Combust by K. Bromberg–Review: A slow burn that will leave you wet with tears

Ms. Bromberg wrote a fantastically heartwarming and emotionally heavy book with Combust. Sometimes it truly isn’t about what’s on the outside, but also what’s on the inside.
Grady Malone is a hero among hero’s. He’s deep, emotionally cutoff and suffers some massive amounts of regret and grief. He doesn’t truly understand his worth among society, community and his family, not to mention his own self-esteem. He comes across as hard edged and displays moments of a-holeness, but this is just a cover to what’s truly inside.
Dylan McCoy is refreshing. She’s a lost girl/woman in the world after walking in on her boyfriend with another girl. She is the oval that’s trying to fit in the circle shape that is known as LA. She can fine tune herself to meld in, but that isn’t her true self. She’s a feisty, talented songwriter trying to make it in LA, where everywhere she looks she sees skinny, big chested blondes (like the one her boyfriend was caught with).
‘Music is my therapy, so I offer the same to him.’
Dylan needs to get away to re-coup and center herself, while she works on writing songs for her loser ex. Yep you read that right, she is contractually obligated to fulfill one more album with the douche before she can officially part ways. Her brother has a friend that is a firefighter, who is willing to let her stay while she works through her issues/songs. Her brother feels safe with allowing her to stay at Grady’s, since she hates firefighters (you have to read the book to know why😉). Grady and Dylan never expected to find each other/the other half to make them whole, while staying in the same house. As you can imagine, sparks fly in the most unbelievable way. This is a slow burn romance where they find that the other is the balm that they need to fix what’s wrong with themselves.
‘I look at him often as I work through the lyrics. Words about love and loss pass over my lips, run through my head, and are jotted down, and yet, he’s the one I keep looking for a reaction from. His fingers thrumming to an imaginary beat he hears in my work the only response he gives.’
Grady stole my heart and a little piece of my soul. Words can’t fully describe how wonderfully written he was. Imagine, this big, beautiful man in his turnout gear with eyes that burn bright, yet grief weighs heavy on his soul as a visible blanket. Oh man, he is just perfection. Dylan is truly the yin to his yang. Grady makes her feel valuable and wanted. Slowly her self-worth and self-esteem begin to grow and this is evident in everything she does.
If you are looking for a heartwarming, emotionally filled, slow burn romance that has a strong hero (despite what he is keeping inside) and an adorably invigorating heroine, this book is for you! You will truly feel ‘all the feels’ and fall in love like I did!
‘Because love is rarely pretty. It’s messy. It’s complicated. It’s often ugly, but that’s how you know when it’s right. Pretty doesn’t always last. It’s the things you have to work at that make the reward that much sweeter.’

 

The Rebound by Winter Renshaw–Review: A wonderful second chance romance

The Rebound is wonderful book about second chances and the importance of communication within a relationship. For me, it felt like a rather quick read and I was able to read it in one night.

It revolves around Yardley and Nevada who originally met back in high school. Yardley was the new girl, albeit slightly awkward girl from California. Nevada was the guy that all the girls swooned over. They realized early on that they had an incredibly strong connection and were happy together, even if they were just driving around.

Fast forward to when Nevada gets a full ride basketball scholarship in North Carolina while Yardley is still back home waiting to finish school. She has a best friend, Griffin, who doesn’t get along with Nevada. One night, Yardley is seen out with Griffin and the rumor mill starts. Oh yeah, did I mention this night happens to be Valentine’s Day? Yeah, chaos ensues.

Here we are ten years later, both parties back to living in their small town of Lambs Grove. One trying desperately not to think of the other and the other desperately trying not to run into the other. Hmmm, which is which? When they unfortunately do run into each other all the hurt, sadness and anger come flooding back. Outwardly, it appears that Nevada could care less, however, internally he is a mess of emotions. Yardley doesn’t quite know what to make of their first meeting. Eventually these two need to face their demons and learn that they need to communicate. I will say I wanted to slap Nevada a few times when he wouldn’t let Yardley explain what happened. Again, proving that communication is a good thing in a relationship and needs to be done!

After reading The Rebound, there is a prequel included that fills in some of the blanks within the book.  Only complaint is that I wanted more of these two. I LOVE Winter Renshaw books, but felt like this one wasn’t as in depth and therefore, it was a quick read. Despite this, I LOVED reading about Yardley and Nevada and was rooting for a HEA. The question is, did they get it? If you are a Winter fan (and even if you’ve never read one of her books), do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It was a great second chance romance book!!

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Sidelined by Marquita Valentine–Review: a cheeky little big brother best friend romance

Sidelined is such a sweet, sexy, fun and cute book. It was easy to read in one fell swoop from beginning to end. Marquita put an entertaining twist on the trope of older brother’s best friend romance.

At eleven years old, Layton Price started scrapbooking. Through the course of Q&A’s and of course, pictures, she plans her life, as well as, her HEA. Even at this age, she knew that she was going to marry her family friend, Joe. She even knew the age when they would get married. What she didn’t count on was meeting her brother’s college friend, Aiden McHugh. Over Thanksgiving break while watching football is when they meet and their lives wouldn’t ever be the same.

Fast forward fifteen years. Aiden is the QB for the local NFL football team based in Raleigh. Layton is engaged to be married to Joe, with her wedding approaching quickly. The thing that Layton didn’t see coming was her soon to be husband leaving her for the wedding planner only four days into the honeymoon. She is back home, trying to put her life back together. Aiden has been struggling for a while now with his feelings for Layton.

Aiden is a refreshing hero that is not portrayed as a manwhore/player. He is the one that pursued the relationship, yet allowed Layton to heal at her pace (with occasional alpha persuasion from Aiden)! 😉

This book is completely enjoyable. You see a complete progression of a mutual relationship between Aiden & Layton. What you also grow to appreciate is Layton’s personal growth from divorce to I Love You with a HEA.

PS…Internally, I’m doing a happy dance, waiting for Kingston’s book.

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Midnight Blue by L.J. Shen–Review: Run, don’t walk, One-click, don’t sample this book. OUTSTANDING!!

HOLY FREAKING PHENOMENAL can Leigh write!!!! Where to start on this one, there are a million positive thoughts that are flying through my mind right now. How about on a side note. Look at this freaking book cover. Is it not beautiful?! Not only can she write, but she has great book covers.

‘Alex Winslow was beautiful in a way storms were—only from afar. Just like them, he had the power to sweep and ruin you, two things I was too busy surviving to entertain.’

I am in LOVE with Alex Winslow. He is a rock star, who is beautifully broken and flawed, yet is a sweetheart when you get down to his core (which you need to dig very far to get too). He has many demons that are screaming down his neck to which he is fighting and trying to outrun. Due to this, he has done some things that he’s not proud of. One happens to be becoming an addict. His addictions have really hurt him, as a person and an artist. He has been to rehab already and is trying to remain sober, despite all the temptations around him. He is rude, a jerk and a nasty self-centered a-hole! Despite all this, I flipping LOVED him! Gosh, there’s just something about a misunderstood asshole! 😍

‘Soooo. Spill it, girl. What’s he like?’…’Disgusting, Gorgeous, Rude, Sexy, Screwed-up. Witty. Broody, Unbearable. Trouble. Trouble. Trouble. Alex Winslow was all those things and more.’

He is about to embark on a world tour and has been assigned a babysitter. This babysitter is tasked to keep him clean and sober. She is to report back to his management team if she notices anything amiss with him. Sounds extreme, but this almost thirty-year-old has a lot riding on remaining sober. First and foremost, his good name, reputation and his own soul. Secondly, if he remains sober and has a killer tour, his second album can be and will be more to his liking and not so ‘manufactured’.

‘Welcome to my mess, New Girl. It’s a bumpy ride from here on out.’

Insert, Indigo ‘Stardust’ Bellamy, aka…Indie. She is as unique and breathtaking as her name and blue hair. She is sweet, pure, puts people first and loving. They are two souls that shouldn’t make sense together, yet somehow do. She is an incredible heroine in this book. She is strong and doesn’t take crap from anyone (especially Alex), yet is completely unselfish and loving. Her one and only fault is her loyalty and need to take care of those that are closest to her and her heart. I, honestly, don’t know if I would have put up with her brother as much as she did. Because of her loyalty, she needed this job.

‘I needed this job like Mark Wahlberg needed to show his real junk in Boogie Nights.’

This book is everything!! Asshole male…. check; sweet yet strong female…check; Rockstar romance…duh, check; a story that has so many intertwining layers, the book should be called ‘The Midnight Blue Onion’…check; hot romance…double check; drama and angst…check; emotions that are so strong you find your heart in your throat…triple check. The only thing I wish I had…. MORE ALEX and INDIE!!😢

Leigh did everything right in Midnight Blue from plot, storyline and pacing, to writing remarkable characters that spring to life and include you on that roller coaster of emotions. She made me love Alex and his Rockstar romance!!

“When I look at you, I see something broken that isn’t worth fixing. And you look at me like I’m a cheap thing to replace the expensive one that’s been stolen from you. See, we’re all vases. And you’re the one scattered on the floor, shattered beyond repair. So I’ll let someone else pick you up. It’s really that simple. Have fun with your temporary glue.”

The Rebound by Winter Renshaw: A wonderful second chance romance

The last time I saw Nevada Kane, I was seventeen and he was loading his things into the back of his truck, about to embark on a fourteen-hour drive to the only college that offered him a full ride to play basketball.

I told him I’d wait for him. He promised to do the same.

But life happened. I broke my promise long before he ever broke his. And not because I wanted to.

We never saw each other again …

Until ten years later when Nevada unexpectedly returned to our hometown after an abrupt retirement from his professional basketball career.

Suddenly he was everywhere, always staring through me with that brooding gaze, never returning my smiles or “hellos.”

Over the years, I’d heard that he’d changed. And that despite his multi-million dollar contracts and rampant success, life hadn’t been so kind to him.

He was a widower.

And a single father.

And rumor had it, he’d spent his last ten years trying to forget me, refusing to so much as breathe my name … hating me.

But just like a rebound, he’s back.

And I have to believe everything happens for a reason.

 

 (PS….look at those abs, WOW!!)