Read-Love-Blog

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 

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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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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: