Welcome to my stop in the Everything I've Never Had by Lynetta Halat Blog Tour, hosted by Angie's Dreamy Reads :D! You can read my review, read an excerpt, see my Everything I've Never Had Collage (SPOILERS), and enter the 2 giveaways at the bottom of the post. I am also giving away (2) Kindle copies of Everything I've Never Had by Lynetta Halat for my 571 FB Likes Giveaway!
Title: Everything I've Never Had
Author: Lynetta Halat
Series: Stand Alone
Publication Date: September 2, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design by: Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations
Source: e-arc was provided by author for blog tour, in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.
Synopsis:
Celeste Hebert appears to have it all, but there are many things she's never had, been forbidden from having.
One night. One song. One kiss. The perfect trifecta to unleash the floodgates of a forbidden attraction between the widow and her husband’s bad boy cousin, Adrian.
Celeste endeavors to rebury the feelings that surface after this one night since her powerful family despises him. Kindred spirits, best of friends they attempt to douse their attraction; however, Adrian always seems to know exactly how to push her buttons and may prove too much to resist.
Having defied his family by making his way on his own terms, Adrian struggles to regain their acceptance. When he meets his cousin’s wife and wants her for his own, he feels he’s finally lived down to the title—black sheep. But, when his cousin dies unexpectedly, Adrian fights his attraction and swears to honor them both by helping her raise her boys.
Finding himself enveloped in a cocoon of love and acceptance, Adrian knows it’s more than just physical attraction. However, unforeseen events threaten to destroy those he now holds dear and his newfound peace.
Will the ties that bind them be their undoing?
One night. One song. One kiss. The perfect trifecta to unleash the floodgates of a forbidden attraction between the widow and her husband’s bad boy cousin, Adrian.
Celeste endeavors to rebury the feelings that surface after this one night since her powerful family despises him. Kindred spirits, best of friends they attempt to douse their attraction; however, Adrian always seems to know exactly how to push her buttons and may prove too much to resist.
Having defied his family by making his way on his own terms, Adrian struggles to regain their acceptance. When he meets his cousin’s wife and wants her for his own, he feels he’s finally lived down to the title—black sheep. But, when his cousin dies unexpectedly, Adrian fights his attraction and swears to honor them both by helping her raise her boys.
Finding himself enveloped in a cocoon of love and acceptance, Adrian knows it’s more than just physical attraction. However, unforeseen events threaten to destroy those he now holds dear and his newfound peace.
Will the ties that bind them be their undoing?
Add Everything I've Never Had by Lynetta Halat to your TBR Shelf--->Goodreads
Buy Everything I've Never Had:
Amazon (US) ~ Amazon (CA) ~ Amazon (UK) ~ B&N ~ Smashwords
My Thoughts:
A little run of pleasure isn't worth the destruction it will surely inflict.
Lynetta Halat has done it again!!! She has written a romantic love story of unrequited love, with a lot of twists and turns that you will not see them coming. I will flat-out admit that when I found out the protagonist was older than the guy, I was not quite sure if I wanted to continue reading the story- not really into the whole cougar thing. But I was glad that this didn't stop me from reading Everything I've Never Had! Once I started it I couldn't put it down. Lynetta Halat starts the Prologue with one of the hottest swoon worthy moments, that I was literally fanning myself! Who wouldn't want to continue reading Celeste's and Adrian's unrequited love story?!?
I've had my fill of being told what to do.
Like I said before I was not that comfortable having Celeste being older than Adrian. I thought I was going to have problems with this, but as I continued to read Everything I've Ever Had, the age difference never really made me uncomfortable. Who is Celeste Hebert? I will not really admit what she is, because I loved this twist Lynetta added to the story! But I can say that the people around her have always dictated her life. Celeste has never truly been able to stand-up to these people, because of what they are and she fears that they might do something to her family. Do I see Celeste as a weak woman? Heck No! Celeste is one of the strongest and bravest heroine's I've read about. This is one of the traits I loved about her character. She is willing to risk whatever she has to do, to protect the people she loves. By the end of the book I was so proud and moved by the actions she takes, because this woman is definitely a fighter. When she wants something she will do anything in her power to get it. Celeste is one of my favorite fighter, brave, and strong heroine that I've read this year.
He's my own slice of forbidden fruit- my deceased husband's outcast cousin.
Adrian, Adrian, Adrian!!!! Adrian is one of the MOST SWOON WORTHY guys that needs to be added to your SWOON WORTHY BOOKBOYFRIENDS LIST :D!! He is not only swoon worthy, because of all those freaking hot and sexy make-out sessions he has with Celeste. He is also swoon worthy, because of all the sweet comments, gestures, and actions he has with Celeste and her sons! Lynetta knew how to balance the scale with Adrian's character, because I've never been so swooned by a guy because of the hot moments and the sweet moments :D! With Adrian's character you get hot, sexy, passionate, naughty, lustful, supportive, protective, loving, honorable, determined, and so much more. Who wouldn't want to take a bite of this delicious forbidden fruit named Adrian Hebert?!?!? I also loved the little mystery Lynetta added to Adrian's character, because I just wanted to find out what he was hiding from Celeste!
"this one is about the kind of love that compels you, that takes you on a ride like no other. The kind of love that wraps you tight in its embrace before it sinks its teeth into you."
Celeste's and Adrian's relationship starts off as 'just friends.' But they've had the hots for each other, since the first day they met. How can you just remain friends when their bodies call out for each other? But their connection and pull towards each other is not just physical attraction and hunger for each others flesh. Nope, Lynetta Halat always knows how to keep her character's love and connection without always having to be physical. This is one of the things I love about Lynetta's stories, and her character's relationships. With a lot of books you read a book in which the character have to have sex to feel a connection or strong bond with each other. But with Celeste and Adrian you can feel the strong bond they have and the emotional connection they have, without them being all wrapped up under the sheets. Celeste's and Adriana's relationship develops by the support they both give each other, and how they are able to function as a family when they are not even dating. Their relationship just seems natural, because it just feels that they've always been a couple.
But here's the twist, and I guess this is why I really felt their love connection and attraction towards each other so strong, because they can't develop any type of relationship without facing the wrath of their families. This unrequited love gives the story a whole new meaning to Celeste and Adrian's love connection. At the beginning of the story, Lynetta made me experience frustration, anger, love, despair, but all these emotions I felt at different parts in the story. Towards the end I felt like I was in a freaking roller-coaster, because I was experiencing too many emotions at once. But I love every single twist and turn Lynetta throws at Celeste and Adrian's relationship.
"My everything I'd never had," I whisper.
Lynetta Halat blew me away with Celeste's and Adrian's unrequited love story in Everything I've Never Had! I thought I knew what I was going to read when I picked up Everything I've Never Had, but I didn't expect all the little twists and turns Lynetta added. If you've read Every Rose by Lynetta Halat and loved it, then you are going to ABSOLUTELY LOVE Everything I've Never Had. If you read Every Rose by Lynetta Halat, and didn't love it- shame on you-then I can still guarantee that you will love Everything I've Never Had. I can only describe Lynetta's stories as being Original. I am always captivated by her writing, because she knows how to bring the reader inside her stories. I can't wait for her next novel! I hope you are already working on another story Lynetta, because you always leave me wanting more!
Final Verdict: 4.5 Stars
EXCERPT:
Adrian runs his hands up my arms and shoulders until they grasp both sides of my neck to tilt my head back so that I'm staring straight into his arctic blue eyes. I immediately start trembling, and it's not with fear. "Celeste, I'm begging you not to leave here looking like that. You look gorgeous, babe, but I can't sit here all night wondering who's hitting on you, who's imagining moving that scrap of fabric over to get a glimpse at what is..."
"What is what?" I breathe heavily.
"What is underneath it all." His brow wrinkles, and I feel his hands tighten their pleasurably painful grip. "What is underneath it all?"
"Just me, Adrian, just me," I breathe. "That's all."
"So everything then. Just like I thought." He removes one of his hands to run it up the back of my thigh. My eyes widen and I swallow hard.
"That's not a good idea," I whisper. His hand wraps all the way around my thigh, his fingertips coming to rest along the crease of my left cheek. My thigh pulses with fire.
"Why not?" His fingertips tease back and forth a little. Even though it’s a light touch, it feels like his calloused fingertips mark me.
"Why not? Look at us. We can't even have a civil conversation for everything that has passed between us, and you want to further complicate it. What you're doing will further complicate matters."
His hand stills. He exhales loudly and lets his head drop on my chest. "You do this to me. I don't act like this. That day in the park, watching you cross and uncross your legs. Throwing your hair over your shoulder. Laughing without a care in the world. Cheering me on like it was your favorite thing to do! It killed me. Killed me. I've never wanted a woman the way I want you. Never."
His words rain down on me like fiery drops of lust. I close my eyes and rewrite that memory. I thought he was just being an ass, but his unexpected anger was because he was yearning for me. I bite my lip, open my eyes, and shake my head. "It's just because you can't have me,
Adrian. I'm nothing special."
"Oh, baby, you have no idea." He runs his nose up my throat, scenting me as he goes. I lean my neck back, giving him more access even as my brain screams at me to run—not walk—out of this room. But when he says, "You're everything to me." My head falls back even further and my eyes close again as I feel him slant his head and attack my chin, throat, and neck with closed-mouth kisses. I hear myself moan and give myself one more little jolt to try to spare myself from this delicious torment that will only end in frustration.
All rights reserved. Copyright Lynetta Halat 2013.
thank you so much for this chance and great giveaway denise smith denise226@verizon.net
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome giveaway!!!
ReplyDeleteNeat collage for the characters :) Thank you for the info and giveaway!
ReplyDelete