EXCERPT REVEAL 

Defenseless by Corinne Michaels

Copyright © 2015 Corinne Michaels

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or publisher.

Chapter 1

Mark

“Everyone locked and loaded?” Liam Dempsey draws our attention. There’s a part of me that wants to slap him, but then I remember: I’m the guest. It would probably be frowned upon.

“Ready,” Jackson says and bangs the magazine into the rifle. “What’s the plan?”

“We have the location where Aaron’s being held captive. We’ll split into two teams, surround the building, and get him out. The helo will be on standby for extract. Muffin, Twilight, you guys will handle meeting with the CIA agent.” Liam lets us know how this will go down.

He’s the big cheese of our small team. Commander was fine with allowing Muff and me to go on the rescue. First, we know what the hell we’re doing; I could be the damn commander at this point. Second, if it isn’t Aaron, we have the best chance of knowing quickly. I know it is, though. The code word that the CIA agent communicated was the one we’ve used for years. She relayed his area and the best way possible to enter the compound. Of course, deciphering her instructions was difficult, and it left us to make plans for the plans.

“Let’s get this shit done and get back in one piece this time, okay Muff?” There’s no hiding the sarcasm in my voice.

“Fuck off, Dixon.”

“So touchy.” I grin and double-check my gear. As funny as it is, it’s also not funny at all. Jackson Cole was once the leader of our SEAL team when the mission we were tasked with went really wrong. We lost three teammates that day, and all of us suffered injuries both mental and physical. Then we sent Aaron to deal with a lost shipment of weapons and he was killed. Well, possibly not, but still. Each time one of our asses touches down in this fucking place, someone ends up shot or killed. I’d love to be able to forget, but the truth is, I never will. The guys I’ve lost reside in my heart. The memories take hold in all of us, and for some, they torment us. The wondering if we could’ve done something different, remembering their last moments—it’s a heavy burden to carry.

I’ve lost too many friends and too much blood to this hellhole.

“Okay,” Liam says through our earpieces. “Two minutes out.”

Everyone stands, heads toward the back of the plane, and readies for the ride. We’re parachuting in, and there’s a part of me that’s alive for the first time in a while. I live for this shit. The command of the sky, the adventure, the danger—I love it. It’s a part of who I am, and while I don’t regret leaving the Navy, I miss the fun. Being a SEAL was everything to me. I was damn good at it, too. While Aaron and Jackson had no problem getting out and starting Cole Security Forces, I would’ve been buried in my uniform. However, my arm had other ideas and made the choice for me.

Jackson slaps my shoulder. “Ready to be badass again?”

“I never lost it. Unlike you other pussy whipped assholes.”

“At least I get pussy, unlike some shithead who talks a lot of crap,” he mutters under his breath.

“Keep it up, fat boy. You’re starting to earn your call sign again, Muffin.” I pull my goggles down and watch for the light to turn green. There’s no hesitation as I jump out the hatch. The plane fades away as I plummet to, once again, do what I live for.

We all reach the ground safely a few miles from the IED site where this whole mess started.

Liam gives the hand commands as we split into teams of two. If I ever felt like a piece of shit before, it was nothing compared to now. Aaron is possibly still alive and nearby. We didn’t search before, partly because Muff got shot, but I never even considered coming back. They claimed there were no survivors, and we listened.

If it were me, would I be pissed? Fuck yeah, I would. We should’ve looked.

“See that, up on the building?” Dempsey’s voice cuts through the silence.

My eyes dart to where his hand is pointing. I can’t see it clearly, but hanging from the antenna is a red scarf, the go-ahead signal from our contact.

“Charlie better not be fucking us around,” I grumble. I’ve missed the way my body feels right now. Everything inside me is awakened. My mind knows there’s danger and my muscles are tense so I do my best to relax. I can’t be on edge or someone could get hurt. I remember how it felt to lose our teammates on that mission. I remember carrying Brian, Devon, and Fernando’s bodies out. I remember watching the life fade from their eyes. Then to think of all the other drama we’ve dealt with being in the sandbox—this place gives me anxiety.

“She’s on our side. Head in the game,” Jackson snaps as he creeps forward. He’s in the zone. I need to get there before we kick in the door.

As we approach the entrance, Liam comes through with the green light. “Petunia.” His tone is clear. This time we’re using flowers for code names. I liked it better when we used liquor or tobacco . . . more manly. Shows just how much the Navy is breeding pussies now.

Jackson braces his hand against the door, ready to push through, but someone pulls it open first. All of our guns raise, and my gaze locks on the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.

The woman’s hands slowly raise, and she casually removes the hijab that covers her mouth and hair. “Check out the garden, boys. Petunia.” Her accent is clearly American. “He’s down the hall and knows you’re coming. There are three on guard by his cell. The others are out doing errands. I’m leaving with you, so don’t fuck this up.”

I stand there, staring, unable to form a fucking coherent thought. This is the CIA op? This five-foot-four, drop-dead gorgeous woman? No wonder she gets information. I’d sell my soul if she asked. Her hair is almost black and hangs straight, her eyes are ice blue, and don’t get me started on what I imagine her plump lips doing. I’ve never seen anyone like her. I’ve never reacted to anyone like this before. I want her—any man would—but I want to own her. Every part of my body, especially one in particular, yearns for her. I want to see if her skin is as soft as it looks, if her hair feels like silk, and her voice—I’m done for.

Jackson lowers his gun and then addresses her. “Which door, Charlie?”

“Second on the left. I need a gun.” She puts her hand out.

The need to protect her calls from deep within. “Maybe you should stay out here.”

“And watch you guys get lost? I don’t think so. Gun. Now.” She doesn’t look my way when she replies. She just waits for Jackson to hand her his pistol.

I don’t like this. She may be trained by the CIA, but that’s not saying she can handle combat. “Are you sure you know how to use it, princess?” I ask.

Her eyes meet mine and narrow. Oh, that got her attention. A storm’s raging in those baby blues. She recovers quickly, though, when Jackson places his nine mil in her delicate palm. “Thanks. I’ll let that slide since you obviously aren’t aware of who I am,” she says without taking her eyes off me. “We don’t have a lot of time. Where’s the rest of your team?”

“We are the team,” I reply. Who is this girl? Maybe the CIA needs ten people, but Jackson, Liam, and I could handle this entire thing on our own—the six-guy team we brought is more than enough.

Jackson smirks. “They’re approaching from a different entrance. Let’s go.”

“I’ll lead,” Charlie says and lifts the hijab over her hair.

“We know what we’re doing.” I speak just so she’ll look at me again.

“Wouldn’t want you to get lost or hurt. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” Her voice drips with sarcasm. My cock hardens. It fucking hardens on a goddamn mission. I am so fucked.

She opens the door and I push Muffin out of the way. No way is he going to be behind her. Charlie turns to relay a message, and notices he’s not the one following. Her eyes roll, she holds up two fingers, and then she points to the room. The way her ass sways is hypnotic. I lock down the sexual urges flowing through me and focus. The two men trailing me let off two silent shots and then return to following us. We slink through the dirty hallway and come face to face with another guard.

I don’t have a moment to take the sight. Charlie doesn’t hesitate. No more than a breath passes before she raises the nine and shoots him in the head.

I’m in love. It’s official. I’m going to blow my fucking load right here.

This woman is going to be mine.

She turns her head to face me and lifts her lips. The words that come from her mouth go straight to my groin. “Don’t be afraid to pull the trigger next time, princess.” Charlie’s eyes glimmer, and I know right then that this woman will not be owned, but she sure as shit will own me.

Now Available for Pre-order!

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Release Date: January 19th

Blurb

My life is a secret.

His life is dangerous.

We’re both stubborn, calculating, and controlling.

Mark Dixon doesn’t know what he’s getting into. He doesn’t know his games could cost us our lives. I have to do what is necessary to keep us alive, and that means guarding my heart.

But I know I’m defenseless against him, and in the end, he’ll force me to surrender.

WATCH THE DEFENSELESS TRAILER HERE

Meet Corinne...

Corinne Michaels is an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. She’s happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife. After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness.

Both her maternal and paternal grandmothers were librarians, which only intensified her love of reading. After years of writing short stories, she couldn’t ignore the call to finish her debut novel, Beloved. Her alpha Navy SEALs are broken, beautiful, and will steal your heart.

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OFFICIAL BOOK TOUR

First Touch by Laurelin Paige

REEVE IS HERE! 

Meet Reeve & Emily in First Touch by Laurelin Paige! This highly anticipated release is NOW LIVE!

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Blurb

When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven't spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what's more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that lead her to the enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must seduce Reeve to learn his secrets and discover the whereabouts of her friend. But as she finds herself more entangled with him, she finds she's drawn to Reeve for more than just his connection to Amber, despite her growing fear that he may be the enemy. When she's forced to choose where her loyalty lies, how will she decide between saving Amber and saving her heart?

Excerpt 

“Tell me something,” he said, overtly switching gears. “What’s with you and Chris Blakely?” 

He’d been watching me at the Expo, then. Before he’d come outside after me. 

His question about Chris was spoken casually, but it was purposeful. A more naïve woman might have missed it, but I was too experienced with men like him. He wanted me to know that I was in his sightline. That this was what it meant to be part of his life. That he would monitor me, if he felt like it; he’d rule me. And he expected me to submit. 

I couldn’t decide if that freaked me out or thrilled me. 

So I played coy. “He’s an actor. We’ve worked together on occasion. I guess we’re friends.” 

I walked into the kitchen and got a glass from the cupboard. Chewing my lip, I filled it with filtered water from the sink and debated full disclosure regarding Chris…It was a long shot, but since I hoped to contact Chris for more information about Missy at some point, I decided the less I said the better. 

I drank some of my water then set the glass down and leaned across the counter to watch Reeve. His fingers trailed across the spines. I couldn’t see the exact books, so I tried to think what was there. My Katherine Hepburn autobiography. My copy of Rebecca. 

He stopped and pulled one from the shelf then flipped through it lazily. This one I recognized from the cover. PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives, one of my coffee table books. I collected them and had so many that most lived on my bookshelf rather than on my coffee table. This particular book was a printing of blog posts that shared secrets anonymously. Parts of it read like my diary, and I’d marked several pages with Post-it notes so I could easily come back to them. Reading it had always felt comforting. 

Seeing it in Reeve’s hands, though, wasn’t comforting. He flipped through the pages, stopping on the ones I’d tagged. Chuckling at some. Growing somber at others. At one, he lifted his head toward me and nodded slightly as if confirming what he’d just thought, what he’d just read. 

I ran through several confessions I knew by heart, trying to imagine which it had been— 

“Again and again. Used.” 

“I’m more scared of court than I was when he almost killed me.” 

“I would do absolutely anything in the whole world if I thought it would make her happy.” 

Whichever ones he was reading, any of them—all of them—were private. Too private for him to know spoke to me. Yet, I didn’t stop him. I let him sink one layer deeper under my skin. 

It was bad enough that he was in my apartment—in an apartment that I paid for myself. His presence reminded me of a time when everything I owned had been given to me by men. The things I had now, though small in number and worth, were all mine. 

Trying to distract myself from the anxiety Reeve’s invasion caused, I asked, “Why do you want to know about Chris anyway? Do you want me to fix you up? He’s got a fiancé, you know.” 

Reeve shot me a glare. “Cute.” 

He put the book back on my shelf and moved toward me. When he reached the counter, he said, “Chris doesn’t look at you like he has a fiancé.” 

Ah. I’d forgotten Reeve was a jealous man. Or I’d underestimated the depth of his envy. Strangely, it was a fairly common trait of the kind of men I’d involved myself with in the past, the kind of men who had everything. I knew how to pander to them, knew what to say to put their insecurities to rest. No one could ever be man enough to compare with you, I’d say. It might have been what Reeve was looking for in regards to Chris. 

But I couldn’t bring myself to give it to him. “A lot of men don’t look at me like they have a fiancé.” 

Reeve leaned across the opposite side of the counter so we were face-to-face. “I don’t like that.” 

Jealousy was generally boring, yet, on Reeve, it was fascinating. And, I suspected, dangerous. “You don’t? What are you going to do about it? Lock me up and never let me out in public?” 

“I have some nice secluded resorts I think you’d like. My island properties are so beautiful you’ll forget you’re in a prison.” 

He flashed his dimple. It was subtle, only noticeable when he smiled in a certain way, the way he was smiling now. And his eyes…I’d thought they were blue, but now I saw green flecks. They caught in the light. They caught me in them, made me feel warm. Made me feel trapped. 

I stood up straight, distancing myself without moving away. “Look at you. Acting as if you have some claim to me. I think I already blew you off the other night.” 

“Look at you, acting as if I’m a person that you blow off. I think I already warned you about me.” He was teasing as I’d been. But he wasn’t all at the same time. 

My heart skipped a beat. “Another threat?” 

“If you want it to be.” He looked at me like he had earlier—that intent way that saw through me, into me. Saw all my dark parts. 

In a way, he was showing me his darkness as well. 

My lip quivered, but I wasn’t scared. Well, not scared enough. “I do.” 

His eyes sparked, and with that simple phrase, we entered into an agreement. He would have me. He would fuck me. He would bring me into his world. 

And in return I’d let him break me.

MY REVIEW

6 STARS 

Get ready to see Laurelin Paige in a whole new light! First Touch is a slow burn that builds to a heart stopping climax that will not only leave you hanging but also gasping.

"I can't figure you out Emily." His words were tight yet even. "I don't know if I like you or if I just want to fuck you."

Emily Wayborn has not always had an easy life, spending most of her younger years living fast and loose with Amber, a young woman even more troubled than herself. Meeting her at a time in her life when she was looking for excitement bonded her to Amber in ways she could never have imagined. Emily and Amber are the best of friends, they truly loved each other and they share everything, I mean everything. That is until one night, an act of unspeakable violence rips them apart. Emily sets off on her own for the first time in years with one goal, to make something of herself and start over with a clean slate. Fast forward years later, Emily is now a successful actress and no longer indulging in her old habits. But even after all this time, Emily finds herself missing the best friend she’s ever had and years later, she still regrets the way things ended with Amber. When Emily hears a message from Amber on her mother’s answering machine, she knows one thing for certain, that Amber is in danger. Emily now has a new mission, she will do whatever it takes to find Amber and make everything right again. She will have her best friend back once again…

What Emily could have never known when she started the arduous task of trying find Amber is how difficult or dangerous it was going to be. She will be risking her own life to find Amber, if she is even still alive, it’s looking very possible that she may already be dead. She has one lead, and she will follow that lead until she has her answers one way or another. 

"While it was helpful to be genuinely interested in a man I wanted to get close to, I recognized that the intensity of my attraction to Reeve was a weakness. It distracted me. It made me vulnerable."

Reeve Sallis is an extremely wealthy hotelier, but that’s not all he’s known for. He has some very deeply rooted connections to some unbelievably dangerous people. As a matter of fact, Reeve himself is a very dangerous man himself. Reeve may very well be the only key to finding out what has happened to Amber, and if that is the case, Emily will do whatever it takes to uncover what he knows. 

"He was impressive. And as gratifying as it was for me to have captured his attention, I was fully aware that I was over my head."

Laurelin Paige has never written like this before, First Touch, is dark, mysterious, unsettling, and haunting. Reeve Sallis is an alpha that will have you not only seriously questioning his motives, but also his true nature. He’s unapologetic in his actions and desires. He takes what he wants and demands obedience. No one questions Reeve and those who do are left regretting it. Emily is tenacious and unrelenting when she has her sights set on a goal, she doesn’t experience fear the way most others do, in fact it makes her feel alive in ways, she hasn’t in years. When Reeve and Emily collide it’s the perfect storm, and it becomes blindingly obvious from the very start that no one will be emerging unscathed. 

"He clamped his hand, hard, over my mouth. Then he loosened his grip, letting his fingers tug at my lower lip. "I'm not sure you understand who I am yet, Emily."

   My heart pounded in my ears. "I'm learning."

   Reeve trailed his fingers lower, down my neck, over the space where my pulse fluttered in my throat. "No. You aren't yet. But you will."

Paige’s writing in this story is flawless. It’s meticulously plotted and the pacing builds to a fevered pitch the further you venture into the story. This book allows Paige to flex her muscles and explore a whole other genre, and within it she shines. Unlike anything else you’ve read this year or could even expect from Paige, First Touch is going to shock you. It’s going to have you returning to previous read sections, just to retrace your steps, to see if you’ve missed a clue. I found myself hypnotized by this story, I was desperate for answers and when the book ended I was shocked, frustrated and overwhelmed. I’ve never said WTF???? So many times in my entire life!!!!! The cliff hanger is intense and shocking, but it is truly brilliant. Paige has ensured that when you finish the last few pages of First Touch you will be truly and utterly addicted. You’ll be so invested in this story and its characters that now you would do anything within your power just to read the next book and see how the mystery will unravel. 

Congratulations Laurelin Paige, on a book that is not only captivating but shocking and unputdownable. There is a reason why Laurelin is one of my all-time favorite authors and with this book she not only demonstrates an uncanny ability to create a fascinating story with intriguing characters but she also shows us just how truly talented she is with her writing, this book is simply put AMAZING! A story that is sure to shock you, First Touch is going to leave you reeling, in all of the best possible ways.

"I think you're a better man than you think you are." But what I meant was, maybe you're a better man than I think you are."

Last Kiss (Book Two) A First and Last Novel

Releases June 14th, 2016

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Meet Laurelin...

Laurelin Paige is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She's a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there's kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn't seem to complain, however. When she isn't reading or writing sexy stories, she's probably singing, watching Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She's also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn't do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.

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FGBB REVIEWS

Sweet Fall (Sweet Home Book 2) by Tillie Cole

“We all have secrets. Secrets well buried. Until we find the one soul who makes the burden of 

such secrets just that little bit easier to bear.”

AMAZON US  |  AMAZON PAPERBACK  |  AMAZON CANADA

~6 STARS~

 Each book in this series is better than the last. 

HOW is that even possible???

“It’s funny. I used to look up at the stars and feel so small and unimportant. But I’ve come to realize that the only thing that can ever make you feel alive and important is the one person who takes you for you.”

When I began this series a few days ago, I was totally unprepared for what I was getting into. This series has been recommended to me many, many times by both bloggers and readers alike. Everyone raving about what a an amazing series it is, and although I was late to kickoff, I have now found myself at the end of the third book, the second book in the series actually, and emotionally I feel worn, wrung out and my heart still aches a bit. Rome and Molly’s story was very intense and powerful, very emotional and heartfelt. Of and then I decided to read the next book immediately, probably not the smartest move I ever made, but now I wouldn’t change a thing. Sweet Fall is Lexi and Austin’s story and I wasn’t clever enough to read the blurb first, I just dove in head first feeling excited for yet another book in a series that had totally been owning me thus far. I opened the book and read the first pages and that was enough to tell me, that this book was going to be intense in a whole new way. When an author shares pieces of themselves in a story no matter how small, it is always magical, but when they pour their most intimate experiences and struggles into a story it becomes something else. More real, more personal, more affecting. Knowing where Tillie Cole was going to go and what she would have to re-live in order to create this story had my heart aching before I had even began the reading the actual story…

“If I had a type, he would be it. But I didn’t date and from what I’d heard, neither did he.”

Lexi and Austin were introduced to us in Sweet Home, and we saw even more of them in Sweet Rome, but we didn’t know very much about them other than they were members of the core group, close friends with both Molly and Rome, Cass, Ally and JD. We knew that Austin was a phenomenal football player, a wide receiver aiming to land on NFL Draft just as Rome had, he has a reputation, two brothers, a sick Momma, and that Rome was one of the only people that knew about his childhood and the life he ultimately left behind to attend UA. Molly is a young woman who on the outside appears, happy, perky, peppy and easy going despite her emo clothes and makeup. She is also a member of the UA cheerleading squad, a position that she has wanted to hold since she started going to school here 3 years ago. What we learn in Sweet Fall is that we didn’t know much at all, Lexi and Austin have so much going on in their lives that no one else knows about. Both of them are only showing others what they want them to see. They are both wearing masks. Austin is struggling with guilt and obligation, feeling like he has abandoned his family in many ways and Lexi is struggling to hold onto her recovery, but losing the battle daily. Recovery from what? I’m not going into that, but I will say this, it is something that in one way or another has affected most women at one point in their life. The disease is terrifically brutal.

Lexi and Austin’s story is going to hold you in its very firm grasp from the moment you begin until you’ve absorbed every last word. Their relationship is complicated and it seems doomed from the very start, but it’s also a relationship that you find yourself rooting for, even when it seems impossible. Tillie Cole didn’t just write a story with this book, she called on some very powerful emotions and revisited what I’m sure had to be a very hard time in her life in order to give us this book, I cannot imagine what that must have been like for her, but saying that it is incredibly brave, is just a massive understatement. I felt every ounce of the sadness, conflict, and struggle, but I also felt the courage, the determination and in the end the peace that came once the story was finally winding to a close.

“I don’t need to look up at the stars to feel inferior, Austin. All I have to do is open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror.”

“So you see, Pix, I have scars too. It’s just mine are on the outside where everyone can see.”

The story is not for the faint of heart, it goes to some dark places at times, and what plagues these characters along the way is not resolved easily. Sweet Fall is astonishing; it’s a vivid story that will have your emotions running all over the place. I shed more tears over the course of this book, then I’m sure is normal or socially acceptable but the story is just so intense that it was impossible to not become lost in it. I had to constantly remind myself that it wasn’t real time and time again. When I finally finished it, I was left grinning ear to ear, like a total loon, and my heart felt healed. I felt overjoyed for Lexi and Austin. I am so proud of how far they had come from where they had started and how much they had grown and overcome to get to their own very special happily ever after.

“Why the war paint, Pix?

Because I can't stand the girl underneath....

"Why the tattoos ?"

Because I can't bear seeing the scars of my past.”

Sweet Fall is overwhelmingly emotional and powerful; it might also be the best book I’ve read by Tillie Cole to date. That’s saying a lot because I have read all of the Hades Hangmen books and I loved those as well. Something about this book though resonated with on a much deeper level. That connection and those overwhelming feelings we have only when we experience a truly great book is why we all read isn’t it? This book reminded me all over again of why I started my blog, why I now read and review, and why it is truly an honor to spend hours wrapped up in the stories that will never leave our hearts or minds.

“But I’m lost without you. I can’t breathe without you. Without you here, all I can do is fall…”

~FGBB REVIEWS~

Sweet Rome (Sweet Home Book 1.5) by Tillie Cole

“My body recognizes you as something that's good for me. My mind recognizes you as someone who's right for me, and my soul recognizes you as someone who is meant for me.”

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6 STARS ALL OVER AGAIN… Roll Tide!!!!!!

So just so you know Sweet Rome is book 1.5 in the Sweet Home series and this entire book is told by Rome, himself. This one is essentially Sweet Home all over again, but with parts that we missed when experiencing it from Molly’s POV.

“Molly Shakespeare was going to kill me.”

I loved Sweet Home; I really really did, but being able to live this story all over again from Rome’s POV I found it even more intense. I felt everything just a bit more; I cried a bit more, I swooned A LOT more! I adore this couple, they have fought so unbelievably hard to get where they end up and for me, this time around I found myself becoming even more immersed in the story. I think it’s because I was totally emotionally invested in the story having the knowledge of what would happen next, maybe it wasn’t I’m not sure, but I cried this time and more than once.

“Why do you want me? I’m not good enough for you. You should get out now before it’s too late.”

Molly and Rome’s story hasn’t changed but what has, is that we now know exactly what that Alpha Hottie Footballer is feeling, how he thinks and what he’s really struggling with. Rome does not like to ever talk about his past, we do get pieces in Sweet Home, but in this book we re-live his childhood with him to an extent. I understood Rome in the first book, but in this book, I think my heart broke even more for him. He really is just as lonely as he admits to, and sometimes I think maybe even a bit more. He has such an incredibly huge heart, and when he loves, he loves with his whole being. He is incredibly loyal and protective of those he cares for. Molly is it for him, there is never a doubt, he is very very clear on this, he never waivers. His insecurities plague him a bit and he has issues that he needs to work through, but his devotion to Molly is never a question, but a certainty.

“It was the first night in a long time I slept through with nightmares…nothing on my mind but a certain damn cute brunette.”

While there is not A LOT of new material here, I am eternally grateful that Tillie decided to write this story, having now read Rome’s story I feel like I now have the complete story. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first, I never became bored and I drank in every single word, just as I did before. Rome and Molly’s story will never leave me; I’ll always remember that nerdy, beautiful girl with the big glasses and bright orange crocs and the handsome boy with an ego the size of Alabama and a heart just waiting to be healed and be taught how to love. Happily ever afters are one thing, but what Molly and Rome end up with, seems like so much more to me, and it’s all because of the journey that brought them there. Losing someone you love, being abused by the people that are supposed to love you more than anyone else, having something so rare and precious taken from you in the blink of an eye, all of these things are the reasons why this story is so emotional. It is what makes it so special and it’s also why it now has a very special place in my heart. Thank you Tillie for such a beautifully emotional story and wonderful characters, I loved it from beginning to end BOTH times.

“As she stood before me, I inched forward, gripping the nape of her neck, making her focus only on me and, pressing my forehead to hers, I whispered, “Hey Mol.” With that she relaxed, a tiny smile on those pink lips. “Hey You.” “You going to give me that lucky sweet kiss?” “If that’s what you want.” She had no idea how much. “It most definitely is.”

*SIGH* & *SWOON* 

~FGBB REVIEWS~

Sweet Home (Sweet Home Book 1) by Tillie Cole

“One day, my sweet girl, some lucky man will come and help you understand the very meaning 

of love. He will sweep you off your feet and show you what it is to place your heart in someone 

else’s care to willingly offer them the gift of your soul.”

AMAZON US   |  AMAZON PAPERBACK  |  AMAZON CANADA

~6 SWEET STARS~

“I never knew before tonight what it felt like to be wanted…just me for me.”

Molly Juliet Shakespeare has been alone in way or another for a very long time. She lost both of her parents at a very young age, and her grandmother, whom she was very close to as well shortly thereafter. She has found ways to cope with the loneliness and throwing herself into her studies and focusing on school has always been the most successful. Having tested out of high school a year early Molly, is exceptionally intelligent and she is now working towards her way to a PHD in Philosophy, for now she is attending University of Alabama, having already studied at Oxford. Men have never really been on her radar, having had only one boyfriend before, Molly is terrified of becoming attached to anyone. Losing those she loved so dearly at an early age has left her unwillingly to ever risk feeling that kind of loss ever again.

Romeo “The Bullet” Prince is the star QB for the Alabama Tide and he has no problem what so ever in attracting the opposite sex. On the surface Rome, has an easy and charmed life, but beneath the façade nothing could be further from the truth. Lonely, angry, frustrated Rome is in actuality struggling very hard just to keep his head above the ever rising current. The day that Molly and Rome cross paths for the very first time is a very important moment for both of them, and it changes everything forever. Together they are going to learn how to swim, instead of just treading water.

“I had no idea how long we kissed, but I thought my heart would leap out of my chest the longer it went on. He controlled, I obeyed, and we both basked in each other’s embrace.”

Sweet Home is a sweet and emotionally charged story about two incredibly lonely souls finding each other, falling irrevocably in love, and then battling to not lose each other in the end. It’s also a story about personal growth, standing up to those who threaten your happiness and wellbeing not matter the cost. I fell in love with both Molly and Rome from the very start, both characters having already survived so much before even finding each other that it made my heart ache. Tillie Cole gave us two people that were so incredibly real, it wasn’t possible to not feel for them. Their relationship is one for the ages, neither of them ever doubting their love for the other, yet always petrified of losing what they had only just found. Rome is trying to help Molly learn to deal with things head on, no running away and Molly is trying to teach Rome how to walk away from a fight, to control his inner rage. What they find in each other is something that neither of them ever dared to wish for, the other halves of themselves, soulmates. What makes this story a bit different and a lot addictive is the struggle, it seems unending. There are people who are dangerously unhappy about Molly and Rome’s new found love and they will stop at NOTHING to keep them apart.

“He’d shown me we were unbreakable. It was time to put that belief into practice.”

Molly and Rome’s story is one that I fell in love with, I’m sorry I didn’t have time to read this one earlier, because when I was able to finally begin it, I didn’t want to put it down. The writing is fantastic and the story engrossing, the romance is EPIC and the chemistry and heat between Molly and Rome, sweltering. Sweet Hope is such an incredibly sweet love story and yet it’s littered with heartbreak and loss, trauma and betrayal, secrets and lies. This is what makes it so addictive and powerful.

This is the first book in the Sweet Home series and I am diving directly into Sweet Rome, book 2, I’m hooked. I cannot wait to experience this story all over again from Rome’s perspective; I love him already so I’m willing to bet I’m going to fall even deeper under his spell. If you have not yet read this series, YOU NEED TO! If you love those love stories where the happily ever after is earned rather than given, you will adore this one. Rome and Molly are two people that have to travel to hell and back to find their happily ever after and that is what is makes it so much sweeter in the end.

“I was lost to him. I knew in that moment that things had categorically changed for me, that there was no going back to my pre-Romeo state. My body wanted what he offered and my heart wouldn’t allow me to resist.”