Book Review – Crazy for the Competition

15 Monday Jun 2015

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

Tags

Book Review, Cindi Madsen, Crazy for the Competition, Hope Springs series

The lovely Cindi Madsen has just released the next book in her Hope Springs series and you are going to want to check it out.

*****

Crazy for the Competition

Hope Springs # 2

by Cindi Madsen

Releasing June 9, 2015

Entangled Bliss

Blurb:

The road to trouble is paved with sweet temptation…

Always the rebel in her ultra-conservative family, Quinn Sakata dreams of quitting her dad’s real-estate business and restoring the old Mountain Ridge Bed and Breakfast in her hometown of Hope Springs. Except that Quinn’s not the only person bidding on it. Worse still, her competitor is her high school crush, Heath Brantley, who is all kinds of ripped, tattooed hotness…

So much for her “nice, conservative boys” rule.

Heath has his own reasons for bidding on Mountain Ridge, and he won’t give in without a fight—even to the red-lipped hottie with a sailor’s mouth. But when their rivalry shifts into an unexpected zing of chemistry, Heath realizes he’s in deep trouble. Because it’s inevitable that emotions will get involved, and he needs to keep his eyes on the prize before they both get hurt.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23113981-crazy-for-the-competition

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/135463-hope-springs

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iBooks

*****

Excerpt:

Quinn sat across from him, and they worked on shaping the wire. She passed him tools and held things in place when he needed an extra hand. Here and there she made a few half-mumbled noises that he took to mean she wasn’t sure he was on the right path. She kept her word and let him make the decisions, though.

After a few minutes straining to see the tiny wire, he reached back and pulled his glasses out of the workbench— he really only needed them for intricate parts.

“Bloody hell, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Quinn said.

He looked at her, her features now extra crisp thanks to the glasses. She had these cute freckles across the bridge of her nose, and her bottom lip was between her teeth. “What?” he asked.

She shook her head and swallowed. “Nothing.”

Really? The glasses turned her on? Hell, he’d wear them all the time, then. “What’s with the bloody? You turning British on me?”

“I’m an equal-opportunity swearer.”

“Well, Miss Potty Mouth, hand me the needle-nose pliers next to your feet, please.”

She picked them up and extended them to him. He let his fingers brush across hers, testing how far he could milk this. “Can you hold these two pieces together while I twist?”

Quinn knelt next to him. She gripped the two wires, and he took the pliers and twisted. Every time he turned the pliers, his forearm brushed her chest, even when he tried to do the honorable thing and go from another angle. The beating pulse at her neck called to him again, begging to be kissed. She smelled amazing, too, a light vanilla scent that invaded his senses.

“I’ll be damned,” she said once he lowered the pliers. “It actually looks like a butterfly. Look at you using your manly skills to spread your wings and fly.”

His lips trembled as he tried to keep a straight face—she kept him on his toes, that was for sure. “One, never say that to me again, and two, I told you I’d find a way—never doubt me, woman.”

“It was a compliment. No need to get your wings in a bunch.” She innocently batted her eyes, the amusement in them clear.

Oh, she wanted to play? He could play. All day he’d held back, not taking opportunities he would under usual circumstances, because she wasn’t just any girl. She was in a different class and her family already disliked him, she was Sadie’s best friend, and most problematic of all, she wanted to take Mountain Ridge from him. But between the flirting and the constant challenges she threw out, he was done overthinking and worrying about making things complicated.

Letting his instincts take over, he reached up and brushed the strands that’d fallen free of her ponytail off her face. The amusement died, other emotions taking over her features. Surprise and temptation—he could work with both of those.

*****

Review:

While I won’t say this is my favorite Madsen book, it’s pretty much because she’s written some really good stories. And you can’t love them all the same, ya know? 🙂 But I did enjoy it and that excerpt was one of my favorites scenes – gives you a pretty good idea of what the rest of the book is like. It’s funny and sweet, but with its share of angst and issues.

I didn’t necessarily like Quinn all the time thru the book, but I did understand her and she does some growing by the end. She has some serious issues with her family and their expectations, especially her dad. She’s different than the rest of her family, and unfortunately for her, there isn’t anyone who really understands her – love her yes, understand her no. She’s not had much more luck in her personal life … until she meets Heath. But it is hard to let go of those bad experiences.

Now, Heath I absolutely loved. He’s sexy and sincere, hard working and caring. He didn’t have the best start in life, but he’s working on bettering it for his brothers. Unfortunately of course that’s where the conflict with Quinn comes in. As much as they are attracted to each other, there is a big issue between them with the property.

To which, I saw a solution from about Chapter 3 but then where would all of the fun come from? I think Madsen does a fantastic job of having them get there on their own (again, it’s kinda obvious) but her’s works a lot better since they had a chance to fall in love. And we get to enjoy being there with them as they do.

*****

Author Info:

Cindi Madsen is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance and young adult novels. She sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

*****

Giveaway:

Win a $20 Amazon Gift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb55495564/

*****

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

Book Review – Clean Lines

12 Friday Jun 2015

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Cedar Tree series, Clean Lines, Freya Barker

Y’all, Joe Morris is this week’s book boyfriend – he’s caring & sexy, strong & brave, with moments of male stupidity to keep him humble 🙂

*****

Clean Lines

Cedar Tree #4

by Freya Barker

Genre: Erotic suspense

Cover Designer: RE&D, Margreet Asselbergs

Hosted By: Francessca’s Romance Reviews

Blurb:

When her surly teenage son moves back to live with ER physician Naomi Waters unexpectedly, her motherly instincts go on high alert. Nothing could’ve prepared her for the wave of trouble that follows him back into her life.

Sheriff Joe Morris blew his chance with Naomi a few years back when he’d moved faster than his own past allowed. At the first opportunity to get his foot back in the door, he takes it and risks everything to keep her and her son safe.

But working for a future isn’t easy when you’re fighting to survive your past.

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25295373-clean-lines?from_search=true&search_version=service_impr

Available at

http://amzn.to/1FRGNGs – Amazon UK

http://amzn.to/1SGuzWK – Amazon USA

*****

Excerpt:

On the short drive home, with Joe riding my bumper, I still have way too much time to think. And what I’m thinking is that I’ve gone and lost my mind. Who says shit like that? I behaved like some two-bit sex operator and sounded no better. If I didn’t need both hands on the steering wheel, I’d have my face covered right now; I’m that embarrassed. Emotional. Too fucking emotional. It’s either flat or deep with me and it’s exhausting. Why I have to be this emotionally unbalanced every time around Joe, I have no idea, but I’m sure the man’s had enough of crazy women for a lifetime.

When I park the car, I turn off the engine and drop my head on the wheel. Maybe this is not such a good idea. I probably should’ve stayed with Katie and the baby and not just gone running off with Joe at the first opportunity. Well, not exactly the first opportunity but still. It seems inappropriate. Doesn’t it?

The door beside me opening startles me, but even more so does the feel of Joe’s firm hands pulling me down from my seat.

“Don’t. Don’t sit there and talk yourself out of something we both know is going to happen,” he says talking to the top of my head because I am studying the tips of my toes.

“Naomi?” He leans in and I can feel the heat of his words penetrate my skin as he speaks. “I need you. I need to feel your fingers tangle in my hair, your tongue in my mouth, your skin under my hands and your pussy squeezing my cock. I need it all, honey.”

Slowly raising my eyes, I find his burning with lust and something more. Need? I trace my fingers over his lips and along his jaw before whispering, “Let’s go.”

*****

Review:

How many of you are going to be surprised when I say that this is the first book in this series that I’ve read? No one? Yeah, not a surprise. I was a little surprised at how much I liked this story. Barker somehow made a whole lot of things come together easily and without making her story clunky. Clean Lines easily stood on its own too, which only added to the enjoyment. There were characters who had their own stories before and at least a couple who are going to have one coming up, but none of it left me confused … just excited to get my hands on those stories.

I will say that I’m stunned that it took three years for Joe to find a way to fix things with Naomi. She’s got some history and it lead her to be prickly but surely in that amount of time, and with sharing friends, there would have been some way to get an explanation to her. He doesn’t seem like a guy who would be willing to let it go for that long. But that is my only complaint and Barker does try to explain it away.

Overall, though, it is a fantastic suspense romance. There’s a great amount of heat and angst between the two, plus they come with baggage that is fun to explore. But there is also a lot of danger and mystery surrounding her ex-husband and son. It made for a nail-biter in a couple of places … as well as a few spots to get your heart racing for other reasons 🙂

If sexy thrillers are your thing, I highly recommend you add Barker’s books to the top of your TBR pile. A fun read with interesting characters and a captivating plot, Clean Lines is a great place to start.

*****

Author Info:

Freya Barker craved reading about ‘real’ people, those who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, hot monkey sex and some thrills and chills in their lives – So she decided to write about them. Always creative, from an early age on she danced and sang, doodled, created, cooked, baked, quilted and crafted. Her latest creative outlets were influenced by an ever-present love for reading. First through blogging, then cover art and design, and finally writing. Born and raised in the Netherlands, she packed her two toddlers, and eight suitcases filled with toys to move to Canada. No stranger to new beginnings, she thrives on them. With the kids grown and out in the world, Freya is at the ‘prime’ of her life. The body might be a bit ramshackle, but the spirit is high and as adventurous as ever. Something you may see reflected here and there in some of her heroines…. none of who will likely be wilting flowers.

Stalker Links

http://www.facebook.com/FreyaBarkerWriter – Facebook

https://twitter.com/freya_barker – Twitter

https://www.tsu.co/FreyaB – TSU

http://plus.google.com/FreyaBarkerWriter – Google+

http://www.freyabarker.com – TSU

http://www.amazon.com/Freya-Barker/e/B00N36NDYI/ – Amazon Author Page

http://www.goodreads.com/FreyaBarker – Goodreads

http://bit.ly/1DmiBub – Newsletter

*****

Other Books In The Series

”AGAINST ME” (Cedar Tree #3)

http://bit.ly/AgainstMe – Amazon USA

http://bit.ly/AgainstMe – Amazon CA

http://bit.ly/AgainstMe – Amazon UK

http://bit.ly/AgainstMe – Amazon AUS

“HUNDRED TO ONE” (Cedar Tree #2)

http://bit.ly/HundredToOne – Amazon USA

http://bit.ly/HundredToOne -Amazon CA

http://bit.ly/HundredToOne – Amazon UK

http://bit.ly/HundredToOne – Amazon AUS

“SLIM TO NONE” (Cedar Tree #1)

http://bit.ly/SlimToNone – Amazon USA

http://bit.ly/SlimToNone – Amazon CA

http://bit.ly/SlimToNone – Amazon UK

http://bit.ly/SlimToNone – Amazon AUS

*****

Giveaway:

Up for grabs – $24 Amazon GC and the full Cedar Tree series on Kindle

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ae51915615/

Book Review – Blissful Kisses

09 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Bliss Harbor series, Blissful Kisses, Book Review, Juliet Spenser

Blissful Kisses

Bliss Harbor series

by Juliet Spenser

USA Today bestselling author Juliet Spenser brings you more contemporary romance set in the small town of Bliss Harbor, where love and laughter are just around the corner…

Enjoy three romantic romps in this collection of Bliss Harbor shorts:

In KISS ME AGAIN, a high school teacher writes naughty love stories just for fun, and she’ll do anything to get her secret stories back when her notebook falls into the hands of the sexy, fun-loving guy who loves to tease her.

In WARM WINTER KISSES, a bed and breakfast manager is determined to avoid her feelings for her best friend, a hunky detective, but there’s no avoiding the heat between them when a blizzard strands them alone together.

In THEN WE KISSED, a curvy, no-nonsense baker wakes up with regrets over a night with the sexy soldier who stole her heart, but a mix-up sends her straight back into his arms.

I’ve never read any of Spenser’s Bliss Harbor books, but I really liked these three little novellas. I don’t think that it would be that big a deal if you started here too, because I didn’t really have any problems keeping up. I do think there were a few references that I missed out on but nothing too big.

The characters in all three shorts were very detailed for such a short number of pages. You quickly get a feel for each of them and what motivates them. In each, Spenser pretty much focused on just those characters, which makes sense given the small time to make a story with a punch, but that gives her plenty of opportunity to fully embrace those people.

There is a theme running between them – one of feelings unspoken and avoided – and it’s interesting to see how each of these stories has a different take on it. Spenser makes sure that each couple makes it their own and she does it quite well. We are given the story exclusively from the heroine’s point of view, and even though I usually like to get both perspectives, it makes sense given the idea that the guy’s feelings are unknown to her. We get the reveal as she does, which is very satisfying.

If you are looking for a fast read, perfect for when you just have a little time to yourself, Blissful Kisses is an absolutely perfect choice. With engaging characters and appealing plots, these three shorts are sure to please. And now I’m totally going to have to check out everything else I can find about the lovely people in Bliss Harbor.

Book Review – A Love Like Ours

04 Thursday Jun 2015

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A Love Like Ours, Becky Wade, Book Review, Porter Family series

A Love Like Ours

Porter Family series

by Wade, Becky

Scarred from his military days, cowboy Jake Porter is content being alone…until his old friend Lyndie starts tearing down the walls he’s built.

This is a Christian Romance so God & faith play a huge part in the story. Sometimes these books only have a special innocence and a hint of religion but here it is a center point of the story – Lyndie’s belief in a good God and Jake’s turning away from his.

I love the idea of these two having a connection even though they haven’t seen each other in decades. There are people who are that special and make such an impact on you that they live in your heart forever and that’s Jake & Lyndie. But a lot has happened to him since then and it has left scars both inside and out.

Jake is dealing with a lot of survivor’s guilt and PTSD from his time as a Marine. It’s led him to a dark and troubled place. He’s still a good man – one who cares for his family and takes his obligations seriously – but he feels unworthy and that’s led him to distance himself from others. Then Lyndie comes back into his life.

Her life with a disabled sister has taught her a lot about love, grace and faith. Her patience and understanding, plus her belief in a good God, gives her the ability to see into Jake and hope to be able to help him. She knows that God is what he needs but he needs to find his faith again. He just has to find it within himself to want to make that connection again.

It’s a lovely journey for both of them – one that has extreme lows to go with the highs but beautiful nonetheless.

(This story is part of the Porter Family novels but can be read as a stand alone.)

Book Review – Tempting the One

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

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Book Review, Meadowview Heat series, Rochelle French, Tempting the One

Tempting the One

Meadowview Heat series

Rochelle French

Country-girl Chessie Gibson’s always been a giver. Billionaire Theo Courant’s always been a player. Since childhood, the two have irritated the heck out of each other. Only when Theo breaks both wrists and ankles in a snowboarding accident, Chessie’s asked to care for her family friend. But being stuck with egotistical Theo in her Meadowview farmhouse is most definitely not her idea of fun.

Theo sees Chessie as part pin-up girl, part hippie-chick—nothing like the models and social climbers he’s used to dating. She’s gorgeous and luscious, but he’s never made a move on his best friend’s younger sister. The two of them are opposite in almost every way imaginable. But wow—is she ever hot!

But when Theo and Chessie end up stuck together for weeks, they come to know each other in ways neither thought possible. Seeing a different side of Theo—he’s not exactly the frivolous playboy he seems—Chessie finds herself unable to resist the temptation to try a “friends with benefits” situation. But their differences continue to come between them…and if Theo doesn’t learn love is something that cannot be bought, the chance of a lifetime could pass them both by.

Guess what, y’all? Yep, once again I’m picking up a series after it started. Surprised? Of course not. But the good thing is that this time it didn’t really matter. There were some mention of previous plot-points and the couples from the other books made the occasional appearance (because they are all related in some way – but that’s small town life for ya) but none of it really impacted this story. The author did overdo some of the references to how they related to one another but I did have an Advanced Copy so I’m not sure if all of them made it in the final cut … but it’s easy enough to overlook.

Chessie is one of those hippie-dippie Earth-lovin’ girls – she’s got her own, very unique, style and is big on being green. Usually I find that authors try a little too hard to get these free spirits on the page and they end up not appealing to me at all, but French does a fantastic job and I absolutely adored Chessie. She’s got a wonderfully positive attitude and a big heart … and a love-hate relationship with Theo.

To her, he is just too shallow, too rich, too good-looking … just too too. But when they are forced to live together for a few weeks while Theo recovers from his accident, Chessie starts to see the good guy underneath. She finds that his heart is just as big as hers and he works very hard to help those who need it … he just hides it behind that pretty boy façade. Which makes him very hard to resist.

Buuuut, Chessie has some baggage when it comes to rich men and it makes it very hard to trust Theo. Plus, even though he has a big heart, he does have a different attitude toward money than she does, which adds to their conflict. I totally understand where both of them are coming from (well done Rochelle French) and I was right there with them as they struggled to find a way to make things work.

Some might have a little trouble with how they got to the point of being “friends with benefits” but these two definitely had a unique relationship before Theo’s accident so it does work. And while there are a few steamy scenes between them, the majority of the book is about them getting a chance to see beneath the surface of the other, falling in love, and deciding whether they can risk their hearts.

Book Review – A Month of Sundays

01 Monday Jun 2015

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A Month of Sundays, Book Review, Lavender Daye, R.L. Syme, Somewhere TX series

A Month of Sundays

Somewhere, TX Book 6

by R.L. Syme, Lavender Daye

Joe Walker made a bet. His friends want him to date a frumpy librarian for at least a month, and while Joe is less than keen, he needs the carrot they offer. Almost a hundred thousand dollars to be invested in his business.

Krista considers herself to be a serious woman, a master’s graduate, a librarian… and she has a plan for the children of Somewhere, TX. When Joe approaches her, insisting they should date, she knows him by reputation. He’s not the kind of man a librarian should date. But in person, he proves to be more persuasive than she anticipated, and she soon finds herself agreeing to a month of Sundays.

Joe’s friends are convinced they can turn him from a playboy into a serious adult, but he’s not going to play by the rules…. none of them…

This book is a follow-up to our first boxed set, TEXAS SUNRISE.

Another small Texas town romance, A Month of Sundays is sweet, fun and charming. It’s got that close community feeling – everyone in your business but it is done with caring and love – which is one of my favorites. It’s a fast read and my only complaint is that I wish it had more pages so I could have enjoyed their romance longer.

Joe and Krista complement each other so well. He needs someone to show him a real relationship and she needs someone to remind her what it is like to have fun. But it isn’t all a good time – as they go on their “dates” they get to see the people underneath and unearth some long-festering issues that need to be brought to the light of day. They soon discover though that if they can confront their troubles, a lifetime of happiness could be theirs for the taking.

(Even though once again I started a series in the middle, I don’t think it made much of a difference. There were a few relationships between the characters that I think I was supposed to understand better, but it didn’t impact Joe & Krista’s story.)

Book Review – Rescuing the Bad Boy

30 Saturday May 2015

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

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Book Review, Jessica Lemmon, Rescuing the Bad Boy, Second Chance series

After reading Bringing Home the Bad Boy (the first book in this series), I could NOT wait for the next to come out … and Lemmon definitely did not disappoint. If you haven’t read either of these then run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookseller.

*****

Rescuing the Bad Boy

Second Chance series

by Jessica Lemmon

Blurb:

Not All Scars Heal

For Donovan Pate, the lake town of Evergreen Cove is a minefield of tough memories-including the day he had to let go of Sofie Martin. Years later he still can’t forget the taste of her lips and the feel of her killer curves. He knows he’s too damaged, that he should stay away for her own good. But what the head says and the heart wants are two very different things . . .

Seven years ago, Donovan broke Sofie’s heart. Now her career depends on playing nice in order to pull off the charity fund-raiser of the decade. She vows to keep things professional . . . yet working by his side every day doesn’t make it easy to fight temptation, and it isn’t long before she finds herself falling for this bad boy all over again. But loving Donovan means helping him face his past-so they can fight for a future together.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1zCPTpP

B&N: http://bit.ly/1zNqz0L

iBooks: http://apple.co/1FeFwsw

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/1EQYODa

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1AoXDFM

BAM: http://bit.ly/1EasqsC

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1GvHtyT

*****

Excerpt:

Her soft touch landed on Donovan’s arm, and the anger shuddering inside him shifted into an ache. She stepped closer, the warmth between them radiating enough heat to set him on fire. But like the fireplaces he built, he could handle it. He could handle the heat from her, not because he was impervious, but because he was strong enough to soak her in and not burn to ash.

She turned his arm where paint was drying. She swiped at it with her sleeve. “I made a mess.”

He’d forgotten about the paint. “Don’t… I can… There is a shower in the…” He lost his train of thought when she turned those emerald green eyes up to him. He watched her delicate throat work as she swallowed. His eyes traveled up her neck and landed on her mouth. Needing her mouth, he lowered his face, watched her eyes grow dark and wide, watched her lift her chin to meet him.

Heat. He wanted more. If only to test his own strength.

He moved his lips gently against hers, but resisted holding her to him. She held onto him though, grasping his forearms with both hands, her fingers wrapped around his elbows. Pressing her body against his, pressing her tits against his ribs.

Hell, sounded like an invitation to him. Deepening their connection, he thrust his tongue into her mouth, reached around, and grabbed her ass with both palms. When he squeezed, she sucked in a breath.

“Told you,” he rumbled.

“Told me?”

“Not a complaint, Scampi.” He squeezed again. “Perfect.”

A choked laugh left her throat. “Big.”

Still moving his hands over her backside, he said, “First thing I noticed about you at the Wharf.” He’d been plating up a chicken scaloppini when the manager walked in to show around a few new servers. Two he couldn’t remember, and Sofie. Bent over the plate, he’d peeked between the metal shelves framing that perfect ass . He’d stood to get a better look, and she’d pegged him with those moss-greens.

“Second thing I noticed was your eyes.”

Her lips parted slightly. “And the third thing?”

He kissed her. She tasted incredible. “The first time you talked to me.”

She rolled her eyes. “And what did I say?”

She didn’t think he remembered. She was wrong. “‘Can I get a side of cock?’”

Laughing, she shook her head.

He smiled back at her, unable to help himself. “Then you cleared your throat and said, ‘cocktail sauce’.”

Shaking her head, she said, “Worst abbreviation ever.”

“Kitchen guys are immature.”

She blinked up at him, studying him, like she was trying to piece him together. He didn’t want her to. Once she pieced him together and had the whole picture, she wouldn’t like what she saw.

He kissed her again, keeping his hands on her body.

“Are you testing my boundaries?” she asked, her tone teasing. He recognized that comment from the night he rescued her from Torsett.

“Mine,” he corrected.

Sofie bit her lip. “I don’t date much.”

“Me either.” At all, actually.

She shook her head, more in thought than in argument. “I don’t think I have any boundaries with you.”

He was beginning to think he had none with her, either.

*****

Review:

When I reviewed Bringing Home the Bad Boy, I said that Evan was likely to have some competition as a book boyfriend with Donovan and I wasn’t wrong. With Rescuing the Bad Boy Lemmon delivers an addictive hero who carries just as many scars on the inside as the outside. It’s an emotional rollercoaster from the beginning and I loved every minute of it.

Donovan is a charming rascal but his past has caused him to shut himself off from people, feeling like he has nothing to offer others. He’s got a couple of close friends but they definitely have to do most of the work in the relationship. Then there is Sofia. A few weeks dancing around an attraction to each other leads to a night that changes things for both of them. Years later, Donovan is back but he isn’t happy about it … and the attraction between the two is as hot as ever.

I love Sofia. She’s got an amazingly level-head about Donovan and I think she handled every step of the way with a lot of style. The ending has to be one of my favorites of all time. As these two navigate the minefield of their past (both individually and shared), the present and how they are going to handle the future, I found myself drawn more and more to them. Lemmon delivers it so smoothly and naturally – I can’t wait to read more from these guys.

*****

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.

http://facebook.com/JessicaLemmon

https://www.goodreads.com/jlemmony

www.jessicalemmon.com

@lemmony

*****

Giveaway:

Y’all have to sign up for this one!

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/26635ce2210/

*****

Book Review – Home Sweet Home

22 Friday May 2015

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book Review, Candis Terry, Home Sweet Home, Sweet Texas series

Releasing next week (and just in time to kick off your summer reading) is the updated version of Candia Terry’s Home Sweet Home. This novella is guaranteed to pull at the heart strings.

*****

Home Sweet Home

A Sweet, Texas Novella

by Candis Terry

Releasing May 19^th, 2015

(Re-Issue with Additional Content)

Avon Impulse

Blurb:

Before Candis Terry’s wild Wilder brothers met their matches, a soldier gets a homecoming in Sweet, Texas.

HE’S GIVEN UP…

Army Ranger, Lieutenant Aiden Marshall, fought in some of the most hellish corners on earth and survived. Those closest to him, did not. When he returns home to Sweet, Texas, he believes he’s broken and has lost everything-including his soul. The only fair thing he can do is tell the woman who’s patiently waited for him to come home-to move on with her life-without him.

BUT SHE NEVER WILL

Sassy waitress Paige Walker has no intention of walking away from the man of her dreams. He gave his all for his country and served with honor. Now it’s time to pull him from the darkness and give him hope. With a heap of love, the help of the entire town, and a tail-wagging companion, Paige makes sure her hero knows there’s no place like home sweet home.

From author Candia Terry: “The inspiration for HOME SWEET HOME came from an article I’d read about a soldier who been forced to leave the pup he’d rescued in Afghanistan because it wasn’t allowed to bring the animal back to the U.S. In writing the story I realized that rescue animals are a huge part of the romances I write. Since I’m prone to rescue four-legged friends in my personal life I thought that maybe I could help in a bigger way. When I started looking into rescue centers I was overwhelmed by not only the number of animals in need but the generosity of the volunteers who often nurse these animals back to health so they can be adopted. The love and loyalty of an animal is unconditional and I’d like to see them have the opportunity to be loved right back. I know I can’t help them all, but I hope these donations will help as many as possible.”

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/03/home-sweet-home-sweet-texas-novella-by.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24951868-home-sweet-home?from_search=true

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/113447-sweet-texas

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

*****

Excerpt:

“When did you get home? Why didn’t your brother tell me? How long will you be home? Do you want something to eat? Of course you do. Dumb question. Scratch that.”

Aiden couldn’t help but smile as Paige fired off a volley of questions, then finished them off with a random thought.

Just like old times.

She’d always been that girl.

The one who had a million things going on all at once and tried to keep them all in order inside her head. At times, she came off a bit scrambled even though, for the most part, she had it more together than anyone he’d ever met. Aiden knew she saw every day as a gift. She saw life as something priceless that should be hit at full speed and explored twenty-four hours a day.

When they’d been together, he’d managed to keep her in bed for several of those hours a day just to show her that a lot could be accomplished in a prone position too. But even then, between making love, she’d come up with a list of half a dozen things she wanted to do that day, next week, or a year down the road. They’d done a hell of a lot of exploring in those days, and even if he hadn’t been able to keep up with her eagerness on the calendar, he managed to keep her enthusiasm busy in other ways.

“A few days ago,” he said, answering her first question, then followed up with the rest. “Ben didn’t tell you because he didn’t know. And yes, I’d love a Diablo burger, a double order of sweet-potato fries, and a marshmallow Snickers milk shake.”

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know immediately that she was hurt because he’d taken so long to come see her. By rights, she should have been first on his list. And she would have been, but he had obligations to visit Bobby’s and Billy’s folks. And after those visits, he had barely been able to look at himself in the mirror.

The wounded look in her eye disappeared, and her smile reappeared. Apparently, she realized too why he hadn’t come to see her first.

“Awww. Your favorite foods.” She shifted her weight from one sexy hip to the other. “I’ll bet you’ve been craving those for a long time.”

He’d been craving her too, but that kind of thinking had to stop.

“Pretty much since I boarded the plane for Afghanistan and left American soil.” Funny how the moment you knew you couldn’t have something, you wanted it even more.

“Well, the wait is over. You sit right there, and I’ll have Bud put your order on a rail.” Her tennis shoes squeaked as she turned and rushed off into the kitchen.

With all day in front of him and nothing to do, Aiden could watch her through the order window, excitedly gesturing with her hands while she spoke with Bud. Still, he couldn’t help wonder out loud … “A rail?”

The old man with the bald head next to him nodded and grinned. “She’s puttin’ the hurry up on it for you.”

“Oh.”

Guilt wrapped around Aiden’s throat and gave a hard squeeze. The faster Paige moved, the sooner he’d have to deliver the news. She looked so damned happy to see him, he hated to burst her bubble. Hated to hurt her in any way. But it had to be done. No matter how badly he might think he wanted it to be otherwise.

“For a man who’s got a pretty woman like that scurrying around to make time to be with him, you sure got a grim look on your puss.”

The man sitting next to him, Chester Banks, was well into his eighties. He’d had more ex-wives than Disneyland had rides. Over the years, his nose had grown, and his eyes had sunk. He probably weighed all of a hundred pounds soaking wet, was bowlegged, and wore his Wranglers so starched, his arthritic knees could barely bend. But Chester had no qualms whatsoever about chasing the ladies who were at least six decades younger.

“Probably matches what’s inside my head,” Aiden verified.

“Oh?” A scraggly gray brow lifted, and a smile broke across Chester’s wrinkled lips. “So you’re saying the lovely Paige is up for grabs?”

*****

Review:

I think I vaguely remember the For Love and Honor Anthology from back in 2012 and I kinda even remember Aiden & Paige (which I think speaks well for Ms Terry if I can remember a novella in a collection from 3 years ago). There have been quite a few Sweet, Texas stories since then but since this is a re-release of the novella that kicked it off I think it is a fantastic place for new readers to start.

Paige has an amazingly huge heart, lots of patience and understanding, and the love and tenacity to keep waiting for a man who didn’t really do a lot to keep her hoping. It wasn’t that he didn’t love her, he just didn’t want to have her wait for a soldier who might not come back … silly man. Paige understands that having given her heart that it is better to embrace that love and hope for his safe return. While he’s gone, she lives her life but holds onto that love – sending him letters and packages, and planning for their hoped-for future.

Aiden has seen a lot as a Ranger and lost his two best friends. He’s feeling the weight of everything he’s been thru and doesn’t believe he deserves Paige’s love. Luckily for him, she isn’t giving up on them or going to let him give up on himself. As he spends time in Sweet, especially with her, Aiden slowly starts to embrace life again. And with the support of the town behind them, he might just learn to let himself love again as well.

Terry’s writing is wonderfully smooth – it moves fast and keeps you turning pages. Since this is a novella it didn’t take long to get to the HEA, but the ride was definitely a good one. We get to be there as Aiden struggles and Paige’s wisdom has her supporting him every way she can. It’s a story as sweet as the town it is set in and I think that you’ll find yourself ready for return trips (and lucky for you there are about a ½ dozen books just waiting for you).

*****

Author Info:

Candis Terry was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push and pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily ever after.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

Avon is hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway for a Print Sweet, TX series backlist including: ANYTHING BUT SWEET, SWEETEST MISTAKE, SOMETHING SWEETER, and SWEET SURPRISE

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c8677/

*****

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

Book Review – Chaos and Moonlight

21 Thursday May 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Tags

A. D. Marrow, Book Review, Chaos and Moonlight, Order of the Nines series

Chaos and Moonlight

Order of the Nines, Book 1

A.D. Marrow

The Nines, an elite group of vampires, was established to stand as protection for their race. Fractured by centuries of betrayal and loss, the group is now little more than myth, its remaining members scarred and shattered.

Taris, the oldest living vampire, is no stranger to loss and heartbreak. He is all that holds the Nines together as they struggle to save themselves from total extinction.

Enter the beautiful and briliant Dr. Sarah Bridgeman, whose medical research has resulted in a breakthrough for both humans and vampires. Her work may be the salvation this weary band of guardians has been looking for.

Taris needs to reach Sarah and enlist her help—before those aligned against him can act. Can a vampire king convince a stunning young scientist to save a species that isn’t even supposed to exist?

For now, only one thing is certain: no science can explain the explosive chemistry between them.

Chaos and Moonlight is the first installment in the Order of the Nines series, and is A. D. Marrow’s debut novel.

As the first story in a new paranormal series, Chaos and Moonlight does a great job of introducing the new world. I think there were a couple of places where an explanation might have been better happening earlier than written, but overall it’s well developed. Sometimes it is hard with the introductory novel to cover everything without throwing off the pacing but Marrow does it well – we get a great feeling for the society the vampires live in. There’s a lot of intricacies to their history which are slowly handed out but I didn’t end up with any unanswered questions and was interested all the way to the end.

Taris is great hero material. He’s strong and caring, taking his role as informal leader to heart. He is greatly affected by the setbacks they’ve experienced and the implications for their future. He, like all of them, is deeply invested in solving their problems – and that’s where Sarah comes in. I’m surprised at how well she takes the existence of vampires, but I think as a scientist that it might be easier to accept the unexplainable. Those difficulties definitely are an interesting twist – I won’t give away too many details because it plays a big part in why Sarah is brought into their world. But it’s one that I hadn’t thought about before but it makes sense and adds a nice complexity to their lives.

There are bad guys – what paranormal book isn’t made better by a villain – and I have to say I really want to see more from these. Despite all of the awful things that they’ve done, I’m intrigued by the idea of redemption … but I’m also afraid that too much has happened. There are also good guys, of course, who will also get their own story. I’m intrigued to see where Marrow goes from here since it looks like their is an answer to the big problem in the first book.

If paranormal romance is your thing (think Black Dagger Brotherhood or The Sentinels) then you may have found yourself a new series. With a large and fascinating group of characters, Marrow has the potential for a sexy new series on her hands.

Book Review – Monica’s Match

15 Friday May 2015

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

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Book Review, Katya Armock, Monica's Match, Perry Grove

Gonna end the week with a fun little small-town romance – take a look below and see what I thought, plus what the rest of the tour thought as well.

*****

Monica’s Match

Perry Grove #1

by Katya Armock

Blurb:

Monica has the ability to see a guy’s aura light up the first time he touches his soul mate, but she’s kept it a secret since her parents shamed her as a child. Still, she decides to start her own matchmaking company—even if she doesn’t advertise her unique ability. Business is so-so until she gets a call to find matches for the singles of the small town of Perry Grove. She’s not looking for love herself but has an immediate attraction to one of her clients. Too bad another woman lit up his aura.

Hunky dairy farmer Jeremiah wants nothing to do with his grandpa’s hare-brained matchmaking scheme but agrees to play along to appease the man who raised him. But when he meets the sexy matchmaker, he starts to rethink his single status. Too bad she’s intent on pairing him up with another woman. If there’s one thing he knows, though, it’s how to be stubborn.

Amazon | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon AU

*****

Excerpt:

Monica Morgan slammed the door of her red Camry and kicked the offending tire for good measure. “Ow. Darn it!” Her sensible black flats were no match for the doughnut wheel. Smooth move, Sherlock. Get your head in the game. You need this job or your business is toast.

She took a moment for one deep breath then hurried to the entrance of the Perry Grove United Methodist Church. Before she reached the double door, it swung open and Ed Thompson greeted her with a kind smile. His white hair was a bit shaggier around the edges than when they’d met in person seven weeks ago. She’d spent that afternoon in Perry Grove meeting with only the town council, as she had a strict rule that she couldn’t come into contact with any potential bachelors or bachelorettes in public.

That edict had raised a few eyebrows, but in the end she had sold them on her “process” with no mention of the true reason for the rules. No one needed to know she saw a guy’s aura light up the first time he made physical contact with his soul mate. In a public setting, even one as small as Perry Grove, she ran the risk that more than one woman or man could brush against a man at the same time and mess up Monica’s aura-reading mojo. So she insisted on one-on-one intake interviews with each client early on. Then she oversaw each potential couple’s first contact with no other parties in the room under the guise of wanting to see their first impressions of each other in a closed environment.

Now that she was here for her extended stay, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson would be her hosts for the next month.

Mr. Thompson held the door for her. “Glad to see you made it in one piece. Lucky you were close enough you could make it on a doughnut, but now that you’re here, Sherman’ll get it fixed right up for you. He already ordered the tire. It’ll be in tomorrow.”

Pasting on her best professional smile, she headed down the walkway, hoping he hadn’t witnessed her meltdown. “Glad to be here and to see you again, Mr. Thompson.”

The crinkle around his cornflower-blue eyes deepened with his smile. “At your service. And I told you before to call me Ed. Now let’s get you settled. We have the bachelorettes from the dating pool in the fellowship hall downstairs and the bachelor in an adjacent room, as you requested. Pat Staley—she’s the church secretary in case you don’t remember her—called all the men for today to let them know the appointments have been pushed back a few hours.”

She did remember meeting Pat briefly, as she had made a point of recording everyone’s name, occupation, and relationships in the town. “Thank you for taking care of that, Mr. Thompson. I apologize again—”

He waved a dismissive hand as they reached the stairs. “Ed. And there’s nothing you can do about a flat tire except deal with it.”

She rolled her shoulders to ease some of her tension. She hated being late. “So your grandson is still up first, correct?” An involuntary shiver echoed through her just thinking about her first client’s dimpled smile and the striking blue eyes that stared at her from the photo she’d received along with his profile information—and how inappropriate that thought was. No dating clients.

“Don’t look so glum, girl. No one blames you for being late. Although, I should warn you that Jeremiah isn’t too excited to use your services. I have to admit I strong-armed him a bit, and he’s been stuck in the Sunday school room for a few hours. I was afraid if I let him leave, I’d never get him back, if you know what I mean.” He laughed and winked conspiratorially.

*****

Review:

Monica’s Match is all about trust. In order to give love a chance, she’s going to have to share her secret and she has to decide if she’s willing to take that chance. Here the thing she’s hiding is her ability to read auras but this really applies to anyone. We all have something – funny toes, addiction to bad made-for-tv disaster movies, eating crackers in bed, psychic abilities – it doesn’t matter what it is, there is something (and most often somethings) and we have to trust that the person we are interested in can accept us for good and bad. It’s not easy but it is the only way a relationship can be successful. But I totally understood Monica’s hesitation in sharing her secret. She had it drilled into her by her parents that it was something that needed to be hid and being a good daughter she took it to heart.

I’m not sure I totally liked Monica – she is a little harsh and somewhat stand-offish, especially with Jeremiah. But when she relaxes, she becomes a lot more fun. Jeremiah has his moments as well, but I like how he poked at Monica trying to get her to loosen up. It made for some fun interactions between the two.

I’ve seen some complaints about how she treats Jeremiah later in the book and how quickly things are resolved, but I think it works for how the story is written. Just because Jeremiah changes his attitude doesn’t mean that Monica is going to do the same immediately. She’s always had that push away thing going on with him – earlier on when she thought he was meant for someone else and then later when she was afraid of getting involved. As for the big reveal, I think it just highlights the idea that it isn’t a huge problem. She’s made it into something so much worse than it is, which is understandable because the more she focused on it the more she built it up in her mind. And we’re back to that main theme – she’s gotta learn to trust.

*****

Author Info:

I like books that are funny and fun to read, but also make me think or look at the world in a new way. These days you’ll find me living my happily ever after in the Midwestern U.S. with my husband, dog and cats. I love to hear from readers, so please come find me on the Internet.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

*****

Tour Schedule:

May 3^rd

My Book Filled Life

www.mybookfilledlife.blogspot.com

Review

May 3^rd

Musings in Fiction Alley

http://musingsinficitonalley.blogspot.com/

Review

May 5^th