It's 2:19 in the morning as I'm writing this blog entry. It has nothing to do with books.. no wait. It is, a little.

★★★★★5 stars!!!

This was just an awesome read with one of the best closing lines, ever! Elle Kennedy gave this story so much meat, the epilogue was simply the second cherry on top of an already-huge dollop of frosting topping the most delicious cake.

Pardon if it sounds like I'm laying it on thick, but I'm just pleasantly surprised by hoe much I enjoyed Tucker and Sabrina's story. To be honest, Tucker didn't make much of an impression on me when I read the earlier books (not as much impression as Dean left, the manwhore that he is, for example). I knew a few things about him: he's steady, chill, and has no problem doing the "mom duties" in a house full of testosterone-ridden college athletes. As for Sabrina, we only ever saw her through Dean's eyes, and she came across as a bitch. Extremely smart, yes, but still a bitch.

Well, THE GOAL brought these characters to the spotlight and we get to see beyond their "steady" and "bitch" veneers.

It was first hinted in the third book, The Score, that Tucker had somehow gotten involved with Sabrina. It was surprising to me; I wouldn't immediately think if pairing these two, if given the chance. Elle Kennedy does an excellent job of convincing skeptical readers like me, though! Tucker and Sabrina are like puzzle pieces. They are very different in upbringing, temperament, inclinations, how they perceive situations, and how they respond to problems as they arise... and yet, the author makes it very believable and probable that they still inevitably end up working things out together.

This is where Tucker really shone for me! He's just a really, really, really good man. Not the meek, in-your-face "good guy" anti-thesis of the "bad boy" stereotype, but a guy who's screwed on right, know what I mean? He is patient without coming across as an annoying martyr. He gives space whenever Sabrina needs it, doesn't smother her with affection but neither does he make her feel that she's forgotten. Tucker is now my second favorite hero in this series next to Garett! (read Garett's story in book 1, The Deal)

With Sabrina, I did not immediately love her, but neither did I become extremely annoyed with her. This happens a lot with strong, independent heroines I read about who wind up making stupid, narrow-minded decisions about the people they love. I'm sure many of you have encountered a character like this before! Sabrina very nearly crossed that line with me, but it must be with the way Elle Kennedy wrote her that I understood her more than I disagreed with her. Yes she is a strong woman, she's a Superwoman to tell the truth (juggling a full load at Harvard Law, plus working two jobs on the side?? On top of other things? That's admirably unbelievable!)... but she's also vulnerable. She's not a goody-two-shoes either. She is outspoken about her sexuality, knows her appeal to men, and she can definitely hold her own against athletes and foul-mouthed men that she's forced to mingle with. She's the ultimate femme fatale. You very quickly realize that she is indeed the perfect match for Tucker.

I can't recommend this book enough! THE GOAL is a perfect weekend read. Oh, and it's pretty long, this book. Definitely read this on a Saturday so that in case you don't finish in one sitting, you still have the rest of the weekend to savor it.

Oh, and one last thing! The Goal's closing line is one of the best, and one of my favorites--ever!

"...love is the ultimate goal. It's not the one I had strived for, but I was lucky enough, so damn lucky, to achieve it."

Note on the cover: The Off-Campus Series has a new set of covers! The "abs covers", as I like to refer to them, are being replaced with the pretty lady covers, which I love! Check them out:

My sincerest thanks to Elle Kennedy, the publisher and Nina Bocci PR for the ARC copy via Netgalley!

5 stars! ★★★★★

I'm no longer in the habit of signing up for tour reviews for every single book that catches my eye. I learned the hard way that (a) I am not Superwoman and I can't speed through a multitude of tasks, and (b) signing up for too many tour reviews makes blogging feel more like a task instead of a hobby that I love.

Last May, though, there were a few book review opportunities that I just couldn't let pass. Signed up for at least two, and waited patiently for a response. May turned to June, and when I didn't hear back from the publicists, I thought, oh well, at least I tried. Imagine my surprise when I found on my Kindle a review copy of one of the books I signed up for. Cue in excited squeal! It was only then that I realized I received a copy even though I didn't get a confirmation email. Hmm, better check my email more closely, or the spam folder...

And indeed, that was where I found the emails I was waiting and hoping dearly for! My goodness.

Note to self: don't ignore that Spam folder for too long!

So in the aftermath, I am one lucky reader who got these review copiess (cue in excited squeal again!).



Everywhere and Every Way by Jennifer Probst (add to Goodreads)

Hot on the heels of her beloved Marriage to a Billionaire novels, New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst nails it with the first in an all-new sexy romance series featuring red-hot contractor siblings who give the Property Brothers a run for their money!

Ever the responsible eldest brother, Caleb Pierce started working for his father’s luxury contracting business at a young age, dreaming of one day sitting in the boss’s chair. But his father’s will throws a wrench in his plans by stipulating that Caleb share control of the family business with his two estranged brothers.

Things only get more complicated when demanding high-end home designer Morgan hires Caleb to build her a customized dream house that matches her specifications to a T—or she’ll use her powerful connections to poison the Pierce brothers’ reputation. Not one to ignore a challenge, Caleb vows to get the job done—if only he can stop getting distracted by his new client’s perfect…amenities.

But there’s more to icy Morgan than meets the eye. And Caleb’s not the only one who knows how to use a stud-finder. In fact, Morgan is pretty sure she’s found hers—and he looks quite enticing in a hard hat. As sparks fly between Morgan and Caleb despite his best intentions not to mix business and pleasure, will she finally warm up and help him lay the foundation for everlasting love?



Hard to Hold by Katie Rose (add to Goodreads)

New Jersey Hurricanes striker Logan Hart lives for the grind of training, the adrenaline of competition, and all the perks of the road—until his ex hands him a baby and tells Logan to raise her on his own. He’s eager to pass this bundle of joy into more capable hands and get back to his hard-playing, hard-partying ways. But when a beautiful, blond drill sergeant of a nanny turns Logan’s life upside down, he sets a new goal: winning her heart.

Isabella Bennett takes pride in teaching the rich and famous how to become loving families. Her no-nonsense style is just what Logan and his crying, copper-haired cutie need. So why can’t she get the image of Logan’s tanned, muscular body out of her head? Isabella’s here to whip a new father into shape, not fall for a sexy ladies’ man. But their chemistry is too tantalizing to ignore, much like the temptation to trust someone with her deepest secrets—and embrace a loving family all her own.


Life has been so hectic lately, and I'm in the mood for these feel-good, sweet, romantic reads! Now I'm all set. =) Thank God for authors.

If you've been through my blog posts before, you may already know that the aforementioned author is one of my absolute faves!

A year ago today, Penelope Douglas officially became a published author and her first books, the Fall Away Series, got distributed to different countries. Of course by then, I already read her existing books =D and reviewed a couple for blog tours. If you haven't read a book by Penelope Douglas yet, I urge you to go pick up Bully, her very first published work. This is a New Adult romance that's addictive and just really well done for a first book.

So now, on to the reveal of the covers for her two upcoming books!

HIDEAWAY is the sequel to her erotic suspense, Corrupt.
PUNK 57 is another NA romance (Penelope writes these reeeeeaaaallllyy well!) with a sweet premise of friends to lovers, pen-pals to sweethearts!

HIDEAWAY, Devil's Night book 2

PUNK 57 

★★★★★ 5 stars!!!

I just had to put those exclamation points in there because this book really hit me like a ton of bricks!

It's not unusual for me to be hungover on a really good book and not be in the mood for anything else for the next two days or more. This is the first time though when, literally, the moment I reached the very last page in my kindle (which I still repeatedly tapped, by the way, hoping for some kind of miracle and a couple more Epilogue pages would suddenly appear), I just knew I wouldn't be reading anything else for at least a week. I was lying on the sofa because my heart was already weak at this point (haha!). My right hand holding my kindle was the only part of my body that showed life, basically. So when I was done, my right arm just flopped right down and became dead like the rest of me.

I'm not exactly painting an attractive picture here, I'm sorry! In all seriousness, Unseen Messages just blew me away. I grew to care very much about the main characters and how they will be at the end of the story.

The synopsis tells us much of what this is mainly is about: our two main characters, Estelle and Galloway, survive a crash and are stranded on an island.

"They started as strangers. They grew to be friends. They fought the desire to be lovers." 

What the synopsis doesn't say, and what you guys should find out for yourselves, is how the event came about, who were involved, and most importantly (for me at least), how long they were there in that island.

I thought at first this would be something like Blue Lagoon where the characters would eventually adapt very well with the environment, that they'd build a fantastic cottage with slides, and that food would be abundant, that they will be healthy, etc... Unseen Messages does not ignore the realities of living with literally none of the most basic luxuries--not even a starter kit for boy scouts. Food, clean water, a proper ax to cut wood with, matches, medicine--my gosh, medicine. You'll have higher appreciation for penicillin and antibiotics after reading this book.

Estelle and Galloway had to learn how to survive without these very important things on hand.Sure, they'd get some coconuts and fish... but in reality they aren't getting all the essential nutrients the body needs to continue living. I love that Pepper Winters pointed that out in the narrative.

All those emotional, physical and mental difficulties aside... I love that the very best of humanity also took center stage in this book. =) The characters didn't go Lord of the Flies, thank God. They sought strength from one another, and in the process they really did become a family. The best parts are the happy moments shared by the characters, because in a situation like theirs, those moments are truly precious. They would have a really good few days, and then one instance of bad could overshadow that completely. Say, one day someone would get wounded. Without meds on hand, that could escalate from minor to deadly. So, as the reader I also cherished those happy moments because at any given time, it could be taken away.

Towards the end of the book, I became very much in sync with what the characters were feeling and thinking. In spite of the heartbreak and trauma, you do reach a point where you can choose to remember the happy times instead of dwelling over the bad.

I highly, highly recommend this book! This is by far the most memorable read of 2016 for me. It constantly slips through my mind even weeks after reading it. There would be moments when I'd suddenly think of this character and wonder (as though they were real people, lol), "How are they doing now?" It's crazy! And I adore Pepper Winters for writing something that makes me think that way about fictional characters.

To sum things up, Unseen Messages is hands-down one of the best I've read. =) The first chapters leading up to the crash had me holding my breath. It was nerve-wracking, I had goosebumps on my arms! I started reading while in line at my voting precinct (yeah, during the Philippine general elections! The analogy of a crash and the national election was not lost on me!), and I was gasping and clutching my kindle tightly, and I just gabbed at my sister who was sitting beside me. I just had to talk about what I was reading at that point! Overall, this book gave me a very fulfilling reading experience. Those hours were definitely worth it.

Read this, read this, read this!

★★★★☆ 4.5 stars

Elissa and Liam have had a shot at a relationship six years earlier. They were a really good match. They were funny together, sexy together, and they just clicked. Unfortunately, their careers were in the way. They had to make decisions which resulted in them having to break things off--and not on amiable terms. At all. Upon learning Elissa's side of the story, Liam will seem like a douche. But of course, there is also the other side of the story, and that's what makes the entire thing interesting and exciting.

These two have a lot of chemistry, new fiance and 6 years of separation notwithstanding. You know how it is with exes with unresolved issues? They will either bite each others head off or dance around each other again with lots of flirting and reminiscing. For Liam and Lissa, it was the latter. They are just so good together that their sad separation got to me. It also made their reunion very, very exciting to read about! I felt kilig all over, and I just kept rooting for them to end up together!

The secondary characters are also very likable. I was so ready to hate Angel, Liam's fiance and co-star... but no, she just had to be this quirky, likable, and all-around nice person. She's beautiful, she's smart, and she comes from a wealthy family but she's not a snob about her wealth.

Lissa's best friend, Josh, was also extremely likable. At first I thought he would be built up to be the third party in the love story, but it was made clear from the beginning that Elissa had nothing but platonic love for him. Their friendship and level of ease in each other's company was almost envious! I usually see this type of friendship between girls and gay friends, but this time I was thinking how great it would be to have a guy best friend--because of Josh.

So, final verdict: read WICKED HEART because it's really enjoyable. You will laugh, you'll be sad, but overall you'll have a happy time reading from start to finish. It can be read as a standalone, which I'm sure is a plus for some readers. Finally, it's Leisa Rayven =) you're pretty much guaranteed a good time reading.