Always You by Stephanie Rose Review

5 Stars

To Samantha Christensen, Lucas Hunter was always the guy—the sexy, smart and unattainable man she pined for throughout college. To Lucas, she was a treasured friend, a younger sister he felt the need to protect. She had a choice—to wait and hope, or to settle.

When they meet again years later, Lucas looks at Samantha and sees a woman he wants—even though she’s not free to take. As they renew their friendship he finds he’s falling hard, and can’t accept any less than all of her.

Samantha realizes there’s hope with Lucas. Will she finally have a chance to be happy with the man she’s always loved, or will obligations and insecurities stand in their way? 

Can Samantha and Lucas convince each other that they belong together? That it was Always You?

     I'm not really sure to start with this review. I always think I will keep it simple because all I want to say is that I love this book, but then a page or two later, I've somehow said everything. Haha! 

     So I guess I will start there. I love this book. It's not my typical book. I usually like books with some crazy circumstances. And while I say this, don't think this book doesn't have some difficult challenges. It is both simple in it's reality and complex with its realistic challenges of life. 

     This book is a second chance romance and the prologue alone dragged me in. When I finished reading about Lucas and Samantha in college, I had already been through the whole spectrum of emotions. What girl can't relate to being sweaty in a bar or gearing yourself up to tell your crush that you like them and then being let down. The. Whole Spectrum. Of Emotions!! I kid you not! 

          This was it. This was goodbye. There was so much I wanted to say. I wanted to tell him how amazing he was and that I would never forget him, but the words wouldn’t come out. - Sam 

The first few chapters reel you in to their re-connection. Samantha knew it was wrong. Lucas knew it was wrong. Hell, I knew it was wrong. But you know what ... I don't care.

          He gave me a sad smile as he leaned his forehead against mine. I shut my eyes to control the fluttering in my stomach that didn’t feel merely friendly. I was starting to need him, and it scared me. This was getting dangerous. - Sam 

I love Lucas and Samantha and they deserve to be with each other. Especially Sam. She deserves someone she has wanted forever. And Lucas treats her like any woman wants to treated. 

          “I know I’m not supposed to think about you all day long. I know I’m not supposed to want to talk to you every minute of the day, or touch you, or kiss you. But, fuck—” Lucas closed the space between us and grabbed me by the nape of my neck, pulling me towards him. “That’s all I ever want to do, Sam.” Our faces were close enough that our lips were almost touching. - Lucas

     I love the way Stephanie Rose just handled the different situations in this book. Especially, the way Lucas grew an attachment to Bella. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't unrealistic for the sake of the book. It was natural and I believed it. That might be my favorite part of this book is that Stephanie took the time to let these situations just happen. None of it was rushed, but it wasn't pushed through at a fast pace. The book just felt natural. I felt like I was reading a real story and not fiction. I loved it. 

          “I love being buried inside you.” He had a possessed look in his eyes I had never seen before as he thrust harder and harder like he couldn’t get deep enough. I realized then what he was doing—he was claiming me. The mention of Marc rattled him, and this was his way of taking back what was his.

          “Tell me what you want, baby—my fingers, my mouth, or both? I bet you taste so fucking good.” - Lucas

     Also, Lucas .... mmmm ... Lucas. That man is sexy and has a mouth on him. It might be my weakness. Give me a dirty talker and I am done for!! Don't miss out on this awesome premier read. I look forward to more books from this author! Enjoy!!

Goodreads ~ Stephanie's Rose Garden ~Facebook

Lucas Interview from Always You By Stephanie Rose

I was lucky enough to score an interview with the ultimate swoon-worthy Lucas from Always You by Stephanie Rose. Just in case you haven't completely fallen head over heels in love with the man who loves to 'dive' already, here are some questions to really push you over the edge!! And then when you want more head over to Stephanie's Rose Garden so we can all gush about how much me love his sexy man!

 1. Did you have any idea that Samantha had feelings for you, more than friendship, in college?

I had an idea. She had (and still has) a tendency to blush and ramble when she got nervous.  It was adorable even then.  We were friends, and I never wanted to embarrass her by bringing it up, or make her feel uncomfortable to be around me. 

2. Did you ever think about pursuing her in college?

I always noticed her, but there was one night I almost crossed the line and kissed her. It was a real fight with myself to push her away, but above anything else I never wanted to hurt her by starting something and then leaving.  I still think I did the right thing, even though I hate the fact she ended up with Marc. 

3. What made you eventually reach out on Facebook to Samantha?

I avoided Facebook for a long time, but when I moved back to New York I decided to join and see what my old friends were up to. Daina mentioned Sam worked close to where my new office was, so I wanted to catch up with her for old times sake.  When I strolled into the bar that night, I had no idea my world was going to get knocked off its axis the way it did. 

4. Were you expecting anything to move further along when you invited Sam to your apartment to dinner?

Did I invite her over with the intention of having mind blowing sex - no. At least not a conscious one. I just wanted her all to myself. I could hold her hand or put my arm around her without worrying if people were looking.  I guess I did wanted to be more intimate with her in a way, and I should have known once we were alone we wouldn't be able to fight how we felt each other. 

5. Was there ever a moment when you felt like being with Sam wasn't the best choice?

It was never a choice to be with Sam.  Once I fell for her, that was it. I couldn't be with anyone else. Was it hard at times? Absolutely, especially at the beginning. Sam is my home, and although I had to fight like hell for her, she was worth all of that and more. 

6. What was your favorite moment with Sam?

So many, so hard to choose. My first one I think was when she asked me to meet Bella. I knew how big a deal that was for her, and that it meant she saw me as a permanent fixture in her life. Plus, seeing her with her daughter just made me fall in love with her all over again.  Sam has the biggest heart of anyone I know, and she's a fantastic mother. I love watching her with Bella and Joey.  

7. What as your biggest fear with Sam? What about your biggest fear with Bella?

At the beginning, losing Sam was my biggest fear. It made me do a lot of stupid things. Now, my biggest fear for both my girls is that something will happen to them when I'm not there. My cousin calls me an alpha moron, and if that's what you call a man that protects his family then so be it. Bella scares me lately on a whole other level. She asked Sam if she could buy lip gloss the other day, and she's going to her first dance next week. Sam keeps telling me to calm down but I know what boys think about - even at her age.  My butterfly is growing up and I hate it. 

 

8. What was your happiest moment?

I have three - when Sam said she would marry me, when Bella asked if she could call me "Daddy", and when Joey was born. 

 

9. Why do you think you were ready for something serious with Sam in New York and not while in California with someone else? Was it her or you? Or both?

Sam and I were meant to be.  Before, it was just bad timing. There's no one in the world like Sam, I never wanted anyone else like this before, and could never think of being with anyone else after. I'll always be grateful fate gave me a second chance. 

 

10. Finally ... What is your favorite position with Sam?? ;)

(Laughs) That's a tough question. there is one thing I like to do to Sam - a lot - but don't know if you'd call that a "position". If I had to pick a favorite, I love when Sam is on top. My sweet girl can get really bad, and I love that I bring that out in her. 

Random:

What's more important, family or friends?

 

Nothing is more important than my family. 

 

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

 

I always wanted to go to one of those islands where they have the huts in the ocean, like Bora Bora.  Sam and me, kid free with no distractions. Basically anywhere I could be alone with my girl is just fine with me. 

 

Are you shy?

 

Sam would get the biggest kick out of that question. No, not shy at all. 

 

What's your addiction?

Sam, still after all this time I can't get enough of her. 

 

What is your hidden talent?

I can convince anyone to do anything. Helps both at the office and at home...luckily Sam still likes to read smut so I never have to do too much persuading...

Speed Round:

Cheetos or Doritos - Doritos
Vans or Converse - Converse
Coffee or tea - Coffee
Coke or Pepsi - Coke 
Taco or sushi - Sushi 
Rough or passionate sex - There are times for both, so can't pick one over the other 
Mexico or Canada - Mexico, I'm up for anywhere I can see my girl in a bikini

Goodreads 

Tempting Bad by M. Robinson Review

3 Stars

Brooke
I’ve come from a privileged life and an even more privileged upbringing. My parents taught me right from wrong and everything in between… except I wanted the gray area. I wanted to live life on the edge with the possibility of falling over. I didn’t care about the consequences because I had no heart…
I left that on the floor of my parents’ bedroom door, shattered.
And never went back to pick up the pieces.

Devon
Family first.
I learned the meaning of the word hate.
I learned that life is a battlefield and I stood frontline.
I learned that praying doesn’t work and God doesn’t listen.
And I learned how to be a man…
All at the receiving end of my father’s fists, my mother’s tears, and my sisters screams.
You can’t run away from your past…
It will always find you, especially when you’re asleep.

Warning: Book contains adult situations.
Sex/language. Mature readers only.

     I had a hard time with rating this book because there were moments that I was just in love with it and then there were moments when I just wanted it to be over. There were characters I LOVED and then there were ones I just didn't get. So I bounced around between a 2.5 and 3 stars but settled on 3 because I think it's mostly a "it's not you, it's me" type of situation. 

     So first off ... Tempting Bad is a standalone spin off from the other three VIP books. I HIGHLY recommend reading the books previous to this one. I have not and I feel like that set me back a bit. I had no idea what to expect and when I hit 24% it made a turn I was not expecting. And I think I would have saw  it coming if I had read the previous books. But I got over it quickly and moved on. Overall, I think I was supposed to have a better understanding of these characters, Brooke and Ysabelle, but I just didn't. 

     Having Ysabelle mentioned in this story, I am assuming some parts run parallel to her book in MVP, but I was only given enough information to frustrate me more than anything. It didn't do anything to this story, but it was brought up a lot. I wished parts of it just weren't even there or explained better. 

     Probably my main issue with the story is that I just didn't connect with Brooke. I didn't really feel the sorrow at her discovery when she was younger. It confused me a lot too, because I didn't understand what VIP was until about 26% into the book. When she talked about how she became what she became, I just wanted to say "suck it up! People have much worse things going on." And it was fine in the middle of the book. But in the end when she was falling apart and confronting her parents I just wanted to slap her tell her to take some responsibilities for her actions. If I had to listen to her say she became what she is because of her parents I was going to throw my kindle at a wall. (Second reason this books might have been me: I HATE!!!!! when people don't take responsibility for their actions. HATE. IT!) So yeah ... I had issues with Brooke. 

     Then there was Devon .... Ohhhhhh sweet baby jeebus!! That man made this book for me. His story made this book for me. Here is someone who has been through some shit and is still a decent human being and taking on more responsibility than he should for his actions. I loved Devon in this book. And I liked him with Brooke. I liked the dark situations they would be in together. His loss of control. His sweet dirty, dirty mouth. I loved it all. It was so hot. *sigh* I could go on about how much I loved him. He could be what pushed this book to a 3 star rating. 

     Overall, it was a very sexy book and I loved the hero in it. I didn't even mind Brooke through most of it. I think I could have liked the book more if I had read the previous VIP books. I know it says standalone but I would recommend reading the others first! I hope you enjoy the series. I think I am the lone wolf on the lower rating. It has some awesome ratings. So don't take my word for it. Go buy all the books and ENJOY! 

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Tempting Bad by M. Robinson - Blog Tour

Title: Tempting BAD

Author: M. Robinson

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Find on Goodreads

Brooke
I’ve come from a privileged life and an even more privileged upbringing. My parents taught me right from wrong and everything in between… except I wanted the gray area. I wanted to live life on the edge with the possibility of falling over. I didn’t care about the consequences because I had no heart…
I left that on the floor of my parents’ bedroom door, shattered.
And never went back to pick up the pieces.

Devon
Family first.
I learned the meaning of the word hate.
I learned that life is a battlefield and I stood frontline.
I learned that praying doesn’t work and God doesn’t listen.
And I learned how to be a man…
All at the receiving end of my father’s fists, my mother’s tears, and my sisters screams.
You can’t run away from your past…
It will always find you, especially when you’re asleep.

Warning: Book contains adult situations.
Sex/language. Mature readers only.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review

I was there, but I wasn’t.
I danced around in a sea of emptiness and longing, it moved around me easily, carelessly, harshly.
It was all and it was nothing.
It made me full and it made me empty.
It pleased me and it dismayed me.
I didn’t care. I was there to do a job. To be a VIP. I played my part beautifully, just as I always did. Letting myself get taken away on empty promises of nothing, but somehow seemed like everything. 

M. Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has angst, romance, triangles, cheating, love, and of course sex! 

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Remember Tonight by Chelsea Landon Blog Tour

Title: Remember Tonight

Author: Chelsea Landon

Release Date: March 13, 2015

Find on Goodreads

The summer Alanna Rodger turned eighteen, she thought it would be just like the rest of the summers spent on her parent’s farm in Amarillo Texas. That was until champion bull rider Callan James returned home.

Everyone in town knows about the James’ boys and why they disappeared four years ago.

Everyone but Alanna.

She’s warned to keep her distance but there’s something about Callan’s allure that has her wanting a closer look to unravel all of the reasons that he left — ensuring he stays long after his eight seconds in this town are up.

And when he finally does leave town, she knows exactly where to find him.

There’s nothing that can stop her from wanting him… even the four year age difference won’t prevent her from pursuing him. When Callan can’t get past the age difference, he does everything within his power to show her just how dangerous his lifestyle is.

Can she break through his rough exterior?

Amazon

     If I thought that rodeo was something I’d never experienced before, I was wrong. In the basement of that bar in a private room was a mechanical bull centered on mats and another bar with about twenty people. It seems almost private as if only the selected few are allowed down here.
     It’s clear within minutes that Callan is definitely one of those selected few and nods and tips of hats follow his entrance. He’s given a beer, and one for me too, which he twists the top off and hands me, keeping his left hand in mine. Like taking his hands off me is just not possible right now.
     “Do you know all these people?”
     He looks around. “Mostly.” And then he draws in a long breath, a motion that exudes sexiness at all levels, and nods to the room with the bull. “Ever been on a mechanical bull?”
     I swallow, not sure if I heard him right. I stare at his flushed cheeks and glossy eyes as I reply. “No.”
     “It’s set for slow.” He gives a nod to the mats, his left hand giving my backside a soft smack.      “Show me whatcha got.”
     Show him?
     I know exactly what that means. He wants a show and I’m hell-bent on giving him one.
     We walk over to the mechanical bull and I place my hand on the cool metal. “You yelled at me the last time I was on a bull.”
     He shrugs his shoulders and places his hands over mine. “I know…but I wanna watch this.”
     “And you’re in control.” I point out letting him know I know why he wants this.
     He stares at my lips when he speaks and I can tell he desperately wants to kiss me. I feel it just like I did on the dance floor.
     It’s not easy to get on there, Callan gives me a hand on the bull when the music starts in the basement. Maybe planned, I’m not sure, but it gives me that little push I need to do this.            Somehow having music with anything can give you motivation.
     “I’m The Only One” starts out with the distinctive twang of the guitar and then moves into the bass and lyrics knowing what I need to do. I wink over at Callan as he sits in a chair with a clear view of me and a beer in hand. I’m curious what he’s thinking right now. So curious I want to ask, beg him to tell me what he wants. I mean, he suggested this. Obviously he’s looking for something, right?
     My nerves peak with my racing heart, my hands trembling slightly as the fear subsides with each breath. Taking a look around, I see I have an audience, men who are clearly with women but sneaking stolen glances in my direction as I sit on this mechanical bull.
     “Ready?” Callan asks, his voice raised so I can hear him over the music, his hand on the button.
     I give the same nod he does.
     He hides his grin by lowering his head. “Hang on, baby.” His words are delivered slowly as his tongue darts out and licks his lower lip before the bottle in his hand raises.

A stay-at-home mom, Chelsea spends her days drinking entirely too much caffeine, baking sugar-sweet treats she never eats, playing on Pinterest, and jotting down notes for her novels. A dreamer at heart, she’s been creating happily-ever-afters. She’s a lover, a writer, a dreamer, would rather type than speak, wants to remember everything, loves lots of ice in her drinks, and is slightly introverted.

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Salvation and Secrets by L.A. Cotton - Cover Reveal

Title: Salvation and Secrets (Chastity Falls Series Book 2)
Author: L.A. Cotton
Genre: New Adult/Contemporary
Cover Reveal: March 27^th
Release Date: April 17^th
  Synopsis Chastity Falls was supposed to be Ana Parry’s fresh start. But what started as her salvation soon became her undoing.
Four months after losing the very thing that gave her reason again, Ana is back at Chastity Falls. Holding on by a thread and trying hard to forget about Jackson isn’t easy when she’s determined to uncover the Donohue’s biggest secrets.
Jackson Pierce knew he was playing with fire when he pursued the girl with pain in her eyes. But there was something about her and he just had to know more.
Walking away from Ana was the hardest thing he’s ever done, and four months on, he refuses to forget. He can’t. Rising tensions with Reibeckitt Valley mean Ana is still in harm’s way and, this time, he’s determined to protect her—at all costs.
Loyalty drove them apart, but will secrets piece them back together? Or tear them apart for good?
Salvation will be earned, secrets will be unveiled. Welcome to Chastity Falls.

Teasers

Binge by Jennifer Foor Cover Reveal

A BRAND NEW STANDALONE NOVEL FROM JENNIFER FOOR!

Flynn & Aria Roberts have had plenty of ups and downs during their seven year marriage. Everyone warned them not to wed so young - that they'd be missing out on the key years when people grow from young adults to mature individuals.

The only thing holding them

together now is their

love for each other,

and even that is becoming questionable.

To save the marriage, and the family they've already started, Flynn and Aria come up with an unconventional solution to help them find what's missing in their relationship.

The only problem is doing so involves rediscovering themselves completely, even if it requires them to be unfaithful.

Can a marriage survive

when vows are broken, or will chance encounters prove they've been missing out all-along?

Fulfill your
 Deepest Desires

Give in to

Temptation

RELEASE DATE APRIL 27

ADD TO GOODREADS

Jennifer Foor is an award winning Contemporary Romance Author. She's best known for the Mitchell Family Series, which includes ten books.

She is married with two children and spends most of her time behind a keyboard, writing stories that come from her heart. 

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER  GOODREADS 

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  TSU   NEWSLETTER

Always You by Stephanie Rose Release Blitz

Title: Always You

Author: Stephanie Rose

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 26, 2015

Synopsis

To Samantha Christensen, Lucas Hunter was always the guy—the sexy, smart and unattainable man she pined for throughout college. To Lucas, she was a treasured friend, a younger sister he felt the need to protect. She had a choice—to wait and hope, or to settle. When they meet again years later, Lucas looks at Samantha and sees a woman he wants—even though she’s not free to take. As they renew their friendship he finds he’s falling hard, and can’t accept any less than all of her. Samantha realizes there’s hope with Lucas. Will she finally have a chance to be happy with the man she’s always loved, or will obligations and insecurities stand in their way? Can Samantha and Lucas convince each other that they belong together? That it was Always You?

Buy The Book

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

I let out a long sigh and glanced up at the ceiling as I tried to find the right words to say. Yes, he was going to make this as difficult as possible to walk out the door. “Lucas, it’s not that simple—” “I know I’m not supposed to think about you all day long. I know I’m not supposed to want to talk to you every minute of the day, or touch you, or kiss you. But, fuck—” Lucas closed the space between us and grabbed me by the nape of my neck, pulling me towards him. “That’s all I ever want to do, Sam.” Our faces were close enough that our lips were almost touching. From the hungry look in his eyes, I thought he was going to kiss me hard, but he was gentle. A light kiss at first, gentle pecks on my lips, very soft but lingering longer each time his lips touched mine. His hand slid from my neck to the small of my back as he pulled me closer. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I realized I was about to completely give in. As soon as it seemed the kiss was about to get deeper, he pulled back. His eyes were shut tight as if he was fighting with himself to pull away. He rested his forehead against mine. “Tell me to stop. Tell me to stop kissing you and I will.”

About The Author

Stephanie lives in the Bronx, New York with her superhero-obsessed husband and son. Her day job is marketing, but she always has a story in her head. This lifelong New Yorker lives for Starbucks, book boyfriends, and 80s rock After spending most of her youth watching soaps, Stephanie has an obsession with angsty drama and hot romance. She's excited to finally bring the characters she's been dreaming about to life!

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The Hazards of Sleeping with a Friend by Alssa Rose Ivy - Release

  

We are absolutely ecstatic about this Release Day Launch for Alyssa Rose Ivy's THE HAZARDS OF SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND!! THE HAZARDS OF SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND is the fifth book in her New Adult Romance, Hazards Series. Grab the latest book in this steaming hot series today!

  

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THE HAZARDS OF SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND is just $2.99 for a limited time!

About THE HAZARDS OF SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND: 

Warning: Sleeping with a friend might change your life forever. Sleeping with Kyle was never in the plans. Pretending to be his girlfriend was one thing, but letting our relationship become anything but platonic was another. The problem with mixing friendship with sex is that inevitably feelings get involved, and when that happens there's no turning back. When Kyle's life fell apart around him, I needed to help, but doing that meant opening myself up to the most terrifying thing in the world—falling in love.

Excerpt: He stopped right out front. “This is going to sound absolutely crazy, but I need you to agree anyway.”
 “Okay.” I watched him with interest. Kyle wasn’t the type to call any of his ideas crazy. He was more likely to proclaim them as wonderful.
 “If you’re ever going to seriously consider trying out the random sex thing, call me first.”
 My mouth fell open. “Uh, you didn’t just say that.”
 “I’m just saying I’d rather my best host not die or get badly hurt after she decides to hook up with a random guy.”
 “Oh yeah? Worried about your radio station?”
 “And a friend.”
 “Haven’t you heard about the hazards of sleeping with a friend?” My heart was beating a mile a minute. Had Kyle offered to have sex with me? He must have had more to drink than I thought. “They’re no worse than hooking up with a random psychopath. Or a drummer,” he mumbled.
 “Wait. What?”
 “Nothing.” He looked down.
 “Nuh uh, I heard you. You think I was talking about having sex with Len?” Kyle made no secret of his distaste of the guy. “He does flirt with you every chance he gets, even when he’s across the country.”
 “And that means I want to sleep with him?” Admittedly I’d had a mega crush on Len Denton, drummer of Chance of a Lifetime, but if my friendship with him had taught me anything, it was that I definitely didn’t want to sleep with him. I’d have chosen Kyle for that role ten times over. Kyle shrugged.
 “Just saying, I think I’d be a better choice.”
 “So what am I supposed to be agreeing to then? I’ll call you if I get horny next time instead of hooking up with someone random?”
 “It sounds so much worse when you say it that way.”
 “Because it is that bad.” I still didn’t know if he was actually serious. The offer was so unlike Kyle I doubted it could be.
 “Fine. I was just offering.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
 “You were offering your sexual services. Got it.” I smiled. Joke or not, I had to give him a hard time about it.
 “That sounds even worse.” I put a hand on my hip. “Shall we say goodnight before it gets any worse?”
 “Forget I said anything.”
 “I will. After I tell all my friends.” I grinned.
Teasing Kyle came so naturally.  

 

 
Alyssa Rose Ivy Bio: Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.    

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