Review ~ Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino

I thought that this review had been posted but I was looking for it and couldn't find it, so though it was released last month, this book is too good not be talked about, so for today's review I am posting Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino.

Book Description:

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist “missed connection” post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in New York City.

To the Green-eyed Lovebird:

We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.

You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.

We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other.

Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding…

I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello.

After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?

M

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1O1IXae

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1hl5oLz

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 stars

“Once there was a you and me.

We were lovers.

We were friends.

Before life changed.

Before we were strangers.

Do you still think of me?”

For me this was one of the cleverest blurbs I had ever read, if any blurb pulls you in, it would be this one. As soon as I read it, I wanted it and I had been itching for release day. The pull from the heart on the sleeve post had me salivating for more; I wanted to know all about M and his Green-eyed Lovebird.

I love second chance love; there is something about revisiting old feelings that makes the new ones that bit deeper. I understand that some don’t work because you obviously split for a reason but when that reason is miscommunication it always leaves it open ended with no closure and that was exactly the situation that these two found themselves in.

“You have to learn to fly before you can soar.”

Even though they had been apart for so long, they had never forgotten each other and that was the one thing that kept me going. That initial love was bone deep and that kind of love is hard to forget and with a life full of “What If’s” these two needed to reconnect, I was praying that they did.

“…that’s why my mother always said we memorialize our past. Everything seems better in a memory.”

Grace and Matt’s story spans over fifteen years and flicks back from past to present. Normally this can be confusing if not executed right but with these past chapters we were treated to a first love that I was glad I hadn’t missed. It was these past chapters that gave us real insight into these two as a couple and what had really happened all those years ago that eventually led to them being estranged.

Matt and Grace met at University, both were oddballs in their day but their weird and quirky ways drew them together. They both had a flair for the arts and it was this mutual love that drew them together in a firm friendship. It takes a while for those lines to blur and blur they do and soon their friendship turns to love and it was a soul mate kind of love, I felt it all. Sometimes though, all good things come to an end and end they do, it hurt…for them and for me too.

“You can’t recreate the first time you promise to love someone or the first time you feel loved by another. You cannot relive the sensation of fear, admiration, self-consciousness, passion, and desire all mixed into one because it never happens twice. You chase it like the first high for the rest of your life.”

Fast forward to the present and a chance glimpse on a crowded platform leads Matt into trying to find the once love of his life. It was so beautiful. I really want to go into details, but I can’t. I could go on for an eternity about the love I had for this couple but I won’t. You need to experience this journey yourself.

Renee Carlino has this knack of drawing you into her characters hearts and heads. You live and breathe their story and this one is no different. My heart was pumping for the majority of this book and I was rooting for these two from the very beginning. Yes, miscommunication is one of my pet peeves but the way that this was executed into this story, it worked and even though I should have been annoyed, I wasn’t. Yes I was annoyed at the characters but I understood to a degree, my only little niggle was that I felt that Matt didn’t try hard enough after they split to find her, but again, I could understand.

“The present is our own. The right-this-second, the here-and-now, this moment before the next, is ours for the taking. It’s the only free gift the universe has to offer. The past doesn’t belong to us anymore and the future is just a fantasy, never guaranteed. But the present is ours to own. The only way we can realize our fantasy is if we embrace the now.”

There was one plot device that I saw coming a mile away, but again, it worked. I did think it was all a bit anti-climactic when it was revealed as I thought the twist may have been something else but none the less this did nothing to detract what was an emotional, extremely engaging read. This was one of those reads that I can see myself re-reading over and over again. While the characters may not have been perfect, they were together and they were to me. While their time may not have been in the past they now had a chance at a future and it is this that keeps those pages turning. A beautiful, entrancing, thoroughly engaging read that I couldn’t put down and one that I can highly recommend.

“…my life wasn’t real without you. It was just a series of days all strung together by a bunch of regrets.”

Release Day Blitz, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway ~ These Battered Hands by Laurel Ulen Curtis

These Battered Hands

Laurel Ulen Curtis

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 29, 2015

Cover Designer: Hang Le

Book Description:

Callie

Blood, sweat, hard work, and a disconcerting lack of tears—my entire life—was meant to culminate in a flourish of glory and significance.
I’d thought I’d always known exactly what that meant.
But I’d had the timing wrong by about three minutes.
I knew now.
This moment wasn’t everything. The one person I found myself wanting more than anything during it was.


Nik

One preconceived notion can haunt you for the entirety of your life.
I thought I owed it to myself and to everyone who’d ever backed me to do what was expected. What was right. What I was supposed to do.
But nothing is forbidden in love. Not circumstances or propriety or the denial of the object of said affection.
I knew now.
This was it.
If I wanted it, I had to take it.


This gymnastics love story is more than grips, rips, and battered hands.
For Calia Nickleson and Nikolai Bagrov, it was everything.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1MAe371

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1GbGvav

KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/these-battered-hands

Excerpt:

His eyes were like actual pools of water—moving, flowing, and changing color along with depth. Each time his focus shifted, so did mine, zeroing in on a new fleck of deep blue and trying to help it float through the much more abundant aqua. Their magnetism made it hard to focus on his words, but I wouldn’t have traded those moments spent studying their nuances for all of the words in the dictionary.
Sure, looks were shallow and words could mean everything, but in those split seconds when his eyes changed before my own, I would have sworn on my every Olympic medal it was the opposite.
And right now, I needed the comfort of that feeling. I needed it to swaddle me in its warmth and make everything feel right again.
The word wrong had never been a concept worthy of my focus, but as I tried to make sense of what was happening, denying its existence was no longer an option.
Up felt like down and left very nearly tricked me into believing it was right.
Voices called out to me constantly and on repeat, but none of them were the one I wanted. Like they were speaking through water, every pronunciation of my name seemed foreign and unwelcome, and my brain did nothing but scream another.
I tried valiantly to talk my uncooperative body into bending to my will, but for the first time in my life it wouldn’t.
Digging deep down into my gut, I found the last vestiges of my energy and willed them into one single action.
Into one single word.
“Nik.”
Priorities shifted and silence mocked me.
My entire life had been a series of events all specifically driven toward this very moment. I’d known all of my work was meant to culminate in a flourish of glory and significance. I’d known there’d be a second in time when I knew why each part of my life had played out the way it had. Why I’d worked, why I’d sweat, why I’d fought to keep going well after most people’s journeys were done.
I’d even known it would probably happen now—on this stage, in front of all of these people.
I’d just had the timing wrong by about three minutes.
But I knew now.
This was it.
The thing I found myself wanting most during this moment—that was everything.
He was everything.

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 3.5 stars

***ARC received for an honest review***

“And you never truly missed something until it was…Gone.”


This was a sports romance with a difference and it was a difference that I loved. I haven’t yet read a book centred around the life of Olympic gymnasts and I loved delving around into the lives of these athletes. The pressure that they put on themselves as well as pressure from their peers and family is huge and add to that the stereotypical ideals of age, build, diet and so on there is so much external interference it is a wonder any gymnast can concentrate at all.


“…but the toxic thoughts that haunted her weren’t her own. They were the seeds planted there by everyone else who put her out in the fucking boat destined for the big show and left her to drift.”


Callie is a twenty-six year old gymnast and already has two Olympics under her belt. She has always placed well but never good enough. She knows that this will be her last Olympics what with most competitors being ten years her junior so she is going all out to make her mark this time around…but first she needs to qualify.

Gymnastics is in Callie’s blood, her father owns a gymnastics gym so she has free reign to train whenever she wants, her father has kind of been the pushy parent and seems to dictate everything surrounding her career, she still lives at home too so she has no way of separating herself from his overbearing ways. However, he does seem to come good with one idea and that is the employment of a new gym coach. Callie’s father is of the opinion that as he is a professional gymnast and is around the same age as Callie that she will take notice and maybe even listen…but first meetings are not that great.

I loved Nik, he was a broken soul but he was a demon tumbler. He had strength, he had passion but most of all he had experience and he had a huge heart. Neither Nik nor Callie had ever had romantic interests what with their careers dictating their romantic interludes so when they actually connect it is a shock to both of them.


“The bad boy’s long gone, and the hopelessly devoted version has taken his place.”


Callie was extremely stubborn and closed off, she kept herself to herself and didn’t have friends, she didn’t even talk to fellow gymnasts, she was lonely, but it was self inflicted. In order to succeed she had made many sacrifices and it was Nik that showed her that that needn’t be the case. These two were chalk and cheese but they were so well suited. They both needed someone and their paths crossed at just the right time. The brought each other to life.


“I was telling it…As us.”


I loved the writing style and the fact that the last word in each chapter hooked you into the first word of the next chapter was unique and had me guessing the word from chapter to chapter. The story flowed really well and it was a real page turner for me. With dual point of views it did go someway to building that character connection but for me something was lacking. I didn’t feel as if I really got to know them as individuals. I would have loved for more back story. I also felt the ending was a tad rushed, with so much happening towards the end I felt it needed a little more fleshing out. Even taking that into account, I really enjoyed their story.


“I learned to love those battered hands, but I learned to love you better.”


I will also never be able to look at Second Skin Spray the same again without thinking of these two, purple glitter and battered hands.

About the Author:

Laurel Ulen Curtis is a 28 year old mother of one. She lives with her husband and son (and cat!) in New Jersey, but grew up all over the United States. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2009
with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology, and puts that to almost no use other than forecasting for her friends and writing a storm chasing heroine! She has a passion for her family, laughing, and reading and writing Romance novels. She’s also addicted to Coke. The drink, not the drug.

LAUREL’S SOCIAL MEDIA:

http://www.facebook.com/laurelulencurtis
http://Laurelulencurtis.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/LUCurtisAuthor
www.pinterest.com/Laurelcurtis/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6912103.Laurel_Ulen_Curtis
http://instagram.com/lucurtisauthor/

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bc4d7a90131/?

Cover Reveal ~ Chaser by Staci Hart

 

Cover Reveal

Book: Chaser by Staci Hart

Photographer: Perrywinkle Photography https://www.facebook.com/Perrywinkle-Photography-181095318624016/timeline/

Designer: Quirky Bird https://www.facebook.com/quirkybirddesigns?fref=ts

Book Description:

Everyone knows you should never say never.

Cooper Moore never saw Maggie Williams coming. She was just his best friend’s little sister, the curly-haired, freckle-faced girl from Mississippi who was absolutely off limits. And he never thought about her any other way — not until he saw her that night, broken and brave. From that moment on, he knew he’d do whatever it took to protect her, even if it meant he had to stay away. 

Maggie never expected to find her fiancé banging her maid of honor an hour before she was set to walk down the aisle, but life’s funny that way. The only option to save her sanity is to get the hell out of Jackson and move to New York where her brother lives. The only downside: Cooper is there too. And she just doesn’t know if she can stay away from him — the filthy rich, dead sexy playboy who’s allergic to commitment. 

The second Maggie sees him again, she realizes he’ll be impossible to resist. Luckily, commitment is the last thing on her mind, and Cooper is the perfect escape. As long as she can keep her heart in check, everything will be just fine. Because she can never have feelings for him. Or at least that’s what she’ll keep telling herself. 

Chaser is a standalone romantic comedy and book 2 of the Bad Habits series.

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26093150-chaser?from_search=true&search_version=service

Buy Links for first book in series:

With A Twist 

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1fDmlQv

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1CC0Vx3

Release Day Blitz & Review ~ The Allure of Dean Harper (The Allure #2) by RS Grey

Title: The Allure of Dean Harper (Allure #2)
Author: R.S. Grey
Release Date: Sept 28, 2015

Book Description:

From: LilyNBlack@Gmail.com
To: JosephineKeller@VogueMagazine.com
Subject: You’re a flippin’ idiot

Good morning my dear, naive friend,

I hope you’re enjoying a breakfast of regret and sorrow.

Why?

Because you sent me to work for Dean Harper, aka a control freak in a tailor-made suit. Sure he owns the trendiest restaurants in NYC, but c'mon Jo, his ego makes Kanye West look like the Dalai Lama.

He's the type of guy that only hears the word “no” when it's followed by “don’t stop.”

Working for Dean Harper would be like selling my soul to the devil…and before you say anything, I don’t care if the devil has punch-you-in-the-gut brown eyes and an ass to match. My soul isn’t for sale.

Regretfully yours,
Lily

The Allure of Dean Harper is a full-length standalone romance with overlapping characters from The Allure of Julian Lefray. Both books can be read separately. Chronologically, The Allure of Julian Lefray happens first.

 

Add it to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1Va5qaQ

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FCB8q7
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1NWzm4f

 

 

Our Review:

 

 

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 stars

***ARC received for an honest review***

 

“...One day you’ll wake up and realise that you’re completely alone, and your insides will twist with regret. No man is an island. Not even you.”


This was another fantastic read from RS Grey. We have two extremely alpha characters and you just knew from the onset that these two were going to fight and it was surely going to make for some entertaining reading and it did just that.

Lily was a fiery redhead, she was sassy, she was confident in her work, she was stubborn, she was hilarious but she was also extremely lovable. Having moved to New York with huge aspirations Lily was soon brought back down to earth with a bump when she saw how fickle New York really was. She had just finished culinary school and had also been a top grade mixologist having also attended a bar tending program and had done everything possible to help herself attain her career goal of working in the restaurant business. Lily was also Jo’s best friend and had come to New York as Jo had told her that Julian’s best friend Dean owned a chain of restaurants so there could be an opening for her to get her career off the ground.

Having sauntered into one of Dean’s restaurants unknowingly and seeing them struggle, Lily plants herself behind the bar for an on the job interview and having put her Tom Cruise Cocktail’esque bar tending skills to good use the on duty manager is extremely impressed. However, when an obnoxious customer comes in and really pushes all of Lily’s buttons she does not hold back...but it just so happens that this tricky customer is the owner, Dean Harper.


“Being a diabolical villain was definitely a good look for me.”


Dean was a work-a-holic, he was highly successful, young and entrepreneurial, he lived for success, he wanted the accolades...or so he thought. Everything else in life was put on the back burner for work and that included his heart and he definitely didn’t have time in his life for a little sassy firecracker who told him his cocktails were old fashioned and basically...crap!


“It was time to get to know the enemy.”


These two were definitely enemies, they absolutely hated each other and there is nothing better than a good enemy to lover’s story. I loved Lily with a passion, she stood up for herself and took no crap from anyone, especially Dean and it was this trait that tended to get her into trouble the most. Dean and Lily are very similar in that respect, Dean is far from used to anyone challenging his ideas or decisions so you always knew that when Dean employed her after pressure from Jo and Julian that this workplace was going to get sooooo much more interesting.


“He was wrong; I didn’t love it as much as him. I loved it more.”

 

The spats between these two had me in hysterics at times, yet underneath those cat fights was undeniable sizzling chemistry and both of them knew it. The trouble is with stubborn ass people is that they don’t give in easily and it was this push and pull that keeps you glued from page to page. For me their fighting though was more like foreplay and the more they fought the more heated it got and it was only in the heat of an argument that you could see slight chinks in their emotional armour, those little slivers that peek out and let the other one know their real thoughts and feelings. It is this explosive reaction to each other that leads to some explosive scenes between the sheets and these two certainly warmed up my kindle.

“If only she and I could shut up for ten minutes, the sex would be the best of lives. Angry. Hard. Fast. Not love. Not even close. War.”

With two characters that don’t trust easily and have an intense love/hate relationship this book has something for everyone. We have some terrific banter, a bit of angst, that fantastic push and pull wrapped up with some fiery sexual tension and underneath we have two characters that really deserve to experience love. Even amongst all this fire we have some fantastically tender scenes that will melt even the coldest of hearts and you will be championing these two all the way.

“...I wanted to climb and climb and climb, but the top turned out to be an even colder type of isolation.”

This was another great instalment in this series from RS Grey and I cannot wait to see who she has in store for us next.

 

About the Author:

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things...everyday.
​
I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors are Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things funny. Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

 Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1P1szVn
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1xIycUh
Instagram: http://bit.ly/1JqWEJc
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1MK5MAq

 



 

Review ~ Just Business (Takeover 2) by Anna Zabo

Book Description:

From the thrilling new author of Takeover, a steamy new novel about having all the control—and losing it…

Note from the author: This is the followup to Takeover and features Justin and Eli. Sam and Michael are fairly important characters in this book as well.
Justin White may not look like an up and coming corporate superstar, but his new boss knows he has the smarts, grit, and determination to succeed. Now he just has to convince his company’s CFO, Eli Ovadia. Unfortunately, Justin can’t seem to keep his cool around the domineering Eli—and soon he finds himself taking their heat from the boardroom into the bedroom….

Still haunted by a tragic accident that left him with a wounded leg and broken heart, Eli has a need to be in control. But his desire for Justin makes him want to lose that control—and push them both far beyond their limits. But will his need to dominate Justin drive him away—or will Eli find a way to be the man he needs for both of them?

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23213982-just-business
 

Buy Links:

99c

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1YGVXae

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KJ6Dvx

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars

“Fortitudo e dolore…Strength from pain.”


This was another one of those MM reads that really pulled at my heart strings. We have two men with enough psychological baggage to fill a 747, but something connected them from the moment they met. Both men are extremely guarded when it comes to their emotions and heart so for any flicker of interest to register means an awful lot to both of them. Is this just intrigue though or could it be something else?

Justin is a man hiding behind nail polish, eye liner and the grunge/Goth look that he has got going, but it suits him and his attitude. Justin has had a previous relationship but it was more an ownership and Justin is determined to never fall into that situation again. He is fiercely independent and trying his hardest to succeed. He is extremely intelligent and as he is finishing his studies he is top of his class. Justin works at a coffee shop to make ends meet, but they are far from meeting. He supports his family back home as much and as often as he can and this puts him under even more pressure leaving him to live in virtual squalor and eat virtually nothing. But it is in the coffee shop that Justin meets Eli.

Eli is a CFO, extremely motivated and a work-a-holic but he seems to have no sense of humour whatsoever. He is extremely serious, aloof, cold and distant. Eli walks with a limp and a cane and uses them as a line of defence. Once again we have a fiercely independent man who is as much emotionally scarred as he is physically. He is incredibly domineering, dominating and intimidating; he is a man that knows what he wants and knows when and how to get it. But really…is this the real Eli? Or is this just a front to mask the pain of his past and the fear of his future.


“This - was what the opposite of heartache felt like. So much joy Eli thought he might crack apart from the lightness and fullness of it, or burst into flames, or…live.”


When Eli and Justin’s paths cross in the coffee shop both their interests are piqued but both keep it close to their chests, however when Justin aces his interview at the company that Eli works at, it seems fate has a way of throwing these two together. Even though these two are total opposites and both seem to rub each other up the wrong way we all know that there is a fine line between love and hate…which way will these two go?


“…this is richer, more expansive. I can’t even describe…I can’t get him out of my mind. He’s infuriating. Brilliant. Amusing.”


There are some extremely emotional and tender scenes in this book and there really is something for everyone. We have the humour, we have the angst, the will they won’t they push and pull that I love, but at the end of the day we have two extremely hurt and guarded individuals that are so well suited for each other it is uncanny, yet will their pasts determine their futures or will they be strong enough to fight for what they both desperately want and undoubtedly need.

The chemistry between these two was palpable and Anna Zabo did an amazing job bringing these two characters to life. I felt their emotional pain, their insecurities, their fears, and their reticence to put themselves out there. This was a leap of faith for both men and for the type of relationship that they both crave this was a huge deal for both of them.


“…because of you, I came here tonight to tie a man up, flog him and fuck him. If you want to be that man, you better get on your knees right fucking now.”


This book does contain BDSM and it was these scenes that brought some of the tenderest moments and also the most heart breaking. I shed many tears while reading this book and it is this emotional intensity that really hammered home this couple’s story. I loved it and I cannot wait to read more in this series. While book one, which was Sam’s story wasn’t a hit for me, this one really was.


“The whole Dom/Sub thing is easier when there are no complications. And I’m…a bit complicated.”

Release Day Blitz & Review ~ The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C Cherry

Title: The Air He Breathes
Series: Romance Elements #1
Author: Brittainy C. Cherry
Genre: Romance
Release Date: September 25, 2015

Book Description:

I was warned about Tristan Cole.

“Stay away from him,” people said.
“He’s cruel.”
“He’s cold.”
“He’s damaged.”

It’s easy to judge a man because of his past. To look at Tristan and see a monster.

But I couldn’t do that. I had to accept the wreckage that lived inside of him because it also lived inside of me.

We were both empty.
We were both looking for something else. Something more.
We both wanted to put together the shattered pieces of our yesterdays.

Then perhaps we could finally remember how to breathe.


Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25564446-the-air-he-breathes

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1j2bUHm

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1YtV3h3

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 stars

***ARC received for an honest review***

“How did two people so broken find each other’s shattered pieces?”


What an emotional and powerful book, every single Brittainy Cherry book I have read has left an indelible imprint on my heart and this book is no different. This author definitely seems to be making her presence felt in my soul and it still hasn’t recovered from my previous read of hers. There is something commanding about Brittainy Cherry’s writing that once you flick open that first page she takes you prisoner until you have devoured every single word. Every single word has a reason, a meaning or an emotion attached and you cannot help but be swept away in her stories that are honest, real and beautifully written.


“Every second. Every minute. Every hour. Every day.”


This story centres around tragedy, how lives are affected in different ways by turns of events and how two broken souls come together in misery. While this book is incredibly sad in places it was also hopeful and really hammered home the importance of making the effort to see what lies underneath, to find the real person hidden behind the mask because you may actually fall in love with what you see.


“Sometimes the hardest part of existing without your loved ones was remembering how to breathe.”

This book is an angst fest and angst is something I thrive on but it also has some fantastic humour smattered throughout and an adorable little girl that brings light through the pages. Yes it is emotional and the plethora of emotions that Brittainy Cherry smacks you with will have you crying one minute and laughing the next but overall I felt that the book was well balanced and was certainly a page turner, I could not put it down.

Lizzy was a beautiful character inside and out. She was living for her daughter, her daughter was her sole reason for getting out of bed every day and their relationship was fantastic. Having lost her husband she was slowly beginning to stand on her own two feet, she was still grieving, but the end was in sight, she was coming to terms with her loss and slowly but surely looking towards her and her daughter’s future. It had been a slow journey for them both but one that they were slowly coming to terms with.


“I missed being held, I missed being touched, I missed being wanted...”


Tristan was a loner; he had tucked himself away in a self-imposed state of exile with just his dog for company. He was the butt of the town gossip, what with his unkempt look; he was every conceivable bad thing...except he wasn’t. Tristan had his own battles to fight and he wasn’t fighting very well, he had closed himself off from everyone, including his parents, my heart broke for him.


“Show me the shadows that keep you up at night. Kiss me with your darkness.”


Living next door to each other it was obvious that their paths would cross but these two do not make anything easy. Tristan has his guard firmly in place and even though Lizzy has hers too, she had a chink and that chink was Tristan. There was something about him that called to her. Having ever only loved her husband Lizzy believed in her heart, her heart was telling her to make a difference, she sensed that Tristan needed someone and Lizzy made it her mission to try to get to know him. She was drawn to him and she needed to know why.


“She undressed me and made love to her past. I slid into her and made love to my ghosts.”


Their relationship is far from easy going. There are a lot of walls to be broken down, a lot of trust to be found and a lot of history to push aside. Forgiveness and willingness to move on are tantamount for these two but sometimes it is easier said than done. But most of all this is an incredibly beautiful love story and the relationship between Tristan and Lizzy’s daughter was heart stoppingly adorable and only made me fall in love with Tristan even more, despite his own pain he made sure that little girl didn’t hurt no more.


“During the light days, we held each other close. During the dark days, we held each other closer.”


So why not five shiny stars? For me towards the end there was a plot twist that I never saw coming (which is great) but I felt that it wasn’t needed and I felt it over shadowed the beautiful story that we were presented with. For me, this was Tristan, Lizzy, Emma and Zeus’s story and that is how I want to remember it, but other than that an amazing story and one that I will definitely be reading again.

About the Author:

 Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing--poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her family. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.

Author Links:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrittainyCherryAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrittainyCherry

Friday Frights ~ PNR Review ~ Warlock Unbound (Hearts Desire) by Dana Marie Bell

 

Book Description:

The last Beckett brother is going down.

If he had a choice, Daniel Beckett would wait to cast the Beckett family mating spell until his life is more settled. But his brothers, worried he’s losing himself to his wolf, aren’t giving it to him.

Daniel doesn’t need a spell to know Kerry Andrews is his mate. With the last of the Godwin warlocks still on the loose, Daniel crosses his fingers that the willful, stubborn, beautiful woman will allow him to protect her.

Kerry is tempted to make Daniel wait, like he’s made her wait for so long. But the decision is taken out of her hands when things start going horribly wrong. A sleeper hex is activated, putting her life in danger—and the only safe place to run is Daniel’s waiting arms.

Once there, Kerry finds a whole new world to explore with her magical mate. But Arthur Godwin is plotting to rip away their newfound happiness. Women who look like Kerry are turning up dead…and it’s only a matter of time before the killer’s weapon hits its intended prey.

Warning: This title contains explicit sex, graphic language, a growly wizard and the woman who loves him.

Buy Links:

 

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Oya0v5
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1LCbu5J

 

Our Review:

 

Reviewed by Shirley ~ 5 stars

 



This is the fourth book in this amazing series. It centres on the last of the Beckett brothers. If you like your wizards, witches and warlocks then this is the book for you. It has magic galore, fighting the good fight against evil. In this case it is a malevolent warlock called Arthur Godwin and in this fight he had to be brought down and as quickly as possible.

This book is also one very erotic and sexy read. Daniel Beckett is a wizard/werewolf that is one stud muffin, much to his future mates delight. His mate Kerry Andrews is a human working as a nurse. After a long separation much to Kerry’s disgust she is finally where she should be, with Daniel but not without repercussions happening. With demons targeting Kerry these two have their work cut out, which makes for a strong story, something you get hooked into right from the start.

The Becketts are a strong magical family with one being the Wizard King and another a Own, a goddess warrior, that makes this one very formidable family and if you bring in their mates, all with strong magic on their sides, it will take a lot to bring these people down. They have not lost the family feelings either because inspite of all this they still have time to joke and play pranks on each other which makes you relate with them. But as I said in the beginning this is one very sexy and erotic read as well. The chemistry between Daniel and Kerry is a delight and moving read.


“How could he not adore her? She was his match in every way. Gods above, she was delicious. He caressed her lips until they opened for him, granting him access to inner sweetness. He devoured her, placing his claim in the only way he could at that moment, trying desperately to imprint himself on her so she'd know without a doubt that he was hers and she, his.”


With an astonishing revelation that concerned Kerry which no one in the Beckett family saw coming but delighted Daniel as he knew it could only bring him and Kerry even closer and with the wolf inside howling with enthusiasm makes for a story which makes you wonder what is going to happen next. This also shows how close the Beckett family is in accepting everything that makes it unique. With Daniels and Kerry’s bond getting stronger and stronger and this really showed in their lovemaking.


“Kerry screamed as the orgasm washed over her, so intense she was spots dancing in front of her eyes. She clutched his headboard as her body fell forward, shivering as it seemed to go on and on. It felt like forever before the spasms ended, but when they did he was still lapping at her, keeping her body in overdrive.

"You up for round two?"”


And on that note I will leave you to read this sensational book except I must put one spell into this review as it caught at my emotions.

"Kindled is love
Kindled is flame
And on my love
I lay my claim
With the ending of this spell
May my shadow guard her well
By the power of earth and fire
Bind unto me my heart's desire
By the power of air and sea
As I will so mote it be"



Cover Reveal & Giveaway ~ Turbulence by Whitney G

Turbulence by Whitney G

Publication Date: October 22, 2015

Genres: Contemporary, Erotica

 

Book Description:

Fuck me recklessly
Kiss me harder.
Take me again and again…

He and I met under a cloud of clichés:
Boy meets girl. Boy charms girl. Boy fucks girl.
Our story was supposed to end right after the orgasms, right after we went our separate ways.

But then we saw each other again…
And neither of us could walk away.

Our rules were simple.
Our passion was scandalous.
Our hearts were supposed to be safe…

But when you find something so all-consuming—something so intoxicating and inescapable, you’ll risk everything you’ve ever had, even if you’re destined to crash and burn.

This is us.
This is our messed up love.
This is turbulence.

 

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23293849-turbulence?ac=1

 

About the Author:

A self diagnosed candy addict, travel junkie, and hypochondriac, Whitney G. LOVES to write about characters that make you laugh, cry, and want to (in the case of Selena Ross) reach through your Kindle and slap them. She is the "imaginary bestselling" author of the Jilted Bride Series, Mid Life Love, Wasted Love, and Captain of My Soul. When she's not locked inside her room, feverishly typing away on her laptop, she can be found here: http://www.whitneygracia.com She also loves getting emails from her readers, so if you want to tell her how much you loved (or hated) her stories, email her at whitgbooks@gmail.com

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

 

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5440a354549/

Review ~ The End Game by Kate McCarthy

 

Book Description:

“Professional athletes are pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community.”

The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do. What started out as a promising career in college football, spiraled into scandal and shame.

But being a hero is easier said then done. Especially when there are those who expected to see the great Brody Madden fail. I craved nothing except being the best—willing to do anything to prove them wrong. But I went too far, and I tried too hard, and it broke me.

“At the time of going to print, Jordan Elliott was unavailable for comment.”

I met Brody Madden in my senior year of college. An Australian native on an international scholarship, I was the female soccer sensation with stars in her eyes and no room for a hotshot wide receiver with a chip on his shoulder.

But a heart bursting with ambition and a driving fire to succeed isn’t made of stone. I became his strength, his obsession, and the greatest love of his life. Only I wasn’t there when he needed me most.

This is a story about love and a game that takes everything. Where the path to glory is paved with sacrifice. Where pressure makes you, or breaks you, and triumph is born in the ashes of failure. Where two people’s end game will change everything.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ELOIqV

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1NmPGwu

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars


“Home’s not a place where you live. It’s a feeling.”


I thoroughly enjoyed this one; it was not at all what I was expecting from a “Sports Romance.” This was a sports romance with a twist, it was great that the heroine was also a sports star too, with this book we have a successful woman as well as a successful man and it brought a whole new dynamic to this trope in sports romance books.

Kate McCarthy painstakingly draws you into the lives of Brody and Jordan and what I loved was that this wasn’t so much about the glamour, fame and fortune that success on the football pitch brings but this centred around the pressures to succeed and also how far you would go to match up to those expectations afforded to you by family, peers and fans.


“Out there on the field, the game is everything. It builds you up, breaks you down, and it bleeds you dry. But I fucking love it. It’s the only place I’m free.”

Brody Madden was the typical high school jock, except he wasn’t. He gave off those vibes in all the right places but really the reputation had no resemblance to the man himself. He was the man that all women wanted to be seen with and who all men wanted to emulate but if they really knew the real Brody Madden...would they want to be him?


“...so I lie there quietly and close my eyes, and I think about how nice it would be some days to just not wake up at all.”


Brody has the most unsupportive family...ever!! They wanted him to follow in the family footsteps, his father was a politician and his mum a society wife but it was apparent from a young age that was not going to happen. Brody had dyslexia and rather than get him the help and support that he needed, they brushed it under the carpet as an embarrassment, so Brody had to struggle all the way through school and college. It was amazing that he had made it this far. Now with his football career hanging on by a thread due to failing grades, drastic times call for drastic measures, I was just grateful that he had a supportive uncle, who fortunately was in the right place at the right time.


“Expectation is the root of all heartache.”

Jordan Elliott was the poor girl that had an affinity for football. She was at the top of her game in Australia and this had led her to be scouted by one of the top ladies soccer colleges who had brought her to the States on a scholarship. She had high expectations and the lives of her and her twin brother depended on her being successful. She has one goal and that was to succeed and get signed.


“Some of those girls out there play with heart, and some play just because they’re good at it, but you? You bleed the game.”

Jordan was a great character, she was strong, she was motivated and she knew what she wanted and how to get it but on the flip side she had a heart of gold and was sympathetic and empathetic. While her past may have dictated her future she had never let it get the better of her and if anything the bond that she had with her brother was even stronger and even more endearing. These two only had each other and with many sacrifices made Jordan needed this to work.

Brody, Brody, Brody, I felt so sorry for Brody, all he wanted was to be loved but in return he got nothing. My heart broke for him so many times but pressures also made him make some stupid choices. Pressures from outside forces and even from himself led him down a shaky path and one that was only ever going to end badly, but he wanted to be someone, he wanted his dad to be proud rather than embarrassed, he just wanted to be accepted, just how far would he be willing to go?


“Real life is ugly and raw, and it fucking sucks.”


Jordan and Brody’s paths cross when one of their professors marry them up for tutoring, Jordan having tutored her brother with dyslexia was the ideal candidate to help Brody and also they had sport in common, they understood each other’s pressures. While they didn’t necessarily get off on the right foot, it soon became apparent they had a lot more in common.


“...your strength is like the sun, Jordan. It feeds me. And if you don’t let me go, I’ll just use it all up until you have nothing left.”

Kate McCarthy really delivers on the emotion, the character build up and connection for me was on point and these two totally endeared themselves to me. My only little niggle was that in some places for me the story dragged and my interest began to wane a little, but then something else would happen and we would be back on track. As usual with a Kate McCarthy read you could not help but be drawn into this story, I felt it all, the conflicted thoughts, confusion, the pressure, the pain, the love, the hate, the fall outs and everything else in between. These two really had it rough but at least they had each other. At times they both needed tough love and they both delivered it and were on the receiving end, but that went a long way in showing just how much they meant to each other and how perfect they were together. They could read each other, they knew what the other wanted and needed and whether they initially wanted it or not their connection was soul deep. These two truly were soul mates.


“I luv u like a squirrel luvs his nuts.”
“I luv u like Kanye luvs Kanye.”


Another great read from Kate McCarthy, this is one author that knows how to deliver an emotional punch and this one is no different.


“It just got so hard. And it felt so good, just for once, to not be anything at all.”

Cover Reveal ~ Alasdair (Master Among Monsters Book #1) by Ella Frank

Cover Reveal

Author: Ella Frank

Book: Alasdair (Masters Among Monsters Book 1)

Release Date: 10/13/2015

Book Description: 

A DANGEROUS ALLURE

Bestowed with eternal life by the Ancient Vasilios, Alasdair Kyriakous is one of the most feared and ruthless vampires in existence. His name carries weight across all of the seven continents.

But he is a mystery to his kind, an anomaly among the self-indulgent. While he enjoys the pleasures of the flesh, he is exceptionally particular in his choice of partners and prides himself on his ironclad self-control.

Yet with one look his control will become a thing of the past, and Alasdair will discover that eternal life doesn't always last forever…

A DEADLY ATTRACTION

Thrust into a world he could never have imagined, Leo Chapel awakens in his worst nightmare. Taken hostage by the dangerously mesmerizing vampire, Alasdair, Leo must rely on his intelligence to escape before he reveals a secret he isn't even aware he's hiding.

A FORBIDDEN DESIRE

Unaware that they've been brought together by an outside force and are little more than pawns to a higher power, Alasdair and Leo spend time trying to uncover the other's secrets, the attraction between them growing stronger all the while.

But enemies are watching and preparing to act against them. When decisions that will alter lives and destinies have to be made—can a dead, grey heart learn to beat again?

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25866430-alasdair

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KHJgSd

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1MODPHp

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1fBkNW1

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1PuStks

ibooks: http://apple.co/1QVY44U

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwgYUMSzRO8

About the Author:

Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as "scorching hot!" and "enticingly sexy!"

A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her on the web at www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.author

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.

Website: http://www.ellafrank.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellafrank2012
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ella.frank.31
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/EllaFrank

Cover Reveal & Excerpt ~ The Weight of Rain by Mariah Dietz

 Title: The Weight Of Rain
Author: Mariah Dietz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 27, 2015

 

 

 Book Description:

 I've dreamed of him since before I was old enough to form memories. I'm as sure of this as I am of breathing.

 When I close my eyes, my mind paints a picture of his smile and shades the contours of his hands, the deep scar around his bicep.

 People say that I'm an artist, yet my mind is vacant, my hands unsteady. With his presence, he has unknowingly broken that something inside of me that makes me who I am, because being around him is like standing in a rainstorm.

First the drops tickle my skin, and then they coat me, refusing to be ignored. Finally, it seems they soak into me, reaching parts of me I don’t think anyone has ever touched. I’m not certain how he’s capable of doing so—I’m not sure that he even realizes it. Sometimes I'm terrified that it’s apparent in my reactions: other times—I really hope that it is.

I've been waiting for this. For him.

 But I never knew it would come with such a price. 

 

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25604762-the-weight-of-rain
 

Excerpt:

 “Ben, Brian, Benny, Brent, Bailey?”

“Isn’t Bailey a girl’s name?” I ask, my eyebrows drawing down in question though I’m tired of playing this game.

 “No, I’ve known guys named Bailey. It’s one of those names.” 

Charleigh twists in the driver’s seat, arching her eyebrows at me knowingly. I catch her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose and her hand brushing blonde hair from her face before I turn to watch the road.

“One of those names?” My voice is surprisingly even as we dangerously near the median.

“Yes. One of those names. You know, where a boy or a girl could have it. Like Charleigh.”

“It wasn’t Bailey. I would have remembered that name for sure.”

“You were pissed! You can’t even recall how you got home!”

“Drunk,” I reply automatically. “I was drunk.”

“Drunk, pissed, same difference.”

“Only you Brits think pissed means drunk. Here in America, we all think it means angry. We’ve gone over this.”

 “Yeah, yeah, stop changing the subject. Brandon, Brad, Bobby, Benedict?”

“Benedict?” I ask, my neck snaps to face her.

“Yes, Benedict.”

“Who names their kid Benedict?”

 “Plenty of people!”

 My eyebrows rise as I look to her with disbelief that she returns with a glare.

“Did he tell you where he lives?” Charleigh asks, undeterred by my attempt to change subjects.

My index finger slams against my chest. “Drunk. Remember?”

“At least you remember what counts I suppose.”

“I don’t remember his name, Charleigh!”

“But you remember that he made you see stars!”

“Stop! You make me sound like a floozy.”

“You were a floozy. You got pissed and slept with a complete stranger with good teeth.”

“He did have great teeth,” I agree.

“At least we know he has good hygiene, that’s a plus.” I groan, slapping a hand across my eyes to hide from my own embarrassment. “I’m just teasing. I’m proud of you, Crosby, you finally got a piece! It’s been over a year since the last time someone dusted your hallway.”

“Stop!” my objection is met by laughter which has my eyes rolling.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’m just teasing you. I’m glad you found someone you’re interested in.” Her focus moves back to the windshield for a moment and then turns to me, her lips pressed tightly into a hopeful smile. “We could try changing the last two digits and try dialing the number, see if we get anything.”

            I look down at the palm of my left hand that’s been scrubbed clean. Two weeks ago I woke up with a pounding headache, a hazy recollection of events that involved meeting a guy with auburn hair, warm amber eyes, and some of the straightest, whitest, most even teeth I’ve ever seen, along with a phone number that was half smeared/half worn off of my palm. I vaguely recall mentioning to him that it was hard to read at the time and him smiling at me, offering me more water. My memories contained blurbs including people dancing and me laughing, but the bright smile, and eyes that held so many unspoken words that I could vaguely recall trying to pull out of him, were the most potent. The memories grew clearer and clearer as the night went on, including one where I definitely remember convincing him I was sober enough to have sex.

 I, Lauren Crosby, convinced a complete stranger to
sleep with me at a house party.

 

 About The Author:

Mariah Dietz lives in Eastern Washington with her husband and two sons that are the axis of her crazy and wonderful world.

Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent the majority of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created.

She has a love for all things that include her sons, good coffee, books, travel, and dark chocolate. She also has a deep passion for the stories she writes, and hopes readers enjoy the journeys she takes them on, as much as she loves creating them.

Author Links

Website: http://www.mariahdietz.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mariah-Dietz-317058868472780/timeline/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariahDietz
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8474696.Mariah_Dietz

Review ~ Dance With Me by Heidi Cullinan

(I adore this cover...stunningly beautiful)

Book Description:

Sometimes life requires a partner.

Ed Maurer has bounced back, more or less, from the neck injury that permanently benched his semipro football career. He hates his soul-killing office job, but he loves volunteering at a local community center. The only fly in his ointment is the dance instructor, Laurie Parker, who can’t seem to stay out of his way.

Laurie was once one of the most celebrated ballet dancers in the world, but now he volunteers at Halcyon Center to avoid his society mother’s machinations. It would be a perfect escape, except for the oaf of a football player cutting him glares from across the room.

When Laurie has a ballroom dancing emergency and Ed stands in as his partner, their perceptions of each other turn upside down. Dancing leads to friendship, being friends leads to becoming lovers, but most important of all, their partnership shows them how to heal the pain of their pasts. Because with every turn across the floor, Ed and Laurie realize the only escape from their personal demons is to keep dancing—together.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1PblSAw

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1iE0wSd

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars

“Better to dance with the devil and enjoy yourself than hover under the glower of the nuns.”

This was one of those books that I just couldn’t put down, such an intense and beautiful story where the character connection was second to none. This MM spoke to me, the characters spoke to me and the author spoke to me. When I read my first MM many moons ago I never expected to fall in love with this genre so much. I try and read at least one a month but one is never enough, I always find myself reading two or three one after the other.

Ed and Laurie were opposites in all sense of the word, one was an ex semi-pro footballer and the other an amazingly talented ballet dancer. Both had their issues but both had hearts of gold, their paths crossing at a community centre where each gave a class. They hated each other, constant confrontations but we all know that there is a fine line between love and hate. Both made no secret of their sexuality and it seems that their hate for each other was just the kindling to an intense sexual attraction that neither were willing to admit in the first instance.

It is this slow, sizzling burn that draws you into their story, that will they won’t they push and pull that I love and crave. Never too much but enough to garner your interest and keep you invested on every level.


“…and when he danced he made male beauty come alive. Laurie wasn’t simply good. Laurie was a fucking artist. As far as Ed was concerned, he was a legend. And I’ve kissed him.”


Ed’s career was ended with a near life threatening injury, he somehow was lucky enough to survive but the ramifications left him with a life long neck injury that never let him forget. He battled his way through life but he had never been the same since. He missed football and he saw his neck injury as a flaw, how it made him an inconvenience and a liability and totally unlovable…he couldn’t have been more wrong.


“The pain wasn’t trying to take away his life. The pain was his life.”


Laurie had a huge career in front of him when he took the biggest chance of his life and it spectacularly back fired. It seems the world was not ready for two male dance partners and he became a laughing stock in the dancing world. Laurie set up his own studio and gave up performing. It was a choice that haunts him to this day as it not only ruined his career but that of his partner too. His family are so unsupportive and just see him as a means to further ingratiate them into the social circle that they continually flutter around in.


“Sometimes I think two parts of me warred with each other, and they took down the whole of me in a civil war.”


When Ed loses a bet and Laurie asks him to attend a dance class as his partner the lines finally begin to blur and both of them finally notice the undeniable, intense, sexual chemistry that positively hums between them. You could power the national grid from in between these pages.


“You don’t simply feel the rhythm. You must feel the soul, both of the dance and of your partner.”


I loved the fact that these two had dancing in common and it became such an intrinsic part of their relationship. How dancing brought them together but also centred them, how dancing was “their” time where their connection became so deep that earth stood still and it was just Ed and Laurie, they had both finally found their home.


“Why do you stay with me?”
“…because I don’t want to dance by myself.”


Ed was a hilarious character that lightened this book and balanced it beautifully; his sarcastic, witty banter had me in hysterics and even lightened the intense, sullen Laurie. You couldn’t help but be affected and infected by Ed’s personality. Laurie was the cautious one, the dependable one, slightly OCD but the perfect balance to Ed’s carefree attitude.

This was a voyage of discovery for both of them and I was so glad that I went on this journey with them. This was a leap of faith for both of them, one of the biggest they would ever make, but one they would never regret. This journey was by no means easy, but learning to trust and love, to have faith in themselves and each other, to believe they were worthy…it was exquisite and I totally fell in love with them and this book.


“Laurie opened his mouth, his legs, his body and took Ed all the way into his soul.”