Lana – Page 161

DGR Fave Review & Giveaway: ★Appealed★ by Emma Chase

January 15, 2016 by Lana · 2 Comments

Appealed
Series: The Legal Briefs #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Emma Chase
Release Date: January 19, 2015

When Brent Mason looks at Kennedy Randolph, he doesn’t see the awkward, sweet girl who grew up next door. He sees a self-assured, stunning woman…who wants to crush the most intimate – and prized – parts of his anatomy beneath the heels of her Christian Louboutins.

Brent has never let the loss of his leg in a childhood accident affect his ability to lead a fulfilling life. He sets high goals–and then he reaches them.

And now he has his sights set on Kennedy.
**
When Kennedy looks at Brent Mason, all she sees is the selfish, Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue-worthy teenager who humiliated her in high school to join the popular crowd. A crowd that made those years a living hell.

She’s not a lovesick social outcast anymore – she’s a DC prosecutor with a long winning streak behind her. Brent is the opposing attorney in her next case and she thinks it’s time to put him through a little hell of his own.

But things aren’t exactly working out that way.

Because every fiery exchange has her wondering if he’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is in the courtroom. Each argument and objection only makes him want her more. In the end, Brent and Kennedy may just find themselves in love…or in contempt of court.

APPEALED is a sexy, humorous romance about first crushes, second chances and the final verdict of the heart.

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Over the last fourteen years I’ve thought a lot about what it’d be like to see Kennedy Randolph again- but I never thought it’d be on the opposite side of a courtroom.

You know when you read an epilogue that’s so good, it not only manages to be the perfect conclusion to the book but it actually flawlessly ties the entire series up. Like you have this amazingly delicious three-tiered cake, and it’s already prefect without anything, but then you add that icing that takes it from delicious to amazing? That’s what the epilogue of Appealed was to me. It was simple perfection. It deserves 5 stars just for that. But let’s talk about the actual book for a hot second here, shall we?

Arguing is our foreplay. One time, she was so worked up she hauled off and took a swing at me- and my reaction was a boner that wouldn’t be denied.

So that quote up there? Yeah. That’s basically a literary orgasm for me. You see there is nothing, nothing I love better than a good hate-to-love trope. And when that particular trope is also based on a bit of a second chance romance? I am absolute putty in your hands. Brent and Kennedy were childhood. Their parents are friends and they always hoped they’d get together. And one perfect night they did, until something happened that made Kennedy disappear from Brent’s life and also hate him with the fire of the worst kind of venereal disease. Graphic? Sure. But sums it up nicely. Brent hasn’t seen her since high school, so when she not only comes back looking nothing like the Kennedy he knows but a stunner, he thinks he can take off where they left off. There’s only one problem, Kennedy wants nothing to do with him…
And if that’s not delicious enough, she also happens to be the prosecutor on a case that he’s the defending attorney for.

She looks me straight in the face. “I could never be with someone like you- you have the maturity of a twelve-year-old boy.”
I raise my glass. “And you have the chest of one.”

So at this point of the book, I’m as giddy as a Bilieber at a Justin Bieber concert. Their constant barbs in the courtroom and outside of it are laden with a heavy undercurrent of lust and you’re reading just waiting for them to give into the undeniable chemistry that’s brewing between them. And let’s be honest, what’s better than hate-to-lust? When it’s gloriously written entirely in the male POV and I fell hard for Brent from the very first chapter. He may be the happy-go-lucky friend of the group, but there was always something to him that just drew me. It may be because it’s not often you’ll read about a hero with a prosthetic leg that didn’t suffer his injury during a deployment. Or it may be because of his humor. But really it’s because when this man falls, he falls hard and he has no issue showing it and fighting for what he wants.
Kennedy was such a great heroine as well. She really makes Brent work for it. She’s not the awkward teenager he grew up with. She’s a tough prosecutor, and her looks are just as killer as her cross examination. I loved the tension between these two. It practically sizzled it was so good. But what I loved the most is really seeing Brent working for it. This is not a man that denies his attraction or his feelings, even though he’s never had a real meaningful relationship…nor did he want one. He knows that he’ll accept nothing less from Kennedy, though. And even if he has to prove it to her considering their past, he’ll do whatever it takes.

I’m in love with you. And if it takes awhile for you to wrap your head around that- to wrap your heart around it- then I’ll wait. Because you’re worth waiting for. You always were.”

This book is perfection. It’s snark wrapped in humor, tied together by a swoony romance. I couldn’t put it down for even a second. It’s just one of those romances that will entertain you and make you fall hard all at the same time. Emma Chase just gets better and better. Appealed was easily my favorite book in the series. Then that epilogue happened and I was like a pile of giddy goo. It was just that good.

READ IT IN ORDER

OVERRULED | SUSTAINED | APPEALED

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2 Comments · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, Giveaways · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave

Review & Giveaway: ★Love in the Light★ by Laura Kaye

January 14, 2016 by Lana ·

I cannot tell you how excited I am to bring you the Release Week Blitz for LOVE IN THE LIGHT by Laura Kaye! LOVE IN THE LIGHT is a novel told in dual POV and Part Two of her bestselling Hearts in Darkness Duet. This much anticipated follow-up is finally here! Make sure you grab your copy of this sexy novel today, and if you’re new to the series you can grab the first novella HEARTS IN DARKNESS for just $.99 for a limited time!

LOVE IN THE LIGHT
Series: Hearts in Darkness #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Laura Kaye
Release Date: January 12, 2016

Two hearts in the darkness…

Makenna James and Caden Grayson have been inseparable since the day they were trapped in a pitch-black elevator and found acceptance and love in the arms of a stranger. Makenna hopes that night put them on the path to forever—which can’t happen until she introduces her tattooed, pierced, and scarred boyfriend to her father and three over-protective brothers.

Must fight for love in the light…

Haunted by a childhood tragedy and the loss of his family, Caden never thought he’d find the love he shares with Makenna. But the deeper he falls, the more he fears the devastation sure to come if he ever lost her, too. When meeting her family doesn’t go smoothly, Caden questions whether Makenna deserves someone better, stronger, and just more…normal. Maybe they’re too different—and he’s far too damaged—after all…

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“Do you want to get changed and I’ll set dinner out?” Caden asked.“Yeah,” Makenna said. “Sounds great.” The kitchen, dining area, and living room were one big room, with her bedroom door toward the far end. She paused there and looked back. Caden moved around her little kitchen, comfortably and familiarly, and he just looked so freaking good there. In her space. Well, their space now.

He still had his townhouse in Fairlington, but he rarely slept there anymore. And it was so bare bones in furnishings that he preferred they not sleep there because he feared she’d be uncomfortable. A part of her wasn’t sure why he even kept it at this point.

“What?” he asked, giving her a skeptical look.

She grinned and leaned against the door jamb. “I rode our elevator today.”

He shook his head. “Anything interesting happen?”

“Oh, I got trapped with a smoking hot stranger and made out with him in the dark. The usual,” she said.

He smirked. “That never happens.”

Makenna threw her head back and laughed. Still smiling, she changed into jeans and a pink camisole with a low back, and then she threw a warm, chunky caramel-colored cardigan over that.

She found Caden sitting at the set table, containers of food overflowing with several types of noodles. It smelled amazing—savory and spicy and like she could eat everything she saw.

For a moment, the look on his face made her think he was upset about something, but then he saw her and his expression transformed into a sexy smirk. “Smoking hot, huh?”

Laughing, she took the seat next to him. “You fishing for compliments, Grayson? I already said you were freaking gorgeous.”

“Yeah, but that’s not the same as smoking hot.” He arched a brow, and damn if his playfully smug, expectant expression wasn’t hot as hell with his brow piercing and the widow’s peak of his dark hair.

She picked up her fork. “Okay, then how about this? You are so freaking gorgeous and so smoking hot that you make my heart race and my mouth water and my panties melt. Every time I see you. How’s that for a compliment?”

Caden’s smile was slow coming but so damn sexy. “I like tattoo night.”

She laughed and shook her head. “So do I.”

Two hearts in the darkness…
Must fight for love in the light…

Hearts in Darkness is one of my favorite favorite novellas even to this day. I read it years ago when it just came out and yet it’s still a book I recommend to any reader that’s looking for a quick read that not only packs on the steam, but has an amazing story to tie it all together. In just 112 pages, Laura Kaye managed to get a loyal fan out of me. I’ve been hoping that she would write more for this couple, so to say I was thrilled when I heard this book was in the works would be an understatement. I was also a little scared, too. I was afraid that one of my favorite couples would not be as good in another book. That there may be unnecessary drama or angst. That something may happen that will make me dislike either Makenna or Caden. You know what I’m talking about here. It’s not easy to follow up on a favorite book.

Love In The Light was not only an amazing continuation of the story, but it managed to make me fall even more in love with this couple. It was a natural progression of their story. It was that relationship developed that I had so craved in Hearts in Darkness. It was the perfect conclusion to one of my favorite couples.

LitL takes place two months after the events of HiD. Caden and Makenna are settling into their relationship and falling more and more for each other each day. But Caden’s lingering issues of PTSD and suvivor’s guilt continues to loom over their happiness.

It felt like a part of himself had been ripped away, the edges still jagged and raw. But that’s what he was- all jagged, raw, festering wounds from one loss after another.

It’s wonderfully written in a way that gives both characters so much growth while reaffirming just how good they are for each other. I loved Makenna even more in this book. Her patience, understanding and unwavering love and support for Caden was touching to read. She doesn’t jump to conclusions or blame him. She wants to communicate to work things out. It’s so refreshing to read about a heroine like this because of how rare it is to find one like that these days.

Caden. Oh my poor Caden. It’s hard not to love him in this book. Your heart will bleed for him and everything he goes through. But it was also so wonderful to see him dealing with his issues.

If you loved Hearts in Darkness, I guarantee that you’ll love Love in the Light. If anything, this book will make you love the first one even more. It was emotional, swoony, sexy, and perfectly written. In just under 200 pages, Laura Kaye manages to put so much depth into this story. It was everything. An incredible conclusion and everything I could have hoped for it to be.

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Giveaways · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars

Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★ISADORA★ by Ella Frank

January 13, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Title: ISADORA
Series: Masters Among Monsters, #2
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Series
Author: Ella Frank
Release Date: January 12, 2016

A TRAGIC BEGINNING…

Isadora Nikitas understands what it means to be betrayed. That lesson was taught to her in the prime of her life, and when she is offered a chance to exact revenge, she finds it difficult to refuse.

Instead, she entrusts her survival to a mysterious vampire known only as Diomêdês, a male who wants nothing in return but to watch over her—in every way imaginable.

Gifted with speed, strength, and immortality, she determines that her life will no longer be governed by the needs and wants of a mere man. She has cowered for the last time, and with her Ancient by her side, she thrives and blossoms into the most formidable female vampire in existence.

But, once upon a time, like all little girls, Isadora believed in love. She believed it because she once had it. So, when it comes along a second time, she knows that it’s possible—but when you love someone, they become your weakness. Unless, in fact, they become your enemy instead…

A MYSTERIOUS PAST…

Fulfilling your life’s prophecy should be empowering. At least, that’s what Elias Fontana always believed. But, as he stands guard over the beautiful vampire he’s taken hostage, his convictions start to crumble. Made to believe by his creators that he and two others have been designed to destroy a dangerous race, he has difficulty connecting his current reality to the woman he once loved.

A TANGLED TALE TO UNRAVEL…

When friends become enemies and enemies become lovers, who can you trust in the webs of lies and despair? And, when your life is at stake and blood has been shed, how much are you willing to sacrifice to fulfill your destiny?

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January—11 years earlier…

ISADORA HURRIED DOWN the stark, white corridor and kept her eyes on the floor. She couldn’t believe how close she’d cut her latest feed. Alasdair would have her hide if he had to bail her out, but it wasn’t her fault. Not really.

Not one human had caught her eye in the latest batch of yieldings, and that was saying something considering she wasn’t partial to male or female like her cousins. Ugh, it was a slump. Thanos had warned her that it would eventually happen. She hadn’t believed him, though, and with Diomêdês out of town, her options were limited.

She’d been restless lately, which was unlike her, and tonight, she hadn’t been able to wait. The local hospital seemed a smart place to peruse a decent selection. That was until the damn patient had coded.

Just my luck, she thought, and when the first doctor had arrived, she’d promptly knocked him out, stolen his lab coat, and shoved him in the bathroom. Then a rush of hospital staff had shown up and she’d had no choice but to leave by foot. That had been…oh, about five minutes ago.

While shoving her hands in the deep pockets, she came up to the entry she’d walked through earlier and sighed. All she had to do was get out into the shadows and fade back to the lair without anyone seeing. Alasdair would be none the wiser.

As she turned the final corner, a smug grin crossed her lips—until she ran smack into the equivalent of a brick wall.

“Oh, shit. I mean—” The male standing opposite her placed a hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you until it was too late to stop the collision.” He chuckled, and the warm sound of the vibration had Isadora raising her eyes.

As he absently ran his palm down the sleeve of her coat, she barely felt the touch. He was unlike any she’d ever seen.

The first thing she noticed was his height. Being a tall female herself, she’d always been drawn to a man who surpassed her own stature, and this man had several inches on her. His hair, dark as her own, was swept back from his face as though he’d run his hands through it. It was the odd color of his eyes, though, that held her immobile. They were an unusual shade of…silver that reminded her of her Ancient’s hair, and right now, they seemed to be shining at her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, bending a little at the knees to get a better look at her.

She quickly lowered her head. Jesus. Talk, Isadora. Tell him you’re fine and get away from him. “I think I’ll survive.” No, no. Do not flirt with him.

“Well, thank god for that.”

Brilliant, she admonished herself. His tone had taken on a quality she knew all too well—interest. But she didn’t have time for this. She made a move to step around him, but the fingers she hadn’t even realized were still on her wrist tightened.

“Wait…”

She looked down to where he held her, and as if he’d just noticed, he released his grip.

“Yes?”

He gave a shrug, but the cocky smile that tipped his lips belied any kind of indifference. This man was confident, and he had every reason to be.

“You can’t just leave. What if I injured you?”

A burst of laughter bubbled out of her at the notion, and it was the first time in years she had done so.

“I’m serious,” he said as he took a step closer.

She brought her fingers to her lips to hide the grin she was flashing. “Yes, I can see that.”

“I mean, what if you leave and later suffer from a concussion? I’m a pretty solid guy, and you did run into me rather hard.”

As he said the word hard, their eyes locked and Isadora’s arm lowered, her lips parting. She needed to get out of there. The high from the feed and her lack of yieldings these past few weeks must’ve been causing a residual sexual pull, because all she wanted was to get naked and on her knees for this guy.

As a group of hospital staff ran by, he broke their connection and gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. “Do you need to go?”

Yes, but not because of that. “I should.”

“Are you a doctor here?”

“Ahh no. An intern.” Great, now I’m lying. And why that lie?

“Oh, so, if I come back, I might bump into you again?”

That was why right there. “Uh, maybe.”

When it was clear she wasn’t going to say anything else, he held his hand out for her to shake. It was such a human gesture and odd in light of their having already connected so spectacularly that she just stared at it.

“Then let me introduce myself so it won’t be strange when I show up again tomorrow. I’m Elias, and you are?”

As Isadora slid her palm into his, she allowed herself to take another good look at him. He was sexy, and the way he was watching her with intense focus made it more than obvious he found her just as appealing. Surely there’d be no harm if she took a little peek inside.

She gently pushed into his mind, and what she saw was anything but endearing or shy. He was imagining her as stripped down as she had just been picturing. However, he had her on her feet and against a wall—the hospital wall behind her, to be exact.

Loving that image, she was more than content to keep watching, but as if he knew she was in there, his mind went blank. She blinked, not believing what she was seeing, but sure enough, it was as if he’d flicked a switch and the television had been shut off.

“You’re not going to tell me your name?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts and flashing a wide grin.

She wasn’t sure why, but instead of compelling him to forget her, she slicked her tongue along her lower lip and watched him track it with those unusual eyes.

“I’ll tell you that the next time we bump into each other.”

“Which will be?”

Diomêdês would be gone for several more days, so perhaps she could amuse herself with this human until he returned. Then maybe…maybe she would present him as her next choice if things went well.

“I work tomorrow night.”

It should’ve alarmed her at how easily lies fell from her tongue, but she’d honed the perfect delivery of such tales over many centuries and found she really was quite skilled at it. Thanos, her cousin, was terrible.

“That’s good to know. I’ll be sure to stand in every corridor until you run into me.”

Isadora walked backwards, once again slipping her hands into the coat pockets, and winked. “I should pass by this one around midnight.”

As she turned to push through the exit, he called out, “I’ll be waiting…”

My my, Ella Frank, what a twisted tale you weave. The Masters Among Monsters series continues with Isadora, and all the puzzle pieces from the previous books begin to slowly put themselves together. But while you get answers to some things, you’re left with plenty more questions.

Truth be told, I struggled with my rating for a bit. Do I rate this for what it was or what I thought it would be? But Ella Frank has never been conventional, and she’s not one to be put in a box. This series proves exactly that. The woman is a chameleon of genres and her sinfully sexy writing style is sure to hook any reader. Her Masters Among Monsters series, however, is unlike anything I’ve read, not only by her, but anyone. Yes, it’s PNR, but if you’re expecting traditional romance, don’t hold your breath. MAM is sure to break some molds just like the characters within it.

I do not wish to break you. I wish to fuck you.”

If you’re thinking that each book is a only a romance for each character that’s named on it, think again. It’s so much more than that and it’s certainly not meant to be read as standalones.

Isadora and Elias clearly have a history together, yet after the events of the previous book, it’s clear that they are on opposite ends of what looks to be an upcoming war between the vampires and an entity that is still unknown. Who is Elias? Who is Leonidas? And who is the newcomer, Paris? Isadora delves into the history of how Isadora came to be turned; Deomedes, the ancient that saved her when he turned her; and her current situation with Elias Fontana. Each one of these characters has a POV. Not only that, but a large part of the book is still dedicated to the story of Leo, Alasdair and Vasilios. In addition to all these POVs, we also get one for Paris, Eton, and a little taste of Thanos.

I wasn’t expecting quite so many POVs, and I had also expected Isadora to be more focused on the romance aspect between Isadora and Elias. But this book is so much more than that. Ella has taken the big picture and broke it up into three parts. Each book offers another piece of the puzzle, but it’s impossible to do so without continuing what began in the first one. So while this has the addition of more history on Isadora, it’s also very much a continuance for the rest of the characters. It’s not cut and dry and it’s anything but black and white. It’s sensual and delicious world building along with an incredibly erotic romance that’s anything but ordinary. Is there really any wonder why this author continues to be an auto-buy for me?

While the book ends in as good a place as it can, all things considered, it’s clear there’s much more to come. And I for one cannot wait to see how everything concludes.

DON’T MISS THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

ALASDAIR (Masters Among Monsters, #1)

Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary, M/M romance and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her on the web at www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.author

– SIGNED COPY OF ALASDAIR & ISADORA – PLUS SWAG PACK

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Author Interview & Giveaway: ★Unhinge★ by Calia Read

January 12, 2016 by Lana · 1 Comment

Unhinge
Genre: Romantic Psychological Suspense
Author: Calia Read
Release Day: January 12, 2015

With Unravel, Calia Read took readers inside the mind of a tormented young woman confined in Fairfax Mental Institute, seemingly without cause. In her new standalone novel of psychological suspense, UNHINGE (Ballantine Trade Paperback, On Sale 1/12/16), Read takes us back to Fairfax, this time to meet a very different patient, equally trapped, but doubly lost.

Hold your breath and count to ten.
Soon it will be over before it ever began.

No matter how many times Victoria Donovan repeats that rhyme to herself, she’s still locked inside a mental institution.

Once upon a time, her life was a fantasy: Wes, the handsome fiancé, a storybook wedding and a white picket fence. But then a picture-perfect marriage warped into something sinister. As Victoria’s world twisted from dream to nightmare, her husband’s jealousy pushed her beyond the breaking point.

Calia Read breaks the mold in this explosive story that grabs hold and doesn’t let go until the shocking truth is revealed. UNHINGE is about a woman trying to reconstruct her past and find the truth somewhere between her memories and her madness with the help of a handsome, mysterious stranger.

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PROLOGUE April 2014

Love holds so many secrets.

How it will hit.

When it will attack.

Where it will happen.

We are its playthings, walking around this world unaware that at any moment it will strike.

Don’t try to plan for it. Whether you fight or go willingly, love will wrap itself around you and when it does, you’ll never be free again.

I stared up at the fan slowly swirling above me. It was time to get ready for work. I knew that. But my mind wanted to take a trip down memory lane. I refuse to get sucked into the past and turn my head, but that’s a fool’s mistake because even though my bed was empty, I saw the image of my wife.

She was quietly sleeping. The sheets were drawn around her shoulders. The tips of her lashes brushed against her upper cheeks. One hand was draped across her forehead, the other hanging off the side of the bed.

The moment I met Victoria I should’ve known I was doomed. I should’ve paid attention. Felt the wind against my neck and the goosebumps that prickled my flesh. But I didn’t.

So I fell.

And I fell hard.

You could say our love was unreal.

Everything about Victoria was mysterious yet beguiling. Her smiles spoke of dreams, her lips the promise of something good to come. She held her secrets in one palm and her dreams in the next. And with her eyes dared me to choose one.

Ignoring them both, I went for her heart.

Then she became my wife.

I read Unhinge with my heart in my throat the entire time. It was filled with so many twists and turns, I had no idea which end was up by the end. And it completely sucked me in! So I’m so excited to have Calia Read here at DGR today, talking all things Unhinge and answering all my questions.

DGR: Can we start by having you introduce yourself to readers that may not be familiar with your books yet?

CR: I’m Calia Read! 🙂 I’m Mom to four (pregnant with the fifth) kids and married to a soldier. So basically I move every other year. For me writing (And reading) is the perfect escape from my hectic life. Although when it comes to the Fairfax stories they can be crazier than my real life.

DGR: Unhinge is a standalone but set in the same world you created in Unravel, can you tell us a little more about that?

CR: We first met Victoria (Pretend Mommy) in Unravel. I remember writing scenes with her character, being so intrigued by this woman who constantly hummed, rocked her baby, and seemed to live in this other world. I HAD to know her story and find out why she was at Fairfax.

DGR: The setting and feeling of Unravel and Unhinge are very unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. What sparked your interest in writing such a series?

CR: These characters REALLY gave me something to work with. They didn’t have cookie cutter personalities with fairy tale stories. They had flaws that I was so intrigued by. I had to know what happened in their past that would bring them to where they are in the present. At the end of each of these books I’m always shocked at what someone can go through!

“They say my name is Victoria.
They say I’m twenty-seven.
They say I’ve been in this psych ward for over a year.
They say my husband is dead, and that my daughter is too.
But. Wes visits me almost every night,
and I hold my daughter every day.
They say, they say, they say…
I say, it’s time to untangle the past, and uncover the truth.”

DGR: My interest was piqued just from that intriguing quote. What can you tell us about Victoria’s journey in this book?

CR: From the get-go, Victoria has heavily relied on the people around her to provide answers to questions that she has. And now she’s starting to doubt what they are telling her because it doesn’t line up with what she is seeing. With the help of her therapist and a mysterious stranger, she starts to uncover the truth of what actually brought her to Fairfax.

Victoria is so damaged and she may think she’s ready to accept her reality but when you’ve been away from the truth for so long it can break you even further.

And that’s what she has to deal with —handling her truth without crumbling.

DGR: I’d say Unhinge is a pretty apropos title for this book with everything that Victoria went through. Was it difficult writing from her POV and dipping into her inner psyche?

CR: I’m so glad you asked that because Victoria’s story was more difficult at times than Unravel. With Naomi, she so easily gave her story away. There was no barrier because her psyche allowed that barrier to be down. But with Victoria she was wounded and that wall was up. Big time. She may be a product of my imagination, but I had to push a lot harder to understand Victoria’s pain and what she was really feeling.

DGR: What was your favorite part about writing Unhinge?

CR: There’s nothing better than when you discover something about your character that you didn’t expect or when a scene you’ve been working on, in what feels like forever, finally weaves itself together.

DGR: Now how about the most difficult?

CR: I have to watch EVERYTHING the characters say, how they say it, and when they say it. At times it seems so simple but even normal conversations can be brutal to write because you’re thinking, “Wait. Should I reveal this yet?”

DGR: For readers that may not have read your Fairfax series, can you describe it for us in a few words?

CR: The Fairfax Series is not a typical series. It’s dark, and suspenseful. Yet has its far share (well A LOT) of romance. 🙂 The main characters are completely unreliable and deeply troubled. Their sense of reality is so skewed that nothing is what it seems.

DGR: What are the emotions/ thoughts that you’re hoping to trigger in readers with these books?

CR: I want the readers to question everything that plays out through the story. What appears to be the truth just might be a lie. I want the readers to really feel the characters pain and suffering. And their desperation to leave Fairfax and be what they consider a “normal” person. I want the readers to see that even with everything the character goes through, they’re incredibly strong. It’s always really, really important to me to show the love in these stories because that’s a huge catalyst in helping them move forward and gives them hope.

DGR: So what’s up next for you? Are you going to continue with Fairfax or do you have something different in mind?

CR: Right now I’m currently working on two stories: Lachlan book (the sequel to Unravel) and The Surviving Trace. I’m so excited about them because they’re unique from what’s out there.

DGR: I have to ask, if you will be writing more in Fairfax, will be we getting a book for Reagan?

CR: Oh yes! Besides Lachlan’s book, there will be one more Fairfax story. And that is Reagan’s. J She’s twisted, yet served as comedic relief during Victoria’s story. The very first scene she has with Victoria and I was hooked to her character! I kept wondering, “What is your story? What are you hiding from me?”

I see a bit of her story playing out, and she’s wicked and blunt and out of all the characters she has the darkest story.

DGR: Anything you’d like to leave the readers with?

CR: TRUST ME with Unhinge. 🙂 It will be confusing and you’ll be missing many, many pieces to the puzzle at the beginning but it all comes together at the end. I told someone a few days ago that Unravel well, slowly unraveled, but Unhinge doesn’t. Instead, Victoria gathers each fact and lines them up like dominos. At the end she tips just one fact over and they all go down.

Want to win a paperback of Unhinged? Enter HERE

1 Comment · Filed Under: Author Spotlight & interview, Excerpts, Giveaways · Tagged With: Author Interview

This Week’s New & Upcoming Releases

January 11, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Ready for another amazing release week? Some books have already released and both of the ones released today were HUGE faves of mine. You don’t want to miss these!

TODAY’S RELEASES

SEBRING by Kristen Ashley

Nick Sebring has issues. Born feeling like an outsider in his own family, growing up under the shadow of a brother who could do anything, Nick isn’t that great of a guy. But when this culminates with Nick lashing out to hurt his brother through the woman he loves, Nick turns inward and makes some decisions about the man he intends to be.

And as he does this, he falls in love and truly learns the man that he’s grown to be.

When his love is murdered right before Nick’s eyes, Nick knows he has to avenge her. He knows how he’s going to avenge her. And he has no qualms using Olivia Shade to exact that vengeance.

Olivia Shade has grown up on the outside of her family too. Her problem is that they don’t want her outside. They want her all the way in, right under their thumbs. She pays the price for seeking escape and learns her lesson—she’ll never see a dawn where she wakes up free.

Then she meets Nick Sebring, and even as she fights it, the hope that died years ago starts to blossom. She can find love. She can have a man of her own. She can be happy. She can be free.

Olivia hopes while Nick schemes.

However, as Nick peels back the layers of all that is Olivia Shade, he finds something surprising. He understands its fragility. He falls in love with its beauty. He seeks to protect it.

But he forgets to protect his Livvie from one thing: Nick Sebring.

THE SCORE by Elle Kennedy

He knows how to score, on and off the ice

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

UPCOMING RELEASES for 1/12/16

UNHINGE by Calia Reed

In Calia Read’s electrifying and steamy novel of psychological suspense, a handsome stranger shatters a beautiful young woman’s picture-perfect vision of her past.

Hold your breath and count to ten. Soon it will be over before it ever began.

No matter how many times Victoria Donovan repeats that phrase to herself, she’s still trapped behind the walls of a mental institution. Once upon a time, her life was like a fantasy: Wes, the handsome fiancé, followed by a storybook wedding and a white picket fence. But then a picture-perfect marriage twisted into something sinister. And as Victoria’s world warped from dream to nightmare, her husband’s obsessions pushed her beyond the breaking point.

At first Fairfax Mental Health Institute seems like a safe place for Victoria to heal with her baby, Evelyn, and to hide from Wes, presumed dead by everyone except Victoria. Her husband is still alive, she has no doubt: He slips into her room at night to torment and tempt her. One smoldering kiss and she’s powerless. Of course, no one believes her about these visits. When she meets a sexy, mysterious stranger intent on helping her recall her past, Victoria isn’t sure she can trust him. But deep in her heart, she also knows that the only way out of Fairfax is to remember the way she came in.

LOVE IN THE LIGHT by Laura Kaye

Two hearts in the darkness…

Makenna James and Caden Grayson have been inseparable since the day they were trapped in a pitch-black elevator and found acceptance and love in the arms of a stranger. Makenna hopes that night put them on the path to forever—which can’t happen until she introduces her tattooed, pierced, and scarred boyfriend to her father and three over-protective brothers.

Must fight for love in the light…

Haunted by a childhood tragedy and the loss of his family, Caden never thought he’d find the love he shares with Makenna. But the deeper he falls, the more he fears the devastation sure to come if he ever lost her, too. When meeting her family doesn’t go smoothly, Caden questions whether Makenna deserves someone better, stronger, and just more…normal. Maybe they’re just too different—and he’s far too damaged—after all…

ISADORA by Ella Frank

A TRAGIC BEGINNING…

Isadora Nikitas understands what it means to be betrayed. That lesson was taught to her in the prime of her life, and when she is offered a chance to exact revenge, she finds it difficult to refuse.
Instead, she entrusts her survival to a mysterious vampire known only as Diomêdês, a male who wants nothing in return but to watch over her—in every way imaginable.

Gifted with speed, strength, and immortality, she determines that her life will no longer be governed by the needs and wants of a mere man. She has cowered for the last time, and with her Ancient by her side, she thrives and blossoms into the most formidable female vampire in existence.

But, once upon a time, like all little girls, Isadora believed in love. She believed it because she once had it. So, when it comes along a second time, she knows that it’s possible—but when you love someone, they become your weakness. Unless, in fact, they become your enemy instead…

A MYSTERIOUS PAST…

Fulfilling your life’s prophecy should be empowering. At least, that’s what Elias Fontana always believed. But, as he stands guard over the beautiful vampire he’s taken hostage, his convictions start to crumble. Made to believe by his creators that he and two others have been designed to destroy a dangerous race, he has difficulty connecting his current reality to the woman he once loved.

A TANGLED TALE TO UNRAVEL…

When friends become enemies and enemies become lovers, who can you trust in the webs of lies and despair? And, when your life is at stake and blood has been shed, how much are you willing to sacrifice to fulfill your destiny?

DIRTY TOGETHER by Meghan March

My wife.

I love saying those words.

She’s mine, and if she thinks I’m going to let her run without tracking her down and bringing her back to where she belongs—with me—then she’s about to be introduced to a new reality.

Because I’ll fight dirty to give her the happily ever after she deserves.

Dirty Together is the final book in The Dirty Billionaire Trilogy and should be read following Dirty Billionaire and Dirty Pleasures.

GIVING IT UP by Audra North

She dominates his body and his mind…but can he give up control without handing over his heart?

Pushing the Boundaries, Book 1

If Beatrice Lawrence didn’t know better, she’d swear the universe is out to make sure she is totally, completely screwed. It’s not enough her family’s restrictive rules drove her away from home at a young age. She had to go and fall for a guy whose mere presence heats her body like Death Valley.

Except he seems to harbor a special brand of dislike, just for her. He even seems intent on ruining one of her biggest wedding photography gigs by dodging every key shot to make a phone call.

It’s not that SWAT officer Warren Davis isn’t attracted to Beatrice. He is. God, he is. But between supporting his parents and helping raise his single-mom sister’s kid, there’s no time to build a relationship.

Besides, Beatrice is too innocent for some of his darker…appetites. Until she catches him on the phone with a professional Domme. He must be crazy to let her talk him into hiring her instead. Even crazier to risk letting their professional relationship get personal…

Warning: Contains an out-of-her-element, wannabe Domme who has no idea the power she wields, and a SWAT officer who can’t wait to show her just how deeply he needs her command. Buckle up and keep your safeword handy.

HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

The Montgomery Ink series continues with the long-awaited romance between the café owner next door and the tattoo artist who’s loved her from afar.

Hailey Monroe knows the world isn’t always fair, but she’s picked herself up from the ashes once before and if she needs to, she’ll do it again. It’s been years since she first spotted the tattoo artist with a scowl that made her heart skip a beat, but now she’s finally gained the courage to approach him. Only it won’t be about what their future could bring, but how to finish healing the scars from her past.

Sloane Gordon lived through the worst kinds of hell yet the temptation next door sends him to another level. He’s kept his distance because he knows what kind of man he is versus what kind of man Hailey needs. When she comes to him with a proposition that sends his mind whirling and his soul shattering, he’ll do everything in his power to protect the woman he cares for and the secrets he’s been forced to keep.

THE DIRT ON NINTH GRAVE by Darinda Jones

In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she’s more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her-even from her new and trusted friends-the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn’t help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she’s lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

MAKE ME SIN by J.T. Geissinger

Chloe Carmichael’s life feels pretty sweet—she’s both maid of honor and florist for her best friend’s A-list wedding, things are getting serious with her boyfriend, and her flower shop is about to get a spread in a national magazine. But it all quickly turns sour whenever the best man, Bad Habit drummer A.J. Edwards, shows his face…his handsome, unforgettable face. A.J. is everything Chloe doesn’t want: tattooed, selfish, and all-around bad news. So why can’t she stop thinking about him?

Goody two-shoes Chloe isn’t exactly A.J.’s type, either, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. A.J. will be the first to say he isn’t a saint, but there’s something he’s not saying—something that would devastate Chloe. The only way he can protect her is to push her away, but the drummer finds he needs her now more than ever. When a wedding-day confrontation reveals secrets they’re both hiding, will Chloe and A.J. ever find their rhythm again?

IN DEEP WITH THE FBI AGENT by Lynne Silver

PASSION UNCOVERED

To Casey, Montgomery Prep isn’t just DC’s most prestigious private school-it’s her alma mater, the place where her fondest memories were made. It’s also her current employer and the target of a dangerous cyber criminal. But even more shocking than the crime is the sexy FBI agent who comes to investigate . . .
With his six-plus frame and gym-sculpted body, no one would suspect FBI special agent Sam Cooper was once an awkward teenage computer geek-no one, that is, except Casey, the gorgeous girl who captured his heart on the first day of high school and held it for the last fourteen years. When a hunt for a hacker brings Casey back into Sam’s life, his long-denied desire becomes impossible to ignore. He knows just how to make her forget the boy he was . . . and show her the man he’s become.

Book 1: HOT NIGHTS WITH THE FIREMAN

Book 2: IN BED WITH THE BODYGUARD

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Upcoming Releases · Tagged With: New Release, upcoming releases

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: ★Off The Clock★ by Roni Loren

January 10, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Off the Clock
Series: Pleasure Principle #1
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Roni Loren
Release Date: January 5, 2016

FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LOVING ON THE EDGE NOVELS, THE FIRST IN A SENSUAL NEW SERIES

Overtime has never felt so good…

Marin Rush loves studying sex. Doing it? That’s another story. In the research lab, Marin’s lack of practical knowledge didn’t matter, but now that she’s landed a job at The Grove, a high-end, experimental sex therapy institute, she can’t ignore the fact that the person most in need of sexual healing may be her.

Dr. Donovan West, her new hotshot colleague, couldn’t agree more. Donovan knows that Marin’s clients are going to eat her alive unless she gets some hands-on experience. And if she fails at the job, he can say goodbye to a promotion, so he assigns her a list of R-rated tasks to prepare her for the wild clientele of The Grove’s X-wing.

But some of those tasks are built for two, and when he finds Marin searching for a candidate to help her check off her list, Donovan decides there’s only one man for the job—him. As long as they keep their erotic, off-the-clock activities strictly confidential and without strings, no one will get fired—or worse, get attached…

Setup: This is a scene when Marin was in college and overhears some dirty talk when she’s working late at the university.Holy. Shit. Marin pressed her lips together. Obviously two other people thought they were alone, too. Had students snuck into the building to get it on? Or maybe it was one of the professors. Oh, God, please don’t let it be a professor. She should turn around right now and go back to Professor Roberts’s office. Last thing she needed was to see one of her teachers in some compromising position. She would die of mortification.

But instead of backing up, she found herself tilting her head to isolate where the voice was coming from, and her feet moved forward a few steps.

“Yeah, you like that. I know. I bet you’re wet for me right now just thinking about how it would feel. Maybe I should check. Keep your hands against the wall.”

A hot shiver zipped through Marin, making every part of her hyperaware. .

“I’m so hard for you. Can you feel how much I want you?” That voice was like velvet against Marin’s skin. She closed her eyes, imagining the picture the stranger was painting—some hot guy behind her, pinning her to the wall, his erection rubbing against her. She’d never been in that situation, but her body sure knew how to react to the idea. Her hand drifted up to her neck and pressed against her throat, her pulse beating like hummingbird wings beneath her fingertips.

She waited with held breath to hear the woman’s response, but no voice answered the man’s question. Can you feel how much I want you? he’d asked. And hell if Marin wasn’t dying to know. She strained to hear.

“I tug your panties off and trail my hand up your thighs until I can feel your hot, slick . . .”

Marin braced her other hand against the wall and leaned so far forward that one more inch would’ve sent her toppling over. Your hot . . .

“Goddammit. Motherf**ker.”

The curse snapped Marin out of the spell she’d fallen into, and she straightened instantly, her face hot and her heartbeat pounding in places it shouldn’t be. There was a groaning squeak of an office chair and another slew of colorful swearing.

Whoever had been saying the dirty things had changed his tone of voice and now sounded ten kinds of annoyed. A wadded-up ball of paper came flying out of an open doorway a few yards down. She followed the arc and watched the paper land on the floor. Only then did she notice there were three others like it already littering the hallway.

Lamplight shifted on the pale linoleum as if the person inside the office was moving around, and Marin flattened herself against the wall, trying to make herself one with it. Please don’t come out. Please don’t come out. The silent prayer whispered through her as she counted the doors between her and the mystery voice, mentally labeling each one. When she realized it was one of the offices they let the Ph.D. students use and not a professor’s, she let out a breath.

Either way, she had no intention of alerting her hall mate that he wasn’t alone. But at least she could stop worrying she’d gotten all fevered over one of her professors. Now she just had to figure out how to get past the damn door without letting him see her. She’d gotten used to skipping meals to save money since starting college a few months ago. But she wasn’t going to make it through the next two hours of data entry and sleep monitoring if she didn’t get some caffeine. No wonder none of the upperclassmen had wanted to fill in during break.

Marin’s gaze slid over to the stairwell. If she stayed on the other side of the hall in the shadows, she could probably sneak by unnoticed. She moved to the right side wall and crept forward on quiet feet. But as soon as she got within a few steps of the shaft of light coming from the occupied room, a large shadow blotted it into darkness.

She’d been so focused on that beam of light that it took her a moment to register what had happened. She froze and her gaze hopped upward, landing on the guy who filled the doorway. No, not just any guy, a very familiar guy. Tall and lean and effortlessly disheveled. Everything inside her went on alert. Oh, God, not him.

He had his hand braced on the doorjamb, and his expression was as surprised as hers probably was. “What the hell?”

“I—” She could already feel her face heating and her throat closing—some bizarre, instant response she seemed to have to this man. She’d spent way too many hours in the back of her Intro to Human Sexuality class memorizing each little detail of Donovan West. Well, his profile, really. And his walk. And the way his shoulders filled out his T-shirts. As a teaching assistant, he usually only stopped in at the beginning of class to bring Professor Paxton papers or something. But each time he walked in now, it was like some bat signal for her body to go haywire.

It’d started with the day he’d had to take over the lecture when Professor Paxton was sick. He’d talked about arousal and the physical mechanics of that process. It was technical. He’d been wearing a T-shirt that read Sometimes I Feel Like a Total Freud. It shouldn’t have been sexy. But Lord, it’d been one of the hottest experiences of her life. He’d talked with his hands a lot and had obviously been a little nervous to be in front of the class. But at the same time, he’d been so confident in the information, had answered questions with all this enthusiasm. Marin hadn’t heard a word in the rest of her classes that day for all the fantasizing she’d been doing.

But now she was staring. And blushing. And generally looking like an idiot. Yay.

She turned fully toward him and cleared her throat, trying to form some kind of non-weird response. But when her gaze quickly traveled over him again, all semblance of language left her. Oh, shit. She tried to drag her focus back to his face and cement it there. His very handsome face—a shadow of stubble, bright blue eyes, hair that fell a little too long around the ears. Lips that she’d thought way too much about. All good. All great.

But despite the nice view, she couldn’t ignore the thing in the bottom edge of her vision, the thing that had caught her attention on that quick once-over. The hard outline in his jeans screamed at her to stare—to analyze, to burn the picture into her brain. The need to look warred with embarrassment. The latter finally won and her cheeks flared even hotter. She adjusted her glasses. “Uh, yeah, hi. Sorry. I thought I was alone in the building. Didn’t mean to interrupt . . . whatever.”

He stared at her for a second, his brows knitting. “Interrupt?”

Goddammit, her gaze flicked there again. The view was like a siren song she couldn’t ignore. Massive erection, dead ahead! She glanced away. But not quick enough for him not to notice.

“Ah, shit.” He stepped behind the doorway and hid his bottom half. “Sorry. It’s uh . . . not what it looks like.”

She snorted, an involuntary, nervous, half-choking noise that seemed to echo in the cavernous hallway. Really smooth. She tried to force some kind of wit past the awkwardness that was overtaking her. “Ohh-kay. If you say so.”

He laughed, this deep chuckle that seemed to come straight out of his chest and fill the space between them with warmth. Lord, even his laugh was sexy. So not fair.

“Well, okay, it is that. But why it’s there is just an occupational hazard.”

His laugh and easy tone settled her some. Or maybe it was the fact that he was obviously feeling awkward, too. “Occupational hazard? Must be more interesting than the sleep lab.”

He jabbed a thumb toward the office. “It is. Sexuality department. I’m working on my dissertation under Professor Paxton.”

She could tell he didn’t recognize her from class. Not surprising since she sat in the back of the large stadium-style room and tried to be as invisible as possible. Plus, she was wearing her glasses tonight. “I’m with Professor Roberts. I’m monitoring the sleep study tonight.”

“Oh, right on. I didn’t realize he’d taken on another grad student. I’m Donovan, by the way.”

I know.

“Mari.” The nickname rolled off her lips. No one called her that anymore. But she knew he probably graded her papers, and the name Marin wasn’t all that common. She forced a small smile, not correcting him that she was about as far from a grad student as she could get. She wanted to be one. Would be one day if she could figure out how to afford it. She’d managed to test out of two semesters of classes, but high IQ or not, that dream was still a long way off—a point of light at the end of a very long, twisting tunnel.

Marin shifted on her feet. “I was heading to get a Coke so that I don’t fall asleep from doing data entry and watching people snore. You need anything?”

“A Coke?” He glanced down the hall. “Don’t waste a buck fifty on the vending machine. I’ve got a mini-fridge in here. You can come in and grab whatever you want.”

Are you an option? I’d like to grab you. The errant thought made her bite her lips together so none of those words would accidentally slip out. She had no idea where this side of herself was coming from. Not that she’d really know what to do after she grabbed Donovan anyway. This was a twentysomething-year-old man, not one of the few boys she’d awkwardly made out with in high school. This was a guy who’d know how to do all those things she’d only read about in books.

“No, that’s okay, I mean . . .” She shifted her gaze away, willing her face not to go red again.

He caught her meaning and laughed. “Oh, right. Sorry. Yes, you should probably avoid strange men with erections who invite you inside for a drink. Good safety plan, Mari.” He lifted his hands and stepped back fully into the doorway, the pronounced outline in his pants gone. “But I promise, you’re all good now. You just caught me at an . . . unfortunate moment. And now I’m going to bribe you with free soda so that you don’t tell the other grads in the department about what you saw. I keep these late hours and work through holidays to avoid that kind of torture.”

He gave her a tilted smile that made something flutter in her chest. She should probably head straight back to the office she was supposed to be working in. He was older. Kind of her teacher. If he found out she was one of Pax’s students, he’d probably freak out that she’d seen him like this. But the chance to spend a few minutes with him was too tempting to pass up.

“Okay.”

I’m happy to take things slow since you’re new to so much. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think about hauling you up against a wall, hiking your skirt up, and fucking you like I own you.

Is it hot in here or was it this book? I should know by now to expect sizzling hot romance from Roni Loren but this was absolutely smoking’, uncomfortably aroused, don’t read in public sort of hot! Dirty fantasies, role playing, and a hero dubbed “The Orgasm Whisperer”. Yeah. Suffice it to say I really enjoyed this one.

I’ve been a huge fan of Roni Loren since I first discovered her Loving on The Edge series, but dare I say this book was my favorite of hers yet? If you haven’t read anything by this fantastic author yet, this is the perfect book to start with.

Marin Rush has spent most of her youth taking care of her mother and younger brother and trying to put herself through school. A chance meeting late night at work she stumbles upon something that changes her and her career. She may not have much experience in the matter, but Marin knows sex, in the scientific and psychological sense anyway. But when she lands a coveted position in one of the most renowned institutions as a sex therapist, she knows that her scientific knowledge won’t do much for her when it comes to her clients. She needs hands on knowledge…

She wanted to play the games. She wanted to step into those shadowed places where the rules and niceties went lax.

They dubbed him The Orgasm Whisperer. Dr. Donovan West is a great therapist, but he’s not without a few sexual hangups himself. Mostly in the form of commitment phobia. He likes his sex dirty, hard, and non-permanent. When the beautiful Marin becomes his colleague, he knows he can help her, but the rules may need to blur for it

I can’t be your boss. Because if what I have in mind is going to work, it’s going to have to be strictly off the clock and off the record.

Marin and Donovan have a connection in the past that seems to make their sexual attraction in the present that much stronger. It may not be quite against the rules, and it may be a touch taboo, but it’s not long before the pull between them gets too deliciously tempting to resist.

…know there isn’t a thing on that list that I wouldn’t love to check off for you, Completely and thoroughly. I could make you shameless, Rush.

I loved every single part of Off The Clock. It was sexy, a little edgy, and everything I’ve come to love in Roni Loren’s romances.

Marin may have been one of my favorite parts about this book. While she may be inexperienced, she’s no blushing ingenue. This is a woman that’s smart, strong and knows what she wants. She has this inner core of strength to her that was understated and yet perfectly there. I wasn’t expecting to love her as much as I did because she’s not the typical heroine I like to read about but she completely won me over. I loved watching her tick kink after kink off with the sinfully sexy Donovan.

As for Donovan? *Fans self*. This is the epitome of a sexy nerd. This man was everything. Between his penchant for the kinky in bed and his dirty talk, he certainly doesn’t act like a nerd, and yet nothing was more delicious than reading about him doing his dissertation of female arousal from dirty talk. I’m easy like that I suppose.

If you’re looking for a sexy contemporary romance to start your 2016 with, you really can’t go wrong with this one. A huge rec from this girl!

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.

If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that’s it. She is the National Bestselling Author of The Loving on the Edge series from Berkley Heat.

Places to find Roni Loren:

Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Rom, Giveaways · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: ★Sebring★ by @KristenAshley68

January 9, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Sebring
Series: Unfinished Hero #5
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: January 11, 2015

Nick Sebring has issues. Born feeling like an outsider in his own family, growing up under the shadow of a brother who could do anything, Nick isn’t that great of a guy. But when this culminates with Nick lashing out to hurt his brother through the woman he loves, Nick turns inward and makes some decisions about the man he intends to be.

And as he does this, he falls in love and truly learns the man that he’s grown to be.

When his love is murdered right before Nick’s eyes, Nick knows he has to avenge her. He knows how he’s going to avenge her. And he has no qualms using Olivia Shade to exact that vengeance.

Olivia Shade has grown up on the outside of her family too. Her problem is that they don’t want her outside. They want her all the way in, right under their thumbs. She pays the price for seeking escape and learns her lesson—she’ll never see a dawn where she wakes up free.

Then she meets Nick Sebring, and even as she fights it, the hope that died years ago starts to blossom. She can find love. She can have a man of her own. She can be happy. She can be free.

Olivia hopes while Nick schemes.

However, as Nick peels back the layers of all that is Olivia Shade, he finds something surprising. He understands its fragility. He falls in love with its beauty. He seeks to protect it.

But he forgets to protect his Livvie from one thing: Nick Sebring.

AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO

In the hotel room, Nick heard the knock at the door.He moved to it, looked out the peephole and felt the corners of his mouth hitch up when he saw her.

Fuck, those big green eyes, perfectly arched dark brows, the olive tint to her skin, the expert way she shaded under her cheekbones…

She was a coldhearted criminal but she was one that was very easy to look at.

And even easier to fuck.

He opened the door.

He was going to say something but he didn’t get the chance when her hand darted out and she caught him under his jaw, using it to push him in and around until his back hit wall.

She stared up at him, her hand wrapped around his jaw, her expression holding an emptiness that was so extreme it was almost like a void he could fall into and get lost forever.

He heard the door swish closed and latch.

Then she was up on her toes, her head moving toward his, those green eyes dropping to his mouth.

She didn’t get her lips to his before his tongue was out, as was hers, both of them colliding and tangling before her mouth slammed to his just as her body pushed in, pressing hard, forcing him tighter to the wall.

He shoved out. Gripping her wrist at his jaw, he yanked it down, twisting and slamming her against the wall, slanting his head to deepen an already deep kiss. Their tongues again clashing before he actually took her mouth.

But he took her mouth.

And like she’d done to his, he consumed it.

His fingers still around her wrist, he yanked it around his back, using his body to shove her tight to the wall, pressing his hardening cock against her stomach.

She arched, and moving quickly, whipped him around so his back was to the wall and she took over the kiss. Tearing her wrist from his hold, she curled her fingers around his throat just as she cupped his hardening crotch with her other hand.

Fucking hell, this woman was hot.

But he was done playing.

And he was done kissing.

Her mouth, that was.

He pushed her away. She struggled to regain control.

She lost this struggle when he caught her hand and dragged her down the short hall into the room.

She lost her footing when he gave her hand a strong tug and she fell into him with a soft gasp.

He let her hand go, caught her hips and threw her four feet onto the bed.

That got him another soft gasp which took his cock from hardening to rock-solid and throbbing.

He bent over her, holding her now intense green gaze, spanning her hips with his hands. Shoving backwards, he found the hook of her skirt, released it and pulled down the zipper.

He moved his fingers to curl them into the sides of her skirt’s waistband. With a vicious tug that took her hips and panties with it, he yanked off the skirt.

Chest to the bed, eyes to her cunt, the black curls neatly groomed with a precision that meant her wax technician was a master with possible OCD issues, they were also glistening with wet.

Having the tussle at the door, seeing the utter perfection of her pussy, smelling her, watching her legs part in invitation, her knees shifting up, Nick couldn’t have gone gentle if he’d wanted to.

Luckily he didn’t want to.

He bent his neck and devoured her.

Fuck, she tasted just as perfect as she looked.

As he fed, he felt her excitement ramp. Tasted it. Ate it. Gave her more. Consumed the result. Drove her to the edge.

And when he had her there, he stopped and moved over her.

Not surprisingly, she used both the pump she already had planted into the bed and the calf she had wrapped around him to flip him and then she was straddling him, pushing up, her hands already to his fly.

Normally, he would not allow this.

Her face flushed with need, her manner urgent, even desperate, all that surged through his blood, his gut, straight to his cock.

So he allowed this.

She tugged his pants down, grabbed his dick, guided it to her and took him home.

At the beauty of her sheathing him, he gritted his teeth against the urge to let go and release way too fucking early. Bucking his hips, he watched how much she liked taking him, her head thrown back, her shining, straight mass of silken black hair swaying.

Then she dropped forward into a hand in the bed by his side, locked eyes with him and rode him violently as he watched until she gave it to herself and she kept doing it until she forced it from him.

Fucking spectacular.

He came down buried inside her, his eyes opening to see her still resting in her hand in the bed, her body moving gently with her still-labored-but-evening breathing, her dark hair framing her oval face, her straight bangs brushing her lashes, her green eyes locked to his trying to brand him, make him hers.

No way in fuck that was happening.

But he’d take more of this.

A lot more.

That said, the woman was going to learn how to give up control.

Not surprisingly, without a word, she swung off his cock, moving immediately toward the side of the mattress.

Nick focused on pulling up his trousers, doing the fly and angling off the bed. By the time he was up and had turned his attention back to her, she was on her feet, facing him, arms twisted behind her to do up the skirt she’d put on.

He held her gaze.

“We got all night, Olivia,” he informed her.

Not even a hint of a response to him calling her the name she hadn’t given him.

Then again, he knew she knew him; she’d make it her business.

She also knew he’d do the same with her, even before he sat next to her the night before.

Her expression might not have changed but his words spurred her to action, this being walking his way.

She stopped. Her eyes still on his, she lifted a hand and touched his chest lightly with just the pad of her middle finger.

It lasted half a second.

Then she dropped her hand, turned and walked away.

He heard the door close behind her and he couldn’t stop his smile.

Fuck yes, a seriously cool customer.

And the hottest fuck he’d had in his life.

Back in the day, Nick Sebring had been known as the incompetent, unprincipled wastrel younger brother of a successful man.
He was no longer any of that.
What he was was a dark horse.

Nick Sebring. *pause for dirty thoughts* After first meeting him as Knight’s younger brother with a slew of issues in Knight, I knew I wanted his story. See I have this things for the screwed up ones, and Nick was the furthest from perfect as it gets. He had a thing for his brother’s woman, a slight drug problem, and that’s not touching on the other things he dabbled in. But it’s been years since Knight, and Nick is no longer the young boy with issues he once was. He’s all man now, but he’s definitely not without issues. They’re just different now.

The instant I caught sight of him, I froze.
He was tall.
His eyes were the color of the ocean.
And he made me believe that I could want something, take it and HAVE it.
Own it.
Keep it.

I never doubted for even a second that the amazing Kristen Ashley would be able to redeem Nick and boy did she! She did so flawlessly. The fact that the book takes place years after the events of Knight certainly helped. In those years, Nick has grown, he’s changed, and he also suffered a loss the likes of which he never healed from. Now all he wants is vengeance. Vengeance on the man who was an integral part in setting things in motion that led to one of the most devastating nights of his life. He’ll do anything, he’ll kill anyone that gets in his way, and he’s use any means at his disposal without regret. The best means to get to the head of a notorious crime family? Through the daughter that helps run his empire…

Mysterious pussy could also just be a mystery.
And Nick was now drowning in the mystery of Olivia Shade.
Which meant he had no choice but to solve it so he could surface.
And maybe survive.

Olivia Shade is the black sheep of her family. Her father, the head of a crime syndicate is certifiable, and her sister is ruthless. Olivia doesn’t want this life for herself, but she also doesn’t see a way out. The only way to escape is death, a lesson that was painfully taught to her years ago. It’s a lesson she’ll never forget and she carries the remnants of it to this day.

Olivia knows who Nick is. How could she not? But can she trust that his interest in her is genuine? Can she really have the sort of happy she’s always yearned for? Or will it all go down in flames…
Sebring was the final book in Kristen Ashley’s Unfinished Hero and it certainly concludes with a bang. Nick was everything I’d hoped he would be and so much more. He’s sex on a stick and let’s just say the man’s kinks really did it for me.

Sebring,” I gasped.
“Come,” he ordered.
My entire body started trembling.
“Fucking COME,” he growled.
Shuddering under him, I came.
Spectacularly.

I loved everything about this book; the set up, the characters, the romance. Olivia is a heroine that’s impossible not to love. The things she’s been through, and finding out the true depth of them, you begin to yearn for her HEA just as much as she does. And as for Nick? *swoon*
Sebring was action packed, quick-paced erotic perfection. Every new page was more delicious than the last. It offers a KA kind of grit which just works. It’s not as dark as most other anti-heroes books you’ll find, but it has enough of an edge to satisfy both readers that crave the super gritty and those that just want to dabble in it and dip a toe in the genre. You will absolutely devour this book. It’s impossible not to.

All I can say, is Nick Sebring was worth every minute of the wait. The perfect conclusion to one of my favorite series. My only complaint is that now it’s over.
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Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Dirty Talkers, Erotic Rom, Excerpts, Giveaways · Tagged With: antihero, Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, Kristen Ashley

DGR Fave & Review: ★The Score★ by @ElleKennedy

January 8, 2016 by Lana ·

The Score
Series: Off-Campus #3
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: January 11, 2016

He knows how to score, on and off the ice

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

AMAZON | KOBO

I kiss him back hungrily, helpless to resist him. Dean Di Laurentis is in my blood now. I didn’t expect this intense sexual chemistry between us, but it’s here, and it’s addictive, and I don’t know how I can ever give it up.

You know when you read the first book in a series and you love it so much that you don’t think anything can top it, but then you read the second and you love it just as much? So then you know that the chances of that continue to hold for the 3rd book are slim, right? In my experience, it’s tough to keep that sort of momentum going…unless, of course, you’re Elle Kennedy. Because not only was The Score absolutely fantastic, but it turned out to be my favorite in the series. And considering how much I loved the previous two books, that’s saying something.

Now let’s be real here; considering how much I love me my manwhores, it was already a good chance I’d love Dean Di Laurentis. Even the man’s name is hot, for goodness sake. Between his self assured ways, cocky attitude, humor, and manwhoring tendencies, I couldn’t get enough of him.

The guy has the attention span of a fruit fly, and the affection-giving habits of a puppy, offering his sexual devotion to whoever happens to be holding the treat. By which I mean the vagina.

What I love about Elle’s writing, is the depth that she gives her characters. And Dean certainly was no exception. He may be the hard partying manwhore with a crass sense of humor, but beneath that perfect exterior there’s so much more to him and you really get to see it blossom here.

Allie Hayes is Hanna’s best friend that just recently broke up with her long term boyfriend of 3 years. In fear of giving in when he comes calling again, Allie seeks an escape at Garrett’s place. She knows all about Dean and his one and done ways and he may be hot but he’s not for her. She’s a nester. She has relationships not one night stands. But then a broken heart and some tequila lead to one of the hottest hookups of her life with none other than the sexy manwhore. She’s determined to keep it in just friends zone after but Dean is determined to change her mind.

Have you considered seeing a psychiatrist about your delusions?” I ask politely. “Because, sweetie, there’s no chance in hell of us boning tonight.”
“Fine. How about we go down on each other instead?”
“How about you leave?”
“Counter offer- I stay and we dry hump.”

The Score is this amazing combination of witty humor and endearing characters. While I loved the slow building romance between Dean and Allie, what kept me turning the pages was the banter between them and the rest of the guys. The Twilight references alone had me laughing like a loon. It was witty and crass, and wildly entertaining. Dean and Allie together was the perfect examples of opposites attracting and I absolutely loved them together. Their banter and chemistry was utterly delicious.

…last I checked, genitals don’t decide who gets to listen to their music first.”
“Oh yes, they do…
See, if you take away my dick privileges, I’ll be fine for moths. Years, even. But if I take away your pussy privileges? You’ll be utterly lost. Like a drowning man at sea, desperately grabbing for the vagina preserver. Therefore, vagina trumps penis.”

I loved how Miss Kennedy pulled off an incredibly sexy romance while keeping it realistically slow paced. These two may burn up the sheets together, but the feelings came with time and I for one loved watching those develop for both of them.
This isn’t just a story of the manwhore meeting his match and inevitably succumbing to his feelings for her; it’s so much more. The story had wit and humor and so much depth to it, too. There’s something that happens towards the end that caught me completely off guard. I never in a million years expected something like that to happen and yet as much as it broke my heart, I can’t help but to admit it did the job of driving the plot where it needed to go.

Without a doubt, Elle Kennedy is a force to be reckoned with. The woman can write the hell out of a book. Dean and Allie’s story was funny, sexy, swoony, emotional and wildly entertaining. It was everything I love about romance and exactly why I read New Adult. THIS is how it needs to be done. I can’t wait to see what the next book brings, because after that little peak we got? Oh yeah! It’s about to get real.

★DON’T MISS THE REST OF THE SERIES★

THE DEAL (on sale for $.99) | THE MISTAKE (on sale for $1.99)

· Filed Under: All Reviews, DGR Favorites, New Adult · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave, manwhores

Review: ★Break Even★ by @LisaDeJongBooks

January 7, 2016 by Lana ·

Break Even
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lisa De Jong
Release Date: December 27, 2015

My story isn’t a love story … not the typical kind anyway.
As a lawyer, I’m used to discovery, but I never saw this one coming.

Every day, River gives me ten reasons to stay away, and then eleven reasons why I can’t. Our relationship was to remain strictly business, or at least I tried.

Four years of marriage, and everything with Cole has changed. I never knew two people who lived together could be so distant. But I’m not ready to give up on him.

One man wants to break me.
The other is just trying to get even.

Both are lying to me.

**This is a standalone!**

AMAZON / iBOOKS

To an outsider, I have it all- the job, the husband, and the house- but inside I’m nearly empty.

I’m not a reader that has many hard limits in books, but damn if this didn’t take me out of my comfort zone in the best way possible. Evocative and unpredictable, Break Even crossed many lines, but written in the flawless and gripping way it is; it just worked. See I’m one of those rare readers that doesn’t mind cheating in books so long as I feel that it fits the story. I’m not saying that I condone it, but I don’t see romance in black in white with books. I can appreciate that fictional characters, much like real people are not perfect and mistakes happen. If the author can endear me to the MCs, I can look past a lot; cheating, love triangles. So long as I have a connection to the characters and I understand the why’s of their behavior, I can overlook their imperfections. To be frank, that’s the best part of reading for me; for something to take me out of my comfort zone and make me think. I don’t want perfect characters and idealistic situations. I want them real. I like the grittiness of imperfection. With that being said, I can see that this book won’t be for everyone. But if you decide to venture out of your comfort zone I can also tell you that you will not regret it.

I love him. I truly, deeply love him, but sometimes I have to search forever to remember how I feel in the first place.

Break Even is the story of a woman that’s torn. A woman that loves her husband but has also felt herself drift apart from him though the years. Marley is a strong, independent and professional woman, but she’s not perfect by any means. In a vulnerable point of her life she meets a man that changes everything…

River is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. He’s untouchable-unobtainable- and I’m married.

River Holtz is a sexy enigma. He entices Marley and threatens her control, yet beyond him being her new client she knows nothing about him. River was easily my favorite part of the book. He’s magnetic. His words, his mere presence effected me with every page. He’s a character that you don’t soon forget.

Every inch of your perfect little body is aching to know what my hands would feel like. Every. Fucking. Inch. You hold a shield up, thinking it will keep me away, but there’s nothing I don’t see.

This is a book about imperfect people dealing with an impossibly imperfect situation. What do you do when you see your marriage falling apart? When you’re vulnerable and in need of simple attention and affection. Do you strive to make your marriage work or do you give into one moment of weakness that can cost you everything? Those are just a few of the questions addressed and none of them have a simple answer.

Break Even was unpredictable and filled with the sort of twists that will send your mind reeling. You think you know what’s happening, but you don’t. You think you know where it’s leading, but you don’t. It’s evocative and erotic, and yet it has that touch of emotion that will make you understand the characters and their decisions even if you don’t agree with them.

I hate him.
I want him.
I loathe him.
I need him.

This was my first book by this author and I can certainly tell that it will not be my last. This book was exactly the sort of different I was looking for. It took me out of my comfort zone and kept me reading well into the night. I loved every word of it. It’s not black and white. It’s firmly rooted in that gray area. But the fact that Lisa De Jong truly made the reader connect with the heroine made it work.

Each character drove the plot in a meaningful way and the end result was a twist I never saw coming. It was utterly delicious. If you’re looking for a book that’s not your typical every day romance, I can’t recommend this one enough.

You ruined me, Marley. You fucking ruined me.”

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, cheating, with an edge

HUGE list of Sales & Freebies

January 5, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

All sales and freebies verified as of 1/5/16. Please double check all prices before one-clicking since they’re subject to change. Click directly on book cover for buy links 😉