Angry God by L.J. Shen….Review

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“Once again, L.J. Shen has blown me away with a hauntingly beautiful, angst-driven, emotionally charged romance that will stay with me long after the last page. A must read for 2020.”

–Siobhan Davis, USA Today bestselling author

Angry God, an all-new beautiful and dark new adult romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen, is available now!

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Vaughn Spencer.

They call him an angry god.

To me, he is nothing but a heartless prince.

His parents rule this town, its police, every citizen and boutique on Main Street.

All I own is a nice, juicy grudge against him for that time he almost killed me.

Between hooking up with a different girl every weekend, breaking hearts, noses and rules, Vaughn also finds the time to bully little ole’ me.

I fight back, tooth and nail, never expecting him to chase me across the ocean after we graduate high school.

But here he is, living with me in a dark, looming castle on the outskirts of London.

A fellow intern. A prodigal sculptor. A bloody genius.

They say this place is haunted, and it is.

Carlisle Castle hides two of our most awful secrets.

Vaughn thinks he can kill the ghosts of his past, but what he doesn’t know? It’s my heart he’s slaying.

Angry God is a stand-alone, DARK High School Romance. It deals with sensitive subjects some may find triggering.

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Excerpt

“How good are you at keeping secrets, Lenora Astalis?” His voice wrapped around my neck like a noose.
I wanted to cough. I needed to cough. He terrified me. I hated him with the heat and passion of a thousand blazing suns. He made me feel like a scaredy cat and a snitch.
“Oh, yes. If you’re coward enough to pretend you’re asleep, you’re good enough to keep a secret. That’s the thing about you, Astalis. I can smash you into dust and watch your grains dance at my feet. My little circus monkey.”
I might’ve hated Vaughn, but I hated myself more for not standing up to him. For not opening my eyes and spitting in his face. Clawing his unnaturally blue eyes out. Taunting him back for all the times he’d taunted all of us at Carlisle Prep.
“By the way, your eyelids are moving,” he said drily, chuckling.
He straightened up, his finger making a brief stop at the base of my spine. He snapped his fingers, making a breaking sound, and I nearly jumped out of my skin, letting out a gasp. I squeezed my eyes tighter, still pretending to sleep.
He laughed.
The bastard laughed.
Was he sparing me for the time being? Was he going to check in on me from now on? Retaliate if I opened my mouth? He was so unpredictable. I wasn’t sure what my life would look like in the morning.

Sweet geez, that was intense!!! WOW. This book definitely takes your breath away.

Angry God was sooooo much more than I had anticipated. And it is by far, my favorite in this series. I am not sure what that says about me, but I freaking devoured this book because I could not get enough of it.

This book will not be for everything as it deals with some heavy subject matter and will hit the nerves of those with a history of being bullied. Also, Shen in no way glorifies or excuses bullying, but it definitely makes you view the actions of others from a different POV.

Lenora and Vaughn’s journey is not a pretty one. It is riddled with pain, grit and a lot of darkness. These two hold no punches when it comes to expressing themselves, especially to one another. Vaughn has always had this god-like presence and people have come to respect that. However, he has met his match when Lenora comes trapezing back into his life during their senior year of high school. And their tortured souls never get a break as they both continue on from high school into their internship at the same university.

Shen writes two complicated and twisted characters that will leave your heart breaking. Vaughn hides his scars behind his walls and Lenora is the only one who seems to be able to see past them. Lenora is the complete opposite of Vaughn in many ways and her attitude towards him is what slowly breaks down those walls he has built.

Shen truly delivers it all with Angry God. She saved the best for last and wrecked our hearts beautifully.

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About LJ Shen
L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to nineteen different countries.
She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

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Fashion Jungle by Kathy Ireland and Rachel Van Dyken….Review

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Fashion Jungle by Kathy Ireland and Rachel Van Dyken

Release Date: January 28, 2020

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Fashion Jungle, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by Iconic Supermodel, now Global Business Mogul, Kathy Ireland and #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken.

Four women… Four very different paths. One incredibly cutthroat world.

Welcome to the Jungle.

As America’s sweetheart, Brittany is perceived as the “good girl.” The sort to bring her Bible to a photoshoot… only to garner the attention of a most unlikely suitor. Until one mistake irrevocably changes both of their lives forever. Fortunately, both now and then, Brittany has wonderful support systems, including her tribe.

The leader of the tribe and a model who’s fought every battle and obstacle in the industry, Zoe, knows her worth. Until a sex tape scandal rocks her world. She sees no choice but to put her trust in the one man she shouldn’t, to make it all go away and help her succeed. Unfortunately, not only is he mired in New York’s underbelly, he wants repayment… with interest. Namely, her hand in marriage.

Despite her seemingly perfect life, Everlee has problems of her own. Not only has her world-renowned photographer husband been cheating, but it’s actually much worse than that. The things surrounding what he’s done are so dark and dangerous, Everlee’s life may actually be in jeopardy.

And then there’s Danica, cold, dead in the ground Danica. Some secrets stay hidden while others are just waiting to be discovered- hers has the power to alter the industry forever.

In the world of the Fashion Jungle, it’s easily eat or be eaten… but, if you make it out alive, you just might have a story to tell – though it will likely be one of secrets, lies, deceit, and loss.

Strap on your stilettos, it’s about to get wild.

Based on true stories.

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Excerpt:

“I think I may come here every night.”
“Be my guest,” Dane said, looking away as if he were bored; when in reality, his heart was racing.
Frederick would crack. His shirt was open now, his eyes closed. The habit would continue as it always did. Wouldn’t it?
He would self-destruct.
All men eventually did when it came to Dane.
The ones who didn’t, well… they weren’t alive to say otherwise, now, were they?
“Have fun.” Dane stood, patted Frederick on the back, and shared a knowing look with the woman currently straddling the man’s lap. “Make it worth his while but remember our rules.”
Dane shoved the guilt aside as he walked off.
The guilt of what this would do to Everlee.
Then again, Everlee didn’t know what he did.
She didn’t know the secrets Frederick kept.
That he wasn’t who she thought he was.
Then again, nobody really did.
Only Dane.
Because he’d collected everything he could on Frederick for a year and was less than impressed by the sort of man he was.
“Interesting club,” Ronan said once Dane reached the bar. He was flanked by two bodyguards.
“They aren’t necessary,” Dane said in an unemotional voice, pointing to the security. “No weapons allowed, no fighting, only pleasure.”
“And yet, here you are, talking to me.” Ronan leveled him with a glare. “What do you want, Dane?”
“Is that how you speak to an old friend?”
Ronan let out a snort. “We’ve never been friends. We’ve only tolerated each other because of the girls.”
The girls.
It was how they all referred to Brittany, Everlee, Zoe and Danica. Pain sliced through Dane’s heart, he couldn’t even say her name in his head without feeling it everywhere, all the way down to the marrow.
Shake it off.
They were women now.
Women with secrets.
Insecurities.
Girls who’d grown up too fast.
Females who were still fighting their way through the jungle of New York, barefoot and bleeding with fake smiles and deadly secrets.
“I need you to keep him in jail,” Dane said under his breath. “They say he’s getting out on good behavior.”
Ronan muttered a curse. “Let me guess, you want me to go have a golf game with the DA?”
“If you think that would help.” Dane tilted his head and narrowed his eyes on the politician, the man he used to trust as much as everyone else before Dane’s world came crumbling down around him by way of his sister’s death. “Then, yes.”
“Fine. This makes us even.” Ronan tried to walk off, but Dane grabbed him by the elbow and held him there, whispering in a low voice, “I will never be done with you… tell the former first lady hello. I loved what she was wearing while shopping on Fifth Avenue yesterday, the white made her look so innocent.”
Ronan let out a filthy curse and walked off.
And Dane?
Dane stared out across the club as a feeling of calmness washed over him. Chess pieces had been moved.
Now.
Now, he would wait.

Fashion Jungle is a little bit women’s fiction with some contemporary romance added in. This book was different than I anticipated but had some elements I truly never expected. Knowing that this story was built on some truths on what happens behind the scenes in the fashion world truly makes you wonder what is factual and what is not.

I honestly don’t know what to say about this book. I don’t want to give more away than what the blurb says because then I feel as though I am just summarizing what the book is about. So just read the blurb to have an understanding of what you are getting into. I will just let you know what worked and did not work for me.

This book is told from 4 POVs, all in third person. This is where things got fuzzy for me. You never know which character’s POV you are reading from til you get in the chapter and things start to come together. In the beginning of the book, a lot is thrown at you. If I knew which character’s voice I was reading, I think this would have been more appealing to me. But when I had to try and decipher who was talking, it took away from what was truly happening in that scene.

I will say that once you get past all that, Kathy and Rachel do write some very compelling and intriguing characters. The fashion world is truly another world in itself and what goes on behind the scenes is quite interesting. I was definitely entertained by this story, even if things were predictable and it took me a bit longer to get through it than I would liked. But again, it still kept me flipping the pages

I think having both a fashion mogul and an amazing author pen this story was brilliant. Knowing what these 4 characters went through, both what people saw on the outside and what they hid from the world, it keeps the reader glued to the pages. And let’s not forget the two men who grace the pages of this book, Dane and Dr. Oliver. You need to read to see how these two fit into the story. 😉

Overall, I definitely recommend giving Fashion Jungle a go.

About Kathy:

Kathy Ireland, Chair of kathy ireland® Worldwide (kiWW®), is a fashion and home industry icon, whose unprecedented, American entrepreneurial success, inspired the term, model-preneur. kiWW® is owned solely by Kathy’s family trusts. Kathy’s first novel, Fashion Jungle, is co-authored with #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Rachel Van Dyken. Kathy entered the “jungle” as a teenager, sheltered by loving parents, John and Barbara, of Santa Barbara, California. Covers of Vogue, Teen, and Cosmopolitan, led to a record 13 issues and all-time bestselling cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. Kathy is the supermodel turned supermogul, hailed by Harper’s Bazaar as the most successful “model in the world.” kiWW® launched a single pair of socks, during Kathy’s first pregnancy. While selling over one hundred million pairs, retail expanded. kiWW® develops for home, office, fashion, luxury jewels, vacation destinations, weddings, lighting, flooring, furniture, personal care, media and more. After billions of dollars in sales, kiWW®, a private company, was reported on by Forbes. Kathy’s story continues in global media, including three Forbes covers (two USA, one Asia), Inc., Wall Street Journal, Cheddar, Success Magazine, television, and online. Kathy’s speaking events occur in America, the Middle East, Asia and beyond. Residing in Santa Barbara, California, Kathy Ireland and Greg Olsen are parents to Lily, Chloe, Erik and his wife Bethany, their daughter-in-love. Kathy holds numerous Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters including one from CSU Channel Islands. Kathy’s philanthropy includes: women and children’s health, HIV/AIDS, Education, human freedom, life, wars against religious persecution and violence. Kathy is a Board Member of the NFLPA, WNBPA Board of Advocates, an Ambassador and donor for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Kathy’s survival in the jungle is because of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, His inerrant Word, and The Gospel, which is the Good News of Christ, crucified for all sins. Kathy believes everyone is loved by Jesus Christ, without any exceptions. Please experience Kathy’s journey of Faith, at kathyireland.com/fashionjungle/faith.

Connect with Kathy:

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About Rachel:

Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times Bestselling, Wall Street Journal, And USA Today bestselling author of over 80 books ranging from contemporary romance to paranormal. With over three million copies sold, she’s been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 12 countries. The Matchmakers Playbook was also optioned by Passionflix and directed by Tosca Musk. She was one of the first romance authors to have a Kindle in Motion book through Amazon publishing and continues to strive to be on the cutting edge of the reader experience. She keeps her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable son, naked cat, and two dogs.For more information about her books and upcoming events, visit www.RachelVanDykenauthor.com.

Connect with Rachel:

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Unexpected Yours by Rebecca Shea…Review

“Absolutely SWOON-WORTHY! Sweet and sexy and so romantic! Prepare to be swept away by Andrew and Grace!” – A.L. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author

Unexpectedly Yours, an all-new sizzling hot office romance from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Shea, is available now!

One night of unbridled passion.

It was the only thing Andrew McPherson and Grace Morgan could afford.

Intense.

Sexy.

Unforgettable.

They promised they would never see each other again, but fate had other plans. Andrew’s entire life has been spent working toward one goal—to own the top advertising and public relations company in the world. He’s driven, ruthless when it comes to business, never letting anything stand in his way…until Grace.

Grace has worked hard to build her advertising career. She’s fiercely talented and dedicated to her clients. Grace has no interest in getting involved with a man when she knows her focus should be on her career and paying off her mounting debt.

Andrew knows better than to get involved with a woman who is completely off limits, but he never backs down from what he wants, and he won’t stop until Grace is his…only this might cost him more than he’s willing to give.

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Excerpt

There’s a loud knock on the conference room door that startles both Jamie and me. She jumps up and opens the door, just as Eddie pops his head inside.
“Sorry to interrupt, ladies,” he starts. “We have the conference room reserved for a client meeting in five minutes.”
I glance at my watch and see that it’s almost nine o’clock. Jamie and I have been in here for almost an hour.
“Shit,” I mumble, grabbing my empty coffee cup. “I have to get to work.”
“Me too,” says Jamie, following me from the conference room back toward our desks.
I stop abruptly, causing Jamie to run into my backside when I see Drew standing in my cube, staring out my window over a cloudy, rainy Manhattan. His hands are shoved into his pockets and his dress shirt is rolled up to his forearms. Tan, muscular arms stick out from under that crisp dress shirt. Even casual, he looks like the powerhouse CEO that he is. My heart rate kicks up a notch at the sight of him.
As Jamie nudges me forward, I clear my throat as I do my best to look unaffected by his presence.
“Mr. McPherson,” I acknowledge him, but don’t look at him. I slide into my desk chair and enter the password to my computer, bringing the screen back to life.
“Good morning,” he says from behind me and I still keep my eyes trained on my computer. “And good morning, Jamie,” he says, acknowledging her.
I glance up at Jamie and see her smile at him knowingly. Dammit, Jamie.
“Morning, Mr. McPherson. Busy weekend getting to know New York City?” she asks him with the kind of innocence only a skilled liar could pull off. I’m going to fucking kill her. I narrow my eyes at her and she winks at me.
I spin around in my chair to look at Drew, whose eyes jump back and forth between us, and I can see he’s picked up that I’ve filled her in. I hang my head in shame and shake my head.
“It was a wonderful weekend,” he tells her honestly.
“Do anything exciting?” she asks, her tone snarky and her questions intruding. “Or anyone?” she says under her breath and I choke.
“Are you okay?” Drew asks me.
“Fine,” I cough out, tossing a glare at Jamie, who giggles and slides into her desk chair. I pick up a pen off my desk and throw it at her. It hits her back. She bursts into laughter and Drew shakes his head in amusement at us.
He leans over my shoulder and whispers into my ear, “I missed you last night.” His warm breath causes me to shiver and catch my breath. “I didn’t like waking up and you not being there,” he continues, knowing the effect he has on me.
I shift in my chair and sit up straight, trying to drown out the throbbing that has started between my legs.
I spin slowly toward him and stop, his face mere inches from mine. “I slept remarkably well,” I tell him.
He smiles. “Liar.”
“I’m not lying,” I whisper.
“You are.” He brushes a knuckle over my top lip and my skin breaks out in goosebumps. “When you lie, your upper lip twitches.” Jesus Christ, this man has me all figured out.
I hold his gaze and my heart stammers in my chest. Looking at him, I can’t help but feel that I’ve missed him too.
“I’d like to meet with you later to go over a few things,” he says, standing up. “How does eleven thirty in my office sound?”
“Sounds fine,” I muster out.
“See you then, Gracie.”
Drew saunters out of my cube and down the hallway. I can’t help it as my eyes follow him as he walks through the rows of cubes until he reaches his office. I notice Jamie watching him too before she spins around in her chair and faces me.
“Holy fuck,” she hisses. “That man has it bad for you.” I look back at Drew’s office and watch the door close before I look at Jamie again.
“I know.” And sadly, I have it just as bad for him.

Let me start off by saying I thoroughly enjoy Rebecca’s writing and her characters. I know that going into her books, I am going to enjoy the story and love these characters.Unexpectedly Yours is a very fast-paced insta-love story. As you all know, I am not a huge of insta-love stories – they are really hard sells for me. Andrew and Grace’s story is one that I am not 100% sold on as insta-love but the chemistry is truly undeniable between them.Andrew is immediately smitten with Grace after their one-night stand together. Grace isn’t one to just jump into bed after meeting someone. So she is totally thrown off balance when he shows up at work the next day and finding out that he will be the new owner of her company.Grace is ready to move and she tells him that she needs space and that their rumble in the sheets won’t be a repeat performance. However, Andrew isn’t letting her get away that easily. He is man that always get what he wants and has never been told no before.Andrew definitely is the more persistent one in this relationship and refuses to let Grace just walk away. He’s definitely going into new territory with the begging and groveling but he know it breaks down the walls that Grace has up.As I said, this book moves at a very fast pace. Andrew is the driving force behind their relationship moving forward. Grave tries to maintain a level head by attempting to slow things down, but he isn’t having it. He’s afraid that he’ll lose her if she gets insider her head and downplays the attraction one another.I do like the fact that Rebecca has the characters questioning the pace of their relationship to help maintain that level of normalcy. But I also enjoy how Andrew doesn’t care and wants to pursue this. There definitely is that back and forth that help keeps things more real.Overall, it is good read and I enjoyed that simplicity of this book. There isn’t any over the top drama and has the overall happy vibe that comes off the pages. Most romance readers will gobble this book up and love all over it. Rebecca never steers her readers wrong and Unexpectedly Yours is another example of that.

About Rebecca Shea
Rebecca Shea is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Unbreakable series (Unbreakable, Undone, and Unforgiven), the Bound & Broken series (Broken by Lies and Bound by Lies) and two stand alone novels, Dare Me and Fault Lines. She has also co-written two books with her friend, A.L. Jackson, The Hollywood Chronicles: One Wild Night and One Wild Ride
She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family. From the time Rebecca could read she has had a passion for books. Rebecca spends her days working full-time and her nights writing, bringing stories to life. Born and raised in Minnesota, Rebecca moved to Arizona in 1999 to escape the bitter winters.
When not working or writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her sons football games, or watching her daughter at ballet class. Rebecca is fueled by insane amounts of coffee, margaritas, Laffy Taffy (except the banana ones), and happily ever afters.

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Website: https://www.rebeccasheaauthor.com

Releasing Keanu by Siobhan Davis…Review

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“A powerful story of growth and healing. Five amazing stars!” Coralee June, International bestselling author

Releasing Keanu, an emotional second chance romance in the fan-favorite Kennedy Boys Series from USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis, is available now!

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KEANU

Selena played me.

Confirming I wasted years loving someone who didn’t love me back.

It should be easy to move on, but since she dumped me, I can’t shake her from my thoughts, no matter how hard I try.

Dates and random hookups don’t help, because no one measures up to the girl I still love with my whole heart.

When she appears at my door, begging me for help, I can’t turn her away. My protective instincts kick in, and I grasp this second chance with both hands.

This time, I’m determined to open her eyes.

To help her realize she made a mistake throwing what we had away.

To prove our love is the real deal.

SELENA

Keanu has it all wrong.

I let him go because I love him too much to continue holding him back.

And I’ve paid for it every day since.

I didn’t think it was possible to miss someone this much, but my entire being aches for him in a way that isn’t healthy.

It’s why I continue to keep my distance even though it’s killing me inside.

No one understands me the way he does, so, when my ugly past returns, threatening to undo years of progress, he’s the first person I run to.

If anyone can keep me safe, it’s the love of my life.

Maybe, this time, I’m strong enough to be the woman he deserves.

If my past doesn’t take me from him first.

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Excerpt

KEANU
I like her,” Kent says, talking in hushed tones as we rinse and stack the dishwasher.
“I love her.” I’m not ashamed to admit it. For years, I told my family nothing about the girl who had captured my heart. Now, things have changed, and I’m not going to hide her or my feelings anymore.
“I know, bro. I always have.”
“I’m not letting her go this time,” I say, wiping down the counter. “Selena is it for me.”
Kent eyes me circumspectly. “You really mean that.”
I toss the damp dishcloth in the sink. “Yeah. I do.”
He thumps me in the shoulder. “Guess I’ve permanently lost my wingman, huh?”
“I was never a true wingman, and we both know it.”
“Yeah. You were a miserable fuck most of the time. I’ve seen you smile more this past twenty-four hours than I have in the last two years.”
“She makes my heart sing.”
He sticks two fingers in his mouth, gagging. “Fuck no. Not you too.” He shakes his head. “There is no one left. All my brothers have turned to the dark side.”
Only Kent could refer to love as a darkness. Like it’s an illness or something.
“Love isn’t a burden, bro. It’s the best feeling in the world. Even when the girl of your dreams yanks your beating heart out of your chest and stomps all over it, it’s still worth every ounce of pain. Wait and see. You’ll meet a girl, and she’ll nail your heart to the wall, and you’ll be powerless to do anything about it.”
He shakes his head. “It’s not gonna happen.”
“Why the hell not?” I grab two bottles of water out of the refrigerator while I eye my cynical brother.
“Because we both know I’ll somehow fuck it all up.”

Releasing Keanu is definitely one of the lesser dramatic but sweeter books in this series. However, it does have some dark undertones to it. It can be easily read as a standalone within the series. Siobhan does a superb job of giving you glimpses of the other characters in her series and it’s just the right amount to give you want you need in this story but make you want to read their stories too (if you have not already).

Anyway, I digress. Releasing Keanu may not have all the dramatics and flare as some of the other books in this series, but it is just as intense read as though. It has some dark undertones due to Selena’s past so be warned that certain parts might be triggers for some readers. Siobhan (like she always does) does not make light of any situation but also tries to keep from going too dark too. It is very emotionally charged read, more than I anticipated.

This is definitely powerful story of true love. I love Keanu and Selena so much. I will be honest – they were not a couple high on my list for wanting their story, but I am so glad that I read it. They quickly became a favorite of mine.

Selena is an extremely strong and unbreakable woman. Her past has made her experience things we could never conjure up in our worst nightmares. Yet, she refuses to allow it to define her and run her life. However, she does have her moments when her past returns and things become too much for her.

Keanu is the most understanding, empathetic and selfless character I have read in quite some time. Hell – I wish he was real. LOL From their past relationship, he already knows how to handle Selena and will stop at nothing from keeping her by his side.

Siobhan writes these characters and their actions exquisitely. These two are so compatible and Siobhan shows not only their weaknesses but matches them perfectly with their strengths and they are this super power couple.

You can see that Siobhan has truly done her research on many things within this book because it all is very accurate and real. This is very little drama and action in this book. Instead, Siobhan chose to focus more on Selena, her healing and mending the relationship with Keanu. While the ending felt rushed, I think it was done on purpose so the focus wouldn’t be on the more dramatic parts.

Overall, another great book in the Kennedy Boys and another couple to add to my list of faves.

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About SiobhanUSA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult romantic fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She is the author of the international bestselling Kennedy Boys, Saven, and True Calling series’.
Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.
She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.

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Audition by Skye Warren & Amelia Wilde…Review

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She doesn’t surrender to his kiss.

He doesn’t back down from a challenge.

It’s going to be a sensual fight … to the death.

Audition, a sexy and enthralling new standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren and USA Today bestselling author Amelia Wilde, is available now!

Audition

Blood and sweat. Bethany Lewis danced her way out of poverty. She’s a world class athlete… with a debt to pay.

Joshua North always gets what he wants. And the mercenary wants Bethany in his bed. He wants her beautiful little body bent to his will.

She doesn’t surrender to his kiss.

He doesn’t back down from a challenge.

It’s going to be a sensual fight … to the death.Audition - AN

Read today!

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Excerpt:

I open the door, expecting to see a couple of rough-hewn bastards fighting or training. They might even take a swing at me. We’re all a bunch of army bastards, more comfortable using our fists than our words.

Instead I’m struck by the sight of a body in motion, but not in violence.

She’s dancing. Grace. Strength. And completely inappropriate to this place—desire. It’s nothing so base as tits and ass, though I’m sure hers are lovely. No, it’s the sweep of her calf and the indent at her waist. The lift of her chin.

I could not be more shocked if I had been punched. Or shot.

It feels a little bit like being dunked in lava, watching her dance. I’m immobile in the doorframe of the warehouse. My sanity is one step behind me, utterly gone. I’m seeing visions. She can’t be real. I don’t even want her to be real. This kind of beauty doesn’t belong in the goddamn gutter. A pale pink leotard against the dinge-dark hollow. Satin ballet shoes pushing into the dirt. Slowly, very slowly, my sluggish mind searches the perimeter. Alone. We’re alone. If anyone had wanted to shoot me, they’d have had plenty of time. An eternity while I’d been staring.

Her spin slows, like a top that’s run out of momentum. Dark eyes meet mine. Surprise. A flash of something else—anger. She drops to flat feet. No longer a goddess, a blur. She becomes a woman. “No,” she says. Then again, “No,” with such force I glance behind me in case someone’s charging at her wielding a knife. The shipyard is empty. It’s only my company she’s objecting to.

Well, you can’t fault her for taste.

“Normally I have to say something for women to hate me,” I say, strolling into the warehouse, pretending my heart doesn’t thud at the sight of her lithe body. Pretending my cock isn’t a breath away from rock-hard. “I have to say something about their tits or their ass.”

Her eyes narrow, but she doesn’t seem particularly shocked by my crude language. No, she wouldn’t be. Not in this place. She would have heard much worse. “I told him no more guards.”

“You told who?”

“Who else?” she says. “Your boss.”

My boss? I work for the US government. My job is to drive around godforsaken deserts and pray I don’t get blown up by a bomb buried underground. If I play my cards right, I might move into special operations. That’s what was implied before I went on leave. Go along with what Caleb Lewis offers. Collect information. Report back.

It’s a chance to be somewhere other than the bottom rung. Maybe the only chance I’ll ever get. Which means I have no business being interested in this girl. She probably isn’t even eighteen. “My boss,” I repeat, my voice flat.

“Isn’t that why you’re here? To guard me?”

“Why don’t we do this—you dance again. I’ll stand here, but if anyone attacks you, I’ll just let them have at it. No bodyguards for you.”

She’s not amused. “The guards aren’t there to protect me. You’re here to keep me in the warehouse or keep me at home. Make sure I don’t wander away. Make sure I don’t talk to anyone.”

“You’re talking to me.”

“You tell Caleb we had a deal. And it doesn’t include some—” Her narrowed gaze sweeps down my body, as if she’s only now noticed that I have a body. “Some overmuscled asshole on steroids.”

I put my hand over my chest. “Direct hit. I’m wounded you think I’d resort to steroids. These muscles were earned the old-fashioned way, thank you very much.”

She snorts, which somehow sounds feminine and delicate. “I’m sure you do much worse things than steroids. And there is no way, absolutely no way, that you’re going to be my new guard, so tell Caleb he can forget it.”

“Would it put your mind at ease to know he didn’t send me?” Though I’m curious how he’s connected to her. We enlisted at the same time. Went through basic at the same time. We’ve never been close, really. When we both had leave, I was surprised he offered for me to hang out with him in New Orleans. I accepted because I have nowhere else to go. At the time I had no idea that I’d be approached by some special department to gather intel for them. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out Caleb’s into some bad shit.

“Right,” she says, unconvinced. “So you’re standing in the one warehouse that doesn’t contain anything illegal because…?”

“Total coincidence. I was looking for the illegal stuff.” Which means I have no business staying to chat with this woman, no matter how compelling she looks with that notch between her eyebrows. She looks goddamn fierce. “Honestly.”

A roll of her eyes. “Tell my brother he doesn’t need to waste time and energy watching me. I’m staying out of trouble.”

Her brother. Jesus. If she’s Caleb Lewis’s sister, then she’s not staying in trouble. It won’t be a clean shot that brings him down. It’ll be a grenade launcher that hits him—metaphorically speaking. Or literally speaking. Everyone in his vicinity will end up in jail or dead. That’s inevitable.

And she’s right here.

I had been anxiously awaiting Audition since I finished the North Security Series. Audition can be read as a standalone. However, I feel that readers will feel a bigger impact if they read the North Security series, which is where we first meet Josh and Bethany.

Josh and Bethany’s story is told in from both their POV’s in past and present times. The revisits to the past truly help give readers an understanding of why Bethany was off-limits to Josh and why he is such a dick. However, I truly wish we had more of the now in this book because I feel any readers that did not read the North Security series will miss that connection. But also, I just felt the book was more about the past than the present too.

Skye always delivers a very compelling story with great characters. Again, I feel that readers who did not read the series, will miss a few things to truly connect with the characters. However, you truly see Bethany grow in this one and the ballet portions of this book were amazing.

Overall, for anyone who has read the North Security series will love this book. For those who are reading this with no background on the characters, they will still enjoy it but may not feel all the emotions everyone else does. Hopefully it will make them want to go back and read the North Security series (It is really good!).

bout Skye Warren

skye warren headshot

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

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Website: http://www.skyewarren.com

About Amelia

Amelia Wilde wrote her first story when she was six years old, a narrative strongly inspired by The Polar Express. When she was nine she wrote her first novel-length work, all in one paragraph.

Now, Amelia is all about that love. Her romances feature unique, independent heroines and alpha heroes who are strong of heart and body. Readers have described her work as “emotional,” “intense,” “phenomenal,” and “like a child scribbled with a crayon,” which she takes as the highest praise.

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Website: https://awilderomance.com

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover….Review

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From #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us comes a poignant novel about family, first love, grief, and betrayal that will touch the hearts of both mothers and daughters.

Regretting You, an all-new beautiful and touching novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, is available now!

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Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.

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Excerpt

“What’s your favorite movie?”
“Of all time?” he asks.
“Pick one from the past ten years.”
“I can’t,” he says. “There are so many great ones, and I love them all for different reasons. I love the technical aspect of Birdman. I love the performances in Call Me by Your Name. Fantastic Mr. Fox is my favorite cartoon because Wes Anderson is a goddamn genius.” He glances at me. “What about you?”
“I don’t think Fantastic Mr. Fox counts. It seems older than ten years.” I lean my head back and stare up at the ceiling. It’s a tough question. “I’m like you. I don’t know that I have a favorite movie. I tend to judge more on the talent than the story line. I think Emma Stone is probably my favorite actress. And Adam Driver is the best actor of our time, but I don’t think he’s landed the role of his lifetime yet. He was great in BlacKkKlansman, but I’m not crazy about some of the other movies he’s been in.”
“But did you see the Kylo Ren skit?”
“Yes!” I say, sitting up. “On SNL? Oh my God, it was so funny.” I’m smiling, but I hate that I’m smiling. It feels weird to smile when I’m so full of sadness, but this is how Miller makes me feel every time I’m around him. He’s the only thing that seems to be able to take my mind off everything, yet he’s the one person I can’t really hang out with.
Thanks for that, Shelby.
It sucks. I don’t like thinking about it, even though we’re together right now. But tomorrow at school, things will go back to how they always are. Miller will keep his distance. He’ll respect his relationship with Shelby, which will only serve to make me respect him even more.
And I’ll just continue to be in a depressing funk.
“I should go,” I say.
Miller hesitates before moving. “Yeah, I think my break was over ten minutes ago.” We both stand up, but I can’t get out of the aisle because he’s blocking my way, facing me, not making an effort to walk away. He’s just staring down at me as if he wants to say something else. Or do something else.
“I’m really sorry about what happened,” he says. At first, I’m not sure what he’s talking about, but then it hits me. I press my lips together and nod, but I don’t say anything because it’s the last thing I want to talk or think about.
“I should have said that the other day. At the funeral.”
“It’s fine,” I say. “I’m fine. Or at least I’ll be fine. Eventually.” I sigh. “Hopefully.”
He’s staring at me like he wants to pull me in for a hug, and I really wish he would. But instead, he turns and walks out of the aisle, toward the exit. I stop at the restroom on our way out. He grabs a trash can and starts to pull it toward the theater we just came out of.
“See you tomorrow, Clara.”
I don’t tell him goodbye. I walk into the restroom and don’t even bother pretending things will be the same at school tomorrow as they were tonight. He’ll avoid me while being all faithful and shit, and whatever. That’s okay. I need to stop interacting with him anyway, because as good as it feels when I’m around him, it’s starting to hurt when I’m not. And I don’t need another painful thing added to my already existing pile of excruciating feelings.

It’s been quite awhile since I have read a book by Colleen. Don’t ask me why, I really have no legit reason why, aside from having commitments to reviews of other books over the years. However, this book really intrigued so I made a point in finding time to read it.

After reading this, I am definitely going back and reading the few books of Colleens that I have missed on reading recently because I really do miss her writing style and her characters. This book was so poignant and can truly be read by anyone and walk away with something from this book.

Regretting You is a story about so many things – betrayal, love, loss, grieving and moving forward. A young love. A mother and daughter navigating their changing relationship after a tragic loss. A woman moving forward in her life while trying to find the answers in what she hopes in the right places. It made sound like a lot, but Colleen weaves these stories together seamlessly.

I loved every single part of this book. The relationship between mother and daughter. The relationship between grandfather and grandson. The relationship between friends, both old and older. I loved these characters. Morgan’s fierce protectiveness of her daughter forces her to make decisions that are so selfless, it speaks volumes of her character. Clara may be a teenager with overbearing parents but watching her grow as the story progresses was astounding. She makes mistakes, stumbles a lot but it’s those stepping stones that change her for the better.

Regretting You is a story that will touch even of us in different ways. It touches on so much and Colleen delivers the message in a very impactful and real way. There is rawness to Colleen’s writing that brings her stories to life and captivates her readers. Definitely a 2019 favorite read for me.

ColleenHoover

About Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of thirteen novels and multiple novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

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https://www.colleenhoover.com

The Boyfriend Blog by K.L. Grayson…Excerpt

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The Boyfriend Blog by K.L. Grayson

Release Date: December 10, 2019

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The Boyfriend Blog, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by USA Today bestselling author K.L. Grayson.

Boyfriend (n.)

  • A frequent or regular male companion with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship.
  • A myth. A legend. Impossible to find.

According to her eighty-year-old neighbor, Lizzie Donovan is looking for Mr. Right in all the wrong places. Though it’s made great fodder for her blog, Lizzie is finally tired of swiping left and awful blind dates, and she’s ready to take Mrs. Skinner’s advice and find love the old-fashioned way. Goodbye dating app, hello grocery store, book store, dog park, and wherever else she might be able to meet a good man. And she really has nothing to lose. Not only will she be entertained along the way, but even if she ends up alone, she’ll always have her longtime best friend, Aiden, by her side.

Friend zone (n.)

  • A situation in which a friendship exists between two people, one of whom has an unreciprocated romantic or sexual interest in the other.
  • Location of Aiden Wallace.

According to his eighty-year-old neighbor, Aiden Wallace has been friend zoned. And that’s mostly his fault because instead of opening his eyes and seeing what was right in front of him, Aidan has spent the last several years enjoying the single life. But things have changed—he has changed—and now he needs his best friend, Lizzie, to stop shoving him into the friend zone so he can work at winning her heart. Until then, he’s stuck watching her string of dating disasters and wishing she’d believe him when he tells her he’s the one.

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Excerpt:

The Boyfriend Blog

August 29, 2015

Boyfriend wanted: Loyal and funny. Wait…I just described a dog. I should buy a dog.

For real, though, Loyal and funny, that’s easy enough, right?
Wrong!
Do you ever ask yourself why dating in today’s society is so hard? Or where all the good guys are? Or what happened to dating before sex and *gasp* chivalry?
I wish I had the answers to those questions for you, but I don’t. Unfortunately, I’m scratching my head and wondering the same things you are, which is how I ended up here in the first place.
I never thought I’d be a blogger—especially one who writes about men and dating—and really, I’m not; I’m just a twenty-something girl who got her heart broken for the first time and, while drowning myself in a pint of cookie dough ice cream, thought to myself: Self, how many other girls out there are doing this exact thing? How many of us are loading up on carbs and sugar while mentally berating humans of the penis-wielding variety?
I know I can’t be the only one.
After proposing that same question to my sister, she suggested that I blog about it.
So, whether you’re like me and are swallowing past the bitter first taste of a broken heart, or you’re on your tenth helping and somehow keep finding the courage to go back for more, this blog is for you.
Let me start out by saying you are not alone.
Louder for the sobbing girl in the back: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Sit down, buckle up, and let’s enjoy this crazy ride of bad dating apps and even worse dates together.
P.S. Men suck. And not in a good way.
XOXO, Liz

About K.L. Grayson

K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained

daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she

writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the

day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males,

brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that

order.

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Website: www.klgrayson.com

In The Unlikely Event by L.J. Shen…Blog Tour

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“Romance masterpiece” – Kylie Scott, New York Times bestselling author

From USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author L.J. Shen comes a new, contemporary romance with heart-wrenching twists and laugh-out-loud moments.

In The Unlikely Event is available now!

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Sometimes you meet people who are out of this world, so you make them a part of yours.

A one-night stand born from vengeance in a foreign land.

An explosive chemistry neither of us could deny.

We signed a contract on the back of a Boar’s Head Pub napkin that said if we ever met again, we would drop everything and be together.

Eight years and thousands of miles later, he’s here.

In New York.

And he’s America’s music obsession.

The intangible Irish poet who brings record executives to their knees.

The blizzard in my perfect, unshaken snow globe.

Last time we spoke, he was a beggar with no intention of becoming a king.

But a king he became, and now I’m his servant.

I’m not the same broken princess Malachy Doherty put back together with his callused hands.

I have a career I love.

A boyfriend I adore.

An apartment, a roommate, a life.

I changed. He changed, too.

But Mal kept the napkin.

Question is, will I keep my word?

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Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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In The Unlikely Event is now available in audio!

Narrated by: Shane East, Muffy Newton and Savannah Peachwood

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Excerpt

When I finally come face to face with the street artist standing on the side of the pavement, his guitar case open and full of rolled-up notes and change, I understand why his grandfather told me I’d recognize him with the self-assurance of an avid believer.

I’ve never seen someone like him before.

He is beautiful, true, but that’s not what stands out to me. He is radiant.

It’s like his presence has a presence. He sucks the air out of everything in his vicinity, making it impossible not to look at him. Malachy is tailor-made for a huge, colossal heartbreak. Everything about him—his tattered jeans, filthy boots, white shirt, and leather jacket that was broken in decades ago—screams trouble. He looks like a seventies heartthrob. An icon. A Terry Richardson muse. Bruce Springsteen pre-fame.

His voice is like honey and warm spices. It lulls me into a place in my mind I’ve never been before, even though it’s far from beautiful. It is gruff, throaty, and smoky. When someone bumps my shoulder to get closer to him, I snap out of my reverie and realize what I’m listening to.

“One” by U2.

The coincidence is strange. I try to tell myself it’s nothing. This is Ireland. U2 is a national treasure.

His eyes are squeezed shut as he sings. It’s like no one exists other than him and his guitar. Something warm rushes through my skin, like a heat wave, and I shudder in delight.

Warmth.

I always thought there was something melancholy about street performers—the way people walk past them, ignoring their music, their art, their passion. But this guy, he’s the one doing the ignoring. The tables have turned. He’s got the crowd eating from the palm of his hand. Every woman here is under a thick, sweet spell. He’s got that Harry Styles quality that makes girls want to bed him and older women want to adopt him. The men are a cross between impatient, annoyed, and jealous. You can see it in the way they tap their feet, check their watches, nudge their wives and girlfriends to move it.

The song ends, and Malachy Doherty cracks his eyes open and stares directly at me, like he knew I’d be here. Like he watched me watching him through closed eyes. Disoriented—and for some reason wanting to do something, anything—I throw a bill into his guitar case and look away, realizing to my horror that I threw the fifty euros his grandpa gave me. Everyone around me murmurs and whistles. They think it was intentional. I can feel my face flaming red. I bet he thinks I want to sleep with him.

Do I? Probably. But should he know that? Hell no.

LJShenAbout LJ Shen

L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to nineteen different countries.

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching     sun rays with her lazy cat.

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Outmatched by Samantha Young and Kristen Callihan….Review

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Outmatched by Kristen Callihan and Samantha Young

Release Date: November 19, 2019

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Outmatched, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by New York Times bestselling authors Kristen Callihan and Samantha Young.

What happens when a boxer finds chemistry with a geek?

 

Parker Brown can’t believe she needs to hire a fake boyfriend. When she landed her dream job in renewable energy, she thought she’d be entering a world at the forefront of progressive thinking. But the head boss prefers to promote employees who are “settled.” Thankfully, she’s found the perfect candidate, a fellow intellectual looking for some quick cash. What Parker gets is his protective big brother—Rhys Morgan. The tall, muscled ex-boxer with a foul mouth shows up just as her boss does, and now she’s stuck with the manipulative jerk.

 

Responsibility weighs heavily on Rhys. Now permanently out of the ring, he’s trying to hold together his late father’s gym and keep his younger brother, Dean, on the straight and narrow. To save Dean from himself, Rhys takes his place, ready to give this society girl a piece of his mind. Instead, he finds an opportunity. Even though they can hardly stand each other, posing as Parker’s boyfriend is a win-win deal. She gets to keep her job, and he’ll charm her star-struck boss into sponsoring his gym.

 

Problem is, they can barely keep their hands off each other. And what started as an easy deal isn’t so easy anymore. Because what future can a rough ex-boxer, afraid to open his heart, and a polished society geek, who has sworn off real relationships, possibly have?

 

They say opposites attract. These opposites are about to combust on impact.

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Excerpt:

AngryTink: Hey. This is Parker. Parker Brown.

My phone dinged loudly. I fumbled around my bed, finally finding the damn thing under a pillow. Wiping the sleep off my face, I rolled onto my back and read the text that had pulled me out of a pleasant sleep. I smiled. It was just so … Parker. Settling in, I answered her.

RhysThis: Don’t have to tell me who you are. Your number is programmed on my phone. What do you want?

AngryTink: Well, good morning to you too, Happy Pants.

My smile turned into an evil grin. The girl was always going to punch back and make it count.

RhysThis: That’s Mr. Happy Pants. Though, TBH, my pants aren’t too happy at the moment. Want to help me out with that?

AngryTink: Tempting. Truly. But, no.

RhysThis: RU sure? ‘Cuz Happy Pants Rhys is much more agreeable than Sad That He Had to Self-Satisfy Rhys.

AngryTink: Would you please behave?

RhysThis: I’m not the one who mentioned the emotional state of my pants.

AngryTink: ARGH!

A chuckle rumbled in my chest as my thumbs tapped out a response I knew would piss her off more.

RhysThis: Was that even English? Honestly, Ms. Brown, I thought you were educated.

She took a moment to answer. I could picture her, phone in hand, grinding her teeth.

AngryTink: You’re deliberately trying to annoy me, aren’t you?

RhysThis: You’re quick. I’ll give you that.

AngryTink: Mr. Morgan, I’m about ten seconds away from finding an alternate fake boyfriend. A goat on a rope would be a better candidate at this point.

It was cute she thought that was threatening.

RhysThis: Yeah, probably. But the goat doesn’t have a signed contract. I do, Tinker Bell.

AngryTink: ARGH@!!

RhysThis: You’re kind of cute when you talk pirate.

 

Outmatched is a sweet sports romance. I am really struggling with how to express my thoughts on this one. This will probably be the shortest review I have written on a book, other than a novella.

While I enjoyed the story and really liked the characters, it took me way too long to read this book. I found myself having no drive to finish the book but I did want to know what happened within the pages, even though I know the characters get their HEA. I think part of the drive was wondering what would happen to finally get them there, but what kept me from digging in was the lack of really strong characters and plot.

If I have confused you in the slightest, then you understand why I am struggling to write this review. LOL In all honesty, I think it was the small bits of drama thrown in that kept me interested, but the pace of the story kept me from reading faster and diving in at any chance I could.

All in all – I can see many people enjoying this book. I think had it been more fast paced, I would have it been more compelled to read it in a shorter time frame. And please don’t think I wanted an insta-romance (I am the last person to ever want that), but everything just moved slower than I would like. I did enjoy them getting to know one another felt the actual timeline made sense – but the flow just wasn’t for me. The characters felt authentic and the secondary characters kept things entertaining.

Overall, a sweet book with a dash of drama to add some flair to the story line. I love both authors dearly and definitely looking forward to reading future books from each.

About Kristen:

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a RITA winner and three-time nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

 

Connect with Kristen:

 

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/KristenCallihan/

Twitter – Kris10Callihan

Website – http://www.kristencallihan.com/

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Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/Kristen_Callihan

About Samantha:

Samantha Young is a New York Times and #1 International bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. On Dublin Street was Samantha’s first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in thirty countries. She has since published over thirteen romance titles including the New York Times Bestsellers Into the Deep, Hero, and her most recent contemporary romance Play On. When writing Adult Paranormal romance she writes under the pen name S. Young.

Connect with Samantha:

Social media links:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSamanthaYoung/

Website – http://authorsamanthayoung.com

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authorsamanthayoung/

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Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.co.uk/samyoungauthor/

Amazon – http://amzn.to/2H47kEP

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Bookbub – http://bit.ly/2D241eO

 

Landon & Shay Part One by Brittainy C. Cherry….Review

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You know what they say…

All’s fair in the game of love and war—especially the heartbreaks.

Landon & Shay: Part One, an all-new second chance romance by Brittainy C. Cherry, is available now!

Landon & Shay AMAZON

Shay Gable hated my guts, and I hated hers, too.

We went out of our way to avoid one another at all times. When she came my direction, I went the other. When we locked eyes, she’d turn and walk away.

All of that changed the day I was presented with a challenge. It started out as a stupid bet: make Shay fall in love with me before I fell in love with her first.

That was an easy bet for me to win.

I didn’t love, I hardly liked.

Yet slowly the game started to shift. Shay made me crave things I never knew I wanted like love, happiness, and her.

The closer we grew, the more she challenged my darkness, and the parts I kept locked away.

The hurts.

The pains.

The truth.

The game between us became too real, our feelings intermixed, and the risks of hurting one another grew higher.

But you know what they say…

All’s fair in the game of love and war—especially the heartbreaks.

L&S - AN

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Pre-order the emotional conclusion, Landon and Shay: Part Two, releasing on December 4th!

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L&S 1 - Teaser 3 AN

Excerpt

Landon
Spin Seven was a mixture of spin the bottle and seven minutes in heaven. When it was my turn, I reached out to the bottle with no concern about whether or not it would land exactly where I wanted it to go. At fourteen years old, I’d learned how to perfect my spin-seven skills in order to kiss the girl I wanted.
Though, this time, I knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of kissing going on. More like yelling.
The bottle spun and spun, around and around. Shay’s eyes stayed glued to the glass beer bottle. The moment it started to slow down, I watched her lips part as she quietly muttered, “No, no, no,” before it stopped directly in front of her.
The circle began oohing and aahing at the idea that the two sworn enemies were on their way to the closet together for seven minutes straight. They were all here for that show, and I knew the moment we stepped into that closet, the door would be surrounded with people whispering and pressing their ear against it from the outside, trying to catch a snippet of what was going on behind closed doors.
I stood from the circle and gestured toward Shay. “Please,” I offered. “Chickens first.”
She grimaced, her thick, full eyebrows lowering a hair before she pushed herself up from the floor and headed toward the closet in haste. We both stepped inside and stood nose to nose.
“Okay, friends, you know the rules,” Eric said, grabbing the handle of the door. “Seven minutes in heaven—or, in your case, hell. Have fun!” He slammed the door shut, and the moment it happened, Shay whined with irritation.
“I can’t believe I’m locked in here with you for seven minutes. I could think of a million things I’d rather be doing,” she grumbled, probably with a pout.
“Like what?”
“Oh, I don’t know…watching paint dry.”
“Well, since we’re here, we should probably spend our time wisely,” I joked, moving to unbuckle my jeans, knowing it would bother her. I wished I could see the annoyance on her face. I loved when I got under her skin enough to make her nostrils flare.
“Oh my gosh, remove that idea from your mind, Landon, and stop messing with your belt, because there’s no way in hell I’m touching you.”
“I’ve thought about it before,” I said, my voice low and tame.
“Thought about what?”
“Kissing you.”
She huffed sarcastically. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
“You’re right, it’s not.”
“I know.”
It was true, though. It’d happened once—and only once—after Lance’s funeral. I had spent a lot of weeks being out of it, using alcohol to cope with the shitstorm raging inside my head, and I was a bit unstable. If my friends hadn’t been looking out for me, I would’ve probably gone overboard. I remembered walking into school one day and seeing Shay standing there at her locker with a few of her friends. She was laughing and tossing her head back in such a genuine way, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
I kept thinking about how she’d held me weeks prior and stayed with me during the lowest point of my life. She had been there—my enemy—taking care of my scars. And as I’d stared at her in the hallway, I’d thought about thanking her—walking over to her, parting my lips, and giving her my gratitude. I wasn’t used to people doing shit for me with no hope of anything in return, and Shay had done it without any expectations.
I remembered looking at her eyes, and then moving down to her slender nose, and then her cheeks, then those juicy lips.
I wondered how those lips would taste if I used mine against them to thank her. I wondered if she tasted like the candy she was always popping into her mouth. I wondered if she dripped of the angelic sin I always claimed her to be. I wondered for a split second…considered it for a blink in time…and then she slammed her locker, walked away, and I sobered up.
Still, I had considered it.
We both went quiet for a few moments before I cleared my throat again. I didn’t like silence. Silence and I didn’t get along too well. “Just one kiss, Chick. I can keep it a secret.”
“You keep secrets the same way you keep girls. AKA, you don’t—other than Monica.”
“Monica’s not mine.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that she thinks you’re hers.”
I smirked a little. “You jealous of her?”
“Jealous of her having to deal with a guy like you? Never in my life.”
“Whatever you say, Chick.”
“I wish you’d stop calling me Chick,” she snapped. “I hate it.”
“You want a new nickname, sweet cheeks? I can give you a new nickname, sweet cheeks.”
She shivered in disgust. Good. There was nothing I enjoyed more than getting on her nerves. “Not that either.”
“I’ll keep working on it.”
“Or you could just call me by my name.”
“Nah, Shay’s too ugly a name to leave my lips.”
“I hate you.”
“I hate you more.”
“Yeah, but I hate you the most.”
I snickered. “You really think you can get a guy like me to fall in love with you?”
“Yes. I’m positive, actually. People are the easiest to read, and that includes you.”
“You can’t read me, Shay.”
“I can, like an open book.”
“Okay.” I reached into my pocket, pulled out my cell phone, and turned on the flashlight, lighting up the small space. “Read me.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You sure you want me to do this? Reading people is kind of my gift, and you might not like what I have to say.”
“I never like what you have to say, so this time shouldn’t be any different. Go for it.”
She rolled her shoulders back and stretched out her arms as if she was about to deadlift me. “Okay. You’re fake, Landon.”
That was it? That was the big reveal? “What the hell do you mean I’m fake?”
“I mean exactly that. You. Are. Fake. F-A-K-E. Fake. There is nothing real about you. You’re a walking lie.”
I laughed. No joke, I actually laughed out loud, which didn’t happen often for me. It was a deep-rooted, belly laugh.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I questioned. “Everything about me is real. I’m the realist damn person you’ll come across in our town.”
“No,” she disagreed with a shake of her head. “You are the fakest. You’re even faker than the new boobs Carly Patrick got for her eighteenth birthday.”
What?!” I breathed out, stunned by her words. “I’m not fake, Shay.”
“It’s not a big deal, Landon.” She shrugged her shoulders and went to picking at her nails. “People seem to love your fakeness.”
“I’m not fake,” I argued again, my blood boiling at this point. “Plus, I’ve seen Carly’s boobs up close and personal. Those are straight in-your-face, nips-don’t-flick fake. There is no way in this world I’m more fake than those silicone watermelons. I’m a lot of shitty things, but fake isn’t one of them.”
“Okay then, can you answer a question for me?”
“Anything.”
“How many people know you’re sad?”
“The hell kind of question is that?” I barked.
“A very straightforward one,” she replied. She seemed so cool, calm, and collected—one of the many things I despised about her. It was as if her life was always so solid. I wished for that kind of stable structure, and seeing that she had it annoyed the living hell out of me.
“How long have you been sad, Landon?”
I glanced at my watch. “About a solid three minutes now, because being trapped inside this closet with you is complete hell.”
“Aren’t you the one who wanted to come in here with me?”
“Bad call. A lapse in judgment. I forgot how annoying you are.”
She smiled. She freaking smiled at me, pleased by my annoyance. “Are you going to answer me about your sadness?”
“Are you going to suck my dick?” I replied.
“Do you always do that?” she asked, tilting her head to the left as she studied my expressions. She was doing that thing she did—reading me. Taking note of my movements and the tightness of my jaw, taking in every inch of me.
Don’t let her read your pages, Landon. She couldn’t have even handled my prologue.
All my walls were up, and I wasn’t going to let her knock them down.
“Do what?” I questioned.
“Use sarcasm to shield your hurting.”
“There’s nothing hurting here. Look at this life. I have money, badass parties, and girls throwing themselves at me—why would I have anything to hurt about?”
“Maybe because money, girls, and parties don’t make a person happy. I see how miserable you are in your eyes.”
I grimaced and whisper-hissed, “You don’t know shit about me, Shay.”
“Then how am I able to get under your skin so easily? If that wasn’t true, if you weren’t sad, why would my saying that bother you so much?”
“You don’t,” I calmly replied.
She did.
She was pushing me, making me uncomfortable with the fact that she did seem able to see the parts of me no one else could. Anger was building in my chest, and I needed to defuse it before it became too big.
“Maybe it’s best if we shut up for the rest of the time,” I told her.
“For the second time in my life, I agree with you.”
Shay sat down on the floor of the closet, and I did the same, leaning back against some coats that were hanging. How did seven minutes feel like seventy? Was time moving at all? This was hell.
Then came the silence. The silence that brought out heavy thoughts. Shay could read my mind somehow, and so, when the silence became too much, I cleared my throat and tried to make small talk in hopes of shutting my own brain up. “A chicken and Satan walk into a closet—stop me if you’ve heard this one.”
She laughed a little.
It was quiet and low, and dammit, I’d never heard Shay laugh at anything I’d ever said before, so that was new. What was also new was the small part of me that enjoyed hearing her sound.
“Landon?” she whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Just shut up, all right?”
Yeah, okay.
“One more minute, you horny hatebirds!” Eric called out.
We both stood, and I took a step closer toward her. “I get you not wanting to kiss. That’s intimate and personal, but if you want, this is your last chance to touch my cock while no one’s looking. I won’t stop you.”
“No thanks. I’m allergic to peanuts,” she said so effortlessly and loudly, causing the crowd on the other side of the door to burst into laughter.
Shay smirked again, feeling proud of her little dig at me. That beautiful, annoying smirk I loved to hate.
Shay: 1
Landon: 0
I wasn’t worried, though. The game was just getting started. She might’ve scored one point, but I wasn’t going to let it happen again. We were playing on my field, and Shay didn’t know what she was up against.

This book was so much more of everything than I had anticipated. Brittainy knew what she was doing when she chose to make Landon and Shay’s story a duet. However, I am thoroughly impressed with how Part One ended.

This one started off slow for me. Too much background on Landon & Shay’s families right at the beginning had me wondering if this had anything to do with the plot. It was information overload and a lot to take in right at the beginning. I wasn’t really connecting to the characters so it took me a bit to really enjoy this one.

However, once we started to get more into Landon and Shay, who they were, who they were to each other, things really started to get entertaining. However, those areas at the beginning that didn’t jive with me, were making sense as the story went along and allowed you to understand certain events better. I won’t say what happens but just know that Landon and Shay and their story is more than just a romance.

Landon and Shay is so much more than just the story of them. It is story that deals with situations I feel is extremely poignant and important to read in today’s society. One particular issue that stands out is depression. Depression is something that so many people look down upon when in reality, way more people have it but chose to ignore it in hopes of not drawing attention to themselves. This part of the story hit closer to home for me because depression and mental problems do run in my family. Reading Landon’s thoughts and his inner dialogue is so true. It is scary to read but sometimes reality isn’t always rainbows and unicorns. Thank you, Brittainy for being so real, raw and direct with this. It truly impacts the overall story in ways you can’t imagine.

I loved this book so much. While it may have started off slow for me, in the end, it broke me and made me feel so much. This is a book that you need to read – it’s more than a romance – it’s a life story.

About Brittainy

Author Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 bestselling author.

She has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing.

Her novels have been published in 18+ countries around the world. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin with her fur babies.

Connect with Brittainy

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Fc8izo

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https://bcherrybooks.com

Wanderlove by Rachel Blaufeld…Excerpt & Review

Wanderlove - BT Banner

Wanderlove, an all-new angst-filled and emotional standalone romance from Rachel Blaufeld, is available now!


Photo Jul 30, 4 22 26 PM

Sick of living under her dad’s rules, Emerson Bender bolts when she’s eighteen. On her own for the first time, she heads to the only place her mom ever lived—New York City—desperate to find the woman who dropped her off on her dad’s doorstep.

Content to spend the rest of his life in Small Town, Pennsylvania, Price Barnes is plucked out of his idyllic life by his estranged father. Missing his mom and stepfather, he’s dropped in New York City to attend college and live an all-expenses paid lifestyle. Cushy, right? But not the life he wanted.

She’s looking to fill a hole in her heart, and he’s looking to forget the man who disrupted his life. Together, they’re both wandering, looking for acceptance and hoping to forget the rejection.


Wanderlove - AN

Download your copy today!

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Wanderlove - Teaser 3 AN

Excerpt

 

Slouched in the back booth of one of those froufrou café places a little later, I pulled out a book and bit into my egg and turkey bacon on an English muffin.

Yes, you heard me right. 1. Egg. 2. Turkey bacon. 3. English muffin.

It was like one of those riddles on the SAT—which, by the way, I wished I hadn’t taken on a whim in high school, because it made this whole NYC bullshit that much easier.

Which two of the above three things does not belong?

If you answered numbers two and three, you win. Ding, ding, ding! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Who the fuck ate turkey bacon? Not a soul where I came from. And an English muffin was a poor excuse for a biscuit.

Just as I sank my teeth into the last bite of nourishment—because turkey bacon couldn’t possibly be classified as delicious—someone took the table next to me.

Not one for coffee-shop talk, I took a swig of my OJ and lowered my face deeper into my book.

Cannery Row? We read that in high school,” a female voice said, interrupting my quiet time.

“Hmm.” I nodded without looking up, desperately trying to maintain invisible boundaries.

The smell of fresh coffee filled my nostrils, making me think of my mom. She loved her morning coffee. Every day, she made a big pot and drink her first mug on the wraparound porch, sometimes wrapped in a flannel blanket.

“You okay?” Another interruption.

Looking up, I found the black-haired beauty who’d run into me earlier. “Yeah, why?” Slapping my worn book on the table, I suddenly had beef with the pixie extrovert.

“You were reading, and all of a sudden looked really sad. Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just . . .”

I swallowed, wondering how the hell I looked sad, and then I remembered I was thinking of my mom. So I miss her. I’m no less of a man. It doesn’t make me a mama’s boy.

“I’m cool,” I said, rather than explaining the truth.

“We just saw each other.” She paused, obviously wanting to chat more, and I nodded.

“You go to school here?” I finally asked.

“No. It’s nice, though. I was just looking for someone in that building. Didn’t find her.” She whispered the last part to herself. Only listless for a second, she brightened back up. “Are you a grad student?”

“Ha,” I barked. “What? I look too old to play the part of undergrad?”

I was on the bench seat of my booth, my feet kicked out in front of me; she sat opposite me, on the chair side of her table. I wondered if her feet even touched the floor. Compared to my six-foot-two-inch frame, she’d barely hit my chest when we collided earlier.

“Um . . .” She looked away, pink rising in her cheeks.

Leaning forward, I ran my palm over my scruff, trying to remember when I last shaved. “Returning adult student is what I think they call it. School wasn’t really in my cards before, and now it is. So here I am.”

Sitting quietly, she didn’t respond, just raised her brows as if waiting for more of an explanation.

I didn’t give her anything more. My story wasn’t all that interesting, anyway.

Wanderlove is a sweet, young love romance story.

Emerson takes off for New York to find her birth mother. It’s not that her life with her dad was bad, she just has this drive to find her birth mother. It is with a bit of luck that Emerson stumbles upon clues to where here mom could be in the big city.

Price is used to the small-town he’s been raised in, but when an opportunity to go to the city for college comes up, it’s impossible to ass up. It is when Emerson is tryin to find her mother that these two meet and it’s practically happenstance.

As most of you know by now, insta-love stories are really hard sell for me. I really need to be connected to the characters and their situations to truly “see past” the insta-love and sadly for this one, that was not the case. While I have no huge issue with Emerson or Price, I just never felt any connection to them or their stories. There is some angst and drama, but not enough to really give me the depth I wanted. It’s a good read just not a great one, for me.

The story line is sweet and the characters are enjoyable so many will love this story. However, for me, it was just right down the middle enjoyable. The writing, as always, was impeccable. And I know, if the writing was great, why didn’t I love it? An author can have the best writing style, but fail to deliver characters that everyone will connect with. And that’s the case with this book.

About Rachel

Rachel Blaufeld is a bestselling author of Romantic Suspense, New Adult, Coming-of-Age Romance, and Sports Romance. A recent poll of her readers described her as insightful, generous, articulate, and spunky. Originally a social worker, Rachel creates broken yet redeeming characters. She’s been known to turn up the angst like cranking up the heat in the dead of winter.

A devout coffee drinker and doughnut eater, Rachel spends way too many hours in local coffee shops, downing the aforementioned goodies while she plots her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end as lusciously as her treats.

As a side note, Blaufeld, also a long-time blogger and an advocate of woman-run anything, is fearless about sharing her opinion. She captured the ears of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog, BacknGrooveMom, chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and running a business, often at the same time. To her, work/life/family balance is an urban legend, but she does her best.

Rachel has also blogged for The Huffington Post and Modern Mom. Most recently, her insights can be found in USA TODAY, where she shares conversations at “In Bed with a Romance Author” and reading recommendations over at “Happy Ever After.”

Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two beagles. Her obsessions include running, coffee, basketball, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes, and mighty fine epilogues.

When she isn’t writing, she can be found courtside, tweeting about hoops as her son plays, or walking around the house wearing earplugs while her other son, the drummer, bangs away.

Connect with Rachel

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