Review: Dare To Stay by Jen McLaughlin

Review-Dare to StayDARE TO STAY
Series: Sons of Steel Row #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Jen McLaughlin
Release Date: August 2, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Dare To Stay

Fans of Katie Ashley, Joanna Wylde, Kristen Ashley, Sophie Jackson and Katee Robert will be thrilled by this dark, steamy series, from the New York Times bestselling author of the Out of Line novels, where one gang of criminals knows just how being bad can be so good…

Bruised and bloodied on Boston’s mean streets, Chris O’Brien is reeling from the loss of his childhood best friend. But after barely escaping a hit placed on his head, Chris is desperate to live. A safe haven comes to mind – the home of the perfect girl from his childhood, Molly Lachlan. Before he has fully considered what it would mean to involve her in his mess, he finds himself on her doorstep.

When Molly agrees to let Chris inside her home, she realizes she’s also letting him into her life. Danger and desperation are coming off him like steam, and yet she can’t bring herself to turn him away. His bad boy charm always had a hold on her, but now there’s a soulfulness and sorrow in him that she’s never seen before. And despite the heart-stopping risk of helping him, she hopes against all reason that he’ll stay…

The stakes are dangerously high…and the passion is seriously intense. Follow the exploits of the Sons of Steel Row in Dare To Run and Dare To Stay.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR3.5 starsDare To Stay-DGR Teaser

My life didn’t need to be all murder, guns, and meaningless sex. It could’ve been more- if I’d been born into another family. Another life. But I hadn’t been.

When I saw that Chris would be the hero in the second installment of The Sons Of Steel Row series, I’ll admit to having doubts. After all the events at the end of Dare to Run, I wasn’t sure how the author would redeem him enough to make me feel for the man. After all, Chris not only betrayed his best friend, he tried to kill him and the woman he loved in order to go after a power position within The Sons. How do you come back from something like that? Will the author be able to justify his decision? Make it believable? Make the reader connect with an anti-hero like that? Well I’m happy to report that the answer to all of those is a resounding YES.

He was more monster than human. All men like him were. Deep down, beneath his acts of neighborhood friendliness and that devastatingly handsome smile…He was a killer.

Dare To Stay picks up immediately where book 1 left off, with Chris bleeding in the alley, waiting for certain death. If you haven’t read Dare To Run yet, don’t worry, you can easily jump into this book first and the author gives plenty of background to ensure you won’t be lost for even a minute.

Molly Lachlan lost her beloved father to the violence of street crime and gangs. Chris and her grow up next door to each other in the same nice neighborhood, but their upbringing couldn’t be more different. Now Chris is a deadly killer and she’s a kindergarten teacher and they may as well live worlds apart. But when Molly finds a wounded Chris, all she can think of is fixing the broken man.

While I liked this book a whole lot better than the first, there were still a few things that kept it from being a solid 4 star read for me.

I had an issue with Molly’s personality at times. After all she’s been through and the way she lost her father, her connection to Chris never quite clicked for me. He should be everything she wants to stay away from, yet she’s willing to put her life on the line from the very beginning for him. I understood their history goes back many years, but I just didn’t feel that connection between them right away. She was just too self sacrificing at times.

Chris’s never ending back and forth of ‘I want her’ but ‘I’m not good for her’ started to grate on me too. I understand that he’s not a good man, but I just didn’t need it repeated at every turn. Or at least it felt that way at times.

I knew, even after all the blood, dirt, and sweat washed away, I would still be dirty. I’d never be clean.

The story itself was gritty and sexy. There was just enough to make me connect to the characters and keep reading curious to know what happens next, yet not quite enough to make it feel like an unputdownable read.

The romance was great and I definitely liked Molly and Chris a whole lot more than Lucas and Heidi. Heidi also had a lot more self preservation than Heidi did, which was a huge issue for me in the first book. I really liked Chris and her together, and there were definitely plenty of sizzle added into the mix.

I kissed her like I was a dying man and she was my last chance at salvation. And she was.

I had a hard time with the believability factor of the ending, but I can understand that Chris couldn’t have the same options as Lucas did. What I do know for sure, is the set up for the third book sounds utterly amazing. And I can’t wait to finally get my hands on Scotty’s book.


SONS OF STEEL ROW SERIES

DARE TO RUN (book 1) 
MY REVIEW | AMAZON

DARE TO LIE (releasing February 7, 2017)
PRE-ORDER

New Release Review: Ruthless by @authorlexiblake

Review-RuthlessRUTHLESS
Series: Lawless #1
Genre: Contemporary Suspence
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: August 9. 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Ruthless_CVF

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

The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence…

Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without..

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR4.5 starsRuthless-DGR Teaser

You tempt me like no other woman ever has. I don’t understand you and I might never, but I’m going to know you, Ellie Stratton. I’m going to know what makes you smile and what makes you scream out my name.”

I don’t know how this woman does it, but she manages to write books that do it for me. Every. Single. Time. Being a huge fan of her Masters & Mercenaries series, I’ve been salivating for more of the mysterious Lawless siblings ever since we first met Mia and Drew in From Sanctum with Love. I mean, c’mon, a mysterious, brooding billionaire software genius and his 3 siblings that are hell bent on exacting revenge on the people they believe responsible for their parents murder twenty years ago? Yes, please, and thank you!

Ruthless is the first book in the sexy and intriguing series. For those that haven’t read Blake’s Masters & Mercenaries series, don’t worry, you won’t be lost. But for those that have read Mia’s book, Dominance Never Dies, you’ll certainly appreciate the cameos here. I know I sure did. But I digress.

So what does this book have? EVERYTHING.

Revenge plot? Check!
Epic grovel? Check!
Lots of sexy times? Check!
Well developed characters and plot? Check and check!
Suspense? Check!
Perfect Saturday night read? You bet your tuhis!

Riley is the middle brother. He barely remembers the night that took their parents, but he knows that his father didn’t kill himself. Ever since that night, everything they’ve done has been a systematic step closer to their revenge. Now they have their sights set on the StratCast and the CEO, Phillip Stratton and his partner, who may be two of the three people they suspect to be behind their parents’ murder. Unfortunately, Phillip Stratton is now dead, and his daughter is now running the company. Hiring Riley as the company attorney to oversee the corporate buy out from her father’s partner seemed like a great idea to Ellie. But what she doesn’t know, is his interest runs much deeper than a mere paycheck.

It might be wrong. It might be completely unprofessional, but she was going to have him. She was going to sink herself into an affair with him and not worry about the consequences. For once in her life, she was going to do something wild, something for herself.

I loved absolutely everything about this book; the pacing, the character development, and it certainly wasn’t without plenty of unpredictable twists to spice things up. In true Lexi Blake fashion, there was plenty of intrigue and suspense thrown in to perfectly balance the story.

Ellie starts off as a bit of a wallflower, but man, she really comes into her own towards the second part of the book. While their romance feels instant, it is established through weeks of working together. Ellie definitely doesn’t give into the brewing sexual chemistry between them with ease. She thinks things through and I really appreciated that. I also absolutely loved Riley. He’s not quite as singleminded in his revenge plan as his older brother. He knows a good thing when he has it and he knows he wants Ellie for much more than a carefully constructed revenge plan.

This book also had one of the most delicious grovels I’ve read in a really long time. I’m talking SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS levels here. Like half the book sort of delicious!

But it was also so much more than just a romance. All of the secondary characters are carefully plotted and perfectly developed. Everything and I’m talking everything is effortlessly fleshed out. Even the villains of the story are incredibly well developed, which only hooks you that much more. I loved getting glimpses of Bran and Drew and I seriously can’t wait for their books.

Ruthless was everything I could want in a story. It was filled with intrigue and suspense, and enough sizzle to set your kindle on fire. I’m utterly hooked and I can’t wait for more of these Lawless siblings. With the little peek we get of Bran’s story here, I already know it will be just as good as Riley’s, if not better. This author can do absolutely no wrong in my mind. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, you’re seriously missing out, and Ruthless will be the perfect book to start with!


PRE-ORDER SATISFACTION
Book 2 in the Lawless series and Bran’s story
Releasing January 3, 201751+ycqvKqDL

Cover Reveal: Every Little Thing by Samantha Young

9781101991695EVERY LITTLE THING
Series: Hart’s Boardwalk #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young

 

I’m so excited to be part of the cover reveal for EVERY LITTLE THING by New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Young! The second book in the new Hart’s Boardwalk series returns to the picturesque Delaware beachside town for another heartfelt and sexy story…

SynopsisHartwell, Delaware—the perfect place to get away from it all, and find what you never knew you needed…
 
Bailey Hartwell has many reasons to feel content—her successful business, a close circle of friends, and her steady boyfriend…even if their romance feels staid after ten years without a serious commitment. The only challenge in her life comes in the form of sexy businessman Vaughn Tremaine. She thinks the ex-New Yorker acts superior and that he considers her a small-town nobody. But when Bailey’s blindsided by a betrayal, she’s shocked to discover Vaughn is actually a decent guy.

Vaughn admires Bailey’s free spirit, independence, and loyalty. As his passion for her has grown, his antagonism toward her has only worsened. Every little thing Bailey does seduces him. But when Vaughn’s painful emotional past makes him walk away in fear he will hurt her, it opens an old wound in Bailey, and she uncharacteristically retreats.

Once Vaughn begins to realize he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he has no choice but to fight like he’s never fought before to convince Bailey that the love they’ve found together only comes around once in a lifetime.


We can’t wait for Bailey and Vaughn’s story! But in the meantime, we’re looking forward to the first book, The One Real Thing, that goes on sale September 6th! Pre-order the first book in the Hart’s Boardwalk series today!


9781101991671

Welcome to Hartwell, a quiet seaside escape where uncovering old secrets could lead one woman to discover the meaning of a love that lasts…

While Doctor Jessica Huntington engages with the inmates at the women’s correctional facility where she works, she’s always careful to avoid emotional attachments in her personal life. Loss and betrayal taught her that lesson long ago. But when she comes across a set of old love letters in the prison’s library and visits the picturesque town of Hartwell to deliver them to their intended recipient, she finds herself unable to resist the town’s charm—and her attraction to the sexy owner of a local bar proves equally hard to deny.

Since his divorce from his unfaithful ex-wife, Cooper Lawson has focused on what really matters: his family and the boardwalk pub they’ve owned for generations. But the first time Jessica steps into his bar, Cooper is beyond tempted to risk his heart on her.

Yet as their attraction grows hotter and Jessica remains stubbornly closed off, he begins to realize it will take more than just passion to convince her there’s only one real thing in life worth fighting for…

Buy LinksAmazon  | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | BAM | Kobo

About the AuthorSamantha Young is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series, including Moonlight on Nightingale WayEchoes of Scotland Street, and Fall from India Place, as well as the standalone novel Hero. She resides in Scotland.

Website | Facebook | Twitter |Instagram

New & Upcoming Releases: Aug 8-9

New Releases-DGR

Ready for another epic release week? Check out all the amazing new books coming your way today and tomorrow!


AUGUST 8 RELEASES


QUANTUM by Jess Anastasi 

Quantum

Someone wants Captain Admiral Zander Graydon dead. Like yesterday. Zander’s convinced his attractive assistant knows more than she’s willing to say, and if he can stop running long enough, he’ll find out exactly what she’s hiding. Lieutenant Marshal Mae Petros is determined to keep her CO safe. Before she tips her hand, however, Mae has to figure out if the alluring man she’s protecting is the real Captain Admiral Graydon. Or an alien shape-shifting imposter.

On the run and no one to trust…not even each other.

Captain Admiral Zander Graydon has seen a lot of action, but almost getting killed three times in one day is pushing it. Only the company of his new assistant, Lieutenant Marshal Mae Petros, makes things a little easier to swallow. Except the delectable Lieutenant Marshal Petros is hiding a number of secrets, and her presence might have something to do with the continued attempts on his life.

It’s no accident Lieutenant Marshal Mae Petros finds herself in the firing line alongside the charming but very off-limits Captain Admiral Graydon. She’s taken the job as the admiral’s assistant to determine if a shape-shifting alien has killed the CO and assumed his form. Whether the admiral is human or not, Mae finds herself getting way too close to him as they run for their lives.

Military to the core, Mae and Zander will have to overcome their suspicions of each other to work together, when they realize the fate of the entire universe is at stake.

The Atrophy series is best enjoyed in order.

Reading Order:

Book #1 Atrophy
Book #2 Quantum


RANDOM ACTS OF MARRIAGE by Boone Brux

Random Acts of Marriage

Kinni Corbet is the perfect bridesmaid. She’s efficient and has a to-do list for every occasion. When the bride-to-be adds “relax and have some fun” to Kinni’s schedule, Price Lyons seems to tick all the right boxes. He’s guaranteed fun, and it’s only for one week—what can it hurt?

Playboy hotel owner Price Lyons has wanted to break down Kinni’s walls for years. Her plan to relax for a whole week is the perfect opportunity to get to the one person he’s never been able to charm. And this time, she seems…receptive to his advances. Unexpected, but he’ll take it.

There’s just one problem. Kinni’s allergic to spontaneity, and the only thing predictable about Price is his unpredictably. There’s no way they’ll last beyond the week, and Kinni’s going to make sure of it…

Each book in the Wedding Favors series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.

Series Order:

Book #1 Bridesmaid Blues
Book #2 Random Acts of Marriage


SUMMER GIRL by A.S. Green

Summer Girl

A songwriter is nothing without his muse. Sucks that mine turns out to be Katherine D’Arcy––hot as hell, but the very definition of country-club living and everything I came to this quiet little island to escape. Still…I can’t complain about the beauty tumbling out of my guitar. It’s not long before I can barely keep up––not with the music, not with her body, and definitely not with her heart. There’s an unexpected bravery and fire hiding behind the rigidity of her day-planner, and I’ll be damned if she keeps it hidden. She makes me hope for a future I never thought possible. A future for us. Together.

If only there wasn’t that one inconvenient truth, that one minor chord, clashing dissonant and inharmonious between us. For now she can’t hear it, and I’m grateful for that. I wish I could hide the truth from her forever. Or at least, a little while longer… But it’s time for her true beauty to shine through, even if it means she chooses to leave me behind.


SAVING HER ANGEL by Missy Jane

Saving Her Angel

Eleanor has loved her boss Cam from afar for years, but now he wants to retire and send her away. Tearing her heart out would have been kinder.

Archangel Camael must never fall for a woman. If he does, he’ll lose his angelic powers, and he will age like a human. Protecting humans from evil is paramount and has meant periodically reinventing his identity to avoid rousing suspicion. But as his desire grows for his secretary, Eleanor, duty feels more like a burden, because he can’t imagine starting a new life without her.

He can never fall in love.

A force of evil is wreaking havoc and Cam and his Archangel brothers scramble to determine and thwart the cause. The key lies in Eleanor’s tormenting memories, but if they push her too hard, she might snap. Cam must walk the delicate line between protecting Eleanor, appeasing his brothers, and saving the world.

Each book in the Archangels series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.

Series Order:
Book #1 Trusting an Angel
Book #2 Desiring A Demon
Book #3 Saving Her Angel


BLIND SPOT by Katana Collins

Blind Spot

I’m used to going for the easy things in life.
The easy A in school.
The easy lay in bed. The easy life my trust fund affords me.
Until I met Shelby.
Never in my life have I found retro T-shirts and ChapStick so damn sexy.
She’s exactly what I never knew I wanted.
And she’s anything but easy.
But suddenly, easy is overrated.

Only one damn problem… For Shelby, hating me is easy.

For the first time in my life, I have to work for something. And though she may not be easy…she’ll be worth it.


AUGUST 9 RELEASES


LAWS OF ATTRACTION by R.C. Boldt

Laws of Attraction

RC Boldt’s fourth book in the Teach Me series shows us that sometimes the perfect person for you is the one you least expected it to be …

Langley Ford is the definition of serious. Going through life as a pararescue jumper, working solely around men, she’s had to go above and beyond to prove she’s their equal. In fact, she can’t recall the last time she allowed herself to truly relax or let her guard down.

Always the one others rely on to crack jokes, the one to liven things up, Lawson Briggs is a fun, easygoing guy who doesn’t take life too seriously. But witnessing so many of his friends falling in love, he begins to wonder what the fuss is about. Will he ever fall prey to that infamous “love bug”?

Langley is now out of the military and working at a security consulting firm. When she meets the tall, bearded teacher who has endless wisecracks and comments, a part of her wishes she could be like him, wishes she could remember how.

While Lawson might be the best person to teach her how to live life to the fullest, will Langley be the one who teaches him all about love?


BURN DOWN THE NIGHT by M. O’Keefe

Burn Down The Night

The only thing that matters to me is rescuing my sister from the drug-cooking cult that once enslaved us both. I’ve run cons my whole life, and I’ll use my body to get whatever I need. Max Daniels is the last connection I have to that world, the one person reckless enough to get involved. Besides, now that his brothers have turned on him, he needs me too.

The deal was supposed to be simple: a place to hide in exchange for rescuing my sister. Now he’s my prisoner. Totally at my mercy. But I’m the one captivated. Enthralled. Doing everything he asks of me until I’m not sure who’s in control.

We both crave the heat. The more it hurts, the better. But what if Max wants a different life now, to leave the game . . . to love me? I thought I knew better than to get burned. Now I’m in too deep to pull away. And the crazy thing is . . . I don’t want to.


THE MATCHMAKER’S REPLACEMENT by Rachel Van Dyken

The Matchmaker's Replacement

Wingman rule number two: never reveal how much you want them.

Lex hates Gabi. Gabi hates Lex. But, hey, at least the hate is mutual, right? All Lex has to do is survive the next few weeks training Gabi in all the ways of Wingmen Inc. and then he can be done with her. But now that they have to work together, the sexual tension and fighting is off the charts. He isn’t sure if he wants to strangle her or throw her against the nearest sturdy table and have his way with her.

But Gabi has a secret, something she’s keeping from not just her best friend but her nemesis too. Lines are blurred as Lex becomes less the villain she’s always painted him to be…and starts turning into something more. Gabi has always hated the way she’s been just a little bit attracted to him—no computer-science major should have that nice of a body or look that good in glasses—but “Lex Luthor” is an evil womanizer. He’s dangerous. Gabi should stay far, far away.

Then again, she’s always wanted a little danger.


SWEAR ON THIS LIFE by Renee Carlino

Swear on this life

From USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino (Before We Were Strangers), a warm and witty novel about a struggling writer who must come to grips with her past, present, and future after she discovers that she’s the inspiration for a pseudonymously published bestselling novel.

When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J. Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?


RUTHLESS by Lexi Blake

Ruthless

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

The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence…

Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without…


TAILORED FOR TROUBLE by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Tailored for Trouble

A sassy, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com between the hottest man never to be tamed and the woman crazy enough to try
 
SHE WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

Taylor Reed is no stranger to selfish, uncaring CEOs. She was fired by one, which is why she has created her own executive training program—helping heartless bosses become more human. So Taylor shocks even herself when she agrees to coach Bennett Wade, the cutthroat exec who got her unceremoniously canned. She’d love to slam the door in his annoying but very handsome face, but the customers aren’t exactly lining up at her door. Plus, this extreme makeover will give Taylor the golden opportunity to prove that her program works like a charm.

HE WANTS TO BUY IT.

Bennett Wade is many things—arrogant, smug, brusque—but trusting isn’t one of them. Women just seem to be after his billions. So when he hires Taylor Reed, he has no desire to change. Bennett is trying to win over the feminist owner of a company he desperately wants to buy, but something about the fiery Taylor thaws the ice around his heart, making Bennett feel things he never quite planned on. And if there’s one thing Bennett can’t stand, it’s when things don’t go according to plan.

They are a match tailor-made for trouble.


HARD RULES by Lisa Renee Jones

Hard Rules
Wall Street meets the Sons of Anarchy in Hard Rules, the smoldering, scorching first novel in the explosively sexy new Dirty Money series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.
How bad do you want it? 

The only man within the Brandon empire with a moral compass, Shane Brandon is ready to take his family’s business dealings legitimate. His reckless and ruthless brother, Derek wants to keep Brandon Enterprises cemented in lies, deceit, and corruption. But the harder Shane fights to pull the company back into the light, the darker he has to become. Then he meets Emily Stevens, a woman who not only stirs a voracious sexual need in him, but becomes the only thing anchoring him between good and evil.

Emily is consumed by Shane, pushed sexually in ways she never dreamed of, falling deeper into the all-encompassing passion that is this man. She trusts him. He trusts her, but therein lies the danger. Emily has a secret, the very thing that brought her to him in the first place, and that secret that could that destroy them both.


REAPER’S FIRE by Joanna Wylde

Reaper's Fire
New York Times bestselling author Joanna Wylde returns to the “wild and raw”* world of the Reapers MC with the story of Gage and Tinker…
 
The club comes first.

I’ve lived by those words my whole life—assumed I’d die by them, too, and I never had a problem with that. My Reaper brothers took my back and I took theirs and it was enough. Then I met her. Tinker Garrett. She’s beautiful, she’s loyal, and she works so damned hard it scares me sometimes . . . She deserves a good man—one better than me. I can’t take her yet because the club still needs me. There’s another woman, another job, another fight just ahead.

Now she’ll learn I’ve been lying to her all along. None of it’s real. Not my name, not my job, not even the clothes I wear. She thinks I’m nice. She pretends we’re just friends, that I’ve still got a soul . . . Mine’s been dead for years. Now I’m on fire for this woman, and a man can only burn for so long before he destroys everything around him.

I’m coming for you, Tinker.

Soon.

Jennifer’s Review: Wicked Mafia Prince by Annika Martin

Wicked Mafia-ReviewWicked Mafia Prince
Series: A Dangerous Royals Romance #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Annika Martin
Release Date: July 26, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

WickedMafiaPrince-1600x2400

The most violent Dragusha brother…in a standalone romance HEA!

You were the love of my life.
Beautiful and radiant.
Then you betrayed our mafiya family—the only family we ever knew.
Grief-stricken, I did the honor killing.
Quick and vicious.
Your heart no longer beating. Mine ripped to shreds.
When I discovered you were innocent, I was destroyed.

Now, years later—somehow, impossibly—there you are, alive.
The nun who prays and never shows her face.
Trapped on the other side of a webcam.
How can it be?
They think I’m obsessed. Imagining ghosts.
But I’ll always know you.
I’ll always know my Tanechka.

Buy LinksAMAZON | GOOGLE | iBOOKS | KOBO


Review-DGR3 starsWhat I liked:

1. Viktor – I really enjoyed him in the previous book and this book as well. I love how he is with Tanechka, and his loyalty to his family.
2. The brothers – I am ALL over books that have brothers. I have probably have latent fantasies of getting caught in between all of them at the same time. 🙂
3. Mafia – I have a wet spot for all things Mafia.

What gave me pause:

1. Tanechka – The turn of events for her character just wasn’t my thing. This is a personal preference issue. I think I would have enjoyed her character more if the turn of events had not happened to her (sorry for being so vague. I’m trying not to spoil.
2. The lack of sexy times. I’m a dirty bird, and I just need more, even if it was just a tease of more sexy times.
3. Overall, I thought the story was a little slow for me. Even as I was reading, I was hoping for MORE FEELS. And I think there was potential for more feels, but I just didn’t get to that place. I constantly felt that there was something missing or something that wasn’t happening for me.

I am probably in the minority for my opinions. I truly believe most people will love this book.

My Viktor:

Hopper Kincaid - Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley:

My Tanechka:

 :


Start the series with Dark Mafia Prince 

DarkMafiaPrince-hiresAMAZON | iBOOKS | REVIEW

Pre-Order Wicked Mafia Prince NOW
releasing on October 11, 2016

SAVAGEMafiaPrince-blankcoverAMAZON

 

Jennifer’s Review: Stormswept by @SabrinaJeffries

Stormswept-reviewSTORMSWEPT
Series: Wales #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Release Date: June 28, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

stormswept

New York Times bestseller Sabrina Jeffries reignites a daring love affair in this intriguing tale of desire and deception—originally written as Deborah Martin and newly revised for today’s audience.

The first wedding night that Lady Juliana St. Albans spent with the dark and daring Rhys Vaughan was intoxicating, the heady culmination of her new husband’s driving hunger and her own awakened sensuality. When he mysteriously disappeared the next morning, she waited for him in hope and desperation. And when he was finally proclaimed dead in a shipwreck, she bitterly mourned the loss of her love.

The second wedding night that Juliana spent with Rhys Vaughan was six years later, after he returned to claim her just as she was about to wed another. This Rhys was different—bolder, harder, and convinced that she’d betrayed him. Only their blazing passion remains from their years apart. But is it enough to light their way through the maze of mystery, menace, and mistrust—to the love they once shared and would have to find again?

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR4.5 stars

…how did one comfort a wounded beast who bit anyone who ventured near?

My Rhys:

Daniel Ditomasso Witches of East End What is this show?? Why don't I know about him?!:

My Juliana:

♡ DanaMichele #coupon code nicesup123 gets 25% off at www.Provestra.com and www.Skinception.com:

Part 1:

This book is in 2 parts. The first part is ALL THE SWOONS. It is the beginning of the relationship between Rhys and Juliana. It is a little bit of a romeo-and-juliet story. Juliana is the daughter of a nobleman, the man who stole Rhys’s birthright and home. Rhys and Juliana both share a love of all things Welsh, determined to keep the language and culture alive. I really enjoyed the Welsh poetry in this book.

Rhys and Juliana fall in love, but they cannot be together, so they run away to marry in secret. Juliana’s brother (I want to slaughter him!) lies to both Juliana and Rhys to pull them apart and sends Rhys away to the military. He is forever changed.
à la Mode St. » fashion

”I’ve heard life of a man-of-war is horrible.”

“Aye,” he clipped out. “And after a while you start to hate anyone and anything that put you there.”

Her anger had dimmed, but the hurt burned even brighter. “Even your ‘true love’?”

He closed his eyes against the accusation in her voice. “Especially your true love, if you think she betrayed you.”

à la Mode St. » fashionPart 2:
The 2nd part of this book is 6 years later, when Rhys comes back to regain his birthright, home, and wife. His experience in the military was not a good one at all, so he is hardened on the inside an out. I loved this darker side of him. He is determined to punish Juliana for “lying” to him, but there is a constant struggle inside himself to believe her and love her.
à la Mode St. » fashion

”But the truth is, I simply refuse to give you the pleasure of being free of me.”

To his surprise, she met his gaze boldly. “That works both ways, dear husband. I may not be free, but neither are you.”
……
He stared into her flashing eyes, wondering if she’d always been this stubborn. Or this achingly beautiful.

“Then it’s hell we’ll be headed for, Juliana. Because this time you won’t escape our marriage.”

à la Mode St. » fashionThe ANGST in this book! DELICIOUS! I am usually not a fan of all the angst. I don’t mind emotional books, but I prefer humor in the midst of all the emotion. This book had me sinking in all the FEELS.

This book is a constant struggle of trust. Rhys continuously struggles to trust Juliana from the beginning all the way to the end, and it is heart-breaking. I felt so much from Juliana as she tries to get her husband to trust her over and over again. Juliana has a spine of steel and the biggest heart for her true love.

I loved the supporting characters in this book too. They was an additional love story that makes the book all the more sweeter and perfect.

Teaser Excerpt & Giveaway: Furious Rush by S.C. Stephens

Furious Rush Teaser BannerFURIOUS RUSH
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: S.C. Stephens
On Sale: August 23, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Format: Trade Paperback & eBook
Price: $12.99 USD (TP) / $4.99 USD (eBook)add-to-goodreads-button-2

Stephens_FuriousRush_TR

The first in an emotion-fueled, New Adult series from the #1 bestselling author of the Thoughtless novels!

Too fast, too furious—and way too hot to handle…

Mackenzie Cox has a lot to prove. Daughter of a racing legend, she is eager to show the world that she has inherited her father’s talent in the male-dominated sport of professional motorcycle racing. The last thing Kenzie needs is to be antagonized by her rival team’s newest rider, Hayden Hayes. Plucked from the world of illegal street racing, Hayden immediately gets under Kenzie’s skin. His insinuations that Kenzie is a spoiled princess who was handed her career fuels her desire to win, and much to her surprise, Kenzie soon learns she performs better when she’s racing against Hayden.

As Kenzie and Hayden push each other on the track, the electric energy between them off the track shifts into an intense—and strictly forbidden—attraction. The only rule between their two ultra-competitive teams is zero contact. Kenzie always does her best to play by the rules, but when her team slips into a financial crisis, she has no choice but to turn to Hayden for help. The tension simmers during their secret, late-night rendezvous, but Kenzie has too much to lose to give in to her desires. Especially when she begins to doubt that Hayden has completely left his street life behind…

 

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Furious-Rush-Quote-Graphic-#-1-2

Excerpt

Honda Boy was holding his helmet under an arm while he flirted with the girls surrounding him. He was blond, with a short, shaggy hairstyle that probably took a lot more effort to create than it looked like. I could tell from the way the girls around him were tittering like teenagers that he was charming; with seemingly little effort on his part, he had all of them eating out of his hand. When a break in the crowd gave me a clear view of his face, I realized another thing: He was smokin’, someone-hold-on-to-my-ovaries- before-they-explode hot.There was a perfect symmetry to his rugged features that made it seem unreal that he was standing just a few feet away from me. He should be plastered on a billboard somewhere, half-naked, selling overpriced cologne to men who wanted just a fraction of his sex appeal. As if he could feel my eyes on him, he turned his gaze my way. Our eyes met and locked, and I was helpless to turn away. There was something carnal about him, primal and dangerous. Exotic. I was instantly captivated, and I hated that I was. This guy was neck-deep in a world that twisted my stomach, a world that spat in the face of my sport. My career.

As his light-colored eyes bored holes into mine, one edge of his lip curved up in a devilish crooked grin that was both playful and promising. He was practically shouting, with just that one deadly smile, that he would satisfy my every desire, satiate every craving I could possibly have. My heart started thudding in my chest as sensations that had been dormant for far too long swirled to life in- side me. Luckily for me, the big man taking the guy’s bets clapped him on the shoulder, breaking our stare down. Once I was free of his steamy gaze, I instantly turned around so my back was to him. Jesus, was I breathing harder? Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. I was twenty-two, not twelve.

“Damn,” I heard Nikki say. “You were right. I should have bet on him from the get-go. I didn’t really get a good look at him before, but he is freaking hot!”

Inhaling a deep breath, I attempted to force my body back in line with my brain. “This guy is undefeated?” I asked Nikki. “Really?” She nodded in answer and I had to close my eyes for a second. A face like that with racing skills to boot? Jesus.

Clearing my throat, I nonchalantly asked, “What did you say his name was again?” I could at least label the guy in the fantasy I was surely going to have later.

“Hayden… something. He’s been around for a while, from what I gathered.”

I risked a glance over my shoulder at… Hayden. He’d slipped his helmet on, thankfully, although his visor was popped up. The big guy taking bets had been joined by a skinny Hispanic guy who seemed to be giving Hayden instructions. Or maybe a pep talk. The little guy was acting out the race that was about to happen with his hands, complete with swerving and explosions. God, I hoped there weren’t going to be explosions. While he was going through his dramatic highlights, the big guy looped a camera over Hayden’s helmet.

When the two competitors were ready, they backed their motor- cycles onto the street. A cheer ripped up and down the sidewalk as the hopeful gamblers prepared for another round of racing. I didn’t want to feel anything but contempt for what I was witnessing, yet the energy of the spectators, the roar of the bikes—I couldn’t help the zing of excitement that raced up my spine. Against my will, my mouth twisted into a wide grin, and a yell of encouragement left my lips. Hayden’s helmet swiveled my way as he revved his engine. My pulse quickened as our eyes met. Then he winked at me and slammed his visor shut.

As the riders moved into position, Nikki grabbed my arm. “Come on. We can watch the action from the van.”

I had no idea what she was talking about. Before I could ask her, though, she yanked me toward a black van parked on the sidewalk. The back doors were open, and a giant monitor attached to a swinging metal arm was sticking out above the hovering crowd. The screen was split in two, each half showing the footage from one racer’s helmet cam. Hayden and his opponent were both looking straight ahead, and the dual feeds showed similar stretches of barren road. Looking down the street, I saw that the pair were stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change.

Returning my eyes to the monitor, I found myself holding my breath as I waited for the signal to change colors. When it turned green and the bikes surged forward, I stepped closer to the van, like that would somehow release my pent-up energy. In unison, the crowd around me started hooting and hollering. Swept up in the moment, I bounced on my toes and prayed for speed. But after watching the screen for just a few seconds, I was struck with the harsh reality of the situation I was watching. This was no closed-off track with well-defined paths. This was down and dirty, anything goes, just get to the finish line first racing.

The bikes blew through red lights like they meant absolutely nothing. The streets were fairly empty at this early hour, but they blurred past the few vehicles on the road like they were standing still; they had to be going 100 miles per hour, easy. They dodged obstacles by hopping onto the sidewalk, they fishtailed around slick corners, and they came close to colliding with oncoming traffic more than once.

I turned to Nikki with shock clear on my face. “This is insane! Someone’s going to get hurt. Maybe killed!”

Nikki’s face was pure elation as she watched the screens. Her expression changed as my words sunk in, then she looked at me like I had a foot sticking out of my head. I supposed it was odd to hear that type of statement coming from someone who routinely hovered around the 150 mark on the speedometer while riding, but that was a completely different kind of environment. Believe it or not, what I did was safe, relatively speaking. Millions of dollars were spent to make it that way. This was not safe. At all.

“They’re breaking every traffic law there is,” I added, feeling like a giant stick in the mud. Someone needed to be the voice of reason here, though, because everyone was clearly out of their ever loving minds.

Nikki smirked at my comment. “It’s a race, Kenzie. They can’t exactly drive cautiously. Why do you think this happens so late at night?”

“Because it’s illegal,” I deadpanned. I got a couple of odd looks from the crowd after saying that, including a particularly nasty glare from Hayden’s bet collector. Maybe this wasn’t the best place to be talking about the law. Shutting my mouth, I quickly refocused on the screen.

Just as I noticed a familiar section of street come into view on the monitor, one side of the screen started wobbling, then the camera showed asphalt, sparks, spinning scenery, and a rapidly approaching telephone pole. The crowd around me hushed as it became clear that Hayden’s competition wasn’t going to finish this race. I heard Hayden’s bike rounding the corner seconds later, then Nikki was once again pulling me along like a rag doll. She shoved us into a good position to see the finish line right as Hayden’s Honda whizzed past. He was alone. Cheers erupted mixed with a few groans from the people who’d bet on the other guy.

Just as I was wondering if anyone was going to go check on the Ninja rider, Nikki grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me with uncontainable joy. “We won, Kenzie! We frickin’ won!”

“Great,” I said, clenching my teeth so I wouldn’t bite my tongue.

Releasing me, Nikki let out a squeal of excitement. “I just made enough money to pay you back and cover my loss. See, aren’t you glad you came?”

I narrowed my eyes into poisonous daggers that would hopefully drill some sense into her. “I hate you,” I murmured. Nikki held a hand over her heart. “I know by hate you mean love, and I love you too, Kenzie. Now let’s collect my winnings and go home so you can rest up. Big year this year!”

I opened my mouth to scold her with some biting remark about how I’d wanted to leave ages ago, but she turned on her heel and left me there, gaping. Just as I was forcing the muscles in my jaw to relax enough to contract, Hayden pulled up next to where I was standing on the sidewalk. It felt like the world suddenly shifted into slow motion as I turned my head to look at him.

He was still hunched over his bike, hands on the grip and throttle; the only indication that he was looking at me was the direction of his dark helmet. Then, like some freaking Prince Charming in a fairy tale, he slowly removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm. I swear the air around me condensed as his tilted smile came into view. Jesus Christ, this guy was sex on a stick.

Reaching up, he roughly ran a hand through his sweaty dirty- blond hair. The short, sexy shag he’d had going on earlier was destroyed from the helmet, but somehow after just a few scruffs of his hand, the carefree style was back to utter perfection. I kind of wanted to mess it up again, run my hands through the strands, grab a handful and clench it tight while I outlined those incredibly kissable lips with my tongue.

Whoa. No. I didn’t want that.

His penetrating gaze studied my face for a moment. There was something there in his eyes that I couldn’t quite grasp. Interest, sure, but almost… sadness too. Then he smiled, and the look vanished so fast, I was sure I’d imagined it. “Haven’t seen you here before,” he said, his voice low and easy, like he hadn’t just risked his life. “I hope you bet on me. It would be a shame to see someone as beautiful as you… lose.”

His grin turned suggestive, and warning signs started flashing in front of my eyes. Danger! Do not proceed! Rocky road ahead! Turn back now! The warnings flared even brighter when he stood from his motorcycle and began approaching me.

When he was directly in front of me, so close that I could smell the subtle spicy aroma of his cologne, my heart was hammering so hard, I was positive he could hear it, positive he could see my T-shirt lifting and releasing like a frantic hummingbird was hiding under the fabric. What the hell was he doing to me? Was I nervous or excited? Because the sensation was so similar to both, I honestly couldn’t tell.

Extending a hand, he smoothly said, “Name’s Hayden. Hayden Hayes.” I was just about to lift my hand and touch him—my fingers even twitched in response—when he added, “And what should I call you, sweetheart?”

Sweetheart? With those two simple syllables he had just dumped a bucket of ice water over my head and killed any fantasy I might have had about him. I lived, worked, and breathed in a world where men looked at me like I was a second-class citizen. To prove my worth, I had to work harder, longer, and with everything I had inside me, all the fucking time. I felt like he’d just tried to take all of that hard work away from me with that one demeaning word.

“Leaving,” I said, walking away.

About the AuthorS.C. Stephens CREDIT Tara Ellis Photography

S.C. Stephens is a #1 bestselling author who spends her every free moment creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance. In addition to writing, she enjoys spending lazy afternoons in the sun reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her friends and family. She and her two children reside in the Pacific Northwest.

 

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Review: Bound To The Bounty Hunter by Hayson Manning

Review-Bound To The Bounty HunterBOUND TO THE BOUNTY HUNTER
Series: Bound #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Hayson Manning
Release Date: July 18, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Bound_to_the_Bounty_Hunter-Cover-Hayson-Manning

Harlan Franco, Colorado’s busiest bounty hunter, and security expert, lives by his rules: be in control, be detached, and never touch the asset. These rules are tested when the asset he’s being paid to secretly guard is none other than his rival, sexy, unpredictable, pain in the butt, Sophie Callaghan––a woman determined to stay away from him. If she finds out he’s in her life on an assignment, he’ll never get the info he needs. But those lips, those curves, that attitude, he bets he’ll have her for one night where she’ll play by his rules.

He didn’t expect his heart to have an opinion.

Freedom loving private investigator Sophie Callaghan is on a mission. The daughter of a con-artist is not going to be used by a man again. What she doesn’t need is hot, broody and controlling Harlan barging into her life and digging into her past. Her brain may say no, but her body craves this bad boy. After a night where both live their darkest desires, Sophie must fight their explosive chemistry because one wrong move could destroy her. She bets he has to stay far, far away.

As the stakes ramp up and secrets explode around them, both are determined to win the bet.

But there can only ever be one winner.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR3.5 starsBound To The Bounty Hunter-DGR teaser

Number one rule of being on a guard and intel job:
Be detached.
Rule number two:
Be professional at all times.
Rule number three:
Don’t fuck the asset.

Well hot damn! Looks like I got myself a brand new series to stalk! Bound To The Bounty Hunter had a little bit of everything; broody and tortured hero, kick-ass sassy heroine, a little suspense and a whole lot of sexy!

I first fell in love with Hayson’s writing when I read Winning the Boss’s Heart a few years ago. I simply adored that book and I kept waiting (pretty impatiently) for this amazingly talented author to write another book. When I saw she’s coming out with this series, I was sold. When I saw the cover for it? I was drooling. But that’s neither here nor there.

So why is Sophie Callaghan sitting in a dark lit club watching a stranger have kinky sex with two blondes while thinking how to properly bug his table? She has a damn good reason. The daughter of a con man that left her with a lot of debts and even more guilt, Sophie is determined to write all of her father’s wrongs. But first she needs to figure out why the name of an infamous criminal was in the notebook her father left behind. The last person she needs to run into while on her stakeout is the ridiculously sexy bounty hunter that enrages her almost as much as he turns her on. Their brief history doesn’t help matter any either…

Harlan Franco is a successful bounty hunter. But what Sophie doesn’t know, is she’s his newest assignment. Sparks fly when these two go head to head!

I have to say I was super intrigued by the mystery and suspense at play here. I loved the chemistry between Harlan and Sophie and I loved all of the fun secondary characters that were introduced…especially the men Harlan works with (yum!)

Sophie is a tough chick, even if at times she’s too stubborn for her own good. At least she can back it up with her skills and take care of herself when she runs from Harlan determined to solve her own problems. Harlan is a broody, domineering, dirty talker. So basically exactly as I prefer my heroes.

This was a lot different from the other books I’ve read by Hayson. It’s a whole lot sexier and a little bit edgier. She’s definitely heading into some unchartered waters with this series and I can’t wait where it all leads. Admittedly, I got the sense that the author was a bit out of comfort zone while writing some of the sex scenes because they didn’t have a flow to them. Some of the encounters weren’t exactly awkward, but they felt rushed and almost stunted at times.

That being said, I still enjoyed the book immensely. And with the preview at the end of the mysterious character that will be getting his book next? NEED IT. While it may not have been the perfect 5 star read I was hoping for, it was a wholly satisfying one. It was exactly enough to hook me on the series and guarantee that I’ll be reading all the future books to come. I have a feeling once this author really comes into her own with this series, it’ll just get better and better! And I for one, can’t wait!

Review: Retribution by Natasha Knight

Review-RetributionRETRIBUTION
Genre: Dark, Romantic Suspense
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: January 8, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

retribution2-ebook-2

Adam

Payback’s a bitch — or it would be for Elle.

Fifteen years ago, my sister was kidnapped. For months, she’d endured hell. Somehow, she’d survived it. Someway, she’d escaped her captors. But it hadn’t mattered. In fact, it had been like losing her twice, because six weeks after she came home, she was dead, and the man responsible was alive and well, oblivious to her fate, ignorant to what he had coming.

Fifteen years I’d been waiting for this moment, all that time, planning, preparing, readying to put things into motion. To finally make the SOB pay for what he’d done.

Killing him was too easy. Too quick. No. There was a much better way to exact revenge.

Take what he loved best.

Break it.

Break her.

I just didn’t realize that in the process of destroying the girl, I’d destroy myself.

Elle

“I only want your pain.”

I hadn’t understood what those words meant, not really. Not until he made me understand.

I noticed Adam the very first day he moved into my building. He was a badass on a bike in a thousand-dollar suit. When he looked at me, it was with a hunger just this side of obscene.

Our meetings were strange, accidental. Too coincidental. There was something about Adam. Something I couldn’t put my finger on.

Something I couldn’t resist.

He told me I didn’t know him. He warned me to run as far from him as I could. He was moody. Dark. I’d found it romantic. I didn’t know, and I wouldn’t realize until it was too late that he’d meant for me to heed his warnings. That some part of him had hoped I would run, that I would escape him.

For too many years, vengeance had fueled him. It had taught him hate. The object of that hate? My father. And me? I was the means to my father’s end. Adam would destroy my father by destroying me.

I accused him of being a monster, of being no different than those who took his sister, but even in the harshest moments, all I could see in his eyes was pain. And like a fool, all I wanted was to touch that darkness.

To make it light.

Retribution is a full-length, complete Dark Romantic Suspense novel. No Cliffhanger. Intended for mature readers. Contains BDSM content.

Buy LinksAMAZONReview-DGR3.5 starsRetribution Teaser-DGR

I had one plan, one goddamned thing to do. Break the girl. That was all.

Retribution marks my second book by this author and it definitely confirmed what I knew after the first; I’ll definitely be reading all her future books. The woman can write one hell of a tortured, brooding, anti-hero alpha. This was a dark and twisty tale of revenge and pain and second chances. It was gritty, violent, and erotic as hell!

I’d seen the darkness in his eyes before today, but it had been a suggestion, a hint.
Tonight, it had taken command of him. Tonight, he’d given himself over to it.

Adam Smith is a man with one goal on his mind for the past 15 years; revenge. All he wants is retribution against the man who was responsible for his sister’s kidnapping, torture and eventual death. And what best way to make the man pay than to take something dearest to him and break her just like he broke his sister. His target? Elle Vega

The man had kidnapped me, kept me prisoner, tortured me, and yet, I felt cold without him. Empty, alone, and cold.

The story gripped me from the very beginning. Adam was exactly the sort of alpha I love to read about; intense with a touch of depravity. Elle was a touch naive for my tastes but oddly enough it didn’t grate on me like it usually would in any other book. I found it hard to wrap my mind around exactly how naive she was considering her father and what she grew up around, but again, it wasn’t enough to ruin the story for me.

What do you want?”
“What do I want?
I want your pain.”

The writing was engaging and the story was fast paced, yet somewhere around the 25% mark, it began to lose some of the intensity for me. Adam starts off so strong, but soon enough becomes almost wishy washy in his drive for vengeance. He wants to make her pay, yet his conscience gets the best of him. I suppose I just didn’t feel as much connection to his character to truly understand the why’s of it.

Hate had taken over every cell of my body, every ounce of my being. It fueled me.

The other thing that kept it from being a solid 4 star for me was Elle. While her naivety wasn’t enough to bother me, I did have a hard time understanding her easy acquiescence to Adam. Considering everything the man does to her, I found it hard to wrap my mind around how easily she gives into the sexual chemistry between them. She barely puts up a fight and while there are hints of a strong woman somewhere in there, it just wasn’t enough for me to truly ever connect with her.

That being said, around the 60% mark it really started to pick up for me and I couldn’t put it down until the end. There were some twists thrown in that added to the appeal of the story and I really enjoyed the epilogue. I wished the intensity was more than it was and I hoped that I’d connect to the characters more, but I still enjoyed it thoroughly.

If you’re looking for a sexy and gritty revenge plot with a dash of depravity, definitely give this book a shot. I’m looking forward to whatever this author has in store next.

Review: Worked Up by Tessa Bailey

Review- Worked UpWORKED UP
Series: Made In Jersey #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: August 1, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Worked Up

Factory mechanic Duke Crawford just wants to watch SportsCenter in peace. Unfortunately, living with four divorcee sisters doesn’t provide much silence, nor does it change his stance on relationships. But when a fellow commitment-phobe stumbles into his life, getting him good and worked up, he can’t deny his protective instincts.

Samantha Waverly’s brother just put her in an impossible situation. The only way out? Marry huge, gruff, gladiator look-alike Duke—for show, of course. She doesn’t make promises—she knows too well how easily they can be broken—and this is no exception.

As the blistering attraction between them grows, the lines around the no-strings relationship blur. But Duke and Samantha’s marriage is only for show…or is it?

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR4 starsWorked Up-Teaser DGR

We’re going to fuck tonight. Your bed. Mine. On the floor. In the shower. Against the window. All. Goddamn. Night. You’re going to know me from every angle when the sun comes up over New Jersey tomorrow.

Sweet.
Baby.
Jebus.
*pervy shudder*
I mean for the love of my ovaries! Holy cock this book was freaking hot! HOT I tells ya! Hands down my absolute favorite book in the series. #PMB for the win!

Firstly, I need to give Tessa props. Because let me tell you, people, it takes skill to take a man that’s the size of a mountain with the beard and temperament of a mountain man, NOT have him be the typical ripped hero, give him a deliciously hairy chest, even a little bit of a beer belly, slap a dirty mouth on him, and have him turn out to be one of my favorite Tessa Bailey heroes to date. And considering I’ve read the woman’s entire backlist, that’s saying something mkay?! And the best part? Even though he wasn’t the stereotypical romance hero with the ripped abs, he was still sexier than most of the ones I’ve read. Seriously. And his dirty mouth only had 1/8th to do with that.

That’s Duke’s clit between your thighs, Samantha. No one touches that clit but Duke. You need it polished, teased, banged, or just plain slapped, who’s the one you call?
Be a good girl when you answer and I’ll kiss it again later.”

See what I mean? Rarrrr!

But I digress. So back to the book. We’ve gotten to know Duke in Thrown Down as the poor man stuck with 4 divorced sisters and no time to himself for even 5 minutes of sports center. He doesn’t talk much. He doesn’t date much. And he’s not exactly looking to add a woman into the mix when his 4 hellion sisters give him enough estrogen to choke a man twice his size. But then he walks into a bar and sees a gorgeous newcomer and sparks fly…

She had him at the first pun
Samantha Waverly is a children’s book illustrator that’s hoping to finally make her business dream come true. Only thing standing between her and her dream? A ridiculous addendum put into her loan contract by her brother, Renner, that requires her to be married. Le sigh. What’s a girl to do? Take up the sexy mountain man on his offer for a marriage of convenience, of course! Doesn’t hurt that he’s possessive and a freaking rock star in bed that makes her body sing, right?

You’re going to have no doubt how much I appreciate being allowed to squeeze myself into your body. If I ever think you’re unsure, my tongue will service you between the legs until there’s no question. Until you scream the doubt free, along with my name.

Yeah.
As I was saying….

But this book was so much more than what that synopsis implies. Sure there was a heavy dose of insta in play, but it totally worked for these characters. I adored Sam and her quirky personality. Each time she pulled out another cheesy pun, I liked her even more. As for Duke? Hello? Did you miss all my pervy praising on all things Duke previously? Pay attention dammit!

We also got a little peek into Renner and the man that just may have caught the ruthless business man’s attention (le gasp). I’m pretty sure I’d part with an ovary to get my hands on that books already.

After being slightly disappointed by the previous two books in this series, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. I’m beyond happy I gave it a chance because I seriously loved it! It was swoony, entertaining, and sexy as all get out. The perfect read to spend a steamy afternoon with!

I don’t want to be another responsibility to you.
Let me be the place you lose yourself instead.”


MADE IN JERSEY SERIES

CRASHED OUT | ROUGH RHYTHM | THROWN DOWN

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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