Jilly

Cover Reveal…Soulless by Joshua J. Johnson

I am beyond excited to bring you the cover of Soulless, the debut YA novel from Joshua J. Johnson:

Synopsis:

Mia and Roxanne have always been the best of friends, supported each other throughout their lives, and have always been happy for one another… but that’s when things were simple.

Fast forward to their teenage years, and now life is full of complications… but only for Mia.

Everything seems to happen to Mia, whereas Roxanne seems to be living the sweet life– literally. She has her family, her bakery, and the love of her life– everything that Mia wants.

But one day something terrible happens, and Ryan–her boyfriend– is nowhere to be seen, people go missing, and bodies are found. The creatures appear in your bathroom, down your streets, and inside your bakery, and along with them they bring blood, action, and hunger– a hunger for souls.

Because the question is:

Who is the villain?

Maybe it just isn’t who you think it is…

Written from different points of view, SOULLESS will raise questions about each character, as well as humanity as a whole, whilst being packed with action, guns, cakes, blood, kisses and romance.

SOULLESS is Joshua J. Johnson’s debut YA novel, and is due to be released November 30th, 2013.

About the author:

Joshua J. Johnson currently lives in England with a Giant African Land Snail called Tiny, and a wardrobe full of books.

He started writing as soon as he discovered that books didn’t randomly appear, and that they are actually written by people. After growing up writing short stories by hand for his brother and his family, he decided to create a blog to post some of his creations. His blog is now read in over 80 countries around the world.

He is the proud author of the upcoming children’s book, and several YA novels.

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2013 Romantic Times Convention Swagalicious Giveaway

So, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get this contest going, but alas, here it is!

I am giving away all the swag I have from the 2013 Romantic Times Convention to one lucky winner! Yay! Let me tell you, this is some serious swag.

The swag includes:

Signed books from Liliana Hart & Gretchen McNeil, a signed mini notebook from Laura Kaye, signed magnets from Boone Brux, a signed bookmark from C. J. Ellison, a Hunter by Night tote bag and t-shirt from Elisabeth Staab, the actual Hunter by Night display sign used at RT by Elisabeth, a signed mini poster and post card from Raine Miller, a purse hook from Damon Suede, seven other books, signed trading cards and bookmarks, pens, drink coozies, post-it pads, buttons, key chains, bookmarks, postcards with QR codes for books and excerpts, and so much more!

Yep, there’s way more than I could squeeze into the picture below! Pretty exciting stuff, if you ask me.

So, enter to win in the rafflecopter below and good luck!

~ Jillian

RT Swag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review….Devoured by Emily Snow

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Synopsis:

Sienna Jensen had no plans to return home when she graduated college last spring—after all, her dreams lie in California. But when she discovers her grandmother’s Nashville home has been foreclosed, and the new owner has started the eviction process, Sienna has no other choice but go back to Music City. And she comes face to face with the flawed, gorgeous man she never thought she’d see again. The man who now holds the deed to her grandma’s estate.

When millionaire rock star Lucas Wolfe finds the outspoken redhead glaring at him from across a courtroom, he’s both infuriated and intrigued. He still can’t get the night Sienna almost spent with him out of his mind, and the chemistry between them is as undeniable as it was two years ago. He craves Sienna more than ever. And just like everything Lucas hungers for, he’s determined to have her.

Now, Lucas will do whatever it takes to lure Sienna into his bed, even if that means making a deal with her: ten days with him, playing by his rules, and he’ll hand over the deed to her grandmother’s home. Though she agrees to the arrangement, Sienna is conflicted. Because of her duty to her family. Because of promises she’s made to herself and a past that still haunts her. And as Lucas’s game of seduction continues, and Sienna is introduced to his dark, erotic world and even darker background, she realizes that at any moment, she could be devoured.

*This novel contains adult situations and content*

My Review:

Devoured is book one in Emily Snow’s Devoured Series. Being a sucker for a delicious cover, and this definitely falls into that category, I was drawn in at first sight and I gotta say….the story was just as delish as the cover!

Sienna Jensen is a country girl at heart living in L.A., sharing an apartment with her crazy-but-amazing roomie, just barely making ends meet with a job fellow wardrobe stylists would kill for and trying to forget her past. She vows never to head back to her hometown and all the drama and gossip that comes with it but when she gets numerous calls in a row from her younger brother, she knows something has to be wrong. Sienna’s fears are realized when she finds out something is wrong…her Gram is in financial trouble and the only place she ever really truly called home is going to be foreclosed on leaving her Gram with nowhere to go. So naturally, Sienna ends up back in her hometown trying to figure out what to do. But when Sienna realizes who is trying to take her Gram’s home she realizes she is in way over her head…and in over her heart.

The last person Lucas Wolfe ever thought he’d see in this court hearing is the beautiful red-head he left behind two years earlier. But here Sienna is, in this very courtroom fighting for her Grandmother’s home…the very home he wants to acquire. Talk about the fates smiling upon him. He hasn’t stopped thinking about Sienna since their relationship began, and abruptly ended, two years earlier. He knows by the scathing looks she’s giving him, she has no interest in reliving that experience… and now there’s a little issue of him holding the deed to her beloved Gram’s house in his hands. Lucas Wolfe is used to getting what he wants…and Sienna happens to be one of the things he desires most. Can you see where this is going?

Sienna and Lucas have a lot more in common than they think and despite living totally different lifestyles, are more alike then they realize. Both of them will have to fight to overcome ghosts of their pasts and people wishing them the worst at every turn. But the question ends up being, are they both fighting for the same thing? Will love and trust ever be something they can win?

Not only am I a sucker for a delish cover, but I’m also a sucker for a scrumptious bad boy rocker with a soft side, a damaged heart and an effed up past…all of which describes the luscious Lucas. He is the ultimate damaged hero and I alternated between scoffing at his attitude and going all mushy over his words to Sienna. Perfect combo, if you ask me! Sienna is the perfect match for him. She’s a gal who has learned some harsh lessons about love and trust in the past and isn’t willing to make the same mistakes twice but also knows when someone is genuinely trying to make up for their past offenses and is willing to forgive…but she never forgets. Another perfect combo! Together they have chemistry that ignites the pages. And some of the hot scenes in this book are proof of that (I may never look at a piano the same way again *cough*) I have to say, that by the last 15 or so pages I was really nervous it was going to end on one of those unfulfilling cliff hangers but HALELUJAH it didn’t! The ending is perfect. totally swoon worthy that leaves the reader happy but still wanting more with a hint of the mess lurking in Lucas’ past. Oh, how I love those kind of endings!

This was a quick, intense, delicious read that I recommend for all you book-bad-boy lovers! I am SO looking forward to the next book in the series, Consumed, which is due out this summer. Thank you, Emily, for a great read!

Four Loves

About the author:

Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of the DEVOURED series (2012, 2013) and TIDAL (2012).

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ARC Review…Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey

Officer Off Limits releases June 10

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Synopsis:

His need to possess her is non-negotiable.

Story Brooks’ fiancé just called off their wedding two weeks before the happy day. As if that isn’t bad enough, her semi-estranged father, an infamous NYPD hostage negotiator, has suffered a heart attack. Not wanting to examine her lack of emotion over the broken engagement, she hops on a plane to reconnect with her father before it’s too late.

Playboy hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.

Despite her father’s warnings and Daniel’s troubled past, Daniel and Story can’t resist their intense attraction to one another. But when the reason for her fiancé’s abrupt wedding cancellation comes to light, can Story and Daniel’s already forbidden relationship survive?

My Review:

Officer Off Limits is the third book in Tessa Bailey’s Line of Duty Series and if you’ve followed my reviews, you know I’m a huge fan of Tessa and her writing. I was beyond excited to get my hands on this book and after finishing it I can tell you….Tessa has done it again! This book was fantastic!

You know that saying “when it rains, it pours”? Well, never has that saying been truer than it is for Story Brooks right now. Her fiancé just dumped her, two weeks before their wedding, and now she has just gotten a phone call that her larger-than-life NYPD hostage negotiator dad, who she doesn’t exactly have a relationship with, has had a heart attack and is in the hospital. Who knows, maybe the unplanned trip to see her father in NYC just may be what she needs to gain some clarity on her life and make some decisions on what to do next with her future.

NYPD hostage negotiator Daniel Chase is used to taking orders from Jack Brooks…after all, Jack has taken him under his wing from day one and has taught him every thing he knows about hostage situations and negotiations. Now, after unknowingly meeting Jack’s daughter, Story, in the hospital vending area, he has explicit instructions from Jack to stay away from her. Usually Daniel wouldn’t think twice about obeying Jack’s orders but this is not an order he can follow. Add Story shooting down his usually successful flirt tactics into the equation and Daniel is now even more determined to get to Story a whole lot better even if it means disobeying orders and ignoring all sorts of lines not meant to be crossed.

Story and Daniel can’t deny the immediate attraction they both feel when they meet over vending machine snack choices but they don’t have much time to explore the feelings before Story is due to head back home to California. With so many things working against them, will they be able to ignore all the reasons they shouldn’t act on the attraction and instead, focus on all the reasons they should?

So I’ll say it again, this book was fantastic! FANTASTIC! Just when you think you’ve encountered all types of alpha males, and there can’t possibly any more facets to add to an alpha male to make them stand out above the rest, you get a new release from Tessa and BAM! welcome to your new alpha male obsession. Daniel was scrumptious. Drop dead gorgeous, he is all gruff and tough on the outside but holds a soft and slightly insecure inside that made me love him from the very beginning. He has the admirable quality of knowing his weaknesses and, although not always wanting to admit them, does when it was warranted. Story is a perfect pairing for him. She is witty, bright, strong and is willing to listen to that little voice in her head, even when it means she has to step outside of her comfort zone. The chemistry between them is undeniable and pulls the reader in and refuses to let go until the very last page. Delectable. Their story is a journey of finding happiness, coming to terms with the past and learning to trust and to love. So damn good!

If you haven’t read anything by Tessa, you REALLY need to…like, stop reading this review and get to the bookstore or go online and buy a Tessa Bailey book right now. She writes hot, sexy, and delightfully dirty dialogue like no other….add in some romance, mix in some drama like Tessa does and you’ve ALWAYS got a winner in my book! I can add Daniel to my list of fave book guys and this story to the list of books I will recommend time and time again. Thank you, Tessa, for another fantabulous read!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Five Loves

About the author:

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

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Rina’s Quick Audio Bytes ~ Audiobook Reviews in Short: Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks

Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs)

By Maya Banks

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

Story: 3 stars

Performace: 4 stars

Overall: 3 1/2 stars

Genre: Historical Romance

Duration: 10 HRS 10 MINS

“Then my lady, I’ll certainly grant your wish.”

The Montgomerys and the Armstrongs, two Highland clans at war, are taken by surprise when the King orders a marriage between Eveline and Graeme. Although the Armstrong maiden is rumored to be daft, Graeme accepts his duty for the sake of his clan. Harboring a secret she fears to even shared with her beloved family, Eveline sees the union as a way to keep her safe from a less desirable match. The last thing either of them expected was to actually fall in love.

I thought Never Seduce a Scot was a well written novel, however the storyline was a bit too predictable for me. I found it difficult to remain interested all throughout. I craved a greater conflict and/or a stronger resistance between the hero and heroine.

The narrator was however a good match, alternating between character voices and accents. I just wanted a little more oomph. I didn’t hate Never Seduce a Scot and enjoyed the world of the Armstrongs and Montomerys series very much, so there is a good chance I will check out the second audio in the series.

~ Rina

Blog Tour….The Waiting Game by Eve Devon

Buy The Waiting Game by Eve Devon from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Five years ago a madman stalked her. Kidnapped her. Tattooed her.

When security expert Cameron Dexter—the man Brooke Bennett once loved—appears unexpectedly at her door with terrifying news, the former musician discovers she can no longer hide from her past. After five years, her vicious kidnapper is out of prison and on the hunt—for Brooke.

Now he’s returned to complete his art.

Cam failed to protect Brooke once before. Now he’d rather die than let her be captured. With her life at stake, Cam vows to keep her hidden and safe. Brooke, however, is done with running. Unlike Cam, she wants to stand and fight. Emotions both old and new roil between them, but addressing their heated past must wait. Together they set a trap in London to catch a killer. But they soon discover the enemy wears many faces…

And waiting is no longer an option.

Giveaway

There will be a tour-wide giveaway for an Amazon gift card worth $20 or (depending on where the winner lives) and a handmade leather notebook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Eve Devon writes sexy heroes, sassy heroines & happy ever afters…

Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave Eve Devon a taste for adventure; her love for romances began when her mother shoved one into her hands in a desperate attempt to keep her quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals!

When Eve wasn’t consuming books by the bucketload, she could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down her adventures. As a teenager, Eve wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, still hooked on romance and mysteries, she worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucketload, until realizing she was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense herself.

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ARC Guest Review….Phoebe Chase reviews Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley

Please welcome my friend, Phoebe Chase, and her review of Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley

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Synopsis:

Lanie Heron isn’t looking for love—no surprise, considering her last serious relationship nearly got her killed. So when Lanie propositions Hop Kincaid, all she wants is one wild night with the hot-as-hell biker who patrols with the Chaos Motorcycle Club…

For Hop, Lanie has always been untouchable. She’s too polished and too classy for his tastes. But when she gives Hop the once-over with her bedroom eyes and offers him a night in paradise, he can’t say no. And he doesn’t regret it when he finds that Lanie is the best thing that’s ever happened to him—in or out of bed. Now the trick will be to convince her of that.

Phoebe’s Review:

Kristen Ashley writes books that readers liken to crack—and with good reason. Though she has written several books, I’ve only read the ones centered around the Chaos motorcycle club (with plans to read the rest!). Her characters are vibrant and her world building of life in a motorcycle club is detailed enough that I feel like I could walk into a biker bar and know how to act.

I’m a sucker for a redemption story, and Hopper Kincaid did not have the best reputation when it came to how a man should treat a woman. But Ashley redeems him one chapter at a time—with a few bumps in between—until you’re staring at the words and thinking, “Holy crap, he’s hotter and deeper than Tack.” No, really. Hop is my number one alpha biker male in Chaos right now. Lanie is damaged after going through a mess with her fiancé that got her and Tyra (best friend, old lady to Chaos leader Tack) kidnapped by the Russian mom, Tyra stabbed, and Lanie shot. And her fiancé dead due to his own stupidity. Lanie is gun-shy about getting involved with a man who lives a dangerous life, but Hop breaks through the walls she puts up and wins her heart and soul.

What Ashley got right—again—is the romance story and the ridiculously hot sex. What was missing from this book and the previous one in the series, Own the Wind, was the action. The Chaos series is an offshoot from Motorcycle Man and that book had both a great love story and some serious nonstop action (see previous comments about Russian mob, kidnapping, etc.). This book was missing that and missing that “crack” feeling. I needed a fix and it didn’t exactly deliver.

So, in a nutshell, hot alpha biker male who has issues, believable heroine who has some issues, and great story that works through those issues but lacking in the action. A definite must read.

Three-and-a-Half Loves

About the author:

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

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About the guest reviewer:

Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.

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Review….My Now & Forever by H.J. Bellus

My Now & Forever releases today!

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Synopsis:

Whose parents abandon them in a trashy trailer when they are five years old? Oh Yeah! Mine do!

Hey Hoochies! I’m Milly, and I am tired of taking kicks to the gut. A broken family, an asshole husband and the loss of loved ones have left me crying Uncle, and declaring a serious case of the Fuck-Its!

I had my heart broken, stomped on and shattered before I ever started on my journey to find my little piece of happiness. With a bucket list, a ’66 Ford and wild dreams, I set out on an adventure that changed my life forever. Follow me on my journey that resurrected my inner badass.

I found my soul sista from another mista, and opened my dream shop along the way. Just when I gave up on finding true love, a pirate and a princess swept me off my ever lovin’ feet and filled my world with sprinkles, mac n’ cheese and the courage to live again. They forced my fragile heart to trust and love without fear.

Truth is, nobody’s past stays hidden forever. It’s an invisible monster waiting to attack and destroy. It has the capability to ruin everything you’ve worked to set right. All it takes is one final blow to the gut to end everything.

My Review:

My Now & Forever is the debut work from author H. J. Bellus and let me say, she started her writing career with a real bang! I was already hooked after reading the synopsis….and it only got better from there!

Milly starts out her story by giving us a glimpse into her awfully sad childhood…and I was crying by the second page. Things don’t really improve much for the funny, spirited, entertaining gal until the loss of the only person that has ever truly mattered in her life. That’s when Milly decides it’s time to take control of her life and happiness. This is where the fun begins! Starting off with a bucket list “thingy”, Milly takes us on an emotional ride that had me laughing hysterically one minute and crying the next. C’mon, you all know I love that kind of book! After she decides on a new place to start her new life, she finds true friendship and gets a chance at real love. We meet some amazing characters along the way…Lacey, her new BFF, and Cree, the new man in her life but typical for Milly, things are never easy. Cree has a past, and even though Milly is willing to take a chance and look past it, the past comes back to bite them in the ass. But Milly isn’t going to give up her new amazing life without a fight…and it’s one she’s determined to win.

I adored this book! ADORED! I finished it in a day, it was that good. Milly is just too amazing. She’s fun and bright and foul-mouthed and simply incredible. Her outlook on the craptastic cards life has dealt her is truly admirable. Life handed her lemons and she turned it into a spiked lemonade cocktail with a paper umbrella! She is a gal I would love to hang out with! Cree is freaking drool-worthy to the max. He’s gorgeous with a charm about him that had me sighing out loud on more than one occasion. Don’t even get me started on his magic sprinkles! (can’t spoil it for you, you just gotta read the book!) He is one hell of a catch and together Milly and Cree are book-couple perfection. They each bring the missing piece into one another’s lives and it’s magical to see play out.

I also have to mention that Lacey and Milly together are freaking HILARIOUS and have language that gives an insight on what girl talk is really like…at least for me and my gals it is!

So, add this book to your summer reading list and sit back and enjoy the ride….I know it’s going to be a book I will be recommending for quite some time! Thank you, H.J., for a kick-ass read and I can’t wait for more!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Five Loves

About the author:

I am an independent author excited about releasing my first novel very soon. A big dream coming true!!! I’m all country…the kinda country where green grass grows and corn pops up in rows….love Miranda and her bad ass music!!! Just a simple country girl getting one story out of her head at a time…I always fall hard for a trucker style hat…especially if it’s a John Deere hat….loves me a good ol’ farm boy!!!!!!

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Guest Review….Clockwork Mafia by Seleste deLaney

Please welcome my friend, Phoebe Chase, and her guest review of Clockwork Mafia by Seleste deLaney:

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Synopsis:

Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia. Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father’s duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold. While in the city, she can’t resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience. Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal.

His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia. He lucked out happening across Mason’s strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers. On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands.

With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face. He’ll have to win over Henrietta’s trust, and her heart, before it’s too late…

Phoebe’s Review:

Lots of adventure mixed in with a little romance and, of course, gadgets.

This is my second steampunk novel, the first being Delaney’s prequel to Clockwork Mafia–which I recommend both because I liked it and it helps set up this book–and I’m now calling myself a steampunk fan! Also, a Seleste deLaney fan.

The thing that shines the most in Clockwork Mafia is the adventure. If you like a fast-paced, fun romp that includes corsets, airships, strong females, and steampunk gadgetry, this is the story for you. Let me get back to that list for a minute and talk about the strong females. Delaney does an excellent job of creating women who have strength in one way or another that doesn’t make you roll your eyes with it’s over-the-top, hear-me-roar-I-am-woman feel. I love her characters.

The romance is secondary to the action, but it’s sweet and is weaved in quite nicely. I like Henrietta and Carson’s first encounter. The instant attraction is believable, but as always, I have a hard time buying the depth of those feelings right off the bat. Delaney does a good job of building on that through the rest of the story.

The steampunk elements are fun. And cool. And a little nerdy. I loved them. Animals and people enhanced by clockworks to become something stronger and, in some cases, very hard to kill. Henrietta’s own inventions are pretty and can be functional or deadly–or both.

I’m looking forward to more from this author!

Four Loves

About the guest reviewer:

Phoebe Chase loves books. Keep your eye on her, she may just tempt you with some stories of her own. You can catch a little of what goes on in her head at Wickedly Twisted Tales.

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About the author:

Author of speculative romance (aka Julie Particka, young adult author).Two series coming soon from Entangled Publishing!My steampunk romance series is from Carina Press: BADLANDS and CLOCKWORK MAFIA (coming April 2013).The Blood Kissed novels (KISS OF DEATH and, coming soon, KISS OF LIFE) are available from Mundania Press.

The short stories that begin the Blood Kissed series (OF COURSE I TRY and THE GHOST OF VAMPIRE PRESENT) are available at Decadent Publishing.

My short stories YES,ALANA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS; MAKING THE NAUGHTY LIST; and A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS are part of Evernight Publishing’s holiday anthologies, in addition, Evernight is the home of the Cupid’s Conquests multi-author, shared world series. (GUNSHY–book 1, and LOVE & OTHER INDOOR SPORTS–book 4)

Also writes young adult fiction as Julie Particka.

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Rina’s Quick Audio Bytes ~ Audiobook Reviews in Short: NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

NOS4A2

By Joe Hill

Narrated by Kate Mulgrew

Story: 5 stars

Performace: 5 stars

Overall: 5 stars **Rina’s Audio Hall of Fame**

Genre: Horror

“I felt like it needed some color down there, so I painted the walls with the m***** f******.”

Victoria McQueen learns at the tender age of eight, she has an incredible ability to find things by way of a covered bridge; things that may even be hundreds of miles out of reach. Vic must only travel through the darkness, on her Raleigh Tuff Burner, with the object in mind, to end up exactly where she needs to be.

In search for more answers, Vic meets Maggie Leigh and learns there are others with similar gifts, including a stealer of children known as the Wraith. Disregarding Maggie’s warning to never seek out the sinister Rolls Royce with the license plate NOS4A2, Vic comes face to face with it’s driver, Charlie Manx, in turn initiating a war she might not be strong enough to win.

NOS4A2 is an epic roller coaster ride for the mind, full of characters that resonate long after the story has ended. I applaud Joe Hill for creating such a strong female lead in Victoria McQueen, compelling the readers themselves to cheer, cry and bite their nails, as she takes on the evil that is Charlie Manx. Although NOS4A2 is at times gruesome and graphic, the author brilliantly keeps certain aspects off book, allowing the reader’s imagination to do it’s job. A detail I appreciate dearly, considering some of the subject matter.

Kate Mulgrew’s performance reaches hall of fame territory, when Charlie Manx makes his first appearance in NOS4A2. So eerily spot on, I may hear that voice in my nightmares for years to come. I highly recommend the audio version in conjunction with the actual hardcover, which contains illustrations by award-winning Locke & Key artist, Gabriel Rodríguez. If you love a story chock full of exciting ups and emotional downs, weaved expertly by a talented author and performed by an incredible narrator, give NOS4A2 a listen.

~ Rina

Review….Brave Girl by Kate Baum

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Synopsis:

Eve is beyond excitement for her new adventure. Only a truly brave girl could move thousands of miles from home to begin a five year commitment teaching on an American Indian Reservation. As soon as she arrives, she finds that many of the tribe’s people are not very welcoming. They are suspicious of the college students that work and live on the reservation in exchange for free graduate tuition. After a misunderstanding, Eve decides she absolutely despises a certain tribal police officer. Circumstances cause her to keep running into him.

Lou regrets the awkward situation where he first met Eve. He had been openly distrustful of the college girls who have come to live on the reservation. In the past, some of the girls were disrespectful of the tribe’s culture. There is something different about Eve. He can’t get her out of his head. The more he tries to get to know her, the more she pulls away. What will it take for Lou to convince Eve that their attraction for each other cannot be denied?

Eve has given up on men. She has had unsatisfying sex in the past and decided that men are just not worth the trouble. She’s a modern young woman and decides that using a handy tool is all she needs to relieve her sexual frustration. The problem is……there’s a gorgeous sexy police officer that stirs her blood like no man has ever done before. Eve is tough and strong and brave. She doesn’t like the fact that her legs shake and her voice trembles whenever she crosses paths with him. Maybe if she keeps running from him, she won’t have to face what her body…..or her heart is telling her.

****Warning – for adults only. Contains graphic sex including a group sex scene and a m/m sexual situation.*

My Review:

Brave Girl is the second installment of the Girl Series by Kate Baum. I really enjoyed the first in the series, Nice Girl, but I adored and devoured Brave Girl! This is Eve’s story….and what a story it was.

Eve O’Malley has been accepted into a graduate program that placed her teaching on an American Indian Reservation. As much as Eve admires and is interested in American Indian cultures and history, she soon realizes that the local tribe’s people aren’t very welcoming. Add that to the fact that she is living with three strangers and this surely is a situation only a brave girl would be able to handle. Lucky for Eve she has the support and weekly chats with her best girlfriends to keep her spirits up. The girlfriends she has known since forever, they chat about any and everything. These days the main topic of their weekly web chats is the orgasm pact they all made before splitting up in different directions for school. You see, none of them have ever had an orgasm courtesy of a man, and now they are determined to experience just that. Only with the lack of friendly faces here, there’s no way Eve is going to win. Or so she thinks. When a handsome, rugged police officer catches her eye, things start to get interesting.

Lou Red Wolf immediately notices the new red-haired spit fire teacher…probably because she is currently giving a fellow officer a verbal bitch slap after a few undeserved rude comments his peer has made to her and her roommates. These new teachers weren’t exactly welcome here. Not after the debacle the last teachers this program had brought to their Reservation. But no matter what the previous situation, Lou knows his fellow officer is out of line and feels terribly for what had just been exchanged. He knows he owes her an apology on behalf of his department and now has an excuse to come back to see her. Hopefully he will be able to cut through her temper long enough to hear his apology and hopefully give him a chance to introduce himself properly…because he absolutely wants to get to know her better.

Eve and Lou have a whole lot to deal with on their way to a friendship….let alone attempting to take things further. Their attraction is undeniable. Unfortunately also undeniable is the contempt his family, friends, and well, most of the town feels towards these new girls. The odds are stacked against them from day one.

This book was a-freaking-mazing. Eve has so much life, spirit and determination. She knows who she is and why she is the way she is and has no apologies for any of it. She has a short fuse, speaks (hell, sometimes yells) her mind and fights for what she believes is right…consequences be damned. She also had a side she rarely shows, and we were lucky to see it. When she lets her guard down, it only adds to her amazing personality and gives her a depth I could feel. Lou is absolutely delicious. He was an alpha male that simmered slowly and came to a rolling boil before our eyes. He always had a dominating presence but when he showed it in a sexual manner, it was delectable! Together, Eve and Lou are a fantastic match and compliment one another beautifully!

The secondary characters in this story were all equally well-developed and I feel like I could pick up the phone and invite them to dinner. Along with the original BFF’s of Grace, Dee, and Janie, the newbies we meet, Cora, Joe, Julia, Lauren, Lane and Cash are a group I hope we get to see more of. There were a few twists in this story that I totally didn’t see coming but only added to my adoration to each one of them. I find that it’s rare to be able to get to build that relationship to a whole cast of characters, but I did it with Brave Girl….Well done, Kate!

I will continue to look forward to the releases in the Girl Series (Funny Girl and Smart Girl) and have to thank Kate for giving us Eve and Lou. This book should absolutely be on your summer reading list!

Five Loves

About the author:

I have always been a voracious reader. My favorite genres were tailored to YA type of horror, fantasy and science fiction. I guess it fit being that I am a middle school librarian. I have a young adult series in mind that I always told myself I would one day write. Then, at the young age of 46, I picked up an erotic romance book. I only read it out of curiosity. It was a best seller and ALL the teachers in my school were talking about this particular book. You know the one. It had a certain “tie” on the cover. Instantly, overnight, I became of fan of erotic romance. That summer, I think I read twenty erotic romance books. Since I work in a school, I have the beauty of summers off. I read day and night. My face was always plastered in front of my e-reader. I couldn’t get enough of erotic romance. The passion was exciting and contagious!
What this genre did for me was to bring out characters in my head that I had been dreaming about for years. I became obsessed at the idea of writing my own fantasies. Reading other talented authors gave me the inspiration to write stories about my favorite sexy alpha men. I created the “Girl Series”. Please email me with your comments. I would love to hear what you think!

Website ~ Goodreads