Kiss the Sky - By Krista and Becca Ritchie (Review)

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared. 
Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy.
After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way.
Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity.






5 overwhelmed and awestruck stars out of 5 with Beyonce on top


I've been putting off reviewing this book because I don't know how to write how much I love and appreciate this novel. It's the two characters I've loved since the start of "Addicted to You." It is everything I dreamed it would be and all the things I didn't even know I wanted. Reviewing this book would be like trying to tell you how much I love the new Beyonce album - have you got a couple hours and enough patience? Probably not and yet how else am I to do justice for such perfection I ask you?! I'm going to forget something or not have the right words to express myself. I'm just going to fumble through this so please don't hate if this review isn't great cause I'm already agonizing over my mediocrity. 


I admit, I was a little nervous about whether this book would deliver the goods up to the heavenly expectations I have set for the talented Becca and Krista Ritchie. I should have known there was no need to panic because only stupendous stories flow from these two lovely ladies. 

What did I love? 

-Lap Dance!

Fucking hell, EVERYTHING. 

What did I hate? 
-That it ended. Where's the neverending story when you need it?! 

The story. Just read it. 

Connor Cobalt. Being inside the head of this character was riveting. He was confident without being arrogant and dominant without being controlling. Connor has always been my favourite Addicted series male and this book proved to me a thousand times why. He loves the challenge of a relationship with Rose but he isn't with her solely for that reason. He likes how she thinks and how they can have conversations about anything and everything. He adores her aggression but loves when she is sweet and generous. Connor is proud that together they push each other to be their absolute best and nothing less. If all other men are described as rocks in a storm, Connor Cobalt is a pure diamond anchor. His dedication to Rose is drool worthy and I am truly thinking I should create a Connor Cobalt personality test just so I can date men of a similar ilk. If I could dream up the perfect man Connor would be it, flaws and all.


Rose Calloway. My favourite character ever and the Beyonce of literary females. Thank you KB Ritchie for writing a story about a virgin without harping it into some moral high ground or shameful burden. I'm sick to death of the good girl virgin deserving of a higher, better, more respectful treatment from males because they haven't had sex. I've had a guts full of the demure virgin looking for a sexual god to deflower her because she wants to be like everyone else and not having sex is such a horror. Thank you from the depths of my heart for giving me Rose Calloway - unashamed of being a virgin. There was no burden nor embarrassment. She didn't wait because it was the right thing to do nor because she was a "good girl." She wasn't saving it for marriage or a committed relationship. Rose Calloway, bless her literary soul, stayed a virgin to have sex with her equal. She didn't make a big deal or let it define her, she treated it like anything else she hadn't done. She wasn't going to succumb to peer pressure or societal norms, she would get there when she was ready with whomever she wanted. But most of all, thank you for writing the modern young woman. Rose is confident, powerful and a wonderful bitch but is also afraid of intimacy and trust. She wanted to be simultaneously fought with and supported, independent and cherished, challenged and protected. She is complex, difficult and perfect in her contradictions as are we all - weak, wanting, tough, bitchy, mean, shy, uncertain, confident, generous, loving, fierce, sexy, confusing and above all REAL. As Connor Cobalt aptly puts "She was a complicated equation that didn't need to be solved." And that is what I loved most about this story, a heroine who is a role model, who sets the bar and through her story says you shouldn't settle for anything less than you deserve whether it is in love, life or friendships and never be anyone but yourself - society be damned! 

If you don't read this book you will be chopping your nose off to spite your face - straight up. KB Ritchie continue to be the best authors in the New Adult genre, they truly cater to readers beyond YA but not quite in the realm of mid-life crises and cheating husbands. Their work is always ***Flawless and every book they put out is just as good, if not better than the last. I have read this book 4 times already and I highly recommend it to EVERYONE. We need more writers putting out books with this content, in a literary world of insta-love, weak female characters and overbearing idiotic males, Rose and Connor make resounding splash. 

xxx Literary George


| Amazon | Nook |


Layers Peeled - By Lacey Silks (Review)

Layers Trilogy Series - Book 2 
New life binds them,
Past ghosts haunt her,
Fresh secrets distract him,
...and history repeats itself.
Allie, a rookie cop hired and desired by a private investigator, is about to knock the wind out of Tristan with the biggest news of her life... ... right after the announcement that he fired her sinks in.
Tristan, the owner of Cross Enterprises, has a few surprises for Allie as well. And she won’t see them coming.
While the couple tries to deal with their predicament and growing romance, ghosts from Allie's past haunt her, slowly calculating the timing of their return.
With new assignments distracting Tristan, fate has stacked a threat against them. Can Allie and Tristan peel away their protective layers for long enough to see the danger brewing at their doorstep? If they don't work together, trusting and sharing information, it may be too late.
And history may repeat itself.
1 out of 5 stars
Well I am done with this series. I still don't believe in their relationship, maybe I'm just a grouchy young skeptic. There was no development or growth as a couple or as characters. They jumped in and out of bed with each which is all fun in games but I was horrified to realize that Allie was a cop. How could I forget that the main character was a cop?! Well, because it's barely mentioned outside of all the sexy time and unnecessary drama between Allie and Tristan. Allie continues to jump to illogical conclusions and it comes across as exaggerated and unbelievable. She's obviously an intelligent woman so why does she continue to act like she hasn't got two brain cells to rub together and everything is a soap opera drama opportunity? Beyond that the plot was predictable and I am unimpressed. I had hoped in this novel I would get to understand Allie and Tristan better but I just ended up more irate at insta-love and theatrics. On the plus side there was no cliffhanger ending.

xxx Literary George
Was this review helpful? Vote YES on Amazon
Thank you to NetGalleyLacey Silks and MyLit Publishing for the copy in exchange for a honest review.

Amazon | Kobo | Nook |

Pushed - By Marisa Cleveland *Blog Tour*

A Bloodlines Novella
Time is not on everyone’s side…
Mortal mess-up Lucy Markson makes one tiny miscalculation and her soul ends up belonging to an evil demon. Forced to serve the newly Fallen angels recruited by her master, she must take one of the Fallen through the seven deadly sins.
Fallen angel Sawyer Succendo didn’t jump from heaven. He was pushed. And now he’s lost everything, including his halo – which contains his earthbound soul.
In a race with an evil demon to claim his lost halo, Sawyer must trust a woman designed for sin – literally. Learning the true power of free will, Sawyer just might save them both, if he can keep his mind on the plan and his hands to himself.
But if he can’t find his halo and save the girl, then he’ll be grounded forever.


One thing was certain. Fallen angels were hot. And not the ninety-eight-point-six kind of warmth, either. Oh, no. These Fallen fit every corny pick up line she’d ever heard. Because they were exactly what they claimed to be. Created by the hands of God and in His own image.
          How would she ever choose one to feed and then… They were all beautifully gorgeous. She tilted her head to the side.
Except for him.
Dried blood marred the side of his temple and stained his sharp cheekbones. A gash sliced across his left eyebrow ending at the corner of his blackened eye. His swollen lower lip also sported a crack with still-fresh blood threatening to trickle down to the divot in his chin. Naked as the day he was born – or created – his torso and thighs held an interesting pattern of scars that haphazardly healed.
He rubbed his chest with one hand, his golden eyes widening in alarm, and in that moment, Lucy knew she absolutely had to be the one to serve him. His entire demeanor differed from the others. He hesitated to join the others at the banquet table, almost like he didn’t want to partake in the feast, even though she knew he had to be starving by now. Still, he reminded her of… her. A reluctant guest.

***

          An unfamiliar weight settled over Sawyer, and he recognized that for the first time in two thousand years he knew sin. How had Azas done that to him? Slapped Original Sin over his shoulders like a thousand pound straight jacket, trapping him to the mortal realm. Born into the angelic dimension of the divine, he’d heard about sin, but he’d never actually experienced it. Now, healed as one of the Fallen on earth, he knew nakedness, and hunger pains gripped his stomach so completely that he didn’t hesitate to join the others at the manifested banquet table.
          Woodenly scraping a chair back from the table, he collapsed against the cushioned fabric as it scratched the back of his thighs and bare ass. While the Fallen indulged in the delicacies from every region of the earth, a parade of nude women served and danced around them. Sawyer’s body tightened in response to the naked flesh, and he groaned at his own lack of control. He shut his eyes to the visual feast. He might be a Fallen angel now, but that didn’t mean he had to indulge in whatever the demon offered. Especially if he hoped to have words with his Maker and return to the right side of the Pearly Gates.

3 out of 5 stars
A well written novella with an interesting premise. Unfortunately due to the length, Cleveland isn't able to fully explore and develop the story of Sawyer and Lucy. Instead their love becomes an insta-love romance and heavy on the dramatics. I think if Cleveland had lengthened it she would have done a fine job of building their relationship because she writes beautifully. There were moments were it got a little preachy but it's no surprise when reading a book about angels and God. It wasn't overly preachy but definitely noticeable. I wasn't drawn to any of the characters but they weren't annoy just a little hard to understand. "Pushed" reminded me a little of Romeo and Juliet with a sacrifice anything for love but if you want a brief romance novel with an interesting story line, Cleveland has you covered.
xxx Literary George
Was this review helpful? Vote Yes on Amazon

| AMAZON |



Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. If she couldn’t express herself through writing, music, and dance, she would die. She believes romance novels are the perfect “how to” books, because no matter the obstacles, the characters keep working toward their happily ever after. She loves to connect with writers and readers through social media.

A Mate's Bite - Milly Taiden *BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY*

Sassy Mates Series -  Book 2
Mission: Don’t fall in love

After an explosive night of passion during a scenting ceremony, Karla Alves is sure she was just a one night stand for the man she'd been crushing on for years. She teased him and pleased him, and Nate hasn't been around since. Her fear of becoming clingy kept her from risking her heart and asking for more than a few hours of skin sin.

Mission: Crack her walls

She. Is. His. Nathan Wolfe marked Karla. His mate. Deeply involved in pack politics, Nate has had to stay away. When his sister warns that Karla needs him more than he thinks, he'll discover a bundle of secrets only his wolf can sniff out. But getting the woman he cares about to let down her guard may prove to be his undoing.

Mission: Embrace the bite

With Karla's wayward sister wreaking havoc and friends needing more of his time than ever, Nate will have to rearrange his priorities if he ever hopes to earn Karla's trust. But will time with her be enough? Only true love and a wolf's promise can hold together a relationship created with a bite, a scenting, and a hope for tomorrow.


Karla Alves listened to her friends’ hushed arguing—back and forth—over using the word “over.” She wanted to step in and tell them all to forget about the stupid word and remember the scenting ritual. After all, that was the whole reason they were using the stinking radio devices in the first place. The entire conversation was ridiculous, and she wished there was a mute button she could press. She peered into the woods and tugged on the ear piece.
“We are wearing frigging black spandex for you. I draw the line at painting lines on my face and hauling army gear. I am not going to end each thing I say with over,” Jordan threw in.
Thank you, Jordan. If Karla hadn’t agreed to help video the ceremony so Jordan could write a book for their friend Ellie, the only wolf shifter in the group, she’d never have thought to show up and peep into the ancient ritual.
Karla glanced down at the ceremony area. The Sexy Four—Ellie’s fine and fabulous brothers whom they all secretly loved to crush over—had just spoken to their parents before they separated and moved into the woods. Nerves and something like excitement sizzled in Karla’s blood. Great. She must be nuts if she thought being out there with the very real possibility of getting caught was exciting. 
Emma barked out another radio command. That did it. She yanked the earpiece out. She was getting a migraine listening to all the orders from her friend. She loved Emma, really, she did. But she couldn’t handle any of her drill sergeant commands tonight.
Karla pushed another curl behind her ear while she ground her teeth. Her clothes were uncomfortable, and she kept stomping her feet in restlessness as if she was waiting for something big to happen.
The last time she’d felt this way, her brother Kelvin said she’d get into trouble. Sure enough, later that night, she’d had a fender-bender with a cop. Kelvin told her to stop ignoring her instincts and listen to what they said. Right now, they told her to get the heck out of there because she was in over her head. But did she listen? Oh, hell no. The excitement of seeing wolves in a mating ritual was just too enticing. Who in their right mind could turn the offer down? Obviously, this wasn’t something humans should be privy to, so her group of friends were to hide and stay quiet the entire night.
Karla had been tempted to point out all that was wrong with their plan, but she’d held back.
1. She hadn’t appreciated the black clothing request. She was hot. The damn yoga pants were from last year. They were a size too small and cut off her tummy, giving her a muffin top. She tugged at the front of the black tank and blew air into her boobs. It was hot.
2. They hadn’t eaten first. Now she was sweaty and hungry.
3. She has a perfectly good home that she could be in. Far away from trees, dirt, and creepy noises in the dark. Oh how’d she’d love to be wearing her stars and moons pajama pants in her too cold house.
Crouched down, she glanced at the ceremony area. Her thoughts turned back to the Sexy Four, and particularly Nate—the man no one else had ever measured up to. Nate, with his muscular body and tribal tattoos over his arms and chest. He had enough that she could spend a full day drawing each line of them with her fingers. Nate, with his pierced ears and all the making of a bad, bad boy she should really stay away from. But she couldn’t. 
She remembered the first time she’d met him at Ellie’s house. The way he’d smiled. She was never the same again. Christ. That was almost seven years back. He’d come to her rescue multiple times. She’d blown a tire once, and he’d shown up out of nowhere to fix it before she had a chance to call a tow truck. And she would never forget the time they’d gone to the masquerade ball Ellie had for one of her birthdays. That had been the very first night Karla had worn a girly dress and done her best to look pretty. Or as pretty as she could get away with. The gold medieval gown she’d borrowed from her drama class had allowed her to look the part of a beautiful princess. Nate had worn a pirate outfit. The one with his chest all bare. At the time, his hair had been longer, shaggy and tempting her to run her fingers through. The tight pants and almost wild features had played havoc with her thinking ability. 
When she’d seen him, all she could think of was touching his half-naked chest, running her nails down the washboard abs, and biting a nipple that continued to peek from the white shirt. One look. That’s all it took for some kind of magic to happen. Her heart beat fast and her palms moistened with perspiration. She’d rushed away to grab a much-needed breath of fresh air. He’d followed her outside and kissed her. A single kiss under the moonlight, and she’d become infatuated with him for the rest of her college years. The memory of his firm warm lips over hers rushed blood to her head. Her lips tingled with the reminder of how much he’d turned her on.
Her infatuation with him wasn’t healthy, and it bordered on pathetic. Tired of feeling like a failure in the relationship department, tired of waiting on a man who might never be, she needed to start dating. She wanted a family of her own. She wanted a man who would be there long term. She wanted more.
3 out 5 stars
This was a great sweet and light read. The main focus was on the main characters romance so there is only a little drama so if you like lovey dovey shifter reads this is gold. I loved the banter between the girl friend group, they were witty and pretty much everything I would want in my own friends. I liked Mr. Wolfy, he definitely has charm in spades. Karla was slightly irritating with her distrust and constantly distancing herself from Nate even though he's done nothing to warrant those reactions. Thankfully she swiftly comes to her senses and their relationship can more forward. It's a typical shifter romance novel but I was definitely interested in the Emma character so I'll be keeping an eye out for her book. She seems like the bossy, assertive leading lady I fancy reading.

xxx Literary George
Was this review helpful? Vote YES on Amazon

Amazon.com  | Amazon.UK  | BN | ARe |



Hi! I'm Milly (AKA April Angel) I love to write sexy stories. They're usually either paranormal or contemporary with a large dose of heat. My paranormal stories can be anything from wolf-shifters (my favorites) to witches, demons and anything in between. My contemporaries are usually anything from soldiers to corporate romances.

I was born the prettiest part of the Caribbean known as the Dominican Republic. Currently, I live in New York City with my hubby, the bossy kiddo and our little dog "Needy Speedy". Don't ask.
When I'm not working some really long hours at the day job, or hanging out in the awful life-sucking invention known as Facebook, messaging my bestie in the UK or shopping with my sis Julie, then I can be found watching scary movies. Buuut when I'm not doing that, I'm usually writing because the voices won't shut up.
I am addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate (but who isn't, right?) and Dunkin' Donuts coffee.

Come on over and visit me! I love to meet new readers!
Like my books? Want to stay on top of all things Milly? 

Sign up for my newsletter http://mad.ly/signups/87477/join
There’s a monthly $50 GC Giveaway to all the emails signed up to get the latest news on my releases.

Find out more about Milly Taiden here:
Website: http://www.millytaiden.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/millytaidenpage
Facebook Friend Page: http://www.facebook.com/milly.taiden
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/millytaiden





Addicted For Now - Krista and Becca Ritchie

Addicted Series - Book 2
He's addicted to booze. She's addicted to sex...staying sober is only half the battle.

No. More. Sex.

Those are the three words Lily Calloway fears the most. But Loren Hale is determined to be with Lily without enabling her dangerous compulsions. With their new living situation—sleeping in the same bed, for real, together—Lily has new battles. Like not jumping Lo’s bones every night. Not being consumed by sex and his body.

Loren plans to stay sober, to right all of his wrongs. So when someone threatens to expose Lily’s secret to her family and the public, he promises that he’ll do anything to protect her. But with old enemies surfacing, Lo has more at stake than his sobriety.

They will torment Lily until Lo breaks.

And his worst fear isn’t relapsing. He hears the end. He sees it. The one thing that could change everything. Just three words.

No. More. Us.
5 PERFECT STARS OUT OF 5

How do you say no to the person you love when all you've ever said is yes?  "Addicted for Now," number two in the Addicted series, picks up immediately from the end of Ricochet (#1.5). Lo is coming to live with Lilly and Rose. Lo's presence will serve as a challenge for Lilly's recovery process as she learn to separate intimacy and sex. Starting their recovery process together, they begin to learn tough love after years of enabling each others addiction. It's a demanding journey and I have never been more proud of two characters in my lifetime of reading. Once again the Ritchies refuse to sugar coat the torment and strain of kicking an addiction and create a magical cure. True to their amazing writing, Krista and Becca give us the seeping wound, the agony of addiction as a life long battle, the struggle for Lil to contain her needs to the narrow confines of the "rules" and above all, the fear of failure - not just failing themselves but each other. "Addicted for Now" is raw and unashamed reality.

But don't think this is a dark, depressing addiction story. The shining glory, what has always been the blazing diamond of this series, is the love between Lilly and Loren. Their relationship continues to build in trust and strength. They're not the sappy "I would die without you", cue Romeo and Juliet suicide scene couple. They rely on one another as I would expect soul mates would. Filling in where the other is weak and supporting them to be the best they can be. Lil and Lo are other halves in the most perfect sense - together they are at their greatest. In this novel we see how their love encourages their recovery and how Lil and Lo finally begin to believe they deserve happiness. *tear*

What I love:
-Getting Lo's perspective
-Fantastic character development
-The ever growing friendships between Daisy, Ryke, Loren, Connor, Rose and Lilly
-The mystery of the message sender
-Argh...  EVERYTHING

What I dislike:
Nothing. Ever. How dare you even?

Krista and Becca Ritchie are my favorite authors. They truly understand how to write novels balancing real life with fiction drawing you into a world of believable imagination. They write with maturity without being old and drama without being overly dramatic. I will buy and read ANYTHING these ladies produce because, three novels into this series, they are going from strength to strength. If you don't read this series you are seriously missing out on the most satisfying series. The Addicted series is New Adult Nirvana.

xxx Literary George

Is this review helpful? Vote YES on Amazon.
My Other Reviews: Addicted to You (Book 1 Link), Ricochet (Book 1.5 Link)


Amazon | Kobo | Nook |