Play Date: Kate Donovan

**ARC provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Dear Sean Decker;

You. Suck.

I mean come on, seriously dude? I really liked this book, and even though Sean was only a side character, he was too wishy-washy and annoying for me.

Overall I really enjoyed the book, but I did have a few problems. The whole triple threat thing was pretty cool, it was neat to see such close friends, but I just got this vibe that we were supposed to love them because the were rich and famous. Now, I didn't realize that this book was part of a series, so I will definitely be going back and reading the others. 

I tip my hat to Rachel, she was able to forgive Sean pretty easily and still be friends with him. I loved her classroom and how much she loved her kids. I also loved Bam, everyone thought he was too brash or too much of a caveman, but he totally had my type of humor. Bam was a delight to read about. I liked how he took care of Rachel and got to know the kids she taught. That interaction made him even yummier.

The romance was pretty typical, boy and girl and friends with benefits "only" but then become boyfriend and girlfriend. Boy makes stupid mistake and girl overreacts to something, then they get together. But I still liked it. I was a cute romance read with Bam being all big and strong.

I'm going to have to read the Spurlings' story, because I wasn't a huge fan of Johnny in this book. He seemed to like power and control a bit too much. I mean, Sean and Bam couldn't say mean things to him, just because of his role? But whatever, I recommend to sports fans who want a bit of action with their romance!

Without You Here: Carter Ashby

**ARC provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This book was an emotional roller coaster...but in a good way. I was shocked, then angry, then sad, and then I just sat there in stunned silence. So basically:



Let me start off by saying: HOLY BALLS BATMAN! Talk about the mother of all plot twists. I mean, I saw it coming after a little while, I don't even remember what gave it away. But it made for a great storyline. Shortly after this we get the first bout emotional turbulence. Followed by a bit of romance and heartache, and we have landed.

We are brought in after Ettie has broken up with her on/off boyfriend Blake for the millionth time, but this time, she goes out to drown her self in alcohol. She meets a stunning man (Wyatt) and they take off for a weekend of fun. After that weekend wraps up, they have to face the real world. For Ettie, that means going back to her apartment and dealing with Blake. For Wyatt, that means going back home to his empty house and his wife's grave with a bottle of alcohol. After Ettie and Wyatt realize that they both know Blake in different ways, tension starts and hearts break.

I know the story followed Ettie, but the entire time, I felt like we didn't connect with her on the same level that we did with Wyatt. Wyatt was a phenomenal character, he felt so real, and my heart ached for him. I loved the dynamic between Wyatt and Ettie. She was a spark of hope and happiness that reminded him of what his life used to be. For me, Wyatt was the main character of the story, going through life in pain, trying to find a way out.

Everyone in Wyatt's life cared about him. He had such a loving family, and Ettie tried as hard as she could to let them be. Ettie's mom kept her locked up in the house when she was a kid, so she never saw much of the world or anything in it. I loved her curiosity and awe at everything she encountered. Which brings us to Blake. I didn't like him. He had a certain way of living life, and wanted Ettie to be a type of person she wasn't. The way he dealt with that was pretty uncool. He talked down to her more than once, belittled her, and made fun of her. This done in private would have aggravated me, but he did this in front of his family, and, especially, his father. I kept hoping that his father would slap him, but no. After Ettie admits what happened when she broke up with him then ran off, he get really upset and tries to push her back into a relationship. After telling him 400 times that they are only friends now, he still barely gets the message. Then he goes and kisses her best friend! Ugh.....kids these days.

Again, Wyatt was my favorite character. I liked the journey he went through, I think it was pretty realistic as to what happens when someone you love dies. He was a strong character, who grew stronger by the end of the book. I'm glad everything worked out in the end. I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more of the author in the future.

Tear You Apart: Sarah Cross

**ARC provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I found this one after pages of searching for something to read. And I had to stop myself from screaming when I saw this one. When I saw that this book was approved and I was able to read it, my jaw dropped, my phone fell, and I shouted to the heavens in joy.

I read the first book in this series (Kill Me Softly) quite a while ago. However, when I saw this one, I was so excited. This book was awesome! I had forgotten a bit of the first one, but Tear You Apart takes place after, and follows different characters. I recommend reading Kill Me Softly first, but it is not absolutely necessary. This tale continues the fated curses of the people of Beau Rivage. Viv is cursed with a snow white curse, and everyone knows about it.

So, Viv goes to the Underworld, where her prince awaits. He is supposed to wait until she falls asleep to kiss and wake her, but he can't help himself. I loved Viv as a character. She was frustrating at times (mainly interacting with Henley) but her curse sucked, and I felt for her. The relationship she had with Henley was kinda like every teenage relationship ever, but with a delicious twist. Viv has been best friends with Henley, and loves him, but he was cursed as her Huntsman. The author did a great job of keeping hidden whether or not Henley would actually kill her...I mean, they love each other, but I thought he was going to do it. Anyways, Viv gets stuck in the Underworld after being almost killed, and things do not go the way she planned. 

I am not a fan of the ridiculous love triangles, but I didn't really feel like Viv was in the middle of one. I mean yeah, she was confused about two boys, but she finally got her head on straight in a reasonable amount of time. Her so-called prince was (without giving anything away) an ass. I felt bad for his sister, but I had no sympathy for him after everything ended.

Henley sounds pretty hot, like a lumberjack but with a heart only for Viv. Viv's stepmother was exceedingly creepy with Henley, but he did the best he could. Henley was a hero in my opinion. All throughout the book. He had a lot of shit to deal with, and there Viv went just messing it all up. I'm just glad that he always kept coming for her. He never gives up, and every time I just went "aawwww" and swooned a bit more. The interactions with Viv's stepmom actually kept me guessing, she was a bitch, and I couldn't stand her, but she just added to the plot line and made you love Viv and Henley as a couple.

I liked the fairy tales that were intertwined in this story. There were some new ones that I hadn't heard of, but they always had that twist that allowed them to deviate slightly from the original, but still be true. This book definitely had some of the gruesomeness that the original fairy tales had, which I thought was refreshing. Even though I got frustrated at times with Viv, she was overall a character that you had to root for. 

I have to add as a side note that I love the covers for these books. They fit well with the romance but show that it is still a bit brutal. I would purchase this book in a heartbeat if I were able. I will be keeping an eye out for the next book....hopefully it will be the beauty and the beast characters!

Outside The Lines: Bella Love

**ARC provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

While this book was good, it was a bit confusing, and seemed a wee bit boring after a while. I felt as though I was thrown in to the story, and hit the ground running. There was not a whole lot of buildup, it had already started, and I was left to catch up. Juliette Jauntie is a hard-working coffee addict. She seems to never sleep, has no personal life, but is seriously hot for Johnny Danger, her competition. Johnny is an all around sexy guy.

Everyone else seemed to really like this book, but it just didn't do it for me. The sex was pretty hot, the plotline was interesting, and yet, I just didn't like it. The characters' background isn't explained until fairly late in the book, which was frustrating, because I had no idea why they cared so much about the problem they come up against. 

Juliette was kinda funny, I loved the scenes where she tried to go skiing, trying to be brave and adventurous. She was a pretty great character. I liked that she was portrayed as a strong woman, I don't think we see that enough anymore. She wasn't afraid to get down and dirty, and she was willing to put in the hours to be the best at what she does. By the end of the book, this pays off. She is able to get the man but still be independent.

Johnny was just too much of a cliche for me. He was all angst and broody and macho "I am man, you are woman, we will have sexytime" and it was too much for me. But then again, I found out that the thought of being an accountant or lawyer seems incredibly boring, and this book was all about them. For having the last name Danger, I think the most dangerous thing about him was the fact that he could cause spontaneous combustion while being in bed with him (but, wait....when has that ever been a bad thing?).

Overall, the book was decent, I liked the originality of the plotline, can't say I'd ever encountered it before. I also liked Juliette as a character, I recommend this one for those of you who have time so sit down and read an actual intelligent romance book.