Review: Perfect Betrayal by Season Vining

Description:
To the outside world, Taylor Hudson has it all: money, beauty and social status. But Taylor's privileged life is far lonelier than it appears. Now it's about to be rocked to its core when a gorgeous new employee shows up at her family's mansion...but nothing about him is what it appears. 

Levi's always had to fight to survive. Now, as the inside man on a heist to steal fifteen million dollars from one of the town's wealthiest families, he has the chance of a lifetime. But it puts him on a crash course the one thing he can't have: Taylor, a woman who makes him want the impossible-to be a better man. 
What started out as a wicked game of seduction is about to become so much more. But are they both willing to give up everything for the deepest connection they've ever known?


My Thoughts:

Taylor was hard to like at first. She came off as a spoiled, rich brat with a "poor me" mentality. She was ignored by her family and lonely except for a few close friends. So she consoles herself with her money. I liked her more later when she started to show some vulnerability and a little more personality.

Levi plays guitar and recites poetry. He can debate Romeo and Juliet and fix just about anything. So pretty much the perfect guy. But he's working as a maintenance man in order to rob the house. 

At first the two are attracted to one another but they don't seem to have much beyond that. I liked when they let down their walls a little and got to see one another outside of the house. There are also many references to Romeo and Juliet. If you liked Shakespeare's play, I think you'll enjoy this. There are some great twists toward the end that I didn't see coming. 

My Rating: ****
Steam Factor: !!!!
*Notes: Language, illegal drug use

My Source: NetGalley


Where to get it:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes


Where to find the author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Review: Held Against You by Season Vining

Description:

A gorgeous bounty hunter. A wanted woman. A passion they can’t deny.

Accused of a horrific crime and on the run, Kat has been rejected by everyone she loves. She’s a fugitive from her past, flitting from town to town with nothing but the clothes on her back—until she meets a man who literally stops her in her tracks.

A notorious bounty hunter with powerful instincts, he never fails to capture his prey. But there’s something about Kat that gets under his skin–and it’s not just the naked innocence he sees in her pretty eyes. Behind his ice cold demeanor, he has his own darkness... and now his lively, vulnerable mark is about to crack him wide open.

As they travel across the country together, both captor and captive are unable to deny the spark of attraction between them. Will their journey bring them together…or will their dangerous secrets tear them apart?

My Thoughts:

I loved this! Kat is on the run and is finally caught by a bounty hunter. He has to take her back home, which is several days of driving. On the way back they spend time together and he starts to think of her as more than just a job. They also encounter someone else who is set on taking her back. Danger, romance, secrets, and a tattooed bounty hunter. A recommended read for readers of romance and romantic suspense.


My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !!!!
*Notes: Language.

My Source: Netgalley


Where to get it:

Amazon | B&N


Where to find the author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

NA Crush Tourney Round 2 - Vote Tristan!

Have you heard of the New Adult Crush Tournament over at NA Alley? If you're a new adult lover, you need to pop over and check it out. And if you missed it, my review for Beautiful Addictions is here.

Today I am going to tell you why you need to vote for Tristan Fallbrook from Beautiful Addictions by Season Vining for NA Crush. He made it to round 2 but he needs your help!

What makes BA Tristan crushworthy?

Personality - 
He has a genius IQ, but is not conceited about it. His photographic memory makes him socially awkward at times, which is just endearing. He is mysterious and dangerous and fiercely protective. 

He's honest and direct:

“I want you. All of you. I want to possess you. I want to love you and protect you.”

Charming:

“So, can I take you out?” Tristan repeated.“Out of the apartment?”“Out on a date,” he clarified. “A date?” Josie asked, her frightened voice making the words sound foreign. “You know, an appointment for a particular time, especially with a person to whom one is sexually or romantically attached.”“Are we attached?” she asked, not really knowing what she wanted the answer to be.“More than you know,” he answered. 

He is also determined:

Tristan found himself on the edge of a precipice. He wanted to make her happy, but leaving would appease her only for the moment. He knew, more than she did, that she needed him to stay. Tristan squared his shoulders and prepared for battle.

Funny:

“You bet your fine ass we will.”Tristan chuckled and felt relieved at her teasing tone.“You think my ass is fine?” he asked.“I think all of you is fine,” Josie said dryly.“By what ratio do you like my ass compared to the rest of my body, considering it only represents approximately 9 percent of my 575 inches of overall body surface area,” he teased.

And sweet:

“I loved you from the first time I saw you,” he whispered, placing a soft kiss against her neck. “We were seven years old. Your hair was in braids. You were new to school and had nowhere to sit at lunch. You marched over and offered me your pudding if I’d let you sit down.” 

“Did you let me sit down?” she asked. 

“Hell, yes. It was chocolate pudding.”

Did I mention he's smart?

“What makes them glow?” Josie asked, leaning against the scratchy bark of the old tree and trying to follow the fireflies’ glow.“A type of chemical reaction called bioluminescence. The enzyme luciferase acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen to produce light,’” Tristan answered, running his hands over her denim-covered thigh.Josie rolled her eyes and smiled at him, showing that she loved his superior intellect just as much as his handsome face. She watched him watching her and no longer feared judgment or rejection. She loved having his eyes on her, among other things. 

Looks - 

Tristan is 6’ 2", with a defined body, two sleeves of tattoos (plus more), black hair, green eyes, a strong jaw, and sometimes wears reading glasses.

He lay on top of the covers, his bare feet crossed at the ankles. His black pajama pants sat low on his hips, immediately coaxing her eyes upward. Each peak and valley of his muscled chest and abdomen were highlighted by the sun’s rays, causing golden shadows across his skin. The vibrant shapes and twisting lines of ink clung to his arms as if they never could belong anywhere else. Long fingers wrapped around a weathered paperback book that was folded over on itself. His hair was growing out now and had become a bit of a zigzag-patterned mess. The stubble on his jaw caused a slightly darker shadow to his face, and she hummed at the memory of what it felt like beneath her fingertips. Tristan’s mouth was open just slightly, his pink tongue sliding back and forth across his bottom lip keeping time with his eyes on the page. Perched halfway down his nose sat a pair of black-rimmed glasses. 

“You’re staring,” he said without looking up from his book. 

“Since when do you wear glasses?"

 “Oh,” he said, instantly reaching to pull them off. “Sometimes when I read.”

Josie grabbed his hand, halting his movements and smiled up at him. “I love them.”

Extra Stuff -

An Amazon.com reviewer says, “The character of Tristan is amazingly complex, the bad-boy with the genius IQ, inked and infinitely intriguing. Cover those tats with an Armani suit, groom him to GQ perfection, and he would still radiate raw appeal.”  

He drives a bad ass vintage muscle car ’67 Impala.

Can mix a mean drink. He's a bartender.

He loves books:

When they stepped into Upstart Crow, a coffeehouse and bookstore, Josie could see how Tristan delighted in being surrounded by the written word. She just knew he could spend hours scouring every shelf for books. While she didn’t share his passion, she loved seeing him happy and in his element.“Don’t worry, I’ll limit myself,” he said, placing a kiss on her cheek.He pulled her down row after row of books. When something caught his attention, he would examine the cover as if studying a painting. Then he’d flip to the back and read whatever review or description was there. Last, he’d fan the pages a few times. Josie marveled at the ritual and smiled every time he handed her one to buy.

And his apartment:

Sure, the walls were white and the carpet was tan, but that is where the generic appearance ended. There was a built-in bookcase lining one wall, with a space cut out for a television. The entire thing was filled with books. New books, old books, hardbacks, paperbacks, every kind of book she could imagine created a patchwork mosaic look to the otherwise plain space. “My collection.”Josie jumped at his proximity. She turned to face Tristan, leaning against the shelf. 

“I can see that,” she answered. 

Vote for Tristan Fallbrook for NA Crush because he is the total package. A highly intelligent, sweet, sexy guy with beautiful ink who loves books. What's not to love? 

#NACrushTourney14 #TeamBATristan

Click here to vote!

Tristan Fallbrook for New Adult Crush

Have you heard of the New Adult Crush Tournament over at NA Alley? If you're a new adult lover, you need to pop over and check it out. And if you missed it, my review for Beautiful Addictions is here.

Today I am going to tell you why you need to vote for Tristan Fallbrook from Beautiful Addictions by Season Vining for NA Crush. 

What makes BA Tristan crushworthy?

Personality - 
He has a genius IQ, but is not conceited about it. His photographic memory makes him socially awkward at times, which is just endearing. He is mysterious and dangerous and fiercely protective. 

He's honest and direct:

“I want you. All of you. I want to possess you. I want to love you and protect you.”

Charming:

“So, can I take you out?” Tristan repeated.“Out of the apartment?”“Out on a date,” he clarified. “A date?” Josie asked, her frightened voice making the words sound foreign. “You know, an appointment for a particular time, especially with a person to whom one is sexually or romantically attached.”“Are we attached?” she asked, not really knowing what she wanted the answer to be.“More than you know,” he answered. 

He is also determined:

Tristan found himself on the edge of a precipice. He wanted to make her happy, but leaving would appease her only for the moment. He knew, more than she did, that she needed him to stay. Tristan squared his shoulders and prepared for battle.

Funny:

“You bet your fine ass we will.”Tristan chuckled and felt relieved at her teasing tone.“You think my ass is fine?” he asked.“I think all of you is fine,” Josie said dryly.“By what ratio do you like my ass compared to the rest of my body, considering it only represents approximately 9 percent of my 575 inches of overall body surface area,” he teased.

And sweet:

“I loved you from the first time I saw you,” he whispered, placing a soft kiss against her neck. “We were seven years old. Your hair was in braids. You were new to school and had nowhere to sit at lunch. You marched over and offered me your pudding if I’d let you sit down.” 

“Did you let me sit down?” she asked. 

“Hell, yes. It was chocolate pudding.”

Did I mention he's smart?

“What makes them glow?” Josie asked, leaning against the scratchy bark of the old tree and trying to follow the fireflies’ glow.“A type of chemical reaction called bioluminescence. The enzyme luciferase acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen to produce light,’” Tristan answered, running his hands over her denim-covered thigh.Josie rolled her eyes and smiled at him, showing that she loved his superior intellect just as much as his handsome face. She watched him watching her and no longer feared judgment or rejection. She loved having his eyes on her, among other things. 

Looks - 

Tristan is 6’ 2", with a defined body, two sleeves of tattoos (plus more), black hair, green eyes, a strong jaw, and sometimes wears reading glasses.

He lay on top of the covers, his bare feet crossed at the ankles. His black pajama pants sat low on his hips, immediately coaxing her eyes upward. Each peak and valley of his muscled chest and abdomen were highlighted by the sun’s rays, causing golden shadows across his skin. The vibrant shapes and twisting lines of ink clung to his arms as if they never could belong anywhere else. Long fingers wrapped around a weathered paperback book that was folded over on itself. His hair was growing out now and had become a bit of a zigzag-patterned mess. The stubble on his jaw caused a slightly darker shadow to his face, and she hummed at the memory of what it felt like beneath her fingertips. Tristan’s mouth was open just slightly, his pink tongue sliding back and forth across his bottom lip keeping time with his eyes on the page. Perched halfway down his nose sat a pair of black-rimmed glasses. 

“You’re staring,” he said without looking up from his book. 

“Since when do you wear glasses?"

 “Oh,” he said, instantly reaching to pull them off. “Sometimes when I read.”

Josie grabbed his hand, halting his movements and smiled up at him. “I love them.”

Extra Stuff -

An Amazon.com reviewer says, “The character of Tristan is amazingly complex, the bad-boy with the genius IQ, inked and infinitely intriguing. Cover those tats with an Armani suit, groom him to GQ perfection, and he would still radiate raw appeal.”  

He drives a bad ass vintage muscle car ’67 Impala.

Can mix a mean drink. He's a bartender.

He loves books:

When they stepped into Upstart Crow, a coffeehouse and bookstore, Josie could see how Tristan delighted in being surrounded by the written word. She just knew he could spend hours scouring every shelf for books. While she didn’t share his passion, she loved seeing him happy and in his element.“Don’t worry, I’ll limit myself,” he said, placing a kiss on her cheek.He pulled her down row after row of books. When something caught his attention, he would examine the cover as if studying a painting. Then he’d flip to the back and read whatever review or description was there. Last, he’d fan the pages a few times. Josie marveled at the ritual and smiled every time he handed her one to buy.

And his apartment:

Sure, the walls were white and the carpet was tan, but that is where the generic appearance ended. There was a built-in bookcase lining one wall, with a space cut out for a television. The entire thing was filled with books. New books, old books, hardbacks, paperbacks, every kind of book she could imagine created a patchwork mosaic look to the otherwise plain space. “My collection.”Josie jumped at his proximity. She turned to face Tristan, leaning against the shelf. 

“I can see that,” she answered. 

Vote for Tristan Fallbrook for NA Crush because he is the total package. A highly intelligent, sweet, sexy guy with beautiful ink who loves books. What's not to love? 

His face was perfection as far as she was concerned—hair that she loved to run her fingers through, eyes that always saw through her bullshit, and lips that spoke words of adoration. The feel of his body wrapped around hers was intoxicating and she couldn’t remember ever wanting anything or anyone more than she wanted him. But what was most intriguing was what lay inside this amazing, complicated man. All of his memories, his intellect, his unwavering love and devotion for a girl like her is what made Tristan her perfect and beautiful addiction.

#NACrushTourney14 #TeamBATristan

Click here to vote!

Blog Tour Review: Beautiful Addictions by Season Vining

Beautiful Addictions

by Season Vining

Release: January 28, 2014

Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis

Josie Banks is a girl without a past. After being found unconscious with no memory, she was shuffled in and out of foster homes where she suffered years of abuse. An experience that left her broken, damaged, and clinging to drugs and meaningless hook-ups to numb her pain.

When Josie disappeared years ago, she took a piece of Tristan with her. She’s the girl he thought he lost forever—the one he’s never been able to forget. Now a twist of fate has brought them back together, and he never wants to let her out of his inked arms again. But Tristan is haunted by a dark past of his own.  On the run from ruthless criminals that shattered Josie’s world years ago, reentering her life puts them both in danger. As Josie and Tristan’s lives become tangled once again, they find themselves unwilling and unable to escape the relentless pull that draws them together. But will the past leave their love in ruins—or bind them together for a lifetime? 

Review

I loved this story about two broken people. Josie has had some horrible things happen to her in the past and she has turned to drugs and sex to cope. She finds Tristan who knows her, even though she doesn't remember him. Tristan is a smart, sweet guy who made some bad choices. I love how they find each other and they just fit. They both have much to overcome as their pasts catch up with them. A recommended read for fans of the new adult genre. 

Excerpt

Josie craved his touch and she couldn’t understand why they hadn’t had sex yet, or any form of it. She wanted it; her fingers ached to touch him in places she’d only yet imagined. It was obvious that Tristan felt the same way, so she failed to make sense of his need to take things slow. She longed to feel his sweat slicked skin against hers and inhale the scent of their bodies combined. Not ready to admit any kind of emotional connection, she desperately needed a physical one. It was the only thing she was comfortable with.

She found it curious that her dependency seemed to be shifting. No longer did she need meaningless sex or drugs to numb her. Josie only wanted to submerge herself in Tristan, to soak up everything he offered. He was her new addiction.

Tristan was in a constant state of arousal in Josie’s company. Never able to completely relax, his muscles remained tense and rigid with yearning. If it had been any other girl, he would have taken her already, hard and fast, several times. But he knew that Josie used sex to avoid attachment. He didn’t want to be just another mark on her therapeutically notched bedpost. To him, Josie was something new, yet familiar, something he wanted to cherish. He felt like two ancient souls, separated for a lifetime, had suddenly been reunited. 

Unable to contain the sexual tension clawing at her skin, Josie slid her notebook from her lap and straddled Tristan. He gave her his lopsided grin as his long fingers wrapped around her waist. Josie smiled triumphantly, thinking that she’d already won.

“What are you up to?” he asked, dipping his head so that his lips pressed ever so softly to her shoulder.

“I need to feel you Tristan. Just touch me.” The sound of Josie’s words echoed around the quiet room. “I want you.”

Those three little words left him breathless. Such a brazen statement from Josie sent his willpower into a faltering tailspin. He hummed in agreement, sliding his kisses down to her neck. 

Josie ran her nails along Tristan’s scalp, making his eyes close in contentment. The feel of her hot body pressing down on him caused momentary insanity, totally emptying his brain of rational thought. He wanted her more than anything he’d ever wanted before. Not here, not now. There was so much more to say.

“Can I take you out?” Tristan asked, suddenly moving his hands back down to her waist and resuming a neutral position.

 “Out of the apartment?”

“Out on a date,” he clarified. 

“A date?” Josie asked, her frightened voice making the words sound foreign.

"You know, an appointment for a particular time, especially with a person to whom one is sexually or romantically attached."

"Are we attached?" she asked, not really knowing what she wanted the answer to be.

"More than you know," he answered.

Purchase Links

Author Bio

Season Vining is the author of Beautiful Addictions, a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel from St. Martin’s Griffin. She received her three-book deal and agent representation as a result of attending the 2013 Jambalaya Writers’ Conference. She first gained attention for the book in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award in which the story was a Quarterfinalist. Season is a graphic designer by trade and adores all form of art. She’s a fan of live music, vintage cars, and people who know the difference between their, there, and they’re.





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