Category: Blog Tour

Blog Tour & Review…Cul-de-sac by Liz Crowe

Welcome to Connelly Court. A secluded, old money neighborhood, harboring a web of desires and deceit behind pristine facades and manicured lawns, where the lives of a group of neighbors, bound by their shared secrets and unconventional lifestyle, are about to unravel.

Michael and Amelia Ross move into their dream home, and get drawn into the seductive allure. But their house once belonged to a family whose lives were seemingly ruined by their participation, which leads Amelia to question everything about her new-found friends. Suspicions run rampant as the close-knit group turns on each other. Lies, betrayals, and hidden agendas are revealed, ripping apart the fabric that once bound the group together.

“Cul-de-Sac” is a dark tale of marriage, friendship, desire, and betrayal, where nothing is as it seems, and the truth may be more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Discover the twisted secrets of Connelly Court in this chilling domestic suspense novel that will leave you questioning just how well you truly know—or should know—your neighbors.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ORHrxk

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205844908-cul-de-sac

Excerpt

Amelia’s phone buzzed, interrupting her favorite Spotify playlist. The unobtrusive Siri voice told her she had a call from a number that was not one she immediately recognized. When asked if she wanted to take the call, she told Siri she did, then turned the volume up on her wireless earbuds. “Hello?”

“Hi! Amelia? This is Emily. Your neighbor.”

“Oh hi,” Amelia said, trying to recall what Emily looked like. She was easily the most forgettable of the women she’d met these past few weeks and at the party. Melissa she knew well, based on the time they’d spent together as Realtor and client. Janice was the attractively preserved older woman at the end of the cul-de-sac. A sort of matriarch for the group who’d hosted the party. Cassie was the gorgeous young woman with the bright-blue eyes who was pregnant and seemingly not too happy about it. Emily…which one was she?

“So, I was wondering if you’d like to come out to brunch with us.”

“Oh um…” She was preparing to beg off, not willing to change her plans for the next forty-eight or so hours. She’d been walking around feeling like a giant exposed horny nerve ever since she’d let Michael fuck her on the kitchen table earlier that day. She wanted more. A lot more. And she was about to get it.

“I mean, um, next weekend. While the boys are golfing?”

Amelia blinked then realized what she was talking about. The “boys” had invited Michael to golf. And she was going to lunch with the ladies. Part of her bristled at this. Why couldn’t they be in on the golfing? But she hated golf. So why not?

“Sure, that sounds like fun. Where?”

“Oh, at the club. I figured you guys had already joined.”

“No, not yet.” To be honest, she’d avoided it, although she knew they should do it. She’d done her research. And her mother had, too. They’d decided that Forest Hills Golf and Swim Club was the best one to join. And she liked to believe that the fact of her husband’s skin color wouldn’t matter in this enlightened, Midwest college town. But part of her wasn’t certain about that, and she was reluctant to put Michael through it. Perhaps going to a day at golf and lunch would ease their entry a bit. “But we have every intention of it.”

“Any of us can sponsor you. They still require that. It’s so…colonial, don’t you think?”

Amelia hesitated, wondering if Emily would realize the awkwardness of that question. She picked up her pace, nervous and yet somehow pissed off at the same time.

“Well, anyway,” the woman went on, not realizing it, apparently. “Why don’t you ride with me? The guys usually all carpool to their golf days.”

“Sure, sounds good.” She didn’t want to go now. In fact, all of a sudden, if she never saw or spoke to any of her immediate neighbors ever again, she’d not mind it one bit.

She shook her head at this ridiculous thought. One of the reasons she’d chosen this street was for the social opportunities. She was being paranoid. Her neighbors were just…a little enthusiastic and, well, touchy, when it came down to it. The memory of the women surrounding Michael, leaning in, hands on his thighs and arms as he sat in the midst of them like some kind of a sultan among his harem wafted through her brain. Even as she recalled the way she’d been the center of the male attention most of the night. How attractive they all were, those men, from brash contractor Ryan to soft-spoken, exotic-looking Sai, to the two older men, Barrett and Allen. All of them were rich, handsome, fit to the point of model-perfect. And they’d been all over her.

She stopped in her tracks, recalling something else from that night she must have been suppressing as a figment of her imagination, or something her drunken brain had conjured. The large bedroom window on the second floor of the Coopers’ house. The light, the shadows she’d taken for Janice and Allen at first in an embrace. Then the other shadows that joined them. The other people who’d been in that room and…and…

That is crazy, Amelia Elizabeth. Stop it. You’re pent up and horny and are taking care of all of that within hours. Get a damn grip on yourself. These people are inviting you and Michael to a snooty country club that has likely only recently allowed black people to be members. Keep things in perspective.

“Amelia? You still there?”

“Yes, sorry. I’d be happy to join you all. Looking forward to it.”

“Great! Super. We’ll…um…” There was a beat of silence that made Amelia uncomfortable again. “Anyway, if you need any tomatoes, you should stop by this week.”

“Tomatoes,” Amelia said, confused by the shift of topic.

“Yes. Between my garden and Cassie’s, we’re overflowing with them. There’s only so much sauce and salsa I can make. Talk soon!” She hung up before Amelia could say anything else.

OK – this was quite the interesting read for me. There are definitely some twisted secrets on Connelly Court.

Liz Crowe delivers a very intriguing story surrounding a swingers lifestyle and not just any one swinger’s lifestyle, but a community of swingers and the rules they set for all to follow. But with lies, betrayal and ulterior motives, things are never what they seem.

I will not go any further with what happens in this book. It’s a dark, twisted story that definitely keeps you right there in the thick of everything. But the pacing was what hurt this story for me.

The story has a very slow pace at the beginning, which was a bit of struggle for me. The characters aren’t likeable, but that fits the vibe of this story so that felt purposeful. Once the story hits the crescendo, everything moves at a much faster pace – almost too quickly in my opinion.

Overall, the story was entertaining and kept me intrigued, even at it’s slowest parts. And while I felt the ending was a bit rushed, I still enjoyed the overall story itself.

Author Bio:

Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in South Carolina. She’s spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a digital marketing and fundraising consultant, in addition to being an award-winning author.

The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Her favorite things to do when she’s not scrolling social media for cute animal videos is walk her dogs, cuddle her cats, and watch her favorite sports teams while scrolling social media for cute animal videos.

Website: https://lizcrowe.com/

Facebook: @lizcroweauthor

Instagram: @lizcroweauthor

Author Marketing Experts tags for social media:

Twitter: @Bookgal

Instagram: @therealbookgal

Prologue…Damaged Goods by L.J. Shen

Underneath the goody-two-shoes persona is damaged goods…but can the bad boy across the street save her?

Damaged Goods, an all-new angsty, enemies to lovers, sports romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is now available!

Bailey Followhill is the perfect daughter.
Sweet. Charitable. Pretty. Control freak.
Not a hair out of place, not an inch out of line, she is everything her troublemaking sister Daria isn’t.
But when her A game turns out to be a lukewarm C- at Juilliard, Bailey’s picture-ready life starts fraying faster than the worn satin ribbons of her pointe shoes.
She’s becoming a piece of gossip.
The Troubled Child. A drug abuser.
No longer the girl her best friend once knew.

Lev Cole is so golden, he’s got the Midas Touch.
Prized quarterback. Football captain. Hottest guy in SoCal. A textbook cliché.
But with a girlfriend he doesn’t love and a career path he doesn’t value, Lev is coasting.
The only two things he cares about―Bailey and becoming a pilot―are out of reach.

But Lev is done being satisfied with the life others have chosen for him. He wants to pick his own cards. To demolish the seamless kingdom of lies his family stitched together on the ruins his mother left behind.

The question is, can he save his best friend and his dream before too much damage is done?

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/damagedgoods

Bloom Paperback: https://bit.ly/3OUfHYc

Audible: https://adbl.co/48fFJgT

Add Damaged Goods to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3YJGWc8    

Keep reading for a look inside Damaged Goods!

PROLOGUE 

Lev 

Age fourteen 

I’m standing over my mother’s grave, wondering why the fuck my eyes are dry. 

I couldn’t look at the coffin back inside the church. Knight said she looked pretty. Calm. At peace. But also…nothing like herself. 

I squeezed my eyes shut the entire way through, the way I did when I was really little and went on spooky rides at theme parks. Now I’m freaking out because maybe I made a mistake, because it was the last time I could look at her face not through a picture. 

That’s the thing about losing someone—there are so many losses along the way that make up a big loss. 

No more cuddles in bed on rainy days.

No more heart-shaped fruit in my lunch box. 

No more singing lullabies to me when I’m sick, with me pretending I’m embarrassed and annoyed by it when actually Mom singing lullabies is the best thing to happen to this universe since sliced bread. 

Bailey is hugging me so close, my bones are about to dissipate to dust. She’s about four inches taller than me now, which is stupid and embarrassing and just my luck. My face is hidden deep inside her hair, and I pretend to cry because it seems rude and screwed up if I don’t. But the truth is, I’m not sad or gloomy or any of those things. I’m fucking pissed. Angry. Enraged. 

Mom’s gone. 

What if she’s cold? What if she’s claustrophobic? What if she is struggling to breathe? What if she’s scared? Reasonably, I know she isn’t. She’s dead. But logic isn’t my friend right now. Not even an acquaintance. Hell, I doubt I could spell the word in my current state. I feel like Bailey is physically keeping me together. Like if she loosens her arms around me, I’ll collapse into thousands of little marbles, scatter and disappear into the nooks and crannies of the cemetery. 

Everyone files back to their cars. Dad claps a shaking hand over my shoulder and steers me away from the grave. Bails reluctantly releases me. I clutch the tips of her fingers. She’s gravity. She’s oxygen. In this moment in time, she’s everything. 

Sensing my unspoken need for her, Bailey turns to my dad. “May I please catch a ride with you, Uncle Dean?” 

Thank you, Jesus. 

“Yeah, Bails, sure,” Dad says distractedly, laser-focused on Knight’s back. My brother is going through his own stuff right now and my dad is trying to ensure he doesn’t lose another member of our family. Usually, I’m cool with being the low-maintenance, “background” kid. Not today, though. I just lost my mom at fourteen. I want the world to stop, but it disrespectfully keeps on spinning and functioning like my life wasn’t just destroyed. 

Before we hop into the car, I clutch Bailey’s fingers and pull her to me. “If I told you I want to run away from here, somewhere really far, like…I dunno, Kansas far, what would you say?” 

Her big blue eyes hold mine like my eyeballs are about to fall off. “We ride at dawn, bitch.” 

“Really?” I ask. 

She nods once. “Try me, Lev. You’re my best friend. I’ll never let you down.” 

It’s weird, but the possibility of Bailey and me running away from all this is the one thing holding my ass together right now. She might be everyone’s good girl, but to me, she’s a bad addiction. 

The drive is silent. I’m a page torn out of a book. Out of place and floating aimlessly. All I have is the memory of once belonging. Then, we’re in front of my house. Everyone trickles inside in their black frocks. They look like ghouls. Home without Mom isn’t a home. It’s a pile of bricks and expensive furniture. 

Invisible ivy roots me to the ground. Bailey is the only one who notices. She loiters behind with me, and suddenly, I really hate that I’m putting all my dreams and hopes on her. Because she could be gone tomorrow too. Bus accident. Freak heart attack at fifteen. A kidnap-and-murder plot. The options are endless, and I have really shitty luck with people. 

“Kansas?” She grabs my fingers, playing them like they’re keys on a piano. 

I shake my head, too choked up to produce actual words. 

“We don’t have to go inside.” Her hands slide up to grab my arms and keep me standing. How did she know I’m close to falling? “We can hang out at mine. I’ll make fondue. We can watch South Park.” Her blues gleam like sapphires. 

Fresh irritation floods me. Bailey is being soooo understanding, even though she doesn’t understand jack shit. She does have a mom. A healthy one. And a dad. And a sister who isn’t an addict. Her life is perfect, while mine is a pile of calamities. 

She’s a blossoming flower, and I’m dirt, but that’s okay because the thing about flowers is they’re buried in dirt, so I know exactly how to cut her off. 

Shaking her off, I swivel and stomp my way out of our cul-de-sac. She races after me, calling my name. Her Mary Janes clap the ground urgently. 

“Lev, please! Did I say something wrong?” 

To be fair to her, she stood no chance at saying anything right. But screw being fair. I’m hurting, and she is baggage. Just another person to love and to lose. 

I pick up my pace, running now. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m eager to get there. The sky—completely blue just seconds ago—cracks like an egg. Thunder rolls, gray washes over it, and rain starts pouring in thick sheets. It’s summer in SoCal and shouldn’t rain. The universe is angry, but I’m angrier. 

Whenever Bailey manages to catch the sleeve of my shirt, I speed up, but even after thirty minutes of running in the rain, soaked to the bone, she doesn’t quit. Somehow, we find ourselves in the woods on the outskirts of town. The thick, tall branches and blankets of leaves intertwine together like laced fingers above us, creating a makeshift umbrella. I can sort of see my surroundings now, and it’s pretty and it’s calm and far enough away from that stupid cemetery. I stop running when I realize I’m not gonna escape the new reality: Mom’s dead. 

I finally understand the term heartbreak. Because that thing in my chest? Split open clean in two. 

I turn around, my lungs scorching. Bailey is pale and sodden, her black dress clinging to her body. Her lips are blue and her skin is so pale, I see a map of purple and red veins under her flesh. 

“Go home,” I growl. But I don’t want her to go home. I want her to never leave. 

She steps closer, tilting her chin up defiantly. “I’m not leaving you.” 

“Fuck off, Bailey!” I fold in half, screaming. I feel like she kicked me in the stomach. 

She’ll leave. She’ll let you down. Don’t fall for this, Lev. 

“I’m so sorry.” Her eyes are full of tears, and she flexes her fingers, itching to grab me. 

Hug me. 

Go away. 

Fuckfuckfuck.

My mouth opens again and more bullshit spews out. “Don’t be sorry for me. Be sorry for yourself. You’re the loser who hangs out with an eighth grader instead of people your own age.” 

“I wish it didn’t happen.” She ignores my insults, trying to grab my fingers again and play them like a piano, like she does every time I’m upset. 

Laughing, I rasp, “I wish you didn’t happen.” 

“I wish it were me who was dead.” Her face is covered with tears and pain and mud, and I can’t do this anymore. I don’t care how much I’m hurting, I can’t ruin the only good thing about my life right now. She gives me something to fight for when every cell of my body wants to give up. 

“Now you’re just talking outta your ass.” I spit phlegm between us.

She shakes her head, quivering fingers darting to her hair, massaging her scalp. I believe her. And it kills me that even though I feel like someone slashed me open and my guts are pouring out, I still wouldn’t want Bailey to be in Mom’s place. 

“I’m not. I’m serious. I would die before willingly watch you suffer.” 

There’s a beat of silence. Then I open my mouth and the most feral, scary, loud cry I’ve ever heard tears out of it. It echoes in the sky and bounces off the trees. A flock of ravens takes flight from the treetops. 

And then I go to the only place I need to be right now—I go mad.

For more information about L.J. Shen and her books, visit her website: 

https://www.authorljshen.com

Review Blitz…Reeve by Siobhan Davis

A companion novel to Say I’m the One and Let Me Love You

Reeve, an all-new emotional, angsty, new adult romance, and the fourth book in the All of Me Series, from USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Siobhan Davis is now available!

Vivien Grace Mills has been the center of my universe since the second she entered this world.

Every memory I hold precious includes her.

She’s my biggest champion and the one person keeping me sane during some of the most testing times of my life.

Vivien shows me what it means to love and be loved.

I know she’s the one from an early age.

When I land my dream role, plans for our future are finally coming true.

Until everything falls apart, leaving a complicated trail of broken, scarred hearts and long-lasting consequences.

I messed up: I failed her. I failed me.

I won’t rest until the only woman I love is back in my arms.

Nothing or no one will stop me from reclaiming her heart. Not my manipulative costar, my greedy agent, or the backstabbing studio publicist.

And especially not him.

My determination and patience are successful, and Vivien is back where she belongs.

I finally have the family I have craved my entire life.

But I sacrificed so much for my poor decisions, and I’m not finished paying the price.

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon:  https://bit.ly/ReeveEBook

Add Reeve to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3M3Jayf  

Start the series from the beginning! 

Say I’m the One, Available in Kindle Unlimited → 

https://mybook.to/sayimtheone

Keep reading for a look inside Reeve!

Sitting on my bed, fresh from my post-workout shower, I clear my throat and press record on my phone. “Hey, guys. Today is a very special day, because on this day eighteen years ago, the most important person in my life was born.”

I fight a smirk as I hold up the cutest baby picture of Vivien. Lauren sent me a few after I told her I wanted to record a birthday video. My girl is probably gonna string me up by the balls for sharing this publicly, but I want the world to know I love her and how much she means to me. I can’t think of a more perfect way to do that.

Plus, I’m missing her big-time today. This is the first time I have missed her birthday, and I’m all up in my feels. If I can’t be with her, I still want her to know how much I adore her. I want her to feel surrounded by my love even if I’m thousands of miles away. I already got confirmation the lavender roses I sent her were delivered, and Moira confirmed she dropped my gift off at the house last night and her parents will give it to her today.

“I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for this gorgeous, smart, funny, compassionate, loving woman,” I add, holding up a different photo. This pic is one we took while in Big Bear in January. We are wrapped up in one other, both sporting matching wide smiles for the camera. “Have you ever loved someone so much it physically pains you to be apart from them?” A tight pain spreads across my chest, confirming my words. I rub at the pain, but it does nothing to alleviate the perpetual ache for my girl. “As much as I am loving bringing Camden Marshall to life, I am missing my baby so much.”

Emotion swirls inside me as I lean in closer to the screen, speaking these next words directly to my love. “I love you, Viv. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I don’t even care that the guys are going to give me shit for this.” I blow her a kiss. “You are my world, and I wish I could be there to hug you and kiss you. Only twenty-seven days until I see you again. I can’t wait. Till then, have the happiest of birthdays, my love.” I blow her one final kiss before ending the recording and pressing publish. I like the thought she will wake up and see my message first thing.

Predictably, when I show up on set, the guys give me a ton of shit for my “sappy” birthday message.

“Look what I dug up online.” Rudy smirks as he holds out his cell phone while we are assembled around one long table in the cafeteria eating breakfast.

“Where the hell did you get that?” I swipe the phone from his hands so I can look at the picture up close. It was taken the night we attended our first Harry Potter premiere together, and I remember it as if it was yesterday.

“It’s amazing what you can find when you google shit. There are tons of pics of you and Viv from when you were kids. I see what you mean now. There’s no way you can hide your relationship from fans, and I don’t think you should. You two are the ultimate Hollywood love story. I think fans will eat that shit up.” A fake swoony expression coasts over his face as he places one hand over his heart. “Even my cynical ass believes in the dream.”

Pity my agent and the studio publicist don’t share that sentiment. I have tried making the same argument, but they are not listening to me.

 Copyright Siobhan Davis © 2023

Siobhan Davis, you truly know how to captivate and keep your readers wanting more.

Reeve is a companion novel to the All of Me series and must be read after you’ve read the previous three books. This story was nowhere close to what I expected and made me see Reeve in a new light.

This book is an emotional roller coaster, as is this entire series. Even though I knew the outcome, I was still one thousand percent invested in this book. It gave me an even deeper appreciation for Reeve and made Mr fall in love with him all over again.

Siobhan delivered a story that her readers will absolutely love and appreciate that it’s not just a retelling; it’s Reeve’s life. It’s 70% new material and so much better than you can imagine.

For more information about Siobhan Davis and her books, visit her website:

https://siobhandavis.com

Release Blitz & Review…Defying Evil by Abbie Roads



Defying Evil: A Dark Romantic Thriller
Abbie Roads
(Blood is Thicker Than…, #1)
Publication date: October 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

He’s the son of a serial killer.
She’s his father’s only surviving victim.
He’s obsessed with her.
She’s frightened of him.
Before it’s all over they’ll need each other to survive.

Cain Killion’s life has revolved around blood. From a childhood of torture by his father, to his gruesome ability to solve crimes. When a current case is directly connected to his past, there’s only one person with answers.

But she isn’t talking, and the bodies are stacking up. The only solution… Kidnap her.

Defying Evil is the first book in the Blood is Thicker Than Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a man tortured by his past who never thought he was capable of love. If you devour edge of your seat thrillers and romance novels, you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of mind games and tragic love.

Read this dangerously dark romance today!

Trigger warning: Depictions of violence.

Previously published until the title Saving Mercy.

Goodreads / Amazon

 

 

 

Author Bio:

Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

 

Abbie Roads has always been able to pull me in immediately with her stories. Defying Evil is no different. However, it did not hold my attention like her other books.

Defying Evil is a thriller book with a bit of trauma bonding added in. The “romance” part of this book is what moves at fast pace, which makes the overall book move at fast pace. I felt like the thriller parts were too short and the development of Mercy was a bit lacking.

I love Abbie’s writing style and it’s why I continued on with this story, but this book had a lot of potential to be so much better.

I did enjoy Cain’s backstory and how he’s been able to overcome his horrendous past and move forward. I loved the otherworldly aspect of both Cain and Mercy’s abilities and how Abbie weaved them together into the story.

Overall, it was just an ok read for me. I know Abbie has the ability to dig deeper so this would be a great book for new readers to her work.

Review Blitz…Broken Dreams by Abbie Roads

Broken Dreams
Abbie Roads
(Beautiful Nightmare, #2)
Publication date: May 9th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

A stalker. A killer. A v!rg!n hero who will sacrifice himself to save the woman he loves.

FBI Special Skills Consultant Lathan Montgomery has a genetic anomaly that he uses to solve cold cases, but it forces him to live in seclusion. When he saves a woman from a roadside attack, instead of her presence causing him to lose control, she soothes him. For the first time in his life, he experiences love.

But someone is watching them and planning to make them both suffer.

Broken Dreams is the second book in Abbie Roads’ Beautiful Nightmare Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a v!rg!n hero who never thought he’d find love. If you devour true crime and romance novels then you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of danger, mind games, and swoon worthy love.

Buy this dangerously dark romance today!

Trigger warning: Depictions of SA and violence.

Previously published under the title Hunt the Dawn

Goodreads / Amazon


Author Bio:

Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Release Blitz & Review…Sweater Weather by Mandi Beck

 

 

 

SWEATER WEATHER by Mandi Beck

Release Date: March 27th

Genre/Tropes: College Romance / Sports/Hockey Romance / Enemies to Lovers

 

SWEATER WEATHER by USA Today bestselling author Mandi Beck is NOW LIVE!

 

Make sure to grab this all-new enemies-to-lovers, college hockey romance today! This is a complete standalone & full length novel.

 

NOW AVAILABLE! FREE IN KU!

Amazon: https://geni.us/SweaterWeather_

 

Add to GR:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34820470-sweater-weather

 

 

 

BLURB

Sweater Weather [ swet-er weth-er]

Noun: A slang term meaning hockey season used exclusively by the Fulton University hockey team and their fans.

Saffron Briggs—Fulton University’s newest pitcher—hates me. I shouldn’t like that fact, but I do. Maybe too much. She claims I’m not her type, which is ridiculous. There’s a reason they call me Levi “Sexy” Sexton…I’m everyone’s type. And thanks to my dad, who just happens to be her softball coach, I’ll get my chance to thaw out the ice queen. I’m her new tutor, so she has no choice but to spend time with me. It may be Sweater Weather, but I’ll make time to show her what a god I am. On and off the ice.

Levi Sexton—captain of the FU hockey team and my new tutor—drives me crazy. The man has zero boundaries. He doesn’t care that I have a boyfriend, that I’m friends with his sisters or that I don’t like him. And I don’t. Not even a little. Not when he’s winking at me from the ice or when he’s telling me how good I look in his hockey sweater and especially not when he’s kissing me, which he absolutely should not be doing.
And definitely not when I find myself kissing him back.

I’m pretty sure Sweater Weather isn’t supposed to be this hot.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Mandi Beck

Writing stories that are sexy, sassy and a little bad assy

 

USA Today Bestselling Author, Mandi Beck has been an avid

reader all of her life. A deep love for books always had her jotting

down little stories on napkins, notebooks, and her hand. As an

adult she was further submerged into the book world through

book clubs and the epicness of social media. It was then that she

graduated to writing her stories on her phone and then finally on a

proper computer.

 

A wife, mother to two rambunctious and somewhat rotten boys,

and stepmom to two great girls away at college, she shares her

time with her husband in Chicago where she was born and raised.

Mandi is a diehard hockey fan and blames the Blackhawks when

her deadlines are not met. Ask her who her favorite hockey player

is and she’ll tell you that he calls her…mom.

 

 

 

Connect w/Mandi:

 

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Release Blitz & Review…Cruel Beginnings by Lili St. Germain & Lyra Parish

I’m not a girl who expects to be saved

Cruel Beginnings, an all-new dark academia, enemies-to-lovers romance and first book in the action-packed Cruel World Series from USA Today bestselling author Lili St Germain & Lyra Parish is available now!

I’m not a girl who expects to be saved.

I gave up on fairytales a long time ago.

So when my knight in shining Armani stalks into town and delivers me from my tragic fate, I’m grateful.

Darius Prince shouldn’t be in the seedy strip club where I’m paying off my mother’s debts, one piece of my soul at a time. And he definitely shouldn’t be the one who claims me in exchange for a suitcase full of trust fund cash and a deal inked in blood.

His dark eyes shine with a hatred so deadly, I wonder why he wants me at all.

Especially when I find out he thinks I’m somehow connected to his twin sister’s disappearance.

Darius doesn’t rescue me.

Instead, he drags me into his web of tragic secrets and forbidden desires.

He binds me so tight, I can’t find my way out of his grasp.

Not that it would make a difference.

Escaping my fate isn’t an option.

They say every ending is a new beginning.

I just didn’t expect my beginning to be so cruel.

Start reading today!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/cruelbeginnings

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Pre-Order Cruel Boys! 

Releasing August 18th 

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I rub my fingers across my chin as I size up Rafe Marin. Videos are horrifyingly easy to doctor. He could be making this whole thing up. 

‘What do you want?” I ask finally. “Why are you showing me this?”

“I don’t want anything—other than your assurance we never had this discussion.”

“What discussion?” I reply quickly. 

Rafe’s a smart guy, he catches my drift. “Exactly.”

“You didn’t tell me why you’re showing me this. If it’s legit, you know I’m going to have to find out who those guys are. Especially the one she arrived with. That could fuck with your family’s business dealings. So why risk it?”

Rafe nods, taking the phone and sliding it into his jacket pocket. “Because if my sister went missing and someone knew something, I’d want to be told.”

Huh. “That’s interesting.”

“What? That I care about my sister?”

“Oh please, we both know how much you care for your sister. Almost as much as your father cares for her, right?”I knew Rafe and Faye had some twisted thing going the moment I met them both, and my suspicions were only amplified when I had the misfortune of meeting their father at the beginning of our business relationship. That family is beyond weird. “But that’s not what’s interesting. What’s interesting is that you referred to my sister as missing. Most people refer to her as dead. Including the coroner, who issued her death certificate.”

“Well, there’s no body, right?” Rafe asks, completely ignoring my pointed jab at his incestuous little family. “No washed-up remains? A femur? A skull? A dismembered foot?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. Not even a single fucking strand of her hair.”

“Then she’s still missing,” Rafe states. “Especially in the world you and I live in. No remains, no proof of death.”

He regards me silently for a moment. And then, finally: “Do you think she’s dead?”

“Not for a single fucking millisecond have I ever thought she was dead,” I reply confidently. “Who’s the guy with her in the video?”

“I don’t know.”

“But you know something. What are you leaving out?”

Rafe struggles to articulate the next part. “There, ah…there might be somebody who knows who he is. She hasn’t told me, but for the right price, she might tell you.”

“She won’t tell you, and she might tell me. Sounds like a great fucking lead, Marin.”

“For the right price,” Rafe clarifies. “Question is, how much is your sister worth to you?”

It takes every bit of strength and self-control I possess not to stand and rip his larynx out of his throat with my bare hands. “She’s worth every penny I have. She’s worth the entire ocean. You understand. You have a sister you love. Maybe even more than I love mine.”

Rafe snorts, but he won’t bite. He won’t address his fucked up relationship with Faye, no matter how much shit I give him about it. Oh, well. 

“This mystery woman got a name?” I ask. 

Rafe smirks. “You know I can’t tell you that.”He glances at my balled fists. “I can arrange a meeting. Okay? It’ll be on the mainland, most likely, somewhere public. This woman, she’s paranoid. And rightly so, by the sounds of it. She’s got people looking for her.”

“If she’s got people looking for her, toss her on your boat and bring her to me. I’ll come unarmed, by myself, and she can name her price. If she’s worried about retribution, I’ll take her to Valmont Island and give her asylum.”

Rafe immediately looks worried. “No island. She can’t go there.”

“But I can keep her safe there!” I explode. I’m frowning so hard, trying to figure out Rafe’s reluctance, when it smashes into me like a wall of bricks. 

“She’s from the island,” I whisper. “Your informant. Isn’t she?”

Rafe pales. “You shut your fucking mouth,”he jabs his finger into the table. “I find out you breathed a word of this to anyone, I’ll have your goddamn head, Prince.”

I fall back in my seat, stunned. “She’s from the fucking island.” My mind is going a million miles an hour as I try to think of who this mystery woman could be, who’s from Valmont Island who just might know the guy my sister was fucking two nights before she disappeared? 

“Nobody gets away,” I whisper. “Nobody.”

“You know that’s not true,” Rafe says pointedly. “What, your father?” I reply. “He didn’t get away. He was banished.”

Rafe shrugs. “Being banished isn’t common, but it happens.”

I shake my head, my skull burning with the start of a blinding headache. “The only reason Javier’s not dead in a hole somewhere is because of his seat at the Empyrean Table. I’ve never heard of another person being granted the same. Ever. Have you?”

“Sometimes the dead don’t die,” Rafe says cryptically. “Like your sister, maybe.”

Cruel Beginnings is the first book in the Cruel World series and these two authors start this series off well.

It is very intense and riddled with lots of suspense and secrecy. There are a lot of moving parts and the authors keep readers on their toes the entire time.

Cruel Beginnings has a lot of complex characters and I will honestly say that I am still undecided on most of them. I love how we as readers are given little nuggets of infromation about each character and their role in story and it’s just enough to make you wonder about their true agenda.

I absolutely love the suspense, mystery and secrecy of the entire plot. These two authors did a wonderful job of giving readers just enough bread crumbs to keep us guessing and excited as to what comes next.

I purposely kept this review vague as I do not want to give too much away because that just ruins the overall vibe of this book and the start of this series.

I enjoyed the writing style, the flow and the multiple levels to this story. I’m anxious to see what they bring us in the next installment.

Stay up-to-date with all things Cruel World Books by visiting: https://www.cruelworldbooks.com

Learn more about Lili St Germain & Lyra Parish and their releases by visiting their websites: 

https://www.lilisaintgermain.com

https://www.lyraparish.com

Excerpt & Review…Doctor Love by Leisa Rayven

He’s about to learn that love isn’t logical at all.

Doctor Love, an all new sizzling opposites attract standalone romance from International Bestselling author Leisa Rayven, is out now!

Toby Jenner may be tall, handsome, and own the world’s greatest collection of cardigans, but his track record with women is woeful. Even though he’s the tech genius behind the most successful matchmaking app of all time, it seems as though Doctor Love is able to predict everyone’s perfect partner except his own.

All that changes when a beautiful, intelligent, quirky-as-hell woman crashes into his life. Plagued by her own relationship woes, Joanna’s done with dating guys who aren’t right and pins her hopes on the Happy Ever After app turning her love life around.

Within hours of meeting her, Toby realizes he’s finally found the soul-deep connection he’s always craved. Even better, she seems to feel the same way.

There’s just one problem–according to his own state-of-the-art compatibility algorithm, they don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of working out.

Being a man of logic, Toby knows he should forget about her and move on. He knows he shouldn’t move into her plush Manhattan apartment so he can monitor the glitchy A. I. that runs/ruins her life. He knows he should be fine with her dating men whose compatibility scores aren’t in the single digits. And he should absolutely ignore how just being near her sets his entire world on fire.

Yes, Toby is very aware that falling for his perfectly imperfect match will lead to devastating heartbreak. But he also knows that if there’s even a one-percent chance of them making it, he’ll move heaven and earth to beat the odds.

A sizzling new standalone from the internationally bestselling author of Bad Romeo.

Download your copy today, exclusively on Amazon or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3r1796E
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Keep reading for a look inside Doctor Love!

I down more of my drink. For an eighteen-dollarish glass of whiskey, it’s not bad.
When I glance at Eden, I see her eyes have glazed over. I follow her gaze across the room to where her boyfriend is talking to one of the test couples. As if he feels her staring, Max turns, and the expression he gets makes me shake my head. Pretty sure I’ve never looked at a girl like that, but I’d like to.
I wonder what it must be like to be that much in love. The way they’re looking at each other … the chemistry is so thick, you can almost see it shimmering in the air. It’s like there’s no one else in this entire place but them. Whenever I witness the passion between Eden and Max, I wonder if that sort of depth of emotion is reserved for a lucky few. Will everyone get to feel something that powerful during their lifetimes? Or is it some kind of cosmic lottery that most of us never get to win?
“Out of interest,” I say. “Did you and Max fill out your compatibility questionnaires?”
Eden drags herself away from her man and leans one elbow on the bar. “Of course. Max wanted to make sure your algorithm was working.”
“So, what did you score?”
She gives me a smug smile. “Ninety-two.”
I almost choke on my own saliva. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
She looks confused. “No. Why?”
I stand up straighter. “Just haven’t seen a score that high before. New record.” Up until now, the highest was eighty-six, and that was one of my research couples who’d been together for thirty years. “Guess it must feel good to know you chose right.”
She smiles wistfully into her wine. “I don’t need a score to tell me Max is my soul mate. When you know, you know.”
I roll my neck again to try and relieve the tension in my shoulders. “So I hear.”
She touches my forearm, and I can feel the sympathy she’s exuding. “Toby, you’re a six-foot-five, totally ripped, scruffily handsome genius. I have zero doubt you’ll meet your perfect match someday soon.”
I shrug her off. “Doesn’t bother me.” I’m such a liar. I want a soul mate just as much as the next person. I just doubt it’s something I’m ever going to have.
Eden frowns for a second, before turning to me with an excited expression. “Well smack my ass and call me stupid, why didn’t I think of it before? I have a single friend who’d be great for you.”
Oh, Jesus, here we go. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”
“Just hear me out. She’s gorgeous, intelligent, quirky as hell––”
“Eden, I’m the professional matchmaker here. How about we leave potential dates to the expert instead of just hooking me up with some random woman you know.”
“She’s not random. She’s Asha’s best friend.”
I cringe. “Are you talking about that Joanna chick you mentioned ages ago? The one who first told you about Mister Romance? Didn’t you say she was a compulsive liar?”
“That was before I got to know her. She’s actually remarkably cool.”
“I’m sure. Still not interested. Plus, I’ve already made it clear that until this app is out in the big, bad world, I have zero time to scratch myself, let alone date.”
She nods like she understands, but knowing Eden, this subject is not being dropped any time soon. “Okay. Sure. I hear you. But just know that one day, you’ll meet someone amazing and forget all about how busy you are. When your soul mate shows up, you can try to deny them, or ignore them, but it won’t work. They’ll bully their way into your life whether you want them to or not. Take it from someone who knows.”
I down the dregs of my whiskey and put the empty glass on the bar. I love Eden like a sister, and I’m grateful that she looks out for me, but I’m really not in the mood for this conversation tonight. She’s working on the assumption that there’s someone out there for everyone, and the more I study the numbers, the more certain I am that most of us are destined to stagger from one bad relationship to the next, until we die, miserable and alone.
“Well, thanks for the drink,” I say as I pat her shoulder. “But I really need to get back to work.” Without waiting for permission, I sit back down in front of my laptop and open it.
She rubs my back. “Okay, then, Doctor Love. Go matchmake your little heart out. I have to head home to finish up a story, but I’ll see you at work on Monday, okay?”
“Yep, see you then.”
As she heads across the room to kiss Max goodbye, I watch them for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and diving back into the dizzying labyrinth of code on the screen in front of me.

Doctor Love is my first book by Leisa. The premise of this book had me intrigued and curious on how everything works out.

This book is told completely from Toby’s POV and while I don’t mind single POV’s in romance, I think with this particular story, it hurt the book a bit. The beginning starts of great and I am definitely pulled in but then somewhere in the middle, things become too mundane for me that it takes me longer than usual to get through it (I even read another book while reading this one and I normally don’t do that). And then the book picks back up near the end.

Readers are given the inside scoop on Toby as to what his past was like, who he is now and where he’s at in life. Readers are unfortunately given an outsiders view of Joanna and that hurts understanding her reasons and motives for her actions. A good portion of this book surrounds Joanna and her inability to be honest with those closest to her. She keeps a lot closed off and no one knows why but accepts it as “it’s just who she is.” I can honestly say, for the majority of this book I did not care for her.

While I enjoyed the plot of this book, I truly struggled to get through a good portion of it because it felt repetitive with how Joanna reacted to things. I adored Toby and his continuous fight to get whatever he could from Joanna. He was the only reason I finished this book.

Overall, this book as ok for me. I think readers who read the first two books in this series may enjoy it more than others as they have more insight to everyone. However, Doctor Love was right down the middle for me.

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About Leisa Rayven
Author, actor, and professional snuggler, Leisa is the creator of the critically acclaimed Starcrossed series, published through Macmillan New York: BAD ROMEO, BROKEN JULIET, and WICKED HEART. The finale in the Starcrossed series was the holiday-themed anthology, BAD ROMEO CHRISTMAS.
Her latest endeavor is the Masters of Love series, which has everyone swooning over some spectacular book boyfriends who will do anything for their soul mates. The first two books, (MISTER ROMANCE and PROFESSOR FEELGOOD,) are now available, and DOCTOR LOVE is scheduled to be published in early 2019.
Leisa’s books have gained hordes of passionate fans all over the world, and can be found on e-readers and bookshelves in fifteen foreign countries, and she’s also been featured on various international bestseller lists.
Leisa lives in Australia with her husband, two enormous teenage sons, four cats, and a kangaroo named Howard. (Howard may or may not be her imaginary marsupial friend. Everyone should have one.)
When Leisa isn’t writing books, she’s probably eating cheese. Or guacamole. Or cheese covered in guacamole.

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Review…Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills

“A sexy, fun romance from an author who always delivers.” —Kirkus Reviews


Beauty and the Baller, an all-new moving and smoking hot fake relationship standalone romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is available now!

An NFL quarterback turned small-town coach gets sacked by a Texas beauty queen in this swoony, passionate romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.

Gorgeous, talented, and brilliant, NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world in his hands. But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident, he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices. When a mysterious girl shows up to his party, he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night.

Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission. Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far, far away, she sneaks into a high-profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback. But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand.

Fast-forward two years. Broke and desperate, Nova returns home to Blue Belle, Texas, where, by a cosmic twist of fate, her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan, the shiny new football coach everyone adores. But he has no idea who she is.

The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town. His solution? He proposes fake dating to Nova. But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away.

Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller, or will his past keep them apart?

Fall in love today FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
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About Ilsa Madden-Mills
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

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Excerpt & Review…The Difference Between Someday and Forever by Aly Martinez

The world took everything from us.
And we would stop at nothing until we took it all back—forever.

The Difference Between Someday and Forever, the much anticipated and stunning conclusion to The Difference Trilogy from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez is now live!

The world took everything from us.

As survivors of not only a plane crash, but two other impossible tragedies, we’d more than earned a life of peace. But time and time again, we were shown that fate had no intention of giving that to us.

Remi and I were soulmates. Plain and simple. Our love should have died in the depths of our darkness, but the sun still exists even when it’s not shining.

The secrets of our past threatened to destroy us at every turn, but for Remi, I would never stop fighting for our future.

The world took everything from us.
And we would stop at nothing until we took it all back—forever.

Fall in love today!
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Start the trilogy today!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
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Excerpt from The Difference Between Somebody and Someone

“Sorry, is my mood killing your buzz?” I asked.
Her blue eyes sparkled in the glow of the airplane reading light. “It really is.”
I shook my head and went back to mindlessly flipping the pages of a magazine I’d bought at the terminal back in Colorado. I’d picked it up with hopes it would be a distraction from the cyclone raging within me on our way back to Atlanta. The minute she ordered that drink, I’d known it was a lost cause.
Her hand came across the armrest and landed on my thigh. “Bowen, stop. It’s not a big deal.”
It was the truth. Compared to everything we’d been through, our house could have been swallowed by a sinkhole and it wouldn’t have been considered a big deal.
Honest to God, I was lucky to still have her at all. It had only been nine months since we’d met, but we’d lived a thousand lives in that time. Unfortunately, that also meant we’d died almost as many deaths.
Terrifying, tortuous, agony-filled deaths.
We’d also found love though—immeasurable amounts of it.
I stared down at her engagement ring. I’d cashed out a huge chunk of my savings account and still had to open a line of credit with the jewelry store to buy the three-karat princess-cut ring. The payment was roughly the same as I paid for my truck each month, but the tears in her eyes as she’d sat in her hospital bed, clutching it to her chest the day I proposed, made it all worth it.
She was worth it. Every day, every tear, every worry-filled minute shaved off my life.
I’d do it all again.
If only I weren’t so helpless to save her. I loved that woman. Whole heart. Whole soul. Bend me, break me, crack me open and she would have been there. No matter how bad it got, she was always a part of me.
I wasn’t sure anymore if she could say the same.
“Bowen,” she whispered, just as she’d done so many times before. It was a plea. One she knew I’d answer no matter the situation. No matter how mad I got. No matter how much I feared losing her again.
My gaze instinctively lifted to hers.
She smiled and the sight caused an ache in my chest. It was a lie.
God, I missed her smile.
“Baby, I’m okay.” She tilted her head to her drink. “I hate flying. That’s all this is.”
That was a lie too.
My shoulders fell and a loud breath tore from my burning lungs, but I let myself pretend, my mind going back to a time when it could have been the truth.
I thought of the nights we’d shared multiple bottles of wine and made love, laughing and moaning under the covers until the sun crept across the horizon. She’d rested peacefully in my arms. No nightmares. No crying in her sleep. No insomnia. Just even breaths, her head on my shoulder, and her body wound around mine so tightly it was like a second skin.
But that was the past.
The unreachable, insurmountable past.
The plane jerked, forcing me back to the present.
“Shit.” She moved her hand off my thigh to grasp her drink as it sloshed all over her. “Crap, crap, crap,” she chanted, using a cocktail napkin to dry the dark-red pool of tomato juice on her white pants.
For a moment, I sat there and watched her struggle. It wasn’t the most chivalrous thing to do, but I was all out of grand gestures.
She unbuckled her seat belt and lurched to her feet, her phone along with a handful of ice cubes from her lap falling to the floor. “Damn, this is going to leave a huge stain.”
The plane jerked again and she stumbled forward, crashing into the seat in front of her before I could catch her arm.
“Dammit, sit down before you get hurt.”
Ignoring me, she bent over to fish her phone from under the seat. “Hit the button for the flight attendant. I need some club soda and a lemon. STAT.”
“No, what you need is to sit down.”
I gave her arm a tug and dragged her down to the seat. Using the tip of my boot, I swept her phone toward her. Aforementioned lack of chivalry aside, I was no contortionist; leaning over to pick it up was out of the question.
She folded her upper body over my lap and blindly patted around the floor. I fought the urge to run my fingers through the back of her hair. In the beginning, it would have been a no-brainer. I’d have curled forward and suggestively whispered in her ear, “Since you’re already down there…”
She would have grinned up at me, her whole face filled with mischief as she traced a finger over my zipper, ignoring anyone who dared to watch her as she replied, “You mean down here?”
I’d have grabbed her hand and made her stop even though I was the one who had started it. She had no filter. She always took it one step too far. I’d loved that about her when we’d first met. It was fresh and exciting, a far cry from the stuffy women I’d dated in the past.
But now, she was in the past too.
We were in the past.

A trilogy like no other!!!

The Difference Between Someday and Forever is the final book in Aly’s The Difference Trilogy. 

This book starts off exactly where book two ended and readers are right back to gripping the edge of their seats.

All of Aly’s readers know how addictive her characters and their stories. However, this trilogy hit differently and shows immense growth in her talent. 

This conclusion was dramatic and emotionally intense. While books 1 and 2 gave readers a intense, heart-pounding suspense, this final book was just as intense but in a completely different way.

TDBSAF was still intriguing and intense but on a more emotional and mental level. Aly brings a different intensity to this story that’s just as compelling and has readers waiting with bated breath.

Remi and Bowen’s story is one for the ages. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions and keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

This trilogy kept me on my toes to the very end. Aly delivers a few unexpected surprises in this final installment and still gives readers the story of a lifetime.

About Aly
Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four hilarious children.
Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys movies that can surprise her with a twist, charcuterie boards, and her mildly neurotic golden retriever. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.
She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine by her side.

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Excerpt & Review…Taste by Melanie Harlow

TASTE, an all-new sexy, stranded enemies-to lovers rom com from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow is live now!

The last person on earth I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo.

But thanks to the blizzard of the century, I’m trapped in a roadside motel room with that cocky bastard for two straight days.

With one small bed.

Some women might thank Mother Nature for delivering a polar vortex that maroons them with six feet of solid muscle, those deep blue eyes, that sexy grin–but not me. I’ve known Gianni Lupo all my life, and he’s never brought me anything but bad luck and trouble.

So when the tension between us explodes with enough fiery heat to melt my icy defenses, I should have known what the disastrous end result would be–

A big fat plus sign.

After the snow melts, I’m left with more than just memories of the night we spent keeping each other warm. And he might be a rising star on the culinary scene, but he’s got no idea how to handle this bun in the oven.

He says he wants to do the right thing, but I’m not about to spend the rest of my life feeling like someone settled for me.

But just when I think I’ve got Gianni Lupo all figured out, he gives me a taste of the man he could be, of the family we could become, of the way he could love me if I let him.

I’m terrified of falling for him.

But one taste might be all it takes.

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Excerpt

I sat at the foot of the bed and dialed Winnie’s number. She picked up immediately.
“Ellie?”
“Hey.”
“Thank God! You guys okay?”
“We’re fine.” I watched Gianni unwrap a candy bar and lean back against the headboard. “We found a motel with a vacancy.”
“You mean you’re staying in a motel room together?” she asked, loud enough for Gianni to overhear.
“Yeah. And there’s only one bed.”
She laughed. “How’s that going?”
“Fine.”
“You guys are getting along?”
Gianni made a lewd gesture involving his fist, his tongue, and his inner cheek. I gave him the finger. “As well you’d expect.”
“I can’t wait to hear about it.”
“We’re going to try to get out of here as soon as we can in the morning. I’ll let you know when we’re on the road.”
“Sounds good.” She laughed again. “Sleep tight.”
“Oh. We will.” I eyed the length of the bed. “We have no choice.”
After ending the call, I opened the Truth or Drink app on my phone and picked up my wine. “Ready to play?”
“Hit me.”
I scrolled through the options. “Do you want to play normal mode, party mode, or dirty mode?
Gianni looked at me like I was crazy. “Duh.”
I sighed and reached for my wine. “Okay, fine. I feel like I’m going to regret this, but dirty it is.”
“Can I take my pants off?”
“No. What’s your age range for a one night-stand?”
“Hmm.” Gianni thought for a moment.
“Please say at least eighteen.”
“No teenagers. I’ll say twenty to forty-five.”
“Forty-five? Really?”
He shrugged. “I think mature women are hot. But I can’t go near fifty because that’s my mom’s age and then it would be weird.”
“Right.”
“So what about you? Same question.”
“I’d have to say . . . thirty to forty.”
He looked offended. “Why thirty? You’re only twenty-three.”
And so was he, which was why I’d said it. “I know, but I think older men are just better in bed.” (I’d actually never been with anyone over twenty-eight.)
“In what way?”
“Just . . . more patient. More knowledgeable. More generous. Guys in their twenties think they’re all that just because they have younger bodies, especially if they’re—you know—well-endowed. But it’s not just the size of the boat. It’s definitely the motion of the ocean.”
He harrumphed. “You’ve been in the wrong boats.”

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Another, right down the middle read for me.

Taste is Melanie’s next book in her Cloverleigh Farms series. I have not read any of the other books in this series and easily read this one without any previous knowledge.

This was my third enemies to lovers book in a row and each one was written differently by each author. This book had a few other tropes thrown in (close proximity and surprised pregnancies) that made it not fit the norm.

Ellie and Gianni grew up together as their parents were very close. They weren’t exactly hateful to another but they also were not nice either. And it seems as though that animosity has continues on into their adulthood.

These two find themselves stranded in a hotel room due to a snowstorm and that is where things get interesting. These two find themselves slinging insults and then their bodies at one another. Then they find themselves in another predicament.

Melanie tried showing readers the past between Ellie and Gianni to get a better understanding, but I wanted more of that. I felt that their story was rushed – we got some of their past, then for most of the book, it was them stuck in the hotel for two days, then return home to drop the mother of all bombs on their parents and then it’s the end. Gah! Just too fast for my liking.

Overall, it’s a good story. I just wanted more depth and growth from the two of them and for their story to be more than 50% romps in a a hotel bed.

About Melanie Harlow

USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

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