Title: Finding Haven

Author: T.A. Foster

Series: Finding Haven

Published by: Indie

Date published: May 10, 2014

Genres: Contemporary

Book Length: 261 pages

Steam Rating: Steamy

Main Characters: Evan & Haven

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“Overall, this was a wonderful read that I would happily recommend to anyone! Just beware, it will leave you with a taste for salty air and sand between your toes!” ~Becca

Power. Money. Control. Love.

He has all but one.

When movie star, Evan Carlson, discovers his girlfriend’s picture with another man splashed on the cover of gossip magazines, he decides he’s had enough of his fishbowl life and attempts to outrun the media frenzy his relationships have become. Driving until the road stops, he ends up on the remote and quaint Perry Island, where a heartthrob can blend in like the locals and be a beach bum as long as he wants. All that changes when Evan meets Haven Owen, aspiring songwriter and the girl he just can’t get enough of. A summer romance turns into something much deeper and Evan gets tangled in his own web of lies to keep Haven in his life. But when his ex tracks him down, Evan learns there are some things you just can’t outrun.

Is the cost of love, losing all control?

I was very excited to get my hands on Finding Haven and even though the rating is 5 stars (BTW if we did half stars this one would totally be a 3.5!)…I wasn’t disappointed. This was a very sweet love story that kept me wanting more. I am already dying to get my hands on the next book in the series! (Oh yeah…and read the book before this one about Evan lol you guys know I read books all out of order :D)

So the basic story line here is that pretty boy awesome big time actor runs away from Hollywood to this awesome little island (which just so happens to be relatively close to where I live hehe) to get a break from the media and all that jazz. Lucky him, he ends up in the one place that people don’t seem to recognize him or bother him with their cameras! It’s definitely his version of heaven

Haven has lived on the island most of her life, she left for college and came back to her expected roll of helping run her families store. Needless to say, running the story is so not her dream job. But what can ya do?

When these two bump into one another it is pretty priceless! He expects her to notice him and she expects him to leave her the hell alone so she can work on the song lyrics stuck in her head. I think one of the reasons this book got a lower rating for me was the fact that Haven apparently NEVER watches television. Even at college? I just don’t see that happening…but who knows. So some how she goes the entire book without realizing who he is…and he continues to lie to her…which is where the problem with their relationship pops up. Eventually Evan is going to be caught by someone that knows his true identity and the shit is going to hit the fan!

The romance was sweet and flowed really well. Things didn’t feel rushed or sluggish…they felt real. The characters are well developed and the writing is just fun to read! Honestly, it was a little strange to read a book where the characters didn’t even really interact with each other until around 20%…I’m so used to books where things just happen or we come in when they are about to…but somehow this totally worked. We got to know the characters as individuals really well before we had to view them as a couple.

Overall, this was a wonderful read that I would happily recommend to anyone! Just beware, it will leave you with a taste for salty air and sand between your toes!

T.A. Foster is a Southern girl whose heart and spirit are connected to the beach. She grew up catching rays and chasing waves along the North Carolina Outer Banks and now resides in the state with her adventurous pilot husband, two children and two canine kiddos.

Her long love affair with books started at an early age, and as soon as she was able, she transformed imaginative stories into words on paper.

T.A. has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. When she’s not chasing her two-legged and four-legged children or trying to escape for date night, you can find her reading, writing or planning her next beach trip.

Could you deal with the “fish bowl” effect of being famous?

Title: Our Lives Entwined

Author: Lilliana Anderson

Series: Entwined

Published by: INDIE

Date published: August 13, 2013

Genres: Contemporary, Mystery

Book Length: 206 pages

Steam Rating: Steamy

Main Characters: Mia, Natalie, Eric & Cayd

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“Our Lives Entwined is totally worth reading if for no other reason than to get some closure and find out where each relationship leads!” ~Becca

***Adult content warning*** New Adult Romance, containing sexual acts and adult scenarios. For 18+

After the disastrous reunion between twin sisters Mia and Natalie, Natalie returned to Sydney, leaving Mia, Cayd, Eric, Louise and Josh to get on with their lives.

Over the next year, they all try to move on. Louise and Josh become engaged, and Mia and Cayd now live together. But Eric is still lost, he fell hard for Natalie, even though he didn’t really know her – and can’t stop thinking about her.

Natalie wants a second chance. She’s been trying to find her birth mother in the hopes that her twin will want to meet her too. And if she can get Mia to forgive her, then maybe Eric can forgive her too…

But when the past is uncovered, huge secrets are revealed that will once again threaten everyone’s happiness.

Mia just wants Natalie to leave her alone. Every time she enters her life, everything falls apart. First she ruined her relationship with Eric, and now she’s uncovering things about Cayd that Mia’s not sure she can get past.

And then there’s their mother… without realizing it, their lives are already entwined – far more than any of them will ever be comfortable with.

Book one in this series was simply to die for! The twists and turns were unexpected and fun but didn’t take away from the romance at all. Our Lives Entwined was interesting and had a TON of potential to be awesome…however, for me it just didn’t reach the heights I had hoped it would.

After the crazy discoveries from Our Hearts Entwined, there is a lot of healing and dealing that needs to be done. I really love that these books don’t focus in on one couple. Instead we get to read from everyone’s POV and get a glimpse at their lives and relationships.

Mia and Cayd are trying to live out their happily ever after…but things are not always that simple.

Eric and Natalie are both trying to move on…but failing miserably.

Josh and Louise…well they are awesome! (Possibly my favorite characters in the book lol very little whining or self-absorbed behavior from these two!)

With all of these couples there is a certain level of chemistry and sexual tension. Lilliana Anderson’s writing style makes it easy to feel like a part of the story and this book is no different. There is a lot of drama between…well everyone and some of it just started to get to me. I kept thinking “Umm…well that was childish….what about your love…ever think of forgiving someone? Past is past, people…especially when they didn’t even KNOW you when it happened!”

Okay…so from my mini rant there you may have a feeling why this book didn’t get the 4 or 5 star rating. While the story line has a decent amount of suspense and romance…the characters just got plain out whiny and self-absorbed! I know that Natalie’s character is supposed to be that way…I get that…and I dealt with it! I couldn’t fully understand how or why Eric wanted to deal with that…but hey his choice! However, somewhere along the way Mia joined in on the crazy-train and things went down hill from there for me. I found myself really disliking the characters! (Don’t get me wrong, the book is written beautifully and I couldn’t put it down, I really wanted to know where things would go…but I literally cringed every time Mia or Natalie spoke…all they cared about were themselves and it just got to be too much!)

Cayd puts up with a ton of crap in this book…Mia goes from being a mature woman to someone who runs at the drop of a hat and doesn’t give anyone the chance to explain. I know that a lot has happened to her and it is a lot to deal with…but none of it was cause for her to treat her friends the way that she did. I just can’t get over the personality change from book 1 to book 2! I still adore Cayd though…even if he did live a “playboy” life for a bit, that doesn’t make him a bad guy now.

As I mentioned before, Our Lives Entwined pulls out some awesome twists and turns on the mystery/suspense front. I remember when things came to a head over who the twins mother was…I was lying in bed reading and my first thought was “There is NO WAY IN HELL…nope…nu uh…fate couldn’t be so cruel!” But yep…it made for a good read!

I know that this review may seem like I’m saying the book isn’t good or worth reading…PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM GETTING AT! I am simply trying to explain why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did the first one. 

Our Lives Entwined is totally worth reading if for no other reason than to get some closure and find out where each relationship leads! The story is still unique and fun to read (if you aren’t bothered by some childish behaviors) and the sexual tension and chemistry is intense. If you enjoyed Our Hearts Entwined then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND giving Our Lives Entwined a chance

“Mia,” Cayd called after her, as she made a beeline for the ballroom’s exit doors.

Glancing over her shoulder at him, she pursed her lips together and pushed through the doors, heading straight for the elevator bay. She called out to hold the lift as the doors were about to close and was lucky that the occupants waited to let her in.

“Thank you,” she smiled, as she took her place near them, closely followed of course, by Cayd.

“Where are you going?” he demanded, as soon as the lift doors were closed.

Mia hadn’t bothered to punch a button, she was just willing to ride the lift tow her where ever it was going, in the hopes that Cayd would be left outside it. But now, she glanced at the levels.

“The bar of course.” She leaned forward and pressed the floor that stated ‘bar and restaurant’. “I have some ‘picking up’ to do.”

Choosing to ignore her childish insinuation, Cayd tried to keep his voice calm. “You’re headed in the wrong direction for the bar. This lift is going up,” he pointed out.

“I’ll get there eventually.”

When the elevator doors pinged open, the couple inside made a hasty retreat, glad for freedom away from what was about to turn into a lover’s quarrel.

Although, the moment the doors closed and the lift once again began to move, Cayd pressed the stop button.

“Tell me what you’re upset about.”

“Cayd. What are you doing? Start the bloody lift or they’ll call the fire brigade.”

“Tell me what she said to you.”

Mia folded her arms and leaned against the wall of the lift. “She said that you’d slept with her and every other girl out there, and that you got some girl pregnant and took off. But mostly, she just went on about how young I am, and how you’ll get bored with me and toss me aside once I’m over thirty.”

Cayd let out a sigh, and stepped toward her, sliding his hands up to either side of her face. “Mia, I’m not going to lie to you. I have been with a lot of those women out there. But not one of them even holds a candle to you. She’s just trying to upset you. You, my love, are the only one I see. The only one I want to be with. You’re the only one who can run and have me pursue. I don’t care what those women think. I care about you. I love you. Only you,” he whispered, gently kissing her forehead, her cheeks, her eyes and finally her mouth.

Mia let out a whimper as his tongue entered her mouth, sliding against her own as he possessed her with his adoration. A frenzy overcame them, as her body screamed with want and he moaned in response. Suddenly, he was pulling her dress up as she reached between them and unbuckled his pants, reaching her hand inside…

Bestselling Author of the Drawn Series, the Beautiful Series, and the Confidante Trilogy, Lilliana has always loved to read and write, considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer.

Australian born and bred, she writes New Adult Romance revolving around her authentically Aussie characters as well as a biographical trilogy based on an ex-Sydney sex worker, named Angelien.

Lilliana feels that the world should see Australia for more than just it’s outback and tries to show characters in more of a city setting.

When she isn’t writing, she wears the hat of ‘wife and mother’ to her husband and four children.

Before Lilliana turned to writing, she worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities and communications before transferring to commerce/law at university.

Originally from Sydney’s Western suburbs, she currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.

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What do you think of romance novels with a twist? Would you be interested in reading one with a psychological aspect?

Title: Tattoo Thief

Author: Heidi Joy Tretheway

Series: Tattoo Thief

Published by: INDIE

Date published: October 7, 2013

Genres: Contemporary

Book Length: 308 pages

Steam Rating: Steamy

Main Characters: Beryl & Gavin

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“Tattoo Thief is an excellent example of an amazing author and I just KNOW that Heidi Joy Tretheway is going to knock my socks off with the next book in the series! I highly recommend reading Tattoo Thief and I hope that you enjoy it’s unique qualities, it’s epic romance, and the touch of suspense as much as I did!” ~Becca

One band. Four love stories. Too many secrets.

22-year-old Beryl doesn’t know why Gavin Slater trashed his penthouse, abandoned his dog and fled the country. But as his house sitter, she must pick up the pieces for the front man of the white-hot rock band Tattoo Thief. 

When ultra-responsible Beryl confronts the reckless rock star, she wants to know more than just what to do with his mess. Why is he running? What’s he searching for? And is he responsible for the death of his muse? 

New York newbie Beryl must find her footing in Gavin’s crazy world of the ultra-wealthy to discover her own direction and what can bring him back.

Steamy, sassy and tender, Tattoo Thief is a story of breaking from a comfort zone to find a second chance.

Tattoo Thief was unique, intriguing and totally swoon worthy! I adore a book that manages to have me laughing and crying and totally pissed off all within a few pages…and Tattoo Thief totally pulled that off!

I’m sure I can guess what you are thinking…what makes this book so unique? It’s your typical regular/poor chick meets rich guy and blah-blah-blah…but IT’S NOT! When the book first started I had the same thoughts. I just knew that this book was going to be predictable and thus end up loosing me. Some how Heidi Joy Tretheway pulled off the impossible! She took a typical story line and added in twists and turns…mystery and suspense…romance and sexual tension to the point that I had no clue what would happen next. Once I started reading I just couldn’t put it down!

The book starts off a bit slow, giving us some back story on Beryl (weird name…but it grows on you) and her life. Beryl graduated from journalism school only to realize that she didn’t want to be a journalist. She ends up at a coffee shop and a brewpub…seems legit right? When she gets the chance to move to New York, where her college roommate lives, she jumps on it and leaves her safe and predictable life behind. I’ll admit that during this part of the book I was a tiny bit bored, but I also knew that this back story was important in some way so I kept on reading. (This is the part of the book that pulled Tattoo Thief from a 4 star to a 3 star for me. I really wish there had been a bit more OOMPH or something in the beginning to make it more interesting to read.)

Gavin…well Gavin is your typical bad boy rockstar…or is he? He left his apartment trashed and fled the country, leaving his dog and responsibilities behind him. When Beryl accidentally freaks out on him for leaving the way that he did the story finally starts to get interesting. Gavin isn’t used to people treating him like a normal human being, so when Beryl goes so far as to call him an Asshole…well you can imagine he is intrigued to say the least.

Still curious what makes this story so unique? So far it seems pretty normal right? WRONG! 

Heidi Joy Tretheway throws in one heck of a curveball…Gavin is running from something major (not telling…don’t want to spoil it) and the only way he and Beryl interact for the majority of the book is through Google chat! Hehe…they don’t even see each other until the very end of the book! The fact that Heidi pulls off one hell of a romance and sexually charged conversations with two people that aren’t even in the same room is epic! Gavin slowly shows his true self and Beryl becomes more than the scared country girl in the big city.

Once the beginning back story was done I can honestly say that I adored every single page of Tattoo Thief! Heidi Joy Tretheway writes in a way that is both sensual and humorous, deep yet easy going, passionate and yet realistic. I fell in love with the characters and found myself feeling a part of their world. Heidi writes in a manner that draws the reader into the story and never want to find our way out.

While I only rated this book a 3, I feel that it is an excellent example of an amazing author and I just KNOW that Heidi Joy Tretheway is going to knock my socks off with the next book in the series! I highly recommend reading Tattoo Thief and I hope that you enjoy it’s unique qualities, it’s epic romance, and the touch of suspense as much as I did!

Check out the other books in the series

Heidi Joy lives in Happy Valley off Sunnyside Road. She swears she did not make that up.

Heidi’s obsessed with storytelling. Her career includes marketing, journalism, and a delicious few years as a food columnist. Media passes took her backstage with several rock bands, where she learned that sometimes a wardrobe malfunction is exactly what the rock star intends.

You’ll most often find Heidi Joy with her husband and two small kids cooking, fishing, exploring the Northwest, and building epic forts in their living room.

She loves to hear from readers via messages at:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads

Don’t forget to check out our Monthly Giveaway page to see what else is included in this awesome giveaway!

Heidi Joy Tretheway is giving away an e-book of Tattoo Thief (Tattoo Thief #1)!

How do you feel about sexy rock stars? Would you date one if you had the chance?!?

Author: Kristie Cook

Gere: Paranormal Romance

Books currently in the series: 6 (with more to come)

This series gets

“An epic fantasy tale of good versus evil, the Soul Savers Series brings everything you love about the paranormal genre with the author’s own twists and unique mythology. Follow the story of Alexis Ames as she discovers true love, learns about her heritage and what her future holds and begins to take on her life’s purpose. With a total of seven full-length novels along with companion novellas and stories, Kristie Cook plans to keep you on the edge of your seat for some time to come.” ~From SoulSaversSeries.com

Title: Genesis (Soul Savers book 0.5)

REVIEW COMING SOON!

Title: Promise (Soul Savers book 1)

“ I was literally hooked within the first few minutes of reading, I just didn’t want to put it down! I love the idea of the battle of Good vs. Evil and breaking it down in such a way with the characters was awesome and fun to read. I found myself crying and laughing along with the characters and hoping that things worked out.” ~Becca

Title: Purpose (Soul Savers book 2)

“Tristan and Alexis’s chemistry and love is just as strong in this book as it was in Promise, which totally saved the book for me!” ~Becca

Title: Devotion (Soul Savers book 3)

REVIEW COMING SOON!

Title: Power (Soul Savers book 4)

REVIEW COMING SOON!

Title: Wrath (Soul Savers book 5)

REVIEW COMING SOON!

Title: Purpose

Author: Kristie Cook

Series: Soul Savers

Published by: Ang’dora Productions

Date published: August 7, 2011

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Book Length: 378 pages

Steam Rating: Steamy

Main Characters: Alexis Ames and Tristan Knight

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“Tristan and Alexis’s chemistry and love is just as strong in this book as it was in Promise, which totally saved the book for me!” ~Becca

The story that began with Promise continues in Book 2 of the Soul Savers Series.

Defending souls is her purpose…but can she save her own?

Lost in despair, Alexis teeters on the edge of an abyss, her lifeline of hope fraying into a thin thread. If it snaps, she’ll plunge into complete darkness. With the help of her son and her writing, she’s been able to hold on. Until now. Erratic impulses, disturbing delusions and her own demonic blood threaten her sanity. When she’s forced to choose between hanging onto hope or letting go to serve her Amadis purposes, she faces a decision with inconceivable sacrifices.

Alexis runs to the one place she thinks will provide answers, only to find herself at the center of another battle of good versus evil, not only with the Daemoni, not only within herself…but also against the worst opponent imaginable. But even if she wins, what will she lose?

After the cliff-hanger that Kristie Cook leaves us with in Promise (book 1 in Soul Savers), it’s hard to resist heading out and buying Purpose right away! I was absolutely drooling and panting with need to find out what happened next, and honestly this book over all did not disappoint!

Amazingly, Purpose takes place a whopping 7 YEARS after Promise! That is one huge gap in time! The first quarter of the book is spent on Alexis and giving you a glance into the last few years of her life as a mother, author, and possible widow. I found this part of the book a bit of a drag, not just because it was super sad…but because the pace was a bit slow and repetitive at times. Of course, with as much as Alexis loves Tristan and with their special bond, moving on would not be a simple task. However, I was very disappointed in Alexis. She is basically so upset and well, plainly put, selfish that her mother has pretty much had to step up and raise Dorian. I never saw that one coming! I just KNEW that Alexis would be a great parent…and later in the book she does manage to get out of her slump. It’s just sad that she put her poor son through all of that, even if she didn’t mean to.

I can honestly say that at this point, while Alexis is still wallowing in her poor, poor, pitiful me party, I was ready to put the book down and just not read anymore! I was so frustrated and mad at her that I couldn’t bring myself to read on. So I did just that…I stopped reading and came back the next day. I’m glad that I did!

Eventually Tristan comes back into the story and things started to get interesting again. While there wasn’t nearly as much adventure as there is in book one, it was still a very interesting story. It was hard to hear about how Tristan spent the last 7 years and it honestly made me hate the beginning of the book even more! Alexis was just so selfish and never thought about what he may be going through!

There was a decent amount of action and fighting in this book. Surprisingly, not as much as I had expected. I honestly figured with all of the issues that pop up throughout the book there would have been almost constant fighting! Heck, the biggest struggles took place within Alexis and Tristan during this book!

We do FINALLY get some idea about who Alexis is and what her purpose is. There are still some secrets left to keep us dragging along, but not nearly as much as in Promise! I don’t know how Alexis dealt with all of that beating around the bush, I think I would have screamed!

Anyways, moving on! Tristan and Alexis’s chemistry and love is just as strong in this book as it was in Promise, which totally saved the book for me! Their interactions are still a bit sketchy with his drive to kill her coming back a bit, but to me this just added a touch of danger to the romance, which I enjoy. The sex scenes are still hot and insane, although the steam factor wasn’t as high in this one and the detail aren’t there. I still greatly enjoyed reading as they reconnected and learned about one another.

I love that Alexis stood up for what she believed in during Tristan’s absence, I don’t think I could have handled it if she had “moved on” easily. She showed a level of loyalty and faith that not many could have in her situation, even when she was massively depressed and showing some crazy multiple personalities.

Overall, this book had a decent and strong story line that makes me want the next book (Not quite as badly as Promise did, but hey, that’s a tough act to follow!), strong, well developed characters, and a deep seated meaning and lesson that we can learn by reading.

Check out our review of the other books in the series:

Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, a New Adult paranormal romance / contemporary fantasy, with Promise, Purpose, Devotion, Power, and the latest release, Wrath, book five, available now. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella, which details the compelling history of her Soul Savers mythology. Over 300,000 Soul Savers books have been sold, with Promise peaking at #54 on the Amazon Top 100 Paid list and at #1 in the Amazon Fantasy category.

Kristie’s second series, The Book of Phoenix, is a New Adult paranormal trilogy. The Space Between and The Space Beyond are currently available, and The Space Within will be available summer 2014.

Besides writing, Kristie enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three sons, a beagle, and a puggle.

Author’s Website & Blog     UK Fan Site     The Book of Phoenix Website     Soul Savers Series Website     Facebook     Twitter

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