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Review of Dark Universe by Devon Herrera w/giveaway

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Title: Dark Universe (The Universe Series #2)

Author : Devon Herrera

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: October 28, 2013

Spotify Playlist:

https://play.spotify.com/user/devonmarieh/playlist/238k4yOOdURZcB01aEZSPu

Hosted by: Love Between the Sheets Promotions

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Synopsis

What do you do when your whole life is played out as atonement for someone else’s mistakes?

Lola has spent her life in the shadow of her older brother, until one day he does the unforgiveable and is disowned from the family. Now her parents are putting pressure on her to get married, have children, and live the perfect life. If she can do all this, maybe it will wash away the guilt they harbor for her brother’s mistakes. She’s completely set against it, and refuses to ever fall in love. Until Drake Thomas knocks on her door.

What do you do when the one person you trust the least is yourself?

Ever since Drake was a boy he’s been alone. That was the way he wanted it. His father was abusive and he learned at a very young age that he has the same anger living inside of him. Terrified that he’ll one day become the man who ruined his life, he stays away from relationships of any kind.

Will they be able to move past their misconceptions about themselves and each other, or will they learn that not only can they love, but together they are stronger? Only the Universe knows.

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Excerpt

My hackles rise and I look him dead in the eyes and plant a finger in his chest. “What exactly do you want with her, Connor? Because these questions, they come with some heavy answers. Nina isn’t going to be easy or normal and it’s going to be rocky, so if she is just a challenge or some passing fling in a small town you’re visiting, you better just cut your losses now. I had no control over her being hurt the first time, and failed at protecting her the second, so I will not allow there to be a third. You get me?” I stab my finger deeper into his chest and glare up into his baby blues, putting every ounce of threat I can muster into my words.

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’m more likely to get hurt than she is at this point.” His words completely shock me. Guys don’t ever admit to things like that. “Now, I hate to be rude, but Nina is going to be out of the shower any minute now and I have some things to say to her when she does. If you’re here when she gets out, she’ll use you as an excuse to get out of facing whatever progress I made with her last night.”

I smile wide at him and pat him on the shoulder. “It’s about time that girl had someone to care about again.” I walk towards the door and turn around before exiting, to hammer the point home. “Connor, I like you, but if you hurt her, I will not hesitate to nail your balls to my fence post and leave you for the birds, understood?” Connor’s hand instinctively goes to protect the object in question and swallows.

“Like I said, unnecessary, but yea… I hear you. You know, you’re sort of scary.” I look up at the hulking man who outweighs me by at least seventy pounds and has a good eight inches on me and smile.

 

Review:

This was such a great story.  It had snark, witty dialogue, two characters that I fell in love with and even though its a series, its own HEA.  No cliffhanger.  🙂  Plus, with the added bonus of a suspense thread woven in, two people that didn’t want to fall in love and a taboo topic that most people don’t like to talk about…yes, this is a great book.  Plus, someone save me from the too angsty books.  This one DIDN’T have that; in fact, it was a sweet, tender romance that I read in one day.

Lola was actually a breath of fresh air for me.  Between the phone calls from her mother and her falling in love with Drake, the last person that she expected.  I also liked that she was smart and very independent.  She didn’t need a man to fulfill her life.  Much to her parent’s meddling.  I’ve been there when it comes to parental pressure to get married and have babies.  It’s not fun so that aspect of Lola’s life, I can totally relate too and sympathize with.  It sucks when your sibling doesn’t live up to the standard and you are left holding the bag.

Drake was interesting.  Sometimes I loved him and then I hated him.  I don’t like waffling and the whine of “I don’t deserve you” from my hero/heroine and it grated on my nerves.  What really got me was that Drake isn’t the billionaire douche, or so self loathing man that I’m finding in more and more books.  Oh and he wasn’t rich or too Alpha for me either.  Yes, he had problems but everyone does.  His back story proves that in spades but again, I still fell in love with him.

The taboo subject was domestic abuse and Drake experienced that first hand.  It was hard to read but Ms. Herrera handled it well.  It shaped Drakes’s character and with Lola’s help, it didn’t define him.  Plus, the story started with Drake has a young boy and it set the tone for his character right away.  We didn’t have to wait around and figure out what was going on with him.  Speaking of which I liked how Ms. Herrera switched POV’s in the story.  It was jarring and I really got to know both Lola and Drake, together and separately.

I didn’t read the first book in the series but I don’t feel like you have to to enjoy Drake and Lola’s story.  Their story stands alone and I will be re-reading it soon.  Yes, I loved it that much and highly recommend it.

recommend-harlies- new4.5harlies

 

 

 

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Buy the Book

Amazon US | Amazon UK

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Book One – Sapphire Universe

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Amazon US | Amazon UK

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About the Author

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I am a wife of a U.S Army Soldier and mother of a beautiful little girl. I work for the Wyoming Department of Revenue in Cheyenne Wyoming, and no we don’t still ride horses out here. I’ve been in love with reading since I first discovered the Harry Potter series in 4th grade. I don’t just read a good book I devour it. After reading hundreds of novels I finally bit the bullet and sat down to write one of my own. I had an idea in my head and as soon as I started writing, the story seemed to play out right infront of me. Nothing has ever felt so natural. About 10 chapters into it I decided that I was going to take the plunge and get it self published as an Ebook. “Sapphire Universe” is a Contemporary Romance novel for adults, because lets face it, I’m female. Romance is what I like to read so it’s what I’m going to write. Thank you so much for your support, and I can’t wait for you to read The Universe Series.

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