Monday, September 23, 2013

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers

Hosted By: A Life Bound By Books
Twitter: @BoundByBooks


 
A Little Too Far (A Little Too Far, #1)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: September 17th, 2013 (eBook), October 1st, 2013 (Print)

Synopsis: Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for the better part of the last few years … and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.

But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt … and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional and right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy-on-the-eyes deacon … only eight months away from becoming a priest. Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.




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My Review:




 
A Little Too Far is the first book in a new series by Lisa Desrochers. It's a New Adult romance about a young woman named Lexie who seems to get herself involved in taboo relationships. After dumping her cheating boyfriend, Lexie has rebound sex with her step-brother Trent. They've been attracted to each other for awhile, but never acted on it (for obvious reasons). They have become best friends and are very close, so Lexie fears that she has ruined everything.

Soon afterward, Lexie leaves for Rome to study abroad. She is an Art History major, so this is a big opportunity for her – not only academically but also to forget about Trent. Here, she meets Alessandro – a deacon who is studying to be a priest, and who has already taken his vow of celibacy. He is handsome, smart, and oh so off-limits.

Things get very complicated. As she spends more time with Alessandro she finds herself developing feelings for him, even though she still has feelings for Trent. But Trent starts dating her best friend Sam. Then Alessandro starts questioning his decision to become a priest, and Lexie doesn't want that on her conscience. Both relationships are very forbidden and she is put in a tough spot. The author did a good job at making you feel all the jumbled emotions that Lexie is feeling. It's pretty intense. Even I was feeling guilty about hoping she would end up with one guy or the other.

The characterization was great – I loved all 3 of the main characters. The setting was wonderful. The author was amazing with all the descriptions and details in Rome. There were some parts toward the middle that were a bit slow, but for the most part I really liked this book. There were some really, really sexy parts. As in, adults only. I had a little trouble deciding which guy I wanted Lexie to choose, and I honestly didn't know which way the book was going to go. However, I am very happy with how it ended – though I'll admit I was a little surprised. I'm sad for the guy who didn't get chosen, but it looks like he gets his own book soon and I'm very much looking forward to it. Lisa Desrochers is a new-to-me author and I'm definitely going to have to check out other books by her. 

Find this book at the following places:
B&N 


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 About the author:

Lisa Desrochers lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise.

Look for her New Adult novel, A LITTLE TOO FAR , courtesy of HarperCollins Sept 2013, and the first companion, A LITTLE TOO MUCH , in Nov 2013. Also in stores is her YA PERSONAL DEMONS trilogy (Macmillan).




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Giveaway!

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Friday, September 20, 2013

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout



 Title: Obsidian (Lux #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.



 
Review:




Obsidian is the first book in the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout. This is one of those books that I've heard so much about, and I've been wanting to read it but just haven't had the chance until now. I'm so glad I finally got the chance because this book is great. It's a young adult paranormal romance told from Katy's point of view. After Katy's dad dies, her mom eventually decides to start life over and they move to West Virginia. Katy is thrilled to find that she has a hot new neighbor – until she figures out what a jerk he is.

Katy is an awesome female lead character. She is very easy to relate to. She's an avid reader and has her own book blog. Being a book blogger myself, I absolutely loved the fact that she reviewed books, got all excited when she got a book in the mail, participated in weekly memes, etc... I'd be surprised if the author wasn't a book blogger at some point. Besides all this book nerdiness, Katy has a snarky and sarcastic side as well. It works well for her to be able to put up with Daemon.

Daemon might be the hottest guy that Katy has ever seen, but he is an arrogant jerk. He wants her to stay away from him and his sister – whom Katy is developing a friendship with. He makes her feel like a freak. But then something happens and Katy finds out that her new neighbors are aliens. Not only that, but Daemon is forced to protect her. They don't get along at all so the time that they spend together is interesting. The sexual tension just builds throughout this book while they both try to hide their growing attraction for each other. The pages are sizzling, even though this is just a young adult book.

I'm not really into sci-fi, so I haven't read many books with aliens in it. But I loved this one and can't wait to read the rest of this series. I loved Jennifer Armentrout's writing style in this book, and now she has a new fan. I know that she is now writing adult books under the name J. Lynn – those books are on my radar as well. 


Visit the author here:


Find this book at the following places:

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Cover Reveal: East of Ecstasy by Laura Kaye

 
Annalise Fallston made peace with postponing her big-city dreams to care for her ill father, but lately she’s been filled with a restlessness not even her beloved painting dispels. Worse, the colors don’t speak to her as they always have, and all her efforts produce dark, foreboding images of a dangerous man and a terrifying future.

Devlin Eston, black-souled son of the evil Anemoi Eurus, is the only one who can thwart his father’s plan to overthrow the Supreme God of Wind and Storms. But first, Dev must master the unstable powers he’s been given. Distrusted and shunned by his own divine family, he never expected to find kindness and passion in the arms of a mortal.

But Devlin’s love puts Annalise in the path of a catastrophic storm, and in the final Armageddon showdown between the Anemoi and Eurus, sacrifices will be made, hearts broken, and lives changed forever…or lost.

Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

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Books in Series:

North of Need
West of Want
South of Surrender

 
About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in paranormal and contemporary romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Blog Tour & Review: Belonging by Karen Ann Hopkins

Belonging – Book 2  on Goodreads
Get a copy of Belonging : Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
I left everything I knew behind.
But it was worth it. He was worth it.
No one thought an ordinary girl like me would last two minutes living with the Amish, not even me. There are a lot more rules and a lot less freedom, and I miss my family and the life I once had. Worst of all, Noah and I aren’t even allowed to see each other. Not until I’ve proven myself.
If I can find a way to make it work, we’ll be NOAH & ROSE  together forever.
But not everybody believes this is where I belong. 

My Review:




 
Belonging is the second book in the Temptation series by Karen Ann Hopkins. Just a warning, you may not want to read this review if you haven't read the first book in the series. In this book, we follow Rose as she leaves her father and brothers to live in the Amish community. Her love for Noah is so great that she will do anything to be with him.

Things aren't easy for Rose when she decides to join the Amish way of life. Not only are there people that don't think she belongs, she has to adjust to all the new strict rules. First of all, she has to live with an Amish family that she has never met. The amount of work she has to do is overwhelming and she is constantly having to prove herself to everyone – a lot of people don't think she will last in the Amish community. To make things worse, Rose and Noah are officially courting now but they are hardly allowed to even see each other! It's all very frustrating.

There's a twist in the book that takes me by surprise. So many characters make me mad – including Noah and Rose. I'm not going to say why because I don't want to give anything away. Rose and Noah's relationship is severely challenged in this book. The character that probably upsets me the most is Rose's dad. The last 20% of the book takes me by surprise again. I really enjoyed this part of the book the most. It was exciting and a bit suspenseful.

I was disappointed that there wasn't a lot of together time for Rose and Noah in this book. There were some chapters added from Sam's point of view though, and I did enjoy reading about him and a new character that was introduced in this book. I'm hoping to have lots more Rose & Noah time in the next book. I really can't wait to see what happens next. Looks like I will have to wait until January!
  
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Start with book #1, Temptation!
Temptation – Book 1  on Goodreads | Facebook
Get a copy of Temptation on: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
Your heart misleads you.
That’s what my friends and family say.  
But I love Noah.
And he loves me.  
We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other’s arms.
It should be  
ROSE & NOAH  
forever, easy.
But it won’t be.
Because he’s Amish.
And I’m not.
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About Karen Ann Hopkins
A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.
 
 
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Giveaway!! 
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Friday, September 6, 2013

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert


Book & Author details:

Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert
Publication date: August 14th 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:
Horses, mansions, tea parties, and lies are twenty-year-old Hannah Taylor’s life. To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.

After a fire takes her grandma’s life and kills her horse, Hannah’s immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can’t turn away even though she’s not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.

Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.

But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.





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My Review:






Hannah is a 20-year old young woman who is trying to live the perfect life. She's beautiful, rich, has the perfect boyfriend... or so it seems. Hannah has been dating Eric for two years, and to everyone it seems like a fairytale relationship. Eric is the #1 Polo player in the world and is successful with his family's business.

After her grandmother dies, Hannah decides to run her grandma's ranch. Eric doesn't approve and becomes more jealous and controlling every day. His possessiveness gets worse when Hannah meets Eric's rival – a sexy Brazillian Polo player from the other team. Hannah tries so hard to ignore her attraction to Leo, but it's hard when he's always around.

An abused horse named Argus is brought to Hannah to care for – if she can't make progress with him then he will be euthanized. Leo seems to be the only one that can keep Argus calm and help Hannah train him. These two slowly get close and have trouble fighting their attraction. Meanwhile, Eric's jealousy turns to abuse and Hannah tries to hide the bruises. His depravity reaches shocking lengths.

Hannah and Leo have such great chemistry, but I kept finding myself annoyed at the decisions that she makes. It's clear that Leo is perfect for her and that she needs to get away from Eric. But she lets him abuse her and it's very frustrating.

Breaking the Reins is an emotional book and has an interesting, realistic plot. The book really picks up speed and gets exciting toward the end. There are a lot of very likable background characters that I could see having their own book. If you're a fan of the New Adult genre, a fan of horses, or even just a romance fan – then I definitely recommend this book.



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AUTHOR BIO 
While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author links:
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Giveaway!! 

Enter below for your chance to win some awesome prizes!



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Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Free eBooks!!


**Note - I have no idea how long these will remain free**

Title: Into the Shadows (Into the Shadows #1)
Author: Karly Kirkpatrick

Paivi Anderson has it all - friends, a spot on the varsity basketball team, wonderful parents, and quite possibly, her first boyfriend. It was everything a freshman in high school could ask for. Her perfect life begins to crumble when she discovers her name on a list distributed by a power-hungry presidential candidate. How could anyone think of Paivi as an Enemy of the State? Could it be because of her special powers? No one was supposed to know about them, but the mysterious messages in her tater tots say otherwise. In INTO THE SHADOWS, Paivi quickly learns who her friends are and is forced into a reality she didn’t see coming.




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 Title: Forbidden Forest (Legends of Regia #1)
Author: Tenaya Jayne

Born in shame. Cast from society. Shape Shifter/Elf hybrid, Forest must fight for any respect she can get. Targeted in her youth by a vampire noble who placed an illegal slave mark on her, she is forced to obey him, no matter what.

Slipping the grip of her master and abandoning the prejudice of Regia, her native world, Forest takes a job on Earth, guarding the portal, using her skills as a warrior to enforce Regia's laws. Now, called home for a black ops mission, Forest must put aside her own prejudice to transport the vampire prince, Syrus, through enemy territory in a time of war.

Prince Syrus, mage and master of the Blood Kata, wants Forest more than he's ever wanted anything. In spite of their mutual mistrust, their attraction cannot be denied. Through the danger of their mission, and the secrets they both keep, it doesn't matter what they feel. Forest is forbidden.


Free on Amazon and B&N


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  Title: Invisible
Author: Cecily Anne Paterson

Jazmine Crawford doesn't make decisions. She doesn't make choices. She doesn't make friends. Jazmine Crawford only wants one thing: to be invisible. For Jazmine, it's a lot easier to take out her hearing aid and drift along pretending that nothing's wrong than it is to admit that she's heartbroken. She starts to come out of her shell when she's forced to be in the school play and even makes friends with bouncy Gabby and chocolate-loving Liam. But can she stand up to the school bully, and is she strong enough to face the truth about what really happened to her dad? 


Free on Amazon and B&N


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  Title: Flame Moon (Flame Moon #1)
Author: K.J. Jackson


Skye Walters thought waking up on the side of a river with no memory was her biggest problem. She had no idea that the man who had saved her from drowning, the man she now depended on, Aiden, was more than mere mortal. A warrior of ancient.

No memory, nowhere to go, Skye stays in the mountain town, only to discover she herself, has unexplained powers. Her life, her destiny, are soon out of her control, as are her feelings for Aiden. The deeper Skye gets sucked into Aiden’s hidden world, the more the past, and who she really is, threatens her future, her love, her sanity.
 


Free on Amazon and B&N


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  Title: A Moment (Moments #1)
Author: Marie Hall

Ryan Cosgrove and Liliana Delgado are on a collision course with destiny. They don’t know it yet, but before the night is over their lives will be forever changed.

Spending Valentine’s Day at a burlesque bar, hadn’t been Liliana’s ideal way of spending a Friday night. She’d much rather be back on campus doing homework… until she meets Ryan. Tall, athletic, and gorgeous, Lili can’t keep her eyes off him, and despite his gruff manners and drunken disposition she’s intrigued.

Ryan’s got demons, and they’re deep, dark, and eating him alive. Regardless of his attraction to the petite brunette he’s tired of fighting, of pretending the last fifteen years haven’t been a daily struggle just to get out of bed every morning. That night he decides to end his pain, to leave it all behind and float away into the blessed darkness of oblivion. But fate has other plans for him, Lily finds and rescues Ryan, determined she’ll not only save his body, but his soul too.

This is their moment…
 


Free on Amazon and B&N


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Title: Surrender (Surrender #1)
Author: Melody Anne

Raffaello (Rafe) Palazzo takes what he wants with no regrets. Arianna (Ari) Lynn Harlow has led a charmed life until tragedy strikes her family. He’s looking for a no-emotions attached mistress, she’s looking for redemption.

They are not a pair that should ever work, but undeniable attraction and devastating tragedies bring them together in the city by the bay where he fights to keep their relationship nothing more than an enjoyable way to meet his needs, and she battles to not lose herself in him. Spending time with Ari starts cracking the hard shell that Rafe has built around his heart, but he denies the affect she has on him until it’s too late to stop the inevitable conclusion that their relationship is headed for.

Rafe once believed in happily ever after, coming from a large Italian family. He’s got the Midas touch, since every endeavor he tries turns to gold. That all ends when his wife walks out the door and leaves him blindsided. His devastation quickly turns to steel when he decides no woman will fool him again. From that point on he treats relationships as nothing more than business transactions where both party’s come out mutually benefited.

Just when Ari has sunk to the lowest she’s ever been she finds an ad in the paper announcing a job that’s too good to be true. It turns out she’s right. She makes it through the intense rounds of interviews only to find out the job is for a mistress to the powerful Rafe Palazzo, owner of Palazzo Enterprises. Rafe gives her a day to think about whether she wants the position or not, and she’s sent on her way, only to find out her mother’s near-terminal position has taken a turn for the worse. Her mom’s only in the hospital because Ari messed up, and her mother’s the one who paid the price. Is Rafe her savior, or will he take her with him straight to the depths of hell?


Free on Amazon and B&N


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 Title: The Chosen One (Sword of the Gods Saga #1)
Author: Anna Erishkigal

"At the dawn of time, two ancient adversaries clashed over control of Earth. One man rose to stand at humanity's side. A soldier whose name we still remember today..."

Mikhail awakens, mortally wounded, in his crashed ship. The beautiful, golden-eyed young woman who saves his life has abilities which seem familiar, but with no memory of his past, he can't remember why! With his ship destroyed and a shattered wing, he has no choice but to integrate into her village, a task made difficult by her jilted lover.

Ninsianna's people have prophecies of a winged champion, a Sword of the Gods who will raise armies from the dust and defend her people against an Evil One. Mikhail insists he is no demi-god, but her dark premonitions and his uncanny ability to kill say otherwise. Even without the technology destroyed along with his ship, the sword he carries is a weapon of mass destruction to a people who still throw sticks and stones. When young women start disappearing, Mikhail must organize her people to fight back against an enemy who remains unseen.

Evil whispers to a sullen Prince. A dying species seeks to avoid extinction. Two emperors, entrenched in their ancient ideologies, cannot see the larger threat. As intrigues roil the heavens, a tiny Mesopotamian town becomes ground-zero for this fantasy fiction retelling of mankind's most epic story about the battle between good and evil ... the clash of empires and ideologies ... and the greatest superhero to ever walk the Earth. The Archangel Mikhail.
 


Free on Amazon and B&N


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Title: Ageless Sea (Ageless #1)
Author: M.R. Polish

Life. Love. Death.

Banished for a crime she didn’t commit, Karis must learn to live her life alone – and in a world that’s not her own. Cursed on an island of loneliness, forced to endure nearly a century without a friend, the woman once destined to be Queen must find a way to return to her world and save her people from an evil influence.

After many years, one man is strong enough to survive the cursed barrier that keeps her from leaving the island. She needs him so she can return to her world; he needs her to put together the pieces of his broken memory. Side by side, Brady and Karis feel their loneliness slip away.

Every day their love grows stronger, but will their bond survive the battle between worlds? In Book One of The Ageless Series, M.R. Polish takes readers into a world where myths are real, deception lurks in the shadows, and destiny brings two lost souls together to fight as one.
  




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  Title: Protector
Author: Tressa Messenger

Anna-Marie has spent almost her whole life in love with the boy across the creek. From the age of five they have been in each others lives, so when Anna-Marie's boyfriend, Dylan, dies under mysterious circumstances it drives her into a deep depression. She desperately clings to his memories for solace. After reports come out of a another mysterious death, Anna-Marie climbs her way out of despair as she throws herself into a search for the assailant, who is callously tearing so many lives apart. During Anna-Marie's search, she has a chance encounter with a mysterious man who flips her world upside down once again. Alessandro Pierre, the deadly son of the vampire leader of the Brotherhood Order, appears to be just as normal as the next guy, but he is far from it. The further Anna-Marie digs into Dylan's death she is plunged into a world she isn't quite prepared for. She gets caught up in a deadly game from her worst nightmares, and eventually learns that it is her own world as well.


Free on Amazon and B&N


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 Title: Chasing Beautiful (Chasing #1)
Author: Pamela Ann


What would you do if you had two hot men fight over you?

An orphan at the age of seven, there was one thing that Sienna Richards didn't do easily--give her heart. She made that mistake once by trusting and giving her heart to her childhood best friend and ex-boyfriend, Kyle Matthews. When Sienna left for London to study, she was taken aback when Kyle told her that he's been seeing someone else.

Hurt and betrayed, Sienna decided to fly back to LA to confront him. The whole idea of "closure" was definitely a bad idea. She immediately left, deflated and aggrieved. Back in London, Sienna was surprised when her very good friend, the magnetic Blake Knightly, seemed to be determined to have her. Blake was relentless but will not settle until he gets ALL of Sienna.

Women clamored to be the handsome aristocratic Blake. Who could possibly resist a compelling man that drew such power and commanded attention by simply just breathing?

When Sienna was about to give in, fate stepped in and muddled her mind and heart once again. Kyle moves to London to be close to her. If Sienna thought her life was in shambles before, she should think again.


Free on Amazon and B&N