Four Seconds To Lose by K.A. Tucker

Four Seconds To Lose by K.A. Tucker
Release Date - April 1, 2014
Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 400 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

When a gorgeous young dancer walks through his door, a strip club owner must decide whether to follow his rules or his heart in the third novel by the author of One Tiny Lie and Ten Tiny Breaths.

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine-year-old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her can't get distracted by romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, and that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

For a New Adult novel to really captivate me it has to balance everything just right. It has to give me great characters, a plot that is not just about the sexytimes, and something that pulls me in. Four Seconds To Lose has all of that....and it also has Cain.

While I still think Livvie is my favourite female character from these companion novels, Cain immediately became my favourite male character. A dash of bad boy, with a marshmallow heart under those rock hard muscles. His walls are put up with good reason, and it is heartbreaking to see how crushing his past was. As much as he keeps people at a distance, he would do anything to help someone else in trouble. Getting inside his head is something that, as a reader, I've been looking forward to since he graced the pages of Ten Tiny Breaths, and I was not disappointed.

Charlie is an expert at hiding everything, including her emotions. She has to be. Getting to know Charlie was excruciatingly difficult because she's hiding everything. This is true for both the characters and the readers. As her story is revealed I couldn't help but sympathize with her and the trouble she's found herself in. She's in a dangerous situation and it creates a tense, electric atmosphere that wasn't present the previous novels.

This novel focused more on the plot, and Cain and Charlie's pasts than the previous novels. I felt the sensual moments almost faded into the background allowing the plot to dictate the pacing and story. There is enough spicy moments to keep fans of that from the previous novels happy. I found myself liking the little games Cain and Charlie would play, as they were much more sensual than anything else in the book.

The romance in this novel may be my favourite out of this series so far. These two broken people with unthinkable pasts that come together and quiet each other's pain. They bring out the best in each other, and accept the broken parts in each other fully. Following their journey to come together is both heartbreaking and healing. They can't fix each other, but they can ease each other's pain. It's beautiful, and hopeful.

K.A. Tucker's novels are intense, and sexy, but it's the characters that will stay with you. Getting to see the ones we've met and loved in previous novels is the best part of companion series and this is no exception. There are plenty of cameos that will have you grinning in delight if you've read the previous novels. It's a nice to way to check in with characters who feel like they've become friends.

K.A. Tucker once again shows why she's a must read in the New Adult genre. She expertly mixes a thrilling plot with scorchingly sexy scenes. If you haven't started this series, do so immediately.

K.A. Tucker EXCITING News!

Fans of K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breaths, we have a SUPER exciting announcement:

On September 1, 2014, Atria is releasing a PREQUEL NOVELLA to Ten Tiny Breaths that tells the story from Trent's point of view! It's called IN HER WAKE, and we cannot wait one more breath to read it!

About IN HER WAKE:  

Cole Reynolds had it all. And then one night he makes a bad choice... and loses everything. When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy. Normally, he'd be able to lean on his best friends. The best friends that have been in his life since he could barely walk. Only, they're gone. Worse, there's the shattered body of a sixteen-year-old girl lying somewhere in a hospital bed, her entire life ripped from her because of a case of beer and a set of keys. Everyone assures him that they know it wasn't intentional and yet he can't ignore the weight of their gazes, the whispers behind his back. The all-consuming guilt he feels every time he thinks of that girl who won't so much as allow him near her hospital room to apologize. As the months go by and the shame and loneliness festers, Cole begins to lose his grip of what once was important-college, his girlfriend, his future. His life. It's not until Cole hits rock-bottom that he can begin to see another way out of his personal hell: forgiveness. And there's only one person who can give that to him... 

 Are you as excited about this as we are?? And...this is going to be available at the great price of $.99!!

Here are the pre-order links for In Her Wake

Amazon

iTunes

Simon And Schuster

And while you're at it, pre-order the gorgeous paperback of FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE, hitting bookstores on 4/1!

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Indiebound * BooksaMillion * Simon & Schuster

About FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE:

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown- eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that. Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting anddancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance. Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

ABOUT K.A. TUCKER: 

 Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.   

  LINKS: 

Blog: http://www.katucker.blogspot.ca/ 

 Website: http://www.katuckerbooks.com/ 

 Author Facebook: http:// www.facebook.com/#!/K.A.Tucker.Author?fref=ts 

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenatucker 

 Author Goodreads: http:// www.goodreads.com/author/show/4866520.K_A_Tucker 

FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17571140-four-seconds-to-lose? ac=1 

Atria: http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/ atria

One Tiny Lie by K. A. Tucker

One Tiny Lie by K. A. Tucker
Release Date – January 4, 2014
Publisher Website –  Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 336 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

New Adult, when done right, can be a perfect way to explore that scary, life changing time between highschool and becoming an adult. K.A Tucker not only does it right, but she writes a compulsively readable story as well. Part sexy, all plot, One Tiny Lie, delights in showing how a good girl becomes a little bit bad.

Livie is the quintessential good girl. Perfect grades, straight laced, driven, determined. Making a mistake would shatter her world. Failure is not an option. She's seen someone self destruct and, as a result, is sure that she can't veer from this path she's started down. As much as I loved Kacey in Ten Tiny Breaths, I couldn't see myself in any part of her. Livie connected with me much more because I could see parts of myself in her. The need to please people, following the path of what someone else wanted for you, protecting yourself by pushing others away. She's someone who needs to be okay so that she can fix those around.

Ashton is infuriating. He's infuriating from the moment you meet him. The most infuriating thing about Ashton, however, is that as much as you want to, you can't hate him. Livie can't hate him. There is something there that allows him to work his way into Livie's heart (and the reader's heart too) in spite of how maddening he is. He's reckless, impulsive, and a little self destructive. He pushes Livie and it's not hard to see why they rile each other up. Livie is used to broken, and Ashton is as broken as they come. It reminded me of how loyal, and how patient, she was with Kacey. It made sense that Livie would find someone like Ashton.

This novel looks at the different ways people have a hold on us. The different ways they influence, and the restrains it can put on us. Breaking from from them, whether self imposed or otherwise, is part of growing up. It's part of find out who you are. This is perfect for the people going through this. It allows a reflection of what they are going through. Holding a mirror up to the various ways you come to terms with this, and deal with it makes for a compelling read.

The issue of therapy and how beneficial it can be is at the core of this series. It is painted in a positive light. The need for a perfect fit between therapist and patient is shown in the interactions between the characters. I found it refreshing to have it incorporated in such a way that it wasn't the focus, and that the therapist doesn't have all the answers. It shows that mistakes are part of what it means to be human, and that we can live and learn from them.

A novel that shows the potential companion novels have to allow a reader to immerse themselves back into a beloved world. This is one that surpassed the original for me. A sexy, and engrossing story of letting go, growing into yourself, and stumbles we take a long the way to adulthood.

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
Release Date - September 24, 2013
Publisher Website -  Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 288 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**obtained for review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

Broken characters that are done right can be some of the most compelling, and thought provoking characters in novels. Ten Tiny Breaths features Kacey Cleary, one such broken character.

Kacey is a mess when we meet her. She uses every single defense mechanism possible to hide from a tragic accident that took away her family, friends, and feeling of security. She spiraled quite spectacularly and is trying to hold it together for her younger sister Livie. I felt Kacey's pain. She's someone whose tough exterior hides the real damage the accident has done to her.

Kacey's sister, Livie, is the quintessential good girl. She's held it together while Kacey is falling apart. She may be the younger sister, but sometimes she acts like the older, more in control one. She's someone whose point of view I would love to have, because I expect there is more going on. I think her carefully controlled exterior is a coping mechanism.

KA Tucker takes the usual stereotypes for the people Kacey meets, and turns them on their head. This makes the characters less cliche, and more 'real'. They feel less like plot devices, and more authentic. From the strip club owner with a heart of gold, to the bouncer who becomes friendly with the girls he is to protect. Kacey ends up meeting people who, for the first time since her parent's death, want to put her well being first.

Trent is described as sexy as can be, with a slight bad boy vibe going. He's got some pretty explosive secrets of his own, and while they are easily guessed, bring out the theme of the novel - forgiveness and redemption.Can these two broken people forgive, can they find redemption? You want them to find their way to each other, but in a manner where they will be healthy for each other.

This relationship is flawed, and a little harmful. However, the author shows this perfectly. She allows the characters to be who they are. She shows that until they are healthy individually, they can not be healthy for each other together. Their flaws do not make them horrible people, but that doesn't make them good for each other in their current state either. It's a sobering look why sometimes you need to seek help because you can't always handle things on your own.

Storm, the stripper who befriends Kacey is a fantastic supporting character. All of the secondary characters are amazingly well developed and complex. She's someone whose had a rough past, but is working to better her life for herself, and her daughter. She's someone that immediately makes you want to protect and help her. She's delicate, and also possess a resilient nature.

A novel that is sexy, character focused, and a quick read all at the same time. If you're looking for a New Adult novel that has plot, and sexiness this is definitely one that you should check out.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews). 

Another excellent week in my mailbox. Feeling incredibly fortunate to be a blogger (as I do every week).

One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker (Goodreads)
The Vow by Jessica Martinez (Goodreads)
If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan (Goodreads)

I also received one eARC for review...

The Shadow Prince (Into The Dark #1) by Bree Despain (Goodreads)

A huge thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada, Harper Collins Canada, Egmont (via Netgalley) for all these lovely books. I can't wait to start them.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews). 

I've had a pretty insane mailbox this week. I got some amazing bookmarks from Bethany Griffin (Thanks Bethany, so much!) and a bunch of fantastic books.

Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin (Goodreads)
Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker (Goodreads)
Teardrop by Lauren Kate (Goodreads)
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads)
The Eye of Minds by James Dashner (Goodreads)
Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne (Goodreads)

I purchased a copy of Dance of the Red Death and it looks so beautiful next to Masque! Ten Tiny Breaths sounds like it'll be really good. I am also so excited to be able to read Truly, Madly, Deadly. I was surprised to get the Random House Vault package with Teardrop, Steelheart, and The Eye of Minds. Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada, Random House, and Raincoast for the review copies this week.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!