Too Beautiful to Break by Tessa Bailey 5✭

Title: Too Beautiful to Break by Tessa Bailey

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series: Romancing the Clarksons

Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction

Publish Date: September 26, 2017

Pages: 320

Ages: 18 + 

Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

If you are dying to read a book that has very well written characters that develop through the story this is one you should grab. I have read a few of Tessa Bailey's book now and they are top notch at character development. Seriously, I have found to love the journey of each character in each book. In each of the books that I have read, her characters connections feel real and alive. The characters all feel different in each series. They change and grow within their one book. She is definitely an author writes fantastic characters that deserve attention from everyone.

Tessa talks about where her inspiration for this story came from in the acknowledgments of the book. You absolutely need to read this. The whole time I read this all I could think about was the care and attention to detail that was put into bringing these characters story to paper.  I personally have to mention this because at the beginning of my review. I felt like the characters might not have been my style of a read. But after I read that, I had to continue. Once at the end I decided that this book was another top notch amazing read.

Belmont is a determined man who when he says he's going to do something he 100% does it to the fullest extent that it could possibly be done. Belmont would say he wants to fish in the ocean. Then he would end up getting a boat and running a successful group. That's the kind of man he is. If his family gets hurt it would be the exact same thing. He would go out of his way and do anything and everything to make it better. The only thing is he has his own flaws from a traumatic childhood incident. His character was fascinating to read while he was damaged and disturb that he wouldn't be a healthy person to be around. However, the change at the end, Tessa wrote about his smile and it wasn't like reading it. You could feel how his world had been fixed. You could feel the clouds part and you would smile with him knowing that someone so broken had managed to come up clean and refreshed out of the dirt. 

Belmont is not the only character in this story though. Sage is a lot like Belmont. She isn't broken I would say. She is a woman who grew up in the mud and fighting the shadows of the judgemental town that she felt was always following her. She was the poor girl that everyone took pity on but at the same time looked down on because of who her family was. What makes Sage an interesting character is the start of the book. Chapter one and she is leaving the man that she loves. He's the man she feels like she actually can not survive without. That is like the opposite of most happily ever after books. They do appear in other characters books in the series and have a connection before the start of this book. So you should read the first four books to understand their relationship. Which I did NOT do since I got this copy from Netgalley. So I would start from the beginning since this is the fourth book in the series. Back to Sage. She is striving for her independence from him. She wants to learn to be strong enough to be here without him. She knows she can not rely on him as her crutch anymore.

I can not say it enough. Tessa writes amazing books that are not only cut and dry happily ever after books. These are people on paper. People who have seen some things, they have experienced things. You as the reader get to watch them. You get to love them. 

Check out a sample below without leaving the page if you would like. I would buy this book if I knew what I knew at the moment with how well written this book was.

Indecent Exposure by Tessa Bailey 5 ✭

Title: Indecent Exposure
Author: Tessa Bailey
Series: The Academy
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Genre: New Adult & College, Romance, Contemporary Romance
Advanced Reader Copy: Yes
Total Pages: 384
Ages Recommended: 18+ Available in Paperback & Kindle Formats
My Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

Indecent Exposure is a prime example of how I think a New Adult genre book should be composed. When I think of New Adult & College books, I expect to feel hopeful for love or the chance of falling in love, almost still like you're in high school. When you read it, you want to feel like the characters are mature enough to be confident or at least responsible in their lives as if they are finally beginning their life as an adult. Tessa Bailey has captured the time of being hopeful to fall in love and the maturity of having more confidence in yourself and the responsibilities of being an adult.

The characters are still young enough to be naive, and they can learn and grow as the story goes. The character development is impressive. I will say that I feel like the focus is more on Jack Garrett and his past rather than Katie. However, Katie is the perfect counter to his problem. 

Let's just say that at the start of the book Jack comes off as a typical twenty something male who is smoking hot and he knows it. He is always out bar hopping just to make the day go by. As the story develops you realize that it is more than that. Jack is a young man with a problem that he himself isn't even aware of. He is broken but oblivious to how broken he actually is. Katie is innocent and witty. I fell in love with her to a little. Jack at one point notices that she has a sense of humor but doesn't use it to flirt. That felt like a key attribute about Katie McCoy to me.


This was my first book to read by Tessa Bailey. I was #blessed by the books gods with getting an ARC to read, and I do mean blessed. I am looking forward to reading more by Tessa Bailey. This is a book that I would willingly buy no matter the cost and the cost is worth it. I was beyond happy with this read. Thankfully there is more to the series as this is the second book in the Academy series. So far there looks like there is going to be three books.

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance. This was a charming romance that made me feel like my heart was invested in the characters and the story. I think what made the whole book so lovable was that it was written as such an amazing new adult book. However, it does have mature content obviously, it is not a young adult book. So I would say the reader should be 18 or older.

TL;DR Version - BUY THIS BOOK! It is a real book and not just a happily ever after romp read.



Other current books in the series:
Books One: Disorderly Conduct by Tessa Bailey
Release Date: August 29, 2017

You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone…Police academy cadet Charlie Burns can’t believe his luck when the gorgeous blonde he meets in a bar murmurs those magic words: “Nothing serious, ’kay?” Mind-blowing, no-strings sex with Ever Carmichael—it’s the holy grail of hookups for a guy who’s too busy following in his law enforcement family’s footsteps to think about getting serious. Charlie’s all about casual…that is, until Ever calls it quits and his world tilts on its axis.
Ever knows that when you control the relationship game, you can’t get played. But for the first time, she wants more than short-term satisfaction. Step one: end her fling with commitment-phobic Charlie. Step two: sacrifice herself to the ruthless NYC dating scene. Yet everywhere she turns, there’s Charlie, being his ridiculously charming self. No online match or blind date compares to the criminally hot cop-in-training, but they’re over. Aren’t they?
If love is a four-letter-word, why does the idea of Ever seeing someone else tie Charlie up in knots?  Now he’s desperate to win her back…and a little date sabotage never hurt anyone, right?

Disorderly Conduct by Tessa Bailey 3 ✭

Title: Disorderly Conduct

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series: The Academy

Genre: Romance

Publish Date: August 29, 2017

Pages: 354

Ages: 18 + 

Rating: ✭✭✭

I read the first and second book backwards. It didn't really change much for my perspective of how much I like Tessa Bailey's writing and her characters. I think she does an excellent job of writing characters who develop relationships that feel completely natural. It's not just trying to mash two archetypes together and turn out a book.

This book was a fun ride. I wouldn't call it the best. I loved the second book in the series a he'll of a lot more. It had characters that develop and grow through the story and they actually change. While Disorderly Conduct makes you think they may have grown and they really don't they just stumble into the realization they've been ignorant and immature. I guess I just wasn't super into this one as the others. I delayed on writing my reviews because of the thanksgiving holiday time frame and it really gave me a better idea of how I felt.

Ever comes from a line of family with this really weird idea that they are mistresses who should just use men for sex and have no emotional entanglements. Ok so your mom having a sex talk is one thing but having your mom say just bone that's it... weird. generations go one by accident it seems. However, Ever is an interesting person. She is nice, she is stable in her career, she has a hood sense of humor and determination. I liked her, just not this weird background.

Charlie is an obsessive stalker, but it's written in a way you want to almost forgive him. I guess the theme for this book could be determination. He was determined to have Ever. Charlie not only comes across as a stalker but also like an immature school boy. He's like running around town sabotaging Ever' s dates and stuff.

So both Ever and Charlie are like immature kids who are products of their upbringing. Neither have a clue what a relationship is or how to approach it. So obviously there with be misunderstandings, conflicts, devastation, betrayal, swooning, yada yada. Not a bad book at all. I liked it.

Check out a Free Preview of Tessa Bailey's Book Disorderly Conduct below without even leaving the page:

Just have to

I just have to talk about a book I just read. Indecent Exposure by Tessa Bailey. LOVED IT. I can't stop thinking about it. I received an ARC from the publisher and I will be posting my review closer to the books release date. But that isn't until JANUARY 2018... and I have to talk about it now. I just keep thinking about the main character Jack and how much he changes through the book. It was beautiful.

I posted a snippet of my review to Goodreads.com because I've been a Goodreads user forever and I feel like I have to say something there. So below is what I posted to Goodreads.com:

Indecent Exposure is a prime example of how I think a New Adult genre book should be composed. When I think of New Adult & College books, I expect to feel hopeful for love or the chance of falling in love, almost still like you're in high school. When you read it, you want to feel like the characters are mature enough to be confident or at least responsible in their lives as if they are finally beginning their life as an adult. Tessa Bailey has captured the time of being hopeful to fall in love and the maturity of having more confidence in yourself and the responsibilities of being an adult.... The rest of my review will be posted onto my blog closer to the books release date: Rozzie ReadsRelease Date: January 30, 2018 I WILL SAY FOR NOW - BUY THIS BOOK

Slack a Lackin'

I am slacking. I am not reading all day every day. Recently my best friend was in town. We dyed both of our hair, and for the first time in twelve years did a girly face mask night. I just picked up a thing at CVS. It was in their Korean Beauty section. It felt amazing and since I am definitely NOT a beauty expert or person by any means, this felt like a little self-gift. It this steam/cold mask thing from JJ Young. I loved it. My face felt clean like it has never felt before. I AM SO BUYING MORE KOREAN BEAUTY STUFF. Have you seen the people from South Korea they are gorgeous and look way younger than their true age. Here is to hoping some of that will rub off on me. JJ Young Pore Steaming and Cooling Pack 

I've had to go grocery shopping and the normal family things (cooking, baths, laundry). I started setting up my outline and figuring out my ideas a lot better towards writing my book. I've always wanted to write a book. I am finally going to actually start. Now obviously it isn't going to be good, and it isn't going to go well, but I am going to do it. However, with tonight being Game of Thrones night for the new season premiere, let's just say that tonight won't have much progress.

Currently, I am reading:

1. Indecent Exposure: The Academy by Tessa Bailey - I am so lucky to have received an Advanced Reader Digital Copy of this book from the publisher to read. So far as of this post, I am only starting the book. I am just starting Chapter Two of the book. So far I am amused by Jack's internal monolog. He is such a guy full of himself and his own arrogance.

Just a note

I have a busy weekend ahead of me. My best friend and her husband are coming to visit us for a couple days. I love our time together. We only get to see each other three times a year. We have been friends since 2004, and as far as our kids are concerned we are family. She's my kids' aunt and I am her four kids aunt. Thankfully, her four kids are not coming. I love her kids but my house is WAY too small for another crew of six people here with our little two bedrooms and family of four.

Family doesn't always mean blood.

The only problem is the cleaning you have to do to prepare for them to come in town. You know, washing the guest sheets, giving the bathroom an extra scrub down, the things like that. The extra corners that have that dust you have been avoiding because no one goes in that room.

There must be no dust. Lol

Needless to say, I am probably going to be a little behind on some of my blogging goals. My current goals are set to blog at least three days a week. I am trying to work up to daily reading but my one and three-year-old like to challenge that during naptime lately.

My Currently "attempting" to read books are:

1. Indecent Exposure: The Academy by Tessa Bailey - I am SUPER excited about this book because I got an ARC copy of this to read from the publisher, HarperCollins. This book is going to be released January 30th, 2018. So keep an eye out for my review in the future to see if I think you should pre-order your own copy. (Paperback Pre-order Link)
2. Wife by Wednesday by Catherine Bybee - This I picked up because it seemed higly rated, it was a Kindle Unlimited book, and it also had audible included with the Kindle Unlimited. I really wanted to try out the audio part of it. I hadn't listened to a book in a while so I wanted to do that.
3. Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram - This I picked because I need round out with a young adult type book. I have read and reviewed a book by Kelly Oram and loved the book. This is also a Kindle Unlimited book. The book from before was Cinder & Ella which was a new telling of Cinderella. It was more current day and I really liked it. It may be why I really wanted to start a blog.

I will say that there is a good chance I may add or remove books before I actually get reviews out for all these. So keep your eye open for future posts.

**Post Edited: 7/14/17 to remove a book from my list. I am no longer interested in reading that book.**