The Second Chances Blog Tour

September 15, 2017 by ·

Second Chances: A Romance Writers of America Collection
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors:  J. Kenner, Christina Lauren, Brandi Willis Schreiber, Liliana Hart, Alyssa Day, Rachel Hauck, Damon Suede, Marilyn Brant, Renee Luke, Kerri Carpenter, Tara Wyatt
Release Date: September 12, 2017

Do you believe in second chances?

Romance Writers of America brings together seventeen of today’s hottest authors in an anthology of never-before-published tales that reveal true love always deserves a happy ending.

Follow New York Times best-selling authors J. Kenner and Christina Lauren back to reader-favorite worlds.

New York Times bestseller Alyssa Day sprinkles djinn magic in her humorous paranormal romance, while Rachel Hauck brings the enchantment of the holidays in her New Year’s Eve contemporary love story.

And Liliana Hart delivers thrills and adventure in her characters’ search for the impossible.

With characters who find love through tough situations, in an elegant 1800s ballroom, with an old friend who shows up when least expected, at a tender age when cliques and homework get in the way of relationships, or after a random encounter in an unlikely setting, Second Chances delivers romance to strike every reader’s fancy.

Plus tales from:
Marilyn Brant
Kerri Carpenter
CiCi Coughlin
Cassandra Dean
Tina Ferraro
Renee Luke
Ariella Moon
Brandi Willis Schreiber
Lizzie Shane
Sharon Sobel
Damon Suede
Tara Wyatt

 
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So admittedly, I only got this anthology for the novella by Christina Lauren. What? I’m an addict when it comes to their writing. If you’re like me, you’re going to be thrilled to be getting Levi’s story. And if you’re not familiar, Levi is Finn’s younger brother from Sweet Filthy Boy.

There are a whole lot of authors packed into this anthology, and this worked out well for me because I got a taste of some authors I’ve been curious to try but haven’t had the chance to yet.

Each story has the same theme of, you guessed it, second chance romance. Being a sucker for this trope, I gobbled each story up.

This is merely a taste for each author more so that a novella, in my opinion. They’re a touch on the short side to be completely satisfying (about 30 pages give or take per story if I had to estimate), but they’re long enough to let you get to know the author and their writing style and fall in love. As short as the stories were, they were surprisingly fulfilling.

The Second Chances anthology was a fun, swoony read that introduced me to several new to me authors that I can’t wait to read more of. If you’re looking for a fun way to get introduced to a wide array of different authors, this anthology is great.

From Alyssa Day on why her two protagonists are so perfect for each other: “They make each other laugh! As a Navy wife of more than 21 years, trust me: laughter is the most important indicator of success in a relationship.”
[Jake Cardinal wakes up after a wild night to find a familiar djinn in his house. Now if only he knew her real name…]She was holding the fridge door open, bending down, which gave Jake a really terrific view of her really terrific ass. Damn, but she was beautiful.

“Look, Ruby—”

In one smooth move, she straightened and tossed a carton of milk at him. “It’s not Ruby this time. Smell that and see if it’s fresh.”

He sniffed, recoiled, and recapped the carton before tossing it in the trash can. “Two points. We could go out to breakfast … Amethyst?”

“Not Amethyst. But—” She went completely still for a second, not blinking, not even breathing. She had the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. Dreaming, drowning, summer-sky-just-after-a-rain blue. He almost forgot to breathe.

“Are you asking me to go to breakfast with you?”

“Yep. And no, it’s not a wish, before you ask.” Jake took the deep breath his lungs were begging for and blew it out. “We need to get this wish thing out of the way. Tell me your real name, already.”

“Why?” Suspicion curled her sensual lips and soured her tone. “I know all about wizards and witches and the power of a name.”

“Then you know about the power of domicile. I could command you to give me your name.”

Her laughter was like a peal of silvery bells, with the crash of thundering surf underneath. Delicate beauty and imperious power, combined. It suited her.

It was her.

The short, spiky, purple hair? Not so much.

She sneered at him. “You could command me to do nothing.”

He flicked a tiny spell at her, and she disappeared. Just vanished before his spell was even halfway across the room. The target gone, the magic fizzled and swirled its way out of the window, into the rosy light of sunrise over the lake.

And then she materialized in front of him and punched him in the face.

Alyssa Day is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of  more than thirty-four books, including the Warriors of Poseidon and Cardinal Witches paranormal romance series and the Tiger’s Eye Mysteries paranormal mystery series.  Her many awards include Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award for outstanding romance fiction, and the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Paranormal Romance novel of 2012.  Her books have been translated into a zillion languages but she’s still holding out for Klingon.  You can find her at alyssaday.com or on Facebook and Twitter talking about her future pug ranch.
· Filed Under: Contemporary Romance, Excerpts · Tagged With:

Review: Eye Candy Anthology

September 13, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

EYE CANDY Anthology
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Tijan, J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, Tara Sivec
Release Date: September 5, 2017

A frightfully good time! Dive into these Halloween novellas from bestselling authors Tijan, J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, Bella Jewel and Tara Sivec. Featuring stories set in the worlds of their popular series.

Tijan’s Fallen Crest crew are back for a weekend of mischief that takes a sinister turn; all four couples from J. Daniels’ Alabama Summer series gear up for Halloween in their own sexy ways, with a special surprise at the end; Helena Hunting’s characters from Shacking Up plan a Halloween gala that features a few ghouls and witches; Bella Jewel brings the chills and thrills in her suspenseful take on Halloween night; and Tara Sivecgathers the Holiday family together one last time as they try to make this ghostly holiday one to remember—or one they’d rather forget…

Cozy up with a mug of hot cider on a dark night and fall under the spell of this Halloween anthology!

AMAZON | iBOOKSI read only two stories out of this anthology; Tijan’s Fallen Crest Nightmare and J. Daniel’s So Much More and my rating for the anthology is an average for those.
———————-

SO MUCH MORE by J. Daniels
5 STARS

Goo! I’m a pile of goo! This story was just perfection. Sweet, sexy, giddy smile on your face perfection. J. Daniels brings her entire gang back in her Alabama Summer Series, and it was GLORIOUS. Mia and Ben, Reed and Beth, CJ and Riley, and my favorite couple, Tessa and Luke all get a story here and it was like the ridiculously perfect icing on the already tasty cake. I loved this series, but getting this additional peek into these couples lives was fantastic. And then there was Nolan. OMG NOLAN! You guys! This is easily one of the most vivid, most endearing characters J has ever written to date and he’s just a kid. But oh man, he steals my heart each and every single time I read about him. And that final chapter? PERFECTION!
——————–

Fallen Crest Nightmare by Tijan
4 STARS

Firstly, how am I only discovering this author now? What sort of rock have I been living under? This novella was a fun and spooky bonus to the Fallen Crest series and I. Am. Hooked.
There were so many characters that I was just discovering and I had no issues keeping up. If anything, this novella just whet my appetite for more. This was a fun hybrid of Scream and NA goodness and I gobbled it right up. Then I went and immediately one-clicked the Fallen Crest High series. I feel a reading binge coming on in my very near future.

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Review: Dirty Filthy Rich Love by Laurelin Paige

September 11, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

Dirty Filthy Rich Love
Series: Dirty Duet #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Laurelin Paige
Release Date: September 11, 2017

I’ve discovered Donovan Kincaid’s secret.

It’s dirty and filthy and rich – as dirty and filthy and rich as he is – and it haunts me as much as he ever did.

Even after knowing what I know now, I still want to talk to him, to touch him. But there’s an ocean between us, and I’m not sure it can be crossed with something as easy as a phone call or a plane ride.

Yet I’m willing to try.

He doesn’t know this yet, but this time I’m the one with the power.

And maybe – just maybe – if the air were cleared and all our secrets bared, there could still be a chance for us.

And this dirty, filthy thing between us might end up being love after all.

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Right then, right there, with my hands tied behind my back, my cheek pressed against the wall, and his hand clasped at my throat, I finally understood the depth of what he felt for me. And so I surrendered.

*Pervy shivers*

Oh man. This duet.

*pervy shudders*

It was downright sinful. The conclusion takes off immediately where Dirty Filthy Rich Men ended; leaving Sabrina in the aftermath of her revelations about Donovan.

Obsession. Posessiveness. Lust. All the lines got blurred during their whirlwind romance. A romance based on nothing more than a shared kink and an undeniable connection. But was it more? Can a true relationship be formed on something that was so jagged. That is the answer we get with Dirty Filthy Rich Love.

…I am not a knight in shining armor.”
“No,” I laughed. “You’re not.” I sobered. “And yet you are….
You’re also the villain, don’t forget that.”
“Lucky for me you’re the kind of girl who likes to fuck the villain.”

Donovan never expected for his heart to get involved or to even give it to anyone else again after so many years of hiding it behind impenetrable walls. But if his actions are anything to go by, he’s done just that with Sabrina. And though he was willing to walk away from her to protect her from himself, the pull between them is much too strong.

Walking toward him was like deciding to walk through fire when I was already covered with first-degree burns. It hurt like I couldn’t describe. But I was a girl who lived in darkness. His fire sure looked bright.

Laurelin pulls the reader deeper into the orbit of this couple and their dark brand of kink. She throws them right into the epicenter of their storm and it was impossible to tear your attention away for even a second. I’ve always loved Donovan’s intensity, but I loved seeing his vulnerable side even more. The man is all sorts of delicious with his possessive and controlling tendencies. I loved seeing Sabrina put him in his place while giving into him at the same time. I loved watching the the sparks between them blaze hotter and hotter until it explodes into something sinfully delicious.

The author brings the story in a full circle with the events that we first read in book one and gives the reader an immensely satisfying ending.

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

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Excerpt, Review & Giveaway: Can’t Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter

September 8, 2017 by · 1 Comment

CAN’T HARDLY BREATHE
Series: The Original Heartbreakers #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: August 29, 2017

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with an irresistible Original Heartbreakers story about a woman who’s never felt desired and the man who wants her more than air to breathe…

Bullied in high school, Dorothea Mathis’s past is full of memories she’d rather forget. But there’s one she can’t seem to shake—her longstanding crush on former Army Ranger Daniel Porter. Now that the sexy bad boy has started using her inn as his personal playground, she should kick him out…but his every heated glance makes her want to join him instead.

Daniel returned to Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma to care for his ailing father and burn off a little steam with no strings attached. Though he craves the curvy Dorothea night and day, he’s as marred by his past as she is by hers. The more he desires her, the more he fears losing her.

But every sizzling encounter leaves him desperate for more, and soon Daniel must make a choice: take a chance on love or walk away forever.

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Daniel, having served multiple tours of duty, had come back a hero.His life had meaning, hers didn’t. He and two of his friends had started a security company right here in Strawberry Valley. He took care of his ailing father, and in his free time he dated a plethora of city girls.

Dorothea knew about the girls because he’d stayed at the inn every time a date had ended…successfully.

Her flush returned full force as she considered the other five rooms he’d wrecked since his return…all the pleasure he’d been having…all the pleasure she wished she could experience.

Not with him, of course. With someone she liked and respected. Someone who liked and respected her, too, despite the fact that she was still too round for society’s unhealthy standards, a lot too freckled and trapped in a dead-end job.

Daniel Porter would never qualify.

Dorothea found him attractive, yes, but to her, ap­pearance would never outshine personality.

My man must be my equal. She had a lot of love to give. She’d even grown to like herself…kind of. Maybe. Fine, she was trying to like herself.

Avoiding Daniel’s gaze, she said, “No, you stay. I’ll go.” Words her mother had drilled into her shouted in­side her head: the customer comes first. “I’ll finish your room later.” She rolled the vacuum toward her cart.

“You live here, right?” he asked. “You own the inn?”

“I… Yes.” Technically she lived in the attic. The more rooms she had available for guests, the more money she would make. At least in theory.

Money was the number one reason she cleaned the pig­sties herself, rather than hiring a maid. She was saving her pennies to turn every plain, ordinary room into a themed paradise. Then Strawberry Valley residents would hap­pily pay to stay just for fun.

Again, in theory.

So far she’d decided on six themes. (1) Four seasons—the weather, not the hotel chain. (2) An enchanted forest. (3) A techno dance club. (4) The underwater world of Atlantis. (5) A royal palace. And (6) an inner sanctum, aka a superhero’s wet dream.

Also up for consideration? A beach hut, an igloo, an insane asylum for her more daring patrons and a des­ert oasis.

With twenty-three rooms in total, she needed other ideas fast. And more money. A lot more money.

Maybe, when the transformations were completed, the feeling of accomplishment would finally chase away her anger and bitterness. Maybe she would feel alive. Happy.

“If any part of your stay was subpar,” she said, “I will personally—”

“No, everything has been great.” He looked over his shoulder and winked at her. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to get into trouble with the boss.”

Every pulse point in her body leaped with excitement. He’d winked at her. Her!

I think you’re perfect just the way you are.

Red alert! She would not read more into his words than he’d intended. Not this time. He was a flirt, plain and simple. Always had been, apparently always would be.

“Why would I get in trouble?” she asked.

“For not finishing the room.”

Oh. Right. “Well, as long as you plan to come back to the inn, I won’t fire myself. Not because I’m desperate to see you or anything,” she added in a rush. “I’m not.” Dang it! “I mean, I’m always glad to see you here. I mean, I just want your money.” Okay. Enough!

He laughed, his amber eyes twinkling.

Air caught in her throat and sizzled. He had the sexiest laugh on the planet. His entire face softened. He pulsed with new life; fresh and vibrant, he was the epitome of spring.

Then he frowned, as if he couldn’t believe he’d found humor in, well, anything.

Her brow furrowed with confusion. Why the doom and gloom?

“In that case,” he said, his tone flat, “I think I’ll stay another night.”

“Really?” She licked her lips. “What about your girl­friend?”

He stiffened. “She isn’t my—”

“No, don’t tell me. I’m sorry I asked. Your love life isn’t my business.”

“I live in Strawberry Valley. My love life is every­one’s business.”

His wry tone made her chuckle, and he stiffened all over again. Great. What had she done wrong this time?

“I’ll be alone tonight,” he said, looking anywhere but at her. “Apparently I hover over my dad when I’m home, so he’s asked for another night off. But I swear to you, this room will be clean in the morning.”

She snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Doubting Dot­tie.” A pause, then, “Would you like a cup of coffee be­fore you go?”

“Oh, uh, no, thank you.” While she no longer viewed Daniel through the wounded eyes of high school betrayal— he’d been a nice boy doing a nice thing for a vulnerable girl in desperate need of a white knight—she’d endured too much heartbreak over the years to risk getting to know him better and reigniting her crush.

Look at the way she’d reacted to him already.

He appeared…disappointed? No, of course not. A trick of the light, surely. “Well. See you around, Daniel.”

“Yeah. See you around, Dottie.” He returned his at­tention to his toiletry bag, dismissing her.

Irritation had her snapping, “My name is Dorothea.”

Before he could respond, she stepped into the hall and closed the door with a soft snick. Hands trembling, she hooked the vacuum to the cart and rolled the cargo to the supply room…where her younger sister Holly was smoking a cigarette.

Nightmares didn’t really come to life. Nor did pornos. Not that she watched those…very often. But dang it, this had to be one or the other. The sexiest man on the planet had just strode into the room. He was shirtless, sweat glistening on his eight pack—and his name was Daniel Porter. The Daniel.

I love an underdog heroine with a backbone and who’s full of sass and witty banter. I love a broody hero that goes after what he wants with single minded intent. I love Gena Showalter’s humorous writing. I love a delicious slow burn. And I LOVED this book! SO HARD.

Dorothea Mathis was a heroine that was impossible not to love. I remember being intrigued by her in The Hotter You Burn and she completely stole the show here. Bullied in high school, she still feels the remnants of it with her self esteem. But the one memory that truly bruised her heart was of the boy that she fell for in high school that proved to her that while nice guys exist, she’s never going to be the one of the pretty girls that gets his attention.

Now she’s older, wiser, and no longer the naive girl she once was. A failed marriage only served to drive home the point that a passionate love is something that will always allude her. She tried chasing her dreams but her choices led her back to her small hometown, licking her wounds, running her family’s failing inn, and trying to regain the trust and love of her snarky and grumpy teenage sister. The last man she expects to darken the doorstep of her inn is the one boy that she never forgot, that now grew into a man that makes her heart beat even faster in her presence.

He was the human equivalent of a brownie. Yummy, but oh, so bad for her.

Former army ranger Daniel uses women to escape memories. A sweaty nights between the sheets with no strings attached is his version of therapy. He’s always had a thing for the beautiful Dorothea, but she refuses to be just another notch on his bedpost and that only serves to intrigue him more.

Say yes, and I’ll spend the first hour in bed making you come over and over again, doing anything you want. Everything you need. The second hour, I’ll make the first one look like amateur night. By the third, there’s no place on your body I won’t have explored—no place you won’t ache for me.”

This book had some of the most delicious banter I’ve read in a while. It was humorous and sexy and ridiculously fun. I loved how hard Daniel chased and I loved the way that Dorothea really made him work for it. She may be the underdog, but she’s no pushover. She’s got sass for days but her vulnerability served to make her so incredibly endearing. I couldn’t get enough of these two.

There’s also a slew of secondary characters that are introduced that I’m already hooked on, line and sinker. Especially the womanizing bad boy, Brock.

To Ryanne, Brock said, “Baby, kissing your go-tohell is what I’ll be doing for twelve of your fifteen minutes in heaven.” “Lucky me.” She pretended to gag. “By the way, your dates are wearing pants so tight I can see their religion.”
“I saw you bend over earlier. Yours are tighter, doll.” His gaze swept over her, his eyes twinkling. “Tsk-tsk. Haven’t been to church in a while, have we.”

I absolutely adored this slow burn romance. I loved watching Daniel fall harder and harder even if he refused to acknowledge the fact. I loved watching Dorothea really come into her own and grow into a sassy, confident woman that finally goes after what she wants.

He was hot, his lips soft, his jaw prickly. The taste of him…mint and…sin? Crack? He kissed her deeply, dreamily, slow and easy, sweeping her up in the gentlest of storms. A soft summer rain. An exploration.

I’m absolutely giddy for more in this series. GIDDY. Yes, it’s slightly campy, but in the best possible way. It was steamy rom com perfection. If a feel-good romance with plenty of laughs, amazing banter, and swoon for days is what you’re craving, Can’t Hardly Breathe will deliver in spades. I loved every page of it.

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she’s appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans

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#DGRFave & Review: Crow by A. Zavarelli

September 6, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

CROW
Series: Boston Underground #1
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Author: A. Zavarelli
Release Date: February 8, 2016

An Irish mobster. A missing friend. Two loyalties, ripping me apart.

I had a plan.

Get in, get my information, and get out. Easy, right?

Turns out, infiltrating the Irish mafia isn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I just wanted a soldier. Someone I could flirt with to get me in the door.

That’s when Lachlan Crow noticed me. Problem was, he wasn’t a soldier. No, he was next in line for the throne of the Irish underworld. And he was determined to hate me from the outset. My sob story about needing a job? Yeah, he wasn’t buying that either.

Too bad for him, I won’t let anyone get in the way of my mission.

Who cares if we have some kind of crazy chemistry? He’s the worst kind of wrong- and I would never in a million years be with a guy like him.

Because they took her from me, and I’m going to make them pay.

AMAZON

You live for the syndicate, you die for the syndicate.

FREAKING. LOVED. Where has this series been all my life?! Or rather, where have I been living that I’m only discovering it now?!

This book was EVERYTHING I love. Gritty, dark mafia romance with a seriously kick ass heroine and an anti-hero that’s just as delicious as he is dangerous.

But let’s start with the heroine, shall we?

I’m the daughter of Jack Wilder. A third generation Irish-American with champion’s blood running through my veins. I was raised on the streets of Southie, and I’m not afraid of anyone. I’ll take on every single one of those motherfuckers and I’ll do it with a smile on my face.

Mackenzie “Mack” grew up hard. After losing her underground boxer father to a brutal murder by the Russian mafia, she was left with nothing but her best friend Talia. The girls became everything to each other, sisters in everything but blood. So when Talia goes missing, Mack is determined to find her. She doesn’t buy the story that she simply left with her boyfriend. And when the cops and FBI won’t listed to her, she’s determined to do it herself…by going undercover at the strip club owned by one of the most ruthless mobs in Southie. This is what lands her in the crosshairs of Lachlan Crow.

Jaysus, woman,” he sighs. “Ye clean up your fecking mouth before I do it for you. You want to work for me ye better start acting like a lady.”
“I am a goddamn lady.” I grin.

The chemistry between these two is immediate. And what begins is a delicious game of cat and mouse, though at times you’ll wonder who the true cat is. While Crow is a force to be reckoned with and is as lethal as he is sexy, Mack is a force of her own. This is one tough chick and I loved her sass and balls to the walls attitude.

But it’s not long before lines begin to get blurred and Mack’s game is no longer a game. What happens when the man you believe holds your life is in hands is also a man you begin to crave beyond reason?

The sound of his pleasure and depravity jump starts my heart and explodes into my bloodstream. I’ve never felt anything like it before. Whatever it is, it’s ricocheting through my body, possessing me like a demon. My hands draw him closer, and the next thing I know, I’m kissing him back. Hard.

The story is downright addicting. It’s full of twists and turns and with a depraved sort of grit that kept me glued to the pages. It was violent, unapologetic, and spared no detail. And this girl? SALIVATING.

I’m not sure how this series has flown under my radar for so long, but I’m rectifying that mistake as we speak by binging on the rest of these amazing stories!

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New Release & Jenn’s Review: Raw Heat by Cherrie Lynn

September 5, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

RAW HEAT
Series: Larson Brothers #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Cherrie Lynn
Release Date: September 5, 2017

The third book in the Larson Brothers series from New York Times bestselling author Cherrie Lynn is the sexiest installment yet!

Youngest Larson brother Damien has the luck of the devil. Fast talking and faster thinking, he owns a successful nightclub in Houston and runs an illegal poker room upstairs. After a troubled childhood, now nothing is out of Damien’s reach—except his accountant, Emma Haskell.

Emma has always been drawn to Damien’s dark intensity and the gleam in his eyes that promises more than she can possibly handle. But when her brother’s gambling threatens to destroy her family, Damien makes her an offer she’d be crazy to accept—but can’t refuse: her brother’s debts will be forgiven, and Emma belongs to him for thirty days.

In Damien’s world, he shows his angelic bookkeeper what it’s like to live with the devil. But Emma brings out a side in Damien he thought didn’t exist. Will the flames of lust scorch them both, or will this beauty tame the beast and give him something to fight for?

Raw Heat scorches with emotional intensity and smoldering passion that will leave readers spellbound!

AMAZON | iBOOKS

4.5 “Buy the shoes, eat the cake, fuck the guy” Stars!!!!!

I was all up in this book. Numbers. Poker. Nerd. Asshole. A perfect book recipe, and this book baked itself into my heart and into my pants.

à la Mode St. » fashion

“The idea, when it hatched, slithered from its shell in his mind, dark and slimy but irresistible. His best ideas usually made him feel like a dirty sonofabitch; that’s how he knew they were good ones. Suddenly nothing seemed impossible anymore. That sweet pink mouth could be his for the taking.”

à la Mode St. » fashionEmma is the nerdy accountant. Damien is her boss, and also a poker genius. When Emma’s brother gets caught up in some debt to Damien, Emma is willing to do anything to help him get out of it, and Damien takes full advantage. Damien wants Emma, and he is determined to get her, morals be damned. This alpha-hole goes down in the books because he is sooooo mean to her.

Damien. He is a tall glass of asshole, and I drank every last drop. His soul is black as night, and that’s how I like ‘em, ya’ll. He’s smooth. He’s sexy. He’s perfect. Of course, I loved how Emma started working her light into his darkness, but it wasn’t too fast, and he was still an asshole in the end. I loooooved that they had numbers in common. An accountant and poker genius?! Perfection! Damien likes it dirty dirty dirty. Oh yeah, I saw it coming too. This book has some BDSM touches to it, and that isn’t a spoiler.
à la Mode St. » fashion

“I’m the mean, selfish bastard who has you here. I’m the one taking advantage of the situation. Maybe if I had a kind bone in my body, I would send you back home and consider the deal done. But I’m not going to do that. It isn’t how I operate. So absolve yourself, and blame me. I promise you. I can take it.”

à la Mode St. » fashionI loved that we got Damien’s pov. It makes this book so much more worth it. The characters were all written so well, even the side characters. The plot was fantastic. It was basically perfection. Cherrie Lynn has always had a special place in my heart, and I’m so glad this book brought me back to her.

THE SERIES

RAW DEAL | RAW NEED | RAW HEAT

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Jenn’s 5 Star Review: Drifter by Janine Bosco ‏

September 1, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

DRIFTER
Series: Nomad #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic
Author: Janine Infante Bosco
Release Date: September 20, 2016

“Stryker”
I’m a drifter.
A man born to ride through this world alone.
There used to be a time when I thought I was the rescuing type. I enlisted in the Marines and made it my duty—I was going to save lives.
I was going to be a true American hero.
But God had another plan.
Or maybe Satan did.
For everything I touch finds mortality.
I’m no hero.
I’m nothing.
I’m a veteran biker, a former nomad who survived war only to live in hell.
Now I ride with the Satan’s Knights of Brooklyn and I’m drifting into a different kind of chaos.
The kind that revolves around a pretty girl with intoxicating green eyes.
A girl who has the power to turn me inside out.
A girl who doesn’t need anyone to rescue her because she’s her own savior.
Until she’s not.
But a man plagued by war and the devil inside him can never be her hero.

Gina Spinelli

Strong. Independent. Fierce.
They are the three things I strived to be.
But sometimes being successful can be lonely.
Sometimes a girl just wants to be a girl and have someone take care of her.
Maybe even love her.
Sometimes the strong become vulnerable.
Or worse, the victor becomes the victim.
Sometimes we lose control or in my case it’s stripped from you.
Defeated. Broken. Haunted.
They are the three things I have become.
In my darkest hour I admit defeat.
In my darkest hour I need one person.
I need him.
Stryker.

***NOTE:Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, sensitive subjects, offensive language, and mature topics. Recommended for age 18 years and up. ***

AMAZON

5,000 Stars!!!!!
1. I love this book with everything in me.
2. I love this author with everything in me.
3. I love the people. (These people are REAL. They exist. Leave me alone!)
4. I love the sex. (The dirty talk! Unf!)
5. I love the FEELS. (The ugly cry is waiting for you. But not in the whole book. I don’t like when the entire book is depressing.)

You know when someone tells you they didn’t enjoy one of your favorite books EVER?! Yeah, this is one of those books. I mean, everyone is entitled to their own opinion….Blah, Blah, Blah. But really, if you don’t like this book……
Gina is just a stock broker, and a woman with balls of steel. I love a feisty heroine. The meet-cute between her and Stryker over a pool table is delicious and had me grinning like an idiot the whole time. In fact, I was in the middle of Chick-Fil-A while my kids were playing in the indoor playground, and I bust out laughing. That’s right, Other Moms. I don’t watch my kids while they play. I read. I digress….
à la Mode St. » fashion

She isn’t the girl you nail down, she’s the one you watch fly, and if you’re lucky, you’re the bastard who gets to spread your wings alongside her.

à la Mode St. » fashionStryker. Jesus Christ. Stryke me with lightning right now because I will say the Lord’s name in vain in order to express my feelings about THIS MAN. In fact, I will thank The Lord in my prayers tonight for creating Janine Infante Bosco so she could write THIS MAN. Stryker is a drifter. He is a nomad of the Satan’s Knights MC, never feeling like he belongs anywhere. He suffers from PTSD from his time served as a Marine, and this is a big part of Stryker’s character. He find the Satan’s Knights, and this book also shows his journey of learning to depend on family.

The FIRE…..this book is scorching. And I am a picky bitch when it comes to the dirty talk. And Stryker delivered the dirty talk to my ears and put the tingles in my jingle. I just want Stryker to call me his “pretty girl,” ok? Is that too much to ask?!

The issues! Janine does not sugar coat. She brings up the issues. And I loved the way that she addressed them and delivered them. I was pretty much a SOBBING MESS. You probably have no idea what I’m saying right now because I can’t say too much without spoiling something (and I hate spoiling). Just know that JANINE CAN WRITE A DAMN BOOK.
What I loved most about this book (and what gets me every damn time I love a book), is the writing. Character development = Off the Charts. I felt attached to every single character. I usually don’t mind reading books out of order, but I regret it this time because most of these characters are from a previous series that I am dying to read now.

I am now going to read ALL of Janine’s books every second that I can in between all the life going around me. I’m gonna go all crazy-bitch. I can feel it coming. Don’t botha me.

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Review: Three Is A War by @pamgodwinbooks

August 30, 2017 by · 1 Comment

THREE IS A WAR
Series: Tangled Lies #3 (trilogy)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: August 29, 2017

Three means war.
Three sides vying for forever.

Cole.
My first love.
The bad boy with the dangerous smile and passionate temper draws attention like a lit fuse on dynamite. But his dark molten eyes spark only for me.

Trace.
My second chance.
Over six feet of Norse god in a tailored suit, he calculates every move and seizes my hungry breaths with an iron fist.

Me.
The free-spirited dancer, torn between two men with no resolution in sight.
I tried leaving, staying, refusing, and surrendering.
What options do I have left?

I love two men, and I do the only thing I can. I fight.

The TANGLED LIES series must be read in order.
One is a Promise
Two is a Lie
Three is a War

AMAZON

I fell in love with two men and lost myself. I’ll stay in love with one and find myself again.

Oh. my. heart.
Oh. my. god.
Oh. mylanta.
I have no idea how I survived this book. Did I survive this book?

*looks back at the empty bottles of wine standing on night stand*

I think I’m still in recovery here.

*goes back to rocking in the corner*

I don’t read love triangles. Not usually. My cold black heart can’t handle it. But when Pam Godwin writes a love triangle, I put on my big girl panties, suck it up, and stock up on all of the wine.

You shatter me,” he breathes against my lips. I hum with contentment. “We can fall apart together.”

Two books. Three hearts. It’s all been leading up to this nail biting, heart wrenching, rip your hair out, stress inducing, and completely unputdownable conclusion. Dani is left with an impossible decision; a choice between two men that own her heart equally.

Her first love. The man that first stole her heart and never gave it back when he left, leaving her in shatters.

This is your world.” He spreads his arms wide. “I just live in it. You own my heart, my every thought. You have the power to take whatever you want when you want it.”

And her new love. The man that picked up the shattered pieces and gave her hope and made her see that love never dies, it just takes the right person to bring it back to life.

Since the moment I saw you…” Trace squeezes my fingers. “I haven’t gone a day without thinking about you. No matter how much it hurts or how long it takes, I know that a lifetime with you is worth fighting for.”

An impossible decision.
Two men willing to fight for the chance to own the entirety of her heart.
A woman torn.
A reader driven to drink and sob hysterically while experiencing all of it along with the characters.

I cannot describe to you the emotional wringer this book put me through. Pam Godwin crafted a sensual, deeply emotional, intense, and heart wrenching story that captivates from the beginning and owns you throughout.

I was a card-holding member of #TeamTorn throughout the trilogy. I wasn’t sure who I was rooting for or what I wanted. My feelings were so up and down and back and forth, that I completely felt for everything that Dani was going through. And even though I didn’t have a favorite that I was rooting for, it didn’t stop me from having my heart broken all the same.

This wasn’t a story, this was an experience. A deeply emotional, stress inducing, anxiety causing experience. I was an absolute wreck for the entire last third of the book. I sobbed uncontrollably and didn’t think I’d survive it. And this is coming from someone that rarely feels emotional in books. But man oh man, did this one gut me.

Am I happy with the choice? I don’t know.
Am I satisfied with the conclusion? I don’t know.
I seriously don’t know how or what I feel. But what I do know is that Pam Godwin wrote her sadistic little heart out with this book.
Will it satisfy every reader? No. Will you be happy with how it all turns out? Maybe. But one thing is for sure, you will understand the why’s of everything completely. Pam did a phenomenal job with weaving emotions together of not only her characters but also her readers. This book was easily her best work yet. It ruined me but I have no regrets.

Yes, I’m an emotional wreck after finishing it and I likely won’t read another love triangle for a long damn while. My thoughts are still a jumbled mess and I honestly can’t decide what I think of the ending. But this trilogy owned me thoroughly and completely and I’m so glad that I got to experience it.

And now that you got some semblance of a coherent review out of me…

THE TRILOGY

ONE IS A PROMISE

One promise.
One forever.

One look and I knew Cole was mine. My dark rebel in leather. My powerhouse of passion, devastating smiles, and impulsiveness.
When his job sends him overseas, he promises to return to me.
A promise that’s destroyed in the most irrevocable way.

Two years later, an arrogant suit invades my heartbroken loneliness.

Clean-cut and stern, Trace is everything Cole wasn’t.
At first, he’s a job that will rescue my dance company. But as he intrudes on my life, our hostile relationship evolves.
He knows I’m still in love with Cole, but his dedication is my undoing.

Then a catastrophic moment changes everything.

Promises resurface.
Lies entangle.
And an impossible choice shatters my world.

I love two men, and I can only have one.

TWO IS A LIE

Two lies.

Two men who don’t share.

I never stopped loving Cole. Not when he left me. Not when he disappeared for three years. Not when he crashed back into my life in a violent explosion of testosterone and fury.

His sudden reappearance questions everything I thought I knew, including how I came to love another man.

Trace is an intoxicating breeze of seduction over ice. My rock. My second chance at forever.

And he’s committed to annihilating the competition.

The battle that ensues wrenches me back and forth between them.

Fighting and fucking.

Resisting and submitting.

Together, they entangle me in a web of lies, rivalry, and desire that weaves as deeply as their devotion to me.

I love two men, and if I can only have one, I choose none.

THREE IS A WAR

Three means war.

Three sides vying for forever.

Cole.

My first love.

The bad boy with the dangerous smile and passionate temper draws attention like a lit fuse on dynamite. But his dark molten eyes spark only for me.

Trace.

My second chance.

Over six feet of Norse god in a tailored suit, he calculates every move and seizes my hungry breaths with an iron fist.

Me.

The free-spirited dancer, torn between two men with no resolution in sight.

I tried leaving, staying, refusing, and surrendering.

What options do I have left?  

I love two men, and I do the only thing I can. I fight

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.

E-mail → pamgodwinauthor@gmail.com

Website | Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Bookbub 

Other books by Pam Godwin

Deliver Series:

http://pamgodwin.com/book/deliver/

DELIVER | VANQUISH | DISCLAIM

 

Trilogy of Eve Series:

http://pamgodwin.com/book/trilogyofeve/

DEAD OF EVE (#1) | HEART OF EVE (#1.5) | BLOOD OF EVE (#2) | DAWN OF EVE (#3)

 

Stand-alones:

DARK NOTES

DIRTY TIES

BENEATH THE BURN

INCENTIVE

1 Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , , ,

Author Interview & DGRFave Review: Disorderly Conduct by @mstessabailey

August 29, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

DISORDERLY CONDUCT
Series: The Academy #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: August 29, 2017

You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone…

Police academy cadet Charlie Burns can’t believe his luck when the gorgeous blonde he meets in a bar murmurs those magic words: “Nothing serious, ’kay?” Mind-blowing, no-strings sex with Ever Carmichael—it’s the holy grail of hookups for a guy who’s too busy following in his law enforcement family’s footsteps to think about getting serious. Charlie’s all about casual…that is, until Ever calls it quits and his world tilts on its axis.

Ever knows that when you control the relationship game, you can’t get played. But for the first time, she wants more than short-term satisfaction. Step one: end her fling with commitment-phobic Charlie. Step two: sacrifice herself to the ruthless NYC dating scene. Yet everywhere she turns, there’s Charlie, being his ridiculously charming self. No online match or blind date compares to the criminally hot cop-in-training, but they’re over. Aren’t they?

If love is a four-letter-word, why does the idea of Ever seeing someone else tie Charlie up in knots?  Now he’s desperate to win her back…and a little date sabotage never hurt anyone, right?

AMAZON | iBOOKS

If you follow my blog, you already know what a HUGE Tessa Bailey fan I am. And the fact that I’m salivating for every single one of her releases is pretty damn hard to miss. Well I was downright flailing with excited glee when I saw she’ll have more of her dirty talk hot cops for us with her brand new Academy series and I fell head over ovaries with this series immediately after finishing Disorderly Conduct. I’m so excited to have the queen of dirty talk today with an interview with DGR and I’m even more excited for you all to discover this AMAZING new series!

DGR: For those that haven’t read Disorderly Conduct and seen your acknowledgment, can you tell us about your inspiration for The Academy series?

TB: Yes! I would love to! I’ve never had a story idea come to me in dream format before, but I woke up one morning with a fresh memory that literally made my chest ache. A man on his way to a lover’s apartment, so obviously in love with her (but in complete denial) and no idea she’s about to break it off to go look for something “real.” I was in the middle of another project, but immediately set it aside to write the first chapter of DISORDERLY CONDUCT.

DGR: Disorderly Conduct had equally the cutest and sexiest meet cute ever! Did you picture it before you even wrote the book?

TB: Thank you! I love it, too! Charlie and Ever made magic in that rainy day pub. Originally, the book didn’t include the meet-cute! It started with Charlie walking to Ever’s apartment (like in my dream), but my editor correctly decided people would want to see that first meeting. And thus, the Mistress Test was formed, with a little help of my vast Titanic movie knowledge!

DGR: I LOVED Ever Carmichael. For all her quirks and issues, she’s such a solid person who owns their sexuality and makes no excuses for it. What’s your favorite thing about Ever?

TB: I think I loved her compassion most of all. Even when Charlie was being an absolute idiot, she saw through to his inner turmoil and wanted to be his friend, as well as his lover. But I can’t help but include her snappy sense of humor as a close second. I mean, she did threaten to shoot lasers out of her eyeballs at Charlie.

DGR: Charlie Burns. GAH. The man makes my ovaries burn. Ha! See what I did there? But I digress. I loved his playfulness in the story. He’s also such a lost boy at times, which was so endearing. What’s your favorite thing about Charlie?

TB: Exactly that. I love nothing more than writing a cluelessly endearing hero. There’s just something about a man who is confused and knocked over sideways by his own feelings. “Wait…she loves me? I…love her? Oh, God. I LOVE HER SO MUCH”. What makes us want to excuse Charlie’s lack of clarity is the fact that he’s also super protective and capable. Sigh.

DGR: What was your favorite scene to write for this book?

TB: There is a scene when Charlie arrives to help Ever cater a party. They haven’t really spent any time together as “friends”—and when he shows up and sees her in her element (spinning circles around the kitchen), he realizes how much he doesn’t know about her. How dynamic she is. And the seeds are planted in his mind that he screwed up big time by letting her go.

DGR: Now you know I have to ask this, because you ARE at Dirty Girl Romance after all, but sweet jesus, woman! How do you keep coming up with hotter and hotter sex scenes and the most sizzling dirty talk? Share your dirty secret. It’s tumblr, isn’t it? Oh wait…that’s my dirty secret…

TB: HA! Well, thank you very much! I’m not sure where the inspiration comes from, but I like to give every couple their unique flavor. Whenever Charlie got his hands on Ever, he kind of just became an animal and Ever fed off of it, that male desperation fulfilling something inside her. When you have a good foundation for what turns your characters on, you can make the booty original every time.

DGR: What are you most excited about with this new series?

TB: This series feels like coming full circle. I started my writing career with NYC cops and now I’m back—and it really just felt like coming home. I know this type of man and they’re SO fun for me to write! Law enforcement heroes are my kryptonite and I’m most excited to be back in my happy place. Not to mention getting to share it with everyone who loved my original cops!

DGR: If you had a dream cast for Charlie and Ever, who would they be?

TB: Well. I watch a lot of Disney Channel because I have a six year old. And there’s an actress named Dove Cameron who is in a few shows. She’s funny and sexy and relatable. I totally envision her as Ever. As for Charlie, there’s an actor named Sean Faris that is mega adorable and plays a cop on television. He would be my ideal Charlie.

DGR: What do you want readers to know about the Academy series?

TB: I want readers to know they’ll have a lot of fun and probably sweat beneath their clothes during the sex scenes. The characters are deep, but the angst doesn’t overshadow the fun.

DGR: Can you give us a little taste of what we can expect from Disorderly Contact with a favorite scene from the book?

Ever Carmichael is salvation.I’m not just saying that because she calls me big man when we’re fucking.

I’m already unbuttoning my uniform shirt, even though I haven’t even reached her building’s lobby yet. My cock is so stiff, I think I might black the fuck out before I get it inside her. Here’s the thing, though. Ever will understand. She’ll take one look at the tented fly of my standard issue, police academy pants and let her slinky, bad girl panties drop.

This woman. You just can’t fathom the magic she wields.

I don’t want anything serious, ’kay?

She said those words to me the rainy afternoon we met. At which point angels filled the bar and started singing. I’ve had women tell me before they didn’t want entanglements or relationships, too. My long line of law-enforcement ancestry, however, has honed my ability to differentiate between truth and fiction. And Ever is the first woman who actually meant those words. Nothing. Serious.

I’m right across the street from her building now—a four-story tenement on the Lower East Side. She works nights running her start-up catering company and sleeps late, so at noon on my lunch break, she’ll still be soft from bed. Freshly showered. I’m going to fuck her lights out, I swear to Christ. As soon as I walk in the door.

In the month since we met, the urgency to be inside Ever has only skyrocketed. The need to get my hands on her smooth skin, my tongue inside her bare pussy. You don’t understand—I’m a fiend for this woman.

And guess what? That’s perfectly fine, because I can have Ever any time I need her. Now, hear me out before calling me an arrogant prick—although I admit to being one on occasion. Ever can have me, too, when she needs me. This arrangement works both ways. After a Maroon 5 concert two weeks ago, she showed up at my apartment around midnight, high on Adam Levine—or whatever he’s called—and we didn’t even make it inside. I hiked up her tiny, leather skirt and gave it to her right there in the hallway. We weren’t quiet about it, either, not that I heard the neighbors complaining.

My point being, this arrangement I’ve made with Ever is what most men don’t dare dream about or even deserve at age twenty-three. For my species, it’s usually a choice between empty hookups or committed relationships, complete with updating your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram bios, but only after deleting from all of the above any photographic evidence that you ever used your dick. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all about commitment. Right now, though, my entire reserve of commitment juice is being poured into becoming a cop. A lieutenant, specifically, just like my older brother, Greer. And eventually a bureau chief like my father, his father before him . . . and back about four generations.

This thing with Ever? It’s neither empty, nor committed. It’s a fucking unicorn. It has made me a believer in life on other planets, Bigfoot and even the Jets winning the Super Bowl again someday. Apart from the Levine Incident, we haven’t spent any time at my place, because Jack or Danika are usually home. Not to mention, I covet this little slice of heaven I’ve carved out, and I worry my roommates will make some crack to Ever about wedding bells—which is never happening—and blow the whole perfect situation to hell. Plus . . . they don’t need to know a damn thing about Ever. She’s mine. I’m hers. We’re ours.

Unofficially, of course.

The deeper I fall into friendship with Charlie, the deeper I sink into the point of no return.

The queen of dirty talk strikes gold with her newest series! A sexy and humorous romp, Disorderly Conduct was an entertaining read from start to finish. It was the perfect blend of humor and Tessa’s signature steam. It was smart and sassy and oh so cute! I had a goofy smile on my face the entire time. It was utterly delicious with a sexy meet cute and a ridiculously swoony grovel at the end. This book was exactly why I love romance!

…this arrangement I’ve made with Ever is what most men don’t dare dream about or even deserve at age twenty-three.

A sexy meet cute leads to the unicorns of all relationships for Charlie and Ever; a mutually agreed upon and satisfying friends with benefits (heavy on the benefits). Coming from a long line of cops, Charlie has focused everything on getting through the Police Academy. It’s all he’s ever wanted for himself; to make his bureau chief father and lieutenant brother proud. Relationships have never been on his radar. He has no time for them. But when he spots a stunning blonde at a bar giving him the eye, he can’t stay away. And when she murmurs every man’s dream words, “nothing serious,” in his ear? He’s a goner.

If I texted him right now, he would meet me. He would give me the Adam Levine sex and ask me no questions, tell me no lies.

Ever comes from a long line of mistresses. Her mother is a serial dater of married men. A relationship is just as much of a pipe dream to her as a reliable and trustworthy man; they don’t exist in her life. Charlie was only supposed to scratch an itch for one month. Sex and nothing else. But then everything changes for Ever and she realizes that she no longer wants the bare minimum. She wants the pipe dream. She wants love. Only problem? Charlie is determined to make her see the error of her ways, even if he has to sabotage her every attempt at seriously dating after she gives him the boot.

I’m becoming her friend in the hopes of knocking every other dude out of the running and graduating to friend with benefits. So I can slide in there real smooth. Like a snake.

I cannot tell you how much I adored Charlie and Ever. Their “relationship” was romantic comedy gold. Charlie is hopelessly lost. He doesn’t want Ever to date but he doesn’t realize that his yearning for her is something beyond just needing their friends with benefits status back. Ever is determined to move on but her feelings for Charlie are a messy distraction. Watching their back and forth was as entertaining as it was frustrating and I loved every second of it.

And did I mention the dirty talk? Because oh my god the dirty talk!!!

I will get between those legs if I have to kill, steal or sacrifice to get there. And you’ll be a sweating, moaning, crying tangle of sex in the sheets by the time it’s over. I know you don’t doubt me, because I’ve done it. I’ve done it.”

Man but I missed Tessa’s hot cops. I haven’t been this enamored with a series since her Line of Duty boys. And with the secondary characters introduced here, I’m already salivating for more.

But as for Ever and Charlie? Loved. Them. Yes, they both made some frustrating decisions and choices that had me wanting to slap them. But considering their age, I found my anger didn’t last. I just loved watching them mess up too much. It was adorable and endearing and frustrating and GAH. Did I mention I loved it?

I love first person POV and being in both Charlie and Ever’s heads was a true treat. Especially Charlie. He reminded me a little bit of Drew from Tangled. His inner monologue was just so much fun. Even if the poor guy was completely clueless at times.

I’m hooked, line and sinker, on this series and I can’t wait for more. If you were a fan of Tessa’s Line of Duty series, this one is simply not to be missed. It was everything I’ve come to love from her and made me giggle and swoon all at once.

Her hands are still locked together on top of her head, making her look like a prisoner. My prisoner. Except, I’m hers. This whole time I thought our lack of commitment was setting me free, but in truth, she’d thrown away the key to my freedom the minute she opened her mouth. She didn’t mean it, my Ever, but I’m imprisoned forever, just the same.

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.

Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Author Spotlight & interview, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: , , , , ,

#DGRFave Review: Ghosted by @JMDarhower

August 27, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

GHOSTED
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: J.M. Darhower
Release Date: August 24, 2017

He’s a troubled young actor, Hollywood’s newest heartthrob, struggling with fame as the star of the latest superhero franchise. Through scandal after scandal, addiction on top of addiction, a flurry of paparazzi hunt him as he fights to conquer his demons.

She’s a single mother, assistant manager at a grocery store, existing in monotony with her five-year-old daughter. Every day when she goes to work, lurid tabloids surround her, the face of a notorious bad boy haunting her from their covers.

A man and a woman, living vastly different lives, but that wasn’t always the case. Once, they were just a boy and a girl who bonded over comic books and fell in love unexpectedly.

When Kennedy Garfield met Jonathan Cunningham back in high school, she knew he had all the makings of a tragic hero. With stars in his eyes, and her heart on her sleeve, the pair ran away together to follow their dreams.

But dreams, sometimes, turn into nightmares.

Now, years later, the only thing they share is a daughter—one who has no idea her father plays her favorite superhero. But Jonathan is desperate to make amends, and at the top of his list is the woman who gave up everything for him and the little girl he hasn’t yet met.

AMAZON

Never make someone else the main character in your own story.”

EVERYTHING. This book was EVERYTHING. All of the things. Of the angsty, second chance romance feels variety.

You know when you see a book on your feed and find yourself wondering if it’s really worth all of the hype? I can tell you with total conviction, that this book is. It’s a huge step away from Darhower’s other books, pure contemporary, and downright magical.

He’s an actor. His talent comes natural. He’s never had to work very hard at it. He can switch moods in a moment, change scenes in an instant, flip the script without anybody even realizing it’s happening. It’s hard to tell if he’s just playing a character or if you can trust that he means things.

So what is it about this story that enraptured me so completely? Aside from the multi-layered characters that are full of depth and you can’t help but fall for immediately, it was the writing. The way that this second chance romance unravels and the way the author gives the reader the POV from the past? Pure literary magic.

You don’t know this, but that girl? As she stands there, staring at you, seeing the light in your eyes and feeling so much love in her heart, she would’ve done anything you asked. Anything. She would’ve climbed any mountain and dug any hole. She would’ve lied, cheated, and stolen. That girl would’ve promised you forever. As long as you love her, for as long as you care, she’s yours.

A troubled young actor, struggling with newfound sobriety and righting the wrongs of his past. A heart-broken, hardworking single mother with a spine of steel that was left in his rearview mirror as he chased his dream and got lost in a haze of alcohol and drugs. An adorable baby girl that brings the two of them a full circle. This was a powerful, incredibly realistic, and emotional story of second chances. Jonathan is not a perfect hero. He’s nowhere close to it. You want to hate him for his mistakes, but as you learn the story through the eyes of the woman that loved him and get his POV in the present, you get to see a man that’s determined to pay for his mistakes and make them right. He’s a man that never stopped loving the girl from his past and the woman that never truly left his present. He’s a man that knows that if she gives him just one more chance, though he doesn’t deserve it, he won’t squander it, and he’ll do anything to convince her that he’s worth the risk.

To me, she was the center of the universe, the sunlight that burned so bright, but she writes herself in the shadows, secondary in her own life. Instead, she made me the hero, the center of this alternate universe she invented around her.

Once burned, twice shy. Kennedy gave up everything once for the man she loved to chase his dreams, and now six years later, she’s still picking up the pieces that he left in his wake. It’s impossible not to immediately love this character. There’s this endearing vulnerability to go along with her spine of steel and determination to make a life for herself and her daughter that you have a tremendous amount of respect for. She struggles with trying to let go of her past and move on from the man that will always hold a piece of her heart.

I’m playing with fire, like I don’t remember how much it hurts to get burned, but from here, where I’m standing, all I can seem to feel is the warmth.

Ghosted is perfectly paced, phenomenally written, and completely enrapturing. It was full of emotion and a beautiful romance that’ll stay with me for a long, long time.

But love is only as strong as the people who fuel it. And you? You’re Superman, thinking Kryptonite makes you invincible. And the woman you love? She… can’t keep pretending any of this is normal. She can’t keep writing this as if somewhere along the way the plotline will fix itself. She can’t keep acting as if this isn’t her story.

 

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