Exclusive Excerpt from Man Down by Krista Ames

October 9, 2017 by · 6 Comments


MAN DOWN
Author: Krista Ames
Series: Kendall Ryan’s Imperfect Love World

 

Would it be out of line to run screaming from a wedding where the bride was your sister? Miranda Wentworth wanted to do just that. She hated her sister. The woman had stolen every guy Miranda ever liked, including the groom. She would like nothing more than to remove herself from the nightmare her family called a wedding. If it weren’t for her mother’s dirty looks and a hottie in a leather jacket in the back of the church, she’d leave the place and never come back.

Colt Jensen was the black sheep of a family he didn’t like to be around. He’d never received a formal invitation to a top-of-the line wedding where his brother was marrying his ex’s sister. And they called him the odd one out. Desperate to escape, Colt spotting a bridesmaid leaving the church that fit the description of his perfect woman could only be luck. Right?

Is he up for another short-lived romance with the girl of his dreams or will he be yet another Man Down?

Watching the newly married couple kiss when the preacher ordered it was sour icing on a shit cake.  She couldn’t take any more and if they didn’t end this soon and walk out of the church, she would be doing it herself, only ahead of them.  A move her mother would be less than thrilled about but she didn’t care.  Not anymore.  Nobody cared how this entire day made Miranda feel so she was done with the line of sympathy crap.  There’d been a scolding conversation from her mother every chance she got about how Brock was the perfect match for her sister and she needed to be happy for them.

When had her mother become so petty and oblivious to her surroundings? Brock was not a good guy at all.

Oh thank God.  Emily, the new bride turned toward Miranda who was paying attention this time, to retrieve the bridal bouquet so she and her perfectly disgusting new husband could take their walk of shame and hopefully out of her life forever!!!   With a wrinkle of her nose and a ha ha, he’s mine look, her sister grabbed the flowers and stepped off the platform.

She was next in line with one of the grooms’ brothers who let his eyes travel the length of her, up and down like she was a tasty treat.

“Don’t even think about it buddy. I am so not into brothers so put your eyes and your drooling tongue back in your head.”

Isn’t this day over yet?

Half way out of the church but moving much slower down the aisle than she liked, Miranda was looking anywhere to avoid the creepy stares of the guy holding her arm tighter than he needed to. When she spotted an adorable hunk in a black leather jacket in the very back row, she couldn’t stop staring. Not even when she’d passed his pew or when his eyes had connected with hers.

Now that’s my type of guy.  Then the pompous brute she was walking with jerked her arm, snapping her out of her trance.  She scowled, disconnected his arm from hers before she broke it, and slapped at the man’s unwanted attention.

Tragedy.  She’d probably never see that hot guy again.

 

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New & Upcoming Releases: October 9-12

October 9, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

New releases coming at ya this week!!

AVAILABLE NOW

TEMPT THE PLAYBOY by Natasha Madison

play·boy
ˈplāˌboi/
noun
a wealthy man who spends his time enjoying himself, especially one who behaves irresponsibly or is sexually promiscuous.
Synonyms: socialite, pleasure seeker.

Noah
I have it all, money, looks, and any woman I want.
Till I meet her and my universe is knocked on its ass and she wants nothing to do with me.

Kaleigh
My motto: never date the same man twice. I have less chance of breaking my heart that way.
Till my eyes land on the only man I’ll break my rule for.

She thinks she can run. That I’ll let her get away.

He thinks he can handle a woman like me.
He has no idea.

A man who has it all needs one thing and one thing only. A temptress.

Watch me Tempt the Playboy.

SICK FUX by Tillie Cole

When Ellis Earnshaw and Heathan James met as children, they couldn’t have been more different. Ellis was loud and beautiful – all blond hair, bright laughs and smiles. Heathan was dark and brooding, and obsessed with watching things die.

The pair forged an unlikely friendship, unique and strange. Until they were ripped apart by the sick cruelty of others, separated for years, both locked in a perpetual hell.
Eleven years later, Heathan is back for his girl. Back from a place from which he thought there was no return. Back to seek revenge on those who wronged them.

Time has made Heathan’s soul darker, polluted with hatred and the thirst for blood.

Time has made Ellis a shell of her former self, a little girl lost in the vastness of her pain.

As Heathan pulls Ellis out of her mental prison, reviving the essence of who she once was, down the rabbit hole they will go.

With malice in their hearts and vengeance in their veins, they will seek out the ones who hurt and destroyed them.
One at a time.
Each one more deadly than the last.
Tick Tock.

Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, disturbingly sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and very mature topics. Recommended for ages 18 and over.

DIRTY LITTLE PROMISE by Kendall Ryan

Conflicted in the depth of her feelings for bad boy Gavin Kingsley, lonely librarian Emma Bell knows he’s all wrong for her—yet the heart wants what it wants.

But if she gives into his dark, erotic desires will she lose herself completely?

Passion, drama and suspense combine in the highly-anticipated conclusion to Emma Bell’s love affair with the alpha and enigmatic Kingsley brothers.

Secrets will be exposed, sides will be chosen, and nothing will ever be the same.

This is book two in the series, following Dirty Little Secret.

 

GUY HATER by J Sterling

From New York Times Bestseller, J. Sterling, comes a sexy new STANDALONE romance novel.

Frank Fisher is quiet, pensive, and sexy as hell.

He’s also stuck in a loveless relationship, bound by a promise he made years ago.

It’s one he intends to keep, no matter the cost.

The night Claudia walks into his bar, both his life and his perspective are forever changed.

She’s feisty, strong, independent and everything he never knew he needed.

She’s also everything he never knew he wanted, and now he’s torn.

Will Frank follow his heart, or will guilt and obligation continue to rule his life?

Choices aren’t always easy, especially when you’re a man, and Frank’s indecision may cost him more than he’s willing to lose.

FILTHY PLAYER by Stacey Lynn

The Raleigh Rough Riders are back, and this time Super Bowl Quarterback Beaux Hale finds himself playing the most important game of his life.

Every woman knows Beaux Hale is nothing but a player. Yet the first time he walks into Paige Halloway’s restaurant and flashes his sexy grin, she feels a heat between them spark. Too bad he opens his mouth and ruins it.

He may think his money, fame, and sexy looks will attract any woman—but he’s wrong.

Paige doesn’t have time for a man. She’s too busy keeping a roof over her head and taking care of her father to care about relationships.

Lucky for Beaux, he’s a man who’s ready to use all the plays at his disposal. He didn’t bring his team a Super Bowl victory by giving up at the first block in his path—and Paige Halloway has just become his new long-game.

Beaux also knows that sometimes, in order to win and claim your prize, you have to get a little bit filthy.

PLAYED by Jen Frederick

She’s been playing it close…

Ara Martin and college football star Ty Masters have been best friends since the first day of school when Ty literally ran her over. She fell for him immediately, but having lived under the shadow of her famous father, she knows a relationship with irresistible Ty would only end in heartbreak. For four years, she’s kept her feelings hidden. But one drunken encounter weeks before graduation is about to expose Ara’s biggest secret and destroy her most treasured relationship.

He’s been playing for keeps…

Ty is about to be drafted into the NFL, but his personal life is a mess. He’s got an agent he doesn’t like, a brother who can’t stop offering his opinion, and a beautiful woman he craves but can’t have. He can fire his agent and ignore his brother, but he’s not sure what to do about Ara. Ty’s been able to run down every quarterback he’s faced, but his sexy, stubborn best friend keeps slipping through his fingers.

Luckily, he’s not one for giving up, and once he gets his hands on her, he’s never letting go.

UNLOVED by Katy Regnary

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery comes an unforgettable story about loss, redemption and the healing power of love.

My name is Cassidy Porter…

My father, Paul Isaac Porter, was convicted twenty years ago for the brutal murder of a dozen innocent girls.

Though I was only eight-years-old at the time, I am aware – every day of my life – that I am his child, his only son.

To protect the world from the poison in my veins, I live a quiet life, off the grid, away from humanity.

I promised myself, and my mother, not to infect innocent lives with the darkness that swirls within me, waiting to make itself known.

It’s a promise I would have kept…if Brynn Cadogan hadn’t stumbled into my life.

Now I exist between heaven and hell: falling for a woman who wants to love me, while all along reminding myself that I must remain…

Unloved.

MAKE ME YOURS by Rebecca Brooks

“Intensely sexy and packs an emotional punch!” – #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely on Make Me Beg

Claire Collins has always been good—except when it comes to bad boys. Or one bad boy in particular: a tattooed musician as skilled with her body as he is with his guitar. But he wasn’t ready to be a father, so she left him to raise their daughter on her own. Only fate had other plans, and suddenly, Ryan is back in her life, disrupting everything. This time, though, she’s determined not to lose her heart…even if she still craves his touch.

Ryan Thomas never expects to see Claire again—especially not in a small mountain town in Washington on the last show of his comeback tour. But when the lights come on, there she is, more beautiful than ever. One incredible night with her won’t be enough… But he’ll have to prove he’s not the man he used to be, if he wants to keep her—and his family—for good.

Each book in the Men of Gold Mountain series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 Make Me Stay
Book #2 Make Me Beg
Book #3 Make Me Want
Book #4 Make Me Yours

SIGHTLINES by Santino Hassell

Chase Payne is a walking contradiction. He’s the most powerful psychic in the Community, but the least respected. He’s the son of the Community’s founder, but with his tattoo sleeves and abrasive attitude, he’s nothing like his charismatic family. No one knows what to make of him, which is how he wound up locked in a cell on the Farm yet again. But this time, the only man he’s ever loved is there too.

Elijah Estrella was used to being the sassy sidekick who fooled around with Chase for fun. But that was before he realized the Community wasn’t the haven he’d believed in and Chase was the only person who’d ever truly tried to protect him. Now they’re surrounded by people who want to turn them against their friends, and the only way out is to pretend the brainwashing works.

With Chase playing the role of a tyrant’s second-in-command, and Elijah acting like Chase’s mindless sex toy, they risk everything by plotting a daring escape. In the end, it’s only their psychic abilities, fueled by their growing love for each other, that will allow them to take the Community down once and for all.

RELEASING OCTOBER 10

GAME ON by Victoria Denault

 

“I don’t break hearts. I break headboards . . . “

When it comes to scoring in the pro hockey league, Alex Larue is crushing it-with the hot puck bunnies. He’s the life of the party, the guy with all the jokes . . . and the one whose Party Guy mask keeps the real him well hidden. The last thing he needs is anyone finding out about his troubled past, or the nightmares that haunt him still.

Brie Bennett is less than impressed by Alex from the moment she meets him. And even though he insists on volunteering at the charity she runs, she doesn’t trust him. He’s hiding something…but so is she. She’s not just the rich, privileged New York princess he thinks she is. The animosity between them is undeniably addictive and as their worlds keep colliding it becomes supercharged with something else – attraction.

But if they stop playing games and let each other in, they both might lose.

FROM THIS MOMENT by Melanie Harlow

It was like seeing a ghost.

When my late husband’s twin brother moves back to our small town, I want to avoid him. Everything about Wes reminds me of the man I lost and the life we’d planned together, and after eighteen long months struggling just to get out of bed, I’m finally doing okay. I have a new job, an amazing support group, and a beautiful five-year-old daughter to parent. I don’t want to go backward.

But I’m drawn to him, too. He understands my grief and anger and guilt like no one else—and I understand his. Before long, that understanding becomes desire, and that desire becomes uncontrollable.

He says he doesn’t care what people think, and love can never be wrong. But life has taught me it cruelest lesson–love doesn’t always win.

If only my heart would believe it.

 

THE CONSORT by K.A. Linde

After the loss of a friend and a false imprisonment in an Eleysian dungeon, Cyrene has no interest in destiny. Her heart was shattered, friends scattered, and her home is nothing but a pretty illusion. Even her magic won’t cooperate.

Only desperation can turn her to the last person she should trust:

Prince Kael.

His darkness mirrors a growing force lurking within her. A struggle she never imagined threatens to consume her. And as friends and foes begin to show their true colors, she starts questioning whether anyone is who they seem.

Even herself.

Read on to uncover Cyrene’s journey to find love and destiny! Great for fans of Game of Thrones, Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha series, and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.

ACCIDENTAL MAN WHORE by Katherine Stevens

Ben Wright isn’t an escort.

Except when he is.

All he wants is to make some extra money to pay off his dad’s medical bills. He never intended to be tied to beds while making the Benjamins.

Miryam Wexler never intended to be dumped by her fiancé before their wedding.

But she was.

Now all she wants is to put her life back together and not tell her grandmother about her humiliation.

He needs money and she needs a stand-in fiancé. They can help each other, if they don’t kill each other first.

Two people with double lives equals four times the chaos and four times the comedy.

IN PIECES by Danielle Pearl

Three years ago she was left in pieces . . .

Most college freshmen love the newfound freedom of living on campus, but none of them craves it like Beth Caplan. One ill-fated night when she was fifteen left her locked in a posh prison of private tutors. It’s for the best, everyone said, and maybe it was. But after years of hard work and healing, the one person who never thought of her as broken could be the one to break her all over again. And Beth can’t seem to stay away now any more than she could all those years ago.

As soon as David March learned his best friend’s little sister was enrolling at his school, he promised to look after her, and promised himself he’d keep a safe distance. But the sweet little girl he’d grown up with has transformed into a gorgeous young woman, and she’s attracting attention from people she shouldn’t-like the ex who nearly destroyed her and a strange new student with a disturbing habit of showing up wherever Beth goes. But for David, the most troubling discovery is realizing that he doesn’t just want Beth to be safe. He wants her to be his.

SURE THING by Jana Aston

A new STANDALONE romance from New York Times bestselling author Jana Aston

Do you have an identical twin sister?
No? It’s okay, most people don’t.

But if you did, would you switch places with her?
Of course you would – when you were five.

You might even do it again when you were fifteen.

But a twin switcheroo at twenty-six?

This won’t end well.
Couldn’t possibly.

Add in a sexy stranger – with an even sexier British accent – and things are about to get really complicated.

Especially when I’m not the only one keeping secrets…

SWEET TIME by Nina Lane

A rock-hard bodyguard gets a sassy, sweet treat.

Stuck in a boring insurance job, vivacious Mia Donovan has spent the last few years searching for her life’s true path. She fills her time helping plan the wedding of her best friend to the CEO of the Sugar Rush Candy Company.

Mia has also been trying to attract the impossibly rigid Sugar Rush security chief Gavin Knight. But for well over a year, the unyielding Mr. Knight has ignored her, despite her short skirts, tight sweaters, and patently obvious flirting. And when he finally approaches her, it’s only to assess the wedding plans for potential security risks.

A former soldier, Gavin has intercepted hostile anonymous letters threatening the high-profile wedding. Determined to keep everyone safe, he’s forced to work with the maddeningly sexy Miss Donovan of the thousand-watt charm and irresistible body.

Irked by Gavin’s many months of disregard, Mia takes her teasing flirtations to a whole new level. But her coquettish ways are no match for the edgy, lust-fueled dominant he conceals behind his impassive exterior. And when Gavin exerts his full control, Mia discovers he can protect everything except her heart.

SWEET TIME is a sexy contemporary romance by New York Times bestselling author Nina Lane. It can be read as a standalone or enjoyed as part of the Sugar Rush series.

MIDNIGHT UNLEASHED by Lara Adrian

For Breed vampire Trygg, a menacing former assassin and the ultimate loner, duty is everything…until his solo mission to destroy a powerful enemy earns him an unwanted partner in the form of Tamisia, a beautiful, ice-hot immortal who ignites a flame in his cold heart, and his blood.

Banished from her Atlantean colony, disgraced immortal Tamisia longs for a chance to redeem herself and return home where she belongs. Her work at a Rome women’s shelter has given Sia purpose, but when a break-in results in a brutal killing, her quest for answers puts her in the middle of the hunt for a dangerous enemy of the Order–and brings her up against one of the deadliest of their Breed warrior members, the Gen One vampire, Trygg.

A former Hunter enslaved to the commands of a madman, Trygg has devoted his life to the Order. Duty is his only master now, until an interfering beauty inserts herself into his investigation. The last thing Trygg wants is a partner in his mission, but Sia will not be denied–nor will the fierce desire she stokes in him. Soon the warrior who needs no one is craving the only woman he should not desire, unleashing a powerful hunger in his cold heart, and in his blood.

RELEASING OCTOBER 11

YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME by Bella Andre

Alec Sullivan has always believed he has it all. A billion-dollar private aviation business. A penthouse apartment in New York City. Beautiful women who know better than to expect him ever to fall in love. And great siblings for whom he’d do anything. But when Alec’s business partner passes away and leaves everything to a daughter Alec never knew about, in an instant everything in his life turns upside down…all because of Cordelia.

Cordelia always thought she was perfectly happy with her life. She owns a garden store she loves, lives in a pretty little cottage in the same town as her adoptive parents, and figures there’s plenty of time to meet Mr. Right. But she never counted on becoming the surprise heir to a fortune…or on meeting a man like Alec Sullivan. A shockingly sexy billionaire who makes her heart race and melt all at the same time.

Neither Alec nor Cordelia plans on getting any closer than they have to. Only, how can either of them fight this kind of heat, this depth of desire? And when Cordelia needs Alec’s support, it’s pure instinct for him to be there for her. But when it’s her turn to help him confront his deepest pain, will Alec let her in? Or will he push her away, just as he’s pushed away everyone who’s loved him for the past thirty years…

YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME is part of Bella Andre’s New York Times and USA Today #1 bestselling series about The Sullivans. While it can easily be read as a standalone story, you’ll likely enjoy reading the other books, too.

RELEASING OCTOBER 12

SOMEONE LIKE YOU by Brittney Sahin

He was a nameless guy in a bar—a man Grace couldn’t get out of her head…

A week later, she came home to find him sweaty and shirtless with a tape measure in hand, remodeling her loft. As a Parker-King, she’s not allowed to want someone like Noah Dalton. She’s sick of her life, though. Sick of the rules of being a Parker-King. She wants something more, even if it isn’t forever. Somewhere in history there was that one time where hot, no-strings-attached sex didn’t end badly, right? Finding comfort in the arms of a former SEAL is easy, not falling for one . . . not so much.

Noah left the military and moved to New York for one reason: his daughter. Not for some uptight businesswoman—a Manhattan elitist. So when Grace offers him the kind of relationship that no hot-blooded man can turn down, he should say no. And when her seemingly put-together life spins out of control, and his instincts to protect and save kick in, he should turn away. But he doesn’t.

Can two people from different worlds really live in the moment, knowing they’re on borrowed time, or is someone bound to get hurt?

HOLDING ONTO FOREVER by Heidi McLaughlin

The road for Noah Westbury has been carved out for him, long before he knew who his father was. Making sure he worked hard to deserve the opportunities provided to him, Noah is where he’s dreamed of being – starting QB for Portland Pioneers. Together, with his model girlfriend by his side, life can’t get much better. Except that standing in his path is Peyton Powell-James, his life-long friend and the one woman he can never have.

Peyton Powell-James always knew her future would be in football and dreams of having a successful sports journalism career once she graduates college. After being given the assignment to cover a professional game from the sidelines, Peyton believes that everything is going to plan. Until one fateful night changes her life.

Harsh reality sets in for Noah and Peyton. One could lose everything, while the other struggles to keep the families together.

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Jennifer’s Review: Sledgehammer by P. Dangelico

October 8, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

SLEDGEHAMMER
Series: Hard To Love #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: P. Dangelico
Release Date: September 11, 2017

Amber Jones is in a pickle. And when I say pickle, I mean deep do-do. She knew she shouldn’t have gone to her ex’s New Year’s Eve party. And she reeeaally didn’t mean to almost burn down his house. It was the chafing dish’s fault, dang it! Now she needs a good lawyer, stat. But where to find one?

All work and no play make Ethan Vaughn a very sad and lonely lawyer. Not to mention horny. He really shouldn’t have agreed to help his best friend’s wife’s bestie with her imbroglio. Now she’s remanded on bail––and living in his house. The woman is a walking, talking category five hurricane. And considering his track record with women, he needs to stay as far away from this one as possible. Problem is, he just can’t seem to make himself.

Heads up folks, this little heroine has a propensity for prolific profanity. Our girl’s got a potty mouth and strong opinions. If you are easily offended, this book is not for you. If you have delicate nerves, this book is not for you. If you are under 18, this book is definitely not for you. Consider yourself warned.

AMAZON


Confession: I have a THING for lawyers. And when I say a THING, I mean an OBSESSION. Maybe it’s the suit. Maybe it’s the ego. Maybe it’s the brain. I don’t know, but I cannot resist a lawyer.

Vaughn. (Aka Fancy McButterpants) Oh, the brood. Be still….my heart…and my ovaries….Ok, let’s be honest, my ovaries weren’t very still during this book. He is the perfect hot lawyer that gets my juices flowing. What’s crazy is that he isn’t your everyday, neighborhood asshole. In the beginning, he seems like he is, but he slowly reveals his softer, almost introverted side. Definitely a “Mr. Darcy” feel where he seems harsh at first but only because he doesn’t know how to express himself. With all of the humor and hotness, I did not expect THE FEELS.
Triple sigh with a back flip.


Amber. She is so funny! She reminded me of one of my favorite bloggers/comedians/writers Jenny Lawson!! This type of humor is RARE and I ate it up!! Pretty sure I’m in love with her. Serious girl crush happening. If only I could think and say words out of my mouth like her. Amber has found herself in a pickle, and guess what? She needs a lawyer. Vaughn and Amber do not like each other, but they have to tolerate each other. I loooooved everything about these two. Witty dialogue is my kryptonite, and this book destroyed me with wit.


This book is Opposites Attract in all its glory. Hilarious. Feel-good. Snarky, swearing heroine. Swoony. And did I mention hilarious? He is broody & sweet & the slow burn. THE SLOW BURN!!! Oh, ad the
effing smorgasbord of feelings!!

A new-author-to-me that I FLOVE!! Aaaaand…..I’m reading the first book next because I HAVE to. My body refuses to not read it next. What can I say? I listen to my body. A herd of snarfling (snarfling? Yeah, I said it.) wildebeasts couldn’t stop me from reading the first book.

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Jennifer’s Review: Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield

October 7, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

ACT YOUR AGE
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Author: Eve Dangerfield
Release Date: September 27, 2017

Just because Kate ‘Middleton’ McGrath, wants a man to call ‘daddy’ in bed doesn’t mean—
Oh, you stopped reading. Cool.

Kate gets it. Kinks aren’t for everyone. Hell, they’re probably not for Mr. Henderson, her grumpaholic boss. She really shouldn’t have crush on him, but the man is just so goddamn stern. Sure, a lot of that comes down to ‘being her boss,’ but still, it feels like there might be something there.

Tyler Henderson is a golden boy who’s lost his shine. He’s old, his dream career is over, his fiancée’s left him. Now all the former firefighter can do is to try and bury his troubles in paperwork and hard liquor. He says ‘try’ because he can’t get Middleton out of his head long enough to wallow properly. He’s not going anywhere near the girl. HR issues aside, he’s done with sweetness and things don’t come sweeter than a cupcake-baking engineer who knits her own hats.

A case of mistaken identity causes Kate and Ty’s attraction to give way to blistering sex. They have more in common—and more to lose—than either of them realized. When it comes to unreasonable attraction you can rarely change your mind but can you act your age?

Amazon | Kobo

What
Is
Happening
To
My
Body?

This is the HOTTEST book I’ve read in a looooong time. Sure, some readers have a hard “Daddy” limit and prefer to avoid these books. And to those readers, I say:

<a href=”http://www.teen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/week-in-review-ryan-gosling-gifs-katy-perry.gif”>Teen</a>
Oh, you don’t want them? That’s fine. More Daddies for me. Give me AAAALL the Daddy books.

I was embarrassed to read this in front of ANYONE in the world. This is a book that should be read all by yourself…in the closet. Not that you should be ashamed if you love this because this girl is shouting from the rooftops that I loved it. I dare you to read this book and not get turned on.


I don’t even know how to review this book because there is no way in hell that Amazon would let me publish this review. This book is a combination of Pound of Flesh by Jessa Kane and Willing Victim by Cara McKenna.

It’s like Eve Dangerfield asked me what all my fantasies are and then made a book about them just for me. Thank you, Eve, for publishing all of my secret fantasies to the whole world!! Now everyone knows all my kinky fuckery!

I was worried for my health while reading this book. It’s that hot. This book killed me. Goodbye, everyone. Jennifer no longer exists….

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Jennifer’s Review: From The Ruins by @JanineBosco

October 6, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

FROM THE RUINS
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic, MC, Romantic Suspense
Author: Janine Infante Bosco
Release Date: September 26, 2017

“Pipe”
In every man’s life there comes a day of reckoning. It’s the day darkness is exposed and sinners are punished for their trespasses.
A day when loyalty is destroyed and a man is left in ruins.
When he walks away from his club and loses his religion.
Whoever said from the ruins they will rise again never walked a mile in my shoes or the pair of red ones I was left holding.

“Layla”
He’s bitter, cold and angry.
He’s seen his share of heartache.
Lived through tragedy and despair.
He’s my neighbor.
The man I know should stay away from.
The man who will destroy what’s left of me if I get too close.
He’s Lee Jameson, and I’m Layla Milano.
This is our story.
The story of two people left in ruins forced to rise again.

AMAZON

Janine’s books have my heart by the balls….if my heart had balls…you know what mean.


So, me and Janine were talking the other day over a glass of wine. Well, Janine wasn’t there, but my kindle was…same thing. And Janine was like, “Hey, girl! I’m gonna make you cry your eyes out!” and I was like, “Girl, nah uh!” and then she was like, “Cry, Bitch!” and I was like, “Leave me, alone, Janine!”…and then I’m already crying by 10%. I am NOT a girl who likes to read sad books. I wouldn’t call her books sad. I would call them REAL. She always includes some type of real issue, and it doesn’t matter what “issue” she is including in the story, she always pulls and pulls until my heart breaks from her words alone.

Pipe is struck with tragedy several books ago, in the worst way. He already didn’t have a shiny life before, but he was given a glimpse of happy before another tragedy. He’s known way too much loss for one person. He escapes and leaves the only family he’s ever know. Who can blame him? He lost everything. He is a broken man who has no idea how to deal.Layla. She is a single mother of three. These kids. Love ‘em. I’m super picky about kids in books, and these kids had so much character and were essential in pulling Pipe from the ruins. Layla is also just trying to get through each day. She has been through a not-so-great marriage which ended in divorce. Bitter against all men, she is not ready for Pipe….at all.

Pipe and Layla are neighbors who hate each other (love this trope!). Neither of them are in a good place. They are just trying to stumble through life. Layla has a few more smiles left, so she isn’t afraid to give those smiles out to those who deserve them, and Pipe starts to crave her smiles. When Pipe rescues her and the kids from a couple of household disasters, the ice begins to thaw between Pipe & Layla. They eventually find solace in each other in the form of hot, crazy sex (yes, please!), forgetting their issues for even a brief amount of time.The only way to describe how Janine’s books make me feel is by sharing this memory. One of my favorite memories that will stay with me forever…I was on the back of my Dad’s Harley. We were riding in the dark on the way home from an outside concert at a winery, and we were listening to one of our favorite songs. At the time, we thought my dad had cancer. Little did we know a couple weeks later, we would find out that by a miracle, he did not have cancer. Anywho, the wind was in my hair. The rumble of the motorcycle beneath me. The stars above me. This memory is SO MUCH. And THAT feeling is Janine’s books.

Janine is THAT author. That author that you don’t know is AMAZING. That author who will make you FEEL. Will make you LIVE through her characters. Will make you CRY. Will make you LAUGH. And you will regret not reading Janine’s books. Don’t regret it. Read her books.

Thank you, Janine, for sharing a part of yourself in this book. I will never grow tired of your words. One day, I will hug you (maybe for an awkward amount of time) and thank you personally.

 

Janine Infante Bosco lives in New York City, she has always loved reading and writing. When she was thirteen, she began to write her own stories and her passion for writing took off as the years went on. At eighteen, she even wrote a full screenplay with dreams of one day becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

Janine writes emotionally charged novels with an emphasis on family bonds, strong-willed female characters, and alpha male men who will do anything for the women they love. She loves to interact with fans and fellow avid romance readers like herself.

She is proud of her success as an author and the friendships she’s made in the book community but her greatest accomplishment to date would be her two sons Joseph and Paul.

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Release Blitz, Deleted Scene & Giveaway: Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

October 6, 2017 by · 1 Comment

HIDEAWAY
Series: Devil’s Night #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date: October 2nd, 2017

DEVIL’S NIGHT is returning! Hiding places, chases, and all the games are back…

BANKS

Buried in the shadows of the city, there’s a hotel called The Pope. Ailing, empty, and dark—it sits abandoned and surrounded by a forgotten mystery.

But you think it’s true, don’t you, Kai Mori? The story about the hidden twelfth floor. The mystery of the dark guest who never checked in and never checks out. You think I can help you find that secret hideaway and get to him, don’t you?

You and your friends can try to scare me. You can try to push me. Because even though I struggle to hide everything I feel when you look at me—and have ever since I was a girl—I think that maybe what you seek is so much closer than you’ll ever realize.

I will never betray him.

So sit tight.

On Devil’s Night, the hunt will be coming to you.

KAI

You have no idea what I seek, Little One. You don’t know what I had to become to survive three years in prison for a crime I would gladly commit again.

No one can know what I’ve turned into.

I want that hotel, I want to find him, and I want this over.

I want my life back.

But the more I’m around you, the more I realize this new me is exactly who I was meant to be.

So come on, kid. Don’t chicken out. My house is on the hill. So many ways in, and good luck finding your way out.

I’ve seen your hideaway. Time to see mine.

*Hideaway is a romantic suspense suitable for ages 18+. While the romance is a stand-alone, the plot is a continuation of events that began in CORRUPT (Devil’s Night, #1). It is strongly recommended that you have read Corrupt prior to reading this. It is currently on sale for $0.99.

AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

Buy Corrupt, Book 1
AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

DELETED SCENE

*This scene originally took place after Kai and Bank’s inspected the hotel for the first time with Michael and Will.

Walking into Sensou that evening, I immediately stopped and pinned myself to the wall next to the door, letting the group of people leaving squeeze through the walkway first. People in black karate uniforms, or whatever they were called, and some in just plain workout clothes carried their duffels out, laughing and chatting, not one of them sparing a look in my direction. Granted, that wasn’t unusual. I was good at not being seen.

When they left, I started again, making my way for the front desk.

“Yes, hello,” a man in a blue cap with a clipboard spoke to the desk clerk ahead of me. “I have a delivery for Kai Mori.”

The young woman reached for the clipboard. “He’s in a private lesson. May I sign for it?”
“Uhhh,” he mumbled, sounding uncertain. “It’s a large delivery. He usually wants to check the merchandise before I take off.”

Merchandise? I peered around the guy, trying to be discreet, to see his clipboard, but his hand kept moving, and I couldn’t make out what was on the invoice.

I cleared my throat. “I have something for him, too.” I gripped the handle of the steel case I held in my left land and grabbed the clipboard with my right. “I’ll take these back to him.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” the delivery guy burst out, pointing at me.

But I bolted down the hallway, turning my head and jerking to the chairs in the lobby. “Park it. I’ll be back.”
I didn’t wait around to see if he or the clerk would follow me as I charged down the dim corridor. The two main rooms, for large classes, sat on the other side of the lobby and featured several visible floors above with mezzanines to look down on the great rooms, as well as smaller rooms off to the sides on the second, third, and fourth levels. Most of which, I gathered from my research, were used for storage and extra office space.
Slowing my steps, I raised the clipboard and studied the paper on it.

Marchella Dining Set $29, 900
Villarosa Buffet Table $ 5, 700
Sanctuary King Bed $ 8, 400

What the hell? I scanned the sheet, my eyes falling on other pieces of furniture—side tables, chairs, dressers, appliances. The address at the top was for Sensou. Why was he having these things delivered here?

Using my spare thumb, I flipped the page. Another invoice, dated about six weeks ago, for the delivery of other furniture. Two more beds, a dozen chairs, a kitchen table, a desk, and some artwork. All delivered here as well.
But unless these things were hiding in a room upstairs, they weren’t here. What was he doing with all this furniture?

I dropped the clipboard to my side and started walking again, not sure why any of this mattered. It probably didn’t, but then again, any information people deemed to hide was valuable.

Who was the furniture for? Was he keeping a mistress? Maybe that’s why he didn’t invest a stitch of time or money into his house? He must sleep elsewhere.

I shook my head, a knot twisting in my stomach. I didn’t want to know. But I did, too.

I walked down the hallway, passing the office, the men’s and women’s locker rooms, and a couple of smaller classrooms without doors. Coming up on the third one, I could hear the sound of sticks slapping against each other in quick time.

“What are you doing?” I heard Kai snip.

Stopping and hanging back, I peered into the room, instantly spotting him, his body tight and rigid, as he circled his student. His glare looked pissy, and I felt more amused than I wanted to. He was so uptight.
Of course, so was I.

And then his “student” came into view, and the amusement left. Rika walked in a slow circle, matching his predatory stride but keeping the same safe distance from each other.

He was with her more than her fucking fiancé.

“Oji waza,” she answered him, but I had no idea what that meant. She held out her arms, the shanai in her right hand as she challenged him. “What did I do wrong now?”

“Counterattack and then initiate,” he commanded, wiping the sweat on his face with forearm. “Don’t stop. Let’s see it.”

He positioned his sword, and she did the same, the tips touching before he stomped his foot and let out a loud growl and advanced.

She snapped up her sword, stopping him before she whipped her nearly four-foot bamboo stick at him instead, taking large strides as she gripped the handle of the weapon with both hands.

Why weren’t they wearing their gear? Kendo had special robes, armor, and helmets to protect the fighters.
Too fast, she bolted to his side and smacked the stick to the back of his neck. I watched as he hunched forward, absorbing the hit, giving her just enough time to sweep his legs, push him backward, and send him crashing to the mat on his back.

“Ah!” he growled, squeezing his eyes shut as he landed.
Rika’s mouth fell open, and she dropped the sword, shooting her arms up into the air and smiling.

“Ugh,” Kai groaned as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Oh, yeah,” she boasted, dancing around and smiling. “Uh-huh. I told you we needed our gear on, but oh no. You said I’d learn better if I got hurt.” And then she darted out her head, putting her hands on her hips. “So did you learn?”

Snarling, Kai pushed himself to his feet and bent over, swinging his staff off the floor as she danced around, doing fist pumps.

“Don’t laugh,” he chided. “Humility, Rika, remember?”
Which made her laugh more, completely pleased with herself.

I watched as his face softened and he rolled his eyes, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. He hooked an arm around her neck and kissed her forehead.

Not like a lover—more like a brother—but I still clenched my jaw and dug in my eyebrows at the sight. There was an intimacy there. A connection between them.

Did he love her?

Damon was right. They were all under her spell. I knew she wasn’t responsible for getting them all sent to prison, like we all thought last year, but when my brother couldn’t abide her presence, they chose her over him. I saw his side.

“Good job,” Kai said. “And don’t forget the screaming. It’s important for intimidation.”

“Ugh.”

He walked with her toward the doorway, and I straightened, backing up against the wall of the hallway.
Rika stepped out first, stopping when she saw me. She only paused a moment, though, before casting him a glance and continuing down the hall, pushing through the women’s locker room door.

Kai approached me, his eyes heavy on me. I handed him the case.
“The tools you requested,” I said. “And the rope is in your trunk. Lev, Ilia, and David will be here in the morning for training, and you have an instructor set up, correct?”

He took the clipboard out of my hands, shooting me a look like I shouldn’t have had it. He started walking, looking at the invoice as he spoke to me. “And for you, as well.”

“No thanks,” I answered flatly. “I’m a self-starter.” I could hear his quiet laugh as I walked behind him.

After the hotel this morning, he’d kept me busy all day, getting supplies to get onto the twelfth floor, going over the contracts with Gabriel, and hunting down old employees of the Pope for him to talk to. I didn’t even try, though. Did he really think I would make this any easier for him? He could send me back to Thunder Bay. By all means…

“I also set up an appointment tomorrow for a landscaper,” I continued, “and a few contractors to come out to your hovel to give an estimate on what it’s going to take to get the place ready for Vanessa.” I shoved my hands in my pocket, stealing looks at the taut muscles in his bare back that moved as he walked. “But really, it would be much easier if you just moved.”

The comment was snide, but it was true. It would be cutting it close as it was, getting the furniture moved in and the wedding planned, much less having to contend with renovations, too.
“Cancel the appointments,” he said without looking back.
“Fine.” You can deal with her when she gets here then.
Or maybe he wasn’t planning on his new wife living with him at all. How about that? Hm.
“I’ll text you the dimensions of her bedroom, and you buy the décor you want,” he instructed. “When I say so, you can start setting up her room. The rest of the house is off limits to you. Got it?”

“Her room?” I inquired, unable to hide the amusement from my voice. “Don’t you mean your room?”
He stopped at the front desk and set down the case, but I didn’t miss the arched brow he shot me before turning to the delivery guy.

“Let me know when you need anything else, sir,” the guy said, handing him keys. Kai signed the invoice and swapped with him, handing him the clipboard while he took the keys. Keys. So that’s what was happening. Kai wasn’t having furniture delivered here. He was having a truck of furniture delivered here. He didn’t even want a driver seeing where it was going.

Now I was intrigued.

Penelope Douglas is a full-time writer living in Las Vegas with her husband and their daughter. When she’s not writing or reading, she loves road-tripping, touring retired, old ships, and pinning anything not nailed down.

Her books include the Fall Away series (Bully, Until You, Rival, Falling Away, Aflame, and Next to Never) and the Devil’s Night series (Corrupt and Hideaway (and Kill Switch and Nightfall–not yet released). Please look for her stand-alones Misconduct and Punk 57. Available now.

Join Penelope’s Reader Group! —> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1619824218241291/

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Blog Tour & Jennifer’s Review: Scandalous by LJ Shen

October 5, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

SCANDALOUS
Series: Sinners of Saint #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: September 21, 2017

They call him The Mute for a reason.

Hard, cold and calculated, he rarely speaks.

When he does, it’s with disdain.

When he does, his words aren’t meant for me.

When he does, my stomach flips and my world tilts on its axis.

He is thirty-three.

I am eighteen.

He’s a single dad and my father’s business partner.

I’m just a kid to him and his enemy’s daughter.

He’s emotionally unavailable.

And I am…feeling. Feeling things I shouldn’t feel for him.

Trent Rexroth is going to break my heart. The writing isn’t just on the wall, it’s inked on my soul.

And yet, I can’t stay away.

A scandal is the last thing my family needs. But a scandal is what we’re going to give them.

And oh, what beautiful chaos it will be.

AMAZON 


Trent’s gaze cut to mine and stopped when his grays met my blues. The fading noise of Vicious barking at people to move along, and my father finally letting go of my arm to move toward Jaime and Dean—probably trying to gain both allies and sympathy—died down.“I don’t like you,” Rexroth whispered under his breath, his voice harsh.

“I never asked you to.” I shrugged.

“You won’t be working here.” His arm brushed my shoulder, but I didn’t think it was by accident. I let loose a sugary smile, scanning his face and torso for no other reason other than to taunt him. “Good, you’ll be doing me a favor. My father is the one forcing me to work here. He’s pissed I turned down five Ivy League colleges. Remind me, Mr. Rexroth—which top tier university did you attend for your degree?”

The low blow was supposed to retrieve some of my lost dignity, but bile burned my throat, shotgunned from my stomach. Trent Rexroth was known in Todos Santos as an exhilarating success story, rising from the gutters of San Diego. He went to a shitty state college that accepted even the illiterate, working as a janitor on campus after hours. Those were given facts he’d recited himself in an interview for Forbes.

Had I really just tried to make him feel less worthy because he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth? It made me sicker than wearing my mother’s designer garbs.

Trent smiled, leaning into my body, into my soul. His smirk was more frightening than any scowl, frown, or grimace I’d ever seen. It threatened to tear me apart and sew me back together however he pleased.

“Edie.” His lips were dangerously close to my ear. A delicious shiver moved down my spine. Something warm rolled inside of me, begging to unknot and flower into an orgasm. What was happening, and why the hell was it happening? “If you know what’s best for you, you will turn around and leave right now.”

I elevated my head to meet his gaze and showed him my version of a grin. I was born and raised in a world of intimidating rich men, and I’d be damned if I go down like my mother—addicted to xanax, Gucci, and a man who paraded her on his arm for a short, glorious decade before keeping her solely for public appearances.

“I think I’m going to go find my desk now. I’d wish you a good day, Mr. Rexroth, but I think that ship has sailed. You’re a miserable man. Oh, and one for the road.” I fished for a Nature Valley bar in my mother’s purse and plastered it to his hard, muscled chest. My heart slammed into my neck, fluttering like a caged bird.

I hurried after my father as he glided down the vast, golden-hued hallway, not daring to look back. Knowing I’d started a war and arrived unequipped. But I also knew something else that gave me a surfer’s rush—if I could slam the final nail in my employment coffin and make Rexroth vote against me, I’d be off the hook.

I had just the plan for it. All I had to do was act like a brat. Game on.

Start the Series of Standalones Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

DEFY | VICIOUS | RUCKUS | SCANDALOUS

I didn’t think this book would rip my heart apart at the seams.


Trent. We don’t get much from Trent in the previous books. He is dubbed The Mute because he rarely speaks, only when absolutely needed. Trent has a daughter, and she doesn’t speak at all. She can, but she doesn’t, and it is Trent’s thorn. He doesn’t know how to help her. He is there for her in every way that he sees fit. He is a good father, but he is a flawed man that needs….something, or someone. To help put the pieces of his broken self back together. And that someone….is Edie. She is the girl he doesn’t see coming.


Edie. Is Trent’s opposite. While Trent is a straight businessman, Edie is a relaxed surfer. Only LJ Shen would think of putting these two together! And I loved them! Edie is badass, and I loved her sassy attitude. And does the fact that he is very much older than her stop Trent? Not even a little bit. I thought she was very mature for her age, so I honestly didn’t think the relationship was weird at all. I loved Trent and Edie. They are uber hot together. The fact that there is such a big age difference makes it even hotter. Their story was a lot like the ocean…unpredictable, turbulent, and very mischievous. *giggles


BUT….my favorite part of this book was LUNA. I usually cannot stand children in books. But this girl stole my heart…and wouldn’t let go! Her character was written so well. I could see her facial expressions. I could feel her pain. I absolutely loved how Edie trickled her way into Luna’s heart. I could imagine her side smirk, and her little giggle. She was a tough cookie to crack, but once Edie was in, she was in. I loved watching Trent’s struggle as a parent, which is so real. His parenting wasn’t perfect. He loved Luna, but he didn’t know how to be what she needed.

L.J. Shen is one of the best, and maybe THE BEST, writer of THE ALPHA-HOLE. Her books always make me FEEL. Her words are utterly beautiful…all the time.

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

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Review: Show Me The Way by A.L. Jackson

October 5, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

SHOW ME THE WAY
Series: Fight For Me #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: October 2, 2017

The first sexy, captivating, stand-alone novel in the brand-new FIGHT FOR ME series from NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson . . .
Rex Gunner. As bitter as he is beautiful.
The owner of the largest construction company in Gingham Lakes has been burned one too many times. His wife leaving him to raise their daughter was the last blow this single dad could take. The only woman he’ll let into his heart is his little girl.
Rynna Dayne. As vulnerable as she is tempting.
She ran from Gingham Lakes when she was seventeen. She swore to herself she would never return. Then her grandmother passed away and left her the deed to the diner that she once loved.
When Rex meets his new neighbor, he knows he’s in trouble.
She’s gorgeous and sweet and everything he can’t trust.
Until she becomes the one thing he can’t resist.
One kiss sends them tumbling toward ecstasy.
But in a town this size, pasts are bound to collide. Caught in a web of lies, betrayal, and disloyalty, Rex must make a choice.
Will he hide behind his walls or will he take the chance . . .
“This book is absolutely perfect.” – Corinne Michaels, New York Times Bestselling Author
 READ FOR FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

You make me feel like every chance is one worth taking. Like you’re leading me out of the darkness that’s ruled my life. When I close my eyes, who I see is you. Show me the way, Rynna. Show me the way out of it. Fuck. Please, show me the way.”

Can someone please tell me why I’ve gone this long without reading another AL Jackson book? Because I’m seriously disappointed it myself. This book reminded me all the reasons that made me fall in love with this author’s words and made me fall in love all over again. Show Me The Way was a beautiful and highly emotional story of love and second chances. It was perfectly paced, with just the right amount of angst, and wonderfully multi-layered characters that you can’t help but fall for.

He needed someone to revive his faith just as desperately as I did.
Because looking at him? I suddenly knew he had none of it.
That something had gone dim inside him.
That was the thing about chances.
We didn’t know their outcomes.
If we’d succeed or if we’d fail. It didn’t matter. I had to take a chance on him.

Rynna and Rex are two sides of different coins. Both hurt by their pasts, one is willing the hurt again for a chance at something beautiful, while the other has closed himself from everything for protection.

Years ago, Rynna ran away from the town that she grew up in and the only family she had in the only way she could think to survive. The cruel memories of her past have kept her away, until the passing of her beloved grandmother bring her back and right next door to Rex Gunner.

Damn her for weaseling her way in and making herself a place in a spot where she knew she would never stay. Fuck me for wanting it.

Rex Gunner needs the complication of a beautiful woman like a hole in his head. Done with the hurt that females could bring to his life, the only female that he devotes himself to is his adorable daughter. But when his beautiful neighbor sets her sights on him, he realizes that she sees beneath the brusque and cold man to the wounded one beneath that’s yearning for the right woman to make him believe again.

Rex is borderline hostile to Rynna when he first meets her. Slowly but surely, Rynna works herself deeper and deeper under his skin, where he wants her least. But with every beautiful and thoughtful word to his daughter, with her ability to brush his coldness off, Rex begins to see just how different Rynna really is.

Last two times I touched you nearly ruined me. Seeing you like this? Don’t think I’m ever going to be the same. Stealing my sleep. Stealing my breath. Stealing my sanity. Little thief.”

The romance is perfectly paced, with flashbacks to Ryan’s past that slowly unveils the reasons for her running. There’s an intriguing element of suspense that keep you turning the pages as urgently as the romance does. I was immediately captivated from the very first chapter and it didn’t let up until the last page.

I loved watching Rex slowly melt from gruff and grumpy to hesitantly admitting his feelings for Rynna. I loved getting glimpses of Ryan’s past and understanding what she’s gone through. It made me respect that woman that she is today. The woman that isn’t afraid to take a risk, a chance on a man that shows her every reason not to. She wasn’t pushy, but had this understated strength to her that I couldn’t help but love.

I adored Rex’s little girl. She was one of the highlights of this story for me. I adored Rex and Rynna together. I loved the back and forth between them in the beginning, the slow burn and the ultimate implosion. It was absolutely sizzling.

And when everything unravels at the end? Mind blowing!

I’m totally hooked on this series and I already can’t wait for more. After meeting Rex’s friends, Oliver and Matt, I’m already needing their stories.

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Jennifer’s 5 Star Review: Uncontrollable Temptations by Janine Infante Bosco

October 4, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

UNCONTROLLABLE TEMPTATIONS
Series: Tempted #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Janine Infante Bosco
Release Date: February 9, 2016

Jack “Bulldog” Parrish

Crazy: Mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way.

I was thirteen when I discovered the definition of the word I’d forever be labeled.

Some used it as a figure of speech but for me it was a scar I’d carry through life.

Or so I believed until I was diagnosed a manic depressive.

I’m the president of the Satan’s Knights Motorcycle Club, a man of power and control.

A man with enemies near and far.

But the truth, my truth, is my biggest enemy— my mind and I live most of my life with no control whatsoever.

I’m just a man who battles his demons, a man destined to live a life full of darkness.

Until her.

She’s the light beckoning me, calling me home, away from the torment.
In a world as dark as the one I live in, sometimes I can’t help but crave Sunshine.

Reina DeCarlo

I was lost, broken and a prisoner of my scars.

A shell of the woman I used to be, who didn’t know the difference between living and merely existing.

Until a stranger found me, fixed and freed me. He breathed life into my soul, reminding me I was a survivor and still had life to live.

My savior is a biker.

A man tortured by his own scars. A man broken like me, maybe even a little lost too.

I want to be his remedy.

I want to heal him.

I want to return the favor and be his savior.

This is our story, a story neither of us knew how to write until we found each other.

AMAZON

This is the most vulnerable review I’ve ever written.

I can barely write this review because it is so personal. It took me forever to write it (lots of wine helped). I would write a little at a time and then come back to it. Have you ever felt that way? Has a book ever actually changed you? What do you say when a book….changes your life? How?! How did an MC book change my life?! I’ll tell you how.

Sunshine.


I’m not ashamed to say that I struggle with Major Depression. AND I am constantly in a battle with the person I used to be versus the person I am today. These two issues are the CENTER of this book. This book MEANS something to me. This book STRUCK me. Slapped me in the face, and I had no choice but to FEEL. It SPOKE to me, way too close to home. This book is MY THERAPY. This book was MADE FOR ME. This book showed me HOPE. This book showed me the LIGHT in the DARKNESS. Janine Infante Bosco is a GENIUS and loves to murder me with her words. I found myself in both of these characters. I can’t even say how much.

Cherry Pie.

Jack suffers. Period. His mind is his Hell. He has Manic Depression, and he lives in darkness. His is in a constant struggle with his “maker.” Some people may think that depression is sadness, but it’s not. I’m not sad. Jack isn’t sad. He’s tortured….by his mind. There is a saying that “Depression Lies,” and I can say first hand that is the perfect way of describing it. Can you imagine a voice in your head constantly telling you that you are not enough? That you aren’t important? That you don’t matter? That you’re basically a piece of shit. It’s a bunch of constant lies. And you can’t stop it (without medication). You just have to FIGHT it, every day. And that is exactly what Jack does.

Scars.


Reina. Her struggle is with the person she used to be before her trauma versus the person she is now, and finding balance between the two. Everyone changes. I would never have guessed I would be so drastically different than I used to be. I would have said it was impossible. If you took my personality before and literally flipped it 180 degrees, you would have who I am today. And that is exactly what happened with Reina. She doesn’t know what to do with this new person, who she doesn’t know. She doesn’t like who she is, but she can’t go back to the person she used to be.

You.


Janine doesn’t mess around. She jumps right into the center of the Satan’s Knights and writes the President’s book first, and Gawd, it’s beyond. Jack and Reina find SOLACE in each other. Isn’t that what we all want? Just a little bit of PEACE. She does it again with the issues. (There was a lot of cursing at Janine for writing a book such as this. For example, “Damn you, Janine!”) I’ve never read an author like this, especially an MC series like this. This is definitely in my top 3 favorite MC series (with Kristen Ashley and Lauren Gilley). Janine makes it REAL. I came out of this book with HEALED SCARS and NEW SCARS. How did this book changed me? It helped me see that the thing that I viewed as the cause for my struggle can actually be my HOPE. I bought this bracelet to remind me of that HOPE.

Me.

I’m a different person after reading this book. Of course, I am now going to enter the biggest book funk ever because THIS BOOK. I’m sorry to the book I read after this one. Which means I should just keep going with this series because THIS AUTHOR.

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Read the first chapter of HOOKING UP by Helena Hunting

October 4, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

HOOKING UP
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Helena Hunting
Release Date: November 7, 2017

Amalie Whitfield is the picture of a blushing bride during her wedding reception–but for all the wrong reasons. Instead of proclaiming his undying love, her husband can be heard, by Amalie and their guests, getting off with someone else. She has every reason to freak out, and in a moment of insanity, she throws herself at the first hot-blooded male she sees. But he’s not interested in becoming her revenge screw.

Mortified and desperate to escape the post-wedding drama, Amalie decides to go on her honeymoon alone, only to find the man who rejected her also heading to the same tiny island for work. But this time he isn’t holding back. She should know better than to sleep with someone she knows, but she can’t seem to resist him.

They might agree that what happens on the island should stay on the island, but neither one can deny that their attraction is more than just physical.

Filled with hilariously scandalous situations and enough sexual chemistry to power an airplane from New York City to the South Pacific, Hooking Up is the next standalone, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from Helena Hunting, the New York Times bestselling author of the Pucked series and Shacking Up.

AMAZON

One

Wedding Unbliss

Amie

This is the happiest day of my life. I allow that thought to roll around in my head, trying to figure out why it doesn’t seem to resonate the way it should. This should be the happiest day of my life. So I’m not exactly certain why the uneasy feeling I associate with cold feet is getting worse rather than dissipating. I’ve already done the hard part; walked down the aisle and said “I do.”

My husband excused himself to go to the bathroom several minutes ago and, based on Armstrong’s itinerary for the day, speeches are supposed to begin promptly at eight-thirty. According to my phone, that’s less than two minutes from now, and he’s not here. The emcee for the evening is awaiting Armstrong’s return before he begins. And then the real party can start. The one where we get to celebrate our commitment to each other as partners for life. As in the rest of my breathing days. Dear God, why does that make my stomach twist?

I sip my white wine. Armstrong pointed out that red is not a good idea with my dress, even though it’s my preference. Besides, I don’t want it to stain my teeth. That would make for bad pictures.

I glance around the hall and see my parents, who are probably celebrating the fact that I didn’t walk down the aisle with a convicted felon. And frankly, so am I. My dating history pre-Armstrong wasn’t fabulous.

The sheer number of people in attendance spikes my anxiety. Speaking in front of all of these people makes me want to drink more, which is a bad idea. Tipsy speeches could lead to saying the wrong thing. I check my phone under the table again. It’s after eight-thirty. The longer Armstrong takes to return, the further behind we’ll get. The music playlist, devised by Armstrong with painstaking efficiency, leaves no room for tardiness. If we don’t start on time I’ll have to take out a song, or possibly two, to compensate for his delay and he’s selected the order in such a way as to make that difficult and that will annoy him. I just want today to be perfect. I want it to be reflective of my decision to marry Armstrong. That I, Amalie Whitfield, can make good choices and am not a disgrace to my family.

“Where the hell is he?” I scan the room and take another small sip of my wine. I should switch to water soon so I don’t end up drunk, especially later, when all of this is over and we can celebrate our lifelong commitment to each other without clothes on. I’m hopeful it will last more than five minutes.

Ruby, my maid of honor and best friend for the past decade, puts a hand on my shoulder. “Would you like Bancroft to find Armstrong?”

Bancroft, or Bane for short, is Ruby’s boyfriend who she’s been living with for several months. Recently I find myself getting a little jealous of how affectionate they still are with each other, even after all this time. Cohabitation hasn’t slowed them down on the sex or their PDA. I have hope that Armstrong and I will be more like Bane and Ruby now that we’ll be sharing the same bed every night.

I’m about to tell Ruby to give him another minute when a low buzz suddenly fills the hall. It sounds like a school PA system. I start to panic—they can’t start the speeches without Armstrong at my side. What’s the point of speeches if the groom isn’t present?

I’m halfway out of my seat, ready to tell the deejay, or whoever is behind the mic, he needs to wait, when a very loud moan echoes through the room. The acoustics are phenomenal in here, it’s why we chose this venue.

I glance at Ruby to make sure I’m not hearing things. Her eyes are wide. The kind of wide associated with shock. The same shock I’m feeling.

Another moan reverberates through the sound system, followed by the words, “Oh, fuuuck.”

A collective gasp ripples through the now-silent crowd. While the words themselves are scandalous among these guests, it’s the voice groaning them that makes me sit up straighter, and simultaneously consider hiding under the table.

“Fuck yeah. Ah, suck it. That’s it. Deep throat it like a good little slut. Fuuuuuccckkkkk.”

My mouth drops and I look to Ruby to ensure I have not completely lost my mind. “Is that—” I don’t finish the sentence. I already know the answer to the question, so it’s pointless to ask. Besides, I’m cut off by yet another loud groan. I clap a hand over my mouth because I’m not sure I’m able to close it, my disbelief is as vast as the ocean.

Ruby’s expression mirrors mine, except hers is incredibly animated since she’s an actress. “Oh my God. Is that Armstrong?” Her words are no more than a whisper, but they sound very much like a scream. Oh no, wait, that’s just Armstrong on the verge of an orgasm. But these sounds are nothing like the ones he makes when he’s in the throes of passion with me.

I clutch Ruby’s hand. The next sound that comes from him is a hybrid between a hyena laugh and a wolf baying at the moon. And every guest at our wedding is hearing the same thing I am. Our wedding. Someone other than me is blowing my husband at my own wedding. My mortification knows no end.

I grab the closest bottle of wine and dump the contents into my glass. Some of it sloshes over the edge and onto the crisp white tablecloth. It doesn’t matter. There’s plenty more where it came from. I chug the glass, then grab Ruby’s.

People lean in and whisper to each other, eyes lift to the speakers. A few people, the ones who are probably just here for the social-ladder-climbing potential, question who it is.

“Is the deejay watching porn?” That comment comes from a table full of mostly drunk singles in their early twenties.

Several eyes shift my way as I carelessly down Ruby’s wine and someone asks where the groom has disappeared to.

The grunts and groans grow terrifyingly louder. This is nothing like what I’m used to in bed with Armstrong. The dirty words aren’t something he ever uses with me, mostly it’s just noises and sometimes a “Right there” or “I’m close,” but that’s about it. He’s never talked to me like he is to the woman currently providing oral pleasure. And I’m very adept at oral. Although with Armstrong it’s very polite, neat oral, with no sounds other than the occasional hum. Slurping is uncivilized and a definite no-no.

I reach past Ruby for the bottle of red since I don’t really give a flying fuck about purple teeth right now. As I sink low in my seat I pour another glass of wine, surveying the people in the ballroom from behind the cover of the centerpiece. The centerpieces are huge and excessive and I don’t like them at all, but at least provides a protective barrier between the guests and my disgust, which I’m certain they must share. He sounds like a wild animal rutting. It is entirely unsexy. I have no idea who he’s getting intimate with, but I’m suddenly very glad it’s not me.

And doesn’t that tell me more about our relationship than it should.

It’s only been about thirty seconds—the most humiliating thirty seconds of my life—before Armstrong comes. How do I know this? Because he says, very clearly, “Keep sucking, baby, I’m coming.”

And “baby,” whoever she is, makes these horrific gurgling noises. It sounds like some form of alien communication. It’s way over the top, and apparently Armstrong is loving it, based on the string of vile profanity that spews from his asshole mouth.

“Holy crap. Is this for real? That was really fast,” Ruby mutters.

I guzzle my glass of wine. Then decide the glass is unnecessary and take a long swig from the bottle before Ruby snatches it away. Wine dribbles down my chin and onto my chest, staining the white satin purple. My dress is ruined. I should be freaking out. But I really don’t care.

“Come on,” Ruby tugs on my hand. “We need to get you out of here while people are still distracted.”

My older brother Pierce and the emcee are standing in the middle of the hall, gesturing wildly to the speakers above us. My other brother, Lawson, is on his way toward the podium in an attempt to do something. I don’t think there’s anything he can do to stop this train wreck from there.

Ruby tugs again, but I’m frozen, still trying to figure out what exactly just happened. Well, I know what’s happened. I just can’t believe it.

The sound of a zipper and the rustle of clothes follows. “Thanks for that, now I’ll be able to last later tonight,” Armstrong says.

“What about me?” A female asks. Her voice is nasally and whiny.

“What about you?”

“Well I helped you, aren’t you going to help me?”

“Didn’t you come with a date?”

“Well, yes, but—” God her voice is familiar. I just can’t figure out where I know it from.

“My cousin, right? He loves my sloppy seconds. Speeches are starting. I gotta get back to my ball and chain.”

Gasps of horror ripple through the room, followed by a few giggles. These people really are assholes.

I think I’m going to throw up. I can’t believe he’s going to come out here and pretend nothing just happened. Like some other woman didn’t just have her lips around his cock. His distinctly average cock. Maybe even slightly below average in length, if I’m being one hundred percent honest.

A door opens and closes.

Lawson turns on the mic behind the podium and taps it, sending screeching feedback through the room, making people cringe. Too bad no one did that a minute ago.

Murmuring grows louder and glances flicker to the head table and then away as Brittany Thorton, a seriously skanky debutante, comes strutting through the doors, using a compact to check her lipstick. She’s made it her mission to attempt to get into the pants of half the eligible men in this room. She’s followed, not five seconds later, by a very smug-looking Armstrong.

“I’m going to kill him.” I grab the closest steak knife, but it appears my hasty, and possibly felonious, plan is unnecessary. My brothers leave their respective posts and stalk toward him. Across the room my mother is gripping my father’s arm, whispering furiously in his ear. Great. Just what I need, additional family drama.

“Oh shit,” Ruby gasps.

I follow her gaze to find Bane converging on Armstrong with my brothers. Bancroft is a tank and he used to play professional rugby. I’ve seen him with his shirt off, he’s built like a superhero and he’ll probably crush Armstrong, or at least break something. Possibly multiple somethings.

For a second I consider that Ruby should probably stop Bane from destroying Armstrong’s pretty, regal face, but then I realize I don’t actually care. In fact, the possibility that he might break Armstrong’s perfectly straight nose fills me with glee. Armstrong’s wellbeing is no longer my concern, it’s more about Bane ending up in prison for murder.

“I hope Armstrong has a good plastic surgeon, he’s going to need it once Bane is done with him.” Ruby echoes my internal hopes and her chair tips as she jumps up. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.” She nods to the right.

I notice my mother and father engaged in a heated discussion with Armstrong’s parents. I really don’t need this right now. Not the drama. Not the humiliation. All I wanted was a nice wedding. Instead I end up with a husband who gets a blow job during our reception—and it’s broadcast to everyone attending.

Ruby urges me into action. “Don’t worry about them. Get your stuff and we’ll get you the hell out of here. I’ll have the limo meet you by the entrance near your bridal suite as soon as I can.”

I nod and stumble unsteadily to my feet, thanks to having consumed the better part of a bottle of wine in the last minute and a half. It’s amazing how ninety seconds can change a person’s entire life.

All hell breaks loose as more men jump in to either pummel or extract Armstrong from the pummeling. I grab my clutch and phone from the table, gather up my stupid, too puffy gown, and head for the bridal suite, where I had prepared for what was supposed to be the most amazing day of my life. And now it’s likely the worst, at least I hope the mortification level I’m experiencing can’t exceed this. I feel like the foulest version of Cinderella ever.

I rush down the empty hall and grab the doorknob as I fumble around in my clutch for the key. I’m surprised when it turns. I thought I’d locked it before we left for the ceremony. Regardless, I need to get away from everyone before I either lose it or commit a felony. Maybe both. Murder in the first. Armstrong will be my victim. And maybe that horrible skank, Brittany.

I thrust the door open and slam it closed behind me, locking it from the inside. Tears threaten to spill over and ruin my makeup. Not that it matters since there’s no way I’m going out there again. I can’t believe my forever lasted less than twelve hours. I can’t believe the man I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life loving couldn’t be faithful to me for even one day. What the hell is wrong with me? With him? I’m as devastated as I am angry and embarrassed. Once I annul this farce of a marriage I’ll become a spinster. I should probably go ahead and adopt six or seven cats tonight.

“I need to get out of this dress,” I say to myself. I reach behind me and pull the bow at the base of my spine. Instead of unfurling, it knots and I only succeed in pulling it tighter. Of course my dress has to be difficult. I growl my annoyance and rush over to my dressing table where my makeup and perfume are scattered from earlier today. Half a mimosa sits unconsumed beside the vase of red roses Armstrong had delivered.

The card read: I can’t wait to spend forever loving you.

What a load of bullshit. I drain the contents of the champagne flute, not caring that the drink is warm and flat. Then I throw the glass, because it feels good and the sound of shattering crystal is satisfying. Next I heave the vase of roses, which explodes impressively against the wall, splattering water and shards of glass across the floor.

I yank out a couple of the drawers and find a pair of scissors. They actually look more like gardening shears and seem rather out of place, but I don’t question it. Instead I reach behind me with my back to the mirror and awkwardly try to cut myself free. It’s not easy with the way I have to crane my neck.

“Goddammit! I need to get out of this stupid dress!” I yell at my reflection. I think I might actually be losing it just a touch now. I stop messing around with the laces in the back and shove the scissors down the front. I nearly nick myself with the blade—they’re a lot sharper than I realized—but that doesn’t slow me down. I start hacking my way through the bodice; layers of satin, lace, and intricate beading sliced apart with every vicious snip.

I just want out of this nightmare.

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