AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Erin McCarthy's JACKED UP

 

Title: JACKED UP

Author: Erin McCarthy

Narrator: Emily Durante

Format: Audible Audio Edition

Audible Price: $17.99

Listening Length: 8 hours and 17 minute
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Release Date: November 11, 2012
Buy JACKED UP from Tantor

My Ratings
Plot:  5/5
Setting:  4.5/5
Writing:  4.5/5
Originality of Plot:  5/5
Characters Development:  5/5
Ending:  4.5/5

Narration:  5/5
Cover Art:  4/5
Likelihood to Recommend:  5/5

Overall:  42.5/45 = 94%

Synopsis

She's holding tight. He's hanging loose.

Eve Monroe is a stock-car PR pro who puts her career first--until an on-track wardrobe malfunction reveals more than the sexy smile of jackman Nolan Ford. The video's become an internet sensation, and it's Eve's job to calm the sponsors and put a spin on the unexpected exposure.

And they both have the same drive.

It may be a public relations job, but now that Eve's seen what's under Nolan's crew suit, it's gotten personal. After a few dates she has Nolan pretty revved up. If only she'd learn to relax and enjoy it. Nolan's sure that the spontaneous birthday bash he's throwing for Eve in Las Vegas should loosen her up. Somewhere between cocktails and a smoking-hot motel-room derby, it does more than that. Now Eve's wrestling with feelings she never expected, as everything about her personal jackman gets harder than she ever imagined.

Review

Motorsports PR guru Eve Monroe has put her dreams on hold to help further her brothers NASCAR careers.  She has a career that most people would die for, a perfect condo, and wonderful family.  She thought she had everything that she needed.  That was until, sexy NASCAR jackman Nolan Ford decided to ask her out.  They are complete opposites.  Where she is an ice queen, he is the jokester.  He's light hearted, and she tightly wound.  Her job requires her to be on-call 24-7, and he's able to leave his job on the track. These two seem to have nothing in common, except for an uncontrollable sexual attraction.

This was probably my favorite book in the series so far.  I was able to really connect with the story.  I've been in and out of Motorsports PR over the last 10 years.  Some people might find Eve as cold and snarky, but that's what it takes for a women to survive in a male dominated sport like racing.  I had respect for her and her attitude.

My favorite part of this book is the relationship between Eve and Nolan.  They have an amazing connection and this super steamy sexual chemistry.  They make each other better people. It's like they weren't a complete person, until they found the other.  Also there aren't that many men that would put up with Eve's snarky nature and give it back to her two fold. 

One of my favorite parts of this series is discovering Emily Durante's amazing narration style.  She is able to convey this books humor, passion, and grief.  Her smooth reading style and tone really make this book for me.  She has created distinct voices for each of the characters, so much that I tend to forget she is reading all of the parts.  I will absolutely pick up books narrated by her in the future!

I devoured this series in the matter of a couple weeks.  I just couldn't put it down!  And JACKED UP is the best book Erin McCarthy's Fast Track series has to offer.  If you're looking for a fast paces, sexy romance this series is for you!  I'd also recommend that you picking it up on audiobook, because Emily Durante's narration make this story jump off the page. I can not wait for the next book to come out! 




Fast Track Series

•     Flat Out Sexy (#1)
•     Hard and Fast (#2)
•     Hot Finish (#3)
•     The Chase (#4)
•     Slow Ride (#5)
•     Jacked Up (#6)

Websites

• Erin McCarthy's Website
• Erin McCarthy on Twitter
• Erin McCarthy on Facebook

GUEST POST: Author Tammy Kaehler - Kate Reilly and Me

I'm really happy to have mystery writer Tammy Kaehler here on the Nice Girls Blog.  Her newest release BREAKING POINTS, book two in the Kate Reilly Mystery series, was released on Monday.  I can't wait to run right out and get it, so I can dive into Kate's newest adventures!  

If you've read DEAD MAN'S SWITCH, this is an great opportunity for you to get to know Kate a little better and her creator Tammy.  If you haven't picked up this series, what the heck are you waiting for!

I proudly present to you, author Tammy Kaehler!

***************************************************

Author Tammy Kaehler - ©PB Shoots

Kate Reilly and Me

I write in first person, in the head and voice of a 24-25 year old racecar driver. I’m a little north of 40 and a complete chicken behind the wheel. My point is, I’m really not my main character.

And yet, I sort of am.

When I set out to create Kate Reilly, my protagonist in the Kate Reilly Racing Mystery series, I deliberately made her the same in some ways, and not in others. Let’s look at some of the similarities and differences in physical aspects and our attitudes and emotions….

Height: We’re both five-foot-three (or four). Why? I know what it’s like, I suppose. And smaller is better for a driver.

Eyes: Blue for both of us

Hair: Dark brown for me, black for Kate. Funny story…. When I created Kate, I was blonde. I didn’t want to make her look like me (ha!) and I didn’t want her to be a blond, with all of the attendant stereotypes, so I gave her black hair. A couple years later, I went back to my natural dark brown. And then dark-brown-haired Danica got popular. Oops. Now it takes a lot of explaining that she wasn’t meant to be like either of us!

Exercise: The single best thing about creating Kate is making her like—or even love—stuff I hate but that I know is good for me. Like exercise. For Kate, working out, sweating, and feeling pain and burn in her muscles and lungs is doing her job. To be a top driver, she’s got to be fit and strong enough to wrestle a car around at top speeds for two hours at a time in temperatures above 100F. She loves to win, and working out means being ready to fight for the win. No choice for her. She enjoys workouts because they get her closer to the top step of the podium.

Me? Not so much. I work out plenty, but I hate every single minute of it and complain like crazy. I hate sweating and feeling gross—whereas Kate spends her working hours soaking wet in her firesuit. And she loves it.

Femininity: In her second adventure, Braking Points, Kate struggles to reconcile being singled out as an icon of beauty with being a lifelong tomboy who doesn’t know how to apply makeup very well. Kate basically feels like she’s not very good at being a girl—and while her attitude (and situation) are an over-exaggeration of what I’ve always felt, I can relate. I’ve had phases in my life of preferring dresses to jeans and overdoing the eye shadow (hello, high school in the 1980s). But I’m not an inveterate shopper or reader of fashion magazines. I don’t trust myself with patterns and mostly mix boring, solid color clothes. And I hardly ever do ruffles or bows. That’s not to say I’m not feminine, but like Kate, I’m not the hearts, bows, and pink kind of feminine.

So, sure, Kate’s a lot like me. But so is Holly, Kate’s sidekick who gets all the witty one-liners. So is the fussy, perfectionist Series VP, Stuart Telarday. Instead of one character being just like me, I’ve spread different aspects of me across a lot of characters. I suppose that makes sense, given that I created them all.

It’s tempting to make Kate the better version of me—the younger, prettier, more perfect version. But perfect is boring. Kate has to make mistakes and to screw some things up, both to be believable as a human being and to make my stories interesting.

And maybe that’s how we’re the most alike, in the end, Kate and me and every human out there … none of us is perfect. We’re all going to mess some things up and (hopefully) do some things—driving a racecar, manipulating words, telling stories—pretty well.

  

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 I really want to take the time to thank Tammy for stopping by!  

Her newest release BREAKING POINT can be found at Amazon and Audible.

NEW RELEASE: Rachel Vincents WITH ALL MY SOUL (Soul Screamers Bk 7)

 

Title: WITH ALL MY SOUL (Soul Screamers Bk 7)
Author:  Rachel Vincent
List Price: $9.99

Release Date: March 26, 2013

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
ISBN-10: 0373210663
ISBN-13: 978-0373210664

Buy WITH ALL MY SOUL from Amazon

Buy WITH ALL MY SOUL from Audible 

Synopsis

What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...

After not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything she has...

What I'm Most Looking Forward To

 
This series has really grown on me!  From book one, the series gets better and better with each book. I adore the author Rachel Vincent.  She never goes for easy when it comes to writing.  She drags her characters through everything imaginable, and they come out better for it in the end.  I've been waiting on this book for a while, but on the other hand I don't want this series to end.  Kaylee Cavanaugh and he cast merry creatures have been through death, love and loss (sometimes in the same book).  Will she get her Happily Ever After or will the hellions get the best of her.  Guess we'll have to wait and see! 



Soul Screamer Series

• My Soul to Lose (Soul Screamers, #0.5)
• My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1)
• My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers, #2)
• My Soul to Keep (Soul Screamers, #3)
• Reaper (Soul Screamers, #3.5)
• My Soul to Steal (Soul Screamers, #4)
• If I Die (Soul Screamers, #5)
• Never to Sleep  (Soul Screamers, #5.5)
• Before I Wake (Soul Screamers, #6)
• With All My Soul (Soul Screamers, #7) 

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Megan Hart's THE SPACE BETWEEN US

 

Title: THE SPACE BETWEEN US

Author: Megan Hart

Narrator: Alexandra Wilde

Format: Audible Audio Edition

Audible Price: $17.46

Listening Length: 10 hours and 1 minute
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Audible.com Release Date: September 1, 2012
ASIN: B0094OQBTW

 

My Ratings
Plot:  5/5
Setting:  4.5/5
Writing:  5/5
Originality of Plot:  5/5
Characters Development:  5/5
Ending:  4.5/5

Narration:  5/5
Cover Art:  3/5
Likelihood to Recommend:  5/5

Overall:  42/45 = 93%

Synopsis

Tesla Martin is drifting pleasantly through life, slinging lattes at Morningstar Mocha, enjoying the ebb and flow of caffeine-starved customers, devoted to her cadre of regulars. But none of the bottomless-cup crowd compares with Meredith, a charismatic force of nature who can coax intimate tales from even the shyest of Morningstar's clientele.

Caught in Meredith's sensual, irresistible orbit, inexpressibly flattered by the siren's attention, Tesla shares long-buried chapters of her life, holding nothing back. Nothing Meredith proposes seems impossible - not even Tesla sleeping with Meredith's husband, Charlie, while she looks on. After all, it's all in fun, isn't it?

In a heartbeat, vulnerable Tesla is swept into a spectacular love triangle. Together, gentle, grounded Charlie and sparkling, maddening Meredith are everything Tesla has ever needed, wanted or dreamed of, even if no one else on earth understands. They're three against the world.

But soon one of the vertices begins pulling away until only two points remain - and the space between them gapes with confusion, with grief and with possibility.

Review

Another emotional read from Megan Hart!  This author has a very unique storytelling ability, it's fresh, raw, and real.  Her charters have this sense of depth that most authors are lacking these days.  She isn't afraid to cover somewhat taboo subject matter in her books. She puts her own spin on the Erotic Romance genre, by making the story about what is behind the sex. I appreciate that she doesn't feel the need to write a Happily Even After ending for all her stories, as long as they feels real. I also applaud her choice to start this book with the ending.  It yanks the reader into the story by both feet!

The heart of this story is it's characters.  Tesla is very free spirit, who doesn't feel the need to conform herself to societies norms.  I love that Ms. Hart has chosen to give the readers snippets of Tesla's past, to help explain what makes her who she is. I enjoy the relationship between Tesla and Vic.  I like how they have found a way to stay in each others lives as adults, and not allow their past to get in the way.  I also love that Tesla doesn't feel the need to label her sexuality, she is sexually fluid.  She's looking for love, but doesn't seem to care about what kind of package it comes in.

Then there is Meredith and Charlie.  Meredith is beautiful, enigmatic, and loves being the center of attention.  She's what I call a shit stirrer.  She likes to gather her followers around her, like a king holding court.  People are drawn to her like a moths to a flame.  I actually believe that the reader isn't supposed to like Meredith, and I definitely didn't!  I found her to be self centered and closed off emotionally.  She never really lets anyone get close to her.  Charlie, on the other hand, I absolutely adored!  He was everything that Meredith was lacking: kind, attentive, and loving.  Meredith walked all over him, and dominated their relationship.  The only good thing Meredith does for Charlie, was to bring Tesla into their home.  Tesla gave Charlie a balance that had been missing in his home.  He really comes out of his shell, especially with it is just the two of them.  

Alexandra Wilde did a fantastic job narrating this book!  She was able to put such depth of emotion into the reading of this story.  She truly does it justice.  She give each character a very distinct voice of it's own.  This is my first audiobook narrated by her, and I would be more then happy to listen to her in the future. 

I'm a big fan of Megan Hart's books, and this one didn't disappoint!  I finished it in less than two days, because I just couldn't put it down.  I love the broken character that Ms. Hart put into her stories.  She makes you really care about them and their lives.  While this book deals with bi-sexuality and  ménage à trois, it's more about the interactions of the characters.  Don't get me wrong this book is HOT, but I'm  happy that the sex doesn't over shadow the underlying story.  It was also wonderful to see Johnny, Joe, Sadie, and Brandy again! I will be telling all of my girlfriends about this fantastic book.  THE SPACE BETWEEN US is another sexy, thought provoking book from Megan. Hart!   

Find This Author Online

Megan Hart

• Authors Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• iTunes Podcasts

                

UPCOMING RELEASE: Chloe Neill's HOUSE RULES (Chicagoland Vampires #7)

 

Title: HOUSE RULES

Author: Chloe Neill
List Price: $15.00
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451237102
ISBN-13: 978-0451237101
Buy HOUSE RULES on Amazon



Synopsis

In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps.

At the tender age of twenty-seven, Merit became a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle—and her metal—tested like never before.

It started with two . . . Two rogues vanishing without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their house in peril, Merit and her Master, the centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realize their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could have ever imagined.

What I'm Most Looking For 

I can't wait to see how the relationships between Ethan and Merit evolves.  They come so close to the real thing to only get knocked backwards again.  I also think that Mallory is at a turning point in her life.  She seems to be getting her life back in order, but will the dark draw her back?



Books by Chloe Neil

Chicagoland Vampire Series (Adult Series)

• Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, #1)
• Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires, #2)
• Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, #3)
• Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, #4)
• Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, #5)
• Biting Cold (Chicagoland Vampires #6) 
• House Rules (Chicagoland Vampires #7)

Dark Elite Series (YA Series)

• Firespell  (Dark Elite, #1)
• Hexbound  (Dark Elite, #2)
• Charmfall  (Dark Elite, #3) 
  

 

REVIEW: Erin McCarthy's FLAT-OUT SEXY (Fast Track bk 1)

 

Title:  FLAT-OUT SEXY
Author:   Erin McCarthy
Release Date:  6/01/10
List Price: $7.99
Publisher:  Berkley
Language:  English
ISBN-10:  0425235173
ISBN-13:  978-04252351741





My Ratings

Plot:  4.5/5
Setting:  4.5/5
Writing:   4/5
Originality of Plot:  4.5/5
Characters Development:  4.5/5
Ending:  5/5
Cover Art:  4.5/5
Likelihood to Recommend:  5/5

Overall:  36.5/40 =  91% 





Synopsis

Two years after Tamara Briggs's husband was killed in a wreck at Talladega, she's back to dating, but her latest beau is a dud. She dumps him and remains intent on not ending up with another race-car driver, but that's exactly what she gets when she meets Elec Monroe. Things progress quickly, and soon she's having dynamite sex with this younger man who's nice to her kids—who could ask for more? There's a catch of course: Elec is the son of Tamara's dead husband's father's sworn enemy. The narrative is fast-paced and red hot; fans of more graphic romances will enjoy this and welcome the next—a sequel is in the works.

My Review

I was very reluctant to pick-up this series.  I love to watch several different types of racing, but am not really fond of NASCAR in general.  I just kept coming a crossed Erin McCarthy’s Fast Track series, so I finally gave it a shot. I have to admit, I was completely wrong in pre-judging this series!

Tamara Brigg’s is stepping back into the NASCAR world, less then two years after her husband was killed during a race.  Since the accident, she has lived a quite life teaching, raising her two kids, and dating men that bore her to tears. She can’t remember that last time she actually dated a man she wanted to sleep with. That is until Elec Monroe  crashes into her world!  While he seems to be everything that Tamara doesn’t need in her life, he turns out to be just the opposite.  This book is funny, romantic, with just the right amount of heat!  The characters are in the forefront of this story, and doesn’t let the NASCAR back-story drown it out. 

I fell in love with these characters from page one. Tamara is just a mother that wants the best for her family.  She is a smart, kind and extremely loving women.  She is even willing to give up the man she loves, to keep the peace in her family.  And Elec isn’t your run of the mill race car driver as well.  He lacks the ego and attitude you see with drivers at the top of their sport.  He treats Tamera like a goddess, loves her kids, and his family is the most important part of his life. Also, Suzanne, Ryder, Ty, and the rest of the Monrow brothers, make a full cast of wonderful secondary characters that I can’t wait to read more about.

I cannot say this enough…I WAS TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT THIS BOOK.  This might be one of my favorite Contemporary Romance series that I have read.  I’m devouring this series, and it is starting to interfere with my sleep.  In one week, I have read books Flat Out Sexy (#1), Hard and Fast (#2), Hot Finish (#3), and The Chase (#4)!  If you are looking for a sexiness, sincerity, and adventure this books for you. I can’t wait to start Slow Ride (#5) this week!




Series

Fast Track

•     Flat Out Sexy (#1)
•     Hard and Fast (#2)
•     Hot Finish (#3)
•     The Chase (#4)
•     Slow Ride (#5)
•     Jacked Up (#6)

Websites

• Erin McCarthy's Website
• Erin McCarthy on Twitter
• Erin McCarthy on Facebook

UPCOMING RELEASE: Kim Harrison EVER AFTER (The Hollows Bk 11)

 

Title: EVER AFTER (The Hollows Bk 11)
Author:  Kim Harrison
List Price: $27.99
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager 
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061957917
ISBN-13: 978-0061957918
Buy EVER AFTER from Amazon


Synopsis

The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels the human world, is shrinking. If it disappears completely, so does all magic. It's up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to avert catastrophe and keep life from changing... for the worse.

While saving the world is important, it isn't Rachel's only motivation. There's also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, setting off a chain reaction of unfortunate events. That little mistake has made her life forfeit unless she can fix it. It's also made her more than a few enemies, including the most powerful demon in the ever after—a terrifying entity who eats souls and now has an insatiable appetite for her. He's already kidnapped her friend and goddaughter to lure her out, and if Rachel doesn't give herself up soon, they'll die.

But Rachel has more than a few impressive and frightening skills of her own, and she isn't going to hand over her soul and her life without one hell of a fight. She's also got a surprise: elven tycoon Trent Kalamack. With this unlikely ally beside her—a prospect both thrilling and unnerving—she's going to return to the ever after, kick some demon butt, rescue her loved ones... and prevent an apocalypse before it's too late. Or, at least that's the plan...

What I'm Most Looking For

 
I just adore this series! Kim Harrison has build such and amazing world over the previous 10 books.  They have an amazing balance of heart, passion, and adventure to keep readers hooked.  But the thing I am most looking forward to, is the budding friendship between Rachel and Trent. Their sexual tension jumped off the pages in the past book, and I am hoping to see more!