The Deal by Elle Kennedy ♡♡♡♡.5

The Deal by Elle Kennedy is the first book I've read by this author. I am on some kind of sports kick. Three sport books in a row. And this one was awesome.

The Deal tells the story of Hannah, a music major looking to finally talk to her crush and Garrett, a hockey player who desperately need a tutor  so he can stay on the team. Hannah agrees to tutor Garrett if he can get her crush to give her the time of day. Garrett's plan works, but they Hannah and Garrett fall for each other in the process.We watch as they deal with all the issues of hooking up, dating, school, and family.

Initially, I did not like the story, but about 4 chapters in, after getting used to the dialogue and writing style, I was hooked. I enjoyed how feisty Hannah could be, but she was also shy and reserved. She was a very round character. And I loved that Garrett was a smart jock who was extremely sarcastic and a bit vulgar.

I will definitely continue reading more books in this series.

The Deal on Goodreads

Mayhem by Jamie Shaw ♡♡♡♡

Mayhem by Jamie Shaw is a book I picked up because Jay Crownover said she loved it. That means I had to read it, because Jay knows best.

Mayhem  tells the story if Rowan, a college freshman who is about to experience heartbreak followed by an exhilarating weekend.

She ends up on tour with a band to tutor the devastatingly hot, playboy, lead singer Adam.He doesn't realize they've met before, and she doesn't want him to know that she's the girl he's been looking for since they first met. She's falling for him with each passing moment, but she knows he's just not the girlfriend kind of guy. And we watch and see what their crazy chemistry creates.

I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and everything that went along with it. There is no resisting a guy like Adam; Rowan never stood a chance.

I felt a bit disconnected from Rowan; I had a very hard time really empathizing with her. This might be because she seemed so set on keeping Adam at arm's length when she so badly wanted to be with him. She also had some weird things going on with her ex. But I still really loved the story!

If you haven't already,  give Mayhem a read. Just in time for the next, Riot,  book to come out next week!

Mayhem on Goodreads

Forgive Me by Eliza Freed ♥♥

Forgive Me by Eliza Freed is a book I came across on NetGalley; I had also seen quite a few authors promoting the book, so I decided to pick it up. It has a very compelling premise, but the story just wasn’t there for me.

Forgive Me starts out with Charlotte home from Rutgers for the summer. Her summer comes to a halt when her parents are killed in a car accident. And Jason, a former high school classmate and New Jersey cowboy, is there to pick up the pieces and mend her broken heart. This story takes place over two years, and in that time we watch Charlotte and Jason try and make a relationship work long distance since Jason goes to school and participates in rodeos in Oklahoma and around the mid-west.

Starting with what I liked, I would have to say the story is well written. The author obviously knows how to tell a story. And that’s about where it ends for me.

Charlotte spends most of the story in fear over Jason’s reaction to different situations. In some ways, she is obviously a strong person, but a person shouldn’t live in so much fear of their significant other.  She’s also willing to give up pretty much everything to someone who has her coming in second place to the rodeo. Yes, it’s a realistic view of some relationships, not everyone comes in first place with the person they love, but it was strange considering Jason wanted to be the number one priority where Charlotte was concerned.

I did not like Jason. He was stoic, which made for very little dialogue throughout the story, and especially when it was just Jason and Charlotte. He was domineering, held a lot of rage, and he always had to have things his way. He wants Charlotte in his life, but only on his terms.

There was also a lot of sex in this book. I think that is ok, but the characters used it as a way to get out of talking that they could have resolved many of their problems if they would just talk about them.

Lastly, the ending wasn’t unhappy, but it was a cliff hanger. Although, it was expected after a particular character was introduced half way through the story for no real reason. But I don’t think I will be reading the sequel.

Give the book a shot and let me know what you think. Have you read this book already? What do you think? 

Forgive Me on Goodreads

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker ♥♥♥

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker is one of those books I picked up because readers and authors seem to love it. Unfortunately, I didn’t love the book. I thought it was pretty good, but missing a crucial element.

Ten Tiny Breaths is Kacey’s story. After a horrific car accident where Kacey witnessed her parents, best friend, and boyfriend die, Kacey has built a thick casing of armor around herself. But when the uncle she’s living with drunkenly attempts to get in bed with her younger sister, Livie, Kacey moves them from Michigan to Miami to start over.

In Miami, Kacey starts to live her life again. She starts making friends and forms a sexually frustrating relationship with her neighbor Trent. But she still refuses to talk to people about her accident, refuses to get help, refuses to forgive. Everything comes crashing down around her when Kacey finds out Trent has a dark past of his own. And she’s not sure she can reconcile his past with the person she thought he was.

I really enjoyed reading this story. I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. And I especially enjoyed the side characters. They were so heartwarming and real. But those things didn’t really make up for the lack of a relationship development between Kacey and Trent. We don’t learn much about Trent so Kacey’s attraction to him appears to be mostly physical. And because of that it was difficult to feel much of anything toward the main characters. It’s hard to feel their joy and pain with them when you don’t feel like you really know who they are. Which was disappointing because the other characters were so well written. Also, if you’re looking for a steamy read, this is not the book for you. The story demanded more in that area, although the lack of it didn’t distract from my enjoyment.

So many people really enjoyed the story that I would give the book a shot. Let me know what you think!

Ten Tiny Breaths on Goodreads