ARC Review: Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen

Hard Hitter is the second book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series by Sarina Bowen. I am a huge fan of hers and I couldn't wait to read the next installment in this series after loving the first one so much. Hard Hitter was a great addition to this series and I really enjoyed Patrick and Ari's story. Leo is still my favorite so far, but I think that readers will love this one, especially if they enjoyed the first in the series. 

Patrick O'Doul is used to being the one who takes the hard hits as the enforcer and captain for the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of playing, he is starting to show the signs of the pain both physically and mentally. So when the team trainers and coaches send him to the team massage therapist and yoga instructor Ari, he wants nothing to do with it even if he is attracted to her. But as he starts to spend more time with her, his feelings begin to change and soon he is ready for more. Ari has just gotten out of a bad relationship and the last thing she needs is to start a new one. But O'Doul is willing to wait for her to be ready and is determined to protect her from her crazy ex at all costs. Can Ari risk her heart once more and give him a shot?

I liked both Ari and Patrick a lot. While I did enjoy their story, I didn't feel quite the same connection to them that I did with Georgia and Leo though. Ari was sweet and caring, and genuinely interested in the health and well being of not only Patrick but the whole team. She really frustrated me at times though, even if I did see why she acted the way she did. Patrick was amazing though. I loved his patience and persistence when it came to Ari. He knew what he was facing with her and he looked for ways to show her he really cared. I absolutely adored him, especially seeing him with his teammates and the way they came up with ideas for what to do for Ari! Trust me you will love it! The chemistry between these two was strong, and their connection continued to grow over the course of this book. It was real and genuine, and they were great together.

I really did enjoy this book, and I loved these two and the way their relationship built. I wasn't the biggest fan of Ari's actions at times, and the stuff with Ari's ex wasn't my favorite. But honestly I still really enjoyed the book on the whole and I think that this series is one of Sarina's best. Her writing seems to just get better and better, and I think fans of hers will really love this one. If you like sports romance stories, I definitely recommend this series. Even if you don't love sports romance though, I think that this is one worth reading and has something for everyone. I am really looking forward to more in this series as I love the characters and the world that Sarina has built. I am really hoping that we get stories for all of these characters as they are so much fun to read about!

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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

ARC Review: Strong Signal by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell

I have read and enjoyed books from Megan Erickson before, but this was the first book that I have read from Santino Hassell. I really enjoyed Strong Signal, and I thought that these two were a fantastic writing team. Great start to the Cyberlove series, and I am already looking forward to reading more! 

Garrett Reid was counting down the time left of his deployment, while dreading the thought of the job he would have to take once returning to civilian life. But then he met Kai while playing an online game and while they started off as rivals, the two quickly formed a friendship. Soon both of them were counting the minutes before they could talk and see each other online again, with their webcam chats turning from friendly to more. But now that Garrett is headed home, Kai knows that he is nothing like the man that Garrett expects and worries about what Garrett will think when they meet. Garrett has dreamed of what their first meeting will be like, but like the rest of his life it doesn't go as planned and he begins to wonder if the two of them can have a real life connection or if things were best between them online.

I really loved Garrett and Kai. These two were so perfect for one another, despite being so different. They brought out the best in one another, and helped the other just by being themselves. Each one of them was deep and well developed, showing growth and progress throughout the book. I loved seeing both Kai and Garrett moving forward with their lives and becoming who they were supposed to be both as individuals and as a couple. The chemistry between them was there right away, and these two were super hot together! But their connection was so strong and the emotional side of things was what kept me flipping pages here. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great as well as the story, and I loved that it was something different and unique from what I have read before. My only criticism is that I felt the ending fell off a bit, and it wasn't quite what I had been hoping for. While I liked how things ended up, it felt a bit cheesy and easy and didn't fully satisfy. But I really loved these two and was so happy to see them get the ending that they each deserved. I have to admit that I am super curious to read the next book, as one of the main characters is one that I wasn't entirely sure of here. I am really looking forward to reading more from both Megan and Santino, both as individual authors and this amazing team they were here. If you are a fan of M/M romance, I definitely recommend checking this one out!

**ARC Provided by Authors**

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

Naughty New Year Event with Shelly Bell

A sucker for a happy ending, Shelly Bell writes sensual romance often with a bit of kink and action-filled erotic thrillers with high-emotional stakes for her alpha heroes and kick-ass heroines.

She began writing upon the insistence of her husband who dragged her to the store and bought her a laptop. When she’s not working her day job, taking care of her family, or writing, you’ll find her reading the latest smutty romance.

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

ARC Review: Hollywood Prince by Kim Karr

I am a huge fan of Kim Karr's and I could not wait for Hollywood Prince! It was everything I have come to know and love from her, but also so much more. This book also happened to be one of my favorite tropes as well, brother's best friend, making it exactly what I was looking for! Hollywood Prince was such a great story from start to finish, and I could not put it down. 

When Amelia's life falls apart even more than it already had, she heads to California to talk to her brother and stay with him for awhile. But when she arrives and he is nowhere to be found, she finds herself relying on his former roommate and best friend Brooklyn to give her a place to stay until he comes back from Mexico. But while Amelia has just met a nice guy that could be Mr. Right, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Brooklyn who she knows is anything but. Being Hollywood royalty, Brooklyn has never had a problem getting girls and is known for being a player, but could Amelia be the one that makes him rethink everything?

I really loved these two. I loved their history and the way that things felt so natural and genuine with them. Each of them had things they struggled with and reasons for them to not be together, and yet they also knew what they had between them and were willing to see where it took them. Brooklyn and Amelia were so sexy together, with a ton of steam! I loved their chemistry just as much as the strong connection they shared. I just couldn't get enough of them, and never wanted it to end. 

I will say that Brooklyn frustrated me a bit here, but I understood his reasoning even if I didn't like his actions. Luckily he woke up and I loved how things turned out. He really turned things around and made a few really amazing gestures here that had me swooning! While River has always been my number one from Kim Karr, I have to admit that Brooklyn is right up there with him. I just loved him and this will definitely be a book I reread in the future. I highly recommend this one, especially if you love sexy and sweet stories with depth and emotion as well as steamy scenes.

**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | 

Naughty New Year Event with Cecilia Tan

Cecilia Tan is the award-winning author of Slow Surrender, Magic University, and Daron's Guitar Chronicles. RT awarded her the 2014 Career Achievement and Pioneer Awards for her 25+ year career writing passionate fiction. She lives in the Boston area with her partner of 25 years and three shy cats.

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |