REVIEW & RELEASE: Exquisitely Broken

Exquisitely Broken by M. Jay Cranberry is an amazingly well written, heart-breaking second chance romance.

Exquisitely Broken

Author: M. Jay Cranberry

Genre: Second chance romance

Pub Date: June 11, 2019

Synopsis 

Exquisitely Broken is a second chance romance set in the glittery world of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Four years ago, one bad decision irrevocably destroyed a six-year relationship. There are some mistakes you can't get over, some things that an apology can't fix.

Sinclair James walked away from Jacob Johnson with her heart in pieces and her pride in shreds. She took the pain of betrayal and harnessed it, turned it into a bestselling album that changed her life. She was no longer the girl defined by what she didn’t have because she had everything, money, fame, an award-winning album. But there was always something missing. Some small shard of what use to be.

Now she’s back, her band unknowingly signing a yearlong residency to work for a new hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and subsequently Jacob Johnson.

Back in the same city, working for the same hotel, sparks that had died to embers suddenly burst into flame. Jacob finally has a second chance to remind Sinclair just how good they were, just how good they can be again.

This time he refuses to her go. He can’t. He works to prove to Sinclair he's worth a second chance. That sometimes love can be enough to erase a disastrous past and embrace a promising future.

History seems to repeat itself as outside forces seem determined to keep them apart. But in the end their love proves strong enough to overcome the past and blaze the way for their future.

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An emotional masterpiece of healing, feeling, forgiveness and love.

How would you react after a devastating betrayal? A betrayal perpetrated by your soulmate, the one you planned out your forever with. Is forgiveness too much to ask? What about a second chance?

Powerful and real, Exquisitely Broken tells the story of a betrayal in a relationship and a couple’s effort to move past or move on from it through tears, pain, effort and undying love.

This book was raw and emotional. It hits you right in the heart and will leave its mark. I loved every heart-breaking moment of it.

The world and its characters could not be more real. Their thoughts, feelings and actions are so human, so downright authentic.

I ached and shed tears for and with this couple. I understood and feel like I know them.

This book will resonate with those who have been betrayed, who have felt insecure and who want forgiveness or want to forgive but don’t know how.

The sentiments, reactions and emotions expressed in this book are vivid which makes this book too genuine and emotional to ever forget.

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Get up, Jake.” I’m surprised when she offers me a hand. Our fingers intertwine, and for the first time in days, I feel the frayed edges of my world begin to knit back together. I get to my feet, and she immediately drops my hand as if the contact burned.

“What do you want?” Her arms wrap tight around her middle like she’s trying to hold herself together.

I’m finally face-to-face with Sin and I’ve got… nothing. My brain is blank. Every practiced speech and contrite apology are gone. My eyes are glued to hers and fuck me, I can’t think of one word. After holding my gaze for a little less than a breath, her eyes glaze over with tears, and her teeth sink into her bottom lip to stop the trembling.

She takes a step back over the threshold, doorknob in her hand, preparing to close the door in my face.

“Hold on.” I press a palm against the door, keeping it cracked, to wedge myself between the opening. I close the space between us. The need to feel her, smell her, be in her space, and have her in mine propelling me forward. My hand slides around the back of her neck pulling her toward me. She stumbles into my arms and trips over her own feet, but like every other time we’ve touched, it’s right.

Finally, the pressure in my chest lets up, and I breathe easy. I rest my forehead against hers and whisper against her lips, “I still want you, Sin. Only you.” I close my eyes against the accusations in hers. This close, her breath is co-mingled with mine, and I can smell the faint scent of almond from her shampoo.

“Come back home,” I beg. My lips move over hers, but she doesn’t kiss me back. “I need you. I need us.” I breathe out on a plea.

This time when I seek her lips, she yields but it’s not with sweet abandon. It’s stiff and tinged with regret. This kiss is heartbreak played out with the brush of lips and the slide of tongues.

And it hurts.

Our lips pull apart and I let out shuddered breath as my heart finally rips completely apart. Instinctively I tighten my arms around her, trying to keep her close, but she pulls back. The air slips between us as easy as a knife through butter. I know what’s coming. Good-bye.

WANT MORE? 

Read the First Chapter HERE!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M. Jay Granberry is first and foremost an insatiable reader.

Among her favorite things are classic fairy tales, smutty books where characters have heart, old lady sweaters (preferably chunky knit), gift baskets (giving not receiving), and charcuterie trays (green olives, smoked cheese, and Genoa salami).

She is a true Las Vegas native, the one in Nevada not New Mexico, and to answer the most frequently asked questions about growing up in Sin City…

Ø  No, she doesn’t live in a hotel.

Ø  No, she has never been a stripper although she does know some.

Ø  Prostitution is absolutely illegal in Clark County (Las Vegas)!

Ø  And what happens in Vegas does indeed stay in Vegas. 

Ø  M. Jay earned a degree in words and stories, and after fifteen plus years of doing everything other than writing, she penned her first novel.

Giving a voice to characters, that are strong yet fragile, that are sometimes uncomfortably real, that express love in dirtiest ways with the sweetest sentiments is honestly a dream come true.

      

♦ ♦ ♦

      

REVIEW & RELEASE: Devil's Bargain

DEVIL’S BARGAIN

Author: Natasha Knight

Release Date: June 5th, 2019

Blurb 

She calls it a devil’s bargain. I call it a deal she can’t refuse.

I was owed a debt and I expected payment.

That payment?

One night in my bed. My rules. The debt cleared, and she could walk away.

There are worse things. And besides, debtors can’t be choosers.

The night started as it should. She obeyed as she should.

But then something happened. Something I was wholly unprepared for. And what I saw changed everything.

I broke my own rules after that. And I didn’t keep my end of the bargain.

Because walking away was no longer an option I would grant her, no matter the cost.

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MY REVIEW

Natasha Knight has done it again, she has pulled me in with this riveting and consuming read.

Melissa is a woman that has has a hard life and when she meets Hawk, and he offers a devil’s bargain she cannot refuse, she realizes it’s about to get that much harder.

Hawk gets everything he wants and right now, he wants Melissa.

With different personalities and pasts that haunt them both, do they have a chance at something more?

There are parts in this book that completely broke me and touched me unlike anything I’ve read before. They are brief but truly poignant moments that might make you shed a tear or two.

I adored Melissa and all the fight she had in her. She did not take anything lying down and put Hawk in his place on many occasion.

Hawk is somewhat of a brute who, on occasion, has a dark temper. He left me breathless. You can feel his aura and his power. With that being said, he was also a gentle giant. He cared for Melissa when she really needed it like she was spun in glass.

Devil’s Bargain was a whirlwind and a fast paced story that gripped me from the very beginning. But, because of the fast pace, I found their declaration of love came a little too quickly.

I also found that the end was rushed and wished there was a resolution to Melissa’s relationship with her sister.

I loved this couple’s story and wish there was more.

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I reach out, place my hand inside his. It feels warm and rough and when he closes his fingers over mine, his grip is firm.

Because I know what I must do. I know why he brought me here.

You owe her nothing.

I manage to get to my feet, and he’s got to be a good foot taller than me. Even with my pumps, the top of my head barely reaches his chin.

Heads turn as Hawk, his presence at my back enough to guide me, leads me toward a door at the back of the room where a man stands sentry. He opens it at our approach.

I hesitate.

“Go on,” Hawk says from behind me. He’s standing closer than I realize and a shudder runs through me at the feel of his breath on the back of my neck.

I hear the faint hint of his accent. I heard it throughout our conversation, stronger sometimes than others.

I walk inside and the lights go on. I realize I’m in his office. I don’t want to be impressed or amazed, but this is spectacular.

“This way,” he says, beckoning for me to come. He looks down at me and I think how strange his eyes are. Different colors. One is a mossy-green, the other half green and half crystal-blue. The green is warm, the blue ice-cold.

But I know any warmth I think I see is in my head. This man, he’s all sharp edges. It’s like someone took a beast out of the wild and put him in a thousand-dollar suit thinking it would somehow tame the animal inside. Somehow contain it.

“Melissa?” he says my name and I realize I’m staring.

“She was going to do that? Let you sell her? To pay you back?”

He nods.

“You want me to do that in her place?”

“I’m merely giving you an option. It’s your choice entirely.”

“You want to strip me, put me on that stage and sell me to pay a debt that’s not my own?”

He cocks his head to the side like he’s annoyed. “Like I said, I’m giving you an option. Don’t push me, Melissa. My kindness only goes so far.”

“Kindness?”

“Yes, kindness. Besides,” he pauses as his gaze drops to my mouth, my chest. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you drew more than what’s owed.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? To make this sound somehow more appealing? Not like what it is?” My voice is quaking, it’s as unsteady as I feel.

He shrugs a shoulder like he couldn’t care less and checks his watch. “Your answer.”

I’ve never been in a world like this before. A world of money where a quarter of a million dollars is something you loan out. Where men like Hawk rule and women are put on auction blocks to be sold to the highest bidder.

Hawk. Is that his first name or his last name? I don’t even know. But I do know that I don’t belong here. I don’t belong in his world.

“Melissa,” his voice is firmer. “What’s your answer?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, Natasha Knight specializes in dark, tortured heroes. Happily-Ever-Afters are almost always guaranteed, but she likes to put her characters through hell to get them there. She’s evil like that.

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REVIEW & RELEASE: A Pack of Vows and Tears

The Boulder Wolves series by Olivia Wildenstein is absolutely addictive and I cannot get enough!  Check out my review and get your copy today!

A Pack of Vows and Tears

Series: The Boulder Wolves #2

Author: Olivia Wildenstein

Blurb

In the seductive follow-up to A PACK OF BLOOD AND LIES, Ness Clark’s heart and legitimacy are again put to the test.

She thought the fight was over but it was only just beginning.

Ness Clark's place amongst the Boulders and at Liam’s side is compromised. First, when her cousin claims Ness helped him elude his death sentence. And then, when August Watt, Ness’s childhood friend, comes home to Boulder.

Although August’s plan was to pledge himself and return to active duty, he finds himself incapable of leaving. This becomes problematic for Liam and Ness, because a mating link has clicked into place between Ness and the ex-marine. If not consumed, the link will fade, but that’ll take months. How long and hard can two people fight a physical attraction that renders their bodies unreceptive to anyone’s but their mates?

Ness is tired of fighting, tired of having to prove herself worthy of her pack’s trust and of her Alpha’s affection. But when an enemy pack arrives and threatens the Boulders, she has two choices: step aside and let the wolves who have pushed her away fend for themselves, or step up and help them fight the newcomers.

Ness has never stepped aside…not for anyone.

Why would she start now?

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MY REVIEW

The fight for pack leader may be over, but the fight for Ness’s heart has just begun.

Gripping, action-packed and angst-filled, this consuming second installment also has its emotional moments. It starts off where the first book left off. For those who think you can’t improve on the original, this second book will put your thoughts to shame! It’s an adventurous book and it is so invigorating.

Explosive secrets and a new mate bond have Ness at odds with herself as well as Liam and August. These new revelations strain the budding relationship between Ness and Liam to the max.

Ness is still vying for the trust of her pack while trying to find her place within it.

As Ness fights her feelings, she is also still smarting over a betrayal of someone close to her. She wants to know why.

Will Ness ever gain the trust of her pack? Will she find the answers she is looking for? And, most importantly, who will win her heart?

Grrrrrrowl! This is another epic and addictive read that I can’t get enough of! This is a series and although this book can be read as a standalone, I would advise to start at the beginning because you’ll regret it if you don’t.

This series so far has been told through Ness’ point of view only. Sometimes I wished to have just a glimpse into Liam or August’s thoughts. I think I’d actually be ecstatic with just a glimpse. This does not deter from the enjoyment of the book whatsoever. Just a preference.

I am over-the-moon excited and in love with this series. I need and want more! A Pack of Love and Hate is the next and final book in the series and I just can’t wait!

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

START THE SERIES TODAY

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MY REVIEW

RELEASE & REVIEW: A Single Touch

A Single Touch by Willow Winters is LIVE!! Jase Cross is BACK in the third & FINAL installment of the Irresistible Attraction Trilogy!! 

From USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes the conclusion to the heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense trilogy, Irresistible Attraction.

Sometimes you meet someone, maybe meet isn’t the right word. You don’t even have say hello for this to happen. You simply pass by them and everything in your world changes forever. Chills flow all the way from the crook in your neck where you imagine he’d kiss you, all the way down, with only a single glance.

I know you know what I’m referring to. The moment when something inside of you ignites to life, recognizing their other half that’s been gone for far too long.

It burns hot, destroying any hope that it’s only a coincidence, and that life will go back to what it was. These moments are never forgotten.

That’s only with a single glance.

I can tell you what a single touch will do. It will destroy you and everything you thought you knew.

I felt all of this with Jase Cross, every flick of the flames that roared inside of me.

I knew he’d be my downfall, and I was determined to be his just the same. 

PURCHASE LINKS

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MY REVIEW

Prepare for this book to lay waste to your emotions!

In this sexy, breath-stealing and intense final installment in the Irresistible Attraction series, W. Winters bleeds every emotion out of her characters and her readers

I have come to expect the feels this author delivers in all of her books, but this went beyond expectation. The passion between Jase and Bethany is vivid and scorchin’ hot. Whether they are arguing or in a passionate embrace, you feel every moment. The ups and downs the highs and lows are all there to be experienced.

I was in heaven with all the time our two main characters had together. My one complaint in previous reviews in this series was that the story line eclipsed this couple’s relationship. This installment however, changed all of that.

All the lies and secrets Jase is keeping are about to be exposed. How will Bethany react? Will they have a chance at a future?

I loved Bethany’s strength in this book. She does not concede and she demands all-or-nothing from Jase.

Jase, MY GAWD is he sexy! His undoing was wonderfully written. It was absolutely heart breaking and heart-stopping.

This couple together is nothing short of EXPLOSIVE! There is one scene, without giving away spoilers, that is probably the hottest and sexiest scene I’ve ever read. It will definitely set your panties on fire!

A consuming, suspenseful and perfect end to this series.

I received and ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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