11 Thursday Jul 2013
Posted in Contest
Here are the details:
You can also visit them atย http://www.romanceatrandom.com/new-release-the-hunter-by-monica-mccarty-6-book-backlist-giveaway/ย ย Or click on the widget to the right.
Good luck!
09 Tuesday Jul 2013
Posted in Book Review
New review below. ย And the publisher has a cool contest going on with it ending on July 31st.ย Check out the rafflecopter link to enter.
Colby Robicheauz is back home after a decade away to help her familyย – with her fatherโs death, their restaurant needs a head chef and she is the perfect choice.ย While leaving behind her own successful restauarant in Las Vegas for the summer is bad enough,ย Colbyย knows sheโs also going to have toย handle demons that sheโs been running from for years.ย What she doesnโt expect to find is her old crush Jason Landry looking just as tempting as ever.ย But Colbyโsย not ready toย get involved withย anyone and she definitely has no plans to stay in the town that holds soย many bad feelings.ย Jason also isnโtย readyย for romance.ย He lost his wife and is now raising their daughter alone.ย He knows thatย she really needs a mother but starting something with Colby when she has no intention of staying is not a good idea.ย ย Aย summer fling might be just the thingย for both of them โฆ. if they can keep their hearts out of it.
Who doesnโt love a sexy fireman?ย Add in that Jasonย can cook,ย is a great fatherย and truly loved his high school sweetheart?ย So very hot!ย Jason is everything you would want in a hero โ heโs gorgeous, hard working, dedicated, loving, and faithful.ย He wants the best for his girl even if he doesnโt feel like he can ever fully give his heart again.ย But once he realizes that his emotions might be more involved with Colby than he intended โฆ he goes with it and throws himself into the relationship wholeheartedly.ย Colby has her reasons for being a little gun-shy with men โ a bad past and a looming exit date โ but who could pass up the opportunity to have a hot fling with your teen crush, especially when he looks like Jason.ย I really liked seeing these two realize their feelings and go with it.ย I totally understand Colbyโs hesitation and I think that Harris does a fantastic job of giving her emotional baggage without dragging her down with them.ย Actually, she does a fine job with both of them.ย You knowย they will haveย theirย Happy Even After at the end, what romance doesnโt, butย the best part isย the journey and this one is a canโt miss.
Taste the Heatย is the first in the โLove and Gamesโ series and I am very much looking forward to more.ย There are a lot of opportunities, not just with Colbyโs siblings, but you can also bring in Jasonโs firefighter buddies and keep going.ย Harris has a crisp, addictive writing style and I would definitely read more from her.ย ย With aย fun and emotion story about finding love and forgiveness,ย Harrisย brings readersย a winner.
08 Monday Jul 2013
Posted in Book Review
Love Him or Leave Himย is a wonderfully fun, sweet story about second chances and finding home. ย Connor and Becca were high school sweethearts but their romance was destroyed by rumors. ย Years later, Connor is now back serving as sheriff and Becca finds herself once again attracted to him. ย But sheโs close to being able to enjoy the life sheโs always dreamed about and a relationship with the man who broke her heart isnโt in her plans.
I really liked Becca.ย Although I didnโt have a brother I had to take responsibility for, I did grow up in a small town.ย Because I left for college and didnโt go back, I understand her yearning to see more of the world, but I also know how wonderful living in a small town can be.ย ย It can be limitingย but it can also be nice to know the people you see every day.ย Thatโs the comfort that Connor finds in the town after having been to less than pleasant parts of the world.ย Heโs still suffering from those things heโs experienced and those ghosts are dragging him down.ย Thought it is a long and hard road, I really enjoyed the journey these two made getting back together and realizing how they can fit their hopes and dreams into a shared life.ย Thereโs a little bit of a mystery over some pranks that are happening in the town, but itโs mainly a catalyst to get these two to straighten out their futures.
Love Him or Leave Himย is the second story in Danielโs โSmall Town, Big Dreamsโ series but other than seeing more of the quirky, and thoroughly enjoyable, townsfolk it really doesnโt make a difference.ย But if you havenโt read its predecessorย Construction Beauty Queenย I highly recommend it.ย It isย just as cute and funny with that rightย amount of romantic angst.ย I love this town, it reminds me of Susan Malleryโs Foolโs Gold, and I canโt wait to see more of it.ย Hopefully Daniel has plans to bring us more from Kortville, Illinois soon.
05 Friday Jul 2013
Posted in Book Review
Suddenly Beautifulย is so much fun!ย It has a touch of paranormal flair but at its heart itโs just your everyday love story.ย Nikki loves her boss, has for years, but heโs content to leave her in the assistant category of his life.ย Then one drunken night heโs overpowered by his desire for her and crosses the line (granted heโs a demigod, son of Aphrodite, and he was drunk on Ambrosia, the elixir of the gods, that lowered his guard and released his secret wants.) ย But Tor doesnโt have time for a personal life, especially with a demigoddess like Nikki, who doesnโt even know that sheโs the daughter of Ares, so he just wants everything to go back the way it was.ย Except now that his feelings for Nikki are out there, he canโt ignore them.
This was such a fast read โ it took me just a few hours and I loved every minute of it.ย Nikki is sassy, fun and quite a hoot once her demigoddess status is revealed.ย She had a bad relationship with her mortal mother and has no idea who her father is.ย She handles it well when she finds out that heโs actually a god โ having a deadbeat dad is bad enough, but finding out heโs the god of war canโt be easy.
Tor is all macho male, with his own parental issues.ย Unlike Nikki, he actually does know who his goddess mother is and is one of the few demigods who was actually raised by his god parent.ย But that leaves him with his own troubles.ย All he wants now is to lead a normal(ish) life and dating someone who can turn him to stone or give him a goat tail isnโt exactly part of that plan.ย It is entertaining to see him struggle against his growing feelings but once Nikki is out of the business box he put her in and in his personal life, heโs a goner.ย His dealing with his mom is a delight and I got a kick out watching his feathers get ruffled.
Suddenly Beautifulย is the perfect choice for a funny, sweet, sexy beach read with just that touch of fantasy thrown in to keep your imagination hopping.ย Kick back with a frosty beverage and allow Brux to sweep you into her entertaining world of gods, goddesses and their irreverent off-spring.
03 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in Book Review
Donna Kauffmanโs โCupcake Clubโ books are as sweet and addictive as the goodies the group bakes.ย In her newest,ย Honey Pie, Honey DโAmourvell has come to Sugarberry Island to set up shop in the building she inherited from her aunt.ย Itโs the perfect opportunity for her to start a new life . . . only she finds the space already being used, leased to the much-loved owner of Babycakes, and she has no idea what she is going to do.ย With the help of the Cupcake Club, and massively sexy mechanic Dylan Ross, will Honey find a place to call home after all?
I absolutely could not put this book down.ย I loved Dylan and Honey โ they are both, for different reasons, loners.ย Dylan had a very difficult childhood, one that was very much the topic of gossip, so he prefers to live a very quiet, solitary life on the fringes of society.ย He keeps to himself and lives a decent life, helping where he can but hoping mostly to be left in peace.ย Honey has what her aunt called a gift but which she sees as a curse โ when she touches someone she sometimes sees things that have happen or will happen in that personโs life, most often traumatic and extremely emotional things.ย So she avoids people to try to keep from getting these visions, but that has left her very lonely and she is hoping that she can change that on Sugarberry.ย When Dylan, a natural fixer, finds out about Honeyโs troubles he wants nothing more than to help, putting the two on a course that will change their lives forever.
One of the best things about this series is that each book can stand on its own.ย Returning readers will love the chance to catch up with everyone while first time readers will enjoyย Honey Pieย just as much.ย Kauffman does a fantastic job of bringing to life people that you would love to call friends and her world is so richly crafted that I want to jump on a plane to go for a visit.ย The characters are charming and quirky but so loving and accepting.ย One of them states that living on the island is like living in a giant group hug and that extends to the reader as well.ย I always feel right at home as soon as I read the first word in a โCupcake Clubโ story.ย
Honey Pieย is a feel-good, sigh-worthy, laugh-out-loud, gooey confection of a romance that will make your summer that much sweeter.
02 Tuesday Jul 2013
Posted in Book Review
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Inย Rush Me, Rachael Hamilton stumbles into the wrong party one night and suddenly finds herself in a world inhabited by NFL football players โฆ. and at odds with popular quarterback, Ryan Carter.ย ย Rachael knows nothing about sports, preferring a world of book and theater, but she somehow finds herself friends with some of the team, which means she also ends up spending time with Ryan.ย ย As they spend time together, Rachael quickly realizes that some of her initial judgments about Ryan were wrong.ย ย Can she let herself give in to the sexy, smart athlete or is she playing a very dangerous game?ย
This was a very fast read for me โ I finished it in just a day โ and I loved the plot, although Iโm not sure I understood all their problems.ย ย Rachael tends to run from romantic entanglements and gets very defensive when pushed, which causes problems with Ryan who doesnโt have a lot of experience with real relationships and also tends to get defensive easy.ย ย It doesnโt lead to a very easy road to love for the two.ย
I can see his perspective pretty well โ heโs the golden boy of sports and has had everything handed to him, including girls.ย ย Yes, he works hard but the life of a multi-millionaire athlete has fewer everyday problems than for average people.ย ย He tends to give up when faced with trouble in his relationship with Rachael because heโs never had to work at one before.ย ย But heโs also a decent guy.ย ย He works hard for his team, he cares about the other players and those less fortunate, he is nice to his fans and he does charitable works.ย ย He may be enjoying his playboy life but that is understandable and heโs quite appealing.ย
Itโs Rachael Iโm not sure I understand โฆ and sometimes even like.ย ย Mostly sheโs a very fun character but she has these bi-polar moments and has a hair trigger on her emotions.ย ย Over all though I thought she was great and very entertaining.ย ย There were actually a couple of moments that made me laugh out loud. ย And I loved Ryanโs teammates โ they are big, bad football players with quirky attitudes and a good sense of fun โ and I really hope to see future books about this team.
Some readers might be put off by the writing style.ย ย Itโs not quite as tight as it could have been and there were a couple of times that I was confused by the timeline, but it moved very quickly.ย ย Rush Meย may not be a lighthearted read, instead dealing with some convoluted on-again off-again relationship problems, but it is definitely an engaging one and I quickly found myself hoping for a happy ending for them.ย ย And I think that Parr did a great job of giving them one that works.
30 Sunday Jun 2013
Posted in Book Review
All in one day, Lizzie Hathawayโs entire world implodes.ย She finds out that the man she loves is only after her money, all of which her father lost in a very public scandal.ย Since being good has gotten her nothing, Lizzie decides to be very bad.ย Conroy Beale does love Lizzie but he canโt imagine that the New York heiress would still want him if she knew he was just an auto mechanic with a glossy veneer.ย When she runs off after finding out the truth, Con decides to let her go โฆ until she starts showing up in the tabloids during drunken binges. ย So he goes after her, intent on drying her out, but Lizzie wants revenge and the perfect opportunity to exploit her new notoriety for money lands in her lap.ย Theyโll go on a TV show to get married, followed by a quick divorce.ย Con agrees but has no idea that they will be doing this in the small Louisiana town where he grew up โฆ and has been running from ever since.ย Can Con face his past?ย As her attraction to Con proves too hard to resist, can Lizzie trust her heart and, most importantly, Con?
Con appeals to me so much. ย He had a hard life growing up โ poor in a tiny swamp town, with an abusive, alcoholic dad.ย He worked hard to do something with his life but heโs still broken.ย He might put on a good show but heโs avoiding a lot of emotional damage that needs to be faced and unwittingly Lizzie forces him to do just that.ย And it is the best thing that ever happened to him.ย He gets the chance to let go of so much baggage and see the kind of future he could have. ย Con takes a lot of abuse from Lizzie, partially because he thinks he deserves it but also because he knows she needs an outlet.ย As she works through her anger and is forced to spend time with Con at such a vulnerable point in his life, the harder it is for her to resist him.
A Bad Boy is Good to Findย is fiery and heartfelt, seductive and emotional, with compelling characters fighting a lot of demons.
29 Saturday Jun 2013
Posted in Book Review
Cory Brand should have it all.ย Heโs a major league baseball player, one of the stars, but off the field his life is out of control โฆ and recently heโs not doing all that well on the field either.ย A couple of mistakes soon get him sent back to his small hometown, where to save his career he must coach a little league baseball team and complete an eight week recover program.ย Cory wants to get out of town as fast as possible but stuck there for two months he quickly realizes he canโt escape his past.ย Forced to confront it, will Cory learn from his past and find the path to redemption?
Home Runย is an emotional rollercoaster, full of moving characters and heartrending difficulties.ย Some might see a book blatantly manipulating reader emotions but thatโs ok, I enjoyed it.ย I felt so bad for Cory.ย Yes, it could be just a case of โpoor little rich boy, he has so muchโ but his formative years were so traumatic it isnโt a surprise that he has problems now.ย Although I would have expected that his family would have sought professional advice on how to reach him before this point, maybe they realized that it wouldnโt do much good until he was ready to hear it.ย This kindย of second chanceย is definitely something that you have to want.
Cory screws up through most of the book but readers are slowly given the details about what made Cory into the man he is and the things that could turn him into the man he wants to be.ย His is a faith based recovery but the book is not overly preachy if that isnโt your thing.ย ย I did tear up a couple of times โ it may be a little too heavy handed or cheesy for some, but occasionally you just need an uplifting tear-jerker and this is definitelyย one of those.
25 Tuesday Jun 2013
Posted in Book Review
Susan Mallery welcomes us back to Foolโs Gold withย Two of a Kind, a poignant, heart-warming love story full of wit, tenderness and passion.ย ย Freakishly smart Felicia Swift has always been a bit of a misfit.ย She grew up at a university, more of an experiment than a kid, and went straight into the military where she worked with special ops teams doing logistics.ย Now sheโs going to help her friends open the bodyguard school and hopefully finally find a home.ย Gideon Boylan just wants a place where he can be left alone.ย Years spent as a POW has left scars both physical and emotional.ย And even though they shared a steamy night years ago, Gideon knows that he canโt give Felicia the family she wants.ย But as they find their attraction still as strong as ever, will they discover that they are perfect for each other, faults and all?
I couldnโt wait for this book to come out becauseย Felicia was such an engaging characterย inย Just Oneย Kissย and I loved the idea of super-sexy, super-troubled, Gideon.ย ย Two of a Kindย isย a wonderful story and both characters are flawed but so very charming.ย Theyโve led totally different lives but ended up in the same place, a little bit on the outside, andย together they find a place to belong.ย Felicia and Gideon are sweet together and I love the emotionally charged interactions that Mallery very deftly creates for them.
Withย Two of aย Kind, like always, Mallery treats readers to humorous dialogue that pops, a strong story-line that touches the heart, and memorable characters so real you expect to run into them at the store.ย Although itโs not a requirement to have readย Just One Kissย I would recommend it โ not only will it give you more understanding of the complex, addictive characters youโll find inhabiting Foolโs Gold, but itโs a fantastic read all on its own.
21 Friday Jun 2013
Posted in Sneak Peek
This isn’t the type of book I normal post here but I thought I would share an exciting new summer book and a way you canย support the environment at the same time!ย Darryl Nyznyk was inspired by the 1960s and 70s Sierra Club battle with Walt Disney over a proposed ski resort in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, home to the endangered condor.ย Drawing from his legal background as an attorney and love for the environment, Darryl has created a gripping thriller about conservation that appeals to suspense lovers and environmentalists alike.ย Check out below for more details about The Condor Song and keep in mind thatย for every copy of the book purchased from Amazon on JULY 1st, Darryl will donate $1 to The Sierra Club.
*****
LOS ANGELES โ Lawyers, and killers, and endangered birds? Oh my. This unusual combination sets the stage for a riveting legal thriller by best-selling author and former attorney, Darryl Nyznyk.
Guided by his experience in the legal arena and inspired by the 1960s and 70s Sierra Club battle with Walt Disney over a proposed ski resort in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Nyznyk brings captivating realism to his newest novel, The Condor Song (June 2013).
Described as โThe Verdictโ, starring Paul Newman, meets John Grishamโs The Pelican Brief, the book follows Sean Donovan, a new partner in a major law firm who lost everything when he took a costly ethical stand. Wifeless, jobless, and betrayed by his closest friend, Sean spends 13 years trying to find his way back.
Barely eking out a living on small cases, Seanโs redemption comes with the death of renowned environmentalist, Buck Anderson. When the dead manโs niece requests Seanโs help in resolving Buckโs last case with the Sierra Club, Sean happily accepts, but learns too late the opposition is his former law firm and the partner who betrayed him. He may have just signed his own death warrant.
Is Atticus Golden, the Disney-like developer against whose project Buck was working, connected to the Mexican Mafia and groups that would go to any lengths to protect their investments? As Sean gathers evidence against โUncle Atti,โ all signs lead to Buckโs murder. A battle to save a precious environmental resource turns into a classic struggle of good versus evil where a national treasure – and a manโs soul โis at stake.
The Condor Song is a gripping thriller that appeals to suspense lovers and environmentalists alike
โWriting this book, I was able to play with the things that I had been fascinated with for years: Disney, real estate development, the law, the Sierra Club and the environmental movement,โ Nyznyk says.
*****
DARRYL NYZNYK lives in Manhattan Beach, CA with his wife, Loretta. After practicing law for 20 years, Nyznyk became a full-time writer and teacher. He is also the author of the holiday novel,Maryโs Son; A Tale of Christmas. For more information, please visit www.crossdovepublishing.com.
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