Thursday, October 15, 2015

review || BEYOND WHAT IS GIVEN { blog tour } by Rebecca Yarros


25518107
Entangled Embrace | September 28, 2015 | Military Romance
Fight & Glory, book 3
★★★★★

SOURCE: TASTY BOOK TOURS/PUBLISHER

Lt. Grayson Masters is focused on graduating the Apache helicopter course, and the last thing he needs is his gorgeous new roommate Samantha Fitzgerald distracting him. While her smart mouth and free spirit are irresistibly irritating, he can’t deny their off-the-charts chemistry, no matter how hard he tries.

Having just been expelled from college, Sam has no business digging for Grayson’s secrets while she’s hiding her own, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to tear down his walls. Each barrier she busts through drops one of her own, though, and she’s not prepared for the truth: another woman laid claim to Grayson’s heart long ago.

Falling in love is something neither Grayson nor Sam can afford, and when that line is crossed and secrets are exposed, they’ll learn that sometimes it’s the answered prayers that will put you through hell.
Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

{ about rebecca yarros } .


Rebecca YarrosRebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and lover of all things chocolate, coffee, and Paleo. In addition to being a mom, military wife, and blogger, she can never choose between Young Adult and New Adult fiction, so she writes both. She's a graduate of Troy University, where she studied European history and English, but still holds out hope for an acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Her blog, The Only Girl Among Boys, has been voted the Top Military Mom Blog the last two years, and celebrates the complex issues surrounding the military life she adores.

When she's not writing, she's tying on hockey skates for her kids, or sneaking in some guitar time. She is madly in love with her army-aviator husband of eleven years, and they're currently stationed in Upstate NY with their gaggle of rambunctious kiddos and snoring English Bulldog, but she would always rather be home in Colorado.

{ excerpt } .

I shrieked as the mixer whirred a shrill pitch and batter exploded, hitting the walls, the cabinets, my face...everything. I sputtered as some landed in my mouth, and slammed my hand against the lever to turn it off.

This was going to be a bitch to clean up.

“Are you okay?” Grayson ran in, hair damp from the shower. His eyes widened as he took in the state of his precious kitchen. “You weren’t kidding about the mess.”

“Oh this?” I smiled. “It’s a new aeration technique. I totally meant to do this.” My awesome excuse died as a glob of brownie mix fell off the tip of my nose.

“Is that so?” he asked, walking over to me slowly, consuming my vision. My breath hitched as he swiped his finger across my cheek, and then licked the brownie mix off the digit. Holy hot. “Hmm... I think there’s something to be said for this method. Maybe a little more air in the batter?”

My mouth popped open. “Are you making fun of me?”

He smirked, which must have had a direct link to my panties, because they unanimously voted to drop. Now. There was sexy, and there was Grayson’s tongue sweeping across his lower lip, which was a step beyond hedonistic. His eyes took on a mischievous glint but kept the same signature intensity that held me captive, unable to look anywhere else as he lowered his face toward mine. What...what was he doing?

Do you even care? Nope. Not one bit.

“Maybe another taste to be sure?” he asked, his voice low as his lips skimmed across my jawline. “Mmm. Definitely more.” Shivers coursed down my body. Holy shit. His mouth was actually on me, and I was awake.

He flipped the switch on the mixer and chocolate flew.

“You did not!” I let my knees buckle so I slipped to the floor, leaving Grayson to be splattered by the flying confection.

“I most certainly did!” He lifted me up like I weighed nothing, and batter smacked the back of my tank top. “Man, you’re slippery.” He mock-dropped me.

I yelped, locking my ankles around his waist and my hands around his neck. He turned off the mixer and chuckled low in his throat. “You can laugh?” I asked, yanking my head back to look at him.

“I have been known to on occasion,” he answered, that stupid, crazy-sexy smirk in play despite the chocolate on his cheeks and forehead. How the hell could someone look so hot while literally dripping brownie batter?

“I like it,” I admitted.

His smirk disappeared, and his grip tightened on my bare thighs as his gaze dropped to my lips. They parted as if he’d freaking asked them to. We weren’t just stepping out of the friend-zone here, we were on a damn missile into let- me-jump-you-ville.

“I do, too,” he whispered.

{ review } .

I have to say...

One of my favorite early-on moments in this book was when Sam is thinking about the three guys she's now rooming with; she knows the first two, but that third one... his name just escapes her.

Just like that, I knew that no-name was going to be the man for her (which was immediately confirmed with the knowledge that our leading male was Grayson, and Sam's friend mentions him coming home early-early that morning).


Sam has a past she's literally running from. Grayson is a pretty closed off guy -- but still a great guy. He pays attention to what Sam says -- even early on and eventually, he goes to great lengths to prove himself. The way he loves throughout the book definitely put him in 'great potential' category, and his story was definitely a heartbreaking one..

On paper, these two should not mesh, but oh... how well they do. Their story, from bickering strangers, to friends, to lovers, to more... was lovely to read. I enjoyed watching them grow, both as individuals and as a couple. I loved seeing both of them go from having dark moments, to the end which was so full of light. The overall attitudes of Grayson and Sam changed from page one to 'the end' -- Rebecca Yarros did a great job in keeping her characterizations consistent throughout the book, and allowing the growth to happen and come through with her words, in inner monologue as well as with character actions.

I loved the friendships with this group of people, and I can't wait to go back and read the previous two books in this series!

for other reviews & tour goodies,

{ giveaway } .

No comments:

Post a Comment