Book Review – Finding Our Forever

05 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Brenda Novak, Finding Our Forever, Silver Springs series

I’m always so giddy when I see a new book by Brenda Novak … 🙂

*****

Finding Our Forever

Silver Springs, Book 1

by Brenda Novak

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak welcomes readers to the town of Silver Springs, where surprises wait around every corner!

The search for her birth mother brought Cora Kelly to the New Horizons Boys Ranch. Getting a job there was easy enough, but confiding in Aiyana, the ranch’s owner, that she’s really her daughter? Cora’s not sure she can do that, not unless she’s confident the news will be welcomed. And once she gets to know Elijah Turner—Aiyana’s adopted son and ranch manager—that decision becomes even more difficult.

Although Elijah can’t deny his deep attraction to Cora, he’s always struggled with trust. Anyone with his past would, and there’s something about the ranch’s newest employee that isn’t exactly as it seems. But if the feelings she awakes in his guarded heart are any indication, she might be just what he’s long been waiting for.

Goodreads | Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

*****

Review:

Not having been adopted (or even been close to anyone that I knew was adopted) it is hard to imagine what kind of questions Cora has about herself. To finally be able to put that restlessness behind her is a temptation she can’t pass up. Eli comes from kinda the opposite point – he knows where he came from, it just isn’t a happy place. Their pasts have left both of them with some baggage that they have to figure out how to handle. Baggage that is only complicated when they start to fall for each other, thanks to their ties to Aiyana.

This is not the first of Novak’s books I’ve read … and it DEFINITELY won’t be the last! I love how she somehow makes Finding Our Forever real and pretty drama-free, but still engrossing. There is so much growth and discovery for both Cora and Elijah and yet when everything comes to a head they don’t let things overwhelm them. It would have been so easy for Novak to have them weighted down with hurt feelings and damaged pride, but instead they handle things with grace and sensitivity. There are so many possible options for where to go with future books and, as a fan of damaged heroes, I’m looking forward to all the possibilities!

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has penned over 45 novels. A two-time Rita nominee, she’s won The National Reader’s Choice, The Bookseller’s Best, The Bookbuyer’s Best and many other awards. She runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at http://www.brendanovak.com. To date, she’s raised over $2 million. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life.

Connect with Brenda – Website | Facebook | Twitter

*****

Giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/82ae250c58/

*****

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

Book Review – The Hard Truth About Sunshine

31 Friday Mar 2017

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Sawyer Bennett, The Hard Truth About Sunshine

We’re going to end the week with a book that … well, it’s a heartwrencher but SO worth it!

*****

The Hard Truth About Sunshine

by Sawyer Bennett

Release Day: March 28

Standalone

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett has written her most gripping and poignant tale yet. Provocatively heart-breaking, audaciously irreverent and romantically fulfilling, The Hard Truth About Sunshine exposes just how very thin the line is between a full life and an empty existence.

Despite having narrowly escaped death’s clutches, Christopher Barlow is grateful for nothing. His capacity to love has been crushed. He hates everyone and everything, completely unable to see past the gray stain of misery that coats his perception of the world. It’s only after he involuntarily joins a band of depressed misfits who are struggling to overcome their own problems, does Christopher start to re-evaluate his lot in life.

What could they possibly learn from one another? How could they possibly help each other to heal? And the question that Christopher asks himself over and over again… can he learn to love again?

He’s about to find out as he embarks upon a cross country trip with a beautiful woman who is going blind, a boy with terminal cancer, and an abuse victim who can’t decide whether she wants to live or die.

Four people with nothing in common but their destination. They will encounter adventure, thrills, loss and love. And within their travels they will learn the greatest lesson of all.

The hard truth about sunshine…

Warning: This book deals with some tough issues including suicide and sexual abuse.

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34078139-the-hard-truth-about-sunshine

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jAJ31R

Paperback: http://amzn.to/2l4OenI

B&N: http://bit.ly/2kZxgKO

iBooks: http://apple.co/2k409nt

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2jHejr5

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kWpkd2

*****

Excerpt:

Jillian holds my gaze for a moment, her eyes drilling into mine before she gently tugs on the material of my jeans near the shin rod of my prosthetic. “What happened to you?”

She doesn’t look away. Not down at the fire, not down to my legs. She stares right at me. Although my gut is turning slightly at the thought of telling her what she asked, I forge straight ahead. For the first time, I tell someone who is not medical personnel or a shrink my story.

“I was driving a military Humvee and the right front tire ran over a roadside bomb,” I say, and Jillian makes a sound of distress low her in throat as her eyes turn sad. “It completely obliterated my buddy sitting in the passenger seat.”

To my surprise, Jillian scoots over closer to me and lays her head on my shoulder. She pushes her hand in between my ribs and my arm, curling her fingers over my bicep. It’s a show of support. Solidarity. That she’s settled in for the long haul of this story, and she wants to hear it all.

“It didn’t blow my leg off,” I tell her, and I can feel her body jerk slightly in surprise. Her fingers squeeze my bicep. “The fingers yes, the leg no. It just shattered and shredded it badly, but the doctors tried hard to save it.”

“Obviously, they couldn’t,” she whispers the obvious.

“They tried for three months,” I tell her, reaching down to grab my phone laying near my left hip. Jillian lifts her head up, watching as I pull up my pictures. I scroll backward, but it doesn’t take long to find what I’m looking for because I don’t take a lot of photos. I hold the phone out so she can see. “This was taken about a month after my injury.”

Jillian makes a strangled sound as she looks at the photo of me in bed. My eyes are half open because I was bombed out on so many heavy-duty pain medications, and I have a grimace on my face. I vaguely remember this picture being taken, and I think it may have been by my brother, Hank, when he came to visit once during that first month. He came a few more times after that, and then he didn’t.

Jillian’s eyes roam over the photo. My leg is encased in the external fixator with several rods leading from the outside of the cage right into my skin, where it’s drilled through and into the bone to hold the pieces together. The wounds on my leg are all open to the air, red and some of them dripping with puss and lined with blisters. I’ve got IVs in both arms and a PICC line in the right side of my neck to deliver the hordes of antibiotics and pain meds I needed to keep me alive and functioning. I took the maximum dosages they allowed me, preferring to try to be oblivious to what was happening. Yet, the pain was so great it just couldn’t be fully erased.

Jillian turns her head to look at me, and I lay the phone back down. “How long were you like that?”

“Three months. But they couldn’t get ahead of the infections, which were delaying the bones from knitting. I was in so much pain that I wanted them to amputate.”

“You had to make that decision?” she whispers.

I nod. “Yup. I mean… the doctors were at the point they felt it was the right way to go, although they were willing to keep trying if I wanted. But I wanted it gone. I was tired of being in the hospital and being in so much pain. I just wanted it gone.”

“Do you regret that decision?” she asks me bluntly, but with that still-sweet melody her voice makes. The question doesn’t bother me, because even her hard questions sound lovely.

“Yes,” I tell her without any shame. “I wonder what would have happened if I held on just a little bit longer. Not long after the leg came off, the pain receded and I became more lucid. Once I’d forgotten how bad the infections smelled, I regretted it.”

“Three months is an awful long time to be in pain like that,” she points out the obvious.

I shrug. “And the rest of my life is a long time to wonder ‘what if.’”

*****

Review:

I’ve read quite a few of Bennett’s books and a few of them have taken me on a ride of emotions before … but I think that was just to prepare me for this one 🙂 While there are deep moments, there is also a good amount of humor and fun. It took me up and down and around. And I enjoyed all of it!

I really loved this little group of troubled souls, road-tripping their way across the US for all different reasons. It starts out as a chance for Connor (dying of cancer) to knock a few things off his bucket list, but everyone ends up learning something along the way. And while Christopher is our main character, you quickly find yourself attached to everyone as he (and us) discovers a little more every day about the others, and himself.

He’s drawn to Jillian, who has an amazingly bright outlook on life even though she is slowly going blind. She, along with Connor, has been the most open about therapy and embraced all of them, regardless of their prickly nature. Conner is facing death head on and trying to experience life a little bit more before his time. Barb is as negative about the whole process as Christopher but she too starts to open up, just a little, and we find out that her scars are so much deeper than what you can see on her wrists. Christopher also has signs on the outside of his body of what he’s been through, but nothing compares to the turmoil underneath.

While they are each dealing with some of the heaviness that life has to offer, they are handling them in different ways. But together, they might manage to get to a place where they can face life, and all that it brings, with their heads held high. To find a way to laugh, love, and enjoy again.

This book is definitely not for everyone. But if you think your heart can take it then grab a box of tissue, put your feet up, and go for a journey. You’ll laugh and cry and sigh and you might even find bits of them in you.

*****

Author Info:

Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released more than 30 books and has been featured on both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists on multiple occasions.

A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

Sawyer likes her Bloody Marys strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active toddler, as well as full-time servant to two adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or a combination of the two.

*****

Book Review – One Wild Night

30 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Melissa Cutler, One and Only Texas series, One Wild Night

One Wild Night

A One and Only Texas Novel

by Melissa Cutler

Return to beautiful Briscoe Ranch Resort in Melissa Cutler’s next steamy installment of the One and Only Texas series, One Wild Night.

Get ready for the ride of your life…

A cowgirl at heart, Skye Martinez has a rebellious streak she’s determined to shake. Especially since she’s poised to take the reins of her family’s business at Briscoe Ranch Resort. It’s time for her to settle down and get serious about her future…right after one last night of fun with a handsome stranger she meets in the resort’s stable. But when a midnight horseback ride turns into a red-hot weekend with one of country music’s biggest stars, Skye’s world is rocked beyond her wildest dreams…

Gentry Wells rode his bad boy image all the way to the top of the country music charts. But churning out hits has dried up his creativity, and he can’t remember the last time his life was his own. Skye is a sexy distraction he can’t resist, especially since she breathes new life into his music. They bring out the wild side in each other, which is great for Gentry’s career—but a major threat to Skye’s. Too bad he’s fallen in love with her. With their hearts and futures on the line, can Gentry convince Skye to turn their joyride into a real chance to ride off into the sunset together?

“Melissa Cutler is a bright new voice in contemporary romance.” — New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde

I really enjoyed seeing Gentry find his way. He’s lost himself over the years as he’s fallen into being the bad boy of country music, but it’s just not him anymore (if it every really was all that much). While struggling to find himself in his music again he’s roped into playing at a wedding where he meets Skye. And things just click … in all sorts of ways!

Skye is also struggling between being the girl she thinks she should be and the freedom that her heart craves. It’s not easy for her and a sexy man in boots is temptation she isn’t looking for.

While I liked Skye OK and I understood where her conflicts came from, it really was Gentry that held me. And it definitely was entertaining seeing him convince Skye to walk on the wild side 🙂 Oh, I should warn everyone that they do put the wild in One Wild Night so those who like their love stories a little tamer might want to skip this one. But if you are up for some spice then come join Skye and Gentry as they find themselves, each other, and a HEA that works for all their miscellaneous sides.

(While this is part of a series, it can easily stand on its own. It’s my first full length book by Cutler and I had no problem keeping up.)

Book Review – Twist

29 Wednesday Mar 2017

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Diver Bar series, Kylie Scott, Twist

This one doesn’t come out for another couple of weeks but you’ll definitely want to preorder it … and maybe pick up a few others in the series while you wait 🙂

*****

Twist

A Dive Bar Novel

by Kylie Scott

Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes the second sizzling stand-alone novel in the Dive Bar series!

When his younger brother loses interest in online dating, hot bearded bartender Joe Collins only intends to log into his account and shut it down. Until he reads about her.

Alex Parks is funny, fascinating, and pretty much everything he’s been looking for in a woman—except that she lives across the country. Soon they’re emailing up a storm and telling each other their deepest, darkest secrets…except the one that really matters.

When Alex pays Joe a surprise visit, however, they both discover that when it comes to love, it’s always better with a twist.

*****

Excerpt:

I watched the streetlights cast shadows on the angle of his cheekbone, the furrow of his brow. Strange how his manly beauty had grown on me, redefining or rather stretching my usual boundaries.

Perhaps some people’s allure came from the inside out. A good thing. Their ways and their words did the wooing instead of their physical appeal. Not to diss Joe’s impressive physique. As nice as a pretty face was, though, the personality, the person beneath the skin, should matter more. Anything else was pretty shallow and unlikely to last. Guess that was the difference between my scratching an itch with a stranger and the way this man had me tied up in knots. And not even neat, sea-worthy knots. I’m talking, haven’t washed or brushed your hair in forever and there’s a big old mess back there.

Shit.

At the bar, he’d flirted with me. Full-on flirted with me, his supposed platonic friend who was not his type. No way did I know what to do. Normally Valerie would be first on my hit list of people to call. But she’d just tell me to jump him, regardless of what else was going on, or any possible consequences. Plus, with him beside me it would be kind of uncool. But a couple of whisky sours or no, I was pretty certain I hadn’t imagined his interest.

As Mom had always said, however, best to be sure.

“What are the renovating plans for tomorrow?” I asked.

“Rip out the old fittings and prepare the space for new.”

I nodded. “So we’ll be doing some pounding and screwing?”

“Ah, yeah.” The man cast me a look out of the corner of his eye. “Sound okay?”

“Absolutely. Can’t wait to get my hands back on that big hard hammer.”

*****

Review:

This is such a fantastic premise – and very fitting for today’s world. I do appreciate that Scott didn’t take it someplace too dangerous. Instead there is a bit of a misunderstanding about who exactly Alex has been emailing, with the expected hard feelings, but Joe is a good man and things quickly turn around.

None of these people are perfect and both Alex & Joe have their hesitations for putting themselves out there. While their face-to-face introduction leaves A LOT to be desired, there are all of those emails that built a good foundation for their friendship. They just have to believe in themselves and each other … but of course trusting is never easy.

Twist is full of humor, heart and heat. It’s fun to be with these two as they move from a virtual friendship to a real one, with lots of sparks and playfulness along the way. While they let life get in the way and freak them out for a bit, eventually they figure things out – and it fits them so well 🙂

(This is the first of Scott’s books that I’ve read but it definitely can stand alone. She does such a great job of keeping you in the know wither everything relevant that you can easily jump right in.)

*****

Author Info:

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kyliescottwriter/

FACEBOOK FAN GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/599197093487040/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KylieScottbooks

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kylie_scott_books/

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476625.Kylie_Scott

*****

Book Review – Roman

23 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Cold Fury Hockey series, Roman, Sawyer Bennett

Roman

A Cold Fury Hockey Novel

by Sawyer Bennett

New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett steams up the ice all over again as the Carolina Cold Fury hockey team’s hottest bad boy gets his first taste of something good.

In a league full of troublemakers, Cold Fury defenseman Roman Sýkora stands out—at least when it comes to negative publicity. When he’s not chilling in the penalty box, the sizzling Czech skate demon is racking up tabloid headlines for his scandalous behavior with the ladies. But now Roman’s feeling the burn from management to clean up his act, or else. Luckily he’s got an enticing distraction: a fun-loving barista who plays the ukulele and brings out a side of Roman he didn’t know he had.

Lexi Robertson came to Raleigh, North Carolina, to finally meet her father, Brian Brannon, and her half sister, Gray, both of whom work in the Cold Fury’s front office. That’s where she first meets sexy, intimidating Roman—who’s really a big softie at heart. As one relationship takes off, another begins: Brian seems to be clicking with Lexi’s boss at the coffee shop. But when the friction between Roman and her new family heats up, Lexi wonders whether she’s a pawn in their game. Feeling hurt and foolish, Lexi’s ready to quit while she’s ahead. Trouble is, Roman’s not ready to quit on her.

While this one doesn’t have the big emotional upheaval that some of the earlier Cold Fury books does, there is still a lot of good feelings going on here. And I for one enjoy an angst free romance from time to time 🙂

Roman may be a troublemaker but he isn’t a bad guy. He just enjoys life in a big way and it occasionally causes some waves. From the moment he meets Lexi, though, things are different and with a little faith he proves himself to be a worthy boyfriend.

It takes a lot of guts for Lexi to come to NC and confront Brian with her news. We know that he’s a fantastic dad to Gray and he proves that he’s a genuinely good guy by immediately accepting Lexi into his life. Unfortunately it’s a little harder for Gray to accept, but Lexi has such a warm and upbeat personality that she quickly wins her over. Unfortunately the tension between Gray and Roman intrudes on Lexi’s life and causes a bit a trouble. But she’s a smart girl and with a little help quickly figures things out.

I think the most fun thing about this is that we also get Brian’s POV here – he not only finds out that he has another daughter but thanks to Lexi he might also find a woman who can liven up his life. He’s gotten a little buttoned up over the years and he needs the shake up that he has coming! It’s super sweet and brings a little extra joy to the story.

Some family drama and a couple of romantic entanglements make Roman a great Spring read. It perfectly shows off Bennett’s smooth writing style and knack for creating fun-to-read characters. I’m excited to see what she brings us next!

Book Review – The Trouble With Bachelors

21 Tuesday Mar 2017

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Caitlyn Blue, The Trouble with Bachelors, Windy City Bachelors series

I want to share with everyone the first in a new series that comes out today. It’s by a new author for me but she’s sure to have lots of great things to come!

*****

The Trouble With Bachelors

Windy City Bachelors #1

by Caitlyn Blue

Releasing March 21, 2017

Sassy Muse, LLC

Blurb:

Falling for her sister’s first love, how could that possibly go wrong…

Zach Thorne is supposed to be off limits. He’s her sister’s high school boyfriend and his love life is a revolving door of women. He’s also handsome, sexy and the one guy Emma Callahan has never been able to forget.

Now they’ve been thrown together as best man and maid of honor for her sister’s wedding and some serious sparks are flying. Zach is perfect wedding fling material until he starts to take their romance seriously. Now, Emma is left wondering: is he for real or is she about to get her heart broken?

The trouble with bachelors is you never know.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33813952-the-trouble-with-bachelors

Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | ITUNES | KOBO

*****

Excerpt:

“This was fun,” I murmur as his fingers coast over my cheek.

He tucks a lock of hair behind my ears and traces my jaw. It’s been a year since a man has touched me. And no one has ever caressed me like this. It’s like he’s trying to memorize my features. I’m enthralled. It’s hard to know what to do next, so I clutch my hands in my lap and stare at him. His eyes lock on my lips and I realize I’ve seized the lower one between my teeth.

His breath hisses out on a soft sigh. “Do you have any idea how sexy you are?”

“No.” It’s not the default word anyone uses when describing me.

“You are.”

How many women has he used this line on? Hundreds surely. He’s a player. A guy you sleep with not someone you date.

At the moment I’m standing at the line that separates the woman I am and the woman guys like Zach sleep with a few times and never call again. I can listen to my body and have several amazing orgasms to relive over and over, or I can listen to my heart, stay true to who I am and keep looking for a guy who can make me happy long term.

His fingers curve around the back of my neck. As he draws me forward, I ask, “Are you going to kiss me again?”

“I’d very much like to.”

This time his kiss is more direct. Firm and determined, he claims my lips and as his tongue darts forward, I open for him. He tastes like the striped peppermint candy we snagged on our way out of the restaurant.

The kiss quickly goes nova. Heat explodes in my midsection and lances downward as Zach’s hand curves over my knee. I clutch his shoulder, trembling with longing. Phrases spill through my mind. Naughty things I’d want to say to him. Images of taking him into my mouth again and making him cry out my name as he comes. I’ve forgotten that I’m not the type who has sex in cars. Right now, all I’m thinking is: yes, please, let’s do this.

Our tongues are dueling, my legs are parting and Zach’s hand is riding up my inner thigh when the phone in my lap buzzes with an incoming text. It’s close enough to my happy place that the vibration only adds to my arousal. I moan. Zach drags his lips from mine.

“That’s it, baby. Let me hear it.”

As his other hand dips inside my coat, fingers gliding over my breast, it’s easy to moan again. Damn, he’s good at this. Trembling with need, I bite my lip as the urge to whimper builds. I shift my hips as my clit perks up and starts crying for attention. If he doesn’t touch me there I’ll go out of my mind.

A second text follows the first or maybe it’s just that reminder that I haven’t looked at the first one. Either way, it feels great. So does Zach’s mouth on my neck. And is that his teeth? I open my thighs, silently begging him to go higher. He’s so close. I’m so close.

Buzz.

I’m panting. He’s sucking on my earlobe. Shit. That’s amazing. His thumb grazes my nipple.

Buzz.

The hand beneath my skirt reaches the elastic on my panties and I shift my hips, pushing into his fingers. Can he feel how wet I am? A little higher, please.

Buzz.

The vibration is so constant it’s like a sex toy and I’m so close to getting off. Just a little bit more. His finger brushes over the soaked crotch my panties. The lightest of touch and my body is electrified.

“Fuck,” he mutters, tracing over my hot, aching core a second time. “These are soaked.”

A garbled noise emerges from my throat.

Buzz.

And then Zach’s fingers are retreating and I groan in protest. “Um, do you need to get that?”

Get what?

Buzz.

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” I exclaim as Zach removes his lovely, clever hands from beneath my clothes.

He flops back against his seat with a hearty curse. Eyes closed, breathing hard, he shields his face as his shoulders move. Damn the man. He’s laughing.

Snarling, I pick up the phone and see at least a dozen texts from my cousins. Looking over at the house, I spy all three of them lined up at the living room windows. Well, what did I expect? I’m making out with Zach in front of our house. I might as well have set up a neon sign on the front lawn that says orgasms happening here. Almost happening…so close. A growl vibrates my chest.

“Your cousins?”

“Yes.”

*****

Review:

There is so much I enjoyed about Emma and Zach getting together – friends (of a sort) to lovers, high school crush, taboo relationship, reformed rake … there’s just a lot here to make me happy!

Zach is misunderstood in quite a few places throughout the story. He’s known to be a bit of a player but he really is a nice guy. He’s got a good heart, does a lot for his friends, and when he comes across a girl he wants to settle down with he’s willing to do a lot for her. Unfortunately she’s got some baggage that makes it hard to believe he’s sincere.

Most of the time I really liked Emma but she really doesn’t give Zach a break. She’s struggling with her attraction to him and is putting a lot of that on him when he really doesn’t deserve it. He may have a history (and really a big part of it was in high school, people!) but he never does anything to her to suggest that he isn’t being true. I think a little openness and a whole lot of good old fashion talking would have helped these too a lot 🙂

While the story appealed to me and I enjoyed the feelings developing between these two, there were a couple of writing style choices that I found a little strange. One was the way that the people and their lives were revealed to us – it almost felt like this was a middle of a series story but it is the first and all the other characters have books coming up. Blue does a great job of giving you the information that you need but it is presented in a way that it felt like you should know it already and she’s getting new readers up to speed. It doesn’t keep the characters from being interesting (which they are and I’m looking forward to getting their stories, especially Emma’s sister because there is some complicated stuff going on with her) or the story from flowing smoothly, it just seemed an odd choice for a first book in the series.

The other thing was that there were a couple of times when I got a little confused about the timing of things. A chapter would end but when the next one started I wasn’t confident about how much time had elapsed and what happened to the characters during that time. The explanation would come but not before I felt just a little bit lost first. And even then I’m not 100% sure I got all of the details about what happened. It doesn’t keep the story from moving well or for me to feel like I got a complete and enjoyable story, but it felt an odd choice to me.

Overall, though, the fun that is Zach falling in love and winning over Emma far outweighs any trouble spots that come up. With 5 more romances for this group coming soon, I think a lot of this will work itself out and we’ll be left with just the joy of a great love story. And I’m ready to find out all their secrets (Emma’s sister especially – that girl is just a big ball of conflict).

*****

Author Info:

Caitlyn Blue is a voracious reader with an overactive imagination and a chocolate addict. She loves fancy cocktails and tasty edibles, is a sucker for adventure movies and any music with a beat. When not writing, Caitlyn loves to connect with her readers for whom she’s extremely grateful. Join her VIP list to stay up to date on giveaways and exclusive offers.

Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

a $25.00 Amazon or Barnes Gift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81255/

*****

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

Book Review – Alpha Delta

17 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alpha Delta, Book Review, RJ Scott

Alpha Delta

by RJ Scott

Officer Finn Hallan has never run from a fight. With Niall’s life and love at stake, he’s not about to start now…

Finn Hallan is a member of the elite Norwegian Emergency Response Unit, code name Delta. When the team is sent to respond to a hostage situation on a Oil Platform in the Norwegian Sea, he has to face demons he thought he had buried a long time ago.

Scottish engineer Niall Faulkner’s skills in oil platform decommissioning takes him to the Forseti platform at the worst possible time. When he’s captured by terrorists, his only thought is that he will never get to tell his lover how he really feels.

Can Finn keep Niall alive? Or will they both die at the hands of hijackers in the frigid waters of the Norwegian sea?

While there are some romantic elements to the story (with Finn & Niall meeting and hooking up), this is more of an adventure story. Which is fine, just not quite what I expected 🙂 But don’t get me wrong, I really, really enjoyed it. I do have to warn you though that it is a short read … although that doesn’t stop Scott from delivering a heck of a ride.

Finn & Niall meet at a conference and their attraction to each other isn’t what they expect but it also can’t be denied. With their schedules though getting together isn’t all that easy, plus Finn isn’t much for relationships. It doesn’t stop them from falling for each other – it just keeps them from talking about it. Then, the hijacking of the oil platform with Niall on it happens. Now keeping his distance is the last thing on Finn’s agenda.

It’s refreshing that Scott has Niall be as important to the operation as Finn. He doesn’t have the training but he does have a sharp mind and a lot of guts. He’s not willing to go down without a fight and will do whatever he has to to help Finn do his job. There’s a lot of hair-raising moments that will keep you glued to the pages and you’ll feel a little worn out by the time it is all over. But in my mind that’s the mark of a really great storyteller – I got so caught up in it that I felt like I was right there with them every step of the way!

Book Review – The Wingman

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Natasha Anders, The Wingman

The Wingman

by Natasha Anders

She was supposed to be his one-night distraction. But their attraction is undeniable.

Introverted Daisy McGregor is used to being a wallflower, but what she lacks in style, she makes up for with an acerbic wit, a passion for life, and a deep devotion to her family. So she’ll suffer through her sister Dahlia’s bachelorette party and accept the cloud of pity for going stag to the wedding.

Out at the pub, sexy bad boy Mason Carlisle is a reluctant wingman tasked with entertaining Daisy while his brother flirts with her oldest sister, Daffodil. When the plan fails and Mason’s true intent is revealed, he feels intense guilt—and a sensual spark of desire for the unlikeliest of women.

Daisy decides to use this unfortunate encounter to her advantage: to make it up to her, Mason will be another kind of wingman, playing the role of her boyfriend and wedding date. Will their ruse unravel completely—or will Mason and Daisy’s undeniable attraction ignite a scorching love affair that knows no rules?

I enjoyed this story so, so much. Daisy and Mason are a ton of fun together. She touches a part of him that he’s left out of his … um, romantic (ha!) entanglements. She’s smart and funny, a good match for him, but she’s also a victim of low self-esteem. Which he doesn’t appreciate 🙂 He starting to uncover the sexy woman she’s got in hiding and wants to make sure that she sees her too. But she’s had a lot of years of feeling poorly about herself so it isn’t an easy journey and they both suffer a little for it (although it does make for such a delicious epilogue).

I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by Anders before but she has a delightfully entertaining writing style. Her characters are bright and real, playing off each other in hilarious and touching ways. It isn’t just the romance between Mason and Daisy, but the familial interactions as well. There is so much complexity in Daisy’s family that gets uncovered a little as Mason helps her find her mojo. There’s a lot going on there that we didn’t see in detail but with two more sisters (and Mason’s brother) I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for what comes next!

Book Review – Home at Last

14 Tuesday Mar 2017

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Home at Last, Lily Everett, Sanctuary Island series

If you read Close to Home, you’ve been waiting for this story … If you haven’t, head on out to pick up a few Sanctuary Island books, we’ll wait for you 🙂

*****

Home at Last

A Sanctuary Island Novel

by Lily Everett

Price: $7.99

Publication Date: 3/7/2017

ISBN: 978-1-250-07406-5

Blurb:

Home is where the heart is…

Marcus Beckett left Sanctuary Island after his mother’s funeral, and he hasn’t been back since. Until now. Needing a change from the high-risk, high-stakes life of a bodyguard, Marcus makes a solitary life for himself running the neighborhood bar in his hometown. His only mistake? Seducing and then dumping the town’s sweetheart, Quinn Harper. Marcus knows he did the right thing—a good girl like Quinn has no business with a broken man like him. But now no one will come to his bar, and he’s watching his last chance at a peaceful life go up in smoke. So when Quinn proposes a fake four-week courtship, he can’t refuse…even though he knows it’s a bad idea.

It’s a romantic charade that will buy Quinn time to distract her mother and father from their own marital problems—and will help Marcus welcome back some paying customers. But what begins as an engagement of convenience slowly transforms into a deeper connection, one that heals both of their hearts. . .and ignites the simmering passion between them. Could it be that pretending to be together is just what Quinn and Marcus needed to give their real love a second chance?

Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Quinn had taken the floor for exactly the reasons she’d said, in addition to the knowledge that however little she liked to think it mattered, Marcus was ten years older than she was. And he was a secret stress case who carried all his tension in his back and shoul- ders. She should know, since she’d nearly sprained her thumbs trying to dig the knots out during a massage that had started out sexy and turned into a to-the-death battle between Quinn and the long muscles lining Marcus’s spine.

Marcus didn’t need to screw up his back by lying on the floor for eight hours, was her point. Not that she would ever say that to him. She didn’t have a death wish.

But as it turned out, the floor was more uncomfort- able than Quinn had anticipated. And as the hours wore down, so did her resistance to the temptation of the warm, soft bed mere inches from her stiff, aching body.

She stared at Marcus’s sleeping form and wondered if she dared.

Then she wondered what the hell was the matter with her. It was a bed. They were adults. Sleeping next to each other didn’t mean they were automatically going to cross some invisible, arbitrary line. She wasn’t going to roll over in her sleep and accidentally impale herself on his penis. They’d be fine.

This is fine, she told herself, getting up off her shaky knees and creeping around to the other side of the bed. The way her knees popped when she stood up was a deciding factor. Quinn carefully peeled back the cov- ers and slid into the bed beside Marcus.

Quinn held her breath, but he didn’t move. His broad chest rose and fell with his deep, even breaths. He threw off heat like a roaring bonfire; Quinn went from chilled to toasty in seconds.

Letting her body relax into the softness of the mat- tress, she drifted peacefully into sleep.

Quinn’s dreams were chaotic, flashes of memories mixed with totally random people from her past and present. She was aware they were dreams, in that vague way that happens sometimes, even when the dreamer is deeply asleep.

In the dream, she and Marcus were walking through the woods behind her parents’ house, holding hands. Even Dream Quinn couldn’t suspend disbelief quite enough for that. Marcus wasn’t a hand-holding kind of guy. So she knew it was a dream, even as he led her deeper into the pine copse, their footfalls muffled by layers and layers of dried pine needles that released their evergreen scent as they were crushed.

Come here, said Dream Marcus, giving Quinn the smile she’d only glimpsed once or twice—the small, private, completely unguarded smile that made

Marcus look like the carefree boy Quinn had first fallen for.

She could never resist that particular smile. Not that she wanted to resist. This was only a dream. She could have whatever she wanted, with no consequences.

Emboldened by her freedom, Quinn followed Marcus down to lie on a bed of springy green moss. He lay back, arms crossed behind his head and more re- laxed than she’d ever seen him in real life. Sunlight dappled his handsome face, patterns of light and shadow that shivered over his cheekbones when wind fluttered through the branches overhead.

Her heart swelled with all the feelings she’d been stuffing down and denying since the day Marcus un- ceremoniously ended their relationship. It wasn’t smart to care about him. She knew that, and Quinn wanted to be smart, she really did.

The trouble was that she’d never learned how to stop caring about someone. Her poor, bruised heart was as optimistic and stubborn as her hungry body was when it came to Marcus Beckett.

Despair teased at Quinn’s mind, but she pushed it away. This is a dream, she said aloud to remind them both. Only a dream.

Beneath her, Marcus smiled again, the smile that promised things like love and forever and the kind of pleasure she could live on. Thighs tensing with need where she was suddenly straddling his hips, Quinn felt the low-down clench of her body around the emptiness only Marcus could fill.

A shudder racked her, sweeping up her frame in a rush that tightened the peaks of her breasts and forced her mouth open on a gasp.

Yes, like that, Marcus murmured, his eyes going hot and feral the way she remembered from their first nights of passion. The grip of his hands at her hips ex- cited Quinn. She squirmed a little, wanting to feel it, hoping it bruised so she could look in the mirror later and see the evidence of Marcus’s desire for her.

With a smooth twist of his massive torso, he flipped them so that Quinn’s back was arching off the cool moss and Marcus was covering her with his body. Her legs fell open, wanton and wanting, and she relished the stretch of her thighs as he fit himself into the cra- dle of her hips.

His hardness slotted against her softness with a series of rhythmic nudges that stoked the fire inside Quinn higher and higher. In the dream, her panties melted away like fog, and he was naked too, and they were pressed together so intimately and perfectly and yet, somehow, there was still something in the way, a barrier to Quinn getting what she really wanted. Frus- tration mounting, she reached down between their hot, straining bodies and felt . . . cotton?

Quinn blinked and suddenly, instead of staring up at the waving pine needles of the Lantern Point woods, she was looking at the familiar starburst pattern of the plaster ceiling in her girlhood bedroom.

Her immediate thought was a dismayed No, let me go back to the dream! But in the next instant, she realized Marcus was still on top of her, his hard chest and strong arms caging her in. Their legs were tangled hopelessly in the sheets and they were both still wear- ing what they’d gone to bed in, but other than that?

The dream was real.

Eyes still closed, Marcus twisted his hips, grinding wickedly against Quinn’s most sensitive spot and scat- tering her thoughts like dried pine needles before she could figure out what to do. She reacted mindlessly, her body taking over and bowing up hard, her arms going around Marcus’s neck.

Through her haze of heated lust, Quinn saw the exact moment Marcus woke up.

*****

Review:

I was so ready for this story after reading Close to Home because I really wanted to find out Marcus’s secrets 🙂 And while we do find out a lot, he’s definitely a complicated guy. He’s carrying around a lot of weight from his time in the military and as a secret service agent … and even more so from his youth. Lucky for him, Quinn isn’t going to keep to herself. Instead she pokes and prods and makes sure that he looks into some of those areas that he doesn’t want to face. And pushes him to go home again, make things right to give himself a little peace.

Quinn may be young and come across as flighty but she’s got a good heart and good instincts. Both of which she’ll need not only with Marcus but with her parents. It’s a silly idea – pretending to be a couple – that only shows up in romances but that doesn’t stop it from working here. Time spent together forces them to look at themselves and each other a little more closely. And gives Quinn that chance to influence Marcus a little more.

We also get Quinn’s parents rocky marriage here. It’s a nice juxtaposition of an long-standing couple who have hit a rough patch and a potential new love story that’s dealing with a rocky start. Both are full of heart and troubles but with a good amount of hard work and communication they have a good chance of figuring things out.

With her Sanctuary Island series Everett has brought readers well-crafted and wonderfully emotional love stories. Full of small town charm, quirky characters and all the heart you could want, they are the perfect stories for kicking back and just letting it all unfold.

*****

Author Info:

LILY EVERETT is the author of the Sanctuary Island series for St. Martin’s Press. She grew up in a small town in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains and now resides in Austin, Texas, where she writes full-time.

SMP ROMANCE SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter: @SMPRomance

Facebook: @SMPRomance

http://smpromance.com/

Book Review – The Bastard Billionaire

10 Friday Mar 2017

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Billionaire Bad Boys series, Book Review, Jessica Lemmon, The Bastard Billionaire

The Cranes are all sorts of HAWT and readers have been impatiently waiting to finally get their hands on this soldier brother’s story!

*****

TOP 5 FAVORITE LINES FROM TBB

#5~ Isabella Sawyer’s smart-aleck remark when Eli fires her for the umpteenth time:

“Apologies, Eli, but I’m not changing my shoes.” She came into his office, her hips swaying with each sure step she took toward him.

“Fine. Then you’re fired.”

“Oh, no, not again.”

#4~ Merina, the heroine from The Bastard Billionaire shows up as yet another feisty woman who refuses to bow to Eli’s gruffness.

“I can go out into public, you know,” he grumbled, setting the beer bottle next to his plate—on the table, no coaster, thank you very much. “You guys don’t have to come in here and serve me.”

He was skilled at his new role of miserable bastard, and since everyone expected it now, he was determined to excel.

“Oh but we do, Lord Crane.” Merina smiled demurely as she leaned over and handed him a glass.

#3~ I loved this line after Eli and Isa had sex—his honesty cracked me up!

“I like this.” She touched the corner of his mouth. “I’ve been trying to get you to smile since I started working here.”

“Well now you know how to do it.”

#2~ Bold Isabella knows how to ask for what she wants!

“Is kissing you in my marching orders for tomorrow night?” he asked, his eyes picking up a trace of heat.

She wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity. No way. No how.

“Yes,” she answered. “Need to practice?”

#1~ Eli’s worry that he didn’t have what it took is my favorite line in the book.

He’d done what he needed to be a good soldier.

Now that he wasn’t a soldier, he wasn’t sure what it took to be a good man.

*****

The Bastard Billionaire

Billionaire Bad Boys, #3

by Jessica Lemmon

On Sale: February 28, 2017

Publisher: Forever

Mass Market: $7.99 USD

eBook: $6.99 USD

Blurb:

Beauty and the Beastly Billionaire . . .

Eli Crane is one tough bastard. After an explosion left him injured and honorably discharged from the Marines, all he wants is to be left alone. Yet his brothers insist he take a greater role in the family business. They’ve hired him ten personal assistants—and Eli sent each one packing as fast as possible. But when beautiful number eleven walks through the door, Eli will do anything to make her stay.

Isabella Sawyer’s employment agency can’t afford to lose Eli Crane’s business. Her plan: to personally take on the role of his PA, and secure her reputation with the wealthy elite in Chicago. But this beauty and her hot billionaire bad boy soon find themselves mixing business with pleasure in the most delicious ways. And passionate, stubborn Isabella won’t rest until she tames this wicked beast . . .

*****

Excerpt:

Standing, she smoothed her hands down her pants and flipped her hair. She had planned to quietly finish her work and leave without seeing him again. No such luck. And no hiding that she was heading his way when her heels clicked along the concrete floor.

Well.

The kiss had happened. The button incident had happened. There was no taking it back. Regardless of how either of them felt about it, she was going to continue working here. So. She would deal with the here and now.

Since the sun was shining, Eli’s lair was welcome instead of foreboding. No fire cracked in the hearth today. Also unlike his usual, he wasn’t at his desk. He was at the printer.

“This yours?” He offered a sheet of paper.

“Yes.” She couldn’t keep from explaining. “Pressed the Print button by accident.”

“Mi printer es su printer.”

Isa accepted the document and Eli sank his hands into his jeans pockets, his forearms flexing with the movement.

“I wasn’t—”

“I shouldn’t—” they said at the same time.

He pursed his lips and she looked at her shoes. “Go ahead.” She was going to say, I wasn’t offended when you kissed me, but now that she’d had a millisecond to think it through, maybe she should pretend the kiss hadn’t happened. Which was . . . impossible. Standing this close to him, it’s all she could think about.

“I shouldn’t have ruined your shirt,” he said.

“I dared you to.”

“Why?” His eyebrows compressed along with his lips.

“Because you have accepted the role of beast, but I don’t believe that’s who you are.” She let her gaze linger on his face before tracking down his body. “And because I like a challenge.”

“Do you?” He took a wide step toward her.

She matched his move and took one step closer to him. “Yes. I don’t wilt easily.”

He threaded her hair between his fingers, a look of longing and hurt mingling in his eyes. “I was about to lie and say I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

Shivers climbed her spine as she remembered how firm his lips felt against hers. “Maybe . . . you shouldn’t have stopped.”

*****

Review:

(I will be sharing a BIT of a spoiler about the ending later but I will be giving you fair warning so you can read some of the review if you want and then stop at the *s)

I’m thinking that Isabella needs to hire some people with a little more backbone. What we see of Eli isn’t all that pleasant but he’s carrying a lot. He’s struggling to find his way again and unfortunately his family keeps pushing him to be what they want him to be. Granted he’s a TERRIBLE communicator and is keeping a lot to himself so they don’t know what is going on with him. I get why he’s not sharing but it might make his life a little easier if he’d just be a little more forthcoming with those that love him 🙂

Buuuut, that would mean that he’d never have met Isabella. And she’s exactly what he needs. She’s not going to take his crap. Instead she’s working hard to make things work with the Crane company and, as she gets to know him better, for Eli himself. He’s sexy and troubled and all sorts of growly but what he really needs is someone to push him, stand up to him, and support him. It’s a fine line she has to dance on but she’s got the guts and smarts to do it.

**I’m kinda giving away a little bit of a spoiler next so if you don’t want to know any more STOP HERE**

Kinda like with The Billionaire Next Door I was a little confused toward the end. I think that if we’d be given a better look at Isabella’s relationship with her ex and why she would feel like she HAD to have a commitment right then (when I’m pretty sure they were only a few weeks into knowing each other) it might have been different. But really I just wanted to give Eli a hug and tell him that I’d give him the time that he needed. But once she gets her head out of a place it isn’t supposed to be then she definitely makes up for it well.

**End Spoiler**

As an ending to Lemmon’s series about the Crane brothers The Bastard Billionaire is a winner. Eli is deliciously gruff but redeemable and Isabella is a strong match for him. She helps him figure his new life out and learn to embrace the future. Bringing the fun, heat and tons of emotions, Lemmon proves once again that she’s a fabulously talented author!

*****

THE BILLIONAIRE BAD BOYS SERIES

The Billionaire Bachelor, #1

The Billionaire Next Door, #2

The Bastard Billionaire, #3

Series Page on Goodreads

*****

Author Info:

A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she’s not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.

FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

*****

Giveaway:

Five (5) sets of The Billionaire Bad Boys series

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/26635ce2422/

*****