Book Review – To Win Her Smile

18 Tuesday Jul 2017

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

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Book Review, Mackenzie Crowne, Players series, To Win Her Smile

I’m so excited to bring you this book … and so sasd to see the series end 😦

*****

To Win Her Smile

Players, Book 5

by Mackenzie Crowne

Blurb:

Sometimes love and luck collide . . .

When sultry British Baroness Piper Darrow falls on desperate times, she needs a diversion—and cash. As a talented photographer, she jumps at the chance to travel to the U.S. for a Manhattan Marauders football event. But she gets more than she bargained for when buff quarterback Wyatt Hunter’s errant pass lands . . . in her face. And when it results in Wyatt’s comeback of a lifetime, the superstitious athlete is convinced Piper is his good luck charm . . .

With his sights on the Super Bowl, Wyatt will do anything necessary to keep Piper close. The fact that she’s a feast for the eyes is a bonus. And as they get closer, he discovers that beneath her proper English surface is a sweet, sexy seductress. Soon the notorious playboy finds himself genuinely smitten, and surprisingly open to love—until his powerful family uncovers something about Piper that threatens to shatter his trust. Now he’ll have to decide whether to team up with his fears, or his heart.

Purchase Links via http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/35098

*****

Excerpt:

“Why did you come back?” She arched a brow, and he was quick to clarify. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you, but you made it pretty damned clear you thought I was nuts.”

She paused with her fork hovering over the open carton. “Technically, I still think you’re full-on barmy.” A single dimple popped in her cheek and her emerald eyes twinkled with laughter. “But, I’ve been assured your money is quite spendable.”

He didn’t have a fucking clue what barmy was, but if accusing him of being so made her smile like that, he’d gladly become the king of Barmyville. He poured himself a glass of wine. “So, you came back for the money?”

He’d rather she’d come back for his body, but she was here. Sitting in his kitchen. He wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She paused in scooping the Chinese noodles and shrimp onto her plate and cocked her head. “Even we duchesses are occasionally in need of coin.”

“Touché.” He chuckled, then sipped at the chilled chardonnay. “If you don’t mind my asking, what’s V paying you for the Marauders’ deal?”

Piper set aside the carton and picked up her fork. “Fifty-thousand dollars, plus expenses, and the copyright purchase of all the photographs I produce.”

He whistled between his teeth. “Not bad money for five weeks of work.”

She nodded her agreement, and satisfaction gleamed in her eyes. “Added to the one-hundred-thousand you’ll be paying me, you can understand why I came back.”

He dipped his chin and leaned in to tease her. “Yeah, duchess, now that I’m thinking about it, that amount is pretty high. Especially since the profits go to charity.”

She didn’t blink an eye. “Sorry, that figure is non-negotiable. I’ll require half up front with the remainder due upon completion of the photographs, which is the same arrangement I made with V on the Fab Five project.”

He bit back a grin and leaned toward her with his elbows on the granite countertop. “That’s all well and good for V, but if you recall, the one-hundred-thousand-dollars was contingent upon your physical attendance at all twenty of my games this season.”

She mirrored his position, leaning in. “Which I’m willing to do, if you agree to your originally quoted figure, plus cover any additional travel expenses I’ve incurred once I’m back in England and have to return to follow you around the States.”

He straightened with a jolt. “Hold on. Are you screwing with my head? You’re willing to show up at the games?”

He’d all but given up on that happening, which sucked. Sharing a bed with her would be impossible from the other side of the Atlantic, but then, sleeping with her wasn’t a requirement of her lucky charm status. Neither, technically, was her attendance at his games when a weekly phone call would’ve covered it, but he wasn’t about to admit that now.

Having her on his turf, live and in person, was worth a hell of a lot more to him than a lousy hundred K.

Her lips flattened in a prim line. “It’s the least I can do, considering you’re paying me a fortune. And, I assure you, I have never screwed with anyone’s head.”

He choked on a laugh. Jesus, with the exception of that bollocks slip, the woman spoke like Queen Elizabeth’s spinster cousin. The contradiction of Piper’s upper crust speech and made-for-sin body, not to mention the way she’d kissed him… He shook his head. He’d bet his Aston Martin she hadn’t learned that skill at some dusty boarding school. Fuck, yeah. The enticing paradox of her was a definite head screw.

He grinned. “Then you should try it sometime. You have a natural talent for it.” She slowly straightened on her stool and he held up his hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal. One-hundred-thousand plus any travel expenses to get you to and from the games after you’ve finished the calendar and returned to England.” And since it appeared this was his lucky day, and she was in such a generous mood… “One more thing. About that suite at the Plaza…”

Blink, blink, blink.

Just when he thought his heart was going to explode, she sniffed. “Now, you’re just being greedy.”

Well, hell-o, duchess. She hadn’t said no.

*****

Review:

Wyatt has perfected the charming rascal face that he shows the world and for the most part he’s found a way to live a life that he wants. But all is not perfect in his world. Piper knows what it is like to have the world turn on you but she’s got moxie and is willing to work for what she holds dear. It can’t be easy for either of them living in such scrutiny, but at least it is something that they can both understand. And best of all, both of them have a great support system in their friends and family. (Well, for the most part.)

Together Wyatt and Piper are a hoot. From their first introduction to the take no prisoners seduction campaign that Wyatt stages, there is laughter and fun and heat. He definitely makes it difficult for Piper to do what she feels is best and resist the oh-so-tempting QB. And then … *sigh* I knew before I started that Wyatt was going to do something to screw things up. (Well, one of them was and it was most likely going to be him.) That didn’t stop me from giving these two my heart and then watching him just stomp all over it. I understand why he does what he does – and major props to the guy for making up for it – but that didn’t stop me from getting mad and hurt … but that’s what tells you you’ve found a great book and an amazing author, right? That you get so invested in the characters that it feels like you are involved with them too?

I have loved this series from the beginning and I was super excited to be given the chance to not only read this one but to be involved in promoting it. At least until I realized that Ms. Crowne said this was it, the last of the series. Say it isn’t so!!! If this is your first chance to experience these rough and tumble football players (and the women who bring them to their knees) it is definitely a great place to start. But don’t blame me when you find yourself adding the rest to your TBR pile 🙂

*****

Author Info:

Mackenzie Crowne is an award-winning, bestselling author, breast cancer survivor, and personal assistant to Freeway, a rambunctious pound puppy, Zoe, the blind cat, and Gato, a stray Tom with a big heart. Her friends call her Mac. She hopes you will too.

*****

Giveaway:

Beach Bag Stuffed with Goodies & Signed Romances

(Contest open from 7/18 – 8/1)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/56e78e438/?

*****

Book Review – To Win Her Back

23 Monday Jan 2017

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Book Review, Mackenzie Crowne, Players series, To Win Her Back

To Win Her Back

Players series

by Mackenzie Crowne

Will the mistakes of the past ruin their future?

As public relations coordinator for the Manhattan Marauders pro football team, Victoria “V” Price has the wealth, prestige, and glamour she only dreamed of growing up. All she’s missing is a man to share it with. V thought she gave up her shot at love when she left her childhood sweetheart in the dust of her rural Texas town, along with the painful secrets of her family life. But the past comes roaring back when Sam Fitzpatrick, the only man she ever loved, is hired as the Marauders’ new offensive coordinator.

Despite Sam’s reluctance to work alongside V, his distrust of the woman who broke his young heart is no match for their swiftly rekindling passion. Yet even as V’s tough PR persona gives way to her softer side, Sam wonders if their chemistry is enough to overcome the wounds left unhealed between them. But when the devastating truth of V’s past is exposed, threatening both her career and their second chance, Sam finds himself asking a different question: does he have what it takes to win back her love?

I have to be honest … for some reason I just didn’t want to read this book. I got it because it is written by Mackenzie Crowne and part of the Players series, but I just knew that the angst would get to me. Oh, how wrong I was!! Once again Crowne’s deft writing and finely crafted characters caught me from the first page and wouldn’t let go.

These two have so much baggage that they are going to need a cart when they meet up again. They had that amazingly perfect young love … until it all fell apart. Unfortunately when things went bad, they were very, very bad and they’ve let it impact things (even if they won’t admit it to anyone) for over a decade. Being forced to work together, though, means they have to get their acts together, fast.

Part of me thinks that Sam got over it a little quick but MOST of me enjoyed the lack of drama. As I mentioned, I wasn’t looking forward to a whole book of his hurt pride (although I’m pretty sure that Crowne could make even that good!) but luckily we didn’t have to deal with that. Instead, with a little help from their friends, they reflected on their past, addressed it and then moved forward.

Now, there were a couple of moments when I wished Sam had stepped up. First, he allowed everyone to say nasty things about V in their home town, which made it uncomfortable for her to come see her mom. Granted, her relationship with her mom isn’t the best and she didn’t want to go home, but he could have manned up at some point and been all “we were young and did stupid things”. Instead he waited 15 years, and for them to start having to spend time together, to do anything about it.

The other thing was the fact that he buried his hurt feelings in other women and became a man-whore. Now, I’m all for reformed rakes making the best husbands but his seemed a little petty. And it was made all the worse by the fact that V reverted to being celibate. Again, she had her reasons for not getting involved with anyone (and it wasn’t necessarily that she was pining for him), but some readers may have a problem with the double standard.

Personally, I like how Crowne gives both of them intriguing motivations for their actions and pulled it together with their second chance romance. Their love story is complicated for a lot of reasons but characters with depth and a hard to put down storyline made it … well, hard to put down 🙂

Book Review – To Win Her Heart

13 Friday May 2016

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Book Review, Mackenzie Crowne, Players series, To Win Her Heart

We’ve seen this one already as a spotlight, but I finally had a chance to read it 🙂

To Win Her Heart

Book Three in the Players series

by Mackenzie Crowne

In order to protect her, they’ll both have to let their guards down…

Country music’s It Girl Jessi Tucker is fed up with her family’s stifling security measures. The threat of a dangerous stalker has gotten the men in her life—including her football star cousin, Tuck Tucker—monitoring her every move. To get the freedom she yearns for, Jessi hatches a plan to recruit Max Grayson, Tuck’s sexy brawler best friend, to play the role of her new boyfriend. But if her scheme works, will she be forced to hide her true romantic feelings for the sake of her independence? Or will she finally steal the heart of her dream man?…

Max believes he can keep Jessi safe from danger, but can he shelter her from his own dark secrets, the media’s unforgiving spotlight—and a mutual desire that’s harder to resist each day…

I knew I’d love this one because Crowne did such fabulous things with the first two books and I was so anxious to see what she would do for the oh-so-sexy Max 🙂 Even though he’s done extremely well for himself, Max still feels unworthy of Jessi for so many reasons – the way he grew up, the things he did surviving on the streets, their age difference, his relationship with her family. Jessi though sees the man he is now and is convinced that nothing he’s done can change how she feels about him. And now she’s got the perfect chance to make him see it too.

The Tuckers are a force unto themselves! Smart, funny, caring and stubborn, once they start something they don’t give up easily. And Jessi is going to need all of that to help her get through to Max. As the two spend time together he starts letting slip some of the reasons why he’s been fighting their attraction so hard and it’s heartbreaking, for her and for us.

Unfortunately Max can be just as set in his thinking as she is so he’s not going to go down without a fight. Convinced that he’s not good enough to be loved (completely missing how much his friends already love him and how they would do just about anything for him) Max has done everything he can to resist Jessi but close contact for too long pushes even him to the limit … and what a fabulous time that turns out to be 🙂

Interestingly enough the stalker part of it doesn’t play that big of a role, except to throw the two of them together and as a means to give them some alone time. I actually liked the way it is handled because it makes sense in the story but if you are looking for something more suspense-y I think you might be disappointed. Crowne definitely focuses on the romance part of it, delivering an emotional read full of ups & downs as the two fight for what they believe is right.

(Even though this is part of a series, you can start here … although, there’s a good chance you’ll be drawn in too and anxiously await whatever Crowne brings next!)

Spotlight – Cooking Up Trouble & To Win Her Heart

12 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Cooking Up Trouble, Judi Lynn, Mackenzie Crowne, Mill Pond series, Players series, To Win Her Heart

I’m so excited about these two books – it’ll be my first Mill Pond Romance (although it looks super good!) and I’ve loved the rest of the Players series (To Win Her Love, To Win Her Trust) … I’ve been waiting for Max to get his girl 🙂

*****

Cooking Up Trouble

A Mill Pond Romance

by Judi Lynn

Blurb:

Tessa Lawrence swore off men when she found her fiancée in the arms of another woman. These days, she concentrates on caring for her small farm and running a bakery and farm stand out of its barn. Ian McGregor moves to Mill Pond to build a resort on the property next to Tessa’s. Tessa’s fine with that. Mill Pond’s trying to attract more tourists. The problem is, Ian understands business, but he’s never changed a tire or pounded a nail. She finds herself helping him more than she expected, and spending time around Ian is a dangerous proposition. The man’s far too good-looking and fun to be around.

Purchase Links: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/32318

Excerpt:

He stared at her a minute, then threw back his head and laughed. “I get it. Everyone knows your dirty laundry here.”

“Pretty much.”

“Then I’d better learn to be discreet.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Hmm, that much to hide? This should be interesting.”

With a grin, he motioned for her to follow him as he toured the first floor of the house. A small room, near the back, had a double bed made up and ready. He went to the kitchen and opened a few cupboards. A bag of ground coffee sat in the one above the coffee pot. “No food, but I can figure that out later.”

“No problem. When you come to my place for supper, I’ll send you home with some leftovers and a coffee cake for breakfast.”

He turned and reached for her hand. “Thank you. You’ve been really nice. It’s made this easier.”

She felt a blush creep up her neck and stain her cheeks. “We’re neighbors. It’s what country neighbors do.”

“Well, I appreciate it. If you ever need any help, let me know.” She couldn’t hide her surprise.

He glowered. “I might not be good with tools, but I’m good at fi- nances, business, things like that.”

“So am I, but thanks for the offer.”

He stared. “You’re good at money management, too?” “I took accounting before I dropped out of college.”

He thought a minute. “If you need a spider killed, a hand held, I’m your man.”

He was pretty sweet, really. But Gary had been sweet, too. Nice, handsome men might make great friends, but nothing more. “I’ll keep that in mind. For now, I’ve got to go. I have blueberry bushes to plant. You have a beautiful place. Settle in and I’ll see you at six.”

With a nod, he watched her go.

On the drive home, she couldn’t help thinking about him. Boy, did he have a lot to learn. She’d been lucky. She’d stayed with her grandparents every summer before she’d moved here. She knew what to expect of a small town. She had a feeling Ian McGregor didn’t have a clue.

Author Info:

When some people think of Indiana, they think of corn—which we have a lot of. But to me, Indiana is green—lush, beautiful, vibrant greens—so I use fictional towns and plunk them in an Indiana setting for a lot of my stories. I love cooking and gardening, and those sneak into my novels, too. I’ve collected more strays than I deserve. I’m a fan of Agatha Christie and urban fantasy, and I believe in happy ever after.

Website: http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/

Blog: http://writingmusings.com/

My twitter handle: @judypost

My Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/JudithPostsurbanfantasy/

Giveaway:

Ebook copy of Cooking Up Trouble

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e4be888269/

*****

To Win Her Heart

The Players Series, Book 3

by Mackenzie Crowne

Blurb:

In order to protect her, they’ll both have to let their guards down…

Max has been pining for Jessi for years and would do anything to protect her, but a professional cage fighter with too many skeletons in his closet has no business being with one of America’s sweethearts. Yet while Max does his best to keep Jessi at arm’s length, the Tucker family persuades him to accept her offer.
Max believes he can keep Jessi safe from danger, but can he shelter her from his own dark secrets, the media’s unforgiving spotlight—and a mutual desire that’s harder to resist each day?

Excerpt:

“Actually, I came by to apologize.”

“Apologize?” She crossed her arms and hid her surprise. “Are you saying my proposition wasn’t as screwy as you made it sound?”

A wry smile curved his lips. “Hell no. Your plan is full out nuts, but I shouldn’t have shut you down the way I did without hearing you out.”

Renewed anger simmered in her belly and her laugh was harsh. “My plan was nuts but you should have asked for details? Right. Don’t patronize me, Max. I get it. You think I’m a silly little girl who has nothing else to do but come up with ridiculous larks to fill my time. Believe what you want. I don’t care.”

Pulling his hands from his pockets, he closed the distance between them in four long strides. She took a tentative step back and her gaze skidded briefly to Dan. He didn’t look up from his book, and she didn’t bother calling out to him. The studio was soundproof with the intercom shut off. He wouldn’t hear her, anyway.

Her pulse sped up as Max dipped his head until his face was only inches from hers.

His sober expression held no hint of humor. “First, don’t put words in my mouth. A silly little girl is the last thing I see when I look at you, and second, you do, too, care.”

She yearned to ask what he did see, but crowded between the keyboard at her back and his big body, she was too flustered to pull off the question. She settled for a blatant lie. “No, I don’t.”

“If you don’t care then why this angry little wrinkle?”

The breath caught in her throat as he touched a fingertip to the space between her brows. Shaken, she jerked her head back. “Because I don’t happen to like you anymore.”

He dropped his hand to his side, but didn’t step back. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad. He smelled delicious, but her heart tended to overreact whenever he was near. This close, that foolish organ was going bonkers.

His deep chuckle made her shiver. “Liar. You’re pissed.”

Author Info:

Wife, mother and really young grandmother, Mackenzie lives with her high school sweet heart husband, a neurotic Pomeranian, and a blind cat. She calls Phoenix home because the southwest feeds her soul. Though her friends claim she’s a princess, she disagrees. After all, one can’t raise two rambunctious boys to wonderful men without getting a little dirt under their nails. A lover of the romance genre, her resolve to share her stories with others was sharpened by a bout with breast cancer. Today she is an award-winning author and eight year survivor, living the dream. Her friends call her Mac. She hopes you will, too. Connect with her at http://mackenziecrowne.com, https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieCrowne and https://twitter.com/MacCrowne.

Giveaway:

Ebook of To Win Her Heart

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e4be888268/

Book Review – To Win Her Trust

27 Wednesday Jan 2016

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Book Review, Mackenzie Crowne, Players series, To Win Her Trust

To Win Her Trust

Players series

by Mackenzie Crowne

Can she trust this player with her heart?

Ever since experiencing a childhood trauma, reclusive artist CC Calhoun has suffered from panic attacks. But when a fateful kiss from handsome wide receiver, Kevin “Tuck” Tucker, is enough to stop one of those episodes cold, she wonders if guarding her heart has been the right choice. Will going on a test date with Tuck open her to trusting someone for the first time in years? Or will she wind up being just another notch in the football player’s bedpost?

Tuck has a reputation for charming women into bed, but after his kiss with CC, he’s left aching for more. When he proposes a second date, his attraction to the sexy blonde looks like the makings of true love—something he’s never quite believed in—until now. But when Tuck discovers CC’s childhood secrets, will the pro athlete be tough enough to stay by her side—or will he betray her hard-earned trust?

Just like with To Win Her Love, Crowne delivers a fun, fast, and heartfelt read. Tuck is just as entertaining as he was in the first story. And just like I hoped, he meets his match is CC. She does have hangups, completely understandable ones given her past, but Tuck is definitely not easy to ignore. And you have to love that about him!

We’re given CC’s history in bits but it makes you value her strength and heart all the more as she works thru her issues with Tuck’s help. Together they are so amazingly sweet and funny and sexy. I think my favorite part is that there isn’t a huge amount of drama. Everything flows so well and so realistically, and the issues that arise just made sense.

Returning readers will be thrilled to see glimpses of Jack & Gracie and their family, plus we are given a look at some possible future stories which is always fun. And while I think you need to have read the first book to have the chance to get the full Tucker treatment, this can definitely be read on its own.

With two main characters who have a fun sense of humor and big heart (and in Tuck’s case a big ego), To Win Her Trust just proves that Crowne is one to watch. I can’t wait to see what she brings us next.

Book Review – To Win Her Love

10 Thursday Sep 2015

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Book Review, Mackenzie Crowne, Players series, To Win Her Love

To Win Her Love

Players series

by Mackenzie Crowne

To win the game, they’ll have to risk losing their hearts…

When a bizarre child custody stipulation pits popular sports blogger Gracie Gable against football superstar Jake Malone, losing the battle for her twin nieces isn’t the only thing Gracie has to worry about. Forced to live for three months under the same roof as the sexy tight end, will she fall prey to his flirtatious pursuit? Or worse, will the skeletons in her closet destroy her chance for the love and family she so desperately wants?

Neglected by his parents as a boy, Jake doesn’t believe in happily ever after. Yet living with Gracie and the twins might be enough to change his mind—and his womanizing ways. But when the press unearths a scandal from Gracie’s past, will he lose the one woman he was ready to open his heart to?

There is so much going against Gracie and Jake – they battle online about one of his plays on-field, only to find out that they have a battle of a different kind. Forced to live together because of a custody stipulation they find out that their attraction to each other may be more than they can resist. Except that Gracie’s secret is a doozie and could affect a lot of people Jake knows.

Gracie doesn’t let Jake get away with anything, although sometimes that isn’t all that easy. There’s plenty of snark and humor, fun and flirtation, but when one of the sexiest men in football turns on the charm who wouldn’t go weak in the knees? While I really liked these two together, my favorite part has to be watching Jake fall for his sisters. He originally only agrees to being there because he knows it would be more bad press he doesn’t need, then it’s a chance to be closer to Gracie, but once he gets to know those two little girls things change … and it is so very sweet. Plus there are Jake’s teammates. I’m really hoping that Crowne has some big plans for these guys because a few of them definitely need to be brought down a peg or two and need a good woman to be the one to do it 🙂

With hilarious dialogue, outrageous situations, touching moments, and all of the sexy you could ask for, To Win Her Love is a definite romantic touchdown.

Buy it on Amazon