Release Day Blitz & Review….Fool Me Once by Nicole Williams

 

 

 

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Second chances are for kids, diets, and shelter pets—not for relationships. Especially not one like Chase and Emma’s.

Before he was writing chart-topping hits and smashing record sales, Chase Lawson was Emma’s childhood friend and first love. They promised each other forever, but forever expired at eighteen, when he landed a major record deal and left Emma and their hometown behind.

Ten years later, he shows up at their high school reunion with a proposition she can’t refuse. Six months. Seven figures. He gets a chance to clean up his reputation, and she gets the means to restore the old family farmhouse. It’s only for show—hold hands in public, kiss for the cameras—but boundaries blur behind closed doors.

It isn’t long before Emma feels her resolve slipping, crushed by the shadow of the boy she grew to love in the man selling out stadiums of present. Can Emma resist one of the most irresistible bachelors in the world? Or will she fall for the same man twice?

 

 

“We’ve got to go over something first,” he said, smirking at my efforts to budge his arm.
​“What?” I asked, annoyed.
​“We’re going to be a couple in the public’s eyes. Which means we’re going to have to do certain things that couples do.”
​I blinked at him. “Couples don’t do that in public. At least not the normal ones.”
​He gave a grunt of disbelief. “I’m not talking about sex.”
​“Then what are you talking about?” My voice was rising the more flustered I became. The lack of apparel, the warm water, the way Chase’s brown eyes seemed to melt when he looked at me a certain way . . . I was struggling to keep my composure.
​“Kissing.” He shrugged as though it were obvious. “We’ve had ten years to get rusty. We don’t want to look like a couple of fumbling amateurs when we kiss in public for the first time.”
​My mouth fell open a little as I tried to determine if he was serious. “Kissing is like riding a bike. We don’t need to practice to get it right.”
The corners of Chase’s eyes creased. “It’s more like riding a unicycle. Once you figure it out, with enough consistency, no problem. But if you go a decade without climbing on that unicycle, you’re starting right back at square one.”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. “You’re comparing kissing to a unicycle. You’re just as romantic as I remember.”
Chase treaded closer until my legs were brushing against his with each kick. “Come on. One kiss. Practice makes perfect.” His arms drew in, entombing me in his presence. One brow carved into his forehead. “That is, unless you’re scared to kiss me in private, half-naked in a swimming pool, because you still harbor some kind of feelings for me . . .”
I shoved his chest as a snap reaction, realizing too late that I should not touch him when he was this close, when I was this conflicted. “Fame has really gone to your head.”
His shoulders rose above the water before dipping below again. “So? Prove me wrong.”
“Fine.” The word materialized on its own. “But if you even try slipping me tongue, my knee is winding up in your groin.”
He wet his lips, fighting a smile. “When have I ever complained about any part of you nestling down there?”
My hands balled at my sides as I attempted to approach this whole thing like a science experiment. Objectively. Neutrally. Emotionlessly. “Just kiss me and get it over with.”
His smile quirked. “Once you’re finished whispering sweet nothings into my ear.”
When I tried to push him away, his hands circled my wrists. Chase’s eyes found mine, the color of his irises nearly indistinguishable from his pupils. My chest moved quickly when he swam closer, his head angling as his lips aligned with mine.
He hadn’t even kissed me and I’d lost all sense of direction. Up was as good as down in my present state. His breath fanned across my lips as he waited, perfectly at ease having me trapped in the corner of his pool, our mouths a sliver of air apart.
His grip on my wrists relaxed right before his mouth finally connected with mine. My body froze the instant he kissed me, but it didn’t last long, seeming to melt one piece at a time.
I didn’t realize I was sinking until Chase’s arm cinched around me, pulling my shoulders back above the water, his mouth not missing a beat. The last piece of me to unthaw was my lips, but the moment they did, they matched his urgency. My arms wound behind his neck as I drew closer, our bodies tangling beneath the water as he kissed me in a way I hadn’t been kissed in years; in the kind of way that made a girl feel delicate and invincible at the same time.
Chase treaded water, holding us both above the surface, the planes of his chest rising to meet mine with our uneven breaths. Before I knew it, our tongues were tying together, though it wasn’t him who’d broken that rule first. His chest rumbled against mine as my mouth and hands grew more feverish, no longer under the constraint of my better judgment.
​Kissing Chase was exactly as I remembered, yet totally different. The scrape of his calloused fingers against my skin felt the same, yet there was a newfound strength to it. His full lips moved with mine in a dance we’d mastered years ago, but there was a resolve I’d never tasted so deeply before. The way he held me was exactly the same, though the contours of his body had changed.
​When my chest was hammering from breathlessness, Chase broke the kiss, managing to evade my ensuing advances. His eyes remained closed for a minute, droplets of water winding down his face from where my hands had been.
​When his eyes finally opened, the look in them made my head dizzy, even as I reminded myself this had been a practice kiss. Nothing more.
“How was that?” he asked.
I had to look away in order to make my answer seem convincing. My shoulder lifted out of the water as I shaped my most detached expression. “You were right. Like riding a unicycle.”
“No, you were right.” Chase’s hand drifted up my back, his rough fingertips somehow soft against my skin. “Kissing you is like riding a bicycle.”



Fool Me Once is a sweet second-chance romance with little drama.

I am not usually a huge fan of books that don’t give have a lot of angst or drama to fuel the story but with this one, I thoroughly enjoyed it. And that has everything to do with Nicole’s writing.

Chase and Emma were high school sweethearts before Chase left Emma behind to go after his dreams. Ten years later, he’s back, hoping to clean up his image with the help of his former love.

I really enjoyed how Nicole wrote this story. Nicole just lets everything play out naturally and I love that there is no drama or secret pining between the two of them. You know there was chemistry before and just because he upped an left, doesn’t mean that chemistry died.

Chase holds nothing back from Emma and while Emma tires to stick to the deal they made, you can see that she does struggle with her emotions. I know that Emma wants to protect herself from being hurt again but what I love most is Chase’s determination to win her over.

Overall, another great book from Nicole. Even though is a sweet romance with very little angst, it’s her characters and her writing style that make this story stand out from the rest.

 

 

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Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

 

 

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Release Day Blitz & Review…Deal With The Devil by Meghan March

From New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller

Meghan March comes the first book in a new riveting romance trilogy

filled with international high-stakes, dangerous hidden agendas,

and—in true March fashion—plenty of twists and turns.

 

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL

Forge Trilogy, Book #1

Red Dress Press | On Sale: January 15, 2019

“You can put that man in a suit, but he’ll never be tame.”

One look at Jericho Forge and I knew the rumors were true. He was a predator, and he had set his sights on me.

I knew better than to bet more than I could afford to lose that night. I knew better than to bet myself. But desperation leads to bad decisions, and I thought there was no way I could lose.

I was wrong.

Now I have no choice but to make a deal with the devil.

 Buy Links:

Apple Books https://apple.co/AEHSC2

Amazon US https://amzn.to/2CQHc2f

Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2S1L9Fk

Amazon AU https://amzn.to/2pZFlQd

Amazon CA https://amzn.to/2QZSVym

Kobo http://bit.ly/DealWithTheDevilKobo

BN http://bit.ly/DealWithTheDevilNook

Google Play http://bit.ly/2FedjK6

 

I am just going to start calling Meghan March the “Queen of Trilogies!”

Deal with the Devil is the first book in her Forge Trilogy and she holds nothing back. What I am enjoying about this trilogy compared to her other ones is that there is more at play here.

India Baptiste is a well-known, top-ranked poker player. Jericho Forge is a billionaire in his own right. Bastien de Vere is a playboy living off his family’s money. However, money is not something any of them have had to begged for, until now.

India finds herself in a jam and is running out of options. Bastien and Forge of course will both stop at nothing to help her attaining what she needs. But neither know the details of what she needs or why. But they both have a reason for needing her too.

The Forge series is just getting started and Meghan has thrown some of the cards out on the table. But not all is revealed and that’s what makes this trilogy all the more enticing.

I cannot wait to see what Meghan brings us next and where this story leads us.

 

 

Giveaway:

Enter for your chance to win one of five signed copies of Deal with the Devil!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book 1 FB Spoiler Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/790140534687700/

 

Official Trilogy Landing Pages:

Book 1 – Deal with the Devil: http://www.meghanmarch.com/deal-with-the-devil/

Book 2 – Luck of the Devil (*PREORDER): http://www.meghanmarch.com/luck-of-the-devil/

Book 3 – Heart of the Devil (*PREORDER): http://www.meghanmarch.com/heart-of-the-devil/

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret. With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world. A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

You can find her online at: MeghanMarch.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Meghan March LLC | Red Dress Press

Publicity Contact: Donna Soluri | meghanmarchmedia@gmail.com

Dragon Claimed by Donna Grant…Release Day Event

We are beyond excited to be celebrating the release of Donna Grant’s DRAGON CLAIMED with you today! DRAGON CLAIMED is part of the Dark Kings series and 1001 Dark Nights. You can purchase your copy now and read an excerpt from the book below.

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Purchase your copy of DRAGON CLAIMED today!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Purchase in Paperback from Amazon

About DRAGON CLAIMED:

New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant brings you another sizzling Dark Kings novella.

Born to rule the skies as a Dragon King with power and magic, Cináed hides his true identity in the mountains of Scotland with the rest of his brethren. But there is no respite for them as they protect the planet and the human occupants from threats. However, a new, more dangerous enemy has targeted the Kings. One that will stop at nothing until dragons are gone forever. But Cináed discovers a woman from a powerful, ancient Druid bloodline who might have a connection to this new foe.

Solitude is sanctuary for Gemma. Her young life was upended one stormy night when her family disappears, leaving her utterly alone. She learned to depend solely on herself from then on. But no matter where she goes she feels…lost. As if she missed the path she was supposed to take. Everything changes when she backs into the most dangerously seductive man she’s ever laid eyes. Gemma surrenders to the all-consuming attraction and the wild, impossible love that could destroy them both – and finds her path amid magic and dragons.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

 

Add DRAGON CLAIMED to your Goodreads TBR here!

Purchase your copy of DRAGON CLAIMED today!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Purchase in Paperback from Amazon

Excerpt:

“Gemma!”

She glanced in the direction that her dog had run. She hated storms. Her parents and Kyle knew that. Why hadn’t they helped her? Anger seethed within her. They hadn’t helped because they wanted to leave Daisy behind.

Well, Daisy was hers, and if she had to leave her friends and her home, she wasn’t leaving her dog.

“Gemma!”

She ignored both her parents, who were now shouting her name as she raced after Daisy. If she had to carry the forty-pound dog to the boat, then that’s what she’d do. Just as soon as she found Daisy.

Another flash of lightning bathed the land in light, giving her just a glimpse of the dog as she headed toward the house. Gemma ran as fast as her seven-year-old legs would carry her. She reached the house and Daisy.

“Hey, girl,” she said to the terrified dog. “It’s going to be all right.”

It took her four tries before she was able to lift the dog. She shook badly, but at least she wasn’t trying to get free. Gemma knew her parents were going to be furious with her. She didn’t know why they were sneaking away in the middle of the night in a storm, but the fear in her father’s voice and her mother’s face let her know that the questions would have to wait.

In less than two hours, they had packed up all they could and put it on the boat her father owned. She’d asked where they were headed, but her parents hadn’t answered and her brother had shot her an irritated look.

Once she got on the boat with Daisy, she hoped someone would tell her something. She hated not knowing what was going on. Kyle didn’t care. He always said that their parents would tell them when they needed to know.

Gemma stumbled and fell to her knees. She pitched forward so that she had to release Daisy in order to catch herself, but she managed to keep a tight hold of the leash and pull the dog back to her. Daisy seemed to like being held, so she didn’t put up a fight.

“I’m coming!” Gemma shouted, hoping her family could hear her.

She couldn’t see the dock through the driving rain and dark. Which was odd. There was supposed to be a light on the dock. She knew the way to the water, so she hadn’t gone the wrong way. But…why wasn’t the light on?

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About DONNA GRANT

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Goodreads

Release Day Blitz…Nevermore by Dannika Dark

Its here! Its here!! 

 
Nevermore
(Crossbreed Series, Bk 6)
by Dannika Dark
 
 
Blurb:
Raven returns to her childhood home to rebuild her severed relationship with her father. After a long year of capturing violent criminals and thwarting assassination plots, she could use a vacation.
But trouble is brewing on the home front. When Raven discovers her father is in financial peril, she’s determined to set things right even if it means sacrificing her heart in the process. Meanwhile, her relationship with Christian is on shaky ground when a skeleton falls out of his closet. Will they be able to leave the past behind, or is the trust between them dead and buried?
When the bonds of love are put to the test, only the courageous will prevail.

Available for Pre-order at 

 

 

Keystone
(Crossbreed Series Book 1)
Available purchase at
Ravenheart
(Crossbreed Series, Bk #2)
Available purchase at
Deathtrap
(Crossbreed Series, Bk #3)
Available for purchase at
Gaslight
(Crossbreed Series, Bk #4)
 

 

Available for purchase at
 
Blackout

(Crossbreed Series, Bk #5)

Available to purchase at

About the Author

Dannika Dark is the USA Today Bestselling Author of Urban Fantasy Romance and Paranormal Romance books. Her books have sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, and she is a 2016 Audie Awards finalist. In addition to writing about supernatural worlds, Dannika is passionate about graphic design and creates all her own covers and series art. When not writing in her cave, she enjoys indie music, reading, Netflix, heaps of chocolate, and unleashing her dark side. 

You can find Dannika at
To receive exclusive content and be the first to know about upcoming releases, please sign up to her newsletter. 
Presented By

Damien by J. Kenner….Blog Tour

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I am Damien Stark. Do you want to see inside my head?

Careful what you wish for.

Damien, an all-new full-length novel in the wildly popular Stark Saga, from New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner is available now!

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I am Damien Stark. From the outside, I have a perfect life. A billionaire with a beautiful family. But if you could see inside my head, you’d know I’m as f-ed up as a person can be. Now more than ever.

I’m driven, relentless, and successful, but all of that means nothing without my wife and daughters. They’re my entire world, and I failed them. Now I can barely look at them without drowning in an abyss of self-recrimination.

Only one thing keeps me sane—losing myself in my wife’s silken caresses where I can pour all my pain into the one thing I know I can give her. Pleasure.

But the threats against my family are real, and I won’t let anything happen to them ever again. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe—pay any price, embrace any darkness. They are mine.

I am Damien Stark. Do you want to see inside my head? Careful what you wish for.

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Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kz8iu7

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2njN3TZ

Nook: https://bit.ly/2vSDO0X

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2KAllvd

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ON7sgJ

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Damien

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2APgarN

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2M2hA7A

Watch the Trailer:

Excerpt:

He started to lash out. To pound his fist against the door frame. But he pulled back, not wanting to wake Nikki or the two little angels curled up next to her in their bed. His wife. His precious little girls.

His family.

As much as he loved Nikki, he hadn’t truly understood how full his heart could be until he’d held Lara in his arms for the first time. And though he hadn’t expected it was possible, his heart had expanded even more when he watched Anne’s birth two years ago and saw her draw that first breath.

Every day, his daughters looked up at him with wide, guileless eyes. And every day, he felt that punch in the gut. A fear that he couldn’t live up to the trust he saw there. That somehow, someway, he would fail them. Not in the way his own father had failed him. But in some other, fundamental way.

And that’s exactly what happened.

He thought of Rory, that fucker who’d taken his child. Of Nikki, broken and huddled in the closet with a blade, blood streaming down her fair skin, cutting for the first time in years. The first time since he’d demanded that she come to him—to him—when she needed the blade.

So many times, she’d done exactly that. Gone to him when the burden of the world had been too much to bear. When she needed the pain to find her way back. And he’d always been there for her, his need as potent as hers. Because he had to be the one to take her there. To slide down with her into that sweet place where sensual pleasure crossed over into pain. Where need and desire meshed, merging into euphoria. Where they could both cling to that one small measure of control in a world that was spinning off its axis.

How many times had they saved each other? Their needs meshing as perfectly as their desire?

How many times had he held her close as they fought their demons together? And yet this time—when the worst parts of hell had swallowed them whole—she hadn’t come to him. Instead, she’d put a razor-sharp length of stainless steel against her own flesh, and she’d drawn her own blood for the first time in years.

All because he’d failed her. Because it was his mistakes that spawned the demons.

Because for the first time in their relationship she hadn’t trusted him to save her. And why should she, when he’d already failed so spectacularly?

He thought of that. Of the scars on her legs. Of the fresh wound that mocked him still.

He thought—and his stomach twisted with pain and self-loathing.

Mostly, he thought of Anne. His precious girl, who’d been alone and scared for days.

They’d gotten Anne back. They’d talked about Damien’s choices. The risks he’d taken to find their daughter and her kidnapper. They’d worked it out, and they were back on keel. And he knew in his gut that Nikki was strong enough to survive the whole ordeal.

But that didn’t change the simple, basic truth.

He’d failed.

Roughly, he massaged his palms over his face, then looked again at his girls, curled up together, safe and asleep.

Safe.

For now, at least.

But for the first time in a long time, Damien felt as if the shadows that had plagued his past had returned to haunt him, bringing harsh recriminations and fresh dangers.

He squared his shoulders, steeling himself. He was strong. More than that, he had resources. He had means. And he damn well had the determination to keep those encroaching horrors at bay.

Most of all, he had a life—a family—worth fighting for.

He was fucking Damien Stark.

He’d failed once.

He wouldn’t fail again.

About J. Kenner

Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over one hundred novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A six time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy) and in 2017 for Wicked Dirty in the same category. Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development as a television show.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

jkennerConnect with Julie

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliekenner/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-kenner

Stay up to date with J. Kenner by joining her mailing list: http://juliekenner.com/contact/subscribe-to-the-julie-kenner-newsletter/

Website: www.jkenner.com

Thinking About You by Monica Murphy…Blog Tour & Review

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Thinking About You by Monica Murphy

Release Date: January 9th

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Thinking About You, a standalone contemporary romance in the Forever Series by New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy

One minute I’m minding my own business at a party and the next I meet this woman who blows my mind. She’s beautiful. Smart. Funny. A little shy. I’m immediately drawn to her. We make an instant connection.

The problem?

Lady Susanna Sumner lives in London.

I live in California

I play professional football.

She works part-time at an art gallery and lives off her family’s money.

Her family is nobility. I come from a single mom who always scraped to get by.

Susanna and I should have nothing in common. But when we’re together, it’s…

Electric.

What are we supposed to do? Can we really make this work? I can’t give up my career. And I can’t ask her to move to California for me. All I know is, I want her in my life.

Desperately.

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Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Ssepob

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/ThinkingAboutYouMM

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2BRpv0H

Nook: http://bit.ly/2LWWLa5

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2LUNdMR

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2VAu6MD

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2Qcrh5s

 

 

Thinking About You is part of Monica’s Forever Yours series but can be read as a complete standalone.

I have always enjoyed any book by Monica that I read and I was really excited for this series because it’s her characters from her friends series, but when they are older and mature adults.

I did read the first book in this series (which I will go back and do) but it did not hurt because these are all complete standalones. Thinking About You definitely was not my fave by Monica.

The book started off slow for me. We don’t get to know much about Susanna other than she’s somewhat royalty in London. For me, it started off too slow and then next thing I know, they’re having sex. A lot of sex. I think the majority of this book is them having sex when they are together. I am not one to ever complain about that, but it hurt the relationship development since these two don’t know each other at all. Cannon admits that he falls hard and fast a lot, but then it would make sense in his position to slow down a tad bit.

Aside from that – it was decent story. There is no angst or drama. I loved the added touch of her best friend and her brother getting together but it didn’t add much to the whole story itself, felt like filler almost.

For me, this was not Monica’s best work. I’ve read many others by her that I loved and this one fell short of that level. It’s not a terrible read, I did enjoy it and the sexy times, but everything just felt rushed and not fleshed out well. I wanted to see them get to know one another more on a deeper level than just face value.

Overall, it was a decent read but not favorite from Monica. I know others who enjoyed it more and I think those who like sugary sweet romances with no drama will enjoy this one.

 

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Excerpt:

“I’m thinking about how beautiful you are,” I answer Susanna truthfully. She really is stunning, in that classic, elegant way some women are. She’s just very…refined? Is that the right word? Her cheekbones and jaw are sharp, her nose is straight, her blue eyes are extra bright and her full lips are the color of a classic red rose.

Her cheeks are the color of pink roses, thanks to the compliment I just gave her.

“Thank you. That’s very sweet of you to say,” she murmurs, casting her gaze downward for a brief moment before she lifts her head. “I can’t believe we’re here. Together.”

“Why do you say that?” I feel the same way, but want to hear her reasoning first before I make any confessions.

“You’re not my type,” she blurts, covering her mouth after the words escape for a brief moment before slowly dropping her hand. “Not that there’s anything wrong with you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Gee, thanks.”

Her cheeks turn redder. “Oh goodness, I’m not trying to insult you, I just—I’m making a mess of this, and I apologize. What I meant to say is…” She takes a deep breath, exhaling loudly before she continues. “You’re not the type of man I normally date, but there’s something good to be said in that.”

She’s not the type I normally go for either, that’s for damn sure. She’s too prim, too proper, too sweet. “Like what?”

“There’s nothing wrong with trying something a little different sometimes. Clearly who I’ve been dating in the past hasn’t worked, since I’m still single,” she says with a self-depreciating laugh.

“I thought Dickie was your ex-boyfriend,” I point out with a wince. That is the damn worst name on the planet, I swear.

“Oh, it was never too serious with Dickie.” She waves a hand. Laughs again. “That was a long time ago, though.”

“How long?”

“I don’t know. Six months? Nine?” She tilts her head, as if she’s quietly counting back the months. “Eight months, actually. During the winter. He told me I was a bright light on a cold, dreary day once. That was nice.”

For some godforsaken reason, jealousy rises within me, making me clench my fists in my lap. “I guess he’s a goddamned poet.”

I would never think to say something like that to a woman. I’m not one to say a bunch of flowery nonsense to get between a woman’s legs. I’m a little more direct.

She seems startled by my response. “Oh, he wasn’t a poet. Not at all. That was probably the nicest thing he ever said to me while we dated.”

Huh. Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better, but not much.

And why the hell do I care what her ex-boyfriend said to her? This is a one-shot deal. I’ll take her to dinner, hopefully kiss her a little bit in the back of an Uber, maybe even feel her up a little bit too, and then we’re done. I’ll play my game tomorrow, we’ll win because that’s what we do, and then head back home.

End of story.

The server returns to the table with our drinks, making an elaborate show of popping the cork on the bottle of Veuve Clicquot before pouring us each a glass. I didn’t want any champagne, but when Susanna lifts her glass toward me in a toast, I grab mine and clink our glasses together.

“To new friends,” she says, smiling prettily.

“New friends,” I agree, downing most of the champagne in one swallow.

About Monica:

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

Connect with Monica:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5934418.Monica_Murphy
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YUl0Vm
Website: http://monicamurphyauthor.com
Mailing List:: http://bit.ly/IW5U0y

The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen….Blog Tour & Review

 

 

THE KISS THIEF BY L.J. SHEN

Release Date: January 9th

Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser at RBA Designs.

 

 

 

 

AVAILABLE NOW!

FREE IN KU!

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Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41450662-tk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb
They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.

Two men.

Three lives.

Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt
“Are you sure you’re on my card?” I turned to the man with a polite yet distant smile. I was still disoriented from the exchange with Angelo when the stranger pulled me against his hard body and pressed a possessive hand lower than socially acceptable on my back, a second from groping my butt.

“Answer me,” I hissed.

“My bid on your card was the highest,” he replied dryly.

“The bids are undisclosed. You don’t know how much other people have paid,” I kept my lips pursed to keep myself from yelling.

“I know it’s nowhere near the realm of what this dance is worth.”

Un-freaking-believable.

We began to waltz around the room as other couples were not only spinning and mingling but also stealing envious glances at us. Naked, raw ogles that told me that whomever the blonde he’d come to the masquerade with was, she wasn’t his wife. And that I might have been all the rage in The Outfit, but the rude man was in high demand, too.

I was stiff and cold in his arms, but he didn’t seem to notice—or mind. He knew how to waltz better than most men, but he was technical, and lacked warmth and Angelo’s playfulness.

“Nemesis.” He took me by surprise, his rapacious gaze stripping me bare. “Distributing glee and dealing misery. Seems at odds with the submissive girl who entertained Bishop and his horsey wife at the table.”

I choked on my own saliva. Did he just call the governor’s wife horsey? And me submissive? I looked away, ignoring the addictive scent of his cologne, and the way his marble body felt against mine.

“Nemesis is my spirit animal. She was the one to lure Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection and died of vanity. Pride is a terrible illness.” I flashed him a taunting smirk.

“Some of us could use catching it.” He bared his straight white teeth.

“Arrogance is a disease. Compassion is the cure. Most gods didn’t like Nemesis, but that’s because she had a backbone.”

“Do you?” He arched a dark eyebrow.

“Do I…?” I blinked, the courteous grin on my face crumpling. He was even ruder when we were alone.

“Have a backbone,” he provided. He stared at me so boldly and intimately, it felt like he breathed fire into my soul. I wanted to step out of his touch and jump into a pool full of ice.

“Of course, I do,” I responded, my spine stiffening. “What’s with the manners? Were you raised by wild coyotes?”

“Give me an example,” he said, ignoring my quip. I was beginning to draw away from him, but he jerked me back into his arms. The glitzy ballroom distorted into a backdrop, and even though I was starting to notice that the man behind the demi-mask was unusually beautiful, the ugliness of his behavior was the only thing that stood out.

I am a warrior and a lady…and a sane person who can deal with this horrid man.

“I really like Angelo Bandini.” I dropped my voice, slicing my gaze from his eyes and toward the table where Angelo’s family had been seated. My father was sitting a few seats away, staring at us coldly, surrounded by Made Men who chatted away.

“And see, in my family, we have a tradition dating back ten generations. Prior to her wedding, a Rossi bride is to open a wooden chest—carved and made by a witch who lived in my ancestors’ Italian village—and read three notes written to her by the last Rossi girl to marry. It’s kind of a good luck charm mixed with a talisman and a bit of fortunetelling. I stole the chest tonight and opened one of the notes, all so I could rush fate. It said that tonight I was going to be kissed by the love of my life, and well…” I drew my lower lip into my mouth and sucked it, peering under my eyelashes at Angelo’s empty seat. The man stared at me stoically, as though I was a foreign film he couldn’t understand. “I’m going to kiss him tonight.”

“That’s your backbone?”

“When I have an ambition, I go for it.”

A conceited frown crinkled his mask, as if to say I was a complete and utter moron. I looked him straight in the eye. My father taught me that the best way to deal with men like him was to confront, not run. Because, this man? He’d chase.

 

 

 

 

The Kiss Thief is my first Leigh Shen book – yea, yea – I’ve been living under a rock before now. LOL

TKT is written both POVs from both Francesca and Wolfe, which really helped drive the story. The story was more enjoyable being able to understand things from both sides and both POVs and not just a one-sided story.

Francesca (Nemesis) was raised in very strict and dominating family – nothing she saw wrong with. Her father is the leader of The Outfit and their are traditions in their family that, while they seem dated, are followed impeccably by all.

Senator Wolfe Keaton (Villain) has a hard-on for bringing down Francesca’s father and his business. He is willing to stop at nothing to bring it all down. However, he has a few other things up his sleeve first.

I won’t go into the plot or details of this book because it’s just best to figure it out all on your own. Nemesis and Villain don’t have the best first meeting, nor do the following altercations get any better. However, it’s the back and forth, their banter that keeps thing lively and entertaining.

Shen wrote some very unique characters and added some nice surprises along the way too. I have to admit that the mafia parts of this book were tough for me as I am a huge stickler with the accuracy of mafia stories and keeping everything very realistic in any and all aspects of that world. For me I had to let go and let the author’s imagination go on how things played out in those aspects (because they truly would not play out the way they did); this is where fiction comes in to play and not letting reality get in the way of true fictional story.

The story line and the characters kept me glued to the pages and had me vested in their outcome. Surprisingly, I truly loved Wolfe more than Francesca. She was tad annoying to me with how naïve she was along with the indecisiveness not only in her thoughts, but some of her actions. I understand that she is going to question herself a lot giving the circumstances, but damn. Sometimes that back and forth was a bit ridiculous at times.

As for Wolfe, he surprised me most. The man hides himself very well. He comes across as a lion in all aspects of his life, for good reason. But damn if he did not win me over in the end – even before the end if I must be honest. He might be an overbearing asshole, but he has his reasons.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this story and the characters. I know from above it doesn’t sound like it, but I truly did. Those were the only two things that bothered me, but it did not deter from me reading or continuing on with the story. And those things did not hurt the majority of the story.

The Kiss Thief is one I would still highly recommend to others and has made me want to go and read more of Shen’s writing.

 

 

 

About the Author
L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

 

 

Connect with L.J. Shen
Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorljshen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lj_shen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorljshen/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorljshen/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/l-j-shen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13531492.L_J_Shen
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KSFkad

 

 

 

Cover Reveal…Hollywood Princess by Natasha Madison

 

 

Behind the “lights, camera, action” of Hollywood lies a world of deception, love, and seduction.

Are you ready for Hollywood Royalty?

Kellie

An Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, a Grammy—she has them all.
She’s the most sought-after woman in Hollywood.
Even if her rise to fame was a fluke, you can’t deny the camera loves her.
The problem is so does everyone else, and she’s about to leave on the biggest concert tour of her life.
Headlining for the first time in five years.

Around the world in ninety days. Should be a piece of cake.
Until her new security detail walks in the room and she’s looking into the eyes of the only man who didn’t fall for her charm.

It’s only a matter of time till he falls for Hollywood’s Princess.

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

 

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When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…
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Cover Reveal…The Devil’s Duet by Eva Charles

 

The Devil’s Duet
Author: Eva Charles
Genre: Dark Romance/Romantic Suspense
Cover Design: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs
Photo: Wander Aguiar
Models: Zack Salaun & Adrea
Blurb
I’m the devil’s spawn.
The son of evil incarnate.
The heir to corruption and depravity. 
Gabrielle Duval once belonged to me. And whether she likes
it or not, she’s destined to be mine again. What will it take to lure this
luscious woman back into my bed? A deal with the devil himself, of course.
My name is JD Wilder, and this is the story of how I reclaim
what’s mine.  
Releasing February 21, 2019
Releasing March 21, 2019

 

Author Bio
A confirmed city-girl, Eva moved to rural Western
Massachusetts in 2014. She found herself living in the woods with no job, no
friends (unless you count the turkey, deer, and coyote roaming the backyard),
and no children underfoot, wondering what on earth she had been thinking. But
as it turned out, it was the perfect setting to take all those yarns spinning
in her head and weave them into steamy love stories. 
A romantic at heart, Eva looks forward to date night all
week. The perfect evening includes well-crafted cocktails, a fabulous perfume,
Cherry Garcia ice cream, and her husband, of course. If you add good friends,
live jazz, and impossible shoes, she will follow you anywhere.
Eva holds a BA from Boston College, and a JD from the
Washington College of Law. She spent a career working in domestic violence,
child abuse and neglect, and civil rights. Aspects of this work often find
their way into her books.
When she’s not writing sexy stories, trying to squeeze
information out of her tight-lipped sons, or playing with the two cutest dogs
you’ve ever seen, Eva’s creating chapters in her own love story.
Author Links

 

Cover Reveal…Down We’ll Come, Baby by Carrie Aarons

Today we are revealing the cover for an upcoming standalone title from Carrie Aarons. DOWN WE’LL COME, BABY releases January 27, and you will not want to miss this romance! Be sure to add the book to your TBR pile now and follow Carrie for exclusive updates about the book.

Sign up for Carrie’s Newsletter for details about the book

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Down We’ll Come Baby by Carrie Aarons

Releasing January 27

Add the book to Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Imogen

There is no way we can still love and cherish one and other.

When I married Theo Walsh, the rough, bearded townie who worked construction on my family’s summer house, I’d found my happily ever after.

That was before the fighting.
Before the jealousy.
Before the infertility.

We’ll be divorced long before death does us part.

But to secure my place in the family dynasty, there is just one more hoop I have to jump through. And I need him to do it.

Faking the marriage we once thrived in will gut me.
Especially with the secret I’m carrying.

Theo

I would have sacrificed for her until the end of time.

My job.
My home.
My happiness.

I’d given it all up to marry her. That’s how much I loved Imogen Weston, the daughter to one of the world’s richest families.

From the day we met, I’d done nothing but try to live up to the man she expected to be with. And now, I was done.

Sure, I’d complete this one final ask of hers, even if it destroyed me.

But I’ve made her promise the one thing that might save me. She swore that after she got everything she ever wanted, she wouldn’t look back.

I made my wife vow to leave me forever.

————————-

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Author of romance novels such as Red Card and Privileged, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the stories she dreams up, and the yoga pant dress code, much better.

When she isn’t writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, daughter and dog.

 

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InkSlinger Blogger Final

Release Day Blitz…Thinking About You by Monica Murphy

Thinking About You RB banner.jpg

What happens when you meet the girl of your dreams and she lives halfway across the world?

Thinking About You, a standalone book in the Forever Series by Monica Murphy is live!

Thinking About You AMAZON.jpg

One minute I’m minding my own business at a party and the next I meet this woman who blows my mind. She’s beautiful. Smart. Funny. A little shy. I’m immediately drawn to her. We make an instant connection.

The problem?

Lady Susanna Sumner lives in London.

I live in California

I play professional football.

She works part-time at an art gallery and lives off her family’s money.

Her family is nobility. I come from a single mom who always scraped to get by.

Susanna and I should have nothing in common. But when we’re together, it’s…

Electric.

What are we supposed to do? Can we really make this work? I can’t give up my career. And I can’t ask her to move to California for me. All I know is, I want her in my life.

Desperately.

A standalone, contemporary romance

TAY - AN.jpg

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Ssepob

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/ThinkingAboutYouMM

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2BRpv0H

Nook: http://bit.ly/2LWWLa5

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2LUNdMR

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2VAu6MD

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2Qcrh5s

RElease Blitz-2.jpg

About Monica:

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

Connect with Monica:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5934418.Monica_Murphy
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YUl0Vm
Website: http://monicamurphyauthor.com
Mailing List:: http://bit.ly/IW5U0y