Blog Tour and giveaway: Mended: Kim Karr
Expected Release date: June 3, 2014
MUSIC HAS THE POWER TO HEAL ALL…BUT NOT ALL BROKEN HEARTS CAN BE MENDED.
Always in control, Xander Wilde considered life on the road to be a perfect fit for him. But when disaster strikes on the Wilde Ones’ latest tour, fate intervenes…and a newly single Ivy Taylor, the only girl he has ever loved, steps back into his life.
After moving past her painful breakup with Xander years ago, Ivy was poised to become the next big name in pop music…when suddenly she withdrew from the limelight—the same day she announced her engagement to her controlling agent, Damon Wolf.
Xander knows he should keep his distance. But once they’re on the road, he can’t resist pursuing her for a second chance. Yet a jealous Damon can’t let her go—and he’s keeping dangerous secrets that could destroy them all.
When the three of them come together, everything falls apart. But if Xander and Ivy can hold tight to the bond that connects them, they just might have a chance at reclaiming the powerful love they thought they had lost forever....
"If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they're yours."
We have seen Xander Wilde (River's brother) and Ivy Taylor in other books in this series. But now we get their full story. We see them as teens totally in love and who get separated and how their lives together veered off course.
She's not just a girl I used to date...she's the only girl I ever really loved. She's also the girl whose heart I broke.
But now twelve years later as they are both going through difficult times, they find themselves in the same place and in a position to help the other with their current problems. Now they are back in close proximity and both afraid to admit how the other still affects them,. They are the "one that got away" for each other, but secrets, misconceptions, and half truths from the past still lurk under the surface. And neither wants to get hurt again.
Oh, Xander! He gives his brother River a run for his money. We have seem him be bossy, controlling, uptight, protective, and even rude in the past. But now we see him as a boy that was hurt and a man who suffered the consequences. He is loyal, caring, still protective, sexy and magnetic. His past loss and guilt really messes with his head though and he has demons that haunt him. And this man who thrives on control, finds himself losing control whenever Ivy is involved.
But with her I can let my guard down; I don't have to control every little thing I feel free--free to have fun and explore the emotions I've locked away for so long.
Ivy is the girl who was naturally beautiful inside and out, but did not have an easy life. She is sweet, sassy, and talented. But she always gets pushed into doing what others want, but now she is trying to charge of her own life. But that is not easy with toxic people in her life trying to pull the strings and willing to do whatever they have to in order to get what they want. Xander broke her heart and that makes her vulnerable, but it is hard to deny that she is still drawn to him.
"Because Xander, my body might want you but my heart doesn't."
Together they share a deep connection that survived time and distance, but they are affected by past pain, secrets, and misconceptions. They are such a sweet, passionate couple with a solid basis in friendship and first love that just got totally ruined by circumstances. But they still have a strong chemistry and easy rapport when they let their guard down, and it is obvious that the truly care about the other one. The sexual tension and longing is so intense between them.
We were always so much alike. We covered up our feelings, pushed them aside, wore a strong armor to face the world, but with each other were were bared--no shields, no masks--just what was real and what was true. And the emotions I'm feeling between us right now tell me that hasn't changed--they tell me I'm home.
So will it be a new start or another road to heartbreak?
Even though this can be read as a stand alone, part of the fun of the series are all of the connections and interweaving stories. We see more of River and Dahlia(Connected and Torn), Aerie and Jagger(Dazed), his sister Bell, and of course the band The Wilde Ones: Garrett, Nix, and Zane. We learn more about the Wilde's family history and past. There is more with Damon Wolf who I continued to hate with a passion.
I felt that this book was less angsty than the first two, but still had many twists and surprises especially in the second half. There were several mysteries that unfolded as the book went on and the reader learned about them piece by piece making it interesting. It was told in both Xander and Ivy's points of view that let us see right into their deep feelings, fears, and insecurities. I really enjoyed this installment and stayed up til 2 am to finish it. This series just always seems to suck me in since I know there will be surprises and twists and the characters are so well developed. It was an engaging story of love, loss, healing, and second chances. I am looking forward to more with Ben and Bell in Blurred and Frayed and the remainder of the series.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Our 5 star reviews
What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?
Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London's soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.
When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soulmate.
Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia's grief begins to lift--but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her.
But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?
Torn (Connections # 2):
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Our 5 star reviews
Rock star River Wilde brought Dahlia London back from the brink of hopelessness with his unwavering love and devotion. But their entangled history is about to test the strength of their relationship…
Dahlia was certain she had found true love and met her "Once in a Lifetime’ when she reconnected with River. But Dahlia’s world comes crashing down when someone from her past resurfaces, and all of River’s carefully hidden secrets are exposed.
River wants to show Dahlia that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass—it’s about dancing in the rain. But how many times can one broken heart be mended? Will River and Dahlia be able to stay together or will they be torn apart?
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Jagger Kennedy never went looking for fame, he just fell into it. After scoring a major modeling contract, his clean-cut good looks and charm catapulted his career. But when his actress girlfriend breaks his heart, he moves to L.A. to try his hand at acting. He’s not looking for love—he just needs to make a change.
Aerie Daniels is a woman in control … until she meets Jagger. Her surprising connection with him leaves her dazed and it’s unlike anything she’s ever felt. But just when she lets her walls fall, she makes a startling discovery about Jagger that breaks her fragile heart into a million pieces.
To keep from losing the woman who’s changing his world, Jagger is willing to give up anything—including his career. But even that might not be enough to regain Aerie’s shattered trust…
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Expected August 5, 2014
A Connection Series Novella featuring Ben Covington
The story before the love story….
When he lost the only woman he’d ever loved, it seemed there was nothing left to live for.
Even as a boy, all Ben Covington ever wanted was to spend forever with Dahlia London, the beautiful girl next door...then one life-altering decision tore them apart and he was forced to leave her.
Now, despite having returned to win her back, he’s still alone. She’s with someone else—someone she’s never going to leave.
Resigned to a future without his former girlfriend, Ben numbs his broken heart in a haze of liquor and women. But then the only woman who ever even turned his head while he was with his girl reappears unexpectedly. And he’s never forgotten their one incredible night together. But will Ben’s destructive behavior destroy his future with her before it even begins?
He didn’t think, he didn’t question—he just acted.
What she wanted, she took—without regard.
It was only one night, but it changed everything.
Bell has just gotten her life back on track and may not be up for the challenge of Ben Covington. But once they’re reunited, there’s no holding back—even if a secret from Bell’s past just might shatter them both.
Other upcoming books in this series on Goodreads
I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I've always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.
I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don't need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There's nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore--it's time I love and cherish.
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