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Epic Love (Epic Fail, #3)  
Book Title: Epic Love 
Series: Epic Fail 3
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Author: Trudy Stiles
Published: September 19, 2016
Purchase Book: AMAZON| BandN

Book Overview

HEATH STRICKLAND, the son of a prominent district attorney, lived his life surrounded by violence and crime. He was an unwilling witness to the corrupt lives his father swore to prosecute and keep behind bars. His escape was his music, which eventually led him to replace the iconic singer of the world famous band, Epic Fail.

NOELLE DURAND lived in luxury, growing up on a sprawling estate, with everything she could ever want or need. Her life, to everyone else, seemed perfect. Perfect house. Perfect things. Perfect family. But nothing at all was perfect. She lived in hell. A hell that nobody on the outside could see.

As a neighbor and childhood friend, Heath would have done anything for Noelle. He would have given up the world to protect her and keep her safe. Their friendship grew into something that neither of them expected. But then she suddenly disappeared, vanishing from his life as if she never existed. He never stopped hoping that one day she would resurface, alive and well. But as time went by, and her family gave up hope, he surrendered his heart to his lost love.

Twelve years later, one phone call changes everything.

EPIC LOVE is the third book in the EPIC FAIL series and can be read as a standalone novel. 


This series is a spinoff from the FOREVER FAMILY series.


   EXCERPT    
 

“I’m sorry, Noelle. I’m really sorry.” I don’t know what I’m apologizing for. The fact that I don’t believe her weak lie or because I kissed her. No. I’m not sorry for either.

“It’s okay. Really. Thanks for caring. And thank you for my birthday gift.” She pauses and brushes her pinkie finger against mine. “You made my birthday really special, and I’ll never forget it.”

Without thinking, I loop my pinkie finger around hers, linking them together. Linking us together. We walk to her window like this and I break our connection reluctantly, bringing my hand up to her bruised cheek. “Please be careful,” I beg, and I’m not sure what I’m even begging her to be careful of. I’m just so worried about her.

“I will,” she whispers. “Catch a couple fireflies on the way home.”

“I’d catch a million for you.” Her eyes light up, a smile on her lips. I want to kiss her again. So bad. But all I do is stare into her eyes and back away. I push the window open as quietly as I can and slide out onto the grass.

“Happy Birthday, Noelle.”

She smiles as we both slide the window gently along the track, closing it.

She leaves her hand pressed against the window and I immediately do the same, covering hers, only the glass pane separating us.

Her smile is weak and full of pain.


A pain that I would take away from her in an instant if I could.

MY REVIEW

Seems like I've been floating. This is the second time this week that I have read about a second chance romance book and I am, without a doubt, in the clouds. There's really something about an old love rekindled that makes me feel happy, satisfied and thankful. It's like the hope and the trust that you have someone who used to be part of your life is still strong. That someone whom you know loves you more than you love yourself but circumstances just got in the way and you ended up being a part and all through out the years that someone still holds a very huge part of your life, then the person comes back from wherever they came from and you are hit with a full force of feelings you knew never left.

I enjoyed only little part in the book and the rest i was hurt anf there were some feelings that I was uncategorized. Noelle and Heath, both characters shone so bright and I believe I see so many differences in each personality but they actually give color to each others lives.

I was angry, I was hopeful, I was sad, I was in love and I felt betrayed. There were so many emotions that came rushing through when characters started revealing their reasons. I think the kind of love that this book and the characters has is somethings that won't be broken no matter what and how things go with both of the characters lives. So much inspiration came to life just from reading this book, that i actually just read in one sitting. Yes, it was that good that I read it all day. So much love and so much hope was felt. And so much joy from the happiness that Noelle felt even during her tough years.

I love the book but I wasn't really expecting the moment when they came back to each other be that way. I was expecting like, a more emotional and more momental scenes because what they have is true love and for that to come in to light again there were a lot of things to clear out, to say, to express. Other than that, the book was perfect and definitely worth the read!

   ABOUT AUTHOR   

Trudy Stiles is a USA Today Bestselling Author, writer of New Adult Romance, mom to two beautiful children, and married to the love of her life. She’s the author of the bestselling Forever Family series including Dear Emily, Dear Tabitha, and Dear Juliet. Epic Sins and Epic Lies are the first books in the Epic Fail series and will continue with at least two more standalone novels, Epic Love and Epic Holiday. She plans to write many more stories about some of the characters you’ve already met, and maybe a few new ones. Emily will get her own story, Sincerely, Emily, to be released in 2017.

She’s also a contributing author to the USA Today Bestselling anthology, F*cking Awkward, a hilarious group of short stories sure to make you cringe, laugh and everything in between. All proceeds from this project benefited The Bookworm Box and its charities.

Trudy is a music junkie and you’ll know that she’s writing when you see her plugged into her laptop with her earbuds in. Her playlist is unique and is a must for her writing sprints.

When she’s not writing, she’s carting her children to their various activities while avoiding any kind of laundry or housework. She also loves to run along the boardwalk of the beautiful New Jersey shore.


She celebrates Wine Wednesday almost every day.





My Lucky Days  
Book Title: My Lucky Days 
Genre: Adult, Coming of Age, Contemporary Romance 
Author: SD Hendrickson
Published: September 20, 2016
Purchase Book: AMAZON| BandN

Book Overview

He was an up-and-coming country singer.
She was the last girl you’d ever see in a bar.
But one night, under those neon lights,
Lucky and Katie found each other.

Beginnings are always exciting.
Always fun. Always hopeful.

Katie was in her last year of college.
Lucky was still playing local stages.
She fell for his voice. She fell for his words.
They fell in love.
It was beautiful.

But time changed their world.
She was alone. He was on the road.
Life happened.
And that love was torn apart.

Endings are always painful.
Always heart wrenching.
But not always final.

One day, Lucky came back to Katie.
And this is their story.

   EXCERPT   

I woke up sometime later to the sound of my phone buzzing next to me. Peering at the screen, I saw Lucky’s name. I answered with a grin. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
I imagined him sitting in his house in Nashville with his sexy smile and messy hair. And that image was better than all the other images I’d had today.
“Did I wake you up?”
“No, I’m watching TV. Well, I kind of fell asleep in here, I guess.” I glanced at the clock, and it said one-thirty in the morning.
“So you are sleeping on the couch instead of out with your roommates?”
“How do you know they aren’t home?”
I heard his chuckle. “Same reason I know you are wrapped in a brown blanket.”
I jumped up from the couch and spun around in a circle. And then I saw Lucky, looking into the house through the dining room window. The rush I felt was bigger than I expected. A high that drowned out all the other feelings. “How long have you been watching me?”
“Well, long enough to see that you probably snore because your mouth was wide open. And I think you drool too.”
“No . . .” I shut my eyes. “Get in here.”
I hung up and went to the door. He was already on the steps by the time I had it open.
“So I was in the neighborhood.” He grinned. “Thought I would stop by.”
The flutters in my chest held me captive. Lucky might be the star, but right now, I felt like all the lights in the world had shifted their focus onto me.
Before I could say a word, Lucky pulled me into his arms as he kissed me hard, grinding his mouth against mine. He was holding me, running his hands over my body, into my hair, against my cheek.

I knew in that moment, the inevitable lonely ache that was destined to follow our relationship would be worth the torment—if those days allowed me to experience this mind-consuming rush of happiness that came each time he returned home. 

MY REVIEW

This book started out like a Young-Adult genre (I get it now, Coming of age genre). Not only was it in a sense that the characters were too young to really recognize what love is and that it's right in front of them, it was also YA in a way that both characters were cautious but adventurous. I couldn't describe what I felt when I started reading the few chapters. It was like watching a baby take it's first step. 

Katie seemed so cute to me. She was independent but she's not quite out of her shell yet. Lucky was the risk taker. The all too caring person who also has plans and dreams of his own. I think the growth of both characters in the book was great. I saw maturity by the time I finished reading it.

I love the book. I felt like I grew with it and the twists came out like bombs. It was exactly at the time where I didn't expect it. I would love to recommend these books to readers like me, readers who like to read about second chance romance with an intense hope and feelings between characters. I am not sure if I've read books from the Author so i am happy to say that she got me to grow with the book.


ABOUT AUTHOR

SD Hendrickson received a Bachelor’s of Science in Journalism and Public Relations from Oklahoma State University. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and two schnauzers. Currently, her days are spent teaching computer software to oil and gas companies. The Mason List was her first novel and it was a 2015 Goodreads Choice Award Semi- Finalist for Best Debut Author.

She loves chocolate, romance books, Oklahoma State Cowboys, music, Lost, chocolate, beaches, coffee, cooking, Gilmore Girls, beautiful sunsets, Friends, chocolate, sad puppy stories, concerts, dreaming of Australia, The Walking Dead, guacamole, quotes, Netflixs binge-watching, Dawson’s Creek, chocolate, hot tubs, exotic animal rescues, Friday Night Lights, writing, and of course, chocolate.



Shopping for an Heir (Shopping for a Billionaire #10; Inheritance #9)  
Book Title: Shopping for an Heir 
Series: Shopping for a Billionaire 10
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Author: Julia Kent
Published: September 20, 2016
Purchase Book: AMAZON| BandN

Book Overview

Gerald Wright works for billionaires. He never imagined he'd become one.

The former Navy Seal is a chauffeur by day, artist by night, so when hotter-than-ever ex-fiancée Suzanne Dayton interrupts his nude model sculpting class to serve him with inheritance paperwork from a man he's never heard of, he assumes it's a joke.

Turns out the joke's on him. There's just one catch. A big one.

And it might be Suzanne -- in more ways than he ever dreamed.

Shopping for an Heir is the 10th book in the New York Times bestselling Shopping for a Billionaire series by Julia Kent. It features many favorite characters from the Shopping series, including Declan McCormick himself as Gerald's class model ;)


MY REVIEW

*ARC Provided for an Honest Review*

I might be very blessed this week cause for 3 books straight, I hit the jackpot of reading second chance romance books. I'm over the moon, honestly.

The book started out really well, I might even say good. Both chatacters showed independence and strength which I really like when it comes to stories like this. I'd say that I find the plot good, mild. The romance wasn't as intense as I expected coming from both parties, I mean, I expected a hot intense encounter cause, well, I just had the impression that Gerald is the intense kind of guy and Suzanne is just the perfect girl to execute that intensity with. 

What I feel like I fail to do though is follow through the story. I've skipped some parts and honestly, this would be one of those books that I would easily forget after this. It wasn't very explosive and the characters wasn't that remarkable to me. The ending was okay, the rest of the book was well and the characters were great but, I don't know, the fact that I kept losing interest through the story doesn't sit well with me. I'm normally easily entertained so, I don't know what happened.


ABOUT AUTHOR

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge, and new adult books that push contemporary boundaries. From billionaires to BBWs to rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every book she writes, but unlike Trevor from Random Acts of Crazy, she has never kissed a chicken. She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com


There is a $25 Gyft.com Gift Card Giveaway

Amore - Part 1 (Amore, #1)  
Book Title: Amore Part 1 
Genre: Mafia Romance 
Author: Bella Jewel
Published: September 19, 2016
Purchase Book: AMAZON

Book Overview

“It is not love that defines us, Julietta. It is love that destroys us.”

I’m just a normal girl.

Or so you would think.

I’ve never thought of myself as anything different.

Until I met him.

He doesn’t think I’m normal.

He thinks I’m special.

Special enough to be in his life.

Special enough to enter his world.

Special enough for his bed.

Rafael Lencioni. Dangerous. Beautiful. Terrifying.

My story is the one that’s never told.

I’m not the daughter.

I’m not the wife.

I’m not a sister or a mother.

I'm not his enemy and I'm not his friend.

I’m not who you think I am.

So for me to fit into their world, I have to do something I never wanted in my life.

Something I would have frowned upon until I met him.

I have to change who I am.

I have to shut down my heart.

I have to accept my place.

My body belongs to him.

My heart isn’t permitted to.

Those are his rules.

But rules were made to be broken…right?

MY REVIEW

*ARC Kindly Provided for an Honest Review*

Holy Mother! What the? WHAT THE ACTUAL F?! What the actual freaking eff did I just read? Did I just shoot my own self? This is not me, this is so not me. I could not believe I continued to read the book until the end. Well, not really the end. 

I rarely do this to myself. I rarely let myself suffer. If there's anything that I hate most in books, it's when they leave me without an end, yet. I was pumped when i started reading the book. Julietta and Rafael's story is something that I can call Intense. Every little thing that they both do was intense. I just didn't like the fact that Julietta was so naive. Even until the end of the book that was what i thought of her. I didn't find any improvement that would really tell me I should watch out for her in the next book. With Rafael, I just plainly hated how he shifts. It was like nothing matters to him. One minute he shows interest and the next, he is flaunting his wife in front of Julietta. 

I don't think I could actually say that I regreted reading this book. I enjoyed it for the most part but I tried to overlook the things that I couldn't really take. This being Julietta as a mistress and that it's a cliffhanger. The book has so many twists and shits and that's probably why I decided to read all through out. I actually loved how their romance started, I just partially approve of their relationship that's why I didn't give this book the perfect stars. No matter what situation Rafael has with his wife I don't think seeing someone else is the answer.


ABOUT AUTHOR

Bella Jewel is a self published, USA Today bestselling author. She’s been publishing since 2013. Her first release was a contemporary romance, Hell’s Knights which topped the charts upon release. Since that time, she has published over five novels, gaining a bestseller status on numerous platforms. She lives in North Queensland and is currently studying editing and proofreading to further expand her career. Bella has been writing since she was just shy of fifteen years old. In Summer 2013 she was offered an ebook deal through Montlake Romance for her bestselling modern day pirate series, Enslaved By The Ocean. She plans to expand her writing career, planning many new releases for the future.



There is a $50 Amazon gift card Giveaway


Draw Play  
Book Title: DRAW PLAY 
Genre: ROMANCE
Author: TIA LEWIS
Published: SEPTEMBER 5, 2016
Purchase Book: AMAZON

Book Overview

Jake lives and breathes football. When he’s not demonstrating his skills on the field, he’s busy putting the moves on every hot girl on campus. The last thing he needs is a tutor cramping his style but curvy Claire gets under his skin in more ways than one.

Claire can’t stand football players, and Jake is just as cocky and arrogant as the worst of them. He’s also impossibly sexy. Despite their frequent arguments, she starts to see another side to him and finds him increasingly hard to resist.

When they finally surrender, the heat they generate could melt the North Pole but is Jake really willing to sacrifice his image for Claire? Or will she be left on the sidelines with a broken heart?

Draw Play is a very steamy standalone, full-length football sports romance novel. It’s only recommended for audiences 18+. No cheating. No cliffhangers. Guaranteed HEA.


My Review

I liked the how the book turned out. I did not like Claire at first. Yes, there were times her attitude was reasonable but, at some points, she was just acting like a grade-A bitch. And I think she might’ve stereotyped Jake at the same time she might have not. Claire’s attitude, maybe mood swings, is the only thing that did not sit well with me on the book. Jake, he was very sexy to me. I don’t know but there was something about him that sit really well with me. It’s like, a crush. An admiration.

The book is definitely something that would set an adult heart on fire. I loved it. I love the acceptance of insecurities, the non-voluntary admission of feelings and the defensive sides of both parties. The back stories of both characters, especially Jake’s, is something that made the book really strong for me. You are who you are because of what you’ve been through right? On both parties, it was just reasonable.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Tia Lewis is a romance author from the Midwest who writes about smart, sexy, sassy women and hot, possessive alpha males. Her favorite bad boys to write about include sports players, mafia, bikers, billionaires and the bad-ass next door. You can find her cooking, reading, or traveling when she’s not busy working on her next release.
There is a $20 AMAZON Gift Card Giveaway

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Izney
Thank you for visiting BarelyBae, I've had this blog since I was 17 and over the years, I've read my fair share of good books and then bad so, to help everyone who needs it, I will put up only 100% unbiased reviews. Also, to all readers, we absolutely don't have to read all the books there are in a series. and we should Rate/Review according to how we feel not because we feel obliged to give such a rating. Also, follow me on Goodreads, I'm very active there. *winks*

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