Book Review – Wolf’s Song

02 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Black Hills Wolves series, Book Review, Taryn Kincaid, Wolf's Song

Today I’ve got something fun for those of you who like your heroes a little … wild.

*****

Wolf’s Song

Black Hills Wolves

by Taryn Kincaid

Genre: Paranormal romance

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Date of Publication: January 30, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-61333-676-2

ASIN: B00QKLHNQM

Number of pages: 59

Word Count: 19,000

Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Blurb:

Ten years ago, visions of death and the babble of lupine voices in his head, drove lone wolf Brick Northridge to challenge his cruel and greedy pack alpha. Beaten by the alpha’s thugs and banished from the pack, Brick lives a life of seclusion in a mountain cabin in the Black Hills.

Born into a rival clan of feline shifters, skinwalker Summer McCoy, in her guise as a raven, watches Brick from afar, giving him back a reason to live through her sweet songs and special gifts.

But when her clan attempts to tear them apart and threatens the pack that banished Brick so many years before, will their love be strong enough to withstand the forces bent on their destruction?

Available at Amazon

*****

Review:

Wolf’s Song is a nice transition piece for the Black Hills Wolves story. It can stand alone but it felt more like a connector between the first couple of stories and what comes next. It looks like all of the stories in the series are short (and by different authors) so I’m not sure if that is just how this book reads or if it is common to the series.

Now don’t get me wrong, I really liked it. Brick is deliciously sullen & troubled and Summer is sweet and fun, the bright spot in his life (he just doesn’t know it). Once they meet for real, their connection is undeniable – full of warmth and sizzle and heart.

There is also some danger thrown in to keep things hopping. Summer’s uncle has plans that don’t include Brick (or any of the rest of the wolves in the area). I did see someone complain that the resolution seemed a bit fast but I’m not sure if any of this had been set up in any of the previous stories. I’d assume so but since I (again) joined a series midway thru I’m not sure. What they decide to do works, you just don’t see a lot of the decision making process and how they get there.

But it is the relationship between Summer and Brick that really shines. Being a werewolf romance there is a little fun with situations and language (some phrases that in a normal romance would be humorous, not sexy) but for me those kinds of things work when you talk about supernatural beings. The world works differently for them but that is what makes them especially enjoyable – peculiar is not bad 🙂

If you like your heroes furry and you want a fast & fantastical read, Wolf’s Song is the book for you.

*****

Excerpt:

Summer McCoy perched in the uppermost branches of her special Ponderosa pine, in raven guise, engaging in her favorite pastime, spying on the lone wolf chopping wood below. Two days’ worth of whiskers shadowed his rigid jaw. She loved when he forgot—or didn’t bother—to shave. Scruffy stubble suited him.

The sun beat down on the back of his bronzed neck and shone on his hair, the color of roasted coffee, a shade lighter than the dark shadow that charcoaled his face.

She fluffed her feathers in anticipation. Take your shirt off, Brick.

She’d heard the giant werebear, Gee, call him that name a decade ago. He’d made some joke about a wall and the hardness of the male’s head. But Brick hadn’t laughed back then. Not ever.

He’d fascinated her from the moment he’d arrived in the glade, bruised and battered. Once she’d learned his name, she’d treasured it, taking pleasure from repeating it often. Secretly, of course.

Unwrapping the syllable frequently to admire its radiance in the privacy of her tree house, the way a woman wearing pearls against her warm skin enhanced their luminosity and iridescence.

Now, as if he’d heard her silent urging, he complied with her plea, shrugging out of the plaid flannel and flinging it onto a tree stump. Her beak opened as she sucked in breath. Sweat glistened on his torso, glazing rippling pecs and abs, shoulders broad enough to span the Badlands. A huge, incredible specimen of masculinity. Thick biceps flexed as he wielded the ax. Her heart beat faster than a hummingbird’s wings. Heat licked her.

*****

Author Info:

Taryn Kincaid is a former award-winning reporter and columnist, covering everything from fires and homicides, to corrupt politicians and hero dogs. Nowadays, she haunts courthouses (in least paranormal way).

She is the author of the Sleepy Hollow series–LIGHTNING,THUNDER,FROST,HEAT WAVE and IN FROM THE COLD — sexy paranormal romances for Decadent Publishing’s popular 1Night Stand series; BLIZZARD, a short erotic romance for Decadent’s The Edge line; HEALING HEARTS, a Regency romance from Carina Press, and SLEEPY HOLLOW DREAMS, an erotic paranormal romance from The Wild Rose Press. Books 1-4 of her Sleepy Hollow series, plus Blizzard, have been compiled in the SLEEPY HOLLOW edition, available in paperback and digital formats.

Coming January 30, 2015, WOLF’S SONG, a sexy paranormal romance for Decadent Publishing’s new Black Hills Wolves shifter line. And coming February 24, 2015 from Fated Desires Publishing, IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, a contemporary foodie romanceCheck out the fun videos for Thunder, Lightning and Frost.

Visit Taryn at her website http://tarynkincaid.com or her blog http://dreamvoyagers.blogspot.com as well as Twitter, Facebook , Amazon and Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

1 Autographed copy of print edition of SLEEPY HOLLOW (U.S. only)

1 ebook edition of SLEEPY HOLLOW International

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba112ffc930/

*****

Tour Info:

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of this tour

Book Review – On the Fly

30 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Katie Kenyhercz, On the Fly, The Sinners series

Yesterday we met a sexy soldier and today I’m really excited to bring you a yummy hockey player. Introducing Carter Phlynn, captain of the Sinners!

*****

Jacey Vaughn has a newly minted MBA when her father dies unexpectedly and leaves her his NHL team. Well-versed in business but not so much in hockey, Jacey navigates this new world with a few stumbles. She definitely doesn’t plan on falling for the team captain. At the first hint of scandal, a local Las Vegas reporter latches on, and Jacey finds herself in the newspaper with headlines that hurt instead of help. Jacey’s determined to keep her father’s legacy alive and make the team successful, but while she has no problem denying her feelings to the media, she can’t lie to herself.

Carter Phlynn has known nothing but hockey his entire life. Drafted into the NHL at age eighteen, winning the Stanley Cup is all he’s ever wanted. Nothing has ever disrupted his focus. Not until he meets his new boss. Jacey gets under his skin like no one else, and while dating the team owner would be a disaster for his career and reputation, he can’t get her out of his head. Carter has never had a relationship last more than a month, but the more he’s around Jacey, the more he can’t picture his future without her.

I love a good sports romance – there is just something about a big, strong man falling in love that just gets me every time. And Kenyhercz delivers a fantastic hero with Carter. There is just something sexy about a man who is comfortable enough to know how he feels and own up to it. Carter quickly realizes what he feels and is willing to take that chance on it turning into something special.

In a bit of a change, it’s actually Jacey who has a problem with the relationship. She feels it too but she’s been burned recently. Add in the stress of her new job and she’s not quite as brave as he his. It’s not totally new for the heroine to have issues with commitment but it doesn’t happen as often as the other way around. With their working relationship and Jacey’s trust issues, the romance isn’t going to be smooth.

Jacey and Carter kept me glued to the pages as they faced their attraction and a ton of complications – every time I had to put the book down I couldn’t wait until I could pick it up again. With masterful storytelling and engaging characters, Kenyhercz delivers an amazing start to her series.

I think one of my favorite parts about sports romances based on a team sport is that there are unlimited possibilities for new stories with the supporting characters. And with the Sinners it is no different. Between Jacey’s brother and Carter’s teammates I’m sure we’re going to have fun for lots more books to come. And if they are anything like On The Fly they are going to be winners.

Book Review – HOT Ice

29 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Hostile Operations Team series, HOT Ice, Lynn Raye Harris

Once again Lynn Rayed Harris brings us a seductive military romance, with a to-die-for hero, in the latest installment to her HOT series!

*****

When fire and ice collide, you get steam…

Grace Campbell leads a privileged life. The daughter of a United States senator, she moves within the social circles of the rich and famous. But Grace is also a scientist, and when someone learns she possesses the knowledge necessary to create a new super virus capable of destroying entire nations, she becomes a target for terror groups and foreign governments alike.

Garrett “Iceman” Spencer didn’t join the Army’s elite Hostile Operations Team to babysit a spoiled rich girl, but when his superiors insist on assigning him to a senator’s daughter as her security detail, he has no choice but to comply.

It’s a shock to find that beneath the glasses and serious scowl, Grace Campbell burns hot. And Garrett, who’s been burned before, suddenly wants to immerse himself in the flames.

Keeping Grace alive—and keeping his hands off her—is a full-time job for this HOT soldier. Failure is not an option…

I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I’m going to again – Harris’s books pack quite a punch. They are full of danger and intrigue, complicated Alphas and the women they fall for, oh-so-steamy sex scenes and emotions galore. I can’t decide if I like her stories more for the romance or for the action. But it doesn’t matter because she’s an artist at delivering both.

The men of HOT are strong, dedicated, and brave, but as you would expect they have a ton of issues. If you read Hot Rebel then you knew that Garrett was going to fall next … and fall hard. The man has himself tied up in so many knots that it is going to take a very special woman to reach him. And I’m SO glad that Grace is that woman.

I think Grace has to be one of my characters in this series (and that is saying a lot). She’s strong but unsure of herself, a fish out of water in most situations, but she’s got a level head and a lot of grit. Faced with someone out to kidnap her, she rolls with it … granted she got a big, bad bodyguard at her side, and a yummy one at that, so that definitely helps 🙂

Garrett isn’t one for sharing, internalizing his troubles and pain, but time spent with Grace quickly changes that. On the run and in very close quarters, he finds it hard to resist her. The interactions between these two are the perfect mixture of humor, caring and heat. It’s a fantastic ride from how they rubbed each other the wrong way at their first meeting to falling into bed together. I loved them as a couple and although he fights it, Garrett sees it too … but getting him to act on it takes a lot. Luckily Grace has the spirit to be the match he needs.

And as much as I enjoy seeing these guys fall in love, I’m also kept on the edge of my seat by the danger they find themselves in. There is a general theme that has been running thru the books as a lot of the plots are tied together, even just a little, so it does help to have read the whole series. But trust me, with guys like this and Harris’s addictive writing style, you won’t mind a bit!

Spotlight – Rough Rider

28 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Rough Rider, Victoria Vance

And now for another oh-so-sexy cowboy … check out Dirk everyone. Yum! And ready to go home with you next week.

*****

Rough Rider

by Victoria Vane

Sourcebooks Casablanca

Contemporary Western Romance

February 3, 2015

ISBN: 9781492601159

Two wary hearts …

Janice Combes has two loves, bucking bulls and Dirk Knowlton. But Dirk only has eyes for a dazzling rodeo queen. How can Janice ever compete while mired ankle-deep in manure? Exchanging playful banter with Dirk is all Janice can expect—until the stormy night he knocks on her door dripping wet and needing a place to crash.

Different Dreams…

Dirk Knowlton is living the cowboy dream. Life should be good—roping, branding, backing broncs, riding bulls, but there’s a void he can’t seem to fill. After getting hung up by a bull, he wonders if this is really the life he wants. Restless and rebellious, he bolts…but there’s a certain cowgirl he can’t forget.

When a battle-scarred Dirk returns to his Montana ranch he’s determined to hang on at any cost. Janice has come back home to lick her own wounds. When old dreams turn to dust, can two wary hearts take another chance on love?

Buy ROUGH RIDER by Victoria Vane here:

Book Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOmh60NT1zs

Praise for Slow Hand by Victoria Vane:

“A “red-hot cowboy tale…their sexual chemistry crackles. Well-paced, scorching scenes and witty banter move the story along while setting the stage for Wade’s war-hero brother to find his own true love in the next installment.” – Publishers Weekly

“SLOW HAND by Victoria Vane is delightful, funny, page turning steamy sexy… I’m beginning to think Victoria could write a phone book and make it sexy.” – Unwrapping Romance

“PULL THE FIRE ALARM & STOCK UP ON FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR THIS STEAMY ROMANCE!” – Avon Romance

*****

Excerpt:

He looked abashed. “We didn’t just have to leave the party, we got kicked out of the hotel too.”

“Evicted from your room?”

“Yup. And there aren’t any others available in all of Casper.”

“I know,” she said. “It’s why I’m camped out here.” She paused to digest what he’d left unsaid. “So you and Rachel?”

He shook his head with a scowl “We’re done now. Quits.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. History. Case closed.”

“It’ll blow over.”

“Don’t think so. It was her idea to boot us. Said she didn’t give a shit if I had a room tonight or not. Then I couldn’t even try finding anything outside of town because my asshole brother took my keys so I wouldn’t drive. My next move was to pilfer a blanket and pillow and camp out under the stars in my truck bed, but then it started pouring on me.”

“So you came here. How’d you do that with no wheels?”

“Walked.”

“Three miles in the pouring rain? No wonder you look like something the cat dragged in.”

“Can I crash for a coupla hours? Maybe just camp out in the back seat of your dually? All I need is to get warm and dry again.”

Janice’s mouth went dry as sawdust. Dirk Knowlton. Cold. Wet. Here. Now. Wanting a bed? She’d give her right arm to warm him up. Heck yeah.

Misreading her silence he mumbled a curse. “Sorry, Janice. It’s my damned head. I’m not thinkin’ right. It’s still throbbing like hell. Haven’t been myself all night. M’pologies for being such a dumb-ass and imposing on you—” He turned to the door.

“No! Wait. It’s not that.” She grabbed his sleeve. “I was just thinking of your injuries. You don’t need to make matters worse by sleeping all cramped up in the truck.” She gnawed her lower lip and then blurted. “Y-you wanna just stay here instead?”

“Here? That’s mighty generous but there isn’t a whole lot of room for both of us.” He glanced up at the gooseneck with a frown. “If you’ll just gimme a blanket, I’ll take the floor.”

“You don’t need to do that,” she said. “The bench here flips down over the table and converts into a single. It’s really narrow and not very comfortable, but still better than the truck. Warmer anyway. Besides you need to get dry.”

“You sure about this?” he asked.

“Yeah.” She smiled. “What are friends for? I’m sure I’ve got a shirt for you too.”

“Thanks, Red. That would be great.”

Red? The single syllable rippled warm and tingly, all the way to her toes. He followed up with a lopsided grin that stopped her in her tracks. She turned to the small cabinet that served a dual function as dresser and closet and shut her eyes on a sigh—but the same air stuck in her throat the minute she turned back around.

He’d shed the denim jacket. And the black tee. His bare torso with well-developed pecs and a mouthwatering six pack greeted her. He was drying his face with his discarded shirt. Janice tore her gaze away and cleared her throat. “Here.” She thrust an extra-large Dixie Chicks T-shirt into his hands, a souvenir from their Top of the World Tour. “I—I can get you a towel too.”

He eyed the shirt skeptically. “No thanks.”

“What? You don’t like female musicians?”

“Don’t like their politics. Natalie should just shut up and sing.”

“Ah.” She nodded slowly. The shirt was from the tour that caused the “incident.” A lot of her friends had since thrown out their Dixie Chicks CDs, but Janice still loved their music. “I Can Love You Better” was her favorite. The lyrics, she’s got you wrapped up in her satin and lace. Tied around her little finger…but I can love you better, perfectly summed up all the heartbreak and frustrations of unrequited love; all her secret feelings for Dirk. She only wished she could show him now that he was here. In the flesh. A big strong, blue-lipped and teeth-chattering fantasy come true.

*****

Author Info:

Victoria Vane is a multiple award-winning romance novelist and history junkie whose collective works of fiction range from wildly comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Victoria also writes historical fiction as Emery Lee and is the founder of Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blog.

Connect with Victoria Vane:

Website | Facebook | @AuthorVictoriaV | Pinterest | Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

3 copies of SLOW HAND by Victoria Vane

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af758/

Book Review – Officer in Pursuit

26 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Lock and Key series, Officer in Pursuit, Ranae Rose

Officer in Pursuit (Lock and Key Book 3)

Ranae Rose

Secrets are what Kerry has lived and breathed for the past three years, and those secrets may kill her, if she’s not careful. Her new life in a coastal North Carolina paradise is haunted by her past and ruled by her number one goal: to not be noticed. Even if that means denying her attraction to Officer Grey Morgan, who’s set his sights on her beyond any doubts and despite all odds.

Grey has spent his summer in pursuit of Kerry, but what he doesn’t know is that nothing with her is as it seems and loving her comes with a price.

What she doesn’t know is that there’s no risk he won’t take, and no way he’ll let her fight her demons alone.

If you have read either of my other reviews in this series (Officer Next Door and Officer Out of Uniform) you know that I love Rose’s books. They have that perfect amount of danger and heat, but she doesn’t skimp on the heart.

We’ve seen both Kerry and Grey in the previous stories and we’ve watched as they’ve danced around their attraction to each. But with Officer in Pursuit we finally get a chance to find out why Kerry has been resisting the oh-so-sexy officer. I love how Grey is willing to put himself out there again and again, knowing that Kerry is worth it and waiting for her to give him a chance. He’s confident, caring and funny – absolutely perfect for falling in love with. But Kerry has her secrets and they are doozies. When they finally come to light, they bring with them a threat that she can only face if she’s willing to let Grey and her friends in. I can see why she thinks that she has to hold so much inside but the support she receives once everything is revealed is just what she needs.

Full of humor and adventure and sexiness galore, Rose once again delivers a winner. And I can’t wait until we get the next book to see what she brings our favorite police officer, Jeremy.

Book Review – Running Interference

23 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Cleveland Clash series, Elley Arden, Running Interference

We’re going to finish the work week with a sexy new sports romance – one that switches things up with a gridiron heroine!

*****

Running Interference

Cleveland Clash Book 1

By Elley Arden

Blurb:

In an exciting new series from Elley Arden, it’s sports romance with a twist, when an independent, tough-talking female football player joins forces with her high-profile, hotter-than-hell friend to save her father’s boxing gym.

Even when she’s playing offense, defense is the name of the game for Cleveland Clash offensive linewoman Tanya Martin. After watching her family and friends struggle with relationships and the strings they leave behind, she has one unflappable goal: “Protect this house. Protect this heart.” The motto takes on new meaning when her father’s beloved gym is threatened with foreclosure and help appears in the form of her high school friend Cam Simmons, who rolls into town after a Super Bowl win and a five-year absence, looking like the one man who could test her resolve.

More comfortable in the spotlight than in the gritty surroundings of his hometown, Cam Simmons dreads the off-season visit that comes

with the ulterior motive of convincing his mother to move. But things change when he reconnects with Tanya. The more time he spends with the sexy, sarcastic woman, who is as determined as ever to stay single, the more he can’t resist the challenge. Until, becoming friends with benefits has her running away, and a bachelor auction to save the gym has him in the sites of a woman who could ruin everything.

Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks

*****

Author Info:

Elley Arden is a born and bred Pennsylvanian who has lived as far west as Utah and as far north as Wisconsin. She drinks wine like it’s water (a slight exaggeration), prefers a night at the ballpark to a night on the town, and believes almond English toffee is the key to happiness. Charming characters. Emotional stories. Sexy romance.

Connect with Elley

*****

Review:

I loved the interaction between Tanya and Cam. Even though their lives have taken very different paths, the shared history and close friendship comes through as they get to know each other again. And the importance given to family is very appealing as well – both of them will do anything to take care of those they love and it is apparent to anyone who knows them. But they have problems as well.

Cam wants to get his mom out of town and never come back but the attraction between him and Tanya is very powerful. Is it enough to survive him leaving again?

Tanya’s very afraid of giving her heart. She doesn’t have a lot of good role models, her parents are divorced and her brother is separated from his wife, so she’s decided that nothing positive can come from love. Enter Cam, who she feels abandoned her when he didn’t need her any more, and he just highlights her beliefs. Is she willing to give him a chance?

With chemistry galore but a ton of emotional baggage to go with it, Arden’s characters are delightful. Tanya’s discovery of her feelings for Cam is quite well done and the ending is a lot of fun. And since this is part of a series, we’ve got some great secondary characters who are just waiting for their own story.

Running Interference is the perfect mixture of sports and romance, with angst and heat galore.

*****

Giveaway:

Daily #giveaways and 1 Grand Prize up for grabs during the blitz for RUNNING INTERFERENCE, a Cleveland Clash novel by Elley Arden!

Female professional football player Tanya Martin enlists the help of childhood friend and Super Bowl MVP Cam Simmons to help save her father’s financially strapped boxing gym and in the process loses her carefully guarded heart.

To celebrate the release of her new series, Cleveland Clash, with the first novel, RUNNING INTERFERENCE, Elley is doing daily #giveaways on each day of the review blitz! On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, winners will receive a digital copy of one of Elley’s backlist titles. On Tuesday and Thursday, winners will #win a $10 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner’s choice). Daily drawings will be held at 4:00pm EST and winners will be announced on Elley’s Facebook page and on Twitter.

And wait, there’s MORE! The grand prize winner, chosen at the end of the blitz, will #win a football prize pack, including a Cleveland Clash water bottle, a signed copy of Heal My Heart—the book that started it all—and more! Winner will be announced on Elley’s Facebook and Twitter at the end of the blitz.

Winners will need to contact Elley with their preferred store for gift card, email address and shipping address, at elley AT elleyarden DOT com.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef2954/

*****

Book Review – The Make Believe Wedding

21 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Montana Born Brides series, Sarah Mayberry, The Make Believe Wedding

The Make Believe Wedding

Montana Born Brides Book 9

by Sarah Mayberry

Everyone in Marietta, Montana, is in love and getting married – at least that’s the way it feels to Andie Bennett the night of the Valentine’s Ball. As she watches the man she’s loved from afar for half her life dance with another woman, Andie allows herself a moment of sheer fantasy as she fills out a stray entry form for the Great Wedding Giveaway. Andie channels years of fantasy and yearning for Heath McGregor onto the page, but she never intends to actually enter the Giveaway. Only a crazy woman would do that. But fate has other ideas….

When Heath learns he and Andie are last minute finalists in the Great Wedding Giveaway, he’s completely baffled. How on earth could anyone make such a ridiculous mistake? When it becomes clear that Andie will be humiliated if the slip-up becomes public, Heath does what any good friend would – he suggests they pretend the engagement is real until the Giveaway is over and then quietly “break up” when no one is paying any attention. It’s the perfect solution, except Heath very quickly realises that pretending Andie is his is no hardship at all. In fact, it may just be the best thing that’s ever happened to him…

Once again I joined a series in the middle … do you guys sense a theme? This time though I feel that maybe I missed out on some of the nuances that make this series so great. There were relationships and moments that probably would have been better appreciated if I had a grasp of their history. But the main story itself was definitely complete and totally enjoyable.

I loved Heath and Andie together. The idea of the friends to lovers storyline has always been one of my favorites and this one has a little Ugly Duckling thrown in just to make me extra happy. The premise might seem a little far-fetched, but Mayberry makes it work. And once the two are a couple for real, it is wonderful.

At about 150 pages, The Make Believe Wedding is a little more than novella length but it reads super-fast. With a years-long friendship to guide them, the interactions between Heath and Andie are both fun and sweet. Heath is strong and caring, but just hasn’t found the right woman yet. When he realizes that Andie has gotten herself into an embarrassing situation, he’s got a big enough heart that he’s willing to help her out. But it might lead to more than he expected.

Andie is convinced she’s the woman that Heath needs and has been right in front of him forever. Logically she knows that if he wanted her romantically he would have done something by now but the brain and the heart are not always connected. There are times when her feelings for Heath will break your heart but it is well worth it to get to their HEA.

There are a lot of secondary characters that I feel like I would know more about if I’d read the other stories. It wasn’t that big a deal but I think I would have enjoyed having them around a little more if I’d been more informed. Overall though it didn’t hurt the main plot and was just a minor irritant.

Full of angst and warmth, The Make Believe Wedding will grab your heart and hold on until the last page.

Spotlight – Going Under

20 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Emma Weylin, Going Under, Secret Blood series

Today I’ve got another great paranormal romance – and I even was lucky enough to read this one so I shared a little of what I thought as well.

*****

Going Under

Secret Blood, Book 3

by Emma Weylin

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Liquid Silver Books

Date of Publication: December 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-62210-169-6

ASIN: B00P6SGAVE

Number of pages: 257

Word Count: 64,000

Blurb:

Kenzie Butler is in love with the man who saved her life eight years ago. Her problem? He’s a Siberian were-tiger with the ability to scent his mate, and she wasn’t it. For years they lived across the hall from each other, helping one another with the aftermath from being tortured in a science experiment gone wrong. With each passing day, she falls more in love with him, even while knowing that one day Tiberius will find his true mate.

Tiberius Petrov leads a shadowed life. Kenzie is the only thing standing between him and the gruesome fate awaiting any shifter who goes rogue. For eight years the sound of her voice, the sweet intoxication of her scent, and the soft feel of her skin have kept him from turning down darker paths. But he’d always believed she could never be his. His nose was supposed to tell him who his perfect mate is, but it lied. He didn’t know if it was possible to develop a mate scent. All he knew was one day Kenzie didn’t smell like his mate, and the next day she did. Even after her scent changed, she kept insisting they were perfect as just friends.

After Kenzie survives a mysterious were-bear attack in her place of work, Tiberius learns the scientists altered more than his state of mind. Just when he thought he could take Kenzie as his mate he discovers he could be the biggest threat to her life.

Available at Amazon

*****

Excerpt:

He got off the creaking chair. He found his pants first, and tugged those on, and then started the search for his shirt. “Kenzie, I lost control with you, goddamn it. You need to go, no, stay here. I’ll send Chad over.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Where is my fucking shirt?”

She was standing in front of him in the next moment. Her soft breasts brushing against his chest. “Look at me.”

He growled. “Kenzie, I know when I am losing it, and I am losing it.”

She captured his face between her hands and pulled him down so they were at eye level. “It’s completely normal to fantasize about what you want to do while having sex.” She kissed his nose. “You fantasized about me and you being mated. It’s okay.”

He wasn’t safe for her, but here she was, trying to make it right for him. Hellcats! She was…she was supposed to be safe with him, and in one second of giving in to the fantasy of her, he’d have done the worst, most unforgivable thing a shifter could do. “I’m not safe for you, Kenz. Please, don’t make this harder than it is.”

“Ty, don’t do this. You need to calm down and think about this rationally.” “I need my shirt.” He pulled away from her and got down on his hands and knees to check under the bed.

Kenzie got down on the floor next to him. “It’s in your apartment.”

He darted back. “Put some clothes on. I’ll have Chad come here.”

“Tiberius.”

He retreated to the door. “Tiberius Petrov, you did not just make love to me so you could walk out on me.”

That was exactly what he was going to do. He should be her safe place, he should be the one thing in the whole world that would never hurt her, and he wasn’t sure until after the fact that he hadn’t hurt her. “I’m sorry, Kenz. I love you too much to stay.” Then he did the hardest thing he’d ever done. He walked away from her.

*****

Review:

I really enjoyed Going Under. Once again I joined a series mid-stream but thankfully once again it didn’t matter. Weylin has created a great paranormal world, one full of shifters and other intriguing beings, but most importantly the bad guys will do just about anything to exploit them. That element of danger adds that extra zing to her story (not that she needs it). Both Tiberius and Kenzie are appealing and their troubles engaging. I loved the interactions between the two and how they face their troubles together. The fact that their relationship is based on years of friendship and the extreme things that they had to survive makes the fight to get to their HEA all the better.

So if you like intrigue, danger, and fantasy mixed in with your romance, the Secret Blood series is definitely for you. Not only did Weylin keep me turning pages with her fun characters and their romantic troubles, but she kept me on the edge of my seat by having danger come at them time and again. By giving readers a nice big fantastical world, Weylin also gives us a ton of supporting characters to root for and a ton of material for future books – I’m excited, y’all!

*****

Author Info:

Emma Weylin fell in love with the written word as a child. She loves to create her own worlds full of magic and wonder. One of her favorite things is populating those worlds with interesting and true-to-life characters who experience everything from epic love and heartrending battles to seriously silly or embarrassing “duh” moments. She believes love can and does conquer all things. When she’s not writing, she enjoys her family and has a copious yarn addiction.

https://twitter.com/EmmaWeylin

https://www.facebook.com/EmmaWeylinAuthor

http://emmaweylin.com/

*****

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba112ffc918/

*****

Click on the banner below for more tour info

Book Review – Sugar’s Twice as Sweet

15 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Marina Adair, Sugar Georgia series, Sugar's Twice as Sweet

Sugar’s Twice as Sweet

Sugar, Georgia: Book 1

by Marina Adair

“Marina Adair writes with heart and sizzling heat. SUGAR’S TWICE AS SWEET will charm you!” –Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author

“A can’t miss read with small town sweetness, endearing characters and a unique quirky flair.” –Carly Phillips, New York Times bestselling author on SUGAR’S TWICE AS SWEET

He’s trouble she doesn’t need . . .

Thanks to a cheating fiancé, Josephina Harrington’s perfect life just crashed and burned. Moving in with her overbearing parents is definitely not an option. No, she needs to prove she can make it on her own. And she will-by turning her great-aunt’s old plantation house into a destination getaway. She’s just not expecting her contractor to be so hands-on-and so totally irresistible.

. . . but everything she wants

Bad-boy golf champion Brett McGraw figured his hometown of Sugar, Georgia was the perfect place to lay low and get his life back up to par. The leggy blonde with a pint-sized pup is the kind of sweet ‘n sassy trouble he never saw coming. She doesn’t know a nut from a bolt and before long, he’s renovating her house . . . as she steals his heart. Can he convince Josephina that his womanizing ways are in the past and he’s ready for forever?

Y’all, I haven’t loved a Southern golfer this much since Kenny Traveler in Lady Be Good (and if you haven’t read Susan Elizabeth Phillips book yet, you are SOOO missing something fantastic). And while no one will ever completely replace Kenny in my heart, Brett does come in a solid second. And just like Phillip’s Wynette, Sugar is full of quirky characters, with big hearts and a touch of crazy.

Joie is trying to find herself after years of living in someone else’s shadow. Add in being a Yankee coming to the small-town South, you know things are not going to go so smoothly. Luckily she’s got super-sexy, hometown hero Brett in her corner. Unfortunately for him, she’s fighting their attraction with everything in her because she’s determined to not lose herself in a man again. From opossums in the attic to gun-toting grandmas, Joie has a hilarious journey ahead of her as she tries to discover her place in the world and we’re there for every laugh-out-loud and heart-tugging moment.

Brett is laying low thanks to a sex video gone viral, which means he’s heading home to Sugar … and runs smack into Joie. The fact that she won’t go out with him (and even more so that HE really wants her to) throws the handsome playboy off his stride. But as their friendship grows and deepens, so do Brett’s feelings … and his urge to fight for something more. The fact that Joie understands him like no one else touches something in him and he’s not going to give up on it. Or them.

As engaging as Brett and Joie are, they are solidly supported by a wonderfully entertaining secondary cast of wacky characters – you will absolutely LOVE the Sunday School Mafia, which is as wonderful as it sounds. And since this starts a series there is plenty of material to keep me coming back from more (Brett has brothers who I hope are the first ones in line)!

When Sugar’s best-known son and the Yankee outsider get together, there are more fireworks than the 4^th of July. While Brett helps Joie rediscover the real her, she might just teach him a thing or two about the real him. And it is an entertaining ride every step of the way.

Spotlight – One Month of Elle

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

After Hours series, Book Review, Elle Kennedy, One Night of Scandal, One Night of Sin, One Night of Trouble

Today we’re celebrating One Night of Trouble, the newest in Elle Kennedy’s deliciously sexy After Hours series by taking a look at all three books, getting a very HOT peak into the first (One Night of Sin) and revisiting my review from last fall. And best of all, Elle is giving away a fantastic gift basket so don’t miss out!

*****

One Night of Sin

Sometimes it’s good to be bad…

When it comes to sex, good girl Skyler Thompson always plays it safe, choosing stable and sedate over wild and thrilling. She doesn’t do one-night-stands, but one look at sinfully sexy Gage Holt and she’s willing to reconsider. He makes her want to be bad for once in her life, and she’s prepared to take what she wants.

Danger follows former MMA fighter Gage Holt like a shadow. Despite his successes as part owner of Sin, an exclusive nightclub in Boston, Gage can’t risk getting involved with a woman, especially one as sweet as Skyler. Still, he can’t resist a taste—and it’s so damn good he has to see her again.

As addicted as he is to her, Gage knows there’s no future for him and Skyler—not with his past lurking in the dark corners of an MMA cage. But Skyler’s tougher than she looks, and she’s ready to fight for her man.

Goodreads Book Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightSinGR

Amazon Buy Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightSinAM

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightSinBN

Entangled Page: http://bit.ly/OneNightSinEP

One Night of Scandal

The wrong man never felt so right…

Ex-fighter Reed Miller has been secretly lusting over his best friend’s girl for months, but he refuses to jeopardize a friendship over a woman—especially one who doesn’t like him all that much. Now that Darcy’s on the market again, it’s even more imperative to stick to his strict hands-off policy. But the sizzling attraction between them is too powerful to ignore, and once he’s had a taste of her…all bets are off.

Darcy Grant is tired of walking the straight and narrow path. She’s on the hunt for passion, and there’s no denying Reed is just the man to give it to her. Although she has no interest in dating a bad boy, and certainly not her ex’s best friend, it’s impossible not to melt beneath Reed’s skillful touch. Now it’s just a matter of setting a few ground rules—and hoping her rule-breaking, sweet-talking bad boy agrees to follow them. But if she lets Reed into her bed, does she stand a chance of keeping him out of her heart?

Goodreads Book Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightScandalGR

Amazon Buy Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightScandalAM

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightScandalBN

Entangled Page: http://bit.ly/OneNightScandalEP

One Night of Trouble

No More Mr. Nice Guy…

The moment AJ Walsh sees the sexy, tattooed pixie walk up to his bar, it’s lust at first sight. He’s always been labeled the “nice” guy―opening doors, buying flowers, and never, ever having one-night stands. But with this wicked little angel with red lips and unfathomably dark eyes? Oh, yeah. Tonight, “nice” has nothing to do with it…

Brett Conlon is trying to convince her family that she’s put away her reckless wild girl side for good. Nothing―and no one―could be better for her reputation than golden boy AJ Walsh. So they make a deal: if he plays The Good Boyfriend for her family, he can be a very, very bad boy with her. Now their one naughty night is about to turn into a whole lot of trouble…

Goodreads Book Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightTroubleGR

Amazon Buy Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightTroubleAM

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/OneNightTroubleBN

Entangled Page: http://bit.ly/OneNightTroubleEP

*****

One Night of Sin Excerpt:

“I’m Skyler,” she said.

He nodded.

“Maybe you’re new to civilized society, but normally when people introduce themselves, you reply by providing your own name.” She arched one perfectly defined eyebrow.

“Is that right?” His lips twitched. “Well, what makes you think I’m at all civilized, Skyler?”

That made her falter. She bit her lower lip. Tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and the scent of her shampoo floated his way. She smelled like green apples. A sweet and feminine fragrance, serving as a reminder that he shouldn’t be out here talking to her.

“How old are you, sweetheart?” His voice came out rough.

“Well, my ID held up at the door, so I’m over twenty-one if that’s what you’re worried about. Twenty-four, actually. In some cultures that would make me a spinster.”

Gage swallowed a laugh. There was something truly refreshing about her sarcasm, especially when contrasted with the flush of her cheeks and the way she fidgeted with her hands. She didn’t belong here. Not at this club, not even in this neighborhood. She should be nestled between crisp white sheets right about now, snuggled next to a wholesome man while the two of them watched late-night talk shows before bed.

“Go back inside,” he said gruffly. “Your date’s probably wondering where you are.”

That made her snicker. “I doubt it. I think he wrote me off the second he realized I wasn’t going to fuck him tonight.”

Gage’s cock jerked in his pants. Jesus. That angel mouth wasn’t allowed to say things like that. Not in front of him, a man whose inner devil could be summoned at the drop of a hat.

“Go back inside,” he repeated.

“Why? You don’t like talking to me?” Hands planted on her slim hips, she moved closer, a pensive look on her face.

He shrugged. “I don’t like talking, period.”

“Huh. So what do you like to do?”

Gage met her eyes in another long, deliberate stare. Leaving no question as to what he enjoyed doing.

She visibly swallowed. And then she startled the hell out of him.

“So maybe that’s what we should do.”

A laugh rumbled out of his chest. “You’re playing with fire, baby.”

“Am I?”

She had the nerve to lick her lips. He didn’t think she’d done it as an intentional taunt, but damn, the response to seeing her tongue dart out was instantaneous. His erection pulsed against his zipper, hard and persistent, like it was trying to tunnel its way out of his pants and into her pussy.

Gage took a breath, trying to ease the ache down south. Nope, he wasn’t giving in, wasn’t going to acknowledge the awareness prickling over his flesh. He was fighting in two days, and he didn’t like to screw before a match. The frustration fueled him, gave him the edge he needed to send an opponent to his knees.

But at the moment, he wanted to be the one on his knees. With his head underneath Skyler’s skimpy dress, his face buried between her legs as he licked her up until she screamed.

“Yes,” he rasped. “You’re definitely playing with fire.”

“Maybe I like fire, did you ever think of that? Maybe I want to get burned.”

*****

One Night of Sin Review:

(Some of you may remember this review already – it was posted here just a handful of months back.)

Gage is haunted by his rough past and even though he’s tried to become a better man, circumstances keep him in the seedier world of him childhood. He believes he’s no good at relationships and that he can’t offer anything to someone as good and decent as Skyler. Skyler may be a good girl but she’s willing to play at being a bad girl if it means she can give in to her attraction for Gage. When their one night stand becomes a sex only relationship that begins to feel like more than just sex, things start to get complicated.

These two together are fabulous. Gage brings out a more daring side to Skyler, while she reminds him that he can be more than what he was. While One Night of Sin is novella in length, and a decent part of it is spent on the steamy interactions between the two (not that I’m complaining), Kennedy still does a good job of letting us see their relationship develop. We don’t get a lot of those more relationship-y interactions first hand, but we are told about them and we get to see their effect in the changes in their attitudes … and with how Gage starts to believe that he can be that better man. It’s a very fast read, a little over a hundred pages, but it moves well and left me with that happy feeling that I want from a good romance.

I totally got into this book and I kept thinking Elle Kennedy’s name was familiar. She’s the co-author of All Fired Up, the first book in the DreamMakers series with Vivian Arend, which I really enjoyed. (And I’m looking forward to reading the second book, Love is a Battlefield – review coming when I’m done.) I also think there is a good chance I’ve read one or two of her Harlequin stories, but I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for future stories. Based on her book list, it looks like she specializes in tough, troubled heroes and from what I’ve read so far she’s good at keeping them on their toes.

*****

Author Info:

A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Elle loves to hear from her readers. Visit her website www.ellekennedy.com or sign up for her newsletter to receive updates about upcoming books and exclusive excerpts. You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter (@ElleKennedy).

Website: www.ellekennedy.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElleKennedy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElleKennedy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1935000.Elle_Kennedy

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/OR9cr

*****

Giveaway:

Enter to win a Seduction Gift Basket

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb55495468/