Spotlight – Black Bullet

27 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Black Bullet, L.D. Rose, Order of The Senary series

I’ve got a copy of this one (and the first book too) and I’m SUPER excited to add them to my TBR pile!

*****

Black Bullet

Order of The Senary series

by L.D. Rose

Blurb:

He had everything under control until she crashed into his afterlife.

Fledgling vampire Jonathan Kerr has just met his match.

Not even his past life as a former marine and FBI agent could prepare him for the battle against the monster inside him, struggling to take hold. After an old nemesis of the Senary surfaces in Brooklyn, unleashing chaos and terror in the battered borough, Jon sets out to take him down. Instead, he ends up with far more than he bargained for when he clashes with the beautiful half-vampire hybrid, Lawan Knight.

After escaping near death and suffering unspeakable horror at the hands of vampires, Lawan trusts no one, regardless of species. In between bouts of drunken stupor, her only goal is to exterminate all those who’ve wronged her, including every member of Jon’s vampire bloodline. But Jon’s soulful eyes and quick smile crawls under her skin, transforming her black and white world into a hazy shade of gray.

As the days rapidly grow darker, Jon and Lawan turn to one another, but their inner demons threaten to tear them apart. The only way either of them will survive is if they overcome their greatest fear—love.

Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01MCWB3GU

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32716471-black-bullet

Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/writerldrose/black-bullet/

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/12150626565/playlist/4kl49Yv4fZgweC5b3TfPyi

*****

Excerpt:

Jon only had time to take a single breath before a dark boot materialized in front of his face, the heel aiming straight for his throat. He snatched it before it made contact and twisted hard, thrusting it away from him. The limb yielded beneath his grip as his attacker collapsed beside him, metal clattering nearby. He levered to his feet, pulling a KA-BAR from his boot as pain lit up his nerves, setting his teeth on edge. His attacker was already standing, the blade of a gorgeous double-edged Kris sword pointed at his throat.

Holy shit.

His opponent was female, wearing a slim-fitting black battle uniform and carrying enough artillery to outfit a small army. Her jet-black hair was tied in a long braid and a black mask covered the lower half of her face. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes revealed her Asian heritage, her skin the color of caramel. A scabbard stretched across her back, strapped to her chest, along with the M16 she’d used to tear up the warehouse.

Jon took a step back, but she didn’t hesitate, launching at him with the blade. Metal clashed and sparks flew as he parried the long sword’s quicksilver arcs with his dagger. Although she limped from her injured leg, her strikes were hard, fast, and precise, each blow intended to kill. He nearly tripped over the pirate’s body as she backed him against the wall of the refinery, and he ducked as the blade screeched along the brick.

Before Jon straightened, he jabbed the butt of his KA-BAR into her knee and she yelped, stumbling backward. He slashed at her and caught nothing but air as she lurched away from him. She swung the Kris at his head and he raised the KA-BAR to engage and bind the sword. Both of their weapons trembled as their eyes locked on one another across the tangle of deadly metal.

And as her smoldering gaze drilled into him, he smelled it.

Dama de Noche.

The Lady of the Night, a nocturnal blooming flower he’d first smelled years ago in Nepal, when he was a human soldier. The scent was unmistakable, underlying the incense of vampire. The stench of leech didn’t belong to her, but the floral aroma was all her own.

She’s not a vampire.

Stunned by the revelation, Jon wavered, and she quickly took advantage of him. She sidestepped and lunged at him, sinking the blade in his shoulder. He shouted, dropping his KA-BAR as pain erupted from his dominant limb. Moving lightning fast, she yanked the blade out and sliced an arc across his chest. Luckily, she only scored his Kevlar, and as the sword swooped around again, Jon caught it with his gloved hands, silver biting into leather.

“You’re a hybrid,” he ground out. “I’m on your side!”

She pushed hard against him, drawing blood. “Bullshit.” Her voice was a rich contralto, edged with a growl. “You reek of Temhota.”

The Dama drew back and chopped at his belly, but Jon blocked her with his forearms, metal jarring against his bones. Finally, he managed to kick the blade out of her grip and it spun away, clattering to the ground. She somersaulted backward to retrieve it, but Jon caught hold of her braid in mid-air and wrenched on it. She cried out and landed face-first on the pavement, her breath audibly whooshing from her throat.

Jon wound her braid around his hand like a rope and straddled her, pinning her down. He tore the M16 off and tossed it as she writhed beneath him, fighting hard. Yanking her head up, he leaned close to her ear. “I’m not your enemy,” he hissed.

Her already shallow breath quickened and her struggles intensified, her sweet scent pumping from her pores in cloying waves. Panic. Fear. Restraining her like this completely terrified her.

Jon let up, knowing it was a mistake, but the shred of humanity still left in him couldn’t resist. The Dama slammed the crown of her head into his face and his retinas exploded in a staggering palette of reds, whites, and grays. His nose caved in, but not so far as to bury the bony shards into his brain. Blood poured out of him like a leaky faucet as he fell back, propping himself up on the wall of the refinery.

She was on him in an instant, chopping the edge of a flat hand into his trachea before smashing a fist in his ear. She wobbled to her feet as he struggled desperately to breathe—remember Jon, you don’t have to—and she gave him a vicious kick to his solar plexus, doubling him over. The pain was terrific, a cacophony of agony echoing from every corner of his body.

Jesus Christ, she was beating the shit out of him.

The Dama stood there, shaking, the fabric of her fallen mask fluttering to the ground. Jon blinked, trying to clear his blurred vision as she picked up her sword. He stole a glimpse of her face as she flung the mask up with the blade and caught it. A tattoo marked her cheek, the black symbol unmistakable but jagged, as if she’d thrashed during the process.

The same mark he’d painted on his chest lay branded on her face—the emblem of the Temhota.

Jon yanked down the neckline of his shirt, much like he had with the pirate, but this time he wiped at the mark, smearing it. The Dama paused in front of him, eyes narrowed, a gash marring her forehead. Even with the mark of his enemy on her face, she was breathtaking, and he didn’t have much breath left to spare.

“Not real,” he said past swollen lips, lifting trembling fingers stained with both paint and blood. “No mark.”

“But you are a leech.” She pointed the serpentine blade at the hollow of his throat.

He nodded, swallowing iron. “I work with the Senary. I used to . . . I used to be human. I’m not what you think I am.”

“You stink of them.” Her lip curled in a snarl.

He nodded again, every muscle in his body screaming. “Because I’m one of them. Yet I’m not.”

Brilliant. Maybe a few of those bony shards made their way into his brain after all.

She flipped the sword deftly and held it in a two-handed grip, the sin qua non of impending decapitation. Her dark eyes didn’t have the cat-like gleam signature to vampires, but hate and anger bled through them anyway.

“Makes no difference to me.”

*****

Author Info:

L.D. Rose is a neurotic physician by day, crazed writer by night, and all around wannabe superhero. She writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy, but she’s been known to delve into horror, sci-fi, and medical suspense on occasion. L.D. Rose is a PAN member of the RWA, FF&P, NEC-RWA and CoLoNY. She currently lives in Rhode Island with her studly hubby, her hyperactive boxer, and her two devious cats.

Sign up for her newsletter for the latest on the Senary, sneak peeks, giveaways, and other fun stuff: http://eepurl.com/bKvuXD. You’ll receive a free horror short story with sign-up!

You can also join her street team on FB for more shenanigans. 😉 DEVOUR THE NIGHT: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1544747369161573/

Where else to find her:

Website: www.writerldrose.com

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/ldrose

Facebook: www.facebook.com/writerldrose

Author page: www.facebook.com/ldroseauthorpage

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ld_rose

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/ldrose

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/writerldrose

Tumblr: www.writerdoc.tumblr.com

Book Bub: www.bookbub.com/authors/l-d-rose

Spotlight – Winter Holiday Recipes (+reads!) from Harlequin

26 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Geri Krotow, Her Secret Christmas Agent, Silver Valley PD series

To celebrate the holiday season, Harlequin is showcasing some of their awesome authors. And I’m so happy to have Geri Krotow stop by to talk a little about one of her holiday traditions and a favorite recipe … and of course share her new book 🙂

*****

The Day After Christmas

Ah, the day after Christmas. Wads of festive wrapping paper have been forced into the already too-full garbage and recycle bins and the refrigerator is stuffed to the gills with leftovers. If I’m lucky, my family will bless me with yet another Christmas gift: a break from it all. We call it “fend for yourself” in our house, and the day after a major holiday is almost always “fend for yourself.” Hungry? Grab a plate, pile it high and enjoy.

This me a free day to do as I please—knit and read. Maybe go for a walk, but really, reading is tops. I get to catch up on all the holiday romances I haven’t already devoured and as an added treat I can sip tea and eat cookies as I do so. We go all out for the holidays in our house–from decorating to cookie baking to wrapping even the stocking stuffers. It’s about family. We made a decision years ago as a young Navy family that we’d celebrate Christmas Eve and Day in our home wherever it was around the globe. It’s how we gave our kids stability and kept our own traditions.

And whether my Navy pilot husband was home or deployed, whether we lived in Annapolis, Maryland or Moscow, Russia, I read on the day after Christmas. And I delight in romances during the holiday season, especially the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s a way to keep the holiday going, to eek out the last possible sparkles of joy as the holidays move on and become memories.

I hope you get enjoy the days after the holidays, too, and hopefully with a romance novel! It was with this wish for you that I wrote each of my holiday books, which I’ve listed below. And as a special treat I’d like to share one of my favorite easy breakfast recipes, perfect for the week between Christmas and the New Year.

Let there be Peace on Earth!

Geri Krotow

Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal

4 cups water or milk of your choice (or a combination is great, too), and you can add an extra cup if you’re going to cook for the full eight hours

1 cup steel-cut oats (not traditional rolled or quick cooking)

½-1 cup dried fruit depending upon your taste. I use dried cranberries and cherries, both are great

Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Brown sugar, honey, toasted walnuts or almonds for garnish

Combine the liquid and oats in a large slow cooker. Stir in the dried fruit. Cook on the lowest setting for 6-8 hours (overnight). The consistency of the hot cereal will be like your favorite pudding. Enjoy!

Geri Krotow’s Christmas Books:

Whidbey Island series

Navy Christmas

Navy Joy novella in Coming Home for Christmas

Silver Valley PD series

Her Christmas Protector

Her Secret Christmas Agent

*****

Her Secret Christmas Agent

Silver Valley PD series

by Geri Krowtow

Print Length: 288 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Romantic Suspense (December 1, 2016)

Blurb:

Can a former marine and an undercover cop crack a deadly Christmas case?

When a cult threatens the high school where he teaches, ex-marine Mitch Everlock is on the case. His priority: protecting his students. His world is rocked when one of his pupils, Nika Pasczenko, reveals she’s an undercover police officer! But can the agent with secrets of his own trust his partner-in-crime?

The last thing Nika expected on this investigation was meeting a sexy veteran who makes her heart light up like a Christmas tree. But with both their lives at risk, and the students in danger, neither of them can afford the slightest distraction. Especially one as big as falling in love just as a killer closes in…

Add to Goodreads

Purchase at Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

*****

Author Info:

Geri Krotow is a Naval Academy graduate and Navy veteran. She has traveled to and lived in many places abroad, including South America, Italy and Russia. Her family has finally settled down in Central Pennsylvannia but Geri still writes about all the places she’s been. An award–winning author, Geri writes the Silver Valley PD for Harlequin Romantic Suspense.

Connect with Geri Website | Facebook | Twitter

*****

Giveaway:

Baking-inspired prize pack!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/82ae250c46/

*****

Harlequin has gathered up some delicious recipes and books to keep us warm over the holidays. Make sure you visit all the great sites to check out fantastic reads and yummy recipes!

Click on the link below to see the rest of the tour

Book Review – Drew’s Last Hope

22 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Amy Gregory, Book Review, Drew's Last Hope, Finding Perfect series

Drew’s Last Hope

A Finding Perfect Novel

by Amy Gregory

Drew McKnight has always had a killer smile. Girls first, then women fell for it. Add that to his magnetic personality and Drew has never known a stranger. Growing up in the quaint town of Renlend, Kansas he had everything he’d always wanted, including his high school sweetheart. Then he blinked. In one moment of sheer hell, his entire world crashed down around him. His heart was torn in two pieces and he didn’t know how to move forward. Except…he had no choice not to.

Hope’s career came to a screeching halt one night on stage in front of a packed house. Her entire life’s work went down the drain. Using the same determination that got her to New York in the first place, she started over. She’s been dealt a crappy hand—twice, but she won’t let any of that interfere with her new life. No more toe shoes, tutus or men. She’s in a new town, ready for a new start. Until she turned around and fell in love with the most precious brown eyes she’d ever seen.

Some romances I just fly through, turning pages and devouring the words and then before I know it I’m done. Then there are others that are more of a savoring kind of thing and this definitely falls into that category. Gregory has us slowly getting to know Hope as she settles into a new home and a new job, near the comfort of the only family that has ever shown her love. It’s harsh to realize exactly what kind of life she’s lived so far and how things have changed so drastically for her. But she’s strong, resilient and hard-working. She’s going to create something new that she loves … and Drew is going to help her (in some unexpected ways).

As Drew works on giving Hope a new place of business and a loft to live in, he gets to know the pretty dancer. And he likes what he sees. But he has a daughter to consider and a heart that was damaged. He may not be the best at showing interest in a woman but Hope easily sees how good of a dad & friend he is. He’s kind and caring and patient. And she’s growing more attracted to him every day.

With two people who have been hurt in the past and are now a little hesitant to give their heart away, Gregory delivers an emotional story of letting go, moving on and opening up. Neither wants to be hurt again but their attraction is hard to ignore. Can they take a chance or will they let their fears stand in their way?

This is the first in this series (and by this author) that I’ve read and while I don’t think it is a requirement to have read anything else since I kept up just fine, it might have helped a little since characters from other stories appear. Especially Drew’s best friend, whose story is hinted at but never explained further. Not pivotal to Drew’s story but it does make me curious about what happened to him. Which I guess could be a good ploy to get me to get his book too 🙂 I will say that I’m not sure if it is because I had an advanced copy or if this is the actual finished book but there were some odd word choices and some editing issues (repeated words, weird punctuation, that sort of thing). This being my first book, so it’s hard to say, but while that kind of thing doesn’t really bother me as much I know that it could turn some people off.

Spotlight – Blank Space

21 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Blank Space, Dangerous Friends, Jennifer Young

If you like intrigue mixed in with your romance then there’s a book releasing today that’s perfect for you. And I’m thrilled that author Jennifer Young agreed to stop by to answer a few questions 🙂

*****

*What do you like best about writing romances?

I’ve dabbled in various genres (and read various genres, too) but it’s the happy ending that draws me back to romance. I’m a realist so I like to write about real people with faults, not perfect but unrealistic people — but I’m an optimist, too. Real life can be pretty miserable: romance can remind you of the best bits of it.

*What is your favorite romantic story?

This is really tricky, and I’m going to answer by choosing something that isn’t usually thought of as romance. In Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey detective novels, there’s a developing relationship between Peter and Harriet Vane, the woman who he saved from hanging after she was accused of murdering her lover. Some of the scenes between them are extraordinarily passionate, although there’s no explicit sex in the books. But the slow-burn of their relationship is wonderful.

*If you could be any romantic character, who would it be and why?

Hmm… that’s not easy either. I’m going to go back to the classics for this one and say Jane Eyre. She may have had a terrible upbringing and been initially unlucky in love — but she’s a shrewd judge of character and eminently sensible, which isn’t true of that many romantic heroines (sorry, but it isn’t!). And, of course, she gets her happy ending.

*Which of your characters/books was the most fun to write?

That’s an unfair question — like asking me which is my favourite child! I love all my books equally, for different reasons. But I’m going to go with the latest one, Blank Space, because it’s the first one set wholly in my home city of Edinburgh. Plus, because it involves undercover policing, about which there’s very limited available information, I was able to let my imagination run riot. I’m deeply attached to both my hero and my heroine, Marcus and Bronte, so much that I’m going to be taking them on a long and sometimes difficult emotional journey in books to come.

*If you weren’t a writer and could be anything you want, what would it be?

In a perfect world, I would be a countryside ranger, teaching people about the geology of some of the most stunning places in the world, up in the Scottish Highlands. I wouldn’t be able to live without writing, though, so I expect I’d have to produce a few leaflets and guidebooks to help me with my work!

*****

Blank Space

Dangerous Friends, Book One

by Jennifer Young

Blurb:

When Bronte O’Hara finds an injured man in her kitchen in the run-up to an international political summit in Edinburgh, a world she thought she’d left behind catches up with her. When the man makes his escape, the police seem less interested in finding out where he went and how he came to be there than they are in Bronte’s past – more specifically, her ex-boyfriend, Eden Mayhew. Eden’s an anarchist, up to his neck in any trouble around — and he’s missing. The police are keen to find him, certain that he’ll come back. Who can she trust – and what has Eden’s disappearance got to do with the handsome stranger?

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blank-Space-Dangerous-Friends-Book-ebook/dp/B01MFBLIY3

Book trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2XfcBuRkV0&feature=youtu.be

*****

Excerpt:

Marcus ended the call, stood up, picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, then paused to watch a heron standing poised at the edge of the river. It was waiting, waiting, waiting with instinctive patience, for things to fall out the way it wanted, for a fish to swim into its range. After a while he lost interest in it, setting his mind instead to the fruitless chase of a lost memory, and always failing to see beyond Bronte O’Hara’s bewitching dark eyes.

He’d see her again, if only because they lived just streets apart. Had she recognised him? When she’d been with Eden she wouldn’t have given him a second glance. Eden had that entrancing effect on women, at least until they realised that they weren’t the only one in his life, and sometimes even beyond then. He’d seen her at other times, too, and he’d deliberately looked away because it never suited him to establish any kind of eye contact. She might have seen him. If she had, did it matter? Should he have a story ready for the moment when she would challenge him with his actions?

There was no need for lies, or not too many of them, he reminded himself. He had nothing to hide because he could remember nothing. When he thought about what had happened to him, he only embarked upon a struggle against the enduring blank space in his memory and the stubborn refusal of both his conscious and his subconscious mind to look any further back than the moment when he’d opened his eyes to find Bronte staring into them. And if that wasn’t what people meant when they talked about thinking they’d died and gone to heaven, then what was?

The more he fretted about it, the harder it became. He had to remember what happened, if only because the one thing he was sure of was that it was something to do with Eden’s disappearance. Ultimately, it might be something which would compromise the police operation and, in the worst case, cost Eden, his friend and colleague, his life.

You couldn’t force memory, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t offer it some key prompts. It was almost a fortnight since he must have seen something suspicious and followed the trail into Bronte’s flat. An accident? A trap?

He glanced at his watch. Six o’clock on a Friday; she’d be on her way back from work. He strolled casually along through Stockbridge to Comely Bank, and hung around on the corner tapping his watch as if he were waiting for someone. She came past, a little later than usual and with a Waitrose bag swinging from her hand. Eden had boasted that she was a good cook, salivating over his own good fortune.

He took a consoling pleasure from watching her. Short brown hair curled down to the nape of her neck. She’d swapped her work shoes for trainers, but the high heel of one designer sandal stuck out of her open handbag. Unaware of his presence, she strolled along without a care, so clearly freed from the stresses of his unwelcome visit.

He watched until she’d let herself into her flat and there was no more to be gained. Even when she’d thought he was threatening her, she’d regarded him with what was, at worst, interest. But it didn’t help. His memory remained locked.

*****

Author Info:

Jennifer Young is an Edinburgh-based writer of romance novels. She has published six novels in contemporary, romantic suspense and new adult romance genres with Tirgearr Publishing. Blank Space, the first in a series of romantic suspense novels set in Edinburgh, is her first self-published novel.

Jennifer loves reading, travelling and cats — and you’ll find one of the latter concealed somewhere in all but one of her books. Sometimes they’re significant characters but mostly, like all cats the world over, they’re just keeping an eye on things.

Website http://jenniferyoungauthor.co.uk/

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/jynovelist

Book Review – Absolute Trust

20 Tuesday Dec 2016

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

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Tags

Absolute Trust, Book Review, Piper J. Drake, True Heroes series

I’m so excited to bring this book to you guys! So far this has been an exceptional series and I think there is definitely room for Drake to keep going with new characters (or a spin-off series or two 🙂 )

*****

Absolute Trust

True Heroes, #3

by Piper J. Drake

On Sale: December 20, 2016

Publisher: Forever

Mass Market: $6.99 USD

eBook: $5.99 USD

Add to Goodreads

Blurb:

Hot military heroes, the women who love them, and the dogs who always have their backs. ABSOLUTE TRUST is the third book in a high-adrenaline romantic suspense series from Piper J. Drake.

LOVE IS THE GREATEST RISK OF ALL

After multiple tours of duty, Brandon Forte returns to his hometown on a personal mission: to open a facility for military service dogs like Haydn, a German shepherd who’s seen his share of combat and loss. It also brings him back to Sophie Kim, a beacon of light in his life . . . and the one woman he can’t have. But Forte’s success means he’s made enemies in high places. Enemies who are now after Sophie . . .

When Forte enlisted and left without saying goodbye, Sophie did her best to move on. But with her first love back in town, looking sexier than ever, she’s constantly reminded of what they could have had. Then after he risks himself for her, Sophie realizes she’ll have to put her life in the hands of the man who broke her heart, knowing the danger—and the sparks between them—could consume them both.

*****

EXTREME HONOR, #1 | ULTIMATE COURAGE, #2 | ABSOLUTE TRUST, #3

Series Page on Goodreads

*****

Excerpt:

Sophie Kim must’ve come directly from work because, under her very sleek, black trench coat, she wore a matching pencil skirt. Three-inch red heels popped in contrast to the severe black of the rest of her outfit. Which did all sorts of things to him. Naughty things. The kind of things that were so good that they were really bad. Especially when a woman was off limits.

“Hey! Is that the new guy?” Sophie slowed her approach, keeping her gaze locked on Forte’s face.

She’d been around tiny dogs all her life, but she’d spent enough time at Hope’s Crossing Kennels over the last couple of years to have learned how to meet the much bigger dogs in Forte’s care. Training working dogs was his thing. Or in Haydn’s case, retraining.

Always a work in progress.

Sophie had been here when Forte had come back from active duty, too battle weary to continue deploying. She’d helped him with the accounting when he’d established Hope’s Crossing Kennels and had generally integrated herself into the private world he’d created for himself, Rojas, and Cruz while they all rebuilt lives for themselves.

Sophie’s bright smile faded as she waited for him to answer. She always sensed when he got too caught up inside his own head.

“Yeah.” Forte came to a halt and murmured the command for Haydn to sit.

Instant obedience. Despite his injury, surgery, and current need for recovery, the dog was as sharp as he’d been on active duty. The mind was eager, ready to work. The body, not so much.

Sophie’s smile renewed, the brilliant expression stopping his heart, the way it had every time he’d seen her since they’d first met way back in high school. She came to a stop in front of them, barely within arm’s reach. “He must be doing well if you’ve got him out here for some field work.”

While they spoke, Haydn watched them both. Then he sniffed the back of Sophie’s hand, which she’d been holding conveniently within reach.

Usually, he preferred if a person asked to be introduced, but this was Sophie. If she’d approached anyone else, she’d have requested permission to say “Hi” to the dog. But between the two of them, everything was an exception.

It showed how well she’d come to know the way he worked in the last few years. He’d changed with every deployment. It happened. And she’d adjusted and accepted those changes in him without a word when he came back. She was the steadfast, forever friend.

He’d never told her why he’d left in the first place or why he’d come back. She was so good at just accepting him that she might never know. And he was a coward for not telling her.

“What’s your plan for him?” Sophie glanced down at the dog, now that he’d sniffed her hand. “Haydn, right?”

“Yeah.” Forte cleared his throat. “He’s got a couple of weeks of physical therapy first. Then we need to coordinate with the Air Force on his adoption.”

“Ah.” Understanding in one syllable. She had the kind of caring heart to fill in the gaps when something went unsaid. “His handler didn’t make it.”

Part of why Sophie was one of the only people Forte felt easy around was because she got it. Only needed to explain once. And she listened the first time. Sometimes no explanation was required at all.

“Where’s your car? We’ll walk you.”

“Right across the street.” Sophie jerked her head in the direction of the small parking lot.

They headed over, Sophie falling into step next to Forte. She didn’t try to take his hand or tuck her own around his arm. They weren’t like that. Besides, she knew he didn’t like to be all wound up with a person when walking out in the open.

As they approached her car, Sophie juggled her shopping bag to pull her keys out of her purse and triggered the trunk.

“Need help?” Forte came up alongside the car, scanning the area around the parking lot out of habit.

“No worries.” Sophie lifted the trunk door and carefully placed her shopping bag inside the deep space, leaning in to move things around to where she wanted. “I need to make sure this is arranged so stuff doesn’t shift. It’s delicate!”

He was not going to admit to anyone, ever, how much he was willing to stretch his neck to catch sight of her backside while she was leaning over.

Haydn sniffed the side of the car. The big dog was very engaged, his relaxed attitude changing to a sharper set of movements. Forte tore his attention from Sophie.

Haydn had detected something out of place. Something wrong. Forte’s stomach tightened into a hard knot. Nothing wrong should be anywhere near his Sophie. It didn’t matter that they were in a sleepy town on the edge of a river in the middle of a peaceful country. It didn’t matter that there shouldn’t be any real danger here.

Haydn deliberately sat and looked up at Forte. It was a clear signal. One Haydn had been specifically trained to give as a military explosives detection dog.

Shit.

“Sophie. Step away from your car.” He’d explain later. Be afraid later. Rage. Worry.

Later.

She popped up from the trunk. “Huh?”

“Do it.”

They had to move now.

She complied, thank god. He gave Haydn a terse command, circled around to grab Sophie and get more distance. He steered her across the parking lot toward a big dumpster. It’d serve as good cover. Then he reached for his smart phone.

They got a couple of yards away, and Sophie craned her neck to look back at her car, even as she kept moving with him. She always did as he asked immediately, but she had a brain, and she insisted on explanations after she complied. “What—?”

Behind them, the trunk hatch came down with a solid thunk.

Forte let out a curse and grabbed her, pulling them down to the ground and rolling for the cover of other cars as an explosion lifted the entire driver’s side of her car.

*****

Review:

(While it isn’t required to read all of the stories in this series, it does help to understand how the characters relate to each other and all the trouble they’ve managed to get themselves into this past year 🙂 )

I was super thrilled to see Drake hit it out of the park again – delivering a story full of danger, emotion, humor and thrills. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but I felt like there was a bit of a misstep in the last one when it came to her hero. Here, though, everything comes together just perfectly.

The friendship between Sophie and Brandon is just awesome, but returning readers know that they are both hiding deeper feelings. We just aren’t sure why they are fighting it. And with excitement and danger coming at the start, we don’t have long for things to come to a head. (I don’t think many people will be surprised by the “who” in the who-done-it part, but Drake ties everything together very well and keeps things engaging.)

The pacing is done skillfully too – mixing the relationship development with the suspense portion but not cheating either of them. Drake also does a great job of fleshing out the characters we’ve gotten glimpses of in the first two books and explaining why they’ve never done anything about their obvious attraction.

All of it makes sense and keeps you glued to the page until you can make sure that they make it out of their troubles (both physical and emotional), getting a HEA together that they deserve.

*****

Author Info:

Piper J. Drake (or “PJ”) spent her childhood pretending to study for the SATs by reading every interesting novel she could find at the library. After being introduced to the wonderful world of romance by her best friend, she dove into the genre.

PJ began her writing career as PJ Schnyder, writing sci-fi & paranormal romance and steampunk, for which she won the FF&P PRISM award as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award.

PJ’s romantic suspense novels incorporate her interests in mixed martial arts and the military. The True Heroes series is inspired by her experience rescuing, owning and training a variety of retired working dogs, including Kaiser, a former guard dog, and Mozart, who was trained to detect explosives.

FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE

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*****

Giveaway:

Ten (10) mass market copies of ABSOLUTE TRUST

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/26635ce2404/

*****

Spotlight – Mischief, Mistletoe and the Marquis

19 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour

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Amelia Grey, Mistletoe Mischief and the Marquis

I love a good Christmas love story and this one is just calling my name!!

*****

Mischief, Mistletoe and the Marquis

by Amelia Grey

Genre: Historical Romance, Holiday Romance

Blurb:

The Marquis of Wythebury, is expecting an ordinary Christmastide at Hurst—until he is set upon by a beautiful miss who takes him to task for not allowing his young nephews to play outside. In his mind, a five and seven year old needn’t get chilled in the snow; better to plop them in front of the fire with a book. Few people have ever been brave enough to challenge him over anything, much less the rearing of his wards. The cheeky Miss Prim has no such compunction. No matter how fetching he finds her, he can’t give in to his attraction…for she is the sister of his best friend.

Growing up the middle child of five rambunctious girls, Lillian Prim doesn’t understand why two young boys visiting Hurst don’t know how to play until she meets their dashing guardian. The Marquis of Wythebury is commanding and intensely serious-minded. To her surprise, she’s captivated by him. It’s all she can do not to give into her feminine fantasies about him kissing him. Lillian has no intention of falling in love with the Marquis, but she will create Christmastide mischief and teach the boys and the handsome Marquis how to play.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B & N

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books Amelia Grey read her first romance when she was thirteen. She’s been a devoted reader of love stories ever since.

Amelia has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years and she lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Northwest Florida.

She is a two-time winner of the prestigious Booksellers Best Award, and she has also won the Aspen Gold, and Golden Quill awards. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the Maggie Award. Amelia’s books have been published in Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and Japan. Several of her books have been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs.

Mistletoe, Mischief, and the Marquis is a spinoff Christmas novella from her widely acclaimed “Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels” Series. Coming March of 2017 Amelia starts a new series, The Rakes of St. James with the first book of the trilogy, Last Night with the Duke.

You can email Amelia at AmeliaGrey@comcast.net

Follow her on FaceBook at FaceBook.com/AmeliaGreybooks, or visit her website at AmeliaGrey.com

*****

Spotlight – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Chick Lit

18 Sunday Dec 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Amy Gettinger, Geralyn Corcillo, Holly Tierney-Bedord, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Chick Lit, Jax Abbey, Kate O’Keefe, Laurie Baxter, Monique McDonell, S.E. Babin, Susan Murphy, Tracy Krimmer

If you are looking for new authors or you want some holiday reads or maybe you just don’t have a lot of time to read right now … whatever the reason, I’m sure you’ll find this anthology the perfect read!

*****

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Chick Lit

an Anthology by S.E. Babin, Geralyn Corcillo, Amy Gettinger, Holly Tierney-Bedord, Jax Abbey, Susan Murphy, Tracy Krimmer, Kate O’Keefe, Monique McDonell, Laurie Baxter

Genre: Chick Lit

Blurb:

Eleven short and funny holiday stories of women going home for Christmas, stirring up old flames (& finding new ones), baking grandma’s cookies, planning revenge pranks on high school duds, opening Pandora’s Box, racing across the country for love, & kissing cute hunks under the mistletoe. Grab your copy while this limited time collection is still available!

Buy the Book:

AmazonUS
AmazonUK

*****

Excerpt:

Ming was trying to calculate their good-byes. Should she say it had been nice seeing him? Probably. Common courtesy, at least, was called for. What if he tried to do that kissing on the cheek thing that guys do? What if she got flustered and turned, brushed her lips against his? What if—and then, entirely against her will, her mind filled with images of them kissing up against the brick building, her back to the wall, arms wrapped around Charlie’s neck, Charlie and his ridiculous scarf and his ridiculous jacket wrapped around her, keeping her warm even without a coat, right there between the spot-lit posters for The Shop Around the Corner and Some Like It Hot.

“You have a good night, now,” Marcy said as she held the door for them, snapping Ming back to reality.

Ming smiled and said a shaky “Merry Christmas” as she followed Charlie through the exit into the night.

And then she stopped.

“Wow,” he breathed next to her.

Endless enormous snowflakes floated down, a good three inches already piled up on the ground, even though it had been bare when she’d gone into the theater. It was dark, quiet, the lot almost empty at this hour on the holiday. Everyone else was home or watching Aftershock 5: Megatsunami or whatever the hell was playing over at the multiplex. There was a click behind them. Marcy walked around to her car, parked beside the building. She climbed in and pulled slowly away, wipers swishing. A breeze swirled, spinning the flakes through the air around them.

“I do miss this,” she said, stepping out from under the overhang in front of the theater and turning her face to the sky.

“Me, too. I haven’t seen it snow like this in years.”

Oh, crap. Why had she said anything? She was practically asking him to bring it up.

“I’m in California now,” he added.

And there it was.

“Yeah. I’m, uh…” In California, too, and actively avoiding you.

“Yeah, it’s okay. Congrats on the getting into the doctoral program, by the way.”

She gave him a quizzical look.

He looked down, shuffled some snow with his foot. “I might have cyber-stalked you a little. I mean, I don’t think it really counts as stalking. I found your Twitter profile. And sometimes I see you comment on Facebook. We have like eighteen mutual friends.”

Nineteen, actually. Not, again, that she was keeping track on purpose. Just. You know, you notice these things.

“Anyway,” he said, looking up, “Good for you. USC’s a great school.”

“Yeah, well so is—” Crap she wasn’t supposed to know he was at Caltech.

He gave her a lopsided grin. “You knew.”

Dammit.

“I’ve been busy.”

“It’s okay, Ming. I didn’t really expect…”

“You could’ve looked me up.”

“Would you have wanted that?”

She said nothing. She wrapped her arms around herself. Suddenly, she was cold.

“Where’d you park? I’ll walk you to your car.”

Was he kidding?

“I can walk myself to my car, Charlie. I’m a grown woman.” In the interest of being able to say she’d at least been polite, she thrust out her hand. “It was nice seeing you.”

He shook it. She gave him a curt nod, then turned and walked toward the lot on the other side of the building. Unfortunately, Charlie Brown followed. Good grief.

“I told you,” she said, looking back at him, “I’m fine.”

He nodded behind her. There was one other car in the lot. His mom’s old Corolla, parked at the opposite end.

“Oh.”

“So I guess… I guess good-bye, then,” he said, almost sadly. Which was rich, coming from the guy who had rejected her. No, Charlie, we’re not going to be pals back in SoCal. So sorry. Seriously, she wanted to ask him what his deal was. But not as much as she wanted to get into her car and turn the heat on. She hadn’t dressed for lingering out in the cold.

The imagined scene between the movie posters came back unbidden.

“Yeah, bye,” she snapped, squelching it.

She stalked to her dad’s Accord, which she had borrowed for the occasion, pulling her sweater sleeves down over her hands for warmth.

She never could figure out what had possessed Charlie to handle the whole prom thing the way he had. If anything, she had been extra nice to him in school. She had, for instance, never once mentioned the time freshman year when he had asked her to a dance only because his parents made him ask someone. They were concerned he wasn’t being “social” enough. So he’d gone and asked the biggest nerd he could find with an XX genotype. And she’d never even brought it up. Fortunately, she had turned him down with some excuse about visiting cousins that weekend (really, what did he expect, coming up to a girl he’d never spoken to outside of class and asking her on a date?), but she’d felt bad when she learned his folks put him up to it (Brian tipped her off). And, actually, in a weird way, it was what made her notice him. What made him stand out from the rest of their dorky peers as someone bordering on relatable.

After that, she sat with him at lunch sometimes, called him if she missed class to get the assignment, passed him the occasional caricature she’d doodled of their teacher in Advanced Bio because she knew it’d make him laugh. It had been the start of what became a real friendship. What she had thought was a real friendship.

Her car was so covered, if there had been others there, she would have had trouble picking hers out. Fortunately, the snow was wet and lightly packed, so it only took a quick sweep of the brush to clear the windows. She willed herself not to look back at Charlie as she worked, though she heard his engine start up and saw the glow of his headlights lighting up in the corner of her eye.

She took a deep breath and let it out. She knew she was fooling herself if she thought it hadn’t affected her to run into him. But there would be lots of time to process her resurfacing adolescent angst and whatever else bobbed up with it. Right now, she just wanted to get the hell out of there.

She dropped into the seat, slipped the belt into the buckle, slid the key into the ignition, and turned it. All one smooth motion. Only one problem. The car didn’t start.

*****

Author Info:

S.E. Babin is an award-winning author with a passion for writing books with a paranormal twist. Whether it’s romance or mystery, she loves taking the norm and turning it into the extraordinary. Her love of reading turned into a curious exploration to see whether or not she could write her own novel. Beginning with discarded pages of angsty novels and a slightly popular reimagining of Beowulf’s Grendel in her high school English class, Sheryl spent way too much time in the library, killing any chance of her becoming a cheerleader or anything even remotely cool.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

First and foremost, Geralyn Corcillo loves reader reviews! In other news…When she was a kid growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Geralyn Vivian Ruane Corcillo dreamed of one day becoming the superhero Dyna Girl. So, she did her best and grew up to constantly pick up litter and rescue animals. At home, she loves watching old movies, British mysteries, and the NY Giants. Corcillo lives in a drafty old house in Hollywood with her husband Ron, a guy who’s even cooler than Kip Dynamite.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

Amy Gettinger lives in Orange County, California with her husband and her two piteous poodles under the shade of a very noisy old eucalyptus windrow full of crows and wild parrots. When she’s not writing novels, she’s creating Reader’s Theater plays and coaching a local senior group to perform them, complete with big bad wolves, feather boas and tiaras.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

Holly Tierney-Bedord lives in Madison, Wisconsin. She is the author of several novels including Coached, Bellamy’s Redemption, and Surviving Valencia.

Visit her website at http://www.hollytierneybedord.com where you can connect to her blogs and subscribe to her newsletter.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

A Durham, North Carolina native and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jax Abbey bleeds Carolina blue. By day she molds the young, bright minds of the future, but at night you can find her furiously pounding the keyboard as she funnels the zany ideas and quirky characters from her brain to the computer. When Jax isn’t telling preschoolers to keep their hands to themselves or telling her characters to simmer down, she loves to spend time with her significant other, Tyler, and her TinyDog.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

Tracy’s love of writing began at nine years old. She wrote stories about aliens at school, machines that did homework for you, and penguins. Now she pens books and short stories about romance. She loves to read a great book, whether it be romance or science fiction, or any genre in between, or pop popcorn and catch up on her favorite TV shows or movies. She’s been known to crush a candy or two as well. Her first romance novel, Pieces of it All, released in May 2014 followed in December with Caching In, a romance mixed with the hobby of geocaching. She also has written several short stories.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

Kate O’Keefe – I write funny, sexy, feel-good romantic comedies.

I’ve loved rom coms, romance, and chick lit since I first encountered Bridget Jones as a young, impressionable writer. It really was a match made in chick lit heaven.

I’ve been a teacher and a sales executive, but am now content as a mother and writer, madly scribbling all the ideas I’ve accumulated during my time on this planet we call home.

I live and love in beautiful New Zealand–where my novels are all set–with my wonderful family and my two very scruffy, naughty dogs.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

Monique McDonell – I am an Australian author who writes fun, flirty contemporary women’s fiction including chick lit and romance. After many attempts writing books that made me miserable I decided to write books with happy endings and have been loving the journey ever since.

I live on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with my husband and daughter which probably explains why the beach features in so many of my novels and why people describe them as excellent beach reads.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

Laurie Baxter has degrees in both puppetry and screenwriting because let’s face it, majoring in English would have been no more useful and way less fun. She loves chocolate, ice cream, chocolate ice cream, dogs, New York City, old movies, modern architecture, all kinds of theater, and music from before she was born. Her eighth grade English teacher told her to become a writer, so she did.

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Website

*****

Tour Info:

December 18th

Hea Romances With A Little Kick – Book Excerpt/Promo
Romantic Reads and Such – Book Excerpt
He Said Books Or Me – Book Promo/Author Guest Post

December 19th

Kristin’s Novel Cafe – Book Excerpt/Promo
Hello…Chick Lit – Book Excerpt/Promo

December 20th

ItaPixie’s Book Corner – Book Review/Excerpt
Reads and Treats – Book Review
Rae Reads – Book Excerpt/Promo

December 21st

Appletree Books – Book Review
Chick Lit Central – Promo Post

December 22nd

Jena Books – Book Review
Wonderfully Bookish – Book Review

December 23rd

Pretty Little Book Reviews – Book Review
Steamy Book Momma – Book Review
Blog on the run – Book Promo Post

December 24th

Novelgossip – Book Review
Book Lover in Florida – Book Review/Promo

Book Review – Caught Up In You

15 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Caught Up In You, Jules Bennett, The Monroes series

Caught Up In You

The Monroes series

by Jules Bennett

The Monroe brothers have their differences, but one project unites them: turning an antebellum mansion in their Haven, Georgia, hometown into a peaceful spa. It was the dream of their late sister—and it’s about to set off a major renovation in the life of middle brother Braxton…

Braxton Monroe’s taking a break from teaching to do some strenuous work on a Civil War–era house, and feeling the strain in every rock-hard muscle. Good thing he has to interview massage therapists for the spa—even if it’s embarrassing to meet a job candidate in his boxers. Cora Buchanan has hands so talented—and a voice so sultry—he wants to hire her before he even lifts his head from the table. But he’s shocked to meet her outside the massage room—with her seeing-eye dog, Heidi the yellow lab.

Cora has left her family—and fiancé—in Atlanta to make her way in this small town. All her parents’ money can’t restore her sight, but it’s up to her to restore her independence. Though she bristles at Braxton’s protectiveness, she too feels lingering effects from their intimate touch. Now that he’s her boss, it’s strictly hands-off….Until a secret she’s keeping destroys his fragile trust, and they must find the courage to knock down the walls between them.

It’s admirable that Cora is making a life that she loves – being independent, doing a job that she enjoys, with people who treat her as an equal & not someone who needs to be managed. You have to root for her as you get to know everything she’s gone through since becoming blind. She may have had it good before, but she wasn’t happy. And she’s not letting anything stand in her way now.

Braxton may have gone just a little overboard with the man-whoring after getting his heart broken 🙂 I mean, it’s not like he’s the first to have to deal with being dumped. Once he meets Cora though he’s done with all other women. And he definitely treats her with all the respect that she deserves. He’s got great insight into what she needs and doesn’t try to coddle her, instead letting her stand on her own too feet while being there to support her. He may have gone wild for a little bit but he never forgot that he’s a gentleman and that people deserve to be treated well.

While I’m really enjoying this series (so very much) I was a little surprised at Braxton when Cora’s big reveal came out. He knew she was hiding something and had his suspicions about her background so I’m not sure why his reaction was as big as it was. But, being the awesome guy that he is, he got over it pretty quickly and then performed the best “sweep her off her feet” gesture I’ve seen in a long time. Cora had no hope of resisting him after that 🙂

Once again, Bennett delivers an addictive read with fabulously detailed characters and a story that will keep readers glued to the pages. But I do have to admit that as much as I have loved the brothers up to this point I’m the most excited to get to Liam’s story and find out all of his secrets. And see him get the girl, of course! Bennett can’t keep turning out books fast enough to suit me.

Spotlight – Promise You Forever

14 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour

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Callahan Family series, Celeste Grande, Promise You Forever

I’ve been a little busy this week 🙂 But I’m back and ready to share some great reads with everyone.

*****

Promise You Forever

A Callahan Family Short Story

by Celeste Grande

Blurb:

* Can be read as a standalone *

Brayden Callahan has loved Casey Grant his whole life. And Casey has only ever had eyes for Brayden. From puppy love to undying passion, their love is timeless, both of them secure in the fact that they are meant to be.

Until she leaves for college.

Brayden finds himself swirling in a bundle of nerves. Realizing how much he hates being separated only solidifies his devotion to her. When Casey comes home for Christmas break, he knows he wants to seal the deal of their fate and promise her forever. But, in a nervous panic to make it the perfect evening, Brayden succeeds in doing only one thing: Making a mess of everything.

Can her pull it together long enough to officially ask her?

And will she say yes?

*** Promise You Forever is a short story which was previously included in the Hot for the Holidays Anthology and features a cameo from Blake turner in Live Me available now. ***

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/2hK6Qqz

*****

Book Review – Her Hopes and Dreams

09 Friday Dec 2016

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

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Ardent Springs series, Book Review, Her Hopes and Dreams, Terri Osburn

This one is definitely a heart string puller …

*****

Her Hopes and Dreams

Ardent Springs, Book 4

by Terri Osburn

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Publication Date: November 15, 2016

Blurb:

As a newly single mother, Carrie Farmer isn’t quite ready to jump back into the dating pool in Ardent Springs—especially since her last marriage was such a disaster. But if anyone could entice her to wade in a bit, it would be her hunky neighbor, Noah Winchester. He’s the perfect man: strong, protective, and smoking hot. But her eyes have deceived her before, and she’s no longer willing to hand over her heart so easily.

After completing several tours in the Middle East, Noah returns to his hometown a very different man. The former soldier’s plan to rest and relax is soon waylaid by the intriguing woman next door and her heart-stealing little girl. Something—or someone—put shadows in Carrie’s lovely eyes, and he’s determined to clear them away. But when hidden demons can no longer be ignored, the couple gets a reminder from an unexpected source that love truly can conquer all.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30838672-her-hopes-and-dreams

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2eWYihT

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/2feJhGm

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/2cjAPnE

*****

Excerpt:

Three days into life with her new neighbor and Carrie Farmer wanted to shove a tailpipe up the man’s nose. Sideways.

The newcomer had no respect for the people around him. Though, technically, they were the only two houses for half a mile, so in reality, he had no respect for her. And he definitely didn’t think twice about sleeping babies if the last two nights were any indication.

Enough was enough.

“I can do this,” she muttered, stepping through her side gate to cross onto his property.

The farmhouse had sat vacant since Carrie moved in a year ago. She’d assumed the family who owned it would sell off the rest of the land one plot at a time, in sizes similar to the one she’d purchased. Thanks to a small life insurance policy on her deceased husband, Carrie had been able to put a modest single-wide trailer on her lot, and she’d enjoyed blissful peace and quiet ever since.

That peace and quiet no longer existed thanks to the jerk next door.

When she reached his porch, she fortified her resolve with several deep breaths. Confrontation made her nervous, for good reason. Seeking conflict wasn’t Carrie’s style, but this man had messed with her child, and that could not be ignored.

Plucking up the courage, she knocked on the door and then shuffled several steps backward. Nothing stirred inside. She knocked again. No response. What the heck? The red truck next to the house meant someone was home. Carrie moved down the porch to peer through a window, but the second she pinned her nose to the glass, a roaring engine shattered the silence. She nearly peed her pants as her heart threatened to beat right out of her chest. With clenched fists, she bit back the profanity dancing on the tip of her tongue. As Molly was on the cusp of talking, Carrie did her best to keep her language baby appropriate.

But dammit to hell, that thing was loud. Much louder than it had sounded through her trailer walls.

“This is ridiculous,” she murmured, charging down the steps and around the side of the house. Nearly fifty yards away stood the scene of the crime—an old barn turned garage that did nothing to buffer the sound coming from inside. By the time Carrie reached the entrance, the noise cut off, and she hustled to take advantage of the quiet.

The dimness of the garage compared to the blinding September sun made seeing anything inside nearly impossible. One motorcycle hovered on a table to her right. Though, upon closer inspection, she realized the frame was empty. Clearly not the source of the problem. Another machine occupied the center of the space, and as her eyes adjusted, Carrie recognized a figure crouched down on the other side of it.

“Excuse me?” she said. “Can I have a word with you?”

Without getting up, a baritone voice said, “If you’re looking for money, I don’t have any. If you’re recruiting for God, I’ve already punched my ticket to hell. Anything else, I’m not interested, so haul your scrawny ass back to the road and take a hike.”

Undeterred, Carrie said, “I’m here to talk about that monstrosity that you’re hiding behind.”

Rising out of the shadows, he said, “Did you just insult my bike?”

Carrie swallowed hard. Dark eyes narrowed under full brows that matched the reddish-brown whiskers covering half his face. With slow, methodical movements, he wiped his hands on a dirty rag, causing the muscles along his shoulders to flex beneath stained white cotton. Years of living with her former husband had made Carrie an expert at recognizing danger. Keeping one eye on the looming giant, she scanned the area for a weapon, aware that without one, she didn’t stand a chance against a man this size. His arms were larger than her thighs, for heaven’s sake, and the rest of him was proportioned to match.

A crowbar leaned against the table to her right. She could probably get to it before he did.

“I’m not here to insult anything,” she assured him, hoping her bravado would hold out. “But I have a baby next door who needs to be able to sleep through the night without that thing thundering to life at two in the morning.”

Surely any reasonable person would feel bad about waking a baby. Then again, this bearded behemoth didn’t look at all reasonable.

Instead of offering an apology, he stepped around the bike, his heavy boots thudding in the dirt with each step. Carrie scooted closer to the crowbar.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

“Like I said. I live next door. I’m sure you’ve seen me in the last few days.”

He shook his head, releasing a long, wavy lock to hang over his right eye. “No, it’s more than that. I’ve met you before.”

As if she’d forget meeting a towering mass of muscle who bore an uncanny resemblance to a grizzly bear. “I don’t think so.”

“What’s your name?”

“Carrie Farmer.”

His eyes went wide. “As in Patch Farmer?”

Panic raced like a gas fire up her spine. “He was my husband.”

“You’re that married chick he was seeing the last time I was home.”

“Excuse me?”

“I can’t believe he married you.”

The insult stung like a slap.

“Life is full of surprises,” she said through gritted teeth. “Are you going to stop cranking this machine every night or not?”

He held up both hands in surrender, the rag dangling from callused fingers. “I get the message. I’ll work on something else at night.”

Satisfied, Carrie nodded. “Thank you. I won’t bother you again.”

“Hold up,” he said, following her out of the garage. “Is the kid Patch’s?”

This man took being a jerk to new levels. Without turning around, she replied, “Yes, she’s Patch’s baby. I was pregnant when he died last summer.”

“Slow down.” The moment his hand touched her wrist, she jerked away, spinning to protect herself.

“Don’t touch me,” she snapped.

“Whoa.” Again he held his hands palm out. “I’m not going to hurt you, lady. Patch was my friend. I just want to know about his kid.”

Reluctant to discuss Molly with this stranger, she asked, “If he was your friend, why weren’t you at the funeral?”

His stance tensed. “Because I was stuck in a desert trying not to get my head blown off.”

Recognition dawned. “Noah?” she said, trying to see the man beneath the beard. “Noah Winchester?”

“That’s right.”

She had met him before. Except he hadn’t been anywhere near this size, and he’d been clean-shaven with the typical military buzz cut. Of course, he’d been an ass back then, too. Of all the people who could have moved in next door, why did it have to be one of Patch’s friends?

Pointing out the obvious, she said, “You don’t look like a guy in the military.”

He tucked the rag in his back pocket, stretching the cotton over his broad chest. “The hair and beard were necessary to blend in for my last assignment. I got used to it, so I kept them after I got out.”

“So you’re living here permanently?” Please say no. Please say no.

“I am.” Of course he was. “This house belonged to my grandparents. No one told me a piece of the land had been sold off.”

“The trailer should have been a big clue,” she said.

The hint of a grin drew her attention to his full lips. The top one curved like a perfect bow. She felt the urge to follow that curve with her fingertip.

Blinking, Carrie gave herself a mental slap. Where the heck had that come from? There would be no lip touching. Or anything else touching, for that matter.

“You interested in selling it back?” he asked.

Dragging her brain back to reality, she said, “Sell what back?”

“The land. I’d rather be out here by myself.”

Of all the . . . She’d worked hard for this little piece of heaven, and she’d definitely earned it. Noah Winchester could blow it out his tailpipe if he thought she’d hand over her land so he could fire up his stupid toys whenever he wanted.

“This is my home. I’m not going anywhere.”

Tucking the loose hair behind his ear, he sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

“I have no intention of bothering you again,” she said, more than happy to give him his space, if not his land. “Keep the noise to the daylight hours and we won’t ever have to talk again.”

“Fine by me,” he said. “But I have one request.”

Carrie held the eye roll in check. She’d do just about anything to keep him out of her hair. “What’s that?”

“I want to meet Patch’s daughter.”

Anything but that.

*****

Review:

This is the first of this series that I’ve read – I remember coming across a couple of others and wanting to get an ARC but for the life of my I can’t remember why I didn’t … I loved Osburn’s Anchor Island series, so I have no idea what I was doing 🙂 I don’t think that it make a huge difference but the previous couples are very involved in this story and I’m curious about how Carrie was portrayed before since she so entwined in everyone’s lives. You can definitely read this as a stand alone but I think that it will have more impact for returning readers.

Having said that, I will admit to really liking these two. Noah’s not your average hero – he’s not smooth or all that charming. He suffers from PTSD and a few rought deployments mixed with some disappointments in his recovery has led him to believe that he’s better off alone. He avoids most social situations and tends to be blunt in his conversation. But at his core he’s a very good man. He just has an awful way of showing it 🙂 After a pretty rocky start, complete with some awful assumptions and not-so-nice things being said, time with Carrie has him hoping for something different.

Carrie has had a pretty hard life (and this is one of those places where I wish I’d read the previous books so I’d have a better feel for everything she’s gone through). She’s finally at good place – her own house, good job, supportive friends and only her daughter to be responsible to. There’s no man or family to beat her down and she’s actually starting to feel good about herself. Then she gets a new, crusty neighbor who just happens to have been good friends with her abusive husband. He doesn’t think the best of her and isn’t afraid to share his feelings … but once they have a chance to clear the air about things, they start to see each other differently. And Carrie sees the good man under the scruffy beard. And thinks that maybe she’s finally found something worthy.

I’m sure that having gotten to know Carrie already, returning readers will be even more invested in her story but I definitely felt for her and was happy to see her put a better life together. I’m curious how much growth she’s done in the earlier books because it seems like she moved pretty quickly into a relationship with Noah. However she does talk about how seeing the other couples be so happy makes her realize that there are good men. And Noah’s as good with his actions as he is with his words when it comes to his aversion to violence against women. I’ve seen some comments in reviews that a woman who has survived abuse would be more hesitant to get involved again within a year or so of her husband’s death but I get the feeling that Carrie has been heading that way for a while (even if just in her own mind).

Maybe since he’s a new character, and she has to do all of his development here, I feel like Osburn does a great job of giving Noah’s PTSD its due. It has a huge impact on his life and he struggles with how to handle it. I feel for him as he describes some of the things that he’s gone through but I was happy that “love” didn’t miraculously cure him. He needs real help and Osburn addresses that.

I’m reminded why I enjoyed my other Osburn books so much. She’s great at creating interesting characters and an involved plot, plus her easy-to-read writing keeps readers involved. With her newest, two wounded souls find each other and and work to find a happy, healthy place together. It’s not smooth sailing but it’s more satisfying for having to make it through those rough patches. I’m regretting passing over those other books but I’m definitely going to be picking up any I run across going forward 🙂

*****

Be sure to check out the first three books in the Ardent Sprints series!

His First and Last

Ardent Springs, Book 1

Blurb:

Sparks fly when high school sweethearts reunite in this first book in Terri Osburn’s Ardent Springs Series. Lorelei and Spencer thought they’d moved on, but find old flames never really die. But can they let the past go to find their happily ever after?

Buy Link:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2e4k8Rz

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/2feTXom

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-first-and-last-terri-osburn/1120885370

Our Now and Forever

Ardent Springs, Book 2

Blurb:

A whirlwind romance landed Caleb and Snow in a Vegas wedding chapel making the biggest commitment of their young lives, but married life isn’t quite what Snow expected. Caleb has spent eighteen months looking for his runaway bride, and now that he’s found her in Ardent Springs, he isn’t about to let her out of his arms again.

Buy Link:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2fk5CRL

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/2fdZwGp

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/our-now-and-forever-terri-osburn/1122137426

My One and Only

Ardent Springs, Book 3

Blurb:

A desperate teenage mother becomes a common cause for Cooper and Haleigh, who have been friends forever and nothing more. Seeing this as his chance with the girl he’s always loved, Cooper turns on the charm, but Haleigh’s history, as well as her daunting mother, could be too much for even love to overcome.

Buy Link:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2f3geFp

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/2e4njZj

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-one-and-only-terri-osburn/1123097814

*****

Author Info:

Although born in the Ohio Valley, Terri Osburn found her true home between the covers of her favorite books. Classics like The Wizard of Oz and Little Women filled her childhood landscapes, and the romance genre beckoned during her teen years. In 2007, she put pen to paper to write her own. Just five years later, she became a 2012 finalist for the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award, and her debut novel was released a year later. To date, she has released eight novels, two novellas, and one short story. You can learn more about this award winning author by visiting her website atwww.terriosburn.com.

Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerriOsburn

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6873792.Terri_Osburn

Website: http://www.TerriOsburn.com

*****

Giveaway: