REVIEW: On an Edge of Glass by Autumn Doughton

My Rating: Kiss Me Now! (3.5 stars)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.05

Genre: New Adult Romance

Steam Level: mild-warm

“I am on an edge of glass. And it’s breaking.”

Ellie has a perfect plan. Get into Columbia law school and follow in her parent’s footsteps and join their law firm. Then she meets Ben…

“But, here’s a sad fact: perfect isn’t mean to be. When you aim for perfect, you just wind up ruined.”

On an Edge of Glass is beautifully written with a very simplistic plot. A coming of age romance novel at its very basic, girl meets boy and they fall in love after a few bumps in the road. BUT it is done well…yes it’s a bit slow in places and predictable; however I wanted to highlight half the book. Perfect when you are looking for a sweet and mild read to slow down with for a bit.

The writing is what drew me into to this story. It is eloquent and moving. Her descriptions were so beautifully written that I had to catch my breath a couple times. The author really has a way with words and it was what kept me reading through some of the slow parts.

A lot of this book was really good, but there were some things I disliked:

~ This book contains a lot of drinking/partying and sexual tension. That is NOT a bad thing, AT ALL…but when two main characters first attraction is purely sexually and the tension between the two could be cut with a knife I really want that ‘relief’ when they finally have sex. I didn’t really get that here because the sex was barely even glossed over and left me wanting. (And this is just how I felt, so you might not have the same opinion as little ol’ me, lol)

~ A lot more telling than showing. I got a bit tired of Ellie’s inner monologue.

~It contains one of my pet peeves: Lack of communication and misunderstanding are the root of the issues between Ellie and Ben for the most part. I hate it when all the drama could have been cleared up with one conversation.

This book is real and normal. It has its fair share of drama but nothing that is life or death. I liked both Ben and Ellie but I never really felt a connection with them. The supporting cast of characters were a lot of fun and I hope the author will write stories for them as well.

This was an okay read for me, but I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for something sweet and a bit slow paced with realistic characters and situations.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes. I had a hard time deciding which ones to post, lol, the quotes and writing style in general were my favorite parts of this book. The author just has a way with words:

“The trees are the way tress have always been, Elizabeth. What’s different is the way that you’re looking at them.”

“He is the musician and I am the instrument. I glide beneath him, barely breathing, barely thinking.”

“Happiness isn’t something that you can plan for. It comes knocking unexpectedly, just like opportunity. And it’s up to you to answer the door and invite it inside.” 

To Purchase a copy from Amazon --> CLICK HERE

This is a great deal at only 1.99 right now!

~ERIN

GIVEAWAY and review of After Math by Denise Grover Swank

Giveaway at bottom of post!!

My Rating: Kiss Me Now (3.5 stars)

Average Goodreads Rating: 3.90

Genre: New Adult Romance

Steam Level: warm

The title and cover of After Math had me immediately intrigued. It starts off really strong and I couldn’t put it down. I kept reading and reading and waiting for something to happen or for a big reveal to come, but nothing BIG really happened. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it and a lot of secrets are revealed throughout the story about both Tucker and Scarlett, but maybe it was the title that had me thinking there would be something a little more…shocking?? It was still a captivating read that I enjoyed, especially the last third or so.

There are parts that are a little slow, but the author did a good job of giving the whole story an eerily sad feeling and I mean that in a good way. The story is told in first person through Scarlett who is one of the unhappiest characters I have ever read about. She is depressing, obsessively shy, and cries at the drop of a hat. Granted she has had an extremely tough run in life and has anxiety issues, but her constant wallowing got a little old after a while. However, as I said that depressing, hopeless feeling that Scarlett has really comes through in the story, even if you don’t end up liking her you can certainly understand why she feels the way she does.

“I shut myself off from everyone and everything to survive. I’m hidden somewhere deep inside and sometimes I wonder if I’ll stay buried forever. If I’ll ever find my way out.” ~ Scarlett

Now for Tucker. I loved Tucker, even his bi-polar personality. He is a cocky soccer star/ notorious playboy at the university they attend, but when you dig a little deeper you realize it’s all a façade. He is just as lonely and miserable as Scarlett but deals with it in a completely different way. I loved that he really took time to understand Scarlett when no one else before has. He has a long list of secrets that will slowly be revealed throughout the book. With Scarlett he feels like he is ‘safe’ and can finally be his true self with someone. They share a common bond over loneliness and together they find common ground that allows them to learn how to love unhindered and accept love in return.

“I don’t want to leave you. Once I walk out that door, the real world takes over.” ~ Tucker

Meet Tucker and Scarlett (These picture were taken from the authors page):

I was so glad there was no insta-love between these two, it was both heartwarming and heart breaking to watch the relationship between them blossom from dislike/misunderstanding to something much more. They both struggle with what a meaningful relationship will mean to them and both of them try to shield their heart from potential hurt. Neither of them has had an easy life and when they finally find something real and worth fighting for, they're both afraid it's too good too be true. 

There is a beautiful HEA complete with an epilogue, but I did feel it was just a bit rushed. After all the heartache they had gone through I could have used a little more happy!

If you’re a lover of New Adult books, I have no doubt you will enjoy this read!

Favorite Quote:

“It’s as though a veil has been thrown over my heart, and no one has ever been able to tear it down. Until this boy. This unattainable, untouchable, unreliable boy.” ~Scarlett

About the Author

Denise Grover Swank lives in Lee's Summit, Missouri. She’s a gypsy who can’t live in one place too long or stay in one genre. She writes contemporary romance, urban fantasies without vampires and werewolves, young adult science fiction, and romantic comedy mysteries set in the south. Denise has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading, or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning. Author's links: FACEBOOK TWITTER WEBSITE

To purchase a copy of After Math --> CLICK HERE

Now for the giveaway! If you want to win a Kindle copy of After Math all you have to do is follow Books Vs Boys via email, FACEBOOK, or TWITTER. Comment below or email (booksvsboys@gmail.com) with how you follow and your email address (without it I will have no way to contact the winner!) I will randomly choose a winner on Wednesday, March 27th to gift a copy to. Good Luck!
A winner has been chosen! She has been emailed and will have 48 hours to respond before another one is selected. Thanks to all who entered!

~ERIN

GIVEAWAY/Mini Review of Charade & Facade News!

Charade GIVEAWAY at bottom of the post!!!

Charade by Nyrae Dawn Mini Review

My Rating: Date Me Now!! (4.5 stars!)

Average Goodreads Rating: 4.18

Steam Level: Hot!

Genre: New Adult Romance

The book was the perfect mixture of angst, tattooed bad boy, and sexual tension for me. It is the New Adult genre at its best. I liked that while the two characters, Chey and Colt, were attracted to each other sexually from the get go, they actually didn’t really like each other at first. It was fun and heartwarming to watch their feelings and characters evolve.

When a book is written in first person I feel like there is a lot of the story you miss out on because you only see one person's point of view, so I loved that this was written in alternating first person between Chey and Colt so you can see BOTH sides of the story. 

This is an easy read, but definitely not light. The issues of death, abandonment, and grief are all touched upon. The love that Chey and Colt finally come to have is what gives them the strength and courage to make it through some unbelievably heart breaking situations. It was beautifully written and I was brought to tears at the end which not something that happens to me very often.

I recommend you pick this book up, you will NOT be disappointed!

To Purchase Charade from Amazon --> CLICK HERE

The next book in the series will be Facade! It's Adrian's story. AND its release date was just moved up to July 2nd 2013. WAHOOO!!! I can't wait for this one. 

To Pre-Order Facade from Amazon --> CLICK HERE

GIVEAWAY TIME!!  In order for a chance to win a kindle copy of Charade by Nyrae Dawn all you have to do is like NA Books Vs. Boys on Facebook! CLICK HERE to go straight to our page! Then come back and comment on this post with your FB name and email address (without it I have no way to contact the winner!). If you'd feel more comfortable emailing me you can do that as well: booksvsboys@gmail.com  I will randomly select a winner on Monday, March 25th!  GOOD LUCK!
WINNER!!! Random.org has chosen Tonya Becker as the winner! Tonya has been contacted through email and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Thanks to all who entered!

~ERIN

Book Hook Up: Reckless

Reckless (Thoughtless #3_)

by S.C Stephens 

Publishing date: March 5 2013  

Publisher: Self Published 

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

My Rating: Kiss (Not really a kiss more of a kiss and a half)

Average Rating:4.54 

Synopsis 

When the band hits it big, Kiera and Kellan must ask themselves: Can their love for each other survive the constant pressures of superstardom? The friendships they've formed, the new family they've found, and the history they've forged will all play a part in helping them navigate the turbulent waters of the band's exploding popularity. A greedy executive hell-bent on success, a declining pop star looking for an edge, and a media circus that twists lies into truths are just some of the obstacles the lovers will have to overcome if they are going to remain together. Fame comes with a price-but will it cost Kiera and Kellan everything?

Can love survive when life gets Reckless?

As you all may have realised I have not blogged for like ages I don't even have time to read books I've started like three books and not finished reading them. So you can see how excited I was when reckless came out but it did not meet my expectation to even by a long shot. but I guess what goes up must come down right..... 

Okay I know what you guys are saying it wasn't even that bad but yes to me it was. The plot was so uninteresting it wasn't even worth it. I d t know I think the auteur didn't know what direction to take it in so the only route she could go was the boring obvious rote. I really missed the heart racing page turning plot that had once been in the series , but I have noticed of late that good series always end badly. ( e.g the delirium series but don't get me started on that one its for another day).

However, the sex was much hotter like way more hotter like Kellan dipped in chocolate hot. The author has so matured in her writing of sexual scenes It was more personal now and WAY more detailed. It was so much more intimate , I felt like I was there living the experience. So very well done there Miss .

In terms of characters I really like how all the characters developed it was so nice to see how the grew and matured as people. Especially Griffin 

Griffin : I had to say I was very surprised by him he really stepped up to the plate with this fathering this .. But don't worry he is still the rude sexually disgusting pig he always was but just a bit better 

Kiera: I don't know why but at time I got really bored of Kiera think h windy mannerism has finally caught up with me so ever time she spoke I was already annoyed. But here wines have toned down a bit and she has very much matured as a character  She is so much more independent and is not dictated and solely reliant on the men in her life. She became her own and stepped out of the male shadow that was always holding her back 

Kellan: There is no other word to describe him but as a sex god and in this book her sure does live up to the name and the title . Aaaaaaaaaawh if it was possible I would so leave my boyfriend for him...l need I say more 

So all in all it was an okay read but just okay and I think it's because I had set my expectation so high especially because of that blurb( who ever made it should like so get a pay rise ) If it was any other book I would have giving it a higher rating . But because of my disappointment I had to give it this low mark. 

casting:

okay  i actually kind of changed how i see Kiera before i use to see her a shailene woodley

 Because shailene woodley always use to be irritating and whinny when she was on the secret life of an american teenager it use to irritate that fuck out of me. But now that Kiera is not really that whinny anymore i dont see her as Shailene. 

Now she is nit annoying anymore i see here and Kellan like this :

Debbie

Book Bliss: Picture Perfect by Camille Dixon

Picture Perfect 

by Camille Dixon 

Publishing date :26th March 2013 

Genre : New Adult  contemporary romance  

Okay guys I have no posted in such a long time but please forgive me because I've had sooo much to do. Okay so I have something special for you guys today yaaaah!!

On the outside, Devin Thompson looks like he has it all - charm, good looks, and a scholarship every art major at Sanhope would kill for. But on the inside, he’s dying. His family is falling apart, his grades are dropping, and his girlfriend just dumped him for his hockey team rival, who also happens to be his younger brother. Not to mention he hasn’t been able to snap a decent picture for his senior portfolio in weeks. But when a sultry redhead with fire burning in her eyes struts across his path, he thinks he may have finally found his muse…

Angela “Angel” Davis learned early on that life never offers any hand-outs. And she’s getting burned out. Between juggling her nights as an exotic dancer at a men’s private club and struggling to keep up with her elementary education courses during the day, she barely has time to think of the future. Not that she wants to. The future implies planning, and Angel is no stranger to broken dreams. Then she meets Devin, a man who’s so wrong for her, yet she can’t seem to stay away from.

When Devin offers to take her on as his private model, Angel finds the cash hard to refuse. Each has something the other desperately needs, and neither one is willing to walk away. As their professional relationship spirals out of control into something more, they learn sometimes the wrong person can be the only right person, and that life - and people - are rarely picture perfect.

Excerpt 

His brows furrowed. “Is something the matter?”

You.

I choked out a fake laugh. “Just nervous, I guess.”

His expression relaxed, his eyes softening as the smile reached them. “You shouldn’t be. You’re perfect.”

I stared at him, struck speechless for the second time tonight.

Hot. Damn.

“Perfect for the camera, I mean,” he added, shifting his weight. A light blush crept to his face, making his rugged looks turn boyishly cute.

And making me want him all the more.

***

The Fox Hunt had several private viewing rooms for one-on-one’s and VIP parties, all coordinated with a different color scheme. Blue was close by, so it didn’t take long for me to get there. After readjusting my bustier, I applied a sultry smile and slinked past the curtain.

Soft golden lights dotted the room, the walls of which were hidden by dark blue silk curtains. Non-scented candles burned on the two onyx tables in the room, highlighting the sensual, relaxed atmosphere. Beneath the curtains, the walls were padded, making them all but completely soundproof from the noise out on the main floor. Plush satin pillows dripping in tassels lay strewn about the floor, gathering next to the centerpiece of the room - a massive throne carved with the same embellishments as the tables.

Spying the figure lounged in the chair, my ruby lips pursed then twisted into a sly smile. “Huh. What do you know? You did have the cash after all,” I said as I sauntered forward.

The stranger from earlier never flinched. One dark brow rose in a comical arc. “Do you always start these things by insulting your clients?”

“Depends. Do insults and word play turn you on, or are you a more of a physical kind of guy?” I grabbed a sash from atop the pillows, grasping both ends before hooking it around the stranger’s neck and climbing onto his lap. Most men shivered or showed some semblance of intimidation when I came close, but not this guy. He held himself like a man who was comfortable around women. Something dark and hot stirred deep inside me, shooting adrenaline into my veins.

Challenge accepted.

***

I looked back at Erik, who seemed totally clueless. Glancing at my watch for the umpteenth time, I polished off my Jack-and-Coke, nearly gagging at the watered-down coke, and started to get up. “I’m going to find a restroom.”

“Wait!” Erik frantically motioned for me to sit. “You haven’t seen the best part.”

“Oh, I think I have,” I grumbled, pushing up out of my seat anyway when the music abruptly died and the lights dimmed to barely nothing. Cursing, I hesitated, unable to see much until my eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness. A smoky blue light was growing beneath the curtain, at the center of the stage, illuminating the silhouette of yet another girl. Tired of the same old shit, I was about to turn my back in search of a bathroom when the first strands of a classic jazz tune came through the speakers, a welcome contrast to the mindless drone of the past half hour that left my ears ringing.

As the vocals began, the light intensified, revealing a woman with naturally colored skin and long curling hair that looked like fire. The dark auburn hue was brought out by the complimentary green of the stage lights - probably on purpose, I noted to my inner artist’s satisfaction - and when the girl turned to look at the audience, I froze where I was, halfway risen from my seat.

Where was all the overdone makeup? She had cosmetics on, but it was natural-looking, enhancing her features and her fiery beauty rather than detracting from it. She was elegant and beautiful, in an old Hollywood pinup girl kind of way, just like Marilyn Monroe. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I didn’t want to.

Erik grinned as I plopped back down in my seat, a little stunned. “Worth the wait, huh?” Erik yelled.

“Who is she?”

“They always save her for last. She’s a house favorite. Her stage name is Angel."

Angel. It sounded too sweet for the sultry goddess lighting up the whole stage - hell, the whole room - with her sensual moves that while conservative, seemed twice as erotic as what the girls who had come before her had done. They were smoother, like what you’d see when watching a trained dancer, like a ballerina or a ballroom dancer. I’d expected a name like Venus or Hera or something worthy of this goddess’s undeniable power over men.

Author Interview 

1. 1.      How long have you been writing?

1. I've been writing my whole life, but I've been actively writing for the past three years. (Yes, I had my fair share of fan fiction days when I was in grade school.)

1. 2.      Have you always wanted to be a writer?

1. I’ve always loved to write, but for some reason I never considered writing as a profession until later in my life. I think it comes to you when you’re ready for it.

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1. 3.      Tell us about your book.

1.  Picture Perfect is a sweet and spicy new adult romance about these people with damaged pasts – and hearts – who find redemption through their love.

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1. 4.      How did you come up with the idea for Picture Perfect?

1. Like most of my ideas, it just kind of hit me one day. I knew I wanted a story about a dancer and a photographer, and I knew what Angel would look like. Then it was just a matter of figuring out the rest and letting it come to me.

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1. 5.      Will Picture Perfect have a sequel, or will other characters get a book?

1. No, it’s a stand alone story. There isn’t enough conflict in the background characters’ lives to drive future stories, and I have other books I want to focus on.

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1. 6.      What’s your favorite love story?

1. Hard to say! I’m a big fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I also love the film Ever After with Drew Barrymore.

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1. 7.      Do you think you’ll ever pursue traditional publishing?

1. I want to be a hybrid author, and I make no secret of it. While I like having total creative control, it can also be draining. I wouldn’t mind if someone else did some of the work.

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1. 8.      Are you writing any other books at the moment?

1. I’m outlining a new adult series called New Haven Hope that I hope to start releasing by the end of the year. It’ll have a similar vibe to Picture Perfect.

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1. 9.      What other genres do you write?

1. Currently, I write high fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance under other pen names. I’m also interested in horror, erotica, and sci-fi. I’d like to eventually try them all, just to see what I can learn from them.

1. 10.    Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

1. Read a lot and write a lot. Read outside of your genre and read as many books inside your genre as you can. Look at the New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers Lists. Those books got on there for a reason. Read as many creditble "how-to" books as you can, critique others' works, and have your own critiqued. Don't half-ass it. Put everything you have into it.

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