ARC Review….Thrown by Colette Auclair

Thrown releases December 16

Thrown COVER

Book links:

 Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble   ~  Simon & Schuster  ~  iBooks

Synopsis:

THROWN is a lighthearted yet steamy contemporary romance by Golden Heart finalist Colette Auclair, featuring a young woman who must choose between capturing a gold medal and the man who’s captured her heart.

In THROWN, professional trainer Amanda Vogel dreams of riding jumpers in the Olympics, but after seeing her best friend die in a riding accident, she’s so traumatized she can’t show. Broke and desperate, she takes a summer job in Aspen teaching some big-shot widowed movie star’s spoiled daughters to ride—even though she hates teaching kids. She braces herself for three miserable months. But by Labor Day, she has to choose between capturing a gold medal…and the man who has captured her heart.

THROWN was a 2012 Golden Heart finalist in the single-title contemporary romance category. It also won the 2011 Winter Rose Contest (Yellow Rose Romance Writers) and finaled in the 2011 Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest (North East Ohio Romance Writers Association)

 

My review:

Thrown is the first work from debut author Colette Auclair and was truly enjoyable from start to finish.

Trying to pick up the pieces after seeing her best friend killed in a riding accident, Amanda Vogel finds herself the personal trainer to one of the biggest movies stars in Hollywood’s two little girls.  More like two little spawns of Satan, if she’s being honest.  Seems like Amanda really can’t catch a break.  She’s had to sell her beloved horse, she lost her best friend, can’t even think about jumping anymore without going into a panic attack and now she has to train these little brats.  There was one up side though…getting to see the girls’ gorgeous movie star father, Grady.  A girl could get used to seeing his sexy self every day.  Grady’s personal assistant already warned Amanda that she was to keep things professional and that trying to get into Grady’s bed was not part of her job.  Well, Amanda didn’t have time for a relationship anyway, so no worries there.  Plus, the last break up still stung.  Looks like the only thing left to do was focus on her work, get these girls trained and hopefully move on once the summer and this job was over.  Except fate seems to have a different plan in store for Amanda and this job may be exactly what she needs to put the bad memories behind and find a chance at life, and love, once again.

Thrown is one of those books that leaves you feeling happy and smiling from ear to ear when you finish reading.  Amanda’s story was pretty damn sad when we first meet her.  Her dreams of being an Olympic jumper and all but crushed when her best friend dies tragically and the accident Amanda emotionally scarred and unable to jump.  But she’s got a strong will and is trying her very best to pick up the pieces and move on.  I truly admired her strength…which she sure needed in dealing with Grady’s two little girls.  Ugh, those two were rotten in the beginning of the book!  Amanda had her work cut out for her, but she managed to build an amazing relationship with those two little girls who were in need of a mother figure in their lives. Speaking of relationships, what Amanda and Grady build throughout the story is one of those “dreamy sigh” kinds of relationships.  The attraction between them was there from the start and builds slowly and beautifully.  There were more than a few starts and stops and a lot of emotional ups and downs between them and I really wasn’t sure of they could get past all of it and make things work between them, but it ended exactly how I wanted it to.  Oh, and Grady’s best friend and house chef, Harris, is someone I want to hang out with!  He is quite a character and the voice of reason on more than one occasion for both Amanda and Grady.  Love that man!

Overall, Thrown is a beautifully written love story with a whole lot of heart.  I will be looking forward to see what comes in the next book, Jumped, due out in June.  Thank you, Ms. Auclair, for a fabulous read!

 

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

I write lighthearted, sexy romances that often include horses and a Portuguese water dog or two. My debut novel, Thrown, will be available as an e-book in Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Star line  on December 16th (you can order it now). Stay tuned for the next book in the series, Jumped, in June 2014.

My agent is the lovely and talented Emily Sylvan Kim of Prospect Agency.

I live in Colorado and—not surprisingly—have a Thoroughbred mare and a Portuguese water dog. Both are smart, sweet and gorgeous. I’m originally from Pittsburgh and am still fiercely loyal to all of its pro sports teams. I studied theatre and advertising at Northwestern University (go Cats!) and have been a copywriter for more than twenty years. If you ever meet me, beware—anything you do or say could end up in a book and I make no apologies.

Personal Interests: Horses are right up there, as well as dogs, food (cooking and eating), wine, chocolate, gardening, Mad Men, hiking, Italy, gazing at the Rocky Mountains, reading, and making my husband laugh hard enough to cause whatever he’s drinking to exit through his nose.

If you want to talk books, writing, horses, food, wine or just about anything else, email me at colettea@gmail.com.

 

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst….ARC Review & Giveaway

Happy release day to Jennifer Probst and Searching for Someday!

In honor of this fabulous release, and along with my FIVE LOVES review, I have two paperback copies to give away.  Enter to win in the rafflecopter below (U.S. & Canada entries only, please)

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by! 

Searching for Someday COVER

Book links:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Kobo  ~  iBooks

Synopsis:

Kate has given up on love—at least for herself. She is both blessed and cursed with the ability to sense a romantic connection between two people—a gift that her family passed down for generations. When Kate launches her own matchmaking company, Kinnection, with her two best friends in a cozy New York town, she has to put aside her own romantic disasters to make her business a success.

But when a furious man stalks into her office and accuses her business of being a scam, Kate is given the ultimate challenge to prove herself. Slade puts himself in her hands and asks Kate to find him love. Enraged at his arrogance but stubbornly eager to prove herself, Kate agrees, dedicating herself to the journey of finding him love…only to find herself falling for him along the way.

 

My review:

Searching for Someday is the first in a new series from author Jennifer Probst.  As a big fan of Jennifer and her writing, I was so excited for this book and let me tell you….Jennifer has done it again.  This book was incredible!

Her one-hundredth date in the books, and still no love connection for Kate.  If that wasn’t a sign that she wouldn’t find love, she didn’t know what was.  Deciding to put her own search for love on hold, Kate has vowed to put all of her efforts into finding it for others in the matchmaking business she formed with her two best friends.  Yep, she would use the magical gift the runs in her family to find other people’s soul mates.  Kate has dealt with her shares of hurdles in life and being struck with adversity is nothing new for her.  Neither was overcoming those obstacles and ultimately succeeding.  Now a woman on a mission, she is surprised when the older brother of a new client storms into her office and accuses her matchmaking skills as nothing but fraud.  Kate is even more determined to make love happen….and this pissed off, arrogant divorce attorney big brother would be her greatest challenge yet.  It would take a miracle, and perhaps a bit of magic, to get this cynic to believe in a happy ever after and lucky for him she just happened to be up for the challenge.  What Kate isn’t up for is the overwhelming zing of her ability to recognize soul mates when she touches him.  Surely fate wouldn’t be this twisted, or would it?

Slade Montgomery has seen lots of heart break walk though the doors of his firm and as a divorce attorney, he’s learned that the elusive “happily ever after” truly does not exist.  When his younger sister tells him she wants to be out on her own after a breakup that nearly broke her apart, he is happy to see she’s ready to live again.  What he isn’t happy about is when she tells him she’s signed up with a matchmaking firm.  Could there be a bigger scam?  Determined to protect his sister, he pays Kinnections a visit and attempts to show these so-called matchmakers a thing or two when he himself signs up for their services.  No one could sell him on this fairytale….well, except maybe the beautiful blond he has been verbally sparring with since he walked through the door.

Kate and Slade couldn’t be more opposite but you know what they say about opposites attracting, right?

Talk about a match made in, um, yeah…not exactly heaven.  A matchmaker with ideas of true love and happy endings pairing up with a divorce attorney?  Freaking brilliant.   The push and pull between Kate and Slade was scrumptious from the start and only got better from there.  Kate is smart, sassy, romantic and real.  She’s loyal and loving and it made me so sad that she had decided to give up on finding love for her own.  I mean I get why she gave up and I understood where she was coming from, which made it even sadder.  I couldn’t blame her one bit.  Enter Slade.  The arrogant, successful, sexy alpha male attorney.  He was dead set in his belief on the non-existing fairy tale of true love and as with Kate, I couldn’t blame him for feeling the way he did.  Both of them had some seriously strong arguments for their cases.  The banter back and forth between them made for some amazing chemistry and for some seriously hot scenes.  That leads me to the ending and how much I loved it.  Jennifer writes these ending that read like those movie scenes in your favorite romance flick.  I mean, I have never read one of her endings that didn’t have me laughing and crying like a bumbling fool and this was no exception!

Oh, and the rest of the characters? Amazing.  Kate’s best friends and business partners are a fabulous group and support system.  I loved reading both of them.  Slade’s sister is also a character that I would love to see more of.  Of, course I have to mention catching up with some of the favorites from the Marriage to a Billionaire Series! Nick, Alexa, Michael, Maggie, Max, Carina and a few more all popped in and it was great to see them.  But my fave supporting character was Robert, Kate’s dog.  He’s one in a million and the epilogue from his point of view was truly special.

If you’re a fan of love and romance, pick up this book.  If you’re a fan of Jennifer, pick up this book.  If you love a true blue great read, pick up this book!  Thank you, Jennifer, for Searching for Someday and for a fantastic kick off to your new series!

 

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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 Jennifer-Probst-1-Crop-258x300was 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!

Hard as it Gets by Laura Kaye….ARC Review & Release Day fun

Happy Release Day to Laura Kaye and HARD AS IT GETS! 

Please  enjoy my review, a fun Q&A with Laura and the fab book trailer!

Thanks for stopping by!

HardAsItGets mm c

Book links:

amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Kobo  ~  iBooks  ~  Goodreads 

Synopsis:

Tall, dark, and lethal…

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey’s tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome — pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He’s left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander’s daughter. Loyalty won’t let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn’t expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge…

 

My review:

Hard As It Gets is the debut novel in a new series, Hard Ink, from Laura Kaye and oh my, what a mouth watering first course!

Being an ER nurse, Becca Merritt is used to dealing with chaotic circumstances and loss of life in her line of work.  Unfortunately loss and chaotic circumstances have worked their way into her personal life as well.  Becca had lost her mother and older brother years ago and most recently her Army Colonel father.  He was killed along with half of his unit in Afghanistan.  Now, the only family she has left, her younger computer wiz brother, is missing.  The only glimmer of hope in a dismal situation she’d been trying to deal with is the note she’d found telling her to get in touch with her father’s former second in commend, Nick Rixey. Becca has had no luck with the police and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere else to turn to for help. Her last piece of faith depends on a total stranger helping her get her brother back and lands her at the Hard Ink tattoo shop, staring back at the very unwelcoming face of Nick Rixey.  Will she be able to appeal to his sense of honor and loyalty to her father to gain his help? God, she really hoped so….or she’d lose the last family she had left.

To say that Nick Rixey was shocked to see the daughter of the man who betrayed him and his brothers in arms standing in his tattoo shop would be a gross understatement.  One year later, and he was still trying to come to terms with the disloyalty of his Commanding Officer that had gotten half of his unit killed and the remaining men dishonorably discharged from the Army.  The very last thing that will help him pick up the pieces of his old life and try to build a new one would be to help Becca Merritt.  The wounds her father cut were entirely too deep and too raw.  What would he care if Becca’s brother was missing and why in the hell would anyone have sent her here knowing damn well that he is the last person who would be willing to help? So why was it so hard to turn her away and why was he still thinking of her all those hours later after telling her to pound sand? Curiosity, and a pull toward Becca, has him suiting up to do a little surveillance on Becca and ends up throwing him into the middle of a mystery involving the biggest gang in the city and digging up the past. Now, Nick has to call on the remaining brothers in his unit for help and at a chance to right the wrongs Colonel Merritt caused in Afghanistan a year ago.

With so much at stake and with so many secrets being unearthed at such a breakneck speed, the only thing Becca and Nick have to hold onto is each other.  Will something true and good come from such a dark and ugly situation?

I was SO looking forward to reading this after seeing the cover and reading the summary.  Tattoos, military hunks and mystery…oh my! This kickoff to the Hard Ink series is a stellar one. Becca is an admirable book heroine in every way.  She’s honest with her feelings and not once did she handle a situation in a way that annoyed me. Come on, you know a lot of book women get on your nerves with how long they drag things out and you’ve yelled at your e-reader telling her to just “SAY IT ALREADY!”…well, not with Becca.  She’s strong and real and just gets it. She knows life is too short to not say all the things you mean or to give everything your best shot.  She’s well rounded and also admits her fears and doubts and doesn’t sugar coat things.  She was refreshing to read.  Nick is a lost soul.  His work with the Special Forces was the only thing he has done where he felt like he was home.  Now, he’s trying to figure out a new home and it killed me to hear how lost he felt.  He’s loyal and trustworthy and also learns quickly how to be real with his feelings.  There was no yelling at him, either! Together, they work so well at balancing each other out. The sexual tension between them is delicious and really well done, too.

The introduction we get to the members of Nick’s old unit has me so flipping excited for the rest of the series! These guys are a cast of characters filled with guys who each have their own cross to bear after what happened in Afghanistan.  I’m sure I will be shedding tears for more than a few of these guys.  Broken heroes, each with a personality and story all their own….sign me up!

The pieces of the mystery we get to uncover while reading are just the very outer edge pieces of the puzzle.  I can assume that with each book, we will find more and more pieces in the pile that will help create the puzzle as a whole.  Hard As It Gets gave us just enough to start and it has me going over all the possible scenarios in my head.  Laura nailed the suspense aspect for sure!

Overall, this book has everything I love….and kept me busy searching for pictures of yummy tattooed guys for an evening or two.  If you love a suspense filled with emotion, mystery, lots of heated moments and super sexy tattooed ex-Special Forces soldiers, then by all means, get this book on your to-read list! You won’t be disappointed!

5LovesRLB

Five Loves

Q&A WITH LAURA KAYE

 

HARD AS IT GETS is one steamy read! How did you first get into writing?

Thanks so much! And thanks for having me here! I’ve been a writer all my life. I’m a historian by training, so writing non-fiction was a part of my job for the fifteen years I worked as a college professor. But I started writing fiction in 2008 in kind of an unusual way. I hit my head on July 4, 2008. I didn’t think much of it that day, but soon after I realized I’d really hurt myself, and it turned out I had a minor traumatic brain injury. As I recovered, I was filled with an amazing urge to be creative, so I started taking guitar lessons (still not very good at that!) and wrote my first novel in 12 weeks (fortunately, I’m better at that LOL!). The experience of writing that first book was truly transformative. It was what I was supposed to be doing, so I revised that book until it sold and kept writing new ones. And I haven’t looked back since!

 

Why did you choose to write romance?

I had been an avid reader of paranormal romance for years at that point, so I wrote what I loved. But I also picked romance—unconsciously, I think—because to me it’s an incredibly hopeful genre. Romance stories are inherently stories about people who can’t find love or think they don’t deserve it who overcome the odds and find it in the end. In the years leading up to starting writing, I experienced a number of very hard personal losses, so writing in this genre was one way I worked through those issues.

 

What does “Hard Ink” refer to? What importance do tattoos play in your story?

Hard Ink is the name of the Rixey brothers’ tattoo shop in the Hard Ink series. Nick and Jeremy Rixey are co-owners, though Nick (the hero of book one, Hard As It Gets) prefers to be more of a silent partner, despite Jeremy’s efforts to put Nick’s artistic talents to work. In this series, tattoos are a way people remember, pay penance, or highlight what’s important to them. The act of creating permanent marks on skin has deep meaning to them. And the shop creates a gritty setting where diverse kinds of people meet and interact in the series. I really love it!

 

Describe Becca—what do you love most about her? And Nick?

I’d love to! Because I really loved writing these characters!

Becca Merritt is smart and strong and honest and protective. I really loved the way she was willing to stand up for those she loves, even against people and forces who might be stronger and even a little scary. There’s a scene in particular when she dresses down Nick’s Special Forces teammates after a fist fight where I was particularly cheering for her! LOL

Nick Rixey is, omg, so freaking hot, you guys! He’s brooding and tortured and honorable and when he falls he falls  so hard. I especially loved Nick’s mix of hard, alpha edges with his artistic side. When Nick shows Becca what her idea for a tattoo might look like on her skin, it’s just scorching!

 

What significance does the military play in the book?

Military themes are central to the whole Hard Ink series. The military isn’t just sexy window dressing nor is it just there to provide an intriguing backstory. The prior SF guys are this series are entirely defined by their military experience good and bad. It informs their identity, their sense of honor and duty, their view of the world, and of course gives them the skill set required to fight the battles they face in the series. The overall series mystery the characters are working to solve revolves around a military conspiracy in Afghanistan, so even though they’re out of the Army, the military themes are central.

 

If you could describe your book in a 140 character tweet, what would it be?

In #HardAsItGets, an ex-soldier joins forces w/his dead commander’s daughter to regain his tarnished honor & save her brother from a gang

 

Is there a particular author or book that has influenced your writing?

There are a number of authors that have influenced me, but if I had to pick one it would be J.R. Ward. A lot of what I know about how to write sexy, authentic male point of view comes from reading her books. And I definitely learned the importance of a good bromance to a romance novel from her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, too. Given my ginormous fangirling, you can only imagine how flipping excited I was when this happened:

 

“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”

~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets

 

You guys, I bawled like a baby in the middle of a huge workshop put on by my publisher. For real. LOL

 

What advice would you give aspiring writers looking to get into the publishing industry?

Here’s my advice:

1) Write, write, write. You can’t revise what you haven’t written and you can’t sell what you haven’t written. And the psychological and emotional boost you’ll get from writing “The End” for the first time cannot be overestimated.

2) Revise, revise, revise. That first time you type “The End”? Yeah, you’re nowhere near done. Your book will need to be edited, by you, several times before you ever put it in front of an agent or editor. You get one shot with them, so don’t waste it by not showing them your very best and most polished work.

3) Find critique partners. And your mom, siblings, and best friend do not count (unless you’re really lucky, like me, and your best friend happens t also be a professional author). You need other aspiring writers in your genre who will give you honest but constructive feedback about how to improve your manuscript. Let them catch all the embarrassing goofs and plot holes you thought you caught before it gets to an agent or editor.

4) Want to be a professional, then act it. And by that I mean join the professional organization(s) of the genre in which you write. Through them you will find classes to help hone your craft, critique partner match-ups, networking opportunities, calls for submission, and other opportunities invaluable to breaking into publishing.

5) Don’t give up. You will hear way more no’s than yeses, particularly early in your writing career. Stick with it. Believe in yourself. Give yourself one day to wallow in the rejection and eat a bunch of chocolate and then get right back on the horse. If your first book doesn’t sell, chalk that up to learning and write a second.

 

What can fans of HARD AS IT GETS look forward to next?

I’m currently writing four series: two contemporary (Hard Ink, Heroes) and two paranormal (Hearts of the Anemoi, Vampire Warrior Kings). I’ll have books from all four of those releasing in 2014. My next release is Hard As You Can (Hard Ink #2) coming 2/25/14!

 

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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Asking for Trouble by Tessa Bailey….Blog Tour, ARC Review & AMAZING Giveaway

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Happy Release Day to Tessa and Asking for Trouble!

 Read my FIVE LOVES review below and keep on reading ayer my review for details on one of the most AMAZING giveaways I’ve ever had the pleasure of telling you all about!

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Buy Links for Asking For Trouble

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Synopsis:

Brent Mason and Hayden Winstead can’t stand each other. She plans exclusive parties for her rich family’s charities. He’s a rough and tumble cop who rigs explosives for a living. Could two people be any less suited for conversation? They think not and prefer to keep it that way.

Unfortunately, their two best friends are deeply, disgustingly in love. Forced together, the mutual attraction simmering beneath the surface of Brent and Hayden’s non-relationship grows with every argument until it explodes into a scintillating night of mind-blowing sex. And it wont be the last, as far as Brent’s concerned.

Hayden has a secret, though. Her father’s company is relying on a merger to save them from financial ruin, and only Hayden’s marriage to the CEOs wealthy son can secure the deal. If she’s to protect her family, she’ll have to forget Brent. And he has no intention of being forgotten.

 

My review:

Asking for Trouble is the fourth book in author Tessa Bailey’s Line of Duty Series.  I am a ginormous fan of Tessa and this series and I have loved every book, but Brent and Hayden now reign as my new favorite.  Damn.  This book is just too good.

Hayden Winstead is used to living in the upper class with the finer things life has to offer.  It’s just the way she was brought up, all she’s ever known.  But if she’s being honest with herself, it’s not really who she is.  Yes, it’s nice to not have to worry about money, but in the end, money wasn’t all that important to her.  Her friends, her adoring father, and the charity she worked with, that was what mattered most to her.  It irritated her that Brent, the hot NYPD bomb tech friend in their little group, couldn’t see past that and constantly teased her about her wealth.  He knew it got under her skin when he called her duchess.  Well, two can play that game and she knew just how to dig right back.  Throwing his blue-collar career back in his face pissed him off….and kept their banter going.  Secretly, she loved it.  It’s during one of their verbal sparring matches that she finds herself in way too deep and issuing challenges she was far too tempted to act upon.  Challenges that involved handcuffing this big, muscled, hot as sin cop and having her way with him.  Would she back down?  Would he let her?  She was so screwed…..

Brent Mason loved lots of things.  His family, his buddies, his job, and pushing Hayden’s gold plated, diamond encrusted buttons.  The truth of the matter was, she drove him bat shit crazy with her tight-laced exterior and her haughty attitude towards him.  Tonight though, after their friends all left them, they were alone and he intended to push her hard.  He knew what she needed….she needed him, in her bed.  Hell, if he could dismantle a loaded bomb that had the potential to blow him to smithereens with one wrong touch, surely he could handle a Manhattan socialite….right?

Holy mother of all things holy in holiness.  I devoured this book.  Tessa has outdone herself with these two.  I’m not sure exactly what did it for me because there were just too many amazing things.  Hayden was definitely a bitch in the beginning of this book.  I wasn’t sure I liked her all that much.  I quickly changed my mind.  Once I realized she wasn’t really sure where she belonged in life, I immediately liked her.  She didn’t really love being with the ritzy-pitzy people, and felt stuck.  She hadn’t ever truly known what it was to be like with a real man.  A man who got down and dirty and wasn’t worried about wrinkling his slacks while having a quick make-out session.  Her mother treated her like a child and more than a few times, my heart hurt for Hayden and the ivory tower she was stuck in,  and desperate to break free from.  Brent is just too damn delectable.  Not only is he big and muscled and hotter than hell, he’s got a heart as big as his size 15 work boots.  He takes care of his family, works his ass off and even though he jabs the hell out of Hayden, he truly does see her for more.  The push and pull between them is all-consuming and their foreplay with words is beyond scorching.  There were also some really funny moments between them and it brought that much more to their relationship.  Beyond that though, Hayden and Brent are the unlikely couple that you want nothing more than a happy ending for.  There are many ups and downs as they navigate through social status shortcomings and family issues, but in the end, if they can see past all of that, they really have found something rare and something to be cherished.

And how awesome was it to see more of the characters we know and love from the rest of the series?  Ruby and Troy, Daniel and Story…we saw all of them and got to see way more into Hayden and Story’s friendship which was a real treat.  They are too funny together!  Totally gals I would love to hang out with.

The once scene though that is screaming at me as I type this review, besides Hayden and Brent’s “pillow puns” and her calling him Florence (some serious funny during a seriously hot moment), is the ending.  Tessa wrote a side of Brent that I absolutely melted into a puddle over.  I was crying and laughing while reading that moment in the courthouse.  Now you know I won’t give any spoilers away, but when you read that scene, you will know exactly what I mean! It was like an ending to one of those amazing romantic comedies that all girls adore.  (I will be reading that scene again as soon as I finish typing this, by the way!)

Fans of this series will love Hayden and Brent, and if you haven’t read this series yet…what the hell are you waiting for!? Trust me folks, this is a must read if ever there was one.

Thank you, Tessa, for another smoking hot, emotional, funny, intense and truly enjoyable read.  You rock my book-obsessed world!

 

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

Giveaway:

Want a chance to win an autographed copy of Tessa’s first two books Protecting What’s His & Officer Off Limits? It’s the first time they’ve ever been in print!

She’ll be giving away 3 sets. All you have to do is leave a comment below to enter.  Giveaway ends 12/1.  Limited to US residents only.

 ~Increase your chances of winning by visiting the rest of the tour HERE~

About the author:

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

Connect with Tessa:

 Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

Release Day Celebration….Asking for Trouble by Tessa Bailey

Happy Release Day to Tessa Bailey and ASKING FOR TROUBLE!

The Queen of Dirty Talking is back! Whether this is your first experience with Tessa Bailey’s dirty talking heroes or you’ve been following her all along, you don’t want to miss out on meeting Brent and Hayden. Their banter is witty, filled with sexual tension, and the sex itself is “fan-your-face” hot, according to an early review from USA Today Happily Ever After.

Here’s a dirty talking snippet just for you guys:

He leaned forward and spoke right against her ear. “Come for me right now and I’ll let you ride me as hard as you want later. I know what gets you off. I saw it in your eyes last night. You want to throw me down and fuck me, duchess? Good. I’m in the mood to let you.”

Now you see why she’s been dubbed the Queen of Dirty Talking!

About Asking for Trouble

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Brent Mason and Hayden Winstead can’t stand each other. She plans exclusive parties for her rich family’s charities. He’s a rough and tumble cop who rigs explosives for a living. Could two people be any less suited for conversation? They think not and prefer to keep it that way.

 

Unfortunately, their two best friends are deeply, disgustingly in love. Forced together, the mutual attraction simmering beneath the surface of Brent and Hayden’s non-relationship grows with every argument until it explodes into a scintillating night of mind-blowing sex. And it won’t be the last, as far as Brent’s concerned.

 

Hayden has a secret, though. Her father’s company is relying on a merger to save them from financial ruin, and only Hayden’s marriage to the CEO’s wealthy son can secure the deal. If she’s to protect her family, she’ll have to forget Brent. And he has no intention of being forgotten.

 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo

In celebration of her new release, Tessa Bailey’s first book Protecting What’s His is on sale for only ¢99 for two full weeks! (11/24 – 12/7) Just in time to gift it to everyone who appreciates a dirty talker.

 

About Protecting What’s His

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She’s running from the law, and the law wants her bad.

The opportunity was just too damn delicious for Ginger Peet to pass up. The purse full of money she finds—$50,000 to be exact—could give her and her teen sister the new start they need. So she grabs the cash, her gothy sibling, and their life-sized statue of Dolly Parton, and blows outta Nashville in a cloud of dust. Chicago, here we come…

 

Turns out, Chicago has some pretty hot cops. Hot, intense, naughty-lookin’ cops like Derek Tyler, who looks like he could eat a girl up and leave her begging for more. And more. Tempting as he is, getting involved with the sexy homicide lieutenant next door poses a teensy problem for a gal who’s on the lam. But one thing is certain—Derek’s onto her, and he wants more than just a taste.

 

And as far as he’s concerned, possession is nine-tenths of the law.

 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo

 

 

Covet’s November Releases & Giveaway

Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.

Today I’m happy to be featuring Covet’s November releases which is very exciting because in celebration of these three great new books, they are on sale for just $0.99 for the first week of release only. So they are perfect to download and read over the long holiday weekend between all the hussle and bussle for a nice little break.



Also, make sure to hop on twitter tonight, 11/25 at 8PM to join in the #CovetBash. The authors of these fabulous books will be joining in the fun, and there will be lot’s of chances to win prizes, including a grand prize giveaway of Covet’s entire backlist to one lucky winner! Details here.

 

Parts & Wreck by Mark Henry


Wade Crowson, a brutish and brooding playboy and veteran vivisectionist for the Parts Department, runs into more than he bargained for in new partner, Lucid Montgomery, a quirky beauty with a bizarre secret and a string of psychiatric diagnoses she tries hard to keep hidden. Loving Luce will stamp a demonic target on her back and thrust Wade into a frenzied whirlwind of hilarious misunderstandings and, quite possibly, a stripping gig for emptynesters. Can they withstand the savagery of an exorcism (with or without the split pea soup) and come out alive and …in love?

 

 

Operation Saving Daniel by Nina Croft

At eighteen, Melissa seduced her best friend Julia’s brother only to run away shortly after. While Daniel was her fairytale prince, Lissa didn’t believe in happy ever afters.

Ten years and a near death experience later, Lissa is ready for a husband and family. But a cry for help from Julia puts that dream on hold. Daniel is acting weird and he’s about to marry his long term girlfriend—AKA The Evil One. Someone needs to save him.

Daniel has never stopped loving Lissa. Ten years ago when he gave her a little freedom, he always intended that one day they would be together. Right up until the moment he was bitten by a werewolf. Now, Daniel has to hide what he is. He won’t risk anyone else, especially the woman he loves.

But Lissa is back. Their attraction is stronger than ever and Lissa is nothing if not tenacious.

 

 

The Awakening: Britton by Abby NilesThe Awakening #3

“I would lick that man up one side and down the other.”

Half-shifter and lead SPAC agent, Val Calhoun, has listened to women gush over the Don Juan of the precinct for the last four years. Yeah, Detective Britton Townsend is hot and has stunning blue eyes, but that foul mouth he saves only for her? What a waste of good looks. And no way does Val want that mouth anywhere near hers.

When the shifter community is threatened, Val is assigned to the case…and fails. So the High Council turns to the rogue shifter they’d sentenced to twenty years as a human–that same obnoxiously sexy Detective Townsend. And sends the two arch-enemies deep into the North Carolina Mountains-—together, and alone.

Being stuck in a tiny honeymoon cabin with Miss Castration and only one bed is definitely not Britton’s idea of a good time. But the High Council doesn’t take no for an answer. After his shifter abilities are restored, Brit is once again susceptible to the dreaded, irreversible bonding instinct, the Drall. Thankfully, all he’s ever felt for Val is intense loathing, no reason to worry. Right? All he has to do is solve this case pronto, and he can go back to his footloose Casanova ways. That is, if they don’t kill each other first. Or worse…fall in love.

Missed the first book in the Awakening series? While these books stand alone, it can be fun to go back and see how the other couple got together. And in celebration of book #3’s release, book one, The Awakening: Aidan is on sale for just $0.99 as well, so grab it while you can!

 

The Awakening: Aidan by Abby NilesThe Awakening #1

Is the gift of eternal love a blessing or a curse?

After years of counseling grieving shifters, psychiatrist and half-shifter, Dr. Jaylin Avgar has become jaded on shifter mating. She wants to marry a human and forget about the love for eternity crap. Then she meets Aidan O’Connell, an infuriatingly laid back shifter who represents everything she doesn’t want. Yet, the more he pursues her, the more she craves a future with him. Only one thing stands in her way: death. Can she overcome her fear of losing Aidan to the one guarantee in life?

Millionaire consultant, Aidan O’Connell knows he’ll one day meet a woman who’ll awaken an unrelenting mating instinct. Unfortunately, that woman is Jaylin, who has no qualms about telling him that he and his so-called eternity can shove it. When she pushes him away, he takes a drastic step so she can no longer escape. The close proximity throws the instinct into overdrive. Can he control the need engrained in him until he’s certain she will reciprocate the bond, or will a moment of weakness doom him to hell on earth?


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Entangled Edge November Releases & Giveaway

Edge, a digital-first single-title romance line from Entangled Publishing, takes its lead from our popular Select imprint but gives its novels an edge in the marketplace by bringing great stories to readers at reasonable prices in a quick-and-easy way. Whether sexy or sweet, traditional romance or love and lust with a women’s fiction bent, at the center of every Edge book is heart. From Urban Fantasy to Contemporary Romance to Science Fiction Romance, Edge has a book for all romance readers—and right at their fingertips! As they say, all’s fair in love and war. To find out more about our titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books are coming next, visit the Entangled website, follow us on Twitter, and like our Facebook page.

Today I’m happy to be featuring Edge’s November releases!!

 

 

Some Like it Sinful by Robbie TermanPerfect Recipe #2

Their attraction is sinfully delicious…

A struggling business and one act of vandalism may have brought them together, but bakery owner Chloe Nelson and professional hockey player Griffin Lange get along like chocolate and pickles. Chloe needs the famous (and famously unattached) Griffin to attract people to her pastries, and Griffin needs the curvaceous and fiery Chloe to keep him out of trouble. A fake relationship to keep the media interested seems like the perfect plan.

But when temptation throws them into bed together, a new plan arises. Why not make the fake real? Griffin’s winning every home game, and Chloe’s business has never been better. Both know it’s only physical—and only temporary. But can they drop their defenses for love, even if it means getting a little bit sinful?

 

Wild Card by Jamie Wyman

It was bad enough that gods gambled with human souls, but Catherine Sharp’s soul just had to be won by the Greek goddess of Discord, Eris. As if working a dead-end tech support job didn’t suck the life out of her as it was. Now, Cat finds herself performing random tasks for the goddess in her free time.
But when Coyote, the Native American trickster himself, claims to have won her own soul in Mayhem’s weekly poker game, Cat wants in on the action. With five sneaky gods upping the ante, Cat needs to find a way to collect the winning chips that could save her soul.
Marius, a handsome yet irritating satyr with his own debt to Eris, might finally come in handy for something. If they play their cards right and work together, Cat and Marius may just get their freedom back. If they don’t kill each other or fall in love first.

 

 

 


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Fall Into Me by K.M. Scott…ARC Review

Fall Into Me releases tomorrow

Fall Into Me COVER

Book links:

Goodreads

*I will post the purchase links when they become available on release day

Synopsis:

Wealthier and more powerful than most men his age, Tristan Stone merely has to give voice to his desires and whatever he wants is his. Money has given him the ability to say nothing and no one is beyond his reach.

Except for Nina. Stripped of her memory after an accident, she doesn’t remember the man who loves her. Now he must find a way to show her why she fell in love with him, but the past is always just a step behind, threatening to take her away forever.

Unsure of everything about the past four years, Nina believes that Tristan loves her. But will the secrets he holds tear them apart just when she needs him most?

 

My review:

*Reviewer note:  if you haven’t read the first in the series, Crash Into Me, I recommend you do so before reading Fall Into Me and this review*

Fall Into Me is the second book in author K.M. Scott’s Heart of Stone trilogy and picks up where the story left off in Crash Into Me.  I was dying to get my hands on this book to see what was in store for Tristan and Nina. Well, K.M. did it again…another emotional ride from start to finish that left me wanting more!

The last four years of Nina’s life are a total mystery.  After the accident, she found she had completely lost her memories of those years.  That includes Tristan and their entire relationship.  Her best friend Jordan has assured her that she and Tristan are crazy about one another, and just looking at Tristan and knowing how much he cared for her the whole time she was in the hospital, it was plain to see that he indeed cared for her very much.  The problem was, he was practically a stranger to her.  She was more than willing to take a chance at love at see if her memories would come back and give her back the happiness she had found with him, but what if they never did?  Would she have to learn to love him all over again? What if, when all was said and done, she didn’t?  The only way to find out was to put her faith in Tristan and the relationship they had and jump in with both feet.

Tristan should have felt immense relief when Nina was alive and well after the accident.  He was relieved, of course, but not completely.  Between the two of them, he was the only one that remembered why she left that day and got into the accident in the first place.  And now knowing he was going to have to tell her all over again was a special kind of torture.  He needed more time.  More time to find out more information on what her father stumbled across those four years ago and why it was damaging enough to his family that his father had the man killed.  First things first, though.  He was bound and determined to get Nina to fall in love with him again.  After that, maybe if he had more details on the darker side of his family, she would love him enough to believe he was truly sorry for the horrific pain his monster of a father had caused her.

The obstacles Nina and Tristan are numerous and enormously significant.  Will the love that they had found, and hope to find again, be enough to forgive the sins of a power hungry businessman?

Whoa.  Well, what began as a mission of discovering love again turned into a mystery with a thick and devious plot that I sure as hell never saw coming.  Nina, as in the last story, was a refreshing heroine with her open and honest attitude.  I admired her willingness to believe in what she and Tristan had and take a chance at finding it again.  Her frustrations with memory loss broke my heart and I was pulling for her from the very beginning to find some spark that would jog a memory or two.  She’s a strong gal, that Nina.  Tristan and his internal struggles were dark, desolate and written really well.  Trying so hard to keep a mask in place to keep Nina happy took its toll on him towards the end and his ultimate break down was such a real response to the stress of keeping up such a hard façade.  Tristan stumbles across more details of just how treacherous his father really was and it was worse than he thought in the first book and it hurt him even more to have to tell Nina the truth eventually.  I never saw parts of this story coming and it was a shocking and enjoyable added layer to the mystery!  There were many happy and loving moments in this book as well as the intense scorching heat I adore so much between Nina and Tristan but the ending kicked my ass (and yes, of course, I freaking loved it!)

Now, because I know some of you loathe cliffhanger-ish endings, I feel I should mention that some might think this story fits into that category.  I don’t…I feel that some questions were answered and other mysteries revealed.  I enjoyed it!

Thank you, K.M., for another thrilling installment and I am eagerly awaiting the final chapter in the Heart of Stone Trilogy!

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author who loves sexy stories, sexier men, and HEAs (not necessarily in that order)

Twitter  ~  Facebook

ARC Review….Neighbors by L.S. Murphy

9781622663743

Book Links

Amazon  ~  Goodreads  ~  Barnes & Noble

 

Synopsis:

Rena Woods has a great life. She recently landed the contract to decorate the home of basketball wife, Cecilia Hood, her business is growing, and this contract could make her the elite decorator in St. Louis. Rena’s sacrificed her personal life for her company without a single regret. When Staff Sergeant C.J. Riker moves in across the hall, Rena can’t stand to be around him. He may be on the volcanic side of hot, but his attitude sucks. Riker does whatever he can to get under Rena’s skin.

After a massive blow to her business sends Rena on a self-destructive binge, Riker is there to save her from doing something she might regret. Could there be more to Riker than meets the eye? And will he open up enough to Rena to tell her how he lost his leg or shut out love forever?

 

My review:

Neighbors is a novella from author L.S. Murphy and is the first work I have read from her.  I really enjoyed it!

When Rena meets Riker, it’s not exactly in the best of circumstances.  She needs him to move his truck so she can move her car.  She’s annoyed with him and he’s annoyed with her.  Well, the circumstances don’t get much better and it seems like every time they see on another it’s not exactly a pleasant exchange.  Rena knows a bit of his back-story.  He was in the military and has a prosthetic leg, so clearly he has some reason for being less than happy these days.  She could only imagine what must have happened to him, and it broke her heart.  Still, Rena doesn’t think too highly of his gruff attitude…until she sees him around their apartment complex every now and then doing something nice for someone. Soon Rena realizes she may not have given him a fair chance and when her job suddenly takes a nosedive, she thinks maybe giving him shot at friendship could be the distraction she needs.  Who knows, maybe something more than friendship is what they both need?

This novella was really great. Sometimes a quick and entertaining read is just what the doctor ordered in between full-length novels.  I enjoyed both Rena and Riker and would love to see more of them in the future!

Thank you, L.S.!

 4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

 

About the author:

L.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she watches Cardinals baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for teens and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to The Bean (aka her daughter), her husband and a menagerie of pets.

She is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the St. Louis Writer’s Guild.Email: LSMurphy524@gmail.com

Website: http://lsmurphy.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LSMurphy

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

Blog Tour Stop….Return of the Assassin by Donya Lynne

137Blog Tour Button

Welcome to my stop on Donya Lynne’s Return of the Assassin Blog Tour.

 I was lucky enough to have Donya stop by for a great guest post and there’s a fantastic tour-wide giveaway happening (enter in the rafflecopter below)

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

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Book links:

Amazon ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Smashwords  ~  All Romance eBooks

Donya’s Guest Post:

What a pleasure to be here today. Thank you for a having me so I could introduce your readers to my award-winning All the King’s Men Series (AKM). The fifth book, Return of the Assassin, just came out at the end of October, and tells the story of Malek and Gina, two vampires tormented by their tragic pasts who must find a way to overcome the pain they’ve endured if they are to have a future with one another.

This concept is at the heart of Return of the Assassin, and both my hero and heroine face tough challenges. Malek’s first mate died almost a thousand years ago, but he has refused to accept her death. In doing so, he became a hollow shell of a person, dependable but emotionless. He gets the job done, but, as Micah says, he’s a whitewashed version of himself from what he was before. When he meets Gina, he can no longer avoid dealing with the past, but in so doing, his mind fractures as he tries to reconcile loss with love, especially since Gina split town and left him to deal with his mated male hormones alone. But Gina wants nothing to do with Malek, or so she says. Gina’s first mate was a violent and abusive vampire who stole her innocence, as well as her ability to bear children, and despite the fact that she’s been free of him for almost a century, she still hasn’t fully moved on. She refuses to enter into another relationship with anyone, and vows never to mate again. But after meeting Malek, her world turns upside down and she fears she has only one choice if she wants to get her life back on track: return to Malek.

In the first four books of AKM, the other characters had to go through hell and back to find happiness, so Malek and Gina have to, as well. Otherwise, they won’t learn anything and won’t become who they were meant to be. And isn’t that how it is in real life, too? I’ve always said that nothing worth having in life ever comes easily. The harder you work, and the more pain you go through to achieve your objective, the more you appreciate it once you succeed. Same with Malek and Gina, and by the end of the book, after what they have to go through to find happiness, if they aren’t appreciating each other, then they never will.

 

 

Excerpt from Return of the Assassin

 

Malek took a step toward her. “Gina—”

“I don’t want to hear it.” She spun and took off down the hall as if the kitchen were on fire.

“Gina, wait.” Malek hurried after her. “Please listen to me.”

She twirled and shoved him away. “Get away from me, Malek. After what you did tonight, just stay back.” Who did he think he was to come here still smelling like that skank? The least he could have done was shower. But no, he had to bring her nasty smell here and add insult to injury. “I have to be the stupidest female on the planet,” she said under her breath.

“I’m sorry, Gina. God, I’m so sorry.”

But she wasn’t ready to forgive him. She was still too angry and hurt. “Sorry? Were you sorry when you brought that whore into your house and fucked her under my nose? Huh?” Aggression burst from her like an explosion, and she shoved past him out into the hall again before spinning around to confront him as he charged after her. “You fucked another female in front of me, Malek! Is that how a mated male behaves? Is that the respect a female deserves from her mate?”

Why deny the obvious any longer? They were mates. She knew it. He knew it. It was time to cut through the shit and lay the cards on the table. One way or the other, tonight they would deal with the link that tethered them to one another.

“No, but…”

 She batted him away and fled back into the bedroom. Adrenaline coursed through her. She had to keep moving. If she didn’t, she would give in to the rising arousal he stirred in her belly simply from his proximity, even though he carried the reminder of his infidelity on his skin. “You stink. You smell like her.” Her nose crinkled again as she paced to the other side of the room near the windows and crossed her arms. Then uncrossed them. She couldn’t stand still. Nervous energy flirted with sexual hunger, and war raged within her body to distance herself from him as well as throw him to the bed and take possession of what belonged to her.

He followed and reached for her hands, but she slapped him away. “Don’t touch me. Get away from me, Malek.” Even as she said the words, she wanted nothing more than his hands on her body.

Hurt and misery smeared his expression. “Please Gina, let me explain. I’ve been dying a slow death without you. I just didn’t know—”

She held up her hands, dodged him, and shot back out of the room as he rushed after her. “You? You’ve been dying a slow death? I’ve been miserable for weeks, Malek, and all this time I thought it was because I didn’t want to be mated. When all along it was because…” She fumed as she trailed off, angry at him for stealing her moment of realization from her earlier. When she had finally figured out the source of her anxiety and accepted the reality, ready to take her place by his side, he had abandoned her for another female.

In the living room, she paced and swatted him away as he reached for her again, and then hurried back to the bedroom. When she spun back toward the door, he blocked the exit. She was trapped.

“Gina—”

“Just shut up, Malek!” Under the bitch’s scent, he smelled delicious. So inviting. “Males are nothing but trouble. Especially you! You’re the worst kind of trouble I don’t need!” But she did need him. And with every second that ticked by, her resolve to push him away cracked a little more. The side of her that had bound itself to him bullied its way through, pushing aside restraint and anger to feed her desire and make her too weak to hold back much longer.

He continued toward her with cautious steps, one arm slightly raised, his palm facing her, as if he were trying to capture a feral cat and didn’t want to spook it. “I’m sorry, Gina. Please let me make this better.” Anguish etched the lines of his face, and suffering roiled in the depths of his eyes. Malek was clearly in agony over what he’d done to her.

“Malek, don’t. Just don’t.” She was faltering. He was here. Her mate was here. And no matter what he had done, the desire to go to him was more powerful than her anger. They were like polar atoms, one positive, one negative, drawn to each other to connect and form a brand new molecule. Something neither could do alone.

“Please, Gina…” Guilt wafted from him as he slowly closed the distance between them.

But she no longer had the strength to flee. Furthermore, she didn’t want to. As much as she hated what he had done to her, and as much as she wanted to stay angry at him, she wanted to be with him more.

“Gina…” He took one last step toward her, and his warmth spread around her.

The two of them stood in silence for what felt like a long time, but he didn’t try to touch her. It was almost as if he didn’t want to break the fragile moment they had found together. One where she had to fit herself into a new reality she had fought for decades and only just now considered trying on for size again. But Malek fit like a pair of favorite jeans. Had she doubted he would? After all, he was the other half of her, the greener grass on the other side of the fence, the brighter light without the rose-colored glasses to taint or cloud his image. Malek was everything that she needed to be complete. He was perfect, beautiful, and majestic.

“Look at me, Gina.” With the tips of his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face.

Her fury was tapped out, depleted by expulsion, as well as by his presence. The mating bond was already doing its job, making them better individuals by fusing them into one. As she looked into his magical, dark brown eyes, her fears and pain evaporated, and she could almost feel his doing the same.

“I need you,” he said.

 

Return of the Assassin Synopsis:

All the King’s Men – Book 5

3rd place winner – RWA Heart of the West contest

“If you’ve been waiting for the next Black Dagger Brotherhood, this is it…” -GraveTells Review

Assassin Gina Carano doesn’t have time for love. In fact, the last thing she wants is a mate. But Gina can’t stop thinking about Malek, the handsome AKM enforcer she met in Chicago. And now she’s beginning to fear Malek’s memory is the reason for her crippling panic attacks, which have assaulted her relentlessly since she left him.

Malek has never dealt with the centuries-old death of his first mate, but now that he’s formed a new mating link to Gina, he has no choice. Stuck between the agony of mourning and the despair of being without Gina, his mind fractures as he attempts to reconcile the two halves of himself.

When Gina botches a hit on two vicious vampires in Miami, she reluctantly flees back to Chicago, where Malek must choose between the past and the future before he loses Gina forever.

Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, sensitive subject matter, references to non-traditional/alternative lifestyles, and profanity.

 

Giveaway:

Two Grand Prizes will be given away at the end of the tour, drawing to be held on Christmas Day (Merry Christmas!).

Grand Prize #1: Coach bag and a $50 Amazon gift card

Grand Prize #2: The newest version of the Kindle Paper White, leather cover (winner’s choice of color), and an AKM blanket

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About the author:

Donya LynneDonya Lynne is the author of the award winning All the King’s Men Series. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her sophomore year, they had dubbed her Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her first two novels and two novellas. She has several more stories planned for the AKM Series, as well as two sister series that are in development.

 Author Links

Donya Lynne Fan Page

AKM Reader Group

Donya Lynne Profile

Donya Lynne’s Blog

Donya Lynne’s Website

 

 

Release Day Event…All the Pretty Lies by M. Leighton

ALL THE PRETTY LIES by M. Leighton is Here!!

That’s right! The newest novel from M. Leighton is out and you can get your copy today!  Check out the stunning cover and then look below to read all about the title and M. Leighton! There’s an excerpt for you and a phenomenal giveaway that you don’t want to miss at the bottom!

Book links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

iTunes

Smashwords

Isn’t that cover gorgeous?!? ALL THE PRETTY LIES is a New Adult Contemporary Romance filled with heat, lies, and romance. And it’s out today!

Excerpt:

I take another step toward him, building up the nerve to

just do it, just kiss him.  But Hemi
surprises me when he takes the step
that will bring us near enough to touch.
He’s so close, my chest almost brushes his every time I
inhale. I sway toward him the tiniest bit, craving the contact.  With him.
A perfect stranger.
“Sloane,” he whispers, the sound of my name on his lips
bringing chills to my arms again.  He
reaches out to push my hair back over my shoulder.  His fingertips linger on the skin of my neck
before they fall away.
“Hemi,” I sigh, melting into the heat of his eyes.  I knew there was something between us. Well,
I’d hoped. Hoped I wasn’t imagining it. But now I know I wasn’t.  It’s there, staring out at me from behind his
hooded midnight eyes. Blatant and unabashed, he wants me.  And I want him, too.
“You need to walk out that door and never come back.”
My heart stops.  Of
all the things I thought he might say, this came out of nowhere.  “What?” I ask in a small, uncertain voice.
“You need to leave.
And don’t look back.”
I scramble to recover.
“But…but what about the rest of my tattoo?”
“I’m not talking about your tattoo and you know it.”
“Then what are you
talking about?” I inquire, playing dumb to save what’s left of my crumbling
pride.
“I’m talking about you.
And me.  This. Us.”
“There is no us.”
“There will be in about thirty seconds if you don’t get the
hell out of here.”
“What if I don’t want to leave?” I’m confused. Is he saying
that he wants me?  Or that he wants me to
go?
“I’m not asking.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want me to go?”
“Because guys like me change girls like you.”
“Girls like me?”
“Innocent girls.”
“What if I’m not that innocent?”
His lips quirk in a wry grin.  “Oh, you’re exactly that innocent.  I can
practically smell it on you. Sweet, pure, untouched.  And, if I’m being honest, I’d like nothing
better than to taste that on the tip of my tongue.”
“Then what’s stopping you?”
I watch him wrestle with…something.  “I don’t have the time or the inclination to
get involved in ruining someone else’s life.”
“What makes you think you’d ruin my life?”
“Oh, trust me.  I
would.”
“But—”
“But nothing.  For
tonight, I’ll be the good guy you need me to be.  Whether you know you need it or not. I’m
asking you to leave, Sloane.  But I
promise you—promise you—that if you
so much as darken my doorway again, I won’t let you walk back out again.”
I’m torn between heady elation and harsh rejection.  “Hemi—”

“Go, little girl,” he says softly.  “Go before I change my mind.”



About ALL THE PRETTY LIES:

All the Pretty Lies
“Live, no regrets”
Her…
Sloane Locke has led a sheltered life.  However, with a history like hers, she can understand why her brothers and her father want so much to protect her.  She has gone along with it for twenty long years, but those days are over.  For the girl who never makes promises, Sloane has made a pact with herself that things will change on her twenty-first birthday.  So when the clock strikes midnight, Sloane strikes out to spread her wings and break a few rules.
Him…
In addition to inking skin, Hemi Spencer possesses many talents. Controlling himself has never been one of them.  It’s never had to be.  He’s lived a life of indulgence for as long as he can remember.  Right up until tragedy struck.  Now, he’s nothing but controlled. He’s a man on a mission, one who will let nothing and no one stand in his way. 
Them…
Nothing in their lives could’ve prepared Sloane and Hemi for what they’d find in each other—distraction and obsession, love and possession.  But the one thing they can’t find is a future.  Neither one has been totally honest.  And they’ll soon learn that the devil is in the details.  In the details and in the lies.

How far will two people go to live in the now when the now is all they’ve got?

About the author:
M. Leighton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Wild Ones and The Bad Boys romance trilogies.  She is a native of Ohio, relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she lets her mind wander to romantic settings with sexy Southern guys much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books.  When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.  


For more about M. Leighton, visit her website at www.MLeightonBooks.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter@mleightonbooks.

 

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