Title:   In Her Wake (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #0.5)

Author:    K.A. Tucker

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   September 1, 2014

Cole Reynolds had it all. And then one night he makes a bad choice… and loses everything.

When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy. Normally, he’d be able to lean on his best friends. The best friends that have been in his life since he could barely walk. Only, they’re gone. Worse, there’s the shattered body of a sixteen-year-old girl lying somewhere in a hospital bed, her entire life ripped from her because of a case of beer and a set of keys.

Everyone assures him that they know it wasn’t intentional and yet he can’t ignore the weight of their gazes, the whispers behind his back. The all-consuming guilt he feels every time he thinks of that girl who won’t so much as allow him near her hospital room to apologize. As the months go by and the shame and loneliness festers, Cole begins to lose his grip of what once was important-college, his girlfriend, his future. His life. It’s not until Cole hits rock-bottom that he can begin to see another way out of his personal hell: forgiveness.

And there’s only one person who can give that to him…

BIGGEST EEEP EVER!!!!  I LOVE Trent SO freaking much! This is a prequel novella to Ten Tiny Breaths and it’s entirely from Trent’s POV!

I am over the moon in love with the Ten Tiny Breaths series.  If you haven’t read them yet, I cannot say enough good things about them. 

Check out my review for Ten Tiny Breaths and interview with Trent and K.A. Tucker!

Title:   Ten Tiny Breaths  (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #1)

Author:    K.A. Tucker

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

 

Want to read my review and interview with Ashton & Livie?

Or even better…want to get in Ashton’s head and read an Alternate POV? 🙂

Title:   One Tiny Lie  (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #2)

Author:    K.A. Tucker

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents’ tragic death and Kacey’s self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

Title:   Four Seconds to Lose  (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #3) 

Author:    K.A. Tucker 

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

 Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

 

You can check out my review of Five Ways To Fall here!

Title:   Five Ways To Fall  (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #4)

Author:    K.A. Tucker

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   June 24, 2014

Sometimes you can’t change—and sometimes you just don’t want to. Discover Ben’s side of the story in this fourth novel by the beloved, top-selling indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths, One Tiny Lie, and Four Seconds to Lose.

Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.

Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.

If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking…

That’s how I spot her.

There’s no doubt that it’s her; I’ve memorized her face.

Leaning against a wall on the opposite side, her lips wrapped around a clear bottle filled with clear liquor, her fiery red hair a wild mane against the stark white wall, a tight black T-shirt showing off toned arms. She’s in no rush to part with that bottle, guzzling back a good portion before she hands it off to someone, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Her eyes at half-mast.

She’s wasted.

My heart starts racing. What the hell is Kacey Cleary doing here? By my calculation, she’s probably finishing her last year of high school, having lost at least half a year while recovering.

I tug my cap down even farther, though I doubt she can see two feet in front of her.

Shit. What if she does recognize me? How would she react? Does she know my real name? What I look like? I can’t say for sure that my face wasn’t printed in a newspaper somewhere. She could have Googled my name and found a dozen game shots with me in them. I have my helmet on in most of them, but you can find a profile picture of me easily enough if you’re looking.

I don’t know that she was, though. I wonder if Kacey Cleary gives a fuck about anything anymore. Her Facebook account is inactive. She hasn’t posted a single word and the well-wishes have dwindled, as everyone moves on.

I do know that she shouldn’t be at a party in this state. I’ve heard of bad things happening when girls get that drunk. Especially when they don’t care.

But what do I do?

A blonde stumbles into my chest with two beers in hand. “Hey, do you go here? What’s your name?” She’s tipping her head back way farther than necessary to look up at me, telling me she’s trying to flirt but is too drunk to do it right.

I smile down at her anyway. She’s a good cover. I can stand right here and watch Kacey. “I’m Trent, and I used to go here.”

“Really? When’d you graduate?”

From the corner of my eye, I see Kacey shift from the wall and begin climbing the stairs, her arm hooked around the railing to help her. Two guys following her.

In Her Wake by K.A. Tucker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4 “Cole Reynolds” “Sasha” “Derek” Kisses

I don’t know what I was expecting from In Her Wake but…I don’t think that was it. And I mean that in the best way possible.  I absolutely loved Ten Tiny Breaths and I’ve loved the other stories that have come after it…but this one is completely different.  It’s Trents story told straight from his heart.  In Her Wake is technically a prequel, because the events happen before TTB…but I would highly recommend reading it after TTB…you can read it either way, but it means a lot more if you read TTB first, IMO.

Cole Reynolds…that’s who we get to meet in the beginning.  The care free guy who is in college with his best friends…playing football…enjoying life.    We get to meet Sasha and Derek…the guys he has known all his life and who are as close to him as brothers…they’re like the three musketeers, it’s a really endearing bro-mance that I was quick to fall in love with. We get a brief glimpse at who he was…what he was like…it’s like a sneak peak into something that wasn’t meant to be…it’s more heartbreaking than you think.  And in the span of one bad decision it’s all gone.

     ‘If only they hadn’t stopped for pizza.
If only I had remained at home to study.
If only I had stayed sober like I was supposed to.
If only I hadn’t handed Sasha the keys.
I leave the apartment, drowning in a sea of “if only’s.”’    

I know the story…from another perspective.  I know it from the victims…the people who did nothing wrong and yet suffered the consequences.  I know the people who had the pick up the pieces…heal…and live without their parents…their boyfriend and best friend.  I know the pain that both Kacey and Livie dealt with and overcame…and if I thought that was rough…I was so naïve…I had no idea.  There is a whole different side of pain in reading this story from Cole’s POV…and if I thought it hurt dealing with it from Kacey and Livie, it was excruciating.  It’s easy to try and blame the person who was at fault, to try and give you heart some kind of peace or closure over what is by all accounts a horrible accident…however, knowing the other half of the story makes it ten times harder.  In a situation like this…there is no easy way, it all hurts.

     ‘I stare out the window at the overcast sky, trying to dull the pounding ache between my eyes with thoughts of a red-haired girl.  Wondering how she is.
Wondering if she feels like I do right now, like she’ll never be free of that night.  She must feel it.  She’s the only one who possibly could.
Maybe it’s time I found out.’  

Cole absolutely demolished my heart…I already loved him more than words from TTB but getting his POV on the accident and what happened after it was so eye opening.  Not only of losing his best friends, but what happened to their families and his family after the accident…the guilt…the depression…the memories…all of it hurt so much.  I felt like I got to meet and get to know a different person…it’s the same guy but hearing his thoughts and emotions on all he suffered through was just…different.  Cole’s heart and mind will never be the same after that accident…it forever changed him and I understood that transformation better.  Cole may have been the one in the car that night but Trent is the one who was meant to live through it.

     ‘I don’t remember what it’s like to not feel this toxic mixture anymore – pain and sadness and guilt that eats away at my insides, leaving me hollow and wishing that I’d just lay my head on my pillow one night and never have to lift it off again.’    

It’s really easy to look at what Cole does with Kacey and think he’s some crazy stalker dude but really…he had no one else who truly understood him after that accident.  No one else lost as much as he did…no one else suffered as much as he did…except for Kacey, she’s the only other person who can really get what he’s going through.  That accident took not only an emotional toll on him, it was mental and physical too.  He lost more than just his best friends after the accident…he lost a piece of himself.  It’s hard to know what to do with yourself when everything you’ve known for almost your entire life is just…gone, in the blink of an eye.

     ‘I can almost hear the note that sits in my back pocket answering me, giving me courage.  The courage that I will need if I want to make her smile again.  Because it’s all I want to do.
To make her smile again.’  

This is not a happy book…it’s a book for clarity and closure.  I shed many tears, but I feel so much closer to Trent.  In Her Wake was a way for me to get a deeper understanding and appreciation of a book boyfriend that I’ve loved for over a year…and I’m happy I got it, just makes me miss him more now!

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Title:   Five Ways To Fall  (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #4)

Author:    K.A. Tucker

Genre:   New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   June 24, 2014

Sometimes you can’t change—and sometimes you just don’t want to. Discover Ben’s side of the story in this fourth novel by the beloved, top-selling indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths, One Tiny Lie, and Four Seconds to Lose.

Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.

Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.

If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking…

I am over the moon in love with the Ten Tiny Breaths series.  If you haven’t read them yet, I cannot say enough good things about them. 

BIGGEST EEEP EVER!!!!  I LOVE Trent…and I cannot wait to get my hands on this.  It’s a prequel novella to Ten Tiny Breaths and all from Trent’s POV!  Even better…it’s only 99 cents!

Title:   In Her Wake (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #0.5)

Author:    K.A. Tucker

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   September 1, 2014

Cole Reynolds had it all. And then one night he makes a bad choice… and loses everything.

When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy. Normally, he’d be able to lean on his best friends. The best friends that have been in his life since he could barely walk. Only, they’re gone. Worse, there’s the shattered body of a sixteen-year-old girl lying somewhere in a hospital bed, her entire life ripped from her because of a case of beer and a set of keys.

Everyone assures him that they know it wasn’t intentional and yet he can’t ignore the weight of their gazes, the whispers behind his back. The all-consuming guilt he feels every time he thinks of that girl who won’t so much as allow him near her hospital room to apologize. As the months go by and the shame and loneliness festers, Cole begins to lose his grip of what once was important-college, his girlfriend, his future. His life. It’s not until Cole hits rock-bottom that he can begin to see another way out of his personal hell: forgiveness.

And there’s only one person who can give that to him…

I am over the moon in love with the Ten Tiny Breaths series.  If you haven’t read them yet, I cannot say enough good things about them. 

Check out my review and interview with Trent and K.A. Tucker!

Title:   Ten Tiny Breaths  (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #1)

Author:    K.A. Tucker

Genre:   New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness. 

Want to read my review and interview with Ashton & Livie?

Or even better…want to get in Ashton’s head and read an Alternate POV? 🙂

Title:   One Tiny Lie  (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #2)

Author:    K.A. Tucker

Genre:   New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents’ tragic death and Kacey’s self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

Title:   Four Seconds to Lose  (Ten Tiny Breaths Book #3) 

Author:    K.A. Tucker 

Genre:   New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

 Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

Are you ready for some Five Ways to Fall? 🙂

Reese

The first forkful of pie is sliding into my mouth when my phone comes alive with the sound of minions singing the banana song.

“Happy Monday,” I mutter into the phone.

“I hate numbers.”

“It’s a good thing you won’t be dealing with them on a daily basis for the next forty years, then.” Lina finished her undergrad degree last spring and passed her CPA exam with flying colors. Now she’s working at a small accounting firm down the street to collect a year of experience before she can apply for her license.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“Hiding from karma at Bayside.”

“Don’t drink the coffee,” she warns.

“Too late,” I mutter, swirling the last bit of the toxic substance in my mug. Every time I come here, I order a cup to go with my chocolate pecan pie. It’s habit, I guess. There’s no other explanation. The coffee is weak, it has a salty aftertaste, and there’s always a weird film at the bottom of the cup. No one with taste buds would like this crap.

With a heavy sigh, I divulge the horror of my day.

“So Mason is friends with your botched exorcism,” she states flatly. I can always count on Lina to lay it out like it is. No beating around the bush. No softening the blow. “What did the guy say to you?”

“That I owe him a new shirt.”

She snorts. “Well, he’s got you there.”

“Thanks.”

“Maybe I’ll take a break and swing by. We can mock people together,” Lina offers. Another plus to this job: having my best friend only four blocks away from me.

“Don’t bother. I’ve been here for two hours. I actually have to go back to the office. The law bot dumped three new cases on my desk today.”

“Fine. Do you want to come over for dinner sometime this week? Nicki’s cooking.”

“Does it involve turkey bacon?”

“All unconventional meats have been banned.” Since Lina owns the small two-bedroom-plus-den condo that they moved into, she is well within her power to stop Nicki from inflicting others with her strange dietary preferences.

“Then I’m in.”

“Okay, good.” There’s a pause, and then Lina sighs. “Look, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Well, this doesn’t sound promising.” I shove a large piece of pie in my mouth.

“It all depends on whether you want your best friend, the one who sticks up for you, has lied to the police for you, has gone along with all of your harebrained ideas, to be happy.”

“You’ve never lied to the police for me.”

“Senior year. The bottle of vodka in the trunk when we got pulled over.”

“Fine. One time,” I heave with exasperation. “What has that earned you today?”

“Well, I’ve started seeing someone that you may not . . .”

Lina’s voice blurs as I watch a ginger-haired woman flounce through the patio, her purse swinging on her arm, as happy as any home-wrecking husband thief could possibly be.

“Oh my God!” Chunks of piecrust get sucked down my throat with my gasp, stirring up a cough that I struggle to suppress. “It’s her!” I hiss.

Five Ways to Fall by K.A. Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4.5 “Reese’s Pieces” “red” “Switzerland” Kisses

I have been in love with this series for over a year now…and it’s a bittersweet thought to think that it’s over. I’m a self-professed clinger and these characters are a prime example of why I refuse to let go. But honestly, it couldn’t have ended any better than with Five Ways to Fall…it’s the cherry on top of a fantastic, emotion filled series that will always have a special place in my heart. So…if you haven’t read the first three books in the series…Ten Tiny Breaths, One Tiny Lie and Four Seconds to Lose…then we must remedy that – honestly, Five Ways to Fall could, in theory, be read as a standalone…but it really makes more sense if you read the books in order. You understand a little more about Ben plus it gives you insight as to who other characters are and context…all that jazz – just makes the reading experience that much better. Plus…like I said – it’s a kick ass series, so hop on that! 🙂

Reese MacKay…wow, she is one tough cookie. I mean, from 5 years old to 21 she has been dealt a rough hand. From her dad abandoning her to her apathetic mom who wants to change her to her husband who cheated on her a few months into their marriage…she really can’t seem to catch a break, which probably accounts for the attitude problem everyone seems to think she has. Okay…so she’s not Miss. Mary Sunshine, but that doesn’t mean she’s a bad person. She’s just a little dry, mixed with a splash of sarcastic and a little dollop of screw you – I, personally, loved Reese. She’s different…she dyes her hair and loves motorcycles and knows how to play the guitar and can sing her butt off…she’s the epitome of young, wild and free…she’s a bit of a tom boy with a little sass. She’s funny and insanely smart…she’s got good friends but I will say her one downfall is how guarded she keeps herself. You don’t grow up the way Reese did without building some heavy duty walls…and the one time she lets them crumble for a guy who promises her the world, is the time she gets her heart crushed. Thank goodness for a certain blond hottie who restores her faith in the male gender.

“I’m starting my harem of cats.”
“You hate cats.”
“True. But I also hate limes, and look at me now!” I hold up my glass. “Besides, I’ve already found my Cancun fling. Lina, meet Mr. Cuervo. Mr. Curevo…My best friend, Lina.” Leaning in, I waggle my brow and whisper, “If you’re nice, he’ll let you call him Jose. I plan on spending the next six nights with this naughty little Mexican.” I wave a hand at the server as he whizzes by, letting him know that I need another drink by pointing to my nearly empty glass, as I add, “He can be a bit of a whiny bitch in the morning but he makes up for it by dark.”

Benjamin James Morris…I have had a wicked crush on Ben ever since TTB. There is something about him…he’s flirty and fun and irresistible. Plus the fact that he’s 6’3” with a hot bod, delicious smile and lickable dimples doesn’t hurt either. I love Ben’s playful nature and the fact that he’s a man whore…I can’t help it, their my Achilles heel! And Ben is a fan-fucking-tastic man whore…one of the best. He’s a creature of the environment he was raised in…drunk father who was, by all accounts, a complete and total jack ass…but one of the best mother’s in the entire world – and he calls her Mama – is that not the cutest thing on the face of the planet? (Trust me…the answer here is YES!) So we all know Ben’s story…his chances at a pro football career were basically stolen from him but learning the back story on why he became a lawyer was really enlightening. I knew from all the superficial stuff that I learned about Ben from the other books that he was going to be amazing…there is just something about him (I feel like there is an echo in the room…) but there really is and getting into his head was amazing. I fell hard for Mr. Morris…and there is no coming back.

“What else did Mason tell you about me?”
I see the dimples appear, even at this angle. “That you’re certifiable.”
“And?”
Ben’s gaze lifts to me. “And I like certifiable.”

I absolutely cannot get enough of Ben and Reese. From the way they meet…to the way they reconnect…to how their relationship develops…just all of it was magical to me and the way it unfolded was perfect. It felt completely natural and true to who Ben and Reese are…because lez-be-honest…they’re commitment phobes. Ben’s family history isn’t exactly conducive to long term relationships (especially when his longest relationship was 2 weeks when he was 16 years old) and Reese just had her heart ripped out of her throat by the first man she’s ever loved…so…neither one of them is looking for anything more than a good time and seriously, I think Ben and Reese have a great relationship…they’re friends. Friends that want to fuck each others brains out. Their core connection is sound though, I really felt like they got each other and had a solid base – they were always blunt and honest with each other, but then again that’s just who they are period – they never hid the fact that they were attracted to each other but weren’t interested in a relationship. It worked for them…it worked for me and it was a blast to read.

‘With a devilish gleam in Ben’s eyes, he dives down – yet again – for another kiss. Only this time he doesn’t pull away quickly, instead coxing my mouth open. In no time, my head is cradled in his hand, his tongue is tangled with mine, and I’m not refusing him. He really is good at this.
And this is so easy. And straightforward and painless, because he both know it’s completely physical and neither of us is looking for more. And, oddly enough, I feel like we’re friends. Ben’s kind of like a kid I used to play in the sandbox with who’s seen me through my embarrassingly gangly years and makes me laugh.
Who is now making his intentions known by pressing them up against my thigh.’

Ben and Reese are just…fun. They made me smile and happy…I guess that has a lot to do with both of their personalities – Ben is naturally a fun guy and Reese is so dry and sarcastic, I couldn’t get enough of her humor. Their banter and dialogue was amazing, I could read their conversations all day, every day. Another thing both of them have going for them are the people that support them. Reese is an only child and I’ve already talked about the winners she got stuck with in the parenting department…but she does have one man in her corner – Jack, her mom’s ex-husband…I was taken aback by how much he really cared for this wild and crazy girl that he honestly didn’t have to give two shits about. Reese’s mom cheated on him, he could have cut her out of his life for good and never looked back but the way he took her in and helped her when she desperately needed it was…touching, I really have a soft spot in my heart for Jack. Plus she also has Lina and Nicki…two completely different girls who balance Reese’s brand of insanity nicely. And…this review is really not complete without talking about Ben’s mama…Wilma. She stole the show – seriously…I’m not joking. I don’t know if I have ever fallen in love with a mother in a book as much as I did Ben’s mama…I love the way she doted on Ben, her spicy little attitude for a pint-sized 51 year old who can still manage to keep Ben in line…the woman has put up with hell for the past few years, deserves a million different kinds of awards for patience…resilience…strength….but honestly, I wanted her to be happy as much as I wanted Ben and Reese to be happy!

“I know it’s been a shitty day, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“So am I.” All I’ve wanted to do is wrap my hands around that giant heart of his and protect it from any more hurt. Hurt like I saw last night. The kind that you feel when you’re faced with the deeply rooted bitterness that Ben has had to face for years.

Wow…I can’t say it enough, this book was a great way to end the series…the plot was truly original, I loved the unexpectedness of it…I loved how deep we got with Ben and seeing the progress and the change in both Reese and Ben…I loved the humor…the angst…the sexual tension and chemistry…the emotion (yes…I cried (not an ugly cry, but liquid was shed from my eyeballs)…a couple times!)…it was all an amazing blend of fabulosity! (Yup…I made up a word…cause that’s how much I loved it) This book and this series wouldn’t be what it is without K.A. Tucker‘s amazing writing. She creates these flawed yet incredibly loveable characters that just completely steal my heart…and the angst and sexual tension just goes straight to my core…I’m helpless to her bewitching abilities.

“So, what does this mean exactly?”
I chew the inside of my mouth as I consider my next words. We’ve always been about blunt honesty. There’s not point changing now. “It means I want your womanizing mama’s-boy-football-player butt all to myself and if I catch you with any Twinkies or beauty queens or anyone else, you’d better run far and fast because I will hunt you down.”

I’m really sad that Ben and Reese are over…the ending was amazing, just like every other aspect, but I can’t help but want more (see…told ya, I’m a clinger!) I have one saving grace…that there is still Trent’s novella to be released…In Her Wake – so I’m still hanging on for dear life! I’m telling you, I’m a hard core TTB series fangirl…there is no cure for it and I’m completely okay with that.

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Last summer I had the pleasure of being on the blog tour for One Tiny Lie.  I absolutely loved Ten Tiny Breaths, so I was VERY excited to be on this tour.  OTL blew me away more than TTB did – and that’s saying a lot!  I was lucky enough to get an interview with Ashton and Livie…and of course I had to sneak in a few questions for K.A. too! 🙂

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents’ tragic death and Kacey’s self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

We were lucky enough to get an Ashton Alternate POV Scene – check it out here!

Have you read the other books in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series?

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

You can read my review and an interview with Trent and K.A. Tucker here.

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

Check out what happens when I got Ashton and Livie all to myself… 🙂

Wow…wow wow wow wow wow…yeah…I don’t know how to handle my emotions right now. Of course I’m excited – hello?!?! I’m one-upping my TTB interview. How? Well…this time I’m getting a three-for-one special! Not just KA and Ashton but I’m also getting Livie too. SQUEEE!!! I think I love Livie just as much as Ashton. Okay…I prolly love Livie more.

Anywho…I arrive at ‘Chez Ryder’ in time for my interview, march straight up to the door with the entire mindset of having a perfectly calm and professional interview. Yeah right! I’m practically skipping with glee all the way to the front door and I might be bouncing as I wait for someone to answer. First surprise: K.A. answers! Squeee!!! (#2 for those of your keeping count) All professionalism is completely thrown out the window as I all but tackle her in a huge hug. I’ve met her once, that means we’re besties, right? :-\ Luckily she’s very accepting of my overly friendly hello and kindly laughs. After exchanging pleasantries, she leads me out back to the glorious deck I’ve read so much about. And my pulse starts to pick up as I see the cutest couple ever…Ashton and Livie *sigh*

They are sitting at a wooden picnic table, Ashton is straddling the bench seat while Livie nestles as close as she can be between his legs…like two puzzle pieces. Two incredibly adorable puzzle pieces that I want to squeeze to death. I just heart them so much! As they see us approaching the door, they both stand to greet me, I reach Livie first and give her the same enthusiastic hello hug I gave K.A. (apparently it doesn’t matter if I have met you at all…I’m a hugger…be warned…), Livie is sweet and hugs me back, a giant smile on her face.

And next…is Ashton. We’ve been here, done this folks. I don’t need to re-hash my behavior with Trent. And don’t worry…I won’t fail you now, this is equally embarrassing… I lunge at him – like, I’m almost positive if he wasn’t so strong from crew, I would have knocked him over…but God bless the inventor of crew because all those muscles feel like heaven. Livie is a very very lucky girl. So…at this point, my wits decide to come back to me and I realize I’m attached to someones boyfriend and three voices are calmly laughing at me. Oh good…they know to expect this behavior, that saves me from apologizing! I decide it’s time to rip myself off Ashton, unfortunate because I do so like being affixed to him in any manner, and we all sit down at the table, Livie and Ashton back in their places and KA and I on the other side of the table.

Lisa: “I have to thank all of you so much for meeting with me today, I really appreciate it. The girls and I had so much fun with Trent last time, I was really looking forward to this interview.”

Ashton: “Of course.”

Livie: “No problem.”

Lisa: “Great…so Ashton…you get the hot seat first, you ready?”

Ashton: “Bring it on.”

Lisa: “How hard was it to see Livie with Connor? How did you do it? It was in your face, every day…OMG… :-(“

Ashton: “Brutal. Fucking brutal. Though, I had no right given my own circumstances. And the guilt was eating me up. I know people wouldn’t believe I felt guilty but I did. I just couldn’t stay away from her. I knew exactly what I was doing every time I let things happen but I kept allowing it. Yeah, I’m a selfish prick.”

Livie scoots a little closer on the bench seat, wrapping her arms around Ashton’s waist for comfort. His arm comes down around her shoulder and a sad smile graces his lips. They’re silent support of each other is touching.

Lisa: “I don’t think you’re a selfish prick, I think you were a guy in an impossible situation. Alright, happier topic, why do you want to be a pilot?”

Ashton: “Flying high in the open skies with nothing but space around you? Who wouldn’t want that?”

Lisa: “Hmm…sounds like your own little piece of freedom. So, what do you think your mom would think about Livie?”

Ashton: “She’d love her, no doubt. How could she not? How could anyone not love Livie?”

Livie snuggles even closer to Ashton and gives him a quick peck on the cheek.

Lisa: “True story…I don’t know anyone who can say they don’t love Livie. Top three things you can’t live without.”

Ashton: “I’m not a materialistic guy, despite what you may think. I don’t really care about all the stuff I have. One thing got me through these last few years and it’s crew. Now, there’s only one thing I can’t live without. Okay, she’s not a thing but I sure as hell can’t live without her.”

Ashton steals a sideways glance at Livie who is beaming at him. It’s his turn to sneak a kiss on her cheek…OMGEE! How can you not love HIM! Gah…he’s just amazing…if I didn’t love Livie so much, I’d hate her.

Lisa: Awww…isn’t he sweet Livie?

Livie: “The sweetest.”

Lisa: “You ready for your turn?”

Livie: “I think so.”

Lisa: “What’s your favorite thing about Princeton? And your favorite thing about Miami?”

Livie: “It’s nice to see the fall leaves again. I haven’t seen those in years. It reminds me of pumpkin pies and cozy fires with my parents. Miami? Miami’s home for me now. Home, when I didn’t think Kacey and I would ever belong anywhere again.”

Lisa: “Aww…well if you ever need a new home, come to Texas! 🙂 So…you sure took a liking to alcoholic beverages, high five on that by the way…”

I lean across the table and she actually reciprocates my high five with a giggle – see?? How can you not love Livie??

Lisa: “So I’m taking it that you enjoy letting out your ‘inner beast’ if you will 😉 – so what’s your drink of choice?”

Livie: “Ugh. I’m living proof of why underage drinking is a bad idea. All those hormones, no experience, and booze? Disastrous combination. I’ll admit things got a little out of control. Now that I’m back home, I’ve toned down the partying a bit. It helps that Reagan’s not around. I miss her but she’s a bit too much animal for my kind of party. I’ll still have a Jack and Coke every now and then, but not when Dan’s around. He is the law, after all. I need to respect him in his own house.”

Lisa: “What fun are hormones and no experience if you don’t add a little alcohol! Lol 😛 Well…and speaking of one of the alcohol instigators…Dr. Stayner = most brilliant man alive, just sayin’. Where do you think you would be if you hadn’t listened to him and what’s the best piece of advice he gave you?”

Livie: “Oh, Dr. Stayner. Without him? I’ve thought about that. Over and over again, I’ve wondered. I wouldn’t have had that volunteer position without his interference and so I never would have met the twins. I’d probably still be in blissful ignorance, ace’ing my classes at Princeton. I don’t know if I would have met Connor. If I did, I would’ve inevitably met Ashton and I don’t know how that would have gone. Honestly? I get sad, thinking about what would have happened had I not picked up that phone the day Stayner called me. His best advice? Aside from the pigtails, which Ashton really likes, his push to embrace ambiguity for a while put things into perspective for me. Ambiguity has never been my friend but, in this case, it allowed me to make decisions with my eyes wide open.”

Lisa: “Wow…”

I have to (and I literally do) slow golf clap for Livie. She gives me the big smile I am starting to grow accustomed to.

Lisa: “Seriously Liv, for your age – that’s pretty deep. I wish I had been half as smart as you are when I was your age. Alright, what do you think your parents would have to say about Ashton?”

Livie: “Depends on which Ashton they saw first. If it was the Ashton that stands tall and respectful when his coach speaks, I think they’d like him right away. If it’s the Ashton that I met that first night, or the second night, or the third night… I think my dad would have packed me up and shipped me away. In time, I know they’d love him, regardless. They always were very tolerant of others.”

Lisa: “Well…even at his worst, it is really hard not to love Ashton. Okay now it’s time to have fun with BOTH of you! 🙂 What are your favorite 5 qualities about the other”

Livie: “Ugh! The dreaded five qualities. Have you been talking to Stayner?”

Lisa: “Possibly…I refuse to name my sources…quit stalling :-P”

I smile at her playfully and she giggles as she turns to look at Ashton.

Livie: “Let’s see… He’s a great listener, he’s very attentive, he’s driven, he has a great sense of humor, and though most people don’t see this side of him, he’s one of the most thoughtful people you’ll ever meet.”

Lisa: “Insightful…Ashton?”

Ashton: “Her eyes, her face, her…”

Livie slaps his arm playfully and he smiles deviously at her and I’m giggling like a 5 year old – come on, that was pretty funny!

Ashton: “Kidding. Livie is the most compassionate person you’ll ever meet, to a fault. She’s also the strongest person you’ll ever meet. She’s trustworthy, despite all that happened this past year. She’s tolerant of everyone, whether they deserve it or not. And she’s kind. She showed me kindness when I didn’t deserve it.”

Lisa: “Awww…so sweet. Well, you’ve both been thru so much pain in your past, different kinds, but still…how does it feel to be at this point in your lives, to have found each other…to finally have your ‘freedom’…your ‘forever’ :-)”

Livie: “I’m still shocked by how much has changed from one year ago.”

With her loving gaze falling on Ashton, you can tell how blissfully happy she is with the way life has taken her. Ashton on the other hand has a crooked grin plastered on his insanely gorgeous face.

Ashton: “Livie feels damn good.”

Lisa: “You guys have got to stop, you’re giving me a toothache from all your sweetness. Do ya’ll have plans for anymore tattoo’s? ;-)”

Ashton: “Seeing as I have Livie’s name on me, she’s getting my name on her”

That devilish grin is back

Ashton: “And we all know exactly where it’s going…”

Livie just shakes head, giving him a coy smile of her own

Livie: “I’ve said ‘no’ a thousand times but he’s got Kacey on the bandwagon and we all know what happens when Kacey gets involved…”

Lisa: “Where do I sign up for the bandwagon? :-)”

Livie keeps shaking her head and Ashton gives me a wink

Lisa: “Okay, possibly tough question, but the gloves are coming off…the end result of where you are today is the same – what is one thing you would have possibly done/said differently from your past? No cop outs! :-P”

Livie: “I never would have dated Connor. Or I would have ended it right away. I would have been completely honest upfront. Hurting him the way I did was awful. I’m just thankful that he’s talking to me.” again.

Ashton: “If everything would have ended the same way –me, with Livie, and that other “situation” with my dad—I would have ended it with Dana the day I woke up in Livie’s room. Dana’s a nice girl. She didn’t deserve any of that. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t have been with her in the first place, though…”

Lisa: “Good, honest answers. Thank you! So, where do you see yourselves in 5 years?”

They both look at each other and smile and in unison answer…

Livie & Ashton: “Together.”

AAAAAAAAND I just fell in love with them even more.

Livie: “I’m not planning too far ahead right now. I’ve done enough of that for a while. I’m taking a few years off and just enjoying life.”

Lisa: “Good plan. Time for a little word association – give me the first thing that comes to mind…Princeton”

Ashton: “Crew”

Livie: “Ashton”

Lisa: “Jell-O Shots”

I can’t stifle my giggle at that one – Ashton smirks while Livie rolls her eyes

Ashton: “Livie”

Livie: “Puke”

Lisa: “Regan”

Ashton: “Trouble”

Livie: “Hyper”

Lisa: “Irish”

Ashton: “Livie”

Livie: “Dad”

Lisa: “Connor”

Ashton: “Buddy”

Livie: “Smile”

Lisa: “Tattoo’s”

Ashton: “Scars”

Livie: “Drunk”

Lisa: “Family”

Ashton: “Mom”

Livie: “Miami”

Lisa: “Ashton”

I ask, staring at Livie

Livie: “Body…”

Before I can blink, Livie slaps her hand over mouth as her face turns red – I hold back another giggle, she’s just too cute for words

Lisa: “Livie”

This time my focus is directed at Ashton

Ashton: “Love”

Lisa: “Freedom”

Ashton: “Livie”

Livie: “Ashton”

OMG I’m about to explode from the amount of love I have for these two!!! As I sit there with a goofy grin on my face looking at the pair of them, we hear some noise coming from inside the house. It appears we have company! Kacey, Trent, Storm, Dan and Ben have arrive – SWEET! Beach party! WOO! 😀 Ashton and Livie go inside to help get things ready, which gives me time to pester K.A.

Lisa: “So…you’re brilliant and when can I come live in your head?”

K.A.: “LOL. You don’t want to live in my head, trust me. It’s full of self-doubt and confusion. The squirrels are running rabid in there.”

Lisa: “That’s awesome – I love squirrels. 😛 What are three things that surprised/shocked/excited you while writing OTL“

K.A.: “Let’s see…1) How big a role Dr. Stayner ended up playing. I knew he’d be in it, however he ended up being so critical to the story. 2) The extent of cheating in this book. I knew Livie would have to make a choice between the two men but I didn’t know how long it would drag out. As the story unfolded, it became clear to me that Livie would need to make some serious mistakes before figuring out how to get back to being the Livie we all know and love, though more mature. Thinking about Ashton but doing nothing or breaking things off with Connor right away is what we all expected of Livie. For the story and for her character growth, I had to do the unthinkable and push her over that line. I had to test her character. 3) The “scenes” between Livie and Ashton. I wanted them done tastefully (anyone who knows my writing style will have picked up on the fact that I don’t use graphic language). They were extremely difficult for me to write but I feel like they turned out well.”

Lisa: Very interesting. Who did you like writing better Kacey/Trent or Livie/Ashton? 🙂

K.A.: “That’s impossible to answer. I can’t answer that 🙂 I will say Livie and Ashton were harder to write. They took a long time to get comfortable around each other.”

Lisa: “Wow…really? Hmm…again, very interesting. What scene you enjoyed writing the most? Scene that kicked your butt?”

K.A.: “My Favorite scene? The first meeting with Livie and Ashton, where Ashton slips and tells her he regretted what happened. Awkward to the nth degree! Scene that kicked my butt? The bunk bed scene. That took me two days and I do believe I was sweating through it.”

Lisa: “Both AMAZING scenes by the way…and the bunk bed scene was worth every drop of sweat. So, not that TTB wasn’t amazing and brilliant in a million different ways, but did you intentionally mean to make OTL one of the funniest books I have ever read? It was possibly one of the best surprises of my life…made me love it that much more…”

K.A.: “Really? LOL. I like to balance the humor with the serious side of things. Without the humor, OTL would have been quite depressing. I love funny characters. Putting Livie in awkward situations was probably the most fun I’ve had writing, ever. She can handle it :-)”

Lisa: “OMG Livie is a pro at awkward…she deserves a medal. So Cain is next…another pleasant surprise…giving away any details? 🙂 (I am a GREAT secret keeper… 😛 )”

K.A.: 🙂 “Yes, Cain is next. The book is called Four Seconds To Lose and it will be a duo POV between Cain and a new leading lady with one hell of a bad situation. I’ve had a lot of questions around Cain. I think people are curious to see what his story is. I can tell you that it’s dark (and if I’m saying it is dark then… eeesh). As different as OTL was from TTB, this book will be different as well. Expect to see a lot of your favorite characters again 🙂 (especially Ben and Storm).”

I clap my hands with glee – the permanent goofy grin ever present and I’m TOTALLY holding back from tackling K.A….again. Barely. 🙂

At this point, everyone spills out onto the deck with armloads of food, drinks and the pièce de résistance – Jell-O Shots! 😀 #BestInterviewEver

One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

5+++ “Jell-O Thief” “Irish” “Livie Girl” “Freedom” Kisses!!!!

OMG OMG OMG! Are you FREAKING kidding me. You’ve got to be. I loved TTB…loved it…and I was thinking, wow…it’s going to take a lot to top those emotions that you get with Kacey and Trent. HA! In my face. Big time. This book surprised me in all the best ways possible – if you think you know what to expect…you don’t, so just hang on. Oh my angsty goodness, I had no idea I was going to get as swept off my feet with this book as I did…but wow…okay…focus Lisa, you can do this.

So One Tiny Lie is Livie Cleary’s story (if you haven’t read Ten Tiny Breaths…stop the presses immediately, read it ASAP and then hop on One Tiny Lie…sound like a plan?) My Sweet…young…innocent…naïve…Livie. The girl is a saint – I mean, really, do you remember all that happened with Kacey? Of course you do…and somehow Livie survived loosing her parents, surviving her head case sister (and I say that with all the love in my heart because Kacey is the most awesome head case on the planet 🙂 ), the drama with her Aunt and Uncle, moving across the country, new school, more drama with Kacey….and she keeps up her record of never getting anything less than an A. REALLY?!?! Hello world, I feel like a complete and utter failure at life when compared to her perfection. But Livie has an excellent reason and motivation behind her perfection…seven little words… “That’s my Livie Girl. Make me proud.” The last seven words her father spoke to her. Are you crying yet? Cause I teared up typing it, let alone when I read it for the first time. *sigh*

“You’re too perfect, Livie. Everything you do, everything you say. You can do no wrong. If someone slapped you across the face, you’d apologize to them. I can’t believe you don’t deck me for some of the stuff I say. It’s like you’re not capable of getting angry. You could be the love child of Mother Teresa and Gandhi. You’re…” Kacey pauses as if searching for the right word. She settles with, “Too fucking perfect!”

So Livie is off to college, dealing with Dr. Stayner’s outlandish tactics at breaking out of her perfect shell, and of course Kacey’s assistance in this process…and what happens her first night out? She gets to experience a lot of firsts…shall we count them?
1. She gets totally wasted on Jell-O shots – first night at college is also her first time getting drunk! Woo!
2. First toga party – what a way to kick off the school year! 🙂
3. She had her first kiss ever – well, ‘had’ is a very loose term, it was kinda ‘stolen’ – there was a lot of thievery going on at the time, we’ll just call the kiss collateral damage
4. She got her first tattoo – and it was video taped for posterity and culpability purposes
Needless to say there were other epically awesome firsts had throughout the night and the next morning, but those are the top of the list and the only ones I wish to divulge without spoiling. And…it gets better.

‘I’m attracted to my drunken one-night stand, who also happens to be an unavailable whore and my kind-of boyfriend’s roommate and best friend.’

The aforementioned ‘stolen kiss’ was stolen by a Jell-O thief (told ya the kiss was collateral damage) – and let me tell you he can steal anything he wants from me as long as it involves a kiss in return. ‘…this tall, giant Adonis with dark wavy hair, tanned skin, and a body to tempt a blind nun…had his tongue in my mouth.’ Umm….with that description, I’m not seeing the problem Livie. Say thank you to the party gods and keep shooting those Jell-O shots and pray for a repeat.

“I was managing okay, thought.” He pauses. “And then the most beautiful girl on this planet punched me in the jaw.”
A small half-giggle slips out. “You deserved that, Jell-O thief.”

Gah…I’m getting bogged down, but I swear…one of the best ‘first meetings’ I have ever read…I was hooked from that point forward. And believe me…it got better…and better…and better. I was all over the board – so shocked my jaw hit the table…laughing so hard I was crying…and then of course crying and clutching my chest because I was so torn up…GAH! The ANGST people…I tell you, I was not prepared. TTB was a very emotional read for me, and I did feel some angst, but not like this. This was a level of angst I really wasn’t ready for. And all because of one…freaking…man.

“Because you’re not a one-night-girl, Irish.” Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers, “You’re my forever girl.”

I am literally overcome with emotion at how amazing Ashton Fucking Henley is…tears in my eyes, lump in my throat, butterflies in my belly and the insane desire to kidnap him and keep him all to myself. He’s amazing. There is no other way to describe him. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to not like about Ashton, but the fact that you can see past all that is wrong to all that is right, is what makes him that much more amazing. If Kacey was a head case, Ashton is a train wreck. A beautiful broken train wreck that only needs one thing to make him better….Livie. OMGEEEE! His feelings and emotions for her…they just take my breath away. You. Have. No. Idea.

‘1. I’m brilliant
2. I’m charming
3. I’m hung like a thoroughbred
4. I’ve stopped all philandering
5. I’m highly skilled, as you’ve learned the other night.

P.S. Stop staring at my hands. I know what you want me to do with them.’

The connection that is built between Ashton and Livie is beyond words for me. It wasn’t insta-love, but there was always something there for them, and they both knew it. But it wasn’t easy…it’s never easy. Oh and the ‘surprise’ factor I mentioned…well try this on for size…there’s a love triangle. Actually, it’s kind of a square, but not really? I dunno what shape you wanna call it, but I was super excited for that aspect. It all ties in with the super angst I wasn’t expecting either. And then to really boggle my mind and make me fall in love more, KA Tucker throws in some of the funniest shit I’ve ever read…perfect example…

‘My nervous giggle is the only answer I can give him. Forget? My brain went blank. I forgot about my problems, his problems, and the potential zombie apocalypse. If that’s what orgasms do, then I can’t believe people ever leave their houses. Or cars.’

First of all…#truth on the power of orgasms, for the record. Second of all, it’s out of context – but trust me when I tell you I was hysterically laughing for like 10 minutes after I read this. Oh you want another one…try this this golden nugget from Kacey…

“Sometimes you’re as graceful as a one-legged flamingo in a pit of quicksand.”

And this happened multiple times. The wit, the humor, the sarcasm – it was all spot on for me. Loved it.

So, if Kacey’s head is full of turmoil, sadness and pain….Livie’s head is full of purpose, hilarity and confusion. It’s hard to remember that Livie is 18 years old…but she doesn’t act like it. Not even close. That’s part of what and why Dr. Stayner is around and doing what he is doing – Kacey needed to be put back together, Livie needs to be set free. And going thru the process of being on her own for the first time in her life, working things out, making mistakes and figuring out who she wants to be, is a phenomenal journey.

‘If there is one mistake I will never regret for the rest of my life, it is Ashton Henley.’

“Irish, if there’s one thing I’ve never been able to forget, it’s a single second with you.”

I have a bad habit of figuring out books…I just do…not once in reading OTL did I ever stop, sit back and think about what was going to happen next. I couldn’t have even if you asked me to. Mainly because I was so engrossed in the story, I couldn’t stop reading long enough to think about what was going to happen next. And then of course there’s the fact that even in my wildest dreams I never expected Livie and Ashton’s story to play out like it did. It was natural and fluid, logical…every aspect of this book from the plot to the characters was beautifully put together and I really can’t think of one thing that didn’t work for me. Brilliance…every word of it was engrossing, powerful, sheer brilliance. And…if you can’t tell I loved it.

‘Once all the confusion, the pressure, and the lies were gone, I was left with nothing but choices. Small, large, easy, hard – all of them mine to make. For me.’

Clearly I could babble all day long about all things TTB and OTL. These characters are absolutely amazing…and if KA Tucker doesn’t stop writing the most amazing tall dreamboat men, I might loose my mind. Oh wait…cause Cain’s story is next and lord knows I love a deep dark mysterious man like a fat kid loves cake. Bring on Four Seconds to Lose !

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Well…since today is the cover reveal for Four Seconds to Lose, I decided it was fitting to have another Throwback Thursday in honor of K.A. Tucker.  Now this is very special to me because this was my first ever character interview and it just so happens to be with one of my favorite BBF’s of all time.  *Sigh*  Trent.  Love him!  So…I hope you enjoy!

Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them.

Four years ago Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, holding her boyfriend’s lifeless hand and listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, twenty year old Kacey and her fifteen year old sister Livie escape Grand Rapids, Michigan to start over in Miami. Struggling to make ends meet, Kacey needs to figure out how to get by. But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D.

Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes, deep dimples, and perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable and Trent is determined to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means that an explosive secret could shatter both their worlds.

And now for the insanity happened when we met Trent and K.A…..

Well…the day we’ve been waiting for has finally come – the day we meet with the fabulous KA Tucker and drool worthy, über swoony Trent Emerson. As Jennifer, Brooke and I wait for their arrival, emotions are beyond high.

Brooke: “OMG OMG OMG!!! When are they going to get here? What time is it? What was that noise? Are they here?”
Lisa: “AHH! They’re here??? I’m not ready!”

Jen: “Wow…you two need to calm down, you’re embarrassing me already.”

Brooke: “Really? This is pretty calm for us?”

Lisa: “Seriously – it’s going to get much worse.”

As the words pass my lips, the click of a door closing behind us makes our heads spin in the direction of the sound…and there stands KA, as lovely as ever and the delicious Trent. Brooke and I clasp hands and begin to jump – yes, jump – up and down for joy, like 13 year olds on a sugar high…and let me tell you, Trent is a high I would welcome any day.

My eyes take in the 6’3” sex god standing before me. He’s wearing a blue checkered shirt and dark blue jeans, which immediately take me back to a very memorable scene in a basement laundry room. I totally agree with Kacey’s assessment of his body, it is…spot on and I might have to check if I’m drooling. I’m pretty sure I look like a loon with the goofy ass grin that is plastered to my face.

Jen rolls her eyes and steps forward with her hand outstretched “Hi Kathleen, so nice to meet you. Sorry about the girls, as you can see they’re a little excited to see you both.”

KA smiles, reaching forward to shake Jen’s hand “It’s fine, I knew Brooke and Lisa were fans, but I’m sure Trent appreciates the…enthusiastic welcome.”

Trent blushes and shrugs his shoulders as Brooke and I try and calm ourselves down, still shaking a little bit.

“H-Hi Kathleen,” I stumble out, extending my hand to shake KA’s like Jen did. Okay, now I get why Jen is embarrassed for us, I can feel my cheeks burning, “Sorry about that, you kind of surprised us.” I turn to look at Brooke and she blinks back at me with a ‘deer in headlights’ look.

“Y-Yeah,” Brooke stumbles just as badly as I did. SCORE! I won’t look stupid alone! “We weren’t mentally prepared to see you both yet.” She shakes KA’s hand, there is hope for us yet!

“Not a problem guys, it’s nice to have such a warm welcome.” KA replies.

Could she be any sweeter? I doubt it.

“Why don’t we go ahead and sit down, so we can get started? We don’t want to take up too much of your time – we just really appreciate the opportunity to get to talk to you both,” Jen says as she leads us to the small seating area of the meeting room we are using. “Can I get you two anything to drink?”

Thank God Jen is here. If it were up to Brooke and I, the odds of us staying vertical, let alone actually functioning as a proper host right now, it’s just out of the question. I don’t even hear their answer, focusing mainly on keeping one foot in front of the other and not falling flat on my face.

Thank goodness we were smart enough to get comfortable seats, my brain and body are in overdrive right now and I feel like I could just melt into the chair. As everyone gets comfortable, Jen start’s us off.

“Once again, KA and Trent, thank you both for meeting with us, we were so thrilled to be offered a chance to be on the Ten Tiny Breaths tour. I guess let’s start with Trent – what were your first thoughts when you walked into the laundry room and saw Kacey?”

Trent: “Well, I knew she was going to be there, given I saw her pass by my window with her laundry. My first thoughts? I was freaking out. Seriously, terrified. And then she dropped those quarters and … *grins sheepishly* those were some short shorts.”

Brooke found her voice before I even located the rest of my motor functions, and chimed in after he answered Jen. “So Trent…how does it feel to be considered a stalker?”

Trent: “I’ve been called worse *chuckles* Seriously, it wasn’t one of my better decisions but it’s all in the past. And, come on, it kind of worked out, didn’t it? What else can I say … I had my issues.”

“Oh, I think it definitely worked out.” I croak out. Come on Lisa, you can do this. “One of the most emotional scenes in the book for me was the mirror scene…so this is the hardest question ever – how did you walk away from that mirror? Especially knowing Kacey was on the other side.”

Trent: “Because I loved her that much. It made it simple. Plus I honestly thought she was getting ready to toss a chair through the glass. I had no idea she was crying on the other side. If I had known that, it would have made walking away a million times harder.”

Wow…I think I just fell in love with him all over again. Kidnapping is illegal, right? I wonder for a moment if Kacey would notice if he just disappeared, but my devious thoughts are quickly distracted when Jen picks up on the somber mood the room has taken with such a heavy question.

Jen: “Alright, let’s change it up…how about some rapid fire questions?”

Trent: “Sure, sounds fun.”

His dimple is showing – have I mentioned I love his dimple? Ugh, there goes my brain again – and I was doing so good. I shake my head trying to clear it of my wayward thoughts – Focus!

Lisa: “Salty or Sweet?”

Trent: “Sweet”

Jen: “Movies or Books?”

Trent: “Books”

Brooke: “Fast or Slow?”

Trent: *laughs out loud* “Fast”

Jen: “Chocolate or Vanilla?”

Trent: “Chocolate”

Brooke: *with a devious smile on her face* “And now for the best question…right Lisa?”

“Oh yes, this is the best one.” I pause for dramatic effect and can hear Jen mumble, “Oh No,” with a sigh. I ignore her and with the biggest smile on my face, and an arch of my brow, I ask, “Blonde’s?”

“Or Brunette’s?” Brooke finishes my question, adding a wink for emphasis.

*For those of you who are unaware…I am blonde, Brooke is brunette 🙂 *

We couldn’t be more obvious if we tried, but if this is the last question we get to ask this fine piece of man candy – we’re going to make it worthwhile!

Trent’s eyes are all over the place, not really sure where to look now that we’ve put him on the spot…he bites his lower lip, almost as if willing the words to leave his gorgeous mouth but afraid of the reaction.

Trent: “If I don’t say Redheads, Kacey will beat my ass to the ground”

Brooke and I pout while Jen shakes her head.

Jen: “And…with that, I think it might be best if Trent waits outside so these two can get their heads out of the gutter.”

Brooke & I and snap our heads in Jens direction and a millisecond later, look at each other and in unison, whine “But…What…Why…No!!!”

Jen holds up her hand and Brooke and Lisa cross their arms over their chests and go back to pouting.

Jen shakes her head again as Trent rises from his seat and with a smile thanks us – really? Pretty sure we should be thanking him. I turn to Brooke and we both share a knowing ‘Cheshire cat’ grin and turn to Jen. Jen covers her face with her hands, knowing what’s coming next. Brooke and I immediately lunge from our chairs, each of us attaching our bodies to either side of Trent, giving him a hug. He chuckles, amused at our last ditch effort to show him how much we love him, and pats us on the back. With a slight wave as he exits the meeting room, Brooke and I wistfully fall back into the plush chairs…still in our la la land of happiness that we got to TOUCH Trent freaking Emerson. Life can’t get better.

“Ahem” – Jen’s fake cough brings us back to the here and now, but the look on her face says she’s totally over our antics. If it wasn’t for KA’s indulgent smile, we might feel a little embarrassed too. But this is what we do…we’re fangirls, damn it!

Brooke and I straighten up, ready to continue our little interview – possibly with more common sense than before. Trying to redeem myself, I turn to KA and say, “Sorry about that. I promise, we can act like normal human beings…when we try.”

KA: “It’s not a big deal, I understand Trent has his charms.”

Lisa: “Oh yes…we’re well aware of his charms. So…I have to ask, Ten Tiny Breaths – so simple, so perfect, so BRILLIANT – how the heck did you come up with it???”

KA: “I wish I had a clever answer but I don’t. I really just came to me and I knew immediately that it had to be the title.”

Brooke, having had more time to recover after Trent’s exit, speaks up more confidently. “Did you have a specific inspiration for Kacey? Her looks, her personality –she’s one in a million, where did she come from?”

KA: “I bought the cover before I started writing the book. It was a pre-design with a redhead and, to me, that just fit. I have a small obsession with redheads and the Irish (in my YA series, I also have a redhead and an Irish man in the story. Don’t be surprised if all of my future books have those two elements somehow worked in.) In terms of Kacey’s personality, I wanted someone strong but broken and snarky but fun. She has a tough exterior shell but she’s quite emotional inside. Beyond that, she just took shape until she came alive on the page.”

Jen: “We felt SO many emotions while reading this book – a rollercoaster ride is putting it mildly.”

KA: “That was my aim so I’m glad the book delivered! The best books are the ones that make you feel all the feelings.”

Lisa: “Alright…last question, but we have to ask…how much of Trent and Kacey do we get in One Tiny Lie?”

Brooke: “OMG yes…anything? Please! We’ll beg!”

KA: “LOL. I’m just going through final edits now. You will get quite a bit of Kacey—a lot in the beginning and in the end, as well as phone conversations, etc. throughout. She actually plays a bigger role in this book than I originally expected her to and that’s due to their bond as sisters. There are a few scenes with Trent in the book but he is not the focus. There just isn’t enough room in the plot for him and two other leading male characters (who I think you will like J )”

Jen: “Wow…leaving us with a smile, how can we be mad at that girls?”

Lisa: “We can’t…we just may have to attack her for OTL!”

KA laughs as she stands up.

Brooke: “We want to thank you so much for meeting with us KA, it’s been an exceptional experience and we hope you know how much we appreciate it.”

KA: “Thanks so much for having us here today! It’s been fun.”

As we walk KA out the door, waving goodbye the three of us look at each other in disbelief. We walk back to our chairs, falling into them – emotionally exhausted from the awesomeness that was just in the room.

Brooke: “OMG did that just happen?”

Lisa: “I don’t know. My mind has been blown, I can’t think right now.”

Jen: “I’m never going out in public with you two ever again, unless you’re medicated beforehand.”

Brooke and I turn to Jen and burst out laughing. We’re all cracking up so hard we have tears in our eyes and can barely breathe (Ha! Made a pun!)

We can’t thank KA Tucker and Trent enough for doing the interview with us and of course KP with InkSlinger for putting on an absolutely fabulous tour. 🙂

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5+ “Seize them. Feel them. Love them.” Kisses!

Pain, sorrow and grief have a way of changing our lives…morphing them into something we could never imagine….never fathom. When tragedy strikes you so hard it hits you to your core – forever erasing the person you once were, it’s what you do with those feelings and emotions that will forever shape your future. Ten Tiny Breaths is about strength and learning when it’s okay to be weak…being broke and learning how to heal…going thru heartbreak and having the strength to forgive.

Kacey Cleary is a brave soul….a damaged soul…a fighting soul. Every day she fights – she fights for her next breath, she fights to keep control…but mainly she fights for her sister. Livie – Olivia – while there is a 5 year age difference (Kacey is 20, Olivia 15), the only other difference between these gorgeous girls is their hair color…Kacey’s stand out red hair to Livie’s stunning black.

“Livie’s an angel….Where I’m a looming thundercloud, she’s the sunshine breaking through.”

Livie longs for “Before Kacey” – she’s lost a lot with the tragic accident that took their parents life four years ago and almost took Kacey’s as well…with the way “After Kacey” is, it might as well have taken her life as well. She’s broken and barely put herself back together…a shell of her former self. Barely graduated high school after being a star student, drugs, alcohol and sex consumed her life – all the combination you need for a perfectly destructive lifestyle.

Kacey is fighting her way thru existence after the accident that killed four of the most important people in her life. Once again, Livie is why she changed – so Livie wouldn’t be without the only other living family member (since their Aunt and Uncle aren’t worth a damn) that she has left…and Kacey wants Livie to have the happy life she is meant to have, because it’s clearly out of the question for Kacey.

“Well then it’s your lucky day. I’m already jaded.”

Kacey also has a hand thing – it stems from her boyfriend and what happened during the accident. This brave girl who could bust the knee cap of a grown man is scared stiff of hands. She doesn’t touch them – except Livie’s. Once again, Livie is the exception to everything…though…until Trent comes into the picture.

Trent Emerson…6’3”, 25, golden brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes…a.k.a. ‘Sex on a Stick’. Oh and he’s got tattoo’s and a motorcycle…and he’s a graphic artist/computer nerd – hello, let me introduce you to my dream man. KA Tucker just crawled into my brain and made him…the second I knew all of those facts, Trent could tell me anything and I’d sit back with googly eyes and say “Sure honey, whatever you say.”
I. Love. Him.

“I could lay here and stare at him forever. I don’t want to let go. Ever.”

He knock’s Kacey on her ass…almost literally (ha! Well she is on her hands and knees…but you’ll have to read to understand that!) in a laundry room. He makes her feel things, he breaks her down and he makes her want things she hasn’t wanted in forever…and get this – she likes it. It’s a complete shift from the “After Kacey” that has come to take over. And it’s aaaaawesome to watch her change right in front of your eyes.

They are so perfect together…omg I loved them – I loved how happy he made her, and that’s all he wanted in the world. How can your heart not burst over hearing that – a guy that just wants to make you smile, he just couldn’t be any more perfect.

“Give me your heart, Kacey. I’ll take everything that comes with it.”

“I’ll make you whole again, Kacey. I promise you, I will.”

“From now on, Kacey. I will. I will devote every day for the rest of our lives to making you happy. I promise.”

I could quote this man forever – he Blew. Me. Away. with what he said…it was achingly perfect. And reading those lines a second time…changes things completely. They hit you harder, strike deeper with what he is really saying…it squeezes your heart.

But as perfect as Trent may seem, he’s got secrets…he’s got a past and while he is focused on getting Kacey to breakthrough and be the person she could be after getting over the pain of the accident, his hidden pain becomes more difficult to hide. Just know that they are both equally tortured in their own way…and when the truth is revealed, it’s pain is almost as bad as the accident was.

“Trent and all the good that he brought to my life is dead. It was never really alive.”

My heart was wrapped up in Kacey – she is a smartass, she is funny, she is so strong and brave it makes my head spin, but lord have mercy is that girl damaged. She can compartmentalize better than anyone out there and that’s what works for her. I loved her from the get go, she is a very compelling heroine. I loved Livie too…she’s a sweetheart, selfless, kind, hopeful…wiser beyond her years unfortunately.

We also get to meet Nora Matthews, the next door neighbor – with a name like that, you’d think kindergarten teacher or CPA right? Nope – she goes by Storm…and she’s a bartender…at a strip club, where she also performs a very interesting….act. I’ll leave that to your imaginations until you read it…but I will say it’s freakin bad ass. Factor in she is a walkin epitome of a Barbie doll and actually turns out to be a fantastic influence on Kacey – it was hard not to like Storm.

The scene that broke me down involved a one way mirror…Trent on one side, Kacey on the other. It ripped my heart out and stomped on it. Possibly one of the most emotional scenes I’ve ever read – and I’ve read it multiple times since then. I need a new word for heartbreak because that scene was heartbreak and hurt and pain and forgiveness and so many other emotions all balled up into one. Emotionally spent after reading that scene….just done!

I can’t lie…I was worried about the ending. Come on, we read these books for HEA’s – I know I LIVE for a good HEA…and I was worried. But…to ease your fears, Trent and Kacey get their HEA and I loved the epilogue. Also, because the epilogue gives us a glimpse at 18 year old Princeton undergrad Livie…and the next book, One Tiny Lie, is her story. Can we say excited???

Yes…Yes I am!

I loved this book so much I read it twice…which I would love to do with every book I have, but it’s very difficult to do…but there are exceptions and this is one of them. This a beautiful book about love, loss and forgiveness and will take you on a beautiful rollercoaster you’ll never forget.

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents’ tragic death and Kacey’s self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

Have you read the other books in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series?

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

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Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

 Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

So we were lucky enough to score a special feature with the amazing K.A. Tucker! We are both big fans and absolutely adore K.A. and her writing! We have something special in store for you. How would y’all like some Ashton in your lives? Maybe get into his head a little? How about getting to know what he was thinking that morning in Livie’s room? Well here you have it. Enjoy 😉

One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

Special Bonus Scene~Ashton POV

Waking up to a woman’s perfume on my pillow is something I’m used to. Usually, it’s something I enjoy. Today, though, that distinctive feminine scent feels like a kick to the nuts.  I don’t need to open my eyes to feel the body lying next to me. Or my complete lack of clothing.

Nailing the coach’s freshman daughter is one of those three-strikes-in-one kind of deals. Captain or not, I’m off the team should he ever find out.

What the hell did I drink last night? I’m not even the least bit attracted to Reagan!

I stifle a groan as a drum goes off inside my head, and decide that I’m in no rush to move, regardless. What’s done is done and I may as well get some sleep. We’ll have to come up with a game plan and—

A thump, followed by a clattering behind me tells me we’re not alone in the room.

Great. A witness. This is getting better and better.

I need to know what I’m up against. Slowly rolling my head, I crack my eyelids and find…

Tits.

Immaculate, symmetrical, perky breasts on a dark-haired girl who’s standing in the corner of the dorm room in nothing but panties, staring at me like she’s about to scream for campus security.

That face.

The second I see that stunning, innocent face, puzzle pieces begin dropping out of the haze. It’s the girl I met at the party last night.

Livie.

No… Irish.

The feisty chick that I may have fallen in love with. Mind you, I was clearly hammered.

And now I’m lying naked in bed with Reagan. Her…roommate?

Her roommate!

But why is Irish practically naked?

Damn… who cares! I’m ready to crawl out of bed and worship that tight body of hers.

            She finally snaps out of her state of terror long enough to cover her bare chest with her arms. Disappointing, but probably a good thing, seeing as all my blood is rushing to my groin and I doubt I’m getting any early morning action from anyone in this room.

I’m also not getting any more sleep if I stay here.

“Fuck.” With a deep groan, I turn to face Reagan, her eyes now open and rolling over me. “We didn’t…”

“No,” Reagan quickly confirms and relief slams into me. “You were too drunk to make it back to your house. You were supposed to sleep on the floor.” She props her tiny body up by the elbow and asks, “Dude, why the hell are you naked?”
Because this is how I always sleep. It made perfect sense… last night. More memories quickly begin falling into place. I could have made it back to my house but I had no interest in leaving Irish.  “Oh, thank God,” I mutter to myself, silently thanking that redheaded siren of a sister for being such a proficient cock-blocker, otherwise I can’t say how far things would have gone last night.

Rolling out of the bottom bunk, I stand to face the girl who dared me to get her name tattooed on my ass. I remember thinking she was amazing last night. A sharp-tongued angel. Was I really just that drunk?

Her eyes drop to take my entire body in and then they widen and avert to the window. I fight the urge to laugh. That’s right… She’s never seen a naked guy before. She doesn’t have much of a filter when she’s intoxicated. If I remember correctly, she had a lot of firsts last night. With me.

Suddenly, I have the overwhelming urge to be all of her firsts.

And I’m fully aware of how wrong that is, given my circumstances.

Specifically, the one named “Dana.”

I push that thought aside with a dark chuckle. “What’s wrong, Irish?”

Her head snaps back and I can see the confusion in her eyes. “What’d you call me?”

Oh, this is going to be fun. I lean an arm against the ladder rung. Despite her lack of clothing, it’s not hard to keep my eyes on her face because it’s so damn beautiful. “You don’t remember much from last night, do you?”

She starts shifting from one foot to the other. “If it explains why we’re all in a room together and you’re naked…then no.”

I step forward.

Like a cornered mouse, she presses back into a small space between the dresser and the wall. I watch her eyes dart to the sheet sitting on the dresser—the one with my initials monogrammed into the top left corner. In seconds, she’s covering the front of her body with it.

I take another step, fully aware of the fact that I’m acting like a complete asshole. “Don’t worry. We agreed last night that I’m not marriage material.”

She sets her jaw stubbornly and I catch the flash of fire in those crystal blue eyes. “Well, at least I was still semi-coherent, then.”

I exhale as a conflicting wave of exhilaration and disappointment crashes into me.

There she is.

This fucking sucks.

One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

5+++ “Jell-O Thief” “Irish” “Livie Girl” “Freedom” Kisses!!!!

OMG OMG OMG! Are you FREAKING kidding me. You’ve got to be. I loved TTB…loved it…and I was thinking, wow…it’s going to take a lot to top those emotions that you get with Kacey and Trent. HA! In my face. Big time. This book surprised me in all the best ways possible – if you think you know what to expect…you don’t, so just hang on. Oh my angsty goodness, I had no idea I was going to get as swept off my feet with this book as I did…but wow…okay…focus Lisa, you can do this.

So One Tiny Lie is Livie Cleary’s story (if you haven’t read Ten Tiny Breaths…stop the presses immediately, read it ASAP and then hop on One Tiny Lie…sound like a plan?) My Sweet…young…innocent…naïve…Livie. The girl is a saint – I mean, really, do you remember all that happened with Kacey? Of course you do…and somehow Livie survived loosing her parents, surviving her head case sister (and I say that with all the love in my heart because Kacey is the most awesome head case on the planet 🙂 ), the drama with her Aunt and Uncle, moving across the country, new school, more drama with Kacey….and she keeps up her record of never getting anything less than an A. REALLY?!?! Hello world, I feel like a complete and utter failure at life when compared to her perfection. But Livie has an excellent reason and motivation behind her perfection…seven little words… “That’s my Livie Girl. Make me proud.” The last seven words her father spoke to her. Are you crying yet? Cause I teared up typing it, let alone when I read it for the first time. *sigh*

“You’re too perfect, Livie. Everything you do, everything you say. You can do no wrong. If someone slapped you across the face, you’d apologize to them. I can’t believe you don’t deck me for some of the stuff I say. It’s like you’re not capable of getting angry. You could be the love child of Mother Teresa and Gandhi. You’re…” Kacey pauses as if searching for the right word. She settles with, “Too fucking perfect!”

So Livie is off to college, dealing with Dr. Stayner’s outlandish tactics at breaking out of her perfect shell, and of course Kacey’s assistance in this process…and what happens her first night out? She gets to experience a lot of firsts…shall we count them?
1. She gets totally wasted on Jell-O shots – first night at college is also her first time getting drunk! Woo!
2. First toga party – what a way to kick off the school year! 🙂
3. She had her first kiss ever – well, ‘had’ is a very loose term, it was kinda ‘stolen’ – there was a lot of thievery going on at the time, we’ll just call the kiss collateral damage
4. She got her first tattoo – and it was video taped for posterity and culpability purposes
Needless to say there were other epically awesome firsts had throughout the night and the next morning, but those are the top of the list and the only ones I wish to divulge without spoiling. And…it gets better.

‘I’m attracted to my drunken one-night stand, who also happens to be an unavailable whore and my kind-of boyfriend’s roommate and best friend.’

The aforementioned ‘stolen kiss’ was stolen by a Jell-O thief (told ya the kiss was collateral damage) – and let me tell you he can steal anything he wants from me as long as it involves a kiss in return. ‘…this tall, giant Adonis with dark wavy hair, tanned skin, and a body to tempt a blind nun…had his tongue in my mouth.’ Umm….with that description, I’m not seeing the problem Livie. Say thank you to the party gods and keep shooting those Jell-O shots and pray for a repeat.

“I was managing okay, thought.” He pauses. “And then the most beautiful girl on this planet punched me in the jaw.”
A small half-giggle slips out. “You deserved that, Jell-O thief.”

Gah…I’m getting bogged down, but I swear…one of the best ‘first meetings’ I have ever read…I was hooked from that point forward. And believe me…it got better…and better…and better. I was all over the board – so shocked my jaw hit the table…laughing so hard I was crying…and then of course crying and clutching my chest because I was so torn up…GAH! The ANGST people…I tell you, I was not prepared. TTB was a very emotional read for me, and I did feel some angst, but not like this. This was a level of angst I really wasn’t ready for. And all because of one…freaking…man.

“Because you’re not a one-night-girl, Irish.” Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers, “You’re my forever girl.”

I am literally overcome with emotion at how amazing Ashton Fucking Henley is…tears in my eyes, lump in my throat, butterflies in my belly and the insane desire to kidnap him and keep him all to myself. He’s amazing. There is no other way to describe him. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to not like about Ashton, but the fact that you can see past all that is wrong to all that is right, is what makes him that much more amazing. If Kacey was a head case, Ashton is a train wreck. A beautiful broken train wreck that only needs one thing to make him better….Livie. OMGEEEE! His feelings and emotions for her…they just take my breath away. You. Have. No. Idea.

‘1. I’m brilliant
2. I’m charming
3. I’m hung like a thoroughbred
4. I’ve stopped all philandering
5. I’m highly skilled, as you’ve learned the other night.

P.S. Stop staring at my hands. I know what you want me to do with them.’

The connection that is built between Ashton and Livie is beyond words for me. It wasn’t insta-love, but there was always something there for them, and they both knew it. But it wasn’t easy…it’s never easy. Oh and the ‘surprise’ factor I mentioned…well try this on for size…there’s a love triangle. Actually, it’s kind of a square, but not really? I dunno what shape you wanna call it, but I was super excited for that aspect. It all ties in with the super angst I wasn’t expecting either. And then to really boggle my mind and make me fall in love more, KA Tucker throws in some of the funniest shit I’ve ever read…perfect example…

‘My nervous giggle is the only answer I can give him. Forget? My brain went blank. I forgot about my problems, his problems, and the potential zombie apocalypse. If that’s what orgasms do, then I can’t believe people ever leave their houses. Or cars.’

First of all…#truth on the power of orgasms, for the record. Second of all, it’s out of context – but trust me when I tell you I was hysterically laughing for like 10 minutes after I read this. Oh you want another one…try this this golden nugget from Kacey…

“Sometimes you’re as graceful as a one-legged flamingo in a pit of quicksand.”

And this happened multiple times. The wit, the humor, the sarcasm – it was all spot on for me. Loved it.

So, if Kacey’s head is full of turmoil, sadness and pain….Livie’s head is full of purpose, hilarity and confusion. It’s hard to remember that Livie is 18 years old…but she doesn’t act like it. Not even close. That’s part of what and why Dr. Stayner is around and doing what he is doing – Kacey needed to be put back together, Livie needs to be set free. And going thru the process of being on her own for the first time in her life, working things out, making mistakes and figuring out who she wants to be, is a phenomenal journey.

‘If there is one mistake I will never regret for the rest of my life, it is Ashton Henley.’

“Irish, if there’s one thing I’ve never been able to forget, it’s a single second with you.”

I have a bad habit of figuring out books…I just do…not once in reading OTL did I ever stop, sit back and think about what was going to happen next. I couldn’t have even if you asked me to. Mainly because I was so engrossed in the story, I couldn’t stop reading long enough to think about what was going to happen next. And then of course there’s the fact that even in my wildest dreams I never expected Livie and Ashton’s story to play out like it did. It was natural and fluid, logical…every aspect of this book from the plot to the characters was beautifully put together and I really can’t think of one thing that didn’t work for me. Brilliance…every word of it was engrossing, powerful, sheer brilliance. And…if you can’t tell I loved it.

‘Once all the confusion, the pressure, and the lies were gone, I was left with nothing but choices. Small, large, easy, hard – all of them mine to make. For me.’

Clearly I could babble all day long about all things TTB and OTL. These characters are absolutely amazing…and if KA Tucker doesn’t stop writing the most amazing tall dreamboat men, I might loose my mind. Oh wait…cause Cain’s story is next and lord knows I love a deep dark mysterious man like a fat kid loves cake. Bring on Four Seconds to Lose !

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.