Review- Finding Home by Aine Kelley

Finding Home by Aine Kelley 

My Rating, Summary and Review

✶✶✶✶✶

I received a copy of Finding Home in exchange for an honest review. 

Sam is about to graduate college and she has sworn off men and relationships thanks to what she's experienced with her own parents and with her dating history. Every one of her boyfriends has cheated on her and made her feel inadequate. She is busy planning for her future, which includes a teaching job in Boston, using her new college degree and finding a new place to live. 

Sam Cole's best friend and roommate, Jenny, is heading back home to California to work at her family's winery. When Sam's teaching job falls through due to budget cuts, Jenny makes Sam an offer that she can't refuse - joining her in California and helping out the family business while she figures out where to go from there. 

Jenny Foster's brother Ben has been grieving for the past 2 years, over the loss of his fiancee Beth who was killed in a car accident and is afraid to let himself have feelings for anyone else. Sam and Ben have spoken on the phone a few times, when he's called to speak to his sister and she was out but have never met face to face, until he picks Sam up at the airport as a favor to his sister. They both feel a connection but is that connection strong enough to break through the walls that each has put up around their hearts? 

I absolutely loved this book. Aine Kelley did an amazing job with this, her debut novel. I love that she offers us both point of views, with the chapters alternating from Sam's point of view in one chapter, to Ben's in the next. I always enjoy being to get into both main character's heads to know what they are thinking. Sam and Ben were such likeable characters - both had been dealt a tough hand by their own circumstances and both had very strong fight or flight instincts and I so wanted them to figure out that what they could offer to each other was worth fighting for. 

Aine Kelley's next book keeps us with the Foster family, featuring Jenny and Ben's best friend Jack and is due out in the spring of 2014 and I for one, cannot wait for it!

"Waiting on Wednesday" - Abandon by Cassia Leo

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My can't wait til it's out choice for this week is:

Abandon by Cassia Leo 

About the Book: 

This gritty spin-off of the New York Times bestselling Shattered Hearts Series follows mysterious and sexy Tristan as he attempts to abandon his demons in the name of love. 

A steady stream of meaningless sex is all Tristan has left when he discovers the grandmother who raised him is dying and his best friend is getting married. He is lost; and the dark secrets in his past keep coming back to remind him of this.

Until Tristan has an idea that will change his life and fulfill his dying grandmother’s wishes: Abandon his playboy ways and settle down.

And who better to do it with than Senia, the girl who has occupied his thoughts since their scorching hot tryst in the back of his sports car. The girl who makes him laugh and feel like a kid again.

But when his world begins to crumble around him, the pain Tristan is hiding finds its way to the surface. Will Tristan finally learn to trust again? Or will he abandon Senia when she needs him the most

My Notes: 

I loved the Shattered Hearts series so I'm looking forward to reading about Claire's friend Senia and Tristan's story.    I've seen several reviews from readers who were fortunate to get ahold of an ARC and they are all raving about the book!

Expected Publication: January 27, 2014

Classified as New Adult Romance

My Review - Heartbeat trilogy by Faith Sullivan

About the Books:

Heartbeat (#1)

Katie and Adam are afraid of love.  

She carries the scars of a first kiss gone terribly wrong.

He uproots his life to flee the stinging betrayal of an ex.

When trust is no longer an option, all romance is suspect.

As a young paramedic, Adam rescues people for a living but cannot save himself. Katie, just out of high school, struggles with a tortured home life she cannot escape. 

Everything changes when Katie hops into the front seat of Adam's ambulance. Overwhelmed by what they are feeling, neither possess the confidence to make the first move. They walk away from each other, full of regret. 

To find her, Adam risks his future. To be with him, Katie sacrifices her security. 

Little do they know, what little time they do have, is being measured by a heartbeat that is slowly dying out.

Come What May (#2)

Adam is through with love.

He unravels blaming himself for what happened with Katie.

His final moments with her echo through his nightmares.

She owns him body and soul.

To dull the pain, Adam invites a string of women into his bed. Fueled by alcohol and desperation, his meaningless hook-ups provide little comfort. When he closes his eyes, it's Katie he sees.

The only one who helps to ease his guilt somewhat is Jada. But as his new ambulance partner, Adam considers her off limits. He doesn't want to get seriously involved with anyone, much less her. Yet he can't stop fantasizing about the feel of her caramel skin against his.

Despite his intentions, Adam's bond with Jada deepens as they respond to a series of emotional calls. Their mutual attraction becomes undeniable. But how can he give his heart to Jada when it still belongs to Katie?

I Am Yours (#3)
Adam is at a crossroads.

He has Katie on his mind and Jada in his bed.

Now with the ultimate choice before him, he must decide between fantasy and reality. 

Katie's his dream girl, but Jada's his best friend, his partner. As a paramedic, he's supposed to save lives, not wreck them. Yet his failure to commit leaves a trail of heartache in his wake.

Things come to a head at his brother's wedding when a surprise announcement leaves Adam scrambling to pick up the pieces. Sure, women find his shaggy blond hair and aquamarine eyes irresistible. But to him, sex is nothing more than a means of escape ... until it turns into a psychological trap.

His mind is telling him one thing, while his heart is beating another. He's not sure what he wants when it comes to a serious relationship. Sorting out his feelings, he finally comes to a startling realization. He is capable of love. 

But what if it's too late?

My Rating and Review
✶✶✶
This is a hard series for me to rate but I've decided to go with a 3 star for the books as a complete series.   In Heartbeat, I fell absolutely in love with Adam and with Katie.  But then something happened as the book ended in a cliffhanger.   Luckily, I had book 2 on tap so I was ready to keep going and try to wrap my head around the major plot twist.   Meanwhile, in Come What May, we meet Adam's new paramedic partner.   I was still in shock over what had happened and also still wanting Adam and Katie to work out somehow so it was hard for me to get to like Jada.   Then the end of that book arrives and guess what, another twist and a cliffhanger. 

It was a few weeks before I got ahold of the 3rd book, but the writing pulled me right in again and I once again was waiting to find out what was going to happen with Adam, and Katie and Jada.  

Each plot twist came out of the blue and had me questioning my own sanity, much less Adam's sanity while I tried to figure out just what went down.   Faith Sullivan did a good job in tying up the pieces at the end of the book and had a clear picture of where each character was going to wind up, but there was still some confusion for me, particularly with the timeline of the events in book 1.   I'm hopeful that by me reading Heartbeat again, this time with the series ending in my head, I'll be better able to understand all of the events and when it all happened. 

If I were to base my review completely on the writing and how smoothly the story flowed, I would give it a 4 star reading, but simply because I felt so much confusion (a feeling I'm unused to feeling at the end of a book) I'm going to rate the series as a 3 star.  

I received a complimentary copy of the books in the Heartbeat trilogy in return for an honest review. 

Friday 56 (#1) Spiral

This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice.  All you have to do is grab a book (any book will do)!  Turn to either page 56 or 56% in your ereader.  Find a sentence or two that grab your attention and then post it and link it here.

I'm always on the hunt for the next good book.  I've got a crazy huge amount of books on my Kindle, so it's hard to choose so I just randomly choose one today.  Here's 2 sentences that grabbed my attention at 565 and has me wanting to keep reading. 

from Spiral by Mila Ferrera

About the Book: Nessa Cavanaugh, psychology student, knows how to stay on an even keel. Despite the urging of her mother and her academic advisor to get a life and have some fun, “all work and no play” sums up her plan to survive her grueling internship year at a children's hospital. She doesn't want to end up like her father, whose constant ups and downs broke her family, and avoiding unnecessary emotional entanglements is a must.

Then she (literally) runs into Dr. Aron Lindstrom in the middle of her disastrous first day on the job. The attraction is instant—and terrifying. Nessa knows she should stay away—especially when she finds out he has a reputation for being a player—but Aron is brilliant, intense, and as sexy as they come. When he challenges her to take a chance on him, her plans to stay focused on work start to crumble.

But what begins as passion takes on a dangerous edge, becoming an emotional roller coaster that’s frighteningly familiar. As things spiral out of control, Nessa must decide whether she should hold on for the ride or run … even if it means leaving her heart behind.

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Come To Me Quietly by A.L. Jackson

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Happy New Year everyone.  I'm so excited about all of the new books that I'll be adding to my library this year, starting with Come To Me Quietly from A. L. Jackson.

About the Book (from Goodreads): 

Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside.

Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain.

Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own.

Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate.

Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.

My Notes:   A tattoo-ed bad boy coming back to his hometown, facing his past and his best friend's younger sister, who's loved him secretly for so long.  Oh boy, yes please!!!    

Expected Publication date 1/7/14 

Classified as New Adult Erotic Romance 

What book are you waiting on to come out this week?  

Review:  Down To Business (Business Series #1) by JC Alexander

About the Book: 

While everyone else headed off to college, small town girl, Autumn Malone, stays behind to help manage her family’s failing restaurant. Two years later, when a scholarship at Adelphi University comes her way, she can’t resist the chance to start a new life. The one thing that she isn’t planning on…is falling for irresistible Vinny Mazzola.

To outsiders, Hamptons born Vinny Mazzola has it all: good looks, money, and an esteemed reputation. While studying business at Adelphi, the last thing he expects to do is fall in love with awkward Autumn Malone, who forces him to ask himself what is really important in life.


When the opportunity arises for Autumn to work at Vinny’s family-owned Italian restaurant, Mazzolas, it seems like a perfect way for her to get to know him better. That is until she meets his over protective mother and his conceited ex-girlfriend who both want nothing more than to get rid of her. Between frats, family, friends, and foes, when it comes down to business, will Autumn and Vinny have to sacrifice everything for a love they can’t live without?

My Rating and Review:
✶✶✶✶✶

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review and I loved this book!! I made the mistake of starting it after midnight one night when I wasn't able to sleep and at 2:15, I had to force myself to put the Kindle down because I had to be up in a few hours and needed to get at least a little bit of sleep. Fast forward to morning and I hurried to get ready for work so that I could try to get to the end of the book, which I'm happy to say I did!

There were a few times that I wanted to slap Autumn for being so wishy-washy on having a relationship with Vinny, but I get that her insecurities came from having to deal with the ex-girlfriend, who I wanted to actually punch, not just slap through the majority of Autumn's dealings with her. Vinny had a lot to deal with with his family and the restaurant and that ex-girlfriend so there were a couple instances where he too could have used a slap, but he definitely won me over.


Down to Business does end with an event that has the reader wondering what happens next so I'm hopeful that J.C. Alexander will do all of us fans a favor and get the second book in the Business series written and published quickly! 

Review: Patch Up (Patch Up #1) by Stephanie Witter

About the Book: 

Skye followed her long time boyfriend to Seattle for their first year of college, but he dumped her after only a week. The relationship brought only pain and destruction in Skye's life, and yet, she can't bring herself to open up and live her life.

"What if I am already broken into pieces?"

She hates to be touched, hiding under her oversized shirts and behind her wild frizzy hair. Even her bubbly roommate can't reach her. And yet ...

"I'm the guy who knows how you can hurt so much that your insides feel like they're cut and bleeding."

The tall, handsome, and tattooed TA in her psychology class changes everything when he literally collides with her and confronts her. For the first time in a long time, she wants to try and open up to this guy whose dark, intense eyes can't hide his own pain despite his dazzling smile getting to her.

However, just when she's starting to live again, her ex-boyfriend comes back, breaking her time and time again, making it all the more complicated.

She wants to fight for herself and for this building thing with the TA, even when he pushes her away, but can two broken people patch each other up?

"I never thought colliding with someone could change lives, but it is possible."


* Due to some shocking scenes, this novel is for readers of 18 and up.

My Rating & Review
✶✶✶✶✶

I received a copy of Patch Up from the author and I love Skye and Duke's story. It definitely had a lot of dark moments so some parts where difficult to read but I was so invested in both Skye and Duke that it never would have occured to me to put the book down for something lighter. My heart broke for Skye and for Duke so many times and all I wanted was for them to recognize that they could be the one's to heal each other.