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I cannot believe that tomorrow will be 4 years that I've been blogging and reviewing on Laura's Review Bookshelf. It hasn't always been easy and let me tell you, some times I just wanted to give up all together.

But I persevered and I've met so many great authors and bloggers and book lovers. I wouldn't change a thing. My first ever review on this blog was the fantabulously talented Jeannine Garsee. And she's been a great friend during all of this. She's been the one that I go to when there is some sort of blogging shit going down.

As a blogger, we've been accused of only doing it for free books. Well that couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth. We do it because a) we love to read; b) we really want to promote authors, especially new, debut authors.

One of my first relationships with a debut author was Michelle Zink. We emailed back forth and just became very friendly. She sent me a copy of her book a pretty much 18 months before Prophecy of the Sisters came out and I fell in love with her gorgeous, moody, gothic writing. I've had lunch with Sarah Ockler. I've had drinks with Holly Black, David Levithan, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Barry Lyga, Cassie Clare, Elizabeth Scott, Michael Northrup, Gordon Korman, Sara Zarr.

I have had such a great time blogging and meeting so many great authors especially at BEA. That is such a great time and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

So without much ado, I want to tell you how I am celebrating number 4:

I am giving away to one (1) person FINISHED copies of THOUGHTLESS & EFFORTLESS (Effortless will not be released from warehouse until 12/17). Publisher will mail.

I am giving away to one (1) person FINISHED copies of GABRIEL'S INFERNO & GABRIEL'S RAPTURE. Publisher will mail.

To one (1) person FINISHED copy of SIGNED DISASTROUS (sent by author)

To one (1) person BOUND MS of THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY (mailed out by me)

To one (1) person BOUND GALLEY of  LOVE UNSCRIPTED (mailed out by me)

To one (1) person SIGNED COPIES of AVOIDING COMMITMENT & AVOIDING RESPONSIBILITY (mailed by author)

To two (2) separate people ebook copies of NOAH (5th Street Series, Book 1)

To two (2) separate people ebook copies of GIO (5th Street Series, Book 2)

You can win these books!

I am so happy that I was able to whip this wonderful anniversary together in such a short time. But my readers are the winners. I've read all of these books and they are absolutely wonderful and will make another reader so very happy. Plus it's perfect for the time of the season.

To all my readers, thank you for visiting my blog. I know it's not as snazzy or energetic as other blogs, but I enjoy doing what I do.

To all the authors, thank you so much for being a friend and allowing me to read and review your babies. I know how difficult it is to read reviews and I try to be fair and honest. I've been very lucky with books I have read. You are all wonderful people and I hope to be friends for many years.
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Reading Level: Young Adult Format: EBook Publisher: Self-Published 3/1/12 Parasols: 4

Noah is a 19 year old personal trainer who is also an up and coming boxer. An orphan who was in foster homes, he lives for the ring and the gym. Veronica Cruz has lost her mother to cancer. Depressed, she has put on 40+ pounds on her 120 lb frame. So her friend, Nellie, does what any good friend would do. She forces to a gym where she got free one-week passes. Of course, Veronica is not particularly pleased that this gym is more of a boxer's gym then say the local one at the mall. Noah has been itching to train and when the two ladies walk in, the owner gives them to him. Of course he's not particularly happy to help two older women who probably want to lose the baby weight. It goes from bad to worse, when Noah tells the women he has to weight them to chart their progress, Veronica absolutely refuses to step on the scale (normal reaction, I would hate it too!); He looks her over and tells her that he could possibly guess her weight by looking at her. At that she gives him a number, 160lbs, he writes 165, and when he walks away, she gets on and is pissed off when he guess within 2lbs. 167. Noah, doesn't want to scare the women off and he could use the money so he tries to go easy on them, but for women who are out of shape and dressed inappropriately. Really, Veronica wore sweatpants and a sweat shirt, but refuses to remove them. Having and extremely good looking trainer watching her sweat and seeing the t-shirt cling to her rolls just doesn't interest her. After Nellie has a serious asthma attack after finding out her husband is cheating on her. She begs Veronica to head back to the gym the next day. It will be good for her.

Veronica continues going to the gym alone and the end of the first week, she's lost a good amount of weight (5lbs), the second week, 6lbs. With Noah's help and her willingness, she finds herself becoming more and more comfortable at the gym. After the 11lb milestone she invites Noah out for a drink. This is where we find out the problem. Noah is 19 and therefore underage. Noah has guess Veronica to be about 22 or 23, it's not until she mentions that she's 28, that it all comes crashing down. But Noah is not your typical 19 year old (who is turning 20 in a week), he just likens numbers to air. It means nothing. When Veronica explains that she's nearly a decade older. He reminds that her 19 yo trainer got her to lose 11 lbs. Well he has a point! When Veronica shows up at the gym and Noah isn't there because of a leak in the roof at the garage that he lives in (it's quite a ferocious El Nino weather in LA), that she considers asking him if he'd like to rent a room in her house. She has three bedrooms and lives alone and wouldn't mind helping him out for bit. They've talked and she knows what his situation is like. When he agrees, things start to progress. Noah starts to notice Veronica more as she loses weight. She starts wearing clothes that are better suited for the gym, showing off curves that get the attention of the other guys in the gym. Of course that drives Noah crazy. Veronica is his. However, Veronica has a big issue with the age difference. She thinks that she can't have a relationship with him because they're in two different stages in their life. Noah doesn't believe that. He's a very old soul who just happens to be young. Veronica becomes wrapped up in Noah's life and he in hers. Although the heat is palpable, she does everything she can to not encourage him. Noah does everything he can to make the holidays that much better for her. Thanksgiving he makes a feast for her and her wall starts to crumble again. But when Noah heads over to his friend's Gio's house, Noah's holiday fuck buddy is there and she's got a car and is ready to break it in. In a moment of weakness, Noah takes off with Rita and well we know what happens there.

It's not until around the Christmas holidays that Veronica finds out about Rita and the jealousy ensues. Noah tries to explain that Rita means nothing and that Veronica means a lot more. Everything comes to a head on New Years Eve when Noah and Veronica's small gathering is crashed by a local gang. When one of the members make derogatory remark to Veronica, Noah goes after him and threatens him. When he heads back to Veronica and the party, the leader of the gang has come back and sucker punches Noah in a way that knocks him out. Once the guys and Veronica have Noah in his bed, he professes his love to Veronica and they finally kiss.

I loved Veronica and Noah's relationship. Age is nothing in the grand scheme of things. Noah teaches Veronica things that she never had with her ex-boyfriend. He makes her feel sexy and beautiful and young. But she's not willing to take the relationship that one step further. If she makes love to him, then their friendship has turned a corner and she's not willing to lose her best friend. With an ex-boyfriend trying to push his way back into her life (he left when her mother was dying because he couldn't deal with her depression. Yeah, great guy). Turns out that Veronica's ex was also the dean of the high school that Noah attended. Noah hates him with a passion and Derek has no qualms telling Veronica about Noah getting a girl pregnant, and drug trafficking. Of course, Derek may have stretched the truth a bit, but its enough to scare Veronica away from Noah. However, Noah, wants to know why she believes that piece of shit over him. (the irony here is that Derek is 8 years older than Roni, something that Noah let's her know repeatedly.) When he informs Veronica that he loves and that he's done, does Veronica do something about it. She gives herself to Noah. All of herself to him. A lovely contemporary love story that has everything in it. I love Elizabeth's style of writing. She enjoys writing alpha males who enjoy making love and having sex and falling completely and utterly in love.

I've read this one several times because I just love Noah in this story and his love for Veronica is amazing. I literally sigh every time I read it. He's this sexy alpha male who although is young, has lived an extremely hard life and is so mature for his age. Although there are factors that should and would keep the two apart, they manage to fight for what they both want. Noah is a sweet and caring person and Veronica has more love to bestow on him. Everything about this book was perfect. I've read the other book in the series, GIO, and I can't wait to see what happens with all of the guys at the 5th Street Gym.

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I know I haven't been blogging much lately, but boy, have I been reading up a storm. I've found some new authors that I have become addicted to and I just cannot stop reading this genre! I guess you can call it mature young adult because the characters are older than your typical 17. They're either in college or have a job, and they have sex. The language can be harsh, but you know what? I'm okay with that. Some might even call it New Adult. There really isn't a genre for those between the ages of 18-26 (the college age years).

The first book I read in that genre was BEAUTIFUL DISASTER. You can say I became addicted to the story. I've heard a lot of people hemming and hawing because of the theme of the book. But you know what to me it was like a fantasy. As much as women are independent and strive to be their own person, there is one tiny bit of us that wants to be wholly encompassed by a guy. We want that bad boy with the tats who has his own fight club and is successful at it. There's something incredibly sexy with having a guy want to own you body and soul and isn't afraid to let everyone around them know it. Lot's of people will say that isn't a healthy relationship. Then again, what constitutes a healthy relationship? A peck on the cheek in the morning after coffee? Reading the newspaper with your partner before you both head off to work? Sometimes I think women want that tempestuous relationship. Why is Twilight, 50 Shades, Bared to you so popular? I'm not a psychologist at all, but I think reading these books unleashes an inner fantasy. Women for some reason want to be taken of and in return wants to do the taking of. Whether it's cleaning, cooking, or doing whatever needs to be done in the bedroom. Travis and Abby may not have the healthiest of relationships, but what they did have was fantastic.

After reading Jamie McGuire's book, I was recommended Tammara Webber by Andrea Thompson (Bookish Andrea). I'm still thanking her a thousand times over for that. Although, Tammara's book was a bit light and frothy compared to BEAUTIFUL DISASTER. It was still something that tempted me and I found myself looking forward to the next in the series. Her latest book EASY delves into a bit of a darker topic. Date rape at college. But also finding yourself as well. It amazes me how many girls will follow their high school boyfriends to college to be with them. But because they're getting older and needs are changing, they find themselves suddenly alone at a school they really didn't want to attend, trying to fend off a would-be-rapist. But with all that happening, falling in love with the right guy is something could possibly happen. Especially when that guy is everywhere.

The next series I read was from Elizabeth Reyes. THE MORENO BROTHER'S. Um, yeah, talk about alpha males to the max. First up in the series is the story of the youngest brother, Angel. He comes from a long line of sexy Moreno's. His older brothers are in college and he's still in high school. He's popular, the girls love him and he's very approachable. But the

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