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Winning Love by Abby Niles….Review

by Jilly

Synopsis:

Mac “The Snake” Hannon has spent years throwing himself into cage fighting as a way to lash back at the natural disaster that destroyed his future. A call for help has Mac returning to the one place he swore never to return: Kansas—in the height of tornado season.

There he meets free-spirited Gayle Andrews. At first he wants nothing to do with the infuriatingly, persistent woman, but the crazy challenges she tosses his way are impossible to resist. As she thaws years of bitterness, bringing back the Mac he believed long gone, he starts to make peace with the past and see the future again. Until he learns she chases his worst nightmare, then he can’t get away fast enough.

Meteorologist and storm chaser, Gayle Andrews is no stranger to being left behind and now believes in living in the moment. She wants to do just that with the handsome extreme fighter with the achingly sad eyes. As she works to replace the sorrow with desire, she finds herself breaking her one rule: have fun, but don’t fall in love. When he suddenly pushes her away and she discovers the horrifying reason why, she issues one more challenge: face his fear and come on a chase with her.

Will squaring off with the past lead to a victory for heartache or love?

My Review:

Winning Love is the third book in author Abby Niles’ Love to the Extreme series and the first in the series I have read. I’m a little sad I hadn’t picked up this series earlier because this book was amazing. Like read in a day, can’t put it down, ignore all responsibilities kind of amazing.

Mac “The Snake” Hannon has been running from his past for four long years. He’s tried to push the nightmare aside and ignore it every time it rears its ugly head. The problem is, you can never truly outrun your past. It always comes back to haunt you. Never before has that been more true than right now when he returns to the very place that holds those nightmarish memories. Kansas. Where his hopes and dreams were crushed when a tornado came through and took it all away from him. The only reason he was back was because his old friend needed him and he would never leave his friend hanging. Hopefully he could be distracted enough while he was here to ignore the ever-present pain of his broken past. Enter Gayle. The feisty, fun, entertaining and beautiful neighbor. She could certainly be a great distraction for Mac while he was here. But he didn’t do relationships of any kind. Not anymore. He just needed to look to his past to be reminded of why.

Meteorologist and storm chaser, Gayle Andrews sure was intrigued by the handsome man staying with her neighbor…not only because he was built and gorgeous but because he had a permanent scowl that was just begging to be erased. Of course she would happily volunteer to do just that. She has learned the hard way to live life to the fullest, every day, because you never knew when it could be your last. She had a feeling he would be a tough nut to crack but she had plenty of time to work on it. Tornado season hadn’t started yet and even though she watched her neighbor’s, and Mac’s friend’s, daughter from time to time, she still had plenty of calendar to fill. Mac didn’t know it yet, but he’d be that filler, and he’d be doing it without a scowl…come hell or high water.

Together both Mac and Gayle have heartbreaking pasts and have both dealt with crushing loss in their own ways. Mac has tried to hide it, and shove it down inside while Gayle has tried to learn from it and come away stronger. With two very different ways of coping, can they be united in their grief and learn to live and love again?

I am typing this while in a serious book hangover. Man, I loved this book. This wasn’t the typical fighter book in the sense that Mac’s MMA fighting really took a back seat to the rest of the story. Mainly this was a story about healing and overcoming tragedy and it was done so damn well. (I don’t want to give away the reasons behind Mac and Gayle’s loss so bear with me) Mac has been trying, pretty unsuccessfully, to ignore his pain. He left his former career, got into fighting and hasn’t looked back. Which really only lead him in succeeding in letting the old wound fester and never truly heal.

Gayle has been through her own personal hell but has really risen above and turned it into the driving force behind her current work with tornadoes. Two very different ways of coping. Fitting because Gayle and Mac are two very different personalities. You know what they say, though…opposites attract. The attraction is almost immediate and even though Gayle has her work cut out for her, she didn’t give up on Mac. Little by little she worked her magic and it was beautiful to read Mac opening up. However there was that one subject that Mac had to warm up to sharing….his past. It almost proved to be the end of their yet-to-develop relationship. I was a nervous wreck that Mac would never be able to move on. But he had never had Gayle by his side, willing to help him, supporting him along the way. I went through so many emotions while reading this book. My heart broke for Mac. I wanted him to have his happy ever after and I wanted it to be with Gayle. Luckily Abby wrote one hell of a fantastic ending and it made all my angsting over the two of them worth it!

Also, another great aspect of this story was Abby’s writing on the storm chasing scenes. Whoa, they were intense and played out like a movie in my mind’s eye while I was reading. Well done, Abby.

Ok…hopefully I haven’t bored you with this really long review and you get an idea of just how amazing this story was. Full of emotion and intensity with just enough heat added in, Winning Love made it to my list of faves for this year. Thank you, Abby, for a phenomenal read.

Five Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

About the author:

Ever since Abby Niles picked up her first Sweet Valley High book in sixth grade and fell in love with Elizabeth and Todd, she’s been hooked on romance. By the time she reached high school, she was devouring meatier romances with pirates, cowboys and knights. She never imagined that those years of reading would one day lead to her becoming a published author.

In her late twenties, after having twins and becoming a stay-at-home mom, she started doodling stories to keep her sanity. Next thing she knew, she was actually submitting to publishing houses. And was immediately rejected. That didn’t stop her though. She found some kickass critique partners, honed her craft, and continued submitting.

And eventually sold.

Today, she juggles work, being a single mom, and writing. It’s not always easy, but hey, who said life was easy?

Abby is the author of the contemporary MMA romance, Extreme Love, the first book in her Love to the Extreme series. Fighting Love is scheduled to release in December of 2013 and Winning Love is scheduled for 2014. She is also the author of the dark paranormal romance series The Awakening: Aidan and the The Awakening: Liam and The Awakening: Britton. Both series are with Entangled Publishing. She also has a geeky romantic comedy, Defying Convention, with Carina Press.

She is represented by Maureen Walters at Curtis Brown, LTD.

August 2014 Contemporary Romance Five Loves

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Mean Streak by Sandra Brown….Blog Tour Stop & Review

by Jilly

Synopsis:

Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her.

While police suspect Jeff of “instant divorce,” Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won’t even tell her his name. She’s determined to escape him, and willing to take any risks necessary to survive.

Unexpectedly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can’t turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law.

As her husband’s deception is revealed, and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer.

My review:

Mean Streak is the newest novel from author Sandra Brown and a novel I was beyond lucky to have read early. I was intrigued from the synopsis and by the end of the book I was completely in love with every single aspect of this story. Amazing doesn’t even begin to do it justice.

Pediatrician Emory Charbonneau’s love for long distance running has been a bone of contention in her marriage for quite some time now but that won’t deter her from heading off a hundred miles into the mountains on a training run. In fact, it’s just the weekend break she needs to take a breather from the latest argument she had with her husband. Things were looking more and more bleak in her marriage and she would deal with it…when she got back. Unfortunately that wouldn’t be on Sunday as she had planned. Emory sets off on her run and wakes in a small cabin with a gash on her head, a headache from hell, and a stranger taking care of her. Her immediate reaction is one of fear and confusion but almost as quickly as those feelings settle in she senses this stranger wouldn’t hurt her and with bad weather rolling in and no way to contact her husband or friends, she would be stuck with him for a day or two. Hopefully her second set of emotions ring true and this stranger won’t be putting her in danger while she recovers a bit and tries to figure out how she ended up in this situation in the first place. Was she attacked? By this man? Did she fall? By the time her stay in the mountain cabin is over she will be warring with too many emotions to name and will have to reconcile with the fact that maybe the people she has trusted aren’t the ones she should and maybe this stranger was….

You all know I read. A lot. And every once in a while a book comes along that touches me on a different level and when it happens it’s magic. This was one of those books. While there are a few things I can’t give away, I can tell you that this is without a doubt a book you need to have in your library. Emory’s story starts off with quite a bang and doesn’t let up until the very end. There were so many twists and turns and questions along the way and it all had me glued to this book. Emory’s husband was suspect from the start and I didn’t know if he was the one behind her accident or even if it was an accident. Ms. Brown did an amazing job with giving the reader warring emotions when it came to him. There was also the stranger to consider. Emory’s savior…or was he? I will tell you that from the time we meet him you just know the story behind him is going to be emotional…good or bad, it was going to be rough. He is one of the most memorable and incredible characters I’ve ever read. No, he doesn’t speak a whole lot. No, we don’t know his name until the last few chapters. No, we don’t find out his story until the very end but that didn’t make one bit of difference. His actions and mannerisms said more than words. He is rigid and tough, living simply but has a soft side he shows only a few times in this story. But still we are left to wonder if he’s dangerous or if he’s one of the good guys. We are lead to believe from the hints he gives of himself that he isn’t exactly one of the good guys but it didn’t matter to me…I loved him anyway.

Of course, while Emory is in the woods, her husband and friends are looking for her and that leads to more than a few revelations that had me gasping audibly more than a few times. I can’t give anything away but be ready for a heaping spoonful of “I never saw THAT coming”!

Just trust me when I say this is a book you need to read. Suspense, mystery, and high emotion are just a few of the facets that make Mean Streak one of the best books I have ever read. Thank you, Ms. Brown, for a phenomenal story that will stay with me for a very long time.

Five Loves

About the author:

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-three New York Times bestsellers, including DEADLINE (2013), LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL(2011), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006),CHILL FACTOR (2005), and WHITE HOT (2004).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-four languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English.

She is much in demand as a speaker and guest television hostess. Her episode on truTV’s Murder by the Book premiered the series in 2008. She appeared in 2010 on Investigation Discovery’s new series, Hardcover Mysteries.

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University where she and her husband Michael Brown, have instituted the ELF, a scholarship annually awarded to a student pursuing a fiction writing career. In 2008, she was named Thriller Master, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2011 she and four colleagues went on a week-long USO tour to Afghanistan, meeting with service members on numerous bases.

Sandra is the past president of the Mystery Writers of America in 2012. She lives in Arlington, Texas, with her husband, Michael Brown.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

August 2014 Blog Tour Five Loves Romantic Suspense

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Revenge Bound by Heidi Joy Tretheway…Blog Tour Stop & Review

by Jilly

Buy Links:

Kindle | BN | iBooks | Kobo

Synopsis:

On the Internet, secrets never die…
Violet can’t imagine anything worse than having her very private, very naked photos strewn across the Internet.
Until they multiply like a virus.
With her name, address, and phone number attached.
And her boss finds out. And a stalker finds her.
Violet’s refuge is a rock star known for going through groupies faster than guitar picks. Letting Jayce get close enough to protect her exposes her secrets—and her heart—to a man whose celebrity could ruin her.
That’s because being a nobody is the one thing that keeps Violet’s photos from making headlines. And it’s the reason she can never fall for a rock star.
Secrets spread like wildfire when a celebrity fans the flames.

REVENGE BOUND is a full-length, standalone novel, and a companion to the Tattoo Thief books. It contains steamy scenes and strong language intended for mature readers.

My review:

Revenge Bound is the third book in author Heidi Joy Tretheway’s Tattoo Thief series and can absolutely be read as a standalone, although I have loved every book in the series thus far and highly recommend. This book was no exception, I loved it from start to finish!

Photographer Violet had always been on one side of the camera until one night when her boyfriend took some very personal, and very naked, pictures of her. She wasn’t thrilled about it but he had done it in a moment of weakness and had dismissed it as something couples did….until they broke up. Now, suddenly she starts receiving extremely dirty texts from strangers and is horrified to find out her ex has posted those pictures on the internet along with her address and phone number. Violet thinks if she just tries to ignore it, the situation will go away but things turn dangerous when one of the numbers texting her gets eerily personal. Texting her about what she was wearing that day or where she had been. Someone was watching her. Making matters worse was she was barely holding it together while shooting the band, Tattoo Thief, and Jayce had noticed. Now he’s offering to help her fix the situation and she isn’t sure what to think. Could the playboy Jayce really be a good guy? Or would he turn out to be just like her ex.

Tattoo Thief member, Jayce, had noticed Violet from the minute he laid eyes on her. There was something about her and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Now, he’s noticing something is wrong and she’s in some sort of trouble. He shouldn’t care. He’s not the type to get involved…it’s not his style. But he can’t seem to help himself when it comes to Violet and he vows to find out what the hell is going on and what’s causing her so much pain. She brings out all sorts of protective instincts in him that he never knew he had and despite her objections he refuses to take no for an answer. Could she be the one to tame his playboy ways? He sure as hell felt like she could be…now if she would just let him in.

Violet is in a mess of epic proportions and emotions are running high but Jayce is turning out to be her solace in the midst of the storm. Have they found something between them that reaches far beyond fixing a bad situation?

Man, so many reasons to love this book. Poor Violet is a pretty private person and becoming a victim of revenge porn has rocked her world. Her father is in politics and this has the potential to ruin their family’s image not to mention her safety when it turns into a case of stalking. She’s scared and doesn’t know where to turn but the one thing I admired about her was that she was determined to fight. She is such a real character in that she has her meltdowns but then is able to pick herself up and come back guns blazing. Jayce is totally swoon worthy in this story. He is protective and caring. Even if he isn’t used to the feelings he wants to make the situation better for her and does everything in his power to do so. He goes from playboy to knight in shining armor and I loved every minute of it. Together they navigate through their feelings and learn more about themselves together than they ever would have apart. Oh, and the chemistry they share is smoking hot. But beyond that, this story deals with the very real issue of revenge porn and calls attention to the seriousness of the act. I applaud Heidi Joy for bringing it to light and for letting readers know how very serious revenge porn is. Luckily, in this story, Jayce and Violet have a happy ending but unfortunately for many, it doesn’t turn out that way.

Thank you, Heidi Joy, for a story that combines tons of emotion and heat along with a very real issue. I will continue to look forward to more in the Tattoo Thief series!

Five Loves

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Heidi Joy lives in Happy Valley off Sunnyside Road. She swears she did not make that up.

Heidi’s obsessed with storytelling. Her career includes marketing, journalism, and a delicious few years as a food columnist. Media passes took her backstage with several rock bands, where she learned that sometimes a wardrobe malfunction is exactly what the rock star intends.

You’ll most often find Heidi Joy with her husband and two small kids cooking, fishing, exploring the Northwest, and building epic forts in their living room.

Links:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | Revenge Bound Goodreads

August 2014 Blog Tour Five Loves New Adult

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ARC Review….Show Me, Baby by Cherise Sinclair

by Jilly

Synopsis:

A Masters of the Shadowlands Novella

After his last lover chose her career over him, Jake knows he wants a woman who will put him at the top of her priorities—as he would with her. One of the trainees, Rainie, has caught his attention. Lush body, a gift for living life to the fullest, always laughing or smiling. Yeah. She trips all his switches. But she’s never given him a second look and that’s damned annoying.

Rainie has been burned enough times that she’s not going to get serious about any man. Sure, the BDSM club trainees are supposed to be looking for a permanent Dom, but no harm, no foul—they don’t need to know she lied. Trainees get to be involved in everything—and with everyone. But there’s one she avoids. Master Jake is always frowning at her. No matter how gorgeous he is, she doesn’t need any disapproving Dom up in her business.

Unfortunately, her best friends are having a double wedding. Little hearts are floating in the air. Every breath is filled with romance. Rainie is doomed.

My review:

Show Me, Baby is the 9th story in author Cherise Sinclair’s Master of the Shadowlands Series as well as novella number 7 in the 1,001 Dark Nights Series. Admittedly, this is the first of Cherise’s works that I have read and oh boy…I am hooked and have just purchased the entire series!

To say Rainie has had a sad life would be the understatement of the century. Having a mother who didn’t want her, a father who left her at seven, living in foster care homes with one in particular that left deep emotional scars, and never really feeling she was good enough to fit in anywhere, you could say her issues cup overfloweth. But she was determined. Determined to rise above all of the adversity in her life and become someone. She finally finished school with an MBA and has found a place where she felt she somewhat belonged…Club Shadowlands. Sure, she still had her issues and she was still new to the BDSM scene, but she knew deep down this was a home of sorts for her. Only problem? Jake. The delish Dom was a blast from the past she was trying to forget. He was her secret crush all of high school. He had no idea who she was back then and just seeing him now brought back too much pain. But even that pain couldn’t stop her attraction to him. Even after all these years, he was still everything she wanted. But surely he wouldn’t be interested in someone with a past like hers…..or would he?

Jake has it all. A successful career as a veterinarian, a nice home, a position as a Master at Club Shadowlands, good looks and a killer body. There’s only one thing missing…a woman to share his life with. His last lover had left him and even though it still stung, he was ready to move on. And the one he’d like to move on is the sassy and beautiful new trainee at the club…Rainie. There was something about her. She had a lust for life, was loyal and kind to her friends she’s made at Club Shadowlands and had a huge heart. Now, if only she would give him the time of day. Seems when it came to him she was always taking off in the opposite direction. Luckily for him, she was in need of a reevaluation and he was just assigned the Dom in charge of it. This was exactly the opportunity he needed to convince Rainie to take a chance on him.

Rainie and Jake take off on a journey of self discovery and stumble across love along the way. The question is, will Rainie be able to shake her feelings of unworthiness and give a relationship with Jake a chance?

Oh my, I adored this story. Rainie broke my heart. Her childhood was positively wretched and I felt so bad for her. I also totally understood her feelings of being less than everyone. No one really ever told her she wasn’t so how could she think anything different? But her resolve and strength was admirable beyond words. She picked herself up, brushed herself off and kept on going. She is amazing that way. She is also fiercely loyal to her friends and I adore that in a character. Jake is just, um, totally drool worthy. He is handsome, successful, charming and commanding. The total package. He knows Rainie better than she ever thought and he gives her all of what she needs. And damn, it is beyond smoking hot! Together they make an incredible couple. Giving each other what each other needs and forming a beautiful emotional connection. Of course, there are a few stumbles along the way but that just makes this story that much better.

So here I am, proof that even if you haven’t read this series before, you will love this book and this was a great intro to The Masters of Shadowlands. I can’t wait to read more of this series! Thank you, Cherise, for Jake and Rainie and their amazing story.

Five Loves

Book links:

Amazon | Paperback | 1,001 Dark Nights

About the author:

USA Today Bestselling Author, Cherise Sinclair is renowned for writing heart-wrenching stories with laugh-out-loud dialogue, devastating Dominants, and absolutely sizzling sex. And did I mention the BDSM? Her awards range from a National Leather Award to a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice nomination to a Goodreads BDSM group’s Best Author of the Year.

Cherise currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband and writes full-time under the supervision of a merciless feline.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

August 2014 Erotic Five Loves

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ARC Review…Promises Hurt by Elle Brooks

by Jilly

Promises Hurt releases August 2

Synopsis:

I wasn’t planning on falling for Ethan Jamison, hell I wasn’t planning on our paths ever crossing. He’s the most popular guy at school and a complete player. Me; I’m the perpetual good girl, trying to carry out one last request. But when you make a promise, how far do you go to see it through?

~ Blair

It’s a running joke that I’m a terrible liar, if only people knew the truth. My whole life has been spent making excuses and deflecting questions. I was pretty good at it until Blair Thomas entered my world. She saw through the mask that everyone is so willing to accept. She makes me want to tell her all my secrets, but can she promise to keep them?

~ Ethan

My Review:

Promises Hurt is the debut work from author Elle Brooks and, oh my, what a debut it was. From the synopsis alone I was intrigued and from the very first chapter I was hooked. More like addicted. I devoured this book and stayed up way too late reading but it was so worth every minute of missed slumber. I loved it.

Blair Thomas was content with her high school career. She was smart and had her best friend by her side. She wasn’t really popular but she wasn’t an outcast either. A middle of the road girl, if you will. Everything was great until tragically her best friend wasn’t by her side any more. Now, after making a promise to her lost friend, Blair finds herself attempting to cross items off of a bucket list…to honor her best friend. One of those items is to date the hottest guy in school, Ethan Jamison. Blair had no intention of doing that but fate has a way of stepping in when people least expect it and Blair finds herself tutoring Ethan. What starts out as an easy friendship over a math book turns into so much more and soon the two become inseparable. But Ethan has more than a few secrets hiding and one of those secrets is killing Blair to keep. But she will do it for Ethan. Because bucket list be damned, she was falling head over heels for him.

Ethan Jamison had his share of girls to choose from. After all, he was handsome, in a popular band, and had that bad boy mystique going for him. He had never met Blair before but he didn’t care who was going to tutor him, as long as she could help him get his grades up. The last thing he wanted to do was give his father a reason to be pissed off at him. Not that the man really ever needed a reason. Pissed off was the only emotion he seemed to be able to show. Regardless, he would get his grades up with Blair’s help and lay low in his home and pray graduation would hurry up and get here so he could leave. Ethan never expected Blair would have such an effect on him. He’s never met anyone like her and she’s just the breath of fresh air he needs. A bright spot in his life that gives him something to look forward to every day. In a short amount of time, she has become to mean the world to him…something he’s never felt before. Could he finally have found love?

What Ethan and Blair have found is beautiful and rare. They both appreciate one another and the connection they have but there are more than a few outside influences that threaten to tear them apart. Will they be able to withstand family troubles and lost best friend’s promises?

Holy hell. I loved this book. Sure, it sounds like the typical shy girl meets hot high school star and they fall in love despite their social differences but this book was so much more than that. There is just something about Blair and Ethan separately as well as together that will stay with me. They are amazing characters with vast differences and yet similarities that drew me in and refused to let go. Ethan puts on a brave face but without giving anything away, has a weight on his shoulders that broke my heart. You know that saying that you never know what goes on behind closed doors? Yeah, that saying rings true for Ethan and his family. He’s the hottest guy in school and knows it but his soft side toward Blair had me swooning. He is kind and thoughtful with her and I loved that. He almost in a way reminds me of a young Travis Maddox, minus the fighting. Blair is quirky and fun and honest. All traits I adore reading. She loves deep and doesn’t waste time with half truths. She always says it like it is and I love that. Together they are intense and it’s beautiful to read. God, I just love these two! Now, I will warn you that this IS a cliffhanger ending and I know some of you won’t read cliffhangers BUT if I can sway you to do so, this would be the book to give a chance to. Again, there is just something about these two that had me glued to my e-reader into the wee hours of the night. It was just so damn good!

I cannot wait for the conclusion to Blair and Ethan’s story and thank you, Elle, for an amazing and intense read. I adored it.

Five Loves

Book links:

Amazon | Goodreads

About the author:

Hello…

I’m a little neurotic; I function on a tiny amount of sleep and a huge amount of caffeine. I love green skittles and have an irrational fear of stormy weather. When I’m not writing about super hot college guys, you can generally find me googling them…All in the name of research of course. I can be persuaded to do just about anything with the promise of a good book or a bottle of bubbles. Oh, and I also love to write.

Facebook | Twitter | Website

Five Loves July 2014 New Adult

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Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer…Selene Reviews One Night Rodeo: A Blacktop Cowboys Novel by Lorelei James

by Jilly

One Night Rodeo: A Blacktop Cowboys Novel

Reviewed by Selene

Synopsis:

All it takes is one night to change a cowboy’s life… Barrel racer Celia Lawson knows better than to tangle with bull rider Kyle Gilchrist. The sexy cowboy’s love ‘em and leave ‘em ways have earned him a reputation on the rodeo circuit, and he’s always seen her as his best friend’s kid sister. But after one wild, tequila-fueled night, Celia wakes up to find out she’s gotten herself hitched—to a man she never should have married! When Celia insists on an annulment, Kyle has no good reason to say no—except he isn’t ready to let go of his new bride. But then Kyle inherits a sprawling Wyoming ranch, and seizes the opportunity to enlist Celia’s help. She agrees to lend a hand—with two conditions: He has to get up to speed as a rancher within six months; then they’ll get a divorce. And their marriage will be in name only. Kyle gives in to Celia’s demand, yet he’s ready to prove to her he has what it takes to turn their one night rodeo into a lifetime of love….

My review:

BEST BOOK OF THE SERIES!!!

One Night Rodeo was definitely the book I was looking forward to the most… and the wait did not disappoint. J As I have said before, and probably will say again, Lorelei James is the queen of constructing great character history and anticipation. After seeing Kyle lose out to Hank in capturing Lainie’s heart in the first novel, I knew we wouldn’t see the end of him; he deserved his own HEA, dammit… and Hank’s little sis Celia is the absolute perfect choice!

Celia Lawson is without a doubt my favorite female of the series. She has a thick, strong shell surrounding her big heart and Kyle is exactly the cowboy to break down her walls and keep her safe within his thick, strong arms. But the really great thing about Celia is that she knows she doesn’t need a man to protect her because she’s well capable of doing that herself; her strength lies in wanting to share her life with the man willing to do it right back.

Kyle Gilchrist is sex on two legs. And a caring, loving man to boot! Like Celia, he’s my favorite male protagonist in the series. Hands down. LITERALLY. His tenderness and wildness are the perfect combination in and out of the bedroom. And a man who is willing to admit his mistakes is downright sexy.

This couple truly belongs together. They are each other’s emotional support and the perfect example of friendship growing into love. With Celia’s brothers’ downright rudeness and Kyle’s recent inheritance and knowledge of his estranged father, both could not ask for a better friend and lover to help them through it.

Plus, talk about christening every room in the house…HOT, HOT, HOT!!! And with that I’ll give you one of my fave quotes of the book.

“Oh yes, little wifey mine, we’ll be having sex. Lots and lots of sex. Sweet sex, raunchy sex, shower sex, sex on the floor, sex against the wall, sex in bed, sex in the truck, sex in the barn, sex on the tractor, and sex on this table.” He smacked it hard.

Her silver eyes went wide.
“And in case that wasn’t clear, I’ll say it plain. I like sex. A lot of sex. Morning, noon and night.”

This book is definitely going into the re-read pile.

Five Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

A bit about me: When I’m not squirreled away behind my laptop writing fun, sexy, contemporary erotic romances set in the modern day Wild West, I can be found reading everything under the sun, practicing yoga until I’m a pretzel, shootin’ my .22, watching the Professional Bull Riders tour on Versus, and running a kid’s taxi service, all in the guise of avoiding housework and rustlin’ up vittles. Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.

Twitter | Facebook | Website

Cowboy Summer Five Loves July 2014

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No Apologies by Sybil Bartel…Blog Tour Stop & Review

by Jilly

Synopsis:

Never apologize

Hard-edged rocker Graham Allen has it all. He’s flush with cash from playing bass in a band by night and restoring classic cars by day. And there are plenty of women willing to share his bed for a night, complication-free. Perfect, because if there’s anything he learned from his past, it was to never get attached—to anything. So when bartender Carly Sullivan flashes her innocent smile, Graham isn’t prepared for what happens next.

Never fall in love

Two rules, that’s all Graham has—never apologize and never fall in love. He knows Carly is everything he should avoid. Cheerful and sweet, she has “relationship” written all over her. But Graham can’t stay away from her probing questions and concerned blue eyes.

When Graham discovers Carly is hiding a crushing secret, he’s prepared to risk it all. Until in one single moment, everything changes and Graham’s past threatens to collide with his future. His life is crumbling down around him, and soon no apology in the world can save him.

He should’ve known to walk away.

My review:

No Apologies is the first book from author Sybil Bartel and one hell of a debut. I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. The angst, emotion, and attraction were all done so well.

Graham Allen is a man of many talents. He’s a gifted musician, skilled mechanic, and one hell of a ladies man. He’s got the good looks, killer body, and a good amount of wealth. You could say he has it all…but he doesn’t. His childhood was plagued by abuse at the hands of his mother and by the time his father had decided to leave her and rescue Graham from the life on the streets he resorted to in order to escape the abuse, the damage was done. Now, he was a man with a huge chip on his shoulder and a deep seated anger that he feared he would never be able to get rid of. Enter Carly. The beautiful and sweet bartender that he knows damn well he should stay away from but just can’t seem to do it. She’s everything he isn’t. He finds himself looking for her smile every day and spends more and more time with her. And even though he knows he shouldn’t, he finds himself having all sorts of complicated feelings for her. But he knows she’s too good for him and she should never be with someone like him. But when Graham finds out she may be just as damaged as he is, things start to take a different turn. Could Graham ever deserve someone like Carly? God, he wanted nothing more…

After finishing, well more like devouring, this book I went on-line and looked at a few reviews. I found that a lot of people weren’t big fans of Graham and while I can see where they are coming from, I have to emphatically disagree. I loved him. He comes off as a total womanizing prick, and yeah there were times I wanted to slap him silly, but in the end I totally got why he was the way he was. He had a horrid excuse for a mother and in my mind he took all those feelings and years of hate out on the women he slept with. Yes, there were a lot of them. Yes, he treated them like crap. But I just couldn’t fault him for it because when we saw him with Carly and how much he wished he was the kind of man she deserved, it broke my heart. And lets be honest here…those girls weren’t exactly wholesome angels.

He was so broken and had no clue how to deal with it. He tried to push Carly away but on the flip side hated every minute they were apart. He was like the battered puppy that needed to be coaxed back into being happy and healthy. Carly was just what he needed in order to do just that…become happy and healthy. To see him slowly transform was a thing of beauty. Carly is one tough cookie. She’s been through her own tragedy and takes none of Graham’s crap, which I loved. She sticks to her guns and refuses to believe Graham is as damaged as he believes he is. She is unlike anything he’s ever known and even if it takes him a while to see it, eventually he does.

There’s a huge surprise toward the end that I never saw coming and it was another piece in helping Graham heal and become the man he was always capable of becoming….and it was so freaking perfect. I can’t give it away but I will give you a hint and say no, Carly doesn’t get pregnant. (you know that’s what you were thinking lol!)

All in all, if you love the tortured hero with a chance at redemption and a happily ever after, this is a book for you. Thank you, Sybil, for giving us Graham and Carly…. and Gunnar, too! I loved all of it!

Five Loves

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Buy Links:

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Sybil Bartel Bio:

I grew up in Northern California with my head in a book and my feet in the sand. I dreamt of becoming a painter but the heady scent of libraries with their shelves full of books drew me into the world of storytelling. I love the New Adult genre, but really, any story about a love so desperately wrong and impossibly beautiful makes me swoon.

I now live in Southern Florida and while I don’t get to read as much as I like, I still bury my toes in the sand. If I’m not writing or fighting to contain the banana plantation in my backyard, you can find me spending time with my handsomely tattooed husband, my brilliantly practical son and a mischievous miniature boxer…

But Seriously?

Here are ten things you really want to know about me.

I grew up a faculty brat. I can swear like a sailor. I love men in uniform. I hate being told what to do. I can do your taxes (but don’t ask). The Bird Market in Hong Kong freaks me out. My favorite word is desperate…or dirty, or both—I can’t decide. I have a thing for muscle cars. But never reply on me for driving directions, ever. And I have a new book boyfriend every week—don’t tell my husband

Links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | No Apologies Goodreads

Blog Tour Contemporary Romance Five Loves July 2014

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ARC Review…Enemies on Tap by Avery Flynn

by Jilly

Synopsis:

Brewing up trouble one pint at a time.

Enemies …After years away, Miranda Sweet returns to Salvation, Virginia to save her family’s brewery, but her fate is in the hands of her lover-turned-enemy, Logan. What’s a girl to do when the only person who can help her is the man who betrayed her?

Lovers …Logan Martin can’t believe his luck when the woman who smashed his heart to smithereens walks into his bank asking for his help. What she doesn’t know is that he needs the land her brewery is on–and he’ll do whatever it takes to get it.

An Irresistible Combination …Their wager becomes a battle between their attraction and their determination to win. But it’s in each other’s arms that they realize there might be more at stake now than their bet. With the town against the Sweet Salvation Brewery’s success, Logan has to choose between what’s expected of him and what he really wants…

My review:

Enemies on Tap is the first book in author Avery Flynn’s newest series, Sweet Salvation Brewery, and kicks the series off with a fantastic start!

Miranda Sweet really never wanted to come back to her hometown of Salvation. Her family had a decades long reputation for being a tad on the crazy side and after having to endure that reputation herself for her time in Salvation, you could say she wasn’t thrilled about being back in town. But the family’s brewery was left to her and her two sisters and despite not wanting to be back, she knew she had to be here. Now her plans included bringing life back into the dying brewery. Unfortunately that meant she had to ask her former boyfriend for help. Making matters worse is not only was Logan a former lover, he was also a member of the family that the Sweet’s had an undying conflict with. Oh, and the fact that she was still attracted to the deliciously sexy Logan isn’t helping matters. Will Miranda have what it takes to look down on the Sweet family reputation, ignore her feelings for Logan, and make the brewery a success once again?

Logan Martin had heard rumors that Miranda Sweet was back in town and he thought eventually he would run into her…but he never expected she would walk into his family’s bank and ask him for help. Talk about being in a pickle. He knows his father would never allow their bank, and family name, to help the Sweet’s but he also knows he would like nothing more than to get back into her good graces and rekindle the relationship they had years before. She was pretty back then but now she was stunning. There had to be a way to make things work. Would Logan go against his family and prove to Miranda that he didn’t give a damn about family rivalry and offer to help make Sweet Salvation Brewery what it once was?

Small town living and small town reputations threaten Logan and Miranda from the word go. Could they be the ones to finally cut those ties once and for all and turn the Sweet/Martin contention into a thing of the past?

Enemies on Tap is one of the best enemies to lovers stories I’ve read. Avery did a fantastic job in building the backstory behind Logan and Miranda’s current situation. The family history, the failed relationship, the rekindled attraction…all of it was done so well! Miranda is a real spitfire and her determination is admirable. She isn’t going to back down even when there are threats against her and the intended resurrection of the brewery. She just turns her nose up and battles forward. I loved that about her. Logan has the reputation for being the sexy golden boy with the good family name to back it up. But he also knows just because things have been run the same way in his town doesn’t mean it’s the right way. The sexual tension between them is delicious and burns hotter as the story progresses.

But besides a great heroine/hero combination, Avery has built one hell of a foundation for the series. The town and townspeople have such a real feel to them and I loved how that layer was assembled. Oh, and the ending? Freaking movie worthy! I could picture it in my mind’s eye as I was reading and was left with a big ol’ happy grin plastered on my face.

I cannot wait to read more in this series! Thank you, Avery, for one hell of a book and one hell of a great series opening!

Five Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

About the author:

Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.

She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staffs knew her by name.

Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.

Find out more about Avery on her website, follow her onTwitter and Pinterest, like her on her Facebook page or friend her on her Facebook profile. She’s also on Goodreadsand BookLikes.

Join her street team, The Flynnbots, and receive special sneak peeks, prizes and early access to her latest releases!

Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.

Contemporary Romance Five Loves New Releases New Reviews

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ARC Review…Up to Me by Christi Barth

by Jilly

Up to Me releases tomorrow!

Synopsis:

Ella Mayhew’s always appreciated the beautiful view of Seneca Lake from the spa window of her family’s hotel. But the view improves dramatically when a hot stranger runs across the grounds—shirtless. He’s the first man to kickstart her hormones in the three years since she lost her parents, and she doesn’t even know his name.

Graydon Locke’s on his umpteenth undercover assignment. The routine’s always the same: assess a business, recommend it for closure, then roll out before anyone discovers his decisions impact hundreds of lives. He’s always believed nothing good comes out of small towns. Why would this one be different? Then he makes two classic rookie mistakes—falling for the sweet, sexy girl who owns the very business he’s on the verge of axing. And letting the town’s residents get involved in both his life, and his relationship with Ella.

Ella’s the best thing to ever happen to Gray, but he’s lied to her from the start. If he pulls the plug on Mayhew Manor, the entire town may crumble. Ella couldn’t save her parents, but it’s up to her to save their hotel. Even if that means turning her back on true love.

My review:

Up to Me is the first in a new series from author Christi Barth. A fan of Christi’s, I am always excited to get my hands on a new release from her and Up to Me was no exception. Now that I’ve finished it I give it my vote as my favorite Christi book yet. It was phenomenal!

Graydon Locke has made a living blending in and being observant. It’s his skill at excelling at these two things that has made his job as an undercover business analyst of sorts a successful one for him. Although if he’s being honest, it’s getting a bit old and as he arrives on his latest assignment, he starts to think this may not be for him anymore. Coming in, calculating the pros and cons of closing a business or keeping it open, and giving his report to the powers that be. The endless days of living in and out of hotel rooms are starting to get old. The latest business in need of assessment though gives him a breath of fresh air. A beautiful resort manor with an equally beautiful staff member that has his blood pumping and may be exactly what he needs to gain some new perspective. Too bad from the moment he meets Ella he has had to lie about his intentions here at the resort. He needed to stay undercover. It wouldn’t matter anyway because he wouldn’t be here long enough for the truth to come out….or would he?

Ella Mayhew loved it at the resort. It was her second home, after all. But beyond that she loved her small town, her loyal friends and all the typical locals that came with small town living. It’s that small town atmosphere that makes newcomers stand out like a sore thumb. The latest sore thumb is one delicious and welcomed attraction, however. Ella’s had a rough go of things since losing her parents a few years earlier and this handsome stranger has been the first guy to pique her interest in far too long. What could be a better or more welcomed distraction than a hot and steamy temporary fling with a delicious hottie? It was so unlike her, though…could she throw some caution to the wind and see where this could lead? He wouldn’t be here for very long so what could it hurt, right?

The delicious attraction between Graydon and Ella starts off pretty innocently enough but soon grows into so much more than either of them had bargained for and soon Graydon starts to think that his career omission when they first met may come back to bite him in the arse…because the longer he knows Ella the more apparent it becomes that there’s no way he could ever recommend closing the resort she loves so much. Even though his own future may depend on doing just that. Would they be able to make it past his original act of deceit? Would either of them be interested in going from temporary to permanent anyway?

As I sit here and type this review, I am immediately drawn back into my imagination and the world Christi has built for me in the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Oh, how I wish I could actually go there and visit right at this very moment! It’s been quite some time since I was drawn into a book world and felt so at home there. There are so many wonderful things author Barth has given this town to make it so rich and homey. The characters are well-developed and so enjoyable. Graydon and Ella have a fast connection but it didn’t feel rushed at all. Graydon is a true gentleman and wants to do right by Ella, despite the whole resort take-over undercover thing. He is patient and kind and brings Ella out of the shell she had crawled into after the death of her parents. Ella is strong all along but just needed a little push to believe it again and Graydon excelled at that push. Beyond the main couple of Ella and Graydon, are Ella’s friends and townspeople that make this book really stand out in my mind. Ella has an amazing support system in this town and it’s one she knows she’s extremely fortunate to have. There are so many quirks Christi gave this town that I fell in love with: the mailbox journal, the mayor’s dog, the annual resort party, the town bullies, the coffee flavors at the town’s diner, the obvious history everyone shares with each other…all of it. As I mentioned earlier, I wish I could go for a visit right this minute!

Up to Me was a real treat to read and I highly recommend it for a great summer beach read….or lounging by an upstate New York lake!

Thank you, Christi, for giving us Ella, Graydon and a whole town to love! I cannot WAIT to see what you have in store for us next!

Five Loves

Buy links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage.

A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance.

Christi is President of the Maryland Romance Writers and lives in Maryland with her husband.

Website ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Five Loves June 2013

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Azagoth by Larissa Ione…ARC Review

by Jilly

Synopsis:

Even in the fathomless depths of the underworld and the bleak chambers of a damaged heart, the bonds of love can heal…or destroy.

He holds the ability to annihilate souls in the palm of his hand. He commands the respect of the most dangerous of demons and the most powerful of angels. He can seduce and dominate any female he wants with a mere look. But for all Azagoth’s power, he’s bound by shackles of his own making, and only an angel with a secret holds the key to his release.

She’s an angel with the extraordinary ability to travel through time and space. An angel with a tormented past she can’t escape. And when Lilliana is sent to Azagoth’s underworld realm, she finds that her past isn’t all she can’t escape. For the irresistibly sexy fallen angel known as Azagoth is also known as the Grim Reaper, and when he claims a soul, it’s forever…

My review:

Azagoth is story number 10.5 in author Larissa Ione’s Demonica series as well as novella number 6 in the 1,001 Dark Nights Series and one of the books I have been dying for this year. As always, Larissa didn’t disappoint. Azagoth was every bit of the tortured, sexy, bad boy I was looking forward to and Lilliana was his perfect match.

Fallen angel Azagoth is notorious for his dark and powerful ways, running the underworld, sorting souls, and being known otherwise as the Grim Reaper. But he wasn’t always this way. He had been an angel before and had once been on the sunny side, so to speak. After all these years in the darkness and with that darkness slowly seeping into his very bones, he yearns for more. But who in their right mind would come down to this dark and desolate realm to date him…the freaking Grim Reaper? No one. Unless he could work some magic and ask for a heavenly favor. They did owe him, after all. Getting someone to take over this realm wasn’t exactly a job angels had been lining up for and now he would use the sacrifice he made to his advantage by asking for a female he could spend eternity with. He wanted more than the “scratch an itch” kind of relationship. Of course he never expected the beautiful and feisty angel they sent him. Lilliana was like no one he had even encountered. She was strong-willed, smart, beautiful and unafraid of him. And he immediately wants her with a passion that defies logic. Could she learn to love a man like him? In a world like this?

Lilliana knew she was in big trouble with the heavens and when she makes a deal that could get her out of that trouble and possibly save her wings and ability to time travel, she figures how bad could it be? All she had to do was go into the underworld, hang out with the Grim Reaper, Azagoth, and last a few weeks. Easy peasy, right? She knows she is strong enough to endure the darkness but as soon as she gets to his realm, she knows she’s in trouble. She may be able to ignore all the creepy crawlies and the darkness down in the underworld but there’s only so long she will be able to ignore the fierce attraction she feels towards Azagoth. Luckily, his reputation for being a surly bad boy precedes him and he doesn’t disappoint, being miserable and demanding at every turn. Unfortunately, Lilliana soon realizes she likes the banter they have and finds herself craving his company more and more. Would she really want to stay here with him forever? Would he want her to if he ever found out the deal she made to save herself?

They say that love will always find a way, but never before has love had such a hard road to travel. Will Lilliana and Azagoth be able to meet love halfway and complete the journey?

When you read as much as I do, there are a few authors that reading their newest work it feels like coming home. Larissa is one of those authors for me and reading Azagoth was like coming home. Her writing style is stellar and she has an amazing talent with the tortured hero making the reader want to hate him but unable to ever do so. Azagoth was one of those heroes. He is dark and brooding but deep down just wants some version of happiness. And my God, I wanted it for him. Lilliana isn’t going to cower to his demands, which is something he is very much unaccustomed to. It pisses him off all while exciting and intriguing him. Lilliana is just as intrigued and excited with Azagoth when she sees how he has lived his life and how deliciously and darkly sexy he is. He was unlike anyone she had ever met and that would prove to be a big check in the “stay in the underworld forever” column.

Lilliana’s gift of time travel is an exceptional gift and gives Azagoth a sense of joy he hasn’t felt in far too long. Seeing the simple joy on his face when they travel to see a landscape he hasn’t seen in hundreds of years gives a gift right back to Lilliana and before they both realize it…they have stumbled into a relationship neither one had ever dreamed of finding. I really can’t think of an adjective to adequately explain just how beautiful Lilliana and Azagoth are together. You’ll just have to take my word on this…and buy this book. You will NOT be disappointed.

Thank you, Larissa, for being you and for writing such remarkable stories.

Five Loves

Buy links:

Kindle
Amazon paperback

About the author:
Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Five Loves June 2014 Paranormal

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One Night With a Cowboy by Elizabeth Otto…Blog Tour Stop & Review

by Jilly

Synopsis:

One night is never enough…

Jobless, broke, and struggling to support herself and her invalid mother, paramedic Sophie Miller doesn’t have time or energy for a relationship. Especially with her mother’s clock ticking down. So when the sexy cowboy she meets at a carnival proposes a no-strings, one-night stand, she’s all over it. Until her one-night stand shows up again and turns out to be everything she’s ever wanted.

Tucker Haywood has his hands full running Paint River Ranch and trying to deal with all the changes pulling the rug out from under him. His past has taught him it’s better to keep women at arm’s length, for their sake. Stubborn and temperamental, Tucker doesn’t have a clue how to deal with a city girl who’s scared of squirrels and dirt.

So when Sophie gets under his skin, he has to do whatever it takes to push her away. Even if it means losing the part of himself he never thought he’d find.

My review:

One Night With a Cowboy is the second book in author Elizabeth Otto’s Paint River Ranch series and after falling in love with the Haywood brothers in the first book, I was so anxious to get to Tucker’s story. Well, Elizabeth sure as hell gave this rugged cowboy one hell of story. I adored every second!

Sophie Miller really does have an overflowing plate these days and doesn’t know how much more she can take. City budget cuts have caused her to lose her job as a paramedic, her mother has taken a turn for the worse so she’s had to move to be closer, and the already strained relationship she has with her sister is only getting worse. Jobless and lacking any kind of support, emotionally or financially, Sophie is just about at her wits end. That all changes when she eyes the deliciously hot cowboy one night at the local fair. He is just the kind of temporary distraction she needs. Not one to normally go for a one-night stand, Sophie isn’t sure what draws her to him, only that she needs this. Anything to take her mind off of all of the negative in her life. And the denim wrapped, cowboy hat topped, tall drink of water is just that…a temporary distraction. Unfortunately with her mother getting worse, and with limited finances, Sophie finds herself staying longer than she expected in this town…and longer in her cowboy’s bed. Will she be able to leave when the time comes?

Tucker Haywood has learned a lot of lessons in his life. One of them being that he isn’t one for the long term relationship. His ex-fiancé will agree with him on that. He probably has his father to blame for his inability to love properly but looking at the happiness one of his brothers has found, he thinks instead that maybe it’s just him. Whatever the reason, he’s been happy with his one-night-love-‘em-an-leave-‘em mentality…up until he meets Sophie. What is supposed to be one night together turns into the desire for much more and Tucker soon realizes he’s in uncharted territory. And it scares him to death. He isn’t meant for this…love and commitment beyond the temporary. But every time he sees Sophie he realizes he’s only lying to himself. Tucker soon starts to wonder if he could be the man she deserves…and would she want him to be?

The hurdles Tucker and Sophie face are many…both as individuals and as a couple. They will have to face loss, unfamiliar emotions, and personal journeys that will either make or break their chances at a happy ever after together. Will they have what it takes to face what life throws at them?

I loved this book. I really, really, really, loved this book. I blame my puffy eyes today on this book. I cried, laughed, and my chest physically ached over this book. We met Tucker Haywood briefly in the first book in this series and I already knew he was a bit surly but sexy as hell. His father had royally screwed up Tucker’s emotions when he was a young boy when he decided to treat their mother like dirt and the boys just as badly. He had accepted his emotional lot in life and did the best he could…by keeping women at a distance and avoiding any kind of real relationship. He had tried it before and was proven right when he broke things off with his fiancé. Enter Sophie. This gal turns his whole world upside-down and it was magical to read. Sophie is strong with a touch of vulnerability that makes her such a real and believable character. She has so much weighing on her but never gives up. Her mother is dying, she doens’t have her father, and has a crap relationship with her only sibling, but always bucks up and keeps going. When she shows her emotion in this book it is earned and not some girly breakdown. It didn’t matter that neither Tucker nor Sophie wanted anything beyond their first night together…they had an unexplained pull that just kept getting stronger. Neither one wanted to admit there was something meaningful between them, and both of them were scared away when they contemplated the idea. There were a whole lot of tense moments between these two and I was so worried they wouldn’t see the forest for the trees, so to speak. That they wouldn’t be able to admit their feelings and they would miss out on their chance at happiness together. Luckily, Elizabeth knows how to write one hell of an ending. I was sobbing my eyes out for the last few chapters. It went from sad sobbing to big ‘ol happy tears of joy. I won’t give anything away but I will tell you that the covered bridge ending is one of my favorite endings of all time.

Oh, and the smoking hot heat and chemistry between Tucker and Sophie? From the very beginning is was on freaking fire. Amazing, intense and really well written.

If you love sexy cowboys, smoking hot chemistry, and beautiful emotion, One Night With a Cowboy is the book for you. Trust me, you will love it as much as I did! Thank you, Elizabeth, for another amazing trip to the Paint River Ranch. I cannot WAIT for the next in this series!

Five Loves

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Otto grew up in a Wisconsin town the size of a postage stamp, where riding your horse to the grocery store, and skinny dipping after school were perfectly acceptable. No surprise that she writes about small communities and country boys. She’s the author of paranormal romance, and hot, emotional, contemporary romance, and has no guilt over frequently making her readers cry. When not writing, she works full-time as an Emergency Medical Technician for a rural ambulance service. Elizabeth lives with her very own country boy and their three children in, shockingly, a small Midwestern town.

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Blog Tour Contemporary Romance Five Loves May 2014 New Reviews

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One Night Rodeo: A Blacktop Cowboys Novel

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Up to Me releases tomorrow!

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