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Romantic Reads and Such

~ thoughts on romances

Romantic Reads and Such

Monthly Archives: July 2017

Book Review – Blue Hollow Falls

31 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Blue Hollow Falls, Blue Hollow Falls series, Book Review, Donna Kauffman

Blue Hollow Falls

Blue Hollow Falls #1

by Donna Kauffman

From her free-spirited mother, Sunny Goodwin learned the value of peace, love, and Jerry Garcia. The inheritance from the father she never knew? That’s a little more complicated…

Sunny never expected to find herself owning a centuries old silk mill in the shadow of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains . . . or becoming a half-sister to a ten-year-old named Bailey. Once the shock subsides, she plans to cash in and head back home. But the overgrown greenhouse she finds on the property calls out to the gardener in her, and she senses Bailey’s need for nurturing too…

And someone else is making it hard for Sunny to leave: Sawyer Hartwell, an Iraq War hero who wants to make the old mill a creative hub for the artisans of Blue Hollow Falls . . . and wants Sunny to share his vision, and his life. But sexy as this ex-soldier may be, she’s not sure she’s ready to give love a chance…

Kauffman’s newest is just as much women’s fiction as it is romance, which works so-very-well.  While Sunny and Sawyer dance around their attraction, there is an entire group of adorable characters who are finding their way in a new family dynamic.

Shortly after losing her mother and finding herself pretty much alone in the world, Sunny discovers that she actually has a family and inherited a share of an old silk mill.  She’s spent most of her life being a care-giver to her mother and now she’s finally (and guiltily) exploring her freedom.  With the addition of siblings and assorted non-blood family, though, she’s got to decide whether she’s ready to get involved again.

Sawyer may find himself drawn to Sunny but she’s dealing with so much and her life is a few hours away.  Getting involved can only lead to complications … but he’s finding her hard to resist.

As appealing as these two are, though, it’s the secondary characters that tend to steal the show.  I love seeing Bailey, Sunny’s half-sister, reveal her too cute middle-aged woman in a little girl’s body personality.  And it’s obvious that both Sawyer’s and Sunny’s delightful best friends are due for their own story (not sure yet if it is together or separate).

As the start of a new series there is a good amount of description and quite a few characters introduced, which may be a bit much for some.  But those who enjoy stories with small-town romances and family-dynamics will appreciate the world that Kauffman creates and look forward to what comes next.

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Book Review – Lucky Charmed

28 Friday Jul 2017

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

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Book Review, Charmed in Texas series, Lucky Charmed, Sharla Lovelace

Love second chance romances?  Maybe small town romances?  Or how about bad boys?  Well, Sharla Lovelace’s newest delivers it all!

*****

Lucky Charmed

Charmed in Texas #2

by Sharla Lovelace

Releasing July 18, 2017

Lyrical Shine

Blurb:

Carmen Frost hates honey. And bees. And in her hometown of Charmed, Texas, which practically invented the stuff, that’s a problem. The good news is that the summer Honey Festival is finally over. Even better, so is the annual Lucky Hart carnival, a road show that made off with her dreams years ago—including the boy she loved. Now she’s got a divorce behind her, and a successful law career in front of her, but in a tiny town, big memories die hard. Or they don’t die at all—as Carmen discovers when she runs into an all too familiar pair of eyes—older, wiser, and just as heart-melting as ever . . .

Sully Hart has had enough of the nomad lifestyle. Travelling with his father’s carnival gave him adventures, but it cost him much more. Now he’s home to stay, contracted to create an entertainment complex in Charmed. He wants roots, a house with a yard and all the mundane pleasures that go with it. But the girl he loved has become a woman who still wants freedom. Can she still want him? It seems he and Carmen are at each other’s throats one minute—and on each other’s lips the next. Someone’s gotta give . . .

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33223884-lucky-charmed

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/196993-charmed-in-texas

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

*****

Excerpt:

I lifted my chin, and refused to look away. No matter what was liquefying in my chest as his gaze burned through me. No matter what images flashed like a movie reel in my head. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

“Good for you,” I said, placing the package back on the shelf. I needed them more than ever but I would not need them in front of him. “Welcome back to Charmed.”

I made to walk around him, but the heat from his hand on my arm stopped me.

“Carmen, wait.”

His voice was like hot honey over my body.

I hate honey.

I was proud of myself. My acting ability to not suck my tongue down my throat, or choke on my own spit, or jerk my arm free like I’d been bitten by a rabid squirrel—was Oscar-worthy. Instead, I patted his hand and smiled up at him, slowly stepping to the side until his fingers slid free.

“We’re grown-ups now, Sully,” I said, wondering where the hell the words were coming from. “It’s all good. Have a great day.”

And I walked away. And out. And to my car. The pains stabbing through my middle stealing my breath. Damn grateful for nothing else in my hand because being chased down for shoplifting cookies while in a blind haze of what-the-fuckery would have been the final icing on a messed up cake.

Fumbling for my keys, I hit the button and got in as quickly as possible. I had to leave. Now. Before he came out. Before I could see what he was driving and then obsess over every other that vehicle I saw in every other parking lot in Charmed. Before I could succumb to the temptation of watching to see where he went. Where he lived, what his home looked like.

“Leave,” I whispered, my voice sounding vaguely desperate. I felt the burn behind my eyes and I shook my head and tilted my head back. “No. You will not cry, damn it.”

I blinked at the roof. I was thirty-three. Eighteen was a long time ago. Suck it up, Carmen.

I took a deep breath and faced forward, just in time to see him walk out of the store. He’d slid the sunglasses down over his eyes, causing a stray lock of dark hair to fall next to his face. He was probably twenty-five feet away, and I could feel that strand of hair on my fingertips.

Without another look, I pulled out and drove away.

*****

Review:

Carmen has always had a bit of itchy feet and thanks to the gossipy nature of small towns she’s feeling it even more now.  And that was before she found out that her carny ex was moving to Charmed!  She’s always hated being talked about and this is just making things even worse.  It’s bad enough that the man shattered her heart, now he’s destroying what peace she has.

Like the first book in the series, Lucky Charmed is told entirely from the heroine’s POV … and I really think that we missed out on some feels because of it.  Sully didn’t have the easiest life growing up and, along with the problems of a nomadic life, there has been a lot of family trouble causing him stress.  And while we get a pretty good feel for where he’s coming from thanks to his conversations with Carmen, I really wish we’d gotten to see more of what was going on in his mind and heart.

Lovelace does a great job of blending angst. humor, sizzle and emotion all together to deliver a satisfying read where Sully and Carmen not only get a second chance at love but also the closure of their past, with a healthy look at their future, that they desperately need.

(Part of a series but can easily stand on its own.)

*****

Author Info:

Sharla Lovelace is the bestselling, award-winning author of sexy small-town love stories. Being a Texas girl through and through, she’s proud to say she lives in Southeast Texas with her retired husband, a tricked-out golf cart, and two crazy dogs. She is the author of five stand-alone novels including the bestselling Don’t Let Go, the exciting Heart Of The Storm series, and the fun and sexy new Charmed in Texas series. For more about Sharla’s books, visit her website, and keep up with all her new book releases easily by subscribing to her newsletter. She loves keeping up with her readers, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

a digital copy of the first book in the series, A CHARMED LITTLE LIE, and a $10 gift card from Amazon or B&N (winner’s choice)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81342/

*****

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Book Review – Hearts at Seaside

27 Thursday Jul 2017

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

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Addison Cole, Book Review, Hearts at Seaside, Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers series

Addison Cole continues delivery sweet and fun reads perfect for the pool, park or beach!

*****

Hearts at Seaside

Seaside Summers: Sweet with Heat #3

by Addison Cole

Releasing July 19, 2017

World Literary Press

Blurb:

Jenna Ward is vivacious, spontaneous, and confident—except when she’s around the man who stole her heart years earlier, strikingly handsome, quiet, and reliable Pete Lacroux. After years of trying to get his attention and overwhelmed from dealing with her mother’s new cougar lifestyle, Jenna’s giving up on Peter—and is ready to explore other men.

As the eldest of five siblings, with an alcoholic father to care for, boat craftsman Pete Lacroux always does the right thing and has no time for a real relationship. He’s looking forward to seeing his friend Jenna, a welcome distraction who’s so sexy and painfully shy that she equally entertains and confuses him.

When Jenna picks up a hard-bodied construction worker, jealousy ignites Pete’s true feelings, and he’s unable to ignore the desires for Jenna he never realized he had. But Pete’s not the quiet guy he appears to be, and his life is anything but conducive to a relationship. Can Jenna handle the real Pete Lacroux—the most alpha male she’s ever seen—or will she crack under pressure? And can Pete reclaim the life he once had without tearing apart his family?

Hearts at Seaside is the sweet edition of the steamy romance novel Seaside Hearts by Melissa Foster

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34993146-hearts-at-seaside

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/203990-sweet-with-heat-seaside-summers

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

*****

Excerpt:

“This doesn’t feel like a first date, Jenna. It feels like you’ve been with me all my life.”

“If I’d been with you all your life, your closet would be organized.”

He glanced into his closet, which was neat and orderly, but not color coordinated, and the thought that her mind had gone there so soon made him laugh.

“You have a point.” He lowered his forehead to hers. “I’m serious, though. All these years we’ve known each other, and this. You being here with me. It feels so right.” He kissed her cheek and loved the way she closed her eyes the second his lips touched her skin, like she was savoring his touch.

“In my heart I was with you all these years; you just never noticed.”

*****

Review:

This one almost felt like it had two sections – the first part of the book is spent with Pete & Jenna dancing around each other with quite a few misunderstandings.  They’ve been doing this for a while because both have had feelings for the other but Jenna always freezes up and loses her mojo near Pete which means he isn’t sure what she feels for him.

Once things come to a head though Pete can’t let it go any longer and decides to make a move … and it’s almost a comedy of errors from there 🙂  It both frustrates and entertains me, which is an indication of how good of a writer Cole is.  I’ve DNF’d quite a few books that just frustrated me with this kind of push/pull but here it really works.  It’s believable for them to get themselves into these situations and Cole does a great job of getting them back around to where they should be.

Once they get together it becomes a bit more of a woman’s fiction kind of thing.  There really isn’t a lot of drama about the couple themselves and move smoothly into being together.  Instead they each have some family issues they need to address – Pete has an alcoholic father who isn’t willing to own up to his issues and Jenna’s mom is having problems adjusting to her status as a divorcee.  But together they are better able to handle their problems, with support and insight for the other.  It adds such a wonderfully real feeling to their story and makes them even more human.

*****

Author Info:

Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She writes humorous and emotional sweet contemporary romance. Her books do not include explicit sex scenes or harsh language.

Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.

Visit Addison on her website or chat with her on social media. Addison enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Addison’s books are available through most online retailers in paperback, digital, and audio formats.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

Two Digital copies of DREAMING AT SEASIDE (Book2)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81343/

*****

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Book Review – Falling for the Hometown Girl

26 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Falling for the Hometown Girl, Marshall Ranch series, Shelli Stevens

Falling for the Hometown Girl

Marshall Ranch, Book 2

by Shelli Stevens

Katie Marshall is known for her ‘girl next door’ reputation and for always playing it safe. So, when she books a bachelor party from Seattle at the Marshall Ranch, she isn’t sure what to expect until trouble strolls in–Hunter Richardson, local bad boy turned successful software tycoon…and Katie’s job gets a lot more interesting.

Hunter has always struggled to find his place in Marietta. Now, somewhat reluctantly, he’s back in his hometown and not looking forward to a week on a cattle ranch… but that all changes when he sees Katie, the girl he could never forget from high school. A girl he shouldn’t want anything to do with. Soon, he realizes he wants much more from her than just a guided tour of the Montana landscape.

Hunter’s plan had been to get through the week, before returning to Seattle and his million dollar gaming company. Instead, he finds himself falling for the hometown girl…

The high school crush all grown up plot made me very happy.  Even though Hunter and Katie didn’t know each other very well then there was something between them and when they meet again as adults it develops into something a bit … well, more  🙂

Hunter hasn’t been home in a long time – his childhood isn’t exactly something he wants to revisit.  He didn’t really fit into the small Montana community growing up and really couldn’t wait to get out.  But, given the chance, he finds it hard to pass up the chance to see Katie again.  He may be an adult but there is still a part of him that is still that boy.

Katie tried living away from home but it wasn’t for her and Marietta is where she belongs.  When an old face appears again, spending a week at her ranch, the attraction proves impossible to ignore.  She knows he’s leaving but she can’t resist the geeky, sexy man who is a genius with computers and looks oh-so-good in boots & a hat.

Time spent with Katie at the Marshall ranch gives Hunter a chance to look at his past with adult eyes and decide what will really make him happy.

(I haven’t read the first book in this series (surprise!) but I don’t know that it really mattered.  There may have been a bit more development of the sibling relationship and how they’ve dealt with their father’s death but I felt that Stevens does a good job of giving her readers a complete and satisfying stand-alone story.)

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Spotlight – Summer on Firefly Lake

25 Tuesday Jul 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

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Firefly Lake series, Jen Gilroy, Summer on Firefly Lake

Divorced mom, Mia Gibbs’ family is her life, but her world is turned upside down when she falls for her one-time teenage crush Nick McGuire, a workaholic lawyer who isn’t a family man. Fans of Susan Wiggs’ The Lakeshore Chronicles will love this heartwarming friends to lovers story releasing this summer from Grand Central – Forever.

*****

Summer on Firefly Lake

Firefly Lake #2

by Jen Gilroy

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction

Release Date: July 25, 2017

Publisher: Forever – Grand Central Publishing

Series: Firefly Lake

ISBN: 9781455569601

Blurb:

Mia Gibbs spent her marriage putting her husband’s needs before her own. And now, after a painful divorce, she’s building a new life for herself and her two daughters back home at Firefly Lake. The last thing she needs is a man to complicate things. But former bad boy turned friend Nick McGuire has turned everything upside down.

Attorney Nick McGuire wasn’t meant to be a family man. His career has always been his focus, and after taking time out to help his mother, he’s ready to get back to the city…until Mia and her daughters arrive at Firefly Lake. Mia is beautiful and intriguing, and it doesn’t take long to realize being “just friends” will never be enough. As the summer nights turn colder, Nick will have to choose between the life he’s always wanted…and the woman he can’t live without.

Praise for Summer on Firefly Lake:

“Has charm to spare…The delightful supporting cast…and expertly plotted story add depth and richness to this tale, leaving readers eager for another visit to Firefly Lake.” – Publishers Weekly

“Gilroy’s second Firefly Lake novel encapsulates the quaint, busybody small-town feel and the slippery slope of friends becoming lovers quite well…Engaging…(a) fast paced page turner.” – RT Book Reviews

Add to your “Want to Read” shelf:  Goodreads

Available at:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes

 

*****

Excerpt:

“I want this.” Mia lifted her face to his as a cloud scudded across the moon. “I want you.”

Even if it could only be for tonight, she was Mia, not a mom, not a sister, and not a wife who’d been tossed aside for someone younger and curvier. For this one moment, she didn’t have any responsibilities except what she wanted and needed.

I want you, too.” Nick took her hand and led her toward the car. “A part of me has wanted you since I was fifteen and you hung out at the town beach in that green bikini with the white flowers.”

Her heart lurched. He’d noticed her enough to remember the bikini she’d hidden from her mom. The one she’d bought because she’d heard Nick say he liked green. “You were always with the guys by the life guard station.” Everything about him was a lot sexy and a little bit dangerous.

“I wanted to see you.” His smile was forced, like the admission cost him more than he wanted her to know.

Mia curved her cold hand into his warm one. She’d guessed she’d hurt him the one time they’d gone out, but until tonight she hadn’t understood how much. She couldn’t regret the past, and she couldn’t predict the future, but she could do something about the present. “I want to be with you. Even though we’re not teenagers anymore and I don’t have that green bikini.

Nick’s gaze skimmed her body from head to toe and lingered at her breasts. Then he gave her a grin that was pure bad boy. “I was always a lot more interested in what was underneath that bikini anyway.”

He opened the passenger door for her to slide in.

She looked at him from under her lashes and flirted like she’d wanted to do all those years ago but had been too shy. “You were, were you?”

“Oh yeah.” He shut the car door and, in the sudden silence, panic rolled over her again. Except, there was excitement too…

Copyright © Summer on Firefly Lake 2017 by Jen Gilroy

*****

Other Books in the Firefly Lake Series:

The Cottage at Firefly Lake

by Jen Gilroy

Publisher: Forever – Grand Central Publishing

Series: Firefly Lake #1

Date Released: January 31, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction

ISBN: 9781455569595

Some mistakes can never be fixed and some secrets never forgiven … but some loves can never be forgotten.

Charlotte Gibbs wants nothing more than to put the past behind her, once and for all. Yet now that she’s back at Firefly Lake to sell her mother’s cottage, the overwhelming flood of memories reminds her of what she’s been missing. Sun-drenched days. Late-night kisses that still shake her to the core. The gentle breeze off the lake, the scent of pine in the air, and the promise of Sean’s touch on her skin…True, she got her dream job traveling the world. But at what cost?

Sean Carmichael still doesn’t know why Charlie disappeared that summer, but after eighteen years, a divorce, and a teenage son he loves more than anything in the world, he’s still not over her. All this time and her body still fits against his like a glove. She walked away once when he needed her the most. How can he convince her to stay now?

Add to your “Want to Read” shelf:  Goodreads

Book 1 is available at:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes

Praise for The Cottage at Firefly Lake:

“Gilroy’s debut contemporary is packed with potent emotions…[the] protagonists tug at the heartstrings from the beginning of the story and don’t let go. Long on charm, this story invites readers to come in and stay a while.” – Publishers Weekly

“Memories, regrets and second chances are front and center in Gilroy’s fantastic debut.” – RT Book Reviews

*****

Author Info:

Jen Gilroy lives in a small town in eastern Ontario, Canada where her Irish ancestors settled in the nineteenth century. She’s worked in higher education and international marketing but, after spending too much time in airports and away from her family, traded the 9-5 to write romantic women’s fiction to bring readers’ hearts home.

Jen likes ice cream, diners, vintage style and all things country. Her husband is her real-life romance hero, and her teen daughter teaches her to cherish the blessings in the everyday.

The Cottage at Firefly Lake, the first book in her Firefly Lake series, was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® award in 2015. It was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award 2017.

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon

*****

Giveaway:

Jen is offering one (1) lucky Grand Prize winner a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a paperback copy of both The Cottage at Firefly Lake (the first book in the series) and Summer on Firefly Lake. Five (5) runner-up winners will receive a paperback copy of Summer on Firefly Lake! This giveaway is open internationally.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29386/?

*****

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Book Review – Suddenly Engaged

24 Monday Jul 2017

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

≈ 5 Comments

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Book Review, Julia London, Suddenly Engaged

Time to meet the sexiest Grump to ever grump!

*****

Suddenly Engaged

Lake Haven #3

by Julia London

Releasing July 25, 2017

Montlake Romance

Blurb:

Single mother Kyra Kokinos spends her days waiting tables, her nights working on her real estate license, and every spare moment with her precocious six-year-old daughter, Ruby—especially when Ruby won’t stop pestering their grumpy next-door neighbor. At first glance, Dax Bishop seems like the kind of gruff, solitary guy who’d be unlikely to offer a cup of sugar, let alone a marriage proposal. But that’s exactly what happens when Ruby needs life-saving surgery.

Dax showed up in East Beach a year ago, fresh from a painful divorce and looking for a place where he could make furniture and avoid people. Suddenly his life is invaded by an inquisitive munchkin in sparkly cowboy boots—and her frazzled, too-tempting mother. So he presents a practical plan: his insurance will help Ruby, and then they can divorce—zero strings attached.

But soon Kyra and Dax find their engagement of convenience is simple in name only. As their attraction deepens, a figure from the past reappears, offering a way out. Can Kyra and Dax let go so easily—or has love become a preexisting condition?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33223928-suddenly-engaged

Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/161030-lake-haven

Buy Links:      AMAZON | B & N

*****

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Seven years later

July

Leave it to a female to think the rules did not apply to her.

The little heathen from next door was crawling under the split-rail fence that separated the cottages again. Dax, who already had been feeling pretty damn grumpy going on a year now, wondered why she didn’t just go over the fence. She was big enough. It was almost as if she wanted the mud on her dress and her knees, to drag the ends of her dark red ponytails through the muck.

She crawled under, stood up, and knocked the caked mud off her knees. She stomped her pink, sparkly cowboy boots—never had he seen a more impractical shoe—to make them light up, as she liked to do, hopping around her porch several times a day.

Then she started for cottage Number Two, arms swinging, stride long.

Dax watched her from inside his kitchen, annoyed. It had started a week ago, when she’d climbed on the bottom railing of the fence, leaned over it, and shouted, “I like your dog!”

He’d ignored her.

Two days ago he’d asked her, fairly politely, not to give any more cheese to his dog, Otto. That little stunt of hers had resulted in a very long and malodorous night between man and beast.

Yesterday he’d commanded her to stay on her side of the fence.

But here the little monster came, apparently neither impressed with him nor intimidated by his warnings.

Well, Dax had had enough with that family, or whatever the situation was next door. And the enormous pickup truck that showed up at seven a.m. and idled in the drive just outside his bedroom window. Those people were exactly what was wrong with America—people doing whatever they wanted without regard for anyone else, letting their kids run wild, coming and going at all hours of the day.

He walked to the back screen door and opened it. He’d installed a dog door, but Otto refused to use it. No, Otto was a precious buttercup of a dog that liked to have his doors opened for him, and he assumed that anytime his master neared the door, Dax was opening it for him. He assumed so now, stepping in front of Dax—pausing to stretch after his snoring nap—before sauntering out and down the back porch steps to sniff something at the bottom.

Dax walked out onto the porch and stood with his hands on his hips as the girl brazenly advanced.

“Hi!” she said.

She was about to learn that she couldn’t make a little girl’s social call whenever she wanted. There were rules in this world, and Dax had no compunction about teaching them to her. Clearly someone needed to. He responded to her greeting with a glower.

“Hi!” she said again, shouting this time, as if he hadn’t heard her from the tremendous distance of about six feet.

“What’d I tell you yesterday?” he asked.

“To stay on the other side of the fence.”

“Then why are you over here?”

“I forgot.” She rocked back on her heels and balanced on them, toes up. “Do you live there?”

“No, I just stand on the porch and guard the fence. Yes, I live here. And I work here. And I don’t want visitors. Now go home.”

“My name is Ruby Kokinos. What’s yours?”

What was wrong with this kid? “Where is your mother?”

“At work.”

“Then is your dad home?”

“My daddy is in Africa. He teaches cats to do tricks,” she said, pausing to twirl around on one heel. “Big cats, not little cats. They have really big cats in Africa.”

“Whatever,” he said impatiently. “Who is home with you right now?”

“Mrs. Miller. She’s watching TV. She said I could go outside.”

Great. A babysitter. “Go home,” he said, pointing to Number Three as Otto wandered over to examine Ruby Coconuts, or whatever her name was. “Go home and tell Mrs. Miller that you’re not allowed to come over or under that fence. Do you understand me?”

“What’s your dog’s name?” she asked, petting that lazy, useless mutt.

“Did you hear me?” Dax asked.

“Yes.” She giggled as Otto began to lick her hand, and went down on her knees to hug him. “I always always wanted a dog, but Mommy says I can’t have one now. Maybe when I’m big.” She stroked Otto’s nose, and the dog sat, settling in for some attention.

“Don’t pet the dog,” Dax said. “I just told you to go home. What else did I tell you to do?”

“To, um, to tell Mrs. Miller to stay over there,” she said, as she continued to pet the dog. “What’s her name?”

“It’s a he, and his name is Otto. And I told you to tell Mrs. Miller that you are supposed to stay over there. Now go on.”

She stopped petting the dog, and Otto, not ready for the gravy train of attention to end, began to lick her face. Ruby giggled with delight. Otto licked harder, like she’d been handling red meat. Frankly, it wouldn’t surprise Dax if she had—the kid seemed like the type to be into everything. She was laughing uncontrollably now and fell onto her back. Otto straddled her, his tail wagging as hard as her feet were kicking, trying to lick her while she tried to hold him off.

Nope, this was not going to happen. Those two useless beings were not making friends. Dax marched down off the porch and grabbed Otto’s collar, shoving him out of the way. “Go,” he said to the dog, pointing to his cottage. Otto obediently lumbered away.

Dax turned his attention to the girl with the fantastically dark red hair in two uneven pigtails and, now that he was close to her, he could see her clear blue eyes through the round lenses of her blue plastic eyeglasses, which were strapped to her face with a headband. She looked like a very young little old lady. “Listen to me, kid. I don’t want you over here. I work here. Serious work. I can’t be entertaining little girls.”

She hopped to her feet. “What’s your name?”

Dax sighed. “If I tell you my name, will you go home?”

She nodded, her, long pigtails bouncing around her.

“Dax.”

She stared at him.

“That’s my name,” he said with a shrug.

Ruby giggled and began to sway side to side. “That’s not a real name!”

“It’s as real as Ruby Coconuts.”

“Not Coconuts!” She squealed with delight. “It’s Ruby Kokinos.”

“Yeah, okay, but I’m pretty sure you said Coconuts. Now go home.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m a lot older than you,” he said and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her around.

“I’m going to be seven on my birthday. I want a Barbie for my birthday. I already have four. I want the one that has the car. The pink car with flowers on it. There’s a blue car, but I don’t want that one, I want the pink one, because it has flowers on it. Oh, and guess what, I don’t want a Jasmine anymore. That’s my favorite princess, but I don’t want her anymore, I want a Barbie like Taleesha has.”

“Great. Good luck with that,” he said as he moved her toward the fence.

“My shoes light up,” she informed him, stomping her feet as they moved. “My mom says they’re fancy. They’re my favorites. I have some sneakers, too, but they don’t light up.”

They had reached the fence, thank God, before the girl could give him a rundown of her entire shoe collection. Ruby dipped down, apparently thinking she’d go under again, but Dax caught her under her arms and swung her over the fence, depositing her on the other side.

Ruby laughed with delight. “Do that again!”

“No. This is where our acquaintance comes to an end, kid. I don’t have time to babysit you, get it?”

“Yes,” she said.

She didn’t get it. She wasn’t even listening. She had already climbed onto the bottom rail, as if she meant to come back over.

“I mean it,” he said, pointing at her. “If I find you on my side of the fence, I’m going to call the police.” He figured that ought to put the fear of God into her.

“The policemans are our friends,” she said sunnily. “A policeman and a police woman came to my kindergarten. But they never shot any peoples.”

Dax had a brief but potent urge to correct her understanding of how plurals worked, but he didn’t. He turned around and marched back to his cottage.

He didn’t even want to look out the kitchen window when he went inside, because if she’d come back over the fence, he would lose it.

He’d known that family was going to be trouble the moment they’d arrived a few days ago. They’d cost him a table leg he’d been working on, because they’d slammed a door so loudly and unexpectedly that Dax had started, and the permanent marker he was using to outline a very intricate pattern on said table leg had gone dashing off in a thick, black, indelible line down the leg. He’d had to sand the leg down and start again.

Naturally, he’d gone to investigate the source of the banging, and he’d seen a woman with a backpack strapped to her leaning into the open hatch area of a banged-up Subaru. She’d pulled out a box, hoisted it into her arms with the help of her knee, then had lugged it up the path and porch steps to Number Three. She’d been wearing short shorts, a T-shirt, and a ball cap. Dax hadn’t seen her face, but he’d seen her legs, which were nice and long and shapely, and a mess of dark hair about the same color as wrought iron, tangled up in the back of the cap. She’d managed to open the door, and then had gone in, letting the door bang behind her.

Neighbors. Dax was not a fan.

*****

Review:

I have to agree with a review I saw on Goodreads – the title and blurb are a little misleading to what actually happens in the book.  It suggests that the main part of the book is related to their engagmet of convenience but that really doesn’t happen until the last part of the book and the two have already started to develop a relationship.  It doesn’t take away from the book but may disappoint some with what they think they are getting.  If you go into it with that in mind, though, it is really enjoyable.

Kyra made a mistake in falling quickly for a guy at a destination wedding only to realize he was not who she thought he was.  It hasn’t been easy but she’s trying to give a good life to her daughter and working for a better future.  Ruby is quite the handful, though, and quickly takes a liking to their new neighbor … whether he wants it or not  🙂

Dax is hilarious.  He wants so badly to be a big ol’ grump but he just can’t help his affection for Ruby.  And it shows in a fabulously entertaining way.  The two of them together is just too funny and then you quickly realize that while he wants to be that guy the good man underneath can’t help but come thru.  He’s got a good reason for being irritable – his wife left him and it’s kinda upended his life.  It’s also made him hesitant to date again … then he meets Kyra.

A fun summer read, Suddenly Engaged may be a little different than I expected but it still gave me all the lovely feels that I expected.

(This is the first of the series I’ve read but it seemed completely self-contained.)

*****

Author Info:

Julia London is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than forty romance novels. Her historical titles include the popular Desperate Debutantes series, the Cabot Sisters series, and the Highland Grooms series. Her contemporary works include the Lake Haven series, the Pine River series, and the Cedar Springs series. She has won the RT Book Club Award for Best Historical Romance and has been a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

5 finished copies of SUDDENLY ENGAGED

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81350/

*****

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Book Review – No One But You

21 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

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Book Review, Brenda Novak, No One But You, Silver Springs series

No One but You

A Silver Springs Novel

by Brenda Novak

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak welcomes you to Silver Springs, a picturesque small town in Southern California where even the hardest hearts can learn to love again…

Struggling to make ends meet after a messy divorce, Sadie Harris is at the end of her tether. Her waitressing gig isn’t enough to pay the bills let alone secure primary custody of her son, Jayden, a battle she refuses to lose. Desperate, she accepts a position assisting Dawson Reed—the same Dawson Reed who recently stood trial for the murder of his adoptive parents. Joining him at his isolated farm seems risky, but Sadie is out of options.

Dawson has given small town Silver Springs plenty of reasons to be wary, but he’s innocent of the charges against him. He wants to leave his painful past behind and fix up the family farm so he can finally bring his dependent sister home where she belongs.

As Sadie and Dawson’s professional relationship grows into something undeniably personal, Sadie realizes there’s more to Dawson than the bad boy everyone else sees—he has a good heart, one that might even be worth fighting for.

(While this technically picks up after Finding Our Forever, it really is more of a stand alone story.  Dawson’s story was vaguely brought up in the first book and a few of the characters make another appearance, but No One But You really is self-contained.)

I really enjoyed the bit of mystery and danger that Novak brings into play here.  She’s also a writer of suspense books so you get that darker feel but it is an underplay to the emotions which are so very important.

Sadie’s got problems with her ex and is trying very hard to find a way to support herself and her son … even if it means working for a man accused of killing his adoptive parents.  But once she meets Dawson she starts to think that things may not be as everyone believes.  His big heart and strength of character calls to her.

Dawson knows he;s innocent and now that he’s been acquitted by the court he just wants to make a home so he can get his sister back.  He needs help and that help turns out to be Sadie.  She may look like life has gotten the best of her but she’s got so much heart and determination that he has to admire her for it.

As these two begin to get to know each other, they slowly become friends and each other’s champions.  But with her wily ex and the townsfolk who aren’t so quick to forget what he supposedly did, it won’t be easy.  As their feelings grow into something more they take on more and more for each other, working to find a way to have a future together.

While there were parts in No One But You that had me holding my breath to find out what happened next, it is the layers of emotion and the people that Novak skillfully develops that keep me coming back for more of her stories.

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Spotlight – Starshine

20 Thursday Jul 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Melody Winter, Starshine

Raise your hand if you would have done just about anything to get a chance to work with your favorite actor . . . and maybe fall in love  😉

*****

Starshine

by Melody Winter

Contemporary Romance

Date Published: 29th May 2017

Blurb:

Film student Ella Summers can’t believe her luck when she is selected to work on the set of the most anticipated film release of the year—STARSHINE. For the next four weeks, she’ll be in the studio with heart-throb and leading man Alex Denton, and his co-star—and recent ex—the stunning Amy Strickland.

But her first day on set has her questioning the true character of the enigmatic and sexy Alex. The charming celebrity she’s adored on screen disappears before her very eyes—if indeed he ever really existed.

Off-camera arguments between Alex and Amy become difficult to ignore, and when Ella uncovers layers of deceit and closely guarded secrets between them, she becomes involved in a battle that has far-reaching implications.

With the paparazzi hounding her every move for the most sensational story they can get, Ella becomes deeply embroiled in Alex’s life. Can she break down his seemingly impenetrable walls, or will he remain the arrogant ass she first met?

STARSHINE is set in London, England. Beware though—Alex Denton has a crude mouth, and an equally wicked smile.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melody-Winter

Starshine is exclusive to Amazon and part of KU

*****

Excerpt:

The silence was suddenly broken by the thud of distant music and the roar of a car engine. I glared at the car as it sped along the road toward the bus-stop, and inwardly cursed the idiot behind the wheel.

My glare turned into a worried frown when the silver car slowed down and stopped at the bus-stop. The dark tinted passenger window slowly hummed down, and the thud of music turned into a deafening roar.

The driver of the car was revealed—Alex Denton.

He raised his eyebrows, before lowering his gaze and taking in the sight of my dress clinging to my legs. I was glad I had a cardigan on, no matter that it looked like a wet sack now. At least he couldn’t see my bright pink bra, one that would be very visible underneath a practically transparent wet dress.

Alex licked his bottom lip as he stared at my legs, and I realised that the relief I had felt that he couldn’t see my bra due to my cardigan, had been misplaced. The modest woollen covering wasn’t long enough to cover my lower half. My matching pink pants would be very visible and I suspected that they were what Alex Denton was looking at.

“You’re wet!” he shouted above the relentless thudding of the music.

“You noticed!” I yelled back, wondering why he hadn’t turned the music down if he wanted to talk. I toyed with the idea of whether to accept a lift or not if he offered me one. The thought of being trapped with him in a car had always been a dream of mine, but after everything else that had happened today, I didn’t know whether I had the strength to spend even one more second in his scintillating company. But I was tired and I wanted to get home as quickly as possible. The thought of racing through London in his very expensive sports car, or trudging through traffic on a crammed public bus for a good thirty minutes made my mind up. I’d accept the lift if he offered. If he was sarcastic with me, I could just ignore him. Maybe he’d even mellow a little and I’d get to see what he was really like when he wasn’t in the same room as Amy.

He slowly lifted his hand, curling his finger to beckon me toward the car.

I took one step forward, stopping abruptly as he held his hand up in a halt position. Now what was he doing?

“You really are very wet!” he said before reaching forward and flicking a small silver switch on the central console. The music died, leaving the sound of the engine idling.

“No shit, Einstein. It has just poured down,” I said, my voice edged with sarcasm.

His jaw tightened at my response, and his eyes drifted down my body again.

“Hot pink?” he said, although it sounded more like a question.

I knew exactly what he was referring to. My cheeks heated as I pulled at the front of my cardigan, but it was no use. It wouldn’t stretch to cover my lower body. Knowing there was nothing I could do about my see-through dress, I gritted my teeth and offered Alex a stony stare. One that dared him to continue with his next response.

“I like it,” he said.  “Not as slutty at red.”

My body tensed. My nostrils flared as more heat flushed my face. Did he just refer to me as being slutty?

He smiled before pulling a sudden poker face. I was so wrapped up in thinking of a response to his somewhat undisguised insult that I didn’t see the bus approach.

“Shit,” I murmured, as it rumbled past Alex’s car. The next bus wasn’t due for another hour.

Alex watched the bus as it disappeared down the road and then turned to face me.

“See you tomorrow, Work Experience Girl.”

He grinned and winked at me as the car window hummed shut. The loud music started again and the engine revved several times before he sped off in the same direction as the bus.

*****

Author Info:

Growing up, Melody Winter showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write far too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but eventually ended up working in finance. Melody is convinced that the methodical time she spends working with numbers fuels her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.

Melody lives in North Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two teenage sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or listening to 80’s music on her IPod.

Melody has a tendency to fall head-over-heels in love with her main characters, even when they frustrate her and refuse to act the way she wants them to. She is a romance writer at heart and loves reading and writing about anything mythological or magical, as well as exploring the gritty side of love affairs and the complexities of being in love.

SACHAEL DREAMS was her debut novel, (REUTS Publications, USA) and the first in the New Adult Romantic Fantasy series—the ‘Mine Series’. The second book in the series, SACHAEL DESIRES’, was released in November 2015, and the remaining books in the series, SACHAEL DELUSIONS, and, SACHAEL DESTINY, are due to be released in the near future.

Melody has also self-published two books, INIQUITY, the first book in a Dark New Adult Romantic Fantasy series— ‘The Ascent’ (The second book in the series, ADVERSITY, is due for release later this year.) and STARSHINE, Melody’s first contemporary romance,  released 29th May 2017.

Website: www.melodywinter.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Melody-Winter-Author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelodyWinter

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/melody1070/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/Melody_Winter

*****

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Spotlight – Check My Heart

19 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Check My Heart, Christi Barth

I’m super excited about this one – it’s in my TBR pile and I’m having a hard time waiting for it!

*****

Check My Heart

(previously released in the USA Today bestselling Hot On Ice anthology)

by Christi Barth

Blurb:

The death of his little brother turned Kurt Lundquist’s world upside down. He channeled his grief into skating his heart out–and ultimately leading his hockey team to win the championship. Now, all he wants to do is throw a party with the Cup in his brother’s honor. He’s got no clue where to start…until he runs into the gorgeous hospice nurse who took such great care of Jasper. She’s waaay off limits, but he’s desperate, and hires her to help him.

Lisette Broussard’s heart broke a little more every time a patient died. Losing the brave brother of a hockey star was the last straw. Learning a new specialty was supposed to change her life for the better, but it used up her savings. Then the slam dunk job with the New Orleans championship hockey team mysteriously disappears. So she jumps at Kurt’s offer of a job, no matter how temporary. No matter how…dangerous, given how much she’s always crushed on him. No matter how risky it is to fall for Kurt, since he’ll always associate her with the grief of losing his brother.

But the more time they spend together, the deeper they both fall. Kurt’s heart begins to thaw…and then heat. Lisette can’t resist him, and throws caution to the wind. She’ll take whatever time he gives her. Can they move beyond the pain of the past and focus on a future together?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pGMjH7

B&N: http://bit.ly/2qeeTRW

iBooks: http://apple.co/2raL2Kb

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2qBj39C

*****

Excerpt:

God. Why would Lisette want to keep touching such a wallowing, messed-up son of a bitch? The words, the truth that kept him immobilized on this decision ripped from his throat like gravel spraying from his Harley tires. “Tell me how I can turn my back on my team and my friends and still be able to look myself in the mirror.”

She pressed up against his back, arms circling his waist like a life preserver. “How do you do it now? How do you look past your grief to see what’s truly in your reflection?”

“I don’t.”

Her fingers curved into his stomach. “You don’t look in mirrors?”

“Not for a while now.” Trying to make light of it, Kurt rasped a hand across his two-day-old stubble. “I’ve got an electric razor. Makes it so easy I can do it with my eyes shut. I was tired of seeing nothing but a scowl.”

“Oh, I get it, believe me. But feeling good, being happy? It takes practice every bit as much as skating.” Going up on her tiptoes, Lisette murmured into his ear, “I declare that smile practice is now in session.”

Then her fingers splayed, arrowing down to just below the waist of his shorts. Just enough to make him wish they’d damn well keep going. She scraped her teeth along the cords of his neck, then licked a path down to where Kurt knew she could feel his pulse jackrabbiting through the skin. Lisette sucked. Sucked and swirled her tongue. That was all it took to bring his dick into a full-out lunge, trying to meet her fingertips.

Kurt reached back and around to pull her closer. He got two handfuls of the sweetest ass he’d ever touched and squeezed. Kneaded. His hands almost completely covered those taut globes. He couldn’t wait to see how they’d look doing exactly that on her naked skin.

He didn’t care if she gave him a hickey. Didn’t care that the guys would give him a mountain of shit if he walked into the locker room with a love bite like a teenager. The only thing Kurt cared about was the way her tongue lapped at him, sending shivers of sensation straight down to his dick.

They weren’t really kissing. They were fully clothed, in a fucking warehouse. They weren’t even face-to-face. But her assault on his neck was so damn hot, Kurt was ready to shove up her skirt and take her on the floor, with the goddamned goldfish watching.

Whispering, breath feathering against his ear, Lisette ordered, “Look at your reflection in the bowl, Kurt. What do you see?”

He turned his head to catch a smug, satisfied grin curling up the edges of his mouth. Huh. Kurt twisted to see her wet lips and flushed cheeks. Guess she’d enjoyed giving as well as getting. Which turned him on even more. “You think I’m good in a practice session? You should catch me in the real deal.”

*****

Author Info:

USA TODAY bestselling author Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance, including the Naked Men and Aisle Bound series.

Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.

For info on all of Christi’s other books, please follow her at:

Website | Blog | Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page  | Facebook | Instagram

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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.

Amazon Author Page

mackenziecrowne.com

FaceBook Author Page

Twitter @maccrowne

Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

Beach Bag Stuffed with Goodies & Signed Romances

(Contest open from 7/18 – 8/1)

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

*****

 

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