Beard Science (Winston Brothers Book 3) by Penny Reid

Title: Beard Science (Winston Brothers Book 3)

Author: Penny Reid
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Romantic Comedy
Rating: 5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

Make a deal with the devil and you might get what you want, but will it be what you need? 

Jennifer Sylvester wants one thing, and that one thing is NOT to be Tennessee’s reigning Banana Cake Queen. Ever the perpetual good girl and obedient daughter, Jennifer is buckling under the weight of her social media celebrity, her mother’s ambitions, and her 

father’s puritanical mandates. Jennifer is officially desperate. 

And desperate times call for Cletus Winston.

Cletus Winston is a puzzle wrapped in a mystery covered in conundrum sauce, and now he’s in a pickle. Despite being convinced of his own omniscience, extortion by the exalted 

Banana Cake Queen of Green Valley has taken him completely by surprise. So... what’s a maniacal mastermind to do? 

Likely, the last thing you expect.

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” ― Garrison Keillor

{ARC Review} Naughty Nights: A Bad Boy Romance by Sophie Brooks

Title: Naughty Nights: A Bad Boy Romance
Author: Sophie Brooks
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Erotic Romance
Rating: 4.5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

Luke Larson is friendly, funny, flirty, and off-the-charts hot. No surprise he's my favorite person in my new city. The problem? Luke is the only friend I’ve made since moving to town. I've tried the whole friends-to-lovers thing before. It ended badly. 

Luke's the night manager at the hotel where I'm staying until I find an apartment. He's been kind, helpful, even protective of me since I checked in. Walking me to my room, claiming a cute single girl like me needs a hotel bodyguard. Ordering takeout from his favorite places for us to share. Talking with me late into the night. I don’t want to lose that, so my rule is - Friends Only. But the way he sometimes looks at me with those smoldering blue eyes makes me question my rule. 

Like last night after his shift ended. It was supposed to be just pizza and a movie. Nothing wrong with that, right? Except we fell asleep, and if his boss catches him in my room, she’ll fire him. 


It's hard enough to resist him when we're on opposite sides of the front desk. Now that we're trapped in a room with a king-sized bed, the temptation is overwhelming. And I can’t help but wonder if Luke is interested in exploring something real… or if he’s only looking for a few naughty nights. 

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” 

― C.S. Lewis

{ARC REVIEW} Wicked Bet: A Bad Boy Romance by Sophie Brooks

Title: Wicked Bet: A Bad Boy Romance 

Author: Sophie Brooks
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Erotic Romance
Rating: 4.5 Lazy Books

Synopsis:

Let the games begin ...

Ian is the perfect man for me. He’s smart, sexy, and ambitious. Every time I look at him, I’m amazed he’s mine. Or at least he’s supposed to be mine.

Despite being newly married, we hardly ever see each other. Ian’s a rising star at his advertising firm, and he works over seventy hours a week. My career as a busy lawyer doesn’t help, either.

When our close friends break up, it’s a wake-up call for me. I don’t want my marriage to end after just eighteen months. Luckily, I know the one thing that drives Ian more than anything else.

Competition.

When there’s a bet on the line, my husband turns into a relentless alpha male. Which is why I sort of like the idea of challenging him to see who can come up with the sexiest way to turn up the heat.

My plan works--Ian’s in it to win it, and the hints he drops about the hot-as-hell adventure he’s plotting drive me wild. But does he realize it’s not just the game that’s at stake, it’s our marriage?

I'm thrilled at the idea of reconnecting with him in such a wicked way, but I'm also just a little terrified. Ian can be intense. Demanding. And capable of pushing every one of my carefully constructed limits. Every. Single. One.

What have I gotten myself into?

"The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book." -- Walt Whitman

{ARC REVIEW} Ghost (Boston Underworld Book 3) by A. Zavarelli

Title: Ghost (Boston Underworld Book 3)

Author: A. Zavarelli
Genre: Mafia Romance/ Dark Romance/ Romantic Suspense
Rating: 5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

Talia.

I have always been a bird. Caged by one prison or another when the only thing I ever wanted was to fly away.
Sold. Beaten. Starved. Drugged.
Nothing scares me anymore.
Until him.

He makes the numbness go away.
He is hazardous to me. It has nothing to do with his mafia lifestyle, and everything to do with what he offers.
A gilded prison.
A retreat from everything that I once knew. The reality I have no desire to return to.
He thinks he’s caged me, but soon…
I’m going to fly.

Alexei.

I live by a code. The Vory code.
In this mafiya world, there are traditions.
Expectations.

She does not care for these things. She does not care about anything.
She thinks she has me fooled with her haunted eyes.
What she can’t know is that I see her better than most.
She wants to fly.
But I’m going to clip her wings.
And make her my wife.

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.” 

― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Lazy Review: Sex, Lies & Nikolai by R.J. Lewis

Title: Sex, Lies & Nikolai

Author: R.J. Lewis
Genre: Mafia Romance/ Dark Romance
Rating: 5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

Poverty is a bitch, and life isn’t a fairy tale.
College was never in my cards.
Jobs will never come easy to find.
There is no Prince Charming itching to rescue me.

I’m completely alone, destitute and destined to struggle until the end of my days.
Destined to be sucked into a world of debt because as much as I’m pushing away the only option that sits in front of me, it’s truly the only one I have:

Nikolai is my only hope.

Problem is, he's a dangerous Russian with a questionable past, and I find out soon enough just how far I must go to **earn** his help.

“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” 

― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Lazy Reader: Sunday Currently 01

This is the first time I'm doing The Sunday Currently post. I've been reading it from other bloggers so I thought, what the heck, I'm gonna join in the fun, too!

So here we go:

Reading

Nothing at the moment. I just finished reading Freed (Bad Boy Hitman Romance) by Terry Towers a couple hours ago (So good!).

{ARC REVIEW} Rogue Blood (The Untouchables Book 4) by T.A. Grey

Title: Rogue Blood (The Untouchables Book 4)
Author: T.A. Grey
Genre: Vampire Romance/ Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4.5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

Known for little more than her beauty, socialite heiress Julianna Greenwich harbors secrets of her own. Not only is she a champion swordsman, but she's harbored a longing for the sophisticated, charming Blackmoore brother Vasilius for over twenty-four years.

When her father informs her that she is to mate with Vasilius in a fortnight, her first thought is not of happiness, but dread. The problem is that Vasilius, while once kind to her as a worldly man might be to a child, has treated her with nothing but disdain since the accident that left him scarred on his face.

How can she possibly get this man to love her, when he wants nothing to do with her?
Vasilius Blackmoore used to turn the heads of every woman in the room. When the inclination struck, he'd take one (or more) of these women to his bed and leave them thinking about him for years to come. However, all that changed when an old flame scarred his face forever. Now, women can hardly stand the sight of him. And one of those women is stunning beauty, Julianna Greenwich, the woman he's being forced to mate with.

Unbeknownst to Julianna, Vasilius once heard just what exactly she thought of his new face. And he’d hated her ever since.

But what better way to find retribution than to seduce Julianna and leave her wanting for more? A series of misunderstandings, secrets and one deadly stalker whose madness leads to dead bodies, breaks down the barriers between them. Vasilius begins to think that a family with Julianna might not be so bad, if he can move on from the pain of the past and keep her safe.

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” 

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Lazy Review: Witched at Birth (A Paris, Texas Romance Book 1) by Dakota Cassidy

Title: Witched at Birth (A Paris, Texas Romance Book 1)

Author: Dakota Cassidy
Genre: Light-hearted Romance/Romantic Comedy/Paranormal Romance
Rating: 5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

A small town, a parole officer, and the blazing Texas heat, all wrapped up in a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling romantic comedy author, Dakota Cassidy. Paris, Texas will never be the same after not-so-good witch Winnie serves out her parole with determination...determination to get out of this small town and back to the 'real world'.

Witched At Birth will keep you turning the pages of this paranormal contemporary romance as you discover the secret hiding in the shadowy corners of Paris...Texas that is!

Freshly sprung from witch jail, Winnie Foster just has to fulfill the conditions of her parole and she's home free.

Too bad that parole takes place in Paris. (Texas!) Where she'll work at a school for the magically inclined. (KIDS!) And be forced to endure the ex, who's one of the very reasons she landed in the pokey to begin with. (GAH!!)

Bratty tots, sexy ex, timed showers, creepy dolls, magic restrictions, and a GPS with an attitude, all wrapped in a Texas town hotter than the surface of the sun? Oh yeah. No way this could go wrong!

“A love of books, of holding a book, turning its pages, looking at its pictures, and living its fascinating stories goes hand-in-hand with a love of learning.” 

― Laura Bush

Lazy Review: Kicked by Celia Aaron

Title: Kicked

Author: Celia Aaron
Genre: New Adult/College Romance
Rating: 4 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

Trent Carrington.
Trent Mr. Perfect-Has-Everyone-Fooled Carrington.

He’s the star quarterback, university scholar, and happens to be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He shines at any angle, and especially under the Saturday night stadium lights where I watch him from the sidelines. But I know the real him, the one who broke my heart and pretended I didn’t exist for the past two years.

I’m the third-string kicker, the only woman on the team and nothing better than a mascot. Until I’m not. Until I get my chance to earn a full scholarship and join the team as first-string.

The only way I'll make the cut is to accept help from the one man I swore never to trust again. The problem is, with each stolen glance and lingering touch, I begin to realize that trusting Trent isn’t the problem. It’s that I can’t trust myself when I’m around him.

“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” 

― Gustave Flaubert

Lazy Review: Dirty Promises (Dirty Angels #3) by Karina Halle

Title: Dirty Promises (Dirty Angels #3)

Author: Karina Halle
Genre: Dark Romance/Romantic Suspense/Erotica
Rating: 4.5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:.

Blood. Sex. Revenge.
Being king comes at a brutal price.

Drug lord Javier Bernal has sliced and diced his way to the top of the Mexican drug trade, presiding over the country's largest cartel. But his rise to power comes at a brutal price: the death of his sister, Alana. Devastated and wracked with guilt, he turns away from his new wife, Luisa, forcing their marriage into a steady decline. But it isn't until she's pushed into the waiting arms of Esteban Mendoza, his right-hand man, that Javier realizes everything he's lost.

And it isn't until he learns the truth about Alana, that he realizes everything there is to gain.
Blood will spill.
Cities will burn.
Heads will roll.

Because Javier will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.
And what he wants is raw, ruthless revenge.

Nothing is more dangerous than a man with nothing left to lose.

“A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” 

― William Styron, Conversations with William Styron

Lazy Review: Adorkable by Cookie O'Gorman

Title: Adorkable

Author: Cookie O'Gorman
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

Adorkable (ah-dor-kuh-bul): Descriptive term meaning to be equal parts dorky and adorable. For reference, see Sally Spitz.
Seventeen-year-old Sally Spitz is done with dating. Or at least, she's done with the horrible blind dates/hookups/sneak attacks her matchmaking bestie, Hooker, sets her up on. There's only so much one geek girl and Gryffindor supporter can take.

Her solution: she needs a fake boyfriend. And fast.

Enter Becks, soccer phenom, all-around-hottie, and Sally's best friend practically since birth. When Sally asks Becks to be her F.B.F. (fake boyfriend), Becks is only too happy to be used.

He'd do anything for Sal--even if that means giving her PDA lessons in his bedroom, saying she's "more than pretty," and expertly kissing her at parties.

The problem: Sally's been in love with Becks all her life--and he's completely clueless.

This book features two best friends, one special edition Yoda snuggie, countless beneath-the-ear kisses and begs the question:

Who wants a real boyfriend when faking it is so much more fun?

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” 

― Charles William Eliot

Lazy Review: Perfectly Toxic (The Sterling Shore Series Book 9) by C.M. Owens

Title: Perfectly Toxic (The Sterling Shore Series Book 9)

Author: C.M. Owens
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

BELLA

New life. New job. New home. New goals...
I vowed to make drastic changes and to never fall back into old habits. But then Ethan Noles showed up and blew all my good intentions to hell. I should have stayed away. I shouldn't have played his game.

But I did.
Now I just hope I don't regret it.

ETHAN

Bella is the type of girl you can't help but chase, because she doesn't want to be caught. I came back ready to live and enjoy life. Not to get tethered to a girl. But... shit happens. Bella happens. And everything I thought I wanted slowly changes.

“A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the writer learns.” 

― P. L. Travers

Lazy Review: Zoey & The Moment of Zen by Cat Lavoie

Title: Zoey & The Moment of Zen

Author: Cat Lavoie
Genre: Romantic Comedy Chick Lit
Rating: 4.5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him once and for all.

But Zoey's relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort's owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane's grumpy friend—to the mix, and you've got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.

When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn't completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn't the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.

“Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” 

― Francis Bacon

Lazy Review: The Boys of Summer (Book # 1 The Summer Series) by C.J. Duggan

Title: The Boys of Summer (Book # 1 The Summer Series)

Author: C.J. Duggan
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5 Lazy Books


Synopsis:

It seemed only natural to nickname them the ‘Onslow Boys’. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week’s work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him ... Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.

To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the one boy she has never been able to forget.

It will be a summer she will always remember.

“You get a little moody sometimes but I think that's because you like to read. People that like to read are always a little fucked up.” 

― Pat Conroy, The Prince of Tides