Category Archives: 2015 Top Pick

2015 Favorite…6 Star Review…Pocketful Of Sand by M. Leighton

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81nN7kO2EWL._SL1500_Pocketful of Sand M. Leighton

A story of heartbreak, loss, redemption and second chances: Pocketful of Sand from New York Times bestselling author M. Leighton

Get it on Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play

Add it on Goodreads

ìSheís beauty for my ashes. And Iím hope for her heartache.îóCole Danzer

Pocketful-of-Sand250I donít know what makes a great love story. Is it that instant attraction when boy meets girl? The passionate kisses and the fairy-tale ending? Or is it a lifetime of tragedy, paid in advance, for a few stolen moments of pure bliss? The pain and the suffering that, in the end, you can say are worth it for having found the missing piece of your soul?

The answer is: I donít know. I donít know what makes a great love story. I only know what makes my love story. I only know that finding Cole when I did, when Emmy and I were running from a nightmare, was the only thing that saved me. That saved us. He was more broken than I was, but somehow we took each otherís shattered pieces and made a whole. If that is what makes a great love story, if that is what makes an epic romance, then mineÖours is the greatest of them all.

Contains material that some may find disturbing. Not intended for readers under the age of 18.

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Get it on Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play

Add it on Goodreads

SBJ2015Favorite

6+star

Tracey’s Review

There are books that just absolutely sweep you away, that touch you so completely that you have to sit with it once you’re done and just be. To say that I think this book is amazing would be an understatement. There are not enough ways for me to express just how much this book affected me, and how wonderful I think it is.

I have long been an avid fan of Michelle Leighton. Her stories are always full: love, joy, angst, and, yes, pain, Michelle writes all of these emotions so very well. Her characters most often have pasts that have left them not quite whole.

“Sometimes I think broken people gravitate toward one another, like our shattered pieces connect on a level that unscarred people never know.”

Both Eden and Cole have faced things in their pasts that would have leveled lesser people. That they are able to find in each other, brokenness and all, a connection and a safe place is a testament to love and healing. This is not a simple love story, though, and Cole’s and Eden’s journey to each other is not without challenges. I think that this is part of what makes Pocketful of Sand so powerful, because the characters and their story are more real.

“I’ve been alone a long time, and not once have I ever felt lonely. Bereft, yes. Angry, hell yes. Bitter, remorseful, hopeless, yes, but never lonely. Not until you. You changed everything…And I wasn’t prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared for you…

I hear him shift and then I feel the feather-light brush of his lips on my forehead, the tip of my nose, the curve of my cheek.

‘I know you’re awake. And I love you,’ he says quietly, his mouth near my ear.”

Michelle has captivated me with Cole, with his anguish, his self-imposed solitude, and with his heart. And Eden, fighter that she is, overcomer that she is, along with little Emmy, deserve every single bit of happiness that comes their way.

I can’t say enough times that Pocketful of Sand should be on your must-read list. It is certainly one of my favorites of 2015, and if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. Thank you, Michelle Leighton, for this heartbreakingly beautiful book.

 

About M. Leighton

mleightonNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author M. Leighton is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

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Happy Release + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: Pocketful Of Sand by M. Leighton

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81nN7kO2EWL._SL1500_Pocketful of Sand M. Leighton

A story of heartbreak, loss, redemption and second chances: Pocketful of Sand from New York Times bestselling author M. Leighton

Get it on Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play

Add it on Goodreads

ìSheís beauty for my ashes. And Iím hope for her heartache.îóCole Danzer

Pocketful-of-Sand250I donít know what makes a great love story. Is it that instant attraction when boy meets girl? The passionate kisses and the fairy-tale ending? Or is it a lifetime of tragedy, paid in advance, for a few stolen moments of pure bliss? The pain and the suffering that, in the end, you can say are worth it for having found the missing piece of your soul?

The answer is: I donít know. I donít know what makes a great love story. I only know what makes my love story. I only know that finding Cole when I did, when Emmy and I were running from a nightmare, was the only thing that saved me. That saved us. He was more broken than I was, but somehow we took each otherís shattered pieces and made a whole. If that is what makes a great love story, if that is what makes an epic romance, then mineÖours is the greatest of them all.

Contains material that some may find disturbing. Not intended for readers under the age of 18.

PoS-MLeighton-LaunchMeme3
Get it on Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play

Add it on Goodreads

SBJ2015Favorite

6+star

Tracey’s Review

There are books that just absolutely sweep you away, that touch you so completely that you have to sit with it once you’re done and just be. To say that I think this book is amazing would be an understatement. There are not enough ways for me to express just how much this book affected me, and how wonderful I think it is.

I have long been an avid fan of Michelle Leighton. Her stories are always full: love, joy, angst, and, yes, pain, Michelle writes all of these emotions so very well. Her characters most often have pasts that have left them not quite whole.

“Sometimes I think broken people gravitate toward one another, like our shattered pieces connect on a level that unscarred people never know.”

Both Eden and Cole have faced things in their pasts that would have leveled lesser people. That they are able to find in each other, brokenness and all, a connection and a safe place is a testament to love and healing. This is not a simple love story, though, and Cole’s and Eden’s journey to each other is not without challenges. I think that this is part of what makes Pocketful of Sand so powerful, because the characters and their story are more real.

“I’ve been alone a long time, and not once have I ever felt lonely. Bereft, yes. Angry, hell yes. Bitter, remorseful, hopeless, yes, but never lonely. Not until you. You changed everything…And I wasn’t prepared for that. I wasn’t prepared for you…

I hear him shift and then I feel the feather-light brush of his lips on my forehead, the tip of my nose, the curve of my cheek.

‘I know you’re awake. And I love you,’ he says quietly, his mouth near my ear.”

Michelle has captivated me with Cole, with his anguish, his self-imposed solitude, and with his heart. And Eden, fighter that she is, overcomer that she is, along with little Emmy, deserve every single bit of happiness that comes their way.

I can’t say enough times that Pocketful of Sand should be on your must-read list. It is certainly one of my favorites of 2015, and if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. Thank you, Michelle Leighton, for this heartbreakingly beautiful book.

 

About M. Leighton

mleightonNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author M. Leighton is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

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6 Star Review : Kyland by Mia Sheridan- A Sign Of Love Novel

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kyland

Kyland

A Sign Of Love Novel – Inspired by Taurus

By Mia Sheridan

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Synopsis

A full-length, standalone romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Archer’s Voice.

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk.

Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly–through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds–to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.

They’re both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?

Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

6 Star Read

2015 Favorite

Tracey’s Review

“I think that when enough time has passed, when you’ve survived that which you didn’t imagine you could, there’s a dignity in that. Something you can own. A pride in knowing the pain made you stronger. The pain made you fight to succeed. Someday, when I’m living my dreams, I’m going to think of all the things that broke my heart and I’m going to be thankful for them.”

Whenever I open one of Mia Sheridan’s books, it is with the knowledge that my world is about to be rocked, that this woman, this crafter of words, will utterly captivate me with her characters and their story. Even knowing this, though, I am always pleasantly reminded that Mia truly has a gift, and that the worlds that she opens will stay with me for a very long time.

The story of Kyland Barrett and Tenleigh Falyn moved me. I read this book with little pause, eager to consume the entire thing. I couldn’t NOT see how the relationship and story would unfold. And it is both beautiful and heartbreaking, this love story. It’s a story about sacrifice, about overcoming fear, of stepping outside our comfort zone to reach that place that makes us more complete. And, ultimately, it’s about hope. Despite the desperate circumstances that Kyland and Tenleigh face on a daily basis, there is still the flicker of hope that keeps them striving for more. That part of themselves, no matter how small, that allows them to keep going, to look for something more, for something better than they’ve known.

Once I finished KYLAND, I had to sit with it for a bit because I needed to process all of the emotions that it made me feel. This is the sort of story, as is true of all of Mia’s books, that stays with you, that both shatters you and restores you. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. KYLAND is absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2015, and, as with all of Mia’s books, one that I would recommend without hesitation.

___________________________

Author Bio

Mia SheridanMia Sheridan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. Her passion is weaving true love stories about people destined to be together. Mia lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband. They have four children here on earth and one in heaven.

 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

kyland

6- Star ARC Review: Ripper by Lexi Blake

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Hunter, A Thieves Series Book 1

Kelsey Atwood is a private detective with a problem. She came from a family of hunters, growing up on the wrong side of the supernatural world. Tracking down bail jumpers and deadbeat dads may not make her a lot of friends, but it’s a lot safer than the life she turned her back on. She was hoping to escape from the nightmares of her past, but her latest case has brought them right back to her door.

A young woman has gone missing, and she didn’t go willingly. When Kelsey discovers that the girl is actually a shifter, she knows she should drop the case and walk away. But this shifter was a sweet kid, and she’s in serious trouble. More females are missing and the evidence points to a legendary killer. Bodies are piling up, and her case is becoming center stage for a conflict that could shatter the fragile peace between wolves and vampires.

As the hunt intensifies, she finds herself trapped between two men—Gray, a magnetic half-demon lawman, and the ancient vampire Marcus Vorenus. Both men call to her, but when a shocking secret about Kelsey’s family is revealed, it could ruin them all. To stop the killer, she will have to embrace the truth about who—and what—she truly is.

BUY:

eBook: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Google

Print book: Amazon

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6 star

 Kelley’s Review

Lexi’s stories just keep getting better and better.  The Thieves series is my absolute favorite urban fantasy series.  The characters are complex and the problems they face seem to be getting darker and darker.  It is very easy to get lost in Lexi’s stories as you embark on epic adventures with the most unusual characters.

In Ripper, the gang is back together again and we see what life is like after Daniel becomes king, a father, and a partner to both Zoey and Dev.  When he faces what the Nex Apparatus really is, he handles things poorly and in the blink of an eye evertying is sprialling out of control. He forced to make some harsh decisions that go against those advice of those he whom he loves.

Kelsey Atwood is a loner.  She has only one real friend and she keeps people at arms length.  Kelsey will find out later on that there is a reason why, and she will not want to accept it.  She is a badass tracker and can find things that other people overlook which makes her a great private investigator.  When she is given a missing person’s case that leads her into the supernatural world, she finds something that she never though existed.  Love.

Grayson Sloane is in love with Kelsey Atwood.  He has been since the day he laid down in a hotel bridal suite and had a vision of her as his beautiful bride.  Now he just has to convince Kelsey that his love for her is real.  That becomes a much harder feat than he ever anticipated.  Once the truth is uncovered he stands to loose everything.

Of course we get to see the infamous Marcus Vorenus.  I have been rooting for Marcus to get a happily ever after since Steal The Light and it almost seems as if he does, but there is only one problem.  Kelsey is not a vamipire companion and Marcus’s destiny is set in place.  He will have a companion someday.  For now he becomes her closest confidant and trains her to trust her instincts and control what lies beneath the exterior.

This story made me laugh and cry and kept me up until 1:00 am on a work night. I was gripping my iPad during the finale fight scene so hard my fingers are still store.  Lexi had me on the edge of my seat.  I adored Kelsey and am looking forward to her next adventure in this series.   Bravo Lexi on writting one heck of a rollercoaster ride.

***WARNING***

Before reading any novel by Lexi Blake you must take a few precautions.

  1. Get comfortable (change into your jammies and curl up on the couch)
  2. Grab some wine
  3. Get a box of tissues
  4. Turn off your cell phone
  5. Have B.O.B. on standby with plenty of batteries

You are now ready to take an epic adventure to the dark side.

***SNEAK PEEK of cover for ADDICT A Thieves Series Book 2 ***

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Ripper can be read as standalone but I think you will find it most enjoyable after reading the other books in this series click the cover to view or purchase on Amazon.  

Steal The Light (Book 1) 

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Steal The Day (Book 2)

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Steal The Moon (Book 3)

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Steal The Sun (Book 4)

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Steal the Night (Book 5)

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Author Bio

Lexi Blake

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are four more books available in the series: Their Virgin’s Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess and Their Virgin Hostage. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Secretary, is coming to Amazon this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. The first five novels, The Dom Who Loved Me, The Men with the Golden Cuffs, A Dom is Forever, On Her Master’s Secret Service, and Love and Let Die are available now, along with a novella titled Sanctum. The sixth novel, Dungeon Royale, is coming in February of 2014 along with two new novellas, Unconditional, releasing in January of 2014 and Dungeon Games, coming in May of 2014.

In 2013, Lexi also began releasing her urban fantasy series, Thieves. The first two books, Steal the Light and Steal the Day are available now on Amazon. Book 3 in the series, Steal the Moon, is coming in January of 2014.

Sign up for Lexi’s FREE newsletter at http://lexiblake.net/contact.html#newsletter.

For more information about her books, her appearances and her wacky life visit her Facebook page (http://goo.gl/q2IHnJ) or her website (http://www.lexiblake.net).