Cold As Ice (Bedroom Games, #1) by Piper Rayne

It may be Winter Games, but the bedroom games are about to begin…

Competing in South Korea on the world stage is hard enough.

Having to spend the entire press tour beforehand with a woman who hates me? 
Karma really is a bitch.

While she’s spent the last four years loathing me, I’ve spent them ignoring the guilt that gnaws at my stomach. 

All Mia Salter cares about is that I’m her brother’s ex-best friend and it’s her duty to hate me. The funny thing is, I barely noticed her back when she was trying to keep up with us on the slopes. Now, as both of us prepare to go for gold, I’m seeing her in a whole different light—and it involves a whole lotta different positions. 

No one said the path to the Olympics would be easy.

ellie's $0.02:

To say I loved this book is a gross understatement.  Snowboarders and "Olympic" training.  Is there anything better?  I felt like I was in "Olympic" training with these athletes.  I loved, loved, LOVED these characters.  Their dynamics, their humor, their dialogue.  This book is FUN (yes, in all caps) with small doses of angst.  Don't want to keep things too drama-free.

And did I mention SNOWBOARDING?

This is a fun, entertaining, steamy read that will make you feel like you are right in the middle of "Olympic" training, the "Olympic" village and partaking in athlete life and antics... and sex.

This is book 1 in the trilogy (they are all complete standalones) and I've read two of the three at this point and they are a TOP favorite sport romance for me.

Why is "Olympics" in quotations?  Because it never is states as "Olympics" in the book.  I'm sure a trademark thingy.  So I splattered that into my review.  Winter Games.  Winter Classics.  Competition.  Whatevs.  We know what it's about.  Humor.  Athletes.  And romance.  Gold, silver, and bronze.

Damn.  Is it Feb. 8 yet.  Ready for those 2018 Winter Olympics.

The Outliers (The Outskirts Duet #2) by T.M. Frazier

Sensual. Heartbreaking. Passionate. Overwhelming. Maddening. 

That’s the love Finn and I share.
It's the kind you can never recover from. 
The kind you never WANT to recover from. 

That's why we'll do everything and anything to protect it. 

When my past chases me all the way to Outskirts, we have to make a choice. 
Let the lies destroy our chance at future together or...bury them deep in the swamp where they belong. 

Got a shovel?

ellie's $0.02:

The conclusion to the duet!  And by duet, you do know that means you have to read the first book to even remotely understand this one, right?

Frazier "brings it" with the end of the duet with perfectly orchestrated words, plot, and finale.

One of my favorite things about this duet is that Frazier carefully constructs the angst and drama around the main characters and surrounds them with it.  But Finn and Sawyer always team together and avoid unnecessary angst and misunderstandings between them.  Sometimes I just need a book where the main characters are solid as one and there aren't crazy secrets between the two.  Let the angst and trauma happen elsewhere. 

Yeah, tis one is tat one with all the tings.

There are still plenty of jaw dropping moments and suspense... but a true love story lies therein.  Family, humor, swamps, religion, tings, love, death... and finding yourself.  It's all here.

Don't worry.  This one really does conclude and we aren't left hanging in the swamp sad and alone.

Do we get a spin-off of Miller and Josh?  Please?

The Other Brother by Meghan Quinn

I got the call. The dreaded call every child fears. My dad wasn’t well, and the man who had always been my everything needed me. 

There was only one thing to do; pack up and head back to my hometown. I had finally made my dream life in the city with the great job and loving boyfriend. But was there really a choice not to go? 

I found a wonderful job, a quaint house to rent, my boyfriend was working on joining me in Binghamton, and my favorite pizza place was only miles away. Life was good. 

Until I met my neighbor. 

It's been three years since I'd seen Aaron Walters, and my God is he all kinds of sexy gorgeous. Figures. He was supposed to be my forever, the man I grew old with, but he had different plans. How can a man who ripped my heart apart still trip me up? How can he make me still want him now more than ever?

I’m tempted, I’m drawn toward him, I’m completely and utterly unaware that I’m dating his biological brother.

Now two men own my heart. The question is, which brother will I choose?

K3’s $0.02

Oh where or where to begin.

First, Meghan Quinn, your stories just get better and better.

Second, Meghan Quinn, how the hell do you create these amazing men people just can’t help but fall in love with? Seriously, you are KILLIN me. (In a good way of course)

Third, Meghan Quinn, whatever you are doing, keep doing it. Do not change one thing.

I fell in love with Aaron aka Smalls (please note he is far from small) and I love that is his nickname. I was referring to his muscles and his height so get your mind out of the gutter)

Amelia reluctantly has to leave her boyfriend and her life in the city. She finds herself back in her small hometown to care for her ailing father. He is the only family she has left and will do anything for him. What she isn’t prepared for is that her new neighbor happens to be the man she thought was her forever, the man who broke, obliterated, and shattered her heart years ago. See where this is going? *inserthatelustdrama*

Aaron cannot believe the love of his life is living next door to him. She is his one and only and years ago he pushed her out for reasons she will never understand. I am going to say, although his heart was in the right place, he fucked up and he fucked up good. He sees this as a chance to apologize and give her the reason but also as a chance to do what he can to win her back.

Reconnecting as friends doesn’t really go smoothly and I admire Aaron’s patience and his honest intentions. Amelia is having a hard time being around him, all those feelings she had for him, never went away. It doesn’t help that her boyfriend is growing more and more distant.

This story warmed my heart, this story also broke my heart. I really loathed Aaron’s mother and I hated how loyal he was to her when she didn’t deserve an ounce of his attention or affection. Amelia’s bestie was amazing. I loved her point of view on things, she was a savior.

You know what? READ THIS BOOK it is amazing and has become one of my favorites.

Meghan I adore you and your boobs and love your stories! You never leave me disappointed. I am enjoying your journey to greatness.

Broken Souls by Evan Grace

She destroyed my family.

After ten years, Brylee Whitmore has returned to our home town, giving me my shot at revenge. I thought it would be simple, but she’s changed. I was supposed to make her pay for what she’s done, so why do I feel like I have to fix her instead?

Coming home was a mistake.
If my dad wasn’t sick, I would have stayed away. Chase Foster plans to exact his revenge, and I deserve it. I’m supposed to pay for my sins, but now he wants to fix me instead. Too bad there’s nothing left to fix.

One Tragedy.
Two broken people.
Can he forgive her?
Can she forgive herself?

ellie's $0.02:

The love story of Chase and Brylee.

This is not your typical romance or is it?  I picked this one up really not knowing what to expect, as I think ALL readers should do, so this review will be kept vague, short, and sweet.

I was blown away, I was shattered, I was a wreck reading this. 

I wanted to love Chase, I did love Chase, then I didn't love Chase.

I can't say more except trust me that this one is worth picking up blind.  Go in not knowing.  Ride the words, the flow and the plot.  You'll be blown away.  And it'll be oh so worth your time.

Bravo, Evan.  Seriously.  BRAVO.  An absolutely amazing read.

Bottoms Up by Holly Renee

From the moment I met him, I knew he was trouble. 

He was reckless, cocky, and everything I shouldn't want. 

I had a life all figured out, and Tucker Moore was not a part of the plan. 

But somehow I slipped. 

One moment I had it all under control. 

The next I was spiraling around him, begging him for whatever he would give me. 

But as quickly as I fell for him, it all crumbled around us. 

Because everything I thought I knew was far from the truth. 

There was only one way to fix what we had done. 

So I turned my world Bottoms Up.

ellie's $0.02:

This is one of those books that I can't put my finger on the precise point of what did it for me.  Which means, it was basically the entirety of it all coming together perfectly.

I loved the imperfect but perfect heroine.  She had her weaknesses.  She wasn't the epitome of a super model (yay!).  She was insecure.  She was real.  And Tucker saw through it all.  

Okay, okay, I know it's fiction.

But this was written to perfection.  This is the story we all want and need.  This is funny (I originally had 'humorous' here but I stumbled on the spelling 100 times and I still don't know if it's right.  Don't tell anyone I'm an editor.), this is sexy, this is all around ENJOYABLE.

I loved their meeting over Spanx.  I loved the underwear model.  I loved them hot tubbing in Nashville.   Damn, I'm telling you the whole story right here, huh.

The side characters.  The characters.  The plot.  And the delivery of it all is magnifico.  I loved it all in this book.

The Honey Trap by Karli Perrin

After catching her childhood sweetheart cheating on her, Sophia Hamilton is hell-bent on stopping other women from getting played like she was.
And so the played becomes the player.
Fast forward two years and Sophia is now one of San Francisco’s most successful honey trappers. Getting paid to expose cheating men has become the norm but just when she thinks she has seen it all, she is offered a unique proposition which threatens to turn her entire world upside down.
Mason Hunter is a hotel tycoon, millionaire and cheater. Or is he?
Sophia has six weeks to find out.
She quickly discovers that Mason isn't the only one keeping secrets and she becomes caught up in a tangled web of lust, lies and misplaced loyalties.
Lines are crossed. Rules are broken. The real Mason Hunter is about to be exposed. 
The hunt is on.

ellie's $0.02:

Karli, Karli, Karli... where have you been hiding.  Just kidding. I read you... FOUR FUCKING YEARS AGO.  You have been hiding.  I'm so glad you're back.

Honey, you took this Honey Trap and knocked it out of the park.  This book was hilarious, sexy, fun, entertaining... it was EVERYTHING.  I loved every twist, every bind, every plotline, every character (yes, even Emily because I love a good villain), every line of dialogue... EVERYTHING.  But Buzz.  Buzz definitely steals the show.  

I don't have enough nouns or adjectives left to finish this review and give the praise that it deserves. 

This was a solid 5 stars and 5 tacos for me in all aspects of the book.  Everything about it was a huge satisfaction in my gut.  It was entertaining at the highest level and crept into the top spot of hilarious rom-con for me.  All smiles and high fives and shit from me.

The Outskirts by T.M. Frazier

Sawyer wants a life of her own. 
Finn wants to forget he ever had one. 

After a tragedy, Finn Hollis escapes
into the swamp to be alone. 
That is until Sawyer Dixon shows up, 
all SCORCHING HOT innocence, 
claiming she owns the land less than
fifty feet from his front door. 

Sawyer gets under his SKIN, but even worse? 
She makes him CRAVE things. 
Things Finn hasn’t thought about in a very long time. 

Finn WANTS Sawyer gone.
Almost as much as he wants her in his BED.

The swamp is about to get a whole lot HOTTER. 

The Outskirts was originally set to be a standalone.
It is now book one of a duet. 
The Outliers is the title of book two..

ellie's $0.02:

Sawyer and Finn had too much to say to keep their story contained to one book... so we get the start of the duet.  The two broken souls do have quite the stories to tell.

Everything about this book was a solid yes for me.  It was all emotions.  Depressing, distressing, dark, and swampy.  A swampy, sexy, love?  Yes.

While completely different than Frazier's previous series, this one is not a disappointment.  It may actually be my favorite.  The mystery.  The darkness.  The swamp.  The brokenness.  It's all still sexy and romantic to me.

And not to mention the writing.  The writing is never a disappointment.  Precise, non-fluff and enrapturing.  I dig.  I dig a LOT.  I was lost in the swamp world for a day on this one and I feel like I left a piece of my heart and mind back there.  Thank God for a sequel, maybe I can retrieve them from those muddy waters.

Commitment (Temptation, #5) by K.M. Golland

Sizzling power couple, Bryce and Alexis — from the Temptation novels — help bring sexy back to their friend’s lacklustre thirteen-year marriage.

Natasha Jones loves her life, her husband and their two young sons. She works hard both at home and as an Events Supervisor at City Towers. But when a relationship with her work colleague unexpectedly progresses, Tash begins to question whether or not her marriage has passed its ‘Use by’ date.

Dean Jones is a numbers man but has no idea that his number could be up where his marriage is concerned. Never one to really speak his mind, he has always opted to just go with the flow in order to keep his wife happy.

Passion, intimacy, and communication have taken a backseat to demanding careers, a mortgage, and family life, and it’s not until Tash and Dean stand to lose everything they have built together that the spark between them begins to flicker again.
And boy does it flicker ...
and ignite ...
and nearly burn the entire neighbourhood down!

Can Tash and Dean keep this newly lit flame alive and save their marriage? Or will temptation make the commitment seem too much to bear?

ellie's $0.02:

This will probably be that book that so many women will be able to relate to and hopefully laugh at and along with and at themselves.  The woes and tales of Tash and her marriage.  It's funny, but it's not.  It's romantic, but it's not.  It's sexy, but it's not.  It's real life, dude.  This is super sassy and actually all of the aboves with or without the nots.  Did that confuse you?

What Golland did was grab onto something real and wrote about it.  And wrote it WELL.  Added in her humor, her seriousness, her talent of storytelling, and her love of shoes.

The moral of the story is NEVER GET MARRIED.

The Wild by K. Webster

I brought them to the wilderness because we couldn’t cope with our reality.
The plan was to make a new life that didn’t include heartache.

No people. No technology. No interference.
Just us.
A chance to piece together what was broken.

But the wilderness is untamed and harsh.
Brutal and unforgiving.
It doesn’t give a damn about your feelings.

Tragedy lives there too.
No escaping the truths that won’t let you go.

All you can do is survive where love, no matter how beastly, is the only thing you can truly count on.

Confusing. Wrong. Twisted. Beautiful. Sick.

Love is wild.
And we’re going to set it free.

Warning:
The Wild is an extremely taboo story. Most will find that the themes in this book will make you incredibly uncomfortable. This book is only for the brave, the open-minded, and the ones who crave love in even the most dismal of situations. Extreme sexual themes and violence in certain scenes, which could trigger emotional distress, are found in this story. If you are sensitive to heavy taboo themes, then this story is not for you.

ellie's $0.02:

Read the author's warning.  It's real.  Very real.  This book is all kinds of fucked up and I truly truly truly loved it.  It made me squirm.  It made me squeamish.  It made me super uncomfortable. 

This book is definitely going to piss off a lot of readers.  I am not one of those.  I embrace those books that challenge the mainstream.

Webster knows no boundaries.  She takes the taboo and runs with it, embraces it and launches it beyond wrong.  She takes the unimaginable and makes it real.  And makes you read it.  It's wonderful and it's horrible. 

But please don't pick up this book if you're expecting a charming romance, cue romantic music and flowery scenery.  If that's what you want and expect, run... run far far away from this one.  This one will challenge you mentally and emotionally.  If you're up for mental challenges that pushes comfort zones... you're going to LOVE it.

Personally... (judge me all you want)... thought this book was utterly amazing.

Dear K. Webster, I hate you I hate you I hate you I love you.