister's bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Curiosity about people and places, including what's beyond the stars, fuels her writer's imagination. This wellspring of inspiration allows Nina to create sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales, which she hopes will feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.

Find Nina at:

ARC Review: Forever, Your Concierge by Jessica Ingro


Forever Your Concierge is the second book in the Concierge Series by Jessica Ingro. While I was excited to start this book, I was also a bit worried. I really loved Travis in the first book, but I had a lot of issues with Maya. Although I still had a lot of issues with Maya in this story, Travis could not have been more perfect. I loved him so much, and he is definitely one of the best book boyfriends I have ever read about.

Travis and Maya got together after running into each other at a bar after Maya had a disastrous date with one of her clients from the business her best friend Elizabeth owned. They kept their relationship secret from Elizabeth because Maya didn't want to upset Elizabeth and her no dating clients rule after her horrible recent attempt with Paul. But when the truth came out, Elizabeth was happy for her friends and Maya and Travis could finally move forward with their lives. They got married and things seemed to be perfect for them until everything fell apart. With Maya's past suddenly reappearing as well as new struggles for Maya and Travis, Maya has a hard time coping and instead of turning to Travis tries to deal with things on her own. Can Travis and Maya make it through everything and come out together or will their relationship be proof that sometimes love is not enough?

Travis was perfect and amazing, and could not have been a better guy if he would have tried. He was sweet and thoughtful, and far more understanding that I can even attempt to explain. He put up with so much and was such a rock for Maya, no matter what she did. He encouraged her and supported her and although he would get mad, he never treated her badly or punished her. He forgave her every time and didn't hold grudges, and I am not talking about minor issues here. Travis was fantastic and I loved him. Maya still frustrated me in this story, and it was worse even than in the first book. This time it wasn't about Elizabeth though, but about everything she put Travis through. I could not understand why she refused to talk to him or include him in huge things going on in her life. Especially when they were married and everything that she was doing affected him as well as herself. She was selfish and while she was experiencing pain and going through rough things, so was Travis. She shut him out completely and made horrible choices, and honestly she didn't ever really redeem herself to me. Travis deserved better, and while I liked how things turned out for these two I felt bad for all he had to go through to get there when it wasn't necessary.

Overall, this was a good story even if I did have problems with Maya. The journey for Maya and Travis wasn't an easy one, and I think that Maya did grow up over the course of this book. But I still hated how she handled things, and I was hoping that she would have figured things out much sooner than she did. I didn't feel like she ever made up for her actions completely, but I did see that Travis loved her unconditionally. She might not have deserved him to me, but I have never been in a situation like they were in so it is hard for me to really understand his motivation to stay with her though I will say that it had to have been true love to go through everything and stick by her. I know that it sounds like a lot of bad in this review, but I did enjoy the story and how things were at the end. I loved seeing more of Elizabeth and Grant and how things played out for them. The ending of this story was really great and I thought that it was really cute. I will say that it was nice to briefly see more of Elizabeth and Maya's friend Matt, but I would still love to get more of him and see how his life turned out. While this wasn't my favorite by Jessica Ingro, I would recommend this book for Travis alone.

**ARC Provided by Author**

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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

ARC Review: Falling Away by Penelope Douglas


I'm a little all over the place right now and not really sure how to explain my feelings now that I've finished Falling Away. While I really liked it and couldn't put it down, I did have a few issues with it and the way some things played out. Let me explain.

I'll be honest, part of me was kind of hesitant to read Falling Away. I wasn't the biggest fan of K.C. in previous books. Actually I'll be honest, I pretty much hated her and wasn't all that interested in seeing her get an HEA. Harsh I know but it was hard for me to get over and forgive her for her actions in Bully. But what really got me wanting to read this book was Jaxon Trent. I've been intrigued by him since he came into the picture and I couldn't wait to get inside of his head and see more of him. Let me just say oh my goodness. Jax certainly didn't disappoint in the sexy department. He's hot, sexy and definitely has a way with words.

As much as I've come to love Jax in previous books there were times when I was reading Falling Away that I found myself cringing and rolling my eyes. There were things that he did that came across as creepy to me and then there were times that he would say or do something that for me was hard to get past. I feel like at times he took the whole "Alpha Male" thing a bit too far with some of his comments and it just let me feeling uncomfortable. But then he would do something so that would change my opinion completely and remind of why I love Jax.

While I liked the connection him and K.C. found in each other, I couldn't help but think that their relationship felt a bit rushed to me. I would have liked to have seen them slow down some. It just seemed like things went from zero to sixty in no time at all that it was a little hard to believe in them as a happy and loving couple. I also think that at the end things were just a bit rushed and tidied up with a bow to quickly. I think I wanted to see more groveling. Just seemed liked they forgave everything that happened so quickly.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by K.C. in this book. I won't lie I wasn't a fan of her at all but she definitely redeemed herself in Falling Away. There are a lot more layers to her than meets the eye and when we see her finally start to peel some back it's remarkable. You get to see her come alive in this book and it was definitely a great thing to see. I really didn't think she would be able to redeem herself but she did that and then some.

For the most part I really liked Falling Away, with the exception of a few issues this book was great. It was everything I've come to love in a Penelope Douglas book - hot guys, fast cars, good music and lots of sexytimes! Fans of the series definitely won't want to miss this book.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Review: Tempted by His Best Friend by Cari Quinn


Tempted by His Best Friend was previously released as a part of the Lovers Unmasked anthology, but is now available individually. As soon as I read the blurb and saw the sexy new cover, I absolutely had to read this one. Cari Quinn did a fantastic job with this novella, and I loved every bit of it! It was sexy and fun, while also having the emotional connection I was looking for between the hero and heroine. I highly recommend this story, and I can't wait to read more from Cari Quinn!

Stephanie is tired of going unnoticed by her best friend Landon. She has had feelings for him for awhile, but over the past year he has been pushing her away. Though she wants more, she also misses the easy friendship they used to share. Determined to finally catch his attention, she dresses up as a sexy fox with a mask to keep her real identity hidden. Can Stephanie finally show Landon what they could have together beyond just friendship, or will she ruin her chance with him for good when the truth comes out?

I really liked Landon and Stephanie. They both had started to have feelings for one another more than friendship, and neither of them knew what to do about it. So instead of talking about, Landon avoided Stephanie and she kept quiet. I really wanted these two to sit down and have a conversation and just be honest with one another. It was clear that they were attracted to one another, and they already had the base for a great relationship with being as close as they were. Landon was afraid of his desires being too much for Stephanie though, and I could tell that he was struggling with how to try and put aside what he was feeling. He might have made the wrong choice in pushing her away, but he thought he was doing what he had to. Stephanie definitely made the wrong choice in what she did, but I also understood why she did it. Even when she tried to take things further with him when he knew it was her, he kept trying to stop things between them. These two were so hot together though, that I knew they had to find a way to let everything go and take the risk.

Overall, this was a really fantastic story! I loved the characters, and I was so invested in the story that I absolutely could not put this one down! I read it in one sitting because it was super steamy and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I loved Landon and Stephanie and seeing them take their friendship to the next level, but I also really loved their best friend Craig! I really hope that Cari Quinn gives Craig a story as well, because I would love to know more about him! I think that this story is a must read for those looking for something short and sexy, and it had everything that I was looking for in a great book. I am excited to read more from Cari Quinn in the future.

**Review Copy Provided by Author**

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