Five Loves

Sugar On Top by Marina Adair….Review

“Marina Adair writes with heart and sizzling heat.”
–Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author on Sugar’s Twice as Sweet

Synopsis:

She’s sassy and sweet

The last thing Glory Mann wants is to become chairman of the Miss Peach Pageant in Sugar, Georgia. Spending months hearing nothing but the clinking of pearls and judgment? No thank you! But when Glory is forced to take the rap for a scandal she didn’t commit, the judge sentences her to head the committee. Even worse, her co-chairman is rugged, ripped . . . and barely knows she’s alive.

He’s ready and willing

Single dad Cal McGraw can’t take any more drama in his life. After a difficult divorce, his little girl became a boy-crazy teenager and his hands are full. The last thing he needs is to spend his down time with the town bad girl. Glory is pure trouble-tempting and tantalizing trouble. But he can’t deny the strong chemistry between them-or how her touch turns him inside out. Now as squabbles threaten to blow up the contest and the town of Sugar itself, Cal must risk everything on the sexy wild card to get a second chance at love . . .

My review:

Sugar On Top is the second book in author Marina Adair’s Sugar, Georgia series, and after falling in love with the series I was so excited to read this newest installment. Well, Marina has done it again. This book was just fantastic.

Poor Glory. Being stuck in a small town after having made a mistake when she was younger was proving to be hell. She would never be able to live it down and would always be reminded of that one slip up. But she was always willing to hold her head high and keep on moving forward. She was close to realizing her dream becoming a nurse and was beyond excited to start this new chapter. Of course just when she thinks all is well, she ends up in a bit of trouble and once again having to fight to get back to a good place. Only this time she had some help on her side and in her corner…Cal.

Deliciously handsome, loyal, steadfast and strong, Cal. He was also single dad and off-limits, Cal. But if there’s one thing Cal has excelled at his whole life os taking care of people and situations. He was doing a favor for his brother by rescuing Glory from this newest pickle she was in but almost immediately he realizes she could use more. More help. More support. From just one person, she could use more. She had never had that from the people in this town and it was about time he changed that. She was beautiful, smart, and one hell of a strong woman. She deserved more and he wanted to give that to her.

Small town talk, family, school, work, emotional walls a mile high. With so many complications in their way it had seemed Glory and Cal wouldn’t have their chance to explore the attraction between them. The attraction that had been going strong for too many years to count. Until fate steps in and works her magic…

This book. This series. This author. I have so much love for all! I was crying within the first ten pages of this book. Glory tugged at all of my heartstrings and I wanted nothing more than for her to prove all these busy body small town gossips wrong and to succeed in realizing her dreams with her career and her love life. I was cheering for her every step of the way. She’s one tough cookie and really deserved her happy ending. Which brings me to Cal…oh, Cal. He is the whole package. He’s a great dad, brother, and grandson. Loyal and loving with a huge heart all wrapped up in one sexy and buff package. The slow build between them was just delicious. Because of her past she’s not willing to just dive in. Because of his past, he isn’t either. But don’t worry…Cal and Glory are well aware of what’s happening between the and aren’t wiling to throw it away.

Of course, the entire cast of characters in this series is just as fantastic and play a huge part in every book. There are quirky grandmothers, interesting pets, and more than a few chuckle worthy situations. I love that so much. It adds so much to a story and I always love how Ms. Adair combines it all into one entertaining package.

Ok, now that I’ve taken up way too much of your time (I can’t help it! I love this book so much!) let me just say that if you love to root for the underdog and enjoy a wonderful romance, this is a book for you!

Thank you, Ms. Adair, for once again giving us a wonderful and heartwarming story!

Book links:

Amazon | B&N

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.

Nice Girls Don’t Ride by Roni Loren….Blog Tour Stop: Review & Excerpt

20926722

Book Blurb:

Natalie Bourne thinks she has the perfect night planned for her twenty-first birthday. But when her car breaks down and her boyfriend bails on her, she’s left stranded in an auto shop dealing with a way too cocky, way too hot mechanic, who seems to be intent on pushing every button she has.

Monroe Hawkins knows he shouldn’t be messing with a girl from the uppity private college. Especially when he can tell she sees him as the help. But he’s having trouble resisting the redhead with the smart mouth and the killer legs. So when Natalie’s night goes from bad to worse, there’s no way he’s letting her spend her birthday alone. He makes her a deal—he’ll take her home but not until the sun comes up.

Ten hours, one motorcycle, and the city of Austin at their fingertips…things are about to take a major detour. And soon, there may be no U-turn in sight.

Purchase links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ag79Fe

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

iTunes: http://apple.co/1D5r1Fo

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

My Review:

Nice Girls Don’t Ride is the newest work from author Roni Loren and admittedly the first of her work that I’ve read. Well, after reading this sweet, sexy, and sassy novella this blogger is a fan. I loved this story so damn much!

Fate had a plan when Natalie became stranded and ended up being rescued by Monroe. These two have an instant connection and share a playful banter with a clear underlying flirtatious vibe. Both Monroe and Natalie excel at witty comebacks and when they realize Natalie’s jerk of a boyfriend has ditched her on her birthday, those comebacks and banter turn from innocent to heated in record speed. Oh, how I loved it. Monroe is a tattooed knight on a iron horse and Natalie ends up being a damsel in need of a love-life rescue. I loved how their story played out and really loved how they both took a chance on exploring the pull and attraction they felt for each other. My only complaint? It wasn’t long enough…although I probably could have read 400 pages of these two and still want more!

If you’re looking for a read filled with sexy fun, this is a book that needs to be on your list! Thank you, Roni, for giving us Natalie and Monore and for giving this blogger a new go-to author!

Five Loves

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday, dear . . .

I groan and lean back against the guardrail, shielding my eyes from the piercing sunlight. How exactly should I finish that?

Girl who currently smells like sweat and roadkill?

Girl about to go broke paying for this mess?

Girl whose boyfriend will not answer his goddamned phone?

My fingers move over the screen as I text Caleb again. Where r u???

I stare at my phone, willing a response out of it, but the screen goes black before there’s any answering ding. Caleb had warned me that he was going to be cutting it close for our date tonight. And I know his internship at the local campaign office sometimes runs late when they’re prepping for a rally, but he should be out by now.

My fingers move over the screen again. R U secretly Superman in ur off hours? Come on, u can tell me. If ur saving the world, I’ll understand.

Of course, there’s still no response. And now my neck is prickling with not just sweat but anxiety. What if something happened to him? What if he was in an accident? What if—?

I stop myself before the thoughts spiral, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. Cool it, Nat. But that little exercise only gets me a lungful of the dead skunk that’s roasting in the heat a few yards away from me on the side of the highway. Blech. I press my fingers over my mouth, fighting a wave of nausea.

I check the clock on my phone for what seems like the hundredth time. The roadside-assistance lady said they would contact a local garage and get me a tow right away. But it’s been over an hour, and the only cars that have passed by have either ignored me or sent catcalls flying my way. Because, of course, my piece-of-crap car had to break down when I’m all dressed up in a low-cut dress and heels for my birthday dinner. Yay for timing.

One guy had at least offered to help and had seemed nice enough, but I’ve seen how those horror movies end. Girl on the side of the road accepts help from a seemingly harmless stranger, only to have her organs carved out later that night. No, thanks.

A grinding of tires on gravel draws my attention upward. A black tow truck rolls past me on the road and pulls to the side, sending a cloud of dust in its wake. I keep my phone clutched in my hand, quickly check the can of Mace in my purse, and then push off the guardrail. The side of the truck says Billy’s Custom Cycles and Auto Repair. There’s a tattoo-style logo of a motorcycle on fire, and I know that it’s definitely not the name of the repair shop the roadside assistance service gave me. It had been some big chain—AutoPlus or something like that. A little shimmer of nerves goes through me and I stop where I am, my heels sinking into the gravel.

The front door of the tow truck opens and a tattooed arm appears before anything else. For some reason, my eyes lock onto pieces of the man instead of the whole—like I can’t handle the entire view quite yet, only snapshots. That muscular arm as the driver slides out of the truck. The worn black motorcycle boots that hit the ground. I force myself to look up, tracking along the faded jeans and fitted black T-shirt, until I collide with a dark blue gaze.

“Looks like you need a ride.”

The deep voice startles me for a second and snaps me back into the moment like a slingshot. Ping! Pay attention, Nat. Now is not the time to let my guard down. “No, thank you, I don’t. I already have another shop on the way.”

His gaze tracks over my dusty dress, slow and lazy like, before he lifts a dark brow. “How long have you been waiting? It’s pretty hot out here.”

The once-over makes me more than a little self-conscious. He can’t be all that much older than me, early twenties for sure, but something about him is intimidating as hell. “I don’t know. Not long. I’m sure they’ll be here any second.”

He crosses his arms over his chest and eyes my car, which has chosen this moment to start smoking from under the hood—as if it senses help in its midst and is crying out for it. “What shop is coming?”

I brush at the skirt of my dress, trying to give my nervous hands something to do. I don’t want to look worried or scared or show him that I’m melting in this brutal Texas heat. “AutoPlus, AutoMart . . .”

He scowls. “Autoland.”

“That’s it.”

“You might as well set up a tent then. They take forever to get to calls, and they’ll charge you twice as much as we would. Plus, they close at six. They’re just going to tow you in and then lock up for the night.”

“Says the guy who wants to make a buck on a girl stranded on the side of the road.”

The corner of his mouth lifts. “Hey, princess, I’m just trying to be a nice guy and get you to your”—he looks me up and down again—“sorority party on time. I get paid the same either way.”

Princess? Sorority party? My eyes narrow and I give him my own head-to-toe look, taking in the messy dark hair, the tattoos, the heavy boots, the finely shaped . . . I snatch the thought back before I can go there. “Look, Son of Anarchy, I appreciate the nice guy offer, but how do I even know you’re legit?”

He snorts. “You think I drive a tow truck around for fun? Call the number on the side of the truck if you want. But otherwise, I’ve got better stuff to do than stand here in the heat, smelling roadkill. Two minutes, princess. I’ll be in the truck. You want a tow and a ride? You get in. If not, good luck with Autoland.”

He turns to go, and I feel a little dart of panic at being left alone again—even if he’s not exactly the company I want. This isn’t the best part of Austin, and the sun is on its way down. “Wait, what’s your name? You know, so I can verify.”

He doesn’t turn around but calls back. “Monroe.”

I dial the number to the shop and, of course, they verify that Monroe works for them and is driving the truck today. The guy on the phone sounds amused by my questions. And his reaction makes me realize that I’m being paranoid, that my nerves are officially frayed, and it’s making me act like a bitch. I thank the guy on the phone, hang up, and take a steadying breath. This is going to be okay. Not everyone is out to take advantage. Some people actually do things to be helpful without ulterior motives.

My mother would laugh her ass off at that logic. Everybody’s got an agenda, Nattie.

I straighten the neckline of my dress, hike my purse up my shoulder, and walk over to the tow truck with as much dignity as I can muster for a sweaty girl in a dusty dress. Monroe hasn’t climbed back into the cab, but is instead leaning against the front bumper and watching the cars zoom by on the overpass up ahead. He doesn’t look my way. “Verified that I’m not a serial killer?”

“Verified that you work for Billy’s. The serial-killer part is yet to be determined.”

He smiles out at the horizon. “Want to check the backseat for weapons or body parts?”

“I have a feeling you’d be too sneaky to leave such obvious evidence lying around. And if you aren’t that clever, I’m going to be seriously disappointed in myself if I fall victim to a dumb serial killer.”

He chuckles and it changes his whole face, warming it. When he turns his head, his blue eyes meet mine and my stomach tightens a little. I do my best not to let my reaction show on my face. Last thing I need is him thinking that I’m interested in him. Because, of course, I’m not. I’m totally not. If there’s an opposite of my type, it’s this guy. And plus, I have Caleb. Cute, smart, on-his-way-to-big-things Caleb.

Caleb, who won’t answer his goddamned phone.

Monroe pushes himself off the bumper. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult, princess, but I’ll take it you’re going to ride with me.”

“Yes. But only because I can’t handle the dead-skunk smell for another minute.”

“I’m preferable to skunk guts? The flattery just rolls off you, doesn’t it?”

The jab lands squarely. I press my fingers to the space between my eyes and rub. “Sorry. I’m really not trying to be a bitch.”

“It just comes natural, then?”

My eyes snap open and I’m ready to hurl an insult back, but I find him wearing a playful grin and clamp my lips shut.

He angles a thumb toward the truck. “Get in . . .”

“Natalie,” I supply.

“Natalie. And kick the A/C on. Getting your car hooked up is gonna take a few minutes. You may want to call someone for a ride, too, because there’s no guarantee we can get this fixed tonight. I’m assuming you have plans.”

I glance down at my outfit, suddenly self-conscious about the sexy getup. It’s not my typical style, but tonight was supposed to be special, and I had wanted to knock Caleb on his butt. He’s been so wrapped up in work and school lately that I’ve felt a little like furniture. So I borrowed my roommate’s dress with its plunging neckline and treated myself to the new risqué lingerie I’m wearing beneath. I’m not exactly Ms. Vixen normally, so Caleb would’ve never seen it coming. Now it’s all a waste.

“I have a date with my boyfriend,” I say to Monroe.

“Right. So, he can pick you up?”

“He’s not answering his phone. But I’m sure I’ll get him soon.”

Monroe makes some noncommittal noise and nods. “I’m going to get to work. You go and cool off. There’s bottled water in the ice chest in the backseat.”

“Thanks.”

Before getting in the truck, I find myself watching Monroe walk back toward my car. He’s easily over six feet tall but doesn’t move in that awkward, hunched way that most of the taller guys on campus move. There’s an easy confidence to him, like he’s fully grown into his body and taken ownership—a man’s walk. My eyes follow him as he pops the hood of my car and leans over. The hem of his shirt lifts as he bends, exposing a strip of tanned, muscular lower back. I find myself wondering what it would feel like beneath my fingers and if he has any more ink hidden under there . . . I force my eyes away.

What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t have random illicit thoughts about complete strangers. Especially not strangers who have tattoos and call me princess.

I shake my head and pull open the door on the passenger side. Maybe I have heatstroke or something.

I lay my head back against the seat and close my eyes. But all I can see is the image of my new mechanic pulling his shirt all the way off, sweat dripping off him, me putting my hands . . .

I sit straight up.

Yep, definitely heatstroke. Has to be.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

RoniLorenAuthorHeadshot2 Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.

If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that’s it. She is the National Bestselling Author of The Loving on the Edge series from Berkley Heat.

Places to find Roni Loren:

Site: www.roniloren.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoniLoren

Twitter: https://twitter.com/roniloren

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4877863.Roni_Loren

Caress Of Pleasure by Julie Kenner…ARC Review

Caress Of Pleasure releases tomorrow, 4/28

Synopsis:

I’d thought that he was mine, the dark, arresting man who commanded not only my body but my heart. Dante had swept into my life, and I’d succumbed to the burn of passion in his arms.

I’d believed we had a love that would last forever, but he’d shattered my dreams and broken me into pieces when he’d walked away, taking a piece of my soul with him.

Now he has come back seeking my help, and though I try to keep my distance and protect my heart, I cannot deny that the fire between us burns hotter than ever. And I cannot help but fear that this time our passion will reduce us both to ashes.

My Review:

Caress of Pleasure is book number 3.5 in author Julie Kenner’s Dark Pleasures series as well as the 5^th novella in the 2015 1,001 Dark Nights line-up. I have loved the Dark Pleasures series from the beginning and filled with heat, action, and mystery, this novella was a wonderful addition.

I always enjoy a story where former lovers who experienced a nasty breakup are reunited and put into a situation which forces them to be in one another’s company again. This was the case with Brenna and Dante and oh my, the emotions run high from the very first time they lay eyes on each other.

When he calls on her for her expertise in her field and to help procure a rare jeweled brooch, she wanted to tell him no. It would prove to be easier said than done when she sees him and immediately all the feelings she had thought lay dormant awaken. She also realized he hadn’t aged a bit. Not one wrinkle. Now she wasn’t just on a mission to get a brooch, she was determined to know why he had crushed her dreams all those years earlier and what was going on with him and his eternal youthful appearance.

Those missions will throw her headfirst into a world she never knew existed. A world that not only held immortal beings but an enormous amount of danger. Those missions would also bring about another chance for the love she and Dante once shared.

When I first started this series I had been in a paranormal romance funk. With each release in this series and Ms. Kenner’s unique take on the supernatural beings within these stories, I am reminded of just what makes PNR so amazing. It’s a series I will continue to look forward to and one I enjoy more and more with each installment.

Thank you, Ms. Kenner, for another amazing read and for bringing us Dante and Brenna!

Five Loves

Book links:

Amazon | 1,001 Dark Nights

About the author:

Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner and J.K. Beck) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” J.K. writes a range of stories including super sexy romances, paranormal romance, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, is in development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures.

Her most recent trilogy of erotic romances, The Stark Trilogy (as J. Kenner), reached as high as #2 on the New York Times list and is published in over twenty countries.

J.K. lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and several cats.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Need Me by Tessa Bailey…ARC Review

Need Me releases 4/21

Synopsis:

When Honey Perribow traded in her cowboy boots for stilettos and left her small Kentucky town to attend Columbia University, she never expected to find a dirt-cheap apartment or two new best friends. No stranger to hard work, Honey is completely focused on her medical degree … until she sees newly minted professor Ben Dawson, and her concentration is hijacked. Honey is fascinated by her gorgeous young English professor and vows to find a crack in his tweed-wearing, glasses-clad exterior.

At an off-campus party, an accident lands Ben in a dark, locked closet with a sexy-sounding Southern belle … and their chemistry is explosive. But when he discovers that the girl in his arms is the same beautiful student he can’t stop thinking about, he is stunned. Student-teacher relationships are strictly forbidden … yet no matter how hard he tries, Ben can’t stay away from Honey.

And when his attempt to fight their attraction nearly ruins the best thing that ever happened to him, Ben will do anything to prove how much he needs her.

My Review:

Need Me is the second book in author Tessa Bailey’s Broke and Beautiful Series, a series I am totally in love with, and follows Honey and Ben in her attempt to seduce the sexy, young professor. I. Loved. This. Book. Sexy as hell with a heaping spoonful of emotion lands his book as one of my favorites of Tessa’s to date.

Pre-Med student Honey Perribow is on a mission. A mission unlike anything she’s ever embarked on before. A mission to seduce her hot a sin English Lit professor. Now, before you think poorly of Honey, know that he’s the youngest professor at Columbia. Not too far off from her own age, to be exact. Now, back to Ben…Professor Ben Dawson. Her first attempt seemed to gain a bit of interest from him, and by a bit of interest that means he actually noticed her in class. Score one for Honey! She is happy with the progression of her seduction and can’t even believe her luck when she ends up locked in a dark closet with him. Talk about progress! Fate is on her side when it turns out Ben is best friends with her roommate Roxy’s boyfriend Louis. In all the time they’e been friends she never realized ‘her” Ben and ‘their” Ben was one in the same. Now, at a party they were throwing, and quite by accident, she’s stuck in this closet with him and knows it’s the chance she’s been waiting for. She never suspected her professor would turn out to be as naughty as he is smart and sexy. She had sure chosen the right guy to go after…but what would he say when the door opened and he realized the girl he was currently making out with was his student?

Always used to keeping himself in check, Professor Ben Dawson was sure as hell going to take advantage of this dark closet and the woman in it. Yes, it was so unlike him and no, he didn’t give a crap. He had been hard up after reading a student’s latest assignment and he needed a releases so god help him, he was going to take this chance thrown into his lap…which is where this mystery girl currently was. He shouldn’t be having any kind of thoughts like he’d been having after reading the amazing work from his student, a Ms. Perribow, but she stirred his senses in every way with her writing. He didn’t even know what she looked like, as he kept a healthy distance form his students. He was too close in age and didn’t want to cross the line from professor to friend. Little did he know that he was crossing that line in this closet…imagine his surprise when the door opens and he realizes who the mystery closet woman was.

Yes, their story starts out with a bit of a hiccup. Yes, it seems like it would never work. No, it doesn’t matter even a little bit. Their attraction that starts out on one level turns into so much more and it’s truly undeniable. But is it worth possibly risking careers over? Was there a way to make this work or were Honey and Ben doomed from the start…

Good. Lord. I thought I loved this series already. Ha! This book is just so much. SO damn much. Ok, I’m babbling. As I said earlier, Ben and Honey’s story wins out as one of my favorites of Tessa’s yet. This book also has a first line I will be able to quote at the drop of a hat, like Chase Me. There was just so much to this story and it was done so beautifully. Ben is a complex guy with a screwed up childhood that has had a hand in the way he views relationships now. It’s not good, to put it nicely. So he isn’t exactly thrilled when Honey starts things up in that closet. He never would have started anything with a student. But the problem now is that he’s totally hooked on her. She’s smart, sexy, and unlike any girl he’s ever known. He will try to push her away and all those times will fail leading them into some of the hottest scenes I’ve ever read. Bless all things hot and heavy! And Honey is amazing, She’s real and true and goes after what she wants. Whether it be starting her own little league as a kid (which had me crying my eyes out and loving her even more) to going after Ben. But Ben, being torn in all sorts of directions, screws up with Honey. Good thing he knows how to redeem himself and also had my crying more than once. He is such a dichotomy with his butted up and careful exterior and the sexy dirty talker lying under that exterior, Damn, he is insanely delicious. The ups and downs they go through and pretty damn intense but in the end, it was all totally worth it….because the ending goes down as movie worthy genius.

We also get to see more of the cast I’ve grown to love and I have a feeling we will be seeing Abby and Russell get together soon! (Please, PLEASE, let us see that!)

Tessa, thank you for Ben and Honey. Thank you for their amazing story. Thank you for being an author I continue to love and look forward to reading more of!

Five Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

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

Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye….Review and Excerpt Blog Tour Stop

Synopsis:

Hard Ink Tattoo owner Jeremy Rixey has taken on his brother’s stateside fight against the forces that nearly killed Nick and his Special Forces team a year before. Now, Jeremy’s whole world has been turned upside down—not the least of which by a brilliant, quiet blond man who tempts Jeremy to settle down for the first time ever.

Recent kidnapping victim Charlie Merritt has always been better with computers than people, so when he’s drawn into the SF team’s investigation of his army colonel father’s corruption, he’s surprised to find acceptance and friendship—especially since his father never accepted who Charlie was. Even more surprising is the heated tension Charlie feels with sexy, tattooed Jeremy, Charlie’s opposite in almost every way.

With tragedy and chaos all around them, temptation flashes hot, and Jeremy and Charlie can’t help but wonder why they’re trying so hard to be good…

My Review:

Hard To Be Good is book number 3.5 in author Laura Kaye’s Hard Ink series, a series I have loved reading since the very beginning, and follows the growing attraction between our fave tattoo artist, Jeremy Rixey, and our fave computer guru, Charlie Merritt. I’ve got two words for this book: freaking delicious.

While things had been getting more and more intense for the Hard Ink crew in their search for the truth, the situation has reached a fever pitch. In this story we catch up with the series right after a huge explosion leveled part of the rag-tag crew’s operation and ended up killing a couple important members of the group. It had rocked everyone. Including Charlie and Jeremy. Both of whom had different reasons for being completely unsettled. Charlie felt terrible that all of these people had been dragged into things because of his rescue. Jeremy felt like his efforts weren’t enough and he had an inability to help more than what he was already doing. The two of them almost felt like outsiders in a way. Luckily they had each other. To understand the shared troubles. To lend a shoulder to lean on. To share comfort in each other’s company. There had been a slow building attraction between them and although neither one was 100% certain, there was no denying something heating was simmering between them. This tragedy, as awful s it may be, could end up being the push they need to take their relationship to the next level…

I have loved both Jeremy and Charlie since this series began. Charlie for his silent courage and his genius tech brain. Jeremy for his loyalty and his amazing sense of humor. As each of the characters in this book were finding their mates, their partners, I was waiting for the day Jeremy and Charlie would both find theirs. Finding that mate in each other? A-freaking-mazing. Laura Kaye delivered. Not only on the heat and delicious tension building between these two. Not only on the physical magic that happens between them. Because, yes, she gave us those fantastic things, delivered on a sexy plate. But what I really and truly appreciated most were the emotions Jeremy and Charlie shared. The tender and special moments that we saw in the way Jeremy touched Charlie. The way Charlie looked at Jeremy. The things their body language showed what, at times, they didn’t know how to express in words. Those moments made me so very happy for these two incredible men. These men who deserve their happy ending and who Laura gave it to so beautifully and reverently.

What Laura gave Jeremy and Charlie was a beautiful gift and I will forever be grateful to her for taking the chance. For writing their story. I realize that even though it’s 2015, same-sex couples, in real life as well as in books, still don’t have the simple joy of being accepted as they are. The beings they were born as. It’s hard for me to understand the disapproval and the hatred over two people finding love. It’s hard for love not to be accepted because of something as unimportant as gender. I admire the people and the voices who take the chance…the bravery for putting themselves out there and risking scrutiny for simply embracing the love between two humans. I admire those people, and I stand with you and support you. I admire and appreciate Laura for writing this story. I thank her for loving love.

Thank you, Laura, for Hard To Be Good. Thank you for once again giving me a story that will stay with me and one I will recommend time and time again.

Five Loves

Excerpt:

Standing between Charlie’s knees, Jeremy held the man’s hands and gave him a million little kisses. For a long moment, they were just together quietly, their foreheads resting against each other.

Family.

Being with Charlie felt so damn natural. Like they’d always known each other. Like they belonged together. Like they were the best of friends—only so much more.

Family.

The realization that Jeremy was having these kinds of feelings about a man was surprising only because all his other encounters had been casual, just for fun.

But this was Charlie. And that made everything different. That made everything … more.

Jeremy stroked his knuckles down Charlie’s handsome face. “Thank you for that.”

Charlie gave a small smile. “You, too. I’ve never … done that before with someone who was pierced.”

“No? Was it different?” Jeremy asked.

His cheeks turned pink, just the littlest bit, and it made Jeremy smile. Charlie was adorable and cute and sexy as hell by turns. “It was like another sensation. Cool when your skin was hot. And harder against the back of my throat than I’m used to.” Charlie peered up at him from behind longish lengths of his hair. “I really liked it,” he said quietly.

Smiling, Jeremy pressed a kiss to Charlie’s temple. “I really liked it, too.” They both chuckled.

“I want you to know something,” Jeremy said, taking a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts … and his courage. But he didn’t want Charlie having any more doubts. Not about him anyway.

“Okay.”

“I’ve loved the things we shared today, Charlie. For real. But what I’m feeling for you isn’t just physical. It’s something more. I’m not sure what yet, I …” Jeremy shrugged. “… don’t want you to think this is just about sex for me.”

HARD TO BE GOOD on Goodreads

And don’t miss the other Hard Ink books, now available:

Praise for the Hard Ink Series:

 ”TOP PICK! If you’re looking for danger, gritty action, and sizzling passion, then Kaye has just the book and the series for you.” ~RT Book Reviews Magazine

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren….ARC Review

Beautiful Secret releases tomorrow, April, 14!

Synopsis:

AN UPTIGHT BRITISH EXECUTIVE. AN ADVENTUROUS AMERICAN NEWBIE. A SEXY INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL IN THE MAKING.

New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Christina Lauren’s Beautiful and Wild Seasons series hook up in Beautiful Secret for an erotic intercontinental romp that celebrates the best of both worlds!

When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.

Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?

My Review:

Beautiful Secret is the 4th book in the Beautiful Bastard Series brought to us by the dynamic writing duo of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. I have been a super fan girl to the extreme of this series since the very beginning and I know I’ve said it before, but these two gals just keep getting better with each book. Niall and Ruby totally go down as one of my favorite book couples of all time. With her spunky, fun personality and his buttoned up reserve, these two were an opposites attraction made in heaven.

California girl Ruby Miller was living in London and realizing her engineering dreams and life was pretty damn good. Making it even better was getting to see the tall, dark, and handsome Niall Stella in the office each day. She had stared from afar, with stars in her eyes while signing dreamily, for months now and when she gets the news that she’s to accompany him on a trip to NYC for a project, she’s all out of sorts and feeling too many things. He was recently divorced, and ripe for the taking, if she could just get up the nerve and not make an arse of herself while doing it. That, of course, would prove much easier said than done. Let the games begin…

Young and successful, Niall Stella at one time had had it all. Now, he wasn’t sure what that even meant anymore. Sure he had a great career and loved what he did but his life was lacking in the love department. And if he’s being honest with himself, it was lacking long before he and his ex-wife had split up. These last few months alone had him realizing maybe her never knew what real love had been. Maybe he never would? Lucky for him fate had thrown him a bone when he was paired with the bright and full of life intern, Ruby. Now he just had to realized the gift that’s been handed to him…

They are opposites in every way. She’s colorful and bright with a lust for life that oozes out of into facet of her life. He’s reserved and conservative making a stiff upper lip look damn good in a three-piece suit. But never before have two opposites fit more perfectly in every way that matters than the way these two do.

It’s at this point I just want to type “buy this book” repeatedly for the rest of this review, because really, you just need to trust me when I say you need this book. But alas, with so much to swoon over, I promise I’ll give you more than a phrase set on repeat (but seriously, get this book!).

This story, hands down, was the most emotional in the series for me. Niall is every woman’s dream. He’s successful, handsome, well-mannered, smart and kind. He’s got a reserved grace that would make any woman weak in the knees. Any woman except his ex-wife. Things had truly gone sour between them and even though they ended things amicably and on good terms, it ruined something in Niall. It left him doubting himself and his worth as a lover and as a man. God, my heart broke for him too many times to count. I wanted to reach into the pages and just hug him. Enter Ruby. If ever there was someone tailor-made for Niall it’s Ruby. If ever there was anyone able to build Niall back up to the loving and passionate potential he has buried deep within it’s Ruby. She is one of the best book gals I’ve read to date. Not only is she smart and sassy, she is funny as all get out and is filled with such honest passion that you can’t not love her. Together they are just…just…incredible.

Their journey in getting Niall to kick his doubt to the curb is a smoking hot one. Never had non-sex been so damn sexy! But then again, with Christina and Lauren writing it, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Their banter was delicious and their slow journey into intimacy was not only smoking hot, it was a thing of beauty. Truly.

I felt so many things while reading Beautiful Secret. I laughed (a whole lot) and I cried (a whole lot). I ignored all responsibilities and read this book from cover to cover because Niall and Ruby were just that consuming…and I just adored every minute spent with them.

Thank you. Christina and Lauren, for once again writing an amazing couple on an amazing ride to an amazing relationship. You gals never cease to amaze me and I will continue to look forward to each and every release you put out.

Five Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Target

About the authors:

Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, bestie to a shoe-stealer, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.

Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you’ll probably find her on tumblr. She is married and absolutely not old enough to be the mom of a 14 year old (right??), thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter. She also likes to steal Lo’s shoes.

You can follow their shenanigans at:

@lolashoes (Lauren) & @seeCwrite (Christina) on Twitter. On Tumblr! where we post kissing gifs and writerly stuff and Wattpad for short stories and sneak peeks!

For official information about their books, events, interviews, movie news and more, follow @christinalauren.

Master Of Freedom by Cherise Sinclair…ARC Review

Synopsis:

Detective Atticus Ware gave up Idaho to start again in the California mountains, close to his imprisoned brother. Although he’s found good friends, the experienced Dominant wants more than the “do me” submissives flocking around him. He needs a woman to give her heart as well as her body.

After Virginia Cunningham exhausts herself propping up a failing relationship, she accepts a social worker job far, far away in a California prison. Invited to observe BDSM classes on a wilderness camping trip, she’s shocked—her fiancé had insisted BDSM was a fabrication to sell books. But when Atticus lures her into participating, she learns submission under the hands of a powerful Dom is beyond anything she’d imagined. Nonetheless, she can’t permit a relationship—she’d just lose herself again.
Finally, Atticus has found the woman he wants in his life. In his bed. In his cuffs. Only she keeps backing away. Well…if he has to help a little counselor get her head on straight, he’s just the Dom for the job.

My Review:

Master Of Freedom is book number four in the 2015 1,001 Dark Nights lineup as well as book number five in author Cherise Sinclair’s Mountain Masters & Dark Haven series. Admittedly this is the first in the Mountain Masters & Dark Haven Series I’ve read and after finishing this novella, I will be adding the entire series to my to-read list. I loved every single word of this story. Every single minute I spent reading it. It was phenomenal.

New to town, Virginia Cunningham was thrilled to have met some new people. Especially the gals she was now chatting with. They were fun and interesting and had just informed her that the BDSM world she had only read about in her favorite books was, in fact, a very real thing, To say that piqued her interest would be an understatement. And they had just invited her along to the mountain retreat that hosted a BDSM getaway. Since moving to California and leaving her fiancée, and their relationship, in the dust, this was a welcome adventure. Something to explore. Yes, she liked her new position as a social worker in the prison system, and it was a departure from working with kids, a job she truly loved, but even that wasn’t enough. Right now, at this moment, what Gin realized she wanted more than anything was to give this trip a go. Head out with these women, meet their spouses, and see where this could lead. This could be just what the doctor ordered….

Detective Atticus Ware had noticed Gin immediately and was drawn to her. Clearly this was her first time being around the BDSM lifestyle and, as a Dom, that called to him on a different level. He wanted to teach her. Wanted to show her how amazing this world could be. He could tell she was curious, open to learning and experiencing, and right then he knew he would be the one to teach her. He was tired of the subs who didn’t really take things seriously. Tired of the fake. He wanted something real. Something meaningful. One that only a true D/s relationship can give. After meeting her that night, talking with her, and her willingness to submit to him, he knew Gin would fit him as comfortably as the ropes he loved so much fit in his hand.

Atticus and Gin start off on a journey of self discovery that builds into a bond that neither one had expected, but both had longed for. But before they can revel in their new bond, things are put to the test and Atticus and Gin will find themselves not in a fight for a relationship, nut instead a fight for Gin’s life…

I had the chance to interview Ms. Sinclair about this book and one of the questions I asked was if she ever found it difficult to write the beautiful combination of emotion that goes into a true D/s relationship. I asked that particular question because, in my opinion, she is one of the best there is when it comes to that. This novella was no exception. The trust and bond that builds between Atticus and Gin is painted in beautiful brushstrokes of love and patience. Curiosity and understanding. Respect and adoration. This wasn’t a bumbling and immature fumble through BDSM, this was journey that I enjoyed every minute of. Gin is an amazing gal who is honest with herself and isn’t afraid to give her trust over to Atticus, especially in the very beginning stages. I loved that about her. Atticus is patient and easy to trust. Easy to talk to. He’s also sexy as hell with a delicious Alpha streak that had me swooning. I absolutely loved them together. The heat and passion were palpable and jumped off the pages. Totally delectable! Of course, they both have their own issues to work through before they can truly give themselves to one another, but it just made me love them even more. I couldn’t get enough of them and I was so sad I read their story as fast as I did.

Now, I have to add a little bit about the suspense element to this story. Holy hell, talk about one hell of an ending! I can’t give anything away but I will tell you that I was reading the last few pages wide-eyed and with sweaty palms. Don’t worry though….Ms. Sinclair ended things just perfectly!

I also have to mention that Atticus’ brother, Sawyer, has a part in this story and I really hope we get to see more of him! I loved him almost as much as I loved Atticus *dreamy sigh*.

Thank you. Ms. Sinclair, for once again writing one a story that combines a ton of heat, raw emotion, and a healthy dose of suspense that had me devouring every word written on the pages. I will be anxiously awaiting more (and crossing my finger, hoping for Sawyer!).

Five Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | 1,001 Dark Nights

About the author:

Having to wear glasses in elementary school can scar a person for life.

Dubbed a nerd at an early age, Cherise Sinclair has been trying to live up to the stereotype ever since. And what better way than being an author?

Known for writing deeply emotional stories, the USA Today Bestselling Author has penned sixteen erotic romance novels, most with a BDSM theme. (Please do not mention the phrase mommy porn in her presence.) Her awards range from a National Leather Award to a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice nomination to a GoodReads BDSM group award for best author of the year.

Cherise lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Their two fledglings have left the nest recently to try their wings and hopefully will fly high and strong. The “ascendant erotica queen” (Rolling Stone Magazine) now spends her days writing with occasional supervision from a sadistic calico cat.

Visit Cherise Sinclair’s website and follow her on:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

The Witch Of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose…Review Blog Tour Stop

“Passion, for better or worse. It can keep a soul alive even if all that survives is a shimmering. I’ve seen it. I’ve been bathed in it. I’ve been changed by it. “

Synopsis:

Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.

Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.

Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.

This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.

My Review:

The Witch of Painted Sorrows is the first work in author M.J. Rose’s new series, The Daughters Of La Lune, and took me on a literary journey unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was magical, rich, sensual, suspenseful…truly amazing.

Sandrine Salome is set adrift and bereft with the loss of her beloved father. His loss leads her to reevaluate her life and her marriage and sends her to her grandmother’s mansion in Paris. There was an unexplained pull she felt to that mansion and now with more reasons to leave New York than to stay, she knew there was no better time to explore this deep yearning to return to the home she visiting once years earlier.   Unfortunately the welcome Sandrine receives upon arriving was not what she had expected. Her grandmother had temporarily moved out of the opulent mansion that had been calling to her. Even more shocking was her grandmother’s warning to avoid stepping foot in that dwelling. It was cursed, her grandmother explained, by the courtesan and supposed witch who had originally owned the home. There was evil lurking and a force that should not be tampered with. But Sandrine wasn’t about to listen to such absurdities and instead, visits the home behind her grandmother’s prying eyes. It’s in those visits that Sandrine stumbles across art and painting supplies. Those supplies will turn Sandrine into an artist who will change the way women were perceived in the art world during that time. It’s also in those visits she meets a handsome young architect and begins an affair that will prove to grow into something Sandrine never expected…especially when the witch becomes involved in their relationship and tries to take over Sandrine’s very being.

Where to begin? How can I even begin to convey how much I adored this book and how consumed I was with Sandrine and the witch, La Lune? There was so much to love. First off, Ms. Rose’s writing is just exquisite. Rich with description and detail, reading her stories reminds me why I started reading for pleasure in the first place.

Sandrine is a wonderful character with a slight defiant streak that leads her to so many amazing, and sometimes scary, experiences. At first she doesn’t believe that La Lune is anything but a silly old myth, but soon realizes it truly is much more than that. She deviates from accepting to denying the witch’s hold on her. In turn, that had me fluctuating between being worried for Sandrine and wanting La Lune to get her own version of a happy ending, Of course, I wasn’t sure how that would play out and that also had me worried. Thankfully, Ms. Rose beautifully tied it all together and left me so happy with how it played out.

Julien, our charming architect, is equally enjoyable. He’s kind, smart, understanding and caring. I think he and Sandrine make a wonderful couple and, with the tests they face with La Lune and her interferences, made me appreciate their relationship even more.

Adding to the rich characters is the allure of the unknown. With talk of seances, spirits, possession, alchemy, and sometimes even the dark arts, I was enthralled with each page I read.

Finally, I have to again mention the beautiful and rich prose in which Ms. Rose writes. Though I’ve never been to Paris, I felt as though I was there, walking though the streets with Sandrine. I could picture in my mind’s eye all of the clothing and stunning jewels Sandrine and her grandmother wore. I could smell all of the perfumes and scents. I could see all of the colors Sandrine painted with. That, is a gift to me and one a writer gives to a reader that I cherish.

Thank you, Ms. Rose, for The Witch of Painted Sorrows and for once again taking me on a wonderful journey within the pages you so masterfully have written.

Five Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | IndieBound

About the author:

M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Visit her online at MJRose.com.

Praise for M.J. Rose
“Rose is an unusually skillful storyteller. Her polished prose and intricate plot will grip even the most skeptical reader. “
– Washington Post

“Provocative…a sweeping sense of romance and history.”
– Cleveland Plain Dealer on “The Book of Lost Fragrances”

“Rose seduces the reader from the very first page. Enticing…fascinating…unexpected.”

– Associated Press on “Seduction”

“A sensual mystery (readers) will truly never forget! This deserves a standing ovation.”

– Suspense Magazine on “Seduction,” Best Book of 2013

Flirting With Fire by Kate Meader…ARC Review and Author Q&A

Synopsis:

The first installment in Hot in Chicago, a brand-new, sizzling series from Kate Meader that follows a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests!

Savvy PR guru Kinsey Taylor has always defined herself by her career, not her gender. That is, until she moved from San Francisco to Chicago to be with her fiancé who thought she wasn’t taking her “job” of supporting him in his high-powered career seriously enough—and promptly dumped her for a more supportive and “feminine” nurse. Now, as the new assistant press secretary to Chicago’s dynamic mayor, she’s determined to keep her eye on the prize: no time to feel inferior because she’s a strong, kick-ass woman, and certainly no time for men.

But that all changes when she meets Luke Almeida, a firefighter as searingly sexy as he is quick-tempered. He’s also the second oldest of the Firefightin’ Dempseys, a family of foster siblings who have committed their lives to the service—if Luke’s antics don’t get him fired first. When Luke goes one step too far and gets into a bar brawl with the Chicago Police Department, Kinsey marches into Luke’s firehouse and lays down the law on orders from the mayor. But at Engine Co. 6, Luke Almeida is the law. And he’s not about to let Kinsey make the rules.

My Review:

Flirting With Fire is the first in a new series from author Kate Meader and after falling in love with Kate’s work in an earlier anthology, I was dying to read this book. Well, to say this book lived up to all of my expectations would be understatement of the year…

Kinsey Taylor and Luke Almeida meet under less than ideal circumstances. He’s gone and gotten into a bar fight with one of Chicago PD’s finest, which was now all over YouTube, and as the Mayor’s PR whiz, she was now charged with showing him in a better public light. Normally, Kinsey would be halfway into the project, but Luke would prove to be no ordinary project. Not only was he part of the infamous Firefighting Dempsey clan, he was drop dead gorgeous and had ego to spare. He was also beyond stubborn. Lucky for her, and equally unlucky for him, she was damned used to working hard to get the job done and she wasn’t going to back down. In fact, she was going to give whatever he threw at her back tenfold and with an extra dash of sass. Let the games begin…

It may have started out as an innocent mission to clean up Luke and his stations’s reputation, but before long the push and pull power play between Luke and Kinsey turns into a heat that will burn hotter and brighter than either one of them has known. Problems are mounting though. Not only because he’s got to behave and she’s got a job to do but because they’ve both been hurt terribly in the past by the one’s who should have loved them most. Could the heat they found burn up all that remains of the past and give them a fresh start through the ashes?

For the love of all things hot and sexy, I loved this book. I loved this book so much. Luckily I started reading this on a day I didn’t have much to do because I actually didn’t stop reading until I had finished it. Read through lunch, read through my son’s algebra homework, and pretty much read through dinner. It was a pizza night here.

Where do I even begin telling you all the things I loved about this book? Why don’t we start with Luke. He is everything I want in a hero. He’s sexy, built, the perfect amount of cocky and sweet, and has a hidden soft side that makes me weak in the knees. That, by far, is my favorite thing about him. He may look like a hard ass on the outside but his heart is huge and reserved for the people he loves. He may be a former foster kid, but he loved his adopted family with a fierceness that was enviable and admirable. From page one, I knew he was going to be a force to be reckoned with…and he didn’t disappoint. Kinsey was the perfect counterpart. So much like him in so many ways. Used to have to work hard to shrug off a label. Strong. Determined. Able to give his ego right back to him and it drove him crazy.

Of course, that just added to that slow burn between them and with every interaction it was stoked into a flame that eventually had to be addressed….and oh my, was it ever. There are two particular scenes that had me melting into a puddle on the floor. So. Hot.

And can I just take a minute to give the cover a mention? I lost count at how many times I paused after reading a delicious Luke scene to take a look at that cover. Whoever that man is, he is the perfect Luke!

Adding even more to this story was the entire Dempsey clan. These are all characters with a beautiful death and multifaceted factor that has me beyond excited for the rest of this series.
Just trust me when I say: Get. This. Book. You will NOT be disappointed! Thank you, Kate, for Luke, Kinsey, and the entire Dempsey crew. I will now be nursing my book hangover with some tequila and a campfire scented candle *dreamy sigh*

Q&A with author Kate Meader:

Thanks so much for having me, Jilly!

Thanks for being here, Kate! This was a lot of fun!

Do you have any fun plans to celebrate the release of Flirting With Fire? (I always picture Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone when she finishes her book and celebrates with tiny bottles of booze and her cat)

Booze might be involved for sure! Every new release is awesome, but I’m thinking this one might be extra special. It’s the start of a brand new series, set in this world of alpha men, strong women, the family we make instead of being born to, and bigger-than-life passion. With burning buildings thrown in to make it interesting. On release day, I’ll probably be curled up in a fetal ball, praying it does well, waiting until it’s “appropriate” to whip out the adult beverages. Sounds like fun, right?

I just read that you’re originally from Ireland, what do you miss the most about living there?

My family – my mother and brother still live there, and although I visit and they visit me, it can be tough with an ocean separating us. Next, I miss Irish chocolate. You can’t beat Irish chocolate. Hmm, maybe I miss chocolate more than my family. I mean, I can talk to my family on the phone, I can’t eat chocolate over the airways!

I love your “Fun facts about Kate” section on your website. Can you give us another fun fact?

A lot of people don’t know I have a masters degree in medieval history. I studied medieval nuns and holy women who used their connection to God to discover untrodden paths to empowerment in their community. Medieval nuns were probably the first feminists!

What has been the most rewarding part of living your dream to write?

Nothing beats seeing your book in a brick-and-mortar bookstore for the first time. That moment is the absolute best, but the most rewarding part is just knowing that people actually like my stories enough to want to buy and read them. I thought I was the only one!

Ok, your dream cast for Flirting With Fire is:

Main romance:
Luke Almeida, Irish-Cuban firefighter – Hugh Jackman, looking a bit scruffy
Kinsey Taylor, ice-cool blonde PR guru – Charlize Theron

Secondary m/m romance:

Gage “Baby Thor” Simpson, cocky fireman – Chris Hemsworth (of course)

Brady Smith, former marine turned gourmet chef (Gage’s love interest) – Tom Hardy with muscles on his muscles, shaved head, tattoos up the wazoo, and scars. Yum!

Five Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

About the author:

Originally from Ireland, Kate cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Easy With You by Kristen Proby…ARC Review

Easy With You releases 3/24

Book Links:

Amazon | 1,001 Dark Nights

Synopsis:

Nothing has ever come easy for Lila Bailey. She’s fought for every good thing in her life during every day of her thirty-one years. Aside from that one night with an impossible to deny stranger a year ago, Lila is the epitome of responsible.

Steadfast. Strong.

She’s pulled herself out of the train wreck of her childhood, proud to be a professor at Tulane University and laying down roots in a city she’s grown to love. But when some of her female students are viciously murdered, Lila’s shaken to the core and unsure of whom she can trust in New Orleans. When the police detective assigned to the murder case comes to investigate, she’s even more surprised to find herself staring into the eyes of the man that made her toes curl last year.

In an attempt to move on from the tragic loss of his wife, Asher Smith moved his daughter and himself to a new city, ready for a fresh start. A damn fine police lieutenant, but new to the New Orleans force, Asher has a lot to prove to his colleagues and himself.

With a murderer terrorizing the Tulane University campus, Asher finds himself toe-to-toe with the one woman that haunts his dreams. His hands, his lips, his body know her as intimately as he’s ever known anyone. As he learns her mind and heart as well, Asher wants nothing more than to keep her safe, in his bed, and in his and his daughter’s lives for the long haul.

But when Lila becomes the target, can Asher save her in time, or will he lose another woman he loves?

My Review:

Easy With You is book number 8.5 in author Kristen Proby’s With Me In Seattle Series, as well as story number 3 in the 1,001 Dark Nights 2015 line-up, and serves up on hell of a crossover between author Proby’s Seattle series and her new Boudreaux series. I loved every sexy and thrilling minute of this story.

Lila and Asher meet when she falls, literally, into his lap on a flight and while the attraction was there, neither one of them thought to take it to the next level by getting a phone number. Fate fixes that when they run into each other again at a bar one evening. Realizing that this second chance meeting isn’t one to be ignored, they take advantage of it and spend one hot, delicious, sexy night together. But still, no phone numbers exchanged. They both knew it was better that way. Asher was a single father now and he needed to focus on his daughter and his work. He didn’t want to form any kind of bond with a woman that could one day come back to hurt him. Like the bond he once had with his wife. The wife that was now gone. Lila had her reasons as well for wanting to focus on her work and life, most of which were courtesy of a less than stealer childhood.

Soon enough, though, fate plays her hand again and puts these two together when there’s a serial killer on the loose at Lila’s university. She had no idea Asher had moved to her town and was now heading up the case. She had no idea how seeing him again would affect her. The same can be said for Asher. This case brings out a protective side in him that he can’t ignore. He would do whatever needed to be done to keep Lila safe.

With their attraction still just as heated as it was the last time they saw one another, and the added emotion with danger lurking just out of sight, things between Lila and Asher will reach a fevered pitch in the most delicious of ways.

Oh, my. From start to finish, this novella had me glued to the pages. Asher is take-charge and protective. He truly shines as a single father and he had me swooning too many times to count. I loved how he loves his daughter. Lila is strong and determined with a good level head when it came to knowing when to take the protection Asher was offering. Nothing annoys me more than a heroine that just won’t listen to reason and Lila was the complete opposite. Together they are a beautiful match and really burn up the sheets *fans self*.

The combination of suspense, heat, and stellar characters was simply fabulous. It was also a combination that was perfectly balanced. There wasn’t too much or too little of one of the layers and I really appreciated that. I have found a lot of romantic suspense stories tend to lean towards the lighter side when it comes to the sex and it leaves me feeling a bit let down. Not this one. Oh, not even a little bit…the sexy scenes in this novella were delectable.

Thank you Kristen, for a fantastic read! I hope we see more of your romantic suspense in the future because you rocked it!!

Five Loves

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.

Chase Me by Tessa Bailey….Review & Giveaway

Synopsis:

College drop-out, Roxy Cumberland, moved to New York with dreams of becoming an actress, but her dwindling bank account is quickly putting the kibosh on that fantasy. To make some quick cash, she signs up to perform singing telegrams. Her first customer is a gorgeous, cocky Manhattan trust-funder if she ever laid eyes on one. And what could be more humiliating than singing an ode to his junk, courtesy of his last one night stand? Maybe the fact that she’s dressed in a giant, pink bunny costume…

After a night out to celebrate winning his last case, lawyer Louis McNally II isn’t prepared for the pounding in his head or the rabbit serenading him from the front door. But the sassy wit and sexy voice of the girl behind the mask intrigues him, and one look at her stunning face—followed by a mind-blowing kiss against his doorjamb—leaves Louis wanting more.

Roxy doesn’t need a spoiled rich boy who’s had everything in life handed to him on a Tiffany platter. But there’s more to Louis than his sexy surface and he’s determined to make Roxy see it…even if it means chasing her all over NYC

My review:

Chase Me is the first book in author Tessa Bailey’s new series, Broke and Beautiful, and kicks off the series with one hell of a start! Different from Tessa’s other works, this series was a brilliant mix of sassy and sexy and had me alternating between laughing and fanning myself with the heat that only Tessa can bring!

If you had told Roxy Cumberland that at one point she would be dressed up in a pink bunny suit performing a singing telegram to a stranger about his, um, package, she would have laughed in your face. And yet here she was, in that fluffy pink monstrosity, dying at the thought of having to sing for this man…who happened to be drop dead gorgeous. Figures. But alas, the acting business wasn’t working out at the moment and she needed a paycheck. What Roxy doesn’t realize is that this chance meeting would turn out to change her life in the best way possible…

If you had told attorney Louis McNally II that he would be opening the door after a night of partying to a pink bunny singing about his manhood, he would have laughed in your face. And yet here he was, listening to the sexiest voice he’d ever heard and he immediately knew he needed to see who was under that funny head….and the minute he sees her face, he’s a goner. Now, after a scorching kiss-and-flee, he’s determined to track down bunny girl and own these feelings she’s stirred up in him…

An unlikely encounter that seems as funny as it is ridiculous puts two people together who never would have met otherwise. Two people who, in the end, couldn’t be a better match despite their many differences.

Ok. So I know you all must be tired of me telling you how much I adore Tessa and her work, but you’re going to have to bear with me again while I sing her praises in this review. This book really shows her diversity in her writing. The humor and sass in this book was freaking brilliant. Roxy is a real spitfire with determination and spunk that had me loving her from the very opening line of this book….which I can still quote after reading this book months ago. Honestly, if you see me at a con, ask me, and I’ll give it to you without hesitation. That’s how great Roxy is. I love her tenacity and willingness to do what it takes to follow her dreams and still be true to herself. Now, onto Louis. Dear all that’s holy, he is lickable. Smart, sexy, successful, and with a heart as impressive as his seranadeable package, he is smoking hot all around. He can go from sweet to dirty in a heartbeat and who doesn’t love that in a man? Oh, and he also had me laughing my arse off too many times to count…when you read this and get to the part where he’s talking to a cheat, you’ll have laughed too many other times to count! Together their chemistry is off the charts and the signature heat that Tessa brings adds that extra spice that rounds out this story perfectly!

Adding to this is the introduction to the other characters who will make up the series: Abby, Honey, Ben, and Russell. I love all of them already. Roxy ends up rooming with Abby and Honey while Louis is buddies with Ben and Russell. Each one of them is unique and incredible with personalities that I can’t wait to see more of. Even from the little taste we get in this story I just know I’m going to love their stories.

Five Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Giveaway:

Ok, so if you’ve already read Chase Me, you will totally get this giveaway….it represents when Roxy and Louis first meet. Her bunny costume and his hangover perfectly represented in this way too cute flask, which will go to one lucky winner! Oh, and it is SIGNED by Tessa Bailey!

Enter to win in the rafflecopter below and thanks for stopping by!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Tessa 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.

Website | Facebook | Twitter