Book Review: Serenading Heartbreak - Ella Fields

Title: Serenading Heartbreak
Author: Ella Fields
Genre: NA Romance
Release Date: September 25, 2019

My first love was my brother’s best friend.

A lead singer in their band.
A picture of rugged perfection.
And a drunk soul mate who couldn’t commit.

My second love was an arrogant baseball player.

A player in every sense of the word.
A smooth-talking, reliable best friend.
And a chance at something beautiful and true.

The problem with having a first and second love?
That would be loving them at the same time.

My story isn’t some sexy triangle.
It’s exquisite agony.

Fate gave me two men to love,
but none of us knew which one I could keep.

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Ella Fields never seizes to amaze me with her words. After all the angst in her novels, I literally had to find a LOL book. My heart couldn’t just take more from her. Now she releases another book to tear me apart. Who am I if not a sucker for punishment? Serenading Heartbreak is only the fourth book I read from Ella Fields but I can’t find the right words to describe how she’s slowly creeping up my authors list.

Serenading Heartbreak is different from other books that I’ve read. I’ve been racking my brains but came out emptyhanded when I tried recalling if I have ever read a story as raw as this. We’ve read a lot of love triangles but this is more than words can actually explain. This is the first book, I think, that I have been so indecisive on who I was rooting for. First person POV with only the girl’s side of the story doesn’t even help in trying to figure out what comes next. The twist comes at just the right time that will have you gasping for air just to absorb what just happened. My mind was on a whirlwind having to figure out what I wanted. I wanted to stop but yet I keep on flipping the page hungry for more knives to stab my already bleeding heart. It was just beautifully written and perfectly ended. You may think you’ve got it figured out, but the changes in events will have you second guessing your thoughts until you reach the end of the line.

I’ve been so invested in all the characters because they speak to me, to the readers. I loved Stevie. Then there she goes doing something I didn’t exactly agree on and I wanted to shake some sense to her. I may not have agreed on most of her decisions, but she was beautifully written in a way that she’s hard to hate. Then there Everett –our troubled, bad rocker. Who doesn’t love them? Despite and because of their flaws, we love them. But don’t we also love some sweet, charismatic playboy athlete who’s been her friend and confidante where she can just be herself? Yes, that’s Aiden right there. So tell me? how are we going to choose between them? It was painful and confusing, it made my head hurt. Which is exactly the reason why I loved them so much. They made me feel so alive. So connected to the story.

Overall, I’d give this 4.5 stars out of 5. It’s almost there. I just wished I shed more tears. More being the keyword

Book Review: The Game You Play - L. A. Cotton

Title: The Game You Play
Author: L. A. Cotton
Genre: NA Sports Romance
Series: Rixon Raiders, Book 2
Release Date: September 17, 2019


𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁.

Lose her virginity.

Meet her knight-in-shining-armor and fall in love.

Have the best senior year a girl can have.

The only problem? Her knight isn’t a saint, he’s a villain, and she’s pretty sure he’ll destroy her before ever handing over a piece of his heart.

𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻.

Win State and go down as one of the most successful Quarterbacks in Rixon Raider history.

Head off to college and pursue his dream of being drafted to the NFL.

Avoid the girl under his skin. Felicity Giles, his stepsister’s best friend and perpetual pain in his ass.



She’s annoying as hell.

Quirky.

She’s a game to him, nothing more.



Until his arch rival comes after him and the few people he cares about ... and Felicity gets caught in the crossfire.



𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲.



𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴!




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🎧Audio: Coming Soon!!!

𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀


I’m really bad at organizing. I tried multiple times to remember what I signed up for, but I still get surprised by emails I wasn’t expecting. This introduced me to a new author LA Cotton.

Apparently, I signed up for a second book in the series. Although this is a standalone, I still think it is best to read this in order they are released to get more feels on the plot. It also has a little bit of spoiler from the first book. Being me, I really don’t mind since it didn’t really tell me exactly how it happened, just what happened. I’m being torn between liking and hating the story. It’s kind of the typical Enemies to Lovers story but not really. I find the story a little too fast-paced. But I would say that it still has the overall “feels” to it. There were still moments that I felt it – the passion and the angst. It was just that there were some points that I felt for it to be a little lacking with the connection of the two characters. I also like that not everything was just laid out. The mystery on some of the things that happens actually does explain how and why everything played out the way it did.

I didn’t like Felicity very much. Although he’s not really a push over, I can’t really feel the “sass” Jason is referring to from her. She’s one of those heroines whose logic flew out the window the moment he saw Jason. I mean, come on! Make him grovel! I felt like she just keeps on accepting him with open arms even if her mind tells her no. But I do like what she was able to do with her life and the way that she has transformed. Jason, on the other hand, is something else. I wouldn’t go as far as add him on my BBF, but he kinda proved himself in few occasion. I like how he handled things and made sacrifices that he needs to do.

It would be a little shocking that I would still be giving this a 4 star, despite the above review. But I was able to feel some of the heartbreaking scenes and connect with them a little. It was worthy to be read till the end and that’s good enough for me.

Book Review: Stoned - Mandi Beck

Title: Stoned
Author: Mandi Beck
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 11, 2016
Series: Wrecked, Book 1

*****STONED IS A STANDALONE IN THE WRECKED SERIES*****

As the lead singer of one of the hottest bands to hit the rock scene, f*cks are free, drugs come easy, and music is life.
For as long as Stone can remember, Willow has been his music – the notes that weave his soul together. His rhythm.
Until he threw her away.
All he has left is a handful of pills and a few lines of powder to make him forget her. And he tries, over and over.
Clean and ready to make things right, he’s faced with the fact that Willow’s moved on. She’s not the same girl he cast aside. Willow’s a woman sure about her purpose in life. Sure about who she’s meant to love.
Stone may be lost without his rhythm, but Willow has found so much more.

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I've recently stopped reading books from new authors unless they're highly recommended by someone I trust with their taste of books. But I was intrigued by a quick summary of this book from one group that I'm in, so I gave it a go. This is my first Mandi Beck book and I'm so glad to have taken that leap of faith.

I liked how the story timeline is realistic. Not too fast but not dragging either. It doesn't feel rushed. And although, the book may have triggers for some readers, I liked how it tackled a few issues of our day to day lives. It's a litte eye opener. It gives you a glimpse of what happens in these cases and makes you a little more considerate.

Stone, as effed up as he is, is someone to admire. He is courageous enough to admit that he was wrong, that he messed up and strong enough to do something about it. He acknowledged his weakness and that in itself is strength for me. It's kind of hard for me to like a heroine most of the time but Willow made the cut. She's strong and positive. Despite all the bad things that happened, she still looked into the brighter side of things. I also love her for having a steong resolve enough to fight her sexual desires. She did admit to herself how turned on she becomes with Stone but not enough that her conviction just went flying out the window, the moment he sees him or he comes near her. It's kind of refreshing to read a person who isn't a slave of their sexual desires.

Overall, it's a 4 star for me. Could've been a 5 if it made me tear up a bit.

Book Review: Forever and Never - Ella Fields

Title: Forever and Never

Author: Ella Fields 

Genre: NA Romance

Series: Magnolia Cove, Book 2

Release Date: June 26, 2019

Lars Bradby was supposed to be my forever.

That was before we found out he would become a father at the tender age of eighteen.

For years, he’d watched me.

For months, he’d wanted me.

For weeks, he’d chased me.

Relentless and infuriating, he turned my stubborn heart into something pliable and weak. 

Sly and honest, he worked his way into my life as though he’d always planned to be the focal point of it.

In love and naive, even when our future seemed bleak, I believed in us. 

Heartbroken and desperate, I tore my bleeding heart from my chest, wanting only the best for him.

In doing so, our forever wasn’t just interrupted. It was chased away with one irreversible decision after another. 

And now, we could no longer see it beneath the heaping piles of debris we’d left in our wake.

💔💔💔

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Ella Fields just did it again. Just when I thought I would get through without having to cry or break my heart, I was yet faced by another disappointment.

I've been seeing posts of how they were ruined by Forever and Never so I had to brace myself before diving in. I was starting to think that they either have been exaggerating or this book isn't really for me. But I was wrong. Why I thought my heart wouldn't break or that those tears wouldn't fall as I wade through Ella Fields's words is beyond me. Slowly, a hand was crushing into my heart, squeezing it oh so gently until it couldn't beat anymore, crushing it until it's dust. I liked that none of it was easy. Because it keeps you on the edge. Not knowing what'll happen next and if you're getting the ending that you badly need. It wasn't predictable. It wasn't smooth sailing. It was all the rough roads and the storms combined. If they got through it or not, you'd have to stick around to find out. Unlike other stories where you'd know what the ending would be and just a matter or how.

I like how Ella keeps her heroines level-headed. Yes, they make stupid decisions. But good looks and sex appeal doesn't really get them. Of course they can be attracted, but not the type of girl that forgets all rational thought just because they smell the hero. I also loved how they are equal in a sense. Not all damsel in distress where the guy have to do all the grovelling. They meet halfway. They compromise. The girl knows when she messed up and she knows when to suck it up or do something about it. The heroes are also something to learn from. No matter how obsessed and in love they may be, they show how human they are and that they hurt. They just don't forgive them at the first sight of tears.

This would be a 4.5 stars for me. Almost perfect. Had the heartbreak been at the first 50% of the book, I would've given this a 5. But I would definitely recommend this book. Worth losing a few hours of sleep.

Book Review: Suddenly Forbidden - Ella Fields

Title: Suddenly Forbidden
Author: Ella Fields
Series Gray Springs University, Book 1
Genre: NA Romance
Release Date: January 24, 2018

 I thought he'd always be mine,

even when I was forced to say goodbye.



We were never meant to let go,

but it happened anyway.

Too bad I didn’t know someone was waiting to take my place, or I would've held on a lot tighter.



Two years later, we were exactly where we'd always planned to be.

I'd kept my promise.

He'd forgotten all about his.

Not only had he moved on, but the person he'd moved on with was my best friend, leaving me to begin college with a broken heart.



I guess this is the part where I’m supposed to tell you some other guy stepped in, repaired my shattered pieces, and made me smile again.



This isn't that kind of story.



My heart might have been broken,

but it refused to fall out of love.



WARNING: this book contains cheating.

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Ella Fields is a fairly new author to me. In fact, this is just the second book I've read from her. But with the way things are going, I wouldn't even be surprised when she joins the list of my favorite authors.

Suddenly Forbidden had me bawling my eyes out at just 30% in. Me being a cry baby doesn't really take that much to make me cry. But this one is different. The pain I was feeling was bone deep. Like I was feeling every bit of the pain the characters are going thru. The betrayal, the longing, the regrets. It was coming in full force, my heart doesn't even know how to acknowledge everything. It was even a bad decision (okay, no not really) to read the book before bedtime that I end up getting almost no sleep. But, let's be honest who doesn't want a bool that'll keep you up all night, right? The plot was definitely a nice road to take in. It was bumpy and painful. And although the last few chapters and the way things ended was a little too fast and too easy for me, the angst, heartbreak and tears for the better part of the book definitely made up for it.

The characters were very much relateable and easy to feel. It was as though they were real people with real emotions. It wasn't a struggle to be in their shoes. I liked how Daisy was both loving and fierce, forgiving and a fighter. Quinn on the other hand, may not be on top of mind book boyfriend and doesn't really make good decisions, but is definitely still someone to swoon over. He just knows the right things to say.

All in all, I would say that this is 4 stars for me. Definitely worth reading and recommending.

Book Review: The Irish Lottery - Sienna Blake

Title: The Irish Lottery
Author: Sienna Blake
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 18, 2019

Noah

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Our ma is sick and this lottery is the only way to raise that much money quickly.

But when my best friend in the whole world, the girl I’ve secretly loved for years, turns up as the winner I cannot believe it.

When I read the secret fantasy she’s submitted I almost choke.
She just wants us to give her what she’s never had…

…an O.

This could be the very thing I need to convince her that we should be more than friends. I could give her what she wants—the sexiest night of her life…and more.

I just hope she’s happy when she finds out who’s behind the mask.

The Irish Lottery is a full-length standalone friends-to-lovers contemporary romance.

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I was kind of hesitant to read this at first. I've been avoiding dark and erotica recently and the blurb got me all mixed up. Plus, Sienna Blake is a first for me. But then someone I would trust to suggest a good book, that's you Terrie, assured me that this isn't dark. So I decided to take the plunge. And it was well worth it.

I was a little nervous in meeting the deadline though. You see, I only have 7 days to read a full length novel. I've been slacking with reading lately making me read as slow as 10 days for just one book. But then, all those fretting seems to be moot. I ended up with two hours of sleep, cramming with my report and nodding off at work. But, hey, no regrets. I kind of get into that one more chapter rush. I loved how the story went. It was something different. The plot was really catchy. That kind where you can't just have a bite. It's the kind that you need to devour whole. It was funny, it was heartbreaking, and a wake up call. I liked that it somehow deal with a social issue that I really believe in too. It was reality, fantasy and everything in between.

The characters aren't hard to love. They we're adorable in their own ways. And everyone gets to play a very essential part of how the story unfolds. I love the brotherhood. The way they bicker and argue but at the end of the day, they know they still have each other's back. Although Aubrey is one of those heroines I hate that all logic was sent flying out the window when the guy gets near, for some reason, I don't hate her as much. She has her own voice, her own stand and is willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the betterment of many. At least that's what she thinks. And don't get me started with Noah! Oh my! He is definitely going into the book boyfriend list. The way he loves. The fierceness of his passion. The way he would give everything for the first woman he loves and will forever love.

You may have guessed it by now. But if you still need me to spell it out for you, I'm giving this a 5 stars. Definitely wonderful read.

Cover Reveal: Forever and Never - Ella Fields

Forever and Never from Ella Fields

Release Date: June 28th



Lars Bradby was supposed to be my forever.
That was before we found out he would become a father at the tender age of eighteen.

For years, he’d watched me.
For months, he’d wanted me.
For weeks, he’d chased me.

Relentless and infuriating, he turned my stubborn heart into something pliable and weak.
Sly and honest, he worked his way into my life as though he’d always planned to be the focal point of it.

In love and naive, even when our future seemed bleak, I believed in us.
Heartbroken and desperate, I tore my bleeding heart from my chest, wanting only the best for him.

In doing so, our forever wasn’t just interrupted. It was chased away with one irreversible decision after another.
And now, we could no longer see it beneath the heaping piles of debris we’d left in our wake.

Release alert: http://bit.ly/2Amt3FL
Add to GR TBR: https://bit.ly/2TJrrlt

Visit her Author Page for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card: https://bit.ly/2R0s5r2

Cover designer: the incredibly talented Sarah from [Okay Creations.]