ARC Review: Good Boy by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved Good Boy by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy! Not only do I love their solo books, but I have been a huge fan of this writing team since I first read Him. Good Boy is the first in the WAGs series and a spin-off of the Him series which are M/M books. Good boy is a standalone M/F story, and for those that haven't read the Him series or aren't fans of M/M stories you don't need to worry about jumping in here for this one, as you don't need to have read the Him series to understand this book. 

I have been waiting for Blake's story since his character was first introduced! I instantly loved him, and that love only grew the more I saw of him! Blake and Jess Canning had a moment last spring, but with her brother's wedding Jess can't afford to screw anything up. Since she is already known as the family mess, Blake Riley is the last thing she needs. But Blake is determined to show her that he really is a good guy who just happens to have a bad reputation. 

I already loved Blake, but I loved Jess as well! These two were fantastic, and I couldn't get enough of them! Blake is seriously one of my favorite heroes ever. He is sweet and funny, and extremely lovable. He is the jokester that everyone knows, yet he is so much more. I loved digging deeper into who his character was here. He really used his humor to mask so much of how he truly felt, and I really felt for him and how lonely he actually was. My heart went out to him, and I was so glad to see him find someone here. Jess kept up with him and these two had some of the best banter ever! Not only were they great for one another and together, but their chemistry was off the charts. They were sexy and hot together, but it was just so much more. These two were everything and I just can't say enough good things about them. 

Honestly I wasn't sure that even with my love for Blake that this book could pass how I felt about the Him series. I truly love those books and they are some of my all time favorites. But I really think that Good Boy might just be my favorite ever from these two. It was so funny and perfect, and gave me the worst book hangover. After reading Blake and Jess's book, nothing would do because these two are just perfection. Just like the team that created them. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough or anything by these two. If you are looking for a great romance filled with humor as well as sweet and sexy times, you have to read Good Boy. This is definitely the best book I have read this year, and I already cannot wait for the next in the WAGs series.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

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Feature and Giveaway: Reckless Hearts by Heather Van Fleet

Three alpha men and a baby.

What could possibly go wrong?

From boot camp to the Iraqi desert, best friends Collin, Max, and Gavin have been through hell and back. But these rugged Marines might need help facing their biggest challenge: raising Collin’s nine-month-old daughter, Chloe.

After the death of his girlfriend in an accident, Collin Montgomery has sworn off serious relationships. His buddies have his back—and convince him it’s okay to cut loose sometimes. Enter the hottest, smartest girl he’s ever met. But what he really needs is a nanny.

Addison Booker needs a job desperately—and fast. She shows up to interview for the nanny position only to find the sexy, cocky man she can’t get out of her head. Collin knows hiring her is a bad idea—they disagree about almost everything—but Addison is so good with little Chloe. And there’s no substitute for chemistry, right?

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Review: Josh & Anna and Gabe & Claire by Eliza Freed

To be completely honest, I probably should have quit reading Eliza Freed's books after I read her Lost Souls series. She absolutely killed me with that series, and I truly thought that I would never read another book from her again. After having gone through yet another books of hers, I can say that this will be my last book from her. She is a beautiful writer don't get me wrong, but her stories leave me wrecked and I honestly think that she does things for shock value. Josh & Anna and Gabe & Claire sucked me in with the blurb, but of course since this is Eliza Freed there is always a catch. I am still trying to process exactly how I feel, but unfortunately this one didn't work for me as I had hoped it would. 

Josh and Anna have been trying to have a baby. While Anna is determined, Josh doesn't seem to be putting forth the same effort as Anna is. Gabe is trying to survive life with his crazy wife Claire. They seem to have passion everywhere but the bedroom, and it is slowly killing him. Josh and Gabe work together and as they got to know one another, the four of them became best friends. But when an accident changes everything and there are only two survivors, secrets are revealed and the truth finally comes to light. 

I have to say that I struggled a lot with the characters here. I know the situation sounds messy and it was. I love angsty books though, and I honestly thought that this one would be a huge hit for me. I thought that the characters that survived were actually really great for each other, and I was rooting for them from the start to be honest. They seemed much better suited and I could tell that they had a strong connection as well as chemistry. But I have to say that I wasn't entirely happy with how things went down, and I was frustrated much of the time here. 

Because of my frustration, I did find myself skimming some of the time, though I was determined to finish this book and see the story through. As I approached the end though, I could tell that I was about to be even more upset. Eliza Freed seems to be incapable of providing a straight forward HEA, which brings me back to the point I made earlier in this review. With the stories I have read from her, things seem to be done for shock value rather than because it is genuine to the story which is where my problems truly lie with her books. If I felt that these books were true to the story and that things happened as they should, even if I wasn't happy with the outcome, I wouldn't have a problem with them even if I didn't like it. But once again, this felt forced and as though things just didn't happen naturally. There were things left vague and I wanted them to have been resolved. While we are left to assume certain things, I prefer to have things revealed in the end. I wanted more and unfortunately we weren't given all the answers. While I think that a lot of people will enjoy this book and others by Eliza Freed, I think that it is time that I stop reading her books. This is probably an it's me personally thing rather than her because she is a talented writer. Unfortunately for me though, her books just don't seem to click with me as I prefer answers given in the end, a genuine story, and HEAs when it comes to romance. I encourage those that are interested in her books though to give them a shot. Just because they don't work for me doesn't mean they won't work for you.

**Review Copy Provided by Xpresso Book Tours**

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ARC Review: The Billionaires Virgin by Jakie Ashenden

I like Jackie Ashenden as an author. I've read a couple of books by her and usually she is very adept at character development. I also liked the synopsis of the book and had high expectations based on the description of this book. The problem that I had with this book happens from time to time when a author takes a popular trope (in this case the Cinderella theme) and just takes it too damn far.

So in this book Mia is homeless. Not like fake homeless or temporarily experiencing hard times, she's homeless homeless. Like she's been on the street for years. Xavier, on the other hand is a uber billionaire. In fact, the only reason Xavier and Mia meet is because Xavier is volunteering at the soup kitchen where Mia eats meals. Because she has no home and no kitchen and no FOOD. And somehow while serving Mia at the soup kitchen Xavier rises above the smell of unwashed bodies and nameless food that can be mass produced, he finds himself like super attracted to Mia. Xavier is some bad boy/playboy type but somehow he sees past the dirt, emaciated body and baggy clothes of a homeless woman and decides she is the one...

As for Mia, she is understandably suspicious of Xavier's intentions. You know why she's suspicious? Because generally when a wealthy man takes interest in a poor woman with whom he absolutely has nothing in common and volunteers to put her up in a real nice play, dress her and feed her good- he's a PIMP trying to turn a hoe out. I'm sorry but hel-loooooo. Cinderella stories are among my favorite sub-genres but come on.  The hero and the heroine need to have something in common before I can relate to the romance.

So anyway, fast forward some pages and Xavier has taken Mia off the streets and into his home. And then all of a sudden Mia is a virgin but she wants to have porn star sex with Xavier. There is some sub-plot going on about Xavier and issues with his Father and brothers but honestly, it was hard to focus on anything besides the ridiculousness of the relationship between Mia and Xavier. I honestly can't tell you a single thing they had in common, the basis for any conversation between them or why they would be attracted to one another.

Ok, I know I've said a lot here but even with all of this being said, I still don't think this is a bad book. The writing is good and the story moves forward at a entertaining pace. All I'm saying is that the premise is ridiculous and the relationship lacks credibility. If you can get past that, you might actually think this book is ok.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Gravity by Lauren Runow

Gravity is the first book that I have ever read from Lauren Runow, so I went into this one not knowing entirely what I should expect. While there were things that I enjoyed here, I did have mixed feelings about the book. The one thing I will say is that the author said that this wasn't your normal friends to lovers story, and that is true. This book spans a large amount of time in which the characters are apart and real life takes them on a real and often raw journey. 

Trevin and Lily grew up next door to each other. Though they were different, they had a special connection that drew them to one another and they found that they understood and supported one another no matter what. They became everything to each other, but once Trevin's dream and the fame and fortune that came with it took over, Lily lost herself. Trevin knew that Lily was no longer the same as he remembered after everything that they had been through, but he also knew that he needed her. Can Trevin show Lily that he is the man she needs?

I liked Trevin and Lily for one another, and they had so much history. Their connection was there from the start, and it was clear just how much they meant to one another. Yet I was also really frustrated with them at times. I didn't like how Trevin treated Lily at times. I didn't like how Lily handled that and let him treat her. But even while they irritated me, I never stopped rooting for them. I really felt like they belonged together, though I wasn't always happy with the path that their relationship took. 

I will say that I felt like something was missing here, and the story fell a bit flat for me. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but this one was a bit different than I had thought it would be. I Think part of my problem was how Trevin treated Lily and the fact that it took her so long to really stand up for herself, and by the time it happened I was sort of over it. Too little, too late. While there wasn't cheating, these two were apart and in the world of music that comes with sex, drugs and rock and roll. I understand when characters aren't together that they will hook up with others and for the most part that doesn't usually bother me, but it did a little here and I know that isn't entirely fair of me to be upset about it. They weren't together so it wasn't cheating, but it did bother me and I had a tough time getting over some of that. All in all, this one was okay for me. I wouldn't turn down another book from Lauren Runow, but I don't know if I would run out to get another either. I think if you like rockstar romance and second chances, this one might be worth taking a chance on. While it wasn't my favorite, it might be one that works for you.

**ARC Provided by Author**

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