She’s playing hard to get…to win the MMA fighter of her ultimate fantasies in a sultry new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster

Vanity Baker loves a good, clean match, but she’s not above playing a little dirty. She’s wanted Stack “The Wolf” Hannigan from day one. Seems as though the best way to corral the famously commitment-phobic fighter is to insist on keeping it casual. And her plan works—deliciously well—until Stack’s past steps out of the shadows.

Stack learned early to stay free of attachments. But with sexy, forthright Vanity, he’s the one always left wanting more. Then his troublemaking family comes back into the picture, threatening everything Stack cares about—Vanity included. Suddenly he realizes they’re much more than friends with benefits. He’s ready to go to the mat for her…but will it be in time to protect the woman who’s tamed him for good?

My review:

Tough Love is the third book in author Lori Foster’s Ultimate series; a series I have loved from the beginning. I was so excited for this latest installment and to visit with my favorite group of fighters and once again, Ms. Foster delivered a sexy and exciting read. I loved it!

After Vanity makes Stack an offer he can’t refuse, these two set out on a mission to get hot and heavy between the sheets. Sure, Vanity was hoping for much more than that, but she would take what Stack was wiling to give. She only hoped in the end, it would be his heart.

I loved everything about this story. I love this entire group of fighters and their love interests. I love the community Ms. Foster has built and being able to get pulled in from start to finish. One of my favorite aspects of this book, however, was Vanity herself. She is a breath of fresh air in the land of predictable heroines. She is honest and open. She is always saying exactly what she thinks and how she feels and I really appreciated those characteristics. She questions things and looks at life with a freshness that I really enjoyed. Stack was also an immensely enjoyable character. He is protective of his friends and family and has a huge heart. He’s sexy and gruff at times and I loved when he would get all alpha male. They really make a wonderful pair and the heat and chemistry between them was off the charts hot.
Of course, as with the other books in this series, we are given a big helping of drama and I love that as well. Ms. Foster always delivers a plot that is exciting and, at times, pretty suspenseful. Never over the top and always brings this group even closer together and always enjoyable.

Ms. Foster once again delivered a story I devoured and left me excited to see what’s next for this amazing group. Thank you for a fantastic read!

Four Loves

Praise for TOUGH LOVE:

“Foster brings her signature blend of heat and sweet to her addictive third Ultimate martial arts contemporary. Foster ably tosses out red herrings and also seamlessly lays the foundation for the next book in this series. This luscious tale will appeal to Foster’s legion of fans and attract new ones—even those who aren’t fans of professional fighting.”– Publishers Weekly

About Lori Foster:

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN.

Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.

Each year Lori donates all proceeds from one book to charity. You can see the benefit romance books here: http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/

WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS PINTEREST ** YOU TUBE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3 Seconds by Bethany Lopez…. Review & Giveaway

Title: 3 Seconds

Author: Bethany Lopez Release Date: August 25, 2015

Synopsis:

A lot can happen in 3 Seconds. It’s the space of time between walking onstage and stepping up to the mic. It’s that moment when your eyes meet across a crowded room and the chemistry between you is undeniable. Bronagh has accomplished a lot in her thirty-five years. A successful pub owner and happy divorcée, she’s learned to enjoy life, but have realistic expectations. Her past has taught her that it’s best not to depend on others, but that doesn’t mean she won’t sample a tasty morsel when it’s right in front of her. After taking a break from culinary school to travel abroad, Brendan is back and eager to finish what he started. Although he relishes the nights he gets to play with his brothers in their band, and enjoys their healthy supply of groupies, he’s ready to start acting like the twenty-something that he is…a fact he craves to prove with Bronagh. What starts as a one-night-stand becomes more when Bronagh and Brendan realize that they can’t walk away. But can a younger man who’s prone to late nights and scantily-clad women convince a woman who’s been hurt that age doesn’t matter, and he’s the man she needs?

Review

This is my first time reading any books in this series. You definitely don’t need to read any of the previous ones, to understand what is going on in this book. However, previous characters are involved in the book, which make me curious about the other stories.

For me personally, I like my books to have more depth to them and the characters more developed. But I knew going into this story and based on the page amount, that this book wasn’t going to be that.

I enjoyed Brendan and the family dynamics between him and his brothers. You can sense the closeness between them all.

Bronagh (love this name!) is a very strong and confident woman who has her shit together.

When these two meet, it’s just suppose to be a hook-up and nothing more. Well, fate wants to hand them a different plate than they both expected. I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom quickly.

I won’t give too much about the book away aside from that. I like this book was about people at different points in their lives and the age gap (he’s younger and she’s older) I think will really please the readers. And this just proves that age really is just a number.

3 Seconds is an enjoyable and quick read. It captured my attention and definitely has me wondering about the other stories in this series.

About Author Bethany Lopez:

Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. She’s a lover of all things romance: books, movies, music, and life, and she incorporates that into the books she writes. When she isn’t reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible. Some of her favorite things are: Kristen Ashley Books, coffee in the morning, and In N Out burgers.

Bethany Lopez is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Buy Links

iBooks – http://apple.co/1Aws6YV Kindle – http://amzn.to/1JokPPg Smashwords – http://bit.ly/1Js3keQ Nook – http://bit.ly/1E38aPl

Kobo – http://bit.ly/1h3Vzko

Excerpt:

Brendan stepped forward, into the bar, and was immediately surrounded by greedy, shouting women. That ugly seed of jealousy grew, even as I tried to bury it within me, but I watched as Brendan kept as smile on his face for his fans and scanned above their heads, searching for me. When he found me, his grin grew and I heard him say, “I’m glad you enjoyed the show, ladies, but I’m afraid I’ve got a hot date,” as he sauntered right to me. I barely registered the chorus of boos and awes, his pull already taking hold of me. He didn’t pause when he reached me; instead he came at me full force, pulling me into his arms and fusing his lips to mine. The desire that had been building throughout his performance came to a head, and I met his passion full force, opening my lips and inviting him in for a taste. Just as we were reaching the point of no return, Brendan pulled back and smiled beautifully down at me, his eyes flashing with the heat I knew he was feeling. “Let’s get out of here.”

Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Forgetting August by J.L. Berg…..Cover Reveal

We’re so excited to be able to share the absolutely stunning cover of FORGETTING AUGUST with you! Take a look:

About FORGETTING AUGUST:

USA Today bestselling author J.L Berg’s FORGETTING AUGUST, in which a woman, who started over, never expected her world to suddenly be turned upside down by the reawakening of the one man who could destroy it all, releases as an e-book in December 2015. More information coming soon!

Add it to Goodreads here!

Preorder the paperback: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Want to Win?:

Want to be one of the first people to read FORGETTING AUGUST? Enter below for a chance to be one of the first people to get an ARC when they’re available!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she’s not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter

Sins of Sevin by Penelope Ward….Cover Reveal

SINS OF SEVIN

(A standalone)

A Contemporary Romance novel

New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author

Penelope Ward

Cover Information

Cover designer: Letitia Hasser, r.b.a designs

Photo: Scott Hoover Photography

Model: Zeb Ringle

Add Sins of Sevin to your TBR list on Goodreads!

http://bit.ly/1JOMg4O

http://eepurl.com/MnXoH

RELEASE DATE: September 21, 2015

Blurb

From the New York Times bestselling author of Stepbrother Dearest, comes a new forbidden STANDALONE romance.

What happens when the one you want is the only one you can’t have?

My name is Sevin.

Homeschooled and sheltered by my ultra-religious family, I was always taught that lust was a sin.

Elle was the girl who’d been carefully chosen for me.

After a long-distance courtship, I’d be moving into her family’s guesthouse so that we could get to know each other in the months before the wedding.

Boundaries were set: no inappropriate touching, no kissing, no sex before marriage.

I’d accepted those rules and my fate.

Until I met the one I wanted to sin with.

That was when restraint became a problem…especially since the one wasn’t Elle.

It was her sister, Evangeline.

You know what they say about best laid plans.

My name is Sevin, and I have sinned.

Told in alternating points of view, Sins of Sevin is a full-length standalone novel. Contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. Only appropriate for adult readers age 18+.

Meet Penelope Ward

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

Other books from Penelope Ward

Cocky Bastard

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1DW9XpB

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1WwPzkC

iBooks: http://apple.co/1J7vbN0

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UxCSUO

B&N: http://bit.ly/1EjxNpY

Stepbrother Dearest

Amazon http://amzn.to/1mFNMeg

B&N: http://bit.ly/1taMFjG

iBooks: http://bit.ly/YER0mT

kobo: http://bit.ly/1fJaaBs

Gemini

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vgk1SE

B&N: http://bit.ly/1KfmLHD

iBooks: http://apple.co/1QTaONj

kobo: http://bit.ly/1BGJ2wu

Jake Undone (Jake #1)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dJrHBC

B&N: http://bit.ly/1obAwJ6

iBooks: http://apple.co/1fJayQ8

kobo: http://bit.ly/1SPKl0M

My Skylar

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F

B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi

iBooks: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR

kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB

Jake Understood (Jake #2)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GFdves

B&N: http://bit.ly/1FwJC0z

iBooks: http://apple.co/1DQQwgC

kobo: http://bit.ly/1LQ7Fvk

3 Seconds by Bethany Lopez… Release Day Event

Title: 3 Seconds

Author: Bethany Lopez Release Date: August 25, 2015

Synopsis:

About Author Bethany Lopez:

Bethany Lopez is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Buy Links

iBooks – http://apple.co/1Aws6YV Kindle – http://amzn.to/1JokPPg Smashwords – http://bit.ly/1Js3keQ Nook – http://bit.ly/1E38aPl

Kobo – http://bit.ly/

Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alexa Crushed by T.R. Cupak…..Blog Tour & Review

Book & Author Details:

Alexa Crushed by T.R. Cupak (Alexa Crushed #1) Publication date: May 20th 2015 Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Alexa Morgan lost her mother when she was two. At eighteen, her father and stepmother died when a devastating earthquake hit the Bay Area. Only one person has remained a constant in her life: Devin.

Devin has been Alexa’s best friend since childhood. The two are inseparable—or they were until Devin declared his love for her at sixteen. When Alexa can offer him only friendship in return, Devin retreats, brokenhearted.

Alexa, on the other hand, longs for Ethan, the boy next door. Four years older than her, and with an ever-changing roster of girlfriends, Ethan is everything Devin isn’t: wild, sensual, and unpredictable.

In the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, Ethan makes his move on Alexa, who reciprocates in a confused whirl of grief and desire. When Ethan leaves town shortly after, Devin comes back into Alexa’s life, offering support and expecting nothing in return.

Alexa begins to see the advantages of Devin’s quiet, stable love. But just as her feelings for her old friend begin to blossom, Ethan returns. Now Alexa must choose—the perfect boyfriend or the wild, thrilling bad boy. It’s a choice that changes her life forever.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24820984-alexa-crushed?from_search=true&search_version=service

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Alexa-Crushed-1-T-R-Cupak/dp/1511735392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434633707&sr=8-1&keywords=Alexa+Crushed

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alexa-crushed-t-cupak/1121911844?ean=2940151561884

REVIEW

T. had contacted me wanting to know if I could read her debut novel in exchange for an honest review. Here I am a little over 2 months later finally reading it (she knew I was slightly busy with other commitments) and damnit I wish I would have read this sooner!

Alexa Crushed is definitely a book that needs to get into more hands than it has and pronto!

Alexa has some earth shattering events happen with her family and her strength and strong-will are tested after her the biggest blow – her parents dying. She has her best friends around to help her through everything and not let the drown in her sorrows.

Alexa’s best friend, Devin may have dropped from her life periodically but he will always be there when it matters most. As Alexa is struggling to get through her latest crushing blow, he shows up and gives her that stability she needs. And he comes in right as someone else vanishes completely.

There are some other variables that come into play and keep Alexa on her toes. Alexa is a sweet girl who has the best upbringing anyone could ask her. But it’s others that want to threaten that happiness.

T. does a great job of throwing quiet a few twists and turns into this beautiful story that keep you guessing. You know that something isn’t right, but what exactly it is, remains to be seen.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was definitely a quick, but really exciting read for me. T. paints Alexa’s life beautifully and you can feel her happiness and pain as she goes through it. The suspense is built up just perfectly and has you not so patiently waiting to see what comes next!!

Great debut novel by T.R. Cupak!! I am very excited to read the next book!!

AUTHOR BIO:

T.R. Cupak was born and raised in the suburbs of a Bay Area city in California. She was the closet nerd who hid her love of reading and writing short stories and poetry when she was younger. Back then it wasn’t considered cool to be into those types of activities for pleasure, whereas today you have TV shows, movies and books that glamourize that being a nerd is actually cool. T. lives in a quiet, little, country town south of where she grew up. She is happily married to an amazing man who supports her in everything she does and spoils her rotten. They have a crazy little Shih Tzu named Harley. He’s their fur-baby and even though he’s a pain in the arse most days, they love the little guy. She has an obsession with cars, especially fast ones. She enjoys her music louder than anyone should. Admittedly it’s to drown out hearing her own singing voice, or lack thereof. When she’s not at work or busy writing you can find her curled up reading a book on her Kindle with a glass of wine or Dirty Shirley. T. lost touch with her creative side and stepped off the path of all things written in her early twenties. Six years ago, her passion for reading was rekindled. She began to utilize reading as a way to escape everyday chaos. Late 2013 she began journal writing. After a couple of months of journaling T. realized that this form of writing wasn’t keeping her interest nor was it helping her to relax. After that realization settled in she changed the direction of her writing. Her creative aspirations were flowing once again and she happily embraced it. As her fingers started to dance across her keyboard she began to see her fictional characters begin to breathe life. Writing was only supposed to be a way for the new author to relax, but a story was born and T.R. Cupak is excited to be releasing her self-published debut novel, Alexa Crushed.

Author links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13452439.T_R_Cupak

https://twitter.com/AuthorTRCupak

https://www.facebook.com/pages/TR-Cupak/647978012015198?fref=ts

a Rafflecopter giveaway

End Of Summer Blog Tour Stop: Back to You by Lauren Dane Review & Giveaway

Synopsis:

Former model Kelly Hurley has finally put the ashes of the past behind her. After a passionate but turbulent marriage to rock star Vaughan Hurley that ended in heartbreak and divorce, Kelly rebuilt her life in Portland, where she settled so their two young daughters could be close to their father. Just not so close Kelly couldn’t truly make her own way without interference from the man who shattered her heart. Now Kelly’s finally ready to move on, and she’s planning to marry another man.

But not if Vaughan has anything to say about it.

Vaughan knows he was a fool all those years ago. A young, selfish—and prideful—fool. Even as he buried himself in the fast, decadent rock star lifestyle, he could never drown out the memory of Kelly’s beauty and love. Or the sweet, searing heat whenever they touched. For years, he’s had to deal with the pain of seeing her only because of their daughters, but it was never enough. Now Vaughan must prove that he’s the only man Kelly needs, before he loses her for good. And there’s only one way to do it….

My review:

Back To You is the third book in author Lauren Dane’s Hurley Boys Series and admittedly, the first in the series I have read. That being said, I didn’t feel lost at all so I totally vote this as a book you can read as a standalone but I will certainly be going back and reading the other Hurley boys…because YUM!

This is really a wonderful story of second chance and realizing you don’t know what you’ve let go of until it’s gone. There was so much realistic emotion in this book and I really appreciated the very grown-up issues Kelly and Vaughn face. Kids, a broken marriage, moving on, letting go of hurtful pasts, former in-laws, not being able to get over a love….most of us can relate to at least one of those things, if not more. Of course those issues bring out a ton of emotion and there is plenty that Vaughn has done to Kelly in the past 8+ years that has led them to where they are today. That being said, all of that emotion also leads to a ton of heat between them and oh my, it was pretty delicious!

I also loved the whole cast of characters involved in this book…which leads me to believe the rest of the series is just as enjoyable when it comes to that aspect!

Thank you, Ms. Dane for a wonderful read! You’ve gained a new fan!

Four Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We also ask that all participating bloggers include this copy somewhere on their blog posts:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. Purchase or acceptance of a product offer does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes opens 8/3/2015 at 12:01 AM (EDT) and closes 9/1/2015 at 11:59 PM (EDT). Enter online athttps://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/82ae250c9/. Open to legal residents of the U.S. and Canada who have reached the age of majority or older. Void where prohibited by law. Void in Quebec. One (1) prize available to be won consisting of: one (1) print copy of each of Back to You by Lauren Dane, Finding Glory by Sara Arden, Taking the Heat by Vitoria Dahl,Can’t Fight This Feeling by Christie Ridgway, and Second Chance with the Billionaire by Janice Maynard; one (1) e-book copy of Riding Dirty by Jill Sorensen; one (1) Harlequin tote bag; and a Fifty dollar ($50.00 USD) VISA gift card (Total ARV: $92.00 USD). Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Full details and Official Rules available online at https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/82ae250c9/. Sponsor: Harlequin Enterprises Limited.

About the author:

The story goes like this – While on pregnancy bed rest, Lauren Dane had plenty of down time so her husband took her comments about “giving that writing thing a serious go” to heart and brought home a secondhand laptop. She wrote her first book on it before it gave up the ghost. Even better, she sold that book and never looked back.

Today Lauren is a New York Times bestselling author of over fifty novels and novellas across several genres.

Visit Lauren on the web at www.laurendane.com
E-mail laurendane@laurendane.com
Blog www.laurendane.com/blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurendane
You can write to her at: PO BOX 45175, Seattle, WA 98145

End of Summer Blog Tour TOUR STOPS:

Monday, August 3rd: Reading Reality – Lauren Dane guest post, “Hurley Family Summer Itinerary“
Monday, August 3rd: Reading Reality – review – Back to You
Wednesday, August 5th: The Sassy Bookster – Janice Maynard guest post, “Sock it To Me Cake“
Wednesday, August 5th: The Sassy Bookster – review – Second Chance With The Billionaire
Friday, August 7th: The Bookish and the Romantic – Sara Arden guest post, “Lemonade,” and review – Finding Glory
Friday, August 7th: The Sassy Bookster – review – Finding Glory
Monday, August 10th: A Chick Who Reads – Christie Ridgway guest post, “Summer Crushes“
Monday, August 10th: Romance Novels for the Beach – review of Taking the Heat
Wednesday, August 12th: Urban Girl Reader – Victoria Dahl guest post, “Summer Adventure“
Wednesday, August 12th: The Sassy Bookster – review – Taking the Heat
Friday, August 14th: From the TBR Pile – Back to You excerpt
Friday, August 14th: The Sassy Bookster – review – Back to You
Monday, August 17th: Mignon Mykel {Reviews} – Jill Sorenson guest post, “A Sexy End-of-Summer Bucket List“
Wednesday, August 19th: Snowdrop Dreams – Janice Maynard guest post, “Summer Vacation“
Friday, August 21st: The Romance Dish – Sara Arden guest post. “True Story of Summer Love“
Friday, August 21st: Read Love Blog – review – Back to You
Monday, August 24th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Christie Ridgway guest post, “Romantic Summer Dates“
Monday, August 24th: The Sassy Bookster – review – Can’t Fight This Feeling
Tuesday, August 25th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – review – Can’t Fight This Feeling
Wednesday, August 26th: Read Love Blog – Victoria Dahl guest post, “Summer Fling Cocktail Recipe“
Thursday, August 27th: A Chick Who Reads – reviews of Finding Glory, Can’t Fight This Feeling, Taking the Heat
Friday, August 28th: Romance Novels for the Beach – Jill Sorenson guest post, “Virtual Motorcycle Road Trip“
Friday, August 28th: The Sassy Bookster – review – Riding Dirty
Sunday, August 30th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – review – Finding Glory
Date TBD: Mignon Mykel {Reviews} – reviews of all 6

Blow by Kim Karr….. Reveal

Kim’s Official Announcement: Get ready to meet LOGAN & ELLE—they will BLOW you away. There’s been Aerie & Jagger, Ivy & Xander, Bell & Ben, Zoey & Nate, Phoebe & Jeremy, but not since Dahlia & River have I been so excited to share a story with you!! I am beyond thrilled to announce my new duet…

BLOW (book 1) will release on September 21st, 2015

Add to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1Jg9zCr

CRUSH (book 2) will release on November 16th, 2015

Add to your TBR: http://bit.ly/1URdb1H

And don’t forget if you want to receive additional content, stay up to date with what’s next, and participate in exclusive giveaways, make sure you’re on my mailing list! ➜ http://bit.ly/1RzcHz3

OFFICIAL COVERS COMING SOON!

Blurb

2 fatal sides. 1 epic love. 7 days to survive. They met in the face of danger. They weren’t looking for love. They both knew better. But they couldn’t stay away, and they fell hard. He is heart-stopping handsome, fearless—and haunted by deadly ties. She is breathtakingly beautiful, determined—and in harm’s way. They should have parted. They didn’t. They never should have fucked. They did. And now time is running out. One hundred sixty eight hours. That’s all that remains. While Logan McPherson fights to save them, Elle Sterling is forced to make a choice that could change everything. When torn between right and wrong, tainted love doesn’t have a chance…

or does it?

About the Author

I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The Way We Rise by Cassia Leo…..Release Blitz

The Way We Rise is now available! This is the sequel to The Way We Break, which is on sale right now for $2.99!

EBOOK

PAPERBACK

AUDIOBOOK

Coming soon!

Description:

The highly anticipated conclusion to the USA Today bestselling Story of Us series.

With Liam’s fate no longer in the balance, Rory and Houston are poised on the precipice of a life-altering decision. When Rory’s father arrives in California to comfort Rory and make amends, Houston finds the decision becomes much easier to make.

When Houston suggests they take a break Rory thinks he must be joking. But he’s not. And his timing couldn’t be worse.

With Houston and Rory vowing to keep their new friendship strictly outside of the bedroom, their friends and family seize the opportunity to draw out the torture and surprises. Ensuring that Houston and Rory’s story has an ending they’ll never forget.

EXCERPT

Almost all he’s ever seen of Liam were his worst traits: the jealousy and anger and duplicity.

He didn’t know that Liam was a good person with a good heart, and the worst taste in music. He never saw Liam fall asleep on the sofa with Sparky in the middle of the day. He never heard Liam talk about his older sister as if she were his idol. He never caught Liam taking selfies in a Santa suit.

I wash up quickly in the shower and put on the clean outfit I brought with me when we went to pick up Sparky at three in the morning from the house Liam and I shared for the past month and a half, until yesterday. I open the bathroom door and Houston is sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs as both dogs lie at his feet.

He looks up as I come out of the bathroom and manages a weak smile. “How are you feeling?”

I sniff loudly and let out a deep sigh. “Never better.”

“Don’t do that, Rory,” he says, beating me to the doorway before I can leave the bedroom. “Don’t shut me out.”

I stare at his chest and wonder what’s going on inside there. Does his heart ache even a tiny fraction as much as mine does right now? Does he feel even the slightest bit of remorse for what happened last night?

I swipe my hands down my face then wipe the moisture on the front of my jeans. “I can’t. I can’t talk to you about him. It’s just… It’s not right. I’m sorry.”

He reaches out slowly and gently takes me into his arms. “It’s okay.”

His shirt smells like yesterday.

I reach up and close my fist tightly around the fabric, bringing it to my nose. I inhale the scent slowly and deeply, aching to be transported back to last night. To the moment when I could have chosen to stay in my damn hotel room.

Then a pitiful, involuntary whimper leaks out of my mouth. Houston tightens his grip on me as he feels my body becoming heavy. In one swift motion, he swoops me up in his arms and carries me to the bed. Then he sits on the edge and waits for me to speak.

I pull the sheet up, use it to wipe my eyes, hoping to conceal my grief and my shame, but Houston won’t allow it. He pries the sheet out of my hands and pulls it down, away from my face, so he can see me.

“Look at me, Rory.”

I angle my face upward to look at him and the change in position sends two fat tears sliding down my cheeks.

He reaches for me, wiping one of them away. “I realized something when I woke up this morning and found you lying next to me for the first time in five and a half years.”

I want to ask him what he realized, but I can’t bring myself to speak.

He tucks my damp hair behind my ear. “The world looks and feels different when I’m with you. Better and easier.” His gaze wanders over my face and hair for a moment before he continues. “That’s how I know we’re going to get through this, because we’re better together.”

The Way We Fall Trailer:

The Way We Rise Playlist:

Capture by Rachel Van Dyken….Blog Tour & Review

Losing your ability to speak at the age of seventeen; it’s not normal or fair.

But trauma, has a way of throwing normality out the window.

Dani lives anything but a normal life.

Her sister is married to one of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Her best friends are rockstar duo AD2.

And she has more love around her than most people experience in a lifetime.

But that doesn’t change the fact their parents are dead.

Or that it’s her fault.

It seems her new normal is being a mute, living on the inside, unable to actually communicate on
the outside.

That is until Hollywood’s newest heartthrob Lincoln Greene hires her as his assistant for the summer.

He’s gorgeous, completely unavailable, and unobtainable.

But that doesn’t stop her from wondering…if things were different…would he want her?

If she was whole, would he be the other half?

AMAZON AMAZON UK AMAZON AU Barnes & Noble

REVIEW

Capture is the start of a spinoff series from RVD’s Seaside series. But you really don’t need to read the Seaside series to understand anything that is really going on in this series. But if you haven’t read that series, just my recommendation that you probably should cause it’s just as awesome!

Back to Capture…..

This book is why I love reading anything by RVD. She is one author that I love reading. Her writing style always captures me from the very beginning and keeps me glued in til the end.

Capture is a very light-hearted, sexy, sweet and funny story. It’s full of characters you will instantly love mixed in with a few characters from her previous book to round everything out.

Dani is selective mute due to an accident. But she is witty, funny and downright sassy – which I love! She may seem weak, but she is anything but.

Lincoln (Linc) – he’s the playboy Hollywood hottie. And Dani is hired to be his assistant. She’s surrounded by celebrities constantly but something about Linc makes her crave him.

The interactions and banter between these two is quite endearing and very funny. I like that they push each other buttons yet without realizing – rely on the other to get through the day. I won’t give away any of the plot or scenes. However, I will say that Rachel knows how to really build up to things and deliver some hot scenes!!

Rachel wrote a beautiful love story and built up another set of great characters – ones that I am looking forward to reading about more. Such as Zane – just the small snippets we learn about him from his friendship with Dani has my curiosity spiked.

Another great start to what I am sure will be a huge knock-out series!!!

EXCERPT

“Finally!” Jaymeson pointed at both of us. “Lincoln, show her to her mark. Dani, for this scene you’re simply staring at him like you want to eat him. Think you can do that?”
I nodded.
Any woman could do that.
Most men too.
“Cue music!” Jaymeson called out. “Action.”
A techno mix of AD2’s latest song filled the air as the extras started dancing around us. I stayed glued to the wall while Lincoln delivered his lines to Pris, and then he lifted his head, meeting my gaze.
It’s just a movie. It’s just a movie.
The breath left my chest on one slow exhale as he moved toward me, his body making fluid purposeful movements through the crowd.
My lips parted; my entire body felt heavy as he approached.
He stopped in front of me, his forehead grazing mine as he leaned in a few inches. Our breath mingled as the music and scene faded around me.
“Cut!” Jaymeson yelled.
Holy crap on a cracker. I almost experienced my first stroke — at seventeen.
“You okay?” Lincoln’s eyebrows knit together in concern.
I licked the lipstick from my lips and nodded quickly.
Jaymeson approached. “Time for the kiss, remember kissing, not hockey. Clearly, you were confused earlier.”
Lincoln gritted his teeth and let out a little groan.
I patted his arm and grinned, my way of encouraging him. He seemed to pale more.
My stomach sank.
Maybe it was me.
I was the problem.
Not the kiss, but me. If he’d had trouble kissing my gorgeous sister, how was he going to be able to kiss me?
“Hey…” Lincoln cupped my cheek. “… focus on me, nothing else, alright? It’s only us.”
I nodded.
“You ever been to a party?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Ever made out with a guy at a party that wasn’t your boyfriend?”
I thought about it then slowly shook my head.
“So that’s what this scene is about. It’s about a guy seeing a girl from across the room and wanting her so badly that he’s willing to cheat on his own girlfriend for just one taste. Granted, he’s supposedly drunk and high, but that just takes the romance out of it, doesn’t it?”
He released my cheek and stepped back. “Imagine you’re trying to attract me, make your body as inviting as possible. Hell, just stand there and look at me, and you’ll sell it.”
Sell it. I repeated the words in my mind.
I could do that.
Because I wanted him to kiss me.
It made my heart beat faster.
My blood pump harder.
And for the first time since my parents’ death, I was actually excited about something. Nervous, but excited.
“Okay,” I mouthed.
I must have surprised him again because his eyes darkened, and then he grinned. “One day, Dani. One day I’m going to hear my name coming from that gorgeous mouth of yours, and I’m not going to be held responsible for my actions… damn the consequences.”
My breath hitched.
“Quiet on set! And action!”
There was no warning. Suddenly, Lincoln’s mouth was fused against mine, no teeth, just his soft lips pushing, prodding, moving slowly back and forth until his tongue slid through and made contact with mine.
Heart racing, I opened my mouth enough to deepen the kiss as heat washed over me.
He groaned and dug his fingers into my shoulders then slid his hands down my back and gripped my butt. I let out a squeak of surprise as I flicked his tongue with mine.
“Cut!” Jaymeson yelled.
I kept kissing.
So did Lincoln.
His chest brushed roughly against mine; my breasts ached at the sharp contact. I let out a little hiss at the exact time Linc let out a groan and nudged his knee between my legs.
“Cut!” Jaymeson yelled again.
Slowly, Lincoln pried himself away from me, chest heaving.
“Good enough,” said Jaymeson.
“No,” Lincoln argued without taking his wild grey eyes off me, “I went off script. We need to do it again.”
“The hell you do,” someone mumbled. I wasn’t surprised to see Demetri glaring daggers at Lincoln’s back. Alec was next to Jaymeson, giving him an earful. I noted the strong tick in his jaw.
“Fine.” Jaymeson waved them both off. “We’ll do it again.”
“Take two, and action!”
This time the kiss was slow, languid in its movements. Hot waves of pleasure coursed through my body as his tongue slid seductively pass my lips. His taste, the feel of his mouth was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Greedily, I moaned, desperate for more of him as I reached for his shirt then fisting it with my hands and tugging him tighter against my body, wanting more contact with him. I felt every plane of muscle as he slowly turned us so his back was semi facing the camera. His knee nudged my legs apart as pressure increased down the middle of my body. I hadn’t really looked long at the script, but I was pretty sure that this wasn’t part of it.
Not that I was complaining.
He rocked into me, my back connected with the wall. With a possessive growl, he nipped my lower lip then started kissing down my neck. Kissing in public had never been my thing — but maybe that was because I’d never kissed Lincoln.
I would kiss him anywhere.
All he needed to do was ask.
Body humming with pleasure, I let out a little gasp as his warm lips met the pulse on my neck. Then his tongue licked where his lips had just been.
His knee rose higher and higher as my body sank onto his; the first contact of his leg had my body screaming with pleasure — just a little higher, just a little more.
“Cut!” someone shouted, though it didn’t sound like Jaymeson.
Suddenly, Demetri was pulling Lincoln away from me and glaring daggers at both of us. “I think you guys got the scene.”
Embarrassed, I looked down, tucking my silky hair behind my ear. Did I really almost just dry hump Lincoln Greene’s leg? In front of about twenty people, including my sister?
“You sure?” Lincoln asked, voice hoarse. I glanced up at him, his chest was heaving with exertion, his lips swollen. “Because I could have sworn I messed up my lines.”
“There are no lines, you bastard,” Demetri muttered under his breath.
“Damn it!” Jaymeson shouted. “Hey, guys, I’m going to need you to shoot it one more time. Remember, Lincoln, you’re supposed to proposition her.”
Lincoln grinned smugly at Demetri.
Demetri didn’t move.

Rachel 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

NEWSLETTER FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Cocky Bastard by Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Synopsis:

He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska.

A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive.

When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours.

My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense.

I wanted him, but Chance wouldn’t make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back.

I wasn’t supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we’d be going our separate ways.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

My review:

Cocky Bastard is a new release from the talented duo of Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland. While I have read Ms. Keelend’s work in the past, and am a huge fan, this was my first taste of Ms. Ward’s work and I have to say: these two completely rocked my world with this book! I loved every second of this read!

Ok, I’ll spare you a retelling of the synopsis, because, well, you can read it up there and I just HAVE to dive right into telling you how much I loved this book…

So I kind of feel a bit overwhelmed these days. There are so many releases and so many great covers and titles and excerpts of books pulling a reader in so many directions and I never know where to turn. I can only assume that some of you must feel the same way at times. This is where I turn to you and urge you to just go and buy this book.

There are so many ridiculously amazing elements in this story. Chance is the whole hero package. Sexy, built, funny, saucy, and cheeky. But on top of all of that he’s in hell of a stand-up guy and loves with his whole heart. Which is so opposite the bad-boy sex-symbol image he rocks on his exterior. He had me laughing and crying too many times to count (just ask the poor father and son who sat in my row on my flight home while I was reading). I adore the emotional-back-and-forth in a book and to have a character pull such diverse emotions from me is a real treat. I also loved Aubrey. She is so opposite Chance in a million ways but also so like him in many others. She also loves with her whole heart and is in real need of a friend when she comes to the crossroad in her life that led her to getting Chance. The time they share is just so special and is filled with fun, laughter, and growing attraction and hard-core feelings.

But there are also some hard-core hiccups along the way that ripped my heart out and I honestly was in a full on panic more than once while reading. I wanted these two to get together and have a happy ending with such desperation! That being said, the bitter tasting parts only made the ending even more sweet and I simply loved it.

These two authors put so much personality and character into even the littlest pieces of this book and it made everything that much more enjoyable. Nothing fell flat. There was depth and meaning even in the mundane things like texting. From a fainting goat, princess flowers, a Starbucks staff I want to become friends with, and two Little White Chapel scenes, there was just so much to love. So much so that I sent more than a few “get on your e-reader and buy this book right now” texts (Michele and Liz!). I will also admit that I devoured this book until I got to about the 75% mark and stopped reading for a day…..because I didn’t want to finish it and be DONE! Yep, I loved me some Cocky Bastard.

So, just trust me when I say: buy this book! Thank you Ms. Ward and Ms. Keeland for writing one of my favorite books of 2015…if not of all time.

Five Loves

Excerpt:

A knock at the door made me jump.

With a huff, I got out of bed and stood on my tiptoes to look out the peephole. Why were those things always so high on the door anyway? I was surprised to find no one standing on the other side. Maybe I’d imagined it.

Another knock.

I flicked on the lights. The sound wasn’t coming from the entrance door. It was coming from an interior door I hadn’t even noticed before.

Chance’s door.

I unfastened the top lock and cracked it open just enough so I could see what he wanted. And there he stood.

Shirtless.

Wearing only dark gray boxer briefs that hugged him like a second skin.

It took a minute to understand what he was doing there, even though he was holding up a toothbrush in question.

“I thought we had established I wasn’t a serial killer already.”

I opened the door wider.

He smiled.

Oh lord. Stop that. Right now.

“I must have left my toothpaste in my saddlebag in the car.”

I swallowed hard. “Uh huh.”

He cocked his head to the side, and his brows dipped in. “Can I borrow yours?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure.”

He walked past me and let himself into my bathroom. I waited at the door.

“You got an awful lot of girly crap in here for one night,” he said with a jumbled mouth full of toothpaste from the bathroom. “Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia.”

He was reading my Estee Lauder perfume bottle.

I heard him rinse and spit. Then there was a gargling sound. He used my mouthwash, too. Sure, help yourself.

He walked out and flicked off the bathroom light. “Is tuberose a rose?”

I shook my head, still confused by the whole situation going on.

“That’s why,” he murmured.

“Why what?”

“I couldn’t figure out what you smelled like all day. Not sure I ever smelled a Tuberose before.” He shrugged and walked back into his room but not before turning back. “Even those little black lacy underwear smell like tuberose.”

My eyes bulged. I’d taken off my bra and panties and left them on the bathroom counter.

“You…you—”

“Relax. I’m teasing. Do I look like an underwear sniffer to you?”

Yes.

No.

Maybe?

“Night, Aubrey.” He graced me with a dimple and disappeared.

AH-BREE. Damn him.

I locked the door and checked it twice, unclear if it was for my safety or his. His voice saying my name was on audio replay inside my head, getting softer and softer like a soothing lullaby with each breath as I drifted off to dreamland.

Until the knock came again.

About the Authors:

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!