Review….Brave Girl by Kate Baum

Brave Girl Cover

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Synopsis:

Eve is beyond excitement for her new adventure. Only a truly brave girl could move thousands of miles from home to begin a five year commitment teaching on an American Indian Reservation. As soon as she arrives, she finds that many of the tribe’s people are not very welcoming. They are suspicious of the college students that work and live on the reservation in exchange for free graduate tuition. After a misunderstanding, Eve decides she absolutely despises a certain tribal police officer. Circumstances cause her to keep running into him.

Lou regrets the awkward situation where he first met Eve. He had been openly distrustful of the college girls who have come to live on the reservation. In the past, some of the girls were disrespectful of the tribe’s culture. There is something different about Eve. He can’t get her out of his head. The more he tries to get to know her, the more she pulls away. What will it take for Lou to convince Eve that their attraction for each other cannot be denied?

Eve has given up on men. She has had unsatisfying sex in the past and decided that men are just not worth the trouble. She’s a modern young woman and decides that using a handy tool is all she needs to relieve her sexual frustration. The problem is……there’s a gorgeous sexy police officer that stirs her blood like no man has ever done before. Eve is tough and strong and brave. She doesn’t like the fact that her legs shake and her voice trembles whenever she crosses paths with him. Maybe if she keeps running from him, she won’t have to face what her body…..or her heart is telling her.

 

****Warning – for adults only. Contains graphic sex including a group sex scene and a m/m sexual situation.*

 

My Review:

Brave Girl is the second installment of the Girl Series by Kate Baum.  I really enjoyed the first in the series, Nice Girl, but I adored and devoured Brave Girl! This is Eve’s story….and what a story it was.

Eve O’Malley has been accepted into a graduate program that placed her teaching on an American Indian Reservation.  As much as Eve admires and is interested in American Indian cultures and history, she soon realizes that the local tribe’s people aren’t very welcoming.  Add that to the fact that she is living with three strangers and this surely is a situation only a brave girl would be able to handle.  Lucky for Eve she has the support and weekly chats with her best girlfriends to keep her spirits up.  The girlfriends she has known since forever, they chat about any and everything.  These days the main topic of their weekly web chats is the orgasm pact they all made before splitting up in different directions for school.  You see, none of them have ever had an orgasm courtesy of a man, and now they are determined to experience just that.  Only with the lack of friendly faces here, there’s no way Eve is going to win.  Or so she thinks.  When a handsome, rugged police officer catches her eye, things start to get interesting.

Lou Red Wolf immediately notices the new red-haired spit fire teacher…probably because she is currently giving a fellow officer a verbal bitch slap after a few undeserved rude comments his peer has made to her and her roommates.  These new teachers weren’t exactly welcome here.   Not after the debacle the last teachers this program had brought to their Reservation.  But no matter what the previous situation, Lou knows his fellow officer is out of line and feels terribly for what had just been exchanged.  He knows he owes her an apology on behalf of his department and now has an excuse to come back to see her.  Hopefully he will be able to cut through her temper long enough to hear his apology and hopefully give him a chance to introduce himself properly…because he absolutely wants to get to know her better.

Eve and Lou have a whole lot to deal with on their way to a friendship….let alone attempting to take things further.  Their attraction is undeniable.  Unfortunately also undeniable is the contempt his family, friends, and well, most of the town feels towards these new girls.  The odds are stacked against them from day one.

This book was a-freaking-mazing.  Eve has so much life, spirit and determination.  She knows who she is and why she is the way she is and has no apologies for any of it.  She has a short fuse, speaks (hell, sometimes yells) her mind and fights for what she believes is right…consequences be damned.  She also had a side she rarely shows, and we were lucky to see it.  When she lets her guard down, it only adds to her amazing personality and gives her a depth I could feel.  Lou is absolutely delicious.  He was an alpha male that simmered slowly and came to a rolling boil before our eyes.  He always had a dominating presence but when he showed it in a sexual manner, it was delectable!  Together, Eve and Lou are a fantastic match and compliment one another beautifully!

The secondary characters in this story were all equally well-developed and I feel like I could pick up the phone and invite them to dinner.  Along with the original BFF’s of Grace, Dee, and Janie, the newbies we meet, Cora, Joe, Julia, Lauren, Lane and Cash are a group I hope we get to see more of.  There were a few twists in this story that I totally didn’t see coming but only added to my adoration to each one of them.  I find that it’s rare to be able to get to build that relationship to a whole cast of characters, but I did it with Brave Girl….Well done, Kate!

I will continue to look forward to the releases in the Girl Series (Funny Girl and Smart Girl) and have to thank Kate for giving us Eve and Lou.  This book should absolutely be on your summer reading list!

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

About the author:

I have always been a voracious reader. My favorite genres were tailored to YA type of horror, fantasy and science fiction. I guess it fit being that I am a middle school librarian. I have a young adult series in mind that I always told myself I would one day write. Then, at the young age of 46, I picked up an erotic romance book. I only read it out of curiosity. It was a best seller and ALL the teachers in my school were talking about this particular book. You know the one. It had a certain “tie” on the cover. Instantly, overnight, I became of fan of erotic romance. That summer, I think I read twenty erotic romance books. Since I work in a school, I have the beauty of summers off. I read day and night. My face was always plastered in front of my e-reader. I couldn’t get enough of erotic romance. The passion was exciting and contagious!
What this genre did for me was to bring out characters in my head that I had been dreaming about for years. I became obsessed at the idea of writing my own fantasies. Reading other talented authors gave me the inspiration to write stories about my favorite sexy alpha men. I created the “Girl Series”. Please email me with your comments. I would love to hear what you think!

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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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Blog Tour, Giveaway & Review….Chica Bella by Carly Fall

I am honored to be a part of the Chica Bella by Carly Fall Blog Tour!

Also, Carly is giving away a $10 gift card to one lucky winner so be sure to enter to win in the rafflecopter below and enjoy the excerpt below my review!

Chica Bella COVER

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Synopsis:

Landon “Blackhawk” Walker is ready to get out of the Navy SEALs. He has seen and done enough, and can’t wait to get to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where three tasks await him: get back into civilian mode, take a boat out to the El Arco Rocks, and win back the heart of the woman he lost because of his career.

Maya Gonzalez has tired of the heartbreak that comes with Landon’s deployments year after year. When he walks back into her life, she cannot deny her heart, despite her reservations.

As they lose themselves in each other and the beauty of Cabo, their passion is rekindled once again, but Maya knows that one phone call means deployment for Landon, putting an end to their reunion, and possibly their relationship.

 

My Review:

Chica Bella is the first work I have read by Carly Fall and is part of her Honor Guard Series.  Being a sucker for a man in uniform, I was eager to dig into this book and was happy I did….it was a great read!

Landon Walker is a Navy SEAL who has recently come off of assignment and has come to realize that he may be finished with the SEAL life.  He is back in Cabo San Lucas and hoping the woman he has had to leave behind more times than he cares to think about will take him back…again.  Only this time, he hopes he will be able to stay with her, forever.

Maya can’t believe he’s back, sitting here at her bar, and bringing all sorts of emotions back to life within her.  Hurt, relief, longing, lust, just to name a few.  He had left her nine months ago and she has been worried sick and trying to live a life without him…and now he’s back.  Popping in just as he always does.  This time she isn’t sure she has the strength to love him and have him leave without a word until he can return again.  Sure, she understands his service to his country comes first, but she’s tired of coming second.

Landon and Maya only have two weeks, maybe less, to reignite the flame they have between them and enjoy as much of one another as they can.  Landon is praying he gets the call he desperately wants…the call that they have found his replacement and he can spend the rest of his life at peace, with Maya.

Even though this story is only 53 pages, is has everything a 300 page story has.  Love, emotional turmoil, lust and eventually, happiness.  I really enjoyed Carly’s writing style and was drawn to the characters from the beginning of the story and was entertained until the very end.  I will definitely be checking out more of her work!

Thank you, Carly, for packing a whole lot into a small package!

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

4LovesRLBFour Loves

Excerpt:

“Where were you?” she finally asked, her voice quiet.

“Afghanistan.”

He didn’t look at her, but he felt her body tense next to his. “Were you hurt?”

He shrugged, but then thought better of trying to blow off her questions. Maya had always said she wanted nothing but honesty from him, and he had been the one to offer this Q&A.

“I took some shrapnel in my chest, but it was all superficial.” He gazed down at her as she studied his chest as if she could see the wounds he was talking about.

“Did you kill?” she whispered, her stare never leaving his chest.

Dammit. This was the part he hated because she abhorred violence, but killing was his job. If he didn’t take out the bad guys, they would kill American soldiers, and he would be damned if that happened on his watch. “Yes.”

She closed her eyes for a moment.

“Did you think of me?”

“Oh, God, Maya.” He put his finger under her chin and turned her face to his. Her brown eyes sparkled with tears that made his heart feel as though it might quit beating. “Maya, it’s always you. It’s thinking of you that made me want to stay alive. It’s the thought of your smile, your face, your body pressed up against mine that kept me warm at night, the sound of your laughter that made me smile when I felt like I couldn’t smile again. Maya….”

He didn’t know what else to say, so he did what he had wanted to do since the day he left her almost a year ago. 
He brought his lips to hers.

 

 
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About the author:

I am a wife, a mother and a slave to Nicky the dog.

I think chocolate and wine should be considered their own food group, and I wish Christmas happened twice a year.

I love the hot summer nights here in Arizona when my family and I play in our pool until late at night, and I hate 99.8% of politicians.

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

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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 

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

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

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.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter 

ARC Review…South of Surrender by Laura Kaye

South of Surrender releases May 28, 2013

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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

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

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.

 Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter 

Review…Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

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Purusing the Times COVER

Synopsis:

All that popular Chick-Lit author Mercury Lauren wants is to have one of her books reviewed by the New York Times Book Review – just one – and she’ll do almost anything to get it. In this contemporary romantic comedy, with a nod toward Pride and Prejudice she crosses swords and hearts with the Editor-in-Chief of the NYTBR in a madcap adventure that takes her from her home in Westport to a yoga retreat to a golf course in Florida. Will she get what she wants and will she finally be happy if she does? Only one thing’s for certain: nothing will stop her from Pursuing the Times.

 

My Review:

I was introduced to this title after receiving an email from the author, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, requesting a review.  Of course, I was immediately drawn to the story after reading the synopsis and after finishing the book just last night, I have to thank Lauren for reaching out to me….because I adored this book!

Mercury Lauren is a modern day female author writing what she loves to write.  Unfortunately what she loves to write, books with quirky heroines, humor and satire, lands her in the category of chick-lit.  Now, Mercury doesn’t exactly love the chick-lit label.  The biggest fault with the chick-lit label is that as long as her writing is labeled as such, there’s no way it will be reviewed by The New York Times.  Seeing as though being reviewed by The Times has been her dream since she can remember, this is not good.  Now her mission is to get at least one of her books read and reviewed by Frank D’Arcangelo, Editor-in-Chief of the New York Times Book Review.  After meeting Frank, but not knowing it was him, and calling him a rude bastard to his face, she now has her work cut out for her and will stop at nothing to get her name in that paper. Cue: a mission of hilarity and adventure!

This book had me laughing out loud by the third page.  I absolutely love Mercury and her manic, slightly hysterical at times, quirky, talented, witty, and determined personality.  She is without a doubt, a character I’d love to hang out with in real life! To read her adventures in stalking Frank D’Archangelo in the attempt to change his mind about her and her writing and get her book reviewed was such a treat.  She begins her stalking by emailing him, which turns into an email battle between the two of them, and lands on the list as one of my favorite parts of the book.  Her determination in getting Frank to recognize her writing has her crashing a yoga retreat with the Namaste skills of a toddler, golfing at a five star resort with the skills of, well, someone who’s never played golf before, and receiving the Heimlich after choking on a mushroom the size of a baseball in a five star restaurant.  In other words, a total nightmarish disaster!  All the while, justifying her calamity with a sense of humor that most would envy.  Ultimately, to balance out all of the disaster, emerges a very unlikely romance with a partner in which Mercury truly meets her other half.  Of course, I won’t tell you who it is (you know there’s not a spoiler-ish bone in my body!)…you’ll just have to read the book!

Pursuing the Times is a light, funny, entertaining read that should be on the top of your summer reading list! Ms. Baratz-Logsted has earned a new fan in this blogger and I look forward to reading more of her work.  Thank you, Lauren, for a wonderful story and for bringing us Mercury in all her madcap glory!

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

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

About the author:

Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).

Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.

Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.

In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.

Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.

In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.

Lauren’s favorite color is green.

Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.

Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong. 

 

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!

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

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.

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website

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!

5LovesRLBFive Loves

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