Four Loves

Review….Heart and Sole by Miranda Liasson

Synopsis:

Getting even.
One step at a time…

Maddie Kingston just walked away from everything in order to take over her family’s struggling shoe business. And she’s in some serious trouble. The majority of the company’s shares have been bought out by none other than Maddie’s ex-boyfriend, self-made billionaire Nick Holter. Now Maddie needs his help…even if it means buying Nick from a charity bachelor auction.

After the Kingstons destroyed his grandfather’s career, Nick vowed to take over their company. He’s inches from victory when he finds himself bought and paid for…by his sexy ex-girlfriend who’s hell-bent on saving her family’s company. Between their families’ feud and their own unfinished business, tempers – and emotions – run hot. Too hot.

Because kissing with the enemy is a guaranteed shoe-in for trouble…

My review:

Heart and Sole is the newest work from author Miranda Liasson and one that I absolutely loved.

With a small town setting, the main character’s background and prior romance leading them to where they were today, and a long-standing family feud, this book was wonderful.

Maddie Kingston was in a bit of a pickle. She had to save her family’s business and had to find a way to do it damn fast. She had one hope…Nick Holter. Too bad Nick was the last person she wanted to ask for help from. He had broken her heart years ago and the wound was still way to fresh. But he had purchased a large chuck of the shares of the business and she had to make him see that he needed to save the company, not dismantle it. Could she sweep aside the broken pieces of her heart to save the day?

Nick Holter was in a bit of a pickle. He was the largest shareholder in his family’s sworn enemy’s company and although he would love to gain a bit of revenge for his family and shut down the business, he knew deep down he couldn’t do that to Maddie. Maddie, the girl from his past that he had never been able to let go. The girl he had never felt he was good enough for or deserved. But with a twist of fate, and a charity auction, he would end up spending the weekend with her in their hometown where all the feelings he had for her would threaten to surface. Could he finally tell her how he felt? Would she ever feel the same way for him….especially after he broke her heart?

With so much from their past threatening to keep them apart, can Maddie and Nick ever find their happy ever after?

I loved this book! It was entertaining and fresh with characters that leapt off the pages. I love a good reunited lovers story and also love a small town romance…this was a great mix of both. There was so much emotion between not only Nick and Addie but their entire family as well and that made the story that much more enjoyable. There’s a great combination of tender moments, family fueled drama, passion, and even a good amount of humor.

If you’re looking for a well-rounded story to spend an afternoon with, I highly recommend Heart and Sole! Thank you, Ms. Liaison, for a wonderful read!

Book links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

I am a writer of contemporary romance, represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

In 2013, I won Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award® for a story that has become This Thing Called Love, which debuts from Montlake Romance this spring. It’s about life and love and the hard choices we all sometimes have to make. It’s heartwarming but lighthearted, too.
I also write lighthearted contemporary romance for Entangled Indulgence that will debut in July, 2015.
I write romance because I love stories about the experience of being human, and love is the universal experience we all share. I also love stories that have happy endings and make me laugh. I hope my stories make you laugh a little, too.
My debut novel, a fun small town romance with a lot of heart, is coming in May, 2015, from Montlake Romance. I’m also contracted with Entangled Publishing–stay tuned for release dates.
For about five years before writing contemporary romance, I wrote Regency and early Victorian historical romance and I still love to read historical romance. I hold a masters degree in Literature and read widely across many genres. I love Jane Austen and am a total John Keats fan girl! I always have multiple books going at once and almost never go anywhere without one. My favorite books are ones that contain great insights about life and love and the experience of being human. And have happy endings. And make me laugh. Sad book, unhappy ending–um, no thanks. Well, maybe for good discussion purposes. Maybe.
I am a proud member of my local RWA chapter, the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. I live in Northeast Ohio with my husband and three kids, my office mates Maggie, a yellow lab, and Posey, a rescue cat with more attitude than my teenagers. Thanks for stopping by and I’d love to hear from you! Use my contact page and please feel free to follow me on Facebook or Twitter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review…Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding—but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia’s gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn’t need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother’s leaked “fake” wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia’s father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone—especially herself—that she’s not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

My Review:

Royal Wedding is the eleventh book in author Meg Cabot’s wildly popular Princess Diaries Series and admittedly the first in the series I have read. I have seen the movie and probably wouldn’t have read this book but for the fact that the characters are now in their mid-twenties and this was definitely an adult novel. I really enjoyed it!

This installment follows Princess Mia in her current day-to-day life. Things start to get a bit excited, however, when not only does her boyfriend propose but also when a secret her father has been keeping for twelve years surfaces and threatens to change everyone’s lives….in a good way if they all play their cards right.

Along the way we are treated to Mia’s quirky and sassy inner monologue, written in diary fashion. There are also text messages between Mia, her friends, and her new fiance. I loved that most about this read. It was light and funny with a dash of snark that had me snickering. I also loved Mia’s Grandmere and their conversations were quite humorous as an outsider looking in.

All in all this was an enjoyable read, perfect for the beach or a lazy summer day at home. Full of funny moments and sassy quips, written in a style all modern-day readers can relate to, with texting conversations and pop culture references, it is a win! Thank you, Ms. Cabot, for a great read.

Four Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

About the author:

Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for both adults and tweens/teens. There have been over 25 million copies of Meg’s nearly 80 published books sold in 38 countries. Her last name rhymes with habit, as in “her books can be habit forming.” She currently lives in Key West, Florida with her husband and various cats.

Website

Review….The Siren’s Touch by Amber Belldene

Synopsis:

One touch can change everything…

Hitman Dmitri Lisko is determined to avenge his father. Once he takes out the man he believes is responsible for his family’s tragedies, he’s done killing for good. But a mysterious woman may tempt Dmitri to change his plan.

Sonya Truss was murdered in a Ukrainian village in 1968. Now she’s reappeared in San Francisco as a rusalka—the ghost of a wronged woman. And she’s thirsty for the blood of her killer. But she has to make things right before she’s trapped between worlds forever.

Sonya’s enigmatic siren powers stir Dmitri’s long-buried chivalry, and he finds himself compelled to help her. He also can’t resist giving her a taste of the pleasures she never experienced while she was alive. Soon they discover that touch has surprising consequences. Yet when their shared mission comes to cross-purposes, they must choose between deadly sacrifice—or surrendering to the one act that can save them both.

My Review:

The Siren’s Touch is the newest work from author Amber Belldene, an author I have loved reading since picking up her Blood Vine series a few years earlier. I was so excited to read this new work and have to say, hands down, this is at the top of my fave list of Ms. Belldene’s books. I loved it!

Dimitri Lisko was in San Fransisco for one reason: to kill the man responsible for his father’s demise. He was a hitman, after all. What he was not in San Francisco was to help some type of siren ghost unravel the mystery of her untimely death ad help her seek vengeance. But after realizing he was the only one who could see her, and eventually touch her, he knew he couldn’t leave her alone. It helped matters that she was beautiful and had a personality that called to him like no female ever had. Just his luck…to fall for a ghost. A situation that is doomed from the start may have a happy ending built in…if they can just figure out how.

Wow. I absolutely loved the mix up of Ukrainian mobster tough guy meets otherworldly spectral beauty and the story of how these two unlikely worlds collided and what lengths they will have to go through to get to the bottom of a murder mystery. Ms. Belldene always puts a fresh and exciting view onto the paranormal and has always kept me glued to the pages she writes. As I said earlier, this book is at the top of my favorites list of her books. Dimitri is an unlikely hero and had never held the role before, which made me love him. He was this big burly man with a gruff exterior hiding a big heart when it came to Sonya. Sonya, having her life ripped away at her prime, is determined and open-minded when it comes to figuring things out. I loved these two together and the surprises along the way were wonderful and gave them a chance to become more than man and ghost.

Also, the mystery surrounding Sonya was well thought out and developed beautifully as the story progressed. I was so worried for these two and had no idea how they would be able to have any kind of happy ending! But not to worry…Ms. Belldene came through beautifully *dreamy sigh*

Overall, if you’re looking for a new paranormal romance with a fresh view and a dash of heat, this should be on your shelf! I’m also hoping that the way the ending was set up, we will see a series out of this amazing story. Thank you, Ms. Belldene for another fabulous read!

Four Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons–an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days.

Amber is an Episcopal Priest and student of religion. She believes stories are the best way to explore human truths. Some people think it is strange for a minister to write vampire romance, but it is perfectly natural to her, because the human desire for love is at the heart of every romance novel and God made people with that desire. She lives with her husband and two children in San Francisco and spends way too much time on Twitter @AmberBelldene if you want to chat.

Amber writes scorching, smart paranormal romance and quirky-hot contemporary romance–all of which draw on her interests in spirituality and sexuality. Visit her website to sign up for her newsletter for info about her latest releases.

Website

Insider by Olivia Cunning….Blog Tour Stop & Review

Title: Insider (Exodus End #1)

Author: Olivia Cunning

Release Date: June 30, 2015

Find on Goodreads

Toni wants to be an insider.

Logan just wants inside her.

She’s finally ready to rock…

Toni Nichols set aside her dreams to raise her little sister, but now she’s reaching for the stars as the creator of a revolutionary interactive biography about Exodus End. She’s on tour with the rock band to immerse herself in their world, but how will she ever gain the trust of four veteran superstars who’ve been burned by the media before? Nobody said this was going to be easy. Then again, good things can come in hard packages.

He’s always ready to roll…

Adrenaline junkie Logan Schmidt lives for the rush of playing his bass guitar before thousands of screaming fans. When he’s not performing onstage or in the bedroom, he’s looking for his next thrill in extreme sports. So why does a sweet, innocent journalist get his heart pumping and capture his full attention? Is Toni the real deal or just digging up dirt on his band? Logan’s eager to rock Toni’s world and roll her in the sack, but when she starts to get too close to his heart, she takes her insider look to a place he may never be willing to go.

–

My Review:

Insider is the first book in author Olivia Cunning’s Exodus End series and admittedly the first book of Ms. Cunning’s work that I’ve read. I know, I know…I’ve been missing out! This book was a sexy and sweet rocker story that, once I picked up, I couldn’t put down.

The one thing I absolutely loved about this book was the inexperience factor. Toni was already a character I knew I was going to love from her intro in the first chapter. She’s the daughter of a publishing company owner and has the role of protective big sister to her younger special needs sister. That was reason enough for me to adore her. But add to that her inexperience when it comes to men and sex and her brave face when it comes to deciding to go for it, and she’s a total win in my opinion. I loved her so much. She totally realizes it’s weird that she’s a 25-year-old virgin but is willing to give things a try, and isn’t too shy to ask for help and advice. Cue Logan. I mean if ever there was a perfect teacher for her, it’s him. He finds her innocence a complete turn on and even though he’s a bit freaked to find out she had been a virgin, he’s willing to experiment with her and help her. I know, you’re probably thinking how could that possibly be a hardship for a guy, right? Remember, he’s a member of a hugely popular bad and really doesn’t have to take things on. But he’s been hooked on Tori since she walked onto their tour bus. Together they are so steamy and sexy that I groaned out loud more than a few times! It was so deliciously sexy!

But beyond the heat there’s part of the storyline that had my hackles raised and waiting for something nefarious to happen to poor Tori. A woman working fo her mother’s company had her eye on Tori’s and went to horrid lengths to tarnish and ruin the relationship Tori built with not only Logan, but with the entire band. It was a hot mess at the end and I was sick to my stomach for these two new lovers. Now I won’t ruin anything for you but I will say that I don’t recommend books that end badly…

Overall this was a sweet and sexy rocker romance with a bit of suspense at the end and I loved it. I will be looking forward to see what Ms. Cunning has on store for us next.

Four Loves

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

“Have a seat, Toni,” Dare offered. He stood and took a gym bag from her hand. He set it on the floor next to the spot he’d vacated, making it clear that Toni should sit next to Logan on the sofa. Logan loved the guy. Such a thoughtful son of a bitch. Toni’s dark eyes, hidden behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, scanned the interior of the bus as if searching for refuge. Apparently the seat next to Logan was not it. Dare plopped himself down in the only available recliner and extended the leg rest, as if he had no intention of moving for the night.

“Th-thanks,” Toni said, pushing her glasses up her nose with one trembling hand.

Logan wasn’t sure what she was so nervous about all of a sudden. She’d seemed perfectly at ease when they’d been interacting with their fans. Perhaps she’d taken his comment about a lamb in a den of wolves to heart. He’d only been teasing, but he found her skittishness endearing in a world where most women threw all inhibitions to the wind when in the presence of any member of his band, much less all four of them.

The bus rumbled as it rolled forward. They were on the road again. Toni’s hands flew out as the unexpected movement threw her off balance.

She plopped down beside Logan, perching on the edge of a cushion as if the sofa’s back was made of shards of glass. Logan was pretty sure she was looking for the emergency exit. Her gaze settled on Butch, who was standing next to their driver and running over a strict schedule detailing how to get them to their next show in time while making a promotional stop between venues. Their schedule never had an inch of give. Their manager, Sam, was a genius when it came to getting the band the most exposure, but he had the tendency to believe that because they were a metal band, they were made of iron. They didn’t require useless things like down time and rest.

“So tell us more about this book,” Dare said, which was apparently the exact right thing to say to Toni, because her unease evaporated instantly.

“Have you seen the new interactive electronic textbooks?” she asked, her eager gaze moving from Dare to Max to Steve.

Logan was very conscious of the fact that she didn’t look at him once. He’d thought their attraction was mutual, but maybe not. He scooted several inches closer to her because he saw something he wanted and wasn’t one to sacrifice his personal needs for the greater good.

“Textbooks?” Steve asked. “Like for school and shit?”

“Yeah, that’s usually where textbooks are used,” she said, a teasing grin on her lush lips. When no one laughed, her face fell. Logan forced a guffaw about five seconds too late. That got his bandmates laughing. Not at Toni’s understated joke. They were laughing at his blatant stupidity. Nothing new there.

“I can’t say I’ve even seen a textbook since high school,” Steve said.

“These new interactive ones are amazing. Each topic has videos and pictures and links. It presents the information in a way that gets students who are used to constant entertainment excited about learning.”

“So you’re writing a textbook about us?” Dare asked, brows drawn together in a confused scowl.

“What kind of textbook would that be? A manual on mayhem and debauchery?” Toni cringed when no one laughed at that joke either.

Logan guffawed five seconds too late again. He was going to have to pay really close attention to what she said to figure out when she was joking. He didn’t think she lacked a sense of humor, she just looked serious. She’d definitely fit in better at a library than at standup-comedy night.

“The publishing company I work for designs and distributes these interactive textbooks,” she said. “Samuel Baily approached us to make an interactive book about the band, the first of its kind. He’s very forward thinking.”

That got the band laughing. “You might say that,” Max said. “Sometimes he’s a bit too forward thinking. He’s got every minute of our schedules booked for the next eighteen years. He thinks we’re robots or something.”

Toni’s eyes bulged. “Eighteen years?” she muttered under her breath.

Surely she knew Max was joking, so why did she look so unsettled? Wondering if he could make her blush again, Logan scooted a few more inches closer to her. His knee brushed her thigh, and she yanked on her skirt. Other than her hands and face, not an inch of bare flesh was showing. He wasn’t sure exactly what she was trying to conceal. Maybe she wasn’t open to his attempts to seduce her. Which made her a challenge. Which, like her tits, he couldn’t resist. Or maybe she had a nice boyfriend at home. His loss.

“Speaking of robots,” Steve said. “How are the prototypes of our androids coming?”

“Good until they tried to replicate my dick and ran out of materials,” Logan said.

Toni’s sudden intake of breath made him grin. That shocked her? Seriously? Too easy.

“If they ran out of materials, it had to be due to Max’s giant forehead,” Steve said.

“Or your enormous feet,” Max countered.

Toni grabbed a pad of paper out of her bag and started writing furiously. Logan leaned against her shoulder to read what had her so excited. She was writing down their conversation. In the margin, she wrote: Keep video camera close at hand when all band members are together. They’re hilarious.

He was close enough to feel her body heat and inhale the sweet fragrance of her fruity shampoo. He wondered if she tasted as sweet as she smelled.

“For the record,” Logan said in her ear as he pointed toward her notes, “I was the one with the big dick.”

Toni leaped from the sofa as if it were on fire. Her gaze darted from one guy to the next, and she pushed her glasses up her nose with the back of her wrist. God, he wanted to take those glasses off, take those clothes off, and do things to her. Naughty, devious, delicious things.

“Um . . .”

The twin bumps poking against her shapeless turtleneck drew Logan’s attention.

Hard nipples? Did his crassness turn her on? That was all the encouragement he needed to behave inappropriately. Visible nipples also meant that her bra was not padded. There was so much win in that, he should have her name engraved on a trophy.

“What’s wrong?” Logan asked. “I won’t bite. But I will nibble. And suck. And lick.”

She stared at him with her mouth agape and her eyes wide. Her nipples strained against her sweater, begging him to do all those things and more to the tips of those luscious melons.

She glanced down at her tits and immediately crossed her arms over her chest. “Is, um, there a bathroom I can use?”

“At the back of the bus,” Dare said, nodding his head toward the end of the corridor.

“Don’t take a dump in there,” Steve said. “We stop at rest areas to do that business.”

Face flaming, she sucked in a deep breath, turned, and sprinted to the back of the bus. She fumbled with the closet door and when it popped open, a stack of towels that had shifted during transit tumbled out and pummeled her in the face.

Logan climbed to his feet to rescue her. He decided to take it easy on her for the moment. He wouldn’t want to traumatize her so much she decided to leave. They both bent to pick up the same towel at the same time and bumped heads. They jerked apart and rubbed their heads in unison. Toni looked up at him, her brown, doe-like eyes watery with tears. He wasn’t sure if they were tears of pain or humiliation, but seeing them in her eyes did strange things to his chest. He wasn’t sure why it was suddenly tight.

“It’s okay,” he said, deciding that though it was fun to tease her, he’d better tone it down a bit. She obviously wasn’t used to it, and he didn’t want to harass a woman who wasn’t receptive to provocative flirting. He hadn’t intended to upset her, just wanted to have a little fun and get under that conservative skirt of hers. “I’ll get the towels, Toni. You go ahead and do your business.” He opened the bathroom door for her.

She lowered her hand from her forehead to reveal a large reddened bump.

Logan winced and leaned forward to press his lips to the lump. She sucked a startled breath into her chest. Shit. There he went crossing the line again.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I always kiss boo-boos.”

“I have a pimple on my ass that needs kissing,” Steve called.

Logan closed his eyes and shook his head. “One of the things you should consider stressing in your book is how little fucking privacy a man has while on tour with his band.”

“I can include that,” she said, “but I think fans are more interested in the size of your dick.” She backed into the bathroom. “I know I am.” She bit her lip before closing the door in his face.

Combining her love for romantic fiction and rock ‘n roll, USA Today Best-Selling Author Olivia Cunning writes erotic romance centered around rock musicians.

Raised on hard rock music from the cradle, she attended her first Styx concert at age six and fell instantly in love with live music. She’s been known to travel over a thousand miles just to see a favorite band in concert. As a teen, she discovered her second love, romantic fiction — first, voraciously reading steamy romance novels and then penning her own.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review…The Espionage Effect by Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion

Synopsis:

When desire sets you free…control is a matter of perception.

I’m Devin Hill.

Darkness taints my soul.

I’m suffocating. Drowning.

The sweet promise of air? Pure illusion.

Tested as a genius at age seven, I hide my emotions, become what they expect…bury my secrets. At nineteen, I trudge toward a predestined path, blinders on, heart safeguarded.

Until I dare to be wild.

Until Alec Marquez crashes into my world.

Until all that follows redefines everything I’ve ever known.

What happens when you stumble into a world of spies…and discover you belong there?

My Review:

The Espionage Effect is the newest work from the dynamic writing duo of Kat Bastion and Stone Basti0n and took me on one hell of a suspenseful and sexy ride. I loved it!

Ok…now I can’t give too much away in this review because this is a journey you really need to experience as you read. And I will envy all of you for being able to experience those twists and turns for the first time!

Devin Hill is a bona-fide genius. Her parents are as well. They all used to be happy until a traumatizing event happened when she was a child. Now, Devin has built walls up that no one is capable of breaking down. She has learned to take care of herself in any type of situation and can handle just about anything thrown her way. But the one thing she really needs is to just let go for, even if for a few days. Which leads her, and her best friend, to a tropical beach with visions of cocktails and beach reading on the horizon. That all changes when the handsome and mysterious Alec Marquez literally crashes into her world. Everything changes from that very moment and what seemed to be a relaxing vacation turns into a mission to save lives….including their own.

Oh my, this book was amazing! Equal parts sexy and suspenseful there was mystery and tons of smoldering heat. I adore Kat and Stone’s writing and by far this is my favorite book of theirs yet. I was nervous for Devin and her getting hurt, both emotionally and physically, and I wasn’t sure who she should be trusting. I wanted her to trust Alec but I just wasn’t sold. He is sexy and mysterious and kept me guessing and I loved it. The plot of this story was phenomenal. It was well thought out and complex but not overly done. The shocking twists that happened at the end knocked my socks off!

If you’re looking for a fresh, exciting, sexy, and suspense filled read with two dynamic characters, this is the book for you! Thank you Kat and Stone for one hell of a read! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next.

Four Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N

About the authors:

Kat Bastion won several awards for her bestselling debut novel Forged in Dreams and Magick.

Kat and Stone Bastion’s bestselling first novel No Weddings and the No Weddings series were named Best of 2014 by several romance review blogs.

When not defining love and redemption through scribed words, they enjoy spending their time mountain biking and hiking in the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona.
Stay in touch with them on their social media pages:

Kat’s Twitter: twitter.com/KatBastion
Stone’s Twitter: twitter.com/StoneBastion
Blog: www.talktotheshoe.com
Website: www.katbastion.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Kat-Stone-Bast…

Wicked Ride by Rebecca Zanetti…..Blog Tour Stop & Review

Title: Wicked Ride
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Kindle

“Non-stop action and a hero to die for!” —Alexandra Ivy

If you love the Dark Protectors, these wicked hot Realm Enforcers are for you!

Alexandra Monzelle is a hard-fighting, heat-packing Seattle vice cop, and she’s not much interested in being protected. Her short skirt and sex-kitten heels are tools to lure her suspects into talking about the deadly new drug hitting the streets. She can take care of herself and then some. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to get that through to Kellach Dunne.

Kellach is a fresh import from Dublin, and he’s landed at the heart of a vicious motorcycle club that deals in guns, narcotics, and mayhem. He’s all male, all rough power—and all interference in her damn investigation. Maybe he’s one of the good guys. Maybe not. Lex knows an affair with an immortal like him would risk everything. No matter how delicious he looks…

My Review:

Wicked Ride is the first book in author Rebecca Zanetti’s newest series, The Realm Enforcers. It’s a spin-off series of Ms. Zanettis’ Dark Protectors series but it’s not necessary to have read that series to get into this amazing debut!

When a dangerous drug hits the streets of Seattle, tough-and-no-nonsense-vice-cop Alexandra and immortal-working-undercover-as-a-member-of-a-biker-gang Kellach seem to start off on opposite sides of the game but will soon end up working together to find and end the existence of this drug.

What follows is an action packed, suspenseful, and passion filled ride taking these two unlikely allies on one hell of a trip!

Their chemistry is evident as soon as they meet but they definitely take their time in exploring it. I appreciated that. They share a lot of similarity in their personalities but also have more than a few differences. That only added to their push and pull leading to banter I thoroughly enjoyed!

I also appreciated Ms. Zanetti’s fresh and different take on witches and love how she builds her paranormal worlds. It’s always exciting and new. We are also introduced to a cast of characters I cannot wait to see more of.

Overall this was a fantastic and action packed PNR and I will absolutely be looking forward to more from this series! Thank you, Ms. Zanetti, for a great read!

Four Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner – only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She writes dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and sexy contemporary romances.

Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day–or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.

For More Information

Visit Rebecca’s website.

Connect with Rebecca on Facebook , Pinterest, Goodreads and Twitter.

A Pound Of Flesh by Sophie Jackson…ARC Review

A Pound Of Flesh releases tomorrow, 6/9

Synopsis:

Lose your heart to your new bad boy book boyfriend. Wes Carter – sexy, edgy, behind bars, with emotional scars as permanent as the ink on his skin, just waiting to be healed by love…

Fans of Samantha Young, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Jamie McGuire, Katy Evans and Prison Break will find this powerful love story utterly addictive and unforgettable.

Their love is forbidden. But won’t be denied… Can true love heal the deepest scars?

For Kat Lane, teaching inmates at a New York prison is her way of upholding the legacy of her beloved father, murdered fifteen years ago. But when new student Wes Carter walks into her classroom, she’s shaken by the strength of her attraction to him. Carter is as handsome as he is dangerous, as mysterious as he is quick-witted – and he ensures people keep their distance. Yet vibrant Kat bypasses his defences and challenges him to reveal the real man behind the intimidating reputation. As their emotional barriers crumble, their inescapable but forbidden feelings cannot be ignored. But will Kat’s discovery of Carter’s role on the night her father died force them apart…or bind their hearts for ever?

A Pound of Flesh is a tale of loyalty, redemption and all-consuming love against the odds, introducing an irresistible bad boy hero…

My Review:

In the very first sentence of the synopsis of A Pound Of Flesh, the debut work from author Sophie Jackson, it says that you will lose your heart to your new bad boy book boyfriend and no other statement could be more true. I loved this book so damn much…from start to finish it brough about a ton of emotion and I completely fell in love with Wes Carter. He’s 100% my new bad boy book boyfriend and totally owns my heart.

Kat and Carter meet almost a lifetime ago, in the most horrible of circumstances. Neither one of them forgot the other. Neither on of them ever saw each other since that one horrible night. Until now, when fate throws these two lost souls together again in another set of unlikely circumstances. In an attempt to honor her beloved father’s memory, Kat winds up teaching at a prison. The very same prison Carter is serving time in. They don’t realize it at first, but their forbidden mutual attraction pulls them together again and eventually they will come to realize they had both been designed to come together again. The wounded good girl and the monetarily privileged, mad at the world bad boy. From the outside they seem like the most unlikely couple…but their hearts will never be able to deny that they are meant to be.

Oh my, this book totally rocked my world. I ignored all responsibilities today and devoured this book. I couldn’t stop reading. Carter is every bad boy I have every loved rolled into one delicious damaged package. My God, how I just loved him. He is smart, has a beautiful mind and a soft soul at the very center of him, but with a rough and sexy exterior that had me swooning. He reads the classics and has wicked tattoos. Rides motorcycles but gives thoughtful gifts. I just adored him. Kat is equally amazing with a strong sense of self and an innate need to be what Carter needs. I can’t blame the girl. She fights for him and for the love they’ve found. Fights her disapproving mother and all of society’s standards. Fights even Carter’s disbelief at times and his thoughts that he’s no good for her. I shed too many tears to count while reading their highly emotionally charged scenes and wanted nothing more than for these two broken people to come together and make a newly healed whole. I won’t give anything away but I will say that the epilogue had me crying big fat happy tears and now I’m in a major book hangover!

It’s hard to believe this book is the first work from this author, because it was just that good! I cannot wait to see what Ms. Jackson has in store for us next with Max’s story (and I hope we will get to see glimpses of what Carter and Kat are up to!). Thank you, Ms. Jackson, for absolutely giving me my next bad boy book boyfriend…I won’t soon forget this story!

Four-and-a-Half Loves

Book links:

Amazon | B&N

About the author:

Sophie Jackson, a schoolteacher from northwest England, writes fan fiction under the handle Jaxon22. Her first novel was the award-winning A Pound of Flesh. – See more at: http://www.simonandschuster.com/series/A-Pound-of-Flesh#sthash.uqPW7rSd.dpuf

Review…The Man I Love by Suanne Laqueur

Winner of the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award, Suanne Laqueur’s astonishing debut novel follows a young man’s emotional journey to salvage relationships destroyed in the wake of a school shooting.

Synopsis:

As a college freshman, Erik Fiskare is drawn to the world of theater but prefers backstage to center stage. The moment he lays eyes on a beautiful, accomplished dancer named Daisy Bianco, his atoms rearrange themselves and he is drawn into a romance both youthfully passionate and maturely soulful. Their love story thrives within a tight-knit circle of friends, all bound by creativity and artistry. A newcomer arrives–a brilliant but erratic dancer with an unquenchable thirst for connection. And when this disturbed friend brings a gun into the theater, the story is forever changed. Daisy is shot and left seriously injured. And Erik finds himself alone in the aisle, looking down the muzzle of a pistol and trying to stop the madness. He succeeds, but with tremendous repercussions to his well-being and that of his loved ones.

Traumatized by the experience, the lovers spiral into depression and drug use until a shocking act of betrayal destroys their relationship. To survive, Erik must leave school and disconnect from all he loves. He buries his heartbreak and puts the past behind. Or so he believes.

As he moves into adulthood, Erik comes to grips with his role in the shooting, and slowly heals the most wounded parts of his soul. But the unresolved grief for Daisy continues to shape his dreams at night. Once those dreams were haunted by blood and gunfire. Now they are haunted by the refrain of a Gershwin song and a single question: is leaving always the end of loving?

Spanning 15 years, The Man I Love explores themes of love and sexuality, trauma—physical and mental—and its long-lasting effects, the burden of unfinished business and the power of reconciliation. Through Erik’s experience we reflect on what it means to be a man, a son and a leader. A soul mate, a partner and a lover. What it means to live the truth of who you are and what you feel. What it means to fight for what you love.

My review:

The Man I Love is the debut work from author Suanne Laqueur and let me say, what an amazing debut it is. Packed with raw emotion, beauty, horrors, and so many ups and downs, I was riveted and glued to each page.
Ok, so the synopsis is pretty much self-explanatory so I will skip to telling you all why this book was just so amazing.

The relationships that author Laqueur builds between these characters was done thoughtfully and lovingly. They are friendships and first time loves that we all have been through. It was wonderful to read these talented and artistic young group’s journey into becoming quite a close-knit group. I loved the individual personals that add so much to the group as a whole. They banter, their conversations, their work at artists. It was refreshing and exciting and just so different from what I’ve been reading these days. And then it’s all shattered. When I got to the pivotal moment in this book, I was reading wide-eyed and with sweaty palms. I was nervous and nauseated and so sick with worry. To me, that’s the sign of a great story. I felt all of the emotions the characters felt. Then things got better…only to get awful again. I went through such a range of emotions while reading this story and I loved every gut wrenching moment.

I felt for every one of these characters. They all have their ways of dealing with the trauma they endured one fateful day and good, bad, or indifferent, it shaped who they end up being as adults.

Of course, I felt most for Erik and Daisy. So much so. They find love, experience so many wonderful first time things together, grow together as couple and then it’s all ripped away. But I understood it all. I understood how dealing with a life altering event at such a still fresh-faced age would be difficult to deal with alone, yet alone together. Of course just because I understood it didn’t make it less painful to read.

Now, I won’t ruin anything as far as the ending but I will say that I was pleased with where we left off and I am certainly looking forward to see what is next!

Thank you, Ms. Laqueur, for one hell of an emotional story.

Four Loves

Book links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the author:

Suanne Laqueur graduated from Alfred University with a double major in dance and theater. She taught at the Carol Bierman School of Ballet Arts in Croton-on-Hudson for ten years. An avid reader, cook and gardener, she started her blog www.eatsreadsthinks in 2010, and now writes at www.suannelaqueur.com. Suanne lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two children. The Man I Love is her first novel, to be followed by Give Me Your Answer True in June 2015.

Website

ARC Review…Spotless by Camilla Monk

Spotless releases today, 5/12

Synopsis:

Island Chaptal—nerdy IT engineer by day, romance novel junkie by night—just walked into her messy New York apartment to find Mr. Right waiting for her. No, wait…Mr. Clean.

A gentleman professional killer with a bad case of OCD and zero tolerance for unsorted laundry, March isn’t there to kill her…yet. He wants the diamond her late mother stole for a sinister criminal organization. Island agrees to help him find it, facing the kind of adversaries who dismember first and ask questions later. Good thing she’s got March to show her the ropes. And the guns. And the knives.

The buttoned-up Island is soon having a blast racing from Paris to Tokyo following the clues in her mother’s will, and for the first time, she’s ready to get close to someone. But falling for a hit man may be the very definition of loving dangerously.…

My Review:

Spotless is the debut work from author Camilla Monk and kicks off this series with a quirky and suspense fantastic start!

Island Chaptal’s world has just been turned upside down. Her life is being threatened by a dangerous stranger now standing in her living room. He’s also just informed her that her mother was not at all who she thought she was and that Island was supposedly the keeper of quite a large treasure that her mother had apparently left with her. Of course, she had no idea what this man was talking about and his murderous threats weren’t bringing up any repressed memories of a mysterious priceless treasure. His murderous threats also didn’t stop her from wondering why this killer was cleaning up her apartment as he ransacked it or why she was weirdly curious about him. He didn’t seem like he would actually kill her which only added to the mystery at hand. This mystery wouldn’t be over any time soon and before she realizes it, Island is in the middle of a bad guy vs. worse guy in a mission to not only find one of the largest diamonds in the world, but to also stay alive.

Island and her anally organized hit-man, March, head off on a trip across the globe in search on answers and treasure all while fighting off attempts on their lives and growing more and more attracted to each other with every hour they spend together. Talk about one hell of a mixed up mess…will they get out of it alive?

I was intrigued by this story from the synopsis and while the plot was just as great as the synopsis promised, I was pleasantly surprised at just how I much I adored the two main characters, Island and March. Island is one of the quirkiest, funniest, and totally endearing gals I’ve read. She had me laughing at how she was processing all of the craziness that just dropped into her lap. She reminds me a bit of Kathleen Turner’s character, Joan Wilder, in Romancing The Stone…a bit of a buttoned up homebody dropped into an insane adventure. She’s honest and doesn’t have much of a filter which leads to some pretty funny dialog between her and her hit-man. Speaking of March, he is just as quirky with a bad case of OCD and a soft spot for Island. The banter between the two as they go off in search of this huge diamond is just fantastic. Their attraction was bound to happen and I liked March so much by the end that of course I was willing to overlook the fact that the had killed people in his past. Then, after learning of his childhood and how he ended up in the murder-for-hire field, I was a goner and loved him even more.

Now, I won’t give anything away in regards to finding the diamond or falling head over heels for one another but I will say that the ending of this book has me DYING for the next installment in this series.

Humor, suspense, emotions, and a dash of heat, Spotless has it all. Thank you, Camilla, for an amazing read!

Four Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

About the author:

Camilla Monk is a French native who grew up in a Franco-American family. After finishing her studies, she taught English and French in Tokyo before returning to France to work in advertising. Today, she’s a managing partner in a small ad agency, where her job is to handle all things web-related and make silly drawings on the whiteboard when no one is looking.
Her writing credits include the English resumes and cover letters of a great many French friends, and some essays as well. She’s also the critically acclaimed author of a few passive-aggressive notes pasted in her building’s elevator.
To learn more about Camilla’s writing projects, you can visit the blog she doesn’t update enough.

Website | Twitter

Ivory Ghosts by Caitlin O’Connell…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Synopsis:

In a blockbuster debut thriller brimming with majestic wildlife, village politics, and international intrigue, a chilling quadruple homicide raises the stakes in the battle to save Africa’s elephants.

Still grieving over the tragic death of her fiancé, American wildlife biologist Catherine Sohon leaves South Africa and drives to a remote outpost in northeast Namibia, where she plans to face off against the shadowy forces of corruption and relentless human greed in the fight against elephant poaching. Undercover as a census pilot tracking the local elephant population, she’ll really be collecting evidence on the ruthless ivory traffickers.

But before she even reaches her destination, Catherine stumbles onto a scene of horrifying carnage: three people shot dead in their car, and a fourth nearby—with his brain removed. The slaughter appears to be the handiwork of a Zambian smuggler known as “the witchdoctor,” a figure reviled by activists and poachers alike. Forced to play nice with local officials, Catherine finds herself drawn to the prickly but charismatic Jon Baggs, head of the Ministry of Conservation, whose blustery exterior belies his deep investment in the poaching wars.

Torn between her developing feelings and her unofficial investigation, she takes to the air, only to be grounded by a vicious turf war between competing factions of a black-market operation that reaches far beyond the borders of Africa. With the mortality rate—both human and animal—skyrocketing, Catherine races to intercept a valuable shipment. Now she’s flying blind, and a cunning killer is on the move.

My review:

From the very beginning, Ivory Ghosts was filled with rich description, thoughtfully developed characters, and tons of suspense and mystery.

I loved Catherine, her tenacity and belief in doing what’s right by the people of the village she was living in and the elephants she loved so much. I appreciated her strength in overcoming the loss of her fiancée and her determination in getting to the bottom of the illegal trade happening on her doorstep.

There are many faces to the multi-layered illegal trade storyline and I was truly kept guessing until the very end who the mastermind behind it all was. The players in the game were reveled at a pace that was perfect. Nothing was revealed too early and I really enjoy that in a story as this.

I also really enjoyed that there is a romantic layer that develops between Catherine and one of the gentlemen she is working for. It had an enemies-to-lovers vibe that I enjoyed a lot.

Now, in the copy I received, the author’s note was at the end, after I had finished the story. I loved reading about the author’s background and connection with Africa. It gave me an even greater appreciation for the lush description of the sights, sounds, and smells Catherine experienced in this book. I highly recommend reading it before starting the story and think it will really give the reader a greater connection to the character and the book.

Thank you, Caitlin, for a wonderful read!

Four Loves

Book Links:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Dr. Caitlin O’Connell is a Consulting Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and a world renowned expert on elephants and vibrotactile sensitivity. She is the author of the internationally acclaimed nonfiction science memoir, The Elephant’s Secret Sense (2007, Free Press), which highlights a novel form of elephant communication as well as their conservation plight. Her narrative nonfiction photo book An Elephant’s Life (2011, Lyons Press) uses a graphic novel approach to revealing subtle and intimate aspects of elephant society. Her co-authored nonfiction children’s book, The Elephant Scientist (2011, Houghton Mifflin Children’s Books) won five awards, including the Robert F. Sibert Honor and Horn Book Honor for 2012. A Baby Elephant In The Wild (2014, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers) is a Junior Library Guild Select and winner of the 2015 NSTA award for Outstanding Science Trade Book for students K-12. Elephant Don: The Politics Of A Pachyderm Posse (University of Chicago Press) comes out May, 2015. Her debut novel, Ivory Ghosts, comes out with Random House, April 7, 2015. O’Connell is the co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization, Utopia Scientific (www.utopiascientific.org), dedicated to research and science education. She is also co-director of Triple Helix Productions, with a mandate to develop more accurate science content for the media. She has taught Science Writing for Stanford University and The New York Times Knowledge Network.

Behind Closed Doors by Elizabeth Haynes…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Synopsis:

An old case makes Detective Inspector Louisa Smith some new enemies in this spellbinding second installment of New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Haynes’s Briarstone crime series that combines literary suspense and page-turning thrills.

Ten years ago, 15-year-old Scarlett Rainsford vanished while on a family holiday in Greece. Was she abducted, or did she run away from her severely dysfunctional family? Lou Smith worked the case as a police constable, and failing to find Scarlett has been one of the biggest regrets of her career. No one is more shocked than Lou to learn that Scarlett has unexpectedly been found during a Special Branch raid of a brothel in Briarstone.

Lou and her Major Crime team are already stretched working two troubling cases: nineteen-year-old Ian Palmer was found badly beaten; and soon after, bar owner Carl McVey was found half-buried in the woods, his Rolex and money gone. While Lou tries to establish the links between the two cases, DS Sam Hollands works with Special Branch to question Scarlett. What happened to her? Where has she been until now? How did she end up back here? And why is her family–with the exception of her emotionally fragile younger sister, Juliette–less than enthusiastic about her return?

When another brutal assault and homicide are linked to the McVey murder, Lou’s cases collide, and the clues all point in one terrifying direction. As the pressure and the danger mount, it becomes clear that the silent, secretive Scarlett holds the key to everything.

My Review:

Behind Closed Doors is the second book in author Elizabeth Hayes DCI Louisa Smith series and the first of author Hayes’ work I’ve read. While this is, in fact, a book centered around the victim of human trafficking, and obviously a bit dark, I did enjoy it quite a bit.

We follow the ten-year journey a young girl, Scarlett, who was taken away from her family while vacationing in Greece. What follows is the mystery and story of a young woman being trapped in a very dark and dangerous world with no way out for those ten years and her sudden and unexpected return.

Of course, there were clear hints that all was not as it had appeared within Scarlett’s home life and that even though she was in the awful world of human trafficking, it wasn’t as though she had been taken from a world of warmth and love. I was kept on the edge of my seat, waiting to get the bottom of why this girl had returned to her hometown, after being missing for ten long years, but had no desire to see her mother and father. She did, however, share a close bond with her sister and I was hoping the two girls would have a nice reunion. Of course, with things not as they seem within the family, things will get worse before they have a chance at getting better…if at all possible.

The story also mirrors the current investigation into Scarlett’s return and the detectives working to get to the bottom of where she had been and hopefully will result in some arrests and rescues of other woman being held against their will. These detectives are pretty amazing, excelling at their careers while possessing big hearts and the gift of being able to deal with the most fragile of victims. I really enjoyed reading the two sides simultaneously. It added a nice layer to the book.

I went through many emotions while reading this story. I was anxious and sickened by what women go through every day in this very real situation. I was filled with emotion and worry for Scarlett and wasn’t sure there was any way she could have a normal life again. Through reading her journey, and having suspicions that her childhood before she was taken wasn’t ideal, I knew there would be one hell of an ending and I wasn’t disappointed. Up until the very end I was kept on the edge of my seat and I loved the amount of suspense that was written into the situations.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. If you’re a fan of mystery and suspense, this is a book I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Thank you, Ms. Haynes, for an emotional and thrilling read!

Four Loves

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

About Elizabeth Haynes

Elizabeth Haynes is a police intelligence analyst, a civilian role that involves determining patterns in offending and criminal behavior. Dark Tide is her second novel; rights to her first, Into the Darkest Corner, have been sold in twenty-five territories. Haynes lives in England in a village near Maidstone, Kent, with her husband and son.

Visit her at elizabeth-haynes.com, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.