Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 175

Cover Reveal: The Gift

The Gift by Karli Perrin: It was the weekend before Christmas and the whole world was on countdown.

Except for me.

Last Christmas, I met a boy.

Last Christmas, we made a pact.

Christmas would never be the same.

Life would never be the same...





Please note that this is a short story, not a full length novel. It is a standalone and is intended to be a quick, fun and flirty read.
Release date - 1st December

Book Review: Pieces of Perfect

Pieces of Perfect by Elizabeth Hayley: As a sexy ex-hockey player, Max was the bad boy with something to prove. As a handsome single father, Adam was the man most women wait a lifetime for. Each man would take me on a journey of self-discovery that was marred with lies, jealousy, deceit, and a whole lot of fun. They each offered a glimpse of happily ever after, a piece of perfect. But in my constant quest to have it all, I would risk losing everything. Only one thing was certain. I’d never be the same after this.





Emma thoughts: I received this ARC as part of the blog tour and I will try and keep this review as spoiler free as I can (if that’s possible).

I rated this book as 4 hearts, I really enjoyed it but there was a certain thing I found annoying but not to the degree that I would rate it any less and I read it in a day so I was kinda hooked as I wanted to find out what happened.

Pieces of Perfect starts with a bang (quite literally, lol). So you do get sucked in right from the very start and if you are a fan of love triangles you will love this.... both Max and Adam are seriously hot and the naughty scenes are sizzling hot if you know what I mean but now for the part I was annoyed about....Lily, aw could she be a whiny, selfish moo who quite literally thought about her own needs.... but that makes for a good story I guess and I’m glad that I read it.

Overall this is a very good book and I’d definitely read something from these authors again so I would like to say Congratulations to Elizabeth & Hayley and a big well done on your first novel.

Cover Reveal: Last Shadow

Title: Last ShadowAuthor: Pepper WintersGenre: Dark RomanceTentative Release Date: April 2014Hosted by: Love Between the Sheets

SynopsisA New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to slavery, cruelty, and non-consensual sex. A story about a killer with no remorse, a woman living in nightmares, and a future that binds them in servitude.
***I’m named after the blackest of shadows. Conjured from earth, created by demons, molded by fire to become the perfect killer. I need no-one. I feel nothing. I am nobody… until her.
***My name is of no consequence, they sometimes call me whore, slut, or possession. I dance by night and waste away by day. Every foul moment of this life is replaced with my hopes and dreams, inked onto my skin for the world to see. I have a promise to keep. I will be free—it’s only a matter of time… until him.


About the Author

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex. J
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.
Her debut book Tears of Tess will be followed with Quintessentially Q. You didn’t think Q could stop so soon, did you? Her other two titles, Last Shadow and Broken Chance will be coming soon.


Connect with the PepperFacebook | Blog | Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads

If you haven’t read Pepper’s best-seller Tears of Tess, now is a perfect time just before Quintessentially Q hits the shelves in December.




Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble

Book Review & Giveaway: Red Dirt Road

Red Dirt Road (Saving Angels #2)by Annie Rose Welch: The Saving Angels Series continues…

A new cast is introduced, while journeys already taken start to merge with the present, leading you down the old Red Dirt Road.

Death has always seemed just one step behind Layla Hill, taking almost everyone she’s ever loved. After she loses the love of her life, Layla vows to never love again—how could she, when she’s a death magnet?

Trying to outrun fate traveling with her uncle Willie and his band, Layla meets Michael Roberts, a beautiful Irish boxer as gentle on the piano as he is brutal in the ring. He proves as relentless in life, fighting for a place in her world even as she pushes him away, trying to protect him from her killer tendencies.

But neither foresees the sinister presence waiting for Layla at the end of the Red Dirt Road.
Lori's thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect with Red Dirt Road after finishing Marigny Street. I immediately finished the first one and went right into Red Dirt Road. I had hoped to see more of Eva and Gabriel from Marigny Street -- and although they are mentioned in passing during Red Dirt Road, this story is not theirs to tell. As with the first book, I enjoyed Annie Rose Welch's lyrical writing. Her descriptive words made me feel almost as if I were there. Let me also say, the prologue to this book blew my mind. Layla is a broken, beautiful soul and my heart was heavy for her.

Classic, fast, cars are a part of the story, too. If you're like me, you appreciate good old muscle cars and swoon worthy boys with accents. I could almost imagine Michael's Irish brogue coming off the pages as I read the book.

At one point, closer to the end of the book, I thought my heart was going to be shredded and I was going to be really upset if things didn't work out. I don't think I'm giving too much away by telling you that there is a HEA ending in this one. Bravo Ms. Welch. Now. When can we expect book #3?!










Born and raised in New Orleans, Annie has a habit of shortening her words and telling long stories. She speaks with a southern flair and cooks with it too. At the tender age of twenty- one, she hitched up her wagons (took her first plane ride) and moved out west to the big shake (California). Her writing career began one sleepless night when she imagined a gorgeous woman and a man with maniacal hair floating above her like lightening bugs falling from the sky. Curious about them, their story, and why they were floating around in her head, she sat down and penned (typed) her first novel, Marigny Street. A dream come true for her, she hasn’t stopped writing since. She loves a damn good love story, always has, no matter what the genre. She is particularly moved by imperfect love that in its own unique way is perfect, the notion of love at first sight, soul mates, and things that are generally out of the norm.

When she’s not writing she enjoys dabbling in photography and finding new, inspirational music to add to her collection. She currently (still) resides in the big shake (although her southern roots are calling her home) with her husband, daughter, and their two peculiar dogs, Boudreaux and Tabasco (who, call her crazy, bark with an accent).


https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnieRoseWelchhttps://twitter.com/angelwriter11http://annierosewelch.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7159582.Annie_Rose_Welch
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18397194-red-dirt-road

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Book Review: Beautiful Player

Beautiful Player (Beautiful Bastard #3) by Christina Lauren: A bombshell bookworm. A chronic Casanova. And a lesson in chemistry too scandalous for school.

When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she’s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother’s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?

Will takes risks for a living, but he’s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna’s…until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed- and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can’t forget. Now that Hanna’s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it’s up to Will to prove he’s the only man she’ll ever need.
TeriLyn's thoughts: Beautiful Player was just as great for me as the previous two beautiful boys. Will and Hannah's story was a little sweeter than the previous two books. Unlike Bennett & Chloe or Max & Sara, Will and Hannah have known each other for years and their relationship begins as an awesome friendship. They feel comfortable with each other without even knowing why. Their familiarity leads to to trust and understanding of sexual desires especially for Hannah. She's young, beautiful, naive, and totally honest. Hannah is endearing. She's eager, funny, and smart; a great heroine. Will is older, much more experienced, and has never loved. His tenderness with and fondness of Hannah makes him irresistible. Their exploits are hot, their banter is comical and fun, and their relationship is sweet. The writing is, as always, seamless and easy to read. Beautiful Player is another great installment of this series to get lost in.

Book Review: The Edge of Always

The Edge of Always (The Edge of Never #2) by J.A. Redmerski: He was taking the long road. She was taking the road to nowhere. It just so happened that they led to the same place…

When everything falls apart, love remains . . .

Camryn Bennett has never been happier. Five months after meeting on a Greyhound bus, she and her soul mate Andrew Parrish are engaged—and a wedding isn’t the only special event in their future. Nervous but excited, Camryn can’t wait to begin the rest of her life with Andrew – a man she knows in her heart will love her always. They have so much to look forward to—until tragedy blindsides them.

Andrew doesn’t understand how this could happen to them. He’s trying to move on, and thought Camryn was doing the same. But when Andrew discovers Camryn is secretly harboring a mountain of pain and attempting to numb it in damaging ways, there is nothing he won’t do to bring her back to life. Determined to prove that their love can survive anything, Andrew decides to take Camryn on a new journey filled with hope and passion. If only he can convince her to come along for the ride…
TeriLyn's thoughts: I would rate this book ten stars if I could. I fell in love with Andrew and Camryn in The Edge of Never. It's one of my most favorite love stories. I fell even more in love with them in The Edge of Always because it was just as perfect. Andrew and Camryn are quintessential main characters. Their love is limitless, never ending, and undeniably strong. They need each other but don't feel the need to express it with every chapter. The author has a wonderfully unique way of making us feel the depth of their relationship and love without constantly throwing it in our faces. It's just always there. Their relationship is never tarnished by outside influences. Their biggest threat is themselves and even then they are completely indestructible  I love aspect about these two books. There is never any angst or worry about their connection. They are so incredibly strong together. The beginning is painful and heart breaking and Redmerski makes you feel that pain right along with Andrew and Camryn. These two have been dealt a lot of heart ache in a short amount of time. It's amazing how they cope and realize that, with each other, they can survive anything. They take another incredible journey filled with adventure that you feel a part of. They re-discover themselves and their relationship. Even though they've always known, they really accept and cherish what they mean to each other on this trip. They set goals and priorities. They live outside the box.

Andrew is Camryn's true soul-mate and hero. He's patient, kind, funny, sweet, and extremely charming. Andrew's free spirit is infectious. He lives and breathes for Camryn. He has uncovered something inside of her that even she never knew existed; her free spirit. Andrew is an honorable man who had found the love of a good woman and he refuses to let her go. He proves time and again that he'll be with her through anything and everything life throw their way. Camryn is his equal in every way. She's patient, kind, funny, sweet, and extremely charming. She doesn't want to live a cookie cutter life fully embracing her free spirit and refusing to remain stagnant. Camryn goes through major growth in this book and it was a pleasure to read. Her strength solidifies, she becomes a woman. She is more than confident in Andrew's love for her.

Their entire story is a beautiful adventure, even when it's most painful. The balance between the pain and the beauty of life is remarkable; each day is a new day, painful or not. Everything about these two books works for me perfectly. How the first met, the adventures they go on, the plot development, the purity of their relationship and their undying love for each other. The writing is phenomenal, I felt every word, action, and event. Redmerski immerses you into their journey and keeps you planted there. I didn't want the adventure to end. I look forward to treasuring the story of Andrew and Camryn for a long time. A great sequel, a phenomenal series, a perfect end.

**I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.**

Book Review: Amateur Angel

Amateur Angel by Karri Thompson: 

Only 18-years-old, Ashley is no ordinary teenager. Not only is she dead, but upon her death, she mistakenly enters the wrong line in the afterlife, a line meant for trained, guardian angels. 

With a pair of wings on her back, Ashley is sent to Los Angeles to replace another angel whose "assignment" was none-other-than Cannon Michaels, a current member of the band Sendher, the sexiest man alive, and Ashley's celebrity crush in life.




TeriLyn's thoughts: **Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review**

Amateur Angel was an interesting read for me. I was not expecting as light of a read as it was. It was different than what I've been reading in that it's YA. I classify it as a book that would be great lying in the sun by the pool. I also, as a side note, thought it paralleled a great Meg Ryan movie, City of Angels although much less intense. It was funny at times and the plot was fresh and unique making it an easy read. The writing was simple but the dialogue didn't flow easily at some points for me. Ashley piqued my interest in this a little later in the book; she was just as spunky and sarcastic as she was naive and vulnerable about love. At first, I was not sure what to think of her being so judgmental. Cannon is both endearing and infuriating. While Ashley was working through her death, Cannon was working through his life. They grew and changed by the ending so their development was good. It was an interesting dynamic between two of them, I cannot recall a book where the two main characters did not interact. I thought the ending was interesting too. It's bittersweet and I didn't know whether to be pleased or sad. I like the surprise element of that because I wasn't sure what to expect.

Book Review: The Temptation of Lila and Ethan

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3) by Jessica Sorensen: On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect façade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.

Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?

TeriLyn's thoughts: **Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I liked The Temptation of Lila and Ethan. I found the two of them intriguing in the Ella and Micha books. Their story was one of friendship that grew and I love those kinds of books. They trusted each other and found something in the other that they each clung to even though, I believe, they didn't understand why. The interesting thing about Lila and Ethan is that they couldn't be any different on the outside as in rich girl/poor boy type situation. The ways in which they view the world are different. Contrastly, they couldn't be more the same on the inside; both broken and holding on to something that forever changed their lives. They've both been beaten down by dreadful parents. They're both keeping a huge part of their lives from each other. Initially the dynamic of their relationship is fun and flirty until, slowly, they both realize their feelings run deeper than that. The ways in which they both navigate those feelings was heart breaking to read. Lila and Ethan are lost, fighting their way back to normalcy and each other. Ethan is a humble soul; compassionate, funny, and kind without even trying. Lila is a spunky hellcat; compassionate, funny, and kind she just can't see it. Her self-discovery is healing to them both. There is also some good Ella and Micha parts in their story too. It was a good read and a good relationship; I enjoyed it.

Book Review: Surviving Raine

Surviving Raine (Surviving Raine #1) by Shay Savage: As the captain of a schooner catering to the elite on the Caribbean Seas, Sebastian Stark does his best to avoid any human encounters. Interacting with people isn't his thing, and he prefers the company of a bottle of vodka, a shot glass, and maybe a whore. There’s no doubt he’s hiding from a checkered past, but he does well keeping everything to himself…

…until the night his schooner capsizes, and he’s stuck on a life raft with one of the passengers.

Raine’s young, she’s cute, and Bastian would probably be into her if he wasn’t suffering from alcohol withdrawal. As the days pass, DTs, starvation, and dehydration become the norm. Even the most closed person starts to open up when he thinks he’s going to die, but when she realizes their traumatic pasts are connected, it’s no longer the elements that have Bastian concerned.

He has no idea how he’s going to Survive Raine.
TeriLyn's thoughts: Surviving Raine is one of those highly addicting books that I wish I could go back and read again for the first time. The writing flows seamlessly. You're caught in the core of the uniquely crafted plot and cannot escape. The development of the plot and characters centers on survival. The love that derives from that most basic of needs is epic, making both main characters equally as addictive. Bastian is broken and a complete mess. He has never been accepted for him, he's been used and unloved. His history is brutal and violent yet I felt so much compassion for him, much like Raine. Raine is the strongest, purest kind of heroine. I absolutely loved this character. She's not a woman who self-destructs after a tragic event in her life. She's Bastian's complete opposite in almost every way and ultimately his savior. They're connected by their attachment to each other and their vulnerability. Surviving Raine is a gripping story and kept me rapt through the entire book. The ending, while not a cliffhanger, left me staring at my Kindle willing more pages to appear. Bastian and Raine's love story of survival, letting go, and finding home is a must read!

Book Review: Marigny Street

Marigny Street (Saving Angels #1)by Annie Rose Welch: Do you believe in the power of dreams?

Way down south on Marigny Street in the heart of New Orleans, the land of Catholic intersessions, purgatory, and supernatural superstitions, young Evangeline Chenier dreams of a radiant boy who saves her from a storm. She takes the dream seriously – in her family, dreams are sometimes more than dreams. Sometimes they foretell the future. Sometimes they create it.

Years later, Eva is no longer the same wistful girl but a hardened woman who no longer believes in dreams. Losing faith in her gift, she becomes lost in a nightmare of emotion, mourning her son, separating from her husband, and stewing in a dead-end job. And then fate brings her an unlikely surprise: one of the most famous movie stars in the world, Gabriel Roberts.

Caught by something in his eyes, Eva agrees to show him the real Big Easy on his last night in New Orleans—an evening that turns into four dreamy days spent recapturing lost faith and discovering a love neither expected. Realizing Gabriel is the boy from her childhood dream, Eva must leave everything behind—her husband, her family, her history, and the beautiful city she calls home—and gamble it all for the dream that has saved her on MARIGNY STREET.
Lori's thoughts: This isn't exactly "New Adult," but I felt the need to read it anyway. I have a problem reading books when I can't pronounce the title or the name of a character. I stumble over the name in the book every time I come to it in a sentence. So, not wanting to spend the whole book stumbling, I sent an email to the author and asked her, just how do you pronounce "Marigny?" She very graciously replied that the "G" is silent and it's a bit like Melanie only with an "r." Think Mare-a-nee. (I hope I got that right, Annie.)

I love dreams. I believe dreams give us answers all the time, as well as show us solutions to every day problems. Heck, many authors get their book ideas from dreams. So, I was very interested in reading this one. I loved Annie's lyrical writing. She wrote it like she would say it, I imagine. The book was a bit slow in places, but I stuck with it. I desperately wanted to know what happened to Gabriel and Eva.

I'm not going to go into too much detail -- because I don't want to spoil it for you. But the book broke my heart. Not because I didn't like it, but because I did like it so much. I loved the characters and their story was both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. You have to read it to find out why!

The second book in the Saving Angels series is: Red Dirt Road. Watch for the review tomorrow!