"True Blue" by Jules Barnard (Blue Series Book #3)

In the Blue Series, love in Lake Tahoe means looking beneath the surface.

Mira Frasier survived a dark childhood. Now she’s in trouble and forced to live with Tyler Morgan, the boy whose heart she broke in high school. Something’s going to crack. Will it be Mira’s hold on a haunted life, or Tyler’s self-control for the girl he never got over?

"This story of Mira and Tyler is one filled with misunderstandings, heartbreak and passionate love. I thought the characters were well defined, and the book flowed through the plotline seamlessly. A sprinkling of danger, powerful punches of lust were what held my interest throughout the book." -- Deliciously Wicked Books

Mira Frasier has worked hard to pull herself out of the darkness of her Tahoe reservation childhood, but rough beginnings shape a person in all the wrong ways. Mira gets mixed up with shady people while trying to bail out her destitute mother—and now Mira’s life is in danger. 

Tyler Morgan grew up a star athlete and scholar, but a tragedy he hasn’t dealt with has him regrouping in his home town of South Lake Tahoe. The last person he expects to see is Mira, the girl he lost his virginity to in high school, and the only woman who ever took a piece of his heart. He’d rather live in a tent than do what his sister asks and stay with Mira while they figure out how to keep her safe from the men who attacked her. 

To ensure Mira remains in his past where she belongs, Tyler agrees to look out for her temporarily until she’s safe enough to move out on her own. And if he has to push that process along by snooping around and figuring out what she’s hiding, he’ll do that too. Only, Mira is still beautiful, and she’s feisty as hell, and she has all his attention—just like she did six years before.

Mira is driving Tyler crazy, the tension between them off the charts while they’re trapped under the same roof. Something is going to crack. Will it be Mira’s last hold on a haunted life, or Tyler’s self-control around the one girl he’s never been able to get over?

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True Blue by Jules Barnard
Completed: 31.03.2015

* I received this title from the author via [New Adult Book Club] on Goodreads as part of the Read It Review It programme, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've really been on a role with receiving books by authors that I have never read. True Blue was no exception, it was perfectly written with just the right amount of 'pazzaz' in all aspects, you want thrilling moments? Check. Swoon worthy male? Check. A kickass female lead? Check. I could go on and on, naming things to check off your list, but you get my flow.

I found myself flying through the pages, wanting to know more, needing to know more with every single page. It follows the story of Mira and Tyler, two individuals battling demons of their own, and by a twist of fate are thrust back into each others arms in the most unexpected way. It is a story about second chances, and shows just how deeply first love impacts a person, however, the underlying fear of losing those you love, especially on a family level really hit me hard. However, towards the end I found myself disappointed with the lack of action happening, especially after the building tension that I felt throughout the whole book. I wish the author would've added a chapter or two just to satisfy the readers' budding tension.

Nevertheless, True Blue was an enjoyable read, and I love love loved the relationship and electricity I could feel through the pages of my e-reader every time Mira and Tyler came into contact. Do prepare yourself for moments where things turn in the complete opposite direction, and you're left slack-jawed in complete disbelief, and you may experience moments where you feel like throwing a tantrum because of something someone does, that completely ruins everything you anticipated.

Four stars! I will definitely be getting myself a copy of the first two books in the series!

PS: Thank you so much, Mrs. Barnard for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book :) 

"One Song Away" by Molli Moran

"She needs a fill-in boyfriend. He needs a favor. It's the perfect, no-strings arrangement until they both realize it's too real...

Sophie-Claire Wright's life is like a bad country song on repeat. She keeps running into her cheating ex, her songwriting career isn't taking off, and her roommate just kicked her out of their apartment. With nothing to lose, she decides to do the one thing she said she'd never do: she moves back home. She left her small Southern town with big dreams, but now she's going home with empty pockets. 

Life moves at a slower pace in Sophie's blink-and-you'll-miss-it hometown, but her well-meaning, matchmaking mama doesn't have a slow gear. Sophie invents a boyfriend to hold off her mother's efforts, but she's out of luck when her mom wants to meet him. Sophie panics until she runs into Jake Cooper. Her high school crush (and former best friend) is back in town, too, and when he asks her for a favor, she agrees... on one condition. He says he'll be her fill-in boyfriend so it should be simple: re-introduce him to her family and then "break up" with him after a few weeks.

Sophie is sure she'll be able to resist Jake this time. Sure, she was in love with him years ago, but that was then. This is now, no matter how great he looks, or how she feels around him. But she didn't bargain for moments that feel all too genuine. Dates that don't seem fake. Kisses that leave her shaken and wanting more. Sweet moments where she forgets they aren't really dating. And she didn't count on old feelings resurfacing and complicating their arrangement -- which is starting to feel less like acting and more like the real deal.

Soon, Sophie can't tell which kisses are real or fake, but she knows she's in deep...and she thinks Jake is, too. When she gets a chance to go back to Nashville and chase her dreams again, she has a choice to make: stay or go? Continue hoping that the life she wants is one song away, or finally write her own song?"

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One Song Away by Molli Moran
Completed: 15.02.2015

* I received this title from the [New Adult Book Club] on Goodreads as part of the Read It Review It programme.

Where do I start? One Song Away is a book for those who love stories about best friends who turn into lovers. (like me!) The way in which the book itself was written was so different, it didn't have one of those overnight love interest kinda things. I absolutely loved reading about how the friendship gradually turned into something more.

When they first started their (fake) relationship, I was constantly waiting for something more to happen. However, like I said above nothing was rushed, and the whole relationship was handled delicately. The one thing I look for in any book I read is being able to relate to the character, and to feel the happiness, pain, confusion and all the other things that come their way. And wow, did I get the feels on every single page I flipped!

The characters were all very, VERY realistic. I felt like they were the kind of people I would want in my life, they both experienced the ups and downs of life, and from that they grew stronger as individuals. This book is about making the most of the cards life hands you, being daring enough to love and not know whether you will be loved back, and to follow your dreams no matter where they take you. The best thing about it was that it also teaches you that sometimes chasing your dreams doesn't mean travelling halfway across the world, sometimes you can find them in your own backyard.

I am so glad I got a copy of this book to read, I believe it is one of my favourite reads so far this year.

Four fanfrickintastic stars!

PS: I just want to share a small part of the book with all of you, that I will remember always!

"'Shooting star' relationships, as Mama calls them. She claims some people are in our lives for a short time, for a purpose, and then no matter how amazing the relationship, they're gone."