Review: Addictive Lunacy & Compulsive Fascinations by N. Isabelle Blanco

 

 

  Calum Alexander lived his life one way. With purpose and moderation. Everything was set in place and everything happened according to a plan. That is, until his picture perfect engagement falls apart and his crazy brother Lucas gets him to agree to a night out. Calum is left to fend for himself when Lucas decides to bail, and "fend for himself" he will need to. A vivacious and obviously young Livana Payne catches his attention and before he knows what's going on, they end up talking. By the end of the night, Calum is on fire for the impish girl who's managed to ignite an inferno within him. Yes, she’s twelve years younger and the complete opposite of what he’d imagined in his life, but he hungers for her in a way that’s frightening. Drunk and surprisingly out of control, he's dead set on his need to have her. But the moment he accidentally lets it be known that he's recently single, Livana is having none of it. There is no way she's getting involved with a man who just broke up with his fiance. No, they were going to have to wait. Calum’s need for her somehow kept growing. As the days went by and he got to know her more, Livana seemed to be stealing all of his sanity. As much as she wants to wait it quickly becomes obvious to Calum that he’s losing his grip to the monster she’d awakened within him. He’s about to lose control and when he does, he knows there’s going to be nothing gentle about what he’ll end up doing to her . . .

 

 

Calum is talked into going out with “the boys” for a night on the town after his engagement is called off.  He is stood up by his brother Lucas.  He runs into the beautiful Livana.  Livana may be younger, but is the mere sight of her enough to make him realize he is not an old man?  They talk and realize they have a lot in common.  By the end of the night, who will be on fire for one another?  Is the feeling mutual?  Will they pursue it or will they know when to tell the truth about their past? 

Is it wrong to want someone so much after just recently ending it with someone else?  Calum slips and tells Livana he just recently was engaged, or did he?  Livana will not be someone’s rebound.  Calum’s need to be around her or have her around is constantly growing.  Can he resist the urge of Livana or will he break and call her?  Will he lose all restraint when it comes to Livana?

This book was worth all 5 stars that are available.  It was a short, easy read that will get you all hot and bothered.  It was fabulous and I loved every bit of it!  

**ARC received in exchange for honest review**

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  He owns her—Every. Single. Breath. She just doesn't want to admit it. To him, or herself. . . You get hurt once; you assume that’s the norm. You see others suffer; you assume that’s the norm, too. At least, that’s what Livana once did. One rough go-around was enough for her. After that, she kept it simple, no strings attached. It was just easier that way. Even necessary. Until she went out one night and met Calum Alexander, a man whose intensity broke through each of her defenses, leaving her vulnerable. Afraid to fall in love, she tries to keep some of her walls up around herself, even though Calum is determined not to let her. Faced with a man that seems intent on possessing her, Liv knows it’s a mere matter of time before she no longer has a choice. That is...until Calum's own insecurities come to the fore, throwing their new, fragile relationship into a tailspin. Will the feelings between them be strong enough to keep them together, or will their issues get in the way of what they had just started to build?
 

STOP!! If you haven’t read Addictive Lunacy, do it now! You have to before you read this review or read Compulsive Fascinations. This is book 2 of the series. N. Isabelle Blanco, you have done it again! Another amazing 5 star read that is smoking hot! Be prepared, this is a cliffy, but I promise only great things! I’m not going to lie; I wanted to hit N. Isabelle Blanco when I finished this book. Calum had my heart from book 1, but OMG! Why wouldn’t any woman in their right mind want this man?

So who hasn’t had their heart shattered? Why would you want to trust anyone after that? I can totally relate. After your heart has been broken, it takes a lot to try and build that trust all over again. This is what Livana faces in this book. 

Calum Alexander, in a suit, in jeans, it doesn’t matter. He exudes sex, masculinity, dominance and intensity. But does Livana want to be dominated? It’s usually a wink, or a smile that just makes you want to drop your panties for the royal hotness, with Calum, it’s those Hazel eyes that give you that intense stare. You will melt into that stare…

Will Liv be able to keep her heart guarded from being broken and shattered again? Will Calum’s own insecurities make Liv realize what she truly wants? What is it that she wants? Will she allow herself to love again or is this really something she’s only never felt before? Will the attraction be enough for them to realize their true feelings? Thank god for friends that are always there to listen and be a good shoulder to lean on.

I want a piece of Calum Alexander. Like I said before, who doesn’t or wouldn’t? This book had my emotions and hormones all over the place. I love how I can go from zero to sixty in one scene. N. Isabelle Blanco always does a fantastic job with her sex scenes. She has to lead a very kinky life. She fulfills my erotic fantasies in her reads. You will want to have time to finish this book as soon as possible, because you have to know what’s going to happen. This is a cliffy which broke my heart the way it ended, but I know that Nyddi will deliver only wonderful things as always, so I cannot wait for book 3 to come. Until then, Enjoy Calum & Livana’s continuation of their story… I know I did…

**ARC received in exchange for honest review**

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 N. Isabelle Blanco was born in Queens, NY (USA). At the age of three, due to an odd fascination with studying her mother’s handwriting, she began to read and write. By the time she’d reached kindergarten, she had an extensive vocabulary and her obsession with words began to bleed into every aspect of her life. An avid reader in her teens, her fascination with Japanese anime eventually led her to the universe of fan fiction, which became her on-again, off-again hobby for the next ten years. During that time she amassed a following of fans that, by her own admission, she would never be able to live without. It was those fans who encouraged her to step beyond the fan fiction realm and try her talent in the publishing world. N. Isabelle Blanco now has three novellas and two full-length novels under her belt, and spends her days working as an author, web programmer, marketer, and graphic designer. That is when she isn’t handling her “spawn”, as she calls her son, and brainstorming with him about his future career as a comic book illustrator.

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Review: Last Heartbeat (Last Heartbeat #1) by T.R. Lykins

Alexia has fought hard to over come a tragic illness in her past. Barely getting on with her life, she finally leaves home to enter the real world. This first big step makes her appreciate all that she has struggled with. This next step in her life, also leads her to a possible heartbreak. How can Alexia keep up with all of her struggles and keep going on?

Phillip has lost someone close to him when he was younger. This person was the most important person in his life. He has struggled to get past this loss, and once he does, he finds out something about his favorite person that makes him feel the hurt all over again. Why can’t Phillip move on for good? Can he really forgive someone in the past, if they no longer live?

A chance meeting has Alexia and Phillip spending hours talking. This sparks an attraction for each other. Every day, running into each other makes the attraction grow stronger until they finally give in to it. When another accident strikes, both of their pasts come barreling back to haunt them. Can they move forward knowing the secrets they now know about one another? How much more can two broken people endure? Will they find their way back into one another's arms or have they finally come to a breaking point in life?

Alright, so 2 things before I start on this.

1.  This is a clean romance.  If you're looking for some dirty, dirty, bow-chicka-wow-wow, forget about it.  It ain't gonna happen in this book.  If you can't enjoy a romance without sex, then this is NOT for you.  Move along.

2.  If you take issue with editing errors, I will warn you now -- This book has them.  They do bother me, but they weren't bad enough to completely put me off of finishing.

Now, lets do this.

Alexia and Phillip are in college and are determined to avoid each other.  That doesn't work out quite so well for them and they end up dating.  They're both still alive through the gift of organ donation. Alexia knows about Phillip's but he doesn't know about hers.  This story tells how their relationship forms and grows.  You see the struggles and you also see them overcome them.

The story itself, I really had no issue with at all.  The execution, however, threw me a little bit.  Last Heartbeat is written in dual POVs with alternating chapters between Alexia and Phillip.  Most of the time I don't really mind this, but in this case, for the first half of the book Phillip's chapters were basically a repetition of Alexia's chapters with no new information.  It really did throw me off and I didn't think I would be able to finish the book.

I stuck it out though, and I am so glad I did.  Around 60%, something switched gears and Phillip's chapters became more defined and less repetitive and that greatly improved my reading experience.

The last half of this book is what really grabs you.  When you realize what has actually happened and the connection they have, it kind of blows your mind a little bit.  To me, the whys of their relationship don't really bother me, if its because of their connection, doesn't that just make it all the more spectacular?

And when everything fell apart, my heart was broken.  Watching the lengths that Phillip went to in order to fix it was so sweet.

I have to say, if the first half of the book had been written a little differently, this could have been a 4 - 4.5 star read for me.

This was T.R. Lykins debut, and for that I think she did a great job.  I'm confident, with time and experience her writing will only get better.

Last Heartbeat

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Last Heartbeat

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The Life Gift

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Review: Laurie's Time (Fairfield #2) by Maryann Jordan

Beautiful Laurie Dodd was perfectly happy with her life. Raised by her loving aunt, she was ready to discover life out on her own. A new town, a new teaching job, a new apartment, and new friends. Finding a new man was not on her list, especially not one with the reputation of a player.

Rob McDonald, a local firefighter, had grown tired of one-night stands, but had no desire to be paired with the new woman in town. Until he met her. One look was all it took and Rob knew that Laurie was the one for him, but he was going to have to work to convince her that he was a changed man. One that was worthy of her.

A fire at the elementary school brought them together, but illness and deceit threatened to tear them apart.

Will Rob be able to find the missing pieces of Laurie’s past to help her fight for her future?

Will Laurie be able to forgive Rob’s deceit in order to have a future with him?

The prologue for Laurie's Time was at the end of Emma's Home and reading that really pulled at me and made me want to read Laurie's Time.  I was excited to start it.  But just like with Emma's Home, I was having trouble connecting to the characters for the first part of the book.  I'm willing to bet money that this is just something that is happening to me because I've heard very good things about this series.

I did expect this story to focus more on Laurie and her biological father.  That part of story is what really got me.  There was a lot of reference to him, but he actually didn't come into play until later in the book.  I was just really hoping he would play a larger role throughout the book and that there would be a lot more emotion tied in.

Once the action picked up, I was completely drawn in and didn't want to stop reading.  All in all, not a bad read.  I almost think if I had read these in reverse order I may have been able to connect better. The series sort of goes backwards.  You start out with the last couple and backtrack to how the first got together.  These can be read as standalones but they are part of a series and if you are going to read all of them, I suggest you do them in reverse order.

**After the fact:  I went to find the author links and buy links for this and ended up looking at some of the reviews and ratings.  What I've surmised is that it really is me.  Something is wrong with me, maybe I've been emotionally stunted.  I don't know?  I'm kind of frustrated with myself now.

Laurie's Time

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Maryann Jordan

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Emma's Home

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Review: Ink Deep by Renee Lovins

Most of Briony Carmichael's body was tragically burned as a child. Deeply hurt by the reactions of those closest to her, Briony believes her scars render her unlovable. She hides in her apartment, secluding herself from the outside world.

Tattoo artist Corbin Franklin has everything - including a brain tumor that will kill him. Determined to not let his art die with him, he seeks someone to become his living legacy, a walking canvas for his art.

Drawn in by the idea of having her scars covered with beauty, Briony enters Corbin's studio and changes both their lives. However, when concerned loved ones interfere in their blossoming romance, the resulting chaos could cost them everything.

Author's Note: In this reimagined version of Beauty and the Beast, readers should expect a happy ending that doesn't follow a HEA as expected in a traditional romance."

Just from reading the synopsis, you pretty much get that you will need tissues for this one.

I'm not sure what to say about this.  The cover and title intrigued me, the synopsis screamed "feels", so I said yes and proceeded to read.  I mean, yeah, on the surface I knew what was going to happen, but below that surface, I had no idea.

Briony has got to be one of the strongest characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading.  Even though she doesn't see herself that way, she is truly amazing.  I only wish her parents could see her for what she is.  She has this inner beauty that makes her shine.  The world took a giant shit on her and even though she has closed herself off, she keeps pushing on.

Corbin... I don't even have words for him.  Really, I don't.

Briony and Corbin changed each other in remarkable ways.  This is just a beautiful story and I'm going to start crying again trying to write this review.

While I was reading this, I was angry and I was sad.  I was elated at some points, but there was still an underlying sadness, then I would get angry all over again.  And when I finished this, I won't say I was happy, but I was content and at the same time a little empty.  I only wish that Corbin's legacy included one other thing.

*Copy received from Novel Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.

Ink Deep

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Review: Once Upon A Time by S.K. Hartley

Synopsis

I don't believe in fairy tales. I don't believe in glass slippers. I don't believe in Prince-Freaking-Charming.

Cinderella can kiss my ass.

I kiss frogs, sometimes even toads. I've given up on meeting Mr. Right, instead it seems all I meet is Mr. Wrong, Mr. Very-Wrong and even, Mr. Lets-Not-Even-Go-There.

Fairy tales are for morons.

Well, that's what I thought until Gabriel Black barged through my life, turning everything upside down. He's hot, sexy and little rough around the edges. But, he's hiding something, something deep. I can feel it, taste it and smell it.

Now I'm left wondering if he's my Prince Charming or my fairy tale villain. Will I ride away safely into the night, dreaming of happily ever afters? Or, will I stumble and fall in ridiculously high heels only meant for women with a death wish?

Once Upon A Time... I met Gabriel Black.

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**ARC given in exchange for honest review**

To start off, I am so glad to say that this is a standalone, not a cliffhanger and it is a romantic comedy with a twist.  I gave it 5 stars.  I always start with a summary of the book and then explain what I loved, so here it goes. 

Payton Miller doesn’t believe in fairytales, glass slippers or prince-freaking-charming.  She has yet to kiss a frog that has turned into her prince.  Mr. Right has not made himself known.  In the meantime, she has met Mr. Wrong, Mr. Very-Wrong and Mr. Let’s-Not-Even-Go-There.  She thinks fairytales are for morons up until she met Gabriel Black. 

Gabriel Black is tall, dark and dangerous.  He’s sexy and has something that he is hiding.  Does Prince Charming really exist?  If not, Gabriel Black does. 

Will Payton get her happily ever after or do they only exist in fairytales? 

Payton Miller is a stubborn, independent woman that when she sets her mind to something, she achieves it.  She has worked hard to get where she is and make it in the big city life.  She has an ogre for a boss.  What is it about her boss that makes her so hostile?  Why is Payton given lead to the one account she if offered?  Something just isn’t right with her boss.   Where would she be without her two best friends?  She works her butt off and doesn’t have any life outside of work. 

Gabriel Black is every woman’s dream.  He exudes sex and masculinity and is the megalomaniac, multimillionaire of Black Enterprises.  What is it about him?  What is his secret?  How will it affect Payton when she finds out? 

This book had me all over the place.  I was laughing, I was pissed off, and saying “OMG you have to read this.”  There were so many emotions throughout this book.  One night I was wide awake from 1-3am just reading because I couldn’t sleep and I almost finished the book.  I loved how there were quotes or analogies that made you understand exactly what was going on.  There were references that fit perfect.  I loved Payton and her relationship with her two best friends.  I definitely want a piece of Gabriel.  He is an enigma that you will only understand my reading this book.  He has good reason for keeping his secret.  But guess what?  Not only is there one Black, there is 2!!  I hope S.K. Hartley will give us some of Luca, Gabriele’s brother in another book.  I highly recommend this book.  Thanks SK for another awesome read.  It was fabulous!! 

Favorite Quotes:

“Well, you know what they say, once you go black you never –“

“Don’t worry, this isn’t Fifty Shades, I’m not about to screw you in an elevator.  Although being balls deep in your pussy sounds amazing right now, no matter the location.”

“What?  Just because you don’t believe in fairy tales, it doesn’t mean they aren’t real.  Come on, Pay, from what you’ve told me this guy is pretty much you but with a dick.” 

“Do you know how much I crave my fairy tale?  Here you are, the workaholic, the woman who doesn’t believe in love and romance and happily ever after, and your Prince Charming is staring you right in the face.  They say a woman gets two loves in their lives.  First, their daddy, because no matter how many princes walk into your life, your daddy will always be your king.  Second is your true love.  The one.  I want that.  You have it, so stop being so frightened of something that could ultimately make you happier than you ever imagined.”

“Sometimes, in the middle of everyday life, a fairy tale appears.  This is yours, princess.  I’m your fairy tale.  Stop looking for happily ever after and start looking at once upon a time.”

S.K. Hartley is a wife and mother to an oil soaked husband and a tomato sauce covered son by day, by night an International Bestselling Author who's first novel, Finding You, quickly shot up the charts in fall 2013, winning blog awards for the tear inducing writing and breath catching ending.

Since releasing her first novel, she then went on to release two more books in the series, Finding Me & Finding Us, proving that New Adult is vastly popular among readers and writers a like.

Located in the not so sunny North West of England, UK, S.K. Hartley deals with daily battles against Microsoft Office Word translations. Working as a British author who writes in American English is a challenge that's both frustrating and fulfilling.

When she's not doing all the above, S.K. Hartley spends the rest of her time interacting with her readers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and also via her newsletter.

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