BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Hell Breaks Loose (Devil's Rock #2)

After the end of All Chained Up, I knew the wait for Hell Breaks Loose would be... well... hell. But, it's finally here, and trust me. You don't want to pass this one up. Read on for my review and don't forget to enter the giveaway for a finished copy of Hell Breaks Loose (US Only)!

Hell Breaks Loose (Devil's Rock #2), by Sophie Jordan
Publish Date: July 26, 2016
Publisher: Avon Books
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author
Genre: adult suspense romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) Hell hath no hunger like a man let out of a cage . . .

Shy and awkward, First Daughter Grace Reeves has always done what she’s told. Tired of taking orders, she escapes her security detail for a rare moment of peace. Except her worst nightmare comes to life when a ruthless gang of criminals abducts her. Her only choice is to place her trust in Reid Allister, an escaped convict whose piercing gaze awakens something deep inside her. Reid is nothing like her other captors.

He’s tougher, smarter…and one blistering look from him makes her hotter than any man ever has.

Reid spent years plotting escape and revenge . . .years without a woman in his bed. For this hardened felon, Grace Reeves isn’t just out of his league—she’s from another planet, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her. Escaping Devil’s Rock was tough, but resisting this woman could be the end of him. For a man with nothing to lose, protecting her . . . claiming her as his own, becomes more necessary than his next breath.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about a book in which a hero is an escaped convict who was originally put in jail for murder. How can you love a character like that? He would have to be, like, the SUPER anti-hero. You would think that after All Chained Up I would trust that Sophie Jordan wouldn't steer me wrong. Because by the end of Hell Breaks Loose - heck, by the 25% mark - I was totally in love with Reid Allister.

Reid is being driven by reasons I can totally understand. And, Reid's expectations are not unrealistic. He's not gunning for Mexico or Canada. He knows that he won't go undetected forever, and he's okay with that as long as he checks the boxes on his to-do list first.

I got a vague impression from All Chained Up that Reid was inherently a good guy - that he had a code that he lives by. And, I was right. So, when he meets up with his former crew of guys and discovers that they've kidnapped the president's daughter, his protective instincts are kicked into high gear, and that code starts to drive his actions.

I would've been disappointed in Sophie Jordan if she would've had Reid and Grace fall into bed together right off the bat. If you think about it from Grace's perspective she doesn't know Reid from any of the other meth-heads that took her. Not to mention, he's bigger and scarier looking than the rest of them. She might be able to appreciate his good looks from a purely female perspective, but this man stands between her and her freedom, so sleeping with him is not on her agenda. And thank goodness for that, because if it had been, my opinion of the book would've dropped. It's just not realistic for any girl to do that, no matter how hot her captor is.

So, no. Grace and Reid have a rough go of it for a long while. Besides the situation in which they presently find themselves, they're also struggling with other things - Grace's feelings of neglect and inadequacy and Reid's bleak outlook on the rest of his life, not to mention the fact that his plans have gone sideways in a huge way. It doesn't have the best foundation on which to start any type of relationship. Or, perhaps it's actually a way for two people to get closer faster than under normal situations.

Hell Breaks Loose is a fast-paced, exciting story about coming to terms with mistakes you've made and being okay with the person you've become on the other side. It's about the length that people will go to for those that they care about. And that everyone can be redeemed.

Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.

A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.

In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.

Learn more about Sophie --> Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW: All Chained Up (Devil's Rock #1)

I absolutely love Sophie Jordan. She has written about dragons, college co-eds, tortured heiresses and brave princesses. So, the broody convict is a new one. A new AWESOME one. I'm so excited to kick off the All Chained Up blog tour, organized by Irish Banana Tours. Check out my review, and enter to win one of three finished copies All Chained Up.

All Chained Up (Devil's Rock #1), by Sophie Jordan
Publish Date: March 29, 2016
Publisher: Avon Books
Format: Digital ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) Some men come with a built-in warning label. Knox Callaghan is one of them. Danger radiates from every lean, muscled inch of him, and his deep blue eyes seem to see right through to Briar Davis’s most secret fantasies. But there’s one major problem: Briar is a nurse volunteering at the local prison, and Knox is an inmate who should be off-limits in every way.

Knox feels it too—a shocking animal magnetism that drives him to risk his own life to protect Briar’s. Paroled at last, he tries to resist her. She’s too innocent, too sweet, and she has no idea what Knox is capable of. But a single touch can lead to a kiss—and a taste . . . until the only crime is denying what feels so right . . .

I honestly didn't know how even Sophie Jordan could pull off a prison romance. I should've had more faith.

All Chained Up was rather dark and sad at times. If ever there was a noble reason for going to prison, it was Knox's. I was hoping that would be the case. When you learn the hero of a story is a criminal in prison, you have to wonder how you could love him and want him to come out on top. Again - should've had more faith in Sophie.

Knox did exactly what he was convicted of and sentenced for. And he feels horrible about it to a certain degree. He and his brother were convicted together for the parts they played in their crime, and I think one of the biggest regrets that Knox has is that his younger brother now has a record because of something that was Knox's idea in the first place.

As a result, Knox is weighed down HEAVILY by some serious guilt and self-loathing. He's willing to do his time, but doesn't want anyone to be tainted by what he feels is a worthless existence. That is, until Briar crosses his path in the prison's health center. She's the first thing he's dared to want in a long time, and I think it's because she's a light in his otherwise dark existence.

Briar is a bit of a contradiction. She's very mousy and timid. She has no desire whatsoever to work in a prison, but sort of felt pressured into doing it. When faced with a half-naked Knox, she can barely touch him for how affected she is by his very commanding presence. She makes no effort to hide her dislike of the environment and the men she has to work on.

But when an event puts Knox back in her path under a different situation, we see a very different Briar. Who knew that under that doormat exterior lay a wild sex kitten who is woman enough to handle a convicted criminal? Not only that, but she is capable of bringing it when confronted by her very opinionated and protective sister. It's almost like Briar was a different person in the first part of the book from who she was in the second part.

I loved part two Briar the best. This was a woman who was driven to overcome her fears - and she had A LOT of them. Between the fear of becoming like her mother (which is not a good thing), and the fear of working in a dangerous environment with dangerous people, and then later the fear of not being able to hold on to the one good and exciting thing she found in the most unlikely of places.

All Chained Up was a great start to this new series. I applaud Sophie Jordan for working with a new crop of "bad boys." From what I can tell from the introduction of the side characters and the lead in to book two, the rest of the series will be no less exciting and intriguing.

Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.

A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.

In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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REVIEW: Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows #1)

Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows #1), by Sophie Jordan
Publish Date: February 9, 2016
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: young adult fantasy
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

It's been a long time since I've had a burning desire to read YA. I'd read one here and there, but it wasn't like it used to be for me. But, recently, I had that niggling burn again to lose myself in some good YA fantasy. And so, I picked up Reign of Shadows. 

I have to tell you, it was everything I wanted. There was a lush world with an intriguing back story and fearsome creatures. There was a princess in disguise and a roguish bad boy (who isn't really all that bad, of course). There were secrets and misunderstandings and a crazy cliffhanger in the end. 

I'd never been given a taste of anything else. I'd certainly never confronted a boy that smelled of ferocity and life and vitality. A boy with a deep, rumbling voice that made everything in me tighten in a way that I couldn't comprehend. It was new. Different. It was feeling.

I flew through this book. From the very beginning, Luna's story captivated me. This 17-year-old girl who has never known anything but the tower in which she lives is suddenly thrust into the big, bad, dark world with a boy she only just met and a vague destination. It sort of reminded me of the Disney movie Tangled - without all the hair. 

I wasn't afraid of death.

It's that I would die with so little to show for my life. A long stretch of days spent trapped in a tower. 

I was afraid that was all I'd ever have.

Luna is an awesome heroine. Even though she's been sheltered her whole life, her guardians have done their best to prepare her for a life outside. But, nothing could protect her from the harsh realities out there. The scarcity of food, the danger from The Dark Dwellers, and the crap for company in the form of Fowler. But, Luna presses on and never gives up. She makes hard choices and deals with the consequences. 

Then there's Fowler. He's been making hard choices for years, and the effects of him NOT dealing with the consequences are eating him up inside. Luna is an unexpected complication to his plan to reach the only alleged place on the planet where there is real sunlight. But, there's still plenty of good and noble things left in him, and he proves it over and over again. Even though he was difficult sometimes, it was still impossible not to love him. 

The Dwellers, the 4 foot tall bats - the darkness itself - this world is full of scary and awesome dangers. I'm sure there's still more to come. After all, we have yet to meet the evil Chancellor in person. 

Reign of Shadows was an incredible beginning to what is sure to be an exciting series. I can't wait to see what happens next.  

BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Wild (The Ivy Chronicles #3)

It's a bittersweet thing, being a part of the WILD blog tour, organized by Bookslapped. Bittersweet because it means that Sophie Jordan's awesome new adult series, The Ivy Chronicles, is complete now that we have Georgia's story. Want to know more? Read on for my review and an excerpt. And, don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end!

Wild (The Ivy Chronicles #3), by Sophie Jordan
To Be Published November 18, 2014
Publisher: Avon
Format: e-ARC, obtained from Edelweiss
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble 
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) A good girl goes fabulously bad in the final book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s sexy New Adult romance series, in which three Ivy League suite-mates seek higher knowledge of just how far they can go.

Months after her boyfriend dumped her, Georgia can still hear the insults he hurled at her. Boring. Predictable. Tame. Tired of feeling bad, she’s ready to change her image, and go a little wild. What better way to prove her ex wrong than a hot night of sexual adventure at the secret campus kink club?

In the shadowy den of the kink club, she unexpectedly runs into Logan Mulvaney, her friend’s little brother. A player extraordinaire too hot for his own good, he may be younger, but the guy is light years ahead when it comes to sexual experience. Now he’s telling her to go home—“good girls” don’t belong here!

Georgia is tired of having others define her. She’s going to teach Logan a lesson he won’t forget—one white hot, mind-wrecking kiss . . . that leads to another . . . and another . . . and. . . . Realizing she’s way in over her head, Georgia runs.

Only Logan won’t let her go. Everywhere she goes he’s there, making her want every inch of him. Making her forget who she is. Who he is. And just how wrong they are for each other.

We finally get a glimpse of good-girl Georgia's life in the final book of Sophie Jordan's The Ivy Chronicles book, WILD - and, Georgia is anything BUT wild. In it, Logan teaches her how to live by her own rules for the first time in her life, and the process is a slow and painful one. Georgia has been groomed to be the perfect southern girl who will go on to be the perfect southern wife and mother. But, she's so tired of being perfect. Logan is willing to show her how to walk on the wild side, but Georgia is not going to come along easily.

Logan made this book everything that is was for me. There was such a big deal made by Georgia and other characters in the book about his age. He's only 18 and a senior in high school. So, yeah - I get it. I can see why Georgia and her friends might have a hang-up about him dating a 20-year-old in college. Not to mention the fact that Logan is a certifiable man whore. Like, card-carrying member and everything. So, yes. There were many reasons to give Georgia pause when it came to starting any sort of relationship with Logan. 

But, damn, that boy has some charm. And he is absolutely persistent. I love a persistent man who goes after what he wants. In truth, it was one of the several things about Logan that had me constantly forgetting that he is supposed to be only 18. Most of the time, he acted much older than that. I don't remember any 18-year-old boy from my past acting quite so responsible, patient or persistent. 

Perhaps it was partly due to the fact that he and his older brother Reece had to deal with their drunk of a father their whole lives. Or the fact that Logan realizes that if he wants to be something more, he has to work hard at it. So, he is a star baseball player, holds down a steady job at Reece's bar and gets good grades in school. And, he takes care of his female BFF in such a sweet manner. I was afraid that her presence indicated the start of a love triangle, but I worried for nothing. There was no triangle, and Logan's careful treatment of her simply solidified my love of him. In any case, Logan was damn near perfect. 

The only thing I wanted more of from him was the ability to say no to Georgia. She really needed that. Hell - she needed a good slap up along side the head. I had a lot of problems with her. I know she was fighting some serious stuff inside her head. The constant pulling in two different directions between what she was born to do and what she wants to do. What her parents want for her and what she wants for herself. And, the casualty of all the indecision is Logan and his feelings. Georgia would give in to her own desires and have a wonderful time with Logan, and then she's come back to reality, convince herself that he was the wrong guy for her, and kick him to the curb. Time and time and time again she did this, and it made me hate her. No really - I HATED Georgia for a long, long time. 

At first, Logan thought it was interesting and cute when Georgia would battle her inner demons with him. Then, when his feelings became involved, he actually manned up and told her about them (see - not at all what an 18-year-old guy would do). And, then when she still pulled and pushed and pulled and pushed, it no longer was amusing for him anymore. It was like Georgia didn't even care that she was hurting herself and destroying the boy that she had fallen in love with - all to please her parents that don't seem to give two rips about her. It was absolutely maddening. 

The times when Georgia allowed herself to be happy were the best parts of the book. She was fantastic with Logan. They were a great couple with some super hot chemistry. Those were some GOOD parts. I loved seeing Logan in action at the kink club in the beginning, too. That man is talented. And, the ending absolutely made all the angst and frustration I felt through 90% of the book totally worth it.

One side note - the book starts off with Georgia contacting Annie and asking her to bring her along to the next kink club meeting so that Georgia could demonstrate that she wasn't as buttoned up as everyone thought. Why in the HELL do these girls keep actively seeking out this horrid person and ask to spend time with her??? In both Foreplay and Tease, Pepper and Emerson were both treated to Annie-style attacks that were dangerous, vindictive and hurtful. Georgia knows all about her and what she did to her BFFs, and yet, she still seeks out her company willingly several times in Wild. WHY?  Ugh. 

I'm looking forward to Sophie Jordan's next foray into the new adult genre after her success with The Ivy Chronicles. These characters are fantastic and the love stories exciting and satisfying. Wild put the exclamation point on this awesome series. 

Excerpt

            I flipped on the television and changed clothes, hanging up my sweater and folding my jeans neatly. After tucking my boots into the corner of the closet, I reached for my phone to call Mom back. She hated it when I didn’t call back on the same day.
            Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I watched a cop chase a bad guy across the screen as the phone rang in my ear. On the final ring, Mom picked up. “Georgia, hi!” Her voice was full of energy. Reminiscent of how she sounded on the intercom all those mornings in high school.
            Attending the school where your mom worked as a principal had been less than fun. Thankfully, she adored Harris – everyone in my hometown did – or I never would have been asked out on a date. Not too many guys want to date the principal’s kid. Harris had been confidant enough to not let it intimidate him. I’d loved him for that. Of course, his father was a city councilman … and happened to be the current mayor. My mother loved him for that.
            “How are you? How’s school?”
            “Good, I’m—“
            “Did you change your password? I was trying to get online and look at your current GPA.”
            “No, Mom, I haven’t.”
            I might be twenty years old, but my parents were footing the bill for school and still expected full access to my life – that included online viewing of my grades at any time during the semester.
            “Hm. Maybe I hit the caps button. I’ll try again later.” She took a breath and slid into the next topic. “Have you thought more about your summer plans? I’ve been talking with Greg Berenger and he can get you on here at the bank. It would be a great way to get your foot in the door for when you graduate.”
            And there it was. The expectation that I’d come home. Eventually. I’d finish college and start my career back in the bustling metropolitan of Muskogee, Alabama.
            “Um. I’m not sure yet. Still looking into a few things…”
            “Georgia  Parker Robinson.” She must have heard something in my voice because hers just got all principal-mode on me. Not to mention she was whipping out my full name. “This is your future. You need to take this seriously and not wait until the last minute.”
            “Of course, Mom. I know.”
            A pause fell. “Is this because of Harris? He won’t be here this summer, you know. His mother said he took an internship in Boston.”
            “You spoke with his mother?” I couldn’t help it. My voice escaped in a squeak.
            “I saw her at the store. What was I supposed to do? Ignore her?”
            “Sorry,” I mumbled.
            “We both agree that this is just a phase he’s going through… this other girl is just a fling—“
            “Mother! You discussed us … her?”
            Her is a girl I’ve never even met, but someone Harris started fooling around with a few weeks before he dumped me. It was such a cliché. But then wasn’t there truth in clichés? That’s why they existed.
            “Don’t get upset. You and Harris will work this out—“
            “I don’t want to work it out with him, Mom. He cheated on me. He broke up with me.”
            “You’re both so young. You don’t understand yet. This will only make your relationship stronger down the road.”
            “Mom, this might be hard to believe, but I don’t want to be with Harris anymore.”
            “Oh, this is so unlike you, Georgia. You’re not they type to hang onto pointless anger.”
            “What do you mean? Why is this so unlike me?” What was I like then? The kind of girl that would let a guy stomp all over her heart and then ask for seconds?
            “You’ve never disappointed me before.”
            And not marrying Harris would disappoint her? Was that her implication?
            She continued, “You always make the right decisions. We raised you to be reliable.”       
            Boring. Harris’s word drifted through my mind just then. He’d called me boring when he broke up with me. Oh, there had been other words. Other accusations laid at my feet, but that one stuck in my head the most. 
            I sighed and rubbed at my suddenly aching forehead, like that accusation was in still lodge in there, an annoying pebble I couldn’t shake lose. “I’ll let you know about the job.”
            “Please do. The position won’t be available forever. Mr. Berenger will hold it as long as he can as a favor to me. I could have expelled his son that time when he stole the test from Mrs. Morris’s desk and sold the answers to everyone, remember?  I only gave him on campus suspension.”
            “Okay, Mom. Tell Dad and Amber hello for me.”
            “Good night, honey.”
            “Night, Mom.”
            Ending the call, I fell back on my bed. Law and Order was starting over again, the familiar theme music racing over the air.
            Restlessness hummed through me … and a low undercurrent of anger. Mom. Harris. Joshua. Their voices overlapped through my head, making my stomach churn. All three of them thought they knew me so well. Boring. Reliable. Serious.
            All words to describe me. All words I wanted to fling to the floor and stomp on until they were dust beneath me. Holding up my phone again, I scrolled through names, stopping at one at the very bottom. My thumb hovered over the keypad before reaching a decision and typing.

Me: So what does one wear to a kink club?
Annie: Something you can easily take off…

Giveaway

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About the Author

Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler.

Learn more about Sophie --> Website * Twitter * Facebook

COVER REVEAL: Wild (Ivy Chronicles #3)

 I'm so excited to help HarperCollins/William Morrow reveal the cover for the third and final book in the Ivy Chronicles series by Sophie Jordan. Ready?

Wild (Ivy Chronicles #3), by Sophie Jordan
To Be Published November 18, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
 
(Synopsis) A good girl goes bad in the third and final book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s sexy New Adult romance series—where three Ivy League suite-mates testing their boundaries as they seek higher knowledge of just how far they can go.

Months after her boyfriend dumped her, Georgia can still hear the insults he hurled at her. Boring. Predictable. Tame. Tired of feeling bad, she’s ready to change her image, and go a little wild. What better way to prove her ex wrong than a hot night of adventure at the secret campus kink club?

In the shadowy den of the club, she unexpectedly runs into Logan Mulvaney, her friend’s little brother. A player extraordinaire too hot for his own good, he may be younger, but the guy is light years ahead when it comes to the opposite sex. Now he’s telling her to go home-”good girls” don’t belong here!

Georgia is tired of having others define her. She’s going to teach Logan a lesson he won’t forget-one white hot, mind-wrecking kiss . . . that leads to another . . . and another . . . and. . . . Realizing she’s way in over her head, Georgia runs.

Only Logan won’t let her go. Everywhere she goes he’s there, making her want every inch of him. Making her forget who she is. Who he is. And just how wrong they are for each other.

About the Author

Sophie Jordan is an international and New York Times bestselling author whose books include historical romances and the Firelight series. When she’s not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-television shows. She lives in Houston.

New Adult Mondays: Tease (The Ivy Chronicles #2)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

This week, I'm hosting a stop on the Tease blog tour, organized by Bookslapped. Check out my review, then enter the giveaway for one of two Etsy giftcards or a basket of books from some of the Between the Covers authors, including Sophie Jordan! And, don't forget to check out all the other tour stops!

Tease (The Ivy Chronicles #2), by Sophie Jordan
Published May 27, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow
Format: e-book, provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) What happens when a girl who always calls the shots meets a guy who's too wild for even her?

A born flirt and good-time party girl, Emerson has never had a problem finding a willing guy. She's always chosen her hookups carefully, and she's never broken her three cardinal rules:

Never let them see the real you.
Never fall in love.
Always leave them begging for more.

Then Shaw comes along. A hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, he's immune to her flirtatious banter and come-hither smile. After rescuing her from a disastrous night at a biker bar, he doesn't even try to take her to bed—he calls her a tease and sends her home instead. Unable to resist a challenge, or forget the sexy, dark-eyed, bad-boy biker, she vows to bring him to his knees.

But instead of making Shaw beg, Emerson finds herself craving him. For the first time in her life, she's throwing out her rule book. Suddenly, she's the one panting for a guy she can't control—a guy who won't settle for anything less than the real Emerson and who forces her to do things she's never imagined, including facing a past she thought she'd buried.

A guy who just might leave her wanting more. . . 

Can I just tell you how much I love Sophie Jordan and her Ivy Chronicles couples? Good. 'Cause, I'm gonna.

Emerson loves men and loves sending them home when she's done with them. Don't get close and, for heaven's sake, don't fall in love with them. And then along came Shaw. He was everything she never went for - dark, dangerous, maybe a tad bad, and capable of taking away Em's well-earned control. But, Emerson's been hurt in the past and has decided that not falling in love is the answer. Not even Shaw can change her mind on that one.

Emerson was introduced in the first Ivy Chronicles book which followed Reece and Pepper's path to love. Emerson is one of Pepper's best friends, and I have to say, she seemed different in Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1) when we were looking at her through Pepper's eyes. Emerson seemed to be a very "grab life by the horns" kind of girl. In Tease, Emerson was painted more of an avoider. She parties hard, uses guys and doesn't get close to people just so that she doesn't care about them too much. Because when you care about someone too much, and then they leave, it can sort of destroy you. Honestly, the Tease Emerson was more annoying than the Foreplay Emerson. She toyed with Shaw's emotions more than I usually like - there was a lot of pull and push from her, which became frustrating at times.

Shaw and Emerson meet when he steps in and saves her from a bad situation in a bar. He was chivalrous and kind and totally hot. And Emerson treats him like crap because she's attracted to him. What the what? There's a lot of snarky banter between them which is endearing and funny. Emerson fights her attraction to Shaw by unleashing her inner bitch and Shaw takes it and then some. He seems to be able to detect that she's running away from something and not genuinely a mean person.

And that is just one of the many reasons that I love Shaw. Dude - he was awesome. He put up with way more from Emerson than most men would. It's almost as if he knew she needed him as much as he needed her in his life. He has tats and is a former military man. He is good in a fight and with bikes. He's totally the different type of guy that Emerson usually goes for. And he works really hard at changing her mind. He slowly draws her out of her protective shell.

I loved their hobbies. Emerson is an art major at college. She paints and draws and uses her painting as her outlet. I love that about her. It was a dichotomy - she's not a soft, feely kind of girl, which is what painting seems as if it would be to me. I guess it's her one opportunity to be that kind of girl since she doesn't allow herself to feel that way with people. And, Shaw is a motorcycle guy. He can build them from the ground up, which is also really cool. So, he's sort of an artist too. They really do work well together despite Emerson's denial.

The sexual tension between the two is completely palatable, and when they finally give into it, OMG. It was awesome. Very well written and super sexy and sweet. It was my second favorite part of this book. My most favorite is how Shaw fought to win Emerson's heart. I'd be willing to bet you'll love it too. If you haven't started this totally excellent new adult series by Sophie Jordan, I suggest you get started on it. Although Tease can be read as a standalone, we do catch up with Pepper and Reece from book #1, so why not read Foreplay too while you're at it?

 

About the Author

Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler.

Learn more about Sophie --> Website / Twitter / Facebook


Giveaway

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EXCERPT: Tease (The Ivy Chronicles #2)

Tease (The Ivy Chronicles #2), by Sophie Jordan
To Be Published May 27, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre:  new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

(From Goodreads) What happens when a girl who always calls the shots meets a guy who's too wild for even her?

A born flirt and good-time party girl, Emerson has never had a problem finding a willing guy. She's always chosen her hookups carefully, and she's never broken her three cardinal rules:

Never let them see the real you.Never fall in love.Always leave them begging for more.

Then Shaw comes along. A hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, he's immune to her flirtatious banter and come-hither smile. After rescuing her from a disastrous night at a biker bar, he doesn't even try to take her to bed--he calls her a tease and sends her home instead. Unable to resist a challenge, or forget the sexy, dark-eyed, bad-boy biker, she vows to bring him to his knees.

But instead of making Shaw beg, Emerson finds herself craving him. For the first time in her life, she's throwing out her rule book. Suddenly, she's the one panting for a guy she can't control--a guy who won't settle for anything less than the real Emerson and who forces her to do things she's never imagined, including facing a past she thought she'd buried.

A guy who just might leave her wanting more. . . .

I am loving Sophie Jordan's The Ivy Chronicles. Did you read Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1)? That was some good stuff there. You can check out my 4.5-star review here. 

Now, you can read an excerpt from Tease, the second book in The Ivy Chronicles series! It's a pretty hefty excerpt too, thank you Ms. Sophie Jordan. You can find it here. 

Check back here in a few weeks to read my review of Tease!
 

NEW ADULT MONDAYS: Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1)

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1), by Sophie Jordan
To Be Published November 5, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow
Format: e-galley, from Edelweiss
Genre:  new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Before she goes after the life she’s always wanted, she’s about to find the one she needs.

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…

My previous experience with Sophie Jordan extended to her Firelight series, which is a YA about dragons. So, I was surprised to learn that she wrote a new adult contemporary novel next (nevermind that I didn't realize at the time that she previously has written a score of historical romance novels - in that light, it makes a bit more sense). The description of Foreplay sounded great, and I had recently read a few pretty heavy books in a row, so I was in need of something a little on the lighter side. Turns out, Foreplay was exactly what I needed at the time.

Pepper has been saving herself for a guy who only sees her as a little sister of sorts. Now, she's nineteen and finally has a real shot at him and has absolutely no idea what to do with a guy. So, her friends encourage her to hit on a hot bartender, and even though it takes her so far out of her comfort zone, she feels like she's in orbit, Pepper finds herself deviating from the plan she thought she had for her life. And, it's all because of a guy. Just, not the guy she always imagined it would be.

I'm not really sure what it was about Foreplay that engaged me so much. It's a story that's been done before - the sweet, virginal girl employs a supposed man-whore to show her the ropes and claim her v-card, only to fall for him in the end. I don't necessarily mind that so much. I mean, how many NA stories can be written before the plots start to be recycled a bit? As long as it's done well, I can read the same story over and over again. 

Thankfully, Foreplay was done well. Very well.

Reece - goodness, was this dude prime book boyfriend materials. He was a little bad, a little good, a little damaged, a little whole. He was a little of everything, which makes him a lot of one thing - AWESOME. Pepper's first meeting with him and her second meeting with him were completely and totally different, and I was left wondering which version was the "real" Reece. Turns out both of them were. And, I loved that about him. 

Pepper was frustrating beyond measure. She had been going through her sad life not really living it because she had it bad for her BFF's older brother. Why would someone do that? There were tons of guys I pined over in school. For some, the pining was embarrassingly epic. And, yet, I didn't really stop living. I had boyfriends and went to parties and had fun. Yet Pepper doesn't. Until Reece. Once Reece starts breaking down her walls, she went from annoyingly frustrating to fascinatingly frustrating. 

And, Reece and Pepper together was fun. Their banter was adorable. Their chemistry was off the charts. I liked who they were when they were together. 

I already liked the Firelight series. I'm definitely sold on Sophie Jordan now after Foreplay. Her writing is clean and tight with almost no editing issues. The pacing was perfect with the right amount and frequency of highs and lows. I was never bored - which is probably how I was able to read Foreplay from cover to cover in 12 hours. 

Bring on the second Ivy Chronicles book (Hunter? Emerson?). I'm sold.