Book Review – Until You

11 Monday May 2015

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Until You

by Jeannie Moon

When newly divorced Kate Adams is approached on the sunny deck of a California hotel by hockey star David Burke, and he invites her to dinner, she almost says no. He’s obviously younger than her. And charming. And drop dead gorgeous. But there’s also something sweet about David, so Kate—who hasn’t done anything spontaneous in a very long time—accepts his invitation.

It is, after all, her fortieth birthday.

However, a real romance with thirty-year-old David, whose picture is in the gossip pages as often as it’s in the sports pages, is out of the question. No matter how much she wants him, it’s just too risky.

But meeting Kate has been David’s lightning strike. She’s the one for him, and he has no intention of giving up on her.

So while Kate guards her fragile heart, David sets out to win her over with the same determination that drives him on the ice.

And he’ll break every rule in the book if he has to.

After her divorce, Kate is a little insecure but thanks to David she finds herself again. Once she discovers who she is at her core, she’s surprisingly settled for her past – strong and confident. But she has to let that past go and remember how great she really is. And that she can hold the interest of a younger, super-hot pro-athlete.

David grows up a lot too. He starts to realize the man that he didn’t even know he wanted to be. He just has to convince Kate that he’s ready to commit and that she’s the one for him. David and Kate face a lot of troubles, because of their fears and hang-ups, but it leads to a really great HEA.

The characters are fantastic, both the main and secondary, and Moon does a wonderful job of drawing you into their world. And of making you interested in what happens next – I really hope we get Jack’s story. I felt for him almost as much as the main characters. He’s young but a good guy underneath and he got a good kick in the teeth so I have my fingers crossed that we can see him get his own HEA.

With realistic issues and an emotional storyline, Until You is definitely one to add to your TBR pile.

Book Review – No One Like You

08 Friday May 2015

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

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Barefoot William series, Book Review, Kate Angell, No One Like You

I’m so excited to share this one with you guys! Kate Angell is one of my favorites for a good summer time read and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Barefoot William books – make sure you check out my review of No Sunshine When She’s Gone (and the rest of the series ASAP)! I’ve also got a review on this one – you’ll find it below.

*****

No One Like You

Barefoot William # 4

by Kate Angell

Releasing April 28th, 2015

from Zebra

Blurb:

No One Expects a Curveball

For Rylan Cates, the gloriously sunny beachside town of Barefoot William may be home, but the pro baseball player needs to focus on spring training. Hiring a personal assistant to keep him and his four dogs organized for the next eight weeks is the first step—and Beth Avery is the perfect pinch hitter.

Beth is still looking for her place in the world, and a couple months caring for Rylan’s two dachshunds, his golden retriever, and a Great Dane named Atlas should shore up her finances before she moves on. Except it’s Atlas who won’t budge, pushing her toward tanned, scruffy, sexy Rylan every chance he gets. One more strike and she’s calling the dog out—unless she and Rylan admit that the attraction they’re feeling is a game-winning grand slam…

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22715924-no-one-like-you?from_search=true

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/103002-barefoot-william

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

*****

Excerpt:

Barefoot William Sun Classified Ads:

Live-in personal assistant: eight weeks

Appointment scheduling

Maintaining and updating contact lists

Dinner parties

Travel planning

Dinner reservations

Personal shopping

Tickets to entertainment events

Manage invitations

Culinary ability

Interaction with fans, family, and teammates

Light housework

Pet sitter/dog walker

Salary: negotiable with room and board

Contact: RCates@CatesMgmt.com

Dog playing dead in the middle of the road. Beth Avery couldn’t believe the black Great Dane had stopped, dropped, and rolled onto his side. He had a mind of his own and was testing her patience. She shook her head. She should never have applied for the personal assistant position. Dog walker wasn’t on her résumé.

The big boy couldn’t be coaxed or talked from the crosswalk at Center Street and Egret Way. Nothing worked. He’d lain down and stayed down. All one hundred and fifty pounds of him.

The situation was hopeless.

Beth tugged gently on the leather leash attached to his harness. “Up, Atlas, up,” she pleaded again.

Not a flicker of his ears. He even closed his eyes. What if he was sick or hurt? She stared at his chest. The rise and fall was slow and peaceful. Had he fallen asleep?

Atlas was the alpha dog of the four dogs she was walking. Dismayed, she watched the golden retriever and two dapple dachshunds follow his lead. They, too, settled on the asphalt. The dachsies, Oscar and Nathan, turned onto their backs so the sunshine could warm their bellies. They stretched, yawned, looking way too comfortable.

What was she to do? Beth clutched the loop handles on the leashes so tightly they left an imprint on her palm. For a beat, she thought about letting go. See what they would do. It couldn’t be any worse than watching them sunbathe on the road. She wasn’t a dog person. She favored cats. So how was it that she found herself in this predicament at ten a.m. on a Monday morning?

She knew why. She was so desperate to find work, she’d somehow missed the dog walking requirement in the ad. She was so excited she’d been called back for a follow-up interview with Rylan Cates for the assistant position, she didn’t dare tell him she had no experience with canines. He’d met with people all week and had narrowed his choices to three women, herself included.

The final applicants went on to walk, feed, and bathe his dogs. She had no idea how the other ladies had fared before her, although Atlas smelled profoundly doggie. Beth shook her head to clear her thoughts. She wasn’t doing all that well, either.

She’d walked the pack for close to an hour, up and down the streets of Olde Barefoot William, where the homes were handed down through generations. She’d fallen in love with the beachside town, which was as eclectic in its architecture as it was harmonious. William Cates had founded the community. Here lay the inner circle. The old Florida-style cottages were quaint. The houses were shingled and shuttered, with wide porches. They’d withstood hurricanes and time. A few had had minor facelifts.

Enormous evergreens lined the narrow two-lane road. Ancient moss clung to the cypress. The sun cast shadows through the scarlet-flowered branches of the Royal Poinciana trees that cornered the street. The scent of plumeria, gardenia, and hibiscus was heavy on the air. Sprinklers on automatic timers kicked on, watering lawns.

Only three blocks from Rylan’s house, Beth sighed heavily. The neighborhood was momentarily quiet. No cars and no joggers. No one to witness the sleeping dogs. Thank goodness. How was she going to explain she’d fallen off schedule because Atlas pulled a Rip van Winkle? Baths needed to be given to the dogs before noon. Ry had handed her a canine cookbook for their food. They ate organic. A blender and baking were involved. Lunch would be late.

Determined to find a solution, she transferred the leashes to one hand, and then patted the back pocket on her cutoff jeans with the other. She had one trick up her sleeve she’d yet to play. She’d purposely changed her clothes and had dressed down for the walk. Had to. Drool stained white linen slacks. Dirty paws would leave permanent marks. She couldn’t afford cleaning bills. Not in her current economic state.

Sweetening her tone, she tried, “Atlas, treat? Yum, yum.” She smacked her lips.

Treat didn’t get the slightest reaction from the Dane, but the other dogs perked up. The two dachshunds scrambled to their feet and the golden retriever looked at Atlas then back to Beth. Rue was slow to make her decision.

“Oatmeal-apple biscuits,” Beth said, enticing the golden with a handful of snacks she pulled from her denim pocket.

Rue sniffed the air, then nudged Atlas with her nose, but the Dane wouldn’t budge. The retriever slowly rose.

Three up, and one to go. A minor victory, Beth thought.

The dachsies and golden ate their snacks, then eyed Atlas once again, waiting for him to make his move. Or not. Beth agonized over the moment until inspiration struck. Looping the leashes over her wrist, she crouched down near the big dog. There, she quickly tied her retro red Keds. Atlas had stomped all over her feet when he’d spotted a squirrel. She’d tripped twice over the loose laces.

Leaning forward, her cutoffs rode up and snugged her bottom. The fringe tickled the tops of her thighs. Her bright blue crop top had shrunk in the dryer making the back hem even with her sports bra. The sun kissed her bare skin.

She didn’t care if she looked ridiculous, whispering to the Dane. She needed this job. She drew in a breath and started making promises that she never planned to keep, sweet-talking him. “No organic food for you, Atlas. I’ll cook you a big, juicy steak if you’ll get up.”

The Dane cracked his eyelids, a good sign that he was listening.

“You can have the entire couch to yourself. I will stand for the remainder of my interview.” His tail thumped.

“We could even skip your bath.” She had dreaded it anyway. The shampooing might not be so bad. Rinsing him off would drench her. What other enticements could she offer?

“He doesn’t take bribes,” said a man from behind her. His voice was deep and concerned. “I’ve tried.”

Rylan Cates’s sudden arrival took her by surprise. Beth sat down hard on the asphalt. Small rocks jabbed her bottom. She jarred her tailbone. Winced. His shadow loomed over her, larger than life. She turned slightly, tilted back her head, and worked her gaze up his body.

Navy flip-flops. Long legs dusted with brown hair. Gray board shorts. Lean hips. A hint of his package. Defined abs beneath a T-shirt scripted with I Came to Play. Muscled arms. Solid shoulders. A scruffy chin in need of a shave. A masculine mouth that tipped up at one corner. Straight nose. Eyes so blue they made the sky jealous. His hair was dark blond and shaggy. He looked more surfer than professional baseball player.

He was way hotter than she remembered. Or was it because she’d barely looked up from her hands folded in her lap during the interview? Interviewing was new to her.

She’d been incredibly nervous then, and was even more so now.

He cleared his throat, shifted slightly, breaking her stare. He extended his hand, and she took it. He helped her up. His grasp was strong. His palm callused. He squished her fingers. She shook out her hand when released and brushed pebbles from her thighs and butt cheeks. Tugged down her top then faced him.

Her stomach tightened, her mind working overtime imagining what he must be thinking. Where had he come from? she wondered, glancing along the street. She hadn’t heard him approach, but soon understood why. He drove a McLaren. The black sports car was built for stealth and speed and was good for sneaking up on someone. Especially someone walking his dogs. He could easily spy on her. It was parked against the curb, looking shiny and pricey against the backdrop of aging homes.

He ran one hand down his face. “Why is Atlas sleeping in the street?”

“He needed a nap,” was said with more snark than she’d intended. She had never been more frustrated.

“He can’t stay there all day,” he told her. “Traffic picks up closer to noon.”

She tried to read his expression. Was he amused or angry? She couldn’t tell and released a short breath. “I’m open to suggestions.”

He stuck his hands in the pockets of his board shorts, rocked back on his heels. She couldn’t believe he had the balls to debate helping her.

Moments passed before he said, “Give him Rue’s leash so he can walk her home.”

A dog walking a dog? Her eyes widened. Surely he was joking.

“The big boy likes to be in control,” Rylan explained as if she should have known that and adjusted her dog walking style. “He’s had a crush on Rue since they were puppies. She won’t mind.” Ry paused, looked her in the eye. His lips twisted. “Staring at me like I’m crazy won’t get him up.”

She blushed, embarrassed by her inability to manage Atlas. He hadn’t taken to her, but it hadn’t been for lack of trying. She wondered if the other applicants had won him over. Perhaps this job wasn’t meant for her after all. A position stocking shelves at Crabby Abby’s General Store or scooping ice cream cones at The Dairy Godmother might be a better choice. At either place she wouldn’t have to contend with scooping dog poop.

Rylan nudged her aside and took the leashes from her. Separating Rue’s hot pink lead from the others, he held it up for Beth to see the teeth marks—big indentations made by a big mouth—on the curved handle. No mistaking the Great Dane’s signature bite. “Watch this. Atlas, take Rue home,” he instructed the Dane.

Atlas stood up so quickly, Beth swore the earth moved.

Rising on his back legs, the dog put his paws on Rylan’s shoulders. They were eye to eye. Ry smiled and scratched the dog’s floppy ears. Atlas barked. It was a sight she’d never forget.

Dropping back down, Atlas snatched Rue’s leash from Ry’s hand and gripped it between his teeth. His tail whipped wildly. He was happy and attentive. He took off at a trot, dragging Rue several steps before she balked. He then slowed his stride so the golden could keep up and they headed down the sidewalk.

*****

Review:

So you guys have no idea how excited I was to get another of Kate Angell’s books – especially when it centers around one of the Richmond Rogues players. Years ago I fell in love with her Rogues and while there is no doubt that I love the Barefoot William crew, those ball players will always have a special place in my heart. (Pssst, you can get the original books in a special 4 Book Boxed Set on Amazon!)

Rylan and Beth together are just fantastic. It’s not a very angst ridden book, instead it’s all about the people (yea!) – getting to know each other, falling in love and developing relationships with those around them. Rylan is all sexy ball-player, but being a Cates he’s also smart, settled and big-hearted. He cares about his family & those around him and so does Beth. She immediately adopts all those in Rylan’s sphere and tries to make things better for them, but of course she puts Rylan first. She’s running a little from her past but working for Rylan gives her the chance to sit still for a little bit and confront it.

I did a really big happy dance about halfway thru the book when I started to realize that Angell was possibly setting us up for more Rogues books! We usually spend time with the people of Barefoot William but with Rylan being a starter for the baseball team we got to see more of the players. And what a fantastically fun crew they are. I can’t wait to see this group of grown up little boys fall in love – it is guaranteed to be a hoot. Based on the sneak peek at the end, we’re starting with Halo, the biggest little kid of the bunch. I’m so excited!

With a Great Dane matchmaker and hyper ballplayers, Rylan and Beth are kept on their toes … while being pushed into each other’s arms. Humorous and full of heart, No One Like You is another home run from Kate Angell.

*****

Author Info:

National bestselling author Kate Angell lives in Naples, Florida. She’s an animal lover, avid reader, and sports fan. Bookstores are her second home. She takes coffee breaks at Starbucks. Her philosophy: Out of chaos comes calmness. Enjoy the peace. Please visit her on Facebook or at www.kateangell.com.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

Win one of three copies of No One Like You

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8673/

*****

Check out the rest of the tour by clicking on the banner below

Book Review – Win by Submission

07 Thursday May 2015

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Book Review, Melynda Price, Win by Submission

Win by Submission

by Melynda Price

To win her heart, he’ll be in for the fight of his life.

After an illegal kick during a CFA title fight fractures Cole Easton’s spine, doctors say there’s nothing more they can do for the bitter Vegas fighter. They say it’s a miracle he can walk, if that’s what you call his crutch-dragging limp. Unwilling to give up on him, Cole’s manager sends the injured fighter to the best physical therapist he knows: his niece, Katie Miller. When Cole arrives in the small town of Somerset, Wisconsin, he quickly discovers his sly manager may have had reasons other than rehab for sending him to this frozen tundra.

After a year of running from an abusive ex-boyfriend, Katie has returned to her hometown to care for her father, who’s recovering from a stroke. When Uncle Marcus calls in a favor, she reluctantly finds herself taking on a rancorous MMA fighter, broken at the height of his career. He’s insanely sex-on-a-stick hot—and everything she loathes in a man.

If Cole thinks his fighting days are over, he’s dead wrong. To save Katie from her past and to win her heart, he’ll be in for the fight of his life.

I don’t know why but I was surprised at how wrapped up in this book I got. Price delivers characters that I latched onto and a story that kept me coming back for more. There were some surprises and some expected moments, but I turned the page content with the journey and hungry for more.

Katie lives in fear but somehow Cole manages to get past all of her walls. Cole is your typical alpha fighter, full of testosterone and power, but surprisingly understanding and sensitive. He’s got struggles of his own but once Katie stumbles into his life, nothing is going to be the same. I loved watching these two dance around each other – Katie so very skittish because of her history and Cole so very male.

Win by Submission has lots of scary, suspenseful moments and mixes it with the emotional give-and-take of Cole & Katie falling in love. It has a fantastically nail-biting ending – a little predictable but still affecting and one that had me satisfied. With enthralling writing and characters that pop, Price delivers a great series and one that has me looking forward to the next book.

Spotlight – The Werewolf Wears Prada

06 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Kristin Miller, San Francisco Wolf Pack series, The Werewolf Wears Prada

Today I’ve got the start of a fantastic new paranormal romance series to share with you today. Check it out below!

*****

The Werewolf Wears Prada

San Francisco Wolf Pack Book 1

by Kristin Miller

Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: Entangled

Date of Publication: 4/28/15

ISBN: 9781633752641

ASIN: B00VQ1HJS8

Number of pages: 230

Word Count: 67,000

Cover Artist: Curtis Svehlak

Blurb:

Falling in love bites…

Melina Rosenthal worships at the altar of all things fashion. Her dream is to work for the crème de la crème fashion magazine, Eclipse, and she’ll do much anything to get there. Even fixing up the image of a gorgeous, sexy public figure who’s all playboy, all the time. Even if he’s the guy who broke her heart a year ago…

Even if Hayden Dean is a werewolf.

Since his father’s death, Hayden’s the heir apparent to the San Francisco Wolf Pack-well, once he settles down. Hayden isn’t interested in giving up his partying ways, except he’s pretty sure he’s found his fated mate, and the fact that she’s a non-shifter is bad news. Now he must find a compromise between the traditions of his wolf world and his certainty that Melina is his…before fate (or another werewolf) bites them both in the butt.

Available at Amazon | BN | iBooks | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Life is not a fairy tale.

Melina Rae Rosenthal had lived her entire life repeating that mantra to herself. She’d kissed a long list of frogs, and put up with a lot of B.S. Today, however, made her question whether she’d been wrong, and incredibly bitter, all those years. She’d been asked out by one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet.

Prince Charming had finally arrived.

There was only one thing missing: a fairy godmother who’d wave a glittery wand in front of her face and turn her yoga pants into a puffy blue dress.

“I’ve got nothing to wear.” Melina dove into her walk-in closet, tossing leather pants and a fur poncho onto the bed behind her. “What am I going to do?”

Her best friend Colleen squealed from the bedroom, probably ducking for cover. Not very fairy-godmother-like. “Just calm down. You’ve been skipping around all day like Little Red Riding Hood on Redbull.”

“Not Redbull. Espresso.” Throwing hangers behind her, Melina huffed and shoved two coats apart. “I’ve had six today.”

“Six?” Colleen laughed—one of those witchy cackles Melina both loved and hated her for. She really was more like the Wicked Witch of the West than any fairy godmother Melina had ever seen. “You and Hayden must’ve really hit it off.”

Merely hearing his name made the hair on Melina’s arms stand on end.

Hayden Dean.

He was a San Francisco business mogul, millionaire, and model magnet. He was also scorching hot. Dark brown hair parted perfectly down the center with silky strands that nearly brushed his ears. Creamy chocolate eyes set against golden tan skin. Thick, swooping jaw, and a set of plush lips.

Totally Prince Charming material.

Before today, she might’ve settled for far less. She hadn’t had a date with a real man in months. The ones she’d gone out with had turned out to be mama’s boys, cat-callers, loud eaters, snorters, and scratchers. And if she went out with another guy who called her “Doll” she was going to scratch out his eyeballs.

She’d started to think the good ones were either already taken or dead.

“I’m telling you, it was magic. He’s not anything like you see on E! News.” They’d painted the famous Hayden Dean to be a stupid playboy. A chauvinist who cared for nothing and no one but himself. To her surprise, he’d shown her none of those things. “He’s unexpectedly…charismatic. And caring.”

Two hours interviewing the drop-dead gorgeous hunk, and Melina knew he was the one she’d been waiting for. The guy plucked straight from her dreams. He was tall, dark, and unquestionably handsome—more so in person, if that was possible—so staring at him while she fired questions about his personal life wasn’t the worst assignment she’d ever had.

And she could go off for hours about the trashy assignments she’d had from Celebrity Crush magazine. She’d worked as the Celeb Life & Style columnist for eighteen months, and longed to move up the ranks to Eclipse, the city’s leading fashion magazine.

Every article was one step closer to reaching that goal and leaving the unrealistic demands of her editor behind her.

“I’m stoked you two hit it off,” Colleen said, her voice laced with concern, “but they don’t call him Hook-Up Hayden for nothing.”

A subtle twinge in Melina’s gut warned Colleen might’ve had a point. All those stories about Hayden’s womanizing ways couldn’t have been terribly off-mark. But how could she turn down the chance to see for herself? Guys like Hayden didn’t come around that often, if ever.

“I think I can take care of myself.” Melina squeezed between two Gucci dresses. Exactly how deep was her closet? “If you got to know him, you’d see he’s different. Deep down, I don’t think he wants to be that way…the way everyone paints him to be.”

Colleen huffed. “You really think you know him? Deep down? After two hours in Starbucks?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Melina’s fingers gripped silky-soft pleats. “Gotcha.”

She yanked a Prada gown off its hanger and burst into the bedroom holding it high. The dress was a gorgeous shade of eggplant. Grecian. Long and draping, with pleats on the gown and a dangerously low V-neck.

“Ooh!” Colleen crooned, jumping off the bed, her platinum blonde locks bouncing over her shoulder. “It looks like the one whats-her-face wore to that huge awards show last season.”

“Yes, but this one’s better. The V-neck is deeper, the skirt is tamer. The differences are subtle, but it’s striking, don’t you think?” She stroked the pleats, seeing the image take form. “I’m going to pair it with glittering gold Manolo Blahniks, nude lips, and the most fabulous earrings I can find.”

What better way to make a splash at the Silverlight Awards?

She still couldn’t believe he’d asked her.

Infamous womanizer Hayden Dean had leaned across their tiny table in the back corner of Starbucks, gazed deep into her eyes, stirring something in her chest…and whispered the words she never thought she’d hear: Be my date tonight?

Not only any date. His date to the Silverlight Awards. She’d walk the red carpet. Mingle with celebrities. Wave to the cameras. If she were lucky, she’d show up on E! News. The minute she’d returned from the interview, Melina had set her TiVo to record the event. Just in case.

“What do you think?” Melina bounced on her toes and met her friend’s bright blue eyes, practicing the show-stopping smile she’d give to the paparazzi that followed Hayden around. “Am I going to rock his socks, or what?”

“Wow, Mel, I don’t—I’m speechless.”

“Let’s hope he is, too.”

“I don’t understand why Hayden is going to the Silverlights in the first place,” Coleen said, her gaze raking up and down the dress. “He’s not in the film industry.”

“No, but I guess his father is on the Board of Governors and is getting some kind of honorary award for his work.” She shrugged, excitement pulsing through her. “Hayden gets two complimentary tickets.”

Colleen shook her head slowly. “And he asked you to be his date…”

Melina flinched at her friend’s disbelieving tone. “Why wouldn’t he?”

“I don’t mean it like that.” Colleen grabbed Melina by the arm and dragged her to the edge of the bed. They shoved clothes aside and plopped down, dangling their legs over the edge. “It’s just that…isn’t he still dating that Sports Illustrated model? You know, the one with the rack?”

“I’ve got a nice rack.” Frowning, Melina grabbed handfuls of her B cups and held tight. “Okay, okay, so they’re not as big as the other girls he’s dated, but at least they’re real! Doesn’t that count for something?”

“I don’t know.” Colleen shrugged. “I’m more of a leg girl.”

Melina snorted into a belly laugh. “I don’t think the size of my boobs matter anyway. He totally thinks I’m hot as-is.”

“Really?” Colleen beamed, snatching Melina’s hands off her boobs. “He told you that?”

“He didn’t say the words, but one glance and I could feel the chemistry. It was like—” How could she possibly explain their connection? It was crackly. Sparkly. Fizzling the air between them. “—Snap, Crackle, Pop.”

Colleen’s smile fell, and she cocked a thinly-plucked eyebrow. “You’re talking about the cereal? Sweetheart, I think we need to get you out more often. You shouldn’t feel anything close to cereal when you’re with a guy like Hayden Dean. You should melt. Like butter.”

“Oh, there was definite melting going on.”

If Hayden had been any hotter, he would’ve melted the panties right off her body.

“All right.” Colleen nodded. “You better get your petite ass moving. He’ll be here in twenty, right?”

Melina gasped, shooting a glance at the clock on her bedside table.

Six o’clock.

“It can’t be that late already!”

She swept off the bed in a whirlwind, dug around in her drawer for a pair of Spanx, and dashed into the bathroom. Squeezing into the bodysuit, she leaned and tugged as the stretchy material inched up her body. With a groan, she wiggled into the stunning Prada dress. Colleen zipped up the back, oohing and aahing as Melina spun, excitement spearing through her. For the next fifteen minutes, she applied her makeup. Dried her hair. Straightened and smoothed down the fly-aways. If she hadn’t drained her bank account to buy this dress last week, she might’ve had the money to pay for a stylist. But things were tight.

As soon as she landed a job at Eclipse, she’d be fine.

Six-thirty came and went.

Glad to have a few extra minutes, Melina wiggled her size eights into her sky-high shoes and had Colleen strap them. She tweaked her hair. Reapplied her lipstick. Chose a pair of long silver earrings with chunky beads hanging off them. They were high fashion, bordering on gaudy, and they were perfect.

She checked the time on her cell, and just in case, scanned the log for missed calls. There weren’t any.

Nerves settled in, though there was really no room for them in her dress.

“I’m sure he’s having trouble parking,” Colleen said. But her voice didn’t sound so confident.

“Yeah.” Her lips twitched. “Parking’s hellacious around here.”

Melina shrugged off the doubt. As her toes protested the squeeze she’d put them under, she lowered herself onto the bed—keeping her posture straight so the dress didn’t crinkle—and then flicked on the flat-screen mounted to the wall.

“Look.” Using the remote as a pointer, Melina poked it in the direction of the television. E! News flashed over the screen. “People are already showing up.”

“I think they show up early and circle the block over and over again, waiting for the perfect moment to stop.” Colleen sat beside her, crossing her leather-clad legs at the ankle. She was long and lanky—probably six inches taller than Melina, who stood at five-foot-two on tiptoe—and hung her feet over the end of the bed. “I’m sure some like to be there first thing, and others like to make an entrance. From what I’ve heard, Hayden likes to have all eyes on him. I’m sure he won’t mind being late.”

It must’ve been Colleen’s mention of Hayden that made Melina see him emerge from a limo parked at the curb. The camera angle was distant and from the side, so she couldn’t be sure, but this man was the same height and general size, with the same complexion. He turned before she could get a good look at his face. He extended his hand for two blonde bombshells to exit the limousine behind him.

That couldn’t be right.

Blinking quickly to clear her head, Melina leaned forward as worry hardened into a ball in the pit of her stomach.

“Mel,” Colleen whispered, “is that…”

“I don’t think so.”

Colleen had either read her mind, or Hayden Dean was there with someone else. Two, to be exact. As the camera angle zoomed on Hayden’s look-a-like, Melina’s heart dropped to her Blahniks.

Hayden grinned and held up the hands of his escorts as they spun for the cameras, their green silky gowns hiding little of their curvy figures.

It was Hayden Dean. Playboy. Casanova. Pompous ass.

“Oh my God, Mel.” Colleen grasped her shoulders. “What a jerkhole!”

Melina nodded as tears pinched her eyes. She wasn’t crying for him. She wasn’t. She couldn’t be. She’d just been so freaking excited to be going to the Silverlight Awards. That had to be it. She’d spent all day building up tonight’s experience. She’d planned it all out in her head. Of course she’d feel deflated when the fantasy didn’t match the reality.

Cinderella wasn’t going to the ball after all.

Desperate to get a closer glimpse of the television and Hayden’s smug face, Melina crawled over the bed on her hands and knees. When she reached the end, the breath whooshed out of her lungs.

“Are you okay?” She heard Colleen say. “Mel?”

“I’m fine.”

Oh, she was far from the bland emotion. She wanted to rip out Hayden’s tongue and shove it where the sun didn’t shine. The man was a snake in—oh God, was that Prada? They would’ve matched. They could’ve been the perfect pair.

“I should’ve known better,” Melina mumbled. “I should’ve listened to my gut. Somewhere deep inside I think I knew all those magazines couldn’t be wrong.” She shook her head. “I gave Hayden Dean the benefit of the doubt, and two hours of my day. Those are two things he didn’t deserve. I won’t spend another second thinking about him.”

“Good for you.”

Melina sighed. “I guess I just hoped—I just thought maybe for once, the fairy tale could actually come true for me, you know?”

As her legs cramped, she sat back. The ear-piercing sound of fabric ripping hit her ears. She stilled, slowly glancing down. She brushed her fingers over a rip in the Prada dress she’d spent her entire month’s earnings on.

Tears burning her throat, Melina glared at Hayden’s face on the television screen and realized two things.

By ripping her Prada dress, she’d just committed a fashion sin.

And fairy tales were most definitely real. They were. Maybe not for her, but for the girls on Hayden’s arms. They radiated happiness, their wide, innocent eyes taking in the fanciful scene around them. They smiled as she would’ve been smiling. If those blondes could live in a dream, she could too. She had control over her life, including who came in and out of it.

She should be blissfully happy too.

Why’d she have to wait for some dashing knight in shining armor to come riding in on a white horse and sweep her off her feet?

She vowed, then and there, in her torn Prada dress, that she’d make her fairy tale come true…without an arrogant Prince Charming like Hayden Dean on her arm, acting as if he was the one responsible for it all.

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Kristin Miller writes sweet and sassy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance of all varieties. Kristin has degrees in psychology, English, and education, and taught high school and middle school English before crossing over to a career in writing. She lives in Northern California with her alpha male husband and their two children. She loves chocolate way more than she should and the gym less. You can usually find her in the corner of a coffee shop, laptop in front of her and mocha in hand, using the guests around her as fuel for her next book.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorKristinMiller

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kristinmiller02

Web: www.kristinmiller.net

*****

Giveaway:

There will be 3 winners

Signed copy of GONE WITH THE WOLF, bookmarks, glamour notebook, “Books and Coffee” Starbucks cup

Signed copy of FOUR WEDDINGS AND A WEREWOLF, bookmarks, glamour notebook, Custom WEREWOLF WEARS PRADA locket with interchangeable faces.

Signed copy of SO I MARRIED A WEREWOLF, bookmarks, ALEX AND ANI Rose bracelet, “Books and Coffee” Starbucks cup

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb55495550/

*****

Tour Schedule:

April 28- May 12

April 28 Interview

ARe Café

www.AReCafe.com

April 28 Review

Musings From An Addicted Reader

https://musingsfromanaddictedreader.wordpress.com/

April 28 Guest Traveller on Tuesday’s Treasured & Tipsy Timeslip

The Mysterious Ink Spot

http://rachaelstapleton.blogspot.ca/

April 29 Top Ten List and review

The Book Cellar

www.thebookcellarx.com

April 29 Spotlight

All I Want and More Books

https://alliwantandmorebooks.wordpress.com/

April 30 Review

Fanatical Paranormal Romantical

http://fanaticalparanormalromantical.com/

April 30 Spotlight and review

Penny For Them…

http://pennyforthemuk.com/Tour

May 1 Guest Post

Mythical Books

http://www.mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/

proposed topic: Our Modern/Contemporary Werewolves

May 1 Spotlight

Mommabears Book Blog

http://www.mommabearsbookblog.blogspot.com

May 4 Spotlight

Eskimo Princess Book Reviews

http://eskimoprincess.blogspot.com/

May 4 Spotlight

Share My Destiny

http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com

May 5 Interview (review later)

The Reading Head

http://www.thereadinghead.com

May 5 Review

Once Untold

http://onceuntold.blogspot.com/

May 6 Interview

Suzanne Johnson- Preternatura

www.suzannejohnsonauthor.com

May 6 Spotlight

Romantic Reads and Such

http://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com

May 7 Interview

Diane’s Book Blog

http://dianes-book.blogspot.com

May 7 Guest blog

Kimber Leigh Writes

http://www.kimberleighwheaton.com

May 7 Spotlight and review

Books That Hook

http://booksthathook.com/

May 8 Guest blog

Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind

http://www.ramblingsfromachaoticmind.com/

May 8 Review

Booklover Sue

http://bookloversue.blogspot.com

May 8 Spotlight

Starry Night Book reviews

http://starrynightbookreviews.blogspot.com/

May 11 Review

Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock

www.pratr.wordpress.com

May 11 Spotlight and review

Ramblings of a Book Lunatic

http://booklunaticramblings.blogspot.com

May 12 Guest blog

Urban Fantasy Investigations

http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/

May 12 Review

Making it Happen

http://moonangel23.blogspot.com/

May 12 Spotlight and review

My Book Filled Life

http://mybookfilledlife.blogspot.com

Spotlight – Spring Into Love

05 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abbie St. Claire, Alicia & Roy Street, Betrayed, Bonnie Edwards, Chanteo Rhondeau, Consolation Prize, Everybody's After Love, Finding Forever, Happy Endings, Jade Kerrion, Kimmie Easley, Kiss Me Dancer, Liveon - No Evil, Love Unleashed, Lyssa Layne, Marcia James, Michele Shriver, Rachelle Ayala, Stacy Eaton, Sweet Ride!, Taming Romeo, Tasting Los Angeles

From SENSUAL to SPICY this boxed set of ELEVEN contemporary romances includes BESTSELLING and AWARD-WINNING and USA TODAY multi-published authors. If you like variety in your books these ELEVEN authors provide your heart’s desire from SWEET and FUNNY to DEADLY and SEXY… SPRING INTO LOVE will warm your heart and your bed. This is a limited time offer, so grab your set today! ONLY 99c!

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon UK | Goodreads

*****

Happy Endings – Chantel Rhondeau
Handsome, wealthy Quinn McCallister is the most eligible bachelor on McCallister’s Paradise. Making his family’s island resort a success is all that matters to this workaholic. Everything changes when he meets the beautiful new massage therapist…

Tasting Los Angeles – Kimmie Easley
A woman struggling to stand on her own two feet, and a man who refuses to let her stand alone. When life knocks her off her feet, independent Tori finds comfort in the most unexpected place, in the arms of her male stripping neighbor, Cole. But can he sway her to look beyond his hunky surface and take a chance on love?

Taming Romeo – Rachelle Ayala
Medical student Evie Sanchez is recovering from heartbreak when she runs into Romeo Garcia, the boy she ditched at the prom. Only now, he’s an actor determined to make her his costar. Are his hot moves and sexy lines real or revenge?

Consolation Prize – Abbie St. Claire
Chloe Howard hides her broken heart while burying herself in her work as a Veterinarian. When the buddies of Flynn Davis make her the victim of a bet on a pool game, no one, including the couple, realize that they are making a bet that lasts a lifetime.

Sweet Ride! – Bonnie Edwards
Katie Calhoun is too broken to believe in family love, while successful Jace Donner puts family emergencies above his career when he’s needed. They must work together, but making this tough-minded vixen believe in love soon becomes Jace’s top priority and biggest challenge yet.

Liveon ~ No Evil – Stacy Eaton
Detective Jacquelyn Liveon saved his life twice and is now working undercover to protect heartthrob actor Ryan Palmer from an unknown threat. When things on the set heat up, can Ryan and Jackie survive the explosive twists and turns that come from every direction?

Everybody’s After Love – Lyssa Layne
Jules Rossi’s world is about to be turned upside down when her big brother, Paulie, announces his engagement. Having been raised by her brother after their parents died, she’s used to him being her knight in shining armor and isn’t ready to share him with anyone else.

Betrayed – Jade Kerrion
Marguerite Ferrara is a rising superstar, but Drew Jackson, the man she loves, sees her only as his younger brother’s ex-girlfriend. Will Maggie’s friendship with Drew survive her career, her fame, and the rocky transition to love?

Finding Forever – Michele Shriver
Happiness eludes Jordan Priestley until former client-turned-lover Jake Morrison reappears, tempting her with a hopeful future, while dredging up mistakes from her past.
Will Jake and Jordan take a chance on forever, or will reminders of their past be too much to overcome?

Love Unleashed – Marcia James
With the help of a tiny dog, Ron Hart plans to win back his ex-lover, Cara Wilson. Together they’ll learn that winning sometimes takes losing control.

Kiss Me, Dancer – Alicia & Roy Street
Dedicated ballet teacher Casey Richardson is about to lose her dance school when along comes handsome divorced dad, Drew Byrne, a playboy mogul who can change it all with a check. At the crossroads between Casey finding true love or just another disappointing womanizer stands a little boy who needs them both.

*****

Author Info:

Chantel Rhondeau (Author), Kimmie Easley (Author), Rachelle Ayala (Author), Abbie St. Claire (Author), Bonnie Edwards(Author), Stacy Eaton (Author), Lyssa Layne (Author), Jade Kerrion (Author), Michele Shriver (Author), Marcia James(Author), Alicia & Roy Street (Author)

*****

Events:

AUTHOR TAKEOVER

Spring Into Love Facebook Page — authors from boxset will be doing takeovers throughout the tour

Sassy Southern Book Blog – May 8 @ 8PM CT

Firefly Book Blog – May 13 @ 8PM CT

Crazy Daisy Book Whore Blog – May 20 @ 8PM CT

Love Between the Sheets – May 21 @ 7PM CT

*****

Giveaway:

Amazon Gift Card

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/50f1707926/

*****

Spotlight – Dakota Wedding

04 Monday May 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Tags

Dakota Hearts series, Dakota Wedding, Lisa Mondello

If you’re a fan of western romance, contemporary romance, stories full of angst and emotion, and sexy cowboy and military heroes, then you’ll enjoy Lisa Mondello’s Dakota Hearts, Texas Hearts and Fate with a Helping Hand series of romance novels.

*****

Dakota Wedding

Dakota Hearts Book 6

by Lisa Mondello

Genre: Contemporary Western Romance

Date of Publication: November 30, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-940512-07-5

ASIN: B00OC90HNU

Number of pages: 212

Word Count: 74200

Cover Artist: Melyssa Naujoks

Blurb:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Mondello, book 6 of the popular DAKOTA HEARTS western romance series.

Ian McKinnon was just getting steady on his feet, looking forward to the opening of the Wounded Veterans Center and a big McKinnon wedding celebration, when tragedy struck again. The soldier who’d saved his life while in the military has died. He’s charged with his most important mission: find his friend Carlos’s family in Mexico or become guardian and raise Carlos’s children. The only mandatory stipulation of his friend’s will was that Ian live under the same roof with Abby Townsend, a firefighter from Carlos’s firehouse. Abby knew the kids well and she could help ease them all through the transition of becoming a family. Okay, so Ian may not be daddy material, but he’d grown up with a whole lot of McKinnons running around. He could handle the kids just fine. The beautiful Abby Townsend was another story.

Abby took one look at Ian and shook her head with utter disbelief. What were her dear friends thinking by naming a man whose nickname was “The Hazard” as guardian of their three small children? She only needed to spend one year in Ian’s house in South Dakota. She had to either find Carlos’s family, or convince Ian that she was the better person to raise the children. Abby knows how hard it is to lose someone you loved. She’ll be there to protect the children in any way she can. But can she protect her heart from falling in love with a man known for taking too many risks…and risk heartbreak again?

Available at Amazon BN iTunes Google Play Kobo ARe Smashwords

DAKOTA HEARTS Series:

Book 1 – Her Dakota Man

Book 2 – Badland Bride

Book 3 – Dakota Heat

Book 4 – Wild Dakota Heart

Book 5 – His Dakota Bride

Book 6 – Dakota Wedding

Coming in 2015, check for more Dakota Hearts books.

*****

Excerpt:

There was a time when the prospect of standing on two feet was beyond Ian McKinnon’s imagination. That had been a darker time in his life. A time he didn’t ever want to go back to again.

As he made his way up the driveway leading to the home he’d spent the last year refurbishing, feeling the early autumn sun on his face, he could finally see light. He felt at peace.

His cousin’s SUV sat next to his Jeep in the driveway. As he rounded the corner, he found Hawk sitting on the porch overlooking the river in the back yard.

Hawk smiled and stood up when they made eye contact. But the look on Hawk’s face immediately told Ian he wasn’t here for a social call.

“Can we go inside and talk?”

Ian sighed and tried to force a smile. “Something tells me I’m not going to like this conversation. So if it’s all the same to you why we just have it right here on the front porch?”

“I was hoping to spare you.”

Ian laughed without any humor. “That bad, huh? Just give it to me straight.”

Hawk shook his head and chuckled low. “You always did things your own way.”

Ian climbed the few stairs and pivoted so he could sit opposite Hawk on the porch. He braced himself for whatever news he was about to get.

“You got a call from Vermont this morning. Your mom took the call. No one has your new number.”

“I didn’t get the new number until last week. I haven’t had a chance to call Carlos and Brenda yet. Both of them are excited to come out and see the house and the Wounded Veterans Center now that it’s nearly complete. But both of them have my cell phone number. They could have used that.”

He was rambling and his stomach hurt just looking at Hawk as his cousin struggled with what he was about to say.

“Carlos and Brenda’s lawyer only had your parents’ telephone number.”

“Lawyer?”

Hawk nodded, taking a deep breath. “Carlos and Brenda are dead.”

~ ~ ~

Ian couldn’t breathe. He glanced at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and wiped the cold moisture from his face with a crisp clean towel he’d just purchased at a fancy department store in Rapid City last week.

Two years after a mortar blast in Afghanistan took part of his leg, Ian was not only standing, he was running. And he was looking forward to life again. Soon the Wounded Veterans Center he’d worked tirelessly on with his cousin, Ethan, and Hawk’s girlfriend, Regis, would be open, and they’d be celebrating the McKinnon way with the wedding of Logan McKinnon and Poppy Ericksen. They all couldn’t wait. No one more than Ian. The entire McKinnon clan was coming in from all over the country just for this celebration. Life was finally righting itself.

And now the man who’d given Ian a second chance at life was gone. Dead at the hands of a drunk driver on a winding Vermont road. One day he was enjoying life. The next he and his beloved wife were gone. The only thing left were three children who no longer had their parents.

The knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Ian, it’s me. Everything okay in there?” Hawk hadn’t left. Ian knew he wouldn’t. Hawk would stay all day and all night until he knew Ian was steady on his feet. Like always. Hawk had a medical clinic in town. The people of Rudolph depended on him. But they were McKinnons and McKinnons stuck together through everything. Barring an emergency, Hawk would stay as long as Ian needed him or at least until one of his brothers or cousins could come and relieve him.

Ian wiped his face with his towel again, still feeling the jolt of the news. “I’ll be just a minute.”

Closing his eyes, he fought the wave of nausea he hadn’t felt in a long time. But the feeling of loss overwhelmed him. And for the first time in more than a year, Ian wept.

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Lisa Mondello, has held many jobs in her life but being a published author is the last job she’ll ever have. She’s not retiring! She blames the creation of the personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she’d still be penning stories with paper and pen.

Her popular series includes TEXAS HEARTS, DAKOTA HEARTS and Fate with a Helping Hand. Writing as LA Mondello, her romantic suspense, MATERIAL WITNESS, book 1 of her Heroes of Providence received a starred Kirkus Review and was named one of their Best Books of 2012.

You can find more information about Lisa Mondello at

www.lisamondello.blogspot.com

http://dakotahearts.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/LisaMondello.Author

https://twitter.com/lisamondello

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/71059.Lisa_Mondello

*****

Tour Info:

Click on the banner below to check out the rest of the tour, including interviews, author guest posts and reviews!

Spotlight – Sugar On Top

03 Sunday May 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Tags

Marina Adair, Sugar Georgia series, Sugar on Top

Hopefully you all remember Sugar’s Twice As Sweet, because Marina Adair has brought us book 2 and it is fantastic! I’ve read it and I can’t wait to get a review up for it soon.

*****

SUGAR ON TOP

Sugar, Georgia Book #2

by Marina Adair

April 28, 2015

Forever Mass Market

She’s sassy and sweet

The last thing Glory Mann wants is to become chairman of the Miss Peach Pageant in Sugar, Georgia. Spending months hearing nothing but the clinking of pearls and judgment? No thank you! But when Glory is forced to take the rap for a scandal she didn’t commit, the judge sentences her to head the committee. Even worse, her co-chairman is rugged, ripped . . . and barely knows she’s alive.

He’s ready and willing

Single dad Cal McGraw can’t take any more drama in his life. After a difficult divorce, his little girl became a boy-crazy teenager and his hands are full. The last thing he needs is to spend his down time with the town bad girl. Glory is pure trouble-tempting and tantalizing trouble. But he can’t deny the strong chemistry between them-or how her touch turns him inside out. Now as squabbles threaten to blow up the contest and the town of Sugar itself, Cal must risk everything on the sexy wild card to get a second chance at love . . .

Buy Links:

*****

Excerpt:

Glory walked to the door and peeked out the peephole, doing some panting of her own when she recognized Cal’s sexy blue eyes peeking back.

She knew the minute he realized she was on the other side of the door because he smiled and took a step back, as though waiting for her to just open up her door and welcome him inside.

“I know that you know it’s me, Boots, so open up.”

Oh, she knew it was him all right. Her nipples told her that the second he’d knocked. Plus she could smell the testosterone through the door, and his soap, which from the looks of it he’d showered, too. Although, she thought bitterly, he’d put on a fresh pair of jeans and an untucked gray button-up, not a pair of shorts with dancing pigs on them and a tank that said RESIDENT BED HOG across the chest.

“Or I can go get my tools from the truck—your call.”

And since the thought of Cal with tools made her hot, she opened the door—wide enough to see his face.

“What do you want?” she asked, more than aware that she hadn’t put her bra back on after her shower.

“Our date wasn’t over.”

Time to be firm. “I had a fun time, I’d love to do it again, but like I already told you, panties are a strict date five topic.”

“You said date four if they’re special.”

She had said that, damn it.

He pushed the door open a tad and his eyes dropped to her pajamas. He grinned. “And, Boots, those shorts don’t leave much room for imagination.” He pushed the door open wider and leaned in. “Or panties.”

He was right. She was commando under there. Not that she’d confirm his suspicions or even had time to. Before she knew what was happening, Cal took her hand in his and led her down the stairs toward his truck—and the already opened passenger door.

She stopped at the bottom step. “I’m not wearing shoes and I’m in my pajamas.”

“Which answers the question of what you sleep in. Although, I have to admit, I took you for more of an in-the-buff girl.” She felt her cheeks heat but played it cool. “Ah, good to know.”

Okay, maybe not so cool.

Cal slipped his jacket over her shoulders, then turned around to offer her his back. “Pajama issue solved. Now climb on.”

Knowing that he wasn’t going to let her be until she did as he asked, at least that was the lie she told herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his middle—which only managed to smash her front deliciously against his broad, muscular back.

He walked her over to his truck, sat her on the seat, and shut her door, not saying a word until he was in the driver’s seat with his door shut.

He didn’t start the engine, didn’t explain what he was doing, just turned to her and smiled. “I had a great time tonight, which after my day seemed impossible. But you made it fun, made it easy to talk about Payton, and just . . . easy. With you, tonight, it all seemed so easy, so thank you.”

And wasn’t that the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. “I had a great time, too.”

“Good.” His smile was back and he got out of the truck, walked around, and opened her door.

Glory rolled her eyes, but inside she was melting. “What are you doing?”

“Walking my date to her doorstep.” He looked at her bare feet and waggled a brow. “Or carrying.”

“That’s okay, I can walk.” But one hand was already around her back, the other firmly planted on her butt, and he was scooping her out of the truck, not putting her down until he was up the stairs and at her door.

Hands shoved in his pockets, he leaned against the rail. She opened her mouth to speak when he said, “Hang on.” He reached out and closed her front door. “There. Now, you were saying.”

“Just, thank you,” she whispered and neither of them moved, neither of them spoke. It was as though time hung, and in that one moment nothing else mattered. Only the two of them and this insane connection.

His eyes dropped and he cleared his throat. That’s when she realized he was waiting for his jacket.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” She started to take it off when he gripped the collar and tugged her to him.

“I don’t care about the jacket, I’ll get it next time.”

Her knees wobbled at the idea that he wanted a next time.

Oh my God, Charlotte was right, she had it bad. Glory was a certified McGraw addict; she had every last symptom, even down to wanting their next time to be now.

Cal must have been suffering from the same affliction, because he tilted his head and delivered a gentle kiss that seemed to last for hours. Languid and soft and with deliberate control, the man kissed her as if there was nowhere else he’d rather be. This wasn’t a race or a sprint to the bed; to him, kissing was his way of connecting, sharing.

By the time they came up for air, Glory’s bones had turned to mush and her entire world had shifted because Cal wasn’t just special, he was perfect.

Then he did the one thing that could have made her fall, had her opening herself up to all the what-ifs and going all in. Cal gave her one last kiss on the cheek and made his way down the stairs, giving her what she wanted, time to prove he was serious, that she was worth waiting for, worth fighting for.

Only every step he took caused her chest to coil tighter and tighter until it hurt to breathe.

One date. A hundred. It didn’t matter. This was Cal. He was one of the good ones. He’d come all this way, in the middle of the night, to escort her to the door, and there she was, watching him walk away, wondering if she’d get another chance.

The least she could do was invite him inside and offer him a cold beverage.

He was rounding the truck when her feet finally got the message from her brain, and she took off down the steps, not stopping until she was standing in front of him. “Don’t go.”

*****

Author Info:

Marina Adair is a lifelong fan of romance novels. Along with the Sugar series, she is also the author of the St. Helena Vineyard series and the upcoming Shelter Cove series. She currently lives in a hundred-year-old log cabin, nestled in the majestic redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with her husband and daughter. As a writer, Marina is devoted to giving her readers contemporary romance where the towns are small, the personalities large, and the romance explosive. She also loves to interact with readers and you can catch her on Twitter at @MarinaEAdair or visit her at www.MarinaAdair.com.

Social Media Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/26635ce2195/

*****

Book Review – The Playboy

01 Friday May 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Hot Aussie Heroes, Madeline Ash, The Playboy

The Playboy

Hot Aussie Heroes Book 3

by Madeline Ash

Wanted: Sexy sun-kissed surfer for hot summer fling.

Innocent Alexia Burton needs to become sexually confident for an upcoming acting role, and that means taking a lover.

Someone she’s attracted to. Someone who’ll teach her what she needs to know, but not ask for more than she’s prepared to give. She needs to learn the intensity of true desire and then have him walk away.

Parker Hargreaves is determined to make amends for treating Alexia badly all those years ago. He’s changed and wants her to think better of him. If that means letting her sharpen her sexual moves on him, so be it. He’ll do it. His playboy reputation certainly won’t suffer.

He just doesn’t count on walking away being so hard.

I totally loved The Playboy. It starts off with a heartbreaking teenage moment between Alexia and Parker. Ash completely captures that feeling of being young (and stupid) and how devastating things can be. Then we flash forward about a half dozen years and the two meet again. Parker handles it like a champ and I totally fell in love with him right there in the middle of Chapter 1 🙂

Parker has done a lot of growing up since Alexia new him in school, but she’s not convinced right away. Luckily he’s got the patience of a saint, and the understanding of what a jerk he was before, so he’s willing to prove himself. Of course, he’s still a guy and makes a couple of missteps along the way, but you know that the two are working their way to a HEA.

I totally understand Alexia’s reservations – both with Parker and with her “assignment”. She’s a serious girl and falling into bed with a stranger definitely isn’t in her comfort zone. She’s also one who was once burned and twice shy so she’s not going to easily forgive and forget. Her attraction to Parker might help with part of her problems but they definitely come with a whole basket of others.

The way that Parker and Alexia work through their issues (and their attraction) is adorable and I found myself glued to the pages. They have great banter and Parker is a very inventive man as he not only earns a second chance with Alexia but takes on the task of helping her gain confidence. Ash manages to so completely convince readers of how perfect they are together that I took it personally when things went wrong … which just made it all the sweeter when I got to that last page. You know that they are going to figure things out but that doesn’t make that speed bump at the end any easier to take 🙂

Book Review – One Last Letter

30 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Tags

Book Review, One Last Letter, Pema Donyo

One Last Letter

By Pema Donyo

A romantic hardened by reality . . .

Evelyn Lancaster turned her back on her love for ranch hand Jesse Greenwood when she was sixteen to pursue a career and marry into wealth that could save her father’s struggling ranch. Now twenty-three, she works hard to keep the property afloat, but no suitor has stirred her heart the way Jesse did. After her father falls ill, she needs all the help she can get to keep the ranch running.

A cowboy returning to what he left behind . . .

After making his fortune, a newly wealthy Jesse has returned home to see his younger sister married. Still smarting from Evelyn’s rejection, he finds the tables have turned, and now only his investment could save the ranch that he vowed to never step foot on again.

When he agrees to help her salvage her family legacy, they must overcome their pride and painful past to work together. As long-held emotions rekindle, Jesse pretends indifference, only to admit his true feelings in an unsigned letter left on Evelyn’s porch.

Evelyn finds the missive and writes back, beginning a furtive correspondence. She dares to hope her mystery admirer is Jesse, but then another man comes forward to claim the letters as his own. Will one last letter give them the courage to say yes to love on the wild Texas plains?

I don’t usually like romances that are centered on situations of miscommunication – they frustrate me and I usually can’t relax enough to enjoy the story. But Donyo does a fantastic job with One Last Letter. The characters are interesting and she really brings to readers the impact of foolish choices made by the young.

Although Jesse and Evelyn have an opportunity for a second chance, their stubbornness and fear of rejection lead to more heartache. I was on the edge of my seat (even though I knew that they were going to get their happy ending) through a good portion of the book and couldn’t decide if I wanted to hug or kick them. I wanted to reach through the pages, lock them in a room together and force them to really talk. But Donyo handled it well and left me smiling.

Full of deeply felt, and long held, love combined with regret and confusion, One Last Letter is a great western romance. With a satisfyingly sweet ending, I was very glad I put aside my prejudices and gave it a chance.

Book Review – Cinderella’s Cowboy

29 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Cinderella's Cowboy, Roxanne Snopek, This Old House series

Cinderella’s Cowboy

This Old House series

by Roxanne Snopek

Chad Anders doesn’t know why mousy Cynthia Henley trips all over her tongue when she’s around him. Nor does he understand his undeniable attraction to this good girl. Wild and sexy is his type, like the dream-girl he caught a glimpse of years earlier he’s never forgotten.

Cynthia’s superpower is invisibility, especially with men. It’s better for everyone that way. Besides, she’s got a cat. She’s okay. But when playboy-rancher Chad hires her, she’s got a chance to shine. Professionally, at least. Until she learns of his fascination with a mysterious dream-girl, who was actually nothing more than a shy teenager on an ill-advised dare all those years ago. Cynthia knows she’s no man’s dream-girl and never will be.

But there’s magic at the ball. Princesses glow in the starlight, princes appear out of nowhere, and, sometimes, they look a lot like cowboys…

Let me start with the fact that I haven’t read the rest of this series (surprise, surprise) and I think that it somewhat impacted how much I understood about what was going on. There were some definite undertones in the relationships as well as some incidents from the previous books that come into play.

Now, having said that, I have to admit that I REALLY liked this story. Cynthia and Chad are fantastic. She’s got that right amount of grit and snark to keep me coming back. She’s been in the shadow of her step sisters for a long time – long enough that she’s forgotten what it might be like to shine. Having the attention of a sexy cowboy may just be what she needs …

And she helps bring the real Chad out. He’s at a point where he is starting to evaluate his life choices when Cynthia falls into his lap. She’s the perfect foil to what he’s used to – caring, hardworking, smart, and sexy but a little unsure of herself. She intrigues him, capturing his attention at a time when he needs something real in his romantic life.

Cinderella’s Cowboy is a short read, but very satisfying, with plenty of humor and snark, heat and sparks, and small town heart. I won’t even get into the Cinderella with a Western twang part of it – but I will say it is a fun take on the classic story.

If you’ve read the rest of the This Old House series I’m sure you are going to be a happy camper. If you haven’t, you can start here but since I know what fantastic books Ms. Snopek writes I recommend starting at the beginning – you won’t regret it and I think that you’ll enjoy this one all the more.

(This story is part of the This Old House series, but can be read as a stand-alone. However, it is advisable to read the previous books in the series to get the most enjoyment from this story.)