Cover Reveal: A Mess of A Man by A.M. Hargrove & Terri E. Laine

 Social Butterfly PR is proud to team up with A.M. Hargrove & Terri E. Laine to share their cover for

A Mess of a Man releasing March 21, 2016!
 

 

Womanizer, Man Whore, Player, Heartbreaker are all familiar names to Ben Rhoades. He prefers Money Man or Sex God, but he doesn’t let other people’s opinions rule him. And he’s only gotten worse without his compass, his best friend, whose devastating death at a young age has taught him a valuable lesson about not getting too close to anyone … ever. 

Until one smart and stubborn woman with eye-catching curves throws him for a loop and refuses to be tamed. Samantha Calhoun has her life on track even after the shattering break-up with the guy she’d thought she’d wanted to marry. With her chin held high, she focuses on her career, building her business and making a success of it all. Only a chance meeting has her lost in a set of alluring steel gray eyes that have her steps faltering and her heart leaping out of her chest. 

Forewarned by not-so-flattering rumors plus his no-holds-bar rules, she tries desperately to play his game while guarding her heart. Only they have no idea of the journey they’re about to undertake when their lives collide. 

Ultimately they’ll tackle the biggest test of their lives because she is his game changer. The one, who through the ensuing wreckage, can domesticate the mess of a man that he is. 

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There is finality to the sound of the door closing behind her. A sort of tormenting peace knowing the end has come. It’s not like I should have expected things to go on this way for long. How could they? I stare holes in the walls as if I can still see her, the one woman I let in. Sweeter than peach cobbler, she hardly has a bad thing to say about anybody—until now. Her parting description of me, beginning with ass and ending with hole, reverberates through my hollow heart, as I stand here rooted to my spot. I’m not even shocked, as this isn’t the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of that sentiment. I’m only surprised because I don’t think I’ve ever heard her so much as mutter a single curse word before. And the first time I do, it’s aimed squarely at me. My hands tighten around a tumbler filled with amber liquid before I toss back its contents hoping for oblivion or something close to it. This road is so familiar. Only this time is different. I never cared like I do now. She means more to me than a quick fuck. Hadn’t I been about to tell her just that? How could things have gone wrong so fast? Don’t be a dumbass. You can still fix this. Instead, I stubbornly stay embedded to my spot because nothing can change the outcome. It’s a truth she and I know will haunt me until my last breath. And it’s created a wall between us I’m unable to climb … even if you gave me a damn ladder. I’ve never been much of a risk-taker when it comes to matters of the heart. I can fill a bank account with a number having many zeros behind it from my astute choices in the market. But I can’t be a man a woman stays with. Hadn’t I warned her about that too? Unable to see past my own shitty existence, I long for her to come back. I want to believe it’s all been some kind of mistake and I can forget what I know to be true. As the seconds continue to tick by, the inevitability that things are really over sinks in. My window of opportunity quickly closes as fast as her car door slams and the engine fires to life. She’s so close, yet miles away. The longer I let the minutes expand between us I know distance won’t make the heart grow fonder. But maybe it’s for the best. Love, or whatever masquerades as it, just isn’t enough for the dirty, fucked up truth. Right when things were better than I ever expected, facts messed it up. Groaning, I launch the crystal glass worth a small fortune at the door I can’t seem to force myself towards. A beautiful show of light plays off the shards as they cascade down in an explosion of fireworks. Visually, it’s what I feel inside as desolation constricts and then obliterates my chest because the best thing I ever had is gone … leaving me with only the certainty I’m meant to be with her. I love you, I whisper for the first time and in place of goodbye. She left me and will never hear it. I can only pray we both survive what’s to come.

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A.M. HARGROVE 

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodge ball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what laptop out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone, called her boss, and quit her job. Grinning, she made another call to her hubs and told him of her new adventure (after making sure his heart was beating properly again). So began A. M. Hargrove’s career as a Naughty and Nice Romance Author. Her books include the following: Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge and Kissing Fire (The Edge Series); The Guardians of Vesturon Series (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent, and Beginnings); Dark Waltz, Death Waltz, Tragically Flawed (Tragic 1), Tragic Desires (Tragic 2), Exquisite Betrayal, Dirty Nights; and lastly Freeing Her, Freeing Him, and Kestrel—all part of the Hart Brothers Series. Other than being in love with writing about love, she loves chocolate, ice cream, and coffee and is positive they should be added as part of the USDA food groups.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | TWITTER

 

TERRI E. LAINE

Terri E. Laine is an avid reader and the co-author of Cruel & Beautiful. When she isn’t writing romance with heart and heat, she is crazily managing a household with her husband and three kids.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Book Review: Unforgettable Series by Nelle L'Amour

Unforgettable: Book One
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. It’s a lightweight but enjoyable story with really funny, hilarious parts and sometimes a bit over the top scenes.

The Story:
Hollywood star Brandon Taylor had an accident and just woke up from his coma. Suffering from amnesia it’s not easy for him to deal with his fiancée Americas It Girl Katrina Moore. As an Actor Brandon has to return to the set of his show soon after he’s released from the hospital but he worries what will happen if he can’t remember how to act. He can’t even remember all those people he’s supposed to know at the set. Will his memories return and will he remember his love to his fiancée? And what if his accident was actually a hit and run? Maybe his PA Zoey Hart can help him out. But he rather seems distracted by her luscious ass.

Wich woman doesn’t love People Magazines Sexiest Man Alive? His assistant Zoey for sure does. If he wouldn’t be such a jerk of a boss, he would be as fine a man in character as he is to look at. Though since his accident, Brandon seems different. He’s still a mean ass but sometimes he is surprisingly nice to Zoey. How can she keep her heart safe if he’s suddenly a lot more enjoyable to hang out with?!



Love/Like/Hate:
I wasn’t a fan of the Prologue. It was quite shocking and really short. It didn’t feel like it belonged to the story and the sentences felt like just thrown in. A lot of information packed into a few pages. I think it would have fitted better in between the storyline.

In the beginning Brandon woke up in hospital after his accident. I didn’t like his first chapter at all and kept thinking “What’s wrong with this guy? He lost his memory and all he worries about is his cock?”

What I didn’t like so much was the repetitive mention of Brandon Taylor being no ordinary citizen, being TV’s highest paid actor, People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive”. And he is engaged to America’s It Girl Katrina Moore, they’re getting married on national TV. It’s always the same.
Zoe thinks about this in almost all of her chapters and even Brandon himself thinks about him as Sexiest Man Alive all the time. This is annoying after a few repeats. Is it even possible for him to be any more narcissistic?

The strangest thing for me is that such a famous Hollywood star that he is, has no security and walks around like a normal person without getting bothered by paparazzi or journalists. And who cleans his house and his gigantic pool? He’s such a weird superstar.

Despite the bumpy beginning and a few weird scenes in between did I enjoy this book. The different POVs from Brandon and Zoey gave some variety. And the other characters added a bit of width to the story though it lacked in depth.

It’s a foreseeable story without surprises. I believe the story would be better if it wouldn’t drag out so much and if it would be just one book instead of a series.

Unforgettable: Book Two
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was disappointed with this second book because I really enjoyed the first one but the characters especially Brandon’s were unappealing. The story is also kind of confusing because it feels like the author had a lot of ideas and wanted to write all of them in this book without bothering if they fit or not. This was at least my perception when I read this book.

There are some good and some really bad parts.
One bad part -> Those dreams again!!![ James Bond and then a spanking dream?! Really? (hide spoiler)] What’s up with all those weird dreams??

[ a sadist? He spanked Zoey already in two situations and he’s still engaged to Katrina! I really don’t like him anymore. Zoey isn’t really experienced with this situation and as far as I as reader know she hasn’t had experience with BDSM. Brandon didn’t even speak with her about any of it. He just ordered her to be still and spanked her. WTF?! She was aroused obviously but also in shock I believe. She cried all the time when they fucked and when he spanked her. She was so weird all the time. And he is ordering her around like a freaking soldier. (hide spoiler)] I’m sorry to say this but I despised the characters and the story more and more… sadly though because I really enjoyed the first book.

Brandon’s character was just too twisted for my liking. [ a dominant? He thinks the opposite from what he does and says. He likes Zoey and his thoughts are good towards her but then he acts and talks as if he is someone different. I would have enjoyed the story a lot more without the BDSM parts and with Brandon being either nice or bad, not jumping from one characteristic to the other back and forth all the time. (hide spoiler)]
And the ending… really?[ couldn’t handle Katrina? I mean, she is a sicko and blackmails Brandon?! Wow. How low of her. But IMHO he should have been able to handle the situation. He is supposed to be a dominant and he shouldn’t have just stand there and let Katrina cuss at Zoey and ruin everything. (hide spoiler)] Wasn’t Brandon supposed to be the hero in this book?!

This story was just what one would call wishy-washy most of the time.

The ending was thrilling and left me hanging in suspense. What a cliffhanger. I had to know how Brandon would solve this problem and I had an inkling on how it would go.

Unforgettable: Book Three
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

With a bang and a boom. This story was like an action movie.
Fast paced, suspenseful and so much happening.

The Story:
The beginning of this book continues where the second book left of. I really liked that because we don’t miss out on Brandon just being blackmailed by his fiancé and becoming desperate of what to do now. He loves Zoey and after the last days they've had together even his cock aches for her. Brandon is devastated as he finds out that Zoey left the hotel for the airport and even though he is after her in an instant, he can’t reach her in time. Will he be able to get her back? How will he get rid of Katrina without destroying his career?

What I didn’t like -> there was AGAIN a stupid Cinderella dream. The book would’ve be so much better without this dream.

Apart from that the story is really suspenseful and thrilling. My nerves were all on edge the whole time and I got an adrenaline kick off this book because I really needed to know what Brandon will do about Katrina and how he gets Zoey back. I just couldn’t put this book down. It was so exciting! This conclusion has ton of it. It was a delight to race through this story.


-- I received an ARC of this series from the author through the Fifty Shades Support Group on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. --

View full review on Goodreads