February 2013 – Read-Love-Blog

Review….Never Too Far by Abbi Glines

Buy from Amazon ~ Buy from Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

He had held a secret that destroyed her world. Everything she had known was no longer true. Blaire couldn’t stop loving him but she knew she could never forgive him. Now, she was back home and learning to live again. Moving on with life… until something happened to send her world spinning once again.

What do you do when the one person you can never trust again is the one that you need to trust so desperately? You lie, hide, avoid, and pray that your sins never find you out.

My Review:

This is the second book in the Too Far Series by Abbi Glines and picks up where the first book, Fallen Too Far, leaves off. After loving the first book, I was DYING for this book to release. I read it in a day…..and I already miss Rush.

I’m going to do my best to give this review without spoilers, and damn, it’s going to be tough!

Blaire is back in her hometown in Alabama, and trying to get on with her life after leaving Rush. Is there such a thing though? Life after Rush? She also comes to realize that the small town she grew up in no longer feels like home. She had grown to like Rosemary. Had friends there, and misses them. She needs to find her own place and find where she truly belongs in the world. Now, circumstances will arise and lead her back to Rosemary….and she will have no choice but to see Rush again.

Rush is a miserable bastard. He realizes he can’t live without his sweet Blaire, but also realizes he totally screwed up and chances are she will never take him back. Now, after three long weeks without her, she’s coming back to Rosemary. He had no idea why she was coming back, and had no clue what to do to make things better, but one thing he did know….he was going to do his damnedest to get her back. He wasn’t going to live without his sweet Blaire for another minute.

Together, Blaire and Rush have more obstacles to hurdle than I can even begin to tell you (trying to keep this spoiler free ARGHHH!) and damn, if it didn’t make me love the two of them even more than I already did.

This book was freaking amazing. I got a text from a good friend letting me know it was released a day early, which happened to be the day we left on our family ski vacation. I downloaded it on my phone and started reading immediately…and finished it that day. The intensity of what is going on between Rush and Blaire was something I could NOT stay away from and was glued to the story from the very first page. Rush is even more amazing than he was in Fallen Too Far. He turns into the book boyfriend we knew he was capable of being. Damn, I do love me some Rush! Blaire is just as amazing as she was when we met her. Strong and determined and always willing to do what she needs to do to survive on her own. Together, their chemistry is delicious. The emotions in this book go from each end of the scale in the most incredible way. I went from laughing, to crying, to wanting to throw my eReader across the room. I’m sure people think I’m insane after the amount of gasping I did while reading this in public. There were quite a few twists in this story I didn’t see coming….and they kicked ass! Again, without getting into spoilers, which is REALLY TOUGH, just know that it ends how you would want it to end!!

Abbi, thank you, thank you, thank you for another taste of Rush and for an emotionally charged, beautifully written, insanely devourable read! I will be not-so-patiently waiting for Wood’s book and know it will be yet another kick-ass story!

Four-and-a-Half Loves

Book Tour…The Nightlife Series by Travis Luedke

Read-Love-Blog is happy to be a part of Travis Luedke’s The Nightlife Series Blog Tour!

Below you will find information on each book in the series as well as excerpts and you can enter in the RaffleCopter below to win the SET OF 3 NIGHTLIFE BOOKS eBooks!

Also, Travis needs our help! Please help by voting on which gorgeous cover you like best for The Nightlife Paris! Tough decision since all the cover choices are kick ass!

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The Nightlife New York

Synopsis:

Vampires, strippers, escorts, night clubs, gangs, pimps and corrupt cops, the Nightlife of New York is never boring.

Is she a beautiful blond guardian angel as he imagined, or something else entirely? When Michelle saves Aaron’s life she shares the benefits of her blood (after getting him shot accidentally). He awakes a changed man, living in a purgatory of eternal night, never to see the sunrise again.

Michelle drags Aaron through a hardcore learning curve of vampiric slavery. Forced to adapt to servitude, Aaron is subject to her authority of compulsion. She orders him around like a puppet on a string, a dog on a very short leash. First things first, he must learn to feed properly without creating bloodslaves (humans addicted to the powerful drug-like effect of their venomous bite).

And then she puts him to work-a male escort in the sex trade-same as Michelle. Aaron walks a tightrope of strictly controlled feeding regiments and intensely erotic sexual adventures while catering to the neurotic control-freak tendencies of his new master. It’s do or die, Michelle vows to eliminate him if he proves too difficult to control. The real kicker-amidst all these shocking and degrading adjustments, Aaron finds he’s falling in love.

Can he maintain and keep a sliver of his humanity intact? Innocence is a luxury few can afford in the decadent nightlife of New York. In a world where sex, blood, and power over women is so readily accessible, Aaron struggles against the predatory instincts deeply rooted in his new psyche. He must find his way quickly, practicing rigid self-control, or risk the consequences of Michelle’s wrath.

Excerpt from THE NIGHTLIFE NEW YORK:

Aaron burned, outraged at the audacity of the grotesque, fat, ugly bulldog of a man assaulting the blond goddess. An involuntary cry tore from his throat, “Hey! Leave her alone! Get your hands off her!” He couldn’t believe either of these crude creatures would dare lay hands on the beautiful blond vision of perfection who spoke in an intoxicating stream of French obscenities.

“T’as une tête à faire soutier les plaques d’égouts!” She blasted the bulldog. Aaron recalled just enough French to know she’d told him his face could blow off manhole covers. She continued with, “Voulez-vous cesser de me cracher dessus pendant que vous par lez”, further expressing her disgust by telling him to stop spitting on her while he spoke.

Never ceasing her tirade of lovely French filth, the blond struck at the bulldog in a blur. In one swift move, she broke his hold on her wrist and clawed his face, leaving a trail of bloody slash marks across his left cheek. Without pause she instantly pivoted and punched Barney Fife in the nose with a gratifying crunch sound, and a backward head snap. A splat of blood flew through the air. She pivoted a split-second later to face the bulldog with a Taser in hand, magically snatched from Barney Fife after breaking his nose. The combat unfolded before Aaron’s eyes like a scene from a martial arts film. The heroine had the appearance of moving with super human velocity. By comparison to her whip-like actions, the detectives seemed to be in slow motion.

Aaron’s jaw dropped. He stood in complete awe of the scene taking place before him. He had difficulty accepting these bizarre events for reality. As the shimmery cocktail dressed wonder woman fired her stolen Taser, Aaron recognized the bulldog was not truly as slow as he had seemed. He had a pistol drawn and moving upward in a sweeping arc.

Aaron’s dream state shattered along with his heretofore unremarkable and short life when the Taser struck the bulldog at precisely the point when his gun sights aligned with Aaron. The electric shock of the Taser began a domino effect. All muscles and tendons in the bulldog’s body clenched, including his trigger finger. The sharp crack of the gun resulted in a slug passing through Aaron’s chest and out his back, knocking him to the ground with the impact.

The pain came seconds later, delayed. When it hit it was all-consuming, overpowering. Nothing existed beyond the horrible agony of his body torn to shreds by the wicked projectile. He wasn’t brave or manly or noble like all these scenes of bullet wounds from Hollywood films. He screamed and howled like a baby, and promptly blacked out from the overwhelming agony.

* * * *

SMACK, SMACK, SMACK. Aaron felt someone smack him three times. He beheld an angel with a halo of light around her tousled blond curls like the corona encircling the sun. She had the most succulent puffy lips and a benevolent shine of concern and compassion.

“Are you an angel?” His beautiful seraph began swearing in a stream of melodic French.

“Le réalité’ et toi vous ne vous entendez pas, n’est-ce pas?” She remarked on his disconnect with reality. He didn’t know what to say. How do you greet the angel of death?

She resumed her obscenities, “C’est vraiment des conneries!” The words seeped in slowly, sparking a memory from French class––this was bullshit. Are angels supposed to curse?

He was so tired, cold, numb. Is this what it feels like to die? He drifted back into unconsciousness content in the belief that heavenly hosts carried him off to a better place

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The Nightlife Las Vegas (Book #2 in The Nightlife Series)

Synopsis :

Vampires, Aaron Pilan and his master Michelle, live by one rule — no bloodslaves. EVER. Aaron breaks that rule when he meets Anastasia. All Anastasia wants is to be loved and cherished, but the predatory men she’s attracted to bring her only pain and abuse. Escaping one train-wreck relationship for another, she finds happiness with Aaron and Michelle as a bloodslave, a ‘pet’. When Aaron uses his telepathy to win thousands at the gambling tables, he attracts the deadly attention of the Colombian Cartel and Aaron and Michelle are ‘disappeared’. Addicted to the bite of her vampire lovers, Ana is desperate to find them. But, Las Vegas isn’t ready for vampires mixing heroin, sex and vengeance. Ana is trapped in the spiraling chaos.Find out what happens in the second novel of the Nightlife Series.

Excerpt from THE NIGHTLIFE LAS VEGAS:

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but what the hell do they know? Twenty-two year old Aaron Pilan could testify from experience that significant gambling losses––or winnings––definitely follow you home.

After three weeks of hitting the gaming tables, he was practiced at the fine art of gambling. He knew the truth behind the veil of glamour. As P.T. Barnum said, “There’s a fool born every minute.” Many a fool arrived in Vegas with a wad of hard earned cash fantasizing about winning big and coming home to boast of the thousands they reeled in during their brief stint as a high roller.

He joined the foolish masses in their desire to hit it big. He fully intended to beat the odds and walk away from the gaming tables, winnings intact. It looked damn good for him at the moment. Of course, being an exceptionally gifted telepath afforded him a decidedly unfair advantage –– definitely contributed to his good luck.

Another caveat to the Vegas rule would be murder. An untimely death by strangulation definitely puts a kink in the high roller status. Aaron read his opponent Alexander Demarco’s mind as the man contemplated this very thing. Poor Demarco had been suffering the systematic and thorough fleecing of his poker chips. He was a very unhappy man.

* * * *

Demarco envisioned a number of ways to kill Aaron Pilan, starting with the quick and dirty double-tap bullet to the back of the head. Upon further consideration, that seemed almost too merciful, too quick and easy. He graduated to fantasies of Aaron begging and pleading for his life out in the Vegas desert. He imagined Aaron hog-tied at the bottom of a six-foot pit as the dirt hit his face while being buried alive. Demarco had personal experience with both methods of murder.

He finally settled on a slightly more violent alternative. Strangulation would be the most satisfying method of killing the punk. He imagined the strength of his own hands wrapped solidly around Aaron’s throat, squeezing out his life as he flailed about feebly. God I wish I could do it right now. He had always preferred the ‘hands on’ approach.

I know that son-of-a-bitch is cheating somehow. His gut instincts were rarely wrong in these matters. The punk always knows exactly when to fold and when to call, he’s impossible to bluff. He could smell a con from the end of the room. No way could Aaron clean him out so consistently by pure chance.

His intuition was sharply honed from the years he spent hustling on the streets of west Humble Park Chicago, between Grand and Arlington, smack dab in the center of Latin Kings territory. He bore his gangland battlefield scars proudly, a soldier displaying badges of merit. The dog-eat-dog survival-of-the-fittest lifestyle was second nature. He couldn’t enter a building without staring down every person in sight and watching all the exits.

This punk can’t weigh more than a hundred sixty pounds. I could take him any day of the week. He sized up Aaron, measuring him against his own two hundred ten pounds of lean muscle and six foot frame of a professional athlete. Why am I lettin this white devil bitch run the show? I wonder if he’s a Fed? Maybe this is a setup. He had an overwhelming feeling he was being taken for a ride. He much preferred being the one doing the taking.

By sheer luck and opportunity he’d been one of the select few who escaped the Federal Racketeering indictment leveled against the Chicago Latin Kings when he moved to Vegas in 2004, a year before the indictment was issued. Everything changed when he setup operations in Vegas. He graduated from small time movements of heroin and cocaine by the gram to major deliveries measured in kilos. His buddies back in Chicago became the end consumer. Long gone were the days of pushing dime baggies out on the street. Now he sold wholesale, fat transactions with sweet profit margins and far less risk of being snitched out by a punk ass junky popped off for banging a gram in a public bathroom.

And here he was a high roller, a shot caller, a badass, punked-out for thousands of dollars by a pinche gringo white devil with a smug smile. He scowled at the pair of fives in his hand and continued fantasizing about murdering Aaron.

* * * *

Aaron was well aware of Demarco’s malicious intents. He read all the sordid details in his mind as he raised the pot, smiling at Demarco all the while. He knew his pair of kings would win the hand unless the last card pulled a surprise. Not having learned his lesson yet, Demarco foolishly called his bet and slid another stack of chips forward on the table.

When the dealer laid out a queen, Demarco’s losses tallied up to $26,000. More than enough to justify murder. Demarco had once beaten a man to death over a thousand dollars’ worth of cocaine on the streets of Chicago. He now had twenty-six reasons to kill Aaron.

When his hand won again, Aaron knew it was time to leave the table. He bid everyone a good night, collected his winnings, and winked at Demarco. It was the wink that finally did it. Demarco literally saw red. The color of everything around him turned a violent shade of pinkish red as his blood pressure skyrocketed, hitting his temples in a pounding throb. The white devil had given him a migraine. He folded his hand and sat there fuming.

Aaron walked away tens of thousands richer. Worse, a drop dead gorgeous blond wrapped herself around the white devil as if she would bang him right there.

“You left them with their pants?”

“Yes love. Shirts. The phrase is ‘lose your shirt’. I feel merciful tonight. They’re still fully dressed.” Aaron caressed Michelle’s face as she cuddled with him, aligning her curves to all his sharp angles.

Demarco’s mind broadcast clearly as he watched Michelle holding Aaron intimately. Demarco seethed with a rare combination of envy and hatred. In his opinion, a woman like that deserved a real man, not some arrogant young prick. Back in the ghettos of Chicago, Aaron was what they called soft.

He glanced over his shoulder at Demarco with a look. It was not a soft look. In this one instance Demarco’s instincts were dead wrong. He was young, but not soft. Not by anyone’s definition of the word.

He scanned Demarco’s mind one last time before walking away. Green-eyed jealousy consumed his every thought. They always want what they can’t have. Aaron had become accustomed to this reaction. He and Michelle were a strikingly attractive pair. He knew onlookers considered his dark haired, dark eyed, five foot eleven frame of model caliber, but Michelle was a whole different level of attractive. If not for her petite five-foot two, she could have been a world famous runway model. Her lazy golden curls framed flawless pale skin and vibrant green eyes. Her shapely hourglass curves could win international beauty and swimsuit contests.

All who crossed paths with the couple felt the effect of the magnetic attraction they exuded. They had a phenomenal stage presence drawing the eye of any observer. As several sets of eyes tracked the couple, Aaron remembered his first night spent with Michelle. Just five weeks ago, he awoke to her angelic face and adorably incomprehensible French accent explaining, “This is the magnétisme animal of the vampires.”

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Blood Slave

Synopsis:

Her mother named her Esperanza de Salvador – Hope for Salvation. But when a girl works as an escort for Colombian cartel in the ghettos of Spanish Harlem, there wasn’t much hope, or salvation.Hope’s telepathic ability keeps her a step ahead of ruin, but her unusual gift attracts the attention of a psychotic vampire bitch. Trapped in a Manhattan penthouse with the psycho, she thought she was dead meat.

Her survival lies in the hands of Vampire Master Enrique. He seems to respect her, perhaps even care. As a measure of protection, he makes her his personal Bloodslave. Helplessly addicted to his bite, Enrique rules her every moment. As always, Hope must adapt to survive.

Swept into the decadent nightlife of Manhattan’s elite, she falls in love with Enrique and prays someday he may grow to love her, too. But is it simply a relationship of convenience? Is she nothing more than a concubine desperate to satisfy his nightly demands for blood and sex?

And forever in the background is the fear that one day the cartel boss she abandoned will hunt her down to collect on old debts.

Excerpt from BLOOD SLAVE:

I awoke in the afternoon alone in bed. I could still smell him on the sheets. Like the fool I am, I thought he’d be there. Wake up sex can be awesome, but I rarely if ever have someone there when I wake up. And it usually isn’t someone I really want there.

A dining cart awaited me with pizza, bottled water, a couple cans of Ensure protein shakes, and a note. The pungent aroma of the chicken pesto pizza had me ravenous. I inhaled two pieces as I read Enrique’s little love note:

Dear Hope:

Please eat and drink as much as you can. You will be anemic constantly. You must take very good care of your health. The Ensure supplement will help. There will be plasma and blood transfusions available soon, you will probably need them. Take the sublingual strip Suboxone to hold off withdrawals until we meet again after sunset around 7:15 p.m. The Suboxone goes under your tongue.

I apologize for your situation. I hope we can find a way to work through this and become friends.

Love

Enrique

Okay … Suboxone. Some of the guys at the Towers mentioned it once. It helps fight off heroin withdrawals. One guy said it gave a slight buzz, but nothing like heroin. I have never and will never try heroin. I’ve seen what addicts look like, it’s really fucked up.

So why would he give me Suboxone?

And why wait till seven? Three hours from now. I didn’t want to wait for him. I wanted him here now. Right now! I wanted him to bite me again right now!

“Son of a bitch! He got me with that fucking bite. That’s what he’s been talking about. He’s got me hyped on his bite! Fucking vampires!”

I had a craving, a need, an unscratchable itch for Enrique. Three more hours to go.

* * * *

I was bouncing off the walls by 5:30 p.m.. The Suboxone helped get rid of my headache, and I had a decent buzz going. None of that solved the craving I had for Enrique, or more specifically his bite. A warm bath didn’t help, the three cans of Ensure didn’t help, nor did the half bottle of chardonnay, although it kicked up my buzz nicely.

By 7:16 p.m., I was ready to strip the floral print wallpaper off with my nails. Every part of my body ached for Enrique. I don’t mean pain, I mean need, desire, angst. By 7:17 p.m. I kicked at the locked door, front kicks and sidekicks. I took a few steps back to do a jumping side kick when he opened the door with the most infuriatingly calm comment on his lips.

“Did you miss me?”

I screamed and launched forward. “You son of a bitch!”

He caught me right out of the air in a graceful embrace, absorbing all my impact in his iron hard arms. Before I could react, he bit me fast and hard, right in the neck, robbing me of all sense and reason. Anger, hatred, need, frustration, all obliterated in the blast of sweet, sweet euphoria so intense it brought tears to my eyes. He carried me to the bed as I convulsed with orgasms, still held in the leech’s embrace as if he cared for me. It’s a good thing I didn’t have any underwear on beneath my bathrobe, I would’ve had to change them. My inner thighs were soaked by the time he let up.

I hated and loved him. I wanted to kill him, fuck him, and kiss him, all at the same time. What a mess. Hate won the toss up as the strongest sentiment of the moment.

“I hate you.” I spoke in a quiver, breathless from his bite.

“I expected as much. It’s regrettable, but under the circumstances you left me no choice.” He sighed.

“That’s all you have to say? What did you do to me?”

“I know this seems bad. I understand you’re upset, and rightfully so. I apologize, but it was necessary.”

“What do you mean?”

“I had to assure your loyalty. I had to bind you to me. There was no other way.”

“What do you mean bind? How am I bound? I can’t read your mind! You have to tell me what you’ve done to me. Why do I want to be with you all the time? Why do I need you to bite me?”

“I understand. It must be upsetting you can’t get in here.” He tapped his finger on his skull. “The only name for your condition I have ever known is an archaic terminology I learned from my master over a century ago. He called them ‘Bloodslaves’. I think it’s an inappropriate title. I have no intention of making you a slave.”

“If I’m not a slave then why don’t you let me go home?” I whined.

“Querida, you know too much. It was bad enough you knew of our existence. Then Lia brought you here. She is a constant strain on my patience. If she had let you be, the situation would’ve diffused itself. I imagine you considered her an eccentric. As it stands now, I can’t let you go. To be truthful, your particular talents are intriguing. I’m beginning to like the idea of having you around.”

He had me crying by then. I couldn’t go home, ever. He’d never let me go. Hating him for my captivity, I still felt this inexplicable desire to touch him, coerce him into biting me again. The bastard had me hooked like a damn heroin junky! As I stood there with tears streaming down my face, the son of a bitch hugged me.

It didn’t seem real. Like a bad dream I couldn’t wake up from. He had to let me go home.

“What if I promised I would never say a word to anyone? Who would believe me? This is all so crazy! I can’t hurt you or expose you in any way! I’m an illegal immigrant! I can’t call the police or any other government agency! Your secret’s safe with me! I don’t care who or what you are, or where you live. I just want to go home!” I begged him shamelessly. “I don’t want to be a bloodslave! And I can’t stand it here. Your mind is locked up solid. You could be lying to me! I don’t know anything about you!”

“Shush, Shush, Shush. It does no good to lament. What’s done is done. Querida … you are bound to me. The bond cannot be broken. Surely you’ve noticed the connection between us, the way you need me?”

“OH MY GOD! You did this to me on purpose!”

“Though I’m not proud of it, I’ll not lie. Yes … I did this.”

“Oh God, I’m a slave!”

“That’s not really correct. I’ve no need to stoop to such degradation. I respect you. Enough drama – let’s look at some of the positives here.”

“What’s positive?”

“I know this seems bad, and it is, but there are some benefits to this life. Come with me.”

I followed him reluctantly into the luxurious bathroom attached to my bedroom prison cell. The nicest bed/bath combo I’d ever stayed in. If I could come and go at will it would be perfect.

We stood before the mirror. “Do you notice anything different about yourself?”

I looked in my eyes. I had a post orgasm flush, anger and frustration evident on my face. My eyes were wet from crying. Nothing seemed different from the person in the mirror an hour ago when I’d taken a bath.

“What’s supposed to be different?”

I took him seriously, a new sense of fear bloomed in my gut. What had he done to me? Was I changed? Was I like him now? I opened my mouth to inspect my teeth, looking for the tell-tale fangs. Nada. Nothing changed that I could see.

Enrique snorted laughter. I elbowed him in the ribs. My temper flared up. This was my life he laughed at! The asshole felt so damn solid, like hitting a piece of wood.

He had a twinkle in his eye. “Look at your face. Do you see any bruises or black eyes?”

The bastard hadn’t even flinched when I hit him, he was impervious. He stared at me expectantly with a faintly amused expression. I looked in the mirror again. I scowled, not a very attractive look for me overall. No bruises, no black eyes, not a mark on me from yesterday’s scuffle. My elbows didn’t have any raw spots from when I’d hit the floor. The bite marks that should have been on my neck were nowhere to be found.

I again asked the question, “What did you do to me?” My voice filled with fear and awe.

“There are some pleasant advantages of repeated exposure to our bite. With each bite a small amount of venom is released into your system. This causes the euphoria. Our venom is quite beneficial over time. You’ll heal much more quickly. Your immune system will improve, a higher resistance to communicable diseases. And you’ll age more slowly than the average person. You could live to be well over a hundred. How old are you? Twenty-four? Twenty-five?”

In shock from his words, it took me a few seconds to answer. “Twenty-two”

“Oh … well you seemed a bit older. So very young to have lived through so much. It’s to your advantage. You’ll look as you do for many years to come. A good situation for someone so young, to enjoy youth for a few extra years.

“How old are you?”

“Very old.”

“You don’t look a day over thirty five.”

“Why thank you.”

The bastard had calmed me down. I chatted with him like old friends. He was so damn easy to talk to. Attractive, intelligent, kind, beautiful hazel eyes staring at me without blinking. Damn. I was falling under his spell. And why tell me all this? The more he revealed the more dangerous I became to him. He’d never let me go now, I knew too much. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! And still he stared at me with those beautiful unblinking eyes.

“I thought vampires were immortal, what’s all this hundred years shit? I could live that long just by being careful.”

“We live very long lives indeed, several hundred years or more. But you’re not a vampire.”

“Oh I get it. I’m just here for you to bite and fuck. I’m just food – a bloodslave.”

“Calmate querida. Vulgarity is so unattractive coming from such a beautiful woman. Listen to me carefully. You are not a slave. You’re my guest, permanently. That’s how you’ll be treated, that’s how it is.”

“A guest who can never leave the bedroom. That’s the same thing as a slave.”

“No more strife. Let’s get you some clothing, a few amenities. Lia has provided clothes temporarily. Get ready and I’ll return for you shortly.”

“We’re leaving? I actually get to leave the bedroom? Where are we going?”

“Yes, with me of course. I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’m taking you shopping as a gesture of goodwill. Isn’t that what all women want to do in Manhattan?”

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Ok…now the fun! Help Travis by voting on your favorite cover for The Nightlife Paris!

Be sure to check out the other bloggers who are on The Nightlife Series Book Tour:

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About the Author:

Travis Luedke is a husband, father, and author of Urban Fantasy thriller, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, and Sci-fi. He is currently catching a 3rd degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, and loving every minute of it. His recent works include “The Nightlife New York”, “The Nightlife Las Vegas” and “BLOOD SLAVE” the first novels in the Nightlife Series.

You can find him on Twitter, GoodReads and be sure to visit his blog and website!

Review….The Education of Sebastian by Jane Harvey-Berrick

Buy from Amazon

Dude Cover

Synopsis:

A friendship between the lost and lonely Caroline, and the unhappy Sebastian, leads to an illicit love that threatens them both.

Caroline Wilson is trapped in a cold and loveless marriage with an older man. When her husband finally wins a long sought-after promotion, Caroline feels she has little choice but to follow him to a new home in San Diego. There she meets Sebastian, a young man of 17.

For an all too brief summer, their happiness blooms.

But external pressures begin to bear down, not least from the overbearing David, and Sebastian’s parents begin to suspect that their son has a secret. Even Caroline’s new friend, Donna, realizes that dark passions exist below the serene surface.

My Review:

The Education of Sebastian is the first in the “Education of…” duo by Jane Harvey-Berrick and at this moment in time I am thanking all things holy that there is, in fact, another book because the ending of Sebastian’s book is a gut-wrenching, sob-inducing shocker….but, I loved every freaking page leading up to it!

Caroline has been stuck for eleven years in a marriage she thought she wanted when she met her husband at the age of 19. Now, after the eleven long years have gone by, she is starting to realize she isn’t in the kind of marriage she dreamed it would be. Her husband, a Navy doctor, is stuck in the my-wife-is-my-caretaker era and expects her to have dinner on the table promptly at 6, his uniform pressed and laid out for the next day and be ready to “service” him when he chooses. Now, back in San Diego after another transfer, she runs into the boy next door from when they had lived there almost 10 years before. Only now, the boy next door is a handsome 17-year-old and he hasn’t forgotten her.

Sebastian can hardly believe his eyes. Could it really be Caroline he sees on the beach? The same Caroline he has been missing since she moved away from the neighborhood when he was a young boy? The Caroline who has haunted his dreams, and fantasies, for as long as he can remember? Now, at 17, he’s decided he has to have her….and show her the impact she has had on him for all of these years.

The affair that Caroline and Sebastian carry on is intense…and illegal. They both know the consequences if they were to get caught, but when you’re in love, you feel like you can conquer the world and consequences be damned. They only have to wait 3 months before Sebastian turns 18 and the legal issues disappear. Then they can be together. Forever. Only fate isn’t on their side this time….

Holy hell. This book is INTENSE! I had mixed emotions while reading it and the fact that Sebastian was 17. Then I would stop and think…I knew how I was at 17. I had graduated high school, finished a semester of college and had met my future husband and knew we would be married. So, I couldn’t find fault with Caroline falling for a teenager…because Sebastian wasn’t a typical teenager. His parents are WRETCHED a**holes who have treated Sebastian like an inconvenience since he was a kid, so he’s really had to grow up a whole lot faster than most. In many occurrences, being their caretaker after they come stumbling home drunk. I felt badly for Caroline, being stuck in an impossible marriage, and could understand falling for Sebastian. He is so different from her husband. He is kind, affectionate and open…in other words, everything a woman loves. I was so nervous while reading this book. Each interlude Caroline and Sebastian shared, I was sure they were going to be caught. As the end of the book got closer and closer I was hoping it would end well for them….well, since there is a second book, I’m sure you can get an idea of how it did end. I won’t ruin it for you, but I will say that I was a sobbing mess. I will be diving into the Education of Caroline, the next book, as soon as I finish typing this review!

If you’re looking for an intense, passionate, emotional story then put this book on your list! Thank you Ms. Harvey-Berrick, for an incredible read!

Four Loves

COVER REVEAL…In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

Read-Love-Blog is proud to be a part of the cover reveal for IN TOO DEEP, the debut romance novel from Michelle Kemper Brownlow, COMING June 6, 2013!

“The day he said “I love you,” should have been the day she said, “Goodbye!”

Synopsis:

Gracie has just finished her freshman year of college in Memphis when she takes a job at a local pizza joint in her home town of McKenzie, Tennessee. She is the epitome of innocence when she meets Noah. Noah is unabashedly handsome, intriguingly reckless and just cocky enough to be sexy. Gracie’s instincts tell her to stay far away from him and based on the stories she hears from her co-workers he leaves broken hearts in his wake. But still, she can’t explain her fascination with him.

Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when what he thought was a summer crush has him unexpectedly falling in love. But soon after Gracie transfers to UT Knoxville to be with Noah, their unexpected love becomes riddled with anger, deceit and humiliation.

Jake, Noah’s former roommate and Gracie’s best friend, can no longer be a bystander. Gracie’s world falls out from beneath her and when she breaks she turns to Jake for strength. As Jake talks her through a decision she’s not yet strong enough to make, together they uncover a truth so ugly neither of them is prepared for its fallout. Will Jake pull her to the surface or is Gracie Jordan finally In Too Deep?

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About the author:

Little known facts (until now) about Michelle Kemper Brownlow:

1. I live in my little black Converse sneaks.

2. I LOVE to kiss. LOVE IT!

3. I don’t eat things that breathe.

4. I am a sucker for love.

5. I have a secret sugar stash in my kitchen…muaaaah aaahhh ahhhh!

6. I actually like brussel sprouts.

7. I’m a music addict…have it on ALL the time. Mostly classic alternative.

8. I’ve seen 40 famous rock/country/alternative/christian bands live.

9. I bite my nails.

10. My writing day meals consist of Twizzlers and coffee.

Want to know more? You can find Michelle on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads and her website!

Review…Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

Buy from Barnes & Noble ~ Buy from Amazon

Synopsis:

An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling. Discover the story that garnered more than two million reads online.

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.

As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other. Originally only available online as The Office by tby789—and garnering over two million reads on fan fiction sites—Beautiful Bastard has been extensively updated for re-release.

My Review:

A few months ago, I had seen this title pop up here and there and was dying to read it but realized it hadn’t released yet. The other day, I get a text from my husband asking if I had heard of Beautiful Bastard and said he had read an article on it and thought I should read it….it just so happens he sent me that text on release day. I ran right out and bought it. Gotta say, I owe this review to him because I LOVED this book!

Chloe Mills is working at Ryan Media for her MBA internship. Her boss, Bennett Ryan, is a total condescending, obnoxious jackass. So much so, that her and her two best friends have dubbed him “beautiful bastard”. Unfortunately, the “beautiful” part had to be added because the man is delicious. He never fails at finding something to criticize Chloe on. Her handwriting, the volume of her voice….anything. Sad part is, even with all of the jackassery, she can’t help but being attracted to him. So when Bennett shocks the hell out of her with a somewhat shocking advance, she will have to decide if she will allow it…

Bennett Ryan prides himself on being successful and in control. Always in control. At the age of thirty, he’s accomplished more in his professional life than most men even dare to dream about. He is not one to act on irrational impulses, which is exactly what this attraction to Miss Mills is. SO many things are wrong with wanting her. She is his intern, in his family’s company. In other words, wrong on so many levels. If only she could stop this push and pull with him and stop giving his attitude back when he deserves it, it would make it so much easier to remind himself of the wrongness of the attraction. It’s a shame that one night in an empty conference room will lead to the ultimate downfall in his decision to keep Chloe at a distance.

As you may already know, this was originally published as a Twilight FanFic story. In my opinion, it went far past FanFic and blew me away. When I first started it, I kept thinking it was going to be like Fifty Shades of Grey, since both stories share the young, attractive CEO, BUT, that’s really where the similarities end. I have to say; I enjoyed this story more than Fifty. The sex was HOT and the characters were amazing.

Chloe is a fantastic heroine. She is smart, educated, sassy and doesn’t take sh@t. Yes, she has to deal with Bennett’s prick moods, but she doesn’t let him walk all over her. She gives his snark right back to him and I freaking love that! She’s not going to let anyone push her around or jeopardize her career. I admire her tenacity, especially when it came to dealing with Bennett.

Bennett is the perfect hero that keeps us guessing. He starts out as the guy-we-love-to-hate and turns into the guy-we-want-to-win-the-girl. Yes, he’s douchey. Yes, he’s used to getting everything he wants without having to ask twice. He’s also genuinely unaware of how he comes off at times, which made him more real as a character. He wasn’t so set in his ways that he wasn’t willing to try and change…especially when it came to Chloe’s opinion of him.

This book starts off hot and heavy…and by saying hot and heavy, I mean sex within the first 20 pages. The emotion between Chloe and Bennett ran high and intense. They loved to hate one another, and couldn’t stay away. What starts out as angry sex, turns into much more than they were anticipating. One of the things I liked most about this book was that it really was entirely about Chloe and Bennett. Sure, there were some business and family things thrown in but it wasn’t overwhelming and didn’t take away from the developing relationship between them. My favorite thing about this book, however, is that the chapters switched back and forth from Chloe and Bennett’s point of views. BRILLIANT! It really made me value both characters and their run of emotions that much more.

As I enter my book hangover from having finished Beautiful Bastard today, I will tell you that I highly recommend this book and have to thank my hubs again for the text on release day! Thank you to Christina and Lauren for teaming up to bring us a kick-ass read! (Oh, and for giving me another reason to love my Je Ne Regrette Rien tattoo!)

Four and a Half Loves

ARC Review & Giveaway…Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian

Only a few more days until the newest in the Midnight Breed Series releases and because I’m a huge fan of Lara Adrian and her writing, I’m giving away an ECOPY PRE-ORDER for Edge of Dawn!

Enter in the RaffleCopter below for a chance to win!

Buy from Barnes & Noble ~ Buy from Amazon

Synopsis:

In this pulse-pounding and thrillingly sensual novel, New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian returns to the mesmerizing world of the Midnight Breed, following new characters into a dark future where an uneasy peace can unravel into war—and a great betrayal can mask an all-consuming love.

Twenty years after the terror of First Dawn—when mankind learned that vampires lived secretly among them—the threat of violence reigns as the two species struggle to coexist. The only group preserving the fragile harmony is the Order, an elite cadre of Breed warriors dedicated to protecting humans and vampires alike. And in this precarious world of torn loyalties and shattered trust, Mira, a fiery squad captain, finds that every fight bears an intensely personal cost.

Raised among the Order, Mira has always believed in the warrior’s code of swift—and even lethal—justice. But the one thing she desires more than the Order’s hard-won acceptance is Kellan Archer, a sexy but troubled Breed fighter. In love with him since childhood, Mira once broke through his tough exterior during an unexpected night of rapture, but the next day he mysteriously disappeared, never to return.

Kellan didn’t think he would ever see Mira again—or have to confront the truth of why he left. After abandoning the Order years ago, he now leads a band of human rebels intent on carrying out their own vigilante rule of law. Yet a high-profile kidnapping assignment brings him face-to-face with the past he sought to avoid, and the striking woman he has tried desperately to forget. And as tensions mount and the risk of bloodshed grows, Kellan and Mira must take sides—between the competing missions that dominate their lives, and the electrifying passion that claims their hearts.

Review:

Although I have been a fan of Lara Adrian for some years now, I had taken a break a little while back and had sadly lost touch with the Midnight Breed world. I had recently gotten back into the series and was extremely lucky to get my hands on an advance copy of the latest installment, Edge of Dawn. Let me say this…I have been reacquainted with my Midnight Breed obsession and boy, it’s good to be back!

This story takes us into the future of the Order and gives us a glimpse into what is in store for our beloved otherworldly warriors. The shaky truce that the humans and vampire races have been keeping is threatened to be broken beyond repair. It is now in the Order’s hands to keep what little trust there is intact. Dealing with the rebels’ usual antics and the typical human contempt toward the vampire race, the last thing the Order needs is another threat. I’m not one to put spoilers in my reviews, so I can’t go into detail but I will tell you…this is one hell of mess.

On top of having to worry about normal Order patrols, Mira, the female warrior raised in the Order by Renata and Niko, is still nursing the broken heart she received eight years ago when her love, Kellan Archer, was killed. She has vowed to dispatch retribution to the rebel scum responsible for his death. It’s that desire for revenge that puts her on a security mission that will lead her down a path that will change her life forever.

Kellan Archer has been living a lie for the past eight years. He’s currently the leader of a small rag-tag group of human rebels fighting for the side of good. The problem is….a rebel is a rebel no matter what side you’re fighting for. The newest mission is to put a stop to technology that could wipe out the entire breed race. Imagine his surprise when a certain female warrior member of the Order gets mixed up in his plan and ends up a hostage in his camp.

I friggin loved this story. Lara has such a remarkable style about her writing. She switches gears from achingly tender love scenes to kick ass fighting scenes with such smooth transition that it is truly a gift to read. The characters have such depth…I laughed, cried, got utterly pissed and ultimately ended thoroughly satisfied. The twists and turns in the plot were stellar and the direction Lara has the future of the Order headed in is sure to keep longtime Midnight Breed readers on board and certainly will pull new readers in for years to come. Thank you, Lara, for another amazing read!

Five Loves

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Valentine’s Day in Dog Tags Event: Interview and GIVEAWAY

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today is the big finale of my Valentine’s Day in Dog Tags Event!

Recently, I was lucky enough to have a moment to chat with Skye, Tim, Madison and Jeremy and see what they are planning for their holiday. I was also lucky enough to have some fun with author Jeanette Murray and see what her idea of Valentine’s Day fun is!

I am giving away an eCopy of The Officer Says I do and The Officer Breaks the Rules since I know you guys will love the series as much as I do. You can enter to win in the rafflecopter below!

Enjoy!

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Ok…since I don’t want to ask the same old questions that I’m sure you guys hear all the time (the dreaded “so, when are you having kids?” for you, Skye and Tim) I figured, since we are celebrating Valentine’s Day soon, I’d see what you all had planned! No groaning and pouting, you know you want to tell me some juicy details….

~ Skye and Tim: So…..any fantastic Valentine’s Day plans?

Skye: “You know, I had this wonderful plan to head out to a little restaurant two streets over from Fletcher’s, because who wants to have their special evening where they work? Quiet dinner, just the two of us. That is, until someone managed to pull overnight duty…”

Tim: “I’m sorry! Look, I don’t choose the hours of who gets stuck with duty. You go when it’s your time. It would be irresponsible and a bad example to pawn it off on someone else. And besides, we’ll get a better table the next night. No competition for the day after Valentine’s Day.”

Skye: “Yeah, fine. So you told me. Let’s just say…you owe me.”

Tim: “I’m sorry, I thought you didn’t even like all that traditional stuff.”

Skye: “Maybe I’m a romantic at heart.”

Madison: “Of course you are. You married my brother thanks to Fate, right? That has to have its root in romance.”

Skye: “Good point.”

Tim: “Thanks, Madison.”

~ Madison and Jeremy: How about you two? Anything special planned?

Madison: “At the risk of Skye killing us, we’re ordering in and watching a double-header. His pick, then my pick of movies.”

Jeremy: “It’ll be an early night, since Madison has work the next morning.”

Madison: “But I’m glad for the chance to spend it together.”

Skye: “Okay, I’m going to just smother you. I have keys to both your apartments.”

Tim: “Not helping, Mad. After all that Fate junk earlier—”

Skye: “Junk?!”

Tim: “I mean…Fate talk…you pull that.”

Madison: “Whoops! My bad.”

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And now, for the awesomesauce author, Jeanette, I have some word association fun! (no groaning and pouting from you either haha!)

First word that comes to mind……

– Conversation hearts: Blah (Not a fan!)

– Roses: Ahhh-choo! (Allergic)

– The color pink: Tot (3 year old daughter’s favorite color EVA!!!!)

– Edible underwear (sorry, I couldn’t resist!): Disaster (…waiting to happen)

hahahahahaha Apparently I am a Valentine’s Day FAILURE! No, but really, out of all the Valentines in the past we have been dating or married, Hubs and I have been physically together for…wait for it…two. Out of ten. Not a great record, right? So I’ve sort of just trained myself to not expect magic on the holiday. But, on the plus side, this gets me out of having to worry about what to do for him. So there’s the bright side. One year, just randomly, he had an Edible Arrangements sent to the house. That was a nice surprise, and perfect for me since I’m allergic to flowers and I love fruit. But otherwise, we just sort of ignore its existence.

But I think if I had to choose to make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day, I’d pick Madison and Jeremy’s date over Tim and Skye’s. Watch a movie or two on the couch, have a meal ordered in, and just veg. I’m all about it. Fancy dinners are nice but I’m lazy and getting dressed up stresses me out. Haha

So there are all my deep, dark Valentine’s secrets. I’m a lazy slob. 🙂

Hope you all enjoyed the fun interview and Valentine’s Day in Dog Tags!

Special thanks to Jeanette for joining in on the fun and for writing some kick ass heros!

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Valentine’s Day in Dog Tags Event: Review…The Officer Breaks the Rules by Jeanette Murray

Today continues the Valentine’s Day in Dog Tags Event!

Jeanette Murray’s Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful Series is one of my favorites and in honor of the series, I’m having some Valentine’s fun!

Today’s post is my review of The Officer Breaks the Rules, Madison and Jeremy’s story. For the big finish on Valentine’s Day, tomorrow, I’ll have an EXCLUSIVE interview with Tim, Skye, Madison, Jeremy and the amazing author herself, Jeanette Murray!

I’ll also be giving away an eCopy of both books with the interview!

So, enjoy the reviews and interviews and be sure to enter to win on February 14th!

Buy on Amazon ~ Buy on Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Captain Jeremy Phillips believes in doing his duty…both as a son and as a friend. This means that he should obey the “friend code” and stay away from his best friend’s little sister. Too bad Madison O’Shay doesn’t believe in his code and is ready to break all of the rules

As a Navy nurse, Madison is finally stationed next to the man she’s been dreaming about for years. And she’s ready to launch a full-scale attack to show this thoughtful, handsome Marine that they belong together.

My Review:

This is the second book in Jeanette Murray’s Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful Series and I was so excited to read it after LOVING the first in the series, The Officer Says I Do. I was not disappointed! In fact, I loved it even more than the first!

Madison has been in love with Jeremy for quite some time now….years in fact. She has a sneaking suspicion that he may have feelings for her, too. Now, after a delicious but disastrous first kiss, she has concocted a plan to ensure she wins the man she knows she’s meant to be with. Poor Jeremy doesn’t stand a chance….

Jeremy has it bad…he’s head over heels for Madison. Who wouldn’t be? She’s smart, beautiful, spunky, a real spitfire…and his best friend’s little sister. In other words: off-limits. After kissing her, he knows he’s gotta walk away. Only that proves to be a losing battle when Madison sets her sights on showing him exactly why they are meant to be together. Add trying to please his father in continuing with a career as a Marine, a career he isn’t sure is for him anymore, and Jeremy is just plain tired. Tired of fighting the losing battle with Madison and tired of being someone he’s not to his father. Now the question is….what the hell’s a guy to do?

Good Lord…I loved every minute of this book. The push and pull between Madison and Jeremy was delectable! Madison is an amazing heroine. She’s strong willed and went for the prize, consequences be damned! She is exactly my kind of gal. Jeremy broke my heart and was a hero so worth fighting for. He’s the kind of guy that puts those he loves ahead of himself and always thinks of himself second. He’s loyal and kind-hearted but doesn’t like to show his soft side to many. He is a Marine, after all! Together they complete each other in the most perfect way. I laughed while reading this book, cried while reading this book, got über frustrated with both Jeremy and Madison while reading this book and ultimately finished feeling utterly contented and so very happy.

Plus, we also got to see our fave characters from the first book, Tim and Skye, and found out a teensy bit more about the mysterious Veronica, Skye’s cousin. I’m also guessing that the next on the series will be featuring Veronica and Dwayne *squeeeeee*

Thank you Jeanette for reminding me how amazing it feels to fall in love with a book. I’ve SO missed having that “I need to drop all responsibilities and READ” feeling! I’m eagerly awaiting the next book…can’t wait!

Five Loves

Valentine’s Day in Dog Tags Event: Review…The Officer Says I Do by Jeanette Murray

I’m so excited to announce that this review kicks off the “Valentine’s Day in Dog Tags” event!

Jeanette Murray’s Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful Series is one of my favorites and in honor of the series, I’m having some Valentine’s fun!

Today’s post is my review of The Officer Says I Do, Tim and Skye’s story. Tomorrow’s post is my review of The Officer Breaks the Rules, Madison and Jeremy’s story. For the big finish on Valentine’s Day, I’ll have an EXCLUSIVE interview with Tim, Skye, Madison, Jeremy and the amazing author herself, Jeanette Murray!

I’ll also be giving away an eCopy of both books with the interview!

So, enjoy the reviews and interviews and be sure to enter to win on February 14th!

Buy at Amazon ~ Buy at Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

He’s a Marine…she grew up on a commune.

He always puts duty first…she’s a free spirit with an unshakable belief in Fate.

He loves routine and order…she brings chaos and creativity wherever she goes

Captain Timothy O’Shay is on pre-deployment leave in Las Vegas when he meets Skye McDermott. For once, Tim lets loose and the two hook up. But in the morning, Tim wakes up to discover he’s married to a woman who’s the polar opposite of what he always envisioned in a wife.

But Skye is sure that this is fate, and that they are destined to be together. Can she convince him to stay with her before he’s deployed?

My Review:

The beginning of this story starts out with three best friends, and Marines, having one last night before deploying on their latest mission. A night filled with gambling, girls and a few drinks…well, for one of the trio, more than just a few drinks….

Tim is always the one in control. Always the one making sure his buddies keep things somewhat level. And damn, sometimes that just sucks. So tonight, he’s gonna give up the babysitting duties and live a little…what’s the worst that can happen?

Skye is out with her two besties for a typical night of Vegas fun. Since they live and work in Vegas, this will just end up being a normal night out with some drinks and girlie fun….how much different than all other nights out can it really be?

Imagine the surprise when Skye and Tim wake up the next day……married.

The thing that I loved most about this story was it’s backwards way to a happy ending. It was so refreshing! Skye believes that everything happens for a reason so when she wakes up to find her new husband gone, she is determined to find him and figure out a way to make it work. Since Tim is a total straight-laced rule follower you can imagine how he takes to something as free spirited as the idea of fate. However, the one thing they can both agree on is that maybe this relationship deserves a go of it. And so the journey begins…

Skye and Tim are so endearing, both as a couple and on their own. The completely opposite personalities end up complimenting each other in the most amazing ways. I was pulling for them from the very first chapter. The internal turmoil each of them experienced was so valid and honest…never once was I in my common eye roll mode over a heroine’s shallow complaint about something trivial. Both Skye and Tim are so eager to please each other and try so hard that their efforts were truly heartwarming. That doesn’t mean they don’t stumble along the way.

I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed it from start to finish. It’s happy-ending-in-reverse made for a fabulously interesting read! Thank you, Ms. Murray, for a fantastic story! I cannot WAIT for the other two books in this trilogy!

Five Loves

Blog Tour, Character Interview & GIVEAWAY…The Shadowguard Series by Michelle Zink

I was lucky enough to catch the characters from Temptation’s Heat and Temptation’s Kiss and had a few minutes to chat with them and answer some things I’ve been DYING to know since I finished reading….

Enjoy!

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~ So, Scarlet, now that you gave up on resisting Rowan’s bad boy charm, how are you guys doing? Do you regret anything that led you to this point?

“Have you seen him? Would YOU regret anything that led him to your bed?”

~ Rowan, have you gone back in to watch Scarlet spar with the other warriors since that day with Kane?

“That’s a negative. I was told in no uncertain terms that hurting my warrior brethren was off-limits, and since the urge to smash faces when someone hurts Scarlet is basically overwhelming, watching her train is off-limits, too.”

~ So….what’s next for you two?

*Scarlet, looking slyly at Rowen* “Well, there is a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge.”

*Rowen, glaring at interviewer* “Time for you to be on your way.”

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~ Lily, girl, first let me say, you have delicious taste in lingerie! I’m sure Kane will agree *wink*….ok, ok, how’s the bakery idea doing? Any concepts you’d like to share with us?

*Lily, blushing* “Not yet. And lingerie isn’t so different from a decadently topped cupcake. Everything’s better with a little icing.” *winks*

~ Kane, did you finally get around to telling Ambrose you were dating Lily? How’d that go? *shrinking back in my seat hoping it didn’t go badly*

“Ambrose was surprisingly accepting of the idea. Ivan is another story.” *grumbles about protective big brothers*

~ Ok, I gotta ask you two also…..what’s next for you guys?

*Kane, glancing at Lily* “I’m hoping for a houseful of kids, cookies in the oven, and Lily in my arms.”

*Lily beams*

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~ Lily and Scarlet, how is your brother these days? Is he still a royal pain in the ass?

*Scarlet rolls eyes* “Is the sky blue? Is water wet? Is Rowen hotter than hot?”

(Lily) “Come on, Scarlet. He HAS been better since he met-”

(Scarlet) “Shhhh! Are you crazy? You’re going to spoil their fun!”

*Lily nodding* “You’re right. They’ll just have to read the next book.”

Way to leave us hanging, ladies! I know I can’t wait for Temptation’s Fire on February 15th!

Hope you enjoyed the interview and be sure to enter the giveaway for an eCopy of Temptation’s Heat below and go to Michelle Zink’s website for more information and more about her and her books!

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Blog Tour, Reviews & GIVEAWAY….The Shadowguard Series by Michelle Zink

I am honored to be a part of The Shadowguard Series by Michelle Zink Blog Tour!

Below are my reviews for the first two books in the series, Temptation’s Heat and Temptation’s Kiss. They can be found exclusively at Amazon. The newest book, Temptation’s Fire, releases February 15….and has a positively lickable cover. Yum. Also, you can enter to win an eCopy of Temptation’s Heat in the RaffleCopter below.

Oh, and I will be having more fun with the Shadowguard today in an EXCLUSIVE interview with our favorite characters from the series!

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Temptation’s Heat by Michelle Zink

Synopsis:

When Rowen Black is assigned to the elite unit of angelic assassins known as the Shadowguard, he thinks his biggest challenge will be overcoming his less-than-stellar reputation. But that’s before he meets his match in Scarlet Montgomery.

Beautiful, strong, and with a temper to match Rowen’s own, Scarlet is focused on the Shadowguard and her possible future as its leader. She’s become an expert at keeping her personal life separate from the Guard, all too aware that as the boss’s daughter, fellow warriors see her not as someone to be respected, but as someone to be protected.

Avoiding entanglements gets a lot harder when Rowen saunters into the room. Rowen puts the bad in “bad boy.” Their connection is hot, visceral, and instantaneous.

When the pair are assigned to a joint investigation, they come face-to-face with their undeniable attraction, forcing Scarlet to consider that the connection is not only physical, but a destiny written in the halls of time.

My Review:

This is the first novella in the Shadowguard Series by Michelle Zink. The thing about novellas, to me, is that sometimes they fall flat. This novella, however, hit the target dead on!

Rowen, a tall and delicious dark-haired warrior, is newly assigned to the Shadowguard….a unit of assigns charged with keeping the treaty between the angelic and demonic worlds intact. He is looking forward to his new assignment and leaving his old life, and troubles, behind. He isn’t planning on meeting Scarlet, a fellow Shadowguard warrior who also happens to be the boss’s daughter. Talk about a really bad combo when your reputation screams bad-boy! He knows he should stay away but she is just too damn alluring and he knows his resistance is shot. Lucky for Rowen, Scarlet is fighting the same attraction to him and she knows this is a battle she won’t be winning.

Meanwhile, the Shadowguard is looking at the possibility of a mole within the organization. They are being framed for a murder that will destroy the treaty, along with the peace it has kept for all of these years.

This was a fantastic story and regardless of the amount of pages, the heat between Rowen and Scarlet leaps off of the pages. Rowen and Scarlet are SCORCHING together! I cannot wait to continue on with this series and learn more about the entire Shadowguard unit and what the future holds for all of them! Thank you, Michelle, for an amazing story!

Four Loves

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Temptation’s Kiss by Michelle Zink

Synopsis:

Lily Montgomery is perfectly happy taking care of everyone else. That is, until her friendship with Shadowguard warrior, Kane Dawson, begins to blossom into something more.

But Lily has a secret. One that will keep her from ever making her feelings known to Kane.

One of the Shadowguard’s fiercest warriors, Kane has a soft spot for Lily. A long-standing member of the Shadowguard, he can’t figure out when his feelings for Ambrose Montgomery’s youngest daughter morphed from brotherly affection into desire and an unfamiliar longing that feels a lot like love.

Kane holds himself in check knowing that Lily deserves better. A man in a suit, dinner at six every night, rosy-cheeked children who won’t have to worry that their father might be killed by one of the Legion’s wraiths.

But when the pair are thrown together by a set of circumstances beyond their control, they are forced to confront their growing passion and decide if love is worth the risk of baring it all.

My Review:

This is the second novella in the Shadowguard Series by Michelle Zink and focuses on the relationship between Kane Dawson, a Shadowguard warrior and Lily Montgomery, the boss’s daughter. As much as I enjoyed the first in the series, Temptation’s Heat, I absolutely LOVED this story! To say it was hot would be an understatement.

Kane and Lily have known each other for quite some time now. They know a lot about one another and are very close friends….but they are each holding a secret. The secret is the mutual attraction that has been simmering over time and is now a full-on rolling boil…the question is, will they let it boil over?

Lily is a fantastically written character. She is pure and proper but isn’t a snob. She enjoys her role within the headquarters of taking care of the Shadowguard warriors and her family. She loves the simple things in life…baking, cooking and tending to the needs of others. One thing she also loves is decadent lingerie…which she has secret hopes of wrapping herself in for Kane to enjoy opening.

Kane is equally well developed. He is a fierce warrior with a soft spot for his Lily. The gentle way he behaves toward her is so at odds with the fierceness that he fights with, but gives his personality such a balance that we truly enjoy each side of him.

Together, they are a perfect yin and yang….not to mention SIZZLING! Good Lord, the sexual tension between these two is tangible and is written perfectly! My only complaint is that I want MORE! I would so love to see where these two end up in a few years time.

This novella was a fantastic addition to the Shadowguard Series and I vote this one my fave so far. Cannot WAIT for more from Ms. Zink! Thanks again, Michelle, for an awesomely written story!

Four Loves

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And……a look at the delicious cover for Temptation’s Fire:

Don’t forget to look for an additional post today for an exclusive character interview with Rowen, Scarlet, Lily and Kane from The Shadowguard Series!

Find out additional information about Michelle Zink here.

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