Dance of Desire by Christopher Rice…ARC Review

Dance of Desire releases tomorrow, 2/23!

Synopsis:

When Amber Watson walks in on her husband in the throes of extramarital passion with one of his employees, her comfortable, passion-free life is shattered in an instant. Worse, the fate of the successful country music bar that bears her family’s name suddenly hangs in the balance. Her soon to be ex-husband is one of the bar’s official owners; his mistress, one of its employees. Will her divorce destroy her late father’s legacy?

Not if Amber’s adopted brother Caleb has anything to do with it. The wandering cowboy has picked the perfect time for a homecoming. Better yet, he’s determined to use his brains and his fists to put Amber’s ex in his place and keep the family business intact. But Caleb’s long absence has done nothing to dim the forbidden desire between him and the woman the State of Texas considers to be his sister.

Years ago, when they were just teenagers, Caleb and Amber shared a passionate first kiss beside a moonlit lake. But that same night, tragedy claimed the life of Caleb’s parents and the handsome young man went from being a family friend to Amber’s adopted brother. Has enough time passed for the two of them to throw off the roles Amber’s father picked for them all those years ago? Will their desire for each other save the family business or put it in greater danger?

DANCE OF DESIRE is the first contemporary romance from award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Christopher Rice, told with the author’s trademark humor and heart. It also introduces readers to a quirky and beautiful town in the Texas Hill Country called Chapel Springs.

My Review:

Dance of Desire is the newest work from author Christopher Rice and is also novella number four in the 2016 1,001 Dark Nights line-up. Each time I finish a story by this author, I swear it’s my favorite…until I read the next one and, yes, it’s happened again. I loved this story something fierce!

Years ago, Caleb and Amber were on the road to experiencing all the joys young first love has to offer. But it wasn’t meant to be. Tragedy stuck young Caleb’s life and it changed the road both Caleb’s and Amber’s families were travelling on. Years passed and they both went in different directions. Making a life, careers, falling in love with other people, getting married, divorced…but neither ever able to douse the flame they each held for one another and the young love they once shared. Now, in a twist of fate, Caleb and Amber find themselves reunited in a precarious and sad situation. But together, nonetheless. This is exactly the second chance they had wanted for too many years to count. Would they be able to make the most of it and take the chance stolen from them?

From start to finish there was just so much to love about this novella. Christopher Rice writes some of the most memorable characters and hottest moments ever. Caleb and Amber fit into both of those categories. I loved this story of doomed young love and second chances. My heart broke for Amber and Caleb and I wanted nothing more than for them to get another shot at love. Their past is very involved and packed with so much emotion. It’s impossible not to shed more than a few tears when reading what they went through as young adults. Of course it was the past, which led them to where they are now…good, bad, and sometimes ugly. They have both been through a whole lot while Caleb had been away from town and now it’s those situations that have taught them both what they want and deserve out of life. It also leads to some ridiculously sexy and smoking hot scenes. Good lord, I thought I was burst into flames reading this couple! Totally delicious!

I know I have mentioned in the past that Mr. Rice has written some of the most touching lines I have ever read and also delivered more than a few between Amber and Caleb. There’s one particular scene where they kiss in the rain that will stay with me for quite some time. So amazingly good!

If you haven’t read a Christopher Rice romance, you need to pick this book up. If you’re already a Christopher Rice romance fan, buckle up for another stellar read!

Five Loves

Book Links:

1,001 Dark Nights | Amazon

About the author:

After publishing four New York Timesbestselling thrillers by the age of 30 and being declared one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive, award-winning writer Christopher Rice became the first author to make his erotic romance debut part of the 1,001 DARK NIGHTS series. THE FLAME: A Desire Exchange Novella kicked off a steamy new series set in New Orleans, featuring magical candles and a sexy new breed of supernatural beings, The Radiants, who are devoted to helping heroes and heroines realize their heart’s desire. THE FLAME earned accolades from some of the biggest names in erotic romance and was quickly followed up by THE SURRENDER GATE: A Desire Exchange Novel, available from Evil Eye Concepts as a Blue Box Special. Aside from authoring eight works of dark suspense, Christopher is also the co-host and executive producer of THE DINNER PARTY SHOW WITH CHRISTOPHER RICE & ERIC SHAW QUINN, all the episodes of which can be downloaded at TheDinnerPartyShow.comand from iTunes. Look for their new You Tube channel in Spring 2016.

Visit Christopher Rice’s website

Rustler’s Moon by Jodi Thomas…Blog Tour Stop with Excerpt and Author Q&A

RUSTLER’S MOON

By New York Times Bestselling Author

Jodi Thomas

On a dirt road marked by haunting secrets, three strangers caught at life’s crossroads must decide what to sacrifice to protect their own agendas…and what they’re each willing to risk for love.

If there’s any place that can convince Angela Harrell to stop running, it’s Ransom Canyon. And if there’s any man who can reveal desires more deeply hidden than her every fear, it’s Wilkes Wagner. Beneath the rancher’s honorable exterior is something that just might keep her safe…or unwittingly put her in danger’s path.

With his dreams of leaving this small Texas town swallowed up by hard, dusty reality, all Wilkes has to show for his life is the Devil’s Fork Ranch. Though not one to let false hope seduce him, he can’t deny the quiet and cautious beauty who slips into his world and changes everything.

Author Q&A

This is your second book in the Ransom Canyon series. Tell us about the town.

In RUSTLER’S MOON the town of Crossroads has grown. After allowing their museum to sit empty for a year, the book opens with a new curator coming. The museum comes alive and brings the town together as Angela Harold wakes up to life and loving for the first time. The quiet, shy curator carries a secret that will threaten the whole town and leave rancher Wilkes Wagner fighting for his life as he protects Angela.

We’ve heard you have an inspiration room for your writing. Tell us about the spot.

Ransom Canyon room: When I began the series, I moved my computer to a little room out back of my house. We call it the bunkhouse. It’s not big, mission designed and almost a hundred years old. I took down all the western art and put up white boards. Removed all books except those on ranching, horses, Texas, or research I might need. Family histories of characters fill one wall. Plot lines another. When I step into the bunkhouse, I step into the world of Ransom Canyon. One by one my characters come in and sit down to tell me their story.

I even have pictures of the flowers of Texas taped up in the bathroom and a Jack Sorenson print of horses running into the canyon on the door.

Are there any characters in the series you’d consider for a spin-off?

Yes. There are characters outlined on one board of my study that may not make it into this series. Who knows? Maybe they’ll find their way in the future.

If RUSTLER’S MOON were made into a movie, who would you cast as the lead characters?

Like many of my readers I spent my Christmas holidays snowed in and watching Hallmark movies. Almost every movie I’d say, “That actor would be perfect as this character.” I’d love to hear from my readers about who they see as playing Wilkes Wagner in RANSOM CANYON.

What’s up next for the series?

Coming this spring will be LONE HEART PASS. Another modern day ranching story set in Texas. It opens with a woman giving up on a career and taking what she thinks is her last chance to survive by coming to a small ranch her grandfather left her. She hires a cowboy to help who has a pickup full of baggage, a five-year-old daughter and a determination that surprises her.

If you had to wear a t-shirt with the same saying every single day, what would it say?

That is an easy one. When I started writing I went to a writer’s conference in Oklahoma one year and bought a t-shirt. Every night when I stepped into my closet sized study, I put on that shirt. I wore it out, but I wore it until I sold. It said, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, in training.

If you were a punctuation mark, which one best suits your personality?

If I were a punctuation mark I think I’d be a semi-colon. Half the time I don’t know where I belong. No one really understands me. I think I’m kin to a comma. Which were left on earth millions of years ago by aliens just to confuse us so we’d never evolve completely.

If you didn’t live in Texas, where would you most like to call home?

I love traveling. Wherever I go, I always think I’d love to live there. I was twenty-one when I first crossed the Mississippi heading east. I spent so much time pointing out all the trees my new husband stopped the car. “We’re heading to Fort Mammoth, New Jersey. There are trees from now on, Jodi, so stop yelling every time you see one.” The next three years we crossed the USA several times in a 1970 Camaro and everywhere we went I was excited at all there was to see.

But, in truth, when the time comes, bury me in Texas with the open sky and land so flat you can see the curve of the earth. It’s where I belong. It’s in my blood

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

I’d be a teacher. Teachers change the landscape of your life. Mrs. Dickerson in the fourth grade saw that I couldn’t read. She took the time to learn why and send me to a school for two summers. She opened the world of fiction for me. Without her, I would have been fine. With her, I’ve lived a much richer life.

I’m the writer in residence at West Texas A&M University and the best part of my job is sitting down with students in my office and beginning our journey with, ‘So, you want to be a writer?”

What authors do you most like to read?

I can’t answer that question because the answer changes every day. I love curling up with an old book and reading it for the second or third time. I love discovering an author and seeing a new fresh voice.

I have a loose grip on reality. Give me a good story. Take me away into another world for a few hours. Make me laugh. Make me cry. Make me fall in love again for the first time.

Excerpt:

Crossroads, Texas
October
Angela

Dried weeds scratched against Angela Harold’s bare legs as she walked the neglected grounds behind the Ransom Canyon Museum near Crossroads, Texas. Rumbling gray clouds spotted the sky above. Wind raged as though trying to push her back to the East Coast. She decided any rain might blow all the way to Oklahoma before it could land on Texas soil. But the weather didn’t matter. She had made it here. She’d done exactly what her father told her. She’d vanished.

Angela had meant to stop long enough to clean up before she took her first look at the museum, but she could not wait. So, in sandals, shorts and a tank top, she explored the land behind the boarded-up building on the edge of Ransom Canyon.

When she’d talked to the board president, Staten Kirkland, five days ago, he’d sounded excited. They’d had to close the museum when the last curator left and in six months she’d been the only one to call about the job opening. Before the phone call ended Kirkland offered her a three-month trial if she could answer one question.

Angela thought it would be about her experience or her education, but it was pure Texas folk history.

“What or who was the Yellow Rose of Texas?” the man on the phone asked in his pure Texas twang.

She laughed. “The woman who entertained Santa Anna before the Battle of San Jacinto. The battle that won Texas independence.” She’d always loved that story, which often got left out of history books.

“We’ll be waiting for you, Mrs. Jones.”

He hung up before she had time to tell him that her name wasn’t Jones. In a moment of paranoia, she’d used a false name when she’d bought a laptop and phone. Then again on the application, figuring she’d be just one of hundreds who applied. Now, if he checked her transcripts or references, she’d have to make up another lie. That would be easier than finding some guy named Jones, marrying him and dragging him along to Texas with her.

Angela had driven a hundred miles before she decided she would tell Kirkland that she used Jones because she had been engaged but he left her at the altar. Kirkland would feel sorry for her, but that was better than killing off her imaginary husband.

She’d straighten it all out Monday. She’d even practice just how she’d say it.

Monday, she’d dress in a suit and accept the position as curator for the three-month trial period, but today simply exploring the place would be enough. After days in the car she needed to stretch her legs and breathe in the clean air. She’d dreamed of being in Texas for years. A wild country—untamed, open, free. Something she’d never felt before, but she planned to now. For the first time, she was free to make her own future.

The grounds behind the museum had been left natural, just as it must have looked a hundred and fifty years ago when settlers came to this top square of Texas.

Since the day she’d read there was an opening here for a curator, Angela learned everything she could about this area. The history was interesting, but the people who founded this frontier town fascinated her. They were hearty. Stubborn. Independent. Honest. All things she’d never been. But the first settlers were also broken, desperate and lost. Somehow they’d managed to work together to build, not just ranches and a town, but a future.

Now she had to do the same with no family or friends to help her.

She didn’t know if she belonged here. She fainted at the sight of blood. Gave in at the first sign of disagreement.

That left honest. She didn’t want to even think about how dishonest she was. She’d lied to get the job as curator of this closed museum.

Standing near the edge of a canyon that dropped a hundred feet straight down, she let the sun’s dying rays warm her face. Everything about her had to change. She had to make it so. She had to start over.

Somewhere along the road between Florida and here, she’d come to the conclusion that her father’s death wasn’t an accident. Maybe he knew something about the company or his brother. Maybe he’d overheard trouble moving in. Why else would he have told her to run? If her life weren’t in danger, why would it be so important that she vanish?

Maybe he’d been planning to disappear with her, only time ran out for him. But he had left her prepared.

He’d put money in her account. He’d even suggested that she tell no one about this job in Texas.

The old trailer he bought and hid in the garage fit into the plan. Last month, he’d had her car fit with the hitch. She’d told him she had no need to pull a trailer, but he’d said that if he ever needed the trailer, he didn’t want to use it on the company car he drove. Only, she’d been the one who needed the trailer. She’d done what he’d told her to do in the note and now she had to somehow blend in here in Texas.

Taking the curator job was the first step. This time her title didn’t have “assistant” attached to it. She would be the boss. This time she would have no aunt to criticize every move she made.

Angela smiled. Her aunt had probably dropped by the beach house to have that talk with her by now. After all, it had been a week. She’d find the key in the mailbox. No note. No forwarding address. No friends notified. Any mail concerning her life on Anna Marie Island would be trashed.

Angela had even cancelled her cell phone service and tossed the phone off the Bradenton Bridge when she crossed onto the mainland.

Disappear, her father’s note had said. She’d seen enough spy movies to know what that meant.

She touched the necklace she wore. A replica of the Greek coin on display at her uncle’s store. She’d thought of tossing it into the ocean with her phone, but decided it would always remind her of her father. The real one had caused many an argument between the brothers. Her father saw it as a family treasure. Uncle Anthony saw it as something to be sold to the highest bidder.

They’d compromised and made copies to sell for a few hundred dollars each.

Glancing toward the sound of crunching gravel, she watched a white-and-blue sheriff’s car pull into the museum’s parking lot. Her heart stopped.

Trouble had found her halfway across the country. Somehow her uncle had tracked her. But how? She’d parked her old car in a twenty-four-hour Walmart lot in Orlando and walked across the street to rent a pickup with a hitch for her trailer. Then she’d turned the pickup in before she crossed the Florida state line. She’d bought a junker of a car with cash but it wasn’t powerful enough to pull the trailer, giving her nothing but trouble for two hundred miles. Two days later in Georgia she’d traded in the junker and her old two-wheel trailer to a mechanic for a van in a town too small to have a stop sign. The guy said he’d mail the title to the van, but she had given him a fake name and address.

What if the van had been stolen? The law could be about to arrest her, and she had no proof she bought the van.

Angela stared at the patrol car as it pulled in beside her van. Her freedom had lasted less then a week. Maybe her uncle had put out a missing person alert? That wouldn’t surprise her. Her aunt probably told everyone Angela was so lost in grief she wasn’t to be left alone.

A man in a uniform unfolded out of his car. She expected him to pull his gun as he walked toward her. After all, she’d run away from home at twenty-seven. Something all her relatives would swear quiet Angela would never do.

“Pardon me, miss,” the man said as he neared. “This place has been closed for months. We got a no-trespassing sign at the turnoff, but you must have missed it.”

In her shorts, no makeup and her strawberry-blond hair in a day-old ponytail, she must look more girl than woman. The echo of her mother’s familiar speech about how Angela was too chubby, too squat to wear shorts, circled through her tired mind.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t notice the sign.” She straightened, trying to look at least five foot five, though she knew she missed her goal by two inches.

She moved toward the lawman trying her best to look like a professional. “I’m Angela—”

Hesitating, she tried to remember the last name she’d used on the application. It slipped her mind completely. “Smith.” Angela mentally shook her tired brain awake. “Jones.” Of course. How hard could that be to remember?

There, she’d gotten it out. After not talking for three days, words didn’t want to form in her brain.

She stared at his name tag. Sheriff Brigman looked as if he easily read the lie that lay in her mind like oil slush. He pulled off his Stetson stalling for time, but she didn’t miss the way he looked her up and down from ponytail to sandals.

“Welcome to town, Mrs. Jones. Kirkland told me you were coming.”

A hint of a smile lifted the corner of his mouth. He reminded her of a sheriff from the Wild West days. Well built, a touch of gray in his sideburns and stone-cold eyes that said he’d finish the job, no matter what it took, whether it was catching the outlaw or satisfying his woman.

She mentally slapped herself. No time to flirt or daydream. Angela had to think of what to say. Was it too early to ask for a lawyer? Should she start confessing? But to what? She wasn’t even sure what crimes she’d committed. Running away at her age didn’t seem to be illegal, and she’d read somewhere that you can go by an alias if you were not doing anything wrong.

When she didn’t offer any comment, the cop in the Stetson added, “My guess is you couldn’t wait to see the inside of this place. Did you just get to town?”

She nodded, thankful he didn’t add “Dressed like a fifteen-year-old.” With luck, he hadn’t noticed she couldn’t remember her own name. Maybe he thought she had early onset Alzheimer’s.

“Yes, sorry, I’ve been driving for twelve hours, so I’m a bit scattered. I wanted a quick look at the canyon before dark. It’s beautiful out here near the edge.”

Brigman nodded as he watched the last bit of sunlight running over the canyon walls turn the rocks gold. “I like to check on the museum this time of day. It kind of reminds me of a great painting. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, all is calm out here.”

“I can see that.” She’d feared she would miss the ocean and the beautiful sunsets at Anna Marie Island, but Ransom Canyon had its own kind of wonder. She had a feeling the canyon would grow on her.

“You know, Mrs. Jones, your office has a great view.” He pointed to a huge window on the second floor of the big barn of a building.

Angela smiled. “No one told me that, or I might have driven all night.”

They both started walking toward the parking lot.

“Your husband driving the moving van in?” Sheriff Brigman had an easy way of asking questions as if he were just being friendly.

“I’m not married,” she said, then remembered the application listing her new name as Jones.

“When I interviewed over the phone with Mr. Kirkland, I was two days away from being married.” She did her best to look brokenhearted, but it wasn’t easy, since she’d never once given her heart away. “The night before the wedding, we called it off.”

The sheriff studied her as if planning to wait for more information.

“We didn’t work out. My fiancé didn’t want to move.” She shrugged as if fighting back tears. “When we broke up, I thought a clean getaway would be best, so I went ahead and came to Texas.” Since fiancéJones never existed, it wasn’t really very painful to walk out on him. “I’d already changed my email and accounts over to Jones.”

Brigman raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning to keep his name?”

Angela fought down a nervous giggle. “I’m sentimental about names. Turns out his name was the only thing I liked about the man. As soon as I settle, I’ll change everything back. Of course, my driver’s license is still in my maiden name.” This whole thing was getting mixed up in her brain. At this point any way she could climb out of this little lie was probably going to end up making her look like an idiot.

Thank goodness they had reached her van. A few more lies and the sheriff would probably figure out she was on the run and have her arrested or committed.

“Have you been by your new house yet?” he asked as he opened her car door.

“Do you know where it is?” Mr. Kirkland had mentioned that he’d email her some information, but she’d forgotten to look.

“Sure.” He grinned, looking younger. “This is a small town, Mrs. Jones, I mean…”

He waited for her to fill in the blank. “Harold,” she answered.

The sheriff nodded once. “Kirkland said you wanted to rent a two-bedroom furnished place that allowed cats. Half the Chamber of Commerce started looking for something special. We don’t get many professional curators around here. I could show you the one we picked for you and the runner-up, Miss Harold. I’ve got keys to both.”

“Please call me Angela, Sheriff.”

He touched two fingers to the brim of his Stetson in a salute. “All right, Angela. Why don’t you call me Dan. Which do you want to see first, a nice little house between the two churches in town or a cabin house on the lake? The church house has more room, but the lake house backs into the shoreline.”

“I’ll take the lake house,” she said immediately. She almost hugged him. Water. She’d be near water.

“Follow me, then.”

“I don’t want to be any trouble,” she said. “If you’ll give me the key, I can probably find it.”

“No trouble. You have to pass my house at the lake to get to yours. Showing you the place isn’t out of my way home at all.”

As the sheriff’s car led her through the small town of Crossroads, Angela fought down another wave of panic that seemed to be coming over her as often as hiccups. This open country where anyone could see for miles in every direction didn’t seem like a very wise place to hide. Probably half the people in town would know where she lived. How could she have ever thought she’d be safe here?

What if Anthony came after her? If he found her? If he or one of his associates had killed her father and made it look like a robbery, maybe they’d kill her, too. They might think her father had told her more than just that the books didn’t balance. Maybe they thought she had something that belonged to Uncle Anthony. After all, someone had turned her parents’ home upside down looking for something.

Of course, if they came for her, she’d swear she didn’t know anything. But would they believe her if her father had already confronted them with some illegal activity he knew about? Whatever her father overheard or found in the books must have been bad. A secret worth murdering for?

She was letting her imagination run away with her again. The police said her father’s mugging was just one of a half dozen in the area that weekend. Probably drug related. The investigator hadn’t given her much hope that the killer would ever be found. Dark alley. No witnesses. He even said it looked as if her father had been struck with something or pushed, then fell backward hitting his head.

Angela knew the police report didn’t tell the whole story. Her father knew trouble was coming. Whoever killed him must have known his habits. Whoever mugged him might have known it might trigger a heart attack. Something had kept him from going to the police with his information and that something or someone had to be the reason he wanted her away and safe.

Only, she had no proof. No facts.

Her only choice was to make a new start and never look back. She trusted her father. If he said run, she would.

The sheriff, in the car in front of her, would be her first friend. This place would become her only home. In three months she’d be so much a part of this wild country she’d almost believe she was born to the land.
Excerpted from Rustler’s Moon by Jodi Thomas. Copyright © 2016 by Jodi Thomas. Excerpted by permission of Harlequin (US & Canada). All right reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A fifth-generation Texan, JODI THOMAS sets the majority of her novels in her home state. With a degree in Family Studies, Thomas is a marriage and family counselor by education, a background that enables her to write about family dynamics. Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Thomas enjoys interacting with students on the West Texas A & M University campus, where she currently serves as Writer in Residence. When not working on a novel or inspiring students to pursue a writing career, Thomas enjoys traveling with her husband, Tom, renovating a historic home they bought in Amarillo, and “checking up” on their two grown sons.

Hard Ever After by Laura Kaye…Blog Tour Stop, Review & Excerpt

We are over the moon excited to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Laura Kaye’s HARD EVER AFTER, a novella in Laura’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Hard Ink Series releasing February 2, 2016! Grab your copy of the amazing final book in the Hard Ink Series today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads

Laura Kaye’s HARD EVER AFTER – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

January 25^th

I Love Romance – Review & Excerpt

My Book Snack – Review & Excerpt

New Chicks On The Blog – Excerpt

Provocative Pages – Review

Sofia Loves Books – Review

January 26^th

Reads All the Books – Review

Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads – Review & Excerpt

Biblio Belles – Excerpt

bookworms obsession blog – Review

Krista’s Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt

January 27^th

NightWolf Book Blog – Excerpt

Obsessed with Myshelf – Review

Barbara Book Blog – Excerpt

Romancing the Readers – Review

2 Girls & Their Kindles – Excerpt

January 28^th

She Hearts Books – Review

JordansBookReviews – Excerpt

Love Affair with an e-Reader – Review

Write for Your Life! – Review & Excerpt

Always YA at Heart – Review & Excerpt

January 29^th

Book Sojourner – Review & Excerpt

Brittany’s Book Blog – Excerpt

Obsessive Reading Disorder – Review & Excerpt

Red Hot + Blue Reads – Review

Smut Matters – Review & Excerpt

January 30^th

Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous – Review & Excerpt

Lucky 13 Book Reviews and News – Excerpt

mignon mykel : reviews – Review & Excerpt

Only One More Page – Review & Excerpt

Bookalicious book babes – Review & Excerpt

January 31^st

Extreme Bookaholic’s – Excerpt

It’s About the Book – Review

Ticket to Anywhere – Excerpt

Kelsey’s Corner Time – Review & Excerpt

Cocktails and Books – Review & Excerpt

February 1^st

Read-Love-Blog – Review & Excerpt

Bambi Unbridled – Excerpt

Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt

First Dream of Books – Review & Excerpt

Carol Kittie Reviews – Review & Excerpt

February 2^nd

The Book Hammock – Review

I A-M a Bookaholic – Excerpt

About That Story – Review

What I’m Reading – Review & Excerpt

FMR Book Grind – Review

February 3^rd

SnoopyDoo’s Book Reviews – Excerpt

Renee Entress’s Blog – Review

Four Chicks Flipping Pages – Review

Books Need TLC – Review

My Girlfriends Couch – Review & Excerpt

February 4^th

Reviews by Tammy and Kim – Review & Excerpt

Book Lovers 4Ever – Review & Excerpt

Jax’s Book Magic – Excerpt

Ripe For Reader – Review

Sultry, Steamy Reading – Review & Excerpt

February 5th

Vera is Reading – Excerpt

Wickedcoolflight – Review & Excerpt

The Fairest of All Book Reviews – Review

JB’s Book Obsession – Review & Excerpt

Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt

February 6^th

Love Drug Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

She’s a Lip Biter – Review & Excerpt

Book Nook Nuts – Review & Excerpt

I’m A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore – Review & Excerpt

Shelf_Life – Review & Excerpt

About Hard Ever After:

Justice served. Honor restored. Team reunited.

After a long battle to discover the truth, the men and women of Hard Ink have a lot to celebrate, especially the wedding of two of their own—Nick Rixey and Becca Merritt, whose hard-fought love deserves a happy ending.

As Nick and the team shift from crisis mode to building their new security consulting firm, Becca heads back to work at the ER. But amid the everyday chaos of demanding jobs and their upcoming nuptials, an old menace they thought long gone reemerges, threatening the peace they’ve only just found.

Now, for one last time, Nick and Becca must fight for their always and forever, because they know that when true love overcomes all the odds it lasts hard ever after.

My Review:

Hard Ever After is the final installment on author Laura Kaye’s Hard Ink series and I have to say while I’m so sad to see this series come to an end, I just adored this ending.

After following this series and these characters since the very beginning, this was a story full of things to celebrate. I can’t think of a better group to have earned it, either. Becca and Nick move to the next step in their relationship and it was so beautiful to read. His proposal was simply perfect and I cried like a baby when it happened. And the heat factor with Becca and Nick is off the freaking charts delicious. I just love these two! Of course, on the way to the altar, there is one last hurdle and if I hadn’t already been a huge fan of Becca and her toughness, I would be after she kicked some serious butt and finally regained her peace of mind. I also loved the interaction of all the Hard Ink women while they shopped, partied, and bonded leading up to the wedding. Ms. Kaye also worked in a few more surprises before this novella concluded and I could not have been happier with all of it!

This was a perfect ending for one of the most memorable series I’ve read and although this marks the end of the series, I have no doubt we will see more of these characters in the future. Thank you, Laura, for giving us one more visit with the Hard Ink crew!

Five Loves

Excerpt:

Nick nailed Becca with a stare. As he watched, she made a valiant effort to button up just how upset she was, and that made him worry even more. He knelt down in front of her, his hands on her knees. “What’s going on?”

She shook her head, and his heart fucking broke as he saw her struggle to find her voice and hold back the tears.

Kat grasped something from Becca’s lap and held it out to him. “Someone left this in front of Becca’s locker at work today.”

Frowning, Nick accepted the small, floppy, black-and-brown stuffed animal into his hand. He guessed it was supposed to be a German shepherd, and the damn thing was missing a leg. It looked like someone had cut the back leg off and stapled the opening closed. What the hell?

“Look at the neck, Nick,” Kat said, her voice serious.

He flipped it around, and that was when he noticed that the animal was so floppy because the head was connected to the body only by a thin strip of material along the back. He might not have thought much about that if someone hadn’t gone to the trouble of spray painting the torn opening red. As if the neck had been slit. “Sonofabitch,” he said, hot prickles running down his back. “Talk to me, Sunshine.”

She heaved a deep breath. “I found it at the end of my shift,” she said. “I went to get my stuff, and this was sitting upright on the floor in front of my locker. I thought someone had left me a present until . . .”

“This is fucking twisted,” Kat bit out.

The words echoed Nick’s own thoughts. Twisted and threatening. The removed leg was clearly meant to communicate that the person knew Becca’s dog had only three legs, which made the threat personal and specific.

“Did you talk to security about this?” he asked, making sure to keep his voice even.

Becca shook her head. “I was so freaked out, I just wanted to get out of there.”

“I didn’t know about this until just now, or I would’ve brought us home earlier,” Kat said.

“I’m sorry,” Becca said, turning to Nick’s sister. “I just wanted to forget about it for a few hours.”

“I know,” Kat said. “You don’t have to apologize, but I’m worried about this.”

Nick nodded. “Can you think of anyone at the hospital who would do this? Who would have a problem with you?”

About Laura Kaye:

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

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Newsletter Sign Up | HARD EVER AFTER on Goodreads

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Extreme Honor by Piper J. Drake…Blog Tour Stop & Review

EXTREME HONOR by Piper J. Drake

Hot military heroes, the women who love them, and the devoted dogs that always have their backs. EXTREME HONOR is the first book in a high adrenaline contemporary suspense series from Piper J. Drake published by Forever Romance. Fans of Jill Shalvis’s Animal Attraction series and Cindy Gerard’s One Eyed Jacks, will love this brand new action packed romantic suspense series.

Title: Extreme Honor

Author: Piper J. Drake

Series: True Heroes #1

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing- Forever

Synopsis:

David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier’s toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope’s Crossing kennel can break through the animal’s grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility . . . and into Atlas’s heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde’s mesmerizing effect isn’t limited to canines. But when Lyn’s work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her.

Lyn realizes that David’s own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he’s gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else—and he’s willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn’t want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both . . .

Get More information at: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

My Review:

Extreme Honor is the first in a new series by author Piper J. Drake and after reading this first installment, I already know this is an entire series I am going to love. From start to finish I enjoyed everything about this book.

Ex-soldier and dog trainer David Cruz and Lyn Jones find themselves in quit a predicament when they both are working with returned canine war hero, Atlas, and things start to get a bit more dangerous than just risking a bite. While both David and Lyn are determined to help Atlas overcome the loss of his handler, it soon becomes apparent that someone else is after Atlas but for entirely different reasons. Sure, the dog was a hero and everyone wanted to see him but this was someone after more than a publicity photo shoot. Someone was after a secret Atlas carried and they didn’t appear to be afraid of hurting people to get what they were after. Now David and Lyn must figure out just what’s going on and try to keep alive while doing it.

From the very beginning I was drawn in to the story of Atlas and both the heartbreak and mystery surrounding him. He had lost his handler in battle and was home now in the caring hands of David and they were all trying to cope with this huge loss. I have never read a book where one of the characters I loved most was a canine. But Ms. Drake has done it with this book! He has such a great personality and it really shines through. Of course, I loved the humans as well. David has a handsome and gruff exterior with a huge soft spot for the people (and dogs) he holds close. He’s loyal and never backs down from a challenge. Lyn is equally as wonderful. She is one tough cookie and has no trouble facing the danger headed her way. Together these two are incredible. Their chemistry is palpable and the way they come together when things start to get a bit hairy is really awesome. They kick some major bad guy butt and I loved it!

The mystery surrounding who is after Atlas was also done really well and I was truly kept guessing until the very end. Speaking of the end, Ms. Drake really did an excellent job at setting up the series ahead and I have no doubt it’s going to get pretty interesting!

I also have to give a shout out to Ms. Drake and the stellar job at getting all things Philadelphia just perfect! This story is set in the Philly burbs (pretty much right where I live) and I loved reading about real places I’ve been to. Awesome stuff!

If you’re looking for an action packed read with a great plot and memorable characters, this is a book your should pick up. Thank you, Ms. Drake for a great story!

Four Loves

Book two in the True Heroes series- Ultimate Courage

Available July 26, 2016

Elisa Hall is good at starting from scratch. Leaving an abusive relationship in her rearview, she packs everything she owns into the trunk of her car and heads for refuge with her friend in Hope’s Crossing, Pennsylvania.

Alex Rojas returned from his second deployment as a Navy SEAL to find his condo empty and divorce papers on the breakfast table. Now he’s building a life for himself and his daughter at Hope’s Crossing kennels training younger dogs and handlers to search and rescue, struggling to adjust to life back in the States and as a single father.

When Elisa shows up at the kennels, it’s obvious she’s running from something. Luckily, the dogs and trainers at Hope’s Crossing are more than capable of warding off trouble. And with every minute he spends with Elisa, Alex becomes even more and more determined to protect the woman he’s certain he won’t be able to live without…

Get More information at: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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About Piper J. Drake:

Piper J. Drake (or “PJ”) began her writing career as “PJ Schnyder” writing sci-fi & paranormal romance and steampunk. She has recently received the FF&P PRISM award for her work as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award.

Now, PJ is exploring the complexity of romantic suspense, incorporating her interests in mixed martial arts and the military into her writing.

Reign by M.N. Forgy……Book Tour & Review

One bad biker. One gorgeous sheriff.

One intense biker romance.

REIGN IS NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1W0eSdq

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

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1PW98BW

iBooks: http://apple.co/1R8tNCO

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1QdBQy7

BLURB

As the president of the Sin City Outlaw Motorcycle Club, l fuck as hard as I ride and rarely go to bed alone.

The women are fast and the violence is intense.

I excel in both.

People either respect me or fear me. I’m not arrogant. It’s just the truth.

I was a king, reigning over Vegas without complication, until one gorgeous sheriff made everything fall apart.

When I saw her, I became a Neanderthal, wanting nothing more than to be between those legs.

I guess that’s where I went wrong, because my reality was shot to hell real

fucking fast.

One kiss caused her to step over that blue line.

One night in her bed made me a traitor.

And now… we’re both screwed.

REVIEW

She’s done it again….I do believe Forgy has another hit series on her hands!

Reign is the start of Forgy’s new MC series, Sin City Outlaws. I loved her Devil’s Dust series so she was starting off another MC series with extremely high hopes and she delivered!!

As with every new series, you have to develop the background and characters. Get the vibe going for readers. While I did struggle in part of the beginning, it quickly picked up and had be glued to my seat.

Zeek is President of the Sin City Outlaw MC. And everyone is Las Vegas leaves them be – they run Vegas. Jillian is a deputy fresh off her training. She’s grown up in the area and her step-father is a Lt. It’s not like she doesn’t know who the Sin City Outlaws are. Hell, they have a damn course at the academy on the Sin City Outlaws.

When these are face to face outside a casino, Jillian doesn’t let the Sin City Outlaws reputation shake her – she stands her ground. However, what happens will change her life forever.

This is no pretty story. I actually had chills running down my body at certain points in this book. I was able to vividly picture ALOT of what went down and I am not talking the hot, steamy scenes. Oh don’t get my wrong, those scenes were intense too. But the action and the shit that plays out – it just isn’t for the faint of hearts.

Forgy lays it all out there for ya. She holds nothing back and doesn’t sugar coat anything. It’s raw, real and damn intimidating.

I can’t wait to see how this all plays out. Cause yea, she leaves us hanging on by a thread.

EXCERPT

“Really? You got me donuts?” I arch a brow, dropping the lid. He turns, a mischievous smile fitting his face. “Don’t all cops like donuts?” he jeers. I roll my eyes, placing my hand on my hip. “That’s so stereotypical,” I huff. “Oh, really?” he replies, grabbing the box off the table, a smug smile still on his face. “I’ll get rid of them then.” “No, wait!” I nearly trip over my feet trying to grab the box of donuts. He holds them higher than me and smiles so big I think I see two dimples. Really, he’s pulling the notorious bully move holding them just above my reach? Why am I attracted to him again? “I thought you didn’t like them,” he taunts. “I do like them. A lot, actually.” I cross my arms, my cheeks flushing. My dad used to always take me to the local bakery to get donuts on the weekends. I would get whatever I wanted—usually anything with sprinkles—and we would drop the rest off at the department. What can I say, embrace your stereotypes. “So, it’s true. Cops love donuts,” he states arrogantly, sitting the box back down.

About the Author

M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She’s a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn’t live with the “what if” anymore and finally took a chance on her character’s story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Where Lightning Strikes by AL Jackson….Cover Reveal

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for AL Jackson’s upcoming WHERE LIGHTNING STRIKES releasing March 22, 2016. We can’t wait for you to fall into this sexy emotional novel!

Do you know what it feels like right before lightning strikes? How you can feel the current running through your veins? The trembles of warning that ripple through the air? It was a thrill Tamar King chased all her life until it became the very thing she had to escape.

For the last four years, Tamar King has hidden herself in an isolated world she created. She was safe. No one could touch her. Until Lyrik West walked through her door.

He’s the lead guitarist for Sunder and everything she can never have. The dark and beautiful rock star becomes everything she craves.

Lyrik’s life has been devoted to his band and that success has cost him. Bitter, hard, and filled with regret, he refuses to lose himself again, but from the moment he sees her, he wants one night with Tamar King.

The gorgeous bartender is more than he bargained for. Their attraction is consuming. Their desire overpowering. With one touch, they ignite.

But is it worth the cost of getting burned?

She’s a gorgeous nightmare and he’s a wicked dream…

WHERE LIGHTNING STRIKES, a Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel

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ADD TO GOODREADS

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A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary and new adult romance.

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children.

Connect with A.L. Jackson online:www.aljacksonauthor.com

To stay up to date with important news on A.L. Jackson, including new releases, sales, and exclusive specials and excerpts, text “jackson” to 96000 to subscribe!

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I Wish You Were Mine….Book Tour & Review

In Honor of Superbowl Winning Quarterback Jackson Burke,

Enter to Win a Ladies “TEAM” T-Shirt from

Lady Fanatics Sports Apparel Winners Choice

(up to $40.00 Value)

I WISH YOU WERE MINE

Oxford #2

Lauren Layne

Releasing on February 2, 2016

Loveswept

Perfect for fans
of Alice Clayton and Emma Chase, Lauren Layne’s Oxford series heats up in this
story of forbidden desire as a brooding jock hoping for a comeback falls for a
woman who’s strictly off-limits.

A year ago, Jackson Burke was married to the love of his
life and playing quarterback for the Texas Redhawks. Now he’s retired, courtesy
of the car accident that ruined his career—and single, after a nasty scandal
torpedoed his marriage. Just as he’s starting to get used to his new life as a
health and fitness columnist for Oxford magazine, his unpredictable ex shows up
on his doorstep in Manhattan. Jackson should be thrilled. But he can’t stop
thinking about the one person who’s always been there for him, the one girl he
could never have: her younger sister.

Mollie Carrington can’t say no to Madison. After all, her
older sister practically raised her. So when Madison begs for help in winning
her ex-husband back, Mollie’s just glad she got over her own crush on Jackson
ages ago—or so she thought. Because as Mollie reconnects with Jackson, she
quickly forgets all her reasons to stay loyal to her sister. Tempted by
Jackson’s mellow drawl and cowboy good looks, Mollie is sick and tired of
coming in second place. But she can’t win if she doesn’t play the game.

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Another smashing hit for Lauren Layne in her Oxford Series. All of these books can be read as standalones, however to get the full appreciation of these stories, I highly recommend reading them in order. All previous characters are mentioned and to get the true sense of the stories, each book needs to be read.

I Wish You Were Mine is about newbie, Jackson Burke – former starring quarterback and Mollie, his ex sister-in-law. Yes, ex and sister-in-law. Jackson used to be married to Madison, Mollie’s sister. And now due to some unfortunate circumstances he is now divorced and no longer playing football.

Mollie has lived in New York for the last 8 years and is loving life. Texas never felt like home to her. Mollie’s sister Madison raised her when their mother passed away when Mollie was still a teenager. Mollie lived with Madison and Jackson before she moved to New York to achieve her dreams and during that time, Jackson became Mollie’s best friend.

And now Jackson has moved to New York. Where he sees Mollie again for the first time in years. And nothing is the same after that. Try as they might, there is no way to resist their strong attraction. However, there are MANY obstacles in their way. I love how Lauren doesn’t let these two hide or run away from what they want to say. They are adults – they speak their minds. All these characters are very real and honest. It gives the story more authenticity and relatable. And of course Lauren’s writing will just completely pull you in.

I can’t wait to see what Lauren brings us next. I am really hoping it’s a certain someone’s book, Lincoln, HINT HINT. LOL

Jackson took a sip. Perfection. Although what did it mean that Jackson’s life had turned into one where the highlight of his day was a well-made cocktail?

It wasn’t that Jackson needed the booze. He enjoyed it, certainly. Had relied on it more than he probably should have in those first few days when he’d gotten out of the hospital and come home to a whole lot of nothingness.

But these days he could take it or leave it.

Tonight, however, he was taking it. Sobriety had no place when you had to sit across from the most off-limits woman on the planet.

Knowing that didn’t stop the anticipation, however. He hadn’t seen her since she’d shown up in his hospital room to deliver a bag of Gatlin’s BBQ and . . .

His divorce papers.

That had been eight months ago.

He’d avoided her ever since, and he couldn’t even say why except that he’d avoided pretty much everyone. Jackson still spoke with his parents every Sunday, but everyone else—all the old teammates, the old neighbors—had eventually stopped calling.

Mollie hadn’t, though. Mollie had never given up on him. Until today, he hadn’t responded to a single text, a single email, and yet she hadn’t stopped sending them. That was Mollie for you. Fiercely loyal to both him and Madison, even when things had started to go to hell.

Mollie had been accepted to Columbia just about the time that he and Madison started coming apart at the seams. In hindsight, he was grateful that Mollie had been in New York when things started to go to hell in his marriage. That she hadn’t seen him at his worst.

At the time, however, he’d been hit with an unfair sense of abandonment. He hadn’t realized how much he’d come to rely on the much younger Mollie to mediate things between him and the volatile Madison until she was in a different time zone.

Even now, more than a decade since first meeting Mollie, he struggled to reconcile the fact that she and Madison had come from the same parents. Madison was perfectly coiffed, charming only when she was in the mood, and manipulative as all hell. Mollie, on the other hand, was adorably awkward—a brainy research assistant who cared a hell of a lot more about her scientific journals than her manicure.

But somewhere along the line, Mollie Carrington had ceased to be that awkward kid who talked about bugs at inopportune times. Somewhere along the line, she’d become his rock. The one person in the world, save for perhaps his parents, who always knew the exact right thing to say to make him feel like a human whenever he’d started to feel like a caricature of himself.

For years he’d tried to tell himself that it was just sibling affection—that he cared about her the way he would a sister. But then things had gotten worse with Madison—way worse. And Jackson had been hit upside the head with the truth: that maybe he’d married the wrong sister. That he didn’t want to spend the rest of his days married to the beautiful, brittle Madison.

He wanted someone who made him laugh. Who listened. Someone who cared more about people than she did about hair appointments.

Someone like Mollie.

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Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling
author of contemporary romance.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce
and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York
City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six
months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband
that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s gone on to publish
thirteen books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on
the way in 2015.

Lauren currently lives in New York City with her husband
and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour,
running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly
hair.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Oxford Book One

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Cover Reveal….RoomHate by Penelope Ward

RoomHate

(A standalone)

A Contemporary Romance novel

New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author

Penelope Ward

Cover designer: Letitia Hasser, r.b.a designs

Add RoomHate to your TBR list on Goodreads!

http://bit.ly/1ZQFxtz

Pre-order your copy on iBooks HERE:

http://apple.co/1PgsvE7

RELEASE DATE: February 15, 2016

Blurb

From New York Times Bestselling Author, Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel.

Sharing a summer house with a hot-as-hell roommate should be a dream come true, right?

Not when it’s Justin…the only person I’d ever loved…who now hates me.

When my grandmother died and left me half of the house on Aquidneck Island, there was a catch: the other half would go to the boy she helped raise.

The same boy who turned into the teenager whose heart I broke years ago.

The same teenager who’s now a man with a hard body and a hardass personality to match.

I hadn’t seen him in years, and now we’re living together because neither one of us is willing to give up the house.

The worst part? He didn’t come alone.

I’d soon realize there’s a thin line between love and hate. I could see through that smug smile. Beneath it all…the boy is still there. So is our connection.

The problem is…now that I can’t have Justin, I’ve never wanted him more.

Author’s note – RoomHate is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Meet Penelope Ward

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

Other books from Penelope Ward

Sins of Sevin

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

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

iBooks: http://apple.co/1K8mzGg

B&N: http://bit.ly/1hTKAKE

kobo: http://bit.ly/1OaGY3D

Cocky Bastard

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1DW9XpB

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

iBooks: http://apple.co/1J7vbN0

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1EjxNpY

Stepbrother Dearest

Amazon http://amzn.to/1mFNMeg

B&N: http://bit.ly/1taMFjG

iBooks: http://bit.ly/YER0mT

kobo: http://bit.ly/1fJaaBs

Gemini

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vgk1SE

B&N: http://bit.ly/1KfmLHD

iBooks: http://apple.co/1QTaONj

kobo: http://bit.ly/1BGJ2wu

Jake Undone (Jake #1)

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1obAwJ6

iBooks: http://apple.co/1fJayQ8

kobo: http://bit.ly/1SPKl0M

My Skylar

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F

B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi

iBooks: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR

kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB

Jake Understood (Jake #2)

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

B&N: http://bit.ly/1FwJC0z

iBooks: http://apple.co/1DQQwgC

kobo: http://bit.ly/1LQ7Fvk

Alexa Loved by T.R. Cupak….Book Blitz & Sale

Alexa Loved
T.R. Cupak
(Alexa #2)
Publication date: October 6th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

After her parents died during her senior year of high school, Alexa Morgan is completely alone in the world—except for her best-friend-turned-boyfriend Devin, identical twins Becca and Jessa, and Sebastian, a mysterious associate of her father’s.

Upon graduation, Alexa wants nothing more than to move on with her life, go to college, and forget all the hard and hurtful things from her tragic past. But when her first love, Ethan, shows up at her graduation—it kicks off a whirlwind of events that threatens the good and stable things she’s worked so hard to achieve.

Ethan and Alexa shared one night of passion before he disappeared, leaving her bewildered and confused. But now he’s back, declaring that he loves her and that the only reason he left was to protect her from his malicious stepmother, Olivia.

In her heart, Alexa knows she loves Devin, but her attraction to Ethan is so strong she can’t help but be drawn in by their shared chemistry. Meanwhile, the threat of Olivia lurks around the edges, casting a menacing shadow over everything and everyone Alexa loves.

Sequel to:

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Only 99¢ for a limited time only!

—

EXCERPT:

Although it feels like time has completely stopped it most definitely has not. I am completely oblivious to how long Ethan and I have been standing outside my hotel room when we are startled apart by the sound of a very pissed off, deep, familiar voice.

“What the fuck is going on, Lexi?” Devin’s heated voice booms through the open hallway making me cringe and my body turn to stone at the sound. I’m still partially wrapped up in Ethan’s arms but when I finally detangle myself completely out of his hold, I step to the side of him so I can see Devin. I get a pretty good view of him too since he’s standing only a few feet behind Ethan with hate evident in his normally kind eyes. I know shock is all over my face as I stare at Devin as if he’s just a figment of my imagination. Ethan hasn’t moved a muscle. His back is to his enemy yet he chooses to stay facing me. It takes another few seconds before I finally take notice to what Devin is wearing. He has on running shorts and running shoes. His body is glistening with sweat and his face is red as if he was actually outside running in the Miami heat.

What the hell? My emotions are all over the place. Confused, scared, hurt, happy. I swear on my parent’s urns that Devin was just in bed with the twins. How is he standing here like he was actually out for a run and why can’t I find my damned voice to ask that very question? Suddenly I hear the twins’ door to their room open. I turn my attention behind me just as a random guy, who looks like he could be Devin’s fraternal twin brother or doppelganger, exits the twins’ room. My mind automatically fishes for the memory of my conversation with Jesse. Once I replay what he had said privately plus all of the banter with his buddies, I can see how a drunken person could mistake Mr. Random for Devin. The twins’ guest is wearing gray boardshorts and flips flops and steps out carrying his black T-shirt in his hand. He stops when he sees the three of us standing here. I’m sure we’re quite the sight to see. Me, with red watery eyes and airplane stale clothes, Ethan who has not moved but his irritation is quite evident, and Devin who looks as if he is ready to kill Ethan. The stranger who appears to be very much hung over but oozes sexual satisfaction gives us a half smile, says “Hey” to Devin, and inches past the soon-to-be war zone towards the elevator. It’s usually females you see doing the walk of shame but this morning it’s this wonderful guy, this wonderful guy who isn’t Devin. Shit. Devin.

“Answer me, Alexa.” Devin’s voice is seething and it makes me snap my head back around to face him. I glance briefly at Ethan and I see his eyes are screwed shut, jaw tense, the vein in his neck is pulsing, and his fists are clenched at his sides. Well shit. I can’t explain this because I don’t fully understand it all myself. I look back to Devin who is staring at me with so much anger and hurt that it takes my breath away.

Devin takes two steps closer and Ethan’s eyes snap open. Before either one can do anything I step between both of them. I’ve been in this position once before and just like the last time I have no idea what I could or would do if these two decided to throw down. I take another step towards Devin. He just stares down at me waiting for his answer.

My voice is quiet when I finally speak to him. “Devin, I can explain part of this but I can’t explain Ethan being here because I don’t have that answer-yet.”

“Do you think I’m fucking stupid, Lexi?” There is so much pain evident in his voice that my tears start to spill again.

“No, Devin. I don’t think you’re stupid. Can we please go into our room and talk privately?” I know I sound pathetic but that’s probably because I am. I just want to be alone with Devin and figure out this craziness.

Just when I think Devin is going to concede and go into our room with me I feel one of Ethan’s hands settle on my hip and that one tiny gesture sends Devin flying over the proverbial edge. Everything happens so fast that all I feel is my body being shoved out of the way like I’m a ragdoll. I trip over my bags and my head slams against a solid surface and everything goes black.

Author Bio:

T. R. Cupak was born and raised in the California Bay Area. She now lives in a quiet town south of where she grew up with her husband and their shih tzu Harley. She is obsessed with cars, especially fast ones, and enjoys her music louder than anyone should. When she’s not at work or busy writing, you can find her curled up, reading and enjoying a fabulous glass of wine or a Dirty Shirley.

Despite her lifelong love of literature, Cupak lost touch with her creative side in her early twenties. Her passion for reading was rekindled six years ago, however, and in 2013 she started journaling. This practice helped Cupak hone her creative aspirations, and soon she saw her characters come to life. She has rediscovered her passion for storytelling and wants to share her words with everyone who wants to read them.

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The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne…Review

The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels #1) by Kerrigan Byrne

Synopsis:

STEALING BEAUTY
Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception—and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands…

COURTING DESIRE
But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret—one that threatens her very life. When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?

My Review:

I saw The Highwayman listed as a best read for 2015 on more than one blogger’s list so I decided to check it out for myself. I’ve been on a bit of a historical romance kick, though I think you’ll hear me say that at the beginning of each year as it’s sort of an extension of my holiday romance binge in December. But I digress…this book was everything you could want and more.

Farah and Dougan are torn apart after finding each other in an orphanage and falling in love as only children can—as best friends. What they have in the orphanage is so strong and special that they bind themselves to each other in perhaps the sweetest “wedding ceremony” I’ve ever read. But of course fate has other plans. Honestly, if that first chapter doesn’t make you want to tell the kids to get their own dinner because you’re busy reading, well, we can’t be friends. (Just kidding!)

The story picks up several years later. Farah is working as a clerk in Scotland Yard. She has kept Dougan’s name all these years and presents herself as a widow. Enter Dorian Blackwell. A tortured, scarred (inside and outside), and ruthless man who needs Farah in order to enact revenge on the men who ruined his life. Farah has secrets, but so does Dorian. They have secrets that threaten them both on every level. If you’re a fan of paranormal romance and read J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, imagine Zsadist as a Scottish Highlander. That’s Dorian. My heart broke for him over and over.

Here’s a NSFW excerpt:

He could already feel the itching and prickling beneath his skin. The heat would follow. A feverish, pulsating torture. His body and mind locked in a stalemate of desire and hostility. His natural instincts to fuck overcome by memories of thrashing shadows and violent lust. Brutality. Helplessness. Weakness. Screaming. Memories of whispering a beloved name against the cold, fetid ground by his desperate, bleeding lips. He would disassociate from the pain. Imagine the feel of a small hand within his own. Moonbeam curls made of silk. Eyes like pools of liquid silver. A dimpled smile that held the light of the far-reaching cosmos.

One duty had kept him from succumbing to the darkness in that dank, rotting prison.

One vow.

Wow. I mean, just wow.

If you like stories that take your heart out of your chest, stomp on it, and then piece it back together, than Kerrigan Byrne’s The Highwayman is for you.

Five Loves

About the author:

Kerrigan has done many things to pay the bills, from law enforcement to belly dance instructor. Now she’s finally able to have the career she’d decided upon at thirteen when she announced to her very skeptical family that she was going to “grow up to be a romance novelist.” Whether she’s writing about Celtic Druids, Victorian bad boys, or brash Irish FBI Agents, Kerrigan uses her borderline-obsessive passion for history, her extensive Celtic ancestry, and her love of Shakespeare in almost every story.

Her first novel with St. Martin’s Press, THE HIGHWAYMAN, is available now and will be followed byTHE HUNTER in February of 2016.

She lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her handsome husband and three lovely teenage girls, but dreams of settling on the Pacific Coast.

Website

Chandler by Laurelin Paige….Cover Reveal

Title: Chandler (A Fixed Trilogy Spinoff)

Author: Laurelin Paige

Publication Date: September 20, 2016

Genre: Contemporary Romance

I dominate the boardroom. I’m a Pierce—it’s what we do. But I never had a reason to bring that persona into the bedroom.

Until Genevive Fasbender.

She’s brash and bold and stubborn as hell, and she doesn’t believe it’s possible to satisfy her. But I’ve discovered her secret, one she hasn’t even figured out herself—she wants what I want.

And not only does she want it—I’ll make her need it.

No matter what.

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“Laurelin Paige has done it again with her sexy, protective, alpha males. ★★★★★” – Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads

Free Me is on sale NOW for 99¢!
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With over 1 million books sold, Laurelin Paige is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.

You can connect with Laurelin on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LaurelinPaige or on twitter @laurelinpaige. You can also visit her website, www.laurelinpaige.com, to sign up for emails about new releases.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaurelinPaige

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Website: www.laurelinpaige.com

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Dance of Desire releases tomorrow, 2/23!

Synopsis:

My Review:

Five Loves

Book Links:

Author Q&A

Excerpt:

My Review:

Five Loves

Excerpt:

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Newsletter Sign Up | HARD EVER AFTER on Goodreads

My Review:

Four Loves

About the Author

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for AL Jackson’s upcoming WHERE LIGHTNING STRIKES releasing March 22, 2016. We can’t wait for you to fall into this sexy emotional novel!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Synopsis:

My Review:

Five Loves

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1S7uflK

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2009woh

iBooks: http://apple.co/23pxXdZ

“Laurelin Paige has done it again with her sexy, protective, alpha males. ★★★★★” – Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads

Free Me is on sale NOW for 99¢! Amazon: http://amzn.to/1POwB2B Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1SHB9xW

Free Me is on sale NOW for 99¢!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1POwB2B
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1SHB9xW