Sweet Filthy Boy, by Christina Lauren

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Book 1 in the Wild Seasons series BUT IT IS A STAND ALONE STORY. This is one of the things that I love about Christina Lauren's novels. Even if they are part of a series, they are also stand alone, focusing on a single couple within a group of friends that you follow from one book to the next, as secondary characters. Wild Seasons introduces a whole new set of friends, although CL have been hinting that the gang from the Beautifuls will cross over into this series at some point. 

Sweet Filthy Boy is another wonderful read by Christina Lauren! Two words: Ballet and Paris!

There are so many reasons to read and love and swoon along with Mia and Ansel! True to their form, Christina Lauren pack this novel with everything I love in a romance novel: laughs, good friends, hot sexy loving, smart characters, sweet and tender loving moments, relatable situations (the airplane ride... just that alone... I can't even!). Ansel is so different from what I was expecting and he surpassed my expectations. He is filthy but he is SO SWEET!!!!! This just goes to prove once more that you don't have to be alpha to be sexy (Max, Will and Ansel all the way!).

Another reason to love Christina Lauren: EVERY BOOK IS DIFFERENT! Every single C.L. book has it's unique feel and flavour and all the characters are different. In a time where romance novels and authors are coming out of the woodwork everywhere, I find that many authors cling to one form of character and story line, just changing the names from one book to the next, making it feel like you're reading the same book over and over again. Not Christina Lauren. They come up with new and interesting situations and scenarios and themes every time! Kudos!

Oh, and the French is spot on this time!

(why the 0.5 deduction? Simply because I found it easier to put the book down this time around... no sleepless nights, no messy house, no frozen pizza for 5 meals in a row because I was too busy reading, no arriving late at work because I just had to read another page... other than that, I loved it!)

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Secrets and Lies 2, by H.M. Ward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You need to read Secrets and Lies 1 before reading Secrets and Lies 2. You don't have to read the other Ferro books to understand the contents of Secrets and Lies but I highly recommend it as we are starting to see some crossovers (for Ferronutters, this volume doesn't give us any hints as to when the story occurs in relation to the Ferro timeline).

Funny, upbeat, sexy, young, hot, surprising, shocking, smart and... OH! THE ENDING!

Set in a college setting, specifically in an art school, this series is young and bright and filled with all the things we've come to love from H.M. Ward's books: lots of sass, comedy relief, urban lingo to make you go hmmmmm, crazy animal interludes, a strong leading lady, a sexy male counterpart and steamy sexy scenes... oh, and let's not forget the cliffhanger. C'mon! It's not the last book in the series. Of course she won't end the book on a conclusive note. I loved the parts in art school. H.M. Ward is an artist at heart and it shows. Her way of describing art (how to see it, how to create it) is beautiful.

And the mystery Ferro is.......... (drumroll) ...........Ha! I'm not saying if we get the answer to that question or not yet! You'll have to read to find out.

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About the Ferro family:

Secrets and Lies is a Ferro Family story about a mystery member of the Ferro family. As of volume 2, we still don't know who the Ferro is. Other Ferro Family titles are The Arrangement (Sean Ferro), Damaged (Peter Ferro Granz), Stripped (Jonathan Ferro), The Proposition (Bryan Ferro) and The Wedding Contract (Nick Ferro). Each Ferro family story is made to be read on it's own but if you like H.M. Ward's books, you may want to read all of them (see note on suggested reading order below). The Ferro Family books are contemporary "new adult" romance stories involving characters mostly in their 20's.

About H.M. Ward's serials:

Serials are shorter books (1/4 to 1/3 of a full-length novel). They start off abruptly from where the previous book ended and end with a cliffhanger. Being shorter books, serials don't recap events that occur in previous volumes, so it's best to start off with book 1. I read at an average speed and each volume takes me about 1 to 2 hours to read.

Suggested reading orders:
Each series is stand alone & can be read in any order. However, if you are planning on reading all of the Ferro Family books, I recommend reading them in the order they were published (see below) to avoid any spoilers from one series to the next. For the ultimate Ferro fan, I have also included stories that are related to the Ferro family saga (Scandalous: the main male character is mentioned in Stripped; The Secret Life of Trystan Scott: Trystan and Mari make appearances in various Ferro books and Trystan becomes an important character in The Arrangement plot at some point, Second Chances: there's a small Ferro cameo in one chapter).

Books in order of publication date: 

Scandalous 1 & 2 (not Ferro / mentioned in Stripped)
The Secret Life of Trystan Scott 1 - 5 (not Ferro / characters appear in Ferro books)

The Arrangement 1-4 (Sean Ferro)

Damaged 1 (Peter Ferro Granz)

The Arrangement 5-7 (Sean Ferro)

Damaged 2 (Peter Ferro Granz)

The Arrangement 8-9 (Sean Ferro)

Stripped (Jonathan Ferro)

The Arrangement 10-11 (Sean Ferro)

The Proposition 1 (Bryan Ferro)

The Arrangement 12 (Sean Ferro)

The Proposition 2 (Bryan Ferro)

The Arrangement 13-14 (Sean Ferro)

The Proposition 3-4 (Bryan Ferro)
The Wedding Contract (Nick Ferro)
The Proposition 5 (Bryan Ferro)
Secrets and Lies 1 (mystery Ferro)
Second Chances (not Ferro / Ferro cameo)
The Arrangement 15 - 16 (Sean Ferro)
Secrets and Lies 2 (mystery Ferro)

Alternate (simplified) reading order:

If you are afraid of confusing characters and plots by constantly switching from one series to the next, you may want to read the series in this more simplified reading order which respects the chronological order of events and avoids spoilers:

Scandalous 1 & 2 (not Ferro / mentioned in Stripped)
The Secret Life of Trystan Scott 1 - 5 (not Ferro / characters appear in Ferro books)
The Arrangement 1 - 6 (Sean Ferro)
Damaged 1 & 2 (Peter Ferro Granz)
The Arrangement 7 - 11 (Sean Ferro)
Stripped (Jonathan Ferro)
The Proposition 1 - 4 (Bryan Ferro)
The Arrangement 12 - 14 (Sean Ferro)
The Proposition 5 (Bryan Ferro)
The Arrangement 15 -16 (Sean Ferro)
The Wedding Contract (Nick Ferro)
Secrets and Lies 1 - 2 (mystery Ferro)
Second Chances (not Ferro / Ferro cameo)

The Arrangement 16, by H.M. Ward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

***** THIS IS A SAFE REVIEW (no spoilers) *****

I'm a sucker for all things Ferro but The Arrangement always holds a special place in my heart and on my ereader (especially when Peter makes an appearance... and what an appearance it is!!!).

Things to know: This is the 16th volume in a series of novellas and it is not the last (there is no pre-determined number of volumes to this series). They each take me about 1.5 to 2 hours to read. They are all approximately the same length. For the newbie Arrangement reader, you have to start with volume 1. There are multiple Ferro series out and each can be read separately but The Arrangement is like the glue that binds them all together. Sean Ferro is just EVERYWHERE!!!

The Arrangement 16: The Ferro Family: Another great volume in the series! This is a crossroads for many of H.M. Ward's series and story lines. It's crossover central! There's mention of the events in The Proposition and The Secret Life of Trystan Scott (and upcoming Broken Promises) and winks at Damaged and Stripped. Sean and Avery's story continues to progress and their characters are evolving by leaps and bounds (character evolution is a must for me), each figuring out who they are and what they want. There's a lot of new information to process in terms of plot and intrigue but there's a feeling of everything finally starting to make sense and coming together, as if all the loose ends that have been scattered since the start are gradually being tied up. My emotions were, once more, running wild while I read. Every time I get a new Arrangement volume, I feel like I'm reunited with close friends. <3 data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-peter="">

I was given a complimentary reviewer's copy in exchange for an honest review. 

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My Last Season With You, by S.V.C. Ricketts

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my. This novella is pure emotion. It made me cry, it made me smile, it gave me the feels. There is nothing in this book that I don't love.

If you are looking for great quality writing, look no further. S.V.C. Ricketts is a beautiful writer. Her ability to describe surroundings, characters and emotions is stunning and captivating. Quality, beauty and elegance!

As for the story itself (read synopsis below for summary), get ready for a story of lifelong friendship, true unprejudiced love, struggle for survival and music! Oh! The music! The characters are all so wonderful as well. I fell in love with Desi and Reggie. So different but so perfect for each other!

Is it sad? Yes, it is but don't let that deter you from reading My Last Season With You because it is also filled with beauty and happiness.

Need another reason to buy this novella? Part of the proceeds go to Free2Luv, an anti-bullying nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating individuality through arts and entertainment. Their mission is to support individuals globally to freely express themselves, spread kindness, stand up to bullying and support equal rights.

I was truly touched by this novella and highly recommend it. Congrats to S.V.C. Ricketts on your debut book and I look forward to reading a lot more from you in the near future!

Stand alone novella.

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Synopsis:

“Dealing with your own terminal illness is easier than telling your best friend that you’re in love with her. Just sayin’.” – Regina Callahan 

Reggie Callahan has come to terms with her prognosis of less than a year to live. She’s been dealing with it all summer thanks to blacking out and falling off her horse back home in Wisconsin. Instead of starting her junior year, she’s only back at New York University to tie up loose ends. One of them is breaking the news to her childhood friend, actress and model, Desi St. Clair. For Reggie, telling her that she is sick, and leaving the city is harder than learning you’re going to die. 

Until Desi kisses her. 

This isn’t a story about gender preference or about living with cancer. Plain and simple, it’s about love and what people are willing to endure to live without regrets and savor every moment. 

Portion of all sales will go to Free2Luv, a non-profit charity that supports anti-bullying & the freedom of expression. 

**This is a STANDALONE novella. It is not part of a series, and does not contain a cliffhanger. This book is intended for mature audiences. Does NOT contain explicit or graphic sexual scenes. **