Until Sage (Until Him #2) by Aurora Rose Reynolds @auroraroser

xx From the family connection whether blood or by choice, to bonds of friendship and finally to the blazing romance, Aurora Rose Reynolds has again taken my heart on the sweetest journey.    Sage was Mayson perfect all the way through. The Boom knocked he and Kim a little sideways with the struggle they encountered from outside forces. But after the rubble settled this man, this beautiful man laid claim to Kim and redeemed himself in every way.    Loyal from first sight and protective like the Mayson he was raised to be. Sage and Kim set the pages on fire.    So many precious bonds in this story. Sizzling hot love scenes and emotions of every kind. I devoured it overnight and I just sighed closing this story with a smile on my face.

Mended (Connections #3) By Kim Karr

Kim Karr has a way of writing that transports me to this realm of oh my gosh I'm in heaven romance. River Wilde had this unexplainable pull that just sucked me in "really" and I was just wanting more and more. Then came Jagger and I was like damn she did it again. Well Kim, Xander is just oh my gosh goodness and more! Like I loved his freaking intensity. He was just yumminess on a stick and I didn't need a cherry.  Xander had a way of loving Ivy that just seemed so beautiful and sensual like he cherished her. Tenderness, passion and sizzling scenes kept me so enthralled. Xander you are epic.    So I'm done going gaga for the moment. I am just going to say there was so many intense and heart breaking moments in this book that I thought I might just end up on Prozac. I mean things that I never thought Kim would do to me ..she did. It hurt I am not lying. But well she in her brilliant way was able to bring the sunshine back in and this sweet couple came out on the other side and I enjoyed this book even through the sadness.  I anxiously await the chance to see if Kim can redeem Ben. I just have a thing against people who do what he did.  It's very hard for me to forgive them. I don't know how she can do it but I'll give it a chance. Bring on Blurred.  **ARC provided by author for Honest review. **

Dazed (Connected #2.5) By Kim Karr

I may be biased but I fell in love with River and Dahlia and it's gonna be very hard to top that amazing couple. I really loved Jagger and wanted to give his love story a fair shot. I thought Aerie was a little uptight. Well she even said she was the typical Type A personality. It's like her being in control is what kept everything right in her world. Jagger storms into her life stealing cupcakes and she never stood a chance. Her perfectly ordered life was no longer all that orderly anymore.     I laughed so hard thinking of how mad she was at her "cupcake thief"      Jagger was just plain sexy ..like walking sex. There is something about a sweet but  sexy endearing hottie that always gets my blood flowing.      It's also the secret level of   "dirty and kinky" underneath the charm that makes him the ultimate package.  He had this layer of sensuality that oozed off the pages.  These two fell hard and they fell fast and aside from Aerie's mini meltdown this love story was pretty perfect. I love that Jagger didn't let her push him away. This guy put the R in Romance for sure! I'd follow Jagger down the rabbit hole or through the looking glass  any day  TRIPLES with EMMA

TAUT: The Ford Book by JA Huss (Rook and Ronin Spin-off)

 
Ok, this is gonna probably be one of those rambling reviews that make no sense because I am so totally blown away by the sheer raw and sexy beauty of this story and all that is


FREAKING FORD!!!

Oh crap Ford is like the epitome of what I needed in a book leading man right now. So dark and brooding and so much of an arrogant ass that you go from wanting to slap his face one second to humping his leg the next. He's dominant yet broken and has the whole "don't touch me vibe" yet buried is this soul that wants love so badly he runs from it by loving women he can't have. This is his defense mechanism, this is how he protects his heart. The whole love for Rook was real but it wasn't a true love like Ronin and Rook shared , it was protective love...not just for Rook but for Ford's fearful heart. He knew she was hands off and so she was a "safe" choice for him to love. Basically Ford wanted to belong but he was afraid of the risk.

 "I’d like to be half of something."

His habit of keeping pets, was also his big shield yet he deeply wanted someone he could not only be freaky with but also respect and love.  

"I admit, I’m not wholly dissatisfied with the naughty ones. But just once, just fucking once, I’d like the Sandy instead of the Rizzo. Holy fuck. I just used a Grease Rookism to illustrate my point."

Then comes Ashleigh, how can I even explain how much I loved this character. She was strong yet decimated, funny yet tormented and sexy, silly and soulful and so much more. Ford couldn't walk way from her and Kate even if he had tried. These two were like magnets and the pull was so powerful.

 Watching him fall in love with not only Ashleigh but this sweet angel Kate warmed my sappy heart like nothing else. I cried so hard in several parts of this book but I'll let the reader find out why because even though I basically figured it out from the beginning and you will too , I think that you have to experience the whole truckload of emotions.
Ford's possessive feelings over both of these precious girls "his girls" just was so amazing. He never felt jealous over a woman before like he did Ashleigh. I loved how he got so mad when the thought of her nursing in public..so freaking hot when an arrogant man is brought to his knees.
One of my favorite lines in this whole book.

I want it all or I want nothing.

Ford

 

 
Ford grows so much in this book and so does Ashleigh and the sizzling scenes between these two only added to the feelings and depth of this story. He is so much into the control aspect of sex and Ashleigh is not submissive but she submits to him in the manner they both need because truly Ford would never be able to love a true submissive woman. He just wants that edge in the bedroom. The thing is that Ashleigh finds some freedom in letting go of things just for a while and only feeling..not thinking. 

 “Ashleigh, I’m not trying to take away your freedom, I’m trying to take away your pain.”

 The banter between these two gets pretty hot, and the spankings are punishments had me squirming with glee.

 

 Although there were a lot of light moments in this book, the underlying emotional story was tragic and heart breaking. Ashleigh bared her soul to Ford though and when it came down to it Ford became what he was always mean to be, a man who could love and be loved.
Ashleigh get's her "Grand gesture" and I sigh with happiness. 

I could go on and on but really, you have to read this book. That is just the truth.