Category: Coming of Age

Furious Rush by S.C. Stephens…Blog Tour & Review

furiousrush
Synopsis:
The first in an emotion-fueled, New Adult series from the #1 bestselling author of the Thoughtless novels.

Too fast, too furious-and way too hot to handle . . .

Mackenzie Cox has a lot to prove. Daughter of a racing legend, she is eager to show the world that she has inherited her father’s talent in the male-dominated sport of professional motorcycle racing. The last thing Kenzie needs is to be antagonized by her rival team’s newest rider, Hayden Hayes. Plucked from the world of illegal street racing, Hayden immediately gets under Kenzie’s skin. His insinuations that Kenzie is a spoiled princess who was handed her career fuels her desire to win, and much to her surprise, Kenzie soon learns she performs better when she’s racing against Hayden.

As Kenzie and Hayden push each other on the track, the electric energy between them off the track shifts into an intense–and strictly forbidden–attraction. The only rule between their two ultra-competitive teams is zero contact. Kenzie always does her best to play by the rules, but when her team slips into a financial crisis, she has no choice but to turn to Hayden for help. The tension simmers during their secret, late-night rendezvous, but Kenzie has too much to lose to give in to her desires. Especially when she begins to doubt that Hayden has completely left his street life behind…

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my-review

When I saw S.C. Stephens was coming out with a new book, I was jumping around screaming like a teenager.  And then I read it was set in the racing world and I immediately knew I had to read this one!

Kenzie is practically racing royalty.  Her dad is a legend and she has grown up in the racing world.  Now it’s her time to shine and show what she’s made of.

Hayden is the bad boy signed on to Kenzie’s rival time.  He’s an illegal street racer who does anything but follow the rules. 

Kenzie and Hayden are night and day.  Fire and ice.  They couldn’t be more different if they tried.  Kenzie is very strong and independent woman.  She’s close to her family and refuses to do anything that will tip the scales with them.

Kenzie and Hayden meet at an illegal street race where her snobby attitude immediately dismisses him.  Til she realizes he’s her biggest competition in the racing world – both on and off the track.

The angst, drama and tension between these two is off the charts.  Hayden is a rebel – breaks whatever law or rule there is to reach his goal.  And this doesn’t change just because he’s now in the professional racing circuit.  There’s alot of mystery surrounding Hayden.  And Kenzie is in a tailspin when it comes to him.  Trust her heart or go with what is safest?

I really loved this book and the whole plot.  My only gripe was Kenzie and her sometimes annoying behavior.  I had a hard time connecting to her but that didn’t deter from the story.  S.C. still knows how to write and intense plot and keep you at the edge of your seat.

This book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, however there is a hint at more to come from the racing world.  There are quite a few characters that I wouldn’t mind getting to know a little more and seeing where they end up in the future.

C signature
4LovesRLB

Chapter 5

A few hours later, after a mandatory dinner with my father and the crew, I was finally back at the hotel. Collapsing onto the bed, I wondered if I had ever been this exhausted in all my life. Trailing my fingers along the pattern sewn into the quilt beneath me, I debated shutting off the light and trying to make a genuine attempt to sleep; if I wanted it bad enough, I could make it happen . . . right? The light switch was so far away, though, and there was no way I’d be able to stop replaying the video of my slide out that was running on constant repeat in my head. Whether it was light or dark in the room didn’t matter if my brain was wide awake. It didn’t even matter that my limbs were heavy with fatigue and all of my muscles were tired and aching. My brain wouldn’t stay silent, so there would be no real rest for me.
Letting out an annoyed groan, I managed to find the remote on the nightstand. Flicking on the TV, I prayed I might be able to find something that would partially entertain me, or at least distract me. Nothing did, though. All I could think about was the race. I wanted to be home, in my bed, surrounded by my things. Maybe if I were back to my regular routine, I could stop the never-ending replay of my body smacking the concrete, my bike hitting the wall.
We were leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to head back to Oceanside. I was ready to go home, yet reluctant too. I felt like my failure would be the talk of the track for a long time to come—both sides of the track—and I really didn’t want people talking about me, especially about my screwup. But I did want to get back to work; I wanted to begin preparations for the next race, in Wisconsin. God, I hoped that race was better than this one.
After flipping through every available channel at least six times, I turned the TV off. I needed something more engaging to keep my mind from drifting into dark, anxiety-ridden places. Forcing myself to get up, I grabbed my bag from where I’d flung it and dug around for my cell phone. Pulling up Nikki’s number, I texted: Can’t sleep. Are you up?
Her response was immediate. Yep! Just heading to the hot tub. Meet me in 20!
Frowning, I texted back: I didn’t pack a suit. She responded exactly how I thought she would. So? Go commando.
Laughing, I shook my head as I texted her that I’d see her soon. Her parting words were Bring wine!
Rolling my eyes, I looked over at the items available for purchase on top of the minibar. There was a bottle of wine among the chocolate, nuts, condoms, and toiletries. This hotel thought of everything. Shrugging, I grabbed the bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and a couple of glasses. I didn’t usually drink, but I might have a half glass tonight. Maybe a few sips would make me tired enough to go to sleep. Setting the wine on the bed, I debated what I could wear into the hot tub. Skinny-dipping wasn’t exactly my idea of relaxing. Grabbing a robe from the bathroom, I decided my bra and panties would suffice. They covered more than a lot of bikinis anyway.
We were staying at a hotel near the ocean. It was a pretty nice place, with beachside fire pits and saltwater pools, but my favorite thing about it was the ultra-private pool and hot tub on the roof. With the crashing waves of the surf nearby and the twinkling lights of Daytona in the distance, it was a spectacular display. Just what I needed to unwind. Hopefully the hot water didn’t aggravate my scrapes too badly. It would be worth it, though.
Clenching the wine bottle in one hand and the glasses and corkscrew in the other, I made my way up to the roof. When I got there, I looked around for Nikki, but she was nowhere to be seen. Not too surprising.
Figuring she’d get here when she got here, I headed for the hot tub. I could almost feel the stress releasing from my overtaxed muscles as I spotted the softly lit tub nestled in the corner of the rooftop oasis. As I approached the steaming water, I noticed a dark head just barely above the surface. Wow, guess Nikki had beaten me here after all.
“Hey, girlie,” I said, setting down the wine and shucking off my robe. “I brought some wine for you, as requested. And just so you know, if Dad chews my ass out for the room service bill, I’m totally throwing you under the bus.”
The wet head swiveled around to look up at me and my heart sank. It wasn’t Nikki. A slow smile spread across Hayden’s face as he sat up higher in the water, eyeing the lacy bra and underwear I was using as swimwear. Thankfully, they were black, and not a pale color that would show him way more than I ever wanted to. I quickly scanned the rooftop, but we were alone. Horribly and completely alone.
“Well, look who it is,” he mused. “Lucky number twenty-two. Are you here for that scratch, sweetheart? I’m a little worn out after today, but don’t you worry, I’m sure I can still give you what you so politely requested.” He added that damn aggravating wink on the end that made me want to dunk him under the water and hold him there a few minutes. Just until he passed out. I swear.
Flustered and caught off guard, all I could think to say was, “You’re not Nikki.” I felt my cheeks flame as his gaze lingered over my curves, but I stubbornly refused to cover myself up. I worked hard for my sport and it showed in my body. There was nothing on me that I had to be embarrassed about . . . plus, I’d shaved earlier today, so it was all good.
Hayden seemed amused by my response. “No, I’m not.” Bringing his arms up to the edge of the tub, he turned to face me. As he propped his chin on his arms, water droplets beaded and ran down his skin like little racetracks. There was something about steaming water and an attractive man that was exceedingly erotic, but Hayden was not what I wanted to be looking at right now. This was supposed to be relaxing girl time.
“So…” he said with a smile. “Do you and Nikki often meet up for lingerie hot-tubbing after a race? If so, I’m going to have to stay at your hotel more often.”
Familiar irritation pricked my skin, but I somehow managed to keep my expression even. “I didn’t realize you were staying at this hotel. I figured you’d be at some sleazy motel that charged by the hour, along with the rest of the Bennetis. Seems more your speed than a nice place like this.”
His jade eyes darkened, and I knew I’d struck a nerve. Good. I shouldn’t be the only one annoyed, and if he was going to make me sound like a spoiled princess, then I would make him sound like he was fresh from the gutter. And considering where I’d first met him, I probably wasn’t too far off the mark anyway.
Hayden opened his mouth to speak, but I didn’t wait for him to get even so much as a sound out. Making sure we were still alone and no one was here to witness me sharing a could-be-intimate moment with a Benneti, I gingerly placed a foot into the water opposite him. He wasn’t going to chase me away from here with vile words, no matter who he raced for—I needed this too badly after today.
If Hayden had been about to say something, he clearly changed his mind; he was silent as stone as he watched me sink into the water. The searing heat was heaven on my chilled muscles, and even though the raw places stung, a soft groan escaped me. Closing my eyes, I laid my head back on the tile surrounding the tub. Hayden cleared his throat, and I heard soft splashes in the water as he adjusted his position. Cracking an eye open, I saw that he was intensely studying me, and in the silence of our staredown, that crackling energy began to resurface. In a heartbeat, the water suddenly became an extension of him, and the gentle waves were like his fingers caressing me all over, all at once. It was heady and intoxicating, and it made my breath quicken and my body tingle in delicious anticipation. Damn.
I was a millisecond away from getting out of the water… but . . . the near-boiling temperature was so incredible, I didn’t want to give up the luxury yet, not for my cold, lonely hotel room, where the ghosts of my failure were ceaselessly haunting me. I needed this break. For the first time since the race had ended, I actually felt at peace. Almost. Hayden’s absorbing gaze was too intent for full relaxation; shivers that had nothing to do with my body’s adjustment to the blazing heat of the water were flashing across my skin.
“What?” I snapped, hoping to sever the connection, to diminish the pinpoints of excitement that were starting to work their way through me. Inch by inch. Ripple by ripple.
Hayden’s gaze shifted to the bubbling water before lifting to mine again. “Can I ask you a serious question?”
I was shocked. Our conversations had never gone much deeper than trading insults, and even though I was curious, instinct made me answer him with, “No.”
With a frown, he ignored my answer and asked me anyway. “Did you . . . did you feel it today . . . while we were racing?”
My heart started pounding in my chest. I knew exactly what he meant. That fire, that drive, that feeling that we were alone, even when we were surrounded by thousands of people. It had been the most intense race of my career because of that sensation, but I wasn’t about to admit that to him. I couldn’t. It would be like admitting weakness, and I couldn’t ever appear weak in front of this man; he’d pounce in an instant, ripping me to shreds. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I said you couldn’t ask me a question.”
He pursed his lips, annoyed, but then he leaned forward in the water. His sudden movement caused tiny waves to come my way, and I instinctually pulled back from them. The sensation that we were connected, even though we weren’t, was bad enough without him coming closer. “You didn’t feel that . . . I don’t know . . . that connection? Like it was just the two of us out there? You must have, since you made that crack about me ignoring everyone else and focusing only on you.”
He tilted his head and a water droplet rolled down his cheek and curved around his neck. Watching it made my toes curl. The intimate lighting out here was playing tricks on my senses, making him too appealing. But the mood-setting couldn’t alter his personality, so I focused all of my energy on remembering the fact that he was an asshole who could never seem to get my name right. Plus he raced for a despicable man who would do just about anything to see my father brought down.
“Like I said, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I indicated the swirling water between us. “I think you’ve been in here too long. Your brain cells are beginning to boil.” I was beginning to boil. I should leave . . .
Hayden smirked, then began sliding through the water toward me. As he cut into the frantic bubbles between us, my heart began shifting into overdrive. I should definitely leave. But Hayden’s gaze was locked on mine, holding me in place. I couldn’t look away. A familiar surge of adrenaline was building inside me, telling me that something incredible was about to happen.
On your mark…
“I don’t believe you.” His voice was low, and his eyes were boring holes all the way through my soul. I unintentionally sucked my lip into my mouth, and his penetrating gaze dropped to study the movement. God, what would his smoldering skin feel like against mine?
His eyes slowly shifted back to mine. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, and you can’t deny that competing against each other, one on one like that, pushed us both.” He stopped right beside me, and our legs touched under the water. His were warm, hard, unyielding, and I had the sudden horrible image of having them wrapped around me. Owning me, claiming me.
Get set…
“I’ve never raced that well before, and I don’t think you have either. I’ve watched you practicing on the home track a few times, and I’ve noticed something. You worry when you ride, worry about all the people you might be letting down. I get that. But focusing on your fear will only hold you back.” Shock ran through me, temporarily icing the heat. How did he know I constantly stressed about the weight placed on me? And who did he worry about letting down?
Voice soft, he added, “But during the race, I could tell that you let all those expectations go. Because all you were focusing on was me. You raced better when I was out there with you, and I raced better when you were out there with me.” He shifted his position under the water, coming closer until his chest brushed against my arm, and it was like a bolt of electricity struck me. I was tingling all over, ready . . . wanting. How did he know these things? How could he see inside me so accurately?
Hayden’s gaze flicked over my face, alternating between my eyes and my mouth. He looked torn, like he didn’t know what he wanted to do, but then he gently placed his hand on my leg. While his eyes searched for approval or rejection, his fingers began sliding up my inner thigh, igniting me with passion, burning me with desire. My breath was suddenly coming fast and furious. Yes, touch me.
Hayden’s lips parted as he studied my every reaction, and I could see his chest rising and falling as his own breaths quickened. His palm was barely inching across my skin—I was going to explode soon if he didn’t move faster. The glorious anticipation of where his fingers might go was killing me. But then, with a pained look on his face, he stopped moving. Damn it, just do it. Feel me, touch me, take me . . . free me.
With obvious restraint, he slowly leaned forward and pressed his hot lips to my ear, making me shudder. “We’re magic together, Twenty-Two,” he breathed. “Just admit you need me . . . and we can take this up a notch.”
Need him? Take this up a notch? His audacity enraged me. “Get your hand off of me,” I seethed.
Hayden pulled back to study my face for a moment, then he lifted his hand from my thigh and retreated. Raising both hands from the water like he was surrendering, he told me, “Fine. Whatever you say, princess.” He swallowed a few times after he said it, as if he was trying to calm himself down.
Furious at him for going there, furious at myself for not stopping him sooner, I shot up out of the water. The steam lifting from my skin matched my mood, but that was nothing compared to the heat of Hayden’s eyes as he hungrily took in every inch of my dripping-wet body. Enjoy what you see, asshole, because this is the last time you’ll ever see it. Stepping from the tub, I grabbed my robe, tied it tight around my waist, and stormed off.
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Author Bio:
S. C. Stephens is a bestselling author who enjoys spending every free moment she has creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance. She has been writing nonstop ever since the release of her debut novel, which received a great deal of praise from the literary world. In addition to writing, Stephens enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading fabulous novels, loading up her iPod with music to reduce writer s block, heading out to the movies, and spending quality time with her friends and family.
SC Stephens’ Social Links: 

Phoenix by Addison Kline….Blog Tour & Review

 

 
Title : Phoenix 
Author: Addison Kline 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
Book 1 of the Phoenix Saga – The Phoenix
 
“Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” Or so the book of Corinthians tells us. 
 
Alanna Anderson does not agree with this sentiment. At the tender age of thirteen, Alanna believes that she has learned all she needs to know about love. Love is fleeting. Love is callous. Love is a lie. Growing up in the rough streets of South End, Pennsylvania, Alanna Anderson knows a thing or two about guarding her heart. Although there is a boy that vies for her attention, Alanna has no interest. She surrounds herself with the people she loves best, and immerses herself in her music and her love of literature. But one winter day, two boys forever changed Alanna’s life. One cemented Alanna’s belief that love was cruel. Another sought to prove her wrong.
 
Cris Serrano is new to town. Moving to the United States from Portugal, he is stepping into a world he in unfamiliar with. He is not fearful, though. Stepping forth with confidence, Cris is excited for what this new experience will hold, leaving behind a past he’d rather forget. Upon his first day at Henshaw Elementary, Cris meets Alanna Anderson and sparks fly. Their connection is one that will forever rewrite the map of their destinies – two supernovas colliding amidst a darkened sky. Not everyone believes that Alanna and Cris belong together, though. 
 
Damien Foley has loved Alanna Anderson from the day he first set eyes upon her. Though she ignores his advances, Damien has hope that Alanna will open her heart to him. But when Cris Serrano comes to town, everything changes. Alanna gazes at Cris the way Damien wishes she would look at him. Watching her fall in love in Cris was more than Damien’s mind could take. As Alanna and Cris are enveloped in the joy of young love, a storm is brewing. With Damien’s attraction to Alanna only intensifying with each unrequited sentiment, an obsession was born. 
 
Young love does not come easy in this gritty, romantic suspense novel. In the Phoenix Saga, they love hard, they fight hard, and the stakes are high as teens struggle to step over the echelon of adulthood.

 

 
Amazon US
Amazon UK
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There will always be books out there that will touch a deep part of you and The Phoenix is one of those books.  I love the meaning behind this book and the story Addison delivered.

The Phoenix is told in third person POV, which is sometimes a bit hard for me to get into.  But with this book and having so many characters and needing to view things from all the different ways, it’s the only way for this book to work.  And Addison wrote it very well. My only small gripe is that sometimes that language didn’t fit the age of the character and made it  slightly harder to believe their ages.  Aside from that -a beautiful story.

This story surrounds Alanna and her friends.  I won’t go into details as to what happens because I feel that takes away from the excitement and wonderment of the story.  What these young kinds go through will baffle you.  But what will amaze you is the strong depth their friendship goes to.  They stand side by side and have each others’ backs through good and bad.  They’re family.

I have quite a lot of quotes from this book that I absolutely love and will keep with me forever.  But one in particular is poem that Alanna wrote.   It’s a bit long, but says so much more.

“A year of tumult.  An age of irritation.  Heart’s bitter contempt, a high security prison.  A prior love turned exceptional fiend.  An extraordinary façade.  You’re not all what you seemed.  Deceit in your mind.  Venom on your tongue.  The maddening ache of anger.  A howl building in my lungs.  Stop this masquerade.  Discard your mask!  Your two faces have fulfilled their task!  I believe in the myth.  I trusted in a lie. Be gone! Bury this deceit to die!

A kaleidoscope mind.  A battleground heart.  Run for cover.  Too late – torn apart.  An era of disillusion.  A moment of doubt.  A flicker of truth; your misdeeds I must surmount.  I throw my hands up to the wind.  What’s left to say?  There’s nothing left to give.  Took my security.  Fractured my soul.  Pillaged and plundered til there was nothing left at all!  But wait…what’s this?  A faintly beating heart. Mangled and bloody, but still holds a charge.  Fighting against the current, a tremendous wave.  Your violence and insanity…..It’s my own life I must save.  Birdcage, release me!  Break these bonds that hold me.  Captor, forget me.  Set me soul free!  Forget the words on your tongue.  Rid my face from your brain.  My life belongs to me….It was never yours to claim!”

Addison has way with words that gut a person.  They make you think, they make you feel, they come alive on the pages.  I loved this story!  I look forward to reading more from Addison.

 
 

Addison Kline is an International Best-Selling Author who resides in Pennsylvania with her family. When she is not writing, she is immersing herself in music, reading to her heart’s content, traveling with her family, or binging on her favorite shows on Netflix that include Wentworth, Bloodlines and Sons of Anarchy.

Addison is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association and while she loves to write in a variety of genres, Addison always says “mystery is her game.” Some of her other favorite sub-genres to write include romantic suspense, psychological thrillers, crime and mafia thrillers.

Some of Addison’s greatest influences to date include Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Harper Lee, Gillian Flynn, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen & James Patterson.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crave Me by M. Robinson….Release Day Blitz

 
 
 
RELEASE BLITZ
CRAVE ME
BESTSELLING AUTHOR M.
ROBINSON
COVER MODEL MITCH
MCKERSIE
COVER DESIGN THE
FINAL WRAP
RELEASE MAY 10TH

 

They say in order to find yourself you have to go home.
What if home was what you’re running from?
Where did that leave you?
Always on the other side of the fence.
Always looking in.
Always wishing you were someone you couldn’t be.
Until one day you meet her.
The one.
She was my high, but she was also…
My demise.

 

Colors blended together making it hard to focus on one thing. I blinked a few times and just like that…
I saw her face.
As if she was standing right in front of me.
Smiling.
Happy.
Laughing.
My whole world…
My girl.
I felt my lips curl up slightly at the vision as I reached out for her. Wanting to touch her, needing to hold her, yearning to kiss her. Craving, God, craving to fucking love her.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured out loud to no one but the illusion of my drug-infested mind. “I’m so fucking sorry,” I repeated repentantly, longing for her to believe me.
Aching for her to love me again like she used to.
I don’t know how long I sat there, staring at her beautiful face before my eyes, subconsciously rubbing the tattooed key that was placed over my heart. I
couldn’t take it anymore, and the desire won over the haze.
It was too powerful.
It was too vivid.
I grabbed my phone. “Baby,” I said into the speaker. The ringing quickly
followed, going straight to voicemail. I hung up and tried again. “Baby,” I urged with desperation in my tone.
Still nothing.
I tried again and again and again.
I would try until the end of time if that’s what it took for her to answer.
To talk to me.
To save me.
To crave me.
Time just seemed to standstill, as my life slowly played out in front of me. Trying to balance in between the light and the darkness when all I could see was gray.
“What?!” she screamed into the phone, finally answering after I don’t know how many failed attempts. “What the hell do you want now?”
“Mi cielo.” I breathed a sigh of relief.
She ignored my term of endearment. I hadn’t called her that in such a long time.
My heaven.
“What do you want, Austin? Why are you calling me? We’re over! I can’t do this anymore!”  
I shut my eyes and let my mind wonder, allowing it to go to another place in time where she didn’t hate me.
“I remember the first time I made you smile,” I chuckled, as if it had just
happened.
My nerves were on fire. The mere sound of her breathing through the phone was too intense for me. I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry.
“I remember when you used to smile just for me. Do you remember, baby? Do you remember what my love feels like?”
I heard her faintly breathing.
“Do you remember my hands on you? My lips? My tongue? The first time I made you come with my mouth? Do you remember all the times since? Tell me I’m not forgotten. Tell me you remember, baby.”
Silence.
“I love you, Briggs. I love you so fucking much. You’re killing me, don’t you see that? I’m dying without you.”
“No, Austin. You were dying with me,” she rasped, knowing that it killed her to say that.
“The first time I saw your face, I thought to myself, damn, this beautiful girl is
goin’ to be the death of me. You were perfect in every way. I was a cocky son of a bitch who needed you then, as much as I need you now.” 
More silence.
“I had a dream about you, baby. I always fucking dream about you. In my dream you had a ring on your finger. A ring I put there. You belonged to me. Only mine.
Forever fucking mine. You were pregnant, Briggs. You looked so goddamn happy. I saw light at the end of the tunnel for the first time in years.”
She sniffled into the phone.
“I made love to you. Slow, just the way you love. Taking my time to touch every
last inch of your body. Memorizing every last bit of you. Making you come until
you begged me to stop. I didn’t.”
“I can’t—” she tried to interject, but I didn’t let up.
“I kissed your stomach. Our baby. Letting my lips linger there, whispering sweet lullabies, letting her know daddy will always be there. Baby, it was so real.
For a second I gave you the one thing you so desperately wanted, the one thing I can’t give you.”

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Have you met the other Good Ol’ Boys?
All can be read as standalone books
➸Complicate
Me
Amazon US
➸Forbid
Me
Amazon US
➸Undo
Me
Amazon US
➸Crave
Me
Amazon US

 

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Bestselling author of The
VIP Trilogy, Tempting Bad, Two Sides Gianna, and The Good Ol’ Boys series. M.
Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has angst, romance, triangles,
cheating, love, and of course sex! She has been reading since the Babysitters
Club and R.L. Stein. She was born in New Jersey but was raised in Tampa Fl. She
is married to an amazing man who she loves to pieces. They have two German
Shepherd mixes and a Tabby cat.

 

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Hustler by Meghan Quinn & Jessica Prince….Blog Tour & Review



We’re celebrating the release of HUSTLER by Meghan Quinn and Jessica Prince! 

 

HUSTLER by Meghan Quinn & Jessica Prince
Scheduled to release: May 9, 2016
NA Romantic Comedy
Cover designer: Meghan Quinn
Goodreads
Amazon: http://amzn.to/21zWvyG

BLURB:
I make my living as a hustler, and I’m great at it.
I don’t have a single tell and use that to my advantage to manipulate any situation.
I’ve always known what a person is about to do before they’ve even decided.

That is, until I met Nell.
I can’t get a read on her, and what’s worse, she doesn’t want anything to do with me.
Which only makes me want her more.

Now I’m in for the hardest hustle of my life.
Somehow I have to convince Nell that she belongs with me.
Good thing I’m always up for a challenge.

 

 

 

review

Like most of us, I am always a tad hesitant to read any book that is written by two authors, even if I love books by both those authors. You never know how those two authors are going to blend their talents and make sure that the book is smooth. Well Meghan and Jessica have done just that – I can’t tell who wrote what and this book was very well written.

Hustler is a romantic comedy with lots of hotness added in. Gavin and Nell are two extremely strong characters yet they are extremely stubborn and set in their ways. Gavin is the top rated poker player and wants to maintain that status. He’s a hustler both at the tables and in the bedroom. Nell is trying to live her dreams but since she’s arrived in Vegas three years ago, she’s been stuck waitressing at the poker tables, barley making ends meet.

But Gavin meets his match when he comes across Nell. She refuses to fall for his playboy charm and will give him a run for his money at any chance she can get. These two are combustible anytime they are in the same room together. But you can’t deny the chemistry that makes the air sizzle.

Meghan and Jessica have written a very hilarious, steamy and somewhat angsty read. And those secondary characters – woah!! I can’t wait to see what happens there – I definitely see a few more books in the future.

Bravo on writing a seamless story. The pace of this book is perfect and everything just flows together. I am looking forward to reading more from these two in the future – both together and by themselves. 🙂

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GIVEAWAY:
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About the Authors:
Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.
Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking.
Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!
Find me on Goodreads:
Jessica was born and raised in Texas–where she’ll stay because she claims the cost of living in Texas excuses the god-awful weather. She is first and foremost a wife and mother. Because of those two things, she’s also a self proclaimed wino and coffee addict.

She’s always been and avid lover of all types of books, but romances are her main favorites.
Jessica’s husband likes to say reading is her obsession, but she likes to call it her passion…there’s a difference.

Be sure to Connect with Jessica at:
Website: www.authorjessicaprince.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorjessicaprince
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessPrince2013

Or sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/_KJ0n
She pinky promises not to spam you.

Palm South University: Season Two Episode 6 by Kandi Steiner….Release Blitz & Review

Title: Palm South University: Season Two Episode Six
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: April 12, 2016
Find on Goodreads

Drama. Lies. Sex. 

Welcome to Palm South University.

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up in South Florida. At a school where fraternities and sororities don’t exactly play by the rules, relationships are bound to be tested. Parties and sex are definitely key ingredients in the Palm South recipe, but what happens when family issues, secret lives, and unrequited love get tossed in the mix?

Follow Cassie, Bear, Jess, Skyler, Erin, Ashlei, and Adam as they tackle college at a small, private beach town university. Written in television drama form, each episode of this serial will pull you deeper and deeper into the world of PSU.

Where the sun is hot and the clothes are scarce, anything can happen.

review

Every time I have tried to write this review, I start to cry.  It’s not because Season Two has come to and end.  It’s what this episode is about.

One of the sorority girls is raped in this episode.  This is never an easy subject to handle or even read about it.  Kandi does a commendable job on writing about this.  She doesn’t sugarcoat it but she also gets the point across that unfortunately rape happens a lot more than people realize at colleges around the country.  And her statistics at the end will shock you. 

Without taking away from the prominent message Kandi wants us to see, this episode is her best to date.  The sorority girls are starting to grow up.  They are beginning to open their eyes to the bigger picture.  They are realizing that together, they are a force to be reckon with.

“We may try to handle the world on our shoulders…but we’re a force to be reckoned with.  We’re a unit.  We’re a family.”

There is a lot that goes down between Cassie, Adam and Grayson; Bear and Shawna; Jess and Jarrett.  I am really excited to see what Kandi brings us next season – who returns, who doesn’t. And whomever returns – will they be the same person they were before?

 

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The final installment of PSU Season 2 is LIVE!
You can now binge read the entire season all the way through the explosive finale. 
You can also grab the Season One Box Set today!
Tweet as you read using #PalmSouth and join the Facebook Discussion Group here.
As our smiles settle, I grip the glass a little tighter. “I didn’t come here to celebrate.”
“I figured,” she responds, eyes on her own hands. “Listen, I get it. It was Spring Break, we were both drinking. It’s all good.”
I cock a brow, setting my glass down on the kitchen island. It’s Sunday night and the house is mostly quiet, save for the faint sound of giggling coming from the rooms upstairs.
“It wasn’t a mistake, Cassie. It wasn’t an accident or a drunken decision. Ever since I kissed you at the concert last semester, I’ve wanted to do it again.”
She wants me to apologize for the kiss. She thinks I regret it. I don’t.
“How can you say that?” she asks, green eyes wide. “You were with Skyler.”
“I know, I know.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, not really knowing how to explain what I need to. “It’s not that I didn’t care for her — that I don’t still care for her. But I also care about you. And that night on the beach, it was like the biggest moment of clarity for me.”
Cassie drops her glass to the counter and brings her fingernails to her teeth, nibbling, eyes on the tile floor.
“You can’t do this, Adam. I mean, what are you even asking me?” Her voice is shaky when she finally speaks.
“I don’t know.” I sigh, knowing none of this is coming out right. But what do I really expect? I was dating her Big Sister just a few short weeks ago and now, what? I’m going to ask her to be with me? “I guess I’m just saying that I get what you said at the Fratalina Wine Mixer now.” I shrug, lifting my eyes to hers. “You confuse me, too.”
Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer.

Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).

When Kandi isn’t working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine – not necessarily in that order.

 

Palm South University: Season Two Episode Five by Kandi Steiner…..Release Day Blitz & Review

Title: Palm South University: Season Two Episode Five
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Find on Goodreads

Drama. Lies. Sex. 

Welcome to Palm South University.

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up in South Florida. At a school where fraternities and sororities don’t exactly play by the rules, relationships are bound to be tested. Parties and sex are definitely key ingredients in the Palm South recipe, but what happens when family issues, secret lives, and unrequited love get tossed in the mix?

Follow Cassie, Bear, Jess, Skyler, Erin, Ashlei, and Adam as they tackle college at a small, private beach town university. Written in television drama form, each episode of this serial will pull you deeper and deeper into the world of PSU.

Where the sun is hot and the clothes are scarce, anything can happen.

You can also grab the Season One Box Set today!
Tweet as you read using #PalmSouth and join the Facebook Discussion Group here.
review

GAH!! I am so addicted to this series, it’s crazy!! It’s a drug that I will happily overdose on. HAHA

In this episode, we see how Bear, Skyler and Ashlei are after spring break and getting back into the swing of things.

Bear’s little brother, Clayton, finally comes to visit him at PSU. I love seeing the close bond between these two. Bear’s protectiveness of his younger brother is very apparent and absolutely warms my heart. However, Bear has blow to his heart when something unexpected happens with Shawna. Needless to say, I am not happy with her.

Skyler – she is just the sunshine in this whole bunch. She is like the glue that holds them all together. She is always making me smile.

Ashlei is dealing with the fallout of what happened in the last episode. And just when things couldn’t get sh*tt*er, they do. Jess happens – word vomit happens. Drunken stupidity rears its ugly head. However, it forces Lei to do something she never expected to do – come clean with her best friend.

I am quite intrigued what happens in the next episode. It is the last for this season and I really hope we aren’t left dangling too far out on the ledge.

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“Hey guys!” Cassie says cheerily when they reach us. I watch as her face transforms from ecstatic when she sees me to curious when she notices Clayton to absolutely terrified when she realizes Adam is behind us. Or maybe that’s nervous I’m seeing. Maybe both.
Something is weird between those two.
“Hey,” I greet, pulling her in for a hug. “Cassie, this is my little brother, Clayton.”
Clayton reaches out for her hand, sliding his sunglasses down his nose just enough to peek at her over the top of the shades. “Well hello, Beautiful. You can call me Baby Bear. How do you feel about younger men, sweetheart?”
Cassie’s mom blushes and covers her smile as her dad lets out a loud belly laugh. Her dad is odd-looking, sporting the same fiery red hair that Cassie has except with bronze skin and not a freckle in sight. Her mom, on the other hand, has light blonde hair and green eyes with pale skin, the apples of her cheeks peppered with freckles. It’s like Cassie is literally the perfect mix of the two.
“Damn, I need to step up my game,” Grayson says, reaching out his hand to shake Clayton’s next. “Sorry, Baby Bear, but this little lady is taken at the moment.”
Clayton shrugs. “We’ll see what the story is in four-and-a-half years when I turn eighteen.” Cassie’s parents laugh again, but Adam’s mouth is still in a thin line, his eyes hard on where Cassie’s hand is grasped firmly in Grayson’s.

Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer.

Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).

When Kandi isn’t working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine – not necessarily in that order.

 

The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken…Release & Review

TMPavaulablenowbanner

 

 

VanDyken-TheMatchmakersPlaybook-21818-CV-FT-v5Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.

After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus—and he’s ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he’s putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.

From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin’ hot, Ian realizes he’s in danger of breaking his cardinal rule…

 

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

 

 

The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken from Becca the Bibliophile on Vimeo.

 

review

I absolutely love this book! I love going into a book and thinking I know what is going to happen but then being absolutely blown away by how the author delivers the whole story.

Rachel really knows how to suck you into a book and keep you glued to the pages. Had it not been a holiday weekend, I would have devoured this book in one sitting – no doubt. This book is amazing. The whole concept of Wingmen Inc is brilliant and the gentleman who run it are geniuses – one literally is. They are both hilarious and really know how to work people.

“So who better to teach women how not to get played than an actual player?”

Ian and Lex are two men I would love to have as friends in my life. Whether they will admit it or not, they both have hearts of gold and look for each other like brothers. They respect the women who come to them and need their help. Yes – they are players outside of their work, but they never mix business with pleasure and that says a lot about them.

And then comes along Blake – the woman who Ian swears has got to be there worse case ever. She is stuck in the 90’s with everything she has and is a virgin. So what happens when he finally gets her out of the baggy clothes and shows everyone that there actually is a hot female athlete underneath there?? And her mouth – HA!! Blake definitely gives both Ian and Lex a run for their money when she holds her own against them.

“Asshole, party of one? Oh, look, at table!”

I absolutely loved the banter between Lex and Ian. These two had me howling the whole time. Add in Ian’s bestfriend, Gabi and OMG – I almost peed myself a few times laughing so hard. These characters meshed so well together. And everything felt so real an natural. Their interactions, their conversations – everything was perfect!!

I can’t say enough how much I LOVE this book. The characters, the plot, the writing – everything was dead-on perfect. Another hit for Rachel and a fabulous start to an amazing series!

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Blake let out another pitiful groan. “I don’t think it fits.”

“They measured you. It fits. Just, tell me if it looks okay so we can go.” I checked my watch. “Gabi said dinner was at six, and it’s already a quarter till.”

“This is too much pressure.” Her voice was frantic. “I can’t do this. I mean, how do I know if it looks good? They’re boobs.”

I groaned. “Boobs always look good. Believe me.”

“Boobs are gross!”

Said no man ever. Even the gay ones.

One of the salesladies eyed me up and down. “Are you two okay?”

“Great,” I chirped. “Just having a very heated discussion about the beauty of breasts.” I dipped my chin to Blake’s chest. “What are you? A double D?”

Scowling, she marched off.

Thank God.

“Blake,” I hissed.

No answer.

I’d never had such a difficult client. If anything, they jumped when I told them to, asked how high, and then kept jumping until I was satisfied. Blake fought me at every turn.

“Open the door before I crawl underneath it. I’ll pick the bras, you can close your eyes if you want so you don’t have to watch me look at you, alright? My stomach literally just ate my liver. I need protein. Open. The. Door.”

The door slowly creaked open. Taking advantage of the small crack of air, I pushed it farther, then clicked it shut behind me and turned around.

Blake was facing me, hands on hips, face beet-red, body . . . freaking perfect. My tongue almost lolled out, like a dog.

Most girls starve themselves to have abs like that, which was disgusting. But her abs? They had muscle, actual muscle, but still appeared feminine.

She also had a nice tan, just enough to show that she spent time outside or maybe just had naturally darker skin.

My throat went completely dry as I continued to stare.

“Well?” Her voice was weak. “How awful do I look? On a scale of one to ten?”

I’d convinced her to buy some new workout clothes to replace her old ones. I knew I’d never get her to actually completely change her style. She liked workout clothes? Fine, at least buy the kind that fit and actually point to the correct gender. I tried to steer her away from the boyfriend sweats and sweatshirts, but she eventually wore me down, so I told her if she bought at least five new Pink outfits that had spandex in them, I’d let her get one pair of ugly slouchy sweats. You’d think I’d just given her a million dollars, from her reaction.

Currently, she was sporting a short pair of bright-blue yoga shorts.

And a black push-up sports bra that did wonders for her boobs.

And the world just in general.

Holy shit.

I gulped as I became more and more irritated with the fact that my body was reacting as if it had never seen a girl without her shirt on before. “Blake, it’s great.”

“You sound bored!”

I had to, damn it! What did she want me to do? Sound interested? Turned-on? Intrigued? Curious? I was all those things. I just tried to ignorethe insanity bouncing around in my head and blurted, “Your boobs look really good. Perky, happy, just . . . awesome.”

Did I just call her boobs “happy”?

“You think?” She stared down at her breasts, then grabbed them.

Holy shit, was she seriously feeling herself up? I braced my hand against the door and sucked in a breath.

“They still feel comfortable,” she said.

“Do they?” I managed to choke out while she continued bouncing them a bit in her hands. Dear Lord, did she know what she was doing? Waving a flag in front of a bull. My jeans suddenly tight in all the wrong areas, I tried to envision Lex naked, anything to get my dick to clue in to the word “client,” meaning I was in a no-play zone.

Another first.

It was because I was hungry.

And Marissa? Melissa? Hadn’t satisfied me. I’d gotten off, and made sure she did too, but the entire experience left me feeling empty, bored, and—if I was being completely honest? A bit depressed. Besides, her tits paled in comparison. I had to wonder what the hell I’d been doing all my life if this was the first time I was having such a strong reaction to boobs.

Something about Blake had me wondering if I’d been satisfied at all up until this point. And I had no idea what the hell was so confusing about her, and about the situation. I was unable to put my finger on it, and the more I thought about it the more my head hurt.

Hunger does weird things to guys.

“Yeah.” More bouncing, then turning and staring in the mirror. I wasn’t sure what was worse. Her staring at her own boobs or touching them. “I’m just no good at this stuff. I didn’t grow up with a mom, and I hit puberty really early. The girls made fun of me, and the boys pointed.” Her shoulders slumped inward again.

Could we please go back to the bouncing? I was a fan of that Blake. The one that rolled up like an awkward armadillo? Not so much.

 

 

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rachelborderRachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!

You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken or join her fan group Rachel’s New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com.

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Palm South University: Season Two Episode Four…Release Day Blitz & Review

Title: Palm South University: Season Two Episode Four
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: March 29, 2016
Find on Goodreads

Drama. Lies. Sex. 

Welcome to Palm South University.

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up in South Florida. At a school where fraternities and sororities don’t exactly play by the rules, relationships are bound to be tested. Parties and sex are definitely key ingredients in the Palm South recipe, but what happens when family issues, secret lives, and unrequited love get tossed in the mix?

Follow Cassie, Bear, Jess, Skyler, Erin, Ashlei, and Adam as they tackle college at a small, private beach town university. Written in television drama form, each episode of this serial will pull you deeper and deeper into the world of PSU.

Where the sun is hot and the clothes are scarce, anything can happen.

You can also grab the Season One Box Set today!
Tweet as you read using #PalmSouth and join the Facebook Discussion Group here.
review
I don’t even know what to say about this episode. WOW!
Spring Break is in full swing and holy sh*t do things get crazy!!!

Everyone is having a blast and just letting loose. Well everyone but Erin is letting loose. She is still on the “no drinking” thing but is trying to enjoy herself.

Jess is actually the tamest out of the wild ones and missing Jarret like crazy.

Ashlei and Bo take things to a new level. And their relationship may no longer be a secret amongst those around them.

Cassie, Sklyer and Adam – yea, shit between Adam and these girls was finally making sense. Until one moment on the beach.

Let’s just say a whole hell of ALOT happens at spring break and I don’t think any of it is staying at spring break.

I can’t wait to see what goes down when they return back to PSU

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“It’s okay,” I whisper, my forehead to hers. She nods, concern still written in her features as I kiss her again. It’s so strange seeing Bo this way, so nervous and unsure. She’s the confident one in the bedroom — commanding, strong. As Alex’s hand snakes its way into my hair and he pulls my mouth from Bo’s to his own, I wonder if he’ll be taking the captain’s chair tonight.
My heart hammers beneath my ribcage as I taste him, new and exotic. Bo’s lips trail down my neck to my cleavage as she palms the space between my thighs. Moaning into Alex’s mouth at the touch, he pops the button on his jeans without breaking our kiss. I hear his zipper next, and then his shorts are on the floor. He kicks them away, just as Bo pulls me from him, her hand tugging at my tank top. I lift my arms and she rips it up and over, tossing it to the side before making quick work of my bra.
It’s almost too much. We’re all hands and mouths — stripping, kissing, touching, stripping more. Somewhere along the way we find the stairs, which lead up to a master bedroom Alex is clearly occupying. The four post bed is built with dark wood and lined with deep red accents that match the comforter Bo and I slide onto easily, feeling the cool fabric against our skin. Alex makes his way between us, propping himself up against the headboard and taking each of us by the waist as we kiss over him.
Bo’s breaths are still shaky, her arms trembling as she holds herself steady on the bed. We’re leaning over Alex, our tongues tangled, while he slowly strokes himself and watches. I massage her tongue with mine, each kiss an attempt to bring her energy back to mine. Just when I have her there, Alex’s hand moves from my waist to behind my thigh. It hovers there for just a moment before I feel his fingers penetrate me, and from Bo’s reaction, his other hand is doing the same to her.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispers between our kisses. I pull back, panting at the feel of Alex’s fingers inside me and how turned on I am by Bo’s kisses.
“You don’t have to do anything to him. Or vice versa. Just focus on me.”
With that, I break contact from Alex and pull Bo with me, rolling over until I’m on my back and Bo’s straddling me. I love the way the skin stretches across her petite hips as she rubs against me, building a friction that will drive her to the edge. Alex takes my cue, moving between my legs and spreading my thighs open to him as I maneuver Bo up my body. When her knees are on either side of my head, I slide my hands down her neck, her arms, until I lace my hands in hers. Placing them on the headboard above us, I curl her fingers, locking them in place.
“Hold on tight,” I whisper, licking my lips.
Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer.

Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).

When Kandi isn’t working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine – not necessarily in that order.

 

Collared by Nicole Williams…Release Day Blitz


Collared live.JPG

 

Buy the Book

 

Amazon US   Amazon UK   Amazon  CA  Nook  Kobo  Ibooks

 

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collared-williams-ebook-2.jpg

AP - Synopsis.jpg

 

When a seventeen-year-old girl vanishes,

A community is shaken.

Parents turn desperate.

Friends hold vigils.

And the boy who loves her searches.

 

When a year goes by,

The community is recovering.

Parents feel hopeless.

Friends feel helpless.

And the boy who loves her continues his search.

 

When ten years go by,

The community has forgotten.

Parents cling to the past.

Friends move toward the future.

And the boy who loves her . . .

Brings her home.

 

Jade Childs spent ten years in captivity, but now that she’s back, the real battle for survival begins. The media shadows her. Flashbacks haunt her. Her old life evades her. Her so-called new life rejects her. She spent too many years in the dark to recognize the light. She spent too long repressing her feelings to remember how to express them. She spent a decade abandoning hope and cannot dare letting it back into her life. Jade’s not just defined by what happened to her—she’s collared to it.

 

When the twenty-seven-year-old woman is found,

A community wants to know the story,

Parents want to forget the story,

Friends want to be a part of the story,

And the man who still loves her faces the greatest challenge yet: letting her go.   

 

AP- Excerpt.jpg

 

He exhales like there’s some war being fought inside him. I don’t think he’ll answer. He has a right to keep his secrets—god knows I should be able to empathize with that.

His hand dangling over the steering wheel curls into a fist. “The woman I wanted to spend my life with was gone. I wasn’t in the mood to find a backup.”

My chest does that thing again—contracting like someone just hit me in the ribs with a hammer. When Torrin glances at me, it looks like someone’s swinging a dozen hammers at him too.

I can’t keep looking at him watching me like that. I know we’re feeling the same thing—the ache of what could have been. The pain of accepting it never can be again.

I find myself focusing on the dashboard. I don’t notice it right away, but when I do, I touch the bright coral smear running down the front of it. “You never cleaned it.” I trace my finger down the dried nail polish, reliving the moment like it was happening right now.

“I could never bring myself to.” Torrin’s eyes land on the stain from the bottle I accidently spilled when I was painting my toenails on a drive to the beach. “I couldn’t bring myself to just . . . erase it.”

I don’t know a tear’s slipped out until it falls onto my arm that’s still reaching out, touching the stain. It’s only one tear, no more are coming, but Torrin doesn’t miss it.

He sighs and clenches the steering wheel a little harder. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. How to act around you. I don’t think I’m doing anything right.” His knuckles are white when we exit the freeway. “This is all very surreal. What happened. You being back. I’m totally lost.”

I don’t know why he’s apologizing. The only time I’ve felt like life hasn’t siphoned every last drop of emotion out of me is when I’ve been with him.

“You’re treating me exactly like you used to.” My fingers fall away from the dash. The good memories have turned to painful ones, a spilled bottle of nail polish included. “I’d rather have you act like nothing happened and I’m the same person you remember than have you second-guess everything you say and do.”

           His knuckles loosen around the steering wheel. He rolls his fingers, popping them.

“Just do what comes naturally to you.” I turn in my seat to face him. “I’ll do what comes naturally to me, and maybe things will get easier.”

We’re stopped at the light leading to the zoo, and he looks at me. His forehead is folded into creases. “What comes naturally to me?” He doesn’t pause long enough for me to reply. “I’m not sure that would be helpful to either of us.”

It’s not my chest that hurts when he says that—it’s my stomach. It’s not really pain though—it’s something else. I haven’t felt it in a long time, and I know I shouldn’t feel it right now.

I can’t let that look in his eyes keep doing this to my stomach. I can’t let the way his chest is rising and falling harder now affect mine.

The light changes, thankfully, and his eyes move from me to the road. The air inside the cab takes a while to clear though despite the cracked windows.

“That’s when I started to fall in love with you—after my dad died and you acted the exact same around me. You treated me the same as you had every day before. Still rubbing it in my face when you scored higher on a test. Still knocking on my door and seeing if I wanted to shoot hoops. When everyone was understanding of me wanting to lock myself in my bedroom, you got me to play basketball.” He smiles at the windshield like he’s watching the twelve-year-old versions of us playing a game of Around the World. “You brought me back . . . when everyone else just kind of left me behind.”

I find my eyes drifting back to the nail polish stain. “And when did you finish falling in love with me? When I finally let you win a game of one-on-one? Or was it the night we . . . you know?” Thinking about that night makes me blush. Talking about it makes me shift.

Torrin glances at me for a moment. “I’ll never finish falling in love with you.”

 

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Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.

 

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

 

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