ARC Review: Life After Falling by Alyssa Rose Ivy

I have read quite a few of Alyssa Rose Ivy's books at this point, and I have become a fan of hers. So when I saw that she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it. Life After Falling is unlike her other books that I have read, and this is a complete standalone. I have to say though that this isn't what I had been expecting, and while I did enjoy it I also had a few issues with this book. 

Unhappy with her life and herself, Cassidy quits her job and dumps her fiance. She heads home to stay with her parents until she figures out what to do next. When she comes across a cassette tape from her childhood, she believes that it is the way to find happiness once again. But the tape is broken, so she sets out to get it fixed at a used record shop. There she meets Leo, and the two of them hit it off. Cassidy soon finds out that Leo has his own set of issues from his past, and has put up walls against anyone that would possibly get under his skin. But the more time they spend together, the more they start to fall for one another. Soon they are beginning to wonder if they can find a second chance at happiness together.

I had a really hard time connecting with Cassidy and Leo. They were both a bit different, and they didn't open up easily. I did think that they fit each other well though, and they were really good together. They had great banter, and I did like that they were able to get along so well as quickly as they did. These two understood one another, and their connection was easy to see. There were friends first, but the chemistry was there from the beginning. They did take awhile to open up to each other, and I wish that they had talked to each other without things just coming out due to circumstances around them. I think it would have meant more and showed a better connection between them had they made the choice to open up rather than things just coming out. 

Besides finding the characters hard to relate to though, I also just felt like this story was a bit weird. There was so much focus on the cassette for quite a bit of this story, and I just found it all a bit odd. I also felt like there were several things that were brought into this story for extra drama or for no real reason, only to be dropped without mention again. At first Cassidy meets back up with a former classmate Brent, and he quickly disappears. Then her brother is mentioned throughout the story quite a bit and his girlfriend is hated by absolutely everyone, but they were hardly around though they were mentioned a lot. There was one scene where Cassidy finally meets the girlfriend and the brother is horrible as well as his girlfriend, but after the big showdown happens and Leo stands up for Cassidy the whole thing just goes away. They are never mentioned again and nothing was resolved. So while I have really loved stories from Alyssa Rose Ivy in the past, this one just wasn't for me. It did have a cute ending and I was glad to see how things turned out for the characters, I just didn't enjoy it like I have with some of her previous books.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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Feature and Giveaway: Life After Falling by Alyssa Rose Ivy

One tangled cassette tape. Two tangled lives.

Cassidy snaps. She quits her job and fiancé all in the same day and ends up on her parents’ doorstep. In the midst of everything she is determined to fix a broken cassette tape that she thinks holds the key to rediscovering happiness.

On her quest to fix the tape she meets Leo, a guy as down on his luck as she is lost. What starts with curiosity leads to something resembling a relationship and maybe a chance at love.

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ARC Review: The Hazards of Sleeping with a Friend by Alyssa Rose Ivy

The Hazards of Sleeping with a Friend is the fifth book in the Hazards series by Alyssa Rose Ivy. I have enjoyed this series since the beginning, so I was excited to read another installment. Each book can be read as a standalone, though the characters are interconnected and you get to actually meet Jade and Kyle previously in this series. I liked these two together, and I thought that they were good for one another. I did think that this book was good, but there were a few things that kept this from being a great read for me though. 

Jade and Kyle have been friends for awhile, since she started working for the radio station that Kyle works for. Though Kyle is technically her boss, they have always treated each other as equals. When Kyle needs Jade's help, she reluctantly agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend for a family vacation that Kyle asks her to go on. But it doesn't take long before their pretending turns into real feelings. But when their week long vacation is over and they return to real life, will their relationship be over? And when Kyle's life suddenly falls apart, will he be able to lean on Jade for support, or will he push her away? 

I liked Kyle and Jade well enough, and I liked them together. But these two had some issues and I kept waiting for them to kind of figure things out. Both Kyle and Jade had some insecurities and while Kyle was ready to take their relationship to the next level, Jade wasn't. I felt like her reasons for her insecurities were sort of over-hyped. When all was revealed it was pretty nonchalant and didn't really seem to be as big as I would have expected for her to be so against relationships. At least to get in the way of a relationship with a friend that she knew was a good guy that wouldn't hurt her. It was brought up and then quickly dropped before more drama was dumped on these two. Then when Jade finally did start to come around, things happened with Kyle that seemed to come way out of left field. Not only did Jade not have a clue about the stuff that was going on, but I felt like as a reader it didn't fit his personality at all. Yes Kyle had some issues with his family, but I felt like the stuff that came up about him was so different from what we had seen of him as a person throughout this series and book. It just didn't fit to me, and I found myself not believing that things were as serious as they were made out to be. 

While I liked the chemistry and friendship between Jade and Kyle, I just didn't feel as though this book was anything new or different. To me, this book was predictable and had been done before. I was hoping that there would be something to make this one stand out and be different from the fake relationship to real one trope, but unfortunately this one was just okay. I think if you are a fan of this series, you might like this one and give it a shot. But if you are looking for something different or unique, I don't know that I would recommend it. It had it's enjoyable moments, but overall this one was easy to forget as soon as I finished reading.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: The Hazards of Mistletoe by Alyssa Rose Ivy

I am a fan of Alyssa Rose Ivy's and I really like her Hazards series. The stories and characters are great, and I know that I am going to enjoy them a lot. However this one was not the same at all. It felt kind of forced to me, and I just wasn't feeling it. As much as I was hoping to love this friends to lovers Christmas novella, I found that I was a bit disappointed with this one.

Savy and Glen are best friends, and have been since they were kids. Their grandparents always rented cabins in Colorado for Christmas, and the tradition has continued years later. While Savy and Glen only see each other once a year, they call and text each other year round. But when they end up kissing under the mistletoe, things change between them. Now a year has gone by, and they haven't spoken to each other since that night. Glen realizes that he made a mistake, but will Savy be able to forgive him?

Glen and Savy were cute together, and I did feel as though they had a good connection between them. They had a lot of history and tradition behind them which helped a lot. But I also felt that while they had a good base for a relationship, that things between them didn't really happen in a great way for me. They didn't really spend much time together. They didn't have great communication, despite talking and texting being the basis of their friendship. I wanted these two to ease into the transition of becoming more than just friends, but it just felt rushed. I felt like these two had the attraction between them, but it just didn't really spark the way that Alyssa's characters usually do.

While this one was cute and had some holiday cheer to it, it just wasn't what I have come to expect from Alyssa Rose Ivy and her Hazards series. I liked the characters, but didn't love them. I wanted to feel more of a connection to them and between them, but I just never did. I felt that the story had a bit of a forced and rushed feeling to it, and I didn't really like the jump in time of a year. But I also felt as though the dialogue was confusing at times as well. Sometimes it almost seemed as though I had missed something, and I would have to go back to check. I will say that I did like Dalton and Laney's characters a lot, and I think that they are both interesting enough to have their own stories. I hope that maybe we will get those in the future, especially Dalton's. I really like Alyssa Rose Ivy and her Hazards series, and would definitely recommend the series to NA fans. But this one just wasn't the same for me.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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Feature and Giveaway: The Hazards of Sex on the Beach by Alyssa Rose Ivy

One broken heart, one drink too many, one steamy night in the sand...

No one warns you about the dangers of drinking with a broken heart. At least no one warned me. I never imagined I'd fall for a musician, especially not one like Chase, but then again I never expected to have my heart broken into a million pieces by the frat guy I thought was the love of my life.

Sometimes it's the rash decisions, like hooking up in the sand, that lead you to the best places—the kinds of places where it's possible to let yourself fall in love again.

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ARC Review: The Hazards of Sex on the Beach by Alyssa Rose Ivy

The Hazards of Sex on the Beach is the third book in Alyssa Rose Ivy's Hazards series, but can easily be read as a standalone. This book has interconnected characters, and it was nice to get to see some familiar characters. I have to say that this book was my favorite book of Alyssa's to date, and I thought that it was really good. I think part of why I liked this one so much was because of Chase. He was fantastic, and is definitely worth reading about.

After finding out that her boyfriend had been cheating on her with his ex, Cara's friend drags her to a party to try and help her move on. She ends up having a bit too much to drink and hooking up with a hot stranger on the beach. When he tries to get her number, she quickly leaves before he has a chance to find anything out about her. After thinking about him constantly and deciding that she made a mistake, she ends up going to a concert with her friend Jade. Cara is surprised to find that her one night stand Chase is actually the lead singer of the band. Chase sees Cara and isn't about to let her run away so easily this time. With Chase being on the road constantly with the band and Cara's trust issues, can they possibly have a chance at a relationship together?

I really liked Chase. He was so sweet and he was a really great guy. The whole book Cara kept questioning if he was too good to be true, and I have to admit I was kind of doing the same thing. But he really was that great, and he proved it again and again. I liked seeing how he did whatever he could to show Cara that he wanted only her and that he was determined to make things work with her. He made a difficult situation easier to handle, and I loved how understanding he was. Cara had been hurt and betrayed, and because of that she had some issues with trust and felt a bit insecure. I liked that she was open with Chase though, and she was able to let him in. Chase was exactly what she needed and it was really good to see her moving on with her life. I also liked seeing her find something that she enjoyed doing and the fact that Chase supported her and did what he could to help her made me like him that much more. I thought that Chase and Care had really great chemistry together and things were always steamy between them. But you could also see the emotions and feelings developing between them, and I loved watching them fall for one another.

Overall, this was a great addition to this series and was my favorite so far. This series just seems to keep getting better, and I really love the characters. It is nice to get to know new characters, but also catch glimpses of the ones from previous books. I like that they are always different and unique, and that they seem so real. Chase was definitely one of my favorites I have read of Alyssa's, and is also on of my favorite book boyfriends that I have ever read before. I loved seeing him win Cara over, and his songs for her were so sweet. I loved seeing him put his feelings out there for the whole world to see and that he wasn't ashamed of how he felt about her. I highly recommend checking out Alyssa Rose Ivy's books if you haven't read any before, but honestly this one is a must read for me. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next, and I look forward to reading more from her.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: On The Rocks by Alyssa Rose Ivy

 On The Rocks is the second book in Alyssa Rose Ivy's Mixology series and can be read as a standalone. While we get to see Colin and Maddy from the first book, this book focuses on Carly (Colin's little sister) and Maddy's friend and roommate Macon. I really enjoyed this story, and loved getting to know Macon better. This book was a quick and easy read to get sucked into, and I really liked the story.

After college with no plans and nowhere to turn, Carly heads to stay with her brother Colin while she figures things out. She gets a job at the bar her friend Maddy works as a hostess, but she has the opportunity to become a bartender and make more money. She doesn't want to cramp her brother and Maddy's style, so Macon offers to let her live in Maddy's room at their house with him and Brody and Maddy moves in with Colin. Needing to learn how to bartend, she turns to Macon for help. They have an easy relationship and get along well, but they are also really attracted to one another. As they get closer and learn more about each other, their relationship quickly turns passionate. But with the end of the summer fast approaching, what will happen to their relationship?

I liked Macon a lot. He was so sweet and thoughtful, and completely unlike his reputation would lead you to believe. He let people make assumptions about him and think that he was a player when he actually wasn't. I loved how open he was with Carly and that he really respected her. He treated her right and looked out for her. Carly was great also. She was smart and fun, and I loved seeing her with Macon. They had such a natural relationship and everything was just really easy for them. They got along really well, and they brought out the best in each other. I felt like their relationship was so real and that they just fit together. They had great chemistry together and were really hot. But I loved that they also had such a great emotional connection as well.

Overall, I really liked this story. I loved that we got both Macon and Carly's POVs. Even though the chapters were clearly labeled which POV it was, there were a few times that it would switch for a paragraph or two and it was a bit confusing. The book was well written though, and the characters were likable and easy to root for. I really liked Brody as well, and I am interested to get to know him better. It was also great to see Carly and her sister Kim start to repair their relationship. I would recommend this book if you are a fan of the NA genre, and especially if you read the first book. I really like Alyssa Rose Ivy's writing style, and she always has such fun and likable characters. If you haven't read anything by her, you should definitely check her books out. I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: The Hazards of a One Night Stand by Alyssa Rose Ivy

The Hazards of a One Night Stand is the second book in the Hazards Series by Alyssa Rose Ivy. These books do not have to be read in order as they are standalones, I had no problems while reading this book even though I hadn't read the first one in the series. This is the second book that I have now read by Alyssa Rose Ivy, and I am really enjoying everything that I read by her. She is a great writer, the stories are entertaining and engaging, and the characters are likable and interesting. I really liked reading Colt and Mallory's story, and I can't wait to go back and read the first book in this series now. If you haven't read a book by Alyssa Rose Ivy and are a New Adult fan, you should definitely give her books a shot.

While home for the summer from college, Mallory ends up hooking up with her high school crush Colt. The only problem is that she is really good friends with him, he is younger than her, and he just so happens to be her ex-boyfriend's brother. Mallory is determined to get away from him as fast as possible and get back to just being friends from afar. She heads back to school early and lets her friends set her up with Tanner. But when Mallory and her friends go to a party at Tanner's frat, she finds out that Colt is attending college there and is pledging the same fraternity. Mallory goes on a few dates with Tanner and although she feels nothing for him she is reluctant to stop seeing him. But Colt is determined to prove to Mallory that they belong together and that she should give a relationship between them a chance. Once Mallory finally admits her feelings for Colt, they begin seeing each other. But can they make a relationship work when there are still a lot of obstacles in their way?

I liked Colt a lot. He was a really sweet guy, and he was always thinking about Mallory. He was always doing little things for her that she liked and he was always there for her when she needed him. It was also really great to see how determined he was. He knew that they got along great and that they had a connection, and he was so patient in trying to convince Mallory that they were perfect for each other. I loved that he never gave up or was a jerk to her. Mallory had her moments for me. I liked her personality and I liked her friendship with the girls and their boyfriends, but the constant push and pull with Colt drove me crazy. She was hot and cold with him, and I didn't understand why she kept trying to have something with Tanner when it was clear she felt nothing for him and liked Colt. I did like that once she finally admitted her feelings though, that she went with it. She didn't waver and she was committed to him even with the many obstacles that got thrown in their way. Colt and Mallory were a great couple, and I loved how they were with each other. I also thought that they had a ton of chemistry together.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. I will admit that there were a few characters in this story that I didn't like at all. I hated Mallory's dad and I really didn't like Tanner. I didn't like him from the start, and I guess that is why I just couldn't understand what Mallory was doing with him. But I loved the rest of the characters, and I really liked that they all hung out together. It's rare that a group of girls and their boyfriends all like each other and can do everything together without someone feeling left out or it feeling forced. This group just worked together, and I enjoyed all the times they were together as well as when it was just Colt and Mallory. I felt like with this book there were a few things that were brought up and dropped, and I would have liked for those things to have at least been acknowledged. Colt refers to a letter that he wrote to Mallory in a care package several times, and yet it is never read by Mallory or mentioned again later in the book. There was also something that her dad did in the past that really had an effect on Mallory's life that is brought up, but I felt like it was never really dealt with. I can't say what as I don't want to spoil anything, but I really thought that Mallory should have discussed it with others besides her dad. Not that it would change her life at that point, but it was a pretty big deal at least to me. I did like this story though, and I thought that Mallory and Colt were meant to be together. I was happy with how things ended up for them and I liked watching them fall for each other. Alyssa Rose Ivy has written a great set of characters with this series, and they are definitely worth the read. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

**ARC provided by Inkslinger PR**

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Feature and Giveaway: The Hazards of a One Night Stand by Alyssa Rose Ivy

One small town boy, one girl who wants more, one roll in the hay...

Hooking up with your high school crush is a bad idea, a really bad idea. It was only supposed to be one night, one brief departure from my real life, but nothing ever works out exactly the way you plan.

Colton Waters was everything from my past that didn't fit into my present, so why did he have to show up at my college and pledge the one frat I couldn't avoid?

Because nothing is ever meant to happen just once. At least not the life changing things that mean the difference between falling apart and falling in love.

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ARC Review: Shaken Not Stirred by Alyssa Rose Ivy

I have never read a book by Alyssa Rose Ivy before, but with what I have heard about her and reading the blurb for this one I knew that I wanted to change that. This book immediately drew me in with the cover and I was really looking forward to reading this one. For the most part, this story was entertaining and enjoyable. There were a lot of things that I liked, especially Maddy's roommates and Colin's sister Carly. However, the blurb for this story in my opinion is completely misleading. I went into this one expecting a love triangle and there wasn't one. As much as there were parts that I enjoyed, I think that going in with the wrong idea about what this story was about really caused me to not like it as much as I could have. I kept waiting for something to happen, and it just didn't.

Maddy is bar-tending while living with her childhood best friend Macon and their friend Brody. After being graduating college only to be rejected from Med School, she is trying to figure out what to do next. She has a crush on Lyle, a singer of a local band who performs every Thursday night at the bar. She is determined to get him to say more than three words to her and to figure out his drink of choice. But then there is Colin the guy she has been turning down repeatedly. After finally seeing that things with Lyle aren't going anywhere, she agrees to go on a date with Colin. From the first date with Colin, he and Maddy have a connection. They begin seeing each other and things are going well, aside from the fact that Colin is a complete workaholic. Between running late and standing Maddy up a few times, Maddy begins to rethink the relationship she and Colin have been forming. Colin is determined to convince Maddy that relationships are worth fighting for and that theirs could be it. But Maddy is not so sure that she can have a future with someone who isn't willing to make her his top priority. Can Maddy and Colin figure out a way to have it all, or will there be too many things standing in their way?

I am confused by Colin's character. There are times that I really loved him, and times that I almost hated him. For as hard as he would try with Maddy by setting up these really romantic dates and as much as he pursued her, you would think he would be willing to make her a priority. But then he would either show up really late or not at all, or flat out leave her while they were in the middle of something. The worst part is that he expected her to understand and get over it as if it wasn't important that he had just blown her off. It just didn't make sense at all what his character was doing and how he was acting. He seemed pretty shady the whole book, and I kept waiting for a big reveal of why he was doing everything and it just fell pretty flat for me. There never really was much that I could see that explained it other than that he was a workaholic committed to being successful with his company. I liked Maddy's character. I thought that it was great that she was willing to take a look at her life when her original plan fell through, and rather than just follow what someone else wanted to do she was willing to figure out what was right for her. There were several times that people made it seem as though being a bartender was lowly and not a good path, but I loved that she didn't apologize for it and was determined to keep doing it if that's what made her happy. I realize that she liked Colin and felt a connection to him, but I do not understand why she continued to put up with his crap. That was what really kept me from loving her character. I just have a hard time connecting with a heroine who becomes/is a doormat for others, especially if it is the hero. I just didn't understand her reasoning for sticking by him and continuously forgiving him. Maddy and Colin had a lot of chemistry together and they worked really well when he was around. But their relationship just didn't seem entirely believable to me after all of the stuff that he pulled.

Overall, this story had a lot of enjoyable moments and I liked it enough to keep reading. I think the highlights for me were Maddy's roommates Macon and Brody as well as Colin's sister Carly. At first I thought that Macon and Maddy should end up together, but as the story went on I think that he is going to be perfect for Carly, and I can't wait to see where that one goes. Carly and Maddy's instant friendship was a lot of fun to read about, and I loved that they hit it off so well. My other problem with this story is that there were several things that I felt were brought up only to be dropped with no further explanation. Maddy's struggles with her parents was a huge deal, and yet she only really interacts with them once. Maddy mistaking Carly for a girl that Colin was dating was never revealed as why she almost didn't give Colin another chance. It was as though several of these things happened just to stir up some drama and angst, but were never really worked out. For me, things should be worked through once they are brought to light like that only with this one that just never happened and it really affected the way that I felt about this story. All in all I would recommend this story if you are a fan of the New Adult genre and go into it realizing that it is not at all what the blurb leads you to believe. If you go into it without expecting a love triangle, I think that you might find this one enjoyable. I did like the story, but I am honestly more excited to see what happens with Macon and Carly as well as Brody than I was about Maddy and Colin. I can't wait to see more of them and where the author takes their characters.

**ARC provided by Inkslinger PR**

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Guest Post with Author Alyssa Rose Ivy and Giveaway

Meet Alyssa Rose Ivy, author of Shaken Not Stirred.

Alyssa Rose Ivy lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write.

Places to find Alyssa:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

Guest Post with Author Alyssa Rose Ivy

Today I would like to welcome to the blog, author Alyssa Rose Ivy. Alyssa is celebrating the recent release of her book Flight and has stopped by to chat with us about it. Before I give the floor over to Alyssa, let's get to know her a bit.

Alyssa Rose Ivy lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write.

Places to find Alyssa:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |