Hi, guys! If you know me, you know that I like reading author Jennifer Lane's books. She has this almost realistic yet magical way of portraying her characters which is so admirable. This time, I'm reviewing Jen's latest, Aced (Blocked #2) as part of the blog tour for the same. So let's see what's in store for you! But before that, check this out:
Blocked, the first book in the series is only for $0.99 from December 15 to December 20, so make sure you grab the deal!
Blocked, the first book in the series is only for $0.99 from December 15 to December 20, so make sure you grab the deal!
Now, back to Aced!
Title: ACED
Series: Blocked #2
Author: Jennifer Lane
Release Date: December 2, 2015
Genre: New Adult Sports Romance
Length: 80,000 words
Cover Artist: CoreenMontagna
Cover Artist: CoreenMontagna
REVIEWS FOR ACED:
“Jennifer's characters always interact with each other in a very comfortable pattern of easy and witty banter. She is exceedingly good at dialogue. Aced is a very brave book. Like Blocked, it is not simply a fluffy, sweet and cozy romance."
~Teresa from Goodreads
"Lord forgive me for I have sinned and lusted over the hottie known as ALEJANDRO. Yup, dibs he's all mine, chicas."
~Nelly from Romance Bytes
"The plot is so well paced, I was reading until the wee hours of the morning."
~KarieDeegan from My Reading Reality
"Blocked captivated my attention from start to finish and Aced does not disappoint. Hotheaded Alejandro meets his match in stubborn and confident Maddie."
~Aaliyah from Goodreads
Goodreads Summary:
Volleyball wonder Lucia Ramirez found her love match in Blocked despite the glaring political spotlight aimed on her family. In Aced, the second book in Jennifer Lane’s Blocked series, it could be her brother Alejandro’s turn to get lucky in love.
Medical student Alejandro’s hot Latin looks get him plenty of attention, but his deep faith and admiration for his father keep him on a righteous path, with no time for something as frivolous as love. He strives to do the right thing—study diligently, take care of his siblings, represent the family well—so why does he feel so unfulfilled?
Enter Lucia’s friend and teammate Maddie Brooks, who shines at blocking the ball and acing the serve. Too bad this graduating senior isn’t so confident about her life off the court. Her longtime boyfriend has just bailed on her, and med school applications loom large. Oh, and a nerve-wracking tryout for Team USA also approaches.
Maddie meets Alejandro when he visits Lucia at school, and she’s soon drawn to his sharp mind. Alejandro is similarly intrigued by Maddie’s talent and strength. But will personal biases and family politics smother the slow burn of their attraction? Unless Maddie can learn to believe in herself, and Alejandro can become his own man, their kindling romance hardly stands a chance.
Will either of them be bold enough to try something new? Find out in this emotion-rich story that refuses to shy away from life’s hardest questions. Because love is worth the risk.
Medical student Alejandro’s hot Latin looks get him plenty of attention, but his deep faith and admiration for his father keep him on a righteous path, with no time for something as frivolous as love. He strives to do the right thing—study diligently, take care of his siblings, represent the family well—so why does he feel so unfulfilled?
Enter Lucia’s friend and teammate Maddie Brooks, who shines at blocking the ball and acing the serve. Too bad this graduating senior isn’t so confident about her life off the court. Her longtime boyfriend has just bailed on her, and med school applications loom large. Oh, and a nerve-wracking tryout for Team USA also approaches.
Maddie meets Alejandro when he visits Lucia at school, and she’s soon drawn to his sharp mind. Alejandro is similarly intrigued by Maddie’s talent and strength. But will personal biases and family politics smother the slow burn of their attraction? Unless Maddie can learn to believe in herself, and Alejandro can become his own man, their kindling romance hardly stands a chance.
Will either of them be bold enough to try something new? Find out in this emotion-rich story that refuses to shy away from life’s hardest questions. Because love is worth the risk.
REVIEW:
If you liked author Jennifer Lane's Blocked, you will love Aced. Trust me. Because I really liked Blocked and I ended up liking Aced even more. The combination of sports and politics was brilliant in the first book, so naturally I was looking forward to read more of the same. And oh my God! I instantly fell in love with Maddie and Alejandro.
Maddie is a volleyball star and studies medicine at Highbanks, where she is friends with Lucia. The two girls have been with each other through thick and thin and it was really nice to read about this beautiful friendship. Maddie was a sweetheart. I liked how she was portrayed as a real and very relatable 21 year old girl, who is strong, intelligent and independent but also vulnerable, sensitive yet super sweet. During one of the games, Maddie meets Lucia's bother, Alejandro. Sparks were literally flying off of the pages of the book and the chemistry between the two was amazing.
Alejandro is son of the president of America and he is charming- oh, so charming. Alex is an innocent boy until he falls head over heals in love with Maddie. His portrayal was a fresh change in New Adult, and a change I really liked and appreciated. He wasn't your normal bad boy sleeping around with girls and pretending to be the coolest of the lot. Rather, Alex is a hardworking and respectful person who, beyond anything else, is a wonderful soul. His love for Maddie was so cute and it had me smiling most of the time.
What I loved the most about Aced was the very realistic portrayal of Maddie and Alex. It's not often that book characters end up being just like normal people that you and I know or that may be you and I. But Jennifer Lane nailed it, and it was fabulous. Not just Maddie and Alex though, there were also families from both sides who were portrayed excellently and it was fantastic to get to know Maddie's family and meet Alex and Lucia's young brother Mateo and their parents again. The sports and politics added to a lot of fun and drama. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the White House and getting a hint of how it works. It was all excellent.
It's not often that I read or even like to read romances, so the few authors who are my exceptions when it comes to the genre have to be good at what they do. Clearly, Jen does an amazing job because I always end up liking her stories and in the case of Aced, loving them too.
*A copy of Aced was provided as part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. We thank the tour host and Jennifer for the book.
RATING:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Get
psyched for romance with psychologist/author (psycho author) Jennifer Lane! By
day she’s a therapist, and by night she’s a writer. She can’t decide which is
more fun.
Jen
adores creating sporty heroines and hot heroes in her college sport romances.
Volleyball wonder Lucia Ramirez found her love match in Blocked despite
the glaring political spotlight aimed on her family. In Aced, the second
book in the Blocked series, it’s her brother Alejandro’s turn to get
lucky in love. Aced launches in December 2015.
A
swimmer and volleyball player in college, Jen writes swimming-based romances as
well: Streamline, a military mystery, and the free New Adult novella Swim
Recruit.
Stories
of redemption interest Jen the most, especially the healing power of love. She
is also the author of The Conduct Series, a romantic-suspense trilogy
that includes With Good Behavior, Bad Behavior, and On Best Behavior.
Ultimately,
whether writing or reading, Jen loves stories that make her laugh and cry. In
her spare time she enjoys exercising, attending book club, and visiting her
sisters in Chicago and Hilton Head.
GIVEAWAYS:
1) Join us for the Facebook party 12-2-15 HERE. Over 25 Authors with
prizes!
2)
Leave a review on Amazon on 12-2-15 for a chance to win $25 gift card.
3) And enter the Rafflecopter Release Giveaway:
I'd like to thank Jen for sharing such lovely stories for the opportunity to read an ARC of the book. And thank you, readers, for stopping by!
