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Friday, June 20, 2014

FIFTH AVENUE TRILOGY BLOG TOUR ~ REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAY

 

Welcome to The Fifth Avenue Trilogy Blog Tour, hosted by MLM Media and Book Trib. My stop includes reviews of each book, along with a fantastic giveaway. Thanks for stopping by!
 
 


Avenge Me (Fifth Avenue Trilogy, #1)Series: Fifth Avenue Trilogy #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Presents
Publication Date: 6/1/14
Format: ARC
Pages: 272
Source: Publicist
Rating: 3 stars
 


TEN YEARS AGO ONE DEVASTATING NIGHT CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR AUSTIN, HUNTER AND ALEX. NOW THEY MUST EACH PLAY THEIR PART IN THE REVENGE AGAINST THE ONE MAN WHO RUINED IT ALL.

Austin Treffen was born into a world of privilege, but behind its gilded doors lies a corruption so sordid New York's elite would never believe it, especially as his infamous philanthropic father is at its core! With everything he believed in shattered, how can Austin take down his father, risking his family name and those he loves, without any proof?

Until one earth-shattering night with Katy Michaels unlocks not only their deepest, most passionate desires but also the key to bringing Jason Treffen's reign to an end. But with an intense sexual attraction that combines a heady mix of exquisite pleasure and sublime pain, will they satiate their thirst for revenge and each other, or lose themselves forever in the darkness?

Scandalize Me (Fifth Avenue Trilogy, #2)
Series: Fifth Avenue Trilogy #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Presents
Publication Date: 7/1/14
Format: ARC
Pages: 272
Source: Publicist
Rating: 3.5 stars
 


TEN YEARS AGO ONE DEVASTATING NIGHT CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR AUSTIN, HUNTER AND ALEX. NOW THEY MUST EACH PLAY THEIR PART IN THE REVENGE AGAINST THE ONE MAN WHO RUINED IT ALL.

Hunter Talbot Grant III, sports figure du jour, wealthy beyond measure and disreputable by choice, has cultivated a reputation that masks the shadows of his past. When the opportunity to ensure financial destruction for Jason Treffen arises, he can't refuse. But first he must shake off the woman sent to tame him!

Zoe Brook, PR agent extraordinaire, never fails to transform a tarnished star. And Hunter's no different. Except there's a catch. Beneath their scorching mutual attraction, Zoe has a secret, she's also been on the wrong side of Jason Treffen, and she has as much of a taste for revenge as Hunter does!
 

Expose Me (Fifth Avenue Trilogy #3)Series: Fifth Avenue Trilogy #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Presents
Publication Date: 8/1/14
Format: ARC
Pages: 272
Source: Publicist
Rating: 3 stars
 

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The third and final step to revenge in the fifth avenue trilogy. Alex has the power…

TEN YEARS AGO ONE DEVASTATING NIGHT CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR AUSTIN, HUNTER AND ALEX. NOW THEY MUST EACH PLAY THEIR PART IN THE REVENGE AGAINST THE ONE MAN WHO RUINED IT ALL.

With ruthless determination, Alex Diaz has risen up from his deprived roots to become the head of a global media empire. But he has one last thing to achieve…avenge his friend by destroying the man responsible for her death, Jason Treffen. With stunning talk-show host Chelsea Maxwell about to interview Treffen live on TV, this is Alex’s chance.
He’ll use her show to exact a very public revenge—and seducing Chelsea, if needed, would certainly be no hardship. But he underestimates Chelsea and the attraction between them, and as their relationship deepens, Alex realizes that to annihilate Treffen could also shatter the life that Chelsea has built to protect herself….

 
My Review
 
The Fifth Avenue series is a concept series. Each story centers around one big event, with each having a different point of view. Each subsequent story builds on the prior stories, with the last leading to the big finale of an event that actually happened in the trilogy prequel, Take Me (free at retail sites, you're welcome!) Given that I believe the series should be read as a whole, I'm going to review it as a whole.
 
The story begins ten years in the past, when Sarah Michaels jumped off her office's building during a party. You get to experience that tragedy first hand in Take Me, through Sarah's friends Sydney and Travis. No one understood why Sarah was so desperate, but they had suspicions. After a decade, the secrets begin to slowly start coming to light, and another set of Sarah's friends. Austin, Hunter and Alex set out to uncover the truth, with the help of a woman who comes into their stories.
 
Each story is set up in the same manner. We have that book's hero doing his part to bring Jason Treffen, the man who drove Sarah to end it, down. We also get a heroine who is equally devoted to justice. Along the way though, the couple finds the time to fall in love and definitely engage in some kinky-ish physical activities. The story builds up to the big moment in which Jason Treffen is confronted. The couple lives happily ever after. At least for now. Basically, in each book we have the two main characters, hell-bent on vengeance, topped with fears of betrayal, combined with a maybe-relationship, finished with a side order of whatever sexual delights that couple prefers.
 
In Avenge Me, we get Austin and Katy's story. Austin is Jason Treffen's son, but there's no love lost between the two. Katy is Sarah's younger sister. Katy obviously has the most invested in justice for Sarah. The two have an immediate attraction, and a similar taste for sex. She's passive, he's aggressive. It's a win-win, clearly. 
 
In Scandalize Me, we have Hunter and Zoe's story. Hunter was Sarah's college boyfriend, and her ex at the time of death. Hunter was a hot mess which means his story was my favorite. Hunter has absolutely no fcks to give about what anyone thinks about him. Fun! Zoe is a former colleague of Sarah's, also a victim of Jason Treffen's, and she's finally in a position to get revenge. She wants to use him, he wants to do her. Again, a win-win. I know I'm snarking all over this installment, but I did like it.
 
The last installment, Expose Me, centers on Alex and Chelsea. Alex is now a respected journalist, and willing to use his talents to bring Jason down. Chelsea is the talk-show host who's going to help him. Alex has obvious reasons to do this. Chelsea has her own dark reasons to see him brought down. I got the least out of this installment, other than the big finish. I think at this point, I wanted to finally see all the talk put into action.
 
I thought the Fifth Avenue series was a cool concept, nice and scandalous, but I never found myself truly connecting with it, dying to know how it all shakes out with avenging Sarah's death. I do believe it is necessary to read Take Me to pull the reader into the story, and give background. The series revolves around a lot of build up, a few revelations, some threats tossed around, with a fair amount of sexin' thrown in. It was all interesting enough, and I generally liked each story.
 
The Fifth Avenue Trilogy is full of power and corruption, sex and scandal. It delves into the dirty business of the wealthy and powerful. I would suggest it for fans of Scandal.
 
       

 
 
One very lucky winner will receive the Summer in the City Essentials Kit!

 
 

The Summer in the City Essentials Kit is full of fabulous prizes from the following sponsors:

 



 
 
 
About the authors

Maisey Yates found her very first Harlequin Presents book in a local thrift store. By the time she’d reached the happily ever after, she had fallen in love. She devoured as many as she could get her hands on after that, and she knew that these were the books she wanted to write! At age twenty-three, she sold her first manuscript to the Harlequin Presents line. Maisey lives in Southern Oregon with her husband and three children.


Website






Caitlin Crews discovered her first romance novel at the age of twelve. It involved swashbuckling pirates, grand adventures, a heroine with rustling skirts and a mind of her own, and a seriously mouthwatering and masterful hero. Caitlin has made her home in places as far-flung as York, England, and Atlanta, Georgia. She currently lives in California with her animator/comic book artist husband and their menagerie of animals.


Website





Kate HewittKate Hewitt discovered her first Harlequin romance novel on a trip to England when she was thirteen, and she’s continued to read them ever since. Kate moved to England with the man of her dreams and sold her first short story to a British magazine. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, traveling and learning to knit. After living in England for six years she now resides in Connecticut with her husband and her three young children.
 

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16 comments:

  1. Yes, for me too: NYX makeup :)

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  2. I've seen these around and about I've been curious. Although I do have to ask why every couple pairing is "Earth shattering"? It's like "So and so was doing just fine until one earth shattering experience with what's her name." What is that? Great reviews tough. I'm gonna go grab TAKE me now

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  3. NXY makeup is my favorite in the kit!

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  4. the books ;) Thanks for sharing!

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  5. NXY makeup would be great to have. Thanks for the chance to win. I'd really love to own these books so I added them to my must read list.

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  6. I am a girlie girl - I love make-up

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  7. I really like the NXY makeup. Thanks for having the giveaway.

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  8. The Love in Paris eyeshadow looks really cool! Thanks for the giveaway and for sharing your thoughts about the series. Sounds interesting!

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  9. Great series review and wonderful giveaway. Thanks!

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  10. Love the eyeshadow set, I haven't brought myself to go beyond neutrals so it would be a fun one!

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  11. I was so happy to see you review this series, Andrea, as I was really curious about it. I think I'll one-click Take Me (thanks!) and give it a go. :) Great review!

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  12. I'm intrigued by the Aromaflage. Anything that smells good AND keeps bugs away is a win in my book.

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  13. I was kinda expecting more from this?

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  14. Great giveaway! I love the books, but the eye shadow pallet is really pretty too!

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  15. greate giveaway. the eyeshadow pallet is definitly a favorit! Also greate review the series sounds interesting. Adding it to my TBR.

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