Book Review: Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell! (@santinohassell)

Sutphin Boulevard (Five Boroughs #1)
Author: Santino Hassell
Publication Date: July 31, 2015
Published: Dreamspinner Press

My Review:

Michael Rodriguez and Nunzio Medici have been friends for two decades. From escaping their dysfunctional families in the working-class neighborhood of South Jamaica, Queens to teaching in one of the city’s most queer friendly schools in Brooklyn, the two men have shared everything. Or so they thought until a sweltering night of dancing leads to an unexpected encounter that forever changes their friendship.
Now, casual touches and lingering looks are packed with sexual tension, and Michael can’t forget the feel of his best friend’s hands on him. Once problems rear up at work and home, Michael finds himself seeking constant escape in the effortless intimacy and mind-blowing sex he has with Nunzio. But things don’t stay easy for long.
When Michael’s world begins to crumble in a sea of tragedy and complications, he knows he has to make a choice: find solace in a path of self-destruction or accept the love of the man who has been by his side for twenty years.

It’s been over a month since I’ve finished Sutphin Boulevard. Slacking on writing this review has nothing to do with being busy or anything. It is because it has taken that long for me to sort through the amount of emotions that this book left me with. When I picked this book up, I expected lots of smutty boy time. What I didn’t expect was glimpse of how addiction, grief and hiding true feelings can affect a person’s wellbeing. Is this a friends to lovers story? Yes. Is it more than that? Hell yes!

Waiting On Wednesday #48

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

Title: Wanderlost
Author: Jen Malone
Release Date: May 31, 2016

Not all those who wander are lost, but Aubree Sadler most definitely is on this novel’s whirlwind trip through Europe.
Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.
Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan begins unraveling, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.
But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.

Something about a wanderlust soul appealed to me. I definitely want to devour this one. The cover makes me think of summer in the best way as well.

Title: June
Author: Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
Release Date: May 31, 2016

From the New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet comes a novel of suspense and passion about a terrible mistake made sixty years ago that threatens to change a modern family forever.

Twenty-five-year-old Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family’s crumbling mansion in rural St. Jude, Ohio, mourning the loss of the woman who raised her—her grandmother, June. But a knock on the door forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary matinee idol Jack Montgomery's vast fortune. How did Jack Montgomery know her name? Could he have crossed paths with her grandmother all those years ago? What other shocking secrets could June’s once-stately mansion hold?
Soon Jack’s famous daughters come knocking, determined to wrestle Cassie away from the inheritance they feel is their due. Together, they all come to discover the true reasons for June’s silence about that long-ago summer, when Hollywood came to town, and June and Jack’s lives were forever altered by murder, blackmail, and betrayal.

As this page-turner shifts deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone, steadfastly, across the ages.

Firstly, I think the cover is pretty. Second, the story reminds me of the soap operas I used to watch. I have to know what the secret is!

What has you waiting?!

Release Blitz! Walk The Edge by Katie McGarry!

   

One moment...

That’s all it takes to change your life.

What happens when your entire future is on the line because of one reckless moment? This is what Breanna Miller and Thomas “Razor” Turner have to face in Katie McGarry’s WALK THE EDGE. Blackmail, family secrets, future plans on the verge of collapsing, two people who aren’t supposed to be together fall in love, and the power of social media in defining who you are when you’re not even sure who that person is yet…Join the Club and and immerse yourself in the world of the Reign of Terror. Pick up WALK THE EDGE today!

   

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyberbully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

 

Amazon * iBooks * Barnes and Noble * Kobo * Indiebound

Add to your Goodreads

And don’t miss the first book in the Thunder Road Series,

NOWHERE BUT HERE!

 

 

"There's something about McGarry's writing that's totally enthralling. Her characters are vivid, flawed and riveting, making this is a truly amazing read!"

~ RT Book Reviews "Katie McGarry is a master of her craft! Raw emotion, pure grit, I hang on every word. Her characters are real people with real problems and I cheer them every step of the way. Ready for a new addiction? Look no further than Katie McGarry's books."

~ Gena Showalter, Bestselling author of Firstlife "I finished WALK THE EDGE by the amazing Katie McGarry. It was SO good that now I feel bereft. I already miss Razor & Bre - I need to know more! She is by far my #1 favorite author. She paints a picture with the words, puts you IN the story... LOVE."

~ Lori Foster, New York Times Bestselling Author

 

DON’T MISS THIS AWESOME INCENTIVE OFFER FOR AN EXCLUSIVE ECHO AND NOAH SHORT STORY!

Order WALK THE EDGE, Register your Order by April 1st and receive an exclusive Echo and Noah short story and a chance to be in the next Thunder Road novel! Register at https://offerpop.com/campaign/796530.

    About Katie McGarry: Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

 

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Top Ten Tuesday! The Best Books We've Read Recently!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish

We love our top reads and here are a few of them.

I have read some of these books pretty recently and instead of rehashing my reasons I encourage you to check out my reviews.

Beginning from the most recent:

1) Morning Star, by Pierce Brown - 4.5 out 5 Broken Chains
Review: Book Review: Morning Star by Pierce Brown! (@Pierce_Brown)

2) Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story, by Jewel - 5 out 5 Guitar Strings
Review: Guest Book Review: Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel (@jeweljk)

3) Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon - 4.5 out of 5 humuhumunukunukuapuaas
Review: Guest Book Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (@NicolaYoon)

4) Another Day, by David Levithan - 5 out 5 Sandcastles
Review: Guest Book Review: Another Day by David Levithan (@loversdiction)

5) Alive, by Scott Sigler - 5 out 5 (circles)
Review: Guest Book Review: Alive by Scott Sigler (@scottsigler)

6) Us, by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
Book Review: Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy! (@SarinaBowen) (@ElleKennedy)

7) We Were Here, by Daisy Prescott
Blog Tour: We Were Here by Daisy Prescott - Review (@daisy_prescott)

8) Ink and Lies, by S.L. Jennings
Blog Tour: Ink & Lies by S.L. Jennings - Review! (@MrsSLJ)

9) The Score, by Elle Kennedy
Book Review: The Score by Elle Kennedy! (@ElleKennedy)

10) Some Sort of Happy, by Melanie Harlow
I haven't reviewed this one, yet, but I adored it. It was the first in the second series I binged of Melanie's. Something about her fluidity spoke to me.

Blog Tour: Walk The Edge by Katie McGarry! - Review & Excerpt! (@KatieMcGarry @HarlequinTEEN)

One moment...

That’s all it takes to change your life.

What happens when your entire future is on the line because of one reckless moment? This is what Breanna Miller and Thomas “Razor” Turner have to face in Katie McGarry’s WALK THE EDGE. Blackmail, family secrets, future plans on the verge of collapsing, two people who aren’t supposed to be together fall in love, and the power of social media in defining who you are when you’re not even sure who that person is yet…Join the Club and and immerse yourself in the world of the Reign of Terror. Pick up WALK THE EDGE today!

Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2)
Author: Katie McGarry
Publication Date: March 29, 2016
Published: Harlequin Teen
Source: Inkslinger PR

My Rating:

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.
Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

 Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Indiebound

And don't miss the first book in the Thunder Road Series,

Nowhere But Here!

“There’s something about McGarry’s writing that’s totally enthralling. Her characters are vivid, flawed and riveting, making this a truly amazing read!” – RT Book Reviews

“Katie McGarry is a master of her craft! Raw emotion, pure grit, I hang on every word. Her characters are real people with real problems and I cheer them every step of the way. Ready for a new addiction? Look no further than Katie McGarry’s books.” – Gena Showalter, Bestselling author of Firstlife.

“I finished WALK THE EDGE by the amazing Katie McGarry. It was SO good that now I feel bereft. I already miss Razor & Bre – I need more! She is by far my #1 favorite author. She paints a picture with the words, puts you IN the story… LOVE.” – Lori Foster, New York Times Bestselling Author

Ok, where do I start. I didn’t have high expectations for this book. I read the first one and wasn’t too excited about it. But this one went beyond what I was expecting. Maybe I should go back and read the first one again. I love these characters together and the obstacles they had to get through to finally be clean and ridden of all the secrets and lies in their lives.

Release Blitz & Review! The Fire Between High & Lo by Brittainy C. Cherry! (@givemebooksblog @BrittainyCherry)

The Fire Between High & Lo (Elements #2)
Author: Brittainy C. Cherry
Publication Date: March 25, 2016
Published: BCherry Books
Source: Give Me Books Promotions

My Rating:

There once was a boy, and I loved him.

Logan Francis Silverstone and I were complete opposites. I danced, and he stood still. He was quiet, while I ran my mouth. He struggled to find a smile, and I refused to frown.

The night I saw the darkness that truly lived inside of him, I couldn't look away.

We were broken together, yet somehow whole. We were wrong together, but always right. We were the stars that burned across the night sky, searching for a wish, praying for better tomorrows.
Until the day I lost him. He threw us away with one hasty decision--a decision that changed us forever.

There once was a boy, and I loved him.

And for a few breaths, a few whispers, a few moments, I think he loved me, too.

AMAZON US | UK

Also Available

AMAZON US | UK

When I read The Air He Breathes, I was blown away. Something about the angst and the love story that blossomed from that had me breathless. When I learned that there was going to be another story in the series, I jumped at the chance to read it. After, I was left more torn than anything.

Book Review: Morning Star by Pierce Brown! (@Pierce_Brown)

Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy #3)
Author: Pierce Brown
Publication Date: February 9, 2016
Published: Del Rey

My Rating:

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society's mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.
Finally, the time has come.
But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied - and too glorious to surrender.

So much happens. It's a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I laughed, was nervous, touched, and sometimes sad. I could not put it down. After having a headache on a Friday and a Saturday I wanted to catch up on those lost days. So I read 100 pages on a Sunday and another 100 pages on Monday (Presidents's Day). By Monday night my right eye was bloodshot. I finished it on February 18 and I still have a book hangover. I am going to fall behind on my Goodreads goal.

The character development was well done and the evolution of the plot was seamless. Not just from beginning to end in Morning Star, but the whole trilogy.

One critique was that I would have liked to see more scenes with a few minor characters from the previous novels.

The action was great and heart pounding, but some of my favorite moments were the quieter ones between Darrow and his friends. So much emotion is felt. Particularly Chapter 22 and Chapter 50. I feel it is difficult to describe my feelings without spoiling the whole book. I like giving examples and quotes.

4.5 out 5 Broken Chains

Check out the spoilery review below the cut!