Book Review – Forget You

Tags

Book Review, Forget You, Kingman Brothers series, Nina Crespo

Falling for your rich, gorgeous, commitment-phobic boss … yeah, that usually goes well 🙂

*****

Forget You

Kingman Brothers #1

by Nina Crespo

Blurb:

In the first novel in the new Kingman Brothers series from Nina Crespo a disgruntled assistant is wrangled into staying on to help her boss when he suffers from amnesia after a plane crash…Playing this out with him was so wrong, but she didn’t want to stop.

Sophie Jordan dreams about hooking up with Nicolas “King” Kingman—the gorgeous CEO of her company—but as her boss, he’ll always remain out of reach. King knows he isn’t built for happily-ever-afters and only indulges in brief romantic encounters. But when Sophie agrees to fill in as his last-minute date to a charity gala, an unexpected discovery quickly escalates their platonic relationship to one of passion.

King is determined to ignore their attraction and, feeling betrayed, Sophie severs ties with him and the company. Everything changes, however, when he’s injured in an accident, and Sophie agrees to help until he closes a major deal. Unfortunately, he’s developed amnesia, and although he doesn’t remember their night together, desire binds them in ways they can’t resist.

Time is running out on closing the deal, as well as Sophie moving on to her new career. Will King deny love in favor of winning and lose Sophie forever?

Available Now!

Order this title at these online retailers

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2xG4aDh

B&N: https://bit.ly/2HtofC9

iBooks: https://apple.co/2JEk2MD

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2EFbfpQ

BAM https://bit.ly/2GQQzkM

Google Books: https://bit.ly/2HtMosa

Add FORGET YOU to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

*****

Excerpt:

What he was about to do seemed crazy. He just needed to hear Sophie say nothing sexual had ever happened between them. Then he could chalk up those images as pure fantasy.

He pulled into a space, threw the gear in park, and got out. Sophie’s shocked expression alone would whip him down to size. Guilt over dreaming of her naked would replace his attraction to her. That’s exactly what he needed. A heaping pile of remorse.

Signs with numbers and arrows led him through the maze of duplexes in the courtyard. In the past, he’d followed her from work after a long night to make sure she’d made it safely home, but he’d never actually gone to her apartment before. King located the right door and rapped on it. Not that he had a good reason now.

A porch light flickered on above him. He heard movement inside. What if Sophie’s roommate answered? He’d forgotten about her. Shit. What was his excuse? A lost phone number. Problems accessing the presentation from his computer.

Sophie opened the door. Devoid of makeup, hair swept back into a ponytail, and dressed in a faded green tee and jean shorts, she radiated uncomplicated beauty. “King? What are you doing here?”

He barely squashed the need to take her in his arms and went inside. “We have to talk. Is your roommate here?”

“No. Robin’s at work.” She closed the door. “Why? What’s going on?”

“When were we together?”

“Yesterday. Don’t you remember?” The genuine concern in her expression made him feel like a cross between a jerk for thinking of her sexually and a man struggling to prove his sanity.

“No. I mean yes.” He raked his hair and pulled so hard his scalp stung. “When did we sleep together?” Shock. Laughter. An emphatic denial. He braced for them.

Sophie paled. She shrugged and brushed her bangs from her forehead. Her tell. She planned to deny what happened.

No way in hell was she getting away with that. “How long ago was it? Weeks? Days? Why didn’t you tell me?”

What’s next for Sophie and King? Pick up your copy of FORGET YOU, The Kingman Brothers and find out. Available April 16, 2018

*****

Review:

I liked Sophie (although I do think she didn’t make King work hard enough to win her back).  She’s tried really hard to resist King, knowing exactly what kind of womanizer he is.  She likes her job and crushing on him from the other side of the office door is at least something … until one night things get out of hand.  I have to admire her for standing up for herself and getting out of the situation when she needed to.  With King’s injury, though, everything changes.  She still has feelings for him and the hurt is still there but she tries her best to keep things going smoothly for now.  I couldn’t help cheering for her to go after the things that would make her really happy.

The amnesia thing isn’t as bad as might sound.  King only looses a little bit of time, just enough to make the deal they’d been working on difficult.  (It isn’t some soap opera-y thing 🙂 )  It helps to keep them together for just a little bit longer while King gets back on his feet.  It also had me feeling even more for her.  To be the only one to know what really happened but to face him every day and pretend like everything is fine … just awful.

I do wish we’d gotten a bit more about King’s relationship with his father.  Crespo gives us just enough to understand why he doesn’t get involved but I think a little more detail would have made him even more relatable.  As it is, for some, he might come off as a big of an a$$ instead of someone with issues.  He really doesn’t treat women well at all before he finally lets Sophie in.

Full of angst and drama, uncomfortable moments and difficult situations, Forget You isn’t a light and easy read.  But it does bring heat, heartache, growth, and a HEA ending.

*****

Author Info:

Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions—the beach, kickboxing, a good glass of wine, and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Curiosity about people and places, including what’s beyond the stars, fuels her writer’s imagination. Indulge in her sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales to feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.

Need Nina? You can also visit her online at the following places:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | FreshFiction |BookBub | Authorsdb | Newsletter | Pinterest

**EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY**

In Nina Crespo’s newsletter during release week there will be an exclusive giveaway for newsletter subscribers only – Subscribe today for a chance to enter!

*****

Giveaway:

Grand Prize: $15 Amazon Gift Card and (1) Digital Copy or Print Copy (if available) of any backlist Nina Crespo title

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29498/

*****

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Book review – On the Line

Tags

Book Review, Liz Lincoln, Milwaukee Dragons series, On the Line

Sexy football player, smoking hot body, AND a loving father … sign me up!

*****

On the Line

A Milwaukee Dragons Novel

by Liz Lincoln

Blurb:

Is this man: A) a super-hot NFL player, B) the guy you’re sexting, or C) your new boss?
 
If you’re Carrie Herron, the answer is: D) all of the above. First, Carrie starts exchanging steamy text messages with the sexy single dad she meets in line at the grocery store. Then she lands a job as the live-in nanny for the daughter of the Milwaukee Dragons’ newest star. With any luck, she’ll be back on her financial feet before the next cosplay convention rolls around. But when Carrie shows up for work and realizes that her new boss is the guilty pleasure in her phone, she has no choice but to try to keep things professional. Oh, how would Poison Ivy handle a temptation like Seth Chamberlain?

After getting traded from Houston to Milwaukee, Seth’s having a tough time keeping his head in the game, let alone making sure that his daughter is fitting in. So if the only nanny that Madison will tolerate is a grown woman who likes comic books even more than she does . . . well, so be it. Too bad the nanny is also the gorgeous redhead Seth’s been flirting with all this time. But with Carrie’s knowing glances and kissable lips driving him wild, Seth must decide whether he’s ready to put everything on the line.

*****

Excerpt:

She took several long, slow breaths with her eyes closed, trying to ground herself and remember all the reasons she couldn’t throw herself at Seth and kiss him right that instant. When she finally got her pulse back in the vicinity of normal, she opened her eyes, scanning the lot for a trash can. She didn’t want her mostly empty cup to drip in Seth’s car.

She spotted one near the building and pushed off the hood to walk away. “I’m going to—”

The rest of the words died on her tongue when Seth’s hand wrapped around her upper arm and turned her back toward him. She looked up, taking in the six feet four inches—yeah, she’d looked up his stats—of broad, delicious man filling her vision.

She didn’t breathe as she watched him rake his gaze over her. The hunger she felt in it made her nipples harden to the point of visibility, but she was too turned on to care. As if he didn’t already know what he did to her.

Huffing out a breath, he took the step into her space. Another step forward and her back pressed against the SUV’s hood, his hand slid into her hair, and his lips descended on hers.

It all happened so fast, she didn’t have a chance to process everything. Her body simply reacted, her mouth moving under his as her arms slid around his large body. She clutched his back, pulling him closer; they both moaned.

With her lips parted, Seth’s tongue slid into her mouth and began a wild exploration. She stroked her own tongue against his and elicited another moan. All the while, the coarse hairs of his beard scraped at her skin, adding to the myriad of sensations vying for her attention.

But overshadowing them all was the feel of his body pressed to hers. He slid one arm around her, the other tangled in her hair as his thumb caressed her cheek. His arm held her tightly against him, his hand splayed low on her back.

Such a bad idea. But so, so good.

Restless and reckless, she needed to touch more of him. She wanted to feel all those muscles, feel the power coiled up in his athlete’s body. She slid her hands up his arms and he shuddered against her.

“Carrie,” he groaned, then gave her lower lip a little nip before sinking in deep once again. Lights burst behind her eyelids and she dug her nails into his biceps, drawing a moan that vibrated from him into her.

A domino effect of sensation and reaction, sensation and reaction.

What would be his reaction to the sensation of her running her hands over his shoulders until they met at the nape of his neck?

He deepened the angle of their kiss and traced his tongue along the edges of her teeth. She nipped playfully at his tongue, and he chuckled and pressed tighter to her.

Pressed his solid erection against her, a little higher than where she wanted it most. But she didn’t chase after it. Not in a public parking lot, no matter how much she wanted to.

“You are too fucking sexy,” he bit out, his voice a rough rasp over her ear.

And his kiss was too good. Too much from just a little kiss. Her muscles twitched as heat coursed through her. She couldn’t take it. They needed to stop.

Before she could say something, he drew his face back enough to look into her eyes. His own were dark blue and stormy, the lines of his face tense.

“Seth.” She mouthed it more than spoke, barely a whisper escaping. She didn’t have enough breath for more.

“Jesus, Carrie. I don’t . . .” He searched her face for another hot moment. “You are so sexy.”

He made her sexy. She’d never felt this wild with a man before, this uninhibited. No other man could have inspired her to make out against the hood of a car. But Seth connected with something hidden deep inside her, a woman unafraid to grab what she wanted and take it.

Except she couldn’t take it. Not now. Maybe not ever.

He huffed out a frustrated sound, his breath hot over her lips.

A new wave of desire rolled through her and it took all her restraint not to pull him back down to her and again get lost in his kiss.

“I think I finally understand what singers mean when they say they’re drunk on a woman.” His voice was raw and thick.

She trembled inside at his words, unsure what to think of them, unsure how to respond.

So she said, “We can’t do this.” Her voice came out breathy, but with his chest still pressed to hers, her nipples hard, her breasts heavy and aching, she couldn’t pull in enough air. “But I still . . .” She lifted her lashes and made herself look directly into his eyes.

This close, they were impossibly, intensely blue. Something softened in her chest, leaving a hot, melted ache she didn’t understand.

He felt drunk from kissing her. Holy swoon. No man had ever said something so bluntly honest to her. And she felt it too, a dizzying high buzzing through her simply from having his mouth pressed to hers.

Sex with him would probably be better than the highest-quality narcotic. All the fun, none of the illegality or addicting side effects.

Too bad she needed a job and a house more than she needed great sex.

*****

Review:

Seth is trying his hardest to be a good dad.  Unfortunately that means uprooting his daughter from their home in Houston and moving to Milwaukee.  At 12, she’s at a difficult age already so it is even rougher to have to start all over.  But he’s a good man and he’s doing the best he can.  Running into a sexy redhead at the grocery story, and one who is willing to give him feminine hygiene help, has things looking up.

Carrie is having a rough time after losing her job as a teach and not getting any bites on a new one.  She’s starting to really stress when she’s rescued by a hottie in the checkout lane.  Being able to help him return leads to some sexy flirting.  When a possible job lands in her lap, things are definitely looking up … until she discovers her potential new boss is the guy she’s been sexting.  Yikes!  You have to admire how well she handles it 🙂

I think these two were hotter NOT having sex than most couples are when they do!  I loved their first meeting and then the inevitable struggle as Carrie becomes the nanny for Seth’s preteen daughter.  It’s not easy for them to ignore their attraction but they do try … and although they don’t necessarily succeed, I have to like that it is pretty drama free between them.  They understand why that it is best to keep things professional and they try their hardest to keep it that way.

I am pretty surprised at how many 3 star or less reviews there are for this one.  I’m actually mostly amused by how many of them are based solely on the fact that this is in third person.  That never bothers me and I didn’t have any difficulty following along here so I guess it’s just a personal preference thing.  There were also some complaints that the ending was too rushed but I thought it worked.  It may not have been as emotion-driven as some but I think that it worked well with the flow of the rest of the story.

Overall, I found On the Line to be amusing, flirty, sexy, and full of heart.  It was entertaining watching the two of them fight their feelings for Madison’s sake … and, of course, fail!  Is it predictable?  Probably, but it is enjoyable regardless.  Bringing light-hearted fun with enough feels to keep you turning pages, Lincoln delivers a winner in my opinion.

*****

Author Info:

Liz has been concocting stories as long as she can remember, and from the beginning they involved two people falling in love.

When she’s not writing, she spends her time rooting for the UW Badgers and the Green Bay Packers (or yearning for the return of football season), cross-stitching and embroidering sassy sayings or nerdy characters (Wonder Woman is her favorite), and drinking too much Diet Coke.

She lives in Milwaukee, WI, with her husband, two kids, two cats, and a turtle.

Website:  https://lizlincoln.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TheLizLincoln

*****

Spotlight – Embracing Her Heart

Tags

Embracing Her Heart, Grace & Reed, Melissa Foster, Pleasant Hill - Oak Falls, The Bradens & Montgomerys

I absolutely LOVE a good second chance love story and this one looks all sorts of AWESOME!!

*****

Embracing Her Heart

The Bradens and Montgomerys

(Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls) – Book 1

by Melissa Foster

Releasing April 17, 2018

World Literary Press

Blurb:

Leaving New York City and returning to her hometown to teach a screenplay writing class seems like just the break Grace Montgomery needs. Until her sisters wake her at four thirty in the morning to watch the hottest guys in town train wild horses and she realizes that escaping her sisters’ drama-filled lives was a lot easier from hundreds of miles away. To make matters worse, she spots the one man she never wanted to see again—ruggedly handsome Reed Cross.

Reed was one of Michigan’s leading historical preservation experts, but on the heels of catching his girlfriend in bed with his business partner, his uncle suffers a heart attack. Reed cuts all ties and returns home to Oak Falls to run his uncle’s business. A chance encounter with Grace, his first love, brings back memories he’s spent years trying to escape.

Grace is bound and determined not to fall under Reed’s spell again—and Reed wants more than another taste of the woman he’s never forgotten. When a midnight party brings them together, passion ignites and old wounds are opened. Grace sets down the ground rules for the next three weeks. No touching, no kissing, and if she has it her way, no breathing, because every breath he takes steals her ability to think. But Reed has other ideas…

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35711151-embracing-her-heart-the-bradens-montgomerys

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/151180-the-bradens-montgomerys-pleasant-hill—oak-falls

KINDLE: http://smarturl.it/EHH_Kindle

iBOOKS: http://apple.co/2vDGJbO

KOBO: http://smarturl.it/EHH_Kobo

NOOK: http://smarturl.it/EHH_Nook

GPLAY: http://bit.ly/2gLs8IZ

PAPERBACK: http://smarturl.it/EHH_Pb

*****

Excerpt:

Check out the First Chapter Excerpt here!

*****

Author Info:

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

*****

Giveaway:

Five winners will receive a digital copy of BRETT: BAD BOYS AFTER DARK

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81373/

*****

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

Spotlight – Embraced at Seaside

Tags

Addison Cole, Embraced at Seaside, Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers series

Today we’ve got Melissa Foster being both sweet (as Addison Cole) and her normal sexy self … you can’t go wrong with either!

*****

Embraced at Seaside

Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers #8

by Addison Cole

Releasing April 11, 2018

World Literary Press

Blurb:

After working hard all day creating his beautiful metal sculptures, Hunter Lacroux likes to unwind with a hot babe–or two. But after spending a handful of nights with smart, sassy, and beautiful Jana Garner, the woman who challenges everything he does and says, Hunter wants more.

As a dancer, boxer, actress, and waitress, Jana is tough, organized, and as dedicated as she is committed. She has to be to maintain her crazy schedule. But when it comes to men, Jana’s had a string of bad relationships, and there’s only thing she’ll commit to–not committing.

Passion ignites every time Jana and Hunter are together, but the closer Hunter gets, the faster Jana runs. When Hunter lays on the charm, Jana throws out a challenge she’s sure he can’t meet, and Hunter steps up to the plate, forcing her to face her hurtful past or let go of him forever.

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

PLEASE NOTE: “Embraced at Seaside” is true sweet with heat. Jana and Hunter’s story is the steamiest in the series, and remains true to the characters’ personalities. As with all Addison Cole novels, “Embraced at Seaside” does not include any explicit scenes or harsh language (with the exception of an occasional “damn” or “hell”).

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37902582-embraced-at-seaside

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

Buy Links: AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | B&N | GPLAY

*****

Excerpt:

Check out the first chapter here!

*****

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.

Author Links:   WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM

*****

Giveaway:

Five (5) e-copies of SEIZED BY LOVE AT SEASIDE

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac4c81372/

*****

Click the link below to check out the rest of the tour

Spotlight – Star

Tags

44 Chapters series, BB Easton, Star

Y’all this is getting some down right awesome reviews … head over to Goodreads to see what everyone is saying!

*****

Star

A 44 Chapters Novel

by BB Easton

Release: April 12, 2018

Blurb:

Because BB Easton had so much fun writing her best-selling, award-winning memoir, 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN, she decided to give each of her four men his own steamy stand-alone. STAR is Hans’s book—a real-life rock star romance…with a twist.

In 1999, Brooke “BB” Bradley met her Prince Charming. He was the tall, tattooed, wickedly handsome bass player for the up-and-coming rock band, Phantom Limb. But, more importantly, he was hers. She knew it the moment he flashed her that shy, dimpled smile.

And he knew it too.

Hansel “Hans” Oppenheimer wore his heart on one sleeve and scrawled lyrics about BB on the other. Unlike the assholes of her past, he showered her with tenderness, took her places she’d never been before, and showed her the type of all-consuming love she’d thought only existed in fairy tales.

But, like any good fairy tale, BB’s road to happily ever after was paved with challenges, and right when she least expected it…it forked.

In 1999, Brooke “BB” Bradley met her Prince Charming.

In 2000, she met her soul mate.

Amazon US: http://bit.ly/STAR-AmUS

Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/STAR-AmUK

Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/STAR-AmCA

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/STAR-AmAU

Goodreads: https://goo.gl/MZTC9R

Check out the rest of the series:

44 Chapters: http://bit.ly/44chapters-AmUS

Skin: http://bit.ly/Skin-AmUS

Speed: http://bit.ly/Speed-AmUS

*****

Excerpt:

Equestria

I awoke, nauseous and confused, in a lilac-colored room plastered with peeling My Little Pony decals. The midday sunlight leaked in through the closed blinds, searing and uninvited. The sheets touching my exposed skin were itchy. Stifling. And my mouth tasted like the inside of a beer bottle that had been used as an ashtray.

Ugh.

I searched my alcohol-logged brain for clues that might help explain why I was waking up inside the magical land of Equestria. Images from the night before began to surface, grainy and out of order. It was like flipping through a scattered stack of Polaroids taken during a house party—scene after scene of teenagers in black lipstick and black vinyl thrashing in the darkness. A house party. A keg in the kitchen. A heavy-metal band playing in the living room. A guy. A tall guy with messy black hair and a full sleeve of horror-movie tattoos.

The bass player.

Locking eyes with Clover, a purple pony with a peeling pink mane, I thought, This is what Cinderella must have felt like the morning after the ball. Except I don’t even have a glass slipper to prove it was real. And also, I’m pretty sure Cinderella wasn’t this hungover.

Groaning, I pulled the pony-covered polyester comforter up under my chin and rolled over.

Onto a body.

I screamed and scrambled backward, realizing a moment too late that, with two people in a twin-size bed, there was no backward to scramble to. As soon as I felt myself falling over the edge, I reached out and grabbed the first thing I could get my hands on.

It was an arm. And it was covered with the stuff of nightmares. Hellraiser and Jason and Freddy and Pennywise sneered at me as I clawed at their faces, trying to keep from going overboard.

The arm flexed and jerked away from me, but I held on for dear life. The motion yanked me back onto the bed where I landed face-first with a smack on the bare chest of my unexpected roommate.

Laughter, deep yet boyish, vibrated under my cheek.

“You scared the shit outta me!” the beast chuckled, wrapping his tattooed arm around my shoulders and pulling me in closer. The gesture and the warmth from his body turned my insides to goo.

“You scared the shit outta me!” I giggled, smacking him on the chest. I wanted to sit up and look at him, make sure he was real, ask him a million questions about what had happened the night before, but I couldn’t. Not yet.

As I snuggled into his side and draped my right arm over his bare torso, I inhaled and savored his masculine scent—cigarette smoke and sweat. The smell of rock and roll. I smiled against his chest and let my eyes roam over the hills and valleys of his abs, which were peeking out from under the covers. I couldn’t believe this was the same man who’d intimidated me the night before. He might look like seventy-five inches of pierced, tattooed, heavy-metal mayhem, but he was one hundred percent snuggle bunny.

On a sigh, I finally forced myself to sit up. The giant gazed up at me with soft, denim-colored eyes, rimmed in lashes so thick and black they looked like eyeliner. My heart sputtered.

“What are you doing in here?” I asked, smiling even wider and trying not to think about the hungover swamp monster I must have resembled.

“I was sleeping…until somebody sank her fuckin’ talons into my arm.” Hans looked down at his bicep. “I’m surprised I’m not bleeding.”

I laughed. “You know, for a guy with Freddy Krueger tattooed on his arm, you’re kind of a pussy.”

“I thought I was being attacked by Freddy Krueger,” Hans teased, rolling onto his side and propping his head up on his hand. “He waits until you’re asleep, you know.”

Hans’s bottom half was covered by the world’s girliest comforter, but his top half…

Drool.

*****

Author Info:

BB Easton lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia with her long-suffering husband, Ken, and two adorable children. She recently quit her job as a school psychologist to write stories about her punk rock past and deviant sexual history full-time. Ken is suuuper excited about it.

Facebook: http://www.fb.com/bbeaston

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/author.bb.easton

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bb_easton

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/artbyeaston

Goodreads: https://goo.gl/4hiwiR

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/bbeaston

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyeaston

*****

Giveaway:

$24 Gift Card

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a8323af850/

*****

Spotlight – Exonerated with Love

Tags

Exonerated With Love, Skye McNeil, The Mobster Files series

For those who love their heroes to be bad 😉

*****

Exonerated with Love

The Mobster Files #2

by Skye McNeil

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Mafia Romance

Release Date: April 14, 2018

Blurb:

Can second chances really exist for a bad boy mobster and the only woman to ever steal his heart?

There’s a hit out on Cameron Shearer’s life, his mafia ties dragging him down the path of darkness once more. After a harrowing meeting, he discovers no one ever stays dead when you’re in the mafia. Determined not to lose the only woman he’s loved, Cameron turns to the Del Rossi mob for one last favor. Unfortunately for him, the ending may not be as happy as he once hoped.

Joci Dorous has it all. She’s happy, engaged, and just started her own law firm with her best friend. Everything appears perfect, until she discovers a suspicious trail of money in her business accounts and her once dutiful fiancé suddenly turns as shady as his mob boss. When strangers clash amid mobs, Joci is left to decipher who her heart truly belongs to.

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/…/s…/37980892-exonerated-with-love

PURCHASE LINKS – $1.99 for a limited time

US: https://amzn.to/2GRBTxW

UK: https://amzn.to/2uXEgha

CA: https://amzn.to/2GOB7ld

AU: https://amzn.to/2Jzhv6v

B&N: http://bit.ly/2C31rt7

Kobo: http://bit.ly/Exonerated_Kobo

iBooks: https://apple.co/2Cnk3PX

Books2Read: books2read.com/exonerated

ALSO AVAILABLE

Appointed by Fate, The Mobster Files Book 1 – $1.99 for a limited time

US: http://amzn.to/2fEdZh1

UK: http://amzn.to/2wnFcrf

CA: http://amzn.to/2x2JNP3

AU: http://amzn.to/2k6RHpi

B&N: http://bit.ly/2fDcKyv

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2yLzv80

iBooks: http://apple.co/2vOJwSs

*****

Excerpt:

“Can we go home, please? I need to fit in a quick catnap before heading to the office.” She yawned, suddenly drained from the busy morning.

Crossing his long arms over his chest, Cameron shook his head. “No way. You’re not going to work after what you’ve been through. You need to take it easy.”

“No, I need to go to work,” she argued, her face heating up.

“The hell you do.” His low voice rumbled, scaring a passing orderly.

Realizing fighting through this wasn’t the best course of action, Joci unclenched her fisted hands. Slanting eyes over him, she sighed at his chaotic curls, from the wind or pushing his fingers through it she wasn’t sure. The holes where his nose and eyebrow rings used to sit glared at her, fleetingly making her wish they were in place once more. His jaw was set but his lips were pouty, an irresistible sight if she ever saw one. The adamant expression in his dark brown eyes siphoned all anger from her. He was concerned for her health, but there was something else lying behind his tone. His reflection sent her back to their childhood in Ohio. He’d puckered a similar face when they disagreed as kids. No wonder he always got his way, the ass.

He wasn’t wrong in his apprehension, however, letting him win this argument wouldn’t happen. He loved her, which meant he knew she was as stubborn as him. They were a perfect match from the start. Bullheaded and ornery. Work would always be at the top of her list and he knew it better than anyone from personal experience.

Stepping to his sulking position against the wall, Joci slipped her hands around his waist, her fingers grazing each of the devices hanging from the police utility belt. “Cam, all this excitement drained me. I need a bit of cuddle time, and I bet you know the perfect guy.”

His face released its strained hold and his lips slackened. “Maybe.”

Beaming up at him, she tilted her head to the right. “Maybe you know a guy, or maybe you are the guy?”

His chin lowered until she was touching noses with him. “I am the guy,” he fiercely replied.

Joci snaked her hand up his spine to the back of his head. Compelling his neck toward her, she locked her gaze with his stormy mahogany one. “The only guy.”

A tiny smile broke across his cheeks. “Then there’s no place I’d rather be.”

He leaned forward, imprinting his lips to her for eternity. The taste of mint clung to his breath, luring her to kiss him until she explored every facet of his mouth. His tongue tangoed with hers, causing adrenaline to spike through her body. Pressing harder against his mouth, she gasped when her back carefully hit the wall. Anyone could witness their brazen embrace, but she didn’t care. She needed his lips on her right now. His teeth nipped her lower lip. And if he wasn’t careful, she’d lug him to the nearest supply closet and bar the door just to show him how much she needed him.
When he finally eased away, Joci wasn’t sure if she was breathing on her own. He had this effect on her when she least expected but sorely craved it.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” he whispered, his brown eyes etched with leftover concern. “Promise you’ll never leave.” His hands rubbed the protruding stomach between them. “I can’t do this without you.”

Kissing him hard, Joci hoped he felt a molecule of the havoc his lips caused in her. “I promise.”

At Cameron’s relaxed sigh, she snuggled into him. A movement behind them distracted her as he straightened. She couldn’t see who was spying, only recognized a shock of red hair as they moved to the exit.

*****

Author Info:

Skye McNeil began writing at the age of seventeen and has been lost in a love affair ever since. During the day, she moonlights as a paralegal at a law firm favoring criminal law.

Skye enjoys writing romantic comedies and cozy mysteries novels that leave readers wanting more and falling in love over and over. She writes contemporary and historical novels ranging from sweet and sassy to steamy and sultry.  Her constant writing companions are two cats and two dogs. When she’s not writing, Skye enjoys spending time with family, photography, volleyball, traveling, and curling up with a cup of coffee and reading.

Website: http://www.skyemcneil.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyesthelimitwriting

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/skye_mcneil7

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14437675.Skye_McNeil

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Skye-McNeil/e/B017Y63B6C-2

Newsletter: http://www.skyemcneil.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcneilskye

*****

Giveaway:

2 paperbacks of Exonerated with Love

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ea80a6ed304

*****

Book Review – Mornings on Main

Tags

Book Review, Jodi Thomas, Mornings on Main

This is one of those reads that you need to be prepared to invest some time in.  Wait until you can give it your full attention – you will be glad you did!

*****

Mornings on Main

by Jodie Thomas

Blurb:

“Compelling and beautifully written.” —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Ransom Canyon

From the beloved and bestselling author of the Ransom Canyon and Harmony, Texas series comes a powerful, heartwarming story about generations of family and the ironclad bonds they forge.

When Jillian James lands in the small town Texas community of Laurel Springs, she’s definitely not planning to stay—except to find a few clues about the father who abandoned her and destroyed her faith in family.

Connor Larady is a single dad, and the only one caring for his grandmother, Eugenia, who has Alzheimer’s. And now he has to close Eugenia’s quilt shop. When Connor meets down-on-her-luck Jillian, he’s out of options. Can he trust the newcomer to do right by his grandmother’s legacy?

Jillian is done with relationships. But as she grows closer to Connor and Eugenia, she must consider giving up her nomadic life for a future with those who need her.

An inspiring family saga that asks us to consider what love and chosen family really mean.

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

Get your copy at:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ouUokx

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2EX7H7B

B&N: http://bit.ly/2HPRb73

B-A-M: http://bit.ly/2HPRe2J

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2EVGvWH

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2F0hp4Y

iBooks: https://apple.co/2GNnlyD

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2GKhRVt

Book Depository: http://bit.ly/2CoRNRC

*****

Excerpt:

A long slice of light shone into the dark shadows of the quilt shop. For a moment, Jillian thought she was in the wrong place. No soft ribbons of florescent bulbs twenty feet above. No laughter from the quilter’s corner. No smell of coffee drifting from the tiny kitchen.

Only a long-legged girl dressed in black, staring at her as if Jillian had just interrupted a demonic ritual.

The backward lettering of A Stitch in Time circled across the front window. Right place. Jillian was in the quilt shop. Squaring her shoulders, she moved forward.

“Hi,” Jillian managed as she widened the opening of the door. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to see the invader bet­ter or simply wanted to enlarge her escape route.

The strange girl swung one leg so it bumped against the side of the counter in a heartbeat rhythm. Her hair was so light it appeared white, and hung straight past her shoulders.

A dozen bracelets, all appearing to be made out of rusty bolts, clanked on her arms as she turned toward the back of the store.

“Dad!” the intruder yelled. “Someone’s drifted in.”

Rows of lights began to click on, starting from the back and finally reaching the front. All the beautiful colors of the store returned, but the escapee from the Addams Family re­mained. Her black peacoat, with batwing shoulder pads, was ripped in several places. Black eyeliner extended almost to her ears and charcoal, lace gloves covered her hands.

Jillian studied the girl carefully. On the bright side, the coat and leggings matched. Both black and ragged. She appeared to be wearing three blouses, the last one a lace nightgown. Silk, holey as if moth-eaten, and spotted with what looked like bloodstains. Her skirt, with several chains hanging off it, reminded Jillian of a midnight plaid kilt.

They both turned as footsteps stormed from the back. “Sorry,” Connor Larady shouted. “I usually have the place all opened up by this time.”

He didn’t seem to notice the girl still perched on the coun­ter. “I’ll have a key made for you so you won’t have to wait for me if I’m running late.”

When Jillian turned her gaze to the girl, Connor finally acknowledged the goth in the room. “Oh, I’m sorry, Jillian, this is my daughter. Sunnie, this is the lady who is helping Gram organize the shop.”

Jillian offered her hand, hoping the strange girl wouldn’t try to suck her blood. She was so thin and pale she probably hadn’t eaten in days.

The girl reluctantly took Jillian’s offered hand, but her handshake was limp.

If there was a prize for someone born with the wrong name, Sunnie Larady would win. Stormy might be better. Or Scary.

She slid off the counter. Six feet of pure adolescent rebel­lion. “I need to get to school, Connor.” She said her father’s name louder than the rest of the sentence.

“Right.” Connor turned to Jillian. “Will you be all right here? Gram should be dropped off any minute.”

“I’m fine. I’ll watch for her.” Jillian smiled at Sunnie. “Nice to meet you.”

The girl shrugged and walked out.

*****

Review:

One of those sweet, small town romances that is just as much women’s fiction as it is romance, Mornings on Main is the kind of story that you have to cherish.  It isn’t fast paced and you definitely can’t speed through it.  Instead you need to settle back and get ready to enjoy every page, every encounter, every brush of the hand, every secret that slips out, every glimpse into what makes people tick, every chance to get to know them just that tiny bit better.  It’s a slow, gentle process and all the better for it.

Neither Jillian nor Connor are looking for someone.  They live their lives a certain way and figure that’s what they are built for … until they meet each other.  While the connection is immediate, they go through a lot of fits and starts because both of them are wary.  Jillian’s upbringing (and continued nomadic lifestyle) and Connor’s romantic history mean that getting close to others isn’t easy for them.  But what the heart wants can be hard to resist.

As much as I loved seeing Jillian and Connor slowly fall in love, I think the women in his life are just as awesome.  The friendship between Connor’s grandmother, Eugenia, and her lifelong friend, Joe, is oh-so-touching.  And her battle with her wandering memories is enough to bring you to tears.  But it’s Connor’s daughter, Sunnie, and her romantic woes that grabbed hold of my heart.  She’s at a difficult age but she’s got a good amount of spunk to help see her thru it 🙂

Yes, there is a beautiful love story here with two people finding something they didn’t know they were missing, but there is so much more.  The search for home and family.  The need for a connection to the past and future, as well as to someone else.  There are bonds that tie us together, some we are born with and some we make, but they are all important in making us who we are.

*****

Author Info:

New York Times and USA Today’s bestselling author Jodi Thomas has published over 30 books in both the historical romance and contemporary genres, the majority of which are set in her home state of Texas. Publishers Weekly calls her novels “Distinctive…Memorable,” and that in her stories “[tension] rides high, mixed with humor and kisses more passionate than most full-on love scenes.” In 2006, Romance Writers of America (RITA) inducted Thomas into the RWA Hall of Fame for winning her third RITA for THE TEXAN’S REWARD. She also received the National Readers’ Choice Award in 2009 for TWISTED CREEK (2008) and TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN (2008). While continuing to work as a novelist, Thomas also functions as Writer in Residence at the West Texas A&M University campus, where she inspires students and alumni in their own writing pursuits.

Website: http://www.jodithomas.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jodithomas/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JodiThomasAuthor

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/JodiThomasAuthor

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jodi0007/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20273.Jodi_Thomas

*****

Tour Schedule:

April 2^nd

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

April 3^rd

Always a happy ever after – Review

Sofia Loves Books – Review

April 4^th

Hearts & Scribbles – Excerpt

Melena’s Reviews – Review & Excerpt

April 5^th

Evermore Books – Excerpt

April 6^th

Belle’s Book Belfry – Review & Excerpt

April 7^th

Red Hot + Blue Reads – Review & Excerpt

April 8^th

The Butterfly Reads – Review & Excerpt

April 9^th

Geronimo Reads – Review & Excerpt

The bookworms obsession – Review

April 10^th

The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt

Two Girls with Books – Review

April 11^th

Nerdy Dirty and Flirty – Excerpt

The Book Maven – Review & Excerpt

April 12^th

Read more sleep less – Review & Excerpt

Totally Bex – Review & Excerpt

April 13^th

KDRBCK – Review & Excerpt

Romantic Reads and Such – Review & Excerpt

April 14^th

More Books Than Livros – Review & Excerpt

Ripe For Reader – Review & Excerpt

April 15^th

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

Bookishly Yours – Review & Excerpt

April 16^th

Renee Entress’s Blog – Review & Excerpt

Shannon’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

April 17^th

Aaly and The Books – Review & Excerpt

Mama She’s Crazy About Books – Review

April 18^th

Jax’s Book Magic – Review & Excerpt

Maybe SS Riki – Review & Excerpt

April 19^th

MI Bookshelf – Review

Tangents and Tissues – Excerpt

April 20^th

Shelly’s Book Corner – Excerpt

Teatime and Books – Excerpt

Spotlight – Never Been Good

Tags

Bad Boys Gone Good series, Christi Barth, Never Been Good

I’m a huge fan of Christi Barth and how can you not love a reformed bad boy … put them together and you’ll get something awesome!

*****

Never Been Good

a Bad Boys Gone Good novel

by Christi Barth

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

USA Today bestseller Christi Barth returns with another steamy Bad Boys Gone Good novel!

Flynn Maguire isn’t really a bad guy. Sure, he worked for the mob, but he ran a legitimate business—on paper anyway—and it paid enough to keep his brother out of the lifestyle. Until they turned on him. Now he’s stuck in Witness Protection, tending bar in Nowheresville Oregon… and pissed the life he knew is gone. The only bright spot? Fantasizing about his quiet, secretive, beautiful coworker.

Sierra Williams is a woman on the run. All she wants now is to settle into small town life… and ignore the brooding, sexy bartender who can’t seem to take his eyes off her. Flynn’s bad-boy vibe pushes all her buttons, but Sierra fell for the wrong man once already. She can’t afford to let her guard down again. Except Flynn’s tough exterior is slowly melting away to reveal the sweet man beneath and their attraction is too strong to resist.

Sierra and Flynn are falling fast, but they’re both keeping so many secrets. The truth could ruin everything… unless a girl who’s a little bad is perfect for a guy who’s never really been good.

Get Your Copy Today!

Amazon  | B&N  | iBooks  | Kobo

*****

Excerpt:

Flynn pulled over the trash can, upended it, and rested her foot on it sideways, ice draped across. Then he noticed the sparkly glints of glass in her hair. “Do you have a brush?”

“No.” She looked up at that to give him an amused half smile. “I’m not one of those women who reapplies their lipstick every twenty minutes.”

He’d noticed. He’d noticed everything about her look. Natural. Like hippy-natural. Which he found weirdly sexy. Weird because the women he’d dated in Chicago were all big boobs, loud makeup, and bigger hair. Sierra was just . . . herself. Which turned Flynn on more than he’d been willing to admit. Okay, hell. He’d admitted it. He’d just refused to act on it.

Until tonight.

Until seeing her crumpled on the floor of the bar. It had sent a primal surge of protectiveness through him that unlocked everything he’d kept tamped down for weeks now. All the interest. Lust. Attraction. Need.

Carlos produced a brush from his desk drawer. “Here. It’s Madalena’s.” She was his sister who did the books for the Gorse. Flynn had only met her once, but appreciated her no-nonsense personality. “I’ll go watch the bar for you, Flynn.”

“Thanks.” He carefully pulled Sierra’s hair over her shoulders so it draped down her back. “This should be the quickest way to get the glass out.”

“Oh, but you don’t have to—”

That was the kicker. After spending years doing what people told him he had to, Flynn now did only the bare minimum. Sure, he could just hand her the brush. But this, helping Sierra, was a compulsion he couldn’t resist. “I know I don’t have to. I want to help. Let me.”

“Okay.” Her shoulders relaxed down at least an inch as she sighed. Then Sierra sighed again as the bristles made contact with her scalp. This one was different, though. It was pure feminine pleasure.

God, he couldn’t wait to make her do it again.

Flynn made long, slow passes. A little more pressure against her head, because she seemed to like it, and then a pull through the long strands to shake out the glass. It was quiet. Intimate. Something he’d never done before for any other woman. The backs of his fingers grazed her neck as he gathered her hair in his hand.

Sierra shivered.

His dick throbbed at the sight. At her whole-body shiver, and at the view of her exposed nape. Right on the spot where, if he put his lips, Flynn knew he could tease another shiver out of her.

Then he noticed how her hair looked in his fist. He flashed ahead past a million impossibilities to a scene that he could never let happen. Sierra on her knees. Naked. Looking over her shoulder at him with that shy smile while he fisted her hair and drove into her.

The ice slid off her ankle, tinkling as it tumbled out of the towel onto the floor. The moment was gone.

Although Flynn knew he’d never be able to get that image out of his mind.

*****

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.

 

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

*****

Giveaway:

May Designs notebook & Alex and Ani bracelet

Ebook copies of The Opposite of Right & The Reverse of Perfection

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4cf78adb649/

*****

Spotlight – Don’t Call Me Cupcake

Tags

Don't Call Me Cupcake, Tara Sheets, The Holloway Girls series

This one is definitely going on my TBR list – it looks like a whole lotta fun!

*****

A cupcake baker with magical abilities suddenly finds herself competing with the unfortunately handsome owner of the fancy new bakery across the street in Golden Heart® Winner Tara Sheets’s magical romantic comedy releasing April 24th, 2018.

Don’t Call Me Cupcake

The Holloway Girls series

by Tara Sheets

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 24, 2018

Publisher: Zebra Shout – Kensington Publishing

Format: Digital eBook / Print

Digital ISBN: 1420146264

Print ISBN: 9781420146264

Blurb:

There’s a very special kind of sweetness to life on Pine Cove Island …

Most families have a favorite recipe or two, handed down through generations. The Holloway women are a little different. Emma Holloway, like her grandmother before her, bakes charms into her delicious cupcakes, granting the recipient comfort, sweet dreams, or any number of good things. It’s a strange gift, but it brings only happiness. Until gorgeous, smooth-talking newcomer Hunter Kane strolls into her shop, Fairy Cakes—and Emma makes the mistake of selling him not one, but three Sweet Success cupcakes.

Hunter, it turns out, is opening a fancy new restaurant and bakery right on the waterfront—Emma’s competition. To make matters worse, the town committee has decided to split the upcoming summer festival contract between the two, forcing Emma to work with her nemesis. But she can’t afford to split her profits. The solution: create a recipe that will make Hunter leave town permanently.

The Holloway charms are powerful. But there are other kinds of magic in the world—like red-hot first kisses, secret glances, and the feeling that comes with falling truly, madly, inconveniently in love . . .

Add to your TBR list:  Goodreads

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes  |  Books-A-Million

*****

Excerpt:

“You.” A woman’s voice called behind him, and he turned to see the cupcake girl marching toward him. She was still wearing that black-and-white frilly apron. With her blond ringlets flying around her delicate face and flinty sparks in her gray eyes, Hunter felt like he was about to be attacked by a sexy Goldilocks.

He searched behind him as she approached, to make sure she wasn’t talking to someone else. “Me?”

She stopped in front of him, a little out of breath from her march down the street. Her chest lifted and fell intriguingly over the white apron lace, but her rosebud mouth was pursed tightly and Hunter took a step back. He had seen that look on women before. Goldilocks was not happy.

“Yes, you,” she said through gritted teeth. “You lied to me. You’re not a tourist.”

“Uh,” Hunter glanced around for a moment. “I’m not?”

“No, you’re not.” She stepped in close, grabbing the pastry box out of his hand. She peered inside and glared up at him in accusation. “And of course. You had to go and eat all three of them, didn’t you?”

He blinked. “But, I paid for them, remember?”

“That’s not the point. You. Ate. Them.”

“Yes,” he said carefully. Maybe Goldilocks liked to spike her morning porridge. “They were delicious?”

“Ugh.” She stomped her foot and he tried not to smile. She was irritated, yes, but so damn adorable. Even if she was a little bit odd.

“You shouldn’t have eaten them because you weren’t being honest with me. You’re not just a tourist passing through. You’re the new owner of that.” She pointed to the empty waterfront building that would soon be his fancy new café and restaurant.

“Yes.” He held out his hand and gave her his best smile. “I’m Hunter Kane.”

She frowned back at him, ignoring his hand. “I know who you are. And you should have told me that before I gave you those Sweet Success cupcakes.”

“Why?”

“Because I own Fairy Cakes, and now your business is going to take away all my customers.” She looked so upset that Hunter felt a twinge of pity for her, even though she was being ridiculous. Competition was the name of the game in any industry, and restaurant ownership was no exception. “Look, I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s just business. And why would my eating your chocolate cupcakes be a problem anyway? It’s not like I’m going to steal the recipe or something.”

“Ha,” she scoffed. “As if you ever could. My cupcakes are special, and everyone on this island knows it.”

“Oh . . . kay.” He still wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at.

“And now you’ve gone and eaten them.” She threw her hands up in the air.

Hunter frowned down at her. “Well, excuse me, ma’am. I thought that was the whole point of buying them.”

She jammed her hands onto her hips. “First of all, I’m twenty-five years old. Don’t call me ‘ma’am.’ Save it for old ladies with lapdogs.”

“Fine, Cupcake.” He shouldn’t have said it. He knew it. But something about her righteous indignation made him want to tease her. She gasped, her eyes narrowing on him like an angry feline. He was so dead.

Copyright© 2018 Don’t Call Me Cupcake
Tara Sheets

*****

Author Info:

TARA SHEETS is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Her work has earned first place recognition in literary contests nationwide and her debut novel, Don’t Call Me Cupcake, won the 2016 Golden Heart® award sponsored by Romance Writers of America®. Tara began her career as an author in the Pacific Northwest, inspired by the rain and the misty mountains and the rivers of Starbucks coffee.  She now lives in the warm, wonderful South where she can stand outside with no coat on, and she finds that pretty inspiring too.  When not writing, Tara enjoys life with her book-loving family and a book-eating dog named Merlin. She is represented by Sarah Phair at Trident Media Group.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  BookBub

*****

Giveaway:

Tara is offering one (1) lucky Grand Prize winner an Alex & Ani cupcake charm bracelet and a paperback ARC of Don’t Call Me Cupcake. Two (2) Runner-Up winners will receive a paperback ARC of Don’t Call Me Cupcake!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29500/

*****

Book Review – The Darkest Promise

Tags

Book Review, Gena Showalter, Lords of the Underworld series, The Darkest Promise

Those into paranormal romances will probably recognize this one.  If this is new to you, there’s enough reading material in the series to keep you busy for a while 🙂

*****

The Darkest Promise

Lords of the Underworld series

by Gena Showalter

Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages

Publisher: HQN (March 27, 2018)

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with a sizzling Lords of the Underworld story about an iron-willed sovereign and the somber beauty who melts him with a glance…

Possessed by the demon of Misery, Cameo isn’t allowed to experience joy. If she dares, her memory is wiped clean. With no other recourse, she sneaks into a land more fantastical than any fairy tale, determined to find the one man with the key to her redemption.

Lazarus the Cruel and Unusual rules his kingdom with a single unwavering focus: to build his army and annihilate his enemies. Nothing distracts him—until Cameo. He is relentless in his quest to make her smile…and seduce her into his bed.

As dark forces conspire against them, threatening to destroy the fragile bond they’ve forged, the once-calm Lazarus grows crazed. Every heart-stopping kiss and wicked touch causes Cameo to teeter on the brink of happiness. But if she falls, she risks forgetting him forever…

“One of the premier authors of paranormal romance. Gena Showalter delivers an utterly spell-binding story!”-Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Gena Showalter never fails to dazzle.”-Jeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author

“Showalter…rocks me every time!”-Sylvia Day, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Showalter writes fun, sexy characters you fall in love with!”-Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author

“Showalter makes romance sizzle on every page!”-Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

*****

Excerpt:

Misery had quickly peeled away the layers of her humanity, hope and happiness. Again and again he’d wiped her mind of any joyous memories.

The bastard still wiped her mind of any joyous memories. Every day he breathed his poison into her thoughts, hurt others through her voice and ruined whatever relationships she managed to forge. He’d re­duced her life to one horror after another.

If only she could control him. But Misery was a sep­arate entity with his own motivations and goals. A dark presence she’d never been able to drown out. A prison she had never been able to escape.

Right now, he’s not my biggest problem. The but­terfly…

Disaster was imminent.

Cameo searched for a way out of the forest. At one side, a breathtaking river with rainbow-colored water trickled into a rocky crag. Some type of fish broke the surface. A water unicorn? A long, ivory horn stretched from between his eyes and—

She gasped. Another water unicorn had jumped up and thrust his horn into the belly of the first. Blood spurted, creating a crimson waterfall. Countless other fish converged on the injured one, sharp teeth ripping into scales and organs until not even bones remained.

Mental note: no baths in the wild, ever.

At her other side, a field of ambrosia flourished, unaffected by the over-hot sun. Thick emerald stalks dripped with countless violet flowers, the petals drawn together to avoid the worst of the heat.

The field might be her only viable—

A thorny limb snatched the jumbo-size butterfly from the air. Her ears twitched, the soft breeze carry­ing the faint sounds of screaming.

Viable path or not, it was time to go.

Cameo lumbered to shaky legs, wincing as twigs sliced her heel. Her brow wrinkled. Her feet were bare, her combat boots gone.

Someone had stolen her shoes?

A quick scan proved her tank top and battle leath­ers were torn and stained with dried blood, but still in place. However, the daggers she’d made over two hun­dred years ago were missing.

Someone had robbed her while she’d drifted out of consciousness.

Someone would pay!

*****

Review:

This is the first in the series that I’ve read and I kinda knew going in that it would probably have an impact.  I made myself push through the awkwardness, especially at the beginning, and while there were definitely things that I missed (and nuances that would have had more significance to me as a returning reader), after a bit I found myself having a really good time.  I can definitely see why Showalter has been so popular!

You have to feel for a woman who can never be truly happy, has no relationships that last, has large gaps in her memory, and can make people break down sobbing at the sound of her voice.  That’s a lot to take but Cameo does it with strength and determination.  She has a support system with her friends but her’s is not an easy path.

Lazarus’s life has not been easy either (rotten childhood, dead mother, and enslavement – whew!) but he’s managed to find a place of his own and he’s working on building up an army to seek revenge on those that have wronged him.  (Ya know, just your average To Do list, right after 1. Turn those who cross me into stone and put them into my garden as gruesome statues.  Yikes!)  But he’s struggling with an almost overpowering need for Cameo and having her back is putting a kink in all sorts of his plans.

I know that both Cameo and Lazarus have been in previous stories, so I’m missing out on a lot of backstory and development, but as a new reader I found them quite interesting.  Both are carrying burdens, from their pasts and where they see their futures going.  But like any good paranormal story there’s always more than you know!  I think that’s one of my favorite things about stories with sci-fi elements – you can do whatever you want as long as it makes sense in the realm you’ve made.  And I feel that Showalter did that pretty well here.

I wouldn’t normally jump into a series this far along (I saw somewhere that this was book 13!) but I’m glad I did.  The world that Showalter created – a lovely mix of mythology and paranormal romance – seems complex and intriguing.  The characters were fun, sassy, and kept me turning pages.  (I’m definitely curious about some of the side stories that were hinted at so I think I’ll be looking to add a few more books to my ever-growing TBR pile 🙂 )  Overall, a pretty dang good read but one that was probably enjoyed even more by those who have some history with these characters.

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Author Info:

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, she’s been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours–and her books have been translated in multiple languages. She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com.

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Gena Showalter’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Sunday, March 18th: Book Binge – excerpt

Monday, March 19th: @novelgrounds

Wednesday, March 21st: Reading Reality

Monday, March 26th: @cityofdarkclockwork

Tuesday, March 27th: Tome Tender

Tuesday, March 27th: Romantic Reads and Such – excerpt

Wednesday, March 28th: Stuck in Books

Wednesday, March 28th: @booknerdnative

Thursday, March 29th: The Sassy Bookster – excerpt

Friday, March 30th: Stranded in Chaos

Monday, April 2nd: Read Love Blog

Tuesday, April 3rd: @vixenreads

Wednesday, April 4th: Saints and Sinners Books

Thursday, April 5th: @laceybooklovers

Friday, April 6th: Romancing the Book – excerpt

Monday, April 9th: The Book Disciple

Wednesday, April 11th: The Romance Dish

Wednesday, April 11th: Books Without Any Pictures 

Friday, April 13th: Moonlight Rendezvous