Wednesday, December 31, 2014

RAZE by Tillie Cole

Title: Raze
Author: Tillie Cole
Age group: Mature new adult
Genre: Dark contemporary romance

Release date: 30th December 2014


Christy's 5+ star review!
RazeRaze by Tillie Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5+ “Can I have you” stars!


   photo 67a14401-c4ad-4eca-87c9-ac45673f085c_zpsbd3eb216.jpg

 
Their love story began on the day she was born.



Tillie Cole has been that author for me this year. Every year it seems, there is one author that comes out of nowhere and I am just completely taken by their books. I have read 6 Tillie Cole books this year, and 3 of them have made it on my top favorite lists. Her writing is addictive, her stories are so different from one another, yet all unbelievably good. This book was her most raw and gritty book yet. It was down right gruesome at times. It’s one of those books that is going to be difficult for a lot of people to read because of the content. But under all that, it has to be one of the most beautiful love stories I have read and it’s definitely a favorite of 2014.

Number 818, or Raze has escaped the place he’s been ever since he was a boy. A place where he was tortured and brainwashed. A place where he was trained to be a fighter. Not a normal fighter, no, a kill or be killed kind of fighter. When you’re fighting to the death, you fight to kill.

   photo a8bb3f91-6f04-4c4f-a80f-a3eed1e2aadc_zps6edd6560.jpg


Now that he’s out, he only has one memory from his past to go on to seek what he wants most. Revenge. Raze doesn’t know who he is, if he has family, anything like that. He knows he is a killer and he’s going to do what he does best. Find the man that put him where he was, and kill him. He’s found Alix and is preparing, but there is this girl. A girl with familiar eyes. The first person he can ever remember feeling the need to be near, the need to protect.

   photo 25996215-6e95-458e-a570-0e2e3be2dee5_zpsd08b38ec.jpg


Kisa Volkova is a Russian Mafia princess. She lives a sheltered and protected life. Then she meets Raze. This man is dangerous, she can tell. But there is something about him that draws him to her. She can’t stay away and she doesn’t want to. No matter how much she should. No matter how destructive it could be for them to be near each other, she has to be near him.

Raze and Kisa can’t fight this instant connection and attraction they have to one another. Being together is dangerous for them both, especially Kisa, but she can’t stay away from him.
 
I had never felt this before. Never felt this overwhelming lust, this consuming level of instant attraction... this raw and insatiable need to be with a man. It was dangerous. It was haunting. It was forbidden. And although it was wrong, it felt so perfectly right.



   photo b11a8513-3091-4fbc-a3d6-68b3dbc5c1b3_zps3dc87f3a.jpg


There is so much more I want to say about this story, about what happens, about the stunning revelations and about the intense moments. And if you read the book we can talk all day about it, but I’m not writing any of it here. It’s one of those stories you have to read for yourself. The things in this book are so exceptionally beautiful at times it brought me to tears. How things came together. Just wow.

Raze was such a beautiful and strong man. Reading about what he went through will destroy you, but by the end I felt healed and happy. Kisa was a heroine that I loved. She had such strength and determination. She was willing to risk so much. These two characters were perfect together and both were survivors- so strong and resilient. They truly were a match.

   photo 23569eec-7093-487d-b258-e7db698c7b27_zpsde205f32.jpg


If it’s not obvious enough already, I will repeat it. This book is a must read. It’s just remarkable, exceptional, and completely extraordinary. Be prepared to feel. Be prepared to hurt, to cry, to be moved beyond belief, to have your heart stop and to be consumed by this gorgeous and enthralling story. It’s been days since I’ve read and my heart still feels for these two. It’s an unforgettable read that I loved from start to finish!
 
   
“I need you with me. I only feel at home with you.”

 


   photo 5e70f7ec-766c-4c51-ac4b-4c6d4dcbc802_zpsa4013888.jpg






BLURB

To take back life, one must first face death...

One man stripped of his freedom, his morals...his life.

Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unremorseful, unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. Death and brutality are the masters of his fate.

After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge...bloody, slow and violent revenge.

Revenge on the man who lied.

Revenge on the man who wronged him.

Revenge on the man who condemned him and turned him into this: a rage-fueled killing machine. A monster void of humanity; a monster filled with hate.

And no one will stand in the way of getting what he wants.

One woman stripped of her freedom, her morals...her life.

Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill The SilencerVolkov, head of the infamous Triadbosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, its a virtual prison. Her fathers savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ringThe Dungeonensures too many enemies lurk at their door. 

She dreams to be set free.

Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. As manager of her fathers death match enterprise, only grief and pain fill her days. Her mafia boss father, in her world, rules absolute. And her fiancé, Alik Durov, is no better; the Dungeons five-time champion, a stone-cold killer, the treasured son of her fathers best friend, and her very ownand much resentedpersonal guard. Unrivaled in both strength and social standing, Alik controls every facet of Kisas life, dominates her every move; keeps her subdued and dead inside...then one night changes everything. 

While working for her churchthe only reprieve in her constant surveillanceKisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesnt talk. Doesnt communicate with anyone. Hes a man beyond saving, and a man she must quickly forget...for both their sakes. 

But when weeks later, out of the blue and to her complete surprise, hes announced as the replacement fighter in The Dungeon, Kisa knows shes in a whole lot of trouble. Hes built, ripped and lethally unforgiving to his opponents, leaving fear in his wake and the look of death in his eyes. 

Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man...this man they call Raze.

About Tillie- 


Amazon & USA Today Best Selling Author, Tillie Cole is a Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother — a farmer’s daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a multitude of rescue animals and horses.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7074846.Tillie_Cole

A Father's Fight Cover Reveal!


A Father’s Fight

Life changes in the span of a heartbeat. One, tiny heartbeat. 

Blake and Layla have lived through disappointment and regret, only finally finding relief with the powerful love they have for each other. A love they intend to fight to keep. 

They’ve had to forgive each other, but can they truly move forward without facing the pain of the past?

Layla’s been avoiding the phone calls. Nine months pregnant and exhausted, she doesn’t want the complication. But she can’t run from the truth. Whoever’s calling was there eighteen years ago. Unlike her, he remembers the night that changed the course of her life, and he’s ready to talk. 

Blake’s preoccupied with an email, a few simple sentences sent through cyberspace that have the capability to rob him of his sanity, his freedom, and the people he loves most in the world. When he’s called home for a mysterious reason, leaving Layla isn’t ideal, but hope for reconciliation combined with his brother’s secrecy ignites a curiosity he refuses to ignore. 

Putting the pain behind them is no longer an option.

To get the answers they need, they must face the past and open up old wounds that threaten to bleed them dry. 






Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Seize by Clarissa Wild release day!



Title: SEIZE (Delirious Volume 2)

 

Author: Clarissa Wild

 

Release Date: December 30, 2014

 

Genre: Dark Romance

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22888449-seize

 


 

Blurb

 

True darkness has only just begun …

 

She thought she could run, but there´s nowhere to hide. My bad side is coming out to claim what belongs to me. This hunter has found his prey, and he’s hungry for more. She’s mine now, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep her to myself.

You think I’m the monster?

Think again.

When the choices you make decide your fate, the line between good and evil blurs. In order to live, I do what must be done. Freedom is the price she pays for her safety.

She wants the truth? I’ll give her the truth.

In order to play this game, sacrifices must be made.

I will start with her.

 

This is Volume 2 in the Delirious Series, which contains 3 volumes and a prequel. This book is a full-length novel. These books should be read in order.

 

WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, strong language, drugs and alcohol, dubious consent, and graphic violence.

 

 

 

SEIZE Purchase Links:

 

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/seize 

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/seize/id942740121?mt=11&uo=4&at=11lL8f

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seize-clarissa-wild/1120795072?ean=2940046302844 


Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/seize-delirious-book-2-bdsm-billionaire-dark-romance 


Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=JHltBQAAQBAJ 

 

 

 

SEEK (Delirious, #0.5)

 

When illusions come to life, how do you tell what’s real?

 

My life ended when I came back from vacation. Death was at my doorstep. Everything ceased to exist. To protect myself, I pushed the memories away.

All I remember is him: Sebastian Brand, my savior.

I trust only him.

I am obsessed with him.

But all I know about him is his name.

Stuck in this mental institution, I try not to think about the terrible memories that lurk deep inside me. Sebastian is the only one who can help me forget. I don’t care that they say he doesn't exist, I need Sebastian and I will find him, no matter the cost.

 

 

This is a prequel to the Delirious Series. These books should be read in order.

 

WARNING: This series contains very disturbing situations, strong language, drugs and alcohol, and graphic violence.

 

 

AMAZON US: http://amzn.com/B00PG7VYPM

AMAZON UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00PG7VYPM

KOBO: http://bit.ly/1zQ7MNt

B&N: http://bit.ly/1xpjThD

iBOOKS: http://bit.ly/1utZAxh

GOOGLE PLAY: http://bit.ly/1xRZeIe

 

 

 

 

 

 

SNARE (Delirious, #1)

 

His secrets will destroy her.

 

Taken.

Humiliated.

Used.

With his smart mouth, dirty talking, and possessive behavior, Sebastian Brand has me hooked in the most shameless way. I’m obsessed with him. However, now that I’ve escaped the mental hospital, he seeks to control my every move.

The overwhelming aloofness in his attitude and the darkness in his mind tells me there is more to this man than sheer dominance. Depravity is his playground and pain is a necessary evil.

Keeping me away was his first instinct.

Capturing me was his second.

Claimed by a man with the exterior of an angel and the mind of a brute, I will do anything to unveil his secrets and face my own demons.

A body in exchange for freedom. A heart in exchange for truth.

Life is never a given. Only a certain death.

 

This is Volume 1 in the Delirious Series, which contains 3 volumes and a prequel. This book is a full-length novel. These books should be read in order.

 

WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, strong language, drugs and alcohol, dubious consent, and graphic violence. Contains a cliffhanger.

 

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1zHzkaN 

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1qAWuHz 

iBOOKS: http://bit.ly/1HCMuIu

B&N: http://bit.ly/1rfK6Nq

KOBO: http://bit.ly/1uQQdNj

GOOGLE PLAY: http://bit.ly/1qXgXfh

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Clarissa Wild is the USA Today Bestselling author of FIERCE, a college romance series, but she's best known for the dark Romance novel Mr. X. She is also a writer of erotic romance such as the Blissful Series, The Billionaire's Bet series, the Doing It Series and the Enflamed Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite meals.

 

Check out my sexy books: http://smarturl.it/clarissawildbooks

 

 

Author Social Media Links

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildClarissa

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163319.Clarissa_Wild

Website: http://clarissawild.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/clarissawild/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClarissaWildAuthor

Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/FdY71

Fan Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FanClubClarissaWild

 

 

Giveaway


 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NWYwZDg4OWUzOTkxNzg5MmQwM2M4MzQyZGE0NmM1Ojc0/?

 

UnBeautiful by Jessica Sorensen






Christy's Review 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4 stars!

   photo 1abea406-ae3f-4a1f-998b-7ff6dcbef869_zps8dafb9d7.jpg


I expected UnBeautiful to be like the Redemption series, since it is technically a spin-off series. Ryler is Luke’s cousin. But this story is nothing like the Redemption books. It’s something else entirely.

Emery is a girl who’s been sheltered the worst way all her life. She’s 18 now. She has had this plan to get out. And she did. She left her parents home, is going to college an hour away and living on her own. Her parents still show up from time to time, but not living under their thumb is refreshing. Sheltered isn’t even the best word to describe Emery’s upbringing. It was just completely messed up.


   photo 22edb523-2733-4ceb-8906-410edac1a19d_zps42c7d0b5.jpg


 
The scars remind me of who I am.
That I’m not the person people
think I am.
That I’m different.
That I have darkness.
Ryler is living with his cousin Luke. He’s left Vegas and his gambling father behind, but he’s still living with the consequences of his time there. Ryler is also there for a fresh start. It’s not began yet for him, but it’s close. When Ryler meets Emery for the first time, he’s attracted to her. It’s hard not to be. Then he realizes she can communicate with him, and things change for him. Ryler is mute so having someone who can do that is important. He and Emery start spending a little time together. They really like each other.


   photo 7abec719-1a50-4c09-9a8d-91feb1b091be_zps680fa41a.jpg


These two characters are so different from one another on the outside, yet they are both at a crossroads in their lives. And they are so much more connected than either one of them could have ever imagined...

It’s no secret that I love Jessica Sorensen’s writing. Her damaged characters. I liked that this was a unique storyline. It is a bit on the short side, but it kept me engrossed the entire time. I read it in one sitting. After finishing and seeing how everything clicked together (but there is a lot that still needs clicking) I am so anxious to get to the second book! Thankfully it comes out in February so not much longer.

This was an entertaining read that doesn't have a huge cliffhanger, but leaves you wanting more.


Sunday, December 28, 2014

5+ stars for THE PACT by Karina Halle!

The PactThe Pact by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Pact is LIVE!!!!!

5 Cowboy & Baby Blue stars!


   photo ThePact1jpg_zpsba832370.jpg

 
   
Life follows many directions and hopefully, eventually, your mind and body and life and love, all will catch up with each other.



The Pact is a beautiful friends to lovers story thats fun, sweet, sexy and a little angsty. When I think of books like this, Karina Halle isn’t the author I picture writing them. She does action and suspense, she does raw and gritty, she does emotion to the extreme, and she does all that very well. But guess what? Karina Halle is one of those authors that can write anything. That is some true talent. The Pact is a different type of book for her, but it happens to be one of my favorites she’s written.

The Pact is a story about two best friends in their mid twenties. Linden and Steph. Marrying your best friend if neither of you are seriously committed by the time your thirty seems like a good plan, right?

It all started with a pinky swear...

   photo ThePact2jpg_zpsc6f587a5.jpg

 
   
“How about if we don’t find anyone by age, I dunno, thirty, we marry each other?”


“You’re actually serious”


“Aye.”

 


Through the years, this couple goes through it all. They both have serious and not so serious relationships. They have their ups and downs. Stephanie takes a big leap with her career and Linden is right by her side- her primary source of support. No matter what happens between them, one thing remains the same. They are best friends.

Thirty is right there. They are both seeing someone. A trip between friends. Linden, Stephanie, their other best friend James and all the significant others. And a game of truth or dare.

   photo ThePact3jpg_zps1324921e.jpg


Feelings come out. Things change. The pact is still in effect?
 
Maybe I would take that chance and turn him into something more than a friend. But there lies the problem. How do you ensure someone feels the same way about you without telling them how you feel?



Okay, this is one of those books. One of those books where I LOVE both the hero and the heroine equally. How often does that happen? Not very often for me. Stephanie was an incredible heroine. I adored her. Her confidence, her strength, she was a fabulous friend and fun and spunky. Then there was my dear Linden. He was just wonderful. I loved how hard he loved his baby blue. Even though he didn’t always know what to do or how to express himself, he always had the best intentions at heart.
 
I just want to be everything to her. I want to be the best and her only. I want to make her want me, crave me, yearn for me, all the fucking time. I want her to know what it’s like to want and I want to know what it’s like to be wanted by her.



   photo ThePact4jpg_zpsfe3c736f.jpg


While these two are discovering who they are and what they want, they are also discovering that maybe friendship isn’t the only thing between them. Maybe they can have it all. Just maybe, The Pact they made all those years ago could turn into the real thing. But there is something- or someone who makes it difficult.

I can imagine that falling hard for your best friend has to be one of the scariest things to do. You are risking so much if things don’t work out. It’s not just a broken heart. Losing that one person that you count on to always be there for you, who loves you no matter what. It’s scary. But sometimes love is worth the risk.

   photo ThePact5jpg_zps6d852a73.jpg


This is one of my favorite contemporary romances I’ve read this year. I loved this spin on the classic friends to lovers story. Both of the characters were amazing. I loved that it was light and fun, but had just enough heavy and angst to keep my heart racing and get me worked up. It was super sexy and steamy and just an all round great read.  If you’re looking for a fresh standalone romance with captivating writing, lovable characters and an ending that will leave you smiling for days, pick this one up! It’s going straight to my favorites list!

   photo 030840f1-b26f-48ef-867b-7bcdf68c0605_zps3d6c0931.jpg

 
   
Life leaves scars. Sometimes you don’t see them until later. Sometimes you don’t know where they’ve come from. Sometimes they fade before your eyes. But the world leaves its mark on us.

 




View all my reviews

Friday, December 26, 2014

Where the Road Takes Me- Cover Reveal!

Where the Road Takes Me
by Jay McLean 


Release date: FEBRUARY 10th! 


Blurb

Chloe has one plan for the future, and one plan only: the road. She’s made a promise to herself: don’t let anyone in, and don’t let anyone love her. She’s learned the hard way what happens if she breaks her rules. So she’s focused on being invisible and waiting until she can set out on the road—her dream of freedom, at least for a little while.
Blake Hunter is a basketball star who has it all—everything about him looks perfect to those on the other side of his protective walls. He can’t let anyone see the shattered pieces behind the flawless facade or else all his hopes and dreams will disappear.
One dark night throws Chloe and Blake together, changing everything for Blake. For Chloe, nothing changes: she has the road, and she’s focused on it. But when the so-called perfect boy starts to notice the invisible girl, they discover that sometimes with love, no one knows where the road may lead.

McFarland's Farm Blog Tour!

McFarlands Farm Audio - banner McFarland's Farm
by Cardeno C
Audio Book Tour
McFarland's Farm

McFarland's Farm: Hope, Book 1




    • Written by: Cardeno C.



    • Narrated by: Paul Morey



    • Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins 


    • Unabridged Audiobook



    • Release Date:11-11-14
    • AUDIBLE | GOODREADS


      Christy's Review: 
      My rating: 4 of 5 stars
      4 stars!

         photo 4cfecd6a-476c-4984-8cfc-b7785e0b97e0_zpsce78186a.jpg


      McFarland’s Farm is an easy, sweet and sexy read.

      Lucas has gotten into hot water one to many times with his father. He’s being cut off. He doesn’t have much of a choice but to go to Hope and stay with a family friend, Jared. That’s the only way he has a chance at getting his credit cards back.

      Jared spends his days farming and his nights alone. When he’s asked to take Lucas in for a while, he can’t say no. Both of these men have known one another for a while. Both are secretly attracted to one another....

      Jared and Lucas couldn’t be more different if they tried. Where Jared is quiet, respectful, hardworking, sweet and humble, Lucas is slightly obnoxious, bratty, snobbish and doesn’t know a thing about hard work because he’s been spoiled rotten. Seems like an unlikely pair, right? Yeah. I thought so too. When they say opposites attract, they aren’t kidding.

      I thought Jared was wonderful from the start. There was nothing I didn’t love about him. Lucas, not so much. It took me a long while to warm up to him. Being with Jared changed him. Slowly, little by little, he became a better man. I liked seeing that growth in him.

      I listened to the audio book, and I have to say that the narrator did a fantastic job alternating the ‘voices’ of Jared and Lucas. It suited each of their personalities.

      This was a sweet romance with just enough steam to balance out the sweet. As much as I enjoyed it, my main complaint is that it was much too short. It ended too soon and I wanted more.


         photo d8701ef3-237f-46c9-852e-0e0d940bd5c1_zpsd9018851.jpg



      WLK synopsis

      Wealthy, attractive Lucas Reika treats life like a party, moving from bar to bar and man to man. Thumbing his nose at his restaurateur father's demand that he earn his keep, Lucas instead seduces a valued employee in the kitchen of their flagship restaurant, earning himself an ultimatum: lose access to his father's money or stay in the middle of nowhere with a man he has secretly lusted over from afar.

      Quiet, hard-working Jared McFarland loves his farm on the outskirts of Hope, Arizona, but he aches to have someone to come home to at the end of the day. Jared agrees to take in his longtime crush as a favor. But when Lucas invades his heart in addition to his space, Jared has to decide how much of himself he's willing to risk and figure out if he can offer Lucas enough to keep him after his father's punishment is over.

      WLK excerpt



      [embed]https://soundcloud.com/mbowman7/mcfarlands-farm-by-cardeo-c-audio-sample[/embed]





      WLK Author Bio
      Cardeno C - Logo
      Cardeno C. - CC to friends - is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno's stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.
      Cardeno's Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, "You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day."


      WLK Giveaway
      Enter to win an Audio Copy (from Audible) of McFarland's Farm!
      presented by:

      WLK Book Promotions

      Tuesday, December 23, 2014

      Unbeautiful by Jessica Sorensen- Happy Release Day!!!

      release day_unbeautiful
      Happy Release Day to Jessica Sorensen and her new book UNBEAUTIFUL! This is book 1 in the Unbeautiful Series. Make sure to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win an ebook copy of this book. Good luck!
      BUY THE BOOK

      unbeautiful

      Emery
      You want to know my secrets? What lies beneath the pretty? The scars I can’t let anyone see? The scars tied to my secrets?
      On the outside I appear normal. Some might even say perfect.
      They say that I’m a pretty girl. They say I should be happy. They say that I have nothing to be angry about. That I’m popular. A cheerleader. That I’m perfect.
      Perfect. Perfect. Perfect.
      But all they see is what’s on the outside.
      On the inside I’m raw, open, bleeding. Scars that can’t seem to heal the wounds.
      Carrying dark secrets about who I really am.
      How afraid I am to tell the truth.
      And it’s slowly killing me.

      Ryler

      Tattoos. Piercing. Scars. The guy who can’t speak.
      Gothic freak. Mute. Punk. I’ve heard it all.
      They say that I’m probably dangerous. They say people should stay away from me.
      They say. They say. They say.
      But who are they anyway?
      To decide what I am.
      They don’t know what’s hidden beneath the scars. Beneath the piercings and tattoos.
      The secrets I keep hidden beneath the silence.
      Maybe if they knew, they wouldn’t fear me so much.
      Then again, maybe they’d fear me more.
      add-to-goodreads-button


      Excerpt

      “How long have you lived here?” I recline against the railing of the stairway and wrap my arms around myself as the cool air nips at my skin.

      He rubs his jawline with one hand while the other spells away, “A couple of months. It’s been an interesting change to go from Sin City to here.”

      “Sin City?” Strands of my hair fall into my face as I angle my head to the side in confusion. “What’s that?”

      “It’s a nickname for Vegas.”

      “Why is it called that?”

      A pucker forms at his brows as he brings his finger to his mouth and traces it back and forth across his bottom lip and over his lip ring. I’m absolutely mesmerized by the movement, drawn in by it to the point where I actually contemplate kissing him. I’ve never just planted one on a guy before; Evan was in total control of the relationship.

      Ryler moves his hand away from his lip and bites on his lip ring. “Because it’s a city with sins tempting people at every corner—gambling, booze, sex.”

      About a year ago, I lost my virginity to Evan, but standing here, watching Ryler sign sex while sucking on his lip ring, makes me feel like a virgin again.

      “Oh,” is all I manage to get out of my mouth.

      I only breathe normally again when he releases the metal from his teeth and drops his cigarette to the ground.

      “So, about the party.” He gestures at the door. “Do you want to come in for a while? They’re playing cards and there are drinks and snacks and stuff. Plus, your papers are in there.” His lips quirk to a half grin and my stomach somersaults.

      Do I want to come in?

      Boy, do I want.

      A lot.

      Even through the fear, I want to go through that door.

      More than I’ve ever wanted to do anything in my entire life.

      In the back of my mind, I hear the voices of my mother, father, and Evan whispering that what I’m about to do is wrong. I’m not being who I’m supposed to be. I’m being all wrong, imperfect. I’m surrounding myself with unbeautiful people, according to their standards.

      I smile the biggest smile that’s ever graced my lips, even though I’m terrified out of my mind. “A party sounds fun. I’ve never actually been to one.”

      “You seriously are sheltered, Emery.” He reaches for the doorknob but pauses. “I can help you change that.” He winks at me.

      The disapproving voices in my head continue to chant as I follow him inside and into the unknown. But the music swallows them up as soon as I step over the threshold. Everything in my mind quiets the moment I step into the room. Everything is still for the first time in my life without taking the medication.



      Playlist





      AboutTheAuthor


      Jessica Sorensen


      The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessica Sorensen, lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.




      Giveaway



      BBU - Coming Soon