Review: The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Mistake
Author: Elle Kennedy
Published: April 28th 2015
Source: Purchased
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
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Caution: May contain spoilers

He’s a player in more ways than one…

College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game…

After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

My Thoughts:

After completely falling in love with the story of Hannah and Garrett in the first Off-Campus novel, The Deal, I was way beyond excited to get my hands on The Mistake. I needed to see what was in store for John Logan after meeting him in the first book. Based on the absolute awesome that Elle Kennedy's first novel in the series was, I knew I'd be in for another treat. I wasn't wrong.

In the first book, it's made clear that Logan has feelings for Hannah. When she and Garrett get together, it's devastating to him, so he tries to ignore them. One day he is trying to meet with friends and accidentally meets Grace. After the two of them share a spontaneous kiss, it's clear that there's something between them. He can't get her out of his head, so he keeps going back to her, and she loves having him in her life.

Until one day, he (you guessed it) makes a mistake and ruins everything he has with Grace. That's when he realizes what she means to him--what she really means to him--and now he's going to stop at nothing to win her back and make things right again. Grace isn't too keen on letting Logan back into her life after what he did, but she's willing to let him try.


There's no mistaking that The Mistake is a lovely story. You can't resist Logan and his charms, or Grace and her confidence. And the moments Logan and Grace share warm your heart. It was great that we got to see everyone else again, and also got insight into Logan and his family life. All in all, it was the perfect second book in the series and Elle Kennedy will never cease to amaze and amuse me with her stories.

My Rating:

Review: Don't Walk Away by Vivian Arend and Elle Kennedy

Title: Don't Walk Away
Author: Vivian Arend and Elle Kennedy
Published: April 21st 2015
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Caution: May contain spoilers

Book 3 of the DreamMakers. A red-hot collaboration from New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors VIVIAN AREND and ELLE KENNEDY.

He wants to rock her world—in bed and out of it

For former Army Ranger Dean Colter, sexual escapades and wild flirtations are the norm—but it wasn’t always that way. Years ago, the DreamMakers co-owner was a one-woman kind of guy until he tore Emma Lee’s heart apart. Yet he’s never forgotten her, and when Emma waltzes back into his life, a second chance is suddenly within his reach…and he’ll be damned if he’ll screw up again.

She wants her world to stop spinning apart

Emma’s no longer the naïve girl she used to be. Now a successful designer in the fashion world, she refuses to let Dean’s killer smile and sweet-talking ways distract her from her goals. But being the target of Dean’s full-out seduction isn’t easy to resist, even as the dynasty she’s built teeters toward disaster. This time she might the one who breaks both their hearts when she has to walk away.

My Thoughts:

I just found out about this series recently and had to get a hold of one of them at some point soon. When it came up on NetGalley, I thought it was worth checking out now. I found that it was definitely worth it!

It all starts with a sexy kiss in the dark... and leads to the discovery that Emma knows Dean--he's the guy who broke her heart. She wants to put it all behind her, but when they run into each other again, this time him realizing it's her, he doesn't want to let her go this time. So he goes out of his way to get back in her life and convince her to give him a second chance. It doesn't take long before they realize they can't stay away from each other.

Don't Walk Away is a sweet second chance romance. I loved to see Emma and Dean fall back together, watch them work everything out. The only thing that threw me off was the few chapters that were told from other character's points of view. Otherwise, it was a great story by Elle Kennedy and Vivian Arend--I can't wait to read the rest from DreamMakers series!

My Rating:

Review: The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Deal
Author: Elle Kennedy
Published: February 24th 2015
Source: Purchased
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
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Caution: May contain spoilers

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy...

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

...and it’s going to be oh so good.

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

My Thoughts:

When I first heard about this book, I immediately freaked out and knew I had to get my hands on this. First of all, it's Elle Kennedy, and you know I love her. And second, it's new adult by Elle Kennedy. I had (and I mean HAD) to read this. From the minute I picked it up, I couldn't... stop... reading...

Hannah is one of my favorite heroines now. She's a sweet girl who isn't about to just fall for Garrett's brand of flirting, not for lack of trying. When he discovers she can be the ticket to him passing a class he's failing, he tries to find a way to convince her to help him. He sees her pining after a guy and offers his help there. He'll take her to a party as his date to get the attention of said guy. Hannah's reluctant to pretend anything of the sort with Garrett, but she agrees to it anyway.

The two of them spend time together as she tutors him, which extends into hanging out and marathoning TV shows. Pretty soon they're practically friends. Then one night after much bantering and teasing, they kiss... and that kiss completely catches them both off guard. It throws them both for a loop, leading them into something more than friendship. The two of them open up about their past, and it opens the door for something even deeper than either of them ever expected.

The Deal was the most captivating new adult novel I've ever, ever, ever read. I've been rereading alllllll of my favorite scenes over and over again. Everything about this--the romance, the friendship, the realistic college experience, the humor--was perfection. It all developed at the perfect pace. My heart was full when it came to what both Hannah and Garrett had to face, but seeing them do so together made my heart melt. Garrett is a book boyfriend to swoon for; Hannah is a heroine to cheer for; and both of them are a couple to root for and hug forever. Definitely in my top ten books of all time.

My Rating:

Review: One Night of Scandal by Elle Kennedy

Title: One Night of Scandal
Author: Elle Kennedy
Published: September 8th 2014
Source: Purchased
Genre: Adult Contemporary
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Caution: May contain spoilers

A sexy category romance from Entangled's Brazen imprint...

The wrong man never felt so right...

Ex-fighter Reed Miller has been secretly lusting over his best friend’s girl for months, but he refuses to jeopardize a friendship over a woman—especially one who doesn’t like him all that much. Now that Darcy’s on the market again, it’s even more imperative to stick to his strict hands-off policy. But the sizzling attraction between them is too powerful to ignore, and once he’s had a taste of her…all bets are off.

Darcy Grant is tired of walking the straight and narrow path. She’s on the hunt for passion, and there’s no denying Reed is just the man to give it to her. Although she has no interest in dating a bad boy, and certainly not her ex’s best friend, it’s impossible not to melt beneath Reed’s skillful touch. Now it’s just a matter of setting a few ground rules—and hoping her rule-breaking, sweet-talking bad boy agrees to follow them. But if she lets Reed into her bed, does she stand a chance of keeping him out of her heart?

My Thoughts:

After the awesomeness that is One Night of Sin, I had to get my hands on One Night of Scandal. It was practically a no brainer. When you find a great book, your first instinct is to check out everything else by the author, especially the continuation in the series. And while I love love loved One Night of Sin, the feelings I have for One Night of Scandal were much grander.

So, we've got Reed, the guy who's been pining over his best friend's girlfriend, Darcy. Even though Darcy and AJ are no longer together, the unwritten rule of not dating a friend's ex is still in play. The attraction, however, is impossible to ignore. Reed tries to resist, but Darcy pushes him into admitting how he feels... leading them into a kiss that throws their lives off balance. They think that's the end of it, especially considering the unwritten rule, but they can't stay away. Is there a chance that there's more to the two of them than meets the eye?

One Night of Scandal is so captivating, it'll have you flipping pages quicker than normal. Reed and Darcy's chemistry is off the charts. It's not a lie that Elle Kennedy has quickly become a favorite, and she'll remain a favorite if she keeps writing such amazing stories.

My Rating:

Review: One Night of Sin by Elle Kennedy

Title: One Night Of Sin
Author: Elle Kennedy
Published: August 4th 2014
Source: Purchased
Genre: Adult Contemporary
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Caution: May contain spoilers

A sexy category romance novella from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…

Sometimes it’s good to be bad…

When it comes to sex, good girl Skyler Thompson always plays it safe, choosing stable and sedate over wild and thrilling. She doesn’t do one-night-stands, but one look at sinfully sexy Gage Holt and she’s willing to reconsider. He makes her want to be bad for once in her life, and she’s prepared to take what she wants.

Danger follows former MMA fighter Gage Holt like a shadow. Despite his successes as part owner of Sin, an exclusive nightclub in Boston, Gage can’t risk getting involved with a woman, especially one as sweet as Skyler. Still, he can’t resist a taste—and it’s so damn good he has to see her again.

As addicted as he is to her, Gage knows there’s no future for him and Skyler—not with his past lurking in the dark corners of an MMA cage. But Skylar’s tougher than she looks, and she’s ready to fight for her man.

My Thoughts:

After I finished reading this pretty, I immediately bought the next book in the After Hours series, One Night of Scandal. It was just necessary after reading One Night of Sin--when you get so drawn into a story and the characters, you can't help but look for more that will give you the same feeling.

Skyler and Gage are an interesting pairing. She's trying to get away from the safe choices, while he's trying to keep her from crossing the line. Of course, neither one realizes what they're getting into when they meet and when their lips touch for the first time. Gage doesn't want to bring Skyler into his life in any serious sense because there are things going on that he doesn't want to drag her into. Despite this, she's determined to prove to him how much they could mean for each other.

One Night of Sin is absolutely enthralling. It starts out as this sexually fueled story, then becomes the sweetest little romance you could imagine. Skyler and Gage are amazing, and I loved seeing their relationship come together in the end. Elle Kennedy is an amazing author, and one you definitely need to check out!

My Rating: