S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed by L. Marie Adeline

Title: S.E.C.R.E.T Revealed
 
Author: L. Marie Adeline
 
Publisher: Broadway Books

Published Date: May 6, 2014 

Buy on Amazon: Kindle & Paperback

Author Website: http://www.secretnovels.com/

Synopsis: 

The only thing that Cassie Robichaud has ever really wanted is Will Foret, the love of her life. But when Will discovers that Cassie is part of S.E.C.R.E.T., an underground group devoted to helping women experience their deepest sexual fantasies, Will breaks it off. Heartbroken, Cassie dries her tears and focuses on her work with helping the latest S.E.C.R.E.T. recruit, Solange Faraday. Cassie also reignites her relationship with sexy bad-boy Jesse, even though she knows he can never love her as deeply as Will did.
 

Meanwhile, beautiful, brilliant Solange, a local news anchor and divorced mom, has a great career but a wilting love life. She rekindles long-lost passions, going deeper and hotter than any other S.E.C.R.E.T. candidates before her. Can Solange find what her heart most desires? And when Will realizes he's made a tragic mistake, will Cassie be able to forgive him?

My Thoughts:

S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed is the final book in L. Marie Adeline’s S.E.C.R.E.T. Trilogy. 

These novels take place in New Orleans and centers around a secret club that 

helps sexually stunted women find themselves. In S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed, Cassie 

finds herself brokenhearted once her boyfriend, Will, finds out about her 

involvement in the society. Will quickly breaks up with Cassie and wants their 

relationship to be purely professional. However, this makes Cassie very 

uncomfortable since she is a waitress at his restaurant.  To make things even

tenser, Will had just recently named his new restaurant after her and he expects 

Cassie to help run it. 

Since her personal life is in shambles, Cassie decides to rejoin S.E.C.R.E.T. and 

help the ladies with their newest recruit, Solange. Cassie throws herself into the 

new restaurant and embraces her S.E.C.R.E.T.  role.  Sadly, she still feels like there 

is a hole in her heart where Will once was. Will Cassie ever find her happily ever 

after?

On the outside Solange is an award winning news reporter in New Orleans. 

However, her love life is nonexistent ever since she got divorced several years 

earlier. Her life literally revolves around her son and her sky rocketing career. 

Sex and/or relationships are the last thing on her mind. However, when 

S.E.C.R.E.T. takes an interest in Solange and offers her the chance to reinvigorate 

her personal life, she finds herself curious and for the first time realizes that she 

wants more out of her personal life.  She decides to accept and jumps head first 

into S.E.C.R.E.T. 

Solange finds herself on an exciting and somewhat dangerous journey of 

self-discovery with S.E.C.R.E.T.  At the end of her journey and after completing 

many of her steps, S.E.C.R.E.T. helps Solange uncover something about herself 

that shocks her. S.E.C.R.E.T helps her believe that maybe you CAN have it all. 

S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed, by L. Marie Adeline, is very well written with well developed,

realistic characters. I think my favorite character in the entire S.E.C.R.E.T. Trilogy 

was Jesse. His bad boy appearance combined with his heart of gold did me in.   

Surprisingly, I never warned up to the character of Will.  I don’t know why, but he

rubbed me the wrong way in the first book, S.E.C.R.E.T.  I think I held that against 

Will throughout S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared and S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed. When he dismissed 

Cassie in the second novel it was the nail in his coffin. Jesse, on the other hand, 

really felt like the underdog to me and I was constantly rooting for his happiness. 

To me, Cassie was not fair to him; in fact she seemed to string him along quite a 

bit. I was happy to see how Jesse’s 'ever after' unfolded at the end of Adeline’s  

S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed.  

S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed, by L. Marie Adeline, is a fun and 

steamy read. I definitely recommend reading the first two novels (S.E.C.R.E.T. and

S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared) first so that you know where Cassie is coming from and what 

hardships she has been through. I definitely think this is another great summer

read!

L. Marie Adeline

                                                  

*I have been provided a complimentary copy of the book, S.E.C.R.E.T Revealed for the purpose of review.*

Giving In by Maya Banks

Title: Giving In
 
Author: Maya Banks
 
Publisher: Berkley Trade

Published Date: May 6, 2014 

Buy on Amazon: Kindle & Paperback


Author Website: http://mayabanks.com/

Synopsis: 

Kylie sees the way Jensen looks at her. The dark promise in his eyes. That rough edge of dominance she knows he possesses. But dominance is the one thing that frightens her above all else. She and her brother barely survived a childhood steeped in violence and abuse. She could never give up total control and submit to a man. Especially a man like Jensen. Could she?

Jensen sees the shadows in Kylie’s eyes. Knows he has to tread very carefully or risk losing any chance he has with her. All he wants is the opportunity to show her that dominance doesn’t equal pain, bondage or discipline. That emotional surrender is the most powerful of all, and that to submit fully to him will fulfill the aching void in her heart in a way nothing else ever will.

My Thoughts:

Giving In, by Maya Banks, is the second book in her Surrender Trilogy. I have been waiting to read this book since the characters of Jensen and Kylie were introduced in Banks’ first book, Letting Go. After reading Letting Go I knew that Giving In would be special and memorable.

Kylie is a tough as nails girl on the outside that takes no gruff, but soft and full of love on the inside. Because of her abusive childhood, Kylie is mentally and emotionally scarred and has erected walls around her heart. She never wants to appear weak to anyone. Kylie in no way, shape, or form wants ANY man around her. The two concessions she has ever made were for her two bosses- her deceased brother Carson and their close friend Dash. When Jensen is hired by Dash to be his partner and take over Carson's job, Kylie is livid. She automatically hates Jensen and wants nothing to do with him. His overbearing attitude scares her and as a defense she puts up an almost impenetrable icy wall.  
 

Jensen has battled his own personal demons and understands Kylie more than she realizes. He sees through her facade and knows there is a loving woman who needs protecting under all of her prickly armor. The more he gets to know Kylie and the harder she pushes him away, the more Jensen wants to be the man to break through to her. Will Kylie run when she realizes what Jensen is after, or give love a chance to blossom? 
 

I really enjoyed Maya Banks' Giving In. There were many heartbreaking scenes that left me tearing up. Because of Kylie's past, she never saw herself in a relationship. In fact, it was the last thing she wanted. Her life consisted of getting to the office early, working, seeing her best friends occasionally, and then going home to have a nightmare ridden night of sleep. When she gets a taste of what it might be like to have someone protect and cherish her, Kylie doesn't know what to think. Is it too good to be true? 
 

If you are looking for a romantic and heart tugging read, Maya Banks' Giving In is for you. I found it to be a fairly quick read because I couldn't put it down!  You would not need to read the first book in the Surrender Trilogy in order to enjoy Giving In. If you are looking for a good pool or beach read, grab Giving In and go!

Maya Banks

                                                   

*I have been provided a complimentary copy of the book, Giving In, for the purpose of review.*

The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller

Title: The Never Never Sisters
 
Author: L. Alison Heller

Publisher: NAL Trade

Published Date: June 3, 2014

Buy on Amazon: Kindle &  Paperback

Author Website: http://lalisonheller.com/

Synopsis: 

Marriage counselor Paige Reinhardt is counting down the days to summer, eager to reconnect with her workaholic husband at their cozy rental cottage in the Hamptons. But soon a mysterious crisis at Dave’s work ruins their getaway plans. Paige is still figuring out how to handle the unexplained chill in her marriage when her troubled sister suddenly returns after a two-decade silence. Now, instead of enjoying the lazy summer days along the ocean, Paige is navigating the rocky waters of a forgotten bond with her sister in the sweltering city heat.

As she attempts to dig deeper into Dave’s work troubles and some long-held family secrets, Paige is shocked to discover how little she knows about the people closest to her. This summer, the self-proclaimed relationship expert will grapple with her biggest challenge yet: Is it worth risking your most precious relationships in order to find yourself?

 

My Thoughts:

The Never Never Sisters, by L. Alison Heller, is a contemporary story revolving around Paige and her family. Paige defines herself as a successful marriage counselor, wife, and daughter. As the story begins, all in Paige's life is well. Summer is beginning and she and her husband Dave have rented a beach house for the season that they hope to use on weekends. However, all of her well thought out plans are quickly halted when two major snags appear out of nowhere to wreak havoc in her otherwise orderly life.  

Paige begins to worry when she comes home early after work and walks in on Dave who has been suspended from his job at a major law firm. His story does not add up to Paige.  He says he has no idea why he was put on leave and his superiors are sorting it out. Once everything is dealt with he should be able to resume his normal work schedule. Paige wants to believe him, but past trust issues begin creeping into her thought process. Dave is also acting very secretive about his job and Paige starts to worry that he may be involved in something not totally legal. She has to decide if she is going to trust Dave and take his word that all is well or take the initiative to really find out what is happening behind the scenes.

As if the drama at home wasn't enough, Paige learns from her parents that her addict sister has made contact with them after 20 years and wants to visit. Paige doesn't remember much about Sloane, other than her doing drugs and abusing alcohol as a teen. At 16 Sloane was sent to a rehab facility across the country and never returned home. As an adult, the majority of the time Paige forgets that she even has a sister. However, Sloane's reappearance throws Paige's already tipsy life completely upside down.

I loved watching Paige and Sloane's relationship unfold in The Never Never Sisters. The two siblings had a long and bumpy road ahead of them toward reconciliation, but watching them stumble and then rebound was very rewarding. Heller did a wonderful job in creating two relatable sisters with a realistic relationship.  Sloane had a tough outer protective shell that she wore around her parents, but when she was with Paige and her fiancée she morphed into a different person. Sloane was no longer sullen and moody, but became excitable and creative.

The Never Never Sisters dealt heavily with addiction and the effect it had on both the addict and the family. Paige and Sloane’s mother, Vanessa, had many feeling of guilt. She believed that Sloane was an addict because of her genes. Vanessa’s father was an alcoholic and for a time Vanessa also dealt with addiction. She never wanted her girls to know about her sordid family life and their history of addiction. However, sweeping everything under the rug did not work out how she wanted. Vanessa believes that Sloane will never fully trust her but her hope is that her two girls will be able to build a beneficial and lasting relationship.

L. Alison Heller’s The Never Never Sisters is a thought provoking story that puts addiction and marital issues on the front burner, as well as healing and resolution. This is a wonderfully well written, realistic story that has likable characters and a good bit of suspense.  I highly recommend The Never Never Sisters as it will keep you guessing until the very end!

L. Alison Heller

                                                      

*I have been provided a complimentary copy of the book, The Never Never Sisters, for the purpose of review.*

Guest Post by Christie Cote- Author of "Rain"

Title: Rain

Author: Christie Cote

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published Date: May 6, 2014

Buy on Amazon: Paperback & Kindle

Author Website:  http://www.christiecote.com/

Guest Post

'How Rain Came to Be' 
by Guest Blogger Author Christie Cote

I started Rain as an assignment for my college fiction writing class. When I began writing it, I didn’t expect to fall in love with the story and characters as much as I did. I couldn’t stop writing, and continued to write until I finished it. I shared the beginning with a few people outside of my class and all around got a good response. When I finished the book I decided I wanted to go after my dream and publish it. I thought hard about whether I should try to publish traditionally or self-publish. I decided that self-publishing was how I wanted to publish my debut novel, so I can remain in control of the story that I love so much. Before I completed the book, I made an author facebook page. I already had a twitter account, personal facebook and review blog, so already being immersed in that world has helped a lot. I made a separate blog for my author website using Wordpress where I post updates and other things.

I then designed the cover myself using a stock photo and Photoshop. I spent hours searching for the perfect picture, until I found the one that I used and manipulated for the cover. Once the cover was complete I organized a Cover reveal and a good amount of bloggers participated. I’m very thankful for the blogging community they have been a huge help. I also managed to choose a release date in time for the cover reveal.

During this time, I also went through and edited Rain myself before sending it to my editor, Mickey Reed. During the extensive editing process, I planned the blog tour. I sent requests to bloggers and set up host dates for reviews, guest posts, spotlights, and excerpts. I also created a blog tour banner using Photoshop.

I also designed bookmarks using Photoshop and gave a bunch away.    

                                       

Once the editing process was complete I started sending the E-ARCs to the bloggers that signed up to review Rain. I also loaded the book and cover into Create Space to request a proof copy. Once I received the proof copy in the mail I went through it and found missed errors, formatting issues, and some over used words. After I finished going through the proof, I made the changes and uploaded the new version to Create Space for the final proof.

I’m sure there were also many little things along the way that I’m not thinking of, but those are the main events.

The last step was to Sync the book to Kindle Direct Publishing for the e-book and hit publish on both of them for May 6, 2014 and the paperback and e-book are available for the world to read. Now it is all about marketing and getting the book into reader’s hands. The journey is never really over; I still have a lot more to do. I would like to get Rain into bookstores and schedule book signings.

This has been a major accomplishment and a wonderful experience. I look forward to seeing where this journey brings me.

Christie Cote

Christie Cote resides in Vermont with her Husband and their dog. When she isn’t reading, writing, or dreaming up her next story, she can be found shooting targets with her bow, drawing or baking.

Rain is her first book.

Christie writes Young Adult Realistic Fiction, Fiction, and New Adult novels.

Find Christie:

Website: http://christiecote.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorchristiecote

Twitter: http://twitter.com/christiewriting

Instagram: http://instagram.com/christiewriting

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6994618.Christie_Cote

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ChristieCote/posts

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/christiewriting

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Christie-Cote/e/B00IQ9LLM8/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Rain on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18522639-rain

Book Review Blog: http://christiesbookreviews.com

Synopsis:

Taylor Sullivan took her life for granted until she received news that would change her life forever. In a state of denial she met Kyle, who didn’t end up being what she expected. She wasn’t able to escape her new reality, but with his friendship, just maybe she could survive it.

GoodReads Giveaway of Rain: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/83988-rain


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