Thursday, May 31, 2012

One Year Blogoversary Giveaway!

 Hi everyone! We celebrated our first blogoversary last May 15th and as promised, we're holding a giveaway  as a thank you to our followers. :) 


One winner will get to pick a book from the ones we've chosen below:


or a 2012 YA book of choice up to $15 from The Book Depository.


Enter via Rafflecopter below
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Winner will be chosen a month from now and will have 48 hours to respond. Thanks for joining and good luck!



Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Falling Kingdoms and Time Between Us



"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen  

Hardcover: 400
Release date: December 11th, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Goodreads Summary: In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined: 
 Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct. 
 Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making. 
 Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield. 
 Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword... The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed? 
I'm always in for a good Fantasy series and this one reminds me of Seven Realms, which I loved. I'm excited to know more about these four main characters and how they will weave the story together.

Time Between Us 

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone 

Paperback: 384 pages
Release date: October 9thth, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Goodreads summary: Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility. 
 As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together. 
 Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, TIME BETWEEN US is a stunning and spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new talent in YA
It's been awhile since I read a time travel book. Throw in the romance and it's on my wishlist.  

What are you anxiously waiting on this week? Just leave a comment of the link to your WoW post!
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Monday, May 28, 2012

Review: Just One Wish by Janette Rallison



Paperback: 272 pages
Release date: March 5th, 2009
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Goodreads Rating: 4.09
Goodreads Summary: Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it's all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery. But Annika's plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly fi nds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right? Janette Rallison's proven talent for laugh-out-loud humor, teen romance, and deep-hearted storytelling shines in a novel that will have readers laughing and crying at the same time.
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nnika will do anything for her brother Jeremy, a cancer patient. And when I say anything I mean anything…even if it means that she has to take all the odds to get the strikingly handsome actor of Teen Robin Hood, Steve Raleigh for her brother to meet. For a one wish could mean and change everything.

A contemporary book that is so easy to be inclined to and to read because the words just flow with you. Just One Wish is a story full of emotion and a bit of drama, though I get enough of the drama part here in our country because of the TV series here, there’s enchanting about reading it. Annika’s love for her brother Jeremy a cancer patient could not be measured, until a wish changes not only her but also how she view the inevitable that may happen to Jeremy. I love the plot of the story as well as the characters. Every character has this attributes that’s enticing and real through them. I liked the journey of Annika from finding Steve through fulfilling the one wish of Jeremy, with Steve. The course of their love story was satisfying. I adore every part of the story though I wish there’s a bit more in the ending not that it was not good but it’s in the “that’s it?” ending. 

Still I find this book a good read for 2012 even though making the review part is hard with the “Time-Bomb” song very distracting on my part(he he). Just One Wish is not just a story that can make you cry but then laugh as well; it’s clearly a story that will touch your heart!


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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Cover Reveal: Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor


 I totally adored Daughter of Smoke and Bone and have been waiting for the second book ever since. Entertainment Weekly revealed the cover for Days of Blood and Starlight two days ago and I just saw it today. Isn't it gorgeous? I also love the titles for this series! I'm practically counting down the days until this comes out.


Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2)
Publication date: November 6th, 2012
Goodreads summary: In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone was declared a "must read" by Entertainment Weekly, was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, and The New York Times called it "a breath-catching romantic fantasy

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Review: Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga #1) by Colleen Houck


Hardcover: 448 pages 
Release date: January 11th, 2011
Publisher: Sterling
Goodreads Rating: 4.18
Goodreads Summary: Passion. Fate. Loyalty. Would you risk it all to change your destiny? The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever. Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.
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Tiger’s Curse was the first book I’ve read for 2012 that has this magical and powerful sense that caught my read-it taste!


The course of love of Dhiren and Kelly was perfectly built. You could see that Colleen did not make their love like in a spur-of-the-moment. They started to know each other though in a different way, but manage to discover the feelings they soon feel with each other. Dhiren is intelligent, graceful for a guy and (of course) a handsome prince, he may not be that different with other guy you could read in other books but there’s something to him that will certainly caught every attention of readers. I love all the characters in this story, Kelly and Khisan, the brother of Dhiren who’s also cursed. Though there wasn’t much of Khisan in the story the persona that Colleen gave to him was enough to adore him.



One of the things I love other than the characters in this story is the settings. The spot where the whole story mostly encircles was beautiful and astonishing. I definitely see my self sightseeing with Dhiren and Kelly in India while reading this book. Colleen Houck made her description of the places in India comprehensive yet not in a tedious way; it’s like your having a mini tour around India. I love Colleen for working pungent, that in every stroke of pen she does leaves a magical effect that’ll touch every readers and emotionally engrossing parts that always kept me on the edge of my seat.



I enjoyed every bit of moment I have with this book and as much as I want to start the second book I heard that the other books in the series has not yet been published so I think I have to wait for this series to complete first and I’ll start my Tiger’s Curse expedition again!


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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadow and Bone and Defiance


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy, #1) 

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo 

Hardcover: 368
Release date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Goodreads Summary: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart. 
I've been obsessing about reading this for a week now. I have a picky taste in Fantasy books and I get the feeling I'm gonna like this one a lot. Besides, one of my favorite Fantasy authors (Cinda Williams Chima) loved this!

Defiance (Defiance, #1)

Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J. Redwine 

Paperback: 419 pages
Release date: August 28th, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Goodreads summary: Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her. 
 At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared. 
 As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.
Love the storyline! And it's hard to look away at that gorgeous cover.

What are you anxiously waiting on this week? Just leave a comment of the link to your WoW post!
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Sunday, May 20, 2012

Review: This Is So Not Happening (He's So/She's So #3) by Kieran Scott



Kindle Edition: 320 pages 
Release date: May 1st, 2012 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 
Goodreads Rating: 4.04 
Goodreads Summary: After their long summer apart, Ally and Jake were hoping for a drama free senior year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things will work out that way...again. — It turns out that Chloe is pregnant and says that Jake is the father. Hammond is pissed at his best friend, but mostly can't believe that Ally would stay with Jake. But Ally is tired of being apart from Jake and is willing to make it work. But that is easier said than done when Jake starts blowing Ally off to go to doctor's appointments with Chloe and Ally joins the school play and meets a new cute guy. But as graduation approaches, things get more complicated as new secrets come out and Ally realizes maybe Jake isn't the guy she thought he was. After everything they've been through can Ally and Jake get out of Orchard Hill with their relationship intact?
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I honestly loved the first two books and had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately I find This Is So Not Happening a bit lacking and disappointing. The book picks up right where He’s So Not Worth It ended. I finished it a few months ago and can still remember my disbelief at the ending. I think one of the major reasons why I loved this series is its ability to hold my attention despite some exasperating moments until the book ends with a bang. 

This last installment is a good concluding book in the series, but it could have been better in my opinion. I’ve been looking forward to reading this one and when I finally have a copy, I had mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety. Will Ally and Jake finally have their happily ever after? How and when will they find out about Chloe’s lie about the father of her baby? Of course I know who the real father of the baby is, and I wasn’t the least surprised when everything else falls into place. 

On the bright side, Scott continues to capture the high school scene well with the endless drama, gossips, bullying and teen pregnancy. Despite my conflicting feelings toward Jake (and I still haven’t forgiven him ‘til now), I think he’s the epitome of a real teenage boy. Ally has matured in this one. She has learned to accept her mother’s decision about remarrying and to forgive her former enemies a.k.a the Cresties. Her decision to save her relationship with Jake was admirable… sometimes it was stupid but it’s still admirable. I was cheering for her when she made a big decision when a particular bullying started. 

All in all I could say that I’m quite satisfied with the ending. I still recommend this series to everyone as a good summer read, great for relaxing on a lazy afternoon. It was a fun experience following through Ally, Jake, the Cresties and Townies’ high school life. 
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

One Year Blogoversary!

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My friends and I started to read young-adult books when we were sophomore high school students three and a half years ago. Before we graduated last year, we decided to put up a book blog like what we’ve always wanted to do since getting involved in the YA community. In my opinion it’s one of the best decisions we’ve made. We not only succeeded to stay in touch, we also made some new friends, discover amazing books, and enjoyed the reading experience even more. All of these made possible by our readers and fellow bibliophiles. There’s nothing more exciting for bookworms (other than reading that is) than spreading the love for books which gave them more than a few hours of comfort and escape from the real world. 


Today’s a special day because we launched Teen Readers’ Diary exactly a year from now. It’s been big achievement that we are very proud of. There were times when blogging came as easy. But mostly we learned that maintaining a blog is no piece of cake. We went through more bumps than we could anticipate along the way. There was the issue of numbers and as newbies, we felt pressured to increase our number of readers via followers and page counts and the like. Time has also been a concern for the three of us. We were college freshmen and just getting used to having loads of school works, not enough sleep, and more active social life. We had three months of blogging break, not including a lot of weeks being inactive on the blog in between and less frequent time to read for leisure. College is tough on us while at the same time it gave us some real-life adventures that we feel most thankful for. The downside of it was the neglected blog. 


There were a lot of times when I was sure I’m about to give up on posting, but the last six months gave me more room to learn about many things. I shouldn’t have let follower counts intimidate me. If I let the pressure rule the way I post, it will take away the fun in blogging. We started the blog for the purpose of spreading our book worms, not to compete. Now we’ll be dealing with college for three more years and I’m thrilled more than ever. I can’t promise that I will never take a long break like we did last year, but I’m looking forward to a more organized time management on my part. 


 We’re most grateful to everyone who stuck with us despite the long and numerous breaks we had. Thank you people! *hugs* For those who took time to drop some comments, you rock! 


To all the authors and publishers who appreciate our hard work, thank you so much for your support and for the opportunities to read some wonderful books. 


Changes are happening soon and we’re taking them one step at a time. As for the blogoversary celebration giveaway, we are having ours at the end of the month so watch out for that! 


Again, thank you! Here’s to more years of blogging and to getting rid of T in TRD ;)


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Review: Barely Breathing by Rebecca Donovan


Kindle Edition
Release date: April 30th, 2012
Goodreads Rating: 4.49
Goodreads Summary: Emma’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart pounding conclusion in the final chapters of Reason to Breathe. Now everyone in Weslyn knows Emma’s secret, but Carol can’t hurt Emma anymore. Some are still haunted by the horror of that night, and some must face the repercussions of their choices. Fans of Rebecca Donovan’s debut novel will discover there’s still much to learn about Emma’s life.
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It has been 6 months, 2 weeks and 4 days since I finished the predecessor of this book and everything, particularly the ending, has been engraved with me since. It’s impossible to forget when you almost tossed your laptop from frustration and sadness, thinking why the hell did it end like that? Everything was fine and looking good until the last two pages and suddenly your heart is shattered into thousand pieces. It had been an immense relief for me to find out about a brewing sequel. I looked like a lunatic with a huge pair of eye bags fishing out information about the second book and babbling to my friends about Reason to Breathe. Anyway, I was just getting nostalgic about it and had to get this out of my chest. I can go on and on about how much I love the first book (it even made it to this list) but I need to give Barely Breathing the spotlight now. Actually this is a warning that this is not really a review. More like fangirl gushing.

Good news to those who have read the first book: Barely Breathing is better. It is way more heart-warming and beautiful and moving and everything a fantastic sequel should be. I don’t know how it became possible given the amazingness of Reason to Breathe, but it is. I mentally prepared myself for a roller coaster ride of emotions and it turned out to be a useless thing to do. You can never prepare for what’s coming and that’s one of the million reasons why I love Rebecca Donovan. This book left me feeling raw and I mean that in the most positive way.

Sometimes you don’t know you want certain things until someone gave them to you. And what I mean is this gift Rebecca Donovan has given to her readers. Her talent is unfathomable and one to watch out for. I’m not one to judge about writing style but I found hers easy to love. It is written in a first person narrative of Emma, the heroine who I admired and get attached to in Reason to Breathe. Emma is one of the strongest literary characters I’ve ever known. Above everything she went through, she coped by doing her best to move on. There are of course bumps along the way and Sara and Evan made sure that they were right beside her. 

And here I thought Cassandra Clare is the Queen of Cliffhanger. Rebecca just took over the crown with the ending of Barely Breathing. It was slightly mild compared to the first book’s ending, but heart-wrenching all the same. Normally I don’t like it when the author decides to write a second and third and fourth and tenth book for a contemporary story. I think a stand-alone book is enough. But this is not a normal circumstance. I loved this series so much and I won’t mind if Rebecca writes about their whole life. 

All I can say more before I change my mind and spill the ending is I want a real-life Evan. Every girl deserves an Evan. I can’t wait for the last installment and hopefully, Emma, Evan and the rest of the characters get the happily ever after they so much deserve. 

Favorite Quotations:

“Sometimes people hurt more than they can handle... And sometimes they don't know how to ask for help. They're so caught up in their own pain, they end up hurting everyone around them.” 

“I breathed for you... I begged for you to breathe with every breath I gave to you. I kept pleading for you to breathe over and over again. And then… then you did.” 

“We can contemplate the meaning of your life all you want, but know that you're my meaning... the reason behind just about everything I do―and I would never want to change that.” 

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Monday, May 7, 2012

Guest Post by Toni Aleo (author of Assassins Series)

We are pleased to have Toni Aleo, the author of Assassins series, on the blog today. She's here to share us how her usual writing day goes. And don't forget to check out her Contemporary Romance series, especially if you're a hockey fan!

A Day In My Writing Life


My day starts early; midnight to be exact. I go to my job as an at home nurse and work for 8 hours. Once I am , my day really begins.

8:00am.

I come home and see the mess my family has made while I was gone or in my writing cave. Disgusted, I proceed to get my little people ready for school. Mikey is seven, hates getting ready for school, and would much rather watch Ben 10. Alyssa is four and would rather sleep than do anything Mommy wants.

8:45am

The kids are dropped off and I head back home.

9:00am

I am face down, in my bed, passed out.

12:00pm

I…am….hungry…rawr.

12:45pm.

Finally having had a chance to eat and ready to start my author work. I get online; check my Facebook, Twitter, blog, sales, and my reviews on Amazon, B&N, and GoodReads. After all that, I do any work that I need to do; posting or answering emails, just normal stuff.

1:25pm

Now, the fun stuff starts. My characters have been going nuts in my head for the past 24 hours and are ready to be written. I sit down; have my phone beside me and a tall glass of water. I look at the screen and off I go.

3:25pm

“I can’t stop now!”
This is what I usually scream when this time rolls around. Gotta go get the kids.

3:50pm

My house is nut case. Everyone is looking for dance shoes, soccer cleats, ice skates, or something else that is needed for that afternoon’s activity.

4:15pm

We leave for the activity. If it’s Mikey’s day, then Alyssa plays on his DS while I try to finish the chapter I started earlier. If it’s Alyssa’s, then Mike does homework while I am writing.

6:00pm

While dinner is being made, I am reading my last chapter, yelling at the kids to clean their rooms, do their homework, and stop fighting. Yes, in that order.

6:30pm

My husband comes home and everything gets louder.

7:00pm

We sit down for dinner.

8:00pm

Baths and kids go to bed. Husband and I snuggle while watching hockey or our shows.

9:00pm

Husband goes to bed and I continue to write.

10:01pm

I’ve usually fallen asleep on my keyboard.

11:45pm

My alarm goes off telling me to go to work and I haven’t even finished what I was doing.

Then it all starts over again!


Author Bio

I am a wife, mother, and hopeless romantic. 

I have been told I have anger issues, but I think it’s cause of my intense love for hockey! 

I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play! 

When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughters dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, and reading the latest romance novel. 

I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, and did I mention I love hockey?
Follow her on these sites: Facebook ││Twitter││Website


About the Books



Taking Shots by Toni Aleo
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 10/05/2011

Elli Fisher has never thought she was good enough. Let it be her job, her weight, her love life, nothing, she was convinced she couldn’t do anything right. She had walked through life for the past six years in a daze, never thinking that life could be good again after the abuse she endured from her ex boyfriend. She is lonely, sad, and depressed, that is until she meets Shea Adler. After doing a promotional shoot for the NHL team, the Nashville Assassins, she meets the hunky hockey player who shoots a puck, shattering her world. 
Shea Adler was tired of the life he was living outside of the rink. The girls, the money blowing, the drinking, everything had to stop and it all did when he met Eleanor Fisher. He had never met anyone like her. She is feisty, witty, shy, and simply gorgeous. When he laid eyes on her, it was as if he was taking the hardest hit of his life into the boards, and he had to have her. 
Elli is a little skeptical of Shea, but he knows that they were meant to be together, and he needed her in his life. But Elli just doesn’t understand what Shea could see in her. She is overweight, loud, and not even that pretty, so why would someone so gorgeous and so amazing want to be with her? It seemed that no matter how hard she tried to shake Shea off, he wasn’t going anywhere, and for the first time Elli didn’t feel alone. 
But could Elli throw her insecurities out the window and love Shea with everything inside of her? Or will she let a past relationship, and her family ruin any chance of her being happy? Would Elli miss her shot at love?
Buy a copy: Amazon││Barnes & Noble


Trying to Score by Toni Aleo
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 4/11/2012

Fallon Parker’s dream was to have her family’s wine company at the top of all wine magazines and to have a cellar of her own. After graduating from college, she has worked hard to make that dream a reality, even if that meant having a nonexistent love life. She had her chance at love and that was a bust, so she put everything into the wine company. After becoming the official sponsor of the Nashville Assassins, Fallon finally feels like everything is falling in place, that is until Lucas Brooks comes back into her life. 
 Lucas Brooks hates his life. He is lonely, he is sober, and he is angry. On the ice, when he’s not in the sin bin, he the leading scorer in the NHL but off the ice, he is a mess. He threw away the most important person in his life, and has regretted it ever since but when Lucas sees Fallon again after being traded to the Assassins; he is bound and determined to get her back. Even if she wants nothing to do with him. 
 The sexual tension between Fallon and Lucas is electrifying as Lucas tries to convince Fallon that he is a changed man. Fallon tries to resist Lucas, but it is so hard when all her body wants is his. But when Lucas finds out that Fallon has been keeping a huge secret from him, the game he is playing stops and penalties are called. 
 With new rules and new players on the ice, will Fallon and Lucas be able to work out their differences and work as a team or will they be left trying to score alone.

Buy a copy: Amazon││Barnes & Noble


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