Willow Avery, popular teen queen movie star has just been released from rehab. Fresh out of a drug haze and still unsure about herself, Willow is shipped to Hawaii for her next big summer hit. In the process of trying to stay sober, deal with her past trauma and devastating circumstances, Willow teams up with Cooper, Hawaii's best surf instructor.

Lonely, out of touch from the L.A lifestyle and vulnerable for the first time since she was young, Willow begins facing the demons of her past and slowly lets Cooper in, he's not after her money, her status or a one night stand, he truly just wants her. As the budding romance turns into something deeper and more intense Cooper and Willow will each need to confess their secrets and even the ones which could alter the relationship for the worse. Funny thing about secrets though, sometimes they can really bite you in the butt, and Cooper and Willow are about to need bandages.

I had fun reading this story, I really loved the romance, the build up (even though at times it seemed rushed) and the overall story presented in this mature adult read. The books crystal clear message being- spoiled rich famous kids who destroy themselves with drugs need help not gossip pages. As sweet and a tad moving that notion tends to be, celebrity's make choices too, they just have a lot more money to be sophisticated about it. With the authors talented way of making Willow seem more human and less celebrity, I did feel for her but in the end never really felt sorry for her situation or her celebrity status.

Faking It by Cora Carmack
June 4, 2013 by William Morrow
New Adult- Contemporary Romance-Paperback, 304 Pages
Warnings: Language, alcohol use, sexuality
4/5 Stars- 18&up
Review Copy

Max is not your typical girl next door. She's wild and brilliant and edgy to the core. With her dyed bright maroon hair, body tattoos and burlesque dancing job shes nothing like Bliss, who we met in book one of Carmack's Losing It. Well she's the wild girl until her parents come into town, when they're around she is the straight laced, girl next door who studies hard and never lets her parents down. She plays a good game and has been for a few years, but a double life always winds up crumbling and Max is about to meet her match with a capital C.

Cade still reeling with the loss of Bliss has had it with being depressed. Loneliness and sadness have made him a tad awkward and blowing off his friends to wallow in his self pity. His friends are sick of it, he's sick of it, but cant seem to pull himself out of it...that is until he meets Max in a local coffee shop and has to pretend to be her boyfriend to fake out her parents. Within a few hours the self pity is almost forgotten and when Max asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for a few weeks he quickly agrees.

In a turn of events unexpected to either of them, Max and Cade begin falling in love and not the all consuming passionate love but the all consuming this is it love. But this is fake and they are just playing pretend, Max cant fall for the good guy, and Cade well he's had it with getting his heart broke, he doesn't want to get hurt again...he will not fight for another girl...even though what he feels is ten times stronger than what he felt for Bliss. As the relationship builds each of them will have to get honest and look the relationship in the cold dead face, deal with the past, deal with the parents and face the present and the future together.

L-oo-vvv-ed. I started this and couldn't put it down. I think my favorite aspect reading this book was getting to know Cade, in Losing It he made me really mad because I knew Bliss belonged with Garrick, he unfortunately came off as the whinny guy pining for his unattainable girl. In Faking It though his character development really shinned and the chemistry between him and Max blew off the pages.

Great story and a great ending. Im looking forward to book three in this series.

Mine to Take by Cynthia Eden
June 15, 2013 by Author- Indie
Warnings: Language, violence, sexuality
Adult- Sensual Romance- Kindle-151 Pages
3/5 Stars- 18&up
Review Copy

Skye Sullivan, a beautiful and popular ballerina is getting over the loss of her dreams after a car accident left her leg in less than dancing condition. Heartbroken, stressed and deflated she returns home to the only town and to the only man who could possibly heal her heart. That man being Trace, a powerful and successful man who runs his own bodyguard and security company. While Skye really had no intentions of running back into his arms, she did return to him with the intention of hiring him for her safety.

After months of living in fear, knowing that the shadows that follow her, the awkward moments alone in her apartment and the misplacement of her things are no longer a strange coincidence. Skye cant shake the terrible feeling that shes being watched, stalked and even in danger of being killed, the only one she can even think to help her is Trace, but Trace has other things in mind. Not only will he help catch Skye's stalker but he will capture her heart again if its the last he does.

Oh, a fun little twisty novel. It was short, only coming in at 151 pages, but it packs a great read in those few pages. I really loved the suspense in the novel and loved the reveal. Sparks flew all over and the romance was smoking hot bacon off the page. While emotional investment is nonexistent due to the length, the plot did play out like a fast moving action movie.