ARC Review: Find Me by Laurelin Paige

It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to say in this review. Just FYI, I read Free Me, the first part to this series, and gave it 5 stars. They were 5 well deserved stars at that. I like Find Me but I didn't love it and there is one reason for that: Gwen and JC are very different in this book than they were in Book 1. So if you really love the character depiction in Book 1, there are some things in this book that can be difficult to...appreciate.

In Book 1, JC is painted as a very alpha male with a strong personality and an aversion to commitment (for good reasons which are explained). Gwen comes across as being emotionally stunted but on a journey to find herself and open up and let light and love in, or whatever. In Book 2, however, JC is much...softer. I'm not suggesting that as a criticism, it's just a fact. JC has discovered that he is in love with Gwen so the tension created by his resistance to a relationship evaporates from the story. Gwen is...I'm not really sure what Gwen was in this book. She says that she is trying to remain open and not go into the emotional shell she lived in before JC. Her method of staying "open" is capable of leaving you with a very bad taste in your mouth and a lot of confusion.

In Book 1 Gwen seems so solid but in Book 2, not so much. She makes a decision that is really questionable and follows it up by questioning if she should continue down the same questionable path while we are at home screaming at our Kindles and pulling our hair. The other thing that might surprise you about Gwen in this book is that she just seems much more erratic. To be honest, Gwen felt more like Alayna in this book (who I love for different reasons) than she felt like the Gwen we knew. The problem with the change in JC, I now realize, is that the tension created by his resistance to the idea of a relationship with Gwen evaporates from the story in Book 2. And the tension was really really good so if you are comparing the two books you can feel like there is something missing.

I don't want to spoil anything about this book but the main conflict in the book was really unexpected. I had no idea I was going to be reading about that kind of conflict when I picked up the book. And ok, a very slight spoiler...it involved a love triangle. I just didn't see that coming. I don't love triangles but Paige is so good with words, I didn't have too much trouble with it. I just didn't see it coming.

What I still loved about this book was the writing and the language use. I loved the supporting cast of characters. For those of you who miss Hudson and Alayna, you get to see them in this book and Ben and Norma show up too.

Ok I'm rambling let me sum it up: This is a decent follow up to Book 1 but if you really love the way the characters come across in Book 1, this book might lose some fizzle in your eyes. The thing I walked away thinking is that I'm excited to read the next book about Chandler and glad Gwen and JC got their HEA.

**ARC provided by TRSoR Promotions**

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Audiobook Review: Deep by Kylie Scott, Narrated by Andi Arndt

I'm so sad right now, sad that I'm done with this series. I'm not ready for it to be over. From the first book (Lick) to the this one I was hooked and I'm so glad that I picked this series up. Deep was yet another fantastic installment in this series and I felt like it ended the series with a bang. Despite my being sad it's over I am thoroughly happy and satisfied at how things ended up for everyone. I felt like everything was tied up quite nicely.

I admit that Deep had me hooked. Once I started listening to this one I was immersed into the story and I didn't want to stop listening at all. I loved the connection between Lizzy and Ben. Deep is told in several parts and I loved the bits we saw of Lizzy and Ben getting to know one another through text messages. I thought they way they were with one another was so damn cute.

To me Deep seemed a bit less tame than the previous books in the Stage Dive series as far as sexiness goes but don't get me wrong, there were definitely some sexy parts. I just felt like there was this connection between Ben and Lizzy and when they came together it was so much more than just sex.

I adored these two and their journey to their HEA. It definitely wasn't an easy one and it was filled with lots of bumps and bruises but when they finally do come together it was magic.

Ben was such a complex character and to be honest it was hard to get a read on him at times. He's kind of gruff and generally keeps to himself. Unlike the other members of Stage Dive whom we got to know some outside of their books, I went into Deep not really knowing all that much about Ben.

As for Lizzy I felt like she was a much older than her 21 years. She was kind of an old soul and felt like she was such a strong character. She was honest, fierce and loyal and I loved that she didn't shy away from her feelings.

I don't know if it's because I got used to Andi Arndt's voice or is she just came into her own towards the end of the series but once again I felt like she was spot on in this book. She read Deep with so much emotion and depth and just brought Lizzy to life. I just couldn't get enough.

Deep was a fantastic book and I can't wait to read more from Kylie Scott. I highly looking forward to the spin off series and do hope that some of the characters make some cameos because I definitely am not ready to say goodbye to the guys and girls of Stage Dive.

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RFTC Back to School Event with Lia Riley

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult and Contemporary Adult romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments.

A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn't mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about future books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. Right now, Icelandic hot springs and Scottish castles sound mighty fine.

She and her family live mostly in Northern California.

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ARC Review: Love Always, by Sonya Loveday and Candace Knoebel

Love Always, is the first book that I have ever read from either Sonya Loveday or Candace Knoebel. I really had no idea what I was in for, but with the cover and blurb for this book I absolutely had to read it. I will admit that when I first started it though, I was honestly a little worried. It started off slow, and it wasn't holding my interest. For some reason this one was hard for me to get into, but I am glad that I stuck with it. Once things started to pick up a little, I thought that this was a really cute story and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Phillip and Maggie both have their lives planned, and think that they know where they are headed. They come from completely different backgrounds, with him being from money while she isn't. Phillip is tired of having his every move planned for him, so when he meets Maggie in the Hamptons he enjoys the time he gets to sneak with her. Maggie knows that Phillip needs some fun in his life and to let loose, and she is surprised to find that she had him pegged all wrong. They begin to grow close and the more time they spend together, the deeper their connection grows. But just as they are starting to realize what is between them, life pulls them apart and their summer is over. Will their connection be enough to endure the time apart and the ways that their different lives pull them? 

I really worried about liking these characters at first. Honestly I thought that they were a little weird and I wasn't digging them at all. Phillip first came off a bit creepy with his constantly talking about pleasing his mother and everything he did to try and be perfect for her. Maggie came off as completely odd with her less than conventional intro and first encounter with Phillip. I thought that they were naive and immature, and I didn't think that I was going to be able to continue. But then they started to get to know one another, and they both completely changed for me. Phillip came to life with the help of Maggie. The more time they spent together, the more I loved the side of him she brought out. She was bright and cheerful, and so full of life and fun. It was good to see her bring that to Phillip and get him to let loose some. These two connected right away, and I really liked that while at first glance they seemed to be so different, they were actually more alike than you would expect. They related so well to one another, and I enjoyed seeing their connection grow. 

As this story continued, I really got pulled into everything that was happening and I didn't want to stop reading. Though it might have started off slow for me, I really liked these two and enjoyed seeing them both grow and change over the course of this story. They both matured and grew up, and I was really glad that I saw their journey take place. I thought that this book was really adorable and sweet, and I really liked their letters. This one really had everything I look for in a good love story, and I thought that these two were perfect for one another. If you are looking for a sweet coming of age story with some romance and angst, I would definitely recommend this story. Phillip and Maggie had their ups and downs and went through so much, but I can honestly say that I am so glad that I took a chance on two new to me authors here. I will definitely be looking for more from these two, and I hope that they decide to team up again in the future.

**ARC Provided by Enticing Journey Book Promotions**

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ARC Review: Caged: Released by Shay Savage

Released is the third and final installment in the Caged series by Shay Savage. This is the conclusion to Liam and Tria's story, and picks up after the second book. These need to be read in order, so if you haven't read the previous two books you will want to start there. Even though I have enjoyed parts of these stories, I have also had some issues over the course of all three books. Once I had started though, I had to see it through to see how things would end. 

After the events of Trapped, Liam is left with nothing. He knows he screwed up by yelling at Tria and scaring her, but he sinks further with everything that happens to him. Now he is left alone, with no job and no place to live. He wants nothing more than to get Tria back, but is he willing to make the changes he needs to in order to prove to her that he is worth another shot?

I have liked Liam more than Tria since the beginning of this series. Part of that is that I feel more connected to him than I do with Tria. I think that since we got this story completely from his POV, that is a huge part of it. He really had a lot to deal with in this installment, and he had definitely hit rock bottom. But what I love about Liam is that he knew he had to turn his life around, and his love for Tria helped him to do what it took. He made a lot of progress here, even if it wasn't always quick or easy. Tria continued to drive me nuts, and this book was no exception. I will admit that she had every right to be wary of Liam after how he acted, but I also felt like she was really wishy washy here. She was a mess, and she continued to be whiny and weak and I just found myself unable to connect with her at all. I did feel more of a connection here between Liam and Tria than I had in the previous book, but I didn't like how one minute she was pushing him away and giving him steps to take to prove to her his commitment to being better and then the next she was a disaster and throwing herself at him while balling her eyes out. I just didn't really care for her, and unfortunately that never changed over the course of this series. 

Overall, I think that there were some really good moments over the course of this series and in this book. But if I am being completely honest, this one was a bit of a disappointment for me. It was all over the place, and I just felt like there was too much going on while not enough was happening if that makes any sense. There was the weird community that Tria was from and all that drama, plus the fighting drama, then the family drama with Liam and the drug issues too. It was pretty random, and I felt like it needed to sort of pick something and stick with it. I did like Liam a lot though, even when he made mistakes and acted poorly. For awhile in the second book I was worried if that would be the case by the end, but I thought he really turned things around here. I don't know that I would read this had I known everything I do now, but I am glad that I finished it and found out how everything played out. The ending was satisfying, but this isn't one that I will probably remember or think about again.

**ARC Provided by TRSOR Promotions**

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