Saturday, January 31, 2015

Weekly Wrap-Up (20)


The Weekly Wrap-up post is part of the Sunday Post  weekly meme hosted by the Caffeinated Book Reviewer - make sure you head over and see what other people are have been up to this week!

Take a look at what we've been up to this week.

Book Releases, Tours, Reveals, & Promos


Reviews


Weekly Memes



Teasers I've Made This Week






New Books This Week



What bookish things have you been up to this week?

Invincible - Lori's Review of BETTER WHEN HE'S BOLD by Jay Crownover


Title: Better When He's Bold
Author: Jay Crownover
Publisher: William Morrow Books
Publication Date: 2/3/2015
Source: ARC from publisher through Edelweiss


Synopsis:
Some men are just better when they're bold.

Welcome to the Point...


In a dark and broken kingdom, a ruler has to be fearless to control the streets and the ruthless people who run them.

Race Hartman is just bold enough, just smart enough, and just lost enough to wear the crown. Places like the Point will always have bad things and bad people, but the man in control of all that badness can minimize the devastation. Race has a plan, but can he prevent total annihilation without destroying himself?

Brysen Carter has always seen her best friend's brother for what he is--too pretty, too smooth, and way too dangerous to touch. Basking in Race's golden glow is very tempting, but Brysen knows she'd eventually get burned.

When she starts receiving threatening texts and someone tries to take her out in parking lot, the only person interested in keeping her safe is the one man she can't allow herself to have.

Sometimes being bold is the only way to stay alive. But can she let Race save her life . . . if it means losing herself to him?



BUY LINKS:
 Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** 

And don’t miss the previous books in The Point Series!

BETTER WHEN HE’S BAD




Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

Links:
Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter


“I should go home.” My voice was strained to my own ears. I couldn’t have sounded less convincing if I tried.
“There are always other things we should be doing. Come back to my place with me, Brysen.”
It wasn’t a question, it was almost an order. It shouldn’t sound as hot as it did.
“I don’t really think that’s a great idea. Besides, we haven’t even touched on the fact that I do officially have a stalker.”
He took a step even closer and the finger he had used to rub my cheek he now used to push some of my hair back behind my ear. It was probably the most kind, most reverent touch I had felt from another person in my life. That it was coming from this complex and troubling man hit me in all of my warm and squishy places.
“You have a stalker until I can get my hands on him. And it might be a bad idea, but it’s a bad idea that is going to happen one way or another, so fighting it seems stupid and takes energy I can sure as hell put to better use. Let me take care of you for one night, Brysen. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Of course I wouldn’t regret it. I wanted him, was entrapped by him, and after I ate it all up, took everything he had to give, lived in the pleasure and passion he broke loose inside of me, it would for sure kill me to know I would never be able to have it again. I blew out a breath, lifted a hand to wrap around his thick wrist, and fully intended to tell him no, that it just wasn’t worth the impending heartache, but what came out of mouth was:
“I don’t know what to do with you, Race.”
His warm hand slid under the fall of my hair at the back of my neck and his head lowered toward mine. His mouth hovered right over mine and my lips parted in their own invitation.
“Yes, you do.”
When he kissed me, my mind was made up. I wanted this—wanted him—and I hadn’t had anything just for myself in far too long. I knew it was bound to lead to really bad things, but on the way there I really, really wanted to enjoy everything that came with him. Including the way he pulled me close. The way he slid his hands down over the curve of my ass. The way his tongue lured mine out to play, and maybe mostly the way he made everything else that was always hounding me fade away. With his mouth on mine, with his hands roving over me, there was no crumbling home life, there was no failed math class there was no lurking and unidentified threat … all I could feel was heat, burning, desire, and desperation. It was such a welcome reprieve from what I usually felt that there was no way I could tell him no.
He took a step back and squeezed the back of my neck. I was breathless and his eyes had shifted to that sexy, deep, opaque forest green.
“I can’t offer you anything fancy. You’ve been on my mind and under my skin for a minute now, but I promise that I’ll make it worth your while.”
I breathed out a sigh and took the hand he offered me.
“You already have, Race.”
He flashed that dimple at me again and inclined his head toward the mouth of the alley.
“Where did you park?”
“Around the corner.” He gave me a look that indicated I would be lucky to find the BMW in one piece once we reached it.




I am a superfan of Jay Crownover's MARKED MEN series, but I was completely scared of this one. Jay makes it known that the characters in THE POINT are not simply bad boys, but rather they are men and they do bad things. These are not softies or teddy bears on the inside.  These are guys that are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. These are the kind of men that scare the bejeesus out of me.

I read BETTER WHEN HE'S BAD and could see Jay's style and talent pouring through, but Bax, being Bax still scared me and I just wasn't sure if this was a series that I could stick with. I honestly don't remember signing up for the ARC of BETTER WHEN HE'S BOLD and when it first arrived on my Kindle, I'll admit that I let it sit there for a few days and even considered putting it in the freezer, it scared me so bad. (Friends reference, did you see it?) Finally I decided to just face this thing head on.  I grabbed Race by his golden hair and squared off with him ready to do battle.  I am so glad that I didn't let this book intimidate me.

Race is the Golden King of The Point. He has set himself up as the new ruler of the criminal element and it seems that not everyone is happy with his rule.

Brysen met Race when she was helping his sister, her friend Dovey (from book #1).  Since their first meeting, Brysen has been completely overwhelmed by Race, but determined to stay far away.  Little does she realize that Race has decided that she would make an amazing queen to rule the underworld beside him.

Brysen has taken it upon herself to help hold her family together.  Her father is completely wrapped up in his own work, and her mother can't stay sober for more than two minutes in a row. Someone has to make sure that her little sister has what she needs and is fed.

As Race and Brysen grow closer, her father's connections to The Point begin to come clearer. Distracted by the growing problems at home, Brysen fails to see the danger her own life is in.

Race refuses to let the unscrupulous players take over The Point, but what is he willing to risk in order to maintain his hold on the city? 

This story was exciting and grabbed me from the very beginning. A little like how Race grabbed Brysen's attention.
Some men are impossible to ignore.  It's like everyone else around them is moving in slow motion, like everyone else is painted in black and white and he's the only spot of color; the only thing moving in the room. Race Hartman was that kind of man.
The story was surprising and well put together. The characters are very colorful. Even the peripheral characters make an impression. Brysen is a fascinating character.  She is strong and sweet; smart and sassy. Race is incredibly persuasive.  He managed to convince Brysen (and me) to give him a chance and I don't think either one of us will ever be the same.

5 out of 5 stars



OK Go - Invincible

When they finally come, what'll you do to them?
Gonna decimate them like you did to me?
Will you leave them stunned and stuttering?



It seems obvious to me that John Fogerty spent some time in The Point and it inspire him to write Bad Moon Rising.  While the original is awesome, I just loved the creepy

Rasputina - Bad Moon Rising

So don't come out tonight
it's bound to take your life
there's a bad moon on the rise.


Fall Out Boy - Immortals

This song was chosen strictly for the lyrics. I don't think their sound particularly fits in The Point, but the words feel like they were written with Race in mind.

Sometimes the only pay off for having any faith
Is when it's tested again and again every day
I'm still comparing your past to my future
It might be your wound but they're my sutures






FOLLOW THE TOUR


BETTER WHEN HE’S BOLD Review/Excerpt Tour

January 27
Book Starlets-Review and Excerpt
Jen in Bookland-Review and Excerpt
Shameless Book Club-Review and Excerpt
Flirty and Dirty-Excerpt
Red Hot + Blue Reads-Review
January 28
January 29
A Literary Perusal-Review and Excerpt
Love Between the Sheets-Review
Nose Stuck in a Book-Review
Waves of Fiction-Review and Excerpt
January 30
Emilie’s Book World-Review and Excerpt
Literati Literature Lovers-Review and Excerpt
LuLo Fangirl-Review
Typical Distractions-Review and Excerpt
January 31
FicWishes-Excerpt
Live Read and Breathe-Review
The Book Enthusiast-Review and Excerpt
Romance Addict Book Blog-Review and Excerpt
February 1
Holly’s Hot Reads-Review
Kimberlyfaye Reads-Review and Excerpt
Reviews by Tammy & Kim-Review and Excerpt
The Book Hoarders-Review
February 2
Three Chicks and Their Books-Review
Give Me Books-Review and Excerpt
Grown Up Book Reviews-Review
Red Cheeks Reads-Review and Excerpt

2015 Monthly Keyword Challenge - JANUARY



Welcome to the 3rd Annual Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge!  This is a year-long challenge hosted by Bookmark To Blog.  You can find full rules and the sign up post here.
For this challenge six key words are associated with each month in 2015.  Your task is to read one book each month whose title includes one or more of the key words for that month.

MONTHLY KEY WORDS:

JAN –   Bird, Girl, Ever, Silence, Bad, Truth, End
FEB –   Key, Water, Lie, Chase, And, Once
MAR –   Kind, Face, Power, City, Blue, Night, To
APR –   Dream, Prince, Long, Wind, Rose, The, Rock
MAY –   Ash, Road, Thief, Bend, In, Far
JUN –   My, Together, Whisper, Win, Soul, Sleep
JUL –   Sun, Unto, Energy, Fate, High, Look
AUG –   Fall, Boy, Glass, Heart, Lost, Now
SEP –   Color, Touch, Life, Day, How, Sweet
OCT –   Ghost, Home, Beach, Away, Test, Number
NOV –   Rise, Holiday, And, Little, Call, Dark
DEC –   Space, Mirror, Over, Flower, Trap, Cold

Who wants to join me?

My Books:

Books I Read in January



Suggestions for anyone who needs to catch up for January's books:




Possible books to read in February: