Rules of Rain by Leah Scheier

🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

A dramatic new novel about the bond between a teen and her twin brother.

Rain has taken care of Ethan all of her life. Before she even knew what autism meant, she's been her twin brother's connection to the hostile world around him. She's always prepared—when her father abandons them, when her mother gets sick, when Ethan is tortured by bullies from school—Rain is the reliable, stable one holding them all together. She's both cautious carer and mad chef, preparing customized meals for her family and posting crazy recipes on her cooking blog.

Each day with Ethan is unvarying and predictable, and she's sure that nothing will ever change—until one night when her world is turned upside down by a mistake she can't take back. As her new romance with her long-time crush and her carefully constructed life begins to unravel, she discovers that the fragile brother whom she's always protected has grown into a young man who no longer needs her. And now, for the first time, she finds that she needs him.

*I received this copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I loved this story and found that I really connected with Rain. I know what it is like to feel like someone depends on you and then how it is difficult to cope with them not needing you anymore. It is a bit disorienting and can result in feelings of anger and jealousy. I feel like the author took exactly how I felt and put it into words. This story was beautiful and heartwarming.
I loved all the characters and found that even though it was from Rain's point of view with only pieces of Ethan's point of view thrown in it that his pieces made a huge impact on the book. 
I thought that Leah Scheier did a wonderful job of portraying an individual with autism. It was not romanticized. She showcased some the difficulties that go along with this particular diagnosis but also showed that people that are dealing with autism are still capable of accomplishing the goals that they have for their life whether they are simple every day tasks or occupational/college goals.
I think that the author was trying to get the point across that each person should live for themselves and their own dreams and not hold each other back by enabling those around them to remain as they have been and never change and adapt as life moves forward. Life is not always black and white. There are many gray areas to people as well as the decisions that they make. These are things that Rain learns as the book progresses but in order to get the full affect of the messages that Leah Scheier wrote in the book it should be read in its entirety.

Sugar & Gold (Dreamcatcher #2) by Emma Scott

🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

Nikolai Alexei Young was born with a special gift…one he’d do anything to lose. The heart and soul of every person he comes into contact with is an open book to his heightened senses. Colorful emotions, whispers of thoughts, the sour tastes of old memories…He feels them all. The sci-fi books would call him an empath. For Nikolai, his ability has made him an exile. He roams the U.S. alone, avoiding the glut of life in big cities, and using his innate talents to win money in underground poker games. Just enough to keep going, one town to the next. He has no hope that his life can be anything else, until he meets her…

At nineteen, Fiona Starling was trapped in an ugly, desperate situation until she freed herself the only way she knew how. Now three years later, living outside Savannah, Georgia, she is rebuilding her life on her own terms; seizing every moment and saving every penny so that she might fulfill her dream of moving to the raw wilderness of Costa Rica. But behind her carefree smile beats the heart of a lonely young woman haunted by her past, until a chance encounter with a tattooed stranger changes everything…

Fiona takes Nikolai under her roof for three sultry nights, waiting out the rain of a summer storm. She grows more and more fascinated by this brooding stranger with whom she shares an intense physical connection—a connection so strong, she wonders if there is something between them beyond lust and passion. Nikolai is shocked to discover that Fiona calms the raging turmoil in his heart. She alone silences the din of other people’s lives, and envelops him in the sweet beauty of her inner self. Every moment he’s with her—every touch of her skin—brings him closer to the peace that’s been eluding him his entire life.

But Fiona harbors secrets that she is too terrified to reveal. After Nikolai confesses his unique ability, she is caught between wanting to believe him and fearing he’ll eventually unearth her own dark past. When the unthinkable happens, Fiona’s plans come crashing down, and Nikolai discovers his hated ability might be the only thing that can save the woman he loves.

*I received this copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

 I remember reading How to Save a Life, the first book in the Dreamcatcher series, and really enjoying it. This book was no different in that I really enjoyed reading it and going along for the journey of Fiona and Nik. I had no doubt that I would enjoy this book. It was different from the first book because Nik has a different gift than Evan and I have to say that I liked Nik's gift better. I found his more relatable because I am very in tune with the emotions of those around me and I understand how it can be exhausting after a while especially in crowded places. My heart broke for him and the challenges that he faced due to his gift. He wasn't accepted by anyone that knew and they saw it as a disorder when in reality it was a was to help others. I think that was why he related to Fiona so well. She came from her own version of hell and knew what it was like to be beaten down emotionally by someone close to her. I found that both of the characters were realistic and down to earth making it easy to want to keep reading about their journey together. 
I also loved that Evan makes an appearance in this one. It was nice to see him again and I loved how the author chose to tastefully put him in the story. He wasn't the focus nor did he take away focus from the story or the main characters. I found the story to be realistic because someone that came from Fiona's situation would have an easy time trusting someone or forming relationships with others. This was how Emma Scott portrayed her and let the story unfold around her in such a way that included this basic belief. She did the same thing with Nik which made for a good flow to the book as well as good characters arcs/development. 
I think that the only things that I didn't really like about the book were how fast a connection was made between the two main characters and the amount of sex that is included in the book. I just didn't feel that there needed to be as much physical intimacy in the book because it made it seem as if it was the focus in their relationship. It was understandable in the beginning because of the circumstances under which they got together but eventually I would have liked to have seen them build more of an emotional connection by having a bit more dialogue. The feelings between the two of them build fairly quickly and it made sense to a point. I understood this choice from the author's point of view because the story may have stalled out rather than having a nice flow if she took too much time building the relationship between the two of them. This is just my personal preference but overall I found the book to be a great continuation of the series.

Behind the Bars by Brittainy C. Cherry

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:
When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.

I was the awkward musician, and she was the high school queen.
The only things we had in common were our music and our loneliness.

Something in her eyes told me her smile wasn’t always the truth.
Something in her voice gave me a hope I always wished to find.
And in a flash, she was gone.

Years later, she was standing in front of me on a street in New Orleans.
She was different, but so was I. Life made us colder. Harder. Isolated.

Caged.

Even though we were different, the broken pieces of me recognized the sadness in her.
Now she was back, and I wouldn’t make the mistake of letting her go again.

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.
When we met again, I became her darkest storm.

Excerpt:

By the way, what happened to Todd’s nose?” I asked.

“I broke it,” Elliott said matter-of-factly.

“What? How? Why?”

He shrugged before turning to look out the window. “He called you a bad name.”

“What was it?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Eli,” I started.

He turned my way and locked his hazel eyes with my browns. “Jazz…” He shook his head. “It wasn’t true.”

I swallowed hard, a big part of me certain Todd’s words held some form of truth.

Elliott saw it in me—my fear. He kept shaking his head and whispered, “I don’t feel sorry for you. Sometimes you look at me like you think I feel sorry for you, and I want you to know I don’t. I think you’re perfect the way you are.”

I quietly laughed at him repeating the words I’d told him earlier. A few tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’m a little messed up.”

“I know.” He nodded. “That’s why I like you.”

He went back to staring out the window, and I kept staring at him.

And there it was.

So small, so tiny, so real.

Love.

It wasn’t love, but it was the beginning of it.

I knew I was young, and I knew it was stupid, but in that moment, I began to fall in love with the quiet boy who quietly cared for me. The boy who was scared and still strong. The boy who stood up for me when he was surrounded by reasons not to do such a thing. I hadn’t known much about love. I hadn’t known how it looked, felt, or tasted. I hadn’t known how it moved, how it flowed, but I knew my heart was tight and currently skipping a few beats. I understood the goose bumps covering my arms. I knew this stuttering boy who was sometimes so scared was someone worth loving. He was worth being the first one I gave my heart to.

I knew Elliott Adams was love.

And I was falling into him so fast.

^{*Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review*}

I want to start this review by talking about the title of the story. I have read books with solid, appropriate titles before but I loved how Behind the Bars held so much meaning and symbolism. I don't want to spoil any part of the book so I will just say that I believe the title is not only talking about the bars in the music that the main characters each play but also the prisons that we can each find ourselves in. If I read this book again I'm sure that I could find even more meanings. 

^{What a beautiful love story! The plot was wonderful as we're the characters. It was a bit predictable but not enough to make me dislike or want to change anything about the book. I enjoy books that have a musical aspect to them when it is done right. In my eyes, this book was done right. Music is a way for the characters to have emotional release and to speak when words become difficult or inadequate for what they are trying to get across. This speaks to me because I have used music the same way in my life. I think it is why I am picky about books that involve music.} 

Elliot had such a beautiful soul. He continued to be sweet and genuine regardless of what he went through when he was young. Everything he did was with the purpose of making the lives of those around him better. I actually liked that he had a stutter because it added depth to him. It was easier to 7ndetsrand words that were hard for him to say, recognize his emotional state, and it made it easier to understand why he came alive playing music. All of his flaws and hardships held purpose in the story which I really appreciated. 

Jasmine was also a likable character. I feel like she wanted things that we all strive for in life. Who doesn't want to be loved and accepted? She also did things for the ones she cared about and with at least one them it was to her detriment. I thought it was interesting that each of the main characters had things the other didn't and how the author showed that the grass isn't always greener. (At least where school cliques are concerned)

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Hi! I'm Brittainy! Join me as we travel through my mind as a Romance Author. This includes such things as my random thoughts, tricks, tips, things I'm learning, things I'm re-learning, things I'm forgetting, and my weird ways of crafting stories.

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A Taxonomy of Love by Rachael Allen

🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

The moment Spencer meets Hope the summer before seventh grade, it’s . . . something at first sight. He knows she’s special, possibly even magical. The pair become fast friends, climbing trees and planning world travels. After years of being outshone by his older brother and teased because of his Tourette syndrome, Spencer finally feels like he belongs. But as Hope and Spencer get older and life gets messier, the clear label of “friend” gets messier, too.

Through sibling feuds and family tragedies, new relationships and broken hearts, the two grow together and apart, and Spencer, an aspiring scientist, tries to map it all out using his trusty system of taxonomy. He wants to identify and classify their relationship, but in the end, he finds that life doesn’t always fit into easy-to-manage boxes, and it’s this messy complexity that makes life so rich and beautiful.

^{*I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*}

This book was just okay for me. It was hard for me to keep track of what age each of the characters were throughout the book because it was not said. There were only two points in the book that I was aware of where the author says their age and/or hints at what age they are. I wish that she would have had their age as a chapter heading or something every time that they were another year older. It made certain parts of the book uncomfortable for me because they have sexual relationships but it seems like they are still thirteen like when the book started. 
I had a hard time with Hope and Spencer's relationship. I didn't like Hope very much at all. She seemed selfish to me because she did whatever made her feel good regardless of how it made everyone around her feel. Spencer was the one shining light in this book. He may not have made very good decisions at times but he tried to think of others. He attempted to help those around him and just wanted to be treated like a human being rather than a problem or mistake. I loved that the book was from his point of view. He was going through something extremely difficult and it broke my heart to see how people treated him especially members of his own family. I was rooting for him the entire book because he grew so much over the course of the book. He took a lot of beatings but he came out on top in my opinion. 

Rock Me (Jaded Ivory #1) by Rebecca Brooke

🌟🌟🌗 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

BLURB

I am not a victim.

At least that’s what I wanted to believe. What I wanted the world to see. Five years of trying to find the girl I hid from the world.

I wouldn’t let the bullies win. I couldn’t.

What was I supposed to do when he walked into the building? He’d made my high school years a living hell.

But, he doesn’t recognize me.

How do I prove he didn’t break me? Simple, take him home for a one-night stand.

At least it sounded like a good idea at the time.

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34506968-rock-me

^{*Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review*}

I enjoyed how this book had a female musician rather than a male. It made the story more interesting for me considering that the majority of romance novels have a male lead who can't keep it in his pants who changes for that one special girl. I really liked Mari because she wasn't like the typical musician character. She had been beaten down in the past but grew stronger and knew what she wanted out of life. I related a lot to her character because of the her being a vocalist but also because of being bullied myself. I loved not only her resilience but also her willingness to forgive others. I also appreciated Cole as a character. He wasn't what I expected. He was the opposite of what I thought that he would be and it made me like him more.
I thought that the conflict that the author put in the story between the two of them was good in that it made sense and didn't feel as forced as I have seen in other stories like this. There were moments in the book that I did feel were a bit forced or randomly put it at the last minute. Some of the reveals felt off to me since they were at the end of the story and I don't feel like they needed to be added in at all. I also felt like the author skipped over some things when it came to the confrontation that happened towards the end of the book. There were points when I wasn't sure how they got from point A to point B. 

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AUTHOR BIO
Rebecca Brooke grew up in the shore towns of South Jersey. She loves to hit the beach, but always with her Kindle on hand. She is married to the most wonderful man who puts up with all her craziness. Together they have two beautiful children who keep her on her toes. When she isn’t writing or reading (which is very rarely) she loves to bake and binge watch Netflix.
 
 

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The Sounds of Secrets by Whitney Barbetti

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌗 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

BLURB
I've been in love with him forever.

But to him, I've always been off-limits. Until the night that changed everything.

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the secrets we shared. Maybe he finally opened his eyes and saw me.

By the time the sun rose, I’d lost him again, my heart shattering on his parting words: “It was a mistake.” So I ran. Ran until I was thousands of miles away, in a country I didn't know, surrounded by people who only made me miss him more.

I never expected him to follow me … or to pry more secrets from my soul. In exchange, he gave me more of his secrets too.

The more he let me into his heart, the more I loved him, but I’m afraid that some secrets may be too big to overcome.
 
GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36313661-the-sounds-of-secrets
PLAYLIST
Direct Link: https://open.spotify.com/user/barbetti/playlist/2cvMMndbQI0T146VzlKFED

EXCERPT
I was going to throw up from the nerves.
No, I told myself. No throwing up. Not when you’re expecting Sam to come into your room any second.
But the feeling was so strong. I popped a mint from my bedside table in my mouth, rolled it around my tongue a few times, but the urge was still there.
Oh, shit. Was this a mistake? Was inviting Sam into my room a big fat problem? I was leaving for America tomorrow.
The printed itinerary, neatly stacked on my chest of drawers laughed at me. What 
was I going to do? I couldn’t let Sam come up here.
My hands fisted in my hair as I berated myself for telling him to come. What was I thinking? I wasn’t some sexual nymph, skilled in the way Sam surely was. I wasn’t a virgin, but I hadn’t actually messed around with a bunch of guys.
I didn’t know what to do.
I walked to the door, pressed my palm flat to it. I’d lock it. Then he couldn’t come in. He’d walk away, and we’d forget this ever happened.
Look how well that happened the last time you kissed him, my memory taunted me. Three years later, and you’re still wondering ‘what if.’
There was no reasonable escape from this situation. And, if there was, there was no escape that would make me not obsess over the ‘what if.’
It’d be okay, I told myself. Of course it would. Sex was nothing, right?
But I didn’t even believe my own thoughts. My nerves battled with my own desire. I couldn’t process a single thing.
I ran my fingers over my eyebrows or, what was left of them that wasn’t colored in, at least. I’d pulled so many out in the days leading up to the trip, needing some control over this impending trip.
I trailed my fingers to the sides of my face, tugging on my earlobes to ground me, and then, in tandem, I pulled out a hair with each hand. The immediate relief was nearly as intoxicating as the alcohol I’d consume in how it numbed my fears.
It would be okay.
I took in a cleansing breath, looking around my room for anything potentially embarrassing.
The blinds were open, so I closed them, leaving my room in soft, muted grays aside from the yellow lamp that lit up my dressing table.
My hand was on the back of the lamp to turn it off when my door creaked open.
Sam stood in the threshold, nearly taking up the entire space.
I switched the light off.
It was only a few loud heartbeats before he said, “Turn it back on.”
I hesitated.
I couldn’t see him, but I heard the creak on the floor by the door. “Turn it on, Lotte.”
Swallowing hard, I did.
The room was illuminated again in soft light, casting shadows into the angles of Sam’s face—making him look exactly as he was: dangerous.

 ^{*Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review*}

This was a heartbreaking albeit beautiful love story.  Each of the main characters are struggling with issues, Lotte with loss and anxiety and Samson with something brought about by mistakes in his past. They are each attempting to cope in ways that are unhealthy and end up driving them further down the path that leads to pain. They each punish themselves and feel as if they are not good enough. 
I loved this book! I have read a few books from Whitney Barbetti in the past but I have to say that this one is by far my favorite. She really captures the essence of the struggles that the characters are dealing with without it overpowering the love story or feeling preachy. I appreciated how the author didn't just throw drama into the story in order to have conflict to drive the story along. The issues are established from the beginning and are allowed to progress naturally throughout the rest of the story as it unfolds.
It was a character driven story more than anything else and Samson and Lotte will definitely draw the reader into their story. I know that I was immediately drawn in. There is a scene towards the beginning from Lotte's point of view and in any other book I would think "that would be painful" but in this book I felt a sharp pain in my heart because of what she experiences as if I was going through it in her place. I loved both of the main characters and they each add to the story in different ways.
I know that this may seem nit-picky but the reason that I took away half of a star was due to wanting more background on the characters, specially Samson. The author doesn't really give any background on him at all with the exception of how he fits into Lotte's family. I would have liked to have had some hints or foreshadowing with regards to his secret that is revealed towards the end of the book.   

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AUTHOR BIO
I am a wife to one and a mom to two humans and one cat. I have a deep and abiding love for nachos - especially the kind with the liquid cheese, like from Taco Bell (sorry). I run on less than

four hours of sleep thanks to copious amounts of Diet Coke. (Note: this paragraph is not sponsored by anyone except my hungry stomach.)

As a Navy brat, I grew up all over the country, from California and up the east coast from Florida to New England and Colorado. I currently live in Idaho, where we have lots of potatoes and windmills.

I write character-driven contemporary romance novels, heavy on the emotional connection. I LOVE love. I love writing about broken characters who find their soul mates.

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There is a giveaway for a signed copy of The Sounds of Secrets + The Weight of Life by Whitney Barbetti (1 winner, US only)
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Villians & Vodka by Alta Hensley

🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

BLURB

My life is one long fevered dream, balancing between being killed or killing.
The name Harley Crow is one to be feared.
I am an assassin.
A killer.
The villain.

I own it. I choose this life. Hell, I crave it. I hunger for it. The smell of fear makes me hard and is the very reason the blood runs through my veins.
Until I meet her…

Marlowe Masters.
Her darkness matches my own.
In my twisted world of dancing along the jagged edge of the blade…
She changes everything.
No weapon can protect me from the kind of death she will ultimately deliver.

*Villains & Vodka is a dark billionaire romance. If you don’t like a splash of shock, a dash of taboo, and a heavy dose of sex, then don’t take a sip of this TOP SHELF cocktail.
 
GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36509605-villains-vodka

 

^{*Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review*}

I'm actually really conflicted about rating/reviewing this book because I liked the story and the characters intrigued me but I'm not happy about the way that things were resolved in it. I couldn't for the life of me understand where the characters heads were by the end of the story. It makes no sense to me for things to have resolved that way after where the characters were at emotionally in the aftermath of the events that took place. I will just add this to the pile of books that I have read wherein the characters don't discuss anything but everything turns out fine regardless of the heinous acts committed by one or both parties.I ultimately decided to go with 3 stars simply because of the characters, the tone, and unique story line.
The characters had a crazy amount of chemistry that wasn't the typical type of chemistry. They each had a darker side to them, Harley more so than Marlowe. I thought that this made them more interesting as a partnership of sorts. They were each mysterious in their own right and still are by the end because the author doesn't really reveal anything about them. I think that is why they intrigued me so much. Usually, if an author chose to stay on the surface with characters it would annoy me but it worked in this book because of what was revealed about them.  
I found the story interesting and unlike what I have read in the past. I would attribute this to the characters because although Marlowe has been through things she is shown to be incredibly strong and Harley seems to be different from other characters that have the job of assassin in other books because he doesn't have a sweet side per say.  He was more complex than I thought that he would be but I pretty much hated him by the end because of what he did. I figured out what was going on in the book fairly easily but I'm not sure if i would say that it is predictable because I don't think that everyone will see certain things coming. I wish that I could say more about the story but I don't want to spoil anything. Just know that it is a dark book that has sexual scenes and trauma so be warned if you read this that there may be triggers for you.

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#1 Bastards & Whiskey
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AUTHOR BIO
Alta Hensley is a USA TODAY bestselling author of hot, dark and dirty romance. She is also an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author. Being a multi-published author in the romance genre, Alta is known for her dark, gritty alpha heroes, sometimes sweet love stories, hot eroticism, and engaging tales of the constant struggle between dominance and submission.

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