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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!

Five Loves

About the author:

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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Lockout releases May 22

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!

Four 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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In Too Deep releases June 6

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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

Four-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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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

Five Loves