Rock Hard by Nalini Singh….Book Tour Stop, Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Meet Gabriel (sexy rugby player turned CEO) & Charlotte in this fantastic addition to the Rock Kiss Series!

NOW AVAILABLE!

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  iBooks  |  Nook  |  Kobo

Synopsis:

In New York Times Bestselling author Nalini Singh’s newest contemporary romance, passion ignites between a gorgeous, sinfully sexy man who built himself up from nothing and a shy woman who has a terrible secret in her past…

Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

 

My Review:

Rock Hard is the second book in author Nalini Singh’s Rock Kiss Series, and sadly, the first in the series I have read. Yes, I know…I can’t believe it either. Where have I been that I have not scooped up this series yet? Clearly living under a rock. I must get my hands on the other book and novella in this series because after devouring Rock Hard, I am 100% hooked. I have loved Ms. Singh’s paranormal work and now The Rock Kiss series is my new obsession.

Charlotte Baird has been living one way for the past few years…in the shadows. She had always been a bit on the shy side but there were a few events in her life that lead her to hide these days. The loss of both of her parents coupled with the first relationship she ever had turning into something true nightmares are made of had helped make her want to blend in with the walls. If no one noticed her, she would be safe. If no one wanted to see her, she would be able to keep to herself and in turn, keep herself safe. The problem with that was there is always someone who is willing to take notice….and right now that happens to be the devastatingly handsome new CEO of her company. He figured out she had been doing the work of her superior in an effort to just keep her job and stay in the background. He figured out she had a brilliantly colorful mind underneath her drab and plain exterior. Never one to make waves, she had no clue how to react to the offer for a new position as his personal assistant. He had a previous reputation on the rugby field as one hell of a ferocious competitor and the current reputation as one hell of a competitor in the board room. She was more than afraid she would be no match for his personality and that he would chew her up and spit her out. She couldn’t have been more wrong…

Gabriel Bishop has always gotten what he wants. Always. He learned as a small boy that even the most destitute of situations can be changed for the better with a whole lot of determination and hard work. It’s that childhood that drives him to be the best. He had been the best in the pro rugby circuit and after a career ending injury he was now the best in the corporate business world. All that fame and fortune had made women an easy game. Well, for every woman except his new PA, Charlotte Baird. She was unlike anyone he had ever met. A puzzle he wanted to figure out. He had no idea the delight he would get in the flirtatious game he had now started with her…nor did he have any idea how much she would grow to mean to him. He knew how to keep his eye on the prize and work for his reward no matter how long it took. And he knew with Charlotte, it would take more time than he spent on any other woman in his life. He had no doubt she would be worth it…

What starts out as a pretty straight forward, and tense at times, working relationship quickly turns into a delicious power play between the predator and the prey. The greatest part with the back and forth between Charlotte and Gabriel is when the roles switch and the prey becomes the predator…owning every move the predator makes. And what a delicious dance it becomes…

I am in serious book hangover mode right now. I freaking loved everything about this book. Gabriel is a total dichotomy when it comes to his outward persona and the man he keeps hidden underneath the gruff exterior. From the very beginning he laid plans to win Charlotte. She had no idea and the way he presented it all to her as they bobbed and weaved in their flirtatious relationship was simply adorable. She had no idea he was planning for so long just to kiss her. Had no idea he was waiting for her to come around. He knew there had to be a reason she was so skittish and, bless that insanely patient man, he was willing to do what it took to gain her trust. If I can count the amount of times I swooned over that man, it has to be in the hundreds. Charlotte is unlike any heroine I’ve read. She is brave, accepting, determined, complex, and broken. I admired her tenacity in picking up the pieces of her broken life and just wanting a sense of normalcy. Luckily, she will have Gabriel to help her along the way. These two together are simply wonderful. Charlotte has a dry sense of humor and gives right back when Gabriel pushes. Gabriel, unused to that, takes it all in stride and plays along with her. I loved every single one of their interactions and their growing attraction and budding relationship was beautiful to read. There are many stumbles along the way, but because both Gabriel and Charlotte want things to work, I knew they could make great things happen. The amount of love I have for these two is HUGE!

Ms. Singh truly knocked my socks off. Her writing makes the characters real and relatable. We are along for the emotional ride with them and I loved it. Oh, and the chapter titles? The. Best. It was that bit of humor that brought lightness to the dark parts in this book and the balance was fantastic.

Hopefully I haven’t bored you to tears and that you’ve made it this far…because you really need to read this book. Thank you, Ms. Singh, for giving us Gabriel and Charlotte and all of the beauty their unique relationship is. I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us next! (fingers crossed it includes Gabriel’s brothers….)

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

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Excerpt:

Charlotte arrived at work at seven thirty the next morning to find Gabriel Bishop’s office door open, but no carnivorous predator inside. A fresh suit was hanging on the back of his door, however, which meant he’d been in already.

Deciding to catch up on e-mails that had come in overnight from international suppliers as well as stores involved in a stock take, she was typing a reply when a sweaty Gabriel arrived fifteen minutes later. He was dressed in black running shorts and a faded University of Auckland T-shirt that was currently sticking to his body.

She’d known he was in shape, but now she realized none of it was an illusion created by his well-cut suits. Okay, she’d already known that, but seeing his muscled body in the flesh was a whole different ball game. He was built like a tank, hard and powerful.

Each of his thighs was thicker than both of hers put together, his biceps toned, his shoulders appearing even wider than usual. Everything about him was big. Civilized clothing didn’t make him look better, she realized—it toned down his intense masculinity. Out of his suits, with the ink on the upper part of his left arm exposed, as well as that on his opposing thigh and…

Her skin hot and lower body clenching, she just nodded in response to his “Good morning.”

Disappearing into his office, he returned with his suit pants and a fresh shirt slung over his arm, along with a sports bag. “Push the meeting with Sales to nine, will you, Ms. Baird? I need to talk to HR about something before then.”

“Yes, sir,” Charlotte said almost soundlessly, but he was already gone, heading toward the employee shower one floor down.

The thigh tattoo went all the way around, the design intricate.

Heart rate a rapid stutter, Charlotte got up after he disappeared and decided to go grab him a coffee. He’d bought her one yesterday after all. She was just being nice. “Oh, shut up, Charlotte,” she muttered once she was in the elevator, and slumped her face into an upraised hand.

The truth was she was running away. Only for a few minutes, but that’s what this was: strategic retreat. Gabriel Bishop was overwhelming. Once, before she’d ever met him and under the influence of cocktails, she’d told Molly she wanted to rip off his shirt and sink her teeth into his pecs.

That desire hadn’t waned even now that she knew he was a T-Rex. Of course, the desire was all strictly in her imagination. The idea of actually handling him in real life? So impossible as to be laughable. Charlie-mouse was not about to play with a predator who could eat her alive and not even notice the bones. The good news was that she could admire him in relative safety—there was no chance in hell he’d ever notice her as a woman.

Getting the coffee from a nearby café, she took it back upstairs. He was in his office when she entered, the striped dark gray of his tie hanging around his neck and his damp hair roughly combed. The scent of clean, fresh soap over warm skin permeated the office. Shooting her a smile that turned him from gorgeous to flat-out devastating, he flipped up the collar of his white shirt to get the tie in place. “Thank you, Ms. Baird.”

Nodding, Charlotte escaped, though she really wanted to stay. She’d never realized how erotic it was to watch a man dress until this precise moment. And she shouldn’t be having these thoughts about her boss—especially since she couldn’t keep from quivering like a rabbit in his presence. Sometimes she just annoyed herself.

“Get to work,” she muttered and knuckled down.

Gabriel was fine for the first hour, but then he began barking orders even a six-armed woman with a split personality would have had trouble handling.

Finally, pushed to the edge, Charlotte snapped. “I’m going as fast as I can!” she yelled when he asked her for something a minute after he’d asked her to complete another task.

He scowled and held out a file. “This is a priority.”

Grabbing it from his hand, she said, “Fine,” and slapped it down on her desk.

It was over an hour later that he disappeared for ten minutes. When he returned, it was to put a small bakery box on her desk. “I think you need something to sweeten your mood today, Ms. Baird.”

What she needed was for the T-Rex who was her boss to stop snarling and growling, she thought as he returned to his office. Not opening the box until her curiosity had almost killed her, she found it held a slice of decadent chocolate cake with a white-chocolate ganache topped with curls of both white and milk chocolate. “I cannot be bribed with cake,” she muttered, eating a bite nonetheless.

Full two-chapter excerpt available on Nalini’s Website: http://nalinisingh.com/rockhard.php

 

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The Rock Kiss Series

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Rock Addiction (Book One) Rock Kiss Series

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Nook  |  iTunes  |  Kobo

Rock Courtship (bk 1.5) A Rock Kiss Novel:

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  iBooks  |  Nook  |  Kobo

Rock Hard (Book Two) Rock Kiss Series:

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  iBooks  |  Nook  |  Kobo

About the author:

nalinipicNEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series Nalini Singh usually writes about hot shapeshifters and dangerous angels. This time around, she decided to write about hot and wickedly tempting rock stars (and one gorgeous ex-rugby player). If you’re seeing a theme here, you’re not wrong.

Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing. If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. Also, don’t forget to swing by the site to check out the special behind-the-scenes page for the Rock Kiss series, complete with photos of many of the locations used in the books.

 

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway:

 

 

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Need You For Keeps by Marina Adair….ARC Review & Giveaway

Need You For Keeps releases tomorrow, March 3!

 

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Synopsis:

When it comes to caring for the furry residents of St. Helena, California, groomer and pet rescuer Shay Michaels can handle anything. Humans are another story, though especially Deputy Jonah Baudouin. He’s the town’s resident superhero: upright, uptight, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous, even when he’s investigating complaints about Shay’s beloved foster animals. And that spells danger for Shay, a free spirit who can’t risk trusting the wrong person again.

Jonah and Shay have been circling each other ever since she came to town, and he’s running out of reasons to “not” kiss her senseless. But this deputy is a straight shooter with his eye on the sheriff’s badge. He can’t afford to get involved with Shay, a chaos magnet with luscious curves who’s liable to turn his career and his life upside down. He enforces laws. She breaks them repeatedly. Keeping her out of trouble is becoming a full-time job and it’s one he hopes is never going to end.

 

My review:

Need You For Keeps is the sixth book in author Marina Adair’s St. Helena’s Vineyard Series, as well as the first in her new Heroes of St Helena Series.  I have enjoyed the St. Helena gang since the very first book and it’s a series I grow to love with each new installment. This was no exception. I adored Jonah and Shay’s story and all of the humor, emotion, and heat that was written into the pages.

Hero to all homeless pets big and small, groomer and pet rescuer extraordinaire Shay Michaels is bound and determined to make sure any pet she saves finds a forever home. Like she had when she came to St. Helena. She had a rough go of things early on in life but the one constant for her was the pure and true love she gave and received from her furry friends. It’s what led her on her current path and to dreams of opening up a shelter in order to legitimately be able to foster them. She’s had her share of trouble with the wy she was running things now, mainly that she could never turn an animal away and having one too many is apparently frowned upon by St. Helena law. It wasn’t all bad getting into trouble however, when the man doling out the warnings was town deputy Jonah Baudouin. Sexy and confident, he always made her tummy flip-flop and boy, could she daydream about his handcuffs. But no way would they ever be a good match so she needed to wash those dreams right down the drain with the latest doggy shampoo…

Deputy Jonah Boudouin didn’t mind going on a call when it meant he got to see Shay. Yes, he hated having to tell her she was once again causing trouble, but he loved hearing her excuses and seeing what she would be attempting to do to get herself out of the latest issue. He knew she had a heart of gold and knew she never meant to break laws but the sexy spitfire just couldn’t help herself. He had to give her credit, she really goes for what she wants…even when it comes to raising funds for her rescues courtesy of a sexy photo shoot with local uniformed hotties. No, he declined her request for him to pose, because a man running for sheriff probably should keep his clothes on, but he really did hope she was able to realize her dreams. Speaking of dreams, she’s been the star of more than a few daydreams of his own but surely they would never be able to work. She was opposite him in every way possible…but some say that’s a good thing, right?

Two people who couldn’t be more opposite have one very important thing in common…their attraction for each other. Would they be able to take that old saying “opposites attract” and make it reality?

There is just something in the way that Marina writes that immediately takes the reader into her world. I have been reading this series since the beginning and I feel like I’m returning to a town I’ve lived in when I sit down to read a St. Helena book. The characters are charming and well-developed. The setting is described so perfectly that I can practically walk down Main Street and wave to the townspeople. I adore that in a book. Jonah had me hooked from the very first time he appears in the story. He’s controlled, loyal, sexy as all hell, and has a soft side he keeps hidden and made me swoon when he showed it. Shay is one of the best heroines I’ve read. She’s sassy, smart, and never afraid to go after what’s right for her furry family, even if it does mean bending the occasional law. I loved her tenacity when it came to her dreams of owning a pet rescue. Together, Shay and Jonah are delicious. They have a slow burn that got hotter and hotter with each interaction and I ate it up! Of course, I also got to see more of my favorite grandmother crew and as always, those ladies had me laughing my arse off one minute and tearing up at a beautiful gesture the next. I adore those women.
It bears repeating that Marina has such a special way of delivering a story and I will continue to look forward to reading more from the St. Helena gang!

5LovesRLB

Five Loves

 

Book links:

 Amazon  |  B&N

Giveaway:

I am so grateful to have the chance to give one lucky winner their choice of paperback, ebook, or audiobook of Need You For Keeps!  Comment on this post to be entered to win (US entries only, please)  

 

 

About the author:

Marina Adair is a #1 National best-selling author of romance novels. Along with the St. Helena Vineyard series, she is also the author of the upcoming Sugar, Georgia series and Tucker’s Crossing, part of the Sweet Plains series. She currently lives with her husband, daughter, and two neurotic cats in Northern California.

As a writer, Marina is devoted to giving her readers contemporary romance where the towns are small, the personalities large, and the romance explosive. She also loves to interact with readers and you can catch her on Twitter or visit her on Facebook.

Review…Call Sign Karma by Jamie Rae

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Synopsis:

Love in the no-fly zone…

Distraught over the loss of her brother in a fighter jet accident, Tinklee Pinkerton decides to follow in his footsteps and prove the tragedy wasn’t his fault. But when she’s chosen as the first woman to fly the Air Force’s F-35, her plan for a life that revolves around work is thrown off course by a handsome, mysterious stranger…

Thanks to Locke’s seductive British accent, sweet nature, and one too many beers, Tink is soon inspired to throw caution to the wind and herself into his arms. She thinks maybe love can heal after all—until she discovers Locke is her superior officer. Tink has no problem risking her life in the air, but with everything on the line, is she brave enough to risk her heart on the ground?

My review:

Call Sign Karma is the debut work from author Jamie Rae and it knocked my freaking socks off. I was glued to Tink’s story. GLUED! Tinklee is a total badass and her story had me laughing, crying, heart pounding, and falling in love with all of the characters in this book.

Tinklee Pinkerton has recently been chosen to be the very first woman pilot to fly the Air Force’s F-35. She should be thrilled, and she is, but overshadowing all of that excitement is the crushing loss of her older brother she feels every minute of every day since his accident. The accident that took his life happened when he was flying…the exact jet she was now learning to fly. Some may say she was crazy to even think about doing this but she was on a mission to set the record straight and get the official cause of her brother’s death changed from “pilot error” to “aircraft malfunction”. She knew deep down in her heart of hearts that her brother wouldn’t have made mistake that catastrophic. She refused to believe it especially since he had mentioned to her father that there was a problem with the air flow in the jet. Oh, yeah, making matters worse? Her father is an Air Force veteran and now in politics and pushing for this very jet to be put into major service. Talk about on hell of a situation. Oh, but it’s about to get even worse. She runs into a sexy Brit on the beach when she was on the verge of a meltdown and spends an unforgettable night of passion with him. Locke. Why is this a bad thing? Because Locke turns out to be her instructor…

With so much on her plate, and knowing damn well having a relationship with an instructor was a one way ticket out of the program, it’s going to be damn hard to focus on the task at hand. Especially when the pull and attraction between her and Locke burns brighter and stronger every hour they spend together. Man, karma really was a bitch when it came to Tink.

*deep breath* Ok. I am going to try to do my best not to babble through this part of the review because, damn, I loved this book! Tink is one of the coolest chicks I’ve read, and I’ve read a lot of books. She broke my heart so many times when she recounted the death of her brother and then brought me right back up when she got into the cockpit and flew her arse off. In a guy’s world, she shined bold and bright. The emotion that author Rae wrote in Tink is unbelievably amazing. Every time Tink got choked up, or was nervous, or scared, I could feel it. Truly, I felt a part of her. It was amazing. On top of Tink being such a strong character, Locke was one hell of a match for her. He was both kind and understanding as well as tough as nails. Oh, and sexy as hell. Together they are a brilliant match and the push and pull involving rules, regulations, strong emotions, and lust was a delicious combination.

Now, I have to give a special mention to my other favorite part of this story….Ash. Ash is special forces and pops into Tink’s life when she’s in the middle of trying to stay away from Locke. He also stole my heart and there are so many times I wasn’t sure who I wanted Tink to end up with! It was like Edward and Jacob all over again and I was so torn. Now, I will say that the ending was just perfect. I can’t give anything away, but I will say that you should have more than a few tissues handy for the last chapter or so. Man, I was a sobbed out mess when I was finished! But, you know I love that form a book.

Whew! Ok, I hope I didn’t bore you or ramble on too much. All I have to say is if you loved Top Gun (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?!) this is a book you should read. Hot, emotional, and thrilling, I loved it all! Thank you, Jamie, for an amazing read. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next!

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

Book links:

 Amazon  |  B&N

About the author:

JAMIE RAE is a New Adult and Young Adult author. She writes with one goal in mind–to create stories with a positive message that will stay with the reader long after they’ve finished reading.

Jamie is an avid reader and loves discovering stories with a great hook, though she will not eat, sleep, or speak until she reaches the end. The Harry Potter years weren’t pretty!! Convinced that her Hogwarts letter was lost in the mail, she keeps a watchful eye for owls hoping her children will have better luck!

In her other life, Jamie Rae enjoys creating smiles that will last a lifetime as an orthodontist and keeps her heart overflowing with love as a mother of three. She has perfected the art of nomadic living as a military spouse and Air Force veteran. Jamie has a passion for critters of all shapes and sizes and you can often find her sneaking them into her own home or volunteering for rescues.

Dream~Write~Inspire

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Thirty Days To Win His Wife by Andrea Laurence…Review

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Synopsis:

Even with a baby on the way, Amelia’s holding out for the perfect husband. Tyler has thirty days to prove he’s the one.

Best friends Tyler Dixon and Amelia Kennedy eloped to Vegas on a whim. But before they can deal with their quickie divorce, she confesses: she’s pregnant. Now there’s no way Tyler will agree to go their separate ways. He wants them to stay married, raise their child together, share a house—and a bed.

Yet Amelia has always dreamed of a perfect marriage…and she doesn’t think this self-made millionaire is lifetime material despite their friendship. She’s given him just one month to prove her wrong…

My review:

Thirty Days To Win His Wife is the second book in author Andrea Laurence’s Brides and Belles series and follows Amelia and Tyler as they try to make the best of a slightly awkward situation. They got married on a drunken night in Vegas, and despite the fact that they’ve been best friends for years, this is certainly not the way things were supposed to go. I loved this friends to lovers story!

Amelia had always dreamed of the perfect husband, fairytale wedding, and the all-around happily ever after. Never once did she picture her best friend Tyler in that role. But now he was, and on top of all of that, she was pregnant. She also never dreamed his reaction to that news would be to try to make this marriage the real deal by staying together. Was that even a real possibility? Did she want it to be? What a mess.

Tyler was used to working hard to get what he wants in life and he had a successful career to show for it. Lacking, however, was his love life. He had his heart-broken years earlier when his fiancée left him after saying he put work before her. Now, after his high school class reunion, he finds himself married to his best friend and expecting a child together. Being stuck in this situation has him realizing one thing: he wanted this. He wanted to have it all. A wife, a child, a real life. Would Amelia agree to give it a try? Or would she rather chalk this experience up to a drunken night gone wrong and settle with him as a co-parent. God, he really hoped she would give him a chance.

I loved this story. Amelia and Tyler were a couple I enjoyed from start to finish and their transition from friends to lovers was a truly enjoyable one. Neither one of them was thrilled to be in the position they were in, married and a baby on the way, but both of them were willing to give it a shot. Of course, it wasn’t a smooth road and the bumps along the way had me worried these two wouldn’t make it. Now, I’m not one for spoilers so I can’t give anything away but I will say that the ending had me crying big happy tears!

All in all, this was a great romance with a lot of emotion and heart. If you have a few hours to sit and relax with a good book, this should be on your list. Thank you, Andrea, for another great read!

4LovesRLB

Four Loves

 

About the author:

Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she’s working on her own “happily ever after” with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody’s business.

Throb by Vi Keeland….Blog Tour Stop & Review

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The rules:

No dating.
No sex outside of the game.
No disclosing the terms of the contract.

Rules were made to be broken, right?

Eight weeks ago I signed a contract. One that seemed like a good idea at the time. A handsome bachelor, luxury accommodations, and a chance to win a prize my family desperately needed. There were some rules though. Lots of them actually. Follow the script, no dating, sex, or disclosing the terms of the deal. After my self-imposed moratorium on men the last year, it wouldn’t be hard to live up to my end of the bargain…so I thought. Until I realized the deal I’d made was with the devil…and I was in love with his dirty-talking brother.

My review:

Throb is the newest work from author Vi Keeland, an author I adore, and introduces quite an interesting storyline that had me hooked form the very beginning.

Kate has just entered the world of reality TV…well let’s use the term “reality” a bit loosely here and say it’s more of a slightly scripted show. She had every intention of enduring the eight weeks she was contacted for and was hoping to walk away with the grand prize. A great deal of money that would help not only her, but her struggling family, get out of debt her late gambler father had left behind for them to deal with. Eight weeks was all it would take. Not a hard sacrifice, really. Except the contract she signed was very specific in that she wouldn’t be allowed to date, and of course as luck would have it, fate chooses NOW to drop Cooper into her life. Cooper, the brother of the show’s director and the one person who could ruin her chances at a stress free financial future.

Kate may give ignoring Cooper’s advances a good try, but in the end he proves too tempting to ignore and they begin a steamy fling. Hopefully she and Cooper will be able to keep this relationship on the down low because she’s pretty certain the director and Cooper don’t have the best brotherly relationship and this would surely be the end of her stint on reality tv if it got out.
I really really really enjoyed the idea behind this book. I thought it was fresh and different and I loved the whole idea of the reality TV show. Kate was a really interesting gal and had so many great facets to her personality. She was caring and loyal, kicked ass in card games, and is so damn determined to turn her poor hand in life around. Cooper was equally enjoyable and had me swooning more than a few times. He goes after what he wants in life but always appreciates the little things. He has plenty of money and power but doesn’t act like a pompous ass and I loved that about him. Together they are a fabulous couple. Their chemistry is off the charts and the little relationship quirks they develop during this story was so adorable! I also want to give a mention to Kate’s roommate and best friend. She was a freaking trip and had me laughing my are off more than once! I am hoping she gets her own book because I would love to read more of her.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with plenty of heat and a great spin on romance. I look forward to reading more in this series and thank you, Vi, for yet another read I loved!

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

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Available at:

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

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CsRg9d

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1zk882K

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1x5c3P8

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

Add to your Goodreads TBR list ➜ http://bit.ly/1sjTmR7

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About the author:

vi keeland bioVi 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!

 

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway:

 
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Hero By Night by Sara Jane Stone…Blog Tour Stop and Review

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Hero By Night

Synopsis:

He was nobody’s hero until he landed in the wrong bed…

Armed with a golden retriever and a concealed weapons permit, Lena Clark is fighting for normal. She served her country, but the experience left her emotionally numb and estranged from her career-military family. Staying in Independence Falls seems like the first step to reclaiming her life until the town playboy stumbles into her bed…

Chad Summers is living his dream—helicopter logging by day and slipping between the sheets with Mrs. Right Now by night. Until his wild nights threaten his day job, leaving Chad with a choice: prove he can settle down or kiss his dream goodbye. But when he ends up in the wrong bed, the one woman in Independence Falls he can’t touch offers a tempting proposition. Chad is ready and willing to give in to the primal desire to make Lena his at night—on one condition. By day, they pretend their relationship is real.

But their connection extends beyond the bedroom, threatening to turn their sham into reality if Chad can prove he’s the hero Lena needs night and day… forever.

 

My review:

Hero By Night is the third book in author Sara Jane Stone’s Independence Falls Series, a series I have loved since book one. Well, this book is absolutely, undeniably, my favorite in the series thus far. I loved it so freaking much!

Former Army officer Lena Clark is used to fighting. She’s survived tours overseas in a war zone and saved lives while doing it. What she wasn’t used to fighting was for a sense of normal. Whatever that was. Normal is something she hasn’t felt in a really long time and she is starting to think she may never feel it again. Sure, she’s made strides in overcoming her PTSD, thanks in part to her golden retriever, Hero, but she still had a long ways to go. And she had no idea how to get there. She has left behind her family, her now ex-husband, her Army career, all of it, just to get her sense of normalcy back. That search led here to Independence Falls. She was grateful to be here and have some new friends and a chance at a fresh start. She didn’t feel pressured here, mainly because she didn’t really know anyone. That seemed to help. Then things change again and she’s not sure if it’s for the better or the worse. She met Chad Summers. Chad the woman pleasing, playboy helicopter pilot. Chad who awakened all sorts of long forgotten feelings in her. Maybe she should grab those feelings with both hands and hold on for the ride? Maybe this was a shot at trying to be normal? At this point she was willing to give anything a try….she just hoped Chad was on board.

Chad Summers was royally screwed..and not in the way he was used to. His lady-loving ways are proving to be responsible for a reputation that is keeping him grounded…and that was something he couldn’t handle. Heli-logging was all he had ever wanted to do and now that his dream was being jeopardized, all because people thought he was too cheeky and irresponsible. He had never given any reason to not trust him while he was flying but apparently his nighttime extracurricular activities were rubbing off on his professional life. Lucky for him fate seems to be on his side when he falls into bed with the wrong girl…literally. What started out as a misunderstanding turns into a chance at making things right with the powers that be, getting him back up in the sky, and getting to spend time with a beautiful woman in bed. What could possibly go wrong? Well, for starters, the fact that a fake relationship threatens to turn very real and may scare Lena away leaves Chad shaking in his boots. Can he help her with her PTSD all while convincing her they have found something real in a charade? God he sure as hell hoped so…

Between PTSD, career and family pressures, and an agreement for a temporary situation, Lena and Chad sure do seem to have the odds stacked against them. Will they be able to let their feelings turn from one of lust to love? Will they find true happiness amidst a false facade?

When I say that this is my favorite book in author Stone’s series, I can’t help that that’s an understatement. Instead, I should say that this is one of my fave books of any series, really. There was just so much to love. From start to finish I fell in love with both characters, and their situation, more and more with each page I read. No, it wasn’t all flowers and butterflies. In fact, there were many raw and gritty moments, but I think that’s what made me love it more. Chad is one of the most caring and honest book guys I’ve read. He just gets it. He gets people on a level that makes him stand out. I loved him or wanting to help Lena and for understanding her, for giving her the space she needed, for giving her support and love. Lena is equally amazing and damn, she broke my heart. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. Image having your whole life turned upside-down and not knowing, or having control, over emotions and reactions to things. It’s totally foreign to me but not to anyone suffering with PTSD. That is what made this book so real. We read her struggle and in the way it’s written it makes it the most understandable out of any heroine with PTSD I’ve read. Lena, by all accounts, is just a woman. A woman like any woman I know, including myself. Sure, she’s had a distinguished career in the Army and has saved many lives but the fact that she is written in such a relatable way made my appreciate this story on a whole different level. Truly amazing.

Of course the chemistry and passion shared between Lena and Chad is freaking off the charts and had me cheering for a long-term relationship from the start. These two sure as hell burn up the sheets! Total yum factor!

On top of all of that, we get to see more of our other fave couples from Independence Falls and Josh, the injured brother that I am totally in love with. I cannot wait to get to his story one day!

I always feel like I bore you guys with my sometimes long-winded reviews, but I just can’t help it when I love a book this much! Thank you, Ms. Stone, for giving us Lena and Chad and a book I will be swooning over for quite some time.

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

Links to Buy:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Google | Kobo

Other books by Sara Jane Stone:

SJRBooks

Full Exposure

No touching allowed …

After serving her country, Georgia Trulane craves adventure—and sex. She’s set her sights on her brother’s best friend—now her boss, since she took a temporary job as his nephew’s live-in nanny. Only problem? Eric refuses to touch her. That doesn’t stop Georgia from seducing him. But an earth-shattering encounter leaves her fully exposed, body and soul.

Eric has a long list of reasons to steer clear of the woman he has wanted for as long as he can remember. For one, he refuses to be her next thrill ride. When he claims her, it will be for good. But the attraction is undeniable, and the more they fight it, the stronger it pulls. But will it be enough to conquer their obstacles?

 

Caught in the Act 

Falling for his rivals’ little sister could cost him everything …

For Liam Trulane, failure is not an option. He is determined to win a place in Katie Summers’ life before she leaves Independence Falls for good. But first, he needs to make amends for the last time they got down and dirty.

Only problem?

His professional success hinges on striking a deal to buy Katie’s family business. And after Liam’s relationship with their Katie went south years ago, the Summers brothers are more enemy than friend. If both parties agree to set the past aside, they can reach an understanding. But when Katie welcomes him back into her bed, Liam risks everything to make her his.

After Liam betrayed her trust, Katie Summers will do anything to keep him from walking away with the family business. She decides to seduce him, knowing that when her brothers find out, they will back off from the deal. And she’ll finally have her revenge. But when her plan spirals out of control, Katie learns that payback may come at too high a price …

 

Author Bio

After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream—writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat. Visit her online at www.sarajanestone.com or find her on Facebook at Sara Jane Stone.

Facebook | Twitter | Website

Giveaway

Two Signed Sets of Caught in the Act and Full Exposure along with a $10 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snowed In With Her Ex by Andrea Laurence….Review

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Synopsis:

Trapped in a cabin with the man who makes her want what she shouldn’t have…

Wedding photographer Briana Harper never expected to run into her ex at an engagement shoot! And when a blizzard strands them…alone…in a remote mountain cabin, she knows she’s in trouble. She’s never forgotten Ian Lawson, but none of the reasons they broke up have changed. He’s still a workaholic. And now he’s an engaged workaholic!

But Ian is also still a man who knows what he wants. And what he wants is Briana. Untangling the lies of his current engagement leaves him free to…indulge. Yet proving he’s changed may be this music mogul’s toughest negotiation yet…

My review:

Snowed in With Her Ex is the first work of author Andrea Laurence that I’ve read and will certainly not be my last! This book was fantastic. Sweet, romantic, sexy, all of the above. I loved it!

If things could get worse, Briana Harper didn’t know how. She was on location for an engagement photo shoot, which wasn’t the bad part, it was the groom-to-be that she had issue with. Her ex. The ex she had never gotten over, even nine years later. But he clearly had moved on and was now a successful music mogul, engaged, and soon to be a father. Still, that wasn’t the terrible part. The terrible part is that before his fiancée could even make it to their mountain cabin location, a major snowstorm sweeps in and strands Briana and the ex…together. Let’s just hope she can leave the past where it belonged…in the past. That would prove to be easier said than done…

Ian Lawson should be over the moon. He had a successful career, a beautiful fiancée, and a baby on the way. Life was good. If only he could get rid of the nagging feelings that were always right below the surface. The feeling that something was off with his fiancée. The feelings that he knew she didn’t love him, but his status instead. If he was being honest, he wasn’t exactly in love with her, either.  What a mess.  Now, being stuck here with the woman who broke his heart years earlier, all of those feelings were amplified and he couldn’t help but wonder how different his life would be with someone like Briana by his side, instead of the woman he was supposed to marry.

It seems as though Fate and Mother Nature teamed up to bring these two long-lost loves back together and make things right between them. Besides being stuck in the same house for a few days, some devastating news comes to light and proves the feelings Ian was feeling weren’t so far off….in fact, in reality, things were way worse. When the storm passes, will Briana and Ian have more reasons to rekindle their love than reasons to stay away from each other?

This was the prefect read for a cold, winter day. The history and passion that Ian and Briana had shared was pretty incredible and I loved the situation they were stuck in! They were honest-to-goodness stranded with no contact with the outside world for a bit.  Being able to do little more than spend time with one another, they are almost forced to talk about all the things left unsaid all those years earlier. It was fantastic. And once they get all of the words out of the way? Let the heat begin! Now, before you think that Ian is a dog and is cheating on his pregnant fiancé, let me assure you that is not the case. I can’t give anything away bit just know that by the end of this book, I was not a fan of that woman and a huge fan of Briana.

This was the perfect winter romance with plenty of emotion and a few twists that mix together to make up a perfect story to spend an afternoon with. I loved it from start to finish and recommend to any romance fan.

Thank you, Andrea, for a fabulous read!

 

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she’s working on her own “happily ever after” with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody’s business.

Website  

Fire Me Up by Kimberly Kincaid…ARC Review & Excerpt

Fire Me Up releases TODAY!

Be sure to stop by Kimberly’s Facebook page for info on a FABULOUS $100 Gift Card giveaway she’s hosting with 3Tracy Brogan, Catherine Bybee and Jennifer Probst!

Fire Me Up small

Synopsis:

If You Can’t Stand The Heat…

Teagan O’Malley can handle a crisis. She’s a paramedic, it’s her job. But she never expected to land in the kitchen of her father’s pub, with no notice, no cash, and no room for error. The kitchen is not her favorite place. Lucky for her, she just scraped a bad-boy chef off the pavement after a motorcycle accident—and something about him says he can turn up the heat in more ways than one.

Adrian Holt has had a rough few years, and he’s not eager to get tangled up in anything more complicated than a good risotto. But with a broken arm and a head full of bad memories, he needs a challenge to keep him sane. Teagan’s dare-me attitude and smoldering mess of a bar are just what the doctor ordered. And the two of them together might cook up some even better medicine…

 

Excerpt:

“You are stuck with me in here, Red.”

For a second, Teagan couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. But then she dropped her eyes to Adrian’s finger, still hot on her lips. She reached up to wrap her hand around his, moving it from her mouth as she stepped in close enough to erase any daylight between them.

“Did you just shush me so you could say your piece?”

Adrian paused, his body going rigid against hers even though his gaze didn’t waver. “I guess I did.”

“Mmm.” Teagan pressed up on her toes, relishing the taste of his shock as she brushed her mouth over his. “I’ll let you slide exactly once, but if you make a habit of it, you will be sorry.”

He drew back, but only enough to pin her with a wide-eyed stare. “You’re going to let me help you?”

Something that had no name loosened in her chest, and she felt her body slowly unwind against the strength of his frame as she tucked herself into his left side. Suddenly, it didn’t matter that the words bubbling up from inside her were ones that would normally scare her to death. Right now, for the first time since she’d walked into the Double Shot to find her father half-passed out behind the bar, Teagan wasn’t scared at all.

“Yeah, Superman,” she said, wrapping her arms around the broad expanse of Adrian’s shoulders and holding on tight. “I’m going to let you help me.”

My review:

Fire Me Up is the fourth book in author Kimberly Kincaid’s Pine Mountain Series, a series that I have loved reading from the very beginning. To say that I was dying to read Adrian’s book would be a gross understatement and let me just say…this book was so worth the wait! Adrian is everything I had hoped for and more and this story was deliciously amazing. My favorite of the series so far!

Teagan O’Malley and Adrian Holt meet in, let’s just say, less than ideal circumstances. After getting into a bit of an accident, Teagan is the paramedic who is able to talk Adrian into getting the treatment he needs and even with his surly demeanor, Teagan can’t help but be drawn to him. As it happens, the feeling is mutual and Adrian is immediately taken with Teagan as well.

Thinking their chance meetings just that, a one-time chance meeting, they both go their separate ways….until fate has a different idea.

Adrian ends up being sidelined from his beloved kitchen with his injury and, as luck would have it, Teagan’s father’s pub is in a bit of a pickle that he may just be able to help with. With an offer Teagan can’t afford to refuse, and with the chance at giving Adrian something to take his mind off of the mess his life had become recently, they decide that working together may just be with the doctor ordered….for both of them. Of course, they both agree to keep things on a professional level, even though the attraction between them and pull toward one another is undeniable. It’s a funny thing about the best laid plans and what happens to them and before long the attraction becomes too strong to deny.

But with so much baggage in both their pasts as well as their future, will they be willing to take a chance on exploring the feelings they share for one another? Will the recipe of Adrian and Teagan cook up to just an appetizer or will it prove to yield something that will feed both of their hearts’ appetite for love?

Man, I just loved this book. Kimberly gets better and better with each installment in this series and Fire Me Up is proof of that. Adrian and Teagan are both complex and interesting characters with rich and somewhat difficult pasts that make them a pair that I adored reading. Adrian is all rough and gruff on the exterior, with delicious tattoos and a bad boy persona that was at such odds with the magic he creates in the kitchen. That combination is what had me falling in love with him and wanting nothing more than for him to have his happy ending. Teagan is equally amazing, with an admirable loyalty to her father and the business he’s built. She is determined and strong and is exactly the person Adrian needs in his life. When they come together, it is freaking delicious. I’m talking chocolate marshmallow fudge cupcake delicious. The heat and fire between them is palpable and the kitchen/home-made gnocchi scene will go down as one of the most memorable sexy scenes I’ve ever read. Seriously. Damn, the things Adrian is capable of had me swooning.

Adding to this story is a bit of suspense and some trouble Teagan’s father has gotten into and it added a whole other amazing layer. I really enjoyed that aspect and thought it added that extra something. I also loved seeing my fave characters for the other books in the series and was reminded of just why this is a series I will continue to recommend.

Thank you Kimberly, for yet another amazing visit to Pine Mountain. I cannot WAIT to see what you have cooking up for us next!

 

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

Book links:

 Amazon  |  B&N  |  iBooks  |  Kobo

Fire Me Up quote page green

 

About the author:

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. When she’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a 2011 RWA Golden Heart® finalist who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. Her digital Line series is all about the hot cops and sexy chefs of Brentsville, New York. She is also the author of the Pine Mountain series, which follows small town singles as they find big-time love. Kimberly resides in Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters. Visit her any time at www.kimberlykincaid.com or come check her out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/kimberly.kincaid1) and Twitter (@kimberlykincaid).

Falling For Jillian by Kristen Proby…ARC Review


Falling For Jillian releases tomorrow, 1/27


Falling For Jillian

 

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the third romance in the Love Under the Big Sky series, featuring a veteran struggling with PTSD and the one woman who can help him recover—and learn to love again.

Jillian thought she was a city girl through and through; the fast cars, high fashion, and glamour—she loves it all. But when her ex tells her he’s having a baby with his new wife (after Jillian struggled for years to get pregnant), she hightails it back to Montana to cry on the shoulder of her best friend, Cara.

But in truth, Jillian would rather be comforted by someone else…specifically Zach, Cara’s brother-in-law. Zach is a veteran of the Iraq War who came back to the family ranch to raise his preteen son after the boy’s mother took off. He’s struggling to re-establish a relationship with his son, and warding off the demons of PTSD, which still haunt him. The last thing he needs is bold, brassy Jillian…but why can’t he keep his hands off her?

My Review:

Falling For Jillian is the third book in author Kristen Proby’s Love Under The Big Sky Series. I have loved this series from the very beginning and have been so looking forward to this book after meeting Zach briefly in the first story in the series. Well, it was everything I had hoped for and more. Zach and Jillian’s story is amazing!

With her wounded heart in tow, Jillian heads back to her hometown to start her life fresh. She needed to be where the people she loved most were. Her brother was here, her best friend as well. Her ex-husband had really done a number on her emotions after ditching her and finding happiness, and now a baby, in another woman’s arms. It was a mystery as to why she couldn’t give him the baby he clearly wanted, and that still hurt. But she’s determined to build her happiness back up again, and being in her hometown would help. Catching glimpses of the sexy veteran she spent one hot night with last summer is a bit of a help, too. He wasn’t interested, or so he says, but she can’t help but think there’s still something between them. Something that goes beyond just the one night they shared. It definitely ranked high on the list of things to work on while she was home…

Zach was finally getting settled back here, home on his family’s ranch, raising his son, and being back on U.S. soil. Sure, he still had a heap of emotional issues when it came to his wicked ex-wife and his PTSD issues, but all things considered, life was pretty decent. It would be even better if he could figure out what was going on with Jillian. He was all tied up in knots around her, especially after the night they spent together on the 4th of July. But he wasn’t what she needed. His baggage had baggage and she has a whole heap of her own issues to deal with. She wouldn’t want him. Or would she? He just can’t shake her or the feelings she ignites in him. Maybe it was time he put his past in his past where it belongs and give things a chance with Jillian…

Both being hurt terribly in the past by their significant others is sure to shape what happens between them, but in that pain these two wounded hearts have a chance at love again. However, when fate throws a wrench in their newly blossoming relationship, will they prove once and for all that they are ready to embrace the amazing relationship they’ve formed?

This. Book. Was. Amazing. My heart had been hurting for Zach and all he had gone through in his past, which we had only gotten a small glimpse of in the previous books. Well, my heart broke when we got to read the whole history. I felt so many emotions for him and wanted nothing more than for him to find the missing piece of himself and have a happy ending, He is loyal and kind with a protective streak a mile wide and has a ton of alpha traits that had my swooning, He’s an amazing son and earning the same title as a dad. Jillian is an equally amazing character. She has a huge heart and relates with so many people on so many different levels. She is a gal I would love to be friends with. Together, even with their overload of past pain, Jillian and Zach are freaking delicious. The heat and passion between them melts the pages and I loved every second of their moments together. There were also some pretty heavy parts in this book that had me sobbing my eyes out. So, be sure you have some tissues handy. Like, a whole box. I was texting a friend who had just finished it and she had to keep assuring my that all would end well. Now, I won’t spoil anything, but you know I won’t rec a book that doesn’t end well so don’t worry too much!

Overall this may be my favorite book of Ms. Proby’s yet. It was packed with raw emotion, tender moments, relatable characters, and a whole lot of heat. Thank you, Kristen, for giving us Zach and Jillian!

 

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

Book links:

 Amazon  |  B&N

About the author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

Links:

Website  |  Twitter: @handbagjunkie  |  Facebook  |  Author Goodreads   |  FALLING FOR JILLIAN Goodreads

Risking It All by Tessa Bailey…ARC Review & Special Event Announcement

 

Risking It All releases Tuesday 1/27

Risking it all cover

 

Synopsis:

NYPD detective Seraphina Newsom will avenge her brother’s death at any cost. Even if it means insinuating herself into a rough, Brooklyn street gang and going so far undercover, she’s not sure she’ll be able to get out. Every minute she spends in their midst means the clock ticking down on her life, especially when she overhears something that could get her killed.

Bowen Driscol is the heir to a crime enterprise. He never asked for the job, but with his father behind bars, he has no choice but to step in and keep the operation running. But when the NYPD blackmails him with a piece of damning information in exchange for aiding an undercover cop, he finds himself on the other side of the law for the first time in his life.

Bowen knows the danger Sera is in, and keeping her safe trumps saving his own ass. The problem? She can’t know he’s on her side. And there’s the matter of the seriously inconvenient heat sparking between them that’s incinerating his resistance. But Sera only sees Bowen’s past, and men like him are the reason her brother is dead. If they’re to get out alive, he’ll have to risk exposing the man beneath, and hope to hell he doesn’t blow the whole operation in the process.

 

My review:

Risking It All is the first book in author Tessa Bailey’s Crossing the Line Series, a series that I have already fallen in love with when the prequel novella released a few months ago. I thought I had an idea of just how much I would love Bowen and his story…I was wrong. This book crushed all of my expectations and I loved it more than I ever could have imagined. It was freaking amazing.

Being an NYPD detective, Seraphina Newsom was used to being in some tough situations. But this current situation is proving to be the most dangerous and toughest yet. She’s deep undercover and quite possibly in over her head. That won’t stop her though. She’s as determined as ever to make the people responsible for her brother’s murder pay, and she will do it, no matter what the cost. She had planned on the danger. She had planned on the risk. What she hadn’t planned on was Bowen. And she sure as hell didn’t plan on all of the feelings his presence was bringing about in her. He was everything she shouldn’t want. He was on Team Bad while she personified Team Good. Of course none of that matters when she’s with him. She sees the man he is, underneath all of his gruff exterior layers, underneath his position in the crime world. She sees so much more…she sees that real man he is and, lord help her, she is falling hard and fast. Would a relationship between them with so many obstacles ever stand a chance?

The last thing Bowen Driscol ever thought he would be doing is helping the police. A guy like him only dealt with the police for one reason, and it surely wasn’t to play nice in the sandbox. But here he was, helping the NYPD on the down low. As if it wasn’t bad enough, he was stuck with a woman who rocked him to his core and threw him totally off-balance. A woman he shouldn’t even think about, let alone have the desire to be with her. She was everything pure and good, and we was everything opposite. Dirty and bad. He just prays that when this is all over, and his debt to the NYPD has been paid, he has the strength to walk away from Seraphina….because as it stands now, there was no way he wanted to ever let her go.

The odds are many and great against Seraphina and Bowen. They are opposites in every which way possible…but none of that matters. Not when the attraction and emotion shared between them has the ability to knock those odds right out of the picture. But in the trenches of the criminal underworld, none of that attraction and emotion will matter if one of them ends up dead…

I’m pretty sure I say this with every review I write about Tessa’s books, but holy hell, this gal just keeps getting better and better. I was so excited to get my hands on this book and start this new reading adventure and I was completely drawn into Bowen and Seraphim’s world from the very first chapter. There are so many things to love about this book.

I read a lot, so it’s easy for story lines and characters to get lost in the shuffle. That is NOT the case here. I truly felt like I was in this story. In my mind’s eye I could picture the places Bowen and Sera were in. I could picture what the characters looked like and the clothing they wore. I could feel the fluttering of emotions ranging from fear and tension to heat and passion. Truly, that is a gift. A gift that Tessa has given us with this story. Bowen reminds me of a Brooklyn version of James Dean. Smoking cigarettes, wearing that leather jacket with his rough-hewn good looks. But there’s a softer side to him that in a million years I never would have expected. It’s a side I don’t want to spoil by writing it here, because it’s a side you need to read for yourself. When Tessa reveals this beautiful hidden facet to his personality, I literally gasped and teared up. I never suspected it and it was just so damn good. Sera is a heroine I loved reading and an amazing compliment to Bowen. She is strong and determined. She’s smart and patient and kind. I loved her for loving Bowen the way she did. Together they are pure magic. The differences between them make for a combustible amount of fire and passion and it was delicious to read.

On top of all of that, we are introduced to the basis of this series…creative, somewhat rehabilitated, criminals working on the side of good. Freaking GENIUS. I have a feeling the other players in this game will be just as amazing to read as Bowen and Sera were. I know I sound like a broken record, but Tessa just keeps getting better!

If you are able to take away one thing from this long-winded review, it’s that you really need to grab a copy of this book. You will NOT be disappointed! Thank you, Tessa, for bringing us Bowen and Sera and for this amazing intro to a series I know I will adore!

 

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

Special Event:

Be sure to stop by the blog on Thursday, 1/29/15, for a very special event….

The Risking It All Location Photo Shoot!

Tessa traveled around to some of the locations mentioned in the book and took some amazing photos and wrote a bit about each one. How awesome is that?! 

So be sure to stop by! 

Book links:

Amazon  |  B&N  |  iBooks

 

About the author:

highres-MJB_5140.jpgTessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.

Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband of seven years and three-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook 

Claiming Serenity by Eden Butler….Blog Tour Stop & Review

 

Title: Claiming Serenity (Seeking Serenity, #3)
Author: Eden Butler
Genre: NA | Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 22, 2014
Synopsis
 

Synopsis:

She left glitter in his AC vents. He put green dye in her conditioner. 
 
She buttered his bathroom floor, and he kidnapped her precious puppy. 
 
Layla Mullens hates Donovan Donley. His crude language, his wide shoulders, his crystal blue eyes…she hates that she can’t stop herself…from kissing him or landing in his bed. 
 
And Donovan Donley wants nothing more than to knock Layla off her princess pedestal. He hates her stuck up attitude and her soft, tempting lips. He especially hates that her father is his coach. 
 
But he’s fine with their arrangement—act horrible to each other during the day, attack each other naked at night. It works. 
But one night changes everything. When Layla doesn’t show, and Donovan’s cold bed stays empty, the lies he tells himself to keep Layla out of his mind aren’t enough to keep him from missing her. And needing her. Something he promised himself would never happen. 
The white flags in their prank war have been lowered but their high stakes battle has just begun.

My Review:

Claiming Serenity is book number three in author Eden Butler’s Seeking Serenity Series, a series I have loved from the very beginning. This book is Layla and Donovan’s story…a relationship that has been quite intense since we first met them. This was a wonderful friends-to-lovers story and had an ending that had me crying big fat happy tears.Layla and Donovan have had an intense relationship for years….and not necessarily intense in a good way. They were like oil and water. Never mixing well and always settling in separate parts. Constantly in a prank war and always spewing insults at each other. No two people couldn’t stand each other more. Until one night that all changed…thanks in part to some tequila and those high emotions always between them. Once they crossed the line and ended up spending the night together, there was no going back. It seemed as though the emotion they share has changed and gone from hatred to something quite the opposite. But no matter what had happened between them, no way could they let their friends know. They would never hear the end of it. So keeping things on the down-low was the best way. Keep up appearances during the day, insults flowing, and then turn that passion into so much more behind closed doors. It was going well until things chanced…drastically. Now Layla and Donovan are faced with a serious situation.. A situation that would test their relationship and what side they would come out on….the lovers version of Layla and Donovan or the enemies version of Layla and Donovan…

Talk about one hell of a ride! This book was packed with ups and downs and even a few sideways. Layla and Donovan’s relationship was intense form the very start but you could always feel a little something more lurking beneath the surface and we finally got to see them in a completely different light. And oh my, what a sexy and hot light that is! These two take the fiery passion they put towards pranking and brought it into the bedroom and the result is a delicious mix of sexy and intense!

Now, I binge read most of this book in one sitting and stopped for the night at around 75%. I picked it up the next morning while I was on the treadmill. Bad. Idea. The last few chapters of this book had me all sorts of choked up and crying. It was amazing, and packed with so many emotions and I loved it….but it didn’t mix well for trying to breathe while exercising. Man, I loved the last 25% of this book. It was honest and real and really well done.

I don’t really recommend reading this book if you haven’t read the first two, for the simple fact that you’ll miss out on all of the build up if Layla and Donovan’s relationship and probably won’t be able to appreciate how far they come in this book.

Overall I was so pleased with how things ended up for these two characters and I can’t wait to see what author Butler has in store for us next (hopefully Sayo!!). Thank you, Ms. Butler, for one hell of a read!

4LovesRLB

Four Loves

CS Teaser #4
“You’re disgusting,” she told him, but her voice carried no venom.
 
“And you’re a complete and utter bitch.”
 
She wanted to hit him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted Donovan to do something, anything but glare at her the way he was.  And then, before she could think which she wanted more, Layla got her wish.
 
His mouth was controlling, consuming, teeth against her bottom lip, opening her up to the invasion of his tongue. It was warm, thick and she felt it all over her body, with every thrust of his mouth on hers, with how tight his fingers pulled and squeezed her ass.  Donovan wasn’t gentle, wasn’t sweet. This wasn’t a kiss that was meant to be tender. This was a full bodied, take control kiss and Layla had no idea why she wasn’t resisting, why she liked it so much. But she didn’t resist, and she did like it, so much.  Too damn much.
 
She moved her hand, curling her fingers into his t-shirt, let a low, soft moan work up her throat and she didn’t think about how much she hated him, how surely, kissing Donovan should repulse her, that the idea of Donovan doing anything remotely sexual had always repulsed her—hadn’t it? —but his tongue battled against hers, obliterating her thought.  Caught in the fray, Donovan pushed his hands into Layla’s ass and that deliciously hard erection pressed against her. Layla was lost. 
 
For a moment.
 
Her thoughts were warring, scattered telling her how stupid she was being, reminding her that she had a backbone, that she hated, hated Donovan and no matter how incredible his mouth and hands felt, she could pull away from him. Any minute now.
 
Eden Butler is an editor and writer of New Adult Romance and SciFi and Fantasy novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum. Her debut novel, a New Adult, Contemporary (no cliffie) Romance, “Chasing Serenity” launched in October 2013 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller.
 
When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden edits, reads and spends way too much time watching rugby, Doctor Who and New Orleans Saints football.
 
She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana. Please send help.

 

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