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Romantic Reads and Such

Category Archives: Sneak Peek

Book Review – Snowflake Bay

04 Friday Dec 2015

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Donna Kauffman, Snowflake Bay, The Brides of Blueberry Cover series

I love this time of year because of all of the fantastic Christmas romances!

*****

Snowflake Bay_MMSnowflake Bay

The Brides of Blueberry Cove #2

by Donna Kauffman

Releasing September 29, 2015

Zebra

Blurb:

There’s no place like seaside Blueberry Cove, Maine, at Christmas—and there’s nothing like a wedding, the warmth of the holidays, and an old crush, to create the perfect new start…

Interior designer Fiona McCrae has left fast-paced Manhattan to move back home to peaceful Blueberry Cove. But she’s barely arrived before she’s hooked into planning her big sister Hannah’s Christmas wedding—in less than seven weeks. The last thing she needs is for her first love, Ben Campbell, to return to neighboring Snowflake Bay…

As kids, Fiona was the bratty little sister Ben mercilessly teased—while pining after Hannah. But Fi never once thought of Ben like a brother. And that hasn’t changed. Except Fi is all grown up. Will Ben notice her now? More importantly, with her life in a jumble, should he? Or might the romance of the occasion, the spirit of the season, and the gifts of time ignite a long-held flame for many Christmases to come…

Something old might just become something new…

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23360012-snowflake-bay

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/137224-the-brides-of-blueberry-cove

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Feeling somewhat better about herself now, she disentangled herself from the satchel strap, then began mentally rehearsing a summer-weddings-areso- beautiful speech while she looked around for something to scrape the wool scarf out of her mouth. Deciding to get herself unwrapped first, she fished out the end of the scarf, already feeling her fair skin chapping even as she stood there, the warmth of the kitchen creating something of a sting in her thawing cheeks. The struggle with the scarf started almost immediately. It was as if her curls had begun actively weaving themselves into the knitting, becoming one with every loop and knot.

So, she was more wrestling with the scarf than unwrapping it, really, swearing somewhat creatively, possibly a wee bit passionately even, by the time a deep male voice that was quite decidedly not her big brother’s baritone spoke from far too close behind her.

“I’ve got bolt cutters in my truck. We could just cut you out.”

Fiona froze. Stock-still. And not because of anything having to do with the coastal winter weather or being out of shape. She wasn’t breathing hard. In fact, she might never draw breath again. It had been, what, ten years? Longer. She’d lost track.Or, more truthfully, you’ve blocked it from your memory banks. Blocked it back when the owner of that voice had left Blueberry Cove for college in Boston, excited to get started on fulfilling his dreams—none of which included coming back to his hometown. At the time, blocking her memory files had seemed the only way she’d ever survive not having him in her daily orbit ever again.

She felt his big, broad palms cup her shoulders, turning her slowly around to face him, and stupidly squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would change this sudden new reality. All it did was delay the inevitable.

“Fireplug?” he said, as the top half of her face became visible when he pushed the curls from her forehead and the scarf from where it was now haphazardly draped diagonally across her face. There was sincere surprise in his voice. “Is that you inside all that sheep’s clothing?”

Fireplug. All of the air came back into her lungs in one big, sucking gasp. Emphasis on the sucking. Her cheeks burned again, only the sting of remembered humiliation coupled with the memories of her pathetic, unrequited crush on her brother’s best friend, who’d only had eyes for Hannah, far—far—outstripped anything a Maine winter could do to her fair skin.

They were both many years older now, she reminded herself, and that meant wiser as well. Although she didn’t feel wiser at the moment. At the moment, she felt instantly thirteen again, pining after a guy who’d barely noticed her, and when he had, had seen her as nothing more than the nuisance kid sister of the girl he was trying to impress.

Of course, that girl was now engaged to another man, and for all Fiona knew, her childhood crush was married himself, with a bundle of kids stashed somewhere. Hell, for all he knew, so was she. Which meant, yeah … the distant past was just that. Distant. And past.

She prided herself on taking an extra moment to steady herself and let her breath ease out, then slowly back in again, before opening her eyes. Okay, so she was still half-tangled in a woolen neck scarf and she wasn’t exactly making eye contact with him, but it was a start. A mature, grown-up start. Between two, mature, grown-up people.

So why is your heart racing like it’s the first time a man has ever touched you? More to the point, why are all your other more mature body parts clamoring for him to touch a whole lot more than your shoulders? You’re both potentially married with kids, remember?

Only she wasn’t married. Didn’t have kids. Not even the dimmest of prospects of either on the horizon. A horizon that, at the moment, was completely consumed with a big, tall, rugged reminder of all that she didn’t have. Had never had. A reminder, it should be noted, who still had his hands on her.

All her line of vision allowed, however—now that he’d turned her around so her back was to him, tipping her head forward to allow him to work her hair free from the scarf—was the Michelin Man-style, double-padded red snow coat she’d buttoned around her short, curvy frame, under which was a layer of thick hoodie, a long-sleeved turtleneck, and a T-shirt. She surprised herself by letting out a muffled snort. “Well, if the nickname still fits,” she murmured, proud of herself for embracing the humor in the moment, only to discover a split second later she was blinking back stupid tears.

Maybe no matter how much a person grew up, no matter how much she matured, she thought, mortified all over again, there would always be a part of her who was still that same, invisible thirteen-year-old girl.

*****

donna_kauffmanAuthor Info:

USA Today bestselling author of the Cupcake Club Romance series, Donna Kauffman has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. She lives just outside of DC in the lovely Virginia countryside, where she is presently trying to makeover her newly empty nest into something that doesn’t have to accommodate piles of sports equipment falling out of her coat closet (okay, out of every closet…and under every bed….), size 13 cleats and sweaty uniforms cluttering her foyer (and stairwell, and laundry room, and…), and a kitchen that should have come with a traffic light. And a pantry monitor. (Anyone with a clever idea on how to repurpose lacrosse sticks into matching reading lamps, she’s all ears!) When she’s not stripping paint, varnishing an old auction house find, or trying to avoid bodily injury with her latest power tool purchase, she loves to hear from readers!

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

 

*****

Review:

I loved Fiona and Ben together – the ending was great, as is their shared past (full of unrequited love, embarrassment and affection).  I did I feel JUST a little like I was cheated out of their romance, since a lot of their courtship happened in texts and phone calls that we didn’t get to be a part of.   But it is a family piece as well, so there are those interactions, as well as Ben’s decision on what to do with the farm and the two of them getting to the point of deciding what to do with their attraction. There are a lot of important things going on, but a part of me wishes they hadn’t spent so much time with other people and more time together being cute and falling in love 🙂 Because when they were together it was fan-freakin-tastic.  I definitely think it is a good read, as long as you go into it knowing there is a lot more happening than just Fiona and Ben’s love story.

*****

Giveaway:

a print copy of SNOWFLAKE BAY

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8850/

*****

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

VT-SnowflakeBay-DonnaKauffman

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Spotlight – The Lightening Round

03 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Bruce Stuart, The Lightening Round

Moving away from historicals into something with … ummm, a little more of a modern issue 🙂

*****

The Lightening Round - 1253 x 2000 Update-2The Lightening Round

by Bruce Stuart

Literary / Women’s Fiction

Date Published: November 1, 2015

Blurb:

Did you ever wonder what it’s like to dare to fall in love with someone who literally isn’t on your level?

The Lightening Round is a fast-paced novel brimming with colorful characters, sinister plots of intrigue and revenge, and over-the-top antics.

Hannah More, a single mom with weight issues, assumes that her longtime boyfriend, Luke Havitt, is about to propose marriage to her. Instead, he proposes that in order for Hannah to take their relationship to the next level, that she needs to join a gym and to lose weight. Hannah soon finds herself entering the Ultimate Level, a highly controversial yet incredibly sought after San Francisco “fitness experience” known for not only having the latest in technology and fashion, but also segregating all of its members based solely on their weight and fitness levels.

This snappy novel ultimately questions whether true love can survive two individuals from different levels. Even if those levels are only found at a gym.

Buy on Amazon

*****

Excerpt:

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Tonight out with Luke, I ate like a bird.” Hannah and Levreece both dusted off her filthy pink satin gown as they caught their breath on a bench fifty feet from where they had first started their journey.

“Aiya.” Levreece blurted out a Mandarin expression for Oh, My God. He looked straight into Hannah’s bloodshot eyes. “Hannah, Lady Love. Your To Go bag survived the crash—kinda like one of those black boxes they have on airplanes. And, you know, I took the liberty of poking around inside it. Well, let me tell you, girlfriend. From what I saw in that there bag, the only bird you ate like tonight was one of those Raptors hanging around inside the Jurassic Park. The ones that can polish off a whole cow in a single serving and then they’re on to the really big eats.”

“I’m going to lose him.” Hannah put her face in her hands.

“And that’s a bad thing? Losing Luke Havitt is like finding out that a swarm of locusts that had been camping out in your apartment has finally gotten pissed off ‘cause you didn’t feed ‘em well enough and decided to move in with your nasty nosy neighbor across the hall. This guy’s a complete user. He’d steal the gold fillings out of his own mother’s teeth and sell ‘em back to her. And as a man who likes other men, I can’t for the life of me see what turns you on about this whiter-than-white airbrushed airhead with literally no ass. I swear when I look at him from behind I can’t tell where his back ends and his legs begin. Couldn’t you at least land a dude with some booty?” He jokingly stood up and wiggled his large behind.

The edges of Hannah’s mouth initially turned up from her friend’s humorous motions, but she quickly allowed her smile to fall to the ground as reality set in. “You’re one of my best friends in the whole world, Levreece. Please help me.”

*****

_SEG1999_moreret-SG-flat-Darkest(1)Author Info:

Bruce Stuart is the founder of five previous books and is the founder of the popular serial fiction website, SerialTeller.com. The Lightening Round was previously seen in part as a serial on SerialTeller.com under the pseudonym K.T. Newman.

Bruce lives and works in San Francisco.

new-718_zpshybhe6mv

 

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Spotlight – The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior

02 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

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Jennifer McQuiston, Seduction Diaries series, The Spinster's Guide to Scandalous Behavior

Continuing still with our historical romance theme … 🙂

*****

Spinsters_coverThe Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior

Seduction Diaries #2

by Jennifer McQuiston

Releasing November 24, 2015

Avon

Blurb:

When her eccentric aunt suddenly dies and bequeaths her the key to a falling-down cottage in Cornwall, Lucy Westmore is surprised. After all, she scarcely knows her aunt, and her memories of Heathmore are murky, at best. But even more surprising is the part of Lucy’s inheritance that doesn’t come with a key: an old leather journal that provides the details of her mysterious aunt’s life and-for better or worse-gives Lucy all the instructions she needs to live the life of a scandalous spinster.

Lord Thomas Branston has spent the last five years in Cornwall, hiding from his painful past. Nothing has been tempting enough to lure him back to London…until now. He alone knows the real value of the property, and he’s determined to buy Heathmore before Miss Westmore ruins everything and sells it off to the highest bidder.

Emboldened by the guidance in her aunt’s diary, Lucy refuses to sell the property, not even when Lord Branston’s offers escalate, or when the house turns out to be truly uninhabitable. Lucy has no intention of giving up her one chance for independence. And Thomas has no intention of abandoning his suit.

But is it the property or the spitfire of a spinster that’s got his heart all tied up? And what is he willing to offer for both?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25014182-the-spinster-s-guide-to-scandalous-behavior

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/129823-seduction-diaries

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Lydia’s gaze scooted lower, and her widened. “Why are you wearing Geoffrey’s old hat and jacket?” Her voice inched louder. “What on earth is going on?”

Lucy shrugged out of the borrowed garment. “I went … out.”

Her sister gaped at her. “Do you mean you went outside? Dressed like that?”

“You’ve seen me in trousers before.”

“Yes. Trousers to work in the greenhouse, which is scandalous enough,” Lydia choked out. “But to go out, where someone could see you … You look like a—”

“Boy?” Lucy finished. She removed the hat, and several pieces of her newly cut hair swung forward to just barely graze her chin. “’Tis rather the point. Better to be thought a boy, I think, when one traipses unchaperoned through the streets of London.” She smiled cheekily. “I need to guard my reputation, you know.”

Lydia reached out a trembling finger to touch Lucy’s hair. “Oh, Lucy … what terrible, awful thing have you done now?”

Lucy shook her head, testing the feel of it against her neck. Her hair didn’t feel terrible. Neither did it feel awful. “I’ve sold it.” She blew several insistent wisps of hair from her eyes, wondering how to contain them. Now that she’d removed her cap, the shortened strands seemed a bit … excited by their newfound freedom. “In fact, it was your idea.”

“How, exactly, was this my idea?” Lydia sounded close to hysterical.

“You encouraged me to find a way to earn the money to reach Cornwall on my own. You told me to find something to sell, so I visited the wig makers. Did you know they pay more for blond hair?” Though … not much more. She had a total of fifteen shillings in her pocket. By her calculations, if the sum was added to the loose change from her desk drawer, she had enough to get her to Cornwall. Now she just needed to find enough to either keep her there or get her back.

“I didn’t mean you should sell your hair,” Lydia cried. “I meant you should sell the silver buttons off your old cloak. Or perhaps your pen and ink set.”

“Don’t be silly. I need my pen set.”

“You need your hair, too!” Lydia retorted, her voice incredulous. “What about your Season? Your mother will be devastated. What were you thinking?”

Lucy’s lungs tightened. For heaven’s sake, this wasn’t about Mother, or the Season, or Lydia either. It was her choice. Her life. Her bloody hair. “No one will notice when it’s pinned up,” she protested.

Lydia sank down onto the sofa. “You are ruined,” she whispered. “If you go out in public now, you’ll never recover.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Lucy rolled her eyes. “I’m not ruined.” Surely being ruined would involve more than a trip to the wig makers.

And be a bit more fun in the making.

*****

Jennifer_McQuistonAuthor Info:

A veterinarian and infectious disease researcher by training, Jennifer McQuiston has always preferred reading romance to scientific textbooks. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, their two girls, and an odd assortment of pets, including the pony she promised her children if mommy ever got a book deal. Jennifer can be reached via her website at www.jenmcquiston.com or followed on Twitter @jenmcqwrites.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

*****

Quotes Wings Cover

Giveaway:

a $25 Gift card to eBook Retailer of choice and a copy of DIARY OF AN ACCIDENTAL WALLFLOWER

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8839/

*****

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

VT-SpinstersGuidetoScandal-JMcQuiston

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Spotlight – The Match of the Century

01 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

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Cathy Maxwell, Marrying the Duke series, The Match of the Century

Continuing our historical romance theme from yesterday … 🙂

*****

MATCH_CoverThe Match of the Century

Marrying the Duke #1

by Cathy Maxwell

Releasing  November 24, 2015

Avon Books

Blurb:

In New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell’s glittering new series, wedding bells are ringing… until the return of a rake throws a bride’s plans— and heart—into a tailspin.

Every debutante aspires to snag a duke. Elin Morris just happens to have had one reserved since birth. But postponements of her marriage to London’s most powerful peer give Elin time to wonder how she will marry Gavin Baynton when she cannot forget his brother, Benedict.

Already exasperated at being yanked from the military to meet “family obligations,” now Ben must suffer watching his arrogant sibling squire the only woman he has ever loved. Joining the army saved Ben from sinking into bitterness, but seeing Elin again takes him back to the day they surrendered to their intoxicating desire.

As the wedding draws near, Elin tries to push Ben far from her thoughts. When danger brings them together, there is no denying their feelings. But can Elin choose love over duty…?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25014001-the-match-of-the-century?ac=1

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/152998-marrying-the-duke

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Her bedroom door flew open, interrupting her thoughts, and her mother, Jennifer Morris, sparkling in the famed Morris diamonds, swept into the room. Her dress was of Belgian lace dyed in her favorite shade of sapphire, a color that matched her eyes. Her honey blonde hair barely betrayed a trace of gray. She glowed with eagerness for the evening ahead. She enjoyed crowds and being the center of attention. She had looked forward to this night for over twenty years, ever since the old duke of Baynton had suggested a match between their children.

Jenny shut the door and took in the situation in the room—Elin in her petticoats, her hair curling without a sense of order or style—and focused on the supper tray on the desk by the window overlooking the back garden.

“What is this? You haven’t touched any of your food. Sarah said she encouraged you to eat but I can see you haven’t taken even a bite.” Her mother approached her. Jenny was half a head taller than her daughter. She cupped Elin’s face in warm, loving hands. The rose scent of her perfume swirled around them. “Elin, you must eat. This evening is all about you. You are going to be very busy tonight. So many people will beg your attention, you won’t have time to sit let alone enjoy a bit of supper. And then, sweet bee, you need to finish dressing. Cook prepared the chicken in that French cream sauce you like so much. In fact, while you are eating, let me call for Sarah to come in and do your hair. We don’t want to keep Baynton and his guests waiting–”

Elin caught her mother’s hand before she could move away. “I can’t do this. I thought I could but I can’t.”

“You can,” her mother answered. “You were meant to do this. Born for it. Elin–” She paused, closed her eyes as if searching for the right words, or patience. When she raised her lashes, her expression was one of loving concern. “Elin, forgive yourself. You made a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. However, it was many years ago. What were you, fifteen?”

“I was to turn sixteen?”

“So very young. How could you have known? You trusted Benedict. Your father and I trusted him.”

“I was foolish.” A hard lump formed in Elin’s chest at the mention of Benedict Whitridge’s name. Ben had been her closest friend and he had taken what she should have protected—her virginity. He was also her betrothed’s younger brother.

Not only had the experience been painful and humiliating, he’d gone away the very next day. He’d left for a career in the military without a word of farewell. Or a warning that he was leaving, that he wouldn’t be there to reassure her when she needed him most.

*****

Cathy_MaxwellAuthor Info:

New York Times Bestselling Author, Cathy Maxwell spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, “Why do people fall in love?” It remains for her the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness. She lives in beautiful Virginia with children, horses, dogs, and cats.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter |GoodReads

*****

Giveaway:

a Complete Print Set of The Brides of Wishmore Series (THE BRIDE SAYS NO, THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE and THE GROOM SAYS YES)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8846/

*****

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

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Spotlight – The Last Chance Christmas Ball

30 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Anne Grace, Cara Elliot, Jo Beverly, Joanna Bourne, Mary Jo Putney, Nicola Cornick, Patricia Rice, Susan King, The Last Chance Christmas Ball

I love this time of year and a pretty big reason is the holiday reads!

*****

the last chance christmas ballThe Last Chance Christmas Ball

by Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverly, Joanna Bourne, Patricia Rice, Nicola Cornick, Cara Elliot, Anne Grace & Susan King

Released September 29, 2015

Zebra

Blurb:

Christmas 1815.

Upstairs and downstairs, Holbourne Abbey is abuzz with preparations for a grand ball to celebrate the year’s most festive—and romantic—holiday. For at the top of each guest’s wish list is a last chance to find true love before the New Year…

A chance meeting beneath the mistletoe, a stolen glance across the dance floor—amid the sumptuous delicacies, glittering decorations, and swell of the orchestra, every duchess and debutante, lord and lackey has a hopeful heart. There’s the headstrong heiress who must win back her beloved by midnight—or be wed to another….the spinster whose fateful choice to relinquish love may hold one more surprise for her…a widow yearning to glimpse her long-lost love for even one sweet, fleeting interlude …a charming rake who finds far more than he bargained for. And many other dazzling, romantic tales in this star-studded collection that will fill your heart and spice up your holidays…

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23360027-the-last-chance-christmas-ball

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

From A SEASON FOR MARRIAGE by Nicola Cornick

“Perhaps there has been a mistake, my lady,” Pershore, her maid, said timidly as, empty-handed, they ascended the carriage steps.

“I don’t think so,” Caroline said. “Mr. Camden does not make mistakes.” But he had, she thought. He had made an enormous mistake when he had married her.

She could vividly remember the night it had happened. She had been nineteen and had already had two Seasons without attracting a suitor who met her exacting requirements. She had not lacked offers; there had been fourteen in all. None of them, however, could match Piers Camden, friend of her elder brother Edward, with whom she had been in love since she was old enough to understand what love meant.

That summer night she had been sitting on the steps of the family home, Holbourne Abbey, trying not to cry because she had overheard her father telling her mother in exasperated tones that if she did not accept one of her suitors soon, he would betroth her to Lord Drysdale with or without her agreement. There was a ball going on, a beautiful, exciting, summery occasion and she had never felt less beautiful, excited or summery in her life.

Piers had found her outside and asked if he could help her.

“No,” she had said tragically. “No one can help me.”

Piers had smiled then, that attractively rakish smile that always made her heart turn over, and had sat down on the step beside her. “Tell me,” he had said.

To her surprise she had told him everything: how Lord Drysdale was old—at least forty—and already a widower, and how he had hungry eyes and a wet mouth. How she knew she had to marry well, but that she would rather enter a convent than marry Lord Drysdale.

“Have you found a suitable convent?” Piers had asked.

“No,” Caroline had said. “There are no suitable convents in Northumberland.”

His eyes had gleamed with amusement. “That is probably for the best. I don’t think you have the temperament for the religious life.”

“But I had also thought I might take a governess post,” Caroline said eagerly.

“Another startlingly bad idea,” Piers had said. He had shifted a little beside her, running one hand through his thick, dark hair. “I am sure this is all a misunderstanding, Lady Caroline. Your parents, I am persuaded, would do nothing so Gothic as to marry you off if you were unwilling.”

            “I heard them talking about it!” Caro burst out. “There is no mistake.” She had started to cry and Piers had proffered his handkerchief and then somehow—she was not at all sure how it had happened—her parents had rushed out onto the terrace accompanied by Lord Drysdale, who was furious, and various other guests, who were everything from shocked to curious, and everyone wanted to know what she was doing out there in the dark with Piers. She supposed it had looked rather scandalous because they were sitting close to one another and Piers had an arm about her and was wiping the tears from her eyes, but even so there had been no need for him to propose to save her reputation.

            Her parents, naturally, had been delighted. Piers was young, only six or seven years older than Caro was herself, handsome, rich, and the heir to a barony. He was her brother’s friend. It was a perfect match.

Except that it was not.

            It was a match born out of honor. Caro had felt hideously guilty. Piers had shown her kindness and she had repaid him by trapping him into marriage. When she had told him she did not wish him to feel obliged to wed her, he had told her that she should feel no guilt; theirs would be a good match. It all sounded dreadfully passionless and cold. When Caro had gone to her mother and tried to back out of the arrangement, Lady Holbourne had told her in the kindest but plainest terms that if she did so she would be ruined. So here she was six months later in a marriage of supposed convenience where the biggest inconvenience was that she was hopelessly in love with a husband who barely noticed her.

*****

Author Info:

Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Joanna Bourne, Patricia Rice, Nicola Cornick, Cara Elliott, Anne Gracie, Susan King are the ladies otherwise known as the Word Wenches. These eight authors have written a combined 231 novels and 74 novellas. They’ve won awards such as the RITAS, RT Lifetime Achievement award, RT Living Legend, and RT Reviewers Choice award. Several of them are regulars on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Learn more at www.wordwenches.com.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter

*****

Giveaway:

3 Trade Paperback Copies of THE LAST CHANCE CHRISTMAS BALL

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8844/

*****

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Spotlight – Sexy Bastards

27 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Alice Ward, Helen Grey, Sexy Bastards boxed set

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Book Description


For the first time ever, bestselling authors Alice Ward and Helen Grey combine to bring you their complete collection of the sexiest, wickedest books—guaranteed to melt your heart and panties! 

From hot and dominant soldiers to seductively bad stepbrothers and billionaire playboys, this TWENTY-EIGHT BOOK BOXED SET indulges every sensual desire you’ve ever had.

You know it’s true… everyone loves a sexy bastard…

Contained inside this mega-bundle:
Alice Ward
Reckless Box Set (contains complete 5-part series)
Taming the Billionaire Box Set (contains complete 5-part series)
My Stepbrother, My Lover (complete standalone novel)
Love All Out—A Stepbrother Romance Box Set (contains complete 5-part series)
Stage Struck (contains complete 2-part series)
Helen Grey
Serving the Soldier—An Alpha Military Romance (contains complete 5-part series)
Flaming Desire—An Alpha Billionaire Romance (contains complete 5-part series)
Taming the Billionaire by Alice Ward 
“I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted,” Drake said, pulling off his shoes. He stripped down to his silk boxers and crawled between the sheets. I moved to the foot of the bed and stood before him with a coy smile on my face.
“Before you nod off, I have a confession,” I began.
Drake raised an eyebrow and returned my grin. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I spent more money today than you realized,” I told him as I unwrapped the belt of my wrap dress. “I wanted to show you how much I appreciate the way you’ve spoiled me today.”
The dress fell open, revealing the peach silk lingerie I’d found in a small boudoir shop. The translucent fabric clung to my curves, barely covering the crotchless panties beneath.
Drake pushed himself up in the bed and parted the sheets, nodding for me to slip in beside him. “You look stunning, Chelsea. I hope there’s more where this came from,” he added, stroking the soft fabric. He brushed the silk against my body and my hair stood on end, as if electrified. I reached between his legs and found him stiff and ready.
Drake lifted his hips off of the bed and slipped out of his boxers. He tossed them to the floor before lying on his side and pulling me into his arms. We kissed lightly, our lips barely touching, as the jet began to move.
“I have an idea,” I told him, sitting up. Drake moved with me as I fell back to the mattress, this time with my head near the footboard. I wanted Drake inside me as the jet climbed to the heavens, and he caught on to my plan without explanation. He left my side just long enough to fetch a condom and roll it down his eager shaft. He returned to the bed and I pulled him down on top of me.
Our lips met as the jet slowed to a stop again. I knew we’d reached the runway and were waiting for final clearance. Drake held me close and we kissed softly, our bodies pressed together. We moved in unison, our bodies seamlessly joining as the jet lurched forward again. As we bumped down the runway, Drake’s cock touched places inside me I’d never known existed.
“Oh my God,” I gasped as the force of the jet pushed him deeper inside me.
The front of the jet lifted off the ground and Drake wrapped his arms around me, holding our bodies together. I moved my hips in circles, grinding into him as I planted my palms on the footboard to hold myself steady.
“Jesus, Chelsea,” Drake moaned. “I didn’t know I could get so deep.” His hips moved in instinctive, rapid thrusts as we climbed into the sky. Essentially, we were hanging upside down, and all of my senses were distorted. Drake wove his fingers through my hair and gave it a quick tug just as his teeth clamped down on my earlobe. The mixture of pleasure and pain was overwhelming. I bucked wildly against him and reached ecstasy just as the plane righted itself. Drake let out an animalistic grunt and with one hard push, he exploded within me. He immediately collapsed on the bed, gasping for breath.
“That… was… amazing.”
“Yes, it was,” I agreed, reaching for the bedside mini-fridge. I grabbed a cold bottle of water and took a long sip before passing it to Drake. He finished it in two long gulps and wiped his mouth with a sigh.
“So,” he said, pulling me back into his arms. He fingered my silk negligee. “Is there more where this came from?”
I smiled and nuzzled into his neck.  “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Flaming Desire by Helen Grey
I got right to the point. “I’ve been told that you’ve alienated one of the doctors—”
“Doctor Linder?” Matt asked.
I nodded.
“He’s a prick.”
Startled, I almost laughed. “Didn’t take you long to peg him, did it?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t say anything earlier because I didn’t want to embarrass you for one, and for two, I’m not familiar with how things work at this hospital. But I did see the good doctor leaving the supply closet just moments before Vanessa did. I could tell by the look on his face and the smirk he gave you what had been going on in there.”
I said nothing, surprised that Matt had seen and not said anything.
“Look, I know stuff like this happens in the workplace—any workplace. But what’s the protocol here? Has that happened before?”
I nodded. “It’s a tricky situation,” I explained. “I can’t report him without evidence to back it up. You see, Matt, we’re just nurses… and as you know, nurses don’t have that much power when it comes to the doctors and surgeons.” I shrugged. “Most of the physicians here are good people. Still, there are some, like Doctor Linder, who take advantage. I’ve seen it happen elsewhere too. Santa Fe General is not unique.”
“He’s an arrogant ass,” Matt said. “But your point is well taken.”
I nodded and began to walk toward my car, not really surprised that Matt kept in step with me. I didn’t want to be rude and tell him to go away, because to be honest with myself, I didn’t. Still, I had to be careful. I was his mentor, even if it was only for the next couple of days. We would also be going on the ride-alongs with the paramedics in the morning. I was supposed to set a good example, but I didn’t suppose there was anything wrong with him walking me to my car, was there? Besides, it was getting dark, and I appreciated the escort.
“So, Jesse—”
“Jessica,” I sighed.
“So Jessica, what do you do in your downtime?”
I glanced up at him in surprise. “Why?”
He shook his head. “Just an attempt at friendly conversation.”
We were steps away from my car now. I pulled the keys from my purse and pushed a button on the remote. My headlight and taillights flashed, and then I pressed another button. The back window popped open. Reaching for the door handle, I opened the door toward me. I looked up at him only to find him staring at the contents stowed behind the rear passenger seats.
“What?”
He grinned. “For one, I just didn’t expect you to drive a Jeep,” he said, shrugging.
“Really?” I asked. “And what exactly did you expect I would drive?” Was he flirting?
“Oh, I don’t know, a Camry maybe, or a Ford Focus.”
I frowned and made a face. “I do a lot of driving between here and Colorado—”
“Seriously?”
I tucked my purse inside a plastic storage crate near the door like I always did, wondering why he stared so curiously at the items in the back. “Yes,” I replied. “I have several friends up there and we get together several times a year—”
Alice Ward Author Links
Website
Facebook
Helen Grey Author Links
Website
Facebook

Buy Links
Amazon

Amazon UK

 

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Spotlight – Beauty and the Boss

23 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Beauty and the Boss, Diane Alberts, Modern Fairytales series

Another Entangled book – if you were here last week you know that I love this publisher and their authors.  And based on the below the newest from Diane Alberts is going to be fantastic!

*****

BatB_500Beauty and the Boss

by Diane Alberts

November 16, 2015

A Modern Fairytales Novel

Entangled Publishing: Indulgence

Blurb:

Beauty is about to tame her beast…

Researcher Maggie Donovan has no luck with men, and it doesn’t help that she can’t keep her eyes off of her sexy boss – the one everyone else in the office calls The Beast. Relationships in the office are forbidden. So no one is more surprised than Maggie when she pretends to be his fiancée to save him during a difficult situation. Not only has she put her job on the line, but the future of the company.

Billionaire Benjamin Gale III doesn’t believe in love or romance, but the look on his mother’s face when Maggie tells her that she’s his fiancée is worth millions. Instead of firing her for her insubordination, he goes along with the ruse. In his arms-and in his bed-she’d be everything he could ever want…which is why he can’t have her.

But if he doesn’t let her go, they’ll lose everything…

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1X0zIbG

B&N: http://bit.ly/1i0Z8Z2

iTunes:  http://apple.co/1JXDSuK

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1kybE45

*****

Excerpt:

Mr. Gale, who probably wanted to strangle her, choked and dragged his hands down his face. “Maggie, you don’t—”

“It’s okay. I told you I didn’t want to announce it yet, but I’m ready.” She forced a smile. His mouth opened, closed, then pressed into a thin line. “We can tell the whole world how much we love each other if you want…Benjamin.”

He made a strangled sound and tugged on his tie. He seemed more shocked than anything, but he had to be angry underneath that cold exterior of his. “Love—?”

She cast a quick glance at Mrs. Gale, who was starting to turn blue from lack of oxygen, before turning back to her boss. Not giving him a chance to ruin the ruse she’d thrown together, she launched herself into his arms and kissed him, right in his office in front of his mother.

The second their mouths touched, it was as if she’d woken up from a long, deep sleep.

This wasn’t a kiss—not really—and she was fully aware of that.

But her body didn’t get the message.

His mouth softened under hers, and after a moment of sheer awkwardness, he closed his arms around her and hauled her against his chest. Though she’d initiated the kiss, it didn’t take long for him to show her who was in charge of it. A small shift of his chin, and he was the kisser instead of the kissed.

He turned her slightly, facing away from his mother, and ran his tongue against the seam of her sealed lips. She gasped, shocked he’d actually gone there, and he took full advantage of the situation. He tasted like wine and something else she couldn’t place, and that was about as far as she got before she couldn’t think of anything except his lips on hers, his tongue against hers. She curled her hands into his shirt, and a small moan escaped her. She jumped at the sound, jerking back and covering her mouth in surprise.

Mr. Gale stared down at her, breathing heavily, his focus clearly on her mouth. It did weird things to her insides— things that made her want to launch herself back into his arms, only for real this time, and take that kiss a step further.

Like, stepping right into his bed.

*****

Author Info:

Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. She’s hit the Top 100 lists on Amazon and Barnes and Noble numerous times with numerous titles. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Diane has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author.  Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website: http://dianealberts.com/

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlberts6

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeAlberts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5081315.Diane_Alberts

*****

Giveaway:

Signed modern fairytale journal from Diane Alberts!

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/726d2572260/

*****

BATB_BlogTour

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Book Review – Chance of a Lifetime

19 Thursday Nov 2015

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Anderson Brothers series, Book Review, Chance of a Lifetime, Marissa Clarke

Oh, I can hardly wait for you guys to get a look at Marissa Clarke’s newest.  I absolutely LOVED it!

*****

Chance of a Lifetime_coverChance of a Lifetime

Anderson Brothers #3

by Marissa Clarke

Releasing November 16, 2015

Entangled Lovestruck

Blurb:

Sometimes the biggest risk is playing it safe…

Gen Richards is tired of living down to her family’s expectation of the helpless blind girl. Resurrecting her high-school bucket list that begins with “kiss a total stranger” seems just the thing until she finds herself in a panty-melting lip lock with her big brother’s best friend.

Chance Anderson thrives on adrenaline, but Genny’s the one risk he’s not willing to take. His recklessness a decade ago landed her in the hospital and ejected him from her life. He’s bad for her and everyone knows it—especially her big brother.

Chance reluctantly helps Gen complete her bucket list in order to keep her out of trouble. Running through a freezing fountain, playing Spin the Bottle while fending off a mad horde of stinging insects, and skinny dipping with homicidal attack swans don’t hold a candle to the real danger: falling for the one person he can never have.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26136108-chance-of-a-lifetime

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/134421-anderson-brothers

Buy Links:   Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Her agenda since this whole thing began had done a one-eighty. She no longer wanted to hurt him and show him what he’d missed when he left all those years ago; she wanted to make up for lost time. She wanted to kiss and touch and hold him like she had in her dreams—and in her imagination when she was alone. She wanted him to see her for the woman she had become. She wanted him to help her scratch number ten off her list, finally, after a decade of waiting.

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll go through with it, but I want to see the list. Keeping me in the dark is counterproductive.”

“Kinda like being me, huh?”
“You know what’s on the list, so, no.”
He wanted to see the list. Fine. She’d show it to him. She

pulled it out of the back of her phone case and handed it to him, waiting for his reaction with a smirk.

To her shock, he didn’t ask what to make of it. Instead, she heard him running his fingers across the surface. Shit. He could read braille. When had that happened?

“So… Speedboat, slow dance in the rain…”

“Give it back!” she swept her arms in the direction of his voice and made contact with his chest. Grabbing his T-shirt in her fist, she reached for his right arm.

“Play spin the bottle?”

“I was fifteen! Please give it back.”
She had to get it away from him before he read number ten.

“Sleep under the stars…”

That was number nine. She lunged and made a mad grab for the scrap of paper, but only managed to rip a corner off of it.

“Lose it.”

Crap, crap, crap. She slumped to the floor and buried her face in her hands to hide what was surely the mother of all blushes based on the hot flush crawling over her skin.

“Lose what?”

He could not be that dense.

“Oh…that.” He sat down beside her, turned her hand over, and placed the list in her palm.
“I was fifteen,” she said again as if it made a difference. “I’m sorry, Gen. I didn’t mean to upset you. You handed it to me.”

“I didn’t know you could read braille.”

He tipped her chin toward him with his fingertips and wiped away an escaped tear. “You don’t know a lot of things about me.”

*****

Review:

This is the first in the Anderson Brothers series that I’ve read, but based on Chance of a Lifetime I’ve definitely been missing out.  (And it can be read as a standalone.)

Together Chance and Gen are fun, flirty and have a deep understanding of one another.  Unfortunately they also have a history that makes any kind of a future hard.  Gen has let her family control her for far too long and, because of an accident years before, they aren’t going to approve of her being with Chance.

Chance knows that her family considers him bad news and a long time ago he made a promise to stay away.  But now that they are spending time together, Gen is providing to be impossible to resist.

From their first kiss thru her bucket list and all the way to the last page, I absolutely LOVED this story.  There are so many wonderful things here – how capable Genny is, the emotions tying these two together for more than a decade, the understanding and support that Chance provides, and the lessons learned by all involved.  I was so satisfied and amazingly sad to see it end.

*****

Marissa ClarkeAuthor Info:

Marissa Clarke lives in Texas, where everything is bigger, especially the mosquitoes.

When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, husband, and a Cairn Terrier named Annabel, who rules the house (and Marissa’s heart) with an iron paw.

Prior to attending University of Houston Law School, she received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Drama from the University of Houston. She has taught drama and playwriting in a large public high school and English in a private school.

Currently, she serves as Vice-President of Programming for the West Houston RWA Chapter, and is a founding member of Houston YA/MG Writers, and the QueryTracker.net Blog.

She loves to connect with readers, so follow/friend her on Facebook and, or shoot her an email from her “Contact” page.

Marissa also writes young adult novels for Penguin USA under the name Mary Lindsey. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Marissa Clarke’s conference, signing, & event schedule can be found here:  APPEARANCES

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Giveaway:

$20 Amazon or B&N gift card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8836/

*****

Click on the banner below for the rest of the tour

1-chance-of-a-lifetime-virtual-tour

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Spotlight – Compromising Her Position

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Compromise Me series, Compromising Her Position, Samanthe Beck

It’s an Entangled kind of day 🙂  But I love this publisher – they have so many fantastic authors and stories.  And Samanthe Beck’s newest looks to be the perfect sexy holiday read.

*****

CHP_NEW CoverCompromising Her Position

a Compromise Me Novel

by Samanthe Beck

Releasing November 16, 2015

Entangled Brazen

Blurb:

A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…

He’s not who she expected, but he’s exactly the man she needs…

When Chelsea Wayne drags Santa into a supply closet for a little office party nookie, she assumes the man in the suit is her on-again/off-again coworker boyfriend. Instead, it’s Rafe St. Sebastian, a man known for his hard-driving ways in business as well as the bedroom–and, kill her now, the brand spanking new owner of Las Ventanas–who grants her naughtiest Christmas wishes.

So much for her reputation, not to mention her career.

Rafe needs to close three acquisitions to prove to his father he’s ready to take the helm of St. Sebastian Enterprises. A hot interlude in a supply closet after deal number two seems like the perfect illicit Christmas bonus. Unfortunately, when that “bonus” becomes the key to the final deal, he finds himself back in bed–so to speak–with Chelsea, and after their steamy tryst, he’s not interested in keeping things professional.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26215010-compromising-her-position

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

“There is nothing personal between us.”

“I beg to differ. In fact, I’m fairly certain I know your deepest, darkest secret.”

“I sincerely doubt that.”

He brought his mouth to her ear. “You knew I wasn’t Paul.”

“No.” The denial, though immediate, sounded slightly breathless, slightly desperate.

She had to have at least suspected, at some point. He refused to believe otherwise. “Not at first. But when I had you clinging to the tables, trembling so hard you could barely stand? You knew.”

“You-you’re delusional. If I’d realized you weren’t Paul, don’t you think I would have stopped you?”

“No. By the time you realized, you didn’t care.” The crowd around them erupted into a countdown.

Ten… He cupped her jaw in one hand…
Nine… and slid the other down her back. Then lower. Eight… “You didn’t care about anything except my tongue tracing the path of your thong”—he let his fingers do the honor now—“all the way down until I could taste your sweet, throbbing little—”

“I thought you were Paul!” Her wide eyes darted to his, pupils huge.

Five… “Remember how you used your body to beg for more? There’s no f-ing way you’ve ever begged like that for Paul Barrington. No f-ing way. I could have you begging again.”

Her breathing came in quick, shallow pants. The hands she’d rested lightly on his shoulders tightened, bunching his jacket in a white-knuckled grip. She shook her head. “Not going to happen.”

Three… He was risking getting his face slapped in the middle of a dance floor on New Year’s Eve, but he didn’t care. For some inexcusable reason, he needed to know she wanted him, not Barrington.

Two… He spread his palm over the perfect curve of her ass and hauled her against him, so she’d feel just how well he remembered every damn detail of their last meeting.

One…

“It’s not?” he challenged, and then crushed her lips under his.

Cheers of “Happy New Year” echoed around them over the strains of “Auld Lang Syne.” A flotilla of black and silver balloons sailed down from the ceiling. Guests laughed, and sang, and jostled them while he kissed her. Sparkly, star- shaped confetti rained over everyone and everything, and he kept right on kissing her. Her arms twined around his neck. Her lips parted. She flattened one hand against the back of his head and held on. When he bent her over his arm and swept his tongue into her soft, yielding mouth, she wrapped her leg around his hip. The heat of her body practically seared his thigh through his tuxedo pants.

He trapped her lower lip between his teeth and nibbled. There went his no biting promise, but her shuddery moan told him she didn’t mind.

The song ended. The house lights came up a few notches. He slowly drew her upright, and even more slowly relinquished her mouth. She stared up at him, dazed, her lips plumped from their kiss.

“You’re a terrible liar, Miss Wayne.”

Giving her a grin he hoped didn’t reveal how much the move cost him, he walked away.

*****

SamantheAuthor Info:

Wine lover, sleep fanatic, and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy contemporary romance novels, Samanthe Beck lives in Malibu, California, with her long-suffering but extremely adorable husband and their turbo-son, Hud. Throw in a furry ninja named Kitty and Bebe the trash talking Chihuahua and you get the whole, chaotic picture.

When not clinging to sanity by her fingernails or dreaming up fun, fan-your-cheeks sexy ways to get her characters to happily-ever-afters, she searches for the perfect cabernet to pair with Ambien.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Giveaway:

$50.00 Amazon eGift Card and a rare print copies of

Samanthe’s Private Pleasures Trilogy

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb55495648/

*****

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

compromisingherposition_edited-2

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Spotlight – Falling for Her Enemy & Kissing Her Crush

12 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Falling for Her Enemy, Kissing Her Crush, Ophelia London, Still Harbor series, Sugar City series, Victoria James

Got two great new Entangled books today … I love this publisher and just about everything they come out with 🙂

*****

Falling_CoverFalling for Her Enemy

Still Harbor #2

by Victoria James

Releasing November 9, 2015

Entangled Bliss

Blurb:

She’s falling for the one man who could destroy everything…

Alex McAllister always dreamed of a life filled with the laughter and love of a family, but being abandoned at a young age left her wary of letting anyone in. Now that she’s settled in Still Harbor, Alex struggles between keeping her distance and the magnetic pull of the handsome stranger who claims he’s the biological father of her adopted daughter.

Hayden Brooks never wanted to be a father. Long hours spent building his family’s real estate empire suits him just fine. But when he discovers an ex put the baby he unknowingly fathered up for adoption, his world crumbles. He tracks the child to Still Harbor with the intention of bringing her home—and comes face to face with his daughter’s stunning adoptive mother.

The paternity test is in. And Hayden’s about to make the most shocking decision of his life, just in time for Christmas…

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26173418-falling-for-her-enemy?ac=1

Goodreads Series Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/series/156171-still-harbor

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Victoria_JamesAuthor Info:

Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.

In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.

Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after’s for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she’s quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.

Sign up for Victoria’s Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers!


Author Links:  Website| Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Kissing_CoverKissing Her Crush

Sugar City #2

by Ophelia London

Releasing November 9, 2015

Entangled Bliss

Blurb:

He’s sweet trouble… 

Natalie Holden wants three things: To be the best chocolate chemist in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to prove her chocolate recipe can help teenage depression, and to get over gorgeous Luke Elliott, the guy she’s had a crush on since birth. Unfortunately, he’s the microbiologist set to debunk her chocolate study. And, of course, he looks more delicious than ever!

Luke Elliott is still bitter over his divorce. Work is his passion now, and landing a huge promotion is just what he needs. What he doesn’t need is a crackpot trying to prove that chocolate cures depression. The last thing he expects is for the crackpot to be Natalie Holden—his “what if” girl from high school—or that she’d still tempt the hell out of him.

They may not see eye-to-eye on her project, but they can’t deny the explosive chemistry that keeps pulling them together. Even when it risks their jobs and the very different futures they both want…

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26087184-kissing-her-crush

Goodreads Series Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/series/133704-sugar-city

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

“Are you mad?”

“I must be, right? Freakin’ loco in the cabeza.”

“I mean, are you angry about…what happened?”

“Oh.” She bit her lip. Luke remembered how it had felt between his teeth, soft and full. “Why did you do that, anyway?”

“Kiss you?”

She stared up at the sky. “Um, yeah.”

He slid his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “It was an impulse. You were saying that stuff about it not being a requirement and then the lights went out and, I don’t know. It was entrapment. I had no choice.”

“You always have a choice.”

Luke sighed. Of course, she was right. It might’ve been an impulse, but he could’ve squelched it. Truth was, he’d been dying to kiss her; he just hadn’t known it until that moment.

“Okay then.” He looked her dead in the eyes. “Why did you kiss me back?”

She rubbed her nose and glanced away. “Yeah, um, I claim entrapment, too.”

*****

Ophelia_LondonAuthor Info:

USA Today bestselling author Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters she writes. Ophelia is the author of AIMEE & THE HEARTTHROB; DEFINITELY, MAYBE IN LOVE; the Abby Road series; Perfect Kisses series; Sugar City series; and the brand new cozy mystery CHALK LINES & LIPSTICK. Visit all her books HERE, but don’t call when The Vampire Diaries (or Dawson’s Creek) is on. #paceylove

Author Links   Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Giveaway:

$25.00 Gift card to HERSHEY’S STORE

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ea00417011/

*****

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