Spotlight – I Dream of Spiders

29 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Elle Keating, I Dream of Spiders

I read an early copy of this book and I found it to be a total page turner!

*****

I Dream of Spiders

by Elle Keating

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

The move to the remote town of Quarry Hill, Pennsylvania was supposed to help Griffin McGuire start over and forget the two people who betrayed him. As a paramedic at the local hospital, he would still have to interact with people, but the rest of the time he could hole himself away in the secluded cabin he was renting. It was perfect. For the first time in over a year, he felt like he could finally breathe.

That was until he met her.

A woman who doesn’t know her own name or why she was covered in blood and standing in the middle of the road when he found her. Griffin knows he should contact the police, but something is preventing him from going to the authorities. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that he was correct in trusting his instincts. Every time she falls asleep, she dreams and another memory is unlocked. Memories that are horrific and make him want to protect and hide her from the world.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon FR | Amazon AU

*****

Excerpt:

For the past ten minutes I stood in front of Trent’s guest bathroom mirror and willed myself to remember. Why can’t I see my captors’ faces in my mind? Why are all the other pieces coming together but the most important ones? I grip the sink and blow a lock of hair out of my eyes, but it just falls back into my line of vision.

Why can’t you see them? You need to remember. For all our sakes.

I saw the look on Griffin’s face tonight when he came home from work. He’s tired of this waiting game. Waiting for my damn memory to return completely. Couple that with the demons he is fighting on a daily basis…the man’s at the end of his rope.

I let out a frustrated sigh and then brush my teeth. I hear my phone on the vanity ding as I spit and I look at the screen. What is it this time? An advertisement for erectile dysfunction medication or the secret to how to cure unwanted facial hair? I’m wrong on both accounts. I towel off my face, pick up my phone, and delete the email that promises I will lose twenty-five pounds in seven days.

Music suddenly erupts from the phone in my hand. I look down and notice that I accidentally hit my Pandora app. I hum along as Adele serenades me with her sultry voice, but then I realize I sound like a dying cat and I stop and pause the music. The house is again quiet and my mood plummets even more.

I wonder if Griffin read the note and ate the dinner I cooked him. I want to be pissed at him, be fucking furious over how he’s treated me the last two days. I’m still mad, but after Trent told me about Miranda and what she did to Griffin, I can’t bring myself to hate him. I definitely would have sworn off men and relationships too if the roles were reversed. Over bagels and cream cheese Trent made it clear that he thinks there’s hope for us, that Griffin will be able to let me in at some point, but I’m not so sure.

Hating the silence, I start surfing and end up choosing a classical channel. Something safe. One that won’t tempt me to listen to the words and think about Griffin. I step out of the bathroom and place my phone on the nightstand. I’m in the middle of turning down the comforter when I hear three quick knocks at the bedroom door. Since Trent’s at work, it can only be Griffin. Another round of knocks ensues, faster and harder, and I flinch.

Fearing that there’s something wrong, I whip open the door and find Griffin standing there with his fist in the air. “Sorry,” he says, immediately lowering his arm.

He’s showered and is dressed for bed. A white t-shirt stretches over his muscular chest and he’s wearing a pair of black lounge pants that hang low on his hips. As much as I want to stare at his gorgeous body, it’s his eyes I focus on. He doesn’t take the opportunity to look me up and down or notice that I’m not wearing a bra beneath my pink tank top. His tortured gaze remains above my chin during the awkward silence we have going on.

“What’s wrong, Griffin?”

“You were never a mistake.” His hands are shaking at his sides. I see him swallow hard and he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. I have never seen him look so nervous…or scared. “I just don’t know what I’m doing,” he says, his voice thick with something so raw that I’m brought to tears. I want to take him into my arms, kiss the tension away. I want to rid his mind of memories that still haunt him. I want to make her go away. But I don’t want him to hurt me again. He must sense my apprehension because he steps closer and says, “I know you’re not Miranda.”

I reach for his trembling hands and place them on the sides of my face. “I’m not her.”

His eyes darken. His breathing quickens. I feel his fingers curl to secure my face in his palms. And then his lips are sealed over mine. “I’m sorry, Clare,” he utters between kisses. “So fucking sorry.”

My arms encircle his neck and I press my body against his. He lets out a groan that has me fisting his hair and tugging him closer until I can feel his arousal through my thin boyshorts.

“Need you, Clare,” he growls. Griffin backs me into the room and kicks the door closed behind us. “Let me have you.”

*****

Author Info:

Elle Keating is the author of romance novels with sexy heroes and fierce females. Her first book, Thrill of the Chase (Dangerous Love, #1), was published by Forever Romance’s digital imprint, Forever Yours, in 2015. Cut to the Chase (Dangerous Love, #2) soon followed. Most recently, Elle self-published Wanting More (Dangerous Love, #3), Back to the Start (Dangerous Love, #4) Feels Like Falling (Dangerous Love, #5) and the standalone novel, Keeping His Commandments.

When Elle isn’t torturing her heroes and heroines (don’t worry, there’s always a happily ever after), she is a public school administrator and enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children in New Jersey. For more on Elle and her books, visit ellekeating.com.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

*****

Giveaway:

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4cf78adb782/

*****

Spotlight – I Dream of Spiders

19 Tuesday Feb 2019

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Elle Keating, I Dream of Spiders

I read an early copy of this one and it was so guh-ood! Good amount of suspense to go along with a sweet little romance.

*****

I Dream of Spiders

by Elle Keating

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 19th

Blurb:

That was until he met her.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon FR | Amazon AU

*****

Excerpt:

I close my eyes, take a deep breath and allow the breeze to whip through my hair when I feel someone watching me. I look over and catch Griffin eyeing me. His heated gaze goes straight to my core. I have no idea why he affects me so much. Yes, he is gorgeous and built like a brick shit house, but he also can be moody as hell. Something must have happened to him. The man is kind and gentle one minute and grumpy and on the verge of having a tantrum the next. I can make him chuckle, but I can also make him curse and storm out of rooms. I want to figure him out, but I get the feeling that is the last thing he wants…along with a housemate.

Which means I have to get my memory back, all of it. This bits and pieces bullshit is going to drive me insane. At this rate it will take me years to regain my memory. I take another bite of my sandwich, put it down on the napkin next to me, and reel my line in a little. “So where did you grow up?” I ask, trying desperately to have a normal conversation.

“South Philadelphia, just a few blocks from the Phillies ballpark,” he says, peeling back the foil from his sandwich.

Philadelphia.

My vision blurs and the peaceful lake in front of me mutates into something else entirely…

“Drink this, Tye. You’re freezing,” the young girl said as she handed him the Styrofoam cup. Despite the visible steam coming from the cup, he drank it down in two gulps. Through her veil of ratty hair, the girl smiled and sat next to him on the stoop.

Tye wiped his mouth off with the back of his gloved hand and said, “Steer clear of Market Street, girl. It’s swarming with cops. They’re rounding everyone up and forcing us into shelters tonight because of the snow that’s coming.”

“I’m going to the church. They don’t ask many questions there,” she said. “Why don’t you come with me?”

“Nah, I’ll be fine. I like the cold. It keeps me alert.”

“That’s bullshit,” she said.

“Young ladies shouldn’t curse,” Tye scolded.

The girl snorted and laughed at the old timer. She then looked down, her eyes taking in the miserable sight. Her smile faded and her eyes hardened. “They shouldn’t be covered in flea bites or wear clothes that are full of fucking holes, either,” she spat.

“Hey, what is it? Talk to me.”

I blink away the vision and stare into Griffin’s concerned eyes. “I saw a young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen. I didn’t get a good look at her face because her hair was covering most of it. I think she was living on the streets.” And she was pissed. I heard the bite in the young girl’s voice and saw the disgust in her eyes, not when she looked at that man she called Tye, but when she gave herself a once-over. At her tattered clothing, her matted hair, her flea-bitten skin. “Why is my brain spitting out random images of some poor girl?”

“You’re going to remember. Each memory, each vision is a puzzle piece. They may seem random and useless right now, but you will find the connection.”

“How do you know I’m going to remember who I am?” I ask, staring into his green eyes.

“Because you’re too stubborn, too strong-willed not to.”

*****

Author Info:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

*****

Book Review – Feels Like Falling

12 Monday Nov 2018

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

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Book Review, Dangerous Love series, Elle Keating, Feels Like Falling

While not an easy read, Feels Like Falling is definitely one worth trying – Keating will break your heart a time or two on her way to giving you a happy ending.

*****

Feels Like Falling

Dangerous Love #5

by Elle Keating

Release Date: November 13, 2018

Publisher: Self-published

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

From author Elle Keating comes FEELS LIKE FALLING, the next installment in her Dangerous Love series. Peyton Matthews doesn’t want anyone to find the chinks in her armor, and Luke McGinnis fights hard to keep his ugly past buried. While they are drawn to each other, chemistry is not what’s bringing them together. Fans of UGLY LOVE by Coleen Hoover, Sylvia Day, and EASY by Tammara Webber will devour this dark and emotional romance.

Luke McGinnis is the responsible, quiet older brother. The loving son who enjoys working side-by-side with his father at the winery they co-own. At twenty-nine years old, Luke is a success story, the rags-to-riches kind. That’s what people see. Not the ugly past he fights to keep buried… a past that keeps him from really living.

Peyton Matthews is a household name. As a model, her face has been on the covers of countless magazines and she now has more money than she will ever know what to do with. But that smile she flashes for the photographers and the media is just an illusion. That pretty package everyone envies has been her armor, her protection, and she doesn’t want anyone to find a chink in it… especially not the winery owner who looks at her like he knows the dark secrets she keeps.

Add to Goodreads → https://bit.ly/2N9H7fH

BUY NOW: Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

Listen to the FEELS LIKE FALLING playlist on Spotify now! https://spoti.fi/2ND6ypi

What more from Elle Keating? Grab the rest of the Dangerous Love books!

THRILL OF THE CHASE

Read Now: Amazon | B&N

CUT TO THE CHASE

Read Now: Amazon | B&N

WANTING MORE

Read Now: Amazon | B&N

BACK TO THE START

Read Now: Amazon | B&N

*****

Excerpt:

Peyton looked back at the bar, but Luke was nowhere to be found. Pissed, she continued her trek to the bathrooms anyway and was just about to enter the door marked MNA when someone grabbed her hand and pulled her down a hallway and into some back room which housed a pay phone and a rack full of coats. Like the rest of the tavern, the lighting wasn’t great, but she was able to focus on the man who still gripped her hand and stared at her like he was either going to yell at her or take her against the wall in the most primal of ways.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Who is he?” Luke asked through gritted teeth.

It pissed her off that he completely ignored her question and asked her one instead, one that truly left her perplexed. “Who are you talking about?”

“The man who felt it was okay to touch you here.” He released her hand, but she instantly felt his fingertips at the small of her back.

The heat of his touch made her anger fade, at least for the time being and she said, “He’s a friend of Walt’s.”

“Are you leaving with him?” His eyes darkened and he drew closer. His hand fell away from the small of her back, which thankfully broke the trance her body seemed to be under and her fury was reignited.

Who the hell did he think he was? She didn’t owe him anything. Not even responses to questions that made her hot and furious at the same time.

“Did you follow me here?” she asked. Her voice shook a little, but it was better than submitting to his questions.

“Yes. Now, are you going home with him?”

“Do you have any idea how messed up that is? That you fucking followed me…again?”

His jaw clenched and he looked away. Peyton was prepared to continue, to lay into him and tell him that he was a stalker and could go to hell, but then he glanced back at her and she saw the shame in his eyes. “Yeah…it is fucked up. I’m…fucked up,” he said.

She wasn’t even going to try to pretend that his words didn’t shock her. He knew what he was doing wasn’t normal. That he wasn’t normal. Luke roughly raked a hand through his hair as he paced the small coatroom. He reminded her of a caged animal, one that was anxious and willing to chew through the bars to get free. Shame, worry, pain, fear, confusion. He seemed consumed by each emotion all at once and all she could do was watch him suffer. What happened to him? Why did he look so…broken?

Before she could ask, Luke shook his head, told her he was sorry and left.

*****

Review:

Keating’s latest story is about strength and coping. Both Peyton and Luke survived horrible abuses as children but did their best to find a way to move forward. It wasn’t necessarily the best but it worked at the time. Now a chance meeting has them re-examining their lives and what they want out in their future.

As much as he loves his family and as good as his life got after he and his brothers were taken in by the McGinnis family, Luke didn’t feel like he could talk to anyone about what his past did to him. He tried to live a normal life but found that he had trouble with relationships, so he did the best he could to get by, making only impersonal connections with people outside his family. Then he sees Peyton’s haunting eyes on the cover of a magazine and later in real life … and everything changes.

I think Peyton may have dealt with her past a bit better but it still hampered her life. She’d struggled with giving herself to a relationship, using her career and celebrity as the excuse to keeping things shallow. But her attraction to Luke proves too big to ignore and there is a special connection between them. When she finds out why and what it meant for him, though, will she be able to accept it?

You have to be OK with descriptions of some truly awful things done to children, but if you make it thru you’ll find a journey to a HEA that will make it all worth while. Both have their struggles, especially Luke about whether he’s good enough for someone like Peyton, but it’s heartening the way they manage to work through their issues to finally find that special someone.

*****

Author Info:

Elle Keating is the author of romance novels with sexy heroes and fierce females. Her first book, Thrill of the Chase (Dangerous Love, #1), was published by Forever Romance’s digital imprint, Forever Yours, in 2015. Cut to the Chase (Dangerous Love, #2) soon followed. Most recently, Elle self-published Wanting More (Dangerous Love, #3), Back to the Start (Dangerous Love, #4) and the standalone novel, Keeping His Commandments.

*****

Giveaway:

Enter to win one of three Dangerous Love Book Bundles!

(includes Thrill of the Chase, Cut to the Chase, Wanting More, & Back to the Start)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29588/

*****

Spotlight – Back to the Start

19 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Back to the Start, Dangerous Love series, Elle Keating

After reading Wanting More, I’m super excited to have this one in my TBR pile. It’s out today so you have the chance to get your own copy 🙂

*****

Back to the Start

The Dangerous Love series, Book 4

by Elle Keating

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 19, 2018

Format: Digital eBook

Blurb:

Morgan Kelley has left Boston and is settling in Philadelphia…to a city that harbors her most painful secrets. Will these secrets destroy Morgan’s new beginning or will coming clean give her the second chance she’s longing to have?

Jake McGinnis has the life he has dreamed of since childhood: a professional football career with adoring fans, financial security, and the unwavering support of his family. From the outside looking in, he has everything. But nothing could be further from the truth. Because there isn’t a day that goes by that Jake doesn’t think about his first love… and what his world would look like if she was still by his side. When he hears that she is relocating to start a new job less than a mile from him, the pain of their breakup feels fresher than ever. For eight years, he has wondered why their relationship ended and now she’s settling in his city. A city that isn’t big enough for the two of them.

For Morgan Kelley, moving to Philadelphia means living closer to her family and practicing veterinary medicine with two of her closest friends. It’s also her chance to start over and move on from her failed marriage. There’s only one con: the close proximity to Jake McGinnis. Once upon a time being near him was all she wanted, but now he is practically a stranger… and it’s all her fault. Faced with awful memories and the possibility of bumping into him at her favorite coffee shop, Morgan is haunted by the real reason she once broke both of their hearts. Deep down, she knows she won’t be able to embrace this new chapter of her life without finally telling Jake the whole truth.

But how will he react when she shares her secret? Their love story once felt inevitable, unshakable. Is this where it ends for good, or is it the beginning of a second chance?

Additional Info:
• 250 pages
• Dual POV
• Contemporary romance set in and around the Philadelphia Area
• Though part of the Dangerous Love Series, Back to the Start can be read without reading the first three books.

Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/user/authorellekeating/playlist/48GeRw0dVVRoJFXF5iLwaX

Find the Book:
iBooks: https://apple.co/2kuM7un
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2xlTjCy
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2xfZE2i

*****

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Jake

Stand up straight. Stare dead ahead. Smile at your sister.

Jake McGinnis watched his sister, Carina, sway to the music. Her fiancé of only five minutes brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and wiped away the tears from her still-flushed cheeks. But they were happy tears. Which meant Josh Graham was a lucky man. As long as Carina’s fiancé kept a smile on her face, he was allowed to live.

“Look how happy your sister is, Jake. I’ve never seen her so in love,” his mom said.

Though Jake towered over Lucrezia McGinnis by at least eight inches, he would always be her little boy. It wasn’t like he was a momma’s boy or starved for her approval. She had always encouraged him to make his own choices and follow his dreams. Even when he was five and he declared that he was going to be an NFL quarterback, she didn’t shoo him away or tell him to have a plan B when that dream didn’t materialize. Instead, she had told him that he would have to work hard to make it to the pros, and then when he thought he couldn’t take anymore, he would need to work even harder. He leaned into his mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Lord knows Carina deserves it.”

“And so does that young man. He too deserves to be happy and in a family who loves him,” his mom said, nodding at the couple on the dance floor. “Josh is a good boy.”

His mom had moved to the States over forty years ago, but her Italian accent was still incredibly thick. Jake loved the sound of her voice, how comforting it was. So much so that it almost made him let his guard down. Almost. Jake returned his attention to his sister and the scene behind her. The Avalon Yacht Club’s floor to ceiling windows allowed him to see the sun setting over the bay, giving the large reception room a golden hue.

Josh took Carina’s hand and kissed her ring finger. The diamond sparkled. His sister’s smile took over her entire face. Jake had to admit that the man had class. Just last week, Josh had driven to his future in-laws’ house and asked for their daughter’s hand. After he received their blessing, Josh called each of Carina’s siblings and her best friend and her mom and invited them to come witness what turned out to be one hell of a proposal.

At first Jake had thought it was strange that Josh wanted to pop the question at his best friend’s wedding reception. Jake wasn’t an expert at weddings and etiquette, but he had wondered if proposing at someone else’s reception was some sort of party foul. But then he had seen the bride’s face, how happy she was when Josh dropped to his knee and told Carina and over a hundred and fifty guests that he wanted her to be his wife. There hadn’t been a dry eye in the place. Even Jake had gotten a little choked up.

But the moment had passed. And now it was taking everything he had to keep his shit together. Because just twenty feet away stood the reason that he felt like he was going to crawl out of his skin and put his fist through the wall behind him.

Deep breath. Straighten your tie. Unclench your hands. Don’t look at her.

He fucking looked.

And regretted it the second he laid eyes on her.

He had prayed to feel indifference. That the sight of Morgan Kelley wouldn’t invoke anything in him. But pain hit him harder than any linebacker ever could and the anger…it made his blood boil.

It was the anger he clung to. It was the safest choice and an emotion that he was well acquainted with. Anger had driven him these past eight years. Every time he had pictured her face, he would sprint a little harder. Each moment he had allowed himself to think of how she tasted, how she had melted into him the first and only time they were together, Jake would hit the weight room and lift until his arms were about to give out or his coach told him to fucking stop, whichever came first.

It was anger, not lust, not love, that had prompted him to fulfill his desires with many women over the years. At first, he had chosen women who resembled her. It wasn’t intentional; it was his subconscious that ached to be with her again, to look into her dark blue eyes and get lost in them, to touch every freckle that sprinkled her nose, and to fist her long, blonde hair. When it had finally hit him that he was seeking these women out for one reason and one reason only, he changed his requirements. From that moment on, the women he fucked had to be different from Morgan Kelley in every way. He didn’t want to see her face when he made a woman’s back arch with pleasure. He didn’t want Morgan’s eyes looking back at him, destroying what was left of his heart.

“May I have this dance?” Patrick McGinnis asked. His dad’s voice made Jake snap to attention. He forced a smile and tried to pretend that he wasn’t falling apart. Jake took his mom’s hand and placed it in her husband’s.

“Of course,” she said. His mom gave Jake a kiss on the cheek and whispered, “Now, are you going to ask her to dance or are you content with just staring at her from across the room?” His mom winked at him and made her way onto the dance floor with her husband.

Jake had no intention of asking Morgan to dance. It was tough enough to be in the same room as her. On the drive here, Jake had sworn to himself that he wouldn’t speak to her. Or look at her. Or imagine what her life had been like these past eight years…without him. His stomach twisted into knots, which pissed him the hell off.

Feel nothing…please.

Morgan glanced in his direction and then turned her back on him. He watched her signal the bartender. Memories of that day she had broken up with him came flooding back.

Her crying.

Her wincing, as if in pain.

Her saying the words he would never forget.

“We need to…break up, Jake. I can’t do this anymore.”

No. She wasn’t going to dismiss him again. In an instant he was at the bar, standing directly behind her and wondering what the fuck he was doing.

*****

Author Info:

An avid reader of gritty, dark romances, her favorite authors include Pepper Winters, Penelope Ward, and Anna Zaires.

When she isn’t torturing her heroes and heroines (don’t worry, there’s always a happily ever after), Elle is a public school administrator and enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children in New Jersey.

Connect with Elle: Website | Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

*****

Book Review – Wanting More

20 Tuesday Feb 2018

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Dangerous Love series, Elle Keating, Wanting More

This is my first book by Elle Keating but hopefully it will NOT be my last!

*****

Wanting More

Dangerous Love series

by Elle Keating

314 pages, Dual POV

Contemporary romance set in and around Philadelphia area

Blurb:

Carina McGinnis knows Josh Graham is trouble. Being attracted to a man who most likely has a turnstile at the entrance of his bedroom can only end in heartache, something Carina never wants to experience again. If she doesn’t want a repeat of what happened last summer, it’s best Carina keep what’s left of her heart safely out of Josh’s reach.

Josh Graham doesn’t do sweet. He goes for one kind of woman. The kind who never ask for more than he can give. Sex without strings, feelings and emotional baggage is safe. But from the moment Josh meets Carina his number one rule is quickly forgotten, forcing him to face his past and take a leap of faith for that one woman who will always want more.

Though part of the Dangerous Love series, Wanting More can be read without
reading the first two books.

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/authorellekeating/playlist/4odaviYJYskUQreTlM7lks

Amazon: http://bit.ly/WantingMoreKindle

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/wantingmoreBN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/wantingmoreKobo

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/wantingmoreGR

*****

Excerpt:

Josh

I’ll just have to have enough control for the both of us.

That’s what he had promised her. That he would be a gentleman. Which meant that he couldn’t touch her, think of her anymore, at least not in the way he craved. He would friend zone her. He had girlfriends. Mia and Erin were proof that he could have a relationship with a woman and not want to get in her pants. He could do this.

Then why the hell was he so nervous?

He gripped the white bag and rounded the corner. The playground came into view and he increased his pace. He could hear screams coming from his right. And then the distinct sound of a rubber kickball being bounced against cement. Josh was on his way to the front entrance when he saw her through the black iron fence. Standing in the doorway to what looked like a classroom behind her, Carina was in full teacher mode. A little girl was looking up at her and saying something. He couldn’t make out her words but whatever she had said made Carina smile and then she positioned the girl so her back was to her. Seconds later Carina was gathering the girl’s blonde curly hair in one hand and securing it with a hair tie. After a quick tug to her pony tail and a smile from her teacher, the girl skipped away in the direction of the swings.

Josh could have stared at Carina all day, watching her do her job, a job she seemed to enjoy, a job that made her smile. He loved her smile. Especially when she didn’t think anyone was watching. Her silent confidence, the way she appeared to be so relaxed in her own skin, captivated him. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and scanned the playground. And that’s when she spotted him. Caught him, was more like it, staring at her through the iron bars. His throat went dry and his brain went to mush. The bag in his hand felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, as if reminding him why he had come.

She walked across the playground and with each step his heart beat faster. He urged himself to calm the fuck down. Because if he couldn’t do this, how the hell was he going to get through this weekend? Alone with her in a car for two and a half hours. Alone with her in a hotel room where there may only be one bed. The visual made his breathing hitch. He would take the floor. Scratch that. He would take an ice-cold shower and then sleep on the floor. She could have the bed. That king-sized bed all to herself, her wrapped in white sheets, warm and…

“Josh, what are you doing here?” she asked.

He swallowed hard and barely managed to raise the white, now grease stained bag until it was level with his face. “Have you eaten lunch?” he asked. It was a miracle he could get the words out.

Um…not yet. Was just about to go inside and eat at my desk. I brown bagged it
today.”

“I think I can do better than that. Do you like roast pork sandwiches?”

She eyed the white bag. Luckily, his fingers had stopped trembling. “Is that a
Di’Nic’s bag?”

He nodded. “There’s a roast pork sandwich in here with your name written all over it if you agree to eat lunch with me.”

Her brow raised and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Is it fully loaded with peppers, cheese and horseradish?”

She liked messy sandwiches. She was too good to be true.

“Absolutely.”

Her lips curled to form a mischievous smile. “Okay. But you better have lots of napkins.”

Josh pulled a fistful of napkins out of the bag and displayed them proudly. “I think we’re covered.”

“Alright. Meet you in the park across the street?”

He smiled at her, causing her cheeks to pinken. She then turned and walked back into the school building.

Alright, the hard part was over. She had agreed to lunch. He had gotten through it. All that was left to do was convince himself and to prove to Carina that they could be friends. And that because they were just friends, she didn’t have to worry about this weekend. As her friend, he would escort her to the baptism. As her friend, he would parade around as her boyfriend to help ward off Eric fucking Ross. As her friend, he would keep her company and turn back into the old Josh, the one who was easygoing and took pride in being a smartass.

Friends.

Yep, he could do this.

No problem.

Carina

She loved a messy sandwich as much as the next girl, but her appetite was shit right now. Carina forced down another bite and tried not to stare at Josh as he withdrew two bottles of root beer from the bag. As the muscles in his arms flexed beneath his thin cotton t-shirt. Or how nice his ass looked in his jeans. Or how his hair flopped…

“So I thought it was best that I just put it out there.” He set the bag down next to him on the park bench.

She stopped imagining how soft his hair would feel between her fingers. “Put what out there?”

“Well, I think we’re stuck with each other,” he said, opening one of the root beers and handing it over to her. His fingers brushed hers as she took the bottle. Her face was burning up.

“I didn’t really give you a choice. I kind of roped you into this baptism thing. Don’t you think?”

“I’m not talking about the baptism, Carina.” He twisted off the cap to his root beer and took a swig.

“Then what do you mean?”

“I mean…Mia is your best friend. Mia is one of my closest friends. Which means I think it’s inevitable. We’re going to have to become friends.” The root beer almost came up. Friends? This guy had kissed her, sucked on her nipples, and had his head between her thighs. She knew that she wasn’t his type, that he didn’t want anything remotely resembling a relationship with her, but how the hell was she going to be friends with him now? He flashed her a smile that made her want to squirm in her seat, but by the grace of God she remained still.

“Um…do you think that’s even possible? We…uh…”

“I think I’m a pretty good friend. Mia and Erin would vouch for me. Just ask them.” His mind was made up. Friendship was all he had to offer. And Carina didn’t need to ask Mia if Josh could fulfill that role. He had shown her that he really was a nice guy. A devoted grandson. Erin’s man of honor. A guy who wouldn’t think twice about beating the piss out of someone who got a little handsy at a club.

A guy who could be both brooding and sweet.

And he was now her friend.

Because that was all he was capable of.

“Well, it’ll be a first for me.” Carina took a bite of her sandwich and then a sip of her root beer.

He wiped his sinful mouth with a napkin and smirked. “What will be?”

“Being just friends with a guy…one who has seen my hoo-ha.”

He chuckled. “Hoo-ha? That’s what you call it?” he asked, glancing between her legs. His heated stare made her legs cross and her head go places it shouldn’t. And throughout it all, his smirk remained.

“Uh…yeah. What would you call it?” She suddenly felt parched and drained her soda.

His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “Do you want me to be honest?”

She set her empty bottle on the ground beneath the park bench. “Friends are supposed to be honest with each other. Right?”

His smile evaporated and he bit his lip. Which was one of the sexiest things she had ever witnessed in her life. She wanted to bite his lip. His tongue. Every fucking inch of him. “I’ll tell you what I would call that part of you…and then we will become friends. Agreed?” he asked, his voice now gruff, no longer playful. His smirk had also failed to return.

Her heart hammered in her chest, as she was remembering how he had taken her in that office. His lips sucking her clit. The sounds she made. The groans he had allowed to escape as she rode his face. “Yes. Friends,” she said.

He stared at her for a few seconds. The silence wasn’t awkward, but intoxicating. She felt dizzy and overheated. And so damn wet. “That area between your thighs, where I licked you, inhaled you, tasted you…that was heaven, Carina.”

Jesus Christ!

Now it was her turn to bite the shit out of her lip.

His eyes darkened as they traveled to her mouth and then he said, “Carina, finish your sandwich. Your lunch hour is almost over.” He retrieved the remainder of his sandwich and took a bite. Numb, she did the same. And thought about the weekend she was about to spend with him.

As friends.

*****

Review:

I’ll admit that this book had a big strike against it from the beginning – I am NOT a fan of manwhores, redeemable or not. But Keating definitely shows her skill because Josh is pretty darn appealing regardless of his … racy history. He’s decided that it is a good coping mechanism for his tragic past. It makes sense but in the hands of a less skilled writer he might have still been off-putting for me. Instead I understood how his awful parents and a devastating loss created the man he is today. But he also has a loving grandmother and awesome friends who provide him the support he needs, especially when he reaches the point that he starts looking at things differently.

Carina is coming out of a disastrous relationship, only to discover that her ex is also her new boss. And the man is truly horrible – threatening and obsessed. When she asks a guy she just met to pretend to be her boyfriend, it kicks off a series of events that she could never have expected. Even as she recognizes that Josh is not for her, and vice versa, the attraction between them proves hard to resist.

I would have expected the back and forth between the two to get old after a while – Carina is not a one night stand kind of girl and Josh isn’t into relationships – but it works here. Their conflicting emotions are very real and their struggle feels true. And while Carina’s ex is an awful, awful person, he wasn’t too mustache-twirly as a villain. Instead he’s a good catalyst for some of the interactions between Carina and Josh, and definitely amps up the ending.

Wanting More is an emotional roller-coaster, with wonderfully addictive characters and a storyline that will keep you reading late into the night.

(Note: This is my first time with this series and I think that Keating does a really good job of explaining how everyone relates to each other. There are some references to what happened in the first two stories that would make more sense to returning readers but they don’t really impact the enjoyment of this story … I’m just curious enough to add her other stories to my TBR pile 🙂 )

*****

Author Info:

An avid reader of gritty, dark romances, her favorite authors include Pepper Winters, Penelope Ward, and Anna Zaires.

Website: www.ellekeating.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorellekeating

Instagram: www.instagram.com/elle.keating

Email: authorellekeating@gmail.com

Additional titles by Elle Keating:

Thrill of the Chase (Dangerous Love, #1)

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/thrillGR

Amazon: http://bit.ly/thrillofthechase

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/thrillofthechaseBN