Review: Searching for Perfect (Searching For #2) by Jennifer Probst

Series: Searching For #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Gallery

Publication Date: 4/29/14

Format: Paperback

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

Rating: 5 stars

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself . . .

Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?

Searching for Someday was a surprise for me. A delicious, sexy surprise. I honestly loved everything about that book, and was so anxious for more. Kate's friend and colleague Kennedy seemed like the perfect woman, though there were hints that behind the beautiful exterior, there was a woman with a painful past. Something about Kennedy promised that her story would be powerful and engaging. Searching for Perfect was most definitely that.

Kennedy has severe, long-term issues with body and self-esteem. I think that no matter how old we are, we never forget the cruel words, shame. When Nate looks at her, he sees a gorgeous, successful woman. And that is the image Kennedy strives to project. But on the inside she still sees herself as the fat girl who was taunted and abused by classmates. Whose own parents were ashamed. She's punished herself for years, determined to be the beautiful and sexy woman who can maintain power. She slips up, reverts to her old punishing ways. Nate helps Kennedy see herself for the dynamic, lovely force she is. Moments like that always win me over.

Nate Dunkle is delightfully nerdy. A real mess. He's abrupt and totally says all the wrong things. I don't what that says about me, but I kind of love that in a guy. Just the fact that he's a wreck makes me want to fix him. And, what's so great about the guys who have a hidden potential is that you feel like you're in on a great secret. Call me a reverse sexist or whatever, but Nate's makeover is hilarious.

  Kennedy swallowed a giggle and spoke up. "Benny needs to clean up your brows."

  "They're eyebrows, for God's sakes. What can you do to them?"

  Benny pressed the fabric down. And ripped it off.

  "Shit!"

  "Stop being a baby. Women handle hard-core pain on a daily basis. Now hold still, I'm not finished."

  "You ripped my hair off my face. I'm a guy."

  "A hairy guy. You will need to wax regularly."

  "Fuck you."

Truthfully, though, I do sometimes struggle with makeover books, especially those that attempt to completely overhaul a person, inside and out. It really bothers me when it's a teen girl, and the effort extends to making her more "palatable" to the bonehead guys in school. What makes Searching for Perfect work for me is that Nate was the one seeking help. Kennedy doesn't want to change Nate's personality, just enhance the window dressing. Oh, and help him talk to women. She sees the gorgeous, smart guy behind the rough exterior, and she wants to help him shine.

The chemistry between Nate and Kennedy was just delicious. Nate is obviously attracted to the gorgeous Kennedy, and she returns those feelings. Much to her own surprise. His intensity promises he will be devoted to her happiness, in every way. But in order to remain professional, Kennedy continually pushes Nate away. Meanwhile, I'm sitting there shouting "He's your perfect man! Don't mess this up, dummy!" It's just so apparent that the two are suited and destined for each other. Watching Kennedy push Nate to his perfect match huuuuurt so bad. I believe in these two together, and believed in their ending.

Btw...Wolfe shows up and I loved it! Cannot wait to see what's in store for him in the next book.

The Searching For series has become a favorite of mine, and one that I find myself highly recommending to fellow romance readers who ask for a suggestion. It's sexy, funny, and always leaves me 100% satisfied.

Favorite Quotes


  "You're both. Smart and beautiful. On the inside and outside. You don't have to choose one over the other anymore. You can just be exactly who you were meant to be. And I think that's damn perfect."


  "I'm an ass. I told you I loved you the wrong way, but I'm always doing things like this, and if we're together, that's not gonna change. I wear my food on my clothes, mutter physics equations under my breath, and am OCD when it comes to germs in public restaurants. I say stupid shit, I'm obsessed with golf, and I fucking love you. I just love you."

 The Searching For Series

 

(covers lead to GoodReads page)

Searching for Someday Review

Purchase Links

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About the author

PROMOTIONAL EVENT: MARRY ME FOR MONEY by MIA KAYLA

 I'm happy to be a stop in the promotional tour for Marry Me For Money by Mia Kayla. I have read this story and recommend it for fans of the "marriage of convenience" trope. My stop includes an excerpt and giveaway. Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Marry Me For Money
Age group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 5/6/14
Hosted by: Wordsmith Publicity
Purchase Links: Amazon  |  B&N

 

Book Description:

Bethany Casse’s dream of leaving behind her small town turns into reality when, straight out of college, she lands a job at the nation's biggest baddest bank in Chicago.

Work brings her into contact with two men who are as different as night and day. Brian Burcham, a co-worker, is gorgeous and everything Beth has ever dreamed of. He is respectful, sincere, has a good work ethic, and is definitely husband material. 

Kent Plack, heir to Plack Industries, has no interest in having a relationship with any woman that lasts longer than overnight. He's spoiled, lazy, and a bona fide man-whore, and Beth is surprised that an unlikely friendship forms between them.

When Beth’s small-town problems and deadbeat mother follow her to Chicago, Kent offers a solution that would help him out in return. He asks Beth to marry him for money, but the solution is not as easy as it seems, especially with picture-perfect Brian in the mix.

 

 

 

Excerpt

A little past one in the morning, we walked in silence back to my apartment. Downtown Chicago was vacant, except for a group of drunken partygoers lingering at a bar down the street. Our hands were linked together, and I knew I should pull away, but I didn’t. When we were in front of my apartment, I reached up to give him a hug. When I released him, he dropped his head and kissed me. This time, my self-control was shot. I let him do it—again.

His lips were soft and gentle. He tasted of hard liquor and beer. I was buzzed, but his mouth moving against mine awakened all my senses. My whole body leaned into him, wanting more, even though I shouldn’t because I was breaking my own rule. But it felt so good. I hadn’t been kissed in such a long time. Pushing through the haze of liquor, I painfully pulled away from him and took a deep breath.

I shook my head slowly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you do that,” I said, my voice not very convincing.

 
 

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About the author

Mia Kayla is a New Adult/Contemporary Romance writer who lives in Illinois. On the weekdays, she can be caught wearing a suit, commuting to her corporate job in downtown Chicago and raising three beautiful munchkins in the suburbs, four if you count the husband.

In her free time she loves reading romance novels, jamming to boy bands, catching up on celebrity gossip and designing flowers for weddings.

Most of the time, she can be caught on the train with her nose in a book sporting a cheeky grin because the main characters finally get their happily-ever-after at the end.

She loves reading about happy endings but has more fun writing them.

 

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REVIEW: BE WITH ME by J. LYNN

Series: Wait For You #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 2/4/14
Format: Paperback
Pages: 387
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 stars


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Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not…

So many readers have reviewed Be With Me, and have done it well. At a certain point, similar thoughts on a book start to feel redundant. So instead of my usual review, I'm listing the reasons I adored Be With Me. Here we go!

Jase is a hottie! No surprise there, but I was honestly amused at Teresa's constant ogling.

Parched as I was, I took a sip of the sweet tea as I stared through the windshield, absolutely enthralled by all the baby-making potential on display before me. Not that I was in the way of making babies,but I could totally get behind some practice runs. Cam made a face. "Dude, that's his drink."


Teresa was abused by her former, long-time boyfriend. With a lot of introspection and time, she has worked to overcome her guilt and shame. She doesn't dwell or even consider herself a victim, but there will always be lingering effects.

I squeezed my eyes shut as the feelings of helplessness returned like an old, needy friend you couldn't get rid of. I wasn't that girl anymore. I wasn't a victim.

Cupcakes! We all remember Cam and his cookies, right? Well, Jase loves gourmet cupcakes, and shares the love with Teresa. 

 

  Smiling, I popped open the box and took a bite. I looked forward to the whole cupcake thing.   
  There was something simply exciting about not knowing what I was about to taste.
  One bite and I moaned. "Oh my God, is that Reese's Pieces in this thing?"
  He nodded. "Yep. That's good shit right there, huh?"

  "I want to marry it."

Be With Me has several important themes. One of my favorites was that of taking a chance and embracing what life brings you.
            

  "Things come along you don't expect all the time, Tess. Trust me. Things that change everything about your life--about what you thought you wanted, who you thought you were. Things that make you reevaluate everything and even if it doesn't sound like a good thing in the beginning?" He shrugged as he settle his gaze on Thunder. "Sometimes they turn out better than you could've ever imagined."

 

BIG SECRET. Be With Me has one! I had a teeny, tiny suspicion about that. I WAS RIGHT. I was also very pleasantly blown away.

 

 

Teresa's potty mouth. As a rather proficient swearer, I'm always impressed when a heroine can out-swear me. Seriously. Teresa's got it goin' on in that department.

 

 

J. Lynn doesn't drag our hearts along for the entire book! I assumed the entire story would be Jase playing hot-and-cold, pulling Teresa closer, then pushing her away while professing she's too good for him for nearly four hundred pages. That didn't happen! *fist pump*

 

   Jase rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. His warm breath danced over my lips. "I want to take you out on a date. I want to take you horseback riding. I want to tell your brother. I want to take you home to my parents and introduce you as my girlfriend. I want to prove this means more to me. I want to do this the right way."

After an injury sidelines Teresa's dreams of dancing, Jase shows her a new way to feel the freedom she misses. He's not only gorgeous and armed with cupcakes, Jase is sensitive, too!

           
   Tipping my head back against his chest, I closed my eyes and smiled as the wind glided over my cheeks.
   My grip loosened once more, and under my legs, Lightning's powerful muscles bunched as he picked up speed. A trickle of fear inked down my spine as we went faster, but another emotion rose, overshadowing the tendrils of panic. Muscles in my core tensed. Not of anxiety but in anticipation, like those precious moments I'd lost, the ones that came seconds after I stepped onstage.
  "I can feel it," I whispered.

Cam's reaction to his best friend and his little sister is PRICELESS, y'all.

  Jase's arm flexed around my waist, tugging me closer. He turned his head, nuzzling my neck.
  He yawned, a deep rousing sound that echoed through the room. "What's wrong, baby?"
  I was speechless.
  Every line in my brother's body tensed in a way that spelled big, mothertrucker kind of trouble.
  "Baby?"
  Jase stilled, but he didn't remove his arm as he pulled his face out of my neck. He looked toward the foot of the bed and exhaled slowly.
  There was a beat of silence and then Cam said, "What the fuck?"

Raphael and Michelangelo! The two most awesome turtles in NA are back. Well, not really back, but they are mentioned and it was so cute.
           
  "You have to babysit Michelangelo and Raphael this weekend."
  "The turtles?"
  She grinned as she nodded. "We're getting this one large habitat, so, you know, they can...I don't know, head bob at each other and Cam wanted to go to this movie, but I'm afraid they're going to kill each other."
  "So you want me to be like a turtle bouncer? Break them up if one of them gets out of hand?"
  Avery giggled. "Exactly."
 

 

The way Jase makes Teresa feel about herself is endearing and what every woman deserves.

 

Jase took a step back, his hands following to his sides. He opened and closed his fists. "Do you know how beautiful you are? How it affects me?" A pleasant haze invaded my system as my body and heart responded to his words. He slowly shook his head. "I don't think you really understand, because if you did, I don't think you could just stand there. God, Tess, there isn't a part of you that's not perfect in my eyes."

 

 

So many readers, myself included, crave New Adult books with substance. Be With Me, and the entire Wait For You series delivers on that substance. You get the prerequisite hot guy, the angst and the sexiness, but you also get remarkably strong heroines who may want the guy, but you know they will be okay without him too. There are strong themes that are relevant to the readers the books target and beyond. I love this series and recommend it with absolutely no reservations.

The Wait for You Series

    

(covers lead to GoodReads page)

 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks

 

 

About the author

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND by MARIE FORCE

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

 

 

 

 

Series: Green Mountain #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: 6/3/14

For the Abbott siblings, the Green Mountain state has always been an idyllic place to call home. But it isn’t until they open themselves up to love that they’ll truly discover how fulfilling life can be…

Almost seven years after losing her husband in Iraq, Hannah Abbott Guthrie isn’t sure she’s ready—or able—to move on, but the attentions of a lifelong friend are making her think about it for the first time. The memory of the sweet kiss she shared with Nolan Roberts hasn’t strayed far from her thoughts, but she also fears that pursuing something with him would mean betraying her husband’s memory.

Nolan has loved Hannah for years, but he’d been giving her the space she needed to heal from her devastating loss. Now, when an opportunity arises to show her how he feels, Nolan can’t resist, but he knows earning her love will take more than a kiss. Somehow he has to prove to Hannah that finding love twice in a lifetime is possible—and well worth risking her heart.

 

 

 

Why I'm Waiting...  I really enjoyed the first book in this series, All You Need is Love. In that book, we get a nice peek at Hannah. I think her story is going to be so emotional. I can't wait!

 

 

What do you think of my pick?

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: WHISPER TO ME by CHRISTINA LEE

I am happy to be bringing you a book spotlight for Whisper to Me by Christina Lee. I also have an excerpt and teaser. Thanks for stopping by!

Series: Between Breaths #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Intermix
Publication Date: 5/20/14


GoodReads  |  Kindle   |  Nook  |  iBooks  

A hot and consuming New Adult romance about a wayward musician and the one girl who keeps him grounded…

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson—except one person…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along.

Excerpt

 

I padded to the kitchen and reached for a glass, unsure if Kai was even awake. As I turned

the faucet on low, I heard it—the soft hum of his bass. My heart leapt in my chest. I didn’t know

what the hell I was so anxious about. But the anticipation of seeing him, just talking to him alone,

had revved my pulse to a feverish tempo.

But maybe he didn’t want any company tonight.

I wandered over to his door, unsure of what I’d say or even if I’d knock. Instead, I stood

motionless, listening to him play. It was a low and drowsy strum, and I swayed against the wall,

my senses dulled. During a longer pause, my knuckles tapped once and then twice against the

wood.

I heard the sounds of what could have been his returning his heavy bass to its stand and

papers rustling, and then the door slowly creaked open. Kai stood in front of me with his hair

hanging loose at his shoulders. He had on those obscenely tight gray skinny jeans from earlier

and nothing else.

My gaze followed the line of his neck, across his shoulder, to the muscular biceps propping

the door open. I spotted the set of free weights resting beneath the stand of his bass. He’d

definitely been working out in the three years since I’d last seen him. He wasn’t overly muscular

like some athletes I’d been with, just lean and fit.

My gaze tripped over to his sculpted pecs and landed on his nipples. His pierced nipples—

that seemed to harden at my perusal.

Fuck, that was hot. Since when did I think silver hoops dangling from a guy’s nipples were

sexy? But on Kai, they worked. Like fruit waiting to be plucked, they hung above the trunk of his

sculpted abdomen, while a smattering of fine hairs branched from beneath the button of his pants.

Hot damn.

“What’s up, Rachel?” He swallowed thickly. “Did I wake you?”

“I . . .” I finally met his eyes. “I couldn’t sleep and I heard you were up.”

“Yeah, me neither.” He moved aside to allow me to pass into the room. “I was trying to be

quiet.”

“Actually, most of the time your music lulls me to sleep.”

“Yeah?” he said in a low and gruff voice. “Is that why you’re here—so I can put you to

sleep?”

“No, you ass.” I grinned. “Well, maybe.”

When his eyes turned dark, I mumbled, “Just kidding.”

 

        Between Breaths Series       

(covers lead to GoodReads)

 

   

About the author

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives near Cleveland with her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything.

New Adult/Young Adult author. NA Contemporary Romance ALL OF YOU, out now (Penguin/InterMix). The companion novel, BEFORE YOU BREAK releases February 18th, 2014. Repped by Sara Megibow.

Also the creator of Tags-n-Stones (dot com) jewelry.
  Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads      

Teaser Tuesday: Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following: 

·Grab your current read 

·Open to a random page 

·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page 
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

Series: Searching For #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: 4/29/14

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself . . .

Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?

 

 

 

 

My Teaser ~

  He pushed down the strange mix of emotions that tore through him. "I'm just the nerdy guy behind the notepad."
  "Nate?"
  He pulled into the main area and parked. "Yeah?"
  "Nerds are underrated."
 

I looooooved this book! My review posts on Thursday.

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: INKED ARMOR by HELENA HUNTING

 

 

I am so happy to be bringing you Inked Armor! I have a review and two great giveaways. Thanks for stopping by!

Series: Clipped Wings #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 5/13/14
Format: ARC
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 stars


GoodReads  |  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks  

In this follow-up to Clipped Wings, the emotional love story continues between Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts.

In the wake of losing Tenley Page, tattooist Hayden Stryker's tumultuous past is haunting him. Plagued by nightmares about the murder of his parents, Hayden reaches out again to Tenley. Having run from the man she doesn't believe she deserves, Tenley finally lays her guilt to rest. Despite their intense physical attraction, Hayden and Tenley struggle to repair their fragile emotional connection. As Hayden gets closer to the truth, he must find a way to reconcile his guilt over his parents' death in order to keep the woman who finally cracked his armor, and found her way into his heart.

 
Clipped Wings was a big surprise for me. I went into it with absolutely no expectations, and came away with a heartfelt story with gorgeous writing and intense characters. And that ending? I was not happy! In a good way, I promise. I was so desperate to read Inked Armor, but also nervous. Would I pick this book up and get a fulfilling conclusion to Hayden and Tenley's story? I sure hoped so. I began Inked Armor with high expectations and a sense of hopefulness. I'll also admit that I mentally prepared myself for a let-down. Once I dug into the story, though, I quickly realized the doubts were not necessary.

Inked Armor takes up immediately after Clipped Wings, and as you know if you've read CW, things are not good for Hayden and Tenley. Tenley was taken to Arden Hills by her deceased fiancé's brother, Trey, in an effort to gain control of the family estate. What a miserable bastard he is! Trey preyed on Tenley's guilt and fears, ambushed her physically and emotionally, and put her in a bad place, emotionally. Part of my worry for Inked Armor was my fear that the story would have Tenley and Hayden separated throughout; fortunately that was not the case. It would have been very easy for Hunting to rely on this effective yet extremely frustrating technique to keep tension alive in the plot. I'm glad the story went in a different direction because honestly? I couldn't handle poor Hayden without Tenley.

Lemme tell you,  Hayden is distraught. Hayden begins the story heartbroken and withdrawn over what he feels is Tenley's rejection. After losing so much, he was slow to trust that he was worthy of relationship with Tenley. Knowing that the two would never have been together without the devastation that destroyed her world messes with Hayden's head, causes him to feel inferior. His nightmares are back, but now include Tenley dying. He's so very vulnerable, and that sense of...smallness, is heartbreaking. His vulnerability was so raw, palpable, like an open wound. I found myself repeatedly getting teary eyed as his residual terror overwhelmed him. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized his parents' unsolved murder does play a big part in this story. It serves as a huge source of tension and upheaval on his part, but also gives an enormous sense of satisfaction.

At this point it might be redundant to say that Inked Armor is an emotional heavy-hitter. But I'm obviously hung up on that. Hayden and Tenley's secrets are all finally out and now the relationship needs to be rebuilt. There's an awkwardness and strain that can't just be brushed over. They must figure out how to deal with all the baggage they each bring to the table. Both have been wracked with guilt, especially Tenley, though her perspective is changing a bit. She was initially focused on her decisions and what happened to her family and friends as a result. Now that she's accepting that she doesn't need to hold that blame, she feels guilt for her happiness. How can she be so happy with Hayden when she knows that if she hadn't lost everyone, she'd have never met him? Acceptance needs to be embraced so they can be happy together. I admire Hunting for going that route and forcing Tenley and Hayden to take the harder path. I would imagine that writing a smooth reunion would have been easier, caused less frustration. I think putting the two through their paces results in a much bigger payoff.

Inked Armor was an excellent continuation of Clipped Wings. Once again, Hunting brings readers an extremely insightful, emotional turbulent story. I like that while the story has some extremely dramatic elements, she never veered into melodrama and super-angst. I mean, yes, this series is angsty, but in a way that kept me flying through the pages, not ready to bang my head against the wall. With this series, I've gotten characters who were bent, not broken, who both experienced great character growth. I adored Hayden and Tenley and all their friends. I got a big, emotional story that had me thoroughly engaged and invested in the outcome. It was very satisfying in all ways. I was excited to see that Chris and Sarah (Hayden and Tenley's friends) are getting a novella this summer, and that has me very excited. I highly recommend the Clipped Wings series, and will eagerly read whatever Helena Hunting brings next.


 
Favorite Quotes

  "I couldn't get to you. You were dying and I couldn't--the bleeding, there was so much blood and you were, and you were--" He started to hyperventilate. "I was so fucking empty without you. I'm so empty."


  "Sometimes I feel guilty for having you," I whispered.
  "I get that. And I wish I could make that feeling go away for you. You know your family wouldn't want you to be alone, right? They'd want you to have people in your life to love you and take care of you. I don't know that they would have chosen me to be that person, but I want to be if you'll let me."


  Hayden's arms tightened around me. "I just don't want you to leave me again. I can't do this without you anymore."
  His expression made my heart hurt. "Hayden, you everything I could ever want. You are the place I want to be."


 

      Clipped Wings Series

        

(covers lead to GoodReads page)

 

 

 

My Review of Cupcakes and Ink and Clipped Wings

 

 

      Giveaway

Must be 18+ years of age; US only

• 2 copies of Inked Armor
• 2 Grand Prizes - Clipped Wings/Inked Armor
•  
•  
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author
Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s putting her degree in English Lit to good use by writing contemporary erotic romance. She is the author of Clipped Wings, her debut novel, and Inked Armor.

 

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