Blog Tour | "All or Nothing" by Kendall Ryan

All or Nothing by Kendall Ryan
New Adult Romance published September 9, 2014
Atria Books
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads

You’ve met Ben Shaw. Now meet Braydon Kincaid, the devil-may-care male model who nearly stole the show in Working It by New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan.

As one of the world’s most sought-after male models, Braydon is no stranger to the finer pleasures in life. The last thing he wants to do is limit himself, especially when it comes to women. His best friend, Ben, might’ve settled down, but Braydon doesn’t want to waste his youth on the messy complications of commitment. He wants fun. He wants easy.

Ellie isn’t looking for a casual relationship, but her tough and sassy personality instantly attracts Braydon, who proposes a “friends with benefits” arrangement. Unable to resist the powerful pull of the charming bad boy, Ellie eventually relents, though she longs for all-consuming love.

As the two spend more time together, Ellie soon realizes that Braydon’s posing skills extend off the runway. His carefully crafted façade masks a secret hurt that he’s reluctant to share with Ellie, even as they embark on a passionate affair that sends them hurtling toward a fate neither expected. Can Ellie risk her heart while she waits for Braydon to let her in, or will she be forced to demand all or nothing?

My Thoughts...

When I read Ben and Emmy's last book I was really, really hoping that we would get a book with Braydon and Ellie.  I could tell from the beginning that the chemistry between then was going to be off the charts and this book didn't disappoint.  I think it took me about 3 hours to read this start to finish and I almost managed it in one sitting.  Once I started reading I didn't want to put it down.  

So, Braydon and Ellie meet earlier in the series, but this books starts in at Ben and Emmy's wedding.  We all know it was Ellie that Braydon was hooking up with in that bathroom at the wedding!  Even if it wasn't confirmed in the 2nd book, we were hoping....at least I was. So basically this is the start of their "relationship", although I hesitate to call it that for very obvious reasons.  This whole "friends with benefits" scenario seems to be pretty prevalent in a lot of the New Adult books I have read lately and this one is no exception.  They meet, hook up, one of them decides that they don't want a relationship so they are just friends, etc...  Then there is always the one, usually the woman, who agrees because she thinks it will end up turning into something deeper.  That's this book, in a nutshell.  Ellie goes along with it, but starts to develop feelings pretty early on and wants more from Braydon that he is just incapable of giving her.

Braydon is the ultimate bachelor really.  He's hot, a print and commercial model, he's independent and most of all he's not looking to be tied down.  He has issues with commitment as Ellie learns once she starts to fall for him.  He's distant with her and at times just downright annoying.  In time, we learn was his issues are, but there are times throughout the book where I just wanted to punch him in his beautiful face.  He treated Ellie like he was embarrassed to be seen with her and no matter what his reasons were, that just wasn't okay.

This whole book is told from Ellie's POV.  I think it would have been better for this particular story if it had gone back and forth between the two main characters.  I think that insight into Braydon's character would have been really helpful.  I liked him, but I would have empathized with his situation more and not been so mad at him for so much of the book.  

I have to say that I saw the little twist coming from a mile away and I think most readers will, but it didn't take away from the story for me.  I did feel like from that point, though the story was a little rushed.  I enjoyed the epilogue from Bray's POV and it was  nice to see Ben and Emmy there as well.  Overall, I really liked the book, maybe even more than Ben and Emmy's story.  This is a New Adult romance so there are some very detailed and extremely sexy love scenes.  If you are looking for a quick, steamy read then I highly recommend this book!  

XOXO, Shelly

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

Review | "Craving Him" by Kendall Ryan

Craving Him by Kendall Ryan
New Adult Romance published June 17, 2014
Atria Books
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads

In Working It, New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan delivered a sexy and addictive contemporary romance about Emmy Clarke, a sweet southern girl out of her depth in New York City’s cutthroat fashion industry, and Ben Shaw, the hot male model who introduced her to a world of pleasure. But their story is far from complete…

Emmy Clarke is no quitter. Toughened by her experience working for fashion heavyweight Fiona Stone, Emmy has come a long way from her country girl roots, embracing her fast-paced and unpredictable life in New York City.

Though that life comes with more than a few complications.

First there’s the mystery of Fiona’s pregnancy, which may or may not involve Emmy’s boyfriend, superstar male model Ben Shaw. Emmy has always known that Ben comes with more baggage than she can handle—and not the Louis Vuitton kind. Yet Ben is the only man who has ever loved Emmy for who she is, and she wants nothing more than to do the same for him, even if it means forgiving his past and overlooking their wildly different lifestyles.

But when a shocking secret from Ben’s past comes to light, unraveling all of their progress, Emmy must decide if their relationship is worth the fight, or if it’s time to ignore her passion for him and let go.

My Thoughts...
This is the 2nd of a 2 book series. I read both books in less than 3 days.  I thought the first one was good, but this one was much better in my opinion.  This one starts right in where the last one left off.  Emmy is no longer working for Fiona and her relationship with Ben isn't exactly 100% solid.  This book is all about how they navigate all the obstacles that are in their path to happiness.  I do feel like the characters are a little more solid in this book.  In the first book Emmy was constantly questioning why someone like Ben would want to be with her.  She's still a little skeptical but she's getting there slowly but surely.  She's a tad whiny in this one, but no more so than the last book.

Fiona is the same old horrible person that she was in the first book.  She's manipulative and just plain awful.  She's claiming that her unborn child is Ben's and she make's his life and Emmy's  pretty unbearable for awhile.  Finally Ben comes to his senses and breaks away from her and that makes things better for awhile, but she has this way of creeping back in.  I just love Ben, he's hot and he seems much older than he really is.  I think that comes from having to deal with his mother at such a young age.  He was the grown up taking care of her when he was just a boy.  We do get to meet her in this book and they have a great relationship really, despite how he grew up.  I also love Bray and Ellie and I really do hope they get books of their own!

The only thing I didn't care for in this book was Ben's "shocking" secret.  I felt like it was played up a little too much and I was expecting it to be way worse than it actually was.  I also felt like Emmy's reaction to it was a bit over the top considering what it was.  Sure, it's not something you want to have happen, but I didn't feel like it was the overly shocking considering his profession.

If you are looking for a quick summer read then I recommend this series.  It's entertaining, sexy and hey, Ben's a hot supermodel so what's not to like?!  This is New Adult so there are some very detailed and steamy love scenes and lots and lots of dirty talk.  There is a fair amount of profanity, but it's not overly crass.

XOXO, Shelly

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

Cover Reveal | "Craving Him" by Kendall Ryan

Craving Him by Kendall Ryan
Release Date: eBook March 24, 2014, Paperback June 17, 2014
Published by Atria

In Working It, New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan delivered a sexy and addictive contemporary romance about Emmy Clarke, a sweet southern girl out of her depth in New York City’s cutthroat fashion industry, and Ben Shaw, the hot male model who introduced her to a world of pleasure. But their story is far from complete…

Emmy Clarke is no quitter. Toughened by her experience working for fashion heavyweight Fiona Stone, Emmy has come a long way from her country girl roots, embracing her fast-paced and unpredictable life in New York City.

Though that life comes with more than a few complications.

First there’s the mystery of Fiona’s pregnancy, which may or may not involve Emmy’s boyfriend, superstar male model Ben Shaw. Emmy has always known that Ben comes with more baggage than she can handle—and not the Louis Vuitton kind. Yet Ben is the only man who has ever loved Emmy for who she is, and she wants nothing more than to do the same for him, even if it means forgiving his past and overlooking their wildly different lifestyles.
But when a shocking secret from Ben’s past comes to light, unraveling all of their progress, Emmy must decide if their relationship is worth the fight, or if it’s time to ignore her passion for him and let go. 

CRAVING HIM  links:

Amazon: amzn.to/1cxGIpT

Books-A-Million: bit.ly/1eXzuvj

B&N: bit.ly/1fWaXuZ

Indie Bound: bit.ly/1kPgUKM