I received an ARC of this book and boy was I lucky I did. I've always been a Stacey Marie Brown fan and love her writing style. I didnt know what to expect as this was a different genre but I am not disappointed at all!

Wonderfully written book. It keeps you guessing and guessing on what could have gone wrong and once everything starts to unravel, it just finishes immersing you into this wonderful world and never lets go. The chemistry between Hannah and Rhys is instant and yet there's so many buried feelings from their pasts that they wont realize anything until they've sorted those out. Two very imperfect people can bury their darkess with the light the other gives out. The supporting characters are woven wonderfully into the story giving it the all around depth the book creates.

Highly recommend!

Wonderful story that will have you really feeling for the characters and not wanting to put the book down until you finish it.

Quotes and Clips
▪ “I don’t cook, so if you use the oven, remember to take out my clothes.”
▪ The roar of snow.
The screams.
The snapping of bones.
The silence.
▪ Fear or doubt would not stop me anymore. I would break free of my icy grave and stand on that mountain again. For him I would do anything.
-
Review
Another great novel by Stacey! I have to admit it was really slow in the beginning. It took a bit for the book to take off for me. So many unanswered questions that made the story drag out. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the story. I just wish we didn’t have to wait till 70% to get the all the answers. Once the secret was out, it all fell into place and became more enjoyable.
I loved Hannah a lot. She is strong and a champ when it comes to the demons that haunt her. She rocked in this book. Same goes for Rhys. Those two rocked! The chemistry between them was amazing!
Overall, wonderful read!

First, I want to thank the author, Stacey Marie Brown, for providing me with an ARC to review. SMB has become one of my "read always" authors due to her strong female characters and a writing style that flows flawlessly through engaging story lines. In the last year I have read all of her books, with City in Embers (see my review for book 1 here) being my favorite of her Paranormal Romance so far. While SMB is one of my favorite authors, I wasn't sure what to expect with Buried Alive, as it is her first Contemporary Romance, and those can be hit or miss with me.

From the first chapter I was drawn in by Hannah and the unknown tragedy that shook her life up 9 years ago. Hannah exudes a silent strength throughout the book and we get to bear witness to her internal struggle with PTSD from a terrible accident that caused her to lose everything in just a few terrifying moments as a teenager. I thought SMB did a great job highlighting Hannah's anxiety and PTSD without making it seem gimmicky or insincere, which I sometimes find in contemporary novels. The tragedy (don't worry, no spoilers) was also something different than I've ever read about before and had my heart racing while I was reading about it.

Rhys was somewhat your typical "bad boy". Dark past, moody temperament, a playboy, and sexy as hell. I appreciated the dual POVs because it gives the reader a little more insight into what made him so cynical and jaded. He was fun to read about and I had more than a few chuckles while reading his banter with his coach and Hannah.

The tragedy itself, as I've already mentioned, was quite different from what I was expecting. The reveal of the moments before the tragedy were truly shocking to me and I definitely didn't see it coming. I'm usually pretty good at picking out plot twists, but this one really threw me for a loop! Overall, I really enjoyed this book and continue to be impressed by SMB's ability to draw me in so wholly.

Hi, sweeties! Last night I finished this wonderful book by Stacey Marie Brown. Saying it was awesome would be an euphemism. I loved it!

PREMISE
When I received Kiki’s email, saying that I was chose for read and review this book, I was over the moon. “Buried Alive” attracted me because of his beautiful cover and his beautiful synopsis. I love reading sport romance, the last one I read about this genre was “Bad Reputation” by Nicole Edwards, so I was utterly happy when I discovered I could read it beforehand. “Buried Alive” is more than a contemporary romance/sport romance. It hides deeper meaning that I hope you’ll understand when you’ll read it.

SYNOPSIS (FROM GOODREADS)
Nine years after a tragic accident, Hannah “Brennley” Evans has returned home to the snowy mountains of Whistler, Canada. This is the very place that destroyed her, where her whole world ended, and the reason she now goes by Hannah Jennings.
Struggling with his own tragic past, Rhys Axton, an infamous sexy snowboarding champion, wants nothing more than to be the next Olympic hopeful. Sex, snowboarding, and working out are all he cares about, which helps shut off the demons that haunt him and the family who rejected him.
The moment Hannah walks into his room, he knows something is different about her. Drawn to her, he can’t seem to stay away from the mysterious, guarded girl. They are two heartbroken souls who both understand the darkness.
Little does he know she lives in lies and carries secrets that will bring his universe to its knees and secrets that will bury them both alive.

REVIEW
“Buried alive” it’s a novel that narrates the life of two people who try to move on after a tragedy changed both their lives. The main character of it are Hannah and Rhys. Hannah Jennings lives a life full of void and sadness, she can’t seem to find happiness where she lives, in San Diego, so decides to come back to Whistler, in Canada. Rhys Axton still lives in the shadow of his legendary big brother, Jonah. From the first moment they met, Rhys can’t help but feel familiar with her, while Hannah does everything she can to avoid him, most of the time her tries are inefficient because he will search for her. Rhys is drawn to her in many ways, he changes his attitude around her, and his coach Shaun and his PR publicity Graham notice this from the beginning. What started as a challenge for his to conquer the only woman that tried to run away from him, will lead him to break his shell and open up about his family and his sense of inferiority about his brother. Hannah feels guilty towards him about that, because she isn’t what she tells him to be, she isn’t “Hannah”. Hannah find really difficult to live a life to the fullest, the guilty almost a burden on her shoulder that menace to bury her. A tragedy is what bonds her to Rhys Axton, a tragedy that involves Hannah’s brother, Bryan, and Jonah.

I hardly cried anymore, keeping things close to the chest. But there were rare times when my heart would break through, and privately I would let go. The moment was over, I would put the shield back up, retuning to being numb and aching as though it never happened.
Today the shield felt thing and wobbly as if I hadn’t take a strong enough dosage of anesthesia.
(Hannah)

Rhys feels so drawn to her, that oblige her to be her server while he’s at the hotel of her parents. Little he knew when he did that, because the sparks flied between then. Their first sexual encounter is so hot it surely will make your panties melt and then drop. While the story develops, we get to know the enemies of the snowboarding world, the most important of all, Jesper Olsson. Jesper is a Swedish snowboarder, who was once a close friend of Rhys, and his friends are those who were Rhys’s before his career got a rough setback.
The tragedy that changed their lives happened nine years ago, and it involves an avalanche that hit Jonah, Bryan and Brennley... Yeah, Hannah’s middle name is that. Brennley survived death, but not the same I could say about his brother and Jonah. I’m on thin ice regarding spoilers, so I won’t say so much. When you will discover what really happened on that mountain, your jaw will drop.

Just because I made it off that hill alive and in one piece, didn’t mean I was truly living. My scars, both external and internal, were a constant remainder.
(Hannah)

The book was structured in little chapters, each of them containing an alternate POV, one of Rhys and one of Hannah. What I adored about this book were the three chapter of “Nine years ago”, the flashbacks were vividly written and you almost felt part of that situation. The characters developed were well made, believable. You could empathasize with them, feel their sorrow and grief.

I advise this book to you all, because not only it’s well written, it will remain in your heart. I look forward from reading again of Hannah and Rhys! They’re my new OTP! I greet you all with a quote from it:
“Once the snow had taken everything from me. Buried me alive. I might have broken out of my tomb, but something led me back home where I began to live again and found love and forgiveness.”
(Hannah)

xoxo,
Giada

When I found out this was the first Contemporary Romance by this author, I couldn't believe it. This was an amazing story very wrll written. Stacey drew me in from the first page and it was impossible to put it down.

Hannah Brennley Evans is home in Canada after living away for nine years following a horrific accident. She changed her name amd appearance when she moved, but moving home during Snowboarding Olympic tryouts, the press is bound to find out who she is eventually. All she ever wanted was to be an Olympic Champion. Now that she's home, she waitresses to help her family at the lodge. Little does she know the one person she's going to be assigned to serve is the one person she doesn't want to be anywhere near. It could break them both.

Rhys Axton is determined to make it to the Olympics. He's had an injury but he won't let it keep him down. He's all about snowboarding, sex and working out. Rhys had a rough childhood full of rejection by his family. He was only allowed to spend one Christmas with them. When Hannah knocks on his door to bring his meals, he knows he has to have her next, even though he's not alone at the time. She's different and he can't figure out why, but he won't stop until he does.

Following this story was an absolute pleasure. The dual pov was definitely necessary to the story. It felt like the twists and turns smacked me in the face! The tragic accident was not even close to anything I could have imagined, or how it tied Hannah and Rhys together. Can a bad boy who had demons to chase and a girl who lives in secrets and lies get through their past, or eill it drown them before they have a fair chance? This was my first book by this author and I can definitely say it will not be my last!
~Tiffany

This is Stacey Marie Brown’s first contemporary romance novel, and hopefully not her last! I have read most, if not all, of her paranormal/fantasy romance books. I thinks she did great in her first story in a new genre.

Buried Alive was a great winter romance. I loved the story. The one thing that did bother me was the fact we knew there was some history between Rhys and Hannah, but it was drug out so long until we knew what happened in the past. Other than that, I loved this story and hope to read more like it by SMB. I know this is a stand-alone, but I would love a follow up to see how their life plays out.

Absolutely outstanding book by a fantastic author. So gripping that I had to finish it as quickly as I could to find out what happens at the end. Received a free copy from Net Gallery.

Hannah is back home to face her past and hopefully finally be happy again. But with all lies she’s spouting will she ever be able to truly move on? Then there is Rhys he is a manwhore with a past holding himself back but meeting Hannah maybe they can both can start new? Lots of angst and drama in this book that will having you pulling your hair out. I really had to keep a open mind while reading this book because of Rhys character but I definitely loved the story! 4/5 stars *** I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book ***

Most people don’t feel comfortable in the darkness, don’t want to be around people who do.

I have no words to really convey how I feel about this book. There are a lot of things that bothered me, no not bothered maybe irked me. But after reading the last words I was at a loss, what with everything that I had read and the things that irked me how could it come down to that ending? That twist and turn, the emotions that were described. The pain, the loss, of drowning in loneliness. That with all that irked me it didn’t matter that much in the grand scheme of things.

Hannah Jennings has come home to Whistler, Canada after running away for nine years and the death of her grandmother she has nowhere else to go. Once a happy, fun, boisterous girl she is now a shadow of her former self. With all the guilt she carries. The burden but what happened to her. A high price was paid.

Being back home the one person she doesn’t want to bump into is Rhys.

Rhys Axton has been living in the shadows all of his life he’s nearly through the finish line. He has been rejected all his life. His only support his coach and surrogate father. He has an anger and darkness in him that is on the brink of consuming him every day.

Rhys & Hannah having been living a lie and they both know it. They both are looking for something they finally find one another. Hannah tries to keep her distance but in the end she can’t. They get closer and closer until there is no turning back.

I liked the MC and I didn’t. There was something interesting about them and what they are going through but other times they drove me crazy. At times this book was maddening, frustrating, and heart-breaking with secrets and lies.

I didn’t particularly like Siena but the way she stood up for Hannah well she is my homie now.
But with everything that bothered me I can say that there is a lot going for this book.

As a new to me author I didn’t know what to expect. I absolutely love the author’s writing style. It’s hook, line and sinker. I was captivated by it from start to finish. Was I frustrated? Yes. Was it maddening to read at times? Hell yes. Did I want to throw my kindle against the wall most of the time? Yes, yes, yes and yes.

What bothered irked me was that there was an age gap. Older woman/younger man although it is only four years, I’m just not fond of these tropes. But Rhys acted older than he was which saved it for me.

Trope two I’m not a fan of his other woman drama and boy was there some drama.
I would need at least 2 extra pair of hands to count the amount of times the Hero mentioned that he could get any woman anytime he wanted. All the snow bunnies, it was for ME repeated one too many times. They have nothing on the snow bunnies here. #RidingRhys. Yuck.

Things I would have liked to have seen;

A longer epilogue, what happens with her future career?

More closure when it came to Hannah seeing her brother. Rhys’s father reconciling with Rhys.

After all the revelations the epilogue just wasn’t enough.

All in all I am extremely impressed with this book and although it had a lot of stuff I usually don’t like in a read I would recommend it.

If there were any doubt about Brown writing a contemporary, I'm certain that Buried Alive will make everyone believe she's capable of doing so. I'm happy to say that this one has made my #RSFave list for 2018 and it's the first. I love that I'm starting out my year strong with some amazing reads.

The main that I love about Stacy's paranormal/fantasy reads is the storyline and how all of the characters draw you in during every page. I was curious to read how she'd make that happen with this contemporary read. Let me tell you, Buried Alive will take you on one hell of an emotional roller coaster ride.

It's pretty clear from the beginning that Rhys and Hannah have their own dark past they're dealing with. As you make your way through the book, you get to not only see the shell of who they are, but their personal darkness that they're just wallowing in. When these two come together, the connection is instant, but secrets are there alongside with something familiar. The sad thing is that Hannah is holding quite a few secrets of her own and is trying her best to keep her distance from Rhys.

Rhys can't seem to get enough of Hannah, he's intrigued and nearly consumed by her. Rhys quickly figures out that she's hiding something from him, it becomes more noticeable as he slowly breaks down her walls. He doesn't push her too much, but you can slowly see her crack.

The entire time, you'll be wondering what the hell the big secrets are. And boy, when you learn them towards the end ... it was not what I was expecting! It caught me completely off-guard and holy sh*t, I didn't see that coming. And that's when I knew that Stacey has contemporary in the bag. She had me hooked from page one, the struggles that both of her characters endured and how they were able to move past that pain and come together.

Prepare to have your mind blown by this heartbreaking and emotionally filled story! They both have so much to conquer before they get their happy ever after. Such an amazing read that doesn't disappoint!

I was given an ARC for my honest review of this book. This was the first book I have read by Stacey Marie Brown.
This was a very heart breaking and heart warming book all the way around. The brokenness of these two characters Rhy and Hannah and what they have to over come together was amazing.
I really enjoyed the twist and then the great ending.
I am now a Stacey Marie Brown fan.

Stacey Marie Brown has an amazing flow to her writing. Her readers will start to see the world she’s creating with her words. It’s an amazing ability to have. Brown is so vivid in her descriptions and her people. Hannah needs a suitcase to carry around with her 24/7, just to help with all that baggage she has. I mean, HOLLY TAHITI can she keep a secret! And what a secret that was!! I gotta give her some major props on the relationship building between Rhys and Hannah. For a man who had a hashtag #RidingRhys specifically for her bedroom… umm… qualities, we got so much more from him. Rhys and Hannah didn’t just fall into bed immediately together, they fell into a friendship, and even that was a struggle.

This was a refreshing read. I really felt like these two could be real people out there. Brown did an amazing job of portraying real problems, real conflict. Yeah, there were some areas that I wanted more information on, but I feel fully satisfied with this story. The family dynamics are so relatable and, put aside some of the specifics, and they are common in real life families.

This book pulled me in from the first page to an unknown world of snowboarding champs. Buried Alive is a mystery that will keep you guessing through 50% only to unravel quickly in the last half. Completely unputdownable… the secrets, lies and betrayals kept me fully entranced in Stacey Marie Brown’s words.

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I will leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

I've been a fan of Stacey Marie Brown's ever since reading the Darkness series. It's a pleasant surprise to find Buried Alive is a contemporary romance rather than paranormal romance (I enjoy both equally).

Hannah (or Brennley as she used to be known as) has gone through a major life changing event and somehow found herself back at her childhood home. Once there, she finds herself being uncomfortable around here and more than once has contemplated running away. However she met Rhys Axton and just couldn't stay away.

Rhys finds himself captivated by Hannah but he couldn't quite figure out why. He became mildly obsessed with her and was determined to solve the mystery that is Hannah.

We were kept guessing for most of the book regarding what's happened to both Hannah and Rhys in the past that's given them their present darkness. I was able to harbour some guesses but it's always good to find out about them only towards the end.

I've really enjoyed Buried Alive and hope there will be more like this in the future!

Good sports romance. Not the typical. Beautifully written story about tragedy, love, loss and recovery. Lots of emotion and drama. And the angst! Made my heart hurt. Well developed characters and the H/h had a sexy connection. Steamy sex scenes! The secondary characters were really good. It was a little long for me and there was some confusion in the story. Also, it was easy to figure out the secret before the big reveal. Even so it was a really good read with a satisfying ending.

This was the first book I read by Stacey Marie Brown and I’m happy I had the opportunity to read one of her books. Buried Alive is a unique romance book that takes us into the professional snowboarding world. I have never read a romance book with snowboarding and I wasn’t disappointed. Rhys is a young attractive snowboarder who has had a hard few years. He isn’t proud of it, but he’s using his brother’s story to get another chance at the Olympics. To not think of his past he sleeps with a lot of women, or when lonely and drunk, he destroys hotel rooms. Hannah decided to go home again after nine years, but she’s not so sure what to do with her life. The last nine years haven’t been easy and she’s worked hard to put her past behind her. It’s not working like she thought, but she just wants time to think. She helps her father out in the kitchen and ends up having to serve Rhys. There is an instant connection (and Hannah knows who he is and hopes he doesn’t recognize her) and she tries her hardest to ignore him. Rhys thinks there’s something familiar about her, but all he can think about is the connection he feels. I liked how the story built up, they didn’t end up sleeping together right away. There was a lot of fun flirting and Hannah had some anger, haha. I loved the setting of this book. The author made me feel like I was there. I would love to spend the day with a book and hot chocolate in one of those cabins. I also like that even though Rhys is working to go to the Olympics, the book isn’t all about the sport. It has the perfect combination of information about his training and goals and the romance. Not all writers can pull that off! I also love that the story is told from two POVs. I’ve learned to love getting a look into both characters’ minds. The only reason this book didn’t get five stars, was for me it took just a bit too long to find out the big secret. I fully understand it’s not something given in the first few chapters, but I think I would’ve understood the book a bit better or been able to relate to Hannah a bit better knowing more sooner. I think it would’ve also helped understanding her mother’s behavior towards her. I have to say to me it was kind of a plottwist as well. I did not expect the story on the mountain to go the way it did. The author really surprised me with this. All in all, still an excellent romance book and I know for sure that I will be reading more books by this author in the future.

Buried Alive is the story of Hannah, a woman who has been running from her past after a tragedy struck nine years ago. She returns home. She has changed her look. She is using her first name instead of her middle name. She's hoping no one recognizes her but her immediate family. Her parents help run a ski lodge in this town. Hannah takes a job delivering food to the rooms. On one of those deliveries, she sees a familiar face and prays he doesn't recognize who she is. 9 years is a long time. That one delivery changes everything. Buried alive is raw anguish meeting love for the first time. It's the internal struggle we all face when our heart outweighs logic.

5 Out of the Shadow CROWNS

Stacey Marie Brown is a new to me author, and I desperately hope she continues to write contemporary romances because Buried Alive is phenomenal. It is has everything - secrets, angst, turmoil, and passion. I never wanted it to end!

Rhys’s character is the epitome of sports heroes in the romance world. He is the reason I love sports romances. He has the confident swagger, but has the bad boy persona I adore. He is so much more than this, though. He has years of damage affecting who he is and the anger he carries around with him. As these parts of his character are revealed, readers’s hearts will break for him, and they will root for him to finally achieve what he has worked for his whole life. Plus, this man has the right level of dominance in the bedroom to heat it up, and his chemistry with Hannah is off the charts.

My heart broke for Hannah, too! With each moment of her past that is revealed, my compassion for her grew, and I just wanted her to get back to who she has been. To see someone so vibrant become a lifeless body devoid of true life is soul-destroying, but she begins to heal, grow, and change, and I was enamored with the person she became! I also adore her because she is a heroine who can handle the hero. She challenges him, puts him in his place with fantastic banter, and eventually refuses to run! Her evolution is so amazing to witness.

This story will grab readers from the very beginning. The lifelessness of the characters and the obvious pain they carry is unclear and shrouded in secrecy, upping our desire to know. Throughout the novel, the reader begins to piece the parts of the past together, and while I knew how they would end up being connected, I can honestly say I didn’t see the plot revelation she threw at us. I was shocked, and it was fantastic. It explained so much about the characters and what motivates them. It was absolutely perfect, just like the ending.

You know how you know a story is great? You don’t want it to end. You want to go with the characters when it is over. You desperately want there to be a secondary character worthy of a second book so you can get even the tiniest glimpse of the original couple. I want all of these after the conclusion of Buried Alive. It is emotional and riveting journey that not only shows readers the importance of love but also of moving on and living life to he fullest.
———-
ARC received in exchange for an honest review

Hannah tried, really she did, but after the death of her grandmother, her boyfriend leaving and being kicked out of school, she has no choice but to return home. She figures she will work at the ski resort her parents run until she can figure herself and the darkness out. Rhys knows darkness, he knows it so well they are on a first name basis. He has had to struggle for every achievement he has earned, making a name for himself in snowboarding, only a month out from the Olympic trials. Neither ever expected to cross paths and they share a dangerous past that has led them right here. Can they overcome the heartache for a chance to be happy?



I have wanted to read one of Stacey’s books for forever, be it her paranormal or urban fantasy, but I just have not had an opportunity. When I was asked if I wanted to read her new NA romance the answer was an adamant yes! I was instantly interested in these two broken characters, trying so hard to piece together their pasts while bread crumbs were ever so casually dropped along my path while reading. I enjoyed the well developed characters, the building of their current relationship as well as the individual mental/emotional healing as well as making my own crazy guesses as to what really connected Hannah (aka Brennley) and Rhys.

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The story was dual narrated by Rhys and Hannah, and let me again express my love for romance stories that are told from both characters points of view! I am super nosy and need to know everything going on so this makes me ever so happy. To be completely honest, I Rhys was my favorite character. The boy was only 21 years old but already had encountered so much heartache and maturity was left behind. His work ethic and drive had no bounds. The fact that he knew who he was as a person, as well as the users around him, made me want to hug him (in a completely non- sexual way because he was only a 21 year old baby and that is yucky!) Hannah was a little bit harder to pin down for me since she pretty much had no goals and floated through life. It was as if she didn’t know herself so it was hard for me to get to know her. The two of them together made a really nice match, complimenting each other and I appreciated that.



Ok so Whoa, this was a hot, steamy read, so much more than I anticipated with stolen moments and at times in your face sexuality (this means you Rhys!). I am a sucker for sports romance books and love the snowboarding ones I was lucky enough to read so I was excited by the dynamic and competitive edge to the story, be it the training or the interactions between the competing athletes. If you are looking for a book with LOTS of emotion, a dash of angst, a big heaping of sexual innuendos and some very steamy encounters this is the perfect read for you. I really enjoyed Stacey’s writing style and the fact the characters felt so real to me, like I knew then and completely rooted for them as people and as a relationship. I look forward to getting my hands on more stories crafted by Stacey.

I received this title to review. Come hang out with me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Well I love Stacey's PNR books as her writing is flawless and grips you from beginning to end. This was Stacey's first Contemporary Romance and she has transferred her magic over into this genre. Buried Alive was gripping, emotional and seriously hot. The writing flowed seamlessly with characters that you became engaged with and immediately became invested in. The storyline is brilliant and has some great twists and turns that leave you speechless and wanting more.

Rhys and Hannah, were two beautifully damaged souls after a heart-breaking tragedy. Their pain and emotions flowed off the pages and into your veins making it all feel so real and raw. I loved both of them, they seemed to bring each other back to life and it was beautiful to experience with them.

Buried Alive is a MUST READ. You will need to keep your calendar free when reading as you will be unable to put this beauty down until you have finished.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the author and Next Step PR