July 2013 – Page 2 – Read-Love-Blog

Get it on your bookshelf giveaway…Tidal by Emily Snow

Happy Monday and cheers to the first GET IT ON YOUR BOOKSHELF GIVEAWAY!

I will be having these giveaways from time to time featuring a book that I think sounds really great, is on my own bookshelf, but I don’t have the time to read and review just yet…..so I’m gonna give a copy to one of YOU to enjoy!

Fun, huh?!

Today I have a paperback copy of TIDAL by Emily Snow to give away. You can enter to win in the rafflecopter below…good luck!

Book links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Genre:

New Adult Romance

Synopsis:

Now that Willow Avery is out of rehab, she’s got one chance left to prove herself before she’s officially on every producer’s shit list. At least, that’s what her parents and agent are claiming. She doesn’t really give a damn if she never makes another movie or not—she just wants to get on with her life, get back to her friends, and find her next escape. But Willow is broke. And whether she likes it or not, acting is the only job she knows how to do.

When she accepts the lead in a beach drama, Willow finds herself in Hawaii. And in Hawaii, she finds Cooper, the gorgeous surfer hired to train her for her new role. With the bluest eyes she’s ever seen and the sexiest Australian accent she’s ever heard, Cooper’s different from the men she’s used to. He doesn’t want to use her. And he refuses to let her fail. But when an old friend re-enters Willow’s life—a friend whose toxicity she’s been drawn to time and time before and whose presence brings about the painful memories she’s tried so hard to suppress—Willow will have to choose between the girl she was and the person she’s becoming. The lifestyle that helps her forget the pain and the guy she’s falling hard for

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About the author:

Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of the DEVOURED series (2012, 2013) and TIDAL (2012).

Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Website

Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer…..Selene’s Review of Cowgirl Up and Ride by Lorelei James

Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer continues with Selene’s review of Cowgirl Up and Ride by Lorelei James

Book links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Synopsis:

…Ridin’ the edge of lust is fun—until someone falls in love.

Goody-two boots AJ Foster has waited her entire life for her dream cowboy Cord McKay to see her as more than the neighbor girl in pigtails. Now that she’s old enough to stake her claim on him, she’s pulling out all the sexual stops and riding hell-bent for leather—straight for his libido.

Divorced rancher Cord has sworn off all women…until innocent AJ suggests he teach her how to ride bareback—and he realizes she doesn’t mean horses or bulls. Between his responsibilities running his massive ranch, missing his young son and dealing with the sexual shenanigans of his brother and cousins, Cord is more than willing to take AJ up on her offer. On a trial basis.

The fun and games tie them both up in knots. AJ isn’t willing to settle for less than the whole shootin’ match with her western knight. But for Cord, even though the sexy cowgirl sets his blood ablaze, he’s determined to resist her efforts to lasso his battered heart.

Sweet, determined AJ has the power to heal—or heel—the gruff cowboy…unless Cord’s pride keeps him from admitting their relationship is more than a simple roll in the hay.

Selene’s Review:

Yum, yum, and…oh yes, YUM!

Cord McKay and Amy Jo Foster have had very few and far between moments in the past, mainly because he’s her best friend Keely’s big brother, a full-time father, and 13 years her senior. But once new name and new attitude AJ decides she’s going to seduce Cord into teaching her anything and everything in between the sheets, he doesn’t have a shot in Wyoming to resist.

This book is definitely in the top 3 of the series for me. The sex between the two is too hot to handle and the build-up to their story made the anticipation to their long-awaited union absolutely delicious. Their insecurities, his age and her inexperience, made me root for them even more – we learn throughout the novel what each has had to overcome in order to be where they are and to deserve the love that without a doubt they each are worthy of.

Very rarely do I ever speak aloud while reading a book but I’ll admit here and now that when AJ was flaunting her sassy ass and rocking that come-hither look directly at her cowboy fantasy, I yelled out, “Get it, girl!” Nothing makes me want to cheer a heroine on more than when she sheds her shy-violet persona and goes after what she wants.

And don’t get me started on Cord McKay. Wooo-eeeee! That man sure does know his way around a ranch, but better yet… a woman’s body. *growl* And he’s an awesome father to boot! I’ll say it again and again: TRIPLE YUM!

I highly suggest this book to readers, even if you haven’t read the other two in the Rough Riders series.

Five Loves

From author website:

A bit about me: When I’m not squirreled away behind my laptop writing fun, sexy, contemporary erotic romances set in the modern day Wild West, I can be found reading everything under the sun, practicing yoga until I’m a pretzel, shootin’ my .22, watching the Professional Bull Riders tour on Versus, and running a kid’s taxi service, all in the guise of avoiding housework and rustlin’ up vittles.

Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.

Review…Rosethorn by Ava Zavora

Book links:

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Synopsis:

Rosethorn is a breathtaking debut novel of love lost and found again that culminates in a stunning end you won’t soon forget.

“I know I could be happy with someone else . . . But it was decided a long time ago. It was always going to be you.”

From Morocco to Paris, Sera has traveled the world over but she never forgot Rosethorn, the beautiful, abandoned mansion where she and Andrew used to meet for trysts. Until the day Sera found her mother’s diary. Sera’s obsession with the shocking secrets it contained tore them apart and sent Sera fleeing to New York with a devastated heart.

10 years later, Sera revisits Rosethorn, only to run into Andrew, all grown up and handsomer than ever. Politeness gives way to a heated confrontation over their painful past. Yet unable to resist each other’s lure, both surrender to the undying power of first love.

Fate has brought them together once again, but will an old tragedy destroy Sera and Andrew’s second chance.

My review:

Rosethorn is the debut work from author Ava Zavora and I was 100% wholly unprepared for how much I ended up loving this book. Yes, this title goes on the list of books I’ve read in 24 hours and I loved every minute!

Growing up with only her grandmother and not ever knowing the parents she was born to, Sera dreamed of where her life would take her and all of the magical places she would travel to and see. Now, after realizing those dreams, she knows a piece of her is missing. The piece she left behind years ago with the memories of her first love and the magical place they shared…Rosethorn. Now, faced with the decision of accepting her boyfriend’s proposal to take their relationship to the next level, she realizes she has to go back. Back to Rosethorn and hopefully be able to bury the still potent longing for that lost love once and for all. But she sees the fates have other plans in store for her once she steps foot onto the lands Rosethorn stands upon….

Andrew cannot believe she’s back. Restoring Rosethorn was a dream of his since he first found the old home with Sera all those years ago. Now, she’s back and standing here…at Rosethorn. So many unanswered questions immediately plague his brain. The most important one being: Would there ever be another chance for them? He had tried for years to put his life back together but the girl who he had always noticed in his peripheral, ever since they were little kids in grade school, was a constant pain in his heart and thought in his mind since she left him years ago. He knows what they had was so much more than a first love…and he’s determined to make her see that they were always meant to be together.

What. A. Book. Sera and Andrew’s story was so pure and real that it brought me back to the innocence of the first crush and all of the emotion that goes along with it. Watching their relationship grow from the teasing when they were kids to the realization they both had feelings that went way beyond that as they grew up, was such a treat. Add the magic of the house itself, with its mystery and allure, and I was completely hooked. Reading about the adventures Andrew and Sera shared and the stolen moments in an old abandoned charming mansion and it ended up being like their very own fairy tale. Of course, there was plenty of mystery beyond the house. Sera never gave up trying to find the truth of who her parents were and what had happened to them. Never has the phrase “be careful what you wish for” been truer than in this situation. Sera finds out more than what she had bargained for and, even though her and Andrew had been drifting apart, what she learns about her past stiffens her resolve to go her own way…far from Rosethorn. I went through every emotion while reading this book…I laughed, got super angry and cried my eyes out. If you know me though, I love when a book gets the reader to feel and Rosethorn certainly did just that!

Hopefully I haven’t bored you with my blathering! In the end, I highly recommend Rosethorn (if you haven’t guessed!). If you enjoy stories about true love, second chances, mystery and self-discovery all wrapped up in an extremely well-written package, then this is a book for you! So, get to downloading, clear your schedule, grab some tissues and ENJOY! Thank you, Ava, for a story that will stay with me for a long time to come.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Five Loves

About the author:

In my childhood, I used to ride water buffaloes and wade in swamps. When I discovered books, I would go adventuring with Anne of Green Gables, the Pevensies, Bilbo Baggins, or Alanna of Trebond. I incurred my mother’s displeasure for reading too many romance novels, so I learned to hide them and read underneath covers with a flashlight late at night. Nowadays, I travel and write dark fairy tales and romantic novels about adventurous women. And I still stay up too late reading, even though I don’t get in trouble for it anymore.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter

ARC Review…The Marriage Merger by Jennifer Probst

The Marriage Merger releases July 30

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Synopsis:

Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy, wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.

Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?

My review:

The Marriage Merger is the fourth book in Jennifer Probst’s Marriage to a Billionaire Series and is Sawyer and Julietta’s story. I am a huge fan of this series and have been dying to read this installment…and in true Jennifer fashion, she delivered a fabulous story!

As the head executive of her family’s bakery empire, Julietta Conte hasn’t made her love life a priority and with the louses she’s dealt with in the past, one can hardly blame her. Now, with her sisters all being married and convinced she needs to follow suit, she concedes to their requests to recite the love poem to Mother Earth that they has all done and are convinced had brought love into their lives. So, doubtingly, she does it. Not expecting much, she’s surprised when a business deal that would make La Dolce Famiglia an even bigger success, falls into her lap almost immediately after her spell was cast. Why is she surprised? Because the man with the offer, Sawyer Wells, evokes all sorts of sexual desires and delicious sexual tension within her. She soon realizes she may have been playing with fire when she recited those words. Now she just has to decide what to do with it…fan the flames or extinguish them.

Sawyer Wells has been through hell and back and has the scars to prove it…both emotional and physical. Now, he’s a man on a mission to make his mark on this world and in doing so pay back many promises he’s made to himself and the people who have helped make him who he is today. With his latest project, a merger of his new luxury hotel and the exclusive old world style bakery, La Dolce Famiglia, he’s one step closer to realizing his dreams. It hasn’t been an easy road, and he will remember every dark twist and turn along the road leading him to the uber successful business man he turned out to be. Now, those roads also lead Julietta Conte into his life and with the zing of sexual awareness like he’s never experienced before, he knows there is something special about her. But when she turns him down flat, he relies on the determination that hasn’t ever failed him to get her to admit there’s something more between them then just a business deal.

Sawyer and Julietta have a great many hurdles to overcome, both personally and professionally. They both have a lot to prove and can stand to learn a few things about love and trust and breaking down emotional walls. Will they be able to help one another and maybe find love along the way?

So as I had said, I am a huge fan of this series and I have to say that this is officially my fave in the series. Jennifer took a slightly darker approach to this book and I think it was simply perfect. Sawyer is the ultimate damaged hero…the type of hero I absolutely adore. His past is positively heartbreaking. There were passages that had me reaching for tissues and damn, if that didn’t make me love Sawyer even more. One of the things I loved most was that Jennifer didn’t display Sawyer’s past all out in the open at once. We got pieces throughout the story and bit-by-bit the puzzle of his life comes into focus. The reader was right there with Julietta as she tries to figure him out. He is a character I won’t soon forget. Julietta is 100% kick ass. Yes, we know she is a tough as nails businesswoman and can hold her own in the boardroom but what was nice to see was that she has a vulnerable side. She has many facets that round out her personality beautifully. Together, they are a fantastic couple. Both strong-willed and used to the take-no-prisoners approach, it’s great to see the push and pull between them and learn their individual weaknesses. The heat and chemistry between them is delish and the softer moments they share are some of the best I’ve read.

Also a treat was getting to see the whole cast of characters from the Conte crew! I love when we get to see where life is taking them all and enjoy a Sunday dinner with them and Mama Conte.

I know all of you Marriage to a Billionaire Series fans will adore Sawyer and Julietta as much as I did! Thank you, Jennifer, for another awesome read!

Five Loves

About the author:

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. At twelve, I took a pen in hand and wrote my first love story. I haven’t stopped since. Those heroines taught me valuable lessons that served me well. I learned to keep my head up high and surge forward when I was afraid; I learned to demand respect in a relationship; I learned about compromise and dreams and independence. Those are the stories I want to write, and I can only hope I give back some of the joy I received over the years.

I live in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. I’ve traveled to many places but always seem to be drawn back to the mountains. I graduated with a business degree, worked for Mercy College, and now spend most days dedicated to my family and my characters. I’ve pursued many career paths such as travel agent, yoga teacher and insurance salesperson. I’ve wanted to be an airline pilot, a dancer, an archaeologist, and a vineyard owner. I have been all of the above through romance novels, and intend to explore many more.

One of my turning points in my career was when I joined Romance Writers of America and met the wonderful people in my local chapter, The Hudson Valley RWA. Through supportive critique sessions, I learned how to develop my raw skills to get a publishable manuscript. I discovered my tendency for wordy prologues and passive phrases that all new writers work through, and now try to help others on their journey.

My “leisure time” is spent writing, reading, and raising two active boys. I believe animals are the other children in this world, and enjoy spending time at the local animal shelter, where I got my first “baby” Bella, a shepherd hound mix who gets into as much trouble as my son! I rescued my second dog from an abusive home, a beagle, basset hound who is the peacemaker in the household.

I met the love of my life when I had finally given up on my own romantic journey. The first time he asked me out he promised to buy my book if he could buy me dinner. We had dinner and fell in love over sushi and haven’t been apart since. We married and settled into domestic bliss. That’s when I learned it wasn’t about happy endings. It was about happy beginnings.

Visit her website

Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jenniferprobst

Subscribe to her newsletter!

Guest post & Giveaway with Mia March author of Finding Colin Firth

I am so lucky to have author Mia March on the blog today with a great guest post on her favorite Colin Firth film!

Her recently released novel, Finding Colin Firth, is a heartwarming tale about three gals, a monumental summer and Colin Firth…of course!

Also, along with Mia’s guest post, I have a paperback copy of Finding Colin Firth to give away to one lucky winner.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and enjoy!

My Favorite Colin Firth film by Mia March

First, did you know that Colin Firth, British Oscar-winning actor and my personal heartthrob since 1995, has appeared in over seventy films between TV movies and film? Since I discovered him on my TV screen as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, I’ve seen so many of his films, marveling over his talent (and swooning over him in general). From Valmont to The King’s Speech, from Mamma Mia to Then She Found Me, from Shakespeare in Love to Fever Pitch, Colin Firth has played a wide range of roles—funny, heartbreaking, moving, adorable, and everything in between.

But my favorite Colin Firth film has always been Bridget Jones Diary. Case in point: take a look at that photo, with Colin in the reindeer jumper at a Christmas party. That photo alone makes me so happy! This is when he, as Mark Darcy, first meets Bridget, and he’s none too nice to her, but he’s snooty in a way that we understand, and that’s Colin Firth’s gift. Even when he’s being snobby, he’s so trustworthy and honest and full of integrity that you enjoy him and feel stung for Bridget and can’t wait to see how their relationship will progress—or not. “I like you. Very much. Just as you are.” Colin Firth, as Mark Darcy, utters these words to bumbling, insecure, wonderful Bridget, and if I thought I couldn’t love him any more than I already did, I fell even deeper into Colin Firth fever.

If you haven’t seen Bridget Jones’ Diary, you are in for a delicious treat! The three main characters in my new novel, FINDING COLIN FIRTH, each wants to find him for a very different reason, but that wanting is something I (and many women) identify with very much. Rumor has it that the actor is coming to a small Maine town to film scenes from his new movie, and 22 year old Bea, nervously connecting with her birth mother; 38 year old Veronica, baker of healing pies and an extra on the film, and 29 year old married journalist Gemma with a big secret, each have ties to the actor that bring them together. If you have a chance to read the novel, I hope you enjoy it!

Book links:

Barnes & Noble ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Synopsis:

After losing her job and leaving her beloved husband, journalist Gemma Hendricks is sure that scoring an interview with Colin Firth will save her career and marriage. Yet a heart-tugging local story about women, family ties, love, and loss captures her heart— and changes everything. The story concerns Bea Crane, a floundering twenty-two-year-old who learns in a deathbed confession letter that she was adopted at birth. Bea is in Boothbay Harbor to surreptitiously observe her biological mother, Veronica Russo—something of a legend in town—who Bea might not be ready to meet after all. Veronica, a thirty-eight-year-old diner waitress famous for her “healing” pies, has come home to Maine to face her past. But when she’s hired as an extra on the bustling movie set, she wonders if she is hiding from the truth . . . and perhaps the opportunity of a real-life Mr. Darcy.

These three women will discover more than they ever imagined in this coastal Maine town, buzzing with hopes of Colin Firth. Even the conjecture of his arrival inspires daydreams, amplifies complicated lives, and gives incentive to find their own romantic endings

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About the author: (from Mia’s website)

A little bit about me: I’m the single mother of a wonderful kiddo in elementary school. We live in a small town on the coast of Maine, about an hour and a half south of Boothbay Harbor, the setting of FINDING COLIN FIRTH and THE MERYL STREEP MOVIE CLUB (June 2012, Simon & Schuster). Walking distance from our house is a wonderful little independent bookstore, a smoothie shop, a good restaurant, our town library, the weekly farmer’s market, and a great coffee place where I like to write and read. In other words, everything I need.

Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Guest Post & Giveaway with Eleri Stone author of Witch Bound

I am so happy to have Eleri Stone, author of Witch Bound, here today with a fun and interesting guest post. She has also offered to give away an eCopy of either Witch Bound or Demon Crossing (1st book in the series)…just enter in the rafflecopter below.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Eleri’s guest post:

I’m a little bit obsessed with the new Vikings show on the History Channel. And why not? Big strapping men. Fierce women. Political intrigue. Exploration. Discovery. Conquest. The tagline for the Twilight of the Gods series is “Modern-day Vikings in the American Midwest.” So I thought I’d tell you how my Vikings match up against the Vikings on the TV show.

1. My Vikings are contemporary. While Vikings, the TV series, is set about 800 CE in Scandinavia, my Vikings could be your neighbors. Well, they could be your neighbors if they didn’t live in an isolated and close-knit farming community that’s unwelcoming to strangers. But they could live the next town over and you’d never know it.

2. My Vikings are Norse demigods. The premise of the series is that Ragnarök, the Norse apocalypse, happened centuries ago, destroying Asgard. Some of the Æsir (Norse gods) managed to escape and settle in spots on earth where the wall between worlds is the thinnest. Because the source of their magic is their devastated home-world, their power is greatly diminished. Add to that the fact that few of them are full-blooded Æsir and you have a group of people who don’t possess the legendary powers of their ancestors but who aren’t quite human either.

3. My Vikings aren’t invading new lands. They’re trying to defend this one. When the wall between worlds thins at new moon and full, the demons who destroyed Asgard are able to break through to earth and the Æsir descendants have to hunt them down and kill them.

4. My Vikings travel by magic, not by longship. (Although longships are very cool and if I could figure out a way to work one in, I’d probably do it.) The Æsir came to earth on the bridge Asbrú which still connects earth to Asgard. They’re able to cross to Asgard and also to make short portal jumps between places on earth.

5. My Vikings could kick TV Viking ass. They carry magically spelled Skimstrok blades designed to fight demons. They’re trained warriors, witches and shapeshifters descended directly from the gods. How could they not win that fight?

But as powerful as they are, they’re really just trying to survive in a world that’s not their home. They can’t let the human population know they exist. They can’t run away from their responsibilities and their connection with the magic of their homeworld without losing their sanity.

Here’s what the new book, WITCH BOUND, is all about:

Raquel Lindgren knows what her future holds. An arranged marriage. A new home in Ragnarok, Iowa, with another clan of refugees from Asgard. She should be happy. But there’s a mental block preventing her from tapping in to her true abilities as a witch. And she’s more attracted to the best man than she is to the groom…

Fen can’t believe he’s falling for his best friend’s future wife. As a hound, a wolf shifter, his duty lies with the pack. He’s seen too many hounds destroyed by love, and he’s sworn never to take a mate, never to have children of his own. He can’t deny his desire for Raquel, but she deserves more than he can offer her.

Raquel’s been raised to trust in magic, her clan and her destiny. But when a vengeful demon threatens to break out of Asgard and destroy the clan, Raquel learns she must trust in love if she is to take the future into her own hands.

Are you a fan of Vikings or Norse mythology? Willing to give it a try?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Eleri Stone was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from the University of Iowa, married her college sweetheart, and settled in the Midwest where she still lives with her husband and their three children. A lifelong fan of fantasy, she started reading romance as an adult and was instantly captivated by the strong female protagonists, character-driven storylines and guarantee of a happy-ever-after. Writing fantasy and paranormal romance, she is the author of the Lost City Shifters series (shapeshifter paranormal romance), the Twilight of the Gods series (paranormal romance based on Norse mythology) and the Spellcraft series (secondary-world fantasy romance).

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Cover Reveal…Forever Freed by Laura Kaye

I am so pleased to be able to bring you the new cover for Laura Kaye’s FOREVER FREED! Along with the cover, you can enjoy an excerpt and the trading card photos for the main characters…how fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to add FOREVR FREED to your reading list…enjoy!

Book Links:

Amazon Kindle ~ Amazon paperback ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo

Synopsis:

A heart can break, even one that no longer beats.

I stalk my new neighbors, a single mother and her child, drawn by the irresistible scent of their joy and love. I crave their blood, starved for some healing respite from my ancient guilt and grief. Now to lure them into my grasp.

But they surprise me. Little Olivia accepts me without fear–talking, smiling, offering innocent affection that tugs at my long-lost humanity. Her mother, Samantha, seeks me out when she should stay away, offering sweet friendship, and tempting the forgotten man within me. They lure me instead.

Ah, Dio, Lucien, run and spare them while you can…

NJRW GOLDEN LEAF WINNER FOR BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE OF 2011
NJRW GOLDEN LEAF FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST BOOK OF 2011

GDRWA BOOKSELLERS’ BEST CONTEST FINALIST FOR BEST PARANORMAL 2012
GDRWA BOOKSELLERS’ BEST CONTEST FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST BOOK OF 2012

Excerpt:

The bedroom door had barely clicked behind me when Samantha grabbed and shoved me toward the bed. I fell backward, and she was on top of me, clawing at my clothes and ripping off her own. Whatever had been going on with her all day was now clearly finding a release.

“Sam?”

She kissed me roughly and shoved her tongue into my mouth. I groaned and pushed her back.

Though we french kissed all the time, I generally kept her out of my mouth.

“Sam?”

Finally, she stilled. With her hands braced on my shoulders, her eyes burned down into mine. Her anger squeezed my chest. Her voice was strained. “Lucien, we’ll talk later. I promise. But right now I want you, and I need you. And I need you to know it, feel it.” Her words clarified little, but I nodded.

She unleashed herself on me, kissing and licking and roughly nipping at my upper body all while

maintaining eye contact. I thrust my hips into her when she lingered over my Blood Mark. I finally had to grab her hair and tug her attention away from it.

With a groan, she reached a hand down between her legs and worked herself as she devoured me. When I realized what she was doing, I moaned and gripped her shoulders and rolled on top of her.

I grabbed her hand and pulled it to my mouth, then noisily sucked on her wet fingers. I groaned at the sweet nectar of her arousal.

“You see what you do to me, Lucien? What only you do to me?” she rasped. “Take me, Lucien. I’m yours,” she offered as she planted her feet flat on the mattress and pushed herself up forcefully against my erection.

Her aggression spurred mine, and I grunted. “You want me?” I asked as I ground myself against

her wetness. She ran a hand over the bedspread and found the packet she’d apparently laid out earlier. She slid herself against me as she opened it and then rolled on the condom. “God, yes,” she whimpered.

I plunged forward and filled her in one hard stroke. She screamed and wrapped herself around

me. Hard breaths and grunts and strained curses in two languages filled the room as we battled through Samantha’s emotions with our bodies. She kissed me roughly and dug her nails into my flesh. The physical pain mingled with her radiating pleasure to coax what I was sure was going to be one of the most intense orgasms I’d ever experienced.

She came in a frenzy of screams and muscle contractions. And then bit against the taut skin at

the base of my neck. Hard.

My fangs and release shot out at the same time. I growled and in a blur turned my head in search of my biceps. I missed the tender skin of her shoulder by a hair as the urge to bite down became irresistible.

Finally, I willed my fangs to retract and licked at the wound I’d made on my arm, then slid down a little and laid my head on her heaving breasts.

“I love you,” I whispered breathlessly.

She hugged my shoulders and combed her fingers through my hair. “I love you, too.” We lay together, panting, for a long time. “Lucien?” I lifted my head off her chest to look at her. “I’m ready to talk now.”

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. 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.

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Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer…..Selene’s Review of Rode Hard, Put Up Wet by Lorelei James

Read-Love-Blog’s Cowboy Summer continues with Selene’s review of Rode Hard, Put Up Wet by Lorelei James

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Synopsis:

…Workin’ up a hot, sticky sweat is pure pleasure with a hard-ridin’ cowboy…or two.

Struggling stock contractor Gemma Jansen swallows her pride and tracks down circuit rider Cash Big Crow to offer him a job managing her ranch. Cash agrees on one condition: theirs won’t be strictly a working relationship. She’s the boss during the day, but once she’s corralled in the bedroom, Cash calls the shots. Despite concerns about their age difference, Gemma consents.

Cash suspects the sexy widow hides an untapped wild streak. He intends to loosen her tightly held reins of control—even if he has to break out his horsewhip to do it.

But Cash is in for a surprise. Gemma proves a rough and ready participant in any leather-n-lace game Cash dreams up.

Between riding herd on his wayward daughter, Macie, and rowdy cowboy Carter McKay doggin’ Macie’s every boot step, Cash struggles to hide his true feelings for Gemma except this time, Gemma’s grabbed the bull by the horns and she’s playing for keeps.

Summer’s going to be a hot one at the Bar 9.

Selene’s Review:

The great thing about two love stories is…you never get bored!

Gemma Jansen and Cash Big Crow were introduced in the first installment of the Rough Riders series and I’m so happy James wrote their story next. Gemma, roughly ten years older than smolderingly sexy Cash Big Crow, is a widow in her 40s and was not ready, until now, to close that chapter in her book. She hires on Cash in hopes that she can become a successful stock contractor again in the rodeo business, he can help her in maintaining her homestead Bar 9, and also in hopes she can see how good a rider he really is.

Cash Big Crow is a veteran bull rider and after his friend Colby McKay’s accident a year prior, he’s ready to hang his cowboy hat with rodeoin’. Good for him and better for his new boss because this sexy man with his dark good looks and silver tongue has more time for seducing the woman he’s wanted for years – former rodeo queen Gemma Jansen. But this isn’t the only opportunity he has to make it right with a woman; Cash’s daughter, Macie Honeycutt, is in town and each want a chance to repair their estranged relationship.

Macie, a very sweet and headstrong young woman, was a product of a romance between her mother and Cash Big Crow when Cash was only sixteen. His rodeo career made it near impossible for the two to have any kind of bond which is why she is staying in her dad’s trailer while he… gets things done with Gemma. The physical connection between her father and his boss isn’t the only thing that shocks Macie – passionate and incredibly handsome Carter McKay, Gemma’s hired help, decides he wants Macie and that he’ll have her.

Carter McKay, a young artist and the youngest brother of Colby McKay from Long Hard Ride, has been helping out Gemma on the ranch as well as catching up on his artwork. He’s been having strange dreams about a dark long-haired muse and when he first meets Macie, he realizes she is the one he’s been dreaming about – and he has to paint her, seduce her, and make her his. And boy does he ever!

The great thing about this book was we got to see so many different relationships and opposing sides of the protagonists. Gemma was a great business woman, but she liked being bossed around in the bedroom. Cash was not in the least bit timid to do everything he ever dreamed of with Gemma, but he still remained insecure about his looks while they were together. Macie was decisive and direct, but when faced with a fight or flight situation, she still had a tendency to run. And Carter complemented his egotistical side with his much warmer sweet side… and much hotter sexy one.

My absolute favorite moments were when Cash and Carter did everything in their power to set up a fiery threesome for their ladies – something they thought that they each wanted. The actual playing out of the threesome with Gemma, Cash, and Trevor was boiling hot but the conversation between the couple after was so much better. And Carter’s best friend Jack Donohue showing up was a shock to both him and Macie as Carter asked him to fulfill her fantasy of being with two men. The way that whole situation worked itself out was also sweet and full of revelations. A great read!

Overall, this was a very well written book and definitely something that will have a reader thinking up some new fantasies!!!

*All books in series were bought by the reviewer through Amazon.

Four Loves

From author website:

Review…Witch Bound by Eleri Stone

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Synopsis:

My Review:

This is the second book in Eleri Stone’s Twilight of the Gods Series and for me, was a fresh look at paranormal and I truly enjoyed it!

Nervous and excited, Raquel Lindgren steps through a portal to meet the man she is betrothed to and to meet the new clan she will eventually be the head witch for. Only there’s a few problems….one major one being she hasn’t exactly come into her full powers yet. The powers are there, just simmering beyond the surface and she needs to figure out how to reach into herself and grasp them. Of course, this has to happen at the same time as demons have been attacking through the portal between the worlds she is supposed to help strengthen. Another problem? Her sudden and intense attraction to Fen, the best man and best friend of the groom. What’s a young witch to do when the weight of the clan is on her shoulders and she has a terrible suspicion that she is marrying the wrong man?

For the last 28 years, Fen has come to grips with his decision to remain and unbounded hound…sadly, that means he will forever remain a virgin. You see, once a hound has sex, he’s bonded to that person forever. The down side to that? Something he’s seen time and time again. The partner the hound bonds to decided she no longer wants to be a part of it. Fen has decided that ignoring his desires will always be easier than having a mate who changes her mind….he’d been ok with that…yep, until he laid his eyes on Raquel. He knows there’s no way he can ignore what he feels for her…too bad she’s going to marry his best friend.

Raquel and Fen not only have to deal with their feelings toward each other, they have to deal with attacks from demons from another realm, Raquel’s issue with her powers, battles, injuries and turmoil within the clan. Will it prove to be too much?

This was a fantastic story. I loved the Norse mythology spin on paranormal and thought it was a fresh take on things. I truly appreciated reading legends that are something new and different! Raquel is a great heroine. She realizes her faults and is willing to do what it takes to fix them and become the woman and witch the people need, even if it means putting her own comfort and security aside. She knows to trust her instincts and is strong and loyal. Very admirable qualities. Fen is one of those deliciously dark and distant heroes that had me pining for him from the beginning. What Eleri did with the triangle between Raquel, Fen and Christian (the man she is supposed to marry) was nail-biting perfection. I felt for both Christian and Fen and for quite some time, couldn’t decide who I wanted Raquel to choose. That, to me, is the sign of great writing. Getting the reader to feel for all sides is a talent. Ultimately, I was Team Fen and was drooling over him! Of course, I won’t spoil it for you but I will say the last chapter was freaking AMAZING! A deliciously perfect ending!

I’m sure we will get to see more of Fen, Raquel, Christian and the whole clan because Eleri has hinted at more drama to come for the clan and our favorite members. Thank you, Ms. Stone, for a fresh and exciting read! I will be looking forward for more in the Twilight of the Gods Series!

Four Loves

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Review….Second Chances by Jennifer L. Place

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Synopsis:

Eight years ago, Eva Sterling left Walnut Hill without a backward glance, her heart and pride shattered. Until recently, she had been living the life she always wanted with her husband Matt, when tragedy struck and turned her world upside down once again. Her hometown has never given her what she needed and has always been more draining than sustaining. Now she must return home to the life…the family…everything upon which she once turned her back and hope the place from whence she came has what she needs to heal. Jesse Hawthorne instigated Eva’s departure. He was utterly responsible for breaking her heart more times than he could count and has carried with him the knowledge and burden that caused her to run away. With her arrival back in his life, he is determined to be the man he always knew she deserved. Second Chances asks its characters and its reader’s one question, “Is it possible to build a future on a foundation of regret?”

My Review:

Second Chance by Jennifer L. Place is a story, quite simply, about second chances and all of the things that come with that… forgiveness, acceptance, trust and courage just to name a few.

Eva Sterling is at a crossroads in her life. The recently widowed wife of a police officer killed in the line of duty, she faces the unyielding question of “what now?”. Ultimately deciding to move back to her hometown, with the family and friends she had left behind years ago, she now must face all the memories she had been blissfully ignoring…memories of heartbreak and a lost love that she had never been able to get over.

Fresh from signing the divorce papers, and happily kissing his failed marriage goodbye, Jesse Hawthorne is ready to move on. Now, with the prospect of working on a new project for the construction company he manages, things are looking up. That is, until he realizes the new project he’s heading is for Eva Sterling….the girl he lost years ago and the girl he is still desperately in love with.

Eva and Jesse have both been through hell in their personal lives since the incident that ruined their relationship. Broken trust and shattered dreams aren’t something easily forgotten or easily regained. But, having gone their separate ways they now find themselves once again back in each other’s lives. Have they each earned a second chance at the happiness and love they let slip away all that time ago?

This was a heartwarming story that takes the readers through all of the emotions the characters are experiencing. It went from the sadness Eva is feeling from the death of her husband; to the remorse Jesse has for breaking Eva’s heart. But, also there were some great happy moments spent with Eva and her girlfriends and her family. I enjoyed Eva’s journey and watching as she decided to grab the second chance at life she has been given by moving back to her hometown and with her family and friends. I thought the last few pages with her and Jesse were really well done and ended the book on a great note.

Thank you, Jennifer, for an enjoyable read!

Three-and-a-Half Loves

About the author:

I have been writing for as long as I can remember – little snippets here, short stories there, awful teenage poetry, novels. Some people write out of enjoyment and some write out of necessity. I am a bit of both.

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In Stone Blog Tour…..Guest Post with Louise D. Gornall

Thanks for joining us for the In Stone Blog Tour!

Today, I am lucky have Louise on the blog with a super fun guest post about writing a kissing scene and the embarrassment that came with it!

There is also a tour-wide giveaway happening with some really fun things Louise is giving away. Be sure to enter to win in the rafflecopter below.

Louise’s guest post:

That time I wrote a kissing scene and the embarrassment almost killed me…

I have this friend — she’s not one of those fictional friends that’s really me. She actually exists, I swear — anyway, she doesn’t like writing the love stuff because it makes her feel uncomfortable and this one time she asked me how I managed it. Truth is, it took practice.

I LOVE love, and I love kissing, but in real time that’s an intimate moment between two people, right? Transferring those few seconds on to paper for the world and his wife to read is a brand new ball game. In the very first draft of my book there was no kissing at all because the idea made my insides curl. But the first piece of feedback I ever got from a CP amounted to ‘Erm…why is there no lip locking in this story?’ Her disappointment was palpable and I could totally get on board with that because every book I read has a romantic element in it. I feel cheated when no one is kissing, and honestly, I do like to know how a dude kisses before I can officially add him to my book boyfriend collection. So you guys might be thinking well in that case it doesn’t make sense not to have kissing in your story, all I can tell you is reading kissing & writing kissing are two different things entirely. It’s the difference between butchering Celine Dion in your bedroom mirror and standing on stage doing it on a karaoke.

Instead of fessing up to how awkward writing kissing made feel I gave it some serious thought and decided to give it another shot.

So, there’s me, pacing up and down my bedroom, devouring everything ever written by Simone Elkeles and Jennifer Echols as my computer gives me the stinkeye from a darkened corner. When I’m done freaking out I start tapping away, writing phrases like twisting tongues and frenzied lips. Obviously I’m thinking readers are going to judge the way I kiss based on how I make my characters kiss. And then, when that thought is done turning my cheeks pink, red, scarlet, I’m thinking I hope my dear, sweet, grey-haired old Grandma doesn’t ever read this and think I was french kissing boys at sixteen. I mean, I was, but that’s besides the point. There are some things you never want your gran — who still references the tooth fairy and insists on cutting the crusts off your sandwiches — to know, you know?

The time came to submit my story to my CP and all I could think about was her reading that kiss. I’d convinced myself that my feedback was going to focus on the saliva swapping moment …so I was kind of confused when I got my feedback and the kiss wasn’t even mentioned. I was disappointed. Yep. When I asked her about it there was a definite *shrug* tone to her email, which fitted the I-don’t-know-what-you-were-worried-about feedback that followed. Turns out people weren’t thinking what I thought they were.

Writing first kisses has fast become one of my favorite things about YA. In fact, I spend more time writing and perfecting first time kissing scenes than I do writing anything else. As with everything practice makes perfect, and you know, there are worse things in writing to work on.

~Thanks so much for stopping by, Louise! xo Jillian

Book Links:

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Synopsis:

Beau Bailey is suffering from a post-break-up meltdown when she happens across a knife in her local park and takes it home. Less than a week later, the new boy in school has her trapped in an alley; he’s sprouted horns and is going to kill Beau unless she hands over the knife.

Until Eighteenth-century gargoyle, Jack, shows up to save her.

Jack has woken from a century-long slumber to tell Beau that she’s unwittingly been drafted into a power struggle between two immortal races: Demons and Gargoyles. The knife is the only one in existence capable of killing immortals and they’ll tear the world apart to get it back. To draw the warring immortals away from her home, Beau goes with Jack in search of the mind-bending realm known as the Underworld, a place where they’ll hopefully be able to destroy the knife and prevent all hell from breaking loose. That is, provided they can outrun the demons chasing them.
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About the author:

Louise is a graduate of Garstang Community Academy. She is currently studying for a BA (Hons) in English language and literature with special emphasis on creative writing. YA aficionado. Brit bird. Film nerd. Identical twin. Junk food enthusiast. Rumored pink Power Ranger. Zombie apocalypse 2012 survivor. She is also an avid collector of book boyfriends.

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