The Dandelion by Michelle Leighton ~ Review & Quote-tastic (@mleightonbooks)

This was quite the moving read! It was hard to fall for all these characters knowing it wasn't always going to be good between them. Michelle Leighton did a fabulous job crafting The Dandelion!
The Dandelion
Title: The Dandelion
Author: Michelle Leighton
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 8th 2018

Buy Now - Amazon | B&N Kobo

At thirty-five, Abigail Simmons has mastered only one thing—running. When tragedy strikes, she runs. This time her urge to flee brings Abi back to her hometown, where she hopes she can find the peace she’s always searched for. That hope is dashed when Abi’s ex, Sam Forrester, bumps his way back into her life.

Sam has flourished in ways Abi hasn’t. From the outside, he has it all—a successful medical practice, a beautiful daughter, and a charming wife.

Who is dying.

Sara Forrester is dying and her final wish is for Sam to find love again so she can meet the woman who will finish raising her daughter and grow old with her husband. Abi seems like the perfect fit, but what Sara doesn’t know is that Abi has a secret, a secret no one could guess.

And it’s a deal breaker.

What a heartbreaking but beautiful read The Dandelion turned out to be. I loved meeting all the characters, getting to know them and understanding the problems they had. I spent a lot of the book knowing something bad was going to happen, but even then I still wasn't prepared for the mournful events.

Sam was such a great guy: a fantastic husband and father. Even with Abby back in town he was still devoted to his family. I could see that Abby stirred old feelings in him, but he tried so hard to keep them locked up. However, his wife was determined to see someone there for him and encouraged their companionship and made sure they all spent time together.

Sara was such a beautiful person, and it saddened me to learn of her issues. It really broke my heart knowing she'd lost so much, overcome hard times only to run out of options in the end. Her quest to find someone for Sam and her daughter was such a brave thing to do, and I could see why she did it.

Abby had returned to her home town for a reason, and throughout the story, details of her past were revealed and her secrets were uncovered. What she had endured was gut wrenching; she'd lost her childhood sweetheart and had moved on as best as she could only to have it all ripped away from her. She had no one in her life that she could turn to and she suffered daily with both physical and emotional pain.

Michelle Leighton knows how to write emotion into her reads that will draw you into her world and leave your heart in tatters. I loved how she wove this story, even if it was a little conflicting between the three of them. I was happy that Abby and Sam got a second chance, but it broke me to lose Sara. I'm certain this story will be with me for a long time to come.


Complimentary copy provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review.

This is just a taste of the connection between these two! It's as strong as ever!

Through marriage and childbirth, through death and infidelity, through unspeakable joy and indescribable agony, I’ve carried a torch for Samuel Forrester. And for him to sit before me, vulnerable and tormented, and ask for me to love him again… Well, it’s like asking the sun to shine or the moon to glow. It’s something I’ve always done, and something I’ll always do. No effort required. It’s carved into my nature.

Kindle Arc Loc 1317

Hosted by Anna @ Herding Cats & Burning Soup

M. LeightonNew York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a rarely ever comfortable speaking about herself in the third person, but here goes. Michelle is a former nurse who has always harbored a passion for the written word, a weakness for alpha males, and a profound love of all things romantic. Never in her wildest dreams did this Yankee-turned-Southerner imagine her life as it is today. She has the best job in the world, a husband who treats her like a princess, and a dog that's so smart she may one day write a novel, too. You can often find Michelle hidden away in her cave, crafting a new story, or out in the sunshine enjoying some quiet time with her man. Movies, wine, and good food are frequently thrown into the mix, and exercise on days that start with Q. She loves laughter, chocolate, the color red, and you can find out more about her at www.mleightonbooks.com. Sign up for her newsletter here: http://smarturl.it/MLeightonNews
She promises not to spam your inbox:)


Other Reviews from M. Leighton
Dashing through the Snow
Levi's Blue
The Empty Jar 
The Beautiful Now
Tall, Dark, and Dangerous
Strong Enough #1
Tough Enough #2
Brave Enough #3
Pocketful of Sand
Pretty Series
Wild Ones Series 
Wild Child #1.5
Bad Boys Series
Madly Series
Madly #1
Madly and Wolfhardt #2 
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Chaser by Kylie Scott ~ Review & Swoon Thursday (@KylieScottbooks, @SMPRomance)

The third book in Kylie Scott's Dive Bar series is now out! I am a huge fan of this spin off series and I crave seeing the WHOLE gang together. 
I loved seeing Eric vulnerable, and how Jean helped him heal... this was such a great read.
 Chaser (Dive Bar, #3)
Title: Chaser
Author: Kylie Scott
Series: Dive Bar #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: April 17th 2018

Buy Now - Amazon | Paperback B&N Kobo

Given his well-earned bad boy reputation, Eric is having a tough time scoring.. When single Jean moves to town, she seems heaven sent by the sex gods. Only problem is, she not only wants nothing to do with him, but it turns out that she's pregnant.

Starting over in a small town, Jean is determined to turn her wild lifestyle around and be the kind of mother she always wished she'd had. Since local bar owner and all round hottie, Eric Collins, is now determined to steer clear of her pregnant self, it should be easy. When she goes into labour during a snow storm and her car slides on some ice, it's Eric who comes to the rescue.

There seems to be a bond between them now, but is it enough? And can Eric give up his manwhore ways to be the man Jean needs?

I've been looking forward to reading Eric's book – he was the party boy, a bit of a player and dressed to impress. He appeared to be so put together, but to me he was using all this to cover the hurt, loss and guilt that he had been through. It wasn't until Jean came into his life, that he started to pull himself together and decided it was time to settle down.

I enjoyed seeing the change in Eric; he kicked most of his old habits and stuck to his plan. I liked seeing him fight his feelings for Jean, but the pull for her was always there, even when he tried to run from her. It was amusing to see how he acted when he took her to the hospital, and also the way he bonded with Jean and the baby afterward.

Jean was so good for Eric, she brought out the best in him: goodness, sweetness and the possessiveness. She had hurdles of her own to overcome, and moved to a new town to do so. It was good to see the relationship with her parents mend slowly, but at times I didn't like the way they pushed her.

It was good to see the whole gang again, and the way they gelled together. I liked how Joe was able to lend support when needed and how most of them nudged Eric in the right direction when he was conflicted. However, Nell annoyed me a little, the way she treated Eric. They both lost something precious and it seemed that she put a lot of blame on Eric, despite the incident being an accident. She would constantly put him down and I could see the impact it made on him and how helpless he felt. I was just glad that Jean was there to help him mend again.

I thoroughly enjoyed the third book in the Dive Bar series. Kylie Scott has done a fabulous job at delivering each of these stories. I love that Eric's book was entirely from his perspective and I could feel the emotion through the pages. I loved that the Stage Dive family made an appearance too. I'm looking forward to Kylie's next project!

Complimentary copy provided by the Publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*** Swoon Thursday was first bought to us by YA Bound. Since they are no longer with us, and with permission from Trisha Wolfe, I have decided that those of us that love to swoon need a central meet up point.  So here it is ladies! I have a link up for everyone at the bottom of the post you can add your swoons to, and I’ll set it up every week! So tell all other swooners out there to come on over, link up so we can visit each other! ***


This was an amusing moment when these two decided to get naughty 😜

“You don’t mind if we practice a bit before the big event?” she asked, breathing heavily. “It’s kind of been a while.”
“Whatever you want. Practice makes perfect.”
“Thanks.”
And then she kissed me again, hard and hungry. Her fingers dug into my hair, the kiss deepening. Ever so slightly out of control, I grabbed at her gorgeous round ass. Something I’d always wanted to do. A tiny voice in the back of my head wondered if ass-grabbing counted for Jean as “practice,” and whether I was moving things along a bit too fast. But at my touch she pushed her hips hard forward into me, and my doubts disintegrated. She was as into this as I was. Maybe more, if that was even possible.

Kindle Arc Loc 2494
Originally inspired by YA Bound
Kylie ScottKylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into six different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Contact her at kylie@kylie-scott.com





Other reviews featuring Kylie Scott
Dive Bar 
Dirty #1
Twist #2
Stage Dive series
Lick #1
Play #2
Lead #3
Deep #4
Flesh series 
Flesh #1 







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The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross ~ Review & Quote-tastic (@_RebeccaRoss, @HarperCollinsAU)

What a fantastic beginning to a new series! Rebecca Ross nailed it with The Queen's Rising, and I cannot wait to return to this world!
The Queen’s Rising
Title: The Queen's Rising
Author: Rebecca Ross
Series: The Queen’s Rising #1
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Published: February 6th 2018

Buy Now - Amazon | Paperback B&N Kobo

When her seventeenth summer solstice arrives, Brienna desires only two things: to master her passion and to be chosen by a patron.

Growing up in the southern Kingdom of Valenia at the renowned Magnalia House should have prepared her for such a life. While some are born with an innate talent for one of the five passions—art, music, dramatics, wit, and knowledge—Brienna struggled to find hers until she belatedly chose to study knowledge. However, despite all her preparations, Brienna’s greatest fear comes true—the solstice does not go according to plan and she is left without a patron.

Months later, her life takes an unexpected turn when a disgraced lord offers her patronage. Suspicious of his intent, and with no other choices, she accepts. But there is much more to his story, and Brienna soon discovers that he has sought her out for his own vengeful gain. For there is a dangerous plot being planned to overthrow the king of Maevana—the archrival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, and her magic, to the northern throne. And others are involved—some closer to Brienna than she realizes.

With war brewing between the two lands, Brienna must choose whose side she will remain loyal to—passion or blood. Because a queen is destined to rise and lead the battle to reclaim the crown. The ultimate decision Brienna must determine is: Who will be that queen?

Well, to start off with—WOW! The Queen's Rising built up into an amazing read; packed with crafty planning, plenty of action and a hint of a romance... I was hooked! Our main character Brienna may not have understood who she was or where she was from, but it didn't hold her back from creating her own destiny.

Right from the beginning, I could see that Brienna had a bond with Master Cartier, and although it took her a while to figure out she wanted to master knowledge, she worked hard to ensure she would graduate with the other girls. I liked her determination and the easy way she was able to interact with her master, despite their student/teacher relationship. However, Brienna's journey didn't go as planned, and soon she was on a journey of self discovery, and was involved with a plan to bring order back to her rightful country.

I really loved how this story unfolded, and even though it was a little obvious at times, it didn't detract from the way the story was headed. I liked getting to know Brienna's new Patron family and realising how important these people were to a whole nation. Special bonds between strangers were created that I'm sure will last a lifetime and a few old friends also returned who added a little extra support where needed.

For Rebecca Ross's debut novel, I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed it! She was able to create a world that I could easily get lost in. I was intrigued by the characters, and the storyline became so exciting and dangerous, that I could not put it down! It truly was a well crafted read and I'm looking forward to how things will go next for this group I've come to adore! Bring on the next book, The Queen’s Resistance due out in 2019!

Complimentary copy provided by HarperCollins Publishing Australia via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first quote, it certainly was an important flashback. The second quote was so sweet!

“...But know that one day, a daughter will rise from your line, a daughter who shall be two in one, passion and stone. And she will bring down your House from within and undo all your crimes. But perhaps the greatest wonder of all? She shall steal your memories to do it.”

Kindle Arc Loc 4740


“I will take and love all of you, Brienna MacQuinn, your shadows and your light, for you have challenged me; you have captivated me. And I desire no other but you,” he whispered, his fingers tangling in my hair, in my wildflowers, as he drew me close to him.
He kissed me in the quiet shadows of his house, in the sweetest hour of afternoon, when light desires to surrender to evening. His fingers trailed down my back, touching every star he had given me. And I let the wonder cascade around us as I tasted each of his promises, as I woke the fire that he had long tempered in wait for me.

Kindle Arc Loc 5077

Hosted by Anna @ Herding Cats & Burning Soup

Rebecca   RossRebecca Ross was born and raised in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, her lively Australian Shepherd, and her endless piles of books. She loves coffee, the night sky, chalk art, maps, the mountains, and growing wildflowers in her yard. And a good story, of course.



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The Pleasure of Panic by J.A. Huss ~ Review & Swoon Thursday (@jahuss)

Although I still need to read the first book in this series, I had to jump into this one, and what a thrilling ride it was! There were plenty of hot and steamy moments, but the suspense... argh! Loved it!
The Pleasure of Panic (Jordan's Game, #2)
Title: The Pleasure of Panic
Author: J.A. Huss
Series: Jordan’s Game #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published: April 10th 2018

Buy Now - Amazon | B&N iTunes | Kobo

A new day. A new game. A new girl to (try and) please.
Issy Grey is a control freak. There’s no problem she can’t solve. Issy’s also a successful self-help author, presenter, and life coach. She has every answer, every time you ask for it.
That is… until her BFF butts into her life and signs her up for a sexual fantasy fulfillment game she never asked to play!
Now she can’t turn it off! She can’t quit, because Jordan Wells refuses to admit she’s even a player!
And she can’t get rid of the man assigned to pleasure her with panic, because he’s her new bodyguard!
Just… WTF?

Every time I pick up a read by J.A. Huss, I know it is going to be one hell of a mind trip, and The Pleasure of Panic was just that and more! It was a whirl wind romance, that developed with danger building all around them. Issy and Finn both had demons in their past, that seemed to resurface after they met, which they both needed to face, together. It certainly was a fast paced read that kept me on the edge of my seat!

After Issy's meeting with Jordan, I was left dumb struck... He basically brushed her off, but why? Was Issy in this game or not? However, as things began to happen, I kept asking that question as Issy's well constructed world was tumbling down around her. As for Finn and his chaotic past, it looked as though it had caught up to him as well, and as their world's collided they had to work together and learn to trust a stranger, just to make it out alive.

I loved how strong and determined Issy was and she sure showed Finn that she could handle herself! I was seriously in stitches as she showed Finn exactly how ruthless she could be! I loved seeing Issy and Finn together as they Finn had great chemistry. Although they both had different reasons, they were more than happy to explore that growing connection between them, and boy was it hot!

After reading The Pleasure of Panic, I know I need to go back and read the first book, Total Exposure (which I now have). I'm wondering if these are a lot of little games, or whether they are all part of one grand master plan! Jordan is still a bit of a mystery to ma and I'm keen to see more of him, and to find out where Huss is going with this mind bending series!

Complimentary copy provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review.

*** Swoon Thursday was first bought to us by YA Bound. Since they are no longer with us, and with permission from Trisha Wolfe, I have decided that those of us that love to swoon need a central meet up point.  So here it is ladies! I have a link up for everyone at the bottom of the post you can add your swoons to, and I’ll set it up every week! So tell all other swooners out there to come on over, link up so we can visit each other! ***


A steamy kiss ... and a sweet moment. Considering how hot and heavy these two get, these are pretty tame!

He simply bows his head and… there he is. His mouth finds mine, his full lips covering me, then he nips my lip, making me gasp in surprise. I open my eyes to look up at him. Normally I keep my eyes closed for kissing, but the unexpected pain associated with the pleasure of the kiss knocks me off my game.
Did I enjoy that?
He doesn’t give me time to decide because he takes my face in both his hands and knocks me sideways as he crushes me with his lips.
My legs almost buckle for a moment. My heart either speeds up or stops altogether, I’m not sure. My mind spins—maybe from the wine at dinner, but maybe not.
I think I… swoon.

Kindle Arc Loc 912

“Tomorrow,” she says, the word thick with sleep. “You’ll still be here, right?”
I can’t stop the smile. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to. “I’m not going anywhere, babe. At least not without you.”
I don’t see it, but I feel it. Her lips curving upward against my chest.

Kindle Arc Loc 2429
Originally inspired by YA Bound
JA Huss is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.

You can chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorJAHuss), Twitter (@jahuss), and her kick-ass romance blog, New Adult Addiction (www.newadultaddiction.com).

If you're interested in getting your hands on an advanced release copy of her upcoming books, sneak peek teasers, or information on her upcoming personal appearances, you can join her newsletter list (http://eepurl.com/JVhAr) and get those details delivered right to your inbox.




Other reviews featuring JA Huss
Turning series
Taking Turns #1
Turning Back #2
SuperAlpha series
Anarchy Found #1
Anarchy Missing #2
Anarchy Chained #3
Mister series
Five #0.5
Mr. Perfect #1

Mr. Romantic #2
Mr. Corporate #3
Mr. Mysterious #4
Mr. Match #5
Mr. & Mrs. #6
Rook and Ronin series
Tragic #1
Manic #2
Panic #3
Happily Ever After #3.5






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