ARC Review: Ruckus by L.J. Shen

Ruckus is the third book in the Sinners of Saint series. I know it says #2 but the first book in the series is technically a novella so I guess the author doesn't count it in the series count. The series tells the stories of four friends from Todos Santos, "the hotholes" (uh yeah, that's the stupidest clique name EVA but they got in high school so we'll give them a pass), and Dean- "Ruckus" is the third friend whose story we get. You could technically read any of the books in this series as standalones but I would not recommend that. Each book contains at least minor spoilers of the book that came before it and this series is so good that you don't want to mess it up by reading it out of order.

So, for all of you Todos Santos fans, you know that Dean is the fun loving, mostly high, often drunk member of the hotholes. Dean was somewhat of a mystery to me in prior books. He was the guy who seemed to have a good heart but he had an A hole switch that he seemed perfectly comfortable switching when the occasion called for it. Dean seems to have the most stable family of all his friends and also seems like he is the most easy going. But, hold off on any assumptions you might have about this one. This book reveals a character that is way more nuanced than what we see in other books. In fact, it takes time for Dean to come into full view in this book. He is a man who is fighting some seriously ugly demons and the book is as much about his struggle to defeat those demons as it is his relationship with Rosie.

And speaking of Rosie, she is another dynamic character for the ages. Rosie is so much more than Emilia's sickly younger sister. The problem is proving that to her family can be a little difficult. Rosie was gutsy, outspoken and independent. Rosie has an illness which gets in the way of her doing all the things she wants to do in life. But Rosie doesn't hide, she embraces even what she doesn't have and lets herself experience joy in others even when it's not her own. Rosie knows that Dean is effed up way beyond what other people see of him and she sacrifices herself for him. Rosie lets Dean take out all of his issues on her body and in exchange she accepts his love and loves him in return.

I was worried about how I would feel about Rosie and Dean since Dean did date Rosie's sister in prior books. The relationship between Rosie and Emilia, however, is not at all what it was cracked up to be and both of them knew it. The really fascinating thing was how Dean and Rosie basically agreed that Dean would be with Emilia to protect Emilia. They sacrificed their own happiness for Emilia's. You can't help but to root for a couple like that.

So you know...Rosie is kind of dying and the end is not at all guaranteed in this book. The author forces the reader to pull a Rosie. Embrace the moments you have and don't worry about what happens in the end. Just enjoy the journey. This book is amazing as is the entire series. This one has more emotional angst than the last one but it's good angst and I think you'll like it.

**ARC provided by Enticing Journey Book Promotions**

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Feature: Ruckus by L.J. Shen

Rosie

They say that life is a beautiful lie and death a painful truth. They're right.

No one has ever made me feel more alive than the guy who serves as a constant reminder that my clock is ticking.

He is my forbidden, shiny apple.

The striking fallacy to my blunt, raw, truth.

He is also my sister's ex-boyfriend.

One thing you should know before you judge me;

I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first.

Eleven years later, he waltzed into my life, demanding a second chance.

Dean Cole wants to be my bronze horseman. My white knight has finally arrived. Hopefully, he isn’t too late.

Dean

They say the brightest stars burn out the fastest. They’re right.

She sets my mind on fire.

All smart mouth, snarky attitude and a huge heart.

In a world where everything is dull, she shines like fucking Sirius.

Eleven years ago, fate tore us apart.

This time, I fucking dare it to try.

Getting to her is a battlefield, but man, that’s why they call me Ruckus.

Rosie LeBlanc is about to find out how hard I can fight.

And conquering her will be the sweetest victory.

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ARC Review: Crave Me by Stacey Lynn

I will admit that I am a huge addict when it comes to forbidden love stories. It doesn't matter what the story is really, if it is at all forbidden the chances are I am going to want to read it. I was really excited to read this one though, and it was everything I was hoping for and more. Crave Me is definitely my favorite of the books I have read from Stacey Lynn, and one I recommend to fans of erotic romance. 

Chloe knows what she wants and is looking for the perfect Dom to help fulfill all of her desires. The man she really wants is her sister's ex-boyfriend, but she knows that he is the perfect man for her and has dreamed of Simon since she met him. While Chloe's sister wanted nothing to do with the BDSM lifestyle, both Simon and Chloe know that it is the life for them. But can they possibly have something lasting when they know that her family will never approve of them being together? 

I really liked these two. They were a perfect match for one another, fulfilling each other's desires and needs without judgment. Simon was commanding and sexy, without being a jerk. He was kind and caring, and really did a great job of introducing Chloe to the lifestyle. Chloe was smart and strong and just feisty enough to make her submission that much sweeter for Simon. She was such a great heroine and I instantly liked her. These two were super sexy together, but it was so much deeper than that and I loved every bit of it. 

Overall, this was a really great story. If you are a fan of BDSM and forbidden romance stories, this is one I recommend giving a shot. It was sexy and sweet, and just a great all around book. Simon and Chloe are easy to like and I was captivated with them the entire way through. I can't wait to read more from Stacey Lynn.

**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**

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ARC Review: Found Underneath by K.L. Kreig

Found Underneath is Part 2 in the "Finding Me" series. You cannot read this book if you have not already read the first book and you should not read this review either as it will contain spoilers.

This is the conclusion to the Willow and Shaw story. The story picks up right where the last one left off. There are still unanswered questions about what role Shaw's sister had in the death and other secrets are lurking in this book as well. The issue with Shaw's sister becomes much more prevalent in this book and there are other answers about Willow's sister that emerge as well.

The reason you should really read this book is because of the relationship between Shaw and Willow. I warn you, Willow's emotional issues are front and center. You may sometimes want to smack the hell out of Willow. There are so many things Willow needs to say but they are locked up so tight she never seems to be able to get anything out. Shaw is transforming right before our eyes. Every barrier he put in place is being renegotiated as he discovers that he loves Willow more than he loved his life of whoring, emotional barriers and working like a maniac. Shaw knows that Willow is hiding behind walls and does everything he can to knock the walls down before he finds himself trapped inside of his own impossible walls. Even with all their barriers the love between these two characters intensifies even more in this book until it is consuming everything. That little weasel Reid is still popping up to mess things up but for the most part Willow handles it really well. Willow sees Reid for what he is and she is committed to Shaw and their relationship. The sex between these two characters is smoking hot. The author never skims on the steam or gets lazy with the scenes.

And just so you know, the situation between Willow's Father and Shaw's sister did not go down the way you might think. I mean....it wasn't great but in the end the author resolved it in a way that let the characters move forward in a believable way.

I did something with my rating of this book that I've never done before. I changed my rating after I read the author's personal blurb at the end of the book. I was going to give this book 4 stars because Willow's emotional isolation made me crazy. But then I read the author's explanation that she wasn't just building gratuitous drama into the story line but giving us a real character who isn't able to communicate in the perfect way that makes romance stories tidy. As someone who can be a little closed off I had two reactions to the author's blurb: First, oh shit, I hope I'm not as annoying as Willow. Second, I appreciate the effort to mix endless orgasms and super hot sex with some very real emotional dysfunction. Yeah, I like to see my characters get over it a bit quicker but I'm here for the struggle too.

**ARC provided by Give Me Books Promotions**

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ARC Review: The Rebellion by S.L. Scott

The Rebellion is the fifth book in S.L. Scott's Hard to Resist series that centers around a group of sexy rockers that make up the band, The Resistance. This book is a standalone second-chance romance, so readers can read this one even if they haven't read the previous books in the series. With that being said though, I struggled to finish this book. There was a lot to get over here, and unfortunately the only thing that kept me reading was the fact that I have enjoyed books from S.L. Scott in the past. 

I won't go into a ton of details on the story itself so as not to spoil anything. Derrick and Jaymes met at a young age and things quickly became more for them. But then everything changed and Derrick went on to become a famous rockstar while Jaymes was left behind to struggle and fight a life that was more than just about her. 

A huge part of my issues here were the characters. I couldn't connect with them and I really didn't like them. There were some huge assumptions here and some things that just didn't make sense to me about how they acted. While the heroine was left behind and had so much she was struggling with, the hero was out sleeping with tons of groupies. The worst part of all of it is that what happened to the heroine could be traced back to the hero, and yet it was easily forgiven because Derrick didn't know. I just couldn't get past everything that they did and that had happened. It was just too much to overcome. 

Not only were the characters a problem for me, but the story itself was. I just couldn't believe that this came from an author that I had loved so much in the past. With everything that Jaymes had been through and the stuff that she was forced to endure, and then there is this hero that has had his dreams come true and spent his time being a complete manwhore it was just too much for me to look past. I couldn't bring myself to like the characters or truly feel invested in their story and this one was disappointing. I have seen a lot of reviews from people that loved this story, but sadly this is one I would recommend skipping.

**ARC Provided by Author**

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