Lennon's Rain (Lennon's Girls #2) by Chris Myers ~ #Review

Title: Lennon's Rain 

Series: Lennon's Girls #2

Author: Chris Myers

Publication date: September 30th 2013

Age Group: New Adult (Sexual content)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: Copy provided for an honest review by AToMR Tours

Purchase: Amazon | B&N 

Sometimes in love, you choose wrong...

Eight years ago, Lennon lost his heart to Rain, and suddenly she's back, all grown up and sexy as hell. At a sorority party, he convinces himself that outbidding every other guy for a body shot from Rain is for charity. But he knows better. He doesn't want any guy, except him, tarnishing the memory of the little girl he proposed to in fifth grade.

Jinx loves Lennon and is past ready for him to make his move. With his sexual prowess, she worries why he hasn't made any advances. She fears she is losing him, and the only way to keep him is to overcome her past and give him what he desires. 

Rain knows Lennon is trouble. If she couldn't say no to the gangly boy asking her to skateboard off some roof, how will she refuse Lennon's seductive powers now that he is a man? Rain has many reasons to resist his charm. He has a girlfriend, he's moving to LA with her, and Rain has no intention to march in the long parade of Lennon Tyler conquests.

Now, Lennon must choose. Someone has to lose, and that person could be him. 

***WARNING: This book is New Adult Contemporary Romance and contains sexual content.*** 

~ WARNING: Possible Spoilers Ahead ~

Everything I loved about Lennon's Jinx was ripped away from me in this book, Lennon's Rain. What the fuck happened to the characters? All of the character development, the time spent getting to know them, and the progress in the storyline *poof* gone. Just like that. I feel like my time has been wasted. I felt as though I was reading about complete strangers - strangers I hated. Sadly, I had to force myself to finish the book.

I'd like to say upfront that my intense dislike of this book has nothing to do with the writing. Myers is a talented and awesome author. This is the fourth book I've read by her, and I'll keep reading her books. Lennon's Rain just didn't work for me, and much of the reason is due to my personal thoughts and beliefs.

"With her past history, she needs to make the first move. With the way she dresses, it's driving me insane. She could at least throw me a bone to gnaw on, but she hasn't. I haven't even gotten to second base, which until now, I'd stopped counting in middle school." 

~ Lennon (talking about Jinx)

Awww, I'm SO sorry this girl was raped by someone whom her mother trusted to take care of her. Someone her mother believed in over her own daughter. I'm SO sorry her fear and trust issues interfere with your sexual needs, because it's all about you and your dick, right? Apparently you think because she won't put out that gives you the right to take a body shot between the double D's (while you still have a girlfriend) of some chick you "proposed" to back in fifth grade.

Of course Jinx is gonna have issues with sex - she's never experienced it in a healthy way. Instead, she's only felt disgust and fear because she was RAPED!!! The thing is, Lennon knew all of this when he began dating her, and instead of working through this with her, he decides to throw it all away for a girl named Rain. Who has Playboy sized "perfect breasts." Woo hoo, good for her.

"Jinx should be here to keep me out of trouble." ~ Lennon 

Nope, not her job. YOU shouldn't go to a topless sorority event without your girlfriend even if it is for charity! EVEN IF JINX DECIDES TO HANG WITH HER FRIENDS THAT NIGHT. It's one night, dude. It's totally okay for her to want to hang with her besties once in a while.

"Susan digs her nails into my arm. 'Lennon. No.'

Clive pulls her back. 'Don't interfere. That's Rain. He's waited a long time for this.'"

Um, what?? Don't hold Lennon back even though this is going to devastate Jinx? Clive pissed me off in this book. Even Currie did.

Rain and her "Devil Girl"? I wanted them both to disappear. For good. I never connected to Rain and could care less about her story. I'm supposed to believe that because Lennon "proposed" to her when they were in fifth grade, she's supposed to be and has always been the love of his life? No. Just...no. She was mentioned in passing in the last book! He would've been pining away for her instead of starting up a relationship with Jinx.

And why does Currie start hating Jinx all of a sudden? That made no sense to me. She was concerned for her and helped her along with Lennon the night Jinx's stepfather attacked her. Okay, they don't have to always get along, but Currie was like, ditch this girl. Jinx stayed by Lennon's side the entire time Currie was in the hospital. Doesn't Currie know that?

Denage wasn't herself, either. She reneged on her agreement with Lennon concerning Currie's safety. I want it to be as though this book never happened. The characters were completely rewritten, and I don't understand why. 

I felt terrible for Jinx - I was all for Jinx and Lennon to be together, but after everything he has done, I'm as anti-Lennon as I can be. I can't stand the way cheating was handled in this book. My blood was boiling. I've never wanted to thrown my Kindle across the room, but I did this time. (Felt like it, not actually went through with it).

I'm going into book three as though this one never happened.

My Rating:

~ Book One ~

Click here to read my 5 star review of book one!

~ Book Three ~

 

Frenched by Melanie Harlow Blog Tour ~ Review & Giveaway!

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Frenched Blog Tour hosted by AToMR Tours. Click here to follow along with the blog tour schedule.   

Frenched

by Melanie Harlow

A Sexy Adult Contemporary Romance

Released March 18th 2014

Source: Copy for review

Add: Goodreads | BookLikes

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis

Mia Devine plans over-the-top weddings for a living. So when it comes to her own nuptials, she spares no expense - hand engraved invitations, Vera Wang gown, luxury honeymoon in France. And since her fiance is Tucker Branch, playboy heir and notorious flirt, local media is obsessed with every little detail. 

Which is why it really sucks when he jilts her a week before the wedding. 

Mortified, Mia wants nothing more than to crawl under her newly monogrammed sheets and plan a funeral for her dignity, right after blabbing to the world how fitting it is that Tucker will inherit a bolt and screw company, because that's all he wants to do - screw, and bolt. And he doesn't do either with much finesse.

When her friends convince her that bitter tastes better when it's drowned in Bordeaux, she grits her teeth and packs her bags, determined to make the best of a week in Paris alone. 

She never planned on meeting Lucas Fournier. 

The free-spirited musician's scruffy good looks and less-than-sympathetic ear annoy her at first, but when she takes him up on his offer to show her around the city, she discovers that the romance of Paris isn't just a myth. 

Nor is the simultaneous O.

The last thing Mia needs is another doomed love affair, but since she only has a week, she figures she might as well enjoy La Vie en O with Lucas while she can. 

But each day - and night - with him is better than the last, and suddenly her heart is telling her this is more than a rebound fling. 

Is it just the seduction of Paris...or could this be the real thing?     

I fell head over heels in love with Melanie Harlow's writing when I read her debut novel, Speak Easy. I loved that novel so much I knew I'd pick up any book she wrote afterward. I'm just as in love with her latest release, Frenched, if not a bit more so - this novel was an absolute pleasure to read! 

In Frenched, we meet Mia who has just been jilted by her ex-fiance, Tucker, A WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING (!) and is convinced by her friends, Coco and Erin to take the honeymoon trip to Paris by herself. They reasoned it would give her time and space to think, and she may as well get away from it all for a while. Coco and Erin were such great friends to Mia in her time of need. Every girl needs friends like them. 

Right away it was apparent to me that Mia was more upset about the wedding not taking place rather than the loss of the relationship itself. It's easy to get caught up in the wedding planning and forget about the actual marriage itself, and that's what Mia did. Not that I blame her - she does plan weddings for a living! As painful as it was for her, Tucker calling off the wedding ended up allowing her to reexamine who she is and the choices she's made up to now. 

One of my favorite scenes in Frenched (and there are many!) is when she flies into the sports bar where Lucas works with an expression on her face almost daring any couples there to be openly affectionate - the last thing she wants to see right now in the city of love. She's spunky, beautiful, and intelligent, and there is no reason she wouldn't be able to pick herself back up and carry on. 

Lucas was oh-so-deliciously-good for her in many ways - not only was their chemistry off the charts, but he taught her how to live in the present without planning out every detail of the future. I think Mia was so busy worrying about what she wanted to happen that she wasn't appreciating life as it came. The here and the now. 

Isn't that something we all can relate to? I definitely can. One of the biggest challenges in life is to slow down and enjoy what you have while you have it, but fear gets in our way. Mia had huge fears she ended up coming face to face with...fears she had kept buried for so long that it was painful to face them but also necessary in order for her to find happiness. 

The sexual chemistry between Mia and Lucas certainly didn't hurt matters, wink wink. He is smoking hot and compassionate and caring. Their sex scenes were intense! The feelings I could see developing between them made the sex even hotter. They couldn't breathe around each other. They needed each other and couldn't get enough, and it was just, wow! 

Overall, I can't recommend Frenched enough. I'm a huge fan of Melanie Harlow and the characters she creates. Her name alone is all I need to know what to read next.  

My Rating: 

About the Author

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. She writes New Adult historical and contemporary stories.

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Frenched by Melanie Harlow ~ Release Event: Giveaway & Guest Post

RELEASE EVENT

FRENCHED

By Melanie Harlow

Release: March 18, 2014

A  Sexy Adult Contemporary Romance

Amazon

Mia Devine plans over-the-top weddings for a living. So when it comes to her own nuptials, she spares no expense—hand engraved invitations, Vera Wang gown, luxury honeymoon in France. And since her fiancé is Tucker Branch, playboy heir and notorious flirt, local media is obsessed with every little detail.

Which is why it really sucks when he jilts her a week before the wedding.

Mortified, Mia wants nothing more than to crawl under her newly monogrammed sheets and plan a funeral for her dignity, right after blabbing to the world how fitting it is that Tucker will inherit a bolt and screw company, because that’s all he wants to do—screw, and bolt. And he doesn’t do either with much finesse.

When her friends convince her that bitter tastes better when it’s drowned in Bordeaux, she grits her teeth and packs her bags, determined to make the best of a week in Paris alone.

She never planned on meeting Lucas Fournier.

The free-spirited musician’s scruffy good looks and less-than-sympathetic ear annoy her at first, but when she takes him up on his offer to show her around the city, she discovers that the romance of Paris isn’t just a myth.

Nor is the simultaneous O.

The last thing Mia needs is another doomed love affair, but since she only has a week, she figures she might as well enjoy La Vie en O with Lucas while she can. But each day—and night—with him is better than the last, and suddenly her heart is telling her this is more than a rebound fling.

Is it just the seduction of Paris…or could this be the real thing?

Guest Post
Nine Facts about FRENCHED
By Melanie Harlow

1. The main character in Frenched, Mia Devine, loves to make lists for everything, and I do too! So making this list is totally fun for me.

 

2. The bar Mia wanders into in the Latin Quarter (where she meets Lucas) is based on a real Canadian sports bar in Paris called The Moose. In Frenched, I called it...The Beaver. (This gives you a good idea of my sense of humor.)

3. The restaurant Lucas takes her to is based on a real Italian restaurant in the Latin Quarter called Marco Polo - one of my favorite restaurants in Paris!

4. There is one photo in the book: it's a picture I took in the Musee Rodin the last time I was there of a beautiful sculpture called The Cathedral. (In the book it plays a role in a somewhat dirty moment between Mia and Lucas...)

5. You can stay in Lucas's Paris apartment! I found the inspiration for Lucas's St. Germain neighborhood apartment on Vacation Rentals By Owner. Here's the link: http://www.vrbo.com/270121. (Wish I could put Lucas in there for you!)

6. You can also stay in the villa Lucas takes her to in Provence. I based it on this one: http://www.onlyprovence.com/villas/saumane.Not bad, huh? I'll meet you there for drinks on the pool deck...

7. Lucas and Mia fall for each other pretty fast, and while I'm not sure about love at first sight, I do believe you can love someone within a short amount of time. I believe some people just have a connection that they feel right away.

8. There is quite a bit of sex in Frenched because it is such an important part of their chemistry, but I think my favorite one is the shower scene - Mia has a pretty big revelation at that point. However, the scene in the bedroom at the villa (the one involving the neck tie, ahem) was ridiculously fun to write...that's a favorite too. 

9. I'd love to continue their story somehow, either in a novella or another full-length novel, but the next book in the series will focus on Mia's friend Coco, who falls for a chef/restaurateur who's strictly off limits. It's called...Forked.     

About the Author

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. I write New Adult historical and contemporary stories.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Blog Tour: #Review & Giveaway ~ Game of Love (The Remingtons #1) by Melissa Foster

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Game of Love Blog Tour hosted by AToMR Tours. Click here to follow along with the full tour schedule. 

GAME OF LOVE

The Remingtons #1

A New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance

New York Times Bestselling Author

Melissa Foster

Published by World Literary Press

Release Date: February 17th 2014

Amazon | B&N | iBooks 

Goodreads | BookLikes

Synopsis

Ellie Parker is a master at building walls around her heart. In the twenty-five years she's been alive, Dex Remington has been the only person who has always believed in her and been there for her. But four years earlier she came to Dex seeking comfort, and then disappeared like a thief in the night, leaving him a broken man. 

Dex Remington is one of the top PC game developers in the U.S. He's handsome, smart, and numb. So damn numb that he's not sure he'll ever find a reason to feel again. 

A chance encounter sparks intense desires in Ellie and Dex. Desires that make her want to run - and make him want to feel. A combination of lust and fear leads these young lovers down a dangerous path. Is it possible to cross a burned bridge or are they destined to be apart forever?

My Thoughts

Ellie and Dex's story in GAME OF LOVE is beautiful, sweet and tender with characters I adore! This pair was amazing and likable right away, and there was something magical in the air when they're together. They were friends in high school, and with all of the turmoil Ellie was going through with being bounced from foster home to foster home, Dex was the one constant in her life. 

In the present Dex is successfully running a PC game developing company. Four years ago he was hurt almost irreparably by Ellie when she left without a word after he confessed his love for her. Since then he has built up walls that would take a wrecking ball to tear down, but if anyone could do it, then it would be the very woman who had caused those walls to go up in the first place.  

Ellie is starting over - she needs a new job, a place to live, and a purpose in her life. Despite having hurt Dex in the past and possibly hurting him again, she's been through her share of pain and heartache as well. She has a hard time allowing herself to open up to the possibility of love - she sees herself as someone who would wreck Dex's life when I think it's clear she couldn't be further from the truth.

Rooting for this couple to find their way to each other as more than best friends was all I wanted to do while reading. I can't express enough how much I loved GAME OF LOVE. I'm blown away by Melissa Foster's writing; this is the first book I've read by her and certainly won't be the last. Dex gave me chills - I could just imagine how it must feel to be loved by him. He's completely swoon worthy, I mean wow! 

I raced through GAME OF LOVE. I was glued to my Kindle needing to know what was going to happen next, and my only regret is when I came to the end of the book. But I have the rest of this series to look forward to reading, and I'm going to do just that!  

My Rating: 5 / 5 stars!   

About the Author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. 

She is the founder of the Women's Nest, a social and support community for women, and the World Literary Cafe. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. 

Melissa has been published in Calgary's Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine. 

Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Author Links

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Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway ~ A Boat Made of Bone by Nicole Grotepas

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Boat Made of Bone Blog Tour hosted by AToMR Tours. For the full tour schedule click here. 

Title: A Boat Made of Bone
Series: The Chthonic Saga #1

Author: Nicole Grotepas

Publication date: January 13th 2014

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance / 
Urban Romance

Source: Review copy

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Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis

Kate Miller has been having recurring dreams about the same man...a dead man. Will Hawke, to be exact, a celebrity who died long before Kate had any reason to pay attention to celebrities. 

While the night-world she enjoys with Will beckons, her waking world has suddenly gotten intriguing. Ty Watts - a guy with looks that could set a thousand housewives free - just walked into her life. He's got a smile and a secret that begs to be found out. 

But is Ty a distraction or a savior? 

Kate's dreams threaten to take over. She must negotiate the edge of reality, solve the mystery of her nightly rendezvous with Will and either set him free or lose herself forever in the seductively dangerous world he inhabits.

A Boat Made of Bone is a love story that spans worlds, generations, and reaches beyond death into the realm of fantasy.

My Thoughts

A BOAT MADE OF BONE has the kind of synopsis that sounds too compelling to miss. The plot was original and unique for me with likable characters, and the mystery of why and how Kate has met Will through her dreams kept me turning the pages and involved in the story.   

Kate begins having dreams about a man named Will, and in the dreams, they're passionately and madly in love. The more she gets to know him, the more she begins to think about him in her waking hours - to the point where she'd rather be dreaming with him than living her life. She acts like two very different people - when awake she is insecure and overly sensitive yet while dreaming she's confident and happy. I know what it's like to feel insecure, so I don't want to judge her for that. I just wish she could have felt the way she did in her dreams.       

Kate's dreams kept me riveted and were beautiful and mysterious; however, when she was awake, a lot happens that doesn't seem to be too important to the story. Some parts could have been cut without taking away from the story. At the same time, I think those parts were meant to keep the truth behind Kate and Will's dilemma mysterious. It's just that some of those scenes were slightly uninteresting to me.   

Audra is an awesome best friend and roommate. She's supportive of Kate and cares about her, not to mention she has a great sense of humor. Not always the best advice giver though! :) Halfway through the book, a character named Jill seems to come out of nowhere. When she made her appearance, I looked back through the previous chapters thinking I must have missed her introduction. I didn't realize Kate and Audra had another roommate. I was confused with her sudden appearance. I still think I must have missed something. 

Ty's character fell flat for me while Will was complicated yet dreamy (no pun intended, lol). I didn't like it when Ty invites Kate to go rock climbing with him, making it sound like a date, only for her to arrive with him to a large group of his friends, none of whom she has met before. Awkward! I thought that was kind of a douchebag move. And he took forever to even kiss her. She begins wondering if he's even interested in her, and I did, too. I didn't find him interesting and thought Kate could do better. Looks only get you so far, lol.  

Will on the other hand made ME as happy as he did Kate! I looked forward to his scenes as much as Kate looked forward to her dreams. I worried he was using her for nefarious reasons, but he seemed so genuine and real I didn't think too much of it. Kate was understanding and loving towards him no matter what he admitted to her, and they communicated well with a level of trust that are building blocks to a successful relationship.    

Despite a couple of the issues I have with A BOAT MADE OF BONE, I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series. I wonder what Grotepas has in mind next! :D  

My Rating: 3 / 5 

About the Author

Nicole wrote her first fantasy novel in 7th grade on her mother's old Brother typewriter. It was never finished but it strongly resembled a Dragonlance plot and she's forever wondered what happened to the manuscript and Tonathan - the handsome elven protagonist. After living in Nashville where she worked as an editor, she returned to the Utah desert where she was raised. Nicole now lives near the Wasatch mountains with her husband. She writes and raises her son and three cats full time.

Author Links

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Cover Reveal ~ Frenched by Melanie Harlow

COVER REVEAL

FRENCHED

By Melanie Harlow

New Adult/Adult Sexy Contemporary Romance

Releasing March 4, 2014

Cover designed by Tom Barnes

Mia Devine plans over-the-top weddings for a living. So when it comes to her own nuptials, she spares no expense—hand engraved invitations, Vera Wang gown, luxury honeymoon in France. And since her fiancé is Tucker Branch, playboy heir and notorious flirt, local media is obsessed with every little detail. 

Which is why it really sucks when he jilts her a week before the wedding. 

Mortified, Mia wants nothing more than to crawl under her newly monogrammed sheets and plan a funeral for her dignity, right after blabbing to the world how fitting it is that Tucker will inherit a bolt and screw company, because that’s all he wants to do—screw, and bolt. And he doesn’t do either with much finesse. 

When her friends convince her that bitter tastes better when it’s drowned in Bordeaux, she grits her teeth and packs her bags, determined to make the best of a week in Paris alone. 

She never planned on meeting Lucas Fournier. 

The free-spirited musician’s scruffy good looks and less-than-sympathetic ear annoy her at first, but when she takes him up on his offer to show her around the city, she discovers that the romance of Paris isn’t just a myth. 

Nor is the simultaneous O. 

The last thing Mia needs is another doomed love affair, but since she only has a week, she figures she might as well enjoy La Vie en O with Lucas while she can. But each day—and night—with him is better than the last, and suddenly her heart is telling her this is more than a rebound fling. 

Is it just the seduction of Paris…or could this be the real thing?

   

  About the Author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. She's a 20th century fanatic and gets her kicks from historical fiction and TV series like Boardwalk Empire, Magic City, Deadwood, Mad Men, and Downtown Abbey (although she wishes it were more HBO and less PBS). Her debut novel, Speak Easy, was inspired by Detroit's fascinating Prohibition-era history. 

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I'm so excited to read Frenched! Look at that cover! I read Speak Easy, Melanie Harlow's debut novel, and I was blown away by her writing. I'm reading every book she writes! :D What do you think of the cover? 

~ Giveaway ~ 

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Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours