Today C.R. Ellis is here today to share her blog tour for WHEN LIGHT LEADS TO YOU! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!
My Review: I love the best friend's older brother trope, and the "eavesdropped and heard the wrong thing" plot point, and this book is a great mix of the two. Years ago, Jasmine heard Dean talking to his friend about her, and it broke her heart... and started her on a serial dating kick. But now that Dean is back in town, he's not letting her get away again. I do love a persistent man!
But I do have to get a few things I didn't like off my chest. First off, when Dean first returns to Texas, he was not acting like a 30 year old man. More like a 20-something year old jerk. He seemed to act more his age as the book progressed, but I never would have guessed his age at the beginning. Secondly... maybe I was reading too far into things, but a time or two, there were some s!ut shaming vibes, and I'm not down for that. Though I think this was mostly coming from jealousy and immaturity - I don't like it.
Overall, this was a good book. I devoured it in a day because I had to know what was going to happen. When a major plot point was resolved 30% into the book, I was shocked - could the author really create enough drama to keep it going for another hundred plus pages? The answer is heck yeah. The pacing was a little slow at times, but you'll definitely never be bored!
But I do have to get a few things I didn't like off my chest. First off, when Dean first returns to Texas, he was not acting like a 30 year old man. More like a 20-something year old jerk. He seemed to act more his age as the book progressed, but I never would have guessed his age at the beginning. Secondly... maybe I was reading too far into things, but a time or two, there were some s!ut shaming vibes, and I'm not down for that. Though I think this was mostly coming from jealousy and immaturity - I don't like it.
Overall, this was a good book. I devoured it in a day because I had to know what was going to happen. When a major plot point was resolved 30% into the book, I was shocked - could the author really create enough drama to keep it going for another hundred plus pages? The answer is heck yeah. The pacing was a little slow at times, but you'll definitely never be bored!
Cover Lovin': So bright and pretty!
Recommendation: Can be read on it's own.
Final Rating: THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (3.5/5)!! This was so, so close to four stars. It had a lot going for it, but the immaturity and jerkiness of Dean in the beginning had me turned off enough that it took some time for me to forgive him.
Title: WHEN LIGHT LEADS LEAD TO YOU
Author: C.R. Ellis
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About WHEN LIGHT LEADS TO YOU
JASMINE Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a crush on a boy. Eventually, they fell in love. They lived happily ever after. Except they didn’t. Not even close. I’m the girl, but that’s not my story. Once upon a time, I fell for a boy, but we didn’t have a happily ever after. In fact, we crashed and burned. Which turned out to be for the best because it forced me to grow up and realize the only wedding bells in my future are the ones I orchestrate for clients. For six years I’ve been perfectly content with meaningless, short-lived flings and running from anything that resembles a real relationship. That boy? He’s my best friend’s brother, and he’s no longer the boy I fell for—he’s a man I can’t stand. Oh, and he’s also my new neighbor. DEAN Seemingly overnight, Jasmine Winters went from being my sister’s best friend to being the girl I couldn’t get enough of. But like most good things, it didn’t last. Things fell apart so suddenly, I’m able to convince myself that summer never happened. At least, I was, until the only distance between us is a hallway instead of a time zone. Six years ago, I let Jasmine slip through my fingers without an explanation because I was convinced we’d be better off apart. But now that we’re neighbors, our unspoken vow of apathy has unwittingly been shattered. Our exchanges consist of trading insults and icy stare downs. But in-between, I catch glimpses of the way she used to look at me, glimpses of the girl I fell for years ago. Things are different now, though. This time… I won’t let her walk away without giving me answers. When Light Leads to You is the second full-length novel of the Forget Me Knot series, but can be read as a standalone. **Due to strong language and the sexy times between these two, this book is recommended to readers ages 18 and up.**Get Your Copy Today!
Read WHY STARS CHASE THE SUN!
I wasn't looking to fall for one man. Let alone two...
Sullivan and Will are as close as two friends can be. Growing up in the system forced them to rely on each other, and they've become accustomed to sharing everything—including women.
Now they're ready for more. To find love. To start a family. To see the dreams they've shared since childhood come true.
Apparently I tick off every box on their list—brains, beauty, and sass. I never hesitate to put both men in their places—which they find sexy as hell.
One problem, I'm a traditional girl, with traditional values—one man, one woman, till death do us part—kind of values.
They're willing to work to prove how very right the three of us could be, but what happens next is anyone's guess...
Lola Leighton is the pseudonym for a New York Times bestselling romance author who wanted to write steamier stories that her mother is most definitely not allowed to read.
Their first chance at love ended in heartbreak
Wade Rycroft fell in love with Geneva Harris when she was the smartest girl in his class. The rodeo star and the shy academic made for an odd pair, but their chemistry was undeniable. They made plans to get married after high school. Those plans changed when Genny broke his heart. Joining the Army gave him a chance to leave that life behind. News that Genny married the town’s golden boy let Wade know that he could never go home again.
A chance encounter rekindles an old flame
Fifteen years later, he’s found his place in the world and tried to forget the woman who left him standing in the rain. After leaving the Army he forged a new life as a bodyguard at McKay-Taggart, but he still feels incomplete. When his brother’s wedding brings him home to Broken Bend, Texas, he walks into a storm of scandal. Genny’s marriage has dissolved, the town has turned against her, and someone is making threats. Seeing her again reawakens feelings he thought were long gone, and he worries that staying close enough to help her could be too much to bear.
Their reunion just might kill them both
After an attempt is made on Genny’s life, Wade can’t refuse to help her. Watching over her day and night, it’s clear that having her back in his life could be the thing to finally make him whole. When the danger follows them back to Dallas, their second chance at love could be over before it even begins.
“Don’t. Don’t tell me how to feel. I know you’ve worked through this, but I don’t know how to.”
“It helps to admit that we were all children back then.”
“My mother wasn’t.” He needed to talk about this with her.
“No, but she wasn’t the same after your dad died. She was lost and I’ve forgiven her,” she replied quietly. “You can’t spend your life being angry.”
“You’re angry with me.”
For a moment he thought she would ignore him. Then she turned to him, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “Maybe. It’s hard to figure out how I feel about you. For a long time, I dreamed about you at night. You were the only man I ever loved. Brock killed that. I think he might have killed the part of me that can love someone other than my son. I didn’t feel a lot when my father passed. But then he was the one who told me to suck it up. I went to him after Brock hit me the first time. He told me to not make my husband mad.”
“Genny, he should have killed him. I would have. God, I should have.” That sorrow that had been building inside him threatened to spill over. Anger was there, but it was overshadowed by the terrible pain he felt at the thought of her being alone and afraid.
“It’s funny,” she said, studying him in the silvery light. “I went over pretty much every possible scenario I could, and this wasn’t the way I thought you would handle it. It’s why it took forever for me to talk to you. I thought you would either not care at all or that you would be so angry you went after everyone. I hesitated because I thought I might unleash a beast.”
He could give her this. Since the moment he’d learned the truth, he’d genuinely forced himself to think about how he reacted. It would be selfish to act out in anger when she needed him to be calm, to think about what was best for her. The drive from Broken Bend to Dallas with Ash had made that clear to him. They needed someone who would thoughtfully protect them, not a raging animal who fed his own needs. “You’ve had enough anger in your life. It’s there. God, it’s there, but I swear I won’t act on it because I won’t do anything that could hurt you. I’ll try to handle him in every legal way I can and if I have to take him out, I’ll do it in a way that can never come back on any of us. You don’t need my rage. You do need me though.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Because you think I’ll let you down again.” It wasn’t a question.
“Because I don’t want to love anyone again,” she admitted.
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
“There’s no reason for you to be jealous of Hutch. He gave me a few kisses, that’s all.”
He dropped her hand, turned, and started back toward the office. Hutch’s truck was still here. He would kill the little fucker and that would teach him. He would torture him first. Hutch liked computers. Wade would see how much he liked them when they were shoved hard up his ass.
“Wade.” Genny ran after him, her laughter a musical sound he didn’t want to hear right now. “Wade, come on. I was joking. He let me raid his desk for chocolate. Those kind of kisses. Please don’t murder him.”
He stopped, completely embarrassed. He hadn’t been thinking. She was used to being around a man who took out his temper on her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She grinned up at him, her hand on his arm. “You didn’t scare me. Why would you… Wade, I know you’re not Brock. I’ve always known that. I’m not terrified of all men. Hell, I’m not afraid of Big Tag. He’s kind of funny once you let him know where the boundaries are.”
“You gave Tag boundaries?” He’d been afraid to leave her alone with Ian. Not because he thought Ian would hurt her, but because he could be intimidating at times. Now that he thought about it, Big Tag was actually perfect for Genny to start practicing her newfound sass on because he would like her more if she gave him hell.
“Very firm ones, but I also offered him something in exchange. We’re going to get along fine, Tag and I. And Hutch and I are only ever going to be friends. He talks way too much about Game of Thrones, but he does have a lot of candy so it evens out to a nice friendship.” She moved her hand up to his shoulder. “I’m not interested in Hutch, but there is this guy who works in the office I am interested in.”
His whole body went on full alert. He had things to tell her, things that were important, but was here really the place to do that? Here was the place to talk about work things and who she was interested in. Interested in seeing? Interested in spending more time with? “Who might that be?”
Her eyes met his, heating up. “He’s in the bodyguard unit and he told me once that if I ever want a real kiss, I should ask him.”
He could feel the erection coming on like a runaway locomotive. He’d spent the last few months going without. The scene at Sanctum had gotten boring for him. At first it had been filled with excitement, but watching all his friends settle down had made him look at his life in a different way. Having Genny back in it made him absolutely sure he didn’t want casual sex. He wanted a woman who belonged to him, who he belonged to. He wanted disgusting, nasty, utterly committed sex. “Then you should definitely ask.”
“Wade, will you kiss me?”
