Release Blitz: Cavalier by T.L. Smith

Cavalier
by T.L. Smith
Series: Crimson Elite #1
Genre: Romance / Standalone

Release Date: December 27th, 2018 

 

Blurb:

Welcome to Crimson Elite, the most exclusive sex club in the world.
Enter at your own risk, and always remember our number one rule—
You must never speak of Crimson Elite—the punishment is severe.

Creed ‘Too Hot For Words’ Christopher

If God created the perfect man he would closely resemble Creed, on the outside that is.
He’s as cavalier as they come. Unconcerned. Cold. Dismissive. I wonder if he has any feelings at all.
And when his lips touch mine, everything goes black. He takes me into his world, and it’s the most magical thing I’ve ever experienced.
And I’m sucked in time and time again.
Like a moth to the flame, I am ready to be set alight.

Elicea ‘F*cks With My Head’ Beckham

Elicea is a firecracker. She has piqued my interest, and no one piques my interest anymore.
Beautiful women are what I do—it’s my work.
Not one of them has managed to get their claws into me the way she does. It’s as if she’s seeing my ice heart and trying to set it alight with each touch of her sinful lips.
But that can’t work, it won’t work.
Not in my world.
 

 

 

Buy now:
Amazon - https://amzn.to/2KCB9PF
Kobo- http://bit.ly/2QIWOIr
B&N - http://bit.ly/2QHQ9y4
iBooks - https://apple.co/2qOfHhE

 

About the author:

USA Today Best Selling Author T.L Smith can be found in almost any chocolate store, eating all the chocolate. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her two kids and husband. Her favourite things to do is dancing, writing, reading and travelling the world. A lover for twisted words and things that make your heart pump you can find her on the following pages.

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Release Blitz: Forceful Intimacy by Hanleigh Bradley

Forceful Intimacy
by Hanleigh Bradley
Series: The Intimacy Series #3

Genres: Contemporary Romance / New Adult

Release Date: December 22nd, 2018

 

Blurb:

Six months. That’s how long Tallulah Conway has been in my life. It’s not been easy. She’s fought against me every step of the way, she’s fought against loving me, letting me love her, fought against a relationship, fought against our future and then when she finally concedes, when she finally gives in and sees the future I see for us, this happens.

Six months… twenty-six weeks… one hundred and eighty-two days… four thousand three hundred and eighty minutes hours… six months is not enough. Nowhere fucking near.
But what if the future I’m clinging to doesn’t exist?

 Buy now:
Only $0.99 on release day!
Amazon - https://goo.gl/jcuvvu

Giveaway:

Hanleigh and several other authors are giving away a bundle of books to celebrate the release of Forceful Intimacy. There are plenty of ways to enter, including purchasing Forceful Intimacy and following Hanleigh on social media. 

https://kingsumo.com/g/85erha/forceful-intimacy-pre-order-giveaway


Launch Event:

Hanleigh is throwing a party to celebrate the release of Forceful Intimacy on the 22nd December in Author Friends With Benefits.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorfriendswithbenefits/

 About the author:

Hanleigh is a British author. She was born in Scotland but has lived near enough her whole life in the South of England, although she recently moved to the Midlands. Hanleigh loves reading books more than anything in the world; whether it’s reading them or writing them, Hanleigh just can’t get enough.

She relishes in the way authors can create whole worlds with the words they put in their books. She wishes that being an author really was magic, just like Once Upon A Time. Hanleigh absolutely adores Romantic fiction. She first fell in love with literature as a small child reading Dr Zeuss. She then fell in love with romance as a genre when she first read Pride In Prejudice by Jane Austen. She checks every five-pound note for Austen’s face but has yet to find her £50,000 five-pound note. Shame.

Hanleigh is about as English as it’s possible to be, which is highly ironic as she isn’t English at all. She sometimes wishes she could live inside the world that she can create inside her mind, but since that isn’t possible she puts pen to paper and shares that world with this world instead.

Why Hanleigh Writes:
When you read a book, your imagination introduces you to a new world. A world that may well be completely different to the one you live in. When you read a book the words of the author bring that world to life. How many times have you read a book or watched a film and found yourself dreaming about it? Your imagination making it a reality. The world the words create is captivating. It catches your attention and works hard to keep it.

There is one thing that is more tantalizing than entering someone else’s imaginings, creating your own. There is something addictive about being able to mould your words into something that causes the reader to fall into your mind. When you put pen to paper and create a world, it’s exhilarating.

Every word has meaning. You know every character intimately. You know every secret, every whisper, every smell, every look, as the author you know the world you created and more so than even the most avid of readers you can get lost in your creation. I guess you could say, I’m a bit of a dreamer.

When Hanleigh Started Writing:
I first started writing as a kid. I was addicted to reading but could never put a story down even when it was finished, so I’d just add a bit more on the end. I was the geek that sat and wrote FanFiction. Now you know just how cool I really am. Then when I went into the wider world and grew up I stopped for a while, until one day I thought heck what if I wrote all these ideas down and somewhere amongst all those ideas I realised there was a whole world of characters just waiting to have their stories told. So here I am, Author In Progress.

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Release Blitz & Book Review: O Come, All Ye Sinners Anthology

O Come, All Ye Sinners Anthology 

Genre: Dark MC Romance

Release Date: December 11th, 2018

 
Synopsis:

Limited edition Christmas anthology from five of your favorite bestselling MC authors!

On the 3rd day of Christmas, Amo Jones gave to me…
One hellraising reckoning,
Two loved ones dying
And a broken girl hanging from a tree…

On the 4th day of Christmas, Anne Malcom gave to me...
One prison riot
Two bullets flying
Three mangled corpses
And a psychopath running free...

On the 5th day of Christmas, MariaLisa DeMora gave to me…
One plea for mercy
Two bodies writhing
Three clues to find her
Four reasons to love him
And a man determined to get his life back...

On the 6th day of Christmas, Chantal Fernando gave to me…
One broken heart
Two best friends
Three familiar faces
Four sexy bikers
Five life regrets
Six nights at a bar
And a second chance romance that’s been long coming

On the 7th day of Christmas, Giana Darling gave to me
One blind eye
Two bloody fists
Three kidnapped whores
Four attempts at murder
Five fights a wrecking
Six nights a fucking
And a bloody biker and teenage runaway finding home.

Buy now: 

Amazon - mybook.to/AllYeSinnersAnthology 

Nook - https://bit.ly/2rwr7Hk 

iBooks - https://apple.co/2C1ovXZ 

Kobo - https://bit.ly/2BaUyTM 

 

My review:

That’s MC in its rawest, purest and best form.

A great mix of varying stories that all have their appeal in a different way.

There’s something for everyone.

Giana’s fast paced story, which was my personal favorite and best short story of all time, and about whose characters I'd like to read more about. There was steam, violence and suspense. Everything a great MC needed.

A great surprise was Anne Malcom’s story because it was my first of hers and also the one with the most depth in this anthology. I definitely want to read more by her. The dark and haunted past of Scarlett had me connect with her like no other in this entire book.

Well, Amo's story was about one of her most loved character, Hella, and for those who know him, this will be the most treat for you.

Complex but also very hot was the shorty of MariaLisa deMora. I liked the tension and that I couldn't stop reading. It really pulled me in and I would love to read more from this author and her characters.

Last but not least Chantal Fernando's story, which was the most lighthearted in this anthology. It wasn’t dark but had great characters who felt strongly for one another though had yet to acknowledge those feelings. A protective and determined biker who finally recognized that his one and only was the girl he was friends with. It was a sweet romance and had me laughing out loud.

Out of Sight by Giana Darling:

This short story was about a girl who had to learn at a very young age how to survive on her own. Her life had never been a walk in the park, so she learned her lessons the hard way in a cruel environment. But this made her a tough chick and led her to the man who became her hero, a man who had to pay a high price for that but would not hesitate to do it all again.

OMG! I never knew I could love a short story this much! Damn, this woman and her books are exactly what make my reader’s heart beat faster. Alone this MC story of hers is worth buying this anthology for!!

(And in case you’re wondering, you can totally read and enjoy this book even when you haven’t read any of Giana’s books before.)

Hellraiser's Reckoning by Amo Jones:

The Queen of dark and twisted had me already with the Prologue! Oh my!

This story gave a tiny glimpse into a rough chapter of an MC couple’s life and showed what it meant to be involved with bikers, and where love and marriage stands when it came to the club. You know, what’s most important, rules and such. It even was a little bit emotional for me, mostly because I was angry at Hella. *haha*

For Hella fans, this is a very nice treat! I enjoyed it a lot although I haven't read all of the books yet and still have to catch up on Hellraiser (I know, I know, shame on me.), but I knew the characters from the books I've read so far. While I did like this shorty, I think it's better to have read the Devil’s Own Series because, although I guess you can read it without any background information, it will probably leave you with some unanswered questions (which is pretty standard for Amo’s series books anyway).

Thunderstruck by MariaLisa deMora:

A hero on the wild side of things, Wildman really was a wild man. He liked it rough on many levels but always willingly so, which differentiated him from the scum of men he rid the world of to make it a better place.

His story was filled with action, hot play and tension. What more could one want?! This was my first read from this author but I'm intrigued by the characters and the MCs to want to read more.

Long Time Coming by Chantal Fernando:

That epilogue had me laughing so hard! Bahaha!! That’s the sweetest and funniest story of this anthology. Not your usual bad mouthed and badass bikers but more like a friends to lovers romance with hidden feelings, jealous emotions and yearning for more.

April and Zach’s easy-read and heartwarming story had me swooning, smiling wide and laughing so hard. What a nice and lovely surprise in this otherwise rather dark anthology.

Hollow Heart by Anne Malcom:

I loved this one! The story had the most depth and I think it was also the longest. It almost felt like a full length story because there was a lot of emotion and background info about the heroine. This was definitely one of my favorites in this anthology and a new discovered author for me.

I loved the power plays between the main characters. They both had such strong personalities and wouldn't give them up. He was an alpha but found a perfect partner in the fierce Scarlett because she was as tough as they come and didn't want to be tied down. She was stubborn and he was determined to hold on to her. What a fantastic couple.

'Some broken things aren't meant to be fixed. Some people are meant to live broken.'

-- I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given by Social Butterfly PR. --

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads

 

Release Blitz & Book Review: False Hope by Meli Raine

False Hope

by Meli Raine
Series: The False Series #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: December 11th, 2018

 
Blurb:

She thinks she’s fooled me. But I’ve known all along.
Almost.

Lily is hiding something, a secret so big, she came out of a year-long coma and her first instinct was to lie.

Who does that? Someone who is afraid. No—not afraid.
Terrified. And it’s my job to take that fear away.

My partner and I have spent countless man-hours hunting down the cold-blooded killer who did this to her. Meanwhile, Lily’s spent her waking hours recovering. Getting stronger. Getting smarter.

Staying beautiful.

Never get involved emotionally. That’s my dictate. Never get attached.

When you realize you’re caught in a triangle, it turns out there is no exit.
Crossing a line is easy. Holding a line takes strength.

Lily’s shooter knows that she’s my weakness.
One I have to get back.
No matter what it takes.

 Buy now:

Apple Books exclusive: https://apple.co/2C4Zk7b

Excerpt: 

 

“How can you stand there in front of me after kissing me like that and tell me everything will be okay when you know there’s no way out?”

“If I thought there was no way out, Lily, I wouldn’t be here.”

“And if I thought there was a way out, Duff, I wouldn’t be here, either.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means, hypothetically,” she says slowly, “that you’re asking me to give you information I don’t have.”

The tipping point happened.

I lost.

She’s gone over the edge. Or maybe I’m the one who’s gone over the edge. There’s no backtracking here. But I’m planting seeds, and seeds, when exposed to sunlight, eventually have to grow.

“Lily, you don’t have to tell me anything.”

“I know.”

“But if you did, if you were going to give me one shred of information, I would ask this: Is the person who tried to kill you standing in this stairwell with you?”

I just handed her my heart. Pulled it straight out of my chest and held it up, waiting for her to take it.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE FALSE SERIES:

False Memory
by Meli Raine
Series: The False Series #1

Buy now:
Apple Books exclusive: https://apple.co/2CxcNpq


COMING SOON IN THE FALSE SERIES:

False Start
by Meli Raine
Series: The False Series #3 

Release Date: January 15th, 2019

Pre-order here:
Apple Books exclusive: https://apple.co/2IKlTzr

About the author:

Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes — and the women who love them. Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.

 Website / Facebook / Twitter / Bookbub / Goodreads / Newsletter
 

 My review:

Who would have thought?! There's a lot more behind the attempted murder of Lily than what first met the eye. Well, obviously it’s more complex than just someone trying to kill a random girl, but it still kept surprising me with how deep the scheming went so far. You gotta be careful and pay attention to the details to keep up.

This entire book was from Duff's POV and while a few secrets were revealed, a lot of them are still in the dark and a ton more questions were raised. The story's long not over and I'm really curious were this will end at one point and how far this will lead us.

'We all have a deep, dark secret. We all have a hidden self that slithers inside of us, doing everything it can to avoid detection.'

As with the previous series, I felt like it's dragging too much and could have been done in a duet rather than a trilogy. It would have been sufficient enough and probably even better for the pace which needs to be faster in my opinion for a suspenseful story.

I loved how this book started – right were book #1 left off – and that Duff finally was suspicious of the killer. It was so exciting because it heightened the tension.

At first – especially in the first book – I really wondered why Lily didn’t tell anyone about Romeo – even though I understood that she couldn’t trust anyone. But now it got so much clearer with how complex this intrigue was.

'We recover from our wounds because the survival instinct is so strong. And those who survive and thrive are the most attractive of all.'

And finally, there were some emotions from Duff, who had been rather emotionless and quiet so far.

But, and here's the obligatory but, Duff's thoughts were frustrating. He thought too often about being human but also being a robot for his job. He was weighing his options of opening up about his secrets or not. It was just too drawn out and it got repetitive. I didn’t understand why his insignificant thoughts kept turning in a circle, and his very strange nightmares didn't help the matter.

Duff had and still keeps a lot of secrets which he can't tell anyone about. It irritated me somehow that this book was all about him and that he all of a sudden became the center of everything. Why was he so special?! Well, at least there was a big mystery puzzle solved from the previous series. But it's still never ending because as soon as one question's answered, a ton more of them open up. More lies, more intrigues.

I liked the book but there was so much filler. As with the other books and series, the beginning and ending was suspenseful and kept me engaged, though the stuff in between was not all necessary and more or less slowing the pace down.

The sudden physical closeness between Duff and Lily surprised me. He had been her detail for a while but there wasn't even a real friendship because she didn’t yet fully trust him, so it just felt a bit like coming out of nowhere with full force. But this was the least of my worries in this book because I was more frustrated with the repeating thoughts from Duff. At any rate, there was more of Duff and I surely can't complain about that, though the story suffered a bit from it.

Let's see what the last book brings and if there will be a new series where this complexion goes on.

-- I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given by Give Me Books Promotions. --

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads

 

Cover & Blurb Reveal: Run to You by Lara Adrian

Run to You
by Lara Adrian
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Release Date: January 29th, 2019

 Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian’s sizzling, suspenseful 100 Series continues with RUN TO YOU, a scorching new standalone contemporary bodyguard romance featuring friends of billionaire Dominic Baine and his artist fiancee Avery Ross.

Once a celebrated model, Evelyn Beckham dominated the fashion runways of New York, Paris, and Milan. But life under the lights nearly destroyed her, and at the height of her career she walked away from it all. Now, five years later, Eve’s built a new life at the helm of Manhattan’s premier high-end lingerie boutique, L’opale. Chosen to design the bridal ensemble for billionaire Dominic Baine’s fiancée, Avery Ross, it seems Eve’s stars have finally realigned—until her return to the spotlight thrusts her into the crosshairs of a danger that’s been watching from the shadows, waiting for the chance to strike.

Gabriel Noble didn’t go to war to become a hero, but when he returned from the battlefield in Afghanistan it was with a chest full of medals and a broken body filled with shrapnel. Losing his leg derailed more than Gabe’s career, and when no one else was willing to take a chance on him, Baine International put him on their security team. Now, Gabe would do anything for Dominic Baine—including keeping a covert, protective eye on beautiful Evelyn Beckham as a personal favor to his boss and friend. But keeping Eve safe means keeping her close, and soon the lines between duty and desire begin to blur into a consuming passion too powerful to be denied. With Eve’s life in escalating peril and her faith in him certain to shatter, Gabe will have to risk everything to protect her while facing the most intense fight of his life . . . the battle for Eve’s heart.

 Pre-order here:
Nook: http://bit.ly/2G2UvPu
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Qd99rY
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2zM0l1X

Live Alert:
Kindle: http://bit.ly/2E1bWgF

About the author:

LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times and #1 internationally best-selling author with nearly 4 million books in print and digital worldwide and translations licensed to more than 20 countries. Her books have been named among Amazon’s Top Ten Romances of the Year, and have also been nominated by readers multiple times as finalists for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance of the Year. Reviewers have called Lara’s books “addictively readable” (Chicago Tribune), “extraordinary” (Fresh Fiction), “strikingly original” (Booklist), and “one of the best vampire series on the market” (Romantic Times).

Writing as TINA ST. JOHN, her historical romances have won numerous awards including the National Readers Choice; Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice; Booksellers Best; and many others. She was twice named a Finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards, for Best Historical Romance (White Lion’s Lady) and Best Paranormal Romance (Heart of the Hunter).

With an ancestry stretching back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, the author lives with her husband in New England, where she is working on her next novel. 

Release Blitz & Book Review: Engaged to the EMT by Piper Rayne

Engaged to the EMT
by Piper Rayne
Series: Blue Collar Brothers #3
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: December 6th, 2018

Blurb:

A Sexy FAKE RELATIONSHIP rom com standalone written by a duo of two USA Bestselling Authors.

Luca Bianco is a jerk. There I said it.

He thinks he’s so suave and sexy, walking around in his paramedic uniform stretched out by all his hard muscles and saving lives every day. I swear he thinks every woman in the world would kill for a chance to be with him.

Men like Luca are good for one thing only—a one-night stand—not commitment. I don’t care if my friend did pay good money at a charity bachelor auction for me to go on a date with him, I refuse to do it.

That is until Luca offers me a deal I can’t refuse, and I agree to be his pretend fiancé.

The heat that’s simmered between us for a decade ignites and I’m not sure even Luca will be able to kickstart my heart after I call code blue.

What’s that saying? Love is blind?

Not true. I can see this head-on collision coming a mile away.

Buy now:
Amazon US ~ https://amzn.to/2Cnriep
Amazon UK ~ https://amzn.to/2J24KkW
Amazon CA ~ https://amzn.to/2yJamf2
Amazon AU ~ https://amzn.to/2QXFGyd
Apple Books ~ https://apple.co/2LeqehM
B & N ~ http://bit.ly/2uEw3vy
Kobo ~http://bit.ly/2uE1jek
Google Play ~ http://bit.ly/2zXb7VL

Excerpt:

The light from the street reflects the humor shining in his eyes. “I’m just sick of the fighting.”

“Fighting is what we do best. It’s basically how we communicate.” Then all the puzzle pieces join together in my head. I’m so stupid. “You want something.”

We pull up in front of my house just as I realize what a fucking moron I am.

“Nope.” He takes the keys, grabs the bag of food and gets out of the car.

He’s totally playing me. I might not be a psychologist who can quickly spot a liar, but Luca, I know too well. Not well, but when it comes to our interactions—I know him. And this nice Luca, taking me to a Hawks game, buying me dinner, wanting to eat with me…this isn’t the Luca Bianco I know.

I climb out of his car, the slam of the door echoing down the dark residential street. “Tell me what it is you want.”

His lips remain straight, not even a hint of a smile or smirk.

Another clear sign that this isn’t the Luca I know.

“Come on. Let’s eat.” He nods in the direction of my house.

“By prolonging whatever it is, you’re just pissing me off, which means if you need something, I’m more than likely going to say no. Or we could play a little game…”

“How about we eat?” He waits patiently as I insert the key into my door, disengage the alarm that Cristian, Luca’s brother insisted we get installed.

Police officers. Jeez.

We step inside and he’s the one to shut the door and flick the lock.

“Planning to have your way with me?” I’m not serious as I walk into the kitchen to grab us some drinks, utensils, and napkins.

The sound of the television blaring drifts into the kitchen seconds later.

With my hands full, I head back into the living room. “Feel free to make yourself at home,” I deadpan, handing Luca a Vitamin Water and a napkin.

“Thanks.” He lifts the napkin and drink. “And thanks.”

We sit on the couch because although our house is nice and newly redecorated thanks to Maddie’s mad skills, the family room area is small and the best place to see the television is the couch. No worries though, there’s still a cushion between us.

I open up my box of food, a little bit of steam hitting my face. “I can’t just sit here and watch soccer with you and not know what you want.”

I hate that I’ve had to resort to being sincere in my request.

He opens up his own box and I’m a tad jealous I didn’t get the burger. It smells and looks delicious.

Luca doesn’t respond, just stands and heads into the kitchen.

He knows our house way too well thanks to his brothers always suggesting we meet here when we go out.

I pop a cauliflower floret into my mouth, tasting the Korean flavor makes my mouth water. Opening up my Vitamin Water to cool my tongue, I ignore Luca’s return, instead, fixating on the television as he rounds the coffee table in front of me. The couch dips with the weight of his body which is now closer than before.

I’ve never been alone with Luca, much less this close. I feel a shift in our volatile relationship like the stillness before a storm. It’s too quiet. It’s too calm. Too…enjoyable.

“Here.” My gaze shifts from the television, although I couldn’t tell you the score of the game and I see he’s holding half his burger out to me.

“What’s this?” I ask, loading my mouth with another califloret.

Man, it’s hot.

“I think you had a little bit of drool dripping from your mouth when I opened the container. How about we share?”

He smiles. A smile I’ve only ever seen on his face with his friends, or his brothers, and especially his mom. He doesn’t even wear this smile when he’s with girls. At least not that I’ve ever seen. That fact runs around my stomach stirring up the butterflies to max flight.

I don’t like this.

It’s too damn calm.

Where are the eighty mile per hour winds?

“Luca, if you don't tell me what you want, I’m going to kick you out of my house.” I take half the burger and slide my cauliflower and fries closer to him as an offering.

“You can’t just wait?” he asks, seeming disappointed.

“HA!” I point to him with a greasy finger. “You do want something from me. Tell me what it is.”

“You’re ridiculous you know that, right? A normal person would wait.”

I shake my head. “No, they wouldn’t.”

See, this feels good. This feels right.

“LUCA!” I scream.

He blows out a breath. “Fine. I need a favor from you.”

About the authors:

Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because we’re not one author, we’re two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors for the price of one. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have "Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle" (okay...you caught us, that's our tagline). A little about us... We both have kindle’s full of one-clickable books. We're both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We're both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.

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My review:

Well, I said it before and I’ll say it again, this is my all-time favorite series!! I could never decide between those brothers though, and who would dare me to anyway?! So I love them all equally to infinity. =P

Their mama surely raised them right. They had manners and big hearts. I especially loved how welcoming this family was and that those tough guys all had a warm and soft side that made me putty in their hands.

Knowing Luca from the previous books, he might seem arrogant and very sure of himself. Well, that might be true to some extent but there were more layers of him which I discovered in this book and I think he will even get those over to his side that were bigger fans of his brothers, because Luca’s charm is irresistible. To be honest, I have always liked him, so I was very excited for his story.

‘The way he scribbles his name reminds me of a serial killer or something.’

Lauren and Luca had a lot in common. They were both competitive and hated each other like no other, or did they really?! Well, let’s just say that they didn’t see the arrow coming, which Cupid shot them with. Actually, nobody saw it coming, neither his family nor her friends. Imagine their surprise.

I loved Luca. It was a very smart way how he asked her for this favor and he was so nice and lovely and aawww I wouldn’t have hesitated to agree. His waters ran way deeper than anticipated.

Lauren was awesome. She was my favorite out of all the women because she was such a tough, loyal and self-confident lady. There was no other better fit than her to rein in Luca. They both had alpha personalities and while that surely made for interesting moments when they butted heads as nobody of them wanted to give in, they made it work and it never got boring. They’re like Mr. and Mrs. Smith of the book world.

‘We met at the corner of love and hate.’

Obviously, it was not easy to pull off a fake engagement and make everyone believe that it was true. But that was only one of the obstacles they had to overcome because something as big as an engagement whether fake or not can cause a lot more consequences. They sure had their work cut out for themselves because who would have thought that this arrangement would take such a turn?!

I don’t even know what to say after Mauro’s and Christian’s stories. Of course Luca could keep up with them and although I didn’t have higher expectations than of the other stories, because I knew Luca would be amazing, he still managed to exceed them. Talk about competitive. Luca for the win! Luca wins all the ladies and stole my heart.

-- I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given by Inkslinger PR. --

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads

Cover & Blurb Reveal: The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen

The Kiss Thief
by L.J. Shen
Genre: Romance
Release Date: January 9th, 2019

Blurb:

They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.

Two men.

Three lives.

Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

About the author:

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

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Blog Tour & Book Review: Wrapped in Love by Lexi Ryan

Wrapped in Love

by Lexi Ryan
Series: The Boys of Jackson Harbor #4
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 4th, 2018

 

Blurb:

A one-night stand with the boss was never in her plans. Neither was falling in love . . .

The rumors are true. I’m a hot mess with an awful track record at love. Single mom. Down on her luck. Yeah, I’m bad news.

If the hardest part of moving back home to Jackson Harbor was going to be people talking, I’d be fine. I’ve kept my chin up through worse than their decade-old gossip.

I was wrong. The hardest part is resisting my boss. Brayden Jackson is the very picture of tall, dark, and handsome. And thanks to an ill-advised one-night stand we had seven months ago, I know exactly what I’m missing when I turn him down. Every. Single. Delicious. Inch.

But I have my son to care for and my job to keep, so I’ll keep on saying no.

Until my string of bad luck continues, and suddenly my precious four-year-old and I find ourselves with nowhere to live. At Christmas, no less. It’s for my son that I accept Brayden’s offer to stay at his place. One by one, my defenses are falling, as fast as I am. If Brayden was smart, he’d run, because it’s only a matter of time before he realizes he deserves better than what a girl like me can offer.

Unless, for once, my bad luck is leading me exactly where I need to be.

Buy now:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EwksG7
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/WrappedInLoveLR
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2mgsXcq
Nook: http://bit.ly/2NPfXWH
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Ewm5Uf

Excerpt:

“Oh, and this box wasn’t labeled. Where do you want it?” Brayden pulls open the flaps of the box he set on the bed when he entered. “Looks like there are some washcloths in here. And . . .” He lifts a stack of washcloths and peers at the contents beneath. His eyes go wide. “Oh.”
The moment my brain registers what he’s looking at, I lunge for him and smack a hand over his eyes. I intentionally put that box in my car, separate from the others. And I forgot.
Brayden’s chest rumbles with laughter, and I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole. 
Brayden Jackson just saw my entire vibrator collection.
He gently pulls my hand away, revealing eyes full of mischief.
I squeak. “Don’t look in that box again.”
His lips twitch. “But I really, really want to.”
I point a finger at him. “Don’t you dare.”
He presses his lips into a thin line, amusement dancing in his eyes. Then, as if he can’t help himself, he asks, “Are they all pink?”
“Shut up!” My cheeks are on fire.
His voice is the softest caress of a whisper when he says, “Molly, your cheeks are almost as pink as your vibrators.”
I smack both hands against his chest. “You did not just say that word!”
“Vibrators?” He grins. Not one of his smirks or half smiles, but a grin, and damn me and my stupid chemical attraction to this man, because it makes me want to slam the bedroom door closed and climb him like a tree. “If you don’t like the word, why do you have—”
I throw my hand over his mouth. “Don’t say it. We agreed we’d keep our relationship professional—that’s what we both wanted. So don’t say it. Don’t even think about it.” Then, because I realize his lips are pressed to my palm and it reminds me too much of our night in New York when his lips were everywhere, I back away.
The warm amusement in his eyes turns to heat. “First of all,” he says, his voice like silky steel, “those were your rules, not mine. I agreed for you, not because that’s what I want.” He drags his gaze over me, and my heart pounds so fast it feels like a hummingbird’s trying to escape my chest. “Second, even if I tried not to think about you using your little collection of pink toys, I’d fail miserably.” He dips his head, and I can feel his breath against my ear as he says, “I’m already thinking about it, and I will be for a long time yet.”

About the author:

Lexi Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of emotional romance that sizzles. A former academic and English professor, Lexi considers herself the luckiest girl around to make a living through storytelling. She loves spending time with her crazy kids, weightlifting, ice cream, swoony heroes, and vodka martinis.
Lexi lives in Indiana with her husband, two children, and a spoiled dog. You can find her at her website: www.lexiryan.com

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My review:

This could very well be a 5 star read because the writing was excellent but I just wasn’t as emotionally invested as I was with the first book in this series. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this book a hell of a lot but wasn’t head over heels in love and I don’t even know why. The characters were great, because who doesn’t love the Jackson brothers, and the story developed beautifully.

Molly was an independent woman and a single parent of a sweet boy, and while she was a strong character, she was still somewhat insecure because of her unshakable reputation and of what was done to her by her stepdad.

Brayden Jackson was a very serious and closed-up person as well as a workaholic, but he was also the sweetest and most caring guy in the world. He wanted Molly and although he was her boss he didn’t care about that if it wasn’t for her aloofness.

When Molly needed a new place to stay and Brayden offered her to move in with him, her resistance slowly began to crumble. Though her thoughts of being unworthy still lingered and made it hard work for Brayden to show that he was in it for the long run.

'I've never thought myself weak before, but our night in New York proves I have very little self-control when it comes to this man.'

The story was a slow burn romance and there wasn’t anything overly dramatic until the end, and even that’s arguable. Both characters did a poor job in reading each other’s expressions and feelings, and since they didn't talk openly about them, there were a lot of misunderstandings and misjudgings that caused small but unnecessary drama and hurt feelings on both ends. But I rooted for them from the very beginning and I really liked Molly for most part of this story despite my reservations toward her in the previous books.

I personally didn't like that Molly told Brayden that she wasn't looking for a commitment but at the same time wanted him for herself and was jealous when he spoke to another woman. Argh! Woman it's either have him or not! You can't have both! I was frustrated when she got angry and sad when it was her own fault for not committing to him when he so obviously wanted her and she actually wanted him too.

Brayden needed some time to open up to her, which was understandable considering how brokenhearted he was after his last love just up and left him. But after he told Molly that he wanted her he was nothing but honest about his feelings while she was still guarded, complicating everything with her going back and forth. Poor Brayden had a lot of hard work with her and at some point I even felt like he deserved someone who loved him unconditionally and recognized how amazing he was without him having to prove it first.

I absolutely loved Shay in this book and was so happy that I got to see more of her. Yay protective sister! It made me really excited about her book, though Carter’s comes first.

I truly enjoyed this lovely story and couldn't put it down. I was captured by it and Brayden’s sweet character and good heart right from the start. I liked everything and can't say anything negative besides not getting emotionally involved and not fully connecting with it, which was the reason for my rating. But it definitely was a great read.

-- I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given by Social Butterfly PR. --

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads