Blog Tour: Return Of The Bad Girl (Rock Canyon Romance #4) by Codi Gary

Return Of The Bad Girl

Rock Canyon Romance #4

By: Codi Gary

Published: December 30, 2014

Publisher: Avon Impulse

Source: eARC in exchange for an honest review

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GR's Summary:

Bad girls don't forgive. 

Bad girls don't forget. 

Bad girls don't fall in love. 

Caroline Willis may be known for causing trouble, but she is NOT about to become homeless. So when she learns that her perfect apartment has been double-booked—to a dangerously hot bad boy—Caroline's bad-girl reputation comes out in full force. He may be sexy as sin, but she's not afraid of him … or his panty-melting smile. 

Rock Canyon's got room for only one bad attitude—and Gabe Moriarty was here first. Still, starting over means playing it smart, so while sharing his new apartment is less than ideal, it's worth getting his dream business off the ground. Not to mention that it means shacking up with a sexy wild child. Caroline may be giving him the cold shoulder, but Gabe always was good at starting fires … 

Caroline vows to keep things professional with Gabe, but as close quarters begin to ignite the sizzling chemistry between them, she's left wondering: Bad boy plus bad girl equals nothing but trouble … right?

Rock Canyon Romance Series:
Add this Series to Goodreads Here

My Thoughts:

I have been interested in trying out the Rock Canyon Romance Series for a while.  I love all of the book covers so much in this series, and think the titles are fun and attention catching.  Return Of The Bad Girl is the first book that I have read by Codi Gary.  It was a really sweet small town romance  that reminded me a lot of Jill Shalvis' writing style.

In Return Of The Bad Girl, we get Caroline and Gabe's story.  Caroline is returning to her estranged home in Rock Canyon, Idaho when she is notified that her father recently suffered a heart attack.  She hasn't seen her father or her younger sister's, Val and Ellie in over ten years.  When she returns to her hometown, we learn that Caroline has quite the colorful past, and has burned bridges along the way.  However, she is in Rock Canyon to make amends, reunite with her family, and build a consulting business.  Things don't go so well, when she learns that the apartment she had lined up to live in was double booked.

Gabe is excited for his new beginning, and has found the perfect place to open his new bike restoration shop.  It is only two hours away from his younger sister, Honey, has a beautiful view, and is the place where is best friend from high school resides.  However, things don't go smoothly when he learns that his apartment has become double booked.  Therefore, he thinks up the perfect compromise; and convinces Caroline that they should share the apartment, and split rent and utilities down the middle, until one of them decides to move.

Both Caroline and Gabe have suffered greatly.  They both have traumatic pasts, large regrets, and are looking for a fresh start.  Little by little, we learn the life experiences that shaped Caroline and Gabe in to the people that they presently are. 

 \These two had major chemistry and loved pushing each other's buttons.  As they got to know one another, they made a home together, and began to fall in love.  I enjoyed getting to learn about Caroline's younger sisters, as well as both her and Gabe's good friends.  I enjoy stories with a small town setting, and would like to go back in the series, and read all of the secondary character's stories.  Return Of The Bad Girl was a sweet and entertaining read that touched on pain, trauma, abuse, redemption, healing, love, and new beginnings.

  

My Rating:

I give Return Of The Bad Girl, 3.5 Feisty, Sexy, Slow-Burn Filled Stars!  If you enjoy realistic characters, some angst, and small town romance, check out this series!

My Favorite Quote:

"I don't care how damaged you are, because I am just as broken, maybe more so."  (eARC, Loc. 2417)

~Caroline

Guest Post:

Return of the Bad Girl: A Play List

Music has always been a huge part of my writing process, and can inspire a scene or an action from one of my characters. For The Trouble with Sexy, Gloriana’s Kiss You Goodnight was a HUGE inspiration. Whitney Duncan was a serious factor in Things Good Girls Don’t Do and Lady Antebellum helped create the back story for Travis and Gemma of Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars. Jacob’s Ladder by Mark Wills was the centric theme for Bad Girls Don’t Marry Marines, so it was really no surprise that as I wrote Return of the Bad Girl, I was pulling songs from the radio to make up my playlist.

1.  Take You Home by Thomas Rhett

2.  Wake Up Lovin’ You by Craig Morgan

3.  Everything Changes by Staind

4.  People Know You by Your First Name by Dean Brody

5.  When the Right One Comes Along from the Nashville Soundtrack

6.  Sunshine and Whiskey by Frankie Ballard

7.  Love by Jana Kramer

8.  Speakers by Sam Hunt

9.  Girl in a Country Song by Maddie and Tae

10. Break Up in a Small Town

11. Gonna Wanna Tonight by Chase Rice

12. Dirt by Florida Georgia Line

13. Show You Off by Dana and Shay

14. Something Bad by Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood

15. Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves

16. Mean to Me by Brett Eldredge

17. Enough is Enough by Eli Young Band

So, several of the songs on this playlist (I.E. 4 and 10) set up the back ground and gossip running rampant about Gabe and Caroline, in part thanks to Miss Know It All. Sometimes the attitudes and antics of the towns people surprise even me, but they are oh, so fun! Especially the dreaded Mrs. Andrews. (Shudder). Then there are the angsty ones like 2, 3, 5, and 17. These songs help me through Caroline and Gabe fighting their feelings and the inevitable screw up by both of them, because true love never did run smooth, right? The fun/funny songs like 6, 9, and 14, helped me during character development and those funny interactions between friends and the h/h that make me smile and sometimes even laugh out loud. (Caroline is the anti-girl in a country song and if you’ve never seen the video, you have to check it out!) Show You Off #13 inspired one of my favorite lines in the book, but I won’t give away what it was. ☺

But my favorite song on this playlist is Jana Kramer’s Love (#7). Caroline is a cynic who has never been in love and Gabe believes he doesn’t deserve it. This song gave me the inspiration for their Happily Ever After (because they have to end up together right?)

I hope you enjoy my Return of the Bad Girl Spodify Playlist!

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

About Codi Gary:

From the time I could put a Disney Book cassette into my little stereo,and read along, books have held a fantastic distraction. When I was eleven, I decided I wanted to be one of those magical people that brought stories to life. Devouring a book a day sometimes, my first romance novel stuck with me. I've always been a sucker for a happy ending (and the great romantic gesture)and that's what I try to put into my stories. I am so honored to be a part of Avon, and am so excited to have my own dreams coming true.

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Book Review: Bold Tricks (The Artists Trilogy #3) by Karina Halle

Bold Tricks

The Artist Trilogy, #3
by Karina Halle

Release Date:
December 17th, 2014

Publisher:
Forever

Source:
Publisher via NetGalley

Synopsis:

The Faster They Live, the Harder They Fall . . . 

Raised by con artists, Ellie Watt has a lot of crazy childhood memories-but none crazier than being scarred with acid by the demented crime boss Travis Raines. Now Ellie is a full-grown woman who lives for revenge, and Travis is a full-blown drug lord who kills for pleasure. The sadistic bastard has kidnapped her good friend Gus as well as her mother, whom he's been holding as prized possessions in his heavily guarded lair. And Ellie has only one chance in hell of getting them out alive-using two dangerous men who love her to death . . . 

One is Camden McQueen, a talented tattoo artist who's made a permanent mark on Ellie's heart. The other is Javier Bernal, her fiery ex-lover who's busted more than a few heads in his time. From the crime-ridden streets of Mexico City to the predatory jungles of Honduras, this unlikely trio forms an uneasy alliance in the deadliest game of all-a gun-blazing battle to the finish that will pit enemy against enemy and lover against lover. And Ellie must choose the right man to trust . . . or die.

Purchase links for Bold Tricks:

Amazon|B&N|BAM|IndieBound

The Artist Trilogy on Goodreads

Lindy & Ria's review of Sins & Needles HERE

Our review of Shooting Scars HERE

Lindy & Mikki's review of Bold Tricks HERE

Sunsets Are the Best Part of the Day

I knew it, I knew it, I flipping KNEW it!!! Wow get ready for one heck of a roller coaster full of shocking surprises and loads of adventure.

Shooting Scars left us with our mouths agape. Things did not look good for Ellie. Actual explosions and heart breaking revelations. Talk about escaping with your life.

Bold Tricks picks up right after the second book leaves off. I was so beyond curious as to what was going to happen. I hate to admit this but I grew to care for Javier. Yes he is crazy and doesn’t deserve Ellie but in his own twisted way he loved her. Gah! Okay, okay, I’m not making any sense just pretend I didn’t say anything okay? 

I wanted so much, for all of these characters to come to a happy medium!!! I’m happy to report all is, as it should be. Everyone is where they belong. Yes there were some losses and nothing came easily but Bold Tricks was the perfect conclusion to what has become one of my Fav trilogies!!

B-ound, by a promise and a debt. Ellie makes a deal with the devil to save those she holds dearest.
O-wning, Javier is so close to everything he has ever wanted the first step will be finding safety for his family. Once his kingdom is in order he hopes to have his angel by his side.
L-oss, Ellie was so confused and alone she let her past cloud the present. Knowing it might be too late for her and Camden is truly crushing.
D-ecision, Ellie can no longer keep her feelings at bay Camden has to hear the truth from her mouth. Being abandoned in the jungle becomes just what these two needed in order to bare their souls.


T-rust, knowing what must be done Ellie and Camden face their nemesis together. Vile and ruthless Ellie will make sure Travis does not get away with what he has done.
R-esourceful, Camden and Ellie team up with an unlikely ally to find what she has been searching for all along. Now that the main obstacle is out of the way and a massive restructuring is underway, flying under the radar is a little easier.
I-nnocent, the man who has always been there for Ellie will offer her much more than she could have ever asked for. Almost losing Gus was a shock Ellie never wants to experience ever again.
C-alculated, the plans are all in order Camden nearly has everything he’s ever wanted. Just as the calm sets another flurry of action ensues, throwing everyone into a massive showdown.
K-ill, there is nothing Ellie wont do to protect the men she loves. Being pushed to her limits for the last time Ellie ensures no one will ever bother her or her loved ones ever again.
S-unsets, the moments Ellie lives for are beyond any wish or dream she could have imagined. With Camden by her side happiness is all she will ever know.

Gah!!!! OMG the action was full throttle up until the very very end of the book and even then! It was just so beautiful I’m beside myself with gush. Ms Halle does a fabulous job the Artists Trilogy comes full circle. Like I mentioned before it doesn't happen easily. Get ready for some grit and the shock factor to go up up up. Though Bold Tricks is full of action, there is also a very powerful underlying message of love and hope. We started off with two lost and broken souls and by the very end we have two fulfilled hearts committed to washing away the pain of the past with love and devotion. Woo hoo way to nail this ending…It was beautiful and as a reader I could not ask for more.

My Rating

4.5 Hotel, Cartel, Sister, Gunshot, Explosion, Shrapnel, Gas Station, Jungle, Mansion, Torture, Rainy Confession, Explosions, Chopper, Break In, Father, Ben, Beach, Mother, Brother, Vest, Plane, Cuffs, Coast, Sunset, A young love that found a way to survive and overcome the shadows of the past LOVE filled stars!! Eeeeeep this was a great read!

Excerpt:

The motel room was a lot nicer than the one we stayed at before. Sort of a Best Western, middle-ground quality of place. No roaches on the floors, no geckos on the wall. Shit mattresses, I discovered as I pounded my fist on the bed, but I didn’t care. 

Camden had just put the final box on my bed,Violetta sprawled out on hers in a state of drug-induced euphoria, when I noticed Javier lingering at the doorway. 

“I’m going to be meeting Dom in about twenty minutes,” Javier said to me. “Is that enough time for you to get ready?” 

I frowned and he quickly added, “You know he’ll want you there, if this is going to get anywhere. I figured you might want to shower and look nice.” 

He rapped his fingers along the doorframe, his mouth opening as if to say something else, then he turned and walked off. 

Camden eyed me. “I’m going with you.” 

“You might be kind of drunk, Camden,” I told him, though the determination in his voice warmed me like the finest cognac. 

“I’ve never felt better,” he said, enunciating each word. His eyes, my god they were still such a clear fucking blue, even in the pallid light of the hotel room. They bore into me with such startling clarity, sending shivers down my back like trailing fingertips. He would be coming with me. 

I wished he’d be coming in me. A vision of us in this hotel room, alone, him nailing me to the bed, the headboard banging, slammed into my head. 

“Are you okay with that?” he asked.  

I suppressed the thought, the flare of heat between my legs, and smiled quickly. “Yes, of course.” 

Meanwhile Violetta’s head flopped to the side, her arm still bound to her stiffly in the sling, and started snoring lightly. I motioned to her. “Do you think it’s safe to leave her here?” 

He watched her for a few moments, blinking a few times, before saying, “I think she needs to sleep it off.” He went and sat down on my bed. “I’ll be here when you get out.” 

I grabbed my bag of clothes I had brought out of the car and brought it into the bathroom. I had a quick shower, trying to rub off all the grim – both real and imagined – with the flimsy hotel soap, then picked through my clothes. Everything that had been in my trunk was musty and wrinkled, some even dirty. I had a packet of unopened (and decidedly unsexy) Hanes underwear, a bra, another pair of jeans, a pair of gladiator sandals that I thought were dressy enough, a pair of Timberland hiking boots, a plain white tee shirt, a couple of wife-beaters, a coral-colored blouse, a plaid shirt, and a light blue tank dress that went to the ground. I wasn’t exactly known for my fashion sense and even with the cherry blossoms covering the scars on my leg, bringing me beauty that I didn’t have before, I didn’t see myself branching out anytime soon. Dressing up in my old clothes for Javier hadn’t exactly helped either. 

I slipped on the tank dress, opting to go commando for the evening, and put on the sandals. I looked at myself in the mirror. Once again, I felt like a different person was staring back at me. This me, this Ellie, was tired and hardened. I rubbed the residue mascara away from under my eyes and applied a new coat. My skin was brown from the sun now and I didn’t need much else. 

When I came out of the bathroom, Camden straightened up on the bed. I felt strangely shy in front of him, especially as his eyes trailed up and down the length of me. 

“Do I look okay?” I asked him, feeling the need to say something. “I mean, if you can see me, that is.” 

He bit his lip and stared, a multitude of emotions flashing through his eyes, too fast for me to pick up on each individual one. I thought I saw lust in there – maybe that’s what I wanted to see. 

When he still didn’t say anything, I walked over to the dresser where I had my clutch purse left over from the other night at Travis’s and rifled through it for my lip stuff. His silence at my back was a heavy weight, laden with too many uncertainties between us. It was eating at me, burning through me, rendering me with a lead heart. There were so many things I had to focus on, to worry about, fucking impossible things, and yet I needed him to tell me I looked beautiful. I needed him to tell me I was something to him. 

I heard him get off the bed and walk toward me, that heaviness, that warmth that he brought with his bones, teased at my back. He stopped, close enough to touch me, and I was about to turn around, perhaps to do something foolish, when he crouched down. 

“How is my art?” 

His hands found my leg, one of them lifting the hem of my dress, the other slowly moving over the cherry blossom tattoo. I sucked in my breath, holding completely still, trying to contain my nerves that were firing wildly as his fingers ran along the ridges of the ink. He touched me gently over every vine, leaf and petal, until I had to supress a shaky moan that that tried to escape from my lips. 

“It feels fine,” I said softly when I found my voice. 

“It looks beautiful,” he said. 

 “I had a beautiful artist,” I told him. I turned at the waist and look down at him, my blue dress glowing in his tanned hand, his other one placed firmly around my calf, his strong fingers imparting heat that sunk deep. He was looking up at me, lips parted slightly. 

I couldn’t take a second more of this. 

I turned and dropped to the ground, my knees rubbing against his. 

I grabbed his face, his rough stubble pressing into my palms, and kissed him. 

Hard. 

There was surprise for a second, a hesitation, a pulse that refused to beat on. Then Camden kissed me back, his soft lips enveloping mine, his mouth opening to give me life. He put his hand behind my head, holding it there with power and control. 

My heart was an elevator car, the cable suddenly snapped, and I was freefalling and falling and falling as his lips and tongue and hot, wet mouth took away every inch of my resolve. The more he kissed me, the deeper and longer we found each other, the thirstier I got for him. I felt like if we stopped, I would die, empty on the inside and forever longing.

About the Author

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and the USA Today Bestselling author of Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, and other wild and romantic reads. She lives in a 1920s farmhouse on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

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Book Review : Something Reckless (Reckless & Real, #1) by Lexi Ryan

Something Reckless

Reckless & Real, #1
by Lexi Ryan

Released:
December 22nd, 2014

Source:
Author

Review Opportunity by: AToMR

Synopsis:

He talks dirty to me, but I don’t know his name.  

He wants to tie me up, but I don’t know his face. 

He turns me on, but I couldn’t point him out in a crowd. 

I’ve fallen for an anonymous stranger, and now the anonymity ends. I want more than typed secrets and texted promises. I want something reckless. Heat. Passion. The thrill of being entirely possessed. 

Because I suspect this anonymous stranger isn’t a stranger at all. 

*****

Lizzy Thompson met riverrat69 online through a service promising to deliver meaningful relationships by forbidding its users to share names or photos until they’ve reached a certain benchmark. She was looking for love. He was researching an investment. They hit it off. Talked and flirted, hid behind screen names and cartoon avatars. 

Now they’re breaking the rules and meeting in person. But Liz is prepared. She’s picked up hints and followed clues. She’s nearly convinced she’s discovered the identity of her dirty-talking online friend. 

She wonders if her ex-lover Sam Bradshaw knows her identity too. When she rolls the dice on one reckless night, her chance at something real could crumble. 

Something Reckless is part one of the Reckless & Real series. Part two, Something Real will be released in 2015.

Purchase links for Something Reckless:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Reckless & Real Series on Goodreads

Review:

Holy Crapola!

What in the world just happened??? I almost lost my kindle at the hands of Something Reckless...Sweet mother of God! I freakin' lost it!!! That ending?!?!?! Gah!!!!!! It's my first time reading a book by Lexi Ryan and I'm seriously wondering how in the world did I not read one of her books before?!?!? Her writing style totally captivated me from page one!

I highly suggest reading Something Wild before reading Something Reckless. It's a prequel/novella that sets the stage for this passionate and sexy new series by Lexi Ryan. In this new series we follow Liz and Sam. Liz has been in love with her best friends brother since a young age. Sam has always been the one who made her heart skip a beat and set her body on fire. When they are in the same room, tensions run high and they can't deny the chemistry between them. One moment of intense passion was all it took to make them crave for more, but many obstacles are thrown their way. Will Sam and Liz be able to find a way back into each other's arms?

I honestly don't want to give away anything about this book because you absolutely need to embark on the roller coaster ride that is Something Reckless. Sam and Liz have been attracted to each other for a long time. Even if events out of their control made them live apart, they never stopped thinking about each other. A few years have passed, and when they come face-to-face, they can't deny that sparks still fly when they are in the same room. Liz and Sam have both done things that they regret, but will they be able to forgive and forget and give their love a chance?

Great characters, steamy and passionate scenes, awesome storyline and nail biting cliffhangers! I absolutely loved Something Wild and Something Reckless! If you are not a fan of cliffhangers, I suggest you wait until the last installment of this series is out. It's one hell of a cliffhanger that is at the end of this book. Even if I guessed where the storyline was going, I was still shocked when I read the last chapter. I could not freakin' believe what was happening!! My jaw dropped to the floor!!! WTF?!?!?! Nooooooo!!!! This book was filled with twists and turns that I did not see coming!

Liz and Sam have an awesome chemistry together. I loved both their POV's and how the author wrote their story. Liz is a firecracker and she's not afraid of going after what she wants! I loved that about her. Even if she knew that she might get her heart broken, she went after the man that makes her feel alive. Where do I even start with Sam? He's such an intriguing character to follow. He hides behind walls that are hard to break down, but once Liz gets under his skin and he starts falling .... He falls hard! Secrets and lies could ruin everything for Lizzy and Sam. Will their relationship be able to survive the unexpected? That is exactly what I need to know!!! That ending is driving me nuts!!!!! I officially have no more nails!!!

Overall, I really loved my reading journey and I can't wait to see what happens next! I need to go take a look at Lexi Ryan's other books. I need to read more of her stories to keep me busy until the conclusion to Liz and Sam's story comes out next March!

Rating:

I give, Something Reckless, 4.5 sensual, intriguing, page-turning, exciting, Sam Bradshaw is the new dirty talker in town stars!

Teasers:

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author Lexi Ryan’s novels have been described as intense, emotional, and wickedly sexy. A former college professor, she now writes full-time from her home in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a neurotic dog. Find her on Facebook or Twitter to chat about books, TV, and her children’s latest antics. 

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