Kissing Fire by A.M. Hargrove {Review}

Contemporary Romance

Beta/ARC Provided by author for review

Preston Mitchell, undercover DEA agent, has led a life of danger and obscurity. Knowing his job would never allow a normal relationship, he’s never opened himself up to any woman...that is until the lovely Avery Middleton stumbles into his life. To the outsider, Avery has it all...wealth, family, connections and a great job. But on the inside, she’s miserable. Her social life is in the dumpster, the kooky gal next door has some zany plans for her and her selfish mother drives Avery to the point of insanity. Her only salvation is to get out of Charleston and start a new life. So that’s precisely what she does. She moves to Seattle and steps right into the path of hot and sexy, Preston. Unfortunately for both of them, Avery ends up being in the wrong place at the wrong time and is now running for her life. But she’s not alone. She has a gorgeous DEA agent protecting her and suddenly finds herself irresistibly captivated by him. There’s only one problem. Preston carries more than his share of mental baggage, courtesy of his job. His covert missions have put him in places and situations he can barely stand to think about. Avery rocks Preston’s world because she is nothing like anyone he’s ever met and something extraordinary begins to happen between them. But can their love survive in this world, where danger, intrigue and deception lurk on every corner? 

Review: Edge Of Disaster by A.M. Hargrove

Series: Edge #1

Genre: NA/Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: December 20th 2012

Format: Kindle 

Rating: 4 Stars 

Synopsis:

Alexia Hammond, broken and destroyed by a tragedy she can’t seem to recover from, is on a downward spiral toward destruction. A life of partying, alcohol, drugs and men has brought her near the edge of disaster. That is until one night while at work as a waitress in an upscale restaurant, she falls under the spell of one of her customers, Pearce Middleton. Once she gazes into his smoky gray eyes, her life takes on new meaning. But can she put her past behind her and allow herself to fall for the exciting and gorgeous Pearce, or will her lewd behavior come back to haunt her and ruin her chances of happiness forever?

Having read book two before this one I already knew some of the details that were coming but Hargrove caught me off guard from the beginning. When Alexia wakes up next to two naked guys she has no clue what happened the night before. All she knows is the drugs and alcohol did their job of helping her forget her pain. After losing her fiance Peter in a car accident while she was driving three years before, she feels guilty and responsible  and is punishing herself slowly with random hookups and recreational drug use. She has to get her best friend Terri to come pick her up from her walk of shame and when she gets there tries to talk Alexia into getting help because her lifestyle isn't healthy. Terri suggests she see a psychiatrist but Alexia isn't OK with that idea because it never helped before when she went after the accident. While at her night job working at a restaurant she meets the handsome Doctor, Pearce Middleton. She is instantly flustered by him with his smokey gray eyes, slightly curly sex hair and handsome physique and feels less than worthy of a man like him with her current issues. When he asks her to dinner she declines and ends up right back at the same bar with a random guy in a bathroom. Pearce pursues her relentlessly trying to get her to have dinner with him but she just doesn't think she is good enough for him. After an intense argument early on between them Pearce and Lexi part ways angry when she is kidnapped. When she comes to she is naked and strapped to a bed blindfolded and hears several different men's voices and starts to panic. She fights like hell to get away and she gets an open opportunity due to her kidnapper's clumsiness. She ends up putting up such a fight that she is loaded into a vehicle and taken miles outside of the city and left for dead on the side of the road. When she wakes again she is in the hospital being prepped for surgery having sustained multiple stab wounds and broken bones.

Pearce shows up and vows not to leave her side throughout the operation and once she recovers they start dating and become close, falling in love and panning a future together. Throughout the story you are lulled into a false sense of security as the author makes you think all is well with the world until she turns her character's world upside down! After Lexi was kidnapped she would get threatening letters in the mail she ignored until it became impossible for her to keep it from Pearce. this new revelation brings with it much heartache and angst that could possibly break these two unshakable characters up permanently.

A.M. Hargrove knows how to deliver a steamy love story filled with romance and heartache. The story between Lexi and Pearce was intense from the beginning and even though I didn't fall head over feet for them Like I did Terri and Justin in Shattered Edge, I do have a soft spot for this couple. Seeing Lexi having such a hard time dealing with her Fiance's death was sad. Using drugs and sex to mask the pain of that accident and the fact that her parents blamed her broke my heart. She knew she needed help and meeting Pearce was a positive change that helped heal her along with therapy and her friendship with Terri. 

Pearce Middleton was such a great guy. you could really tell how much he cared for Lexi despite her pushing him away constantly. The main thing I loved about him was how well he reacted when Lexi confided her past in him. Not only did he NOT turn away in disgust but he reassured her of his devotion. Who doesn't want a guy like Pearce? He's rich, he's hot and he's a damn doctor, but beyond that he has a giant heart that is apparent from the start. There are a few parts that are told from his POV and I really wish we could have gotten a little bit more of his side especially during the kidnapping. I would have loved to see what he went through even though they weren't exclusive at the time. 

The closer it got to the end the more I started to worry that certain story aspects wouldn't get cleared up but the way everything wrapped up was exactly as I hoped it would be. It was a bit of a shock to find out exactly what Lexi was up against when everything came out into the open. This was a good story about a broken woman trying to find herself and instead finds so much more. I am looking forward to more amazing reads and beautifully broken characters from Mrs. Hargrove!



   About The Author:

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodgeball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what lap top out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone and hit #4 on her speed dial.

"Hello."

"Boss, is that you?"

"Why yes, A. M., who else would be answering my phone?"

"Er... right. Well, I'm calling to let you know you can pick up my luxury Ford Focus at Starbucks near the interstate."

"Why ever would I want to do that?"

"Because I quit you idiot!"

A.M. hit the end button and speed dialed her husband.

"Hi hubs, can you pick me up at Starbucks?"

"Sure... Having some car trouble?"

"Not at all. I don't have a car to have trouble with because I just quit my job."

"WHAT?!"

"It's time for a new career and I am going to be a very famous novelist."

So began A. M. Hargrove's career as a young adult paranormal romance author of self-published ebooks. Her series, The Guardians of Vesturon, centers around a family of six siblings and is a mix of humor, mystery, suspense and of course, love. Survival is her first book in the series and her second, Resurrection will be released in January.

If you're wondering, it didn't happen EXACTLY that way, but....

Review: Shattered Edge by A.M. HARGROVE

Series: Edge Edge #2

Genere: Adult Contemporary

Publisher: A.M. HARGROVE

Release Date: February 14th 2013

Format: aARC submitted for review by author

Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

An Edge Novel

Their trial relationship was meant to last six months, but things didn’t quite work out the way they planned...

Justin Middleton, who has left a string of broken hearts across the state of South Carolina, has only one thing on his mind, and that’s winning Terri Mitchell’s heart in six months. That’s all the time she’s given him...six short months. If he can’t do it by then, they’ll go their separate ways. 

Terri Mitchell knows she’s lost her mind when she even suggested this harebrained scheme. She finally thinks her heart is on the mend from her past encounter with Justin. However, when he shows up at her house late one night looking deliciously sexy and irresistible, her iron will to fight him vanishes and the words tumble from her lips before she’s barely aware of what she’s done. 

Within weeks, both of them find themselves passionately involved, but when Terri’s brother, Preston, shows up, mysterious things begin to happen, turning their blissful world into something dark and dangerous.

This was my first experience reading an A.M. HARGROVE book and let me tell you, she didn't disappoint. This wasn't your average love story, with hot sex and a few minor issues. NO! This book was so much more. It starts out with Terri Mitchell at her friend Lexi's wedding. When her old flame Justin Middleton tries to talk to her she won't hear it at first. See these two have past issues that has kept them from being together and Terri can't just forget. Justin begs for another chance to do things right this time and she agrees to give him 6 months to earn back her love and trust. It doesn't take long to earn his way back into her bed because these two go at it like rabbits! He finds any excuse possible to get her in his bed and Terri just can't help herself because she has always had a thing for Justin. They build their foundation little by little with hardly any bumps in the road...well unless you count her junkie of a brother, Justin's crazy admirer at work and Terri finding her dad in a compromising position. Just your every day run of the mill drama that Terri and Justin get through together. Justin was amazing you guys. He was sweet, loving and attentive to Terri. He really showed how much he wanted to win her back and did EVERYTHING to prove it to her.You will fall in love with him just like I did with everything he does. Things go pretty well for them and I started to wonder if this book was going to be just fluff or would there be anything substantial to sink my teeth into. I got about 3/4 of the way through and got my answer. After the tragic death of Terri's father Justin steps up and takes care of her and does something so sweet it will make your teeth hurt! They are the height of happiness and you are on top of the world with them until Hargrove throws a curve ball that will blindside you! Terri and Justin are torn apart by outside forces you won't see coming. I don't want to give too much away because it's really juicy. I love a good mystery and the last quarter of the book made me sad and angry but ended with a really great payoff. It was worth the anguish I went through seeing these two people who I fell in love with being tortured.

Let me talk about Terri for a minute because she was such a strong female character and I love that in a leading lady. She fought her way back from an injury that nearly cost her something vital. With everything she faced she grew stronger, even when she hit her breaking point as almost every person does, but she eventually grew determined and even more strong than she ever thought possible.

As for Justin, let me just say that I am so in love with him! Almost so much, that I feel like he is real. Yes he was a past womanizer and a little bit of a man whore but he redeemed himself so much in this book. When he said he was going to prove to Terri that he was good for her, he damn sure stepped up and proved himself. The things he said and did were swoon worthy no doubt but it was his faith fullness even during the rough times that made me fall. During the time of the book that made me angry and sad Justin was steadfast in his commitment to Terri. I like to think there are men out there who when they know a woman is the one for them, they know no other woman will ever come close and therefore never move on. I know that isn't true especially in today's world but it was so endearing to see Justin realize he would never find someone like Terri.

The main thing I loved about this book is how love won out in the end. These characters fight tooth and nail, go through heaven and hell and still manage to find their way back to one another in the most beautiful way. 
Filled with surprises, steamy moments and sweet romantic love Shattered Edge was a really fun and exciting roller coaster ride that will most likely leave you saying "Aww". Now I just have to go back and read the first book Edge Of Disaster because I usually end up reading book 2 first!

“I’ll hold you close. I won’t let you fall. I’ll even carry you if you need me to. Just please don’t say no, Terri.” eARC Loc. 137

“Terri, that thing you did earlier...you know, with the ice? I’m gonna do that to you sometime. Just giving you fair warning.” eARC Loc. 1642

“When I’m with you, there always seems to be this urgent need to feel your skin against mine. All of it. Thoughts of you arouse me, even when my mind should be occupied with other things.” eARC Loc. 2467

“I just realized something.” “What would that be?” I asked her. “I love you now more than ever.” eARC Loc. 3211

                      About The Author:

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodgeball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what lap top out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone and hit #4 on her speed dial.

"Hello."

"Boss, is that you?"

"Why yes, A. M., who else would be answering my phone?"

"Er... right. Well, I'm calling to let you know you can pick up my luxury Ford Focus at Starbucks near the interstate."

"Why ever would I want to do that?"

"Because I quit you idiot!"

A.M. hit the end button and speed dialed her husband.

"Hi hubs, can you pick me up at Starbucks?"

"Sure... Having some car trouble?"

"Not at all. I don't have a car to have trouble with because I just quit my job."

"WHAT?!"

"It's time for a new career and I am going to be a very famous novelist."

So began A. M. Hargrove's career as a young adult paranormal romance author of self-published ebooks. Her series, The Guardians of Vesturon, centers around a family of six siblings and is a mix of humor, mystery, suspense and of course, love. Survival is her first book in the series and her second, Resurrection will be released in January.

If you're wondering, it didn't happen EXACTLY that way, but....