Happy New Year's Eve, one and all! Alas, yet another year has whizzed by. I can hardly believe it. This year has been a fantastic and busy on for Bex 'n' Books. Between Justine and myself and our team of amazing reviewers, Danielle, John, Danny and Stacey in addition to a few more lovely reading eyes who popped in over the year to help us, we've managed to read and review over 150 books! We officially have one of the best hobbies in the world! Justine and I tasked ourself to put together our own personal Top 10s of the Year. It was crazy hard, and I know I'm filled with self doubt since creating my list. In addition to out Top 10 Lists, we've put together a Noteworthy/Special Mention List too. Again, bloody hard as we have read so many fantastic and brilliant books.  We have great delight in sharing with you our lists (in no particular order). Enjoy! ~ Bex 

Heart Of The Wolf by Dianna Hardy My rating: 5 of 5 stars By far, the third installment is my favourite in Dianna Hardy's Eye of the Storm Series. I was blown away by the heady emotions that the author successfully captured. Her four main characters have evolved to a level where I feel a deep-seated level of emotional involvement. My heart was constantly pounding, sometimes with heartbreak, at others in excitement as her four amazing characters navigated through their journey together. To be honest, because of how involved and caught I felt in this novel, I found it a challenge to read. On one level, this was because I was dreading that my read would be over, on the other, because my heart went out to so many of her characters. Dianna Hardy has made me truly care about them. This is an amazing feat. As always, the author's writing style is smooth and flawless. Her settings are well established and her humour is witty and entertaining. Yet it is essentially her character...

Schooled The Teacher Series Book # 1 By- Michelle Lowhorn Genre- Romantic Suspense Publication Date- October 16, 2013 Published By- Rebel Ink Press Feisty fourth grade teacher, Emmelynne Johnson, is fiercely independent and has a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush. While hiking at an area national park, she finds herself lost and alone. Just when she thinks she’s found her way, she unknowingly witnesses a brutal murder sanctioned by a local crime boss. Colt Christianson, homicide detective for the Fort Worth Police Department, is known for his dedication and willingness to do whatever necessary to solve the crime. Still grieving for his late partner, Colt is called to investigate a murder that has connections to his partner’s death. When the killers attempt to silence the only witness, the detective switches roles to become her protector. Together they will be forced to fight two battles, one against the killers and one against their burgeoning mutual attraction.

Lola Stark's Conflicted Love is book two in her amazing contemporary romance/erotica series. Conflicted Love picks up where book one, Tattered Love left off. This meant that we are in the thick of Trip and Teeny's unfolding drama. And what a whole lot of amazing drama it is.   I loved book one, but damn, this second installment is off the charts amazing. It was fun. It was sexy. It was emotional and it was tender. And of course, it was as funny as hell! Lola Stark's writing has developed beautifully, yet her signature style is still very apparent.  Filled with sex scenes that are hot, graphic and sensual, conflicted Love will have you desperate to seek a private space alone or jumping your other half! Truly, it's amazingly hot, even more so when it's between characters that we now and love. It was easy to feel connected to Lola Stark's characters.  A fabulous read! Be sure to follow on with the author's amazing characters in her Needle's ...

Introducing author Becca Lee and her soon-to-be released debut novel, A Perfect Moment.   “When life threatens perfect, it’s time to step up and kick life in the balls.” Ella's perfect moment was taken from her is the worst possible way. Humiliated, heart broken and absolutely determined not to allow her heart be destroyed for a second time, she builds an ice wall around her heart. Preston has known that he was in love his big sister's best friend since the age of fifteen. Over ten years on, and an opportunity to be her knight in shining armour is too good to miss. Putting his heart on the line, he's on a mission to show Ella that the perfect moment is possible. Ella's instinct is to run when she realises her feelings for her bestie's little brother may just run a little bit deeper than just friends. But if she can't run, she'll try every trick in the book to shake off his affection and realign his feelings. She already had her perfect mo...

Release Date: February 18, 2014 Publisher: Spencer Hill Press Jule Welsh can sing. She enthralls people with her bel canto voice. But it takes more than practice to reach her level of exquisite song; it takes siren's blood running through her veins. Jule is starting her senior year at Cougar Creek High when her relatively normal world begins to resemble a roller coaster flying through a carnival scare house. Her mother is diagnosed as insane and committed, a psycho-stalker is snapping pictures of her to put into his homemade Jule-shrine, her voice is suddenly putting people into comatose trances, oh and the gorgeous new guy in town, Luke Whitmore, is interested in her . . . but also wants to kill her. Amazon | B&N

Haven from the Storm by Sarah Dosher Reviewer: Danielle  I loved this story! A true tale of pain, betrayal, forgiveness and love. Lily and Dean's story played with my emotions, just like a heartfelt book such as this, should! Lily has suffers a tremendous loss and soon finds herself without the one person she needed to get through it. She really has had a tough hand dealt to her in life, but she deals with it in the only way she knows how, avoidance. When Dean shows up, not understanding the damage he caused when he left, she has no intention of allowing him to control her heart the way he once had. Dean can’t believe what has happened to Lily during the years he’s been gone, dealing with his own grief. So it’s up to him to put Lily first and save the girl she used to be. It was a true romance. I enjoyed reading the book and would definitely read more from this author.

Her Dragon To Slay by Julia Mills Reviewer: Bex  Kyndel and Rayne prove to be a smoking hot couple in Her Dragon to Slay. The author, Julia Mills, has successfully created characters that were easy and fun to follow. It's the authors character development teamed with her book concept that ensured that this book was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read. As a crazy, huge fan of shifter books, it was lovely and refreshing to be faced with dragon shifters. Rayne was most definitely a sexy alpha that I enjoyed ogling, while Kyndel was a strong female lead. The author builds in enough back story to establish a firm setting for this new series and introduces secondary characters that will no doubt take the lead in future instalments. The book opens with a good love of tension and quickly turns to palpable heat. These two aspects are common themes through the book that the author maintains and establishes with success. An impressive first instalment to a series that I wi...

  I use Grammarly to  check plagiarism  because soggy seconds are never as good as the first time around! Everyone has heard the name and many think they KNOW all about the little literary powerhouse that is Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing. From its humble beginning of one woman with a vision and 10 authors, to a three imprint literary force with almost 100 signed authors under its belt, bestselling and renowned authors, a reputation of being THE LEADING INDIE PUBLISHER, and showing all the other “wanna be” publisher’s how to do it right. Yes, CHBB is the name that every reader and author should know but did you also know…  

The lovely author, Becca Lee is a newbie in the industry. Her debut hot contemporary romance is due to be released spring 2014, A Perfect Moment, book one in her Perfect Series. Filled with feisty female leads and drop-dead gorgeous males, the spice and humour are sure to rise the heat levels. The fabulous Becca Lee has a 24 hour giveaway going on over on our Facebook Page. The prize is a growing Amazon GC. The prize starts off with a $10 Amazon voucher just in time for Christmas. Yet, for every 100 likes she receives, she'll add $5 to the total. 100 likes = $15 Amazon GC 200 like = $20 Amazon GC You get the picture! Just head on over to our picture link, like her page and let us now via the link that you have and you’ll be eligible to win!  Facebook Giveaway Link

Tempting Gray by T.A. Grey Reviewer: Bex  Grayson and Arabella are characters created by T.A Gray who I enjoyed following and getting to know. Their personalities and responses developed effectively alongside the plot. T.A Gray has successfully produced a read filled with solid action, heat and characteristics with qualities that are three-dimensional. As such, Tempting Gray was a thoroughly entertaining read. I didn't quite enjoy it as much book one, yet I happily continued to turn the pages and found escape in her paranormal world. The narrative is well constructed and the author's establishment of setting is produced especially well. It was easy to visualise the characters and their settings. I'm keen to continue to get to know the secondary characters a little better, and will continue to happily follow this hot paranormal series. Amazon  |  All Romance eBooks  |  Nook  |  Paperback

On the heels of tragic loss, the stunning and innocent Natalie Mason, meets handsome business mogul Mac Carter. As Natalie attempts to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, circumstances beyond her control draw her and Mac into a situation she wants kept secret. The two are a matched set having both experienced immense loss in their lives. Uncertain of what she should do, she decides to give fate a chance, opening her heart to Mac, who just wants to love her. But the past, who often times takes no prisoners, rears its ugly head in a double dose. Mac’s ex-girlfriend cannot accept that their love affair is over and takes drastic measures through deception and blackmail to ensure that Mac will be hers. Natalie, on the other hand, has to face the one responsible for her sister’s death. As her journey begins to bring justice and closure, the past transports to her feet an unexpected surprise—a long lost love desiring to posses her as his once again. Will...

Title : One Ride (The Hellions Ride) Author : Chelsea Camaron Genre : Erotica Publication Date : January 2014 Tour Host : Dreams Come True Promotions Delilah “Doll” Reklinger never imagined her life with anyone that wasn’t a Hellion. She never imagined a Hellion would come along and prove himself worthy enough to her father, Roundman, Hellions Club President. Content in living in the bubble of safety the motorcycle club family has always provided, Doll never thought that danger surrounded her. Roundman has kept the Hellions contained for the last thirty years by controlling the chaos surrounding their lifestyle. When the dangerous side to their business comes knocking on his door, he realizes his precious Doll isn’t safe. The Hellions code may be that women and children are off limits in any altercation or dispute, but that doesn’t mean their enemies follow that same moral compass. His only child, now in danger from the association to him and his club, Roundman ...

The Warlord's Concubine by J.E. Keep Reviewer: Bex  The Warlord's Concubine is a hot read. The storyline provides enough substance to keep you reading and enough conflict to keep it interesting. It's a erotic fantasy read, so there's little sense of realism; the author controls her world well and creates a strong visual setting. I didn't especially bond well with the main character, Mirella, but I was interested enough to keep following. The spice level is definitely a 4, helping this book to be a 3.5 fairy read. If you're looking for a short, spicy and quick read then most definitely check this one out.

Passionate Addiction by Eden Summers Book 2 in the Reckless Beat rock star series. He’s been her ultimate untouchable desire. Nothing says happy birthday like a rock god flying thousands of miles to surprise a woman he's never met. But that's exactly what happens to Gabi Smith when she gives her long distance best friend a flippant invitation to her laid back girl’s night out. She never expected to turn on the dance floor and find Blake Kennedy’s gaze holding her body captive. She’s his everything and he’s never laid eyes on her.   Gabi means more to Blake than life itself. She’s his strength, his savior, and the only person who helped to vanquish his demons. No one means more to him than his angel. So when things between them start to sizzle, he's ready to fight for the future he never thought he would deserve. Skeletons from his past will threaten his only chance at love... Blake has come a long way—with Gabi's help—to leave the hell of his y...