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Fighting Love #1

Pushing Limits

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AMBER TURNER has trust issues. Major trust issues. Shipped off to boarding school at the tender age of six by her power hungry mother and distant father, she tried hard to gain her parents’ approval and have the love she craved. After graduating high school, she comes home from school hoping she will finally have the family life she wants. Turns out, dear old mom merely needs her to smile and wave for the photo ops while she runs for public office. After she wins her coveted position, her mother doesn’t need her anymore and gives Amber two choices: be kicked out of the house without a dime or find a “suitable” husband from the “right” family at an exclusive college in Texas. Yee-fucking-haw.

TOMMY BOLT is a blue-eyed country boy with secrets of his own. To help out an old family friend, he offers to stand in as the school chauffeur. Damsel in distress and all. He picks up Amber and her aunt when they land, driving her towards her new life. Drawn to her striking sense of humor, smart mouth, and her scrumptious ass, he offers to show her around town. With his dark curls, sapphire blue eyes, mischievous grin, and one smokin’ bod, Amber is tempted to get to know him better. After a scorching hook-up, Amber tries to make it all about the sex, brushing off every attempt Tommy makes to get to know her with sarcasm and half-truths. Tommy pushes Amber’s limits, emotionally and physically, forcing her to break down her walls. His only condition is I don’t share. His only requirement is honesty. After one monumentally stupid decision, Amber violates his trust and Tommy walks away, obliterating her heart.

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2014

7 people are currently reading
324 people want to read

About the author

Kali Cross

3 books54 followers
Contemporary and erotic romance author Kali Cross is a proud Texan. Over the years, she has lived all over the world, having the opportunity to travel to Japan, Australia, and all over the Asia. She recently returned to her home town of Austin, Texas and resides there with her wonderful husband, little girl, and sweet dog. As an avid erotica reader, she loves a sizzling story and enjoys creating them. Her passion is creating new characters, some that fall in love, and others that just fall in heavy-duty lust. But sex is a deal breaker, every one of them has to have scorching hot sex. After all, isn’t that what we all want? Romance, love, and everything in between.
Kali loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at http://www.kalicross.com/.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Pam.
1,093 reviews1,070 followers
March 27, 2014
4 stars



Amber has trust issues, a pawn in her mothers’ career; she was raised by the help and only brought out when the image of a family is needed. After having learned a hard lesson, she spins out of control, which has her being sent off yet again to finish college in Texas…finally a shot of living her own life away from her mom who is a complete bitch. But to be truly free she has to be willing to let go of the past and open herself up to others…
“I do not lie.”

“No, you just tell half the story.”



Tommy is a motor-cycling-riding-country-boy who is temporarily playing rancher by day and musician by night. He is just the kinda fun Amber is lookin for, but his time comes at a price she isn’t ready to pay.
“On, no darlin’. See I’m not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kinda guy.” His blue eyes caress my body. “I like to take my time.” His hand slides down my body as he murmurs, “The slow southern way.”



Tommy wants to get to know more about this smart-mouthed-pink-haired hottie, but getting to know her is proving harder than he's ever expected. Needing to push her past her limits, he uses sex as a way to get some answers, thinking of it as a game, but when the reality of it hits, he realizes there is more to Amber. Amber isn’t happy with his methods, but her body doesn’t seem to listen, she craves his touch and his comfort.
“I’m just using him for sex.” I grin, glancing down at my wrists. “Hot, naughty, nasty sex.”



With her crazy-loveable roomie, Sally, she begins to loosen up and make a home in Austin, but a vengeful bitch has it out for her, and the risk of losing it all is enough to get her to finally fight back. Maybe it is time to let go of the past, not to forget but just move on…
I don’t know why I haven’t heard from you. Or why you haven’t at least listened to my explanation. Maybe you’ve moved on. I don’t know. I ‘gave you time” and it’s been weeks and nothing. I’m done waiting. Goodbye.

Pushing Limits was a story about living the college life, having fun and taking risks, even if you might end up getting hurt. Tommy is a sexy as sin southern boy, who knows how to please a lady; he is possessive and can melt your panties by calling you ‘Darlin’. IMO, the Darlin' was a bit overdone at times, but there was still a cuteness factor about it. Amber was a strong independent loveable character, who deserves a happily ever after, but the drama she has to live with proves she still has a long way to go before it happens. I wish we had more time with the couple, more time with Tommy, but the bitchy drama and the petty cat fights just added to her plate of things to deal with. I read this in one sitting, wanting to find out what happens next, there was a lot going on to make the time fly by.

Fair warning, there is a cliff hanger, but it isn’t one that will have you wanting to through your kindle against the wall, it was just something to get you wanting more. At times I felt like it was high school instead of college, with all the pettiness of it, but then again it has been a while since I've been there, so who knows. I can’t wait to see what happens next for Amber and Tommy. Plus I love her roomie, Sally, one could only hope that she gets her own book later on.

ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for TeriLyn.
1,385 reviews440 followers
March 16, 2014
Pushing Limits shines right off the pages. The plot edgily explores sexual preference, pushes boundaries, and equals in both angst and fun. It's well written with smart dialogue. The characters of Pushing Limits help the book thrive. Amber journeys through a new normal after she's cast aside by a politically driven, loveless mother. She's suffered a tragic loss involving her first love who is a woman. This was my first bisexual female lead and I enjoyed it. She's rebuilding herself, discovering her passions and living. Her character is formidable against change. I liked her sass, her edge, her expressiveness. She's forging a path for herself, doing her own thing; she's real. Her honesty is her most attractive attribute. Lightning strikes hot when Amber meets Tommy Bolt. Tommy is a strong character, an alluring hero. He's charming, sexually demanding, and funny. There's a charged passion in every scene with Tommy. The characters have interesting back stories and the pace at which they're developed makes for an easy read. The secondary characters make the book better as well. Sally is Amber's gay roommate; they're often engaged in flirty, fun, banter. Sally owns who she is completely and it's refreshingly honest. I liked where the author took us, I liked the conflict, and I adored the characters. I did not, at all, enjoy the way this book ended. Being part of a series, there is always the chance of a cliffhanger but this wasn't exactly a cliffhanger the book just abruptly ended; literally just in the middle of scene, done. That's my biggest issue. I'm excited for the second book to see where this author takes all of these characters. Pushing Limits is a recommended read that will leave you entertained.

**Pushing Limits was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
Profile Image for Nikki *STFU I’m Reading* Smith.
49 reviews7 followers
July 13, 2014
You had me at 'Darlin'. Squeeeee..

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story: 4/5 - Would have got a 5/5 if it wasn't a cliffhanger. Now I have another countdown to add to my pile..
Sex: 5/5 - HOT HOT HOT!
Heroine: 5/5 - I loved the fact she wasn't your typical Blonde haired, Blue eyed Shy girl which most stories have.
Hero: 4/5 - He was hot. All he was missing was a tattoo or two. What can I say? I'm a sucker for tatts.
Overall 4.5/5 Scorcher Stars

i really enjoyed this book. I love the tables turning and it being the 'Bad' Girl and the 'Good' Guy story. Having said that he was NO good guy in the bedroom. *sighs*

Story:
The heroine Amber has been shipped away to another school yet again cos her mother can't have her looking bad as she runs for local office. So she's sent to Texas were she meets HOTTIE Tommy Bolt who is her driver. Then he goes about driving something else into her (which by the way had me panting). Anyways.. Where was I??.. Oh yes. Bad girl Amber has secrets of the past and Good guy Tommy is forever trying to pull down the walls she has built. Finally he does, then Amber makes a stupid decision and Tommy leaves her and she gets heartbroken.. Then BOOM.. Ya'll have to wait for the next book!!

On the side:
I freaking LOVED Ambers roommate Sally. She had me in stitches with her humor and quick one liners oh and her need to walk around naked all the time. She was without a doubt my favourite character in the book.

The last note:
Please Hurry Kali with the next book.. I need to hear Tommy's southern 'Darlin' twang again.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
128 reviews
June 20, 2014
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5 stars

I think this is going to be a pretty good series. So far, the first book has everything you need for a great story: good pacing, decent character development, and a realistic tone. It drew me in and held my attention all the way through. Some parts were a little more out there, but overall I liked it. Fair warning though, it does end on a cliffhanger and really shouldn't be read as a stand-alone.

Amber is different than what I expected; definitely not your typical NA female. She has a little bit of a tougher side with a tomboy vibe. The chemistry between her and Tommy didn't strike me immediately, but it's definitely more established by the time they get intimate. I do wish that we were shown more of the relationship between them though. It feels like we didn't get nearly enough Tommy .

The genre's listed as erotica, so you kind of know what to expect there, but in addition to the sexy times, and there's a fair amount of HOT sexy times, there's some humor as well. Sally is a trip and quite a refreshing character!

The story is told in the present tense, and although I prefer past tense (I think it creates a smoother story), I found it pretty easy to read. There were a handful of occasions where the author mistakenly slips into past tense, but it wasn't so bad that it would be noticed by someone that wasn't as anal as me. There were some grammatical errors, mainly punctuation or a missing word here and there, but they're very minimal. Though, I noticed several instances where "its" is used instead of "it's"...something that I think should have been caught fairly easily. There were a few times where I got a little confused with the pronoun usage. There may have been multiple females within the discussion, but the general use of "she" had me searching through the context way more than I felt I needed to in order to find out who "she" was. There was also a slight issue with repetition; the same word or phrase would be used several times in the course of a paragraph, disrupting the flow and making it seem simplistic. Honestly though, this is one of the better indie books in terms of editing.

This is a really promising debut(?) novel. I definitely plan on sticking with the series to see how things turn out for Tommy and Amber.


Profile Image for Patricia.
39 reviews2 followers
July 6, 2014
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amber has long ago given up on trying to please her mother, who only cares about image and how she can use her daughter to make herself look better. As a punishment for not behaving like her mother would like her to, Amber is sent to a private school in Austin, Texas. When she arrives there she realizes that Austin doesn't look that bad and she meets the charming country boy Tommy Bolt. Tommy manages to get close to Amber quickly not only physically but also by making her talk to him and trust him with her secrets. Will she be able to fully trust him and their relationship? What will happen when they have to spend some time apart?

First of all, there is a cliffhanger! I like to know that before I start to read a book because I hate an unfinished story.
That said, I have to say that I struggled to like Amber. I questioned some of her actions and decisions throughout the story, but I did like Tommy. Regarding their relationship, I think it was too focused on sex; they met and had sex very quickly and then they started getting to know each other and they really just had time to start it before they had to spend a long time apart. Because they didn't spend that much time together, I didn't feel that deep love and connection between the characters. Being in a new relationship and then having to spend time apart is difficult but I don't know why they didn't try to communicate more, I mean, nowadays there are so many ways to keep in touch... And why did Amber never offer to visit him? One of Amber's decisions that I questioned was regarding Bobby... If she didn't like him, why would she spend time with him or try to help him?

I gave it 3 starts because the book kept me turning pages, it was entertaining and quick to read. I might read the second book, but mainly because, as I said before, I really don't like unfinished stories.
Profile Image for Raph En Goguette.
31 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2014
II received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
And I am very sorry to give only 1 star.
To be honest I didn’t buy it.
The abstract looked very interesting and the comments were good too, so I was really excited about it. Because on paper, that kind of story is totally my cup of tea. I like ‘hot and steamy’ and the storyline looked good. Amber could have been a deep and lovable wounded girl, but finally I felt very few profound feelings. I would have love to read more about the characters’ psychology. It seemed to me that it was only about sex. So I got a little bored, and the end of the book was also a disappointment too. Somehow in writing and books, I like it when authors “show without telling”. And in Pushing limits, I missed it. I gave one star because there were some smart dialogues, and Tommy is quite hot.
I am sorry again and thank you for the opportunity.

Ça n'a pas vraiment fonctionné pour moi. J'ai eu du mal à m'attacher aux personnages qui me semblent un peu trop superficiels. J'ai l'impression qu'il y a dans ce genre d'histoire des pièges à éviter et que l'auteur n'y est pas parvenu.
L'histoire en elle-même manqué de consistance et ce n'est qu'un prétexte pour écrire des scènes torrides. Tout tourne autour de ça et je trouve ça un peu dommage. J'aime bien les scenarios pimentés et sur le papier le résumé me plaisait beaucoup. Le récit en lui-même n’est qu’une série d’évènements relatés de façon très factuelle, mais sans entrer dans la psychologie du personnage. Lorsque je lis le résumé du deuxième volume, j'ai tout autant envie de le lire. Je pense qu’il est très bien vendu mais malheureusement la qualité de l'écriture et l'intrigue manquent cruellement à l’histoire. Je suis vraiment désolée. Merci pour l’opportunité.
Profile Image for Barb.
46 reviews14 followers
July 6, 2014
Thank you Kali Cross for giving me a copy of this book for a fair and honest review!

********************3.5 STARS**********************

I must say I enjoyed the story line of this book. With that said, I normally take a half star off for a book that if is a cliffhanger, but I took a whole star off because this was a very abrupt cliffhanger.

I liked the main characters in the story, but I thought that there were too many other characters blended in that were inconsequential. In the beginning so much was going on and I think there needed to be more character development of the main characters.

The story moved on with a great "lust story" with hot sex! Tommy and Amber heated up the pages, but I didn't feel the connection even after he got her to open up to him.

Amber's roommate, Sally, made me laugh, although I think she was a little over the top with her sexuality.

I don't do spoilers so it is hard for me to express what frustrations I have with this story.

Believe me I liked the concept of the story and kept expecting more. Thank goodness the next book was available to read to find out where this story was leading. Of course, I purchased it because I had to continue the journey!
Profile Image for Lynn.
582 reviews76 followers
March 12, 2014
I started the book a little wary as I was worried that the MC was going to be a poor-me-spoiled-little-rich-girl and to some extent we did see that that attitude. However for the most part what we got was a smart, gutsy and sassy character.

The book is fast paced and fun; full of compelling characters, interesting storylines and HOT sex.
It was really good to read a NA (albeit an Erotic NA) book that was about an MC who wasn't sexually naive and characters with all types of sexual orientations.

All good you would think? Well yes, excecpt for that fricking ending! Now when you go into a book that's advertised as part of a series you're open to the fact you may get a cliffhanger but this just an abrupt ending in the middle of the story. I kept swiping the page hoping that my kindle % marker was wrong.

Bad form Ms. Cross, you lost a star because of that. Now when is the second book available because I need to read it NOW!

PLEASE NOTE: I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Profile Image for Christine.
22 reviews11 followers
February 18, 2014
Awesome book! The story pulled me in hook, line and sinker! I loved the characters and the storyline held me captive and made it hard to put my iPad down. In the end, it left me yearning for book 2.! OMG, when is book 2 coming out?
215 reviews11 followers
July 9, 2014
Pushing limits –Kali Cross Review
I recently took a break from the New Adult genre due to the same old problems of lack of storyline and poorly executed stories. This book, for me was just another addition to the junk pile and further adds to my greatest dislike of this genre: the use of sex to hide the mess that is the nonexistent story by addling the ‘’new adult’’ mind.

Exhibit A – The Fifty Shades of Grey reminiscent '’inner goddess’’
‘’My ravenous beast rears its ugly head’’ {prior to coitus]
‘’My satiated state pulls my Inner demon out to play’’’ [mid sex act]
‘’My inner beast’’ [in anticipation of sex act]
Now, not to say only Fifty Shades can use this technique or that it is an inherently poor technique…but for this book it is just …NO. ‘Nuff said.
The story line, I’d seen before [though not with a farmer’s son], the characters….felt FORCIBLY …almost multidimensional and the writing left me wanting…in a BAD way.
This by no means is a horrible book, perhaps, not even a bad book but it is poor. The protagonist starts off as your clichéd –I’m not pretty-I’m a rebel-fuck it I can have sex –bla de bla rubbish suddenly becoming this everybody thinks I’m hot, confident I can do what I want type girl then turns into a snivelling mess post heartbreak and oh gosh the insta-love. In real life if a guy wants to screw about he will screw you, not try to turn it into a relationship e.g. ‘’you don’t have to do it alone anymore, darling’. I’m here’’ ….but nooo seems like all male counterparts are chowing down on the ‘’there's just ‘something about’ you’’ tin soup and BAM ‘’I need you’’ slurry was poured into the mix as well as the ‘he’s so hot everyone wants him but he only has eyes for me’ sprinkled in with not so subtle waitresses shoving their breasts in his face. YUM. Then there's the god awful slang ‘’margs and and the chips and guac’’ -Shivers-

There’s a plethora of other things about this novel that I disliked ...deeply, but we don’t have time for that. I did however, take the time to painstakingly highlight from red [well pink since I was on my Kindle] to green my dislikes, ‘’eh’’ and ‘’yay’s’’, safe to say there are more pinks than green. But let’s get to the main event the let down of an ending. This ‘’episode’’ yes …episode you gasp in shock -that’s what I was thinking. Not labelled as an episode but ‘’book one’’ LIES Ms Cross LIIIIIIEEEESS. The book ended on a cliff-hanger that was again, poorly executed and unnecessary. The final section of the book could’ve been rounded up neatly and forever finished but noooo its going to draaaaaag on and I really don’t care…well I liked the roommate she was hot.
All in all, POOR.

Two stars and a suggestion to try not to addle impressionable ‘’New adult’’ minds and make money off of them with these bloody ‘’episodes’ marketed as ‘’’book one’’ in an ‘’epic romance’’ when drab is more fitting. Moreover, I do suggest using more than ‘’Lily The arch nemesis’’ and a poor [there's that word again] love connection as the driving plot.
Back to the drawing board.

P.S. Any suggestions for good…even passable New Adult novel? I wait with bated breath for your suggestion.
Profile Image for Red Cheeks Reads.
2,277 reviews373 followers
March 25, 2014
Amber has been kicked out of her house by her bitch of a mum who is more concerned with her career than being a mother. She moves Amber to Texas to go live with Aunt Patty and attend a well to do university.

Amber is feisty, spunky, confident and full of spirit. It was a interesting change to read about a young women who liked boys and girls as it’s the ‘person she likes’. It was a new experience for me to read a NA where the female lead had different sexual preferences typical of most NA books and I really liked it. Mostly because Amber and her roommate and friend Sally were hilarious together as well as flirty and sexy.

Tommy is the ultimate southern boy with the old fashioned southern charm but with an edge. He was beautiful with a tight body and piercing blue eyes, the ultimate country boy who’s also a musician, an alpha and has a spark of dominance in him. You really can’t ask for more. Especially since he certainly wasn’t a gentleman in the bedroom. The sex scenes between him and Amber were HOT HOT HOT!!

This was a good, university filled drama story with off the charts hot sex scenes. The story mainly revolved around Amber and her friends life in the university, mostly their sexual and party life. It was filled with angst and drama not just between Tommy and Amber but other characters as well like Sally and Lilly. There were also background stories that kept you hooked and wanting to read on to know what happens next like who was attacking the waitresses? who was messing with Ambers grades? And what is up with Bobby?

My favorite scene has to be the question and answer, punishment and reward game Amber and Tommy played. It was beyond sexy but also loved that Tommy was trying to get Amber to open up for him, it’s the moment you realize he wants more than just sex from her and actually wants to get to know Amber for who she really is.

It does end very suddenly, which isn’t a favorite of mine. Everything is left very much open ended and no issues are solved or questions answered. However on the plus side it means I will definitely be reading the second book to find out how everything works out.

This to me was a YA plot but with NA content. There are hot and explicit sex scenes and drug use so 18+ but with a story that took place in university and was filled with relationship drama, older readers of the YA genre and NA readers would really enjoy this one.

Bethany

Profile Image for multitaskingmomma.
1,359 reviews45 followers
April 25, 2014
Original Blog Post: http://headouttheoven.blogspot.com/20...

Ramona's Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

Amber is your typical rich kid: opinionated, brash, snarky. She's also hiding an insecure streak a mile wide with her smart mouth and don't-care attitude. It's sadly typical for kids who essentially raise themselves because of apathetic parents they can't rely on coupled with the "privilege" of money to burn.

Tommy, while seemingly an open book, forces Amber to purge her soul but seems to still be hiding secrets from her. It's strange they both demand honesty from each other yet only reveal parts of the truth or refuse to discuss it at all.

I was dragging my feet a bit at the beginning. The story was going a bit slow while, on the other hand, packed with one sex scene after another. Even the conversations centered around sex! Although Amber and Tommy make a sizzling and highly experimental couple with imaginative bedroom romps, there was something lacking. Everything was sizzling, but ... but. I can't really place my finger on what was off.

Their chemistry was right but neither of them was at the scene. "Physically present, mentally absent" describes it perfectly. It's not just Amber, but Tommy too, who appear to be more engrossed with keeping up a facade than letting their partner know themselves more deeply. Was this done on purpose?

I ask because the pace picks up around the last third of the novel. The emphasis was more on their relationship while they were broken up than when they were together! Strange that it's only here where I felt more intimate with Amber's character.

What I appreciate about Pushing Limits is that all the characters are unexpectedly in the round - sexual orientation isn't an issue, characters are believably flawed, even the jerks can be friends. The only unbending monster is Amber's mother, which is about right under the circumstances. Sally is a lovable, freaky woman and Aunt Patty is a perennial wild child. Love these two most.

So. Did I enjoy reading this? Yes, especially the last part of the book. Also found the secondary characters to be highly entertaining. Will I read the second book? After an ending like that, how could I not?


Note: Copy provided by author for an honest review.
Profile Image for Trina.
39 reviews1 follower
June 20, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked by this story from the very beginning. Amber is 19 years old and is working on coming to terms with losing her girlfriend Angela. Later in the story you find out exactly what happened as Amber opens up to people in her life, which is hard for her to do due to trust issues. Amber does not have good relationship with her mother and a completely nonexistent one with her father. She has spent her life in boarding schools or being raised by a nanny. At the beginning of the story she is back home. When her mother catches her in a situation she tells her that she is sending her to a college in Austin Texas. Her aunt will be checking in on her and serving as her guardian even though she is an adult. Once Amber arrives in Texas with her aunt she meets Tommy. He is their driver sent by the college. Amber is instantly attracted to him and the feeling is mutual, Even though she sets out thinking that their relationship will be just physical, it becomes much more.

There were many things that I loved about this story. First I was glad that Amber did not turn out to be a spoiled rich princess kind of character. She was relatable and down to earth. Next, any time Tommy was around was fantastic. The way he talked to Amber in and outside the bedroom was sweet and hot. I loved when he called her darlin'. Sally, Amber's roommate, made this story even more entertaining. I liked how open she was and funny. I also appreciated the diversity of the characters in this book.

I really enjoyed this book. As I read this book, I was able to connect with Amber as she went through a journey of moving on from loss, finding love and friendship, and discovering herself. I have a feeling due to hints dropped in this book about what might really be going on with her relationship with her parents and her aunt. The ending is a cliffhanger, which, I normally do not like, but I checked right away and book two is available and concludes the story. I plan to read it very soon because I am eager to find out what happens next.
1 review
March 26, 2014
I loved it!
It captured my attention right away just from reading the first page and I was hooked. The main character Amber reminded me of me when I was her age and causing a lot of trouble. And honestly, what woman doesn’t want a man like Tommy in their lives? The real Casanova type with everything to offer. There was only one point in the book when there was no action and that’s when I thought it could get boring from here or the author lost her way. But, that wasn’t the case at all. The action picked right back up and surprised me, which made me fall in love with it all over again.
The author also added other characters in the book where they should be and it seems everyone had a story so you felt like they were real people. Not once did I get confused about what was going on, I just wanted to know more and more. I have always enjoyed these kinds of book and read them often.
This book is written in the first person and also present tense which is something I love when reading most books. The author does not bounce back and forth between characters which is also refreshing. Also the background on the characters is very clear, especially Amber the main character.
The writing of the book was also done well. The storyline was always on point and clear, not confusing at all. The author kept to the plot of story and didn’t change it midway, which is something I have noticed before when reading certain books.
The way the book ended definitely has me waiting to read Part 2. I'm excited to find out what happens and what more could happen.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a little hot sex in their lives and doesn’t mind that sex pushing limits. :-)
Profile Image for Kris.
64 reviews6 followers
August 13, 2016
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amber has not had a great childhood and suffered a tragedy in her teens. She is sassy and snarky but overall she seems fairly well rounded. She is bitter when it comes to her Mom and her financial situation. She hates being under her Mother's thumb, but it never occurs to her to find a way to change her circumstances (for example, find a job and make her own money). It only crosses her mind after Tommy suggests it.

I loved Sally! I found her to be a fun, flirty strong person. She was not afraid to put it out there. She showed love and support to Amber when she need it most. A great friend.

Tommy I found to be upfront and center in the first half of the book, yet outside of Amber's memories of their "relationship" he was completely absent for most of the second half. Sure he had commitments to the farm. Sure he and Amber had a misunderstanding. "I Need Time" and poof he practically falls off the planet until the very end.

Overall I would have to say it was an ok read for me. I wanted to like it, but I really didn't feel any connection to Tommy and Amber as a couple. To me they had a kinky sexual relationship, nothing more. I didn't see any real substance to their relationship. I was more interested in the secondary characters, they were more diverse and interesting to me. To say this was a cliffhanger is a understatement..I felt that it ended rather abruptly. Unfortunately this was not the book for me. It happens.
Profile Image for J luvs books.
205 reviews11 followers
June 26, 2014
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Amber comes from a very wealthy upbringing, but has always been sent to boarding schools her entire life. Her mom has cared about politics and running for office more than her, and her dad is her mom's puppet. After getting caught making out with a guy in her room, her mom uses that excuse to ship Amber off to collage far away in TX.

Amber is not happy to be moving to TX, but when she meets her fun, friendly roommate and her hotter than hell cousin (Tommy), things start to look up for Amber.
Tommy is a southern boy to his bones with a hot body, dimples, a motorcycle, and sexy dominant side. Delish! Amber thinks he is way out of her league. So, when her roommate sends a sexy text from her phone late at night to Tommy from Amber, she is surprised that he wants to see her.

Amber usually keeps her horrible past to herself, but Tommy gets her to open up to him in all sorts of ways. What she thought would just be a couple hot nights, ends up being a whole lot more. And, when he says she is "his" and only his, will the old party girl be able to keep that promise?

There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end but you at least find out the most important thing, even if it leaves you wanting more.
205 reviews19 followers
July 31, 2016
Pushing Limits was a non-typical college setting with a girl who seemed to be trying to find her own way and discover who she was with a very controlling political mother. She always had to be careful of how she presented herself and her mother was always sending her away if it wasn't the perfect image.

Fast forward to Amber being sent to college in Texas and starting to really put a life together for herself. She found a great guy to date, a fabulous roommate that became her best friend and a whole group of friends to hang out with that accepted her bisexuality. Of course, there were a lot of other side stories going on and a little heartache tossed in.

Overall Pushing Limits was a good story. I felt that it was all over the place at times after the first half. Sometimes I like stories like that because for one, they are very unpredictable. For this one, I really enjoyed some hot scenes and the characters were pretty well developed but it just didn't click 100% with me. I think the book ended pretty abruptly so I'm thinking that I might like the story more after reading part 2. I did enjoy reading book 1 and recommend it to those that like a college story and pushed limits.
Profile Image for Erin.
443 reviews10 followers
October 27, 2014
I was given this book from the author for an honest review.

4.75 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It started off a little slow, but as the story continued, it picked up and got hot and emotional.

The main character Amber guards herself. She doesn't get to close to anyone and doesn't talk much about herself, when people ask. If/When people ask about her, she tends to change the subject or uses sarcasm to brush off the question asked. She has loved once, but she has a wall put up, so no one can get close to her.

Tommy was the one that brings those walls down, so Amber can open up to him and to the people that are around her that she meets. He was the one that can see through her, when she's putting those walls up. Amber wasn't expecting any kind of relationship with Tommy, but just a quick fix on that inch. But something more becomes of them.

I love her roommate Sally. She is off the wall, no BS and too funny through out the book. She is the one that is there for Amber when things don't work out and picks her back up to be that spunky, partying girl.

I can't wait to read what happens with Amber and Tommy.
37 reviews
July 20, 2016
This was a complimentary book in exchange for an honest review.

Pushing Limits had me hooked from the first page and I couldn't put it down. The only disappointment was in the way that it ended abruptly. It is my understanding that there will be more books in this series and I hope that is the case because I simply have to know how this will end. All of the characters were well developed and the plot was plausible. Several books in this genre are simply gratuitous sex, but this book had a well-developed story. Amber is a very unique girl that has been dealt quite a lot of heartache in her life. It was great to see that she found Tommy, someone who could love her for her instead of what she could do for them. Her roommate Sally was a little over the top but provided a lot of comic relief. All in all, this book is a must read. I can find very little wrong with it and quite a lot that is right about it. I would have happily given this book 5 stars if the ending hadn't rubbed me the wrong way.
Profile Image for Judy Miracle.
1,198 reviews12 followers
June 23, 2014
I absolutely loved this book!! Just amazing My new favorite book characters are now Amber and Tommy!!! :)
This book was written and i felt like i was in the story. My heart hurt for amber when Tommy said he needed time.

Amber is not loved by her mother she is just a prop to her political campaign. After losing her girlfriend and being shipped to Texas by her mother she meets Tommy. Tommy is your everyday southern gentleman who works as a musician and on his parents cattle ranch.

Loved the connection between Amber and Tommy from the beginning.. hot, steamy, engaging!! :)

Only thing that I did not care for is the fact that Tommy wouldn't even let her explain when things and just said he needed time. I guess in the real world that happens all to often so I get it but it also made Tommy look like a jerk even with everything he went through with his ex-fiance.

The ending OMG the ending. I just couldn't hold out on what was to come next and had to purchase the next book immediately.
Profile Image for Stephanie Brent.
14 reviews3 followers
July 25, 2016
I got a free copy of this book for an honest review.

When I first started reading this book I almost put it down but didn’t because I liked the writing style, despite my dislike of the characters. I didn’t like Amber, her mother, none of them. I’m glad I didn’t put it down. I really enjoyed this book, even the characters in the end. It wasn’t what I expected.

Amber is bisexual and overcoming the death of her lover while dealing with her bitchy mother who sends her away to college in Texas. Her character really grows. Tommy, the leading male, has a little bit of every thing, musician, biker, cowboy.

I loved some of the side stories and side characters, although at time there was way too much information.

I gave it four stars instead of five because of the cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers. It’s not some dramatic, I have to know what happened, cliffhanger. It just leaves you wanting more. I already bought the second book. I enjoyed it that much. I really recommend this book.
Profile Image for Valeria.
54 reviews5 followers
June 25, 2014
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

This book is good, honestly more than I expected.
First of all Amber: I liked her, and I especially liked her being bisexual without being too promiscuous. I think this is the first NA I've read in which the female character is bisex, and it was very interesting and believable to me.
Tommy is a real piece of candy, totally hot and swoon worthy.
The history was quite interesting, well paced and decently written.
I also liked the side characters, especially Sally.

There's a HUGE cliffhanger at the end, really well done: in fact it convinced me to buy the sequel, and sadly, even though I've not finished it yet, I must say that the second book in my opinion doesn't live up to the expectation the fist one created in me. But I'll post a proper review about the second book when I'm done reading.

So overall, thi is a good book , worth the reading, with a lot of sexy times, really really HOT.
Profile Image for Elaine.
1,128 reviews3 followers
March 23, 2014
Honest review. This book has all the elements, heat, passion, and greed. Amber is 19 and loves all, male or female. But it is due to the fact that her parents are so cold and distant to her. She has more love and support from her caregivers then her parents. From the age of 6 she has been to boarding school.
Tommy was in love with Jessica but she was screwing his brother Max behind his back for months behind his back and it almost killed him.
Amber and Tommy meet and the sparks are flying. Sally is Ambers roommate and they start drinking and Sally sends Tommy a text for Amber that starts things in motion.
This book gives you a lot of info for both Amber and Tommy's past with what happened in there past. Both have had a hard time with relationships and family issues. But one huge misunderstanding tears them apart.
1 review
March 29, 2014
I couldn't put this book down for nothing! I had to keep reading it every chance I got. The writing just reels you in and keeps you locked there until the end. Amber and Tommy are a perfectly good match especially when it comes to the sex, which was beyond hot, makes you want to have that in real life. Besides the hot hot sex, the story actually has a plot to which makes it even more compelling to read. Also, I'm sure a lot of woman who had a wild side in there younger years can relate to a bitchy mother, which would make anyone more wild. That gives the book a nice twist. A mother who is a complete bitch and an aunt who cares more than anything because she can relate to Amber I believe makes Amber not feel so alone in the family department. It is an excellent book and I would suggest anyone who loves to read a good book, read this one.
Profile Image for Alwaysreadingbooks - Reading Drinking and Relaxing.
661 reviews15 followers
June 21, 2014
I was given this book for an honest review

OMG I loved this book. Amber and Tommy had a connection right off the bat and the fact that both of them were damaged made the story all the better. You had no choice but to feel sorry for Amber but than Tommy popped in her life and things changed for the better for her. She was able to finally open up to people and not shut them out. I loved the fact that Amber was a free spirit and that she was open sexually because it's very seldom that you run across that in a lead female character. Lily was the character that you had no choice but to hate and I can't wait and see what happens to her. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series because I wanna see what happens between Amber and Tommy and the rest of the characters in the book.
Profile Image for Renee Weaver.
42 reviews9 followers
September 12, 2015
This book had me from the first page. I was just coming off a hard read, I dove into this book with caution as I was still in slow read mode. The first night I stayed up nearly finishing the book in one sitting. The author is writing about young love, college kids based in a college town. I love the way she incorporates real things, real places, real landmarks into the book. This book will tug at your heartstrings slightly. She writes from a very liberal viewpoint, if you are really conservative Pushing Limits will not be for you. If you are open minded, fun, and like to read a story without judgement you will love this story. I will be starting the 2nd book today. There is so much about Amber and Tommy I want to know. I do hope that more of Sally's and Aunt Patty's stories are told in this next book!
Profile Image for Jasmine Sheffield.
Author 3 books7 followers
April 15, 2014
Amber is a character who will grow on you from page one. She instantly grabbed my attention and made me want to learn more about her. I was in her corner, rooting for her to find someone to both love and understand her. Then enters Tommy, wow! The chemistry between Amber and Tommy will make your heart race. Each of Amber's encounters make you want to learn more about her friends who could have a book of his/her own.

The story is of the New Adult genre, written in first person present tense. The perspective of the book allows the reader to dive into the intimate thoughts of Amber. Overall this is a great book, and I can't wait to read the other books in the series.

A copy of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
2 reviews
March 25, 2014
Awesome book! I absolutely loved it! Couldn't put it down whatsoever.

I didn't feel the book was rushed through at all like some books that are erotic and it isn't just about sex, even though the sex is what makes it HOT! There was even a scene of fighting that I didn't expect so it kept me wanting to read more to get to the bottom of it.

I loved all the characters even the bitchy ones. It’s what makes the book awesome to read. You have no idea what is going to happen next. Totally unpredictable! As for the ending, I love cliff hangers. It leaves you wanting more and more.

I can’t wait to read the second book. I excited about this series. Hat’s off to the author.
1 review
March 29, 2014
This book is definitely something. It was very captivating. The whole time, it kept me on my toes and has me wanting to read more. As well as Amber and Tommy, the main characters, there is Sally a girl who becomes Amber’s roommate who also adds humor and sauciness to the book. Sally helps Amber come out of her shell, even more than she is already is, while Tommy pursues her emotionally as well as physically. All of the characters in the book have a major role it seems and I like that when it comes to reading because everyone is unique. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a fun book and likes to be kept on their toes.
Profile Image for Chrsitina Somerville.
143 reviews7 followers
November 26, 2015
I received this book for my honest review.

When I first started off reading the book I was not so sure how I felt about it but the more I read the more I fell in love with the book. This book is HOT and Sexy. I loved the connection between Amber and Tommy, there relationship was so hot it just drew you in. I loved Sally she brought so much humor to the story. There was lots of drama around Amber, she has such a tragic history. From reading the description of the book about Amber and then reading the book she is not what you would expect. The booked ended in such a cliffhanger I am excited to read the next book to see what happens.
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