Crush Series Blog Tour: An Excerpt from Crush by Lacey Weatherford!

So, if you follow my blog you may have noticed I'm a bit of a Lacey Weatherford fan, particularly when it comes to the Crush series, so I am very excited to be participating in the Crush Series Blog Tour! I get to share a steamy little scene from the first book with you guys. :) Enjoy!

CRUSH Scene: Hunter-

She lifted one and studied it with a small smile before reaching for the next one in the pile. “These are really good, Hunter. You’re quite the photographer.” 

I held still, my heart racing, knowing if she continued far enough she’d see what I’d been doing. I would totally come off as the jealous boyfriend—something I didn’t want at all. She made her way through until she reached the images that were facing down. 

“Those are the bad ones,” I said, moving to stop her. “I’m just going to put them in the shredder.” 

 “Don’t do that.” She placed her hand over mine, stilling me. “Let me see them first. All the others were so good.” 

I was desperate, racking my brain for a way to distract her from continuing. “Cami . . . ,” I let my voice trail off, and she glanced up at me expectantly. “Yes?” 

I closed my eyes for a second. “Forgive me,” I whispered when I looked at her again. I grabbed her cheeks and pressed my lips to hers. 

Sparks exploded at the simple contact between us, and I found myself sliding my hands down to her shoulders so I could pull her closer. I wrapped both of my arms around her back and pressed against her, walking slowly forward until she was pinned against the door. Her fingers move upward, locking around behind my neck. She opened her mouth, allowing me access, and I happily invaded, licking and tasting what she offered. It was heaven. 

She made a soft moaning sound in the back of her throat—or maybe it was me—I wasn’t sure anymore as her hands made their way up into my hair, digging in as she kept me pulled tightly to her. My palms moved lower, cupping her bottom and lifting so she could wrap her legs around me. She did so as if she’d done it a thousand times before, and I moved to trail kisses across her face and down her neck. She tossed her head back, arching. “Finally,” she breathed out as her hands traveled over me.

***** 

So, what do you think? Curious as to what Hunter is hiding? Look below for links to my reviews of the series and to places where you can buy your copy and try the books for yourself. Right now Crush is free in e-book form, so you can start it right away. :)

Crush by Lacey Weatherford

Book 1 - Crush Series

Cami Wimberley has a plan, and that plan includes no room for boys—especially the big time party animal, Hunter Wilder, no matter how handsome and charismatic he is. She’s beautiful, a senior, extremely talented, gets good grades, and is working her way toward her dream college to be a musical theater major. Everything is perfect.

Hunter Wilder does not want a girlfriend—that would complicate his life way too much right now. He especially doesn’t want this girl, Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes, so how come he can’t keep his eyes off her? He tries to keep her at arms length, but fate seems to keep pushing them together. Before long, it’s obvious to everyone they’re crushing on each other. 

As sparks begin to fly, Hunter finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into hot water. Soon he’s scrambling to keep Cami from discovering his dark secret—one that can destroy their entire relationship.


My Thoughts on Crush

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Smitten by Lacey Weatherford

Book 2 - Crush Series

Life is good. Cami is away at her dream college with her dream man by her side. She thinks if she can just get through with meeting Hunter’s family that everything will be perfect. Little does she know that life’s about to turn upside down again when Hunter is called to infiltrate a gang whose specialty is chopping and racing cars. His contact happens to be a beautiful curvy girl who is the gang leader’s sister and he has to pose as her boyfriend. Communication with Cami is basically forbidden to help keep his cover.

Hunter, however, can’t stand being away from the girl he really loves, and he sneaks away one night to meet her across town. He doesn’t know the gang leader, Ripper, has suspicions about him already and he’s following him to see where he goes. He surprises Hunter and Cami, and Hunter quickly introduces her as his foster sister who is having some car trouble. He thinks all is well until he discovers he has one serious problem. Ripper likes Cami and decides to pursue her, drawing her into the same dangerous world he’s supposed to bring down.

Can he keep his cover without having Cami get caught in the crossfire? Will the two of them survive having to watch each other fake it in the arms of another? Or will their hot stolen kisses destroy everything?

My Thoughts on Smitten 

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Love by Lacey Weatherford

Book 3 - Crush Series

Living happily ever after has always been part of the plan for Cami and Dylan, but when strange things begin happening around the Wilcock household, Cami simply believes she’s becoming forgetful. 

However, when the incidents begin to escalate, both are left feeling vulnerable. Unable to figure out what’s going on, Dylan delves deeper into the mysterious happenings. But when the truth comes out, he finds himself faced with the biggest decision of his life—how far will he go to protect the one he loves?

My Thoughts on Love 

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Release Day Book Review: Love by Lacey Weatherford

Love
by Lacey Weatherford

Genre: Romance / New Adult / Suspense / Mystery / Contemporary

Ages: 15 and up

Sequel to Crush and Smitten.

I received an advance e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description:

Living happily ever after has always been part of the plan for Cami and Dylan, but when strange things begin happening around the Wilcock household, Cami simply believes she’s becoming forgetful.

However, when the incidents begin to escalate, both are left feeling vulnerable. Unable to figure out what’s going on, Dylan delves deeper into the mysterious happenings. But when the truth comes out, he finds himself faced with the biggest decision of his life—how far will he go to protect the one he loves?

My Thoughts:

Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness. This book is awesome. And awful. Joyful. Painful. Jaw-droppingly amazing. Seriously, I may not be able to sleep tonight. Are you trying to kill me, Lacey???

It started with the sweetest, most swoonworthy Valentine's Day ever, as celebrated by Cami and Dylan Wilcock. They were so happy, laughing over racy humor and reveling in their love for each other. I sighed and awwed, chortling a little at their antics, but underneath there was a sort of dreadful anticipation. In suspense stories, I've noticed that the happier the main characters are at the beginning, the worse it is going to be before the end. Never has that been more true.

I was glued to every page from beginning to end. I guessed the identity of the troublemaker pretty early on, but there were a couple of twists that I did not see coming. While the mystery wasn't all that mysterious, the suspense was...murderous. I swear, I didn't move at all during the latter two thirds of the book except to turn pages. If you are an angst weenie, this book is not for you. As for me, I loved it, even when it made me cry. Which it did. A lot.

Cami and Dylan were at their absolute best. I don't want to spoil anything, but you see new sides to them that made me love them even more. Especially Dylan. Russ, Dylan's best friend and fellow firefighter, played a large part in the story, and I think he could make a great hero in his own right. I can fall in love with two characters in one book, right?

Love is darker, more intense than Crush or Smitten and it is officially my new favorite Lacey Weatherford novel. The emotions are so powerfully conveyed that I felt each and every one of them along with the characters. Now that it's over, I find myself torn between my usual, selfish desire for a sequel and a wish that Cami and Dylan never experience enough trouble to warrant another novel again.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I rate it a 5.10 for one f-word and some mild to mid-level swearing.

Sexuality:
I give it a 6.10 for a couple of mildly descriptive/fadeaway scenes, references to rape, the threat of rape, and multiple innuendos.

Violence:
I rate it a  7.10 for torture, murder and attempted murder.

                              Lieder Madchen

Book Review: Smitten by Lacey Weatherford

Smitten
by Lacey Weatherford

Genre: New Adult / Mystery / Thriller / Romance

Ages: 15 and up

I received an advance e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you, Lacey, for listening to our pleas for a sequel to Crush!

Description:

Cami thinks life with her boyfriend, Hunter Wilder, is perfect. Then she finds out, not only is he wrapped up in a gang whose specialty is stealing cars, he’s with another girl as well.

Hunter knows the gang leader, Ripper, is suspected of murder and he’ll do anything to keep Cami safe—even faking a relationship with someone else. There’s only one problem—Ripper’s fallen hard for Cami, leaving Hunter to stand by and watch as he puts the moves on his girl.

Both Cami and Hunter quickly learn it’s hard to watch the one you love in the arms of another. Will the two of them make it through this together? Or will their hot stolen kisses destroy everything?

My Thoughts:

Oh, I had so much fun with this book! I laughed and cringed along with the characters at the embarrassing moments, sighed and swooned over the many, many, MANY romantic scenes while catching my breath and holding onto my metaphorical hat at the perils Cami and Hunter face during their second adventure.

Hunter is sent undercover with a dangerous car thief and suspected murderer who goes by the inauspicious name of 'Ripper' at the beginning of Smitten. He does his best to keep Cami out of his work, but with one careless (albeit very romantic) mistake, he inadvertently pulls her right into the middle of it. Hunter's protective nature is strained to the very limit. I won't say more except that it gets very, very messy and is highly entertaining.

The villains were nicely done; I found myself looking at Ripper and wondering, going back and forth in my mind whether to believe he had committed all of the crimes he was suspected of or not. By the end I had a pretty good idea, but I was still surprised by a couple of things.

For those who haven't read it, I will say this without spoilers. For those who have read it, you know what I'm talking about. Page 226 (page number may vary slightly depending on the format). Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness. Only Lacey Weatherford could have pulled that off, and it was AMAZING. Other than that, my lips are sealed.

While Smitten didn't replace Crush as my favorite Lacey Weatherford book, it was a wonderful sequel. While it appears to be the end of Cami and Hunter's story, maybe with some well-aimed and not at all subtle hints she could be talked into another one...? We can always hope.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
I rate it a 4.10 for some mid-level swearing and name-calling.

Sexuality:
I give it a 5.10 for a vague scene of sexuality, many innuendos and references, as well as a lot of steamy kisses.

Violence:
I rate it a 5.10 for murder committed in the past, attempted murder and multiple injuries.

                              Lieder Madchen