Welcome to Sugartown

Sugartown #1

by Carmen Jenner

Ana Belle never wanted anything more than to hang up her apron, jump on her Vespa and ride off into the sunset, leaving Sugartown in the dust.

Elijah Cade never wanted anything more than a hot meal, a side of hot arse and a soft place to lay his head at night where he could forget about his past.

But you know what they say about wanting: you always want what you can’t have.

Nineteen year-old virgin Ana is about to discover that’s not quite true because a six foot three, hotter than hell, tattooed, Aussie sex god just rode into town. He’s had a taste of her pie and he wants more– no really, Ana bakes pies for a living, get your mind out of the gutter.

She’d be willing to hand over everything tied up in a big red bow, there’s just one problem; Elijah has secrets dirtier than last week’s underwear. Secrets that won't just break Ana’s heart, but put her life at risk, too. When those secrets come to light, their relationship is pushed to breaking point.

Add to that a psychotic nympho best friend, an overbearing father, a cuter than humanly possible kid brother, a wanton womanizing cousin, the ex from hell, and more pies than you could poke a ... err ... stick ... at.

And you thought small towns were boring.

Welcome to Sugartown.

Content Warning: Intended for a mature 18+ audience. Contains explicit sex, oodles of profanity and a crap-tonne of AWKWARD.

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Dark, Abuse, Erotica

255 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2013

About the author

Carmen Jenner is a USA Today and international bestselling author.

A hardcore red lipstick addict and a romantic at heart, Carmen enjoys books—duh!—long walks through Sephora, tattooed boys, and eyeliner so sharp it could kill a man. She lives in small-town, Australia, where she wrangles her two children, a French Bulldog named Busy, her Jungle Jag Python named Bunny, and her very own manchild.

Carmen always gives her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?

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Reviews

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-4.5 Crazy Stars!!!



I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up Welcome to Sugartown, but damn... what a ride!

Ana Belle is a nineteen year old small town girl. She has lived in Sugartown her whole life, and spends her days running her families pie shop. Although Ana has quite the reputation, she’s quite innocent. Her days are monotonous working, spending time with her best friend Holly and her little brother Sam. That is, until Elijah Cade rides into town...

Elijah Cade comes to Sugartown for a job. A job as a mechanic at Ana’s fathers shop. He’s got quite the past, but he’s trying to change. All he wants to do is work, ride his bike, and stay out of trouble. Then he meets Ana.

“You came strutting in here all cocky, with your dimples and your tattoos and your big brown eyes and expected us to swoon.”

“Baby girl, if that’s all it take to make you swoon then you just wait ‘til you see what I do with my hands.”


Ana and Elijah have that spark, that connection right away. She’s got it bad for this sexy tattooed biker, and he can’t get enough of Ana... or her pies.



Ana and Elijah’s relationship is complicated. At first it’s because of Ana’s hilarious father, who is also Elijah’s boss.

“Yes, Elijah, why not come and eat my food, drink my beer and manhandle my daughter some more?”


Then it’s because of what Elijah finds out about Ana.

" I want it. More than you know, but you can't just hand it to me on a silver platter. You should make me work for it, make me earn it."


Then it’s Elijah’s past that he can’t escape no matter how hard he tries.

I know next to nothing about Elijah’s past. It drives me crazy, knowing that in a small way I have him, and yet the secrets he keeps ensure I’ll never really have him at all.



When I first started this book I thought, oh fun! This is a fun read, yay! And it was a fun read. It was light, sweet, funny. Then, shit got real. I wasn’t expecting the angst, the drama, the intensity. But it happened. I mean, out of nowhere BAM! And once the drama started, it just kept on coming!

Elijah. Elijah deep down is a really good guy. There was only one time in this book he really pissed me off The bar bathroom scene with Nicole. REALLY?!?!?!?! I know he didn’t cheat on Ana, but it still broke my heart and I wasn’t happy with him. Elijah is hot. Funny. Charismatic. He has a past that keeps coming back to haunt him. I loved how he was with Ana. Patient, sweet and protective. Elijah isn’t perfect, but he owns up to his mistakes.

"I fucked up, baby girl," I whisper. She nods and more tears roll down her face. I smooth them from her skin with my thumbs. "Tell me how to fix it."
Ana gently shakes her head.
"I don't think you can."
"Yes I can. I can fix this," I say resolutely. "I'll put us back together with my bare hands, just don't walk away. No more secrets, no more mistakes."


Like I said before, Ana and Elijah’s relationship is not easy. It’s rocky and tumultuous. But no matter what obstacles they go through, Elijah won’t give up on them.



Ana. I was charmed by Ana in the beginning of the book. I really enjoyed her character. Then she started to frustrate me. I got where she was coming from, I did. But I think she was much too hard on Elijah. No matter how good he was to her, what he did to prove himself and apologize for his mistakes, she had trouble forgiving. Knowing all Elijah has been through, all he lost and how much he cares for her, I thought she would be more understanding. Then again, I can’t be too hard on her. She went through a lot from the time she met him until the end of the book.

“It’s the truth. I love him so much it’s crushing me, but I don’t know if I can forgive him all the same.”

Welcome to Sugarland takes a big turn from light, sweet, and funny to dark, angsty and gritty after the halfway mark or so. I was shocked. This was one of those books you couldn’t put down. Even if I wanted to stop reading, I had to find out what happened next. This book is like taking a ride- sometimes it’s smooth and fun, other times its rough and rocky.

I loved the build up, the sexual tension between Elijah and Ana. I loved the humor, Ana’s interactions with her father, brother and best friend. And I pretty much just loved Elijah to bits. If you are looking for a book to put you through the ringer, make you laugh, cry, swoon, bite your nails and drive you crazy- you’ve found the right book! A really great debut novel!

“Well guess what, baby girl, life is all about hurt. From the day we’re born to the day we die, we fucking hurt and we cry and we pick ourselves up and, if we’re really lucky, we have people to help us pick up the fucking pieces.”

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly recommended read for all those new adult contemporary romance lovers out there....



Despite the fact I normally give new adult romances a wiiiiiide berth....because they're.all.the.same!....I wanted to read this because of the Aussie connections. A romance written by an Australian set in Australia about a hot, tattooed, badboy (and I don't use that term lightly!) Aussie biker....*thud*

Going into this I assumed this would be a fluffy, new adult contemporary. Though there are parts that are light and humorous, Welcome to Sugartown also deals with some heavy issues making this at times surprisingly gritty, dark and violent.


Welcome to Sugartown

Sugartown sits smack bang on the highway in the middle of nowhere. It's a quaint little town and a pleasant enough place to stop on your journey from there to anywhere but here, but no one ever stays. [..] It's surrounded on both sides by nothing but cane fields...

Set in a typical, one-pub, small town in rural New South Wales, Australia where nothing happens and young people can't wait to leave.


Elijah Cade


And then one day in rides Elijah Cade on his motorbike. Tall, tattooed, built. He's the new mechanic in town, bringing with him a swag of secrets and a whole lot of sexy.


The rider's decked out head to toe in black...


The t-shirt he wears is fitting and black...


...and there are tattoos almost everywhere.


Ana Belle


At nineteen all Ana dreams of is getting out of Sugartown. But for now she runs her parents' pie shop and takes care of her cute-as-a-button, six year-old half-brother, Sammy.

Pies, Glorious Pies







Opposites attract




In many ways Elijah and Ana are chalk and cheese. He's a badboy who's experienced life. She's a virgin who's never been places. Elijah rides a decrepit 1979 Moto Guzzi California. Ana rides a shiny, yellow Vespa.

The narrative is first person in alternate chapters from both Ana and Elijah's perspectives.


Holly


Ana's best friend is the 'ranga midget', Holly. She's quite a character. And a great best friend. Hopefully we'll read her story next.


You can never outrun your past


Remember that swag of secrets Elijah rode with into town? Yeah, like they say....you can run, but you can't hide....


The Happily-Ever-After


Cos this is a romance and there's gotta be one.


Warning
For those who dislike rape or have a trigger for rape in your romance, please be aware there is rape in this novel. The hero is not the rapist.

One minor little quibble
Where's the Bundaberg Rum?? :)




With plenty of descriptions of the local culture, sayings and attitudes I really enjoyed this new adult romance set Down Under. There is a lot of depth to this novel and a beautiful romance. A well-written, entertaining and unexpected read from a talented, new author.

Steam: 3.5

ARC courtesy of Carmen Jenner

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

** FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED **

Whoa!! This small town was definitely NOT boring!!

I really enjoyed (even loved) a large part of this book (what a roller coaster!!) but there was one scene that I hated so much that I'm having trouble looking past it. That being said, since the rest of the book was really good and it's been receiving great ratings, who knows, maybe it's just me? So, I'll just tell you the things I liked and didn't like and let you decide for yourselves :)

I have to admit, when I first heard about this book and that the hero was a sexy, Aussie tattooed biker sex god, I was already excited to meet this guy! Then, when I heard that he heard a dark secret from his past, I was SOLD!! And this book really took me surprise (mostly in a good way) - while the first half was lighthearted and downright hilarious in places, the second half took a decidedly dark turn filled with all sorts of secrets, dangers and heartache really giving the reader a little bit of everything overall.

The story takes place in Sugartown, a tiny speck on the map smack in the middle of nowhere, where 19-year-old Ana is bored out of her mind. With nothing to do and no where to go, her life basically consists of baking pies day in and day out for her family diner... and. she. wants. more.

It's at this point that Elijah Cade rides into town on his bike. Dressed in black and leather, covered in tattoos and wielding a heart stopping set of dimples, this is the kind of guy Ana knows she should avoid. But neither one of them can ignore the sparks that fly between them and neither one wants to stay away ;)

The beginning of this story was just hilarious!! Between Ana's overprotective dad, trampy step mom, adorable little brother and loud mouthed best friend, they kept me laughing out loud and chucking to myself for the whole first part of the book.

Here are a few gems.... the first is from her dad and Elijah (this one is more sweet than funny):

"You hurt my little girl and I'll put you to ground quicker than you can fucking blink. Are we clear, Cade?"

"I'm not gonna hurt her, Sir. Ana's about the best thing to happen to me in the last ten year…"

"Just make sure you're the best thing to happen to her too."

... and from her little brother with his adorable lisp (omg that kid made me LAUGH):

"Daddy, why ith Ana thucking on Elijath's face?"

and this too:

"Are you gonna kith my thirster again, cauth dude, thath tho grossth."

... and from her overly inquisitive best friend who was desperate for the skinny on Elijah:

"I wonder what kind of orgasm face he makes?... Come on. You have to give me more details that 'it was nice'. I mean, why the hell haven't you strapped him to the bed and impaled yourself on his enormous cock yet?" …

"I didn't say it was big."

"Honey, you didn't have to. Have you seen the guy? He's a freaking giant!… If he's not big, then there really is no god."

... and from Elijah himself in all his swooniness:

"Hey, you're safe with me. You know that right?"

So really, I loved the beginning of this book. Totally loved it!! Then, the second half got all kinds of crazy as Elijah's secrets began to come out and the book took a very dark and dangerous turn (kinda think along the lines of bikers, revenge and more!) but I still found it exciting and was happy to just 'go with it'.

Now, I need to address the one thing I hated because I really feel strongly about it and am having a hard time getting past it... there is (in my opinion) cheating in this book which is one of my 'hard limits'. They weren't officially "together" when it happened but, given the circumstances, they also weren't broken up enough for me to justify it and I was really not okay with what happened to the point where I came this close to putting the book down for good when I read the scene. I'll try to explain it with as few details as I can... the situation is where Elijah has kept his past a complete secret from Ana even though they've been going out but one night it all catches up to him in a serious way and sweeps her up in it too leading to a nightmare situation where she's forced face-to-face with the dangers of his life and made to witness some truly gruesome things that he was forced to do. Needless to say, this really shakes her and she needs space and so she basically pushes him away and then they go three weeks without much interaction until she comes across him fucking the brains out of the town slut in the bathroom of the local bar. She catches him in the act, he goes after her and it's at this point that he decides it's a good time to tell her he loves her. *sigh* I can't tell you how not okay I was with that whole scene. It just made me sick to my stomach and I honestly  I just didn't understand why it was in the story to begin with for several reasons --  1) I guess I maybe would have at least understood it's purpose more if the author needed it to create drama and angst (?) but this was not the case. This story had a whole ton of drama and angst without this scene so I genuinely didn't understand what the value of it in the story was. 2) It felt totally out of character for Elijah (in my opinion). Seriously. If you'd given me the whole book to read minus this one scene and then asked me if he was the type of guy to go bang some random chick while he was falling for another (even if she was pushing him away) instead of spending his time trying to win his girl back, I would say 'hell no'. It just didn't seem like the type of thing he'd do and I guess I just felt that it seriously weakened his character to the point of almost making me lose all respect for him. At least in my opinion, Ana's reasons for pushing him away were understandable, and I really felt like given those reasons, he should have been more supportive and understanding and focused his efforts more on winning her back than wallowing in misery and fucking some whore ('scuse my language, I'm a little bitter here). I just had a really hard time looking past it.

But.... I'm a softie at heart and the truth is this was really the only time Elijah did anything that bothered me. He was an awesome character and apart from this scene, I fell for him so, especially given his admission of "I fucked up, baby girl", I really just tried to look past that scene and go on to rest of the book cuz apart from that one element, I really was enjoying it and it just seems rather tragic to 'throw out' a whole book because of one scene, y'know? Especially with this kind of swoon going on...

"With all the shit I've done, the hurt I've caused people… for all the worthless hours I've spend wandering through this mess I call a life, looking at this girl before me - who is so perfect and innocent, and downright trusting in every way - I know that, somewhere along the line, I must have done something right for her to want to let me in."

... and this too:

"I know I don't deserve Ana, I could work on redemption my entire life over and the next one, too, and I'd still never be enough for her. But I love her."

*sigh* Yeah... I have to say I really did love Elijah (minus that one scene) and he did win me over.

While I liked the ending of the book, I also found it a little too abrupt. It was happy for sure -- no cliffhanger -- but I wanted maybe another chapter or a mini-epilogue set just like a month or two into the future or... something. I just wanted to see them talk through their issues more and deal with the problem that had been the focus of the book.

Overall though, I have to say I really enjoyed many parts of the book. It was a little extreme in places and a little rough around the edges  but parts of it were just plain awesome and I totally admit to swooning hard over Elijah and liking all the rest of the main characters. So, it's like on one hand, a part of me wants to be like "Yup! I loved it!!" and another part of me is still sitting here going 'hmmm'.

I think the bottom line is it's a fun ride with some hilarious moments and also several dark, angsty twists. If you're okay with the things I've mentioned, then you'll probably love it. I personally did love parts of it for sure and I'll definitely check out the next book (which will follow side characters) when it's released.

Rating: 4 stars (but just because of "that" scene, I was strongly tempted to drop my rating to 3 stars... the only reason I didn't was because that was my only major 'issue' with the book and, like I said, I feel bad dropping the whole rating because of one scene so..... 4 stars it is because there were definitely parts of the book that even climbed up into 4.5 star territory for me so I feel like 4 stars is a fair balance)

****************************

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[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 FUNNY,SEXY,HEARTBREAKING STARS!!!


Wow this book is so unique!!!
Welcome to Sugartown took me by complete surprise. It was funny,smart,intense and has a great dynamic between the characters. I loved that this book had a little bit of everything!
Ana, one sexy tattooed biker,a crazy best friend, a protective father and an adorable 6 year old younger brother :))

The storyline starts off cute and sweet and then it's take you on a wild ride !


Ana Belle lives in the small town of Sugartown. Only 19, she runs the family pie shop after her mother passed away. She dreams of leaving town but she can't. ...
Until she meets Elijah...The tall,tatt00ed,sexy guy who walks into her pie shop...
Elijah has left his past behind and now he works in Sugartown as a mechanic on her dad's shop. Her dad warns Elijah to stay away from her...
But he can't..
the only thing Elijah knows is that he wants Ana more than anything..

"I've been wanting to lay you out before me and kiss every inch of that fucking beautiful body since I first laid eyes on you in your parents' pie shop."





OMG Elijah *sigh*

I like him, I hate him, I love him....
I really like him for Ana!He really cares about her and all he wants is to protect her but there is one point where he literally broke my heart..
Ana is a very strong character.It's hard not to love her.
There are times when she annoys me and I want to jump in the book and drill some sense into her.

The relationship between Ana and Elijah isn’t easy...They have to learn to trust each other and to leave the past behind so they can move on!



The book is told from both Ana and Elijah's points of view. I like getting inside both of their heads but especially Elijah's. It was great learning his thoughts !

An amazing book!!!I can't wait for the second book!!

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars

“Thanks for the ride, Ana No Last Name.”
“Welcome to Sugartown, Elijah Cade.”



Sugartown is just a stop on the highway for people heading to somewhere else. Ana has lived there all her life and wants nothing more than to get away from the monotony and small town gossip. Her family owns the local diner and the auto shop. Since her mom passed away, she has been working at the diner making pies and helping to take care of her adorable little brother while her dad runs the garage. When her dad hires a new employee, things get much more interesting.

With the garage directly across the street from the diner, Elijah has ample opportunity to see Ana and for sparks to fly. Right away you can feel the sexually tension between them. Elijah is pretty irresistible, being the good looking, dirty mouthed, tatted up, charming bad boy that he is.

“You came strutting in here all cocky, with your dimples and your tattoos and your big brown eyes and expected us to swoon.”
“Baby girl, if that’s all it takes to make you swoon then you just wait ‘til you see what I do with my hands.”

Ana’s dad, Bob, is very protective and he is no small guy. So, when he’s warned to stay away, Elijah knows that’s probably a good idea if he wants to keep all of his body parts intact.

“You’re not gonna touch her, are you, son.”
That really wasn’t a question. He meant: do not fucking touch my daughter!
“No, Sir.”
“You keep your mind on the job and your dick in your pants, are we clear?”
“Yes, Sir.” I gulp. “Crystal.”

…

“Gah! This is because of him isn’t it? Dad tell Elijah he’s welcome to come to the BBQ tonight.”
“Yes, Elijah, why not come and eat my food, drink my beer and manhandle my daughter some more?”
“Dad!”

After a few more encounters, a drink here, a kiss there, things really start to heat up between Ana and Elijah. Then all hell breaks loose. The beginning of this story is all fun, sexy banter until we find out there is a whole lot more to Elijah Cade than meets the eye. I really don’t want to give anything away but, he has a past and the past always has a way of catching up to you. Secrets, mistakes made by both him and Ana, and forces neither of them saw coming bring many obstacles for these two to overcome.

"I fucked up, baby girl," I whisper. She nods and more tears roll down her face. I smooth them from her skin with my thumbs. "Tell me how to fix it."
Ana gently shakes her head.
"I don't think you can."
"Yes I can. I can fix this," I say resolutely. "I'll put us back together with my bare hands, just don't walk away. No more secrets, no more mistakes."

This book shocked the hell out of me. Looking at the original cover (the cover was changed a few days prior to release) I was thinking this was going to be a light, fluffy, cute romance. I mean, come on, it’s called, Welcome to Sugartown. How can I not expect something sweet? I couldn’t have been more wrong. Like I said, it starts out sexy, snarky and fun but then it gets really gritty. There are some really dark moments in this. There is rape and murder in this book that could be potentially hard to read for some people.

I wasn’t expecting the depth this story brought. My heart hurt and broke, raced with anticipation; I had major anxiety and was on the edge of my seat. It packed a huge punch in the emotion department. There were a couple different moments that had me on the verge of tears. The author really didn’t hold back. I felt like I was RIGHT THERE with the characters.

“Hey.” I tilt her chin up so she can read the sincerity in my eyes.
“There’s never been a woman more beautiful than you, Ana.” I press my lips to her forehead and smooth my thumb over her cheek to catch her tears.
“There never will be.”

I have massive love for these characters. Ana was a great heroine, imperfect, strong, resilient. Elijah was of course hot as hell, with a bad streak, but surprisingly he had a lot of depth and damn did he fight for his girl. That gets me every time. The side characters, Ana’s dad (Bob), best friend (Holly), brother (Sammy), and cousin (Jackson) added so much too. Plenty of laughs and witty dialogue to keep me thoroughly entertained.

Welcome to Sugartown is told in first person dual POV, by Ana and Elijah. I wasn’t sold on Elijah’s POV in the first 10% or so. It just felt a bit rocky to me. Then I don’t know what happened, but it just clicked into place. There was never a dull moment and I was completely enthralled by the story from that point forward. I have been known to complain when there is too much going on a story. Somehow everything just worked for me here. I felt like the pacing, the character development, the writing, it all balanced the story in such a great way.

So, do not let the cover or title fool you. All is not always so sweet in Sugartown. I am completely and totally impressed with this. It blew my expectations out of the water. It brings the hot, searing chemistry, snarky banter, surprising plot twists, and intense emotion. I am so proud of Carmen Jenner for writing such a phenomenal debut novel and I can’t wait for the next book and get more of Holly’s story.

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[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★ 4 stars!

So, based on the blurb, I thought this was going to be a fun, drama-less, relaxing read.

Right?

Don't get me wrong, at first, things started out fun. Elijah Cade, a hot tattooed bad boy arrives in the quite Sugartown and he and the local pie shop owner Ana hit it off right away...

But then, Elijah's dodgy past starts catching up with him and things become much more angsty and drama-filled.

After that, Elijah did some things that were kind of messed up and that made me not like him all that much anymore...

Afterwards there was even more drama, suspense and heartbreaking moments.

Thankfully the funny as hell side characters (Holly and Jackson) were there too make the story somewhat "lighter" and they made me literally laugh out loud with their witty banter.

Overall though, this was a really great, unique, fun, sexy, story that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it! And for those who are wondering: there was no cliffhanger and a HEA.

[Belle Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Smack My Ass And Call Me Sally STARS!

I cannot wait til you all get to read this book. *bounces up and down* Seriously! It is just... *shivers* Awesome.

Lets start with the lovely Ana Belle... who seems like if we'd met in real life, she'd be one of my fave girl friends. She is nineteen, sassy and smart-mouthed (hello..? Sound like some of my fave type of heroines?!) and most importantly, she is down to earth! I won't reveal much in this review right now, I need time to put together a review fitting to this book and, shit!, I really, really loved this book.

I bet you're wondering If you loved it SO much, why did you not give it a full five stars?...And I would love to answer that. It will come out during my longer review but I CAN'T reveal it right now!

Sheesh! Keep your panties on ladies because your haven't met *husky voice* Elijah... *Sighs* Oh, this guys is just... *Fist pumps!!!!*

I'll tell you some small deets about my newest book boyfriend.

He is a little cocky, a whole lot of alpha and, fck me sideways, he's a total doofus sometimes! But that's why I loved him. Elijah is gorgeous, tattooed and a bit of a 'bad boy'. I truly hope you love him as much as I did... *serious face* flaw and all... because we're only human and I love that the SUPER DOOPER talented Carmen Jenner tells us a story that is REAL and not always the way you hope a story will go, but the end result is spectacular.

I'm skipping the plot completely. You'll have to read this book to find out what its about. Just know it have Belle Aurora's seal of approval.

Lets talk about this author, shall we?

Carmen Jenner has a fabulous writing style that is engaging and, more importantly, easy to read. Within the first page, I was ENGAGED. This does not happen to me with a lot of books, most take at least a chapter of two to suck me in. Carmen is witty, and her words are relatable. Her characters are flawed in ways which makes them, to me, all the more lovable and I see these people in the faces of my own dear friends.

So, Ms Jenner, all I have to say is that I cant wait to read your next book and... *TACKLE HUG!!!!!!!!*

Peace out, babies xxxx

[Carmen Jenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I finally wrote a book!

A book I lurrrrve!

A book I hope you'll love too!

And this might sound a tad bit bias (it is MY book, after all) but I'm sure you're going to love it. . . unless of course you hate books with hot, tattooed-to-the-eyeballs, motorcycle-riding, Aussie love interests, witty, strong-willed heroines, steamy sex scenes and dramarama out the wazoo.
Yeah, I can totally see how you'd hate books like that. :p

[Patrycja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guess what's LIFE?! YEAH, GIRLS ELIAJH CADE IS READY FOR YOU TO SEX HIM UP!

Carmen Jenner debut novel just hit the world!!

Don't know what the hell I'm talking about? Read my 5 star review and go grab your copy! You won't be able to forgive yourself if you don't meet Elijah. (But hand off, HE'S MINE.)

Amazon buy links:
AMAZON US:http://amzn.to/1gkvgmU
AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1aTGomN


Ready to see new fanfuckintastic cover? I hope so! Look at this cover and then think about how much you want to read sexy, dark and even more sexy novel! Read my review and then mark your calendars, cause it comes out on the 3rd November!

My Review:

Carmen Jenner created explosive, heart wrenching, scorching read filled with beautiful romance, angst, bad decisions and some good ones, sexy biker as well as crazy ride full of wonderful surprises and sexy times that’ll make your insides wrench, melt and jump in extasy.


Behind inconspicuous cover hides perfect, realistic yet drama filled story that captivated me with intense and passionate story that was pure perfection. There aren’t enough words in every language to describe how much this book surprised me.



This story follows Ana, an Aussie girl, that is caged in small town, where everyone knows everyone and where the hurtful rumors are inventible. Sugartown is exactly the same as every small city all over the world. Even I live in one of those.

One day while she works in the bakery, making pies and taking care of her younger brother, she and her best friend Holly see a man they’ve never seen before. And in place like Sugartown, there is not possible to not know every citzen.

The most beautiful, hard bodied, tattoed man, jumps of his bike and stops across the street, near Ana’s father garage with hope of finding a job as a mechanic.

Elijah Cade is the man, that features in every girl wet dreams. Smokin’ hot biker with tats all over his body, with incredible charm and sex on stick vibe, Elijah is The God. Hiding secrets and gritty past he makes Ana’s heart beat faster. Now, together they’ll have to face the mistake of past and find a way to be together.



Welcome To Sugartown has the ‘substance’ that can feed every romance junkie and make her satisfied for days – the powerful, explosive chemistry that bleeds through pages and makes sparks fly. Everywhere. Carmen Jenner captured fierce, burning feelings and want only to fill the pages of her book in incredible way. Her novel is a wonderful mix of passion and sensuality.

“Come on, Cade, you and me, naked in a room together? That spells disaster.”
“No, baby, that spells fucking incredible sex.”

I still can’t shake off the feelings that are cruising through my veins. I’ve had so much fun! I’m delighted I could read this book and that I gave it a chance, because ladies, Elijah Cade, rocked my world! This tattooed, drool worthy Aussie hottie stole my heart. His wicked ways, chocolate eyes, motorcycle and dimples glued me to the pages.



Overall, Welcome To Sugartown is so steamy, hilarious and extremely fascinating read with great dark and gritty streak, that made me think I’ve died and gone to book heaven, or fell a sleep and had the best dream ever. I didn’t want to finish reading it, yet sadly, the book has an end. I know, shocker.

*ARC, courtesy of an author, Carmen Jenner, in exchange for honest review*


More reviews on Smokin' Hot Book Blog and my Facebook Page

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Welcoming Stars!!

If you’re one of those persons who think small towns are boring places where nothing EVER happens, well, I welcome you to Sugartown, a place that soon will be disturbed by a hot-badass-tattooed-strange-guy who will come for the quiet, but will stay for the pies. (See? Pies! What can be more small-townish than pies??!)



Ana, pie-maker genius lived in Sugartown all her life. She taught never special would happen and despite all her dream her life was pretty mild.
Until the day Elijah appears, obviously a trouble maker in all his tattooed glory, and changes everything. She suddenly wants the guy all the town look with suspicious eyes.



And to his own surprise, Elijah wants Ana too. But he keeps secrets and he knows a good girl like her is so much more than what he deserves.
But you can’t keep fighting for want you want… so you see where this good girl / bad boy fall in love kind of story is going.



At first I really thought I would not think that much of this book. You see, innocent good girl, badass sexy hero with dark past, small town prejudices… it screams predictability, right? Right.
And you thought right. In a way is pretty much predictable. But is also so well written and the story is so engaging that you will not be able to put it down.
Elijah is a pretty damn good hero (and sexy with tattoos, let’s not forget that!), and Ana even annoying like most heroines are, especially near the end, will eventually conquer you, either.
It’s fun, its sweet, it’s steamy and it’s definitely a must-read. : )

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by author in exchange for honest review

****4.5 Sugar-Licking Sweet Stars****

Let me first off say, if Sugartown really existed, I would become the newest resident just to witness sexy bad boy tattoo Aussie biker, Elijah Cade walking around shirtless. Welcome to Sugartown by Carmen Jenner is one of those surprising debut books that totally sucked you in from the beginning to the end. This book had everything from sugar coated sweetness, humor, sexual chemistry, friendly banter, angst, dirty talks, sexual innuendos, and a surprising twist of events that will totally keep you hooked till the very end.


Welcome to Sugartown introduces nineteen year old Ana Belle, who grew up and has lived her whole life in Sugartown. Ana has been labeled the town whore/slut because her ex-boyfriend, Scott, spread these vicious awful rumors about her since she didn't want to give up her V-card to him. So she dreams of leaving Sugartown but due to family obligations of running her deceased mother's pastry shop/diner and taking care of her younger half-brother, Ana is stuck in a town where she wants nothing more than to pack up her bags and leave Sugartown behind.



The once boring Sugartown got a whole lot interesting when hot tattoo biker, Elijah Cade comes riding into town looking for a job at Ana Belle's dad's mechanic shop. Elijah is basically sex on a stick. He oozes sexiness and bad boy player is written all over him. Not only does he scream sex god but he has one dirty mouth.

" I want it. More than you know, but you can't just hand it to me on a silver platter. You should make me work for it, make me earn it."



Ana can't deny the sexual attraction she feels for Elijah. He tries to stay away from Ana knowing that she's a virgin and the boss's daughter. As much as he tries to stay away, Ana is like a magnetic pull for him. Ana's mind and body are traitors and refuses to listen once Elijah works his magic using his hands and mouth. Once these two finally accept that their sexual attraction is something that can't be stopped, they take you on one hell of a steamy dirty talking relationship.



Ana may be a virgin but this girl has sass and spunk written all over her. She does not take crap from anyone especially not from Elijah. Once their relationship was finally getting somewhere, Elijah's dark past and secrets are exposed. His past secrets was the driving force that led Ana to get hurt and scared. Let me tell you, Elijah is definitely no Saint . He has committed and done things that were a complete shock to me but he has atoned for his sins and mistakes. Like all bad boys trying to get back on track with their lives, he has found salvation and redemption in Ana. She is his ANGEL, his HOME.



Well Elijah's secrets is something that Ana cannot bring herself to forgive easily. Ana and Elijah's relationship can only be described as roller-coaster. The beginning is full of playful sweetness but once they reach the top of the roller-coaster everything comes crashing down with lots of twist and turns. Your heart will ache for both them after the traumatic experience Ana went through. Life in Sugartown was not so kind and sweet for Elijah and Ana but through perseverance these two clawed their way back out of the darkness.



What I like about this book was that Ana was able to fight back after the horrific ordeal she went through. As for Elijah, he was a character whom I loved right off the bat. Yes, he did things that had me screaming Why! and yet also had me rooting for him. The once bad boy biker was able to redeem himself. Life and love may not be picture perfect for Ana and Elijah but they truly belonged together. She was the Ying to his Yang. They had sexual attraction and chemistry that couldn't be denied or extinguish. Their relationship was simply scorching HOT.



The title of this book will certainly deceive it's readers because nothing about this book is light and fluffy. Welcome to Sugartown was simply just raw, sweet, intense, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. This book had a great cast of secondary characters who were just a riot of fun. Miss Carmen Jenner did a fantastic job for her debut book because she took her readers on one hell of a HOT STEAMY RIDE full of twist and turns!
Carmen Jenner

[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mild Spoilers -mature content reader discretion is advised.
4.5 STARS out of 5
Genre: New Adult Romance

I was recently recommended Welcome to Sugartown and decided to bump it up to next in my 'want to read' pile and I am so happy I did. For it would have been such a pity to not have met Elijah and Ana.



In Welcome to Sugartown we meet Ana, a nineteen year old virgin working in her family diner and filling in her late mothers shoes as the pie maker. Ana along with her best friend Holly who works alongside her at the diner, would love nothing more than to get the heck out of the small town but have yet to make that move. For one thing Ana and her little brother are extremely close as she spends most days with Sammy.(whom readers will fall immediately in love with)
In fact it’s while she is with Sammy and Holly that she spots Elijah when he arrives in Sugartown.

‘The sound of a bike tearing up the street draws the attention of all three of us.’ -Ana

When 23yr old Elijah Cade rides in to the small town as a new hire across the street from the diner; both Ana and Holly are caught gawking at him in all his 6’3 Aussie tatted male glory.

The t-shirt he wears is fitting and black, and there are tattoos almost everywhere. Oh, sweet mother of god. I’ve never wanted to lick anyone’s bicep before, but even from across the street I can see how edible this guy is.’ -Ana

When he finally crosses the street to the diner they officially meet..

“Well, just Ana, you and I will be seeing a lot of each other from now on.”
“Is that so?”
“I’m gonna be working just across the street, and I’m gonna need a place to eat.” I know he’s provoking me, any idiot could see that, and yet the way his voice lowers and his dark eyes seem to hood over when he says the word “eat” makes me want to offer up myself as an all-night buffet. Elijah and Ana

Elijah needs this job. He has no room for mistakes, he wants to leave his past exactly where it belongs..In the past. After meeting Ana at the diner it solidifies his determination to move on from his mistakes.



It’s not long before Ana and Elijah become a couple which is not easy..at first..because Ana’s father is set against it. Ana’s been hurt before and her father will not let it happen again. In addition to that he also knows Elijah’s secrets; secrets that can eventually come and bite him in the arse if he is not careful.

Refusing to let her father rule her love life Ana pursues Elijah and he enjoys every second of it. He tries to put his insecurities aside because the more he gets to know Ana the more beautiful she becomes to him both inside and out. It's a beauty he does not want to tarnish. Her innocence is not to be taken lightly so he is careful with how far he allows them to go.
And HOLY HOTNESS does it make for some steamy scenes.






Overall I enjoyed Welcome to Sugartown! It was a quick read with a cast of very colorful characters from Ana’s very over protective father, her step-dragon-mother, to the adorable Sammy and of course the hilarious tell you like she means it best friend Holly.

What you should know
Welcome to Sugartown is not exactly a sweet and easy read it has some hard scenes that contain violence and one that causes me to put a warning in my review.
WARNING: This book does contain a rape scene.


My Ratings
Characters- Fun, Witty and Adorable
Writing Style- Good, the author is not afraid to take risks with her characters by throwing in unexpected twists for them.
Plot/Storyline- Tatted Aussie ex-con falls for the smoking hot virgin with dual POV's
Steam Factor- Medium/Moderately Steamy on a scale of 1-10 I say 7
Overall- I enjoyed it!!! I definitely recommend it!


Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on Goodreads!
For more reviews got to http://realitybites-letsgetlost.blogs...


********************************************************************************
11/4/13
**Goodreads buzzed about book**

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Blisteringly Hot, Aussie Raw, Lickable Tattooed, Impressive Stars * * * *

Ⓐlleskelle surprised me this morning with the gift of Welcome to Sugartown.
I couldn't believe my good fortunate. So in keeping with this amazing offer, I started it immediately.

This story is Aussie based. I enjoy the different flavor of how things are... different wording, customs and atmosphere. This did not disappoint.

From the first sentence, I was right there. Ana Belle is stuck.
She is stuck making the pies for the diner with was her late mom's dream.
She is stuck being perceived as the town slut due to her ex boyfriend lying about her since she denied him her Vcard.
She is stuck as daddy's little girl even though she is 19; able to ride any type of motorcycle made and is built like any man's dream. She is also stuck although, not angrily, with the raising and care for her adorable 6 year old half brother Sam.
These are the conditions Ana has to contend with, day in and day out.
She does have a terrific yet wacky straight-talking best friend, Holly, who works with her at the diner.
Her Dad has his hands full with a young, annoying second wife and the garage which services Harleys, Vintage Cycles and cars provides a home for a crew of mechanics and friends.

The excitement of the day revolves around a biker with a vintage ride coming and looking for Bob, Ana's Dad. Holly and Ana see him from across the road and even from that distance as he looks into the locked garage, they can tell he is something else... tats, faux Mohawk, muscles and jeans filled out to perfection. He comes into the diner asking about the garage and Bob. Neither girl lets on that Ana is the daughter... and of course there is interest between Ana and him. Ana leads Elijah to Bob as she learns he will be the new mechanic at the shop. As the story unfolds there is both POV filled with banter, sexual chemistry that is off the chain and a sweet/dangerous feel for these characters as they come together.

What is really interesting about this book is it doesn't follow the usual pattern at all. You think you are going down a certain road - which is terrific by the way-
Let's just say the sexy times ... and there are many... fit the story and are right where they need to be.
Elijah can whisper, coax, handle and touch... and his mouth...
oh, his mouth would need a separate review ...

And then BAM you get smacked with so much more. There is more to Elijah, his past, his loss and his unfortunate past affiliations which threaten the sweetness he is experiencing with Ana.

The story took a very realistic turn; clubs, bikers and their lifestyle are not all sweetness and light. People wanting to come together have to deal with a lot of different conditions, hang ups and pasts. The author handled these things and did not gloss over anything to just tell a pretty little story.

There were other happenings completing the feel of the book. There was an unresolved relationship between Holly and Ana's Hot Hunky cousin. This should be the next installment for this place of Sugartown.

This was a fast, delightfully complex read and will remember it with a fond memory of generosity from my GR friend Ⓐlleskelle :DDDD

[Alex ♈ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The heroine witnessed the hero f*cking OW (in the bathroom against the wall).
This OW was easy, so she had many sexual partners in the past. Hold this thought!

So, the heroine saw him f*cking OW, heard him saying to OW how good she=OW felt, saw him climaxing with OW.

After the hero noticed the heroine he chased her and (to prove his point I guess) fingered her to orgasm. He stroked her with fingers he touched OW only a moment ago – I assume he at least checked if OW was wet before he f*cked her (so he touched her intimate area) or latest by disposal of condom his hand came in contact with body liquids of OW – it means he literally rubbed “juices” of OW into h’s vagina.

Young love they say?

Forgiveness they say?

F*ck him I say!

HEA without amnesia for the h? Hmm, very probably NOT.

And then in the 3rd book when the h showed her insecure and approached the topic of the epic f*ck I mentioned above, she felt ashamed and was criticized?! WTF?

my short review of the 3rd book

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoilers can be found here: the broken heart's club



I had the pleasure...no. I had the honor of beta reading Welcome to Sugartown. I giggled a lot in the first half of the book, then shit got real. Like, really real. I forgot I was even beta reading and was just sucked into the story. Very dramatic, very heart-wrenching, very sexy, very intense, very violent, very scary at times. Very enjoyable!

Carmen Jenner can now say what very, very few authors can - "I made Ali cry."

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

DAYUUUUUUUM!

WHAT THE FUCKITYFUCK??!!



We started out in Sugartown and ended up in WhattheFUCKville...Now don't get all my fucks wrong.. I enjoyed the hell out of MOST of this book but I was really reallllllly thrown for a major loop half way through this little deceiving gem. Thought I was walking into a typical bad boy meets good girl kinda story and sure, it started out that way and then BAM!



We first meet Ana..she bakes pies and runs the diner right next to her dads repair garage...she's sweet and beautiful and the town virgin slut. Yep, she's still hangin on to her V card but one dick head loser decided to spread rumors.. and well its a small town so rumors stick. But she keeps her head up high, she's got a cool ass bff and she rolls with the punches...



Then Elijah..hot, sexy, sin on a mofo stick comes riding into town...he's about to start working at Ana's dads garage. There are definite sparks shooting all over the place and you know it wont be long before Elijah is able to get Ana to hand over he V card with a pretty little bow.


So...the first half of this story Ana and Elijah are feeling each other out, getting to know each other, starting to fall for each other and then BOOM!...SHIT got real. Elijah has a pretty dark past that just comes roaring back one night and then from there it was just crazy after crazy after more crazy. And anger and sadness and more what the fuck and just... crazy.

This book pulled a lot of emotions out of me.. he kept me glued to the pages and I was totally wrapped up in this story. This could have easily been a 5 start book except for one fucked up moment... I hate cheating in books.. and yes.. it happens here. Now "technically" Ana and Elijah were not together when he decided to take a walk up skank ville lane and dip his stick in the mud..but still.. it was just fucked up and I didn't think it was necessary for the story. There was already so much shit going on and then then for what happened to Ana after that..well.. it was just an overload of shittiness that that poor girl went through. So my severe unhappiness for a chunk of this one knocked it down to 4 stars.

I definitely do recommend this one regardless of the moments that I wanted to smash something I was so angry. There's lots of drama, a good bit of angst and a whole lot of WTF. It's more of a gritty love story and not so much a romance. Yes, it's a love story.. but not so much a romantic one. It's hard..it's really hard. But I really enjoyed it.

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

FREE today on Amazon US (12/17/2014)

BLURB:
Ana Belle never wanted anything more than to hang up her apron, jump on her Vespa and ride off into the sunset, leaving Sugartown in the dust.

Elijah Cade never wanted anything more than a hot meal, a side of hot arse and a soft place to lay his head at night where he could forget about his past.

But you know what they say about wanting: you always want what you can’t have.

Nineteen year-old virgin Ana is about to discover that’s not quite true because a six foot three, hotter than hell, tattooed, Aussie sex god just rode into town. He’s had a taste of her pie and he wants more– no really, Ana bakes pies for a living, get your mind out of the gutter.

She’d be willing to hand over everything tied up in a big red bow, there’s just one problem; Elijah has secrets dirtier than last week’s underwear. Secrets that won't just break Ana’s heart, but put her life at risk, too. When those secrets come to light, their relationship is pushed to breaking point.

Add to that a psychotic nympho best friend, an overbearing father, a cuter than humanly possible kid brother, a wanton womanizing cousin, the ex from hell, and more pies than you could poke a ... err ... stick ... at.

And you thought small towns were boring.

Welcome to Sugartown.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G...

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, spank my ass, this story was flipping awesome! My world has been rocked by Carmen Jenner's debut book, Welcome to Sugartown. It had it all: smoking hot Aussie hero with tats (Elijah is mine! *wink*), sassy heroine, snappy humor, awesome secondary characters (Holly - I loved that crazy girl!), emotional turmoil, shocking twists, dirty secrets, and the one thing my romance junkie heart must have - fierce chemistry. I inhaled this book. I want more.

Nineteen year old Ana Belle has lived in Sugartown her whole life. She’s been stamped the town whore because her ex-boyfriend, who is a total asshole, spread some vicious rumors about her. Yet she's a virgin. Go figure. She dreams of escaping this town and doing more than run her deceased mother’s bakery, bake pies, raise her little brother (not that she doesn’t love him to bits, because she truly does), and putting up with the town people calling her a slut. She desires excitement in her life. She wants more.

“Oh, sweet mother of god. I’ve never wanted to lick anyone’s bicep before, but even from across the street I can see how edible this guy is.”

That MORE ends up riding into town one day looking for a job at a mechanic shop, in a sexy package named Elijah Cade. Electricity sparked the moment these two meet. Ana doesn’t want to get mixed up with another bad boy, but her traitorous mind and body refuse to listen. Elijah tries really hard to resist Ana. First of all, she's a virgin. Secondly, she's his boss' daughter. Yet, with the crazy desire between them, it was just a matter of time before they gave into their attraction for one another and a relationship is formed. And so the deliciously sexy and heartbreaking story between the feisty pie maker and the bad boy biker begins.

“Come on, Cade, you and me, naked in a room together? That spells disaster.”
“No, baby, that spells fucking incredible sex.”

Elijah and Ana's relationship barely had a chance to develop when Elijah's dark past rears its ugly head. Ana is put in a situation where she's been frightened, shocked, hurt and angry. Ana is confused and doesn't know what to do and needs time. Which then leads to some very bad decision making on Elijah’s part. Elijah broke my fucking heart. It’s hard to stay mad at Elijah though. He’s easy to love and he stole my heart with his heartbreaking story. He hasn’t had the easiest life but he fights hard to atone for his mistakes.

The first half of this book is sweet and sassy. The second half of the book punched me in the gut. Dark things happen. This couple’s journey to happiness is a tumultuous ride. They’ve got a lot to overcome, but they persevere and fight through it all. Ana amazed me with her strength, considering everything she went through in this book. Life can be a cruel bitch sometimes and Ana experienced this first hand.

Welcome to Sugartown is intense, gritty, raw, funny, snarky, sad, heartwarming, and damn hot. I think the cover of this book is deceptive. I honestly thought I was going to be reading something light and fluffy. Hell no. This book starts out light and fun and then goes full throttle with shockingly dark twists and drama that made my gut clench. This book truly pulls at all your emotions. Miz Jenner has gained a new fan with her snappy and edgy writing style that captures your attention. I'm officially hooked and can't wait to read more in this series. I'm thinking Holly's book is next, and man, I can only imagine the emotional heartache that will come with her story, what with the little twist Jenner through in this book.

Rating: A-
Heat: Hot

I leave you with something to drool over... My Elijah...



-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review


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[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 I did not see that coming Stars


Holy mother of fuckballs what in fuckity fuck?! No really? I want to know! How on earth did I not realize that second half was coming? And why did it take me this long to read this book? I'd spank myself for this, but I'd much rather Elijah do it.

I wanna put you over my knee and spank you til your arse is raw. And then I wanna flip you over and eat you out until that beautiful pussy can't come anymore. Then I wanna fuck your mouth until you drain every last drop from me.

Gosh I'm such a sucker for the sweet talk, but I digress...

This book was not what I expected at all. It started out all hunky dory

I liked Ana right off the bat. She's funny, sassy, and her relationship with her BFF and raging nyphomaniac Holly had me cracking up for most of the book.

Okay, okay, okay. Knickers?"
"The white G-string you helped me pick out."
"White? That's good. Virginal. He'll be reminded this is a first for you and hopefully won't just impale you on his pork sword.

Then in comes all that is the tatted deliciousness of Elijah. And I was pretty much done for. The man was pretty much sex on a stick. Add into that his mysterious and dark past and you couldn't get me to put the book down. I couldn't get enough.

And then somewhere around the 47% mark all of a sudden my sexy, swoony, rainbow and sexual tension filled ride took a dramatic turn into dark and twisty angstville.

Holy shit. And I mean HOLY SHIT, I didn't see that coming at all. When Elijah's past begins to catch up with him all hell breaks loose. And things just get darker and darker. I was perfectly fine with this. As a matter of fact, I devoured every single page in anticipation of finding out what's next.

But then Elijahhad to go and burst my happy bubble. Why oh why would he do this?

This would not be technically considered cheating, but the woman that he does sleep with...oh to say that I was unhappy would be a GROSS understatement. I.Was.Pissed.

If you're looking for a light and slightly angsty NA book, this is not it my friends. What it was, was a dark, angsty, slightly intense at times ride...and I loved it.

My only real complaint? The ending. There is a lot of buildup about Elijah's past and all the repercussions from it. Yet there is no clear resolution at the end. Now I don't expect a perfectly happy, wrapped in a bow HEA, but SOMETHING would have been nice. I'm hoping that perhaps this may be continued in book 2 since this is a series. But it would have been nice to get at least a crumb or something about it in this one. Ah well.

Now I am a trembling and anxious mess of pervy anticipation for book 2. I need Jackson and Holly's book like yesterday!

For more reviews visit

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Welcome to Sugartown is an awful, horrendous, terrible, down right crappy book. It really should be called How to Romanticize Rape and Use it as a Plot Device 101. Seriously. It started off fine, and I assumed this was going to be a suspenseful biker romance because Elijah obviously has a dark past and ties to a notorious biker gang. He moves to Sugartown, meets sweet Ana, falls for her and thus puts in life in danger. However, after that one scene, everything completly derails and rape is used as a way to drive the lovebirds together even after Elijah sexually assaults Ana himself.

Let's start with a lesson: No means? NO! It means no. No means no. Welcome to Sugartown would have you believe that no means yes if the person you're in love with is the person you're saying no to. This is extremely problematic! You can be sexually assaulted and raped by someone you love or are in a relationship with. No still means no! It's especially problematic here, because Ana and Elijah have been broken up for a month and she has made it clear that she doesn't want to get back together. He shoves his hand up her skirt, she says stop, and he actually pushes harder! She says no, has an orgasm, he tells her that he loves her, she punches him, tells him she loves him, and then he apologizes....for having sex with another woman while they were broken up! Are you freaking kidding me?! He should be apologizing for what he just did her, especially since he watched her nearly get raped which is why they broke up!

Along those same lines, nearer to the end, Ana accidentally walks in on him in the shower. They're still not together, but he asks her to get naked so he can handle his business at the sight of her. She removes her shirt. He asks her to remove her pants, she says no. He asks her to step closer, she says no. He asks her to touch herself, she says no. He says, "Why is it always no with you? (pg 256)" It's no because she doesn't want to! No means no! No means no! What part of that is so hard to understand?! After that he tells her to stop pretending that she doesn't want him, because he knows she does, even after he hears her having nightmares of her rape! Maybe she's not ready to be with someone! Did you ever think about that?!

Now, here's where Welcome to Sugartown gets even more problematic. Ana is brutally raped. Then she runs to Elijah instead of getting help or going to her best friend. The author used this traumatic event to get her back into this asshole's arms! That was 100% unnecessary! At first, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was going to use this as a way to speak out against rape rather than simply using it as a catalyst to get the lovers back together. Well, no. Ana doesn't want to go to the police. That's fine. I 100% understand that from personal experience. But then, Elijah goes out, mutilates the man who did it, and the police come to arrest him. At that point Ana suddenly wants to file a report...to help her kind of boyfriend! Because he needs a legit, honorable reason to have taken a knife to someone's face! No! She should be doing what's best for her! Not what's best for him!

Oh, and Ana's father encourages her to get back with Elijah after he goes to prison, because he defended her honor. Of course, he doesn't know about him assaulting Ana in a parking lot where she repeated said no, but he does know that the guy is completely unhinged because of what he did to even get into prison! It wasn't some romantic gesture! That is not a normal response! He is dangerous and needs help!

Welcome to Sugartown literally gave me a headache because I was so mad at what I was reading. Rape is not a plot device to be used to get a couple together, even if one of them isn't an abusive prick. The message that "no means yes" if you're in love or in a relationship is entirely problematic and needs to stop. This is why people think that rape in marriage is not really rape. It is. This books is just entirely garbage.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It doesn't matter which way I look at it, when it comes to Ana Belle I'm completely fucking screwed.”

Welcome to Sugartown. The story of Elijah and Ana. Ana is a pie baking, Vespa riding, town labeled slut (but really a virgin) from Sugartown! Elijah is a tattooed, ex-con with dirty secrets that blew in to town. Elijah is working for Ana's dad at the bike shop and Ana works at the family owned cafe across the street.

This book started out nice and sweet and light....kind of your typical NA book....throw in some witty banter and yummy sexual tension. I liked Ana and Elijah....and Ana's BFF Holly. Ana gives in to Elijah's charms pretty quickly...and things between them get pretty hot and heavy. But that doesn't last....AT ALL!

About midway in to the book or so things veer in to dark and drama filled. What starts out as a nice date for Elijah and Ana changes everything. Elijah's past catches up with them and Ana is smack dab in the middle. Ana is really affected by what happened and rightfully so.

At this point, Elijah makes a fuck-up of EPIC proportions. And it really really made it hard for me to like him. I wish that little bit would have been left out of the story. There was enough drama without it.

My heart broke for Ana with the rape. This and the resulting actions that follow really change Ana and Elijah. But unerneath it all they still really love each other. Everything wraps up pretty nicely and Elijah and Ana get a chance at a new beginning.

The ending didn't exactly feel "complete" to me for some reason. I still feel like there are a lot of unanswered questions. What happened with the Hell's Angels namely??? There are other books in the series and I don't know if they are continuations of Elijah and Ana or new characters. So for me this was more of a HFN ending.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

You came strutting in here all cocky, with your dimples and your tattoos and your big brown eyes and expected us to swoon.”
“Baby girl, if that’s all it takes to make you swoon then you just wait ‘til you see what I do with my hands.”

Well sure got exciting for Ana Belle when Badboy Elijah Cade rode into town on his beat up bike. He is employed by her father.

But Elijah has his secrets and his past.

SINCE I MET ANA MY WHOLE LIFE FEELS AS THOUGH ITT’S SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL

It was set in Australia and the author is Australian and I liked that the author did not change her language just for the sake of it. I had to look up a few words. She called what I would call a duvet a "doona" - never heard of that one. Cannot remember the other one.

Yes, it ended a bit abruptly and I see there are now three books in the series so I look forward to returning to Sugartown.

[C-Money · Rating 5 out of 5]

6
"someone find my panties, they've been blasted off my ass"
staars

If I could describe this book in just one word it would be: WAIT!!!I. CANT. There are way to many words that are needed to describe this book. But don't read this review thinking there will be spoilers. This review will not be that type of review, because in reality there is no describing this book.

Welcome to Sugartown isn't a book, no it's an EXPERIENCE. You can't just pick this book up and read it. I PITY THE FOOL who JUST reads this book. Yes I went MR. T on your asses.

There is only one place for me to start this review and that's at the beginning. I started this and was very happy with the story line. I loved the writing and flowed like the Nile. There was a hot girl, with really nice tits. Now, I'm a women and I know how to appreciate a nice rack. Well Ana had a very very nice rack. She could turn  ladies and gentleman. She is only 19, but she had to grow up fast. She is an amazing daughter, outstanding big sister and one hell of a pie baker. I love her interaction with Sam. That little boy was adorable. He added so much character to the story. I love to bake. I'm a baker at heart, so this story really grabbed me because the Ana can bake a mean pie. 

She has a crazy, hot, foul mouthed best friend. I love these types of best friends. I always wanted to be this type of friend to someone and I really hope one day I will be. Holly is amazeballs. Everything that comes out of her mouth is sassy. She is such a sassypants. She always has Ana's back and their friendship is rock solid.

She has an amazing father, who at times seems like he wants to rip every ones head off, but when it comes to Ana he is caring, loving, understanding and so super protective. I loved him so much.

         

 Then there was Elijah. Wait I need a moment.............. Ok, I have composed myself and I am now ready to discuss My Elijah. Yes ladies, he is mine. I don't care if you feel the need to call dibs, in my head this fine specimen of a man is all mine. Elijah oh Elijah. You made me need to change my panties so many times. I shall send my laundry bill to Carmen. Wonder what the shipping would be. I'm getting side tracked. Elijah has a past and he wants Ana to be his future. But man Elijah why do you have to make it so hard. I wanted to junk punch you in that beautiful........ (cough, cough) excuse me I just choked on my coffee due to thinking about Elijah and his amazing man meat. I mean his man meat is huge. Come on people I do have some censorship in me. jeez.

The story progresses and when I say progresses, I mean some really fucking hot, steamy, melt in your mouth not in your hand, wait it melts in you hand as well, scenes. I felt like a horny pre-teen watching my dads porn for the first time, by accident. (even though I have never seen porn, I'm assuming this is what y'all feel like)

Elijah can do some really amazing things with just a kiss. I mean really outstanding things. So he's hot, we have established that, he rides a motorcycle, HOT HOT HOT, he says such amazing things and he loves kids. Yes ladies, Elijah is amazing with Sam. He is like an older brother to him. I loved the "go find a dollar in the back yard" part. ADORABLE.

Now, this is where I will only say a few things, because this is where the tide must turn. This is where she bitch slapped the fuck out of me and I can still feel the sting. It was like a wrecking ball came out of nowhere and bashed me in the side of my head. (now if Elijah was riding that wrecking ball like Miley Cyrus, I think I would have been ok with that, but HE WASN'T). So much shit goes down and it left me gasping and crying and I even texted my dear sweet Ali, and I quote

"fuck you for making me read this"

I wanted to stop reading, I wanted unicorns and rainbows. I'd even take unicorns shitting rainbows. I want to go back to the beginning where it was safe and just have sex with Elijah. Lots and lots of sex with Elijah. On the motorcycle, in the kitchen, on pie.

Fuck, sorry, I got side tracked again. That's what Elijah does to me

We have tons of drinking and we meet Coop. He as eyes for Holly. We are happy that miss sassypants has someone to relieve her itch. They connect and it seems all uphill, right?

.

We then meet Jackson. Now wait, hold on and lets clarify. I love me some Elijah and I would ruin that man. I have a different love for this Jackson. I can't wait to see how far that love can go or how far down he can go on me. Wait, sorry, nope I'm not sorry at all. If I was a pie, I'd be Jackson's favorite pie and he could eat me up. I'd let him go as far as he wanted. Wait, what was I getting at. Damn Carmen, I can't even stay focused on this review. 

See told ya, Carmen has given him to me so back off ladies, he is MINE.

Ana and Elijah are so stubborn and they are so wrecked that you just want to beat them over the head and throw pies at them and then lick the pies off of them.

This book is beyond the word fan-fucking-tastic. It's top shelf, out of this world, amazing. It's a book I'll buy in paperback and Carmen is an author I will stalk to the end of this world. I will find her winky face, pervy little mind. I'll slap her first of course because she has it coming, I'll then hug the shit out of her. She is going places people and I will 1click all of her future books. I am a sugar junkie for life.

What do we all know about me? I'm the biggest Author whore you will ever meet. My BFF tells me this all the time. But it's ok, I'm not going to lie, I am. So what.

Well, Carmen Jenner, I have added you to my whoring ways. Yes, you are part of my Harem of authors. This is a very hard place to get a membership into, so Welcome, make yourself at home. But before you get real comfy, come on over here.

a little closer, come on don't be shy, I won't bite.



gawd, i feel so much better. don't you.

So i am currently writing my review for this amazing book. You will all have to wait till it is on my blog first, but i just want you all to know how wonderful and out of this world Welcome to Sugartown is.

SO here is a sneak peek at my review:

This books needs to be 1clicked the moment it is released. It is a must read and Carmen Jenner has just blasted her way into my heart.

[* Meli Mel * · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥♥♥ 4 'Holy Cow' STARS ♥♥♥

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"It's never just a kiss, Ana."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

When I first started this book, I did not expect it to be like it ended up being. First we meet this ninteen year old small town girl named Ana Belle. She's living her mother's dream... she is baking pies in the shop her mother had before she died. She doesn't mind it, she loves what she does. But she also wonders if she will ever leave this boring small town for something more. Enters here Elijah Cade. He has just come into town and is trying to get a job as a mechanic at none other than her father's motorcycle garage. Ana can't help but admire the tattooed sexy man but she also knows he is trouble. Her father wants her to stay away. Her crazy best friend wants her to tap that and she secretly wants that too. She soon decides to give it a try with him. Unfortunately, Elijah has a secret that may change her decision of him. Once it's revealed, a whole lot of crazy things happen. Yup, this was NOT a light fluffy read.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

"Don't hate me, Ana. I love you (...) But the funny thing about angels is you can't touch them, just like I'm not allowed to touch you, though I know you want me too as badly as I do. I need you, Ana. I'm fucking dying without you, baby."

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Ana is young woman who is still a virgin at nineteen. She isn't exactly trying to get rid of it. Her ex-boyfriend was a complete jerk and left her for someone who did put out. Then he spread rumours of her in spite that she slept with him and all his buddies. I loved that she was still quite a confident young woman despite what was said about her. I loved her attitude in the beginning of the book. She ends up falling for Elijah and knows he is the one she wants to give her virginity to. Major events that occurred ended up changing her decision and herself a lot. I don't want to say she became weak per se, but she wasn't as tough anymore. She frustrated me a bit with the decisions she would take. I did understand her reasoning, but after a while, I couldn't believe she still denied what she wanted in her heart. She just wanted to be with Elijah but was torturing them both by saying no to him. This was because there was things Elijah did that she couldn't forgive. I didn't even know if I would forgive him also.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

'I've played this game too many times to count. The players are different, but the rules never change. Until now. Until her. All the rules are different now, and I'd do anything not to fuck it up.'

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

Oh Elijah... This guy brought almost every emotion out of me. Not gonna lie, there was even a moment when I hated him... I kid you not. But when I first met Elijah, I swooned so hard for this sweet sexy man with his sexy dirty mouth. I was in heaven, just like Ana was. He was just so freaking hot. And the way he insisted Ana not rush in giving him her virginity melted me. But he keeps a huge secret from Ana, something that changes their relationship that has just barely begun. I won't lie, he really shocked me... I couldn't believe what I was reading. The stuff Elijah did... just made me speechless. I honestly took Ana's side when all that stuff happened, which you will have to read to know. Then he does another hugh mistake, one that made me so sick and angry, I thought that for sure I would never love Elijah again. But I was wrong. They both hurt each other deeply. At the end of the book he managed to earn my forgiveness and even my love again. He really wass trying to be a better man for Ana. I just hope he keeps on trying and doesn't do any more stupid stuff.

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

'That one kiss contains more heat and desire than any we've ever had because for once, it doesn't symbolise the end.

It's a beginning.

And a damn good one, too.'

●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●  ●

There were many likable secondary characters in this book. I loved Ana's adorable younger brother who talks with a lisp. I even liked her dad, who was big, intimidating, and tough on the outside, but a big teddy bear in the inside. I even ended up really liking Ana's best friend, who annoyed the crap out of me in the beginning. But she ended up being alright in the end. I loved seeing her interactions with Ana's flirty cousing. Another character I really loved. The story line was really great, definitely not what I expected. It was hard to read sometimes due to the subject matter. I loved Ana and Elijah's chemistry, and how they would bug each other. It was really cute. I laughed, teared up, felt nauseous, deep pain, anger, and happiness. It was a great read. I loved the ending which ended on a happy note, but I felt like I needed an epilogue or something because it left me wanting more. Overall, a great crazy and sweet read.



Warning: There are some scenes that contain violence, rape, and even a scene some might consider 'cheating'.

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 mindblowing, intoxicating, stars!!

My review and others can be viewed on my Facebook blog: http://tinyurl.com/k7yukmx

We've established that anything biker and I pretty much jump on it, this was no exception, I loved everything about this book!!





We first meet nineteen year old Ana who has recently finished high-school and is stuck behind the counter of the family owned pie business, she makes pies, and serves customers..

Right across the road is their other business, a garage specializing in custom Harley-Davidson fittings "Big Bob's Bikes and Auto".

A black beat-up bike pulls up to the curb of the garage, he removes his helmet, runs a hand through his faux-hawk and Ana's heart just about stops..This guy is edible!!



He's arrived in town to work at the garage, things in this small town will never be the same again..But the past always has a way of catching up with you in the end..



"Crap now he's coming over."

"The shop across the street, do you know the guy that owns it? I was supposed to meet him earlier but got caught in traffic."

"He's gone for the day."

He thrusts a hand out in front of me and says "Elijah Cade."

"Ana"

"You got a last name Ana."

"Nope, just Ana"

"Well just Ana you and I are going to be seeing alot of each other from now on"..

“When I do finally get you naked beneath me—and trust me, it’s not a question of if, but when—I’m going to make sure you haven’t so much as looked at a drink. I want you to remember everything I do with my hands and my lips and my tongue.”







Sit back and enjoy the ride!!

There were moments of awwww, moments of hotness, moments where I found myself giggling and moments where I was swooning like a god damn teenager!! And that moment of oh fuck it I've finished it!! Loved this book, inhaled this book!!

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so this book. This book was totally different from what I thought it would be. I got it because it was on my "free or amazing book deals" thread for $0.99, it had decent ratings and a cute cover so I thought why not? I never even read the blurb or any reviews, which is VERY unlike me. Anyhow. It sat on my kindle for a while and this weekend while camping I was like, "I should read this," so I did.

And WOW. I went into it with no expectations--which is usually a good thing--aside from knowing it was about a small town girl and a pie shop. So I figured--what with it being about a small town VIRGIN and, I REPEAT, a pie shop--that it would be a sweet little feel good romance.

But then this happened. We find out our mysterious, tattooed H is really a Hell's Angels dropout who's been green-lighted and during an accidental run in with some former "associates" the h almost gets raped, the H straight up OFFS someone, beats the shit out of another someone, and then stages a fake ambush with said someone. UMMMMMMM...WHAAAA?

And then this happens. The h doesn't know how to handle this incident and this new information about H, so she avoids the H, who she then walks in on fucking her longtime enemy against the wall in a pub bathroom. Grrrrrr. Insert unhappy face here.

And then THIS happens.The h is upset about the aforementioned pub wall fucking (obviously) and decides to go out and get hammered at a bonfire, where she is then violently raped by her high school ex-boyfriend, who "coincidentally" had left her for the female half of the pub wall bang back in high school.W.T.F.

Then THIS happens. The h of course runs to the H, who sees the state of the h and demands to know who dunnit. When he finds out, he goes to the rapist's house and proceeds to carve him up like a Thanksgiving turkey. He is then, of course, arrested and sent to PRISON for a year, leaving the state of the h and H's relationship understandably uncertain.Holy shit.

Needless to say, I didn't expect that train wreck of events to occur - but I'm actually glad I didn't...because if I had I might not have read this book, which would have been a bummer because I actually really ended up enjoying it.

The characters were really entertaining, the plot was decent, and the writing was great. I could have done without said wall banging incident, but in the end it was an entertaining story that I got for $0.99.

Win. Win.

[KatLynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carmen Jenner has produced a winning debut with her release of Welcome to Sugartown! It’s fun, sweet as well as angsty, intense and violent. The twists and turns are unpredictable and this small town read was nothing as I expected.

Nineteen year old Ana Belle dreams of big cities and one day leaving behind the monotony of small town living. Her days are filled with the tedious task of running her family owned pie shop and dodging the gossips. It appears drudgery and boredom will be her future. But all that changes when sexy-as-sin Elijah Cade rides into town.

This Aussie, bad-boy biker soon has Ana all tied up in knots and their chemistry is off the charts. But Elijah brings more to Sugartown than his good looks and charismatic charm. As his secrets are revealed the fun, light read quickly turns into raw and gritty yet still sizzling hot.

I enjoyed most everything about this story. However, there is a scene that threw me. I didn’t see it coming and it took a very pleasurable read down a notch or two. I'm still pondering its inclusion. IMO it didn’t fit the character's feelings. But I’m happy to say that soon all was back to good and this book continued to be an emotional rollercoaster. This scene will not affect most readers and in no way should my comment keep you from reading this great debut! It's just a personal preference for me.

Welcome to Sugartown is full of surprises. From the very first I was hooked and became completely wrapped up in the lives of Elijah and Ana. The cast of secondary characters fit perfectly and some, like Ana’s best friend Holly, will have you laughing out loud. I had a small quibble with the ending. While it was great, I wished for more and would have loved an epilogue.

If you enjoy an intriguing, sensual love story that includes a huge dose of delectable, tattooed biker, you’ll not want to miss this one. Well done Ms. Jenner and I look forward to more.

Warning: I wanted to mention this book does include a rape scene. The author did a very good job touching on the emotional and painful aspects without going into too much detail. Also, I'd like to add that the hero is NOT part of this rape!

Note: Thank you Jilly for leading me to this one! Your review is perfect for this book....:) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lola Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 sweet as pie stars.

What a talent, Carmen has knocked my socks off with her debut novel. From the first pages I felt the connection to her characters, I wanted to cry, kick and scream at them in the same breath I wanted to hold them and sing sweet lullabies. Elijah = holy hells bells baby = I licked it it's mine !
You HAVE to one click Welcome to Sugartown the MOMENT it's live. Not even kidding, right now I have a fierce lady bonner for Carmen Jenner .
I find this lady in the flesh and I'm gonna have to hump her leg or some s**t. (99% Probability of this occurring in public)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even know where to begin with this one!!LOL I guess the best thing that I can say would be: Expect the unexpected!! Oh, and let us not forget absolute CHAOS!! This book was crazy, and all over the place! It had my mouth literally dropping open, and me speechless..which anyone that knows me; is pretty hard to do!! Carmen Jenner was able to touch every emotion I had with this story. I will say that at one point my anger was so bad, I didn't know if I could finish! That alone made me feel that this was one talented author. Whenever my emotions are totally connected to a book like that, then I know that I am 100% involved in the story, and I will never forget it when all is said and done. There is so much I want to say, but I don't want to ruin anything, or accidentally post spoilers! This is truly a book that the reader needs to experience for themselves, and it is better if they have no idea of what to expect!

The first half of Welcome to Sugartown is a wonderful, flowery story. I will admit that at times I was getting bored, and I thought to myself: Oh boy, if the whole book is like this how am I going to get through! We meet Ana and her friends and family! Her friend Holly, is so hilarious and she kept me highly amused with her one liners! The things that came out of that woman's mouth..OMG! PRICELESS! Then we have Ana's little step-brother who is just a sweetheart..and he speaks in a lisp!!! So, all is well in Sugartown, and then one day; in drives Elijah Cade. He has come to work for Ana's dad in the mechanic shop, that is ironically across the street from Ana's pie shop!! Of course there is an insta-attraction between these two.. The only thing is, Elijah comes with many secrets..and when these secrets come to the surface...life in Sugartown is never the same!!

The second half of the story is a total mind f**k people!!! I say that because the story's vibe up until that point is a smalltown romance vibe!!! When the tables are turned..they are turned in such a big way, that you literally will be scratching your head stunned!! It doesn't stop either...it is like the Energizer bunny...the chaos just keeps going and going and going!!!
I did have certain issues with the story. One of them being that I felt Ana and Elijah really didn't have a lot of together time. It seemed that they all of a sudden loved each other and yet there had been no time for emotional growth between them. Most of my reads when it comes to romance, I do like to have a lot more romance. This book was absolutely more on the darker side of things, and for some the title and cover may be somewhat misleading! So, I felt that in my review; I must warn people who are thinking of reading this...Everything is NOT what it seems..and beware..there are some things that happen in this book that are a bit dark..so if that kind of thing isn't for you..then it's best not to venture into Sugartown! For the rest of us who like some good drama, angst, and a lot of Chaos...then come on in to Sugartown, it will be a visit you won't ever forget! ;-D

Thank you to my wonderful Buddy's for reading with me..It is a pleasure as always to share a story with you ladies! Steph,Kelly, Shanna, Sharon..you ladies ROCK! ♥

[Fre06 Begum · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started out great and was really funny in parts but then suddenly two things happened in the book and I just got put off. Cheating is a big no no for me especially if the couple love each other but RAPE is even worse and I avoild books like that I wish I had read reviews before reading this book so I would have def not purchased it! Such a sham dad the beginning and humor in the book really amused me.