Monday, April 13, 2015

Review Stop on Tasty Virtual Book Tour for BAD FOR ME by Codi Gary with #excerpt + #giveaway

Welcome to my review stop on the Tasty Virtual Book Tour for BAD FOR ME, book 5 in the Rock Canyon Romance series by Codi Gary. This series is an absolute favorite of mine and so it’s a thrill for me to promote and review BAD FOR ME by Codi Gary featuring Callie and Everett’s story. They certainly deserve their happily-ever-after. Stay tuned after my review for an excerpt and giveaway. Enjoy!

***although I was offered an eARC provided by the publisher, I chose to purchase my own copy to read and share my honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for BAD FOR ME:

Codi Gary returns with another fabulous Rock Canyon romance: when veteran marine Everett Silverton meets the town’s smooth-voiced DJ Callie Jacobsen, sparks fly—but is passion enough to give these wounded souls another chance at love?

Callie Jacobsen isn't about to open her heart to just anyone. Not so very long ago, trusting someone changed her life forever—and not in a fun way. Now she's better off focusing on her career, her friends, and her dog. So when former Marine Everett Silverton takes an interest in her, Callie's more than a little wary. No matter how charming he is, men are a bad idea. In fact, she's got the scars to prove it.

But Everett isn't convinced Callie should shut everyone out—especially not him. He may be a hero to the people of Rock Canyon, but he's got his own demons, and he bets they're not that different from Callie's. Still, he knows it's going to take more than chemistry to get her to let her guard down. Everett will do whatever it takes to show her she's safe with him. All she has to do is take a chance, take a step–and take his hand.

~*~           ~*~            ~*~           ~*~

We’ve met Callie Jacobsen before since she’s become somewhat close friends with Gemma Carlson Bowers from GOOD GIRLS DON’T DATE ROCK STARS. I say somewhat close because although they are friends, Callie keeps her pain from everyone even though her new friends try desperately to drag her back into the world of the living and loving. Callie came to Rock Canyon for a fresh start but no matter how hard she tries, her past continues to haunt her. With her constant and loyal companion, her dog, Ratchet at her side, Callie attempts to live a normal life and fit in among her new friends, but it’s not as easy as her all of her new friends think.

Everett ‘Rhett’ Silverton is Justin’s older brother from BAD GIRLS DON’T MARRY MARINES, and he carries his scars inside and out. After being injured as a Marine in Afghanistan, he came home to a wife who was less than pleased with how he looked now, so she left him...heartbreaking...although he's tough. He’s managing to put his life back together by helping others who also suffer PTSD and has become very adept at noticing when someone is suffering silently. After watching his father nearly destroy the family with alcoholism, he’s pleased his father has joined AA and when his father raves about his wonderful sponsor, Everett is amazed when he discovers it’s none other than Callie, the damsel in distress who he provides aid to during a thunderstorm.

Two broken souls coming together when nature was at its fiercest, but can they survive each other’s demons and open their hearts and wounds to each other?

Codi Gary never disappoints me. This is the fifth book in the Rock Canyon Romance series and every time I read one, it’s as fresh, as intense, as full of fun, and as real as the first ones. I’ve had my favorites in this series but I have to say than none of them so far has touched me emotionally as much as BAD FOR ME. The wonderful characters of Rock Canyon usually carry with them a sense of wonder and excitement over the prospect of new love but with Callie, there’s apprehension, fear, and a need that no other character has yet to carry. I thought it would Everett who would be the most unwilling and hesitant to open up to a romantic partner but instead, it was Callie. This is, by the far, the most intense, yet most endearing, realistic, and heart wrenching of all the stories to emerge from Rock Canyon. It is also Codi’s best work yet.

It’s obvious, she took a lot of time and effort to create the real world of someone suffering PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and it worked splendidly. Everett is Callie’s ultimate hero. He works hard to win over his true love. And there were times I wasn’t sure he’d succeed but in the end, these two courageous people come together just as they need to, and it’s perfect.

I don't usually quote books, but I loved Codi's reference to Blake Shelton's AUSTIN in the line:

"Hey, it's Everett. Leave your message at the beep...and Whiskey?”—Callie's breath and heart stopped—"I'm still waiting."  (swoon)

I highly recommend BAD FOR ME by Codi Gary to anyone who wants to read a wonderful story for whatever reason. This book will make you laugh because we’re treated to the already wonderful characters of Rock Canyon who support and care about these two wounded amazing people, but you’ll also be brought to tears when you witness the pain they each carry and how it brings them together. Any one of these books works well as a stand-alone, however I recommend reading all of them but this one…this one holds its own, on its own, in a way none of the others do. Read it, it’s a definitely great read.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Excerpt from BAD FOR ME:

“I’ve almost got it.”
“Thank you. This was really nice of you, especially when I haven’t given you a reason to be.”
Everett looked up at her, wiping the rain off his face so he could meet her gaze. “You seem to assume that just because people are kind to you, they want something. Sometimes people help because it’s the right thing to do.”
Her gaze shifted away, and he went back to tightening the nuts on the wheel. He’d said his piece, but knew he wasn’t going to convince Callie with words that his intentions were honorable.
He had to prove it to her.
When he finished, he released the jack and gathered up all the tools, sliding them back in the spare tire kit. “I’ll put this and the new tire in the back, and you’ll be good to go. I’ll haul this one off to the dump for you.”
She knelt down next to him and took the kit from him, their fingers brushing. Despite the chill of their skin, heat sizzled between them, sending a shot of awareness down his throat. Her blonde curls were wet and falling out of her messy top knot, and drops of rain were clinging to her cheeks. Before he could stop himself, he traced the pad of his thumb across one, catching the cool droplet on his skin. Her amber eyes widened, and he dropped his hand, cursing his impulse.
“Sorry. You had something on your cheek.”
Callie cleared her throat and stood up. “It’s okay.”
He climbed to his feet and couldn’t help wondering if she’d felt something too. Was that why she kept pulling away?
But if she didn’t want him, why was he pushing?
Because she doesn’t treat you like a defective puppy she’d have to fix.
Grabbing her spare tire from the back of his truck, he slid it into the back of her Jeep. She stood back as he closed the door, and he could tell she was nervous—her hands kept twisting.
“Well, you’re all set. You should get home and change out of those wet clothes. If you get sick, I’ll have to listen to one of those ridiculous weekend deejays, and they play nothing but crap.”
Everett started to head back to his truck, but she caught his hand. “Hey.”
Just the touch of her hand sent his heart from a trot to a gallop. He loved the way her soft skin wrapped around his.
Facing her, he waited, afraid to move a muscle and scare her off.
But she moved so fast, he wasn’t prepared when her lips brushed the scarred side of his face. He stiffened as the warmth seeped through his cheek, his stomach twisting up as a thousand thoughts and insecurities made him wince. Had the roughness repelled her? Why hadn’t she picked the untouched side?
“Thank you. For being kind.”
Callie dropped his hand and ran to her car, as if afraid he would come after her. As she started it and pulled forward, he was finally able to move again, backing up a ways to watch her disappear down the road.
Everett’s hand came up to rest against his cheek, and he realized that he’d lied to Callie when he said he didn’t want anything from her.
He wanted everything. – BAD FOR ME

About the Author:

An obsessive bookworm, CODI GARY likes to write sexy small-town contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows, and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family.

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BAD FOR ME, a Rock Canyon Romance Novel by Codi Gary, Avon Impulse, available now in print and ebook formats.
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1 comment:

Tasty Book Tours said...

Thank you for hosting BAD FOR ME!