Teaser Tuesday Excerpt: Raw Deal by Cherrie Lynn

RAW DEAL by Cherrie Lynn
E-Original published by Swerve
Publication Date: January 24, 2017
ISBN: 9781250126368
Price: $3.99

Savannah’s brother was killed in a cage fight with Mike “Red Reaper” Larson after a savage punch to the head.

When Mike shows up at the funeral, he’s nothing like Savannah expected. Gone is the fierce, brutal beast she’s seen in the cage. In his place is a beautiful man torn with guilt, seeking forgiveness, and willing to do anything to ease her pain.

Her family doesn’t approve, but her heart doesn’t stand a chance. Irresistibly drawn together, neither of them can deny the intoxicating desire unleashed between them, turning their pain into the most exquisite pleasure.
But every time Mike steps into the cage, Savannah knows she could lose him too. She can’t go through that again, but how can she let go of the one man who sets her body and soul on fire?

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author CHERRIE LYNN has been a CPS caseworker and a juvenile probation officer, but now she writes contemporary and paranormal romance on the steamy side. She’s also an unabashed rock music enthusiast, and she is fond of hitting the road with her husband to catch their favorite bands live. Cherrie lives in East Texas.

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She lifted her head to look up at him, horrified by his story. “The first day we met, Michael, you told me you were a horrible person. I’m confused. The person you’re describing is not that, not at all. The person who arranged this trip so Rowan and I can feel better is not that.”Even in the darkness, she could see the cold void in his eyes, as if he were looking at something terrible that only he could see. “Bad shit follows me, Savannah. It just does. I don’t know if I’m working off some kind of karma or what. It never ends.”

“That can’t be true,” she protested. “I accept that Tommy was an accident. My family probably never will, but that’s how they are. It’s no reflection on you because the way they feel is based on a lie.”

“Tommy isn’t the only one.”

Those words affected her like ghostly fingertips up her spine. “Who?” she asked softly.

“When I was a kid, my mother had a new man every month, and none of them except for one or two were worth a shit. The ones who were decent didn’t last long, because they couldn’t deal with her issues. But it seemed the worse they were, the longer they were around. Some of them were straight-up predators. I was a kid and I saw these things; she was an adult and she didn’t, or else she didn’t care.”

Savannah didn’t need to hear any more. She didn’t think she could. “Anything you did in defense of your family was completely understandable.”

“Is it?” he asked, searching her eyes. “Why does it still follow me?”

“Maybe because you let it?”

“Believe me, if I could shake it, I would.”

“I know. Easier said than done. Probably the worst thing I’ve ever done is shoplift a box of condoms; I’m not one to give advice.”

He blinked at her and then, amazingly, burst out laughing. The shock of it stunned her, but after a moment of embarrassed silence—had she really just told him that?—she couldn’t help but join in. My, but he was gorgeous when he laughed. “Well! I didn’t want the lady at the checkout counter to know I was going to have sex. Turns out I didn’t anyway. What a jackass that guy turned out to be.” Actually, the damn things expired before she could ever use even one of them, but he didn’t have to know that.

“To think I risked a misdemeanor over him.”

“I needed that,” Mike said once he’d caught his breath. “But don’t hold it against me that I’m glad you sent the jackass packing.”

“Oh, I’m glad too. I should have made him get the damn condoms.”

Easily, naturally, Mike’s hands found hers again, both of them. This time his fingers laced through hers, sending a nice shivery sensation through her. The slightly uncomfortable girth of his fingers between hers had her thoughts running wild with imagining the girth of other areas of his body.

“You’re something else,” he said.

“But you don’t know what, right?” she teased.

“No,” he admitted, shaking his head a little dazedly. “I don’t know what. Yet.”

“Same here.” Oh God, was he leaning closer? She felt dizzy looking up at him with the stars all around his head, like they revolved around him. A small wave washed up around her feet, cool and fleeting. Simple as that wave that touched her, his lips touched hers, then drew back. Simple, but enormous. Savannah shivered, drinking in his breath, off balance and whirling though she stood perfectly still, held to earth by nothing but his hands holding hers.

More. Please. She tried to tell him without saying a word, looking into his eyes, seeing the raw need there. And he came back to her, his mouth opening against hers now to invite a deeper contact. The wind whipped wildly around them and she let him in, let his tongue tease inside her mouth and coax hers out to play. His thumbs drew lazy circles on her palms, drawing desire from a wellspring inside her that had been dry for so long now—

“Mike!” a shout came, borne on the wind. It jolted them apart, Savannah blushing and trying to tame her hair into something that looked like it was attached to her head, Mike straightening his shirt.

Blog Tour: Lucian Divine by Renée Carlino

LUCIAN DIVINE
Author: Renee Carlino
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Standalone
Release Day: January 9, 2017

“My guardian angel is a drunk.”

Evelyn Casey’s life is at a standstill. She’s in her mid-twenties, struggling with the dating scene in San Francisco. Nothing seems to be working out, and she’s starting to think that she’ll live out her days in her crummy apartment with her overbearing roommate, Brooklyn. It’s absurd, but sometimes Evey longs for a guardian angel to show up and save the day.

And then he does. Seriously. His name is Lucian and he’s a guardian angel, been on the job for two thousand years. His sudden presence in her life is both good—he’s brilliant, witty, and warm—and bad—he’s brilliant, witty, warm, and hot as —-. But as perfect as Lucian seems, he’s got problems of his own. He’s taken up drinking and he’s brazenly inserted himself into Evey’s life, going against the greatest cosmic law ever created.

For Evey, the rules are simple: You are not allowed to hook up with your guardian angel. But sometimes fulfilling your destiny requires a leap of faith, a confrontation with God.

Yes, God as in God.

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“Evelyn, I’ve existed for more than two millennia. In two thousand years, I have watched over so many lives. At times, more than five souls were my responsibility alone. I’ve watched all of them die. I’ve held many of them while they were dying. It’s in my nature to do that, to give peace to my souls, to look out for them when I can, to sway the good ones to do the right thing, and to protect man and life here on Earth. I’ve watched over stunningly beautiful and brilliant women, but I have never felt love for any human the way I feel it for you. You are literally the air in my lungs.”

-Lucian

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women’s novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com

New & Upcoming Releases: January 9-10

Another week, another amazing release week! Check out all the prettehs heading your way!


AVAILABLE NOW


SHAMELESS by Teresa Mummert

Every student at Shame U has their secrets, and Henley Brooks is no exception. Struggling to pay for college and maintain her perfect reputation has become overwhelming. When her friend Gigi Oxford offers her a night of carefree fun, she can’t pass up the opportunity to unwind.

After a night of drinking turns to chaos, Henley finds herself alone with Lucas Young, a student from London who has come to America to unravel a few secrets of his own, as well as break a few hearts.
Covered in tattoos and drowning in liquor, Lucas was everything Henley should avoid but couldn’t resist. She soon begins to fall for him like the many women before her. But after stumbling across something he didn’t want her to see, she learns that Lucas may not be who she thinks he is.

Henley and Gigi devise a plan to teach Lucas a lesson, but it isn’t long before Henley learns that no one at Shamus Thornton College can be trusted.

When everything begins to feel like it is falling apart, there is only one person Henley wants to pick up the pieces, even if he is the person who caused her to crumble.


WEDDING WARS by Kat T. Mason

Drew
Get down on one knee.
Profess my love.
Ask her to marry me.
Simple…right?

Zoey
He doesn’t understand that planning a wedding is a big deal. I’m not a Bridezilla—give me a break. I just know what I want, and everything has to be perfect. After all, I am marrying my Mr. Right.
Aren’t I?

From roomies to lovers, it was an easy transition for Zoey and Drew. It’s only natural that marriage was the next step. Between Drew’s hectic work schedule and Zoey’s obsession with planning the perfect wedding, neither of them expected it to be this hard.

And the only way they knew how to communicate: fight until they’ve started a war.

Will Zoey and Drew manage to set aside their differences and make it to the altar, or is this the end for the perfectly mismatched couple?


FULL PACKAGE by Lauren Blakely

From the New York Times Bestselling author of MISTER O and BIG ROCK, comes a hot & hilarious new standalone romantic comedy…

I’ve been told I have quite a gift.

Hey, I don’t just mean in my pants. I’ve got a big brain too, and a huge heart of gold. And I like to use all my gifts to the fullest, the package included. Life is smooth sailing….

Until I find myself stuck between a rock and a sexy roommate, which makes for one very hard…place.

Because scoring an apartment in this city is harder than finding true love. So even if I have to shack up with my buddy’s smoking hot and incredibly amazing little sister, a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.

I can resist Josie. I’m disciplined, I’m focused, and I keep my hands to myself, even in the mere five-hundred square feet we share. Until the one night she insists on sliding under the covers with me. It’ll help her sleep after what happened that day, she says.

Spoiler–neither one of us sleeps. 

Did I mention she’s also one of my best friends? That she’s brilliant, beautiful and a total firecracker? Guess that makes her the full package too.

What’s a man stuck in a hard place to do?

FULL PACKAGE is a standalone friends-to-lovers rom-com!


RELEASING JANUARY 10


NO BAD DAYS by J. Sterling

From New York Times Bestselling author J. Sterling, comes a brand new laugh out loud and angst filled standalone romance you won’t want to miss…

Nick Fisher is State’s most eligible bachelor–confident, creative, and driven–and is completely aware that every girl he knows is trying to land him. But Nick is more than the marketing genius everyone sees on the outside. In fact, his life is far more complicated than anyone suspects . . . even his own brothers.Jess Michaelson knows she shouldn’t want Nick like all the other girls do, but she wants him anyway. How could anyone resist those charms? When he focuses his attention on her, she has no idea what she’s truly in for.

Sometimes love is hard.
But it’s worth the fight.


OFF BASE by Annabeth Albert

After trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate—especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike’s flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike’s arrival would spark from Zack’s teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can’t refuse.

Pike Reynolds knows there won’t be a warm welcome in his new home. What can he say? He’s an acquired taste. But he needs this chance to get his life together. Also, teasing the uptight SEAL will be hella fun. Still, Pike has to tread carefully; he’s had his fill of tourists in the past, and he can’t risk his heart on another, not even one as hot, as built—and, okay, yeah, as adorable—as Zack.

Living with Pike crumbles Zack’s restraint and fuels his curiosity. He discovers how well they fit together in bed…in the shower…in the hallway… He needs Pike more than he could have imagined, yet he doesn’t know how to be the man Pike deserves.

 


SURRENDER by Lisa Renee Jones
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones returns with the third book in the sexy, suspenseful Careless Whispers series.
Passion burns fiercely hot between Ella Ferguson and Kayden Wilkens, the man who held secrets and lies in his hands, and then allowed them to fall into hers. But even though he has become her anchor–helping her recover from amnesia after finding her unconscious in an alley, and allowing her into his secret world–all is not what it seems. Kayden still has secrets, and pieces of Ella’s past are still shrouded in the darkness of her mind, while the powerful man who hunts her will not stop until she is his. In this final, explosive novel in the Careless Whispers series, Ella discovers that while her life with Kayden didn’t begin in that dark alley…it could easily end there.

 


WILD KISSES by Skye Jordan

Newly divorced, Avery Hart returns home to Wildwood eager to take on her dream opportunity and transform her family’s dive bar into her own bakery. The contractor for hire isn’t just a master with his hands—he’s big, built, and wears a tool belt like nobody’s business. Despite being an ex-con, Trace Hutton is irresistible. Too bad he’d never go for someone as inexperienced as Avery.

Trace needs to focus on the job at hand, not daydream about smearing icing all over the sexy baker…and licking it off. This job is the key to getting his construction company back on its feet after his time in prison. Besides, no one deserves a fresh start more than Avery, and she certainly won’t get that with him.

After a delectable night of passion (and pie), Trace craves something more. But he’ll be damned if he’ll let his checkered past crush her dreams. And as Avery starts to realize how Trace fulfills more than just her physical needs, she struggles with whether to let her history decide her future, or explore the wild new possibilities of forever…


ROYALLY DEEP by Virna DePaul

Take one sexy quarterback,
Mix in one adventurous princess,
Add some serious sexual tension,
And you get the royal romance of a lifetime.

Kyle Young—all-star quarterback and lady-killer—thought he knew what he wanted out of life: freedom, football and fun. Then he meets Bella. She seems like the perfect woman: gorgeous, funny, and a huge football fan. But what he doesn’t know? Bella also happens to be Princess Arabella of Salasia.

Yearning for adventure and romance before she devotes herself to her country and marries a man she doesn’t love, Arabella can’t believe her luck when she meets Kyle. Sparks fly between the football player and the princess, and they begin an affair neither of them could’ve imagined.

Soon, however, duty and self-doubt cause Kyle and Arabella to separate. Can he become the prince she needs? And can Arabella overcome her family’s disapproval? Or will their love transform back into a pumpkin at midnight, leaving them both without a happily ever after?


LETHAL GAME by Katie Reus

He broke her heart.

Graysen’s betrayal nearly destroyed Isa a year ago. Now that she’s working for Red Stone Security, she’s managed to piece her life back together after a rough year and a broken heart. Then he appears back in her life and makes it clear he’s not going anywhere until she gives them a second chance. A chance she refuses to take.

Now he’s back to claim what’s his.

Graysen’s never gotten over Isa and he knows he never will. It’s his fault she walked away, but he can’t seem to let her go. He quit his job with the CIA and called in every favor he had to get hired by Red Stone Security just to be near her again. But Isa doesn’t care that he’s desperate to make things right between them—she wants nothing to do with him. He doesn’t blame her, but he’s not willing to give her up. When they’re cornered by lethal terrorists, everything changes. Graysen and Isa will have to find a way to work together if they want to survive. Only then will he be able to convince her to claim the chance at happiness the past stole from them.

Red Stone Security, #15


THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN by Jackie Ashenden

Book #1 in the intensely sexy Billionaire Fairytales by Jackie Ashenden where sometimes dark and tortured, sometimes bad boy and charming, but always dominant and sexy billionaires steal their heroines’ breath away.

Xavier De Santis: Charming. Disgraced. Playboy.

The headlines are always shouting about the excesses of the so-called Prince Charming of the De Santis family. Problem is, Xavier is everything they say he is.

But now he’s gone too far, and he has has been ordered to clean up his image. Volunteering at a homeless shelter, Xavier sees a bright light amidst all the bleakness. An angel whose luminous face and tragic beauty call to him in ways he can’t explain.

Mia: Homeless. Vulnerable. Virgin.

When the shelter Mia calls home closes, she is left with nowhere to go. Nowhere except the luxurious, glorious palace of a home where Xavier De Santis has invited her to stay. This too-handsome billionaire is dark, dangerous…and also too good to be true.

Surely Mia can indulge in her fantasies and escape the hardness of her daily life for just one night?

As one night turns into two, Mia knows that eventually, the magic will end. She can’t keep the beautiful clothes. She can’t keep the soft bed. And most of all, she can’t keep the hard, handsome man who makes her crave his touch with every breath she takes.

Mia doesn’t belong in his world. But as Xavier tempts his rags-to-riches heroine with exquisite pleasure and heady desire, Mia may have no choice but to surrender to him completely.


GONE by Elizabeth Naughton

Three years ago, Alec McClane and Raegan Devereaux lived every parent’s worst nightmare: their one-year-old daughter, Emma, was abducted from a park when Alec turned his back for just a moment. Emma was never found, and presumed dead. The crushing trauma, plus Alec’s unbearable guilt, ended the couple’s marriage.

Now a four-year-old girl matching Emma’s profile is found wandering a local park. Alec and Raegan are heartbroken to discover she’s not their daughter but are newly motivated to find closure…and each secretly feels desperate to be in the other’s presence again.

Alec suspects his vengeful biological father is behind Emma’s disappearance. But as Raegan investigates other abductions in the area, she sees a pattern—and begins to wonder if Emma’s kidnapping is actually linked to something more sinister.

As Alec and Raegan race to uncover the truth, a long-burning spark rekindles into smoldering passion, and they realize they need each other now more than ever.


SEDUCTION by Calista Fox

100 Shades of Sin…

Delicious and hot, the seductive Bayfront Billionaires need one thing, and one thing only: the woman made for them, the one woman on earth who can complete their trio of passion and desire.
Lily Hart has taken a temporary position as a live-in butler for billionaire musicians Jackson Sterling and Lexington Alexander. She expected to be on call day and night. But what she did not plan for was that these two billionaires would be as handsome as sin and hell-bent on having her in their bed. Entirely skilled at the art of seduction, they make Lily burn for pleasure in ways she never knew she could.

Jax and Lex have been waiting for a muse, and when breathtaking, sensuous Lily arrives on their doorstep, they know she’s the woman to join them in the seductive web the three of them weave. But passion between three can end in flames, and Lily, Jax, and Lex must decide—is opening their hearts worth the risk?

Review: Dirty Sexy Sinner by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

DIRTY SEXY SINNER
Series: Dirty Sexy #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde
Release Date: November 8, 2016

Are you ready to get in bed with a SINNER?

After a lifetime of lies, deceit and betrayal, Jackson Stone isn’t a man who trusts easily—with women being at the top of the list. Now he’s all about control in every aspect of his life. Especially between the sheets. Hot, mutual pleasure with a woman? No problem, as long as he’s in charge. But there’s something different about sexy bartender Tara Kent that he finds irresistible, in bed and out. Something that has him willing to compromise his principles and bend his rules. Let the sinning begin.

ALL BOOKS IN THE DIRTY SEXY SERIES can be read on its own, or as a companion to the other book in the series:
Dirty Sexy Saint (Clay)
Dirty Sexy Inked (Mason)
Dirty Sexy Cuffed (Levi)
Dirty Sexy Sinner (Jackson)

AMAZON

Let’s put it this way, sweetheart,” he drawled in a tone of voice that was infused with pure illicit sex. “If you knew all the filthy, explicit things I’ve fantasized about doing to you, there would be no doubts in your mind that I’m a sinner in all the ways that matter.”

Firstly, this is getting a star simply for including a cameo from two of my favorite guys; Tate and Logan from the Temptation series. Raaarrrrr!

This was fun and so sexy, it almost set my kindle on fire. Sure the ending was a little too cheesetastic, but I didn’t even mind. I loved the long lost twin thing. Jackson Stone is the sinner to his twin’s saintly reputation. Coming off a bitter divorce and still reeling from the revelation that his family is all a lie, he’s not looking for a relationship. Walking into his brother’s bar to meet the brothers that he never even knew he has is already rocking his world enough, he’s not expecting the carnal and primal reaction he instantly has to the beautiful bar manager, Tara.

Tara is a wounded soul, with her own past demons, but the temptation of Jackson is too much to resist for her.

This was a fun and sexy romp that I read in one sitting. It hit the spot just right and I can’t wait for the spin off with Jackson’s best friend.
review

Review: Torture To Her Soul by J.M. Darhower

TORTURE TO HER SOUL
Series: Monster in His Eyes #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: J.M. Darhower
Release Date: September 29, 2014

Don’t say it unless you mean it…

It’s a simple concept, one I’ve said time and again, but something people don’t seem to comprehend. You should choose every syllable carefully, because you never know when somebody will hold you to your word.

Somebody like me.

I’m not a good man. I’m not. I know. I have enough darkness inside of me to rid the world of every stitch of light. But there’s one I could never harm, one light I couldn’t bring myself to snuff out.

Karissa.

She thinks I’m a monster, and maybe I am. I taunt her with my touch, get a thrill out of torturing her soul. But I’m not the only one. The world is full of monsters, and I’m not the most dangerous one out there.

Not even close…

God help me, I love her.

I do.

And God help anyone who tries to take her from me.

AMAZON 

We’re a tragedy in the making. The game of tug-of-war we’re playing will end up destroying us, because she doesn’t have it in her to surrender, and I can’t let go. It’s something else I love about her. There’s a fight in her. But it’s a fight that’ll be our downfall. Because I have that same fight in me. 


Can I just say how much I LOVED getting the conclusion entirely in Naz’s POV? Because NAZ!!! FREAKING NAZ!

Tell me how you want it to be. Tell me what you need from me.” I’ll give her anything. I’ll tear my fucking chest open with my bare hands, rip out my heart and hand it to her, if that’s what she needs. All she has to do is tell me. All she has to do is ask.

Sometimes the line between good and bad isn’t so black and white. Sometimes it’s somewhere in the very depths of gray. And that’s exactly what you get with Naz. This is a man that’s done plenty of bad things and makes no apologies for it. He fully accepts who he is and what he’s become. He’s a man driven by pain and revenge. A man that’s sold his soul to the devil for a chance at vengeance. But Karissa has changed him irrevocably. He’ll still go to war and cover the streets in blood, but now it’s all for her.

She’s trying to be unbreakable but I’m unshakeable. She’s going crazy, and I’m already goddamn insane. I clipped my jailbird’s wings so she couldn’t fly away from me, and then I wonder why the fuck I can’t make her soar.

Being inside his head was an experience of dark and darker. And while you know it’s wrong, you just can’t find it in you to care even a little bit.

Torture To Her Soul was exactly what I hoped and so much more. J.M. Darhower knows how to weave one hell of a story and she’s a master of words. She’s given me some of my favorite mafia anti-heroes and I hope she never stops.

Second chances don’t come easily. Most people don’t get them. Most people don’t know what it’s like to come back from the brink of death. It changes people. It certainly changed me.


DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS SERIESAMAZON | MY REVIEW

Review: Satisfaction by Lexi Blake

SATISFACTION
Series: Lawless #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: January 3, 2017

The sizzling second novel in a sexy new contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Brandon Lawless is a man on a mission: obtain the information that will clear his father’s name. He’s willing to do whatever it takes—even seduce his enemy’s personal assistant, the beautiful and innocent Carly Hendricks. But with her beguiling smile and captivating intelligence, Brandon soon realizes he doesn’t want to deceive Carly, he wants to win her over—both in the boardroom and the bedroom.

Then a twisted crime leaves Carly vulnerable and Brandon finds himself reeling. The stakes of his mission are now life or death—Carly’s life. And Brandon realizes he’s lost his heart to an amazing woman and his plan must succeed, because the stakes are no longer just revenge, but a once in a lifetime love.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

He got his hands on her, covered her mouth with his. And all the dark voices that seemed to whisper to him all his days quieted. She was his peace.

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with all things Lexi Blake, and ever since I first met the Lawless siblings in Master No, I’ve been eagerly anticipating their story. Suffice it to say, I was utterly hooked from book one. Ruthless sets off the series with Riley’s story. Mia’s story was a crossover in Dominance Never Dies. If you haven’t yet read the Masters and Mercenaries series by Lexi, you’re seriously missing out. But as always, I digress…

Satisfaction brings the story of the broken Lawless sibling, Brandon. We got a peak into his hidden demons in the first book; Bran has a hero complex a mile long, but you don’t know why. You know it stems from an event in his childhood which left him forever scarred, but you don’t know what. All we know is that if there’s a damsel in distress somewhere, whether stripper or hooker, odds are, Bran is right there trying to help her. He’s also the sibling that seems to hide the most scars from his past. When the Lawless siblings were torn apart and thrown into the system after their parents’ death, Bran took the brunt of the luck and barely aged out of it intact. Now he fights his demons with his fist and a barely repressed anger and a violence that quickly boils sits below the surface.

Watching the pain his brother’s now wife went through in their quest for revenge, he’ll be damned if he does that to another woman. So when the Lawless siblings set their sights on Patricia, the 3rd partner that they suspect was behind their parents murder, Bran breaks the plan and unveils the plan to Patricia’s assistant who they hope will be the person that helps them bring her down.

Carly Hendricks is coming off of a brutal divorce during which her husband took her for everything. A shy little mouse, her barely existing confidence took a real beating and she has a hard time understanding how a sexy man like Bran could hold even the slightest bit of interest in her. What begins then is a game of push and pull. Bran wants her, but he’s not good enough for her. Carly wants him, but doesn’t think he wants mousy little her.

As much as I loved the first book in this series, I’m a little bummed that this one paled in comparison. I think my main issue was the couple. I felt zero connection to either Carly or Bran. While I liked Bran as a character, I just had a hard time disconnecting his hero complex from his true feelings for Carly. She was just too much of the stereotype that he would typically try to rescue, so I suppose I had as hard a time as Carly really buying his love for her.

Carly was just too much of a mouse for me. While she does have a backbone that comes out later in the story and I could certainly sympathize with and understand her lack of self esteem, her constant questioning of her appeal wore me down. She was a heroine that unfortunately I’d forget about as soon as I read her. As a couple, they lacked a certain sizzle for me. Sure the sex was hot, but I just couldn’t click with their connection.

I found the suspense a bit boring at times too. The beginning and middle sort of dragged if I’m being honest. What DID keep my attention, as always, was Drew. And it didn’t hurt that his love interest is introduced here and boy does that set up already crackle with sexual tension. There’s a twist at the end that I never saw coming, which definitely added a great punch to the story. I can’t wait to see how everything concludes with Drew’s book next.

All in all, while it wasn’t my favorite in the series, the book at least helped tide me over until my next Lexi Blake fix.


DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THE LAWLESS SERIES!

AMAZON | MY REVIEW

PRE-ORDER REVEVENGE!
(Releasing June 20, 2017)

DGRFave & Review: On Broken Wings by @ChanelCleeton

ON BROKEN WINGS
Series: Wild Aces #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Release Date: January 3, 2017

The author of Into the Blue and Fly with Me returns with the newest, hot and high-flying Wild Aces romance…

A year after losing her husband, Joker, the squadron commander of the Wild Aces, Dani Peterson gets an offer from his best friend, Alex “Easy” Rogers, to help fix up her house. Dani accepts, and their friendship grows—along with an undeniable attraction.

Racked by guilt for loving his best friend’s widow, Easy’s caught between what he wants and can’t have. Until one night everything changes, and the woman who’s always held his heart ends up in his arms. Yet as Easy leaves for his next deployment, he and Dani are torn between their feelings and their loyalty to Joker’s memory.

But when Dani discovers something that sends them both into a spin, the conflicted lovers must overcome the past to navigate a future together…

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I could drop a bomb without breaking a sweat, had been to war, nearly died more times than I could count, but she was the scariest thing I’d ever faced, my feelings for her sending me into a spin.

Do you know that feeling when you meet a secondary character in a series that steals your attention from the second he appears on the pages? That was Alex “Easy” Rogers for this girl. Now it’s no secret that I have a weak spot for the unrepentant manwhores, but there was also something much more to Easy. He was the goofball of the group, the easy going one always quick with the jokes and a smile, but you knew that beneath that is the heart of a man much more complex that he first appears. I’ve been slowly dying in my wait for his book since first meeting him in Fly With Me, and all I can tell you after finishing this book is he was absolutely worth EVERY SECOND of the wait. Every. Second.

I don’t know what to do anymore. She needs me to be her friend; I can’t stay away from her. And I can’t stop loving her.”

If you’re expecting your typical manwhore hero, think again. Alex is such a complex character. His jokes and smile a facade to the deep feelings he hides, but his love for his fallen friend and brother in arms is his worst kept secret. Alex has been in love with Dani Peterson since he first laid eyes on her… as the loving wife of his best friend. Dani has been an unreachable and unattainable dream for him, so he drowned himself in easy and forgettable women, but nothing erased his feelings.

A year after the tragic accident that took Dani’s husband from her, she’s still trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Her one constant has always been Alex. Unlike everyone else of their friends, Dani is absolutely ignorant of his feelings for her. He’s never made a move, always respecting her boundaries and their friendship while being her rock. But soon Dani’s feelings begin to take a turn from the friendly camaraderie she’s always had for Easy to something much more. But will the guilt they both have over their feelings get between a love that may save them both?

For a moment I stopped pretending everything was okay, that loving her wasn’t broken glass slicing through my veins, leaving me bleeding out, that the sheer fucking torture of wanting someone I couldn’t have wasn’t a constant ache that brought me to my knees and made me feel as though I’d broken an unspoken promise. “Don’t you get it by now? There is no one else. There never will be anyone else. There’s just her.”

Can I just say how much I loved this book? Words can’t describe all of my feels for it. It’s so poignant and sweet, emotional and gutwreching. I absolutely loved the way that Alex is with Dani. There’s no one else for him. He doesn’t try to deny it, or spend his time on meaningless hookups. He’s well past that point. The man was just perfection. He’s patient, understanding, sweet beyond words.

Dani struggles with her building feelings for Alex and her memory of her beloved husband. My heart simply broke for her. I respect the fact that this author didn’t go the easy route and try to make light of her relationship with her husband. She still loves him immeasurably but her feelings for Easy are not discounted either. It’s no small feat to pull that off. To make the reader truly invested in their relationship and BELIEVE it, while still honoring the memory of her husband.

I get scared with romances with a dead spouse because so often an author will try to discount that relationship in order to more easily sell the present one. That was not at all the case here and man but I loved it.

This was no typical or cliche; it was a story that will stay with me for a long LONG while. The feelings between Dani and Alex wasn’t less or more…it just was. It was a different kind of love but a love nonetheless. There’s no stereotypical drama at the end; just two people dealing with a hard past in order to build a future.

I’m happiest with my feet planted firmly on the ground. But my heart—It flies.

On Broken Wings was a poignant and beautiful romance packed with emotion and meaning. It was full of swoons and steam. There was no clutter to take away from what Dani and Alex go through on their way to their HEA and I loved it. I loved every second of it. I loved every page of it. I. Just. Loved. It.


WILD ACES SERIES

FLY WITH ME | INTO THE BLUE | ON BROKEN WINGS

New Releases: January 1-5

New year, new books! Check out all the amazing new releases coming at you this week!!


ALREADY RELEASED


HOLLYWOOD PRINCE by Kim Karr

Brooklyn James should know better.
Born into Hollywood royalty, the brooding prince has a reputation as being a player. A manwhore. A womanizer.
Adoring fans are his thing.
His best friend’s little sister is not.
Even thinking about her the way he is isn’t cool.
Not cool at all.
And yet every time she pouts those sexy lips at him, she turns him inside out. Makes him harder than he’s ever been. Drives him to the brink of insanity.

Amelia Waters has always idolized her big brother, and the last thing she wants to do is disappoint him.
Falling for her brother’s ex-roommate is off-limits.
She knows this, but she can’t help herself.
The way Brooklyn looks at her with those smoldering blue eyes makes her wet in an instant. Turns her into a shivering, shaking mess of sexual frustration. And soon the idea of spreading her legs for him is the only thing she can think about.

She wants him.
He wants her.

When they finally decide to give in to their insane attraction, they agree it will remain between them. That their illicit affair will be short-term. No strings. No baggage. No messy ending.

But when the first night of mind-blowing sex leads to another, and another still, how long can the endless hookups go on before Amelia’s brother finds out? Or worse yet, before feelings develop?

Brooklyn and Amelia know they need to walk away from each other before either of those things happens.

The problem is doing it.

Talk about a mess.


PAINTED ON MY HEART by Kindle Alexander

Artist Kellus Hardin let love and loyalty cloud his past decisions, a mistake he definitely won’t make again. Now, lost and alone, he’s left to pick up the shattered pieces of his broken heart while facing the truth of his reality.

Arik Layne exudes power, confidence, and determination. But when an encounter with the guarded artist shakes him to the core and alters all his future goals, he finds more than just his heart on the line.

For Kellus, opening himself to love isn’t an option.
All Arik wants is to make the artist his.
Can love create a masterpiece when it’s painted on your heart?


JANUARY 2 RELEASE


ONE CAREFUL OWNER by Jane Harvey-Berrick

“Take me, all of me, broken and in pieces, or say to hell with me.”

WARNING!
This book will break your heart!
From the best-selling romance author of THE EDUCATION OF SEBASTIAN comes a sexy, heart-breaking and heart-warming story about one man and his dog. (Standalone)

* * * * *

Alex is lost and alone, with only his dog, Stan for company. He doesn’t expect kindness from anyone anymore, but sometimes hope can be found in the most unlikely places. He has a second chance at happiness, but there’s a dark side to Alex, and a reason that more than one person has called him crazy.

Single mother Dawn is doing just fine. Except that her ex- is a pain in the a**, her sister isn’t speaking to her, and her love life is on the endangered list.

At least her job as a veterinarian is going well. Until a crazy-looking guy arrives at her office accompanied by an aging dog with toothache. Or maybe Alex Winters isn’t so crazy after all, just … different.

Dawn realizes that she’s treated him the same way that all the gossips in town have treated her—people can be very cruel.

Contains scenes of an adult nature.

This is a standalone novel with no cliff-hanger.


JANUARY 3 RELEASES


REAL GOOD MAN by Meghan March

From USA Today bestselling author Meghan March comes a sexy new duet. We’ve all had the bad boys, now it’s time for a Real Good Man.

Fall for a woman over text messages? No way in hell.
Reality can never be as good as the fantasy, right?
Wrong. It’s better.
Banner Regent is smart, funny, and she’s so far out of my league, she might as well be royalty.
I’m a mechanic from Kentucky. She’s a New York City party girl.
We were never supposed to meet, but one text started something neither of us saw coming.
How do you seduce the woman who already has everything?
Show her what it’s like to be with a real good man.

Real Good Man is book one of the Real Duet, but don’t worry, you won’t have to wait long for the conclusion! Logan and Banner’s story will conclude in Real Good Love.


ON BROKEN WINGS by Chanel Cleeton

The author of Into the Blue and Fly with Me returns with the newest, hot and high-flying Wild Aces romance…

A year after losing her husband, Joker, the squadron commander of the Wild Aces, Dani Peterson gets an offer from his best friend, Alex “Easy” Rogers, to help fix up her house. Dani accepts, and their friendship grows—along with an undeniable attraction.

Racked by guilt for loving his best friend’s widow, Easy’s caught between what he wants and can’t have. Until one night everything changes, and the woman who’s always held his heart ends up in his arms. Yet as Easy leaves for his next deployment, he and Dani are torn between their feelings and their loyalty to Joker’s memory.

But when Dani discovers something that sends them both into a spin, the conflicted lovers must overcome the past to navigate a future together…


HARD HITTER by Sarina Bowen

From the USA Today bestselling author of Rookie Move comes the second novel in the series that’s hot enough to melt the ice.
 
He’s a fighter in the rink, but he’s about to learn that playing nice can help you score…
 
As team captain and enforcer, Patrick O’Doul puts the bruise in the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of hard hits, O’Doul is feeling the burn, both physically and mentally. He conceals his pain from his coach and trainers, but when his chronic hip injury becomes too obvious to ignore, they send him for sessions with the team’s massage therapist.

After breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, Ari Bettini is in need of peace of mind. For now, she’s decided to focus on her work: rehabilitating the Bruisers’ MVP. O’Doul is easy on the eyes, but his reaction to her touch is ice cold. Ari is determined to help O’Doul heal, but as the tension between them turns red hot, they both learn that a little TLC does the body good…


It’s You by Katy Regnary

From New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery comes her first duo of paranormal romances!

ONCE UPON A TIME…
the most beautiful boy in the world kissed me.
I’ve never been able to forget.
Perhaps it was his jet-black hair,
or the changing copper-color of his eyes,
the intense way he looked at me…
or the fact that he awakened my passion for the first time,
at once otherworldly yet heartbreakingly real.
But after that kiss, I never saw him again.

His name was Jack Beauloup.
Jack, my “Beautiful Wolf.”

Twenty years passed. He has returned. For me.

 


SATISFACTION by Lexi Blake

The sizzling second novel in a sexy new contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Brandon Lawless is a man on a mission: obtain the information that will clear his father’s name. He’s willing to do whatever it takes—even seduce his enemy’s personal assistant, the beautiful and innocent Carly Hendricks. But with her beguiling smile and captivating intelligence, Brandon soon realizes he doesn’t want to deceive Carly, he wants to win her over—both in the boardroom and the bedroom.

Then a twisted crime leaves Carly vulnerable and Brandon finds himself reeling. The stakes of his mission are now life or death—Carly’s life. And Brandon realizes he’s lost his heart to an amazing woman and his plan must succeed, because the stakes are no longer just revenge, but a once in a lifetime love.


MULBERRY MOON by Catherine Anderson

The New York Times bestselling author of New Leaf returns to Mystic Creek, Oregon, where a wounded heart finds a place to call home. . . . 

After a career on the rodeo circuit, Ben Sterling longs to settle down on his farm and start a family like his brothers. He’s searched all over for the woman of his dreams. Yet the only one to spark his interest is the new owner of the local café. Getting her attention, however, won’t be easy.

Sissy Sue Bentley has worked hard to make it on her own, and she doesn’t need another man in her life. From her alcoholic father to the men she’s dated, who were after only one thing, they are nothing but trouble. Except Ben keeps showing up whenever she really needs help. Sissy struggles to deny her growing feelings for him—but soon Ben’s tender concern has her hoping for a happier future. Then her past comes barreling back into her life, and it will take more than the love in Ben’s heart to hold them together.


SEPARATION GAMES by CD Reiss

The stunning conclusion to the New York Times Bestseller.

There are a few unbreakable rules in the game.
Stay collected. Compartmentalize. Think your next move through.
Never let your heart dictate your tactics.
The heart is impulsive.
The heart makes bad decisions.
The heart doesn’t see the long game.
The heart may have decided to get Adam back, but when the endgame comes, the heart’s going to be the one to break.
—-
This full-length novel is the conclusion to the Games duet.

 


ROCK CHICK REAWAKENING by Kristen Ashley

From New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Ashley, comes the long-awaited story of Daisy and Marcus, Rock Chick Reawakening. A prequel to Kristen’s Rock Chick series, Rock Chick Reawakening shares the tale of the devastating event that nearly broke Daisy, an event that set Marcus Sloan—one of Denver’s most respected businessmen and one of the Denver underground’s most feared crime bosses—into finally making his move to win the heart of the woman who stole his.

 


JANUARY 5 RELEASES


DEAR LIFE by Meghan Quinn

Four lives. Four stories. Four sets of letters. Four brave souls in need of guidance while facing life’s greatest challenges.

The anonymously published Dear Life program is designed to help them step outside of their comfort zones, face their obstacles, and relinquish their demons…and prove their existence.

With their lives teetering between wanting more and losing it all, all four souls dive into the program as a New Year’s resolution, sending them on a crazy, life-altering journey.

Dear Life,

Please be kind.

Yours truly, Hollyn, Jace, Daisy, and Carter.

 


COMMANDER IN CHIEF by Katy Evans

The second installment of the White House Series, from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans.

We fell in love during the campaign.
The stakes were high.
Reputations could have been ruined.
Scandal hovered over us like a cloud.
Now the man I love is the President of the United States of America.
And its not my vote he is after.
He wants it all.
My heart. My body. My soul.
He wants me by his side.
In the White House.
Normalcy will be gone from my life, privacy forgotten.
I am only twenty three. I just wanted to play a part in history. But it seems like history wasn’t done with me. The part where I lost my heart to Matthew Hamilton? It was only the beginning…

DGRFave & Review: Vicious by LJ Shen

VICIOUS
Series: Sinners of Saint #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: December 27, 2016

Emilia

They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true.
The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares.
He is a brilliant lawyer.
A skilled criminal.
A beautiful liar.
A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.
Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.

Vicious

She is a starving artist.
Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom.
Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down.
She paid the price.
Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate.
That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t.
So she hates me. Big fucking deal.
She better get used to me.

AMAZON

My obsession. My muse. My enemy.

It’s official. L.J. Shen is a witch. How else could the woman possibly crawl inside my mind and create a story that seriously felt custom written for me?
Uber angst? Check!
Hot alphahole hero? Holy hell, CHECK!
A heroine that’s the perfect blend of innocent but with a steel backbone? Check!
An enemies to lovers story that left me practically salivating? CHECK!
A sexual chemistry and a burn so good it makes you want to slap yo mama? CHECK!
An addicting, obsessive read from cover to cover? ABSOLUTELY FREAKING CHECK!!!

This guy is going to break my heart if I let him.

The Four HotHoles rule All Saints High. All the guys want to hang out with them and all the girls want to sleep with them. It doesn’t matter that women are more disposable to them than a pair of socks, they’ll gladly give up their dignity for a night…or a few hours in their bed. Vicious is the most brutal of the four. He’s a coldblooded asshole that practice bubbles over with barely surprised rage. And the target for the brunt of his anger is Emilia, his classmate and daughter of the hired help living at his father’s mansion.

Vicious was vicious. It was too bad that my hate for him was dipped in a thin shell of something that felt like love. But I promised myself I’d crack it, break it, and unleash pure hatred in its place before he got to me.

Emilia was a heroine you can’t help but like. They say the line is thin between love and hate and that’s definitely the case here. She wants to hate Vicious and he surely gives her plenty of reason to…and yet, he’s like a magnet drawing her in.

Shen did a phenomenal job with character development, that you don’t just read what they’re feeling, you feel it. That couldn’t be more true with Emilia. I clicked with her from the very first page. Here’s a heroine that’s down on her luck, down to her last penny, barely making ends meet working two jobs to support herself and her sick sister, but she still has this undercurrent of strength that you can’t help but respect.

Intersected with flashbacks to their high school years, the story develops in the present. Years after Emilia left All Saints High and Vicious behind. But circumstances soon bring her face to face once more with a man that made her teenage years a living hell.

I want to fuck you and watch your face while I do. To see how you drown in me as I hurt you as much as it hurts me to have to see your goddamn face every day.”

Now if you’re an angst lover like me, you will gobble up everything about this book and be left begging for more. The sexual tension between Vicious and Emilia crackles with electricity. I loved that added burn of hate lust between them. The woman definitely gave him a run for his money and for all his thinly veiled insults that he throws her way, you can see just how much he craves her underneath it all.

You’re pissing me off,” she said quietly, her eyes still searching my face.
“And that’s turning me on,” I retorted, my voice flat. “So you might wanna tone down the hate glares if you don’t wanna find yourself being fucked on this desk with the blinds still open.”

The writing was absolutely brilliant. Shen simply gets better and better with each book she writes and she truly outdid herself with this one. She gave us four heroes that you not only click with but obsess over. Sure, this book is focused on Vicious and I loved every page of it. But I also loved the three other HotHoles and if the set up for two of them is anything to go by, I already know I need their books.

As for this book? This is what obsession is made of. This book. These characters. This romance. It was too delicious for words. Simply. Addicting.

This is not a relationship. It’s two people fucking the obsession out of each other.” 

Review: Force of Temptation by Suzanne Wright

FORCE OF TEMPTATION
Series: The Mercury Pack #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Suzanne Wright
Release Date: December 13, 2016

Harley Vincent is resigned to life in the human world. Sure, being a margay shifter is half her nature, but life among humans gives her the freedom to roam and do as she pleases. That is, until anti-shifter extremists target her, putting her life in immediate danger.

When an old acquaintance and onetime fling, Jesse Dalton, shows up to offer the protection of his pack, Harley hesitates. She may have feelings for Jesse that go beyond their one-night stand, but life among shifters means giving over her independence to the needs of pack. Plus Mercury Pack has its own threat to face: a rich half-shifter is determined to claim their territory at any cost.

Jesse, who lost his true mate as a child, has wanted Harley since their night together, and he’s not letting her go again. They may not be destined for each other, but he knows she belongs to him and with his pack. Even if he can convince her to join him now, can he convince her to stay?

AMAZON

Tell me who you belong to, Harley. Fucking tell me or I swear to God I’ll pull out and come all over you!”
With a resigned growl, she ground out, “I’m yours, you motherfucking, pushy bastard!”
“Never forget it.”



Oh wait…did you need more than that quote to convince you to read this book? Oh c’mon! *gives you a stink eye*

Sheesh. Fine. Demanding people.

Force of Temptation brings more of Suzanne Wright awesome. A sassy heroine, a badass possessive hero, the whole gang of awesome secondary characters that I’ve grown to love, and a whole lot of sexy times!

I’ll admit, I barely registered Jesse in the previous book but boy did he have my attention here. The man was possessive, protective, and exudes so much sexual potency I honestly broke a sweat reading.

Harley Vincent is exactly the sort of heroine I love to read about; strong, independent, and with one hell of a smart mouth on her. Being the daughter of the man currently serving a murder sentence and being suspected of being the mastermind behind The Movement makes her a bit of a persona non grata with shifters. Never truly having a pack of her own, she’s been living in the human world. She’s always liked Jesse. They grew up in the same pack, but she believed that he blamed her for his druggie sister’s death like the rest of his pack did. So she left and hasn’t seen him since. But when her life is in danger, Jesse is done with watching her from afar and waiting for her to be ready. He may have lost his true mate as a young boy, but he’s not about to let the woman he loves get away.

Full of humor, sexy times, great characters and all wrapped around a fantastic story that I enjoyed from beginning to finish.


DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS SERIES!

SPIRAL OF NEED
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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