Hi everyone. I have been contemplating my decision to close up shop for some time. When I started blogging back in 2012, I had so much time on my hands. I was dealing with some health issues and couldn't work at the time. I stated blogging about the books I read. It kind of took off from there. I really enjoy blogging. It allows me to give a voice to my thoughts and opinions about the books I have read.
Over the course of a few years, my health got better. I decided that it was the perfect time to strive for bigger things in my life. I enrolled in my local community college and I am working towards becoming a paralegal. What does this have to do with anything you ask? well it has a lot to do with it. My life no longer revolves around the next book I read. I work, go to school, I'm involved in school club activities, and things within my community. I'm stretched too thin. I am forced to figure out what is more important. My schooling and work are my top priorities.
My decision to stop blogging was not an easy one. I love doing it. I know I am not like the big name blogs out there but loving what I do is what counts. I've met so many people over the years and have been introduced to books I otherwise would have overlooked. I am saddened that i have to leave behind something that I really enjoy doing but sometimes you just have to say goodbye.
Wolf isn’t always a good person, and he doesn’t hesitate to say what’s on his mind.
He is who he is, and he doesn’t offer apologies.
He isn’t out to impress anyone, and he doesn’t make excuses for his actions.
She knows that fear makes you braver…
Raven has made some bad decisions, and she’d give anything to go back in time and choose a different path.
The reality is that she can’t go back, and the day Wolf walks into her life, she finally realizes that maybe she doesn’t want to.
Wolf is everything she’s ever wanted, and the exact opposite of what she needs.
They both know heartbreak makes you wiser…
Wolf knows that this is not a good idea. There are a million reasons—all of them bad—telling him exactly why he should stay away.
But when Raven’s nightmares burst out of her dreams and into her reality, he doesn’t have a choice anymore.
He has to protect her, while somehow protecting his battered heart.
Ever since Wolf was mentioned in Coup de Grace, I have wanted to know his story. He is the quiet, mysterious character who took on the task of raising his friend's orphaned son. He is already pulling at your heartstrings and you haven't read his story yet. Like many of Vale's other characters, Wolf is developed because of his presence in other books. We don't have to go through the long process of getting all of this information because it is given to us throughout multiple books. We can get to the nitty gritty immediately.
Wolf and Raven meet in an unconventional way, while she is being rescued from her attackers. Raven is broken but not destroyed. She is trying to live after the hell she went through. The light in her darkness is Wolf but she feels she can't have him because he is already with someone. When it comes to Raven's feelings toward Wolf, you wonder if it is truly love and not just gratitude for saving her life. As their relationship develops, you realize that it is the real deal. Like Vale's other books, the female character is put through the ringer. She's thrown into the line of danger but ultimately it brings her and Wolf closer together. I was so happy when they finally got together because these two deserve to find happiness.
I absolutely love Vale's books. They always have a touch of suspense with a HEA. I think what makes her books so amazing is that she crosses her series together and gives the reader a chance to find out more about other characters. I can't wait to read what's next in store for this author.
Rating
5 out of 5 Stars
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.
Imagine falling in love with a man, then finding out he was a killer...
TRU BLUE is a sexy, dark stand-alone novel written in the same loving, raw, and emotional voice romance readers have come to love, and the deeply emotional literary prose women's fiction readers have come to expect, from New York Times & USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Melissa Foster.
He wore the skin of a killer, and bore the heart of a lover...
There's nothing Truman Gritt won't do to protect his family--Including spending years in jail for a crime he didn't commit. When he's finally released, the life he knew is turned upside down by his mother's overdose, and Truman steps in to raise the children she's left behind. Truman's hard, he's secretive, and he's trying to save a brother who's even more broken than he is. He's never needed help in his life, and when beautiful Gemma Wright tries to step in, he's less than accepting. But Gemma has a way of slithering into people's lives and eventually she pierces through his ironclad heart. When Truman's dark past collides with his future, his loyalties will be tested, and he'll be faced with his toughest decision yet.
***
"Several emotional topics -- such as drug addiction, abandonment, infertility and unexpectedly becoming a parent -- are easily woven together without making the story feel crowded or overdone. Foster writes exceptional characters that keep readers thinking long after the book is finished... The dynamic members of the Whiskey family are the foundation that holds the group together and they are exactly the reason we're taught not to judge. Let's hope we hear more from all of them!" RT Book Reviews
"Sexy and Heartbreaking....I simply adored this beautifully written romance." Tasty Book PR
"Ms. Foster, went for the gut with Truman and Gemma. Tru Blue is more than a romance, it is a story of love, a story of hope and a story of courage. 10 + stars." Night Owl Reviews
"With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!" New York Times Bestseller Julie Kenner
"Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" New York Times Bestseller Lauren Blakely
"You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that's fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won't want to stop reading. Every book's a winner!" NYT Bestselling Author Brenda Novak
Tru Blue is an emotional story about one man's fight to save his family. Truman has experienced a crap deal in life but he has always strived to protect his family. When he finds his siblings living a life that no one ever should, he steps in to save them. Truman is a man that I wish this world had a lot of real versions of. He's protective and caring, qualities that women crave. He is a great character because he is willing to sacrifice himself just to protect the ones he loves.
Gemma is Truman's love interest. She happens upon him one night when he needed help the most. She gives him a hand and instantly a connection is created. She tries to distance herself but how can you stay away from a guy that looks so that caring for his baby siblings? I loved them together, even though it seemed like their relationship was an uphill battle. In the end it was worth it to see these two together.
I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting read that was not only held together by the main characters but the secondary ones too. My only issue is that I felt the ending was too rushed. It was as if the author met her page quota and had to rush the ending. I would have loved more development there. Maybe taking the readers through a better explanation of how everything was "solved". Other than that it was an enjoyable read.
TRUMAN GRITT LOCKED the door to Whiskey Automotive and stepped into the stormy September night. Sheets of rain blurred his vision, instantly drenching his jeans and T-shirt. A slow smile crept across his face as he tipped his chin up, soaking in the shower of freedom. He made his way around the dark building and climbed the wooden stairs to the deck outside his apartment. He could have used the interior door, but after being behind bars for six long years, Truman took advantage of the small pleasures he’d missed out on, like determining his own schedule, deciding when to eat and drink, and standing in the f**king rain if he wanted to. He leaned on the rough wooden railing, ignoring the splinters of wood piercing his tattooed forearms, squinted against the wetness, and scanned the cars in the junkyard they used for parts—and he used to rid himself of frustrations. He rested his leather boot on the metal box where he kept his painting supplies. Truman didn’t have much—his old extended-cab truck, which his friend Bear Whiskey had held on to for him while he was in prison, this apartment, and a solid job, both of which were compliments of the Whiskey family. The only family he had anymore.
Emotions he didn’t want to deal with burned in his gut, causing his chest to constrict. He turned to go inside, hoping to outrun thoughts of his own f**ked-up family, whom he’d tried—and failed—to save. His cell phone rang with his brother’s ringtone, “A Beautiful Lie” by 30 Seconds to Mars.
“F**k,” he muttered, debating letting the call go to voicemail, but six months of silence from his brother was a long time. Rain pelleted his back as he pressed his palm to the door to steady himself. The ringing stopped, and he blew out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d trapped inside. The phone rang again, and he froze.
He’d just freed himself from the dredges of hell that he’d been thrown into in an effort to save his brother. He didn’t need to get wrapped up in whatever mess the drug-addicted fool had gotten himself into. The call went to voicemail, and Truman eyed the metal box containing his painting supplies. Breathing like he’d been in a fight, he wished he could paint the frustration out of his head. When the phone rang for the third time in as many minutes, the third time since he was released from prison six months ago, he reluctantly answered.
“Quincy.” He hated the way his brother’s name came out sounding like the enemy. Quincy had been just a kid when Truman went to prison. Heavy breathing filled the airwaves. The hairs on Truman’s forearms and neck stood on end. He knew fear when he heard it. He could practically taste it as he ground his teeth together.
“I need you,” his brother’s tortured voice implored.
Need me? Truman had hunted down his brother after he was released from prison, and when he’d finally found him, Quincy was so high on crack he was nearly incoherent—but it didn’t take much for f**k off to come through loud and clear. What Quincy needed was rehab, but Truman knew from his tone that wasn’t the point of the call.
Before he could respond, his brother croaked out, “It’s Mom. She’s really bad.”
Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.
Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.
