New Reviews – Page 130 – Read-Love-Blog

ARC Review….Love Me by Diane Alberts

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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

Four 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.

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ARC Review…South of Surrender by Laura Kaye

South of Surrender releases May 28, 2013

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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

Five 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.

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Review…Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

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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

Five 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.

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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

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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!

Five Loves

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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!

And finally……Dessert is served!

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!

Five 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.”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Ivan:

Dr. 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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ARC Review…Famously Engaged by Robyn Thomas

Famously Engaged releases May 13

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Synopsis:

Rock star royalty’s favorite son, Jake Olsen, couldn’t help but interfere after listening to his future brother-in-law talk non-stop about his ex-wife, Beth Carlisle. Jake decides that the only way to get the groom’s mind off his ex-wife is to give her a fake fiancé.

Before Jake can convince Beth of his plan, he’s forced to move in with her to avoid the paparazzi. Their instant attraction makes for a sizzling “first date”, but soon Jake’s fame gets in the way and Beth wants out. Too bad Jake’s figured out just why her ex is so obsessed with her, and he’s afraid he’s not going to be able to give her up either.

Now it’s up to Jake to convince this chef together they make the perfect recipe.

Review:

This is the first work from Robyn Thomas that I have read and was honored to have received a copy of Famously Engaged from the publisher asking for an honest review. I am happy to say that it was a really enjoyable story!

Beth Carlisle is in one hell of an emotional rut after the recent death of her mother and is alone with her memories in her mother’s home and in desperate need of a hand to hold to help her through this awful time. Sure, she has her best friend…but he also happens to be her ex-husband and he is currently planning his wedding and surely doesn’t need to be here with her, drowning alongside her in her sorrows. What she needs is a distraction to keep the sadness at bay….what bigger distraction then a gorgeous rock star showing up on your door step explaining that he’s your new fiancé? Yep, that’ll do it!

Jake Olsen has had enough of hearing his sister’s soon-to-be-husband, Brad, talk incessantly about his ex-wife and is convinced Brad is still in love with her. He will not allow his sister to marry a man who can’t get an ex-wife out of his life. Sure, they say it’s just because they are best friends and as close as family, even after the divorce. But Jake can’t shake that something isn’t right and after seeing pictures of the ex-wife, and seeing how beautiful she is, he will do everything in his power to keep them apart until his sister is married. Enter: the fake fiancé plan.

Together, Jake and Beth are stuck in a hopeless situation thanks to the silly fake fiancé plan and now they are in danger of falling for one another…this could turn out to be anything but fake and everything very real.

This was a cute modern-day Cinderella story that had all the ups and downs of a fairy tale. Jake and Beth are in a ridiculous circumstance together, but it ends up being exactly what they both need. Fate clearly had a plan for these two characters. Beth needs someone to hold her up and give her a reason to keep going now that her beloved mother has passed and Jake, as it turns out, is very good at that role. What I liked best about this story was the way both Jake and Beth ended up filling the voids in one another’s lives even though neither one of them originally set out to do so.

I enjoyed this story and read it in a little over a day…it was a light and interesting read that had a fantastic happily ever after that we love best about fairy tales! Thank you, Robyn, for a great story and thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing me with a copy!

Three-and-a-Half Loves

Review…Lover Undercover by Samanthe Beck

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Lover Undercover COVER

Synopsis:

He’s undercover. She’s in over her head.

Yoga instructor Kylie Roberts is the good twin. Or she was—until an accident prevents her sister from dancing at a posh Hollywood “men’s club,” and Kylie has to step into her twin’s sexy stilettos to make rent. But nothing could’ve prepared Kylie for the dead body in the club’s parking lot, a killer who only targets her clients, or the ridiculously hot detective assigned to the case. Too bad he thinks she’s her sister, because Kylie’s willing to volunteer for an intimate, full-body strip search.

Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie’s help. His plan is to pose as a regular customer and draw out the killer. It means long nights undercover, and long dances where Kylie’s body tempts him with sensual promises. Dances that leave them both wanting more. But despite Kylie’s hidden identity and the danger lurking in the shadows, it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this undercover operation under the covers…

My Review:

This is the first book of Samanthe Beck that I have read and after finishing, I happily say she has a new fan. This story was delish!

Kylie Roberts has been known as the responsible twin her whole life. Always doing the right thing and always helping the saucy twin, Stacy, out when she was in a jam….even if that means pretending to be that saucy twin. Now, as Kylie finds herself standing on stage at a strip club getting ready to perform (after her saucy stripper sister broke her leg) she’s kind of wondering if is time “helping” her sister out has gone just a tad too far. This is way out of her comfort zone and way opposite of her nice and calm yoga instructor norm. Even worse is when she has to perform for the handsome stranger her gaze has been drawn to since she walked out from behind the curtain.

Trevor McCade can’t say he minds this part of detective work. Take away the fact that he’s trying to track down a cold-blooded killer, and he could actually almost enjoy himself watching the beautiful blonde dancing half-naked on stage in front of him. But he’s not here for a good time. He’s here to pose as a club regular, hopefully luring in, and ultimately catching the person responsible for two murders that took place here in the club parking lot….and he’s going to need the beautiful blonde dancer currently captivating him to help.

Together Trevor and Kylie will have to play parts neither one of them are comfortable with, especially because Trevor doesn’t know Kylie is already playing the part of her sister, Stacy. Catching a killer has never had such high stakes especially when an unexpected attraction, and love, become factors. Will they be able to solve the mystery and make something good come of these twisted roles they are both playing?

Well, I can add this book to my list of books I devoured in 24 hours! I absolutely loved it. From start to finish there wasn’t a dull moment. Between the murder mystery who-done-it and the sexual tension between Kylie and Trevor, I was glued to the pages the moment I opened the book. Trevor is delicious. The sexy and confident detective is done perfectly and he wears it well. He’s soft when it’s needed and delectably hard when the moment requires. Talk about the perfect balance. He is a character I will lust after for quite some time. Kylie, while strong and determined, is equally scared and unsure. She was written very real with real life feelings and worries. I appreciated her strengths and flaws. The chemistry they have together is beyond hot! Dear God…their first hot scene together had me fanning myself and trying not to drool on my e-reader. Total yumminess! Kylie and Trevor are a truly fantastic book couple. I was so pleased with how things turned out for them and the epilogue was freaking AMAZING! I actually “aww”ed out loud and earned more than a few funny looks from the people sitting around me!

If you’re looking for a fun and sexy mystery, then add this to your TBR list….you won’t be disappointed! Thank you, Samanthe, for a drool-worthy and truly enjoyable read! I look forward to reading more of your work!

*a copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review

Four-and-a-Half Loves

About the author:

Beach bum, book junkie, and award winning author of sexy contemporary romances, Samanthe recently signed with Entangled Publishing to write three novels for their Brazen line!

Sam was transfixed from an early age with any tale featuring a handsome prince, a great dress, and, of course, the all-important kiss, and eventually aspired to write her own happily-ever-afters. Naturally, she became a lawyer. The legal world heaved a sigh of relief a few years ago when Samanthe retired from law to take the plunge as a writer.

When not living the glamorous life of a romance author (i.e., chained to her computer), Samanthe keeps busy with the care and feeding of her extremely patient prince-charming of a husband, a not-so-patient ball of energy known as their son, a furry ninja named Kitty, and Bebe, the trash talkin’ Chihuahua. Their love, support, and willingness to eat Pizza Hut three or more times a week enables Samanthe to pursue her literary dreams.

website ~ twitter ~ Facebook

ARC Review….Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace

Midnight Secrets releases April 30, 2013

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Synopsis:

On a hot southern night, with a storm on the horizon, a family is shattered. Three beautiful daughters—Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina Wilde—go on with their lives, each significantly changed, as they bear the memory of the murder-suicide that killed their parents. For years, they have stayed away from Midnight, Alabama. Until Midnight calls them home.

Savannah is the first one back, when a grueling case in Nashville leads the young prosecutor to seek shelter in the quiet of the once grand Wilde mansion. But when she finds letters casting doubt on her family’s dark, shameful past, she realizes that peace in Midnight is a shallow façade and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Zach Tanner, once the town’s bad boy, is now the new police chief and still has a wild hold over her. Zach can feel it, too, but he hurt Savannah once. As teenagers, they broke every rule together. Now it’s his job to keep her safe, even though he isn’t sure who her enemies are—or which ones might be his own.

My Review:

This is the first book in the Wildfire Series by Ella Grace. I was lucky to receive this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review and here is my overall opinion: I. Loved. This. Book.

Savannah and her sisters are well-known in their small town of Midnight, Alabama. Not only are they part of the wealthiest family in Midnight and beautiful triplets, but also they are the girls whose parents died when they were 10 of a murder-suicide. Besides their loving grandfather, who has been raising them for the last 8 years, they’ve always had one another. Not many things are as strong as the bond between sisters.

Small-town-bad-boy Zach has awed Savannah since the minute she first laid eyes on him as a young teenager. Now, after literally saving her life at the worst senior prom a gal could have, she decides to act on her attraction. Zach can’t imagine how one of the Wilde sisters could possibly see anything in him. He’s been the town labeled riff-raff since he was a kid. His mother has an even worse reputation than he does. To see Savannah looking at him like he was so much more than the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks is something he could have never have dreamed of. How had he gotten so lucky? Zach had planned to leave for the military around the same time Savannah was leaving for college and summer fling they have been enjoying ignites a spark in both of their hearts that no amount distance could snuff out. They were determined to make it work. Turns out the distance wouldn’t be the problem for them….it was the broken trust and hidden secrets that would keep them apart for the next ten years. Funny that secrets and broken trust would be the very things that bring them back together years later.

Savannah, back in Midnight dealing with her family’s affairs after her grandfather dies, can’t stop running into the man who shattered her heart when she was 18. Of course Zach would end up as Chief of Police in Midnight. Ironic, really…protecting the citizens of a town who were always quick to put him down. She had shored up her defenses and refused to dwell on what could have been had he kept his promises all those years ago….but those defenses don’t stand a chance when she sees him again.

Zach knew Savannah was coming back to town. Gossip flows like sweet tea in Midnight. He hoped he would have a chance to explain, and apologize, for breaking her heart all those years ago. Turns out he’d not only have the chance to apologize, but he’d also have the chance to save her life…again.

Ok….I said it in the very first paragraph of this looong review, and I’m going to say it again: I. Loved. This. Book! I couldn’t put it down. I wolfed it down in a little over 24 hours. Zach absolutely KILLED me. His childhood story had me bawling and my heart breaking for him. He is truly the epitome of a book hero. The guy with a bad rap who overcomes all obstacles to turn opinions around and show people just how honorable and kind he really is, and always has been. Not to mention, Zach is freaking delectably handsome with a body to drool over! Savannah has lost her way along her personal journey. The young and innocent girl we meet in the beginning had become cold and indifferent. Luckily she was willing to try to get back to her less cynical roots. The chemistry between Zach and Savannah is pure perfection. They are one of my favorite book couples. I think one of the things I liked most was Savannah and Zach’s willingness to admit their faults and try their best to forgive and move forward. They both realized their love wasn’t something to let go of. *dreamy sigh*

Add in a murder conspiracy and mystery to solve and this book was fan-friggin-tastic!

I will be (not-so) patiently waiting to see what the next books in the Wildfire Series holds for us! I am hooked! Thank you Ms. Grace, for giving me one of my new favorite series.

Five Loves

Guest Review….Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley

Happy Monday!

Motorcycle Man is a story I just finished and was a recommended to me by a dear friend, and up and coming author, Phoebe Chase. (you can find out more about Phoebe at the bottom of this post)

I loved, loved, loved Motorcycle Man…five loves to be exact! I was so thankful for the recommendation that I asked Phoebe to write a guest review for Read-Love-Blog and she was sweet enough to do so! YAY! So, without further adieu…Phoebe Chase’s review of Motorcycle Man:

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Synopsis:

Stuck in a colorless world, Tyra Masters decides to chuck her old life and starts searching for something. She doesn’t know what it is until she meets her dream man. The goateed, tattooed, muscled, gravelly voiced motorcycle man who plies her with tequila and gives her the best sex of her life. But she knows it isn’t the tequila and sex talking. He’s it. He’s who she’s been daydreaming about since she could remember.

Until he makes it clear she isn’t who he’s looking for.

Tyra slinks away from his bed, humiliated. The problem is, he’s her new boss. She just may or may not have forgotten to tell him that part.

Kane “Tack” Allen has a rule. He doesn’t employ someone he’s slept with. And he lets Tyra know that in his motorcycle man way. Tyra fights for her job and wins it using sass and a technicality. Tack challenges her that if she hits his bed one more time, she loses her job.

Tyra is determined to keep her job and keep away from Tack. But she makes a big mistake. During their head-to-heads, she lets it all hang out and shows Tack she is who he’s looking for. And Tack has had a good woman slip through his fingers, he’s not about to let that happen again.

Although Tack colors Tyra’s world with a vibrancy that’s blinding, being with him means she has to live in his Motorcycle Club world. Full on, no holds barred. And since Tack’s world, not to mention Tack, is a little scary, Tyra isn’t so sure.

It’s Tack’s job to convince her.

Phoebe’s Review:

Motorcycle Man is the last in the Dream Man series by Kristen Ashley but can be read as a standalone. And I suggest you do just that if ridiculously hot bikers and fun, wild stories are your thing.

Ashley takes a rough and tumble biker, Tack, and makes you love him, faults and all. In the first quarter of the story, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. Tack was a dick. He bends Tyra’s will to his through scare tactics and intimidation. I was almost ready to give up when the author introduced Tack’s children and a kick ass storyline with the Russian mob. I continued reading and eventually Tack’s faults were shown for what they were: human nature. What turned it around for me was how real this couple felt. Tack says hurtful things when he’s mad; Tyra wants to bail. Tack says something that in his mind is crystal clear; Tyra hears something completely different and internalizes her feelings, keeping Tack in the dark, and keeps trying to bail. Once this pattern was established something struck me – it felt like my life (but on a much less interesting scale, of course.) Communication between men and women is a minefield. And until a couple learns to talk things out and make sure what they’re saying is what the other is hearing, misunderstandings will happen. It was a joy to watch these two get to that place. This is the first book in a long time where I had actual heartache watching them struggle to stay together.

Motorcycle Man sets a blistering pace. If it isn’t crazy hot sex it’s a rollercoaster thrill ride with Russian mobsters and crazy ex-wives and a great cast of supporting characters. You’ll love Aunt Bette!

This was the first book by Ashley that I’ve read, but it won’t be the last.

Five Loves

About Phoebe:

Phoebe Chase sneaks in writing during the daylight hours while wasting away in a cubicle and then again after the sun has set at home, the gecko has been fed, and the children put to bed. She hopes to fight her way out of the cubicle one story at at time.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

email Phoebe: phoebe.chase.writes@gmail.com

ARC Review….Kill Shot by Liliana Hart

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Releases April 30

Synopsis:

Grace Meredith is the CIA’s most deadly assassin. Too bad she’s gone off the grid and become a mercenary for hire. After the death of her daughter by a sniper’s bullet, Grace can no longer stomach the demands of agency life or keep herself from blaming the only man she’s ever loved. Her mind and body are fragile, and she knows she’s just a step away from breaking down completely.

Gabe Brennan hold’s the weight of the world on his shoulders. As one of the most brilliant black ops agents the CIA has ever employed, he knows it’s no one’s fault but his own that his child was gunned down in cold blood. He might not have been able to save his daughter, but he’s determined to save his wife. He only has to find her first.

Sexual tension crackles between Gabe and Grace from the moment they’re reunited, but between the man who is hunting them, a secret that’s been buried for eighty years, and a turbulent past—the odds are stacked against them.

My Review:

Kill Shot is the first in the Collective Series by Liliana Hart and WHOA! Talk about an action packed, hot and heavy suspenseful thriller from start to finish!

Grace Meredith is a gun for hire and trying to put her past far behind her. She had been one of the best assassin’s the CIA had ever seen, but that was her old life. A life she thought was perfect until it all came shattering down with the death of her daughter. Now where there once was joy, is just pain and determination for revenge….revenge against the terrorist that took her happiness away. With her target in her sights she is one step closer to her goal. The last thing she needs is a distraction in the form of a former fellow team member and ex-husband she left behind two years ago along with her shattered past.

Gabe Brennan is a ghost within the CIA. He’s been a black ops agent, and a ruthless one at that, for as long as he can remember. His life has always been about completing missions and he had been happy doing that with his wife by his side. But that was in the past. Now, there’s a gaping hole in his life since his daughter was murdered and wife walked out of his life two years ago. Now, his latest mission is to get Grace back, and act on her thirst for revenge, helping her take down the terrorist scum that took their child’s life. Easier said than done since Grace blames him and his role in the CIA for their daughter’s death. Convincing her to join him on his latest op may turn out to be his toughest mission yet.

Wow. Just wow. This book was amazing. From the very first chapter the personalities of Grace and Gabe were brilliantly developed. Grace is a tough as nails, no-nonsense, kick ass professional but as we got to see, had a softer side that as a woman reader, and mother, could identify with. A talent that Liliana brought to the character that is, in my opinion, difficult to do. Sometimes with a tougher female character, it’s hard to give a good mix of emotion to make her seem real. Grace, I think, represents that perfect balance. Gabe is the ultimate alpha male hero we all love. He is larger than life and can do anything. He also loves his wife, and that right there, is the finishing touch to a great hero! The chemistry between the two alternates between heart breaking and scorching hot. Because of their history, it was easy to jump into the hotter scenes. We bypassed the “meet and fall in love” time frame and it really worked for this story line. Grace and Gabe are a beautifully matched and complimentary couple.

The “mission” in this story is really, really well done. There were so many pieces of the puzzle that each fell into place at the perfect moments throughout the story. I didn’t feel like there were any boring moments! I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I will say if you love twists and turns with a lot of villains and possible outcomes, this is a story for you!

I am truly looking forward to seeing more from this series and from the characters on Grace and Gabe’s team we have been introduced to! Thank you, Liliana, for a wonderfully written, suspense filled, steamy thriller!

Five Loves

Review….Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

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Synopsis:

Can you love someone too much?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

My Review:

Walking Disaster is the follow-up to Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster and is in essence the same story, but told in Travis’ point of view. To say that I had been looking forward to this book would be a ginormous understatement. Beautiful Disaster is one of my all-time favorite stories and after hearing that Jamie was writing it from Travis’ eyes, I couldn’t wait for Walking Disaster to release….*dreamy sigh* it was everything I had hoped for and more.

If you haven’t read Beautiful Disaster, I suggest you do before reading this book. I don’t think you will truly appreciate the emotional roller coaster if you skip over it and start with this book.

This story was the white knuckled, high emotion, crazy intense read I had hoped it would be coming from Travis. From the very beginning I was completely hooked and was a sobbing mess from the prologue alone. Reading about the gut wrenching experience of Travis losing his mother at such a young age, though a child’s eyes, was truly amazing. It gave the reader such an insight into Travis and how he has become who he is today…intense, all or nothing, fierce and protective. If it was at all possible, this book made me love him even more. I cannot even explain how amazing it was to see the world through Travis’ eyes.

And now, let me get to my absolute FAVORITE part….the freaking epilogue. I have dubbed Jamie the Queen of Epilogues. This was the most amazing epilogue in the history of all epilogues. Ever. To be able to see Travis and Abby later on down the road was a gift I will cherish forever. I think I have probably re-read it twenty times since finishing the book. It was just perfect. Truly perfect.

This book will go on my bookshelf next to Beautiful Disaster and will be a book I will go back to time and again, because Abby and Travis are a book couple I truly adore. I am hoping (and praying and dreaming and begging) for more from Jamie and the Maddox family! Thank you Jamie, for giving us Travis…cause damn, he’s just too freaking amazing!!