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Book Promotion & Review

Release Day Event….South of Surrender by Laura Kaye

SOS Release Day Blitz

South of Surrender Release Day Blitz Giveaway

 

From the amazing Laura Kaye:

“I am thrilled to welcome Chrysander Notos to the world today! Chrys is the hero of South of Surrender, the third book in my Greek-mythology inspired Hearts of the Anemoi series. The Anemoi were wind gods the Greeks associated with controlling the wind, the weather, and the seasons, and as the summer god, Chrys is the hottest of them all! Need more proof? Check out this hot excerpt and the giveaway that follows!”

 

Unable to resist the draw to her any longer, Chrys claimed her mouth, devouring, searching, taking.

Laney froze, then was right there with him.

Their tongues met, dueled, twirled. He fisted his hand in her hair and guided her, deepening when he wanted, restraining her when he needed.

Her hands slid up his chest toward his neck.

Chrys gasped into the kiss, but fought the reflexive desire to pull away. Instead, he pushed her back one step, then another, until her back encountered the door. He grabbed her arms and pressed them to the surface over her head. The control flooded relief through him and fueled his arousal another notch.

“I want to touch you,” she whispered around a kiss.

His brain scrambled for a moment, and then he wedged his body in tighter, the ridge of his cock coming in snug against her belly. She unleashed a strangled moan as Chrys plundered her mouth, relished her sweet taste, bathed in her life-giving heat.

Good gods, her body was absolutely alive with her arousal. She clenched and unclenched her hands, her arm muscles flexing where he restrained her. Her abdomen writhed against his, creating a maddening friction against his erection. Her thighs shifted and squeezed.

It was only with the barest of restraint that he resisted willing her clothing away, turning her to face the wall, and tugging her hips out so he could bury himself deep.

Lost in the imagery, Chrys didn’t notice the change in her movements until she slowly dragged her injured leg up the outside of his. Her wrists pressed against his hold and a yearning moan worked up her throat. “Chrys,” she whimpered, her thigh moving higher and wrapping around.

His pulse lunged into a sprint. Damnit. He pulled back and stepped away, the phantom feeling of her flesh trapping his spiking fear through him. “I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing his lips, regret a rock in his stomach. He could still feel her, taste her. Making sure she was steady on her feet, he dropped his hands from holding hers.

 

GIVEAWAY!

Win 1 of 5 $50 gift cards to winners’ choice of Amazon/B&N/iTunes!

HOW TO ENTER?

Did you have a favorite line from the excerpt? Comment with your email address to enter to win! Open to international! Giveaway runs for one day and ends at midnight PST on May 28!

 

Visit more participating Blitz Day sites for more excerpts and more ways to win! And look out for the South of Surrender Blog Tour to start next week with more excerpts and giveaways! Check out the awesome early reviews coming in for the book, too!

 

Thanks for reading!

Laura

 

About South of Surrender:

She’s the only one who can see through his golden boy façade to the broken god within..

Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind and Summer, is on a mission: save Eurus from his death sentence and prove his troubled brother can be redeemed. But Eurus fights back, triggering vicious storms that threaten the mortal realm and dangerously drain Chrys.

Laney Summerlyn refuses to give up her grandfather’s horse farm, despite her deteriorating vision. More than ever, she needs the organized routine of her life at Summerlyn Stables, until a ferocious storm brings an impossible—and beautiful—creature crashing down from the heavens.

Injured while fighting Eurus, Chrys finds himself at the mercy of a mortal woman whose compassion and acceptance he can’t resist. As they surrender to the passion flaring between them, immortal enemies close in, forcing Chrys to choose between his brother and the only woman who’s ever loved the real him.

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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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Review….Tangled by Emma Chase

Tangled cover

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Synopsis:

Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?

He’ll tell you he has the flu.

But we all know that’s not really true.

Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything – or anyone – derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.

Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?

Can Drew Evans win at love?

Tangled is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks he knows. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.

 

My Review:

Tangled is the debut from author Emma Chase.  By the third page I was laughing out loud and completely hooked!! This book was deliciously AMAZING!

This story open up with Drew Evans, über successful investment banker and ladies man extraordinaire, complaining to us about his awful bout with the flu….or so he is trying to convince us (as well as trying to convince himself).  Turns out Drew is the newest member of the Broken Heart Club, something he’s totally unfamiliar with.  You see, Drew is a wealthy, handsome, successful, young and single playboy.  He loves his life.  Working hard and playing harder.  It’s a new girl every weekend and that’s how he likes it.  He has no desire to be tied down…well, at least in the whole relationship sense that is *wink*.  It’s at the start of one of those bachelor weekends that he meets a stunningly beautiful brunette who turns him down flat….a concept he’s also unfamiliar with.  Naturally he can’t stop thinking about her…and as luck would have it, he won’t have to wonder about her for too long as she is the newest member of his family’s investment firm.  Drew isn’t sure whether to curse or thank the fates for this little surprise.  Kate is totally off limits…not only does she work with him, she’s engaged to another man and there’s also that little problem of her shutting down every advance he makes.  Drew has never wanted anyone more than he wants Kate.  Ever.  Will he be as successful with Kate as he is in every other aspect of his life? God, he sure hopes so.

So as I had said, by page three I was HOOKED!  This book is effing HILARIOUS!  I will say, I have never read a romance told from the guy’s perspective, but Emma kicked ass!  Drew is seriously a guy any gal would be lucky to have.  He is funny, charming, handsome, the whole package.  He’s loyal to his bro-friends.  He loves his family, even if he has a colorful nickname for his sister and although he’s pretty much a womanizer, he does it in the cutest way!  What’s most enjoyable about this story is that he talks to the reader.  Actually speaks to us.  It plays out like a Ferris Bueller movie!  Like, in the middle of a scene, Drew stops and makes side notes to the reader.  I LOVED that! It was such a different reading experience and will be really hard to beat.  I loved Kate as well.  She is a perfect match for Drew.  And she knocks him to his knees…hard and fast and it is delicious to watch play out.  Oh, I should probably mention there are some of the hottest and well-written smexy scenes I’ve had the pleasure of reading and had me drooling! Damn, Emma can write a sex filled weekend like no other!  Over all I LURVED this book and devoured it.  It was one of those take-your-ereader-everywhere-you-go-in-case-you-have-a-mesely-five-minutes-to-spare kind of reads.

If you’ve started your summer reading list, move this one to the TOP!  And if you haven’t started your summer reading list, who cares….buy this book and read it now!  You will not be disappointed!  Thank you, Emma, for a kick-ass, fresh and addictive read….I will certainly be looking for more of your work in the future!

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

About the author:

By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother of two who resides in a small, rural town in New Jersey. By night she is a keyboard crusader, toiling away the hours to bring her colorful characters and their endless antics to life. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.

Emma is an avid reader. Before her children were born she was known to consume whole books in a single day. Writing has also always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true.

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ARC Review….Lockout by Maya Cross

Lockout releases May 22

Lockout Cover

Synopsis:

Who is Sebastian Lock?

Sophia had never felt attraction like that before. Raw. Electric. Irresistible. Swept off her feet by the dashing, enigmatic billionaire Sebastian Lock, she was taken on a journey of self-discovery, taken to places she never dreamed she’d go.

But things are never as simple as they appear. Sophia’s trust is a fragile thing, and Sebastian seems insistent on testing it. He has his own demons to battle, and nobody has brought them to the fore like she has.

As their relationship deepens, and Sophia begins to break down his walls, all that greets her are more questions. Why is Sebastian fighting so hard to keep her at a distance? Who is the girl on the background of his phone? And why does the strange tattoo on his chest seem so familiar?

These puzzles plague her, but as Sebastian’s mysteries begin to unravel, she must face an entirely different truth. Staying in the dark may be painful, but finding the answers could be deadly.

 

My Review:

This is the second installment of The Alpha Group Series by Maya Cross and picks up where book one, Locked, left us.  I was eagerly awaiting this story and finding out what was to come next for Sebastian and Sophia.

Sophia is enjoying what started out as a casual fling with Sebastian, but is slowly turning into something much deeper…to her at least. She has been burned in the past and knows that Sebastian wasn’t looking for a serious relationship when they first got together but she knows she sees the same feelings developing in Sebastian that she has developed herself.  Now she must decide if she’s ready to lay it all out on the line and express what Sebastian is coming to mean to her.  Will he reciprocate?

Sebastian is a mysterious man with a lot of secrets.  Some secrets he is willing to share with Sophia, as she is coming to mean much more than a casual fling to him.  Some secrets aren’t his to share.  He knows Sophia is going to want more from him besides great sex…and the problem is he is finding he wants the same things from her.  Sebastian realizes it’s only a matter of time before she asks him to open up and let her in, and he knows not being able to let her in completely will break what they have found.

Together, Sophia and Sebastian will have to walk a perilous line between letting a relationship grow or cutting off the sunlight and letting it wither and die completely.

As I had said earlier, I was anxiously awaiting part two in the Alpha Group Series, Lockout, and I wasn’t disappointed.  Sophia and Sebastian continue their hot and heavy love affair with heated nights together and delicious chemistry…this time, however, we get to see the bliss spent in the hours after which eventually turn into mornings after.  Sophia, of course is thrilled but something is bothering Sebastian.  Eventually Sophia calls him out on his aloof attitude, because honestly, that’s what kind of a kick ass heroine she is.  He shares some things about his past, and we learn to love Sebastian for more than his wealth and devastating good looks.  He has come from some very humble beginnings and has loved, and lost, along the way.  But it’s when Sophia wants to know more about his work that turns things into an ugly direction.  All of this, added with more hint of mystery and an unsolved murder, has Lockout earning a spot on my recommendation list!

I am looking forward to seeing what Ms. Cross has in store for Sophia and Sebastian as the series continues!  Thank you, Maya, for another fabulous read!

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

Maya Cross is writer who enjoys making people blush. Growing up with a mother who worked in a book store, she read a lot from a very young age, and soon enough picked up a pen of her own. Her previous work spans many genres including horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and she has now started this pen name as an outlet for her spicier thoughts (they were starting to overflow). She likes her heroes strong but mysterious, her encounters sizzling, and her characters true to life.

She believes in writing familiar narratives told with a twist, so most of her stories will feel comfortable, but hopefully a little unique. Whatever genre she’s writing, finding a fascinating concept is the first, and most important step.

The Alpha Group is her first foray into erotic romance, and she absolutely loved writing it.

When she’s not writing, she’s playing tennis, trawling her home town of Sydney for new inspiration, and drinking too much coffee

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ARC Review….In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

In Too Deep releases June 6

InTooDeep amazon

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Synopsis:

Gracie has just finished her freshman year of college in Memphis when she takes a job at a local pizza joint in her home town of McKenzie, Tennessee. She is the epitome of innocence when she meets Noah. Noah is unabashedly handsome, intriguingly reckless and just cocky enough to be sexy. Gracie’s instincts tell her to stay far away from him and based on the stories she hears from her co-workers he leaves broken hearts in his wake. But still, she can’t explain her fascination with him.

Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when what he thought was a summer crush has him unexpectedly falling in love. But soon after Gracie transfers to UT Knoxville to be with Noah, their unexpected love becomes riddled with anger, deceit and humiliation.

Jake, Noah’s former roommate and Gracie’s best friend, can no longer be a bystander. Gracie’s world falls out from beneath her and when she breaks she turns to Jake for strength. As Jake talks her through a decision she’s not yet strong enough to make, together they uncover a truth so ugly neither of them is prepared for its fallout. Will Jake pull her to the surface or is Gracie Jordan finally In Too Deep?

 

My Review:

I am beyond lucky to have received an advance copy of In Too Deep, the debut work from Michelle Kemper Brownlow. This was a story that pulled me in and didn’t let go….and I loved it!

Gracie is a happy, innocent, southern good girl with a great life, a great boyfriend with her whole college career, and life, ahead of her.  Everything is going well in her life until she meets Noah, the typical handsome, rugged bad boy with a reputation that screams: STAY AWAY.  As much as Gracie knows all about Noah, and his frat-boy ways, she also knows he shows her a softer side of himself that no one has ever had the honor of seeing.  It’s a rare glimpse into his soul she knows she can’t resist and isn’t willing to run from, no matter how bad his reputation is.

Noah has had his fair share of girls…but there’s something about Gracie.  She makes him want to be a better person.  He realizes he’s fallen for her….hard and fast. The problem is, he’s been the bad boy for so long, it’s all he knows.  The revolving door of girls, the parties, the booze and the cocky attitude that comes with it.  Hell bent on getting Gracie, he’s willing to do whatever it takes.  But when Gracie transfers to his college, even the best laid plans can crumble….and soon Noah’s ability in excelling at being a bad boy prick outshines his efforts to be the kind of guy she needs and deserves.

Gracie and Noah have a road ahead that will end up taking a toll on emotions, friendships and will end up crushing each of them in very different ways.

As I had said earlier in this review, this book pulled me in and didn’t let go until I read the very last word on the very last page….even as I write this review, Gracie and Noah’s story is with me.  This was a high emotion, gut wrenching, beautifully bittersweet love story…one that I’m sure many of us can relate to.  It’s a story about being so in love with a person that no matter what their faults are, the want and need to believe in that person trumps all reason…even if you know deep down inside what you are fighting for simply isn’t worth it.  I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to scream at Noah, and Gracie, while reading.  Michelle has done such an amazing job at transporting the reader into Gracie and Noah’s world and feeling all of the twisted emotions in this story.  I audibly gasped and was actually talking to Gracie while I was reading….I’m not sure if I have ever done that before with a book!  I was so utterly conflicted while reading Gracie and Noah’s relationship and the up’s and down’s that came with it.  And let me say, they were some great up’s and dismal down’s…but I loved it and I felt it.  I felt the hurt and the pain and the happiness.  Gracie grew up before our eyes, thanks to some amazing friends, and I was cheering for her to become the woman she had the potential to be from the very first chapter.  Noah is a sad soul, who I was also cheering for…but there are some things that he did that I had to put my megaphone away for.  The back and forth between them took a toll on me, but in my opinion, that’s the sign of a good book.  I want to feel something in the hours after I’ve finished reading, and Michelle has done that with In Too Deep.

I was a nervous wreck for the ending.  Noah had pulled my back into his corner many, many times throughout the story that I was truly conflicted with if I wanted them together or not.  Well, I won’t spoil it, but I will say I was relieved and delighted with how it played out.  Perfect, if you ask me.

Thank you, Michelle, for an amazing story.  I look forward to reading more from you and I know you have a bright future bringing us your amazing writing talent!

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

4andahalflovesFour-and-a-half Loves

 

About the author:

Michelle Kemper Brownlow has been a storyteller her entire life. Her debut was on the high school cheerleading bus granting requests to re-tell her most embarrassing moments for a gaggle of hysterical squadmates.
Earning her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University in Art Education and then marrying her very own “Jake,” she moved to Binghamton, NY where she taught high school. After having two children she quit work and finished her Master’s degree in Elementary Education at Binghamton University.
The Brownlow family of four moved to Michelle’s hometown of Morgantown, PA while the children were still quite young. A few years after moving, her family grew by one when they welcomed a baby into their home through the gift of adoption. The family still resides in PA, just miles from where that high school cheer bus was parked.
Michelle has been an artist for as long as she can remember, always choosing pencils and crayons over toys and puzzles. As a freelance illustrator, her simple characters play the starring roles in numerous emergent reader books published by Reading Reading Books.
“Writing is my way of making sense of the world. When I give my characters life on the pages I write, it frees up space in my mind to welcome in new stories that are begging to be told,” says Brownlow.

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Book Tour & Giveaway…Time Changes Everything by Melinda Dozier

time changes everything tour

Synopsis:

Amanda Larson is dedicated to her job and doesn’t want to make time for anything else. Until she runs into Jake Edwards. He used to be the cute boy next door; now he’s a sexy, big shot lawyer.

Jake Edwards isn’t interested in commitment. He’s successful, sexy, and single–and that’s how he likes it. When he reconnects with Amanda, Jake realizes he might have to rethink his philosophy on the carefree, bachelor lifestyle.

But, is it too late for them? Or can he convince her that he’s ready to give her his heart?

 

Excerpt:

In high school, Amanda was someone special. Hell, even before then. Their parents were best friends, which had forced Jake and Amanda together. At first, he’d thought it was a hindrance. Later, when she developed longer legs and a bigger bust, he found himself around her more. After discovering her quirkiness, her love of art and her sense of humor, he actually enjoyed being around her. But he never touched her.

He contemplated running his fingers through her hair like he did his first year of college –– the last time they were alone –– the night he left town and never saw her again.

Did she remember the night he left? Of course she did. Seven years ago, he’d ruined their friendship.  He knew Amanda almost as well as he knew himself. Well, he’d known her. Now she was a different woman.

 Jake leaned in closer, running his hand down her arm. “Know what I’m thinking?”

Amanda fiddled with her coaster and smiled at him. “I’m not sure I want to know.”

“I’m thinking we should spend a lot more time together.” He reached over and held her chin. “It’s been way too long.”

Amanda licked her lips, and damn it, it actually turned him on. Sweet little Mandy Larson wasn’t so sweet anymore. She was driving him crazy.

She moved closer bridging distance. “Why wait? There’s no time like the present.”

“Exactly.” He drank the last of his beer as the waiter returned with her martini sans olive. 

Jake leaned on the table with his elbows, folded his hands together and studied her.  “Look at you, drinking a martini, living the life in New York City.” He examined her from head to toe. “A sexy skirt. Tall boots.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “A beautiful face.”

Amanda hiccupped and put down her glass. “Now, wait a minute. I know it’s been a while, but some things never change, including you.” She wagged her finger at him. “No smooth talking with me. Don’t forget I used to know you better than anybody.”

Because his fingers actually ached with the need to touch her again, he reached over and held her hand. “Yeah, but things have changed, Mandy. We’re two different people now, and I can’t wait to get to know who you are now.”

 

Melinda will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate and an ecopy of Time Changes Everything. Winner will be announced on Melinda’s blog May 25. Good luck! 

 
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About the author:

Reading romance has always been at the top of Melinda’s favorite past times. After hectic days of teaching English to middle school students, Melinda finds time to write and read in the evenings. She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her husband, three boys and German Sheppard. She enjoys being the queen of her household and dreams of being pampered fully by her boys once they are grown. Melinda loves reality TV, traveling, blogging and playing Words With Friends.

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ARC Review….Dangerous to Know & Love by Jane Harvey-Berrick

Web

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Synopsis:

Silence is only skin deep.

Nineteen year old Daniel Colton is the guy all the girls want to date, and the man all the guys want to be. Moody, with an explosive temper, closed off and sullen, he’s also beautiful, tatted in delicious ways, with a pierced eyebrow and spiky black hair. It’s rumoured he has piercings in other places, too. Is he really mad, bad and dangerous to know?

Daniel lives with his older brother, Zef, and their home is party central. You want drugs, a good time, liquor, no questions asked? Colton’s is the place to go.

When Daniel and good girl Lisanne Maclaine have to work together on an assignment, Lisanne finds there’s a lot more to the college’s bad boy than his reputation. He’s intelligent and funny and good company. And then she discovers his secret, why he’s so closed off to everyone, and determined to keep people at arms’ length. But being his secret-keeper is harder than she ever dreamed.

Recommended for readers 18+ due to sexual references and sex scenes, some coarse language, drug references and drug use.

 

My Review:

As some of you may know, I am a big fan of Jane Harvey-Berrick and her work.  I adored the duo of The Education of Sebastian and The Education of Caroline.  So, when I received an email from Jane’s publisher offering a chance to read Dangerous to Know & Love, I jumped at the opportunity.  Only a few chapters in, I emailed back and said:  “Jane has done it again”.  This book was amazing…truly amazing and immediately goes on my favorite list.

Lisanne Maclaine has started college and is adjusting quite well until she has to be paired up with Daniel Colton for a project in one of her classes.  Sure, he’s gorgeous and bad-boy style delicious, but he’s also rude and has an ego the size of Chicago…..in other words: no one she wants to work with.  It’s on their first night of working on their project that she discovers Daniel has a huge secret.  A secret that immediately changes her opinion of him and instantly pushes their relationship into an intimate direction…one that neither her, nor Daniel, had ever intended.

Daniel Colton has earned every ounce of his bay boy reputation and has no intention of changing people’s minds.  He’s happy keeping people at a distance and having them back off with just a sideways glance.  After all, when your older brother is known to be the go-to for illegal indulgences and has turned their house into THE place to party, you kind of have to keep your guard up.  He’s also got a huge secret to keep…and you can’t keep secrets when you let people in.  He’s already lost too much in his young life and he is through with feeling the pain you end up with when the things, and people, you love are lost forever.  Yep, it’s easier to be the tough guy loner that everyone thinks him to be.  But when he’s paired with Lisanne, he has no idea that she may be the one person he will change him for the better.

What starts out to be a simple chance assignment pairing for Lisanne and Daniel turns into something so much more and will show both of them what love, trust and taking a chance can do.

I have to repeat myself in saying that Jane has done it again.  I was a little leery at first, seeing that the two main characters were so young, but by the third chapter, I was completely hooked and threw all preconceived hang-ups out the window.  This story was amazing.  Daniel is described as a rough and tumble, lean, muscled, motorcycle riding, tattooed and pierced, hazel eyed hottie with a bad temper and short fuse….an image that is completely shattered once we realize what he his life has been like for him the past seven years.  It is a HUGE piece of the story, and unfortunately also a huge spoiler, so I can’t give it away.  I know, I know, but just trust me on this!  I didn’t see it coming and I completely melted and fell in love with Daniel the minute I knew what his secret is.  Lisanne is a music major with a nice, normal, white picket fence family and has never really known heartache or what real disappointment has felt like.  One would think that she wouldn’t understand a kid from the wrong side of town, or a kid with such a huge chip on his shoulder…well, one would be very wrong.  She is absolutely perfect for Daniel.  They complete each other beautifully and the emotions between them are so strong.  Whether it’s fighting because one of them is being thick-headed or they are sharing a quiet and loving moment, this couple is just amazing.  They have many obstacles along the way, facing parents and friends that don’t understand their attraction, loss, heartache and prejudices just to name a few.  But they know they can handle it all, as long as they can get through them together.  I cried many, many times while reading this book, and as you know, I do love a book that makes me feel and this is a book that will be with me for quite some time.  Daniel absolutely broke my heart one moment and awed me with his perseverance the next.  Lisanne has the biggest heart and is willing to put it all on the line….for him.

The Book Gods were shining on me when they dropped this gem into my inbox and, although I’m not sure of a release date for any source other than Amazon, I highly recommend it.  From start to finish, this was an emotional, heart-warming story where the Phoenix rises from the ashes and a happy ending comes well deserved.  Thank you, Jane, for once again giving us an incredible story.

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

5LovesRLB

Five Loves 

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ARC Review….Love Me by Diane Alberts

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Love Me COVER

Synopsis:

Thomas Jones has come to Vegas to win yet another account for his marketing company. But when he sits across from beautiful and sensual Brianna Faulk to deliver his pitch, his desire to leave Vegas as quickly as possible is replaced by the need to get close to her. Yet she resists his charm.

Brianna knows a date with Thomas could jeopardize her job, but he’s so maddening and insistent, she has a hard time denying him just one date. But that’s all it can be: one date. Because she has to protect her job and her secrets, even if it means giving up a chance at a life she never thought she’d have again.

 

My Review:

Love Me is the second installment in Diane Alberts’ Try Me series and after loving the first in the series, Try Me, I was beyond excited to receive this ARC from Entangled Publishing.  True to Diane’s writing style, she nailed it!  I loved this story.

Thomas Jones is in Vegas getting ready to meet with another “suit” in order to land another big account for his marketing company…a job he truly excelled at.  Good thing he was more successful in his career, because goodness knows, he wasn’t as successful in his personal life.  After finally leaving his bitch of an ex-wife, eight years earlier, he still has yet to heal from that wound.  As he heads into his latest meeting, he realizes the suit he’s meeting with happens to be filled out deliciously by the beautiful woman he saved from a texting-while-walking disaster in the parking lot.  Immediately Thomas realizes his love life may be sparking back to life after a long hiatus.

Brianna Faulk is fully prepared for her business meeting…and wholly unprepared for the instant attraction to the man she’s meeting with.  She’s equally unprepared for his advances and insistence that they meet for a more casual date later that evening.  She’s equally surprised to find that his advances aren’t exactly unwelcomed…which is totally uncharacteristic of her.  Being a woman in a man’s business world, she’s used to keeping things professional and being somewhat detached.  Thomas, however, makes her want to break her own rules and take a chance and maybe, just maybe, learn to live again.  But, is she willing to give him a chance and let him into her life?  She knows she isn’t strong enough to deal with another hurtful blow from the unkind fates…she also knows not a lot of men like women with baggage, and she’s got more baggage than Macy’s luggage department.

Don’t let the fact that this only has 134 pages trick you into thinking that it isn’t long enough to build a relationship to the characters, because it simply isn’t the case.  This story started out hot and heavy, cooled down, went to high emotion, and ended with the most perfect ending for Tom and Brianna. Thomas and Brianna’s push and pull and build up of sexual tension was delicious. They play off of each other so well and their personalities compliment one another beautifully.  They have a lot to work through in order to see where the road may lead for them, and it’s an emotional roller coaster for sure….but so well worth it!  I gave a heavy contented sigh of pleasure when I read the last chapter….simply perfect.  Diane is one of those talents that pulls you in from the very first chapter and holds you interested until the epilogue.  To me, that’s the mark of a great author!

Thank you, Diane, for another phenomenal story that I enjoyed from start to finish!  Cannot wait for more in this series!

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

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About the author:

Diane Alberts has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.

She is a multi-published, bestselling author with Entangled Publishing, Swoon Romance, and Decadent Publishing. She has, as of this date, four books with Entangled Publishing, one book with Swoon Romance, and five older books with Decadent Publishing. Her February release with Entangled Publishing, ON ONE CONDITION, hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble Bestseller List, and TRY ME hit #76 on Amazon. Her Swoon Romance novella, CAPTIVATED BY YOU, hit #31 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list. Her goal is to write so many fantastic books that even a non-romance book fan will know her name. Diane is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency.

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ARC Review…South of Surrender by Laura Kaye

South of Surrender releases May 28, 2013

Buy from Amazon  ~  Buy from Barnes & Noble

South

 

Synopsis:

She’s the only one who can see through his golden boy façade to the broken god within…

Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind and Summer, is on a mission: save Eurus from his death sentence and prove his troubled brother can be redeemed. But Eurus fights back, triggering vicious summer storms that threaten the mortal realm, dangerously drain Chrys, and earn the ire of the Olympic gods who ordered Eurus dead.

Laney Summerlyn refuses to give up her grandfather’s horse farm, despite her deteriorating vision. More than ever, she needs the organized routine of her life at Summerlyn Stables, until a ferocious storm brings an impossible—and beautiful—creature crashing down from the heavens.

Injured while fighting Eurus, Chrys finds himself at the mercy of a mortal woman whose compassion and acceptance he can’t resist. As they surrender to the passion flaring between them, immortal enemies close in, forcing Chrys to choose between his brother and the only woman who’s ever loved the real him.

 

Review:

This is the third book in Laura Kaye’s Hearts of the Anemoi Series and I have been looking forward to reading it since finishing West of Want, the second title in the series.  Well, it was well worth the wait.  This, so far, is officially my favorite book in the series. Loved, loved, LOVED!

Laney Summerlyn lives a very routine and organized life on the beloved horse farm left to her by her grandfather.  Learning to live with a degenerative disease that is slowly stealing her sight, having such a routine and organized life is crucial to letting her keep her independence and stay with her cherished horses.  With a little help around the farm from her close family friend, Sam, she has managed to do just that….until a severe summer storm rips through the farm and sends something, or someone, crashing through her barn and turns her life completely upside-down.

Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind, is on the hunt for his brother, Eurus, and is determined to save him from a death sentence that was handed down from the Olympic gods…even if the sentence was rightfully earned by his evil brother’s transgressions. But it seems that all the paths that should lead him to Eurus turn up to be dead ends. On this night, however, he finds Eurus and also finds himself in a fight nearly to the death.  Severely wounded and completely out of it, Chrys winds up crashing through Laney’s barn and into her life.  Will she be able to heal not only his physical wounds, but also his burdened soul?

Together, Laney and Chrys, along with Chrys’s family, must journey on a mission to find Eurus as the situation passes bad and heads straight into disaster territory.  Eurus has gained too much power and must be stopped.  Now, after helping Chrys heal, she unknowingly has a front row seat to otherworldly conflict.  Will a human be able to withstand a clash between gods? Will a god be able to withstand the attraction and lure to a human?

As you all know, I am a huge fan of Laura’s writing…and with this book she continues to earn her spot as a favorite author of mine.  This story was told with such feeling and description that I honestly felt what Chrys and Laney were going through.  I could feel Laney’s determination and perseverance, I could feel Chrys’s need for a resolution and the swirling emotions he has concerning his brother.  The story line was exciting and well written.  The back and forth between loving moments, terrifying fight scenes and defeated sadness was done with the perfect amount of each that ultimately gave a delicious balance to the story.  I also appreciated the mythology built into the story and felt that was done equally well…it wasn’t overly explained and filled with more than necessary for the story line which sometimes happens when mythology is involved. Ultimately this story has everything I love in a book…I laughed, I had white-kuckled-ereader-gripping moments and I also cried…a lot.  To me, that’s what a great story does for a reader….takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. South of Surrender was that, and more.

Since I am not a fan of spoilers, I can’t give you much more in regards to what happens with Eurus and if they resolve their conflict.  I will tell you that I am anxiously awaiting the next release in this series to see what is next for our favorite Anemoi family.  It was so great to see our friends from the previous books…Owen and Megan, Zeph & Boreus.  It was also wonderful to meet new characters that will undoubtedly be seen more in the future!

Thank you, Laura, for yet another amazing story and for giving us Chrys *dreamy sigh*.   I look forward to reading more from The Hearts of the Anemoi Series and, well, honestly, more of anything you have to write for us!

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

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About the author:

Laura Kaye is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Laura’s hot, heartfelt stories are all about the universal desire for a place to belong. Laura grew up amidst family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Laura 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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ARC Review & GIVEAWAY…Summer in Napa by Marina Adair

To celebrate the release of Marina Adair’s Summer In Napa, the second in her St. Helena Vineyard Series, I am so happy to offer a signed paperback copy to give to one lucky winner (US residents only)!  

The rafflecopter is posted below my review with all of your chances to win!  

Good luck! 

Summer in Napa releases May 14

Summer-in-Napa cover

Buy from Amazon  ~  Buy from Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis:

When Alexis “Lexi” Moreau caught her husband, Jeff, sampling the sous-chef’s more intimate wares in their New York restaurant, she ran—all the way back to her hometown of St. Helena, California. Six months later, Lexi has no husband and no restaurant. But she does have a three-step plan: First, convert her grandmother’s bakery into her dream bistro. Second, ignore Grandma’s matchmaking attempts. And third, avoid Marco DeLuca, her ex’s commitment-phobic, distractingly sexy best friend.

In school Lexi was off-limits for Marco. After all, she was his buddy’s girl. But she’s still as smart and as gorgeous—and apparently as immune to his charms—as she used to be. Yet the simple fake romance they agree upon to dodge Lexi’s grandmother’s matchmaking plans soon turns deliciously complicated. And the sultry summer might bring together all the right ingredients for Marco to win the only woman he’s ever wanted.

 

My Review:

This is the second installment of Marina Adair’s St. Helena Vineyard Series and follows Kissing Under the Mistletoe.  I was so excited and looking forward to this story after loving Kissing Under the Mistletoe and it lived up to every expectation I had….and more!

Lexi Moreau is back in her hometown of St. Helena and looking for a new start after leaving her ex-husband, ex-restaurant and ex-dreams behind in New York.  What she isn’t looking forward to is running into all of her old friends and having to deal with all of their questions….and worse, their pity.  What she REALLY isn’t looking forward to is a calendar bursting at the seams with blind dates set up by her grandmother and her grandmother’s friends.  Lexi has a lot on her plate with trying to re-build her life and find a new future, certainly she won’t have time for love, but when she starts seeing old friend Marco DeLuca more and more, Lexi realizes that he may have been “the one” all along.

Marco DeLuca is up to his eyeballs in work.  He’s trying to get the old hotel, his hotel now, the one  in the center of town, up and ready to showcase at the Summer Wine Showdown…which is the biggest event in St. Helena every summer.  What he isn’t planning on is running into a very stuck Lexi Moreau hanging ass first out of her grandmother’s bakery window.  He always had a thing for her, but she had married his best friend, and even though they weren’t together any longer, she was still off-limits.  Man code dictated she was still off-limits.  So he should walk away, but Marco was never known to walk away from a beautiful woman.  His shoulder just may be the shoulder she needs to cry on….and he may end up realizing he should have never let her marry his dumb-ass of a former best friend.

Together, Marc and Lexi have more obstacles to hurdle than most.  Grandmothers determined to set her up, long-buried feelings, town snoops, bitter ex-girlfriends and an ex-husband that turns out to have a laundry list of dishonest deeds that threaten to ruin what Marc and Lexi have just begun to realize as a love they have denied themselves since they were teenagers at prom.

What a fantastic, feel good, honest and true romance read.  I freaking LOVED this book.  What Marina gives the reader is truly a gift.  I felt for each character.  Every laugh and every cry and especially every minute of sexual pull between Lexi and Marc.  Dear God….the heat from Marc was palpable.  There’s a scene in this book, in the pantry, that ranks as one of my fave hottest moments (a Frisky Friday post, perhaps?).  Marc has such a way with words that I don’t doubt for one minute that any woman would be putty in his hands.  He is sex on a stick and has such a big heart that when he finally finds love, you know it’s all-in, forever.  Lexi is a freaking dream character!  I love her!  I don’t love many heroines as much as I love Lexi.  The fact that she eats her weight in éclairs through this book and finds the strength to smile in the face of adversity all while still giving love a chance is so admirable.  I had more than a few laugh-out-loud-at-work moments while reading this story.  Lexi and Marc are a book couple I will be looking for in future installments in this series…they are just too great together! Oh, and don’t even get me started on the grandmothers! Those ladies are the best and I wish we all had women like them in our lives! Talk about fan-freaking-tastic characters!! Spunky, no-nonsense, loyal ladies with a love of life and their families….love those old biddies!

Marina is such a phenomenal storyteller.  I am lucky to have been giving the chance to read Summer in Napa Valley and be able to bring my voice to all of you in recommending it.  If you love love, happy endings and paddling through countless emotions to get to that happy ending, this is a book for you.  Thank you, Marina, for doing what you do….and don’t ever stop! Can’t wait to have another visit to St. Helena in the future!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Every author can identify the exact moment of inception, when the skies parted, the heavens sang, and a divine being came forth, anointing them one of the chosen, blessed to spend the rest of eternity weaving stories of ‘ever after’ for mass consumption.

For me, it wasn’t so much a moment, but an intervention.

Sophomore year, my fellow Blockheads sat me down and explained that I had an addiction. I was a NKOTB–A-holic. Afraid of becoming enablers, they refused to listen to another one of my never-ending stories about our passionate intrigues with Jordan, Joe, Jon, Danny, and Donnie. What they didn’t understand was that New Kids on the Block wasn’t my obsession—they were my current romance-medium of choice.

Twenty years later, my romance addiction is a hard, bodice-ripping, half-dozen books per week. When I’m not reading it or watching it, I am writing it—or workshopping it—or editing it—or strategizing how my hands to get more of it.

In 2010, I realized I was closer to menopause than prom and got serious about my career, writing my way toward a post-graduate degree in creative writing (in the off chance that the first one didn’t stick) and becoming a published romance author.

January of 2012, I sold my first novel, TUCKER’S CROSSING, to Kensington Books and The St. Helena Vineyard series to Montlake Romance.  KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE, the first in the series is a National Bestseller and #1 Romance Series bestseller. SUMMER IN NAPA releases May 14, 2013 and AUTUMN AT THE VINEYARD releases October 2013. In 2014 the first in the Sugar Series, BUT SUGAR’S TWICE AS SWEET, will release from Grand Central’s Forever line.

I live with my husband, daughter and three neurotic cats in Northern California.

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Review, Blog Tour & Kindle Fire Giveaway…The Winemaker’s Dinner: Dessert by Dr. Ivan Rusilko

 “Love is beautiful and so are you.  A life without you is a life without purpose.  You’re the happy ending to my books of purpose, fantasy and hope”  ~ Dr. Ivan Rusilko, Desserts

 I am honored to be a part of The Winemaker’s Dinner: Dessert blog tour and Giveaway!

Below, you’ll find my review, an excerpt and the rafflecopter to enter to win a Kindle Fire loaded with the Winemaker’s Dinner Books (Appetizer, Entree and Dessert) courtesy of Omnific Publishing!

Banner Winemakers Dinner Desserts CORRECT SPELLINGS

And finally……Dessert is served!

Dessert_Cover_v2

 

Synopsis:

Left on bended knee, with nothing but a ring in his hand and a gaping hole in his chest, Ivan Rusilko lost everything when Jaden Thorne said, “I can’t.”

Now, six months later and despite her endless attempts to reach him, finding forgiveness for Jaden’s indiscretion is last on his list of things to do. Dr. Ivan is married to his career now, and his professional success is taking him places he’s never been before. But even the glow of accomplishment can’t heal his devastated heart. Determined to recover, to move forward at any cost, he now finds moments of respite in distractions that leave him emotionally bankrupt. He’s empty, a shadow of his former vibrant, life-loving self. On the outside, he may seem to be the man he always was. But inside, a terrible desire threatens to rip him apart and ruin him forever.

Meanwhile Jaden is haunted by the memory of the moment she saw the light wither and die in Ivan’s eyes. She knows it died at her hand. After months of trying to explain herself, of begging for mercy, she takes herself back to Miami, back into Ivan’s path, for one last chance at redemption. Can she entice him back into her arms? Convince him to give her a second chance? She’s determined to do whatever it takes to find forgiveness—even if all that’s left is forgiving herself.
In this final book of The Winemaker’s Feast Trilogy, The Winemaker’s Dinner: Dessert, author Dr. Ivan Rusilko is writing solo, drawing freely on his own life and love experiences to craft a heartbreaking and wildly erotic tale about lost hope, desperation, contrition, and—if it’s possible—the quest for a perfect ending to a real-life love story. True to its title, Dessert serves readers an indulgent, decadent last course, rich with twists, turns, and tantalizing truths.

Love is beautiful, guys like this really do exist, and the power of real romance is something we can all believe in.

 

My Review:

This is the third installment in the Winemaker’s Dinner Series and picks up where Entrée left us…an emotional a puddle of mush on the floor.

We are back in Miami with Ivan six months after the disaster proposal that crushed his hopes and dreams.  He has thrown himself into his career and, in theory, he should be happy with the success he has.  He is, in a way.  But in those quiet moments that work and patients and new expansion plans can’t fill is when the pain takes over.  The Band-Aid Ivan has found to help get him through those moments is just that, a temporary fix to cover a wound that refuses to heal.  He’s been through broken hearts before…surely he can get over this, too, right? Unfortunately, right now, it isn’t looking that way.

Jaden has just wrapped up filming her successful season of One Hot Dish and is beyond happy to close that chapter in her life and say a long-awaited adios to her prick co-host, Damian.  Damian, the self-centered egotistical ass that ruined her life…well, she was just as much to blame now, wasn’t she.  With the season wrapping up, she will be headed back “home” to Miami for a two-month break.  Now she will just have to decide on what to do with her time there….hide or take a stand and fight for the man she left behind, broken.

Together they will need to find their ways back to a sense of peace and, ultimately, happiness…whether it’s together or apart.  You have to go through Hell to appreciate Heaven and the journey they have ahead of them, even six months after the last night they saw one another, is going to be a rough one.

Let me start my part of this review by saying this book took the exact opposite direction I assumed it was going to take….and at the risk of sounding like a cold-hearted bitch, I have to say I am beyond happy it went in this direction.  This book is considerably darker than the others in the series.  That being said, I don’t think I would have been satisfied if this book wasn’t dark.  Ivan is reeling and broken.  He was ready to spend his life with Jaden and she threw his love and adoration back in his face when she declined his proposal and confessed her “adultery”.  It would be unbelievable, albeit less painful, if he was sad for a month and then got back to a business-as-usual attitude.  I was sobbing by page 16, but as you know, those are the kind of books I love most.  I love to feel what the character feels…and to feel Ivan’s utter defeat was truly an experience I won’t soon forget.  I was a bundle of anxious nerves through this read…until the very last 10ish pages.  Damn…those last few pages are some I carry with me for quite some time.  Ivan is truly an artist with words.  There are a few paragraphs that are so well written and the words are spoken with such love behind them I must have read them twenty times after finishing the book.  Freaking perfect!

So here I am…all sad that I’m finished with the book and, of course, am dying to hear what’s next for Ivan but I can’t help but think of one of Ivan’s favorite sayings….”Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened”.  Thank you, Ivan for an amazing finish to a series I will continue to recommend to all of the new readers I come across and thank you for, well,  just being you!

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Excerpt:

“Jaden grabs a first full of his hair and yanks his head back, forcing him to look at her as she seemed to search for something he wasn’t communicating.  Her breath heavy and unsteady, she ran gentle fingers across his face and jaw.  Ivan brought his hand around to the back of her neck and tilted her head, his teeth ripping at her bottom lip.  Her body responded as it always had, and she clutched his hair with both hands.

Releasing her bottom lip from his teeth, he held her face between his hands, studying her face, her reaction as held he against the bricks with his body.  She was every bit as beautiful as he remembered, but he could not look at her now without feeling the pain of having been ripped in two.  But this was not the time for feelings.  He looked he up and down and marveled  at her beauty as the freak within trembled in excitement.  Satisfaction.”

 

 

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About Ivan:

b9cf48f8d9c6650a69cbac5361366c7aDr. Ivan Rusilko is the Medical Director and Co-Founder at the new Club Essentia Wellness Retreat at Delano. Dr. Rusilko specializes in creating healthy lifestyles that support longevity and improved overall quality of life through medically supervised and customized diagnostic and treatment programs, with an emphasis placed on personal patient attention and follow-up.

His debut novel, The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers, is the first book of a three book series which debuted July 31, 2012. The second installment “Entree” was released on December 18, 2012 and the final book, “Dessert” will be out April 30th.  He is excited to offer a male voice in a predominantly female authored genre. Always one with a story to tell, he hopes to continue writing, exploring new genres and projects, as well as field future entertainment opportunities.

He is proud to bring two of his passions, medicine and writing, together in this unique project. He hopes that The Winemakers Feast Trilogy will help spark an enthusiasm and ignite liberation giving women the power and the courage to reclaim their sensual side, focus on their own sexual health and ultimately achieve a better quality of life.

 


 
”The best cosmetic procedure is adding a smile” -Dr. Rusilko

 

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway…His Risk to Take by Tessa Bailey

I am thrilled to bring you the cover reveal of Tessa Bailey’s latest: His Risk to Take.

Talk about a DELISH cover!

Also, Entangled is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card…yay!  Enter to win in the Rafflecopter below!

His Risk to Take releases May 13

HRtT

Synopsis:

The greater the risk, the hotter the reward?

Homicide cop Troy Bennett had a reputation on the Chicago PD for being fearless and in control?until the night his daredevil partner is killed during a raid. From that moment on, he swears he’ll never again be responsible for the loss of a loved one. To escape his demons, Troy transfers to the NYPD, bringing him up close and personal with Ruby Elliott, a beautiful, street-savvy pool hustler.

Reckless and stubbornly independent, Ruby embodies everything Troy’s avoiding, but when she walks into O’Hanlon’s Pub and blows his carefully laid plans to hell, Troy knows he has to have her, risks be damned. But there’s a connection between Ruby’s shadowed past and a case Troy’s working involving a notorious Brooklyn felon, throwing her safety into jeopardy. Confronted with his biggest fear, will Troy push Ruby away to keep her safe or fight to keep her in his arms where she belongs?

Pre-order His Risk to Take at Amazon and Barnes & Noble TODAY! 

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