Review: Eyes Wide Open by Ranie Miller

The third part in The Blackstone Affair series: A love on the brink of being destroyed. The fight of a lifetime to keep it alive. 

Big surprises are on the horizon for Ethan and Brynne as they struggle to adjust to what life has thrown at them. Demons from the past are threatening to destroy the passionate bond they’ve forged despite their vow that nothing will ever keep them apart. A truly devastating loss coupled with the promise of a new hope opens their eyes to what is most important, but is it possible for the lovers to move on from the painful histories that continue to haunt them? A stalker is still lurking in the shadows, plotting evil amidst the distraction of the 2012 Olympic games in London. Brynne and Ethan are on the cusp of losing everything as the stakes rise. Will they yield to circumstances beyond their control or will they give every ounce of fight they have left to save each other and win the ultimate prize of a life together?

Eyes Wide Open is a passion-wrought story that shows us what pure love can achieve when tested and what the heart can accomplish despite danger and adversity.

Purchase Eyes Wide Open --> Kindle I Paperback

*You can find the series reading order at the bottom of this review

My Rating: Kiss (3, maybe 3.5 stars)

Genre: New Adult Erotica

Steam Level: Boiling

This book was just okay for me and I know my feelings about this book are the minority, but I’m trying to be honest so please don’t hate me....pretty please?

Let me start out with the good. Ethan fucking Blackstone. Do I really need to say more? Ethan is the ultimate in a dominate and controlling hero that could give Christian Grey a run for his money, but he also has a super sensitive and caring side that comes out around Brynne. He knows what he wants, Brynne, and he fights for a future with her in this one.

“It always amazed me at how easy it was to carry her. I knew why. It was because she carried my heart with her wherever she went. My heart was in her hands, and carrying her was some form of self-preservation, maybe. Holding her, holding me up. I couldn't explain it, but I understood it. Made perfect sense to me.”

This book is boiling with its sex scenes, and there are a lot of them! They were hot, but at times I felt like they were using sex as a distraction so they didn't have to face or talk about their issues.

Byrnne grows a lot in this book and some of her hidden ‘hang ups’ are revealed that let us as readers better understand some of her decisions. 

“Yeah,” I sobbed, taking a moment to get the next part out, “I need him so badly…and it makes me utterly vulnerable…and what will I do if some day he decides he doesn’t want me anymore?”

“It’s called trust, Brynne, and it is by far the hardest gift to give away.”

She was right about that.

It took till 40% for a certain thing to be revealed that I’m sure 99% of us had guessed was going to happen by the end of book 2. It was a little frustrating that so much time was spent on that and the story felt stagnate until it was revealed. And then after that there was a lot of build up to a certain event that takes place at the end of the book (again I'm sure you'll be able to see it coming a mile away) that was over within about 10 pages tops. I hate to be so vague but I’m trying to get my feelings across without spoiling anything, lol. For me, the entire story and plot was just too predictable with a whole lot of buildup and not much actual action.

Eyes Wide Open is told in alternating POVs between Ethan and Brynne, which I love. Who doesn't want get inside the head of a super sexy alpha male? I read an ARC so hopefully this will be fixed in the final version, but the switch in POVs was not well marked. Sometimes it would switch in the middle of a chapter between paragraphs and it would take me a few sentences to realize I was hearing someone else’s’ “voice”. It really distracted from the flow of the story because I had to pay such close attention to whose POV I was hearing.

Overall I still love Ethan Blackstone and I’m glad they got their happy ending, but I was left a little underwhelmed with the plot and there was nothing in this book that I didn't already see coming. But still, if you loved Naked and All In you definitely don’t want to miss this one!

An ARC was kindly provided by the publisher for review. 

Note: If it’s been awhile since you finished All In you should probably re-read it or at least re-read the last couple chapters so you remember what’s going. Eyes Wide Open picks up right where it leaves off.

Also, here is some exciting news that Ranie Miller recently posted on her website!

What’s on the horizon? Well, I’ll tell you. I’m hard at work on a 4th Blackstone Affair book. No title yet, but the book will be more of a stand-alone story and take Ethan and Brynne beyond the happily ever after at the end of Eyes Wide Open. This final installment of The Blackstone Affair, is scheduled for an ebook release at the end of 2013. I promise to keep everyone updated on this blog and on my Raine Miller Romance on Facebook page.

Series Reading Order:

Naked --> Kindle I Paperback

All In --> Kindle I Paperback 

Eyes Wide Open --> Kindle I Paperback

~Erin

GIVEAWAY & Excerpt: Castles on the Sand by E.M. Tippetts

**Giveaway at bottom of post**

If there’s one thing Madison Lukas understands, it’s pain. The pain she feels when her mother ignores her completely. The pain her best friend endures as her parents starve her as punishment. The pain of a dangerous boy whose mother has to be carried away by law enforcement on a regular basis. 

She gets it. She feels the pain of others as if it were her own.

But when a mysterious man claiming to be her long lost brother appears with promises of relieving her suffering, trusting him could reveal more truths than Madison is ready for. Because the truth can hurt, too.

Purchase Castles on the Sand --> Kindle Edition

Title: Castles on the Sand (Shattered Castles, #1)

Author: E.M. Tippetts

Release date: August 20, 2012

Genre: Contemporary Romance/coming of age

Age Group: Young Adult

CLICK HERE to watch the Book Trailer

Excerpt

Mom gets to her feet. “How often do you talk to John?”

“I don't know. He emails me. Sometimes I email back.”

For a moment she just stares at me, her eyes narrowing, then she lunges across the room

and slaps me across the face. Pain explodes across my still tender nose and sinuses and I find

myself clinging to the fridge door handle to keep from falling down. I must have stumbled into it

after Mom's blow. “Mom...”

She curses, then ducks out the back door.

Papers flutter in her wake and I snatch one out of the air. It's a cancelled rent check. The

others on the floor prove to be other canceled checks, but I take a closer look at one and see that

it's actually a bounced check. Mom's overspent her bank balance again. I pick them all up – a

headache beginning to throb behind my eyes – and stack them neatly on the table again. I hate it

when mom hits me. She never does it hard enough to leave a mark, but it stings to have the one

person I live with hate me so much that she resorts to violence.

It makes me feel like a stranger in my home, an intruder, someone who isn't welcome.

When I walk back to my room, I can't even sit down on my bed, I perch on the edge and catch

a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The two black eyes have faded into just dark circles, but I

wonder if they'll purple up again.

Out in the back yard, I sense more than hear her potters wheel start up. I hope that calms

her down.

And I really wish I could call Kailie. I flip through my pitifully short list of phone

contacts and stop on John's name. A glance at the clock tells me it's eleven p.m., which means it's

midnight in Utah. My thumb hesitates, then punches the send key.

One ring and I feel like I'm being rude. Two and I feel like I'm taking a bad night and

making it a million times worse. Three and I get ready to hang up.

“Hello?” says a sleepy voice.

“Mmm, hi. Who's this?”

“It's Madison.”

“Madison?” He says my name as if I'm a movie star who just called him at home.

“Really? How are you? It is so good to hear your voice.”

Author Bio:

Emily Mah Tippetts writes romance under the name E.M. Tippetts and science fiction and

fantasy under the name Emily Mah. Originally from New Mexico, she now lives in London with her family. Before she was a published author, she was an attorney who specialized in real estate,contracts, and estate planning, especially literary estate planning.

Author Links: Website I Twitter I Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~Erin 

Review: Every Little Piece by Kate Ashton

Secrets never stay in the past.

The night before high school graduation changes everything. Lies are told. Mistakes are made. Secrets tucked away. Lives are changed in the span of a few hours. 

A year later, Haley is still reeling, numb with the constant ache of guilt. She's in a place she never expected to be: lost without her friends and Seth. Until he enters her life again, dredging up everything she's trying to forget. Everything about that night.

Seth returns to his hometown determined to share his truth, his side of the story. He desperately needs to make things right with Haley, even if it means losing her forever. Because the truth will ruin any chance of her ever loving him again. 

Except neither of them are prepared for the shock of what really happened the night before graduation

Purchase Every Little Piece --> Kindle Edition

My Rating: Date (4 stars)

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Steam Level: mild

Geez, I was not expecting such a heavy subject matter when I picked up this book, it shredded me! This isn’t your typical YA romance, its about an established couple that is going through life changes and then the unimaginable, the unthinkable happens and both of their lives are forever and irrevocably changed. You can’t forget it; there are no do overs, there is only moving forward….if that’s even possible.

Haley and Seth have been dating since middle school but now that high school graduation is upon them they are questioning what happens to their relationship next. As excitement runs high and questions are presented, mistakes are made…

Haley and Seth become so wrapped up in their own grief that they fail to see the bigger picture, they fail to see how they’re hurting each other and their families. They are punishing themselves for things they can’t change and it takes another tragedy to snap them out of it.

“But all I saw now was white space, endless and drifting. There was no mountain to climb or goal to conquer and cross off my list. I floated through time and it let me wander.”

There isn’t a whole lot I can say about this story without spoiling anything, but I will say the emotional depth of the writing is incredible. There were few parts of the book that were a little slow for me and the some of the lack of communication frustrated me but it all contributed to heartache of this book. Being that this was Kate Ashton’s first novel I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style, it flowed really well and was so vivid you could picture every scene, tear, and emotion.

“My tears dry and somewhere deep inside I feel a heartbeat. A slow thump, and then another. Peace. For the first time I feel a seed of hope and peace. It still needs a lot of water and sunshine to poke through the tangled weeds that choke my heart and have been growing thick all year. But maybe someday.”

The epilogue was absolutely perfect and had me tearing up. I will definitely be reading more from Kate Ashton in the future. Overall, I absolutely recommend this story. It is about second chances, healing, family, and hope. A heartbreakingly sweet standalone with no cliffhanger!

To read an excerpt of the book and enter a GIVEAWAY: CLICK HERE

Purchase Every Little Piece --> Kindle Edition

~ERIN

Review: Arouse by Nina Lane

"One day I'm going to touch you in a thousand different ways and show you how to touch me," he said.

And he did.

Struggling with a tormented past, undergraduate Olivia Winter once led a practical but isolated life. Then she met Professor Dean West, a brilliant scholar of medieval history who melted Liv's inhibitions and taught her the meaning of both love and erotic pleasure. But after three years of a blissful, lusty marriage, Liv and Dean now face a crisis that threatens everything they believe about each other...and sex might not be enough to save them

Purchase Arouse --> Kindle Edition

Only 99 cents for a limited time!

My Rating: Date Me Now (4.5 stars)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Steam Level: Super Hot

Most of our favorite romance books end where this one begins, Marriage. Just because you’ve committed to someone for the rest of your life and gotten married doesn't guarantee you a happily ever after, that’s when real life begins. I was surprised how packed full this book was with tension, angst, and passion.

“We are not freakishly happy. We are not freakishly anything. We’re two people who love each other. We had a tough time. We worked it out because we want to be together. Because we can’t imagine being with anyone else. Because we don’t want to be. “

That being said, this book also doesn’t skip over the pivotal parts of a relationship that we all love to read about. Through flashback we get to see the first time Dean and Olivia meet, their first kiss, the first time they make love. We get it all in this book, the before and after. They are both beautiful to read about in different ways.  

Olivia and Dean have reached a pivotal point in their relationship and as tension mounts, secrets are revealed, actions are taken, and questions are left unanswered. Every marriage in the world goes through a rough spot at some point in time, if you think differently you are wrong. No one is perfect and sometimes it takes mistakes to realize how phenomenal what you have really is.

Olivia is confused, she loves Dean with all her heart but the future she originally saw for herself is changing. She had a screwed up childhood and as Dean slowly helps her comes to terms with it she is realizing things that she never thought possible might just be possible. I thought this quote described her perfectly:

“That’s the thing about Liv. She’s pure. Despite experiences that could have irrevocably fucker her up, turned her into someone hard and jaded, she’s still wholesome. She has a wary edge, a guard against the world, but it never affects her core of innocence.”

Dean, I loved Dean. He is patient, he is understanding, he is gentle, but he’s also not afraid to show his inner caveman side when it comes to Liv.  I adored the way that he handled Liv, but he has secrets that Liv is still yet to uncover.

“…you might want to go,” I warned.

Darkness flashed in his expression. “Why?”

My eyes stung. I swallowed hard. “Here be monsters,” I whispered…

“Liv,” he said, his voice rough with tenderness, “you don’t have to be afraid.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ll slay monsters for you.”

There is quite a bit of sex in this book and its erotic, hot sex. But it’s also emotional and every intimate scene is also pivotal to the story line which just makes it that much better.

”Chrsit, Live, soemtiems the way you look at me makes me feel like I can hang the fucking moon.”

This story is realistic and beautifully written. You will feel what the characters do.  Some parts of this book were a little slow, but in a good way as life plays out as it normally does. One thing I will say is that throughout everything, I never doubted once that Liv and Dean were not truly and passionately in love with each other. But it takes more than true love to make a marriage work, it takes communication, it takes commitment, it takes dedication, and sometimes we all get caught up in our daily lives and the important things can slowly slide to the side.

This is a beautiful and emotional story that shows what happens after ‘happily ever after’ that I would recommend to anyone but especially those of us that are already married. The ending isn’t really cliffhanger but there is more story to tell and I will absolutely be picking up the sequel, which is releasing May 14^th!!!!!

Purchase Arouse --> Kindle Edition

Only 99 cents for a limited time!

~Erin

Review: Maybe Baby by Andrea Smith

When college student Tylar Preston goes to work for the wealthy Sinclair family stables in Bristol, Virginia in the summer of 2011, she quickly meets with unexpected events and the disturbing unraveling of her past. Is her past destined to taint her future? 

Rescuing Tylar from unspeakable danger, Trey Sinclair, a handsome but arrogant high-powered attorney from Atlanta makes it his mission to protect the innocent and unworldly young woman from the dreams that hunt and haunt her. Spirited and independent, Tylar proves to be a challenge to the stubborn and relentless young lawyer. Together their often bumpy journey weaves itself mysteriously, comically, passionately and erotically down a path that promises to engage and move the reader in this emotionally stirring story.

For anyone who has ever been in love or in lust, MAYBE BABY will stir those forgotten feelings of passion and yearning within you; making you ageless as you travel the romantic and erotic journey with Tylar and Trey as they unravel the secrets of each other.

Purchase Maybe Baby --> Kindle Edition 

Only 99 cents for a limited time!!

My Rating: Date! (4 stars)

Genre: New Adult Romance/ Erotica

Stem Level: Super Hot!

Wow, what an unexpected fun, sexy, and angsty story this was!! Tylar, who comes from a broken home, is spending the summer working for Sinclar Stables doing everything from mucking stalls, to exercising horses, to preforming in competitions. She has a plan and very little interest in men and relationships resulting from some traumatic childhood experiences, BUT then she meets Trey Sinclar. Trey is the lawyer son of the estate owners, he is drop dead gorgeous, accomplished, and also has no interested in relationships or commitment. As secrets from Tylar’s past begin to reveal themselves her plans and life slowly start to unravel.

While at its heart this story is a romance there is plenty of suspense and intrigue to keep you turning pages. I truly loved the world that Andrea Smith created, the setting and characters provided the perfect backdrop for this story full of mystery, passion, and angst. There are good guys, villains, best friends, back stabbers, and dysfunctional families; nothing has been left out.  

Meet Trey and Tylar:

As couple they are hot and cold, volatile and passionate, and perfectly imperfect for each other. Their relationship has many highs and lows filled with torment, drama, suspense, passion, stupidity; you name it they went through. A few times I couldn’t help but want to lock them in a room and do this:

Be warned that this is a looong book and there were times that too many details and descriptions were given but for the most part every backstory and dream was instrumental to the character development of the heroine and/or hero. This is not a story you will be able to fly through in one sitting, but sometimes I really crave a good meaty story that leaves nothing to the imagination and this definitely fit the bill.  

There were a handful of times I had to roll my eyes at comments or outfit descriptions from the heroine, but they didn’t bother me nearly as much as they usually do because I was enjoying the story so much. Tylar’s reactions were occasionally over top and she tended to jump to conclusions, but because of her background she was understandably very insecure and felt unworthy of Trey. I loved that Tylar was independent and not a submissive. She did a good job standing her ground and not letting Trey walk all over her, there were exceptions of course but they were few and far between.

Trey is a damaged hero and isn’t without a past of his own. He is torn between protecting his heart from future hurt and going after what he wants, which leaves Tylar with a lot of mixed signals contributing to her insecurity. Obviously neither of them or their relationship is without flaws but it was beautiful to watch them try to work out who they were individually as well as who they were as a couple. There is a lot of growth and then there is back tracking, but then there is always more growth. This is not a simple love story; they are tons of obstacles to overcome that are from their pasts, their present, and even their future.

Be forewarned that there is A LOT of sex! BUT it’s hot sex! However I will say that Tylar has a pretty impressive knowledge about blow jobs for being a virgin, just saying! ;)  Also it was bit confusing that the hero and heroine’s names were so similar, Tylar and Trey, it took me a while to get used to it.

I want to reiterate again that despite all of the tension this book is F.U.N. It was the perfect combination of light heartedness and seriousness for me. The Epilogue was perfect and I will definitely be picking up the rest of the books in the series. 

Purchase Maybe Baby --> Kindle Edition 

Only 99 cents for a limited time!!

~Erin

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~ERIN