New Release & Jenn’s Review: Leave The Night On by Laura Trentham

August 2, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

LEAVE THE NIGHT ON
Series: Cottonbloom #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Laura Trentham
Release Date: August 1, 2017

Love, betrayal, and sweet revenge—life in Cottonbloom is about to get a whole lot hotter . . .

Sutton Mize is known for lavishing attention on the customers who flock to her boutique on the wealthy side of her Mississippi town. So when she finds a lace thong in her fiancé’s classic cherry-red Camaro, she knows just who she sold it to: her own best friend. In an instant, Sutton’s whole world goes up in flames. . .

Wyatt Abbott has harbored a crush on Sutton since he was a young kid from the other side of the tracks. He witnessed Sutton’s shocking discovery in the Camaro at his family-owned garage—and it made him angry. What kind of man could take lovely, gorgeous Sutton for granted? But then Sutton comes up with an idea: Why not give her betrothed a taste of his own medicine and pretend that she’s got a lover of her own? Wyatt is more than happy to play the hot-and-heavy boyfriend.

But what begins as a fictional affair soon develops into something more real, and more passionate, than either Sutton or Wyatt could have imagined. Could it be that true love has been waiting under the hood all along?

AMAZON | iBOOKS

My Wyatt & Sutton:
Wyatt is the
mechanic extraordinaire.
 Yes, please. I have a soft spot for dirty mechanics. He works in his family-owned garage with his 3 brothers. He’s known Sutton since they were kids, but they grew up on different sides of the river. Wyatt has had a crush on Sutton since they were kids, but she was from another world, compared to his.

Sutton is….was engaged. Without spoiling anything, her heart is broken early in the book, and Wyatt happens to be right there when it happens. A quick bond is formed between them, and to save face, Sutton volunteers Wyatt to be her fake relationship to get back at her previous fiancé.

To Sutton, Wyatt is dangerous. Her feelings are
honeyed and gooey and a little bit scary.
 I loved the attraction between them. Wyatt is the perfect blend of sexy, good guy with an edge. He is the adventure in life that Sutton needs. It was a slow burn, but worth it in the end.
à la Mode St. » fashion

“I heard you’re good with your…wrench.” Her glace down as instinctive as her retreat had been. She held her breath in the ensuing stillness.

“Out of all the tools available, you didn’t pick screwdriver?” He bobbed in to lay a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You’re so dang cute.”

à la Mode St. » fashionI love me a good fake relationship story, especially when it starts to become a little less fake. I loved the small-town, southern feel of this book. It was relaxing and these two were so adorable. I had been wanting to read Laura Trentham for a while, and I’m so glad I finally did.

THE SERIES

KISS ME THAT WAY | THEN HE KISSED ME | TILL I KISSED YOU | LEAVE THE NIGHT ON

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Review: Black Tie Optional by Ann Marie Walker

July 27, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

BLACK TIE OPTIONAL
Series: Wild Wedding #1
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy
Author: Ann Marie Walker
Release Date: May 30, 2017

The Proposal meets Two Weeks Notice in Ann Marie Walker’s new standalone romantic comedy, Black Tie Optional, which New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst calls, “a fun, sexy romp that will keep every reader entertained!”

Everything about Coleman Grant III oozes power and sex. And not the perfunctory kind either, but the sheet clawing, heart stopping, gasping for air after you’ve screamed so loud you can’t breathe kind. From his dark wavy hair that stands in an artfully rumpled mess, to the blue eyes that sear your skin, to his full, sensual lips – on the surface he’s pure perfection.

Too bad he’s an asshole. An arrogant, uptight corporate raider hell bent on destroying the environment one species at a time.

Everything about Olivia Ramsey screams hippie humanitarian. From her blond hair tied in a sloppy bun, to her faded jeans with the Bonnaroo patch sewn on the thigh, to her combat boots still splattered with mud from the previous day’s site visit.

So it makes perfect sense that they would get married. In Vegas. Stone-cold sober.

Cole needs a wife. Olivia needs to save an endangered species. But what starts as a marriage of convenience soon turns into a battle of wills and sexual tension. Love is a game, and Olivia and Cole are ready to win.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

What do you want, Olivia?” he’d asked.
“Everything,” she whispered.

Well, hello there, new series to obsess over. It’s nice to read ya. Ha! See what I did there? OK, that was totally cheesy so just ignore me. But seriously though, Ann Marie Walker has a super fun new series in the works and this was a great way to start it! Black Tie Optional was cute, sexy, and fun. If there’s one thing this author can do, it’s write one heck of an intense alpha and may did she strike gold with the grumpy, cynical billionaire Coleman Grant III. #Yum

Now I love me a good marriage of convenience trope and man did this book bring it. The opposites attract force was strong with this one. Here you have a tree loving, animal saving, vegetarian activist meet brooding alpha billionaire and boy do the spars fly. I loved the banter between Cole and Olivia and Olivia definitely wasn’t shy about telling him what she thinks of him. #Winning

Cole has a problem; he needs to get married in less than a week to get ownership of his father’s company that he helped build into the success that it is now. His viper grandmother brings everything but the warm and fuzzies in her bid to make sure that he doesn’t. What’s a guy to do? Propose marriage to a woman that’s been driving him nuts for month in her Save The Bats campaign. So what if they accidentally had one of the most sizzling one night stands while in Vegas. This is all business now. If only he can continue to keep his hands off her and his grandmother wasn’t determined to prove their marriage for the shame that it is.

You drive me fucking crazy,” he growled before once again claiming her mouth in an unforgiving kiss. A battle he was destined to lose waged inside him. He’d sworn to himself that what happened in Vegas was nothing more than a drunken lapse in judgment. A one-time event never to be repeated. But even though a part of him already knew he’d regret it later, all he could think about was how much he wanted her.
“Really?” she rasped. “’Cause I don’t give you a second thought.”

I seriously enjoyed this book! A LOT! So you’re probably wondering why the 3.5 rating. This is entirely a reader preference thing, so do take this with a grain of salt; but the heroine didn’t quite work for me. Keep your tomatoes to yourself now! I fully admit it’s a me thing. I’m just not a fan of the tree hugging save the world types. *cringes* Oh man, that sounds terrible doesn’t it? But I can’t help it. There were just certain aspects of her personality that slightly grated on me. Cole was simply delicious and made up for almost all of it. I also really loved Livvie’s family. This would have been a solid 4 star read for me if not for the ending. I couldn’t help feeling like it was very abrupt. I wanted more closure with the grandmother. More details. It felt somewhat rushed and I just wanted….more.

Aside from my few quibbles, this was still a fabulous read and I can’t wait for the next in the series.

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New Release Review & Giveaway: When I Need You by Lorelei James

July 25, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

WHEN I NEED YOU
Series: Need You #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lorelei James
Release Date: July 25, 2017

Rules are tossed aside when a pro football player join forces with a spitfire cheerleading coach in New York Timesbestselling author Lorelei James’s brand-new romance…

Heir to Lund Enterprises and ladies’ man Jensen “The Rocket” Lund has three conditions when it comes to dating:
1) No single mothers
2) No cheerleaders
3) No medical personnel
So it makes no sense that he’s wildly attracted to Rowan Michaels, who breaks all three.

Rowan Michaels didn’t pass the rigorous requirements to become an athletic trainer and Vikings cheerleader in the hopes of landing a pro athlete: been there, done that, and she has a young son as proof that football players and fidelity don’t go hand in hand. When Rowan learns her new neighbor is Jensen Lund, the smoking-hot tight end who takes being neighborly to a whole new level, she’s grateful for the team’s strict “no fraternization” policy because the sexy man defines temptation.

But Jensen is intent on rushing straight to the goal line to prove to Rowan he’s much more than just a player…on and off the field.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Jensen Lund was one hundred percent prime alpha male and one hundred thousand percent off-limits.

Do you see that pile of utterly satisfied good over there in the corner, shuddering with happiness? Yep. That would be me. Because this book? ALL. OF. THE. SWOONS.

If slow burn, friends to lovers romance is your jam, this book is your catnip.

I had no idea what to expect when I started When I Need You. I’ve devoured Lorelei’s entire backlist and I’ve loved her dirty talking cowboys, but this series is completely different. I was a little nervous because this was the first book in the series that I’ve read. Don’t you judge me here! It’s a thing I do, mkay? There’s a reason to my madness….sometimes. I can happily report that I had no issues picking right up with the characters and the entire Lund crew. The author does a phenomenal job making sure new readers are able to dive right in without any confusion. Now as for the book?

*happy shudder*

Where do I start?! Jensen Lund is a pro football player. Coming off a recent injury that almost cost him his career, he’s come to realize that meaningless hookups are no longer what he wants. A hot tumble in bed is great, but gets lonely in the long run. Unfortunately the first woman to catch his attention and hold it for the long haul is also someone that breaks every single one of his three dating rules.

Rowan Michaels broke every single one of my dating rules. Every. Single. One. So it was a good thing we’d come to an agreement. Just friends. Nothing more.

Rowan Michaels is a single mom, a cheerleader for The Vikings, and completely over professional athletes. If there’s anything her son’s deadbeat father taught her, it’s they’re not reliable. But when she learns that the sinfully sexy Jensen is her next door neighbor, temptations proves to be hard. And when Jensen is determined to prove her insecurities and judgements wrong. That doesn’t mean he’s also not determined to prove that their friendship deserves a chance to be something more.

I’m very good at two things that begin with the letter F, Ro. The first is football. The second … doesn’t have a damn thing to do with being friends.”

Can I just tell you how much I loved Jensen? I don’t even have the words here, people. The man is just perfect. The unlikely friendship that Rowan and Jensen form is brimming with sexual tension and I thought that it may kill me with the slow burn. Yet it was so delicious watching these two fight the obvious attraction; Rowan more than Jensen.

Admit we’re more than friends, Rowan.”
“We’re more than friends, Jensen.”
“Tell me you missed me, sweetheart.”
“I missed you, sweetheart.”

Between the rest of the Lund family, Rowan’s adorable son, and the swoony romance, I had a goofy smile on my face the entire time reading this book. I fell harder and harder for Jensen with every page. I’m telling you, guys, it just doesn’t get more perfect than this man and his patience of a saint when it came to Rowan and her (justifiable) fears and insecurities.

She needed more time. I could give her that. For her, I’d learned patience. Because I knew she was worth the wait.

Throw in an archaic no fraternization rule between cheerleaders and football players, and it’s more than just friendship on the line for Rowan. But man oh man, was it ever satisfying watching her fall harder and harder for Jensen.

When I Need You was exactly what I needed. It was light-hearted, romantic, and deliciously fun. It was full of swoon and steam and had a smile on my face from beginning to finish. I was about to break into a cheer just to get these two together quicker. There was no crazy drama, no filler; every page had purpose. It was romantic perfection. I’m not sure how I haven’t read this series before, but I’m certainly rectifying that mistake immediately. If you’re looking for a sweet, easy read full of romance and a hero that’s simply to die for, look no further!

Jensen Lund. I am so crazy for you I don’t know what to do with it.”

THE NEED YOU SERIES

WHAT YOU NEED | JUST WHAT I NEEDED | ALL YOU NEED | WHEN I NEED YOU

Enter HERE for a chance to win any one (1) paperback from the NEED YOU series!

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#DGRFave & Review: The Brightest Sunset by Aly Martinez

July 24, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

THE BRIGHTEST SUNSET
Series: The Darkest Sunrise Duet
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Aly Martinez
Release Date: July 27, 2017

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Bullshit.
Words destroyed me.
“I’m sorry. She didn’t make it.”
“Daddy, he can’t breathe!”
“There’s nothing more we can do for your son.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Those syllables and letters became my executioner. I told myself that, if I didn’t acknowledge the pain and the fear, they would have no power over me. But, as the years passed, the hate and the anger left behind began to control me.
Two words—that was all it took to plunge my life into darkness.
“He’s gone.”
In the end, it was four soft, silky words that gave me hope of another sunrise.
“Hi. I’m Charlotte Mills.”

AMAZON

he’s shown me that there doesn’t have to be light for something to be beautiful. Love can grow in the darkness

How do you even begin to review a book that touched you on such a visceral level that you don’t think you’ll ever forget it? How do you put those feelings into words that can even begin to do a book the justice it so deserves? How do you attempt to relay everything that this book was without giving anything away? You don’t. Because it’s impossible.

The sun still hung bright in the sky, but midnight fell all the same. And, in that moment, I feared I’d never escape it again. The darkness was going to be my executioner. It was going to crush me, suffocate me, and then devour me.

The Brightest Sunset concludes The Darkest Sunrise duet and man did it go out with a bang. Prepare for a story that will keep you up well into the night and I hope you have plenty of tissues handy because Aly Martinez will not just tug at your heart strings, she’ll rip them to shreds like the sadist that she surely is.

I won’t tell you what happens, because if you haven’t read the first book, my review will be one giant spoiler. But what I can tell you is that Porter Reese stole my heart and I never want it back. Here was a hero that had none of the typical frills. He wasn’t an overbearing alpha. He wasn’t intense or demanding. He was just an amazing man. A man that loves fiercely. A man that will make any sacrifice for the ones he loves. A man that isn’t afraid to feel and show those feelings. A man that’s an alpha but not in the obvious way.

If you were on the fence with Charlotte in book one, you won’t be in this one. You really get to see the soft beneath the cold front exterior. You get to see a woman that finally finds her voice and the way to use it. A woman that finally discovers what love means and how to fight for it. A woman that’s every bit deserving of an incredible man like Porter.

Aly puts this couple through hell and back. I was in hell right along with them. I have never had so much anxiety reading a book. I bit my nails to shreds. I sobbed my way through the entire last third. I was a sobbing, sniveling pile of goo and I loved every devastating second of it.

The Brightest Sunset was a stunning, emotional, unforgettable story of second chances and love beyond all odds. It was phenomenal. It was beautiful. It was everything.

He’d made the darkness a beautiful place filled with understanding and acceptance.

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Jenn’s Review: (Glamour) BEDTIME STORY by Skye Warren

July 22, 2017 by ·

GLAMOUR
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Anthology
Release Date: July 18, 2017

Once upon a time…

Remember the fairy tales your parents read to you when you were little?

These are NOT those fairy tales.

From modern day royalty to metaphorical dragons, contemporary castles to sexy heroes, these bestselling authors twist tales as old as time into something new.

GLAMOUR contains eight exclusive never-before-seen novellas that each have an HEA… because they all lived happily ever after.

Includes the following retellings…

KNOT by Lili St. Germain
A Rapunzel story

RED HOT PURSUIT by A.L. Jackson
A Little Red Riding Hood story

RIPPLES by Aleatha Romig
A Prince and the Pauper story

IN A STRANGER’S BED by Sophie Jordan
A Goldilocks story

BEDTIME STORY by Skye Warren
A Sleeping Beauty story

ROYAL MATTRESS by Nicola Rendell
A Princess and the Pea story

MUSIC BOX GIRL by Sierra Simone
A Twelve Dancing Princesses story

BROKEN HARP by Nora Flite
A Jack and the Beanstalk story

AMAZON | iBOOKS

 

Review of Bedtime Story by Skye Warren

Lost. Utterly and irrevocably lost in Skye’s words. Every. Damn. Time. It doesn’t matter how short the book is, or how long the book is, or if it never ends. It’s inevitable.

Jessica. We meet Jessica in The King. She is a single mom who has had shit handed to her, but she is just trying to make the most of it. She was sold as a young girl to the mafia and we can only guess what she went through. This short story begins when she is pulled over at the side of the road and she meets the sheriff. Jessica has the ability to look on the bright side despite what she has been through, but she still has trust issues.
à la Mode St. » fashion

This was the part where I should leave. Where I should tell this man, who’s clearly good down to his bones, that I’m bad news. Where I ignore everything but survival, because that’s the only way I’ve survived this long. Instead he asks me to stay, and I do. 

à la Mode St. » fashionFinn. He was a surprise to me. I loved how he had a good side with a bad past. He was no stranger to the mafia life but because of an incident in his life, he decided to take the road less traveled and became the sheriff of a small town. He is determined to stay on the straight and narrow, but he cannot resist the temptation that is Jessica. I loved how he immediately wanted to take care of Jessica and her son because he is the type of guy that just wants to do the right thing. These two were just perfect for each other.
à la Mode St. » fashion

She makes me crazy, and once upon a time I sought that out, wanting to feel wild and on edge. Not for a long time, though. These past years had been about isolation. About driving down dark country roads alone. And all along, I was looking for her.
Without even knowing it, looking for her.

à la Mode St. » fashionWhat I loved the most about this short story is how much Skye made me love these characters so quickly. I loved the chemistry between these two, but it wasn’t insta-love. These two lonely souls find each other and have an instant connection (without the cheese). Of course, the short wasn’t long enough for me (duh!).

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Wrecked by JB Salsbury

July 21, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

WRECKED
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: JB Salsbury
Release Date: July 18, 2017

Wrecked is the new standalone novel of deliciously dark, deeply emotional contemporary romancefrom J.B. Salsbury, the New York Times bestselling author of Split and The Fighting Series.

When you can’t trust yourself, how can you ask anyone else to?

It’s been months since Aden Colt left the Army, and still the memories haunt him. When he moved into a boat off the California coast, he thought he’d found the perfect place to escape life.

Then Sawyer shows up, and turns his simple life upside down.

Beautiful and sophisticated, she seems out of place in this laidback beach town. Something is pushing her to experience everything she can—including Aden. But as much as he wants her, starting a relationship with Sawyer puts them both at risk.

For Aden, the past doesn’t stay there; it shows up unexpectedly, uncontrollably, and doesn’t care whose life it wrecks.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I look at you and I forget.” “What do you forget?” He leans in and brushes his lips so softly against mine. “Everything.”

It’s official, I’m totally and completely wrecked. Ruined. My heart hurts because the book almost crushed it with its incredibly powerful and emotional story. My eyes hurt because I cried hysterically through the entire last third. I’m moved down to the marrow of my bones. YES. It was THAT good.

No seriously. I don’t remember crying so hard reading a book before and I downright sobbed. SOBBED.

So what made this book so good? The story. It was simple yet emotional. Gripping yet not over the top. The characters. Both Aden and Sawyer are incredibly multilayered characters filled with so much depth, it practically overflows from the pages. But I’d be lying if I told you that Aden didn’t steal my heart. I had honest to god shivers reading the prologue. SHIVERS, people.

Dead bodies litter the floor.
Shock overtakes me.
My hands shake but I feel nothing.
Only one thought pumps furiously through my mind. It should’ve been me.

A soldier riddled with nightmares that he can’t escape. A survivor burdened with guilt and rage. A man filled with emptiness and regrets. He escapes in the only way he knows how, at the bottom of a bottle. Secluding himself from everything and everyone living on his uncles boat, he doesn’t expect a beautiful stranger to make him want to live again.

Scared?” I look up at him and get lost in the warmth of his gaze.
“No. I feel safe with you.”
“Yeah?” His lips part and his breath dances across my lips. “So I’m not a stranger anymore.”
“No.” I run my hands up the back of his neck into his hair and slide against his hard body. “You make me feel like I can do anything.”
His eyebrows drop low and his jaw ticks. “And you make me forget.”

Sawyer made a promise to her terminally sick twin sister; a promise that brings her to California and stumbling into a stranger that changes everything for her.

Because soon enough I’ll be out of his life and I’ll go back to being Sawyer, the kind of girl who would never turn the head of a guy like Aden, and I’ll be able to go on living my sheltered safe life knowing what it’s like to truly live. That is, if I survive it.

I expected a ton of angst with this book but that’s not what I got at all. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not exactly a light read but it’s also not filled with anything extra to take away from the character driven story. You really get to know Aden and Sawyer and what makes them tick. You get to see them be there for each other during some of the most difficult parts of their lives. You get to see them hold each other up and slowly fall in love. It was beautiful and touching, emotional and sweet.

I don’t want to forget you.”
He pulls his shirt off over his head, his wide muscular chest on display and tensing with anticipation. “I’ll make sure you never will.” He pushes down his shorts and closes in until the warmth of his bare skin presses against mine. “I’ll mark your fucking soul.”

Wrecked is very appropriately titled. Both of these characters were anything if not a little broken but in completely different ways. It wasn’t dark or full of drama. It wasn’t angsty or full of gratuitous sex scenes. It was just two broken people learning to make themselves whole together. It was a beautiful and memorable romance that I won’t forget for a long, long while, and a book I can’t recommend enough.

 

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Review: Blackmailing The Bad Girl by Nina Croft

July 21, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

BLACKMAILING THE BAD GIRL
Series: Cutting Loose #2
Author: Nina Croft
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 12, 2017

Cynical CEO, Nik Masterton, believes he’s finally met a woman who isn’t interested in his money…until she vanishes with a hefty amount of it. He’s been searching for her ever since and has finally found her doing a stint in Holloway prison for stealing…from someone else. Clearly, he’s just one of many. Now she’s coming out, and it’s time for a little payback.

After two years in prison, Summer Delaney is determined she’s never going back. While she had good reasons for doing what she did, it’s time to move on to a new life and earn an honest living. Unfortunately, there’s a glitch in her plan, and he’s waiting at the gate as she comes out.

Nik isn’t above using blackmail to make Summer work for him until he decides just how he’ll get his revenge. But this time they’re both determined to keep their distance. Right until the inconvenient attraction explodes between them…

Each book in the Cutting Loose series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 Falling for the Bad Girl
Book #2 Blackmailing the Bad Girl

AMAZON

What do you want, Summer?”
“I want you to be my coming-out present.” She placed her empty wineglass on the floor and straightened. “After all, you’ve been my coming-out nightmare. Let’s balance the books. Let’s pretend I’m not a thief. Let’s go back three years to when I kissed you.”

I was immediately hooked on this series when I first met the “bad girls” in Falling for the Bad Girl. I was thrilled to get my grabby little hands on Summer’s book (and I’m seriously salivating for Darcy’s story). The premise of the story immediately grabbed me. Three years ago, Summer and Nik shared a passionate kiss that could have led to so much more…until she disappeared, taking a large amount of Nik’s money with her. He never ceased looking for her and he’s finally got her. Summer is about to be released from prison and Nik has plans in mind for her.

Still bitter from an ugly divorce, Nik thought he finally found a woman that was interested in him and not his money. After all, Summer believed that he was part of the maintenance staff when she worked at his company. It isn’t until she disappears with a hefty amount of his money that her lies truly hit him. He’ll make her earn it the honest way now, by making her work for his company as his personal assistant. He’ll just have to ignore that aggravating attraction that never ceased brewing between them.

Not everything is as it seems with Summer, but her secrets are her own. She’s not about to share her reasons with a man that’s basically blackmailing her into working for him. But maybe if she can work out their annoying sexual chemistry out of her system, she can finally move from the ghost of the memory of the kiss they shared. But nothing ever works out as it’s planned and things soon begin to get deliciously complicated between them.

While I loved the chemistry between Nik and Summer, I couldn’t help feeling like something was missing for me. There wasn’t anything about the story that truly grabbed me and I struggled to truly connect to the characters. They both had a great backstory but it just wasn’t enough. I couldn’t place my finger on what it was exactly that was missing, but it was. It was an enjoyable read, but not my favorite from this author.

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Blog Tour & Jenn’s Review: Wicked Intentions by @JTGeissinger

July 18, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

WICKED INTENTIONS
Series: Wicked Games #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: JT Geissinger
Release Date: July 11, 2017

In the Caribbean for his best friend’s wedding, ex special-ops officer and security expert Ryan McLean meets a beautiful woman in the hotel bar. Their connection is immediate and intense, and they spend a passionate night together with pleasure as their only goal.

But when Ryan wakes the following morning to discover the beautiful woman has vanished, along with millions worth of jewels from the safe of the Saudi prince staying in the suite next door, he realizes their meeting wasn’t accidental and becomes determined to find her.

A notorious thief known to authorities only as the Dragonfly, Mariana Lora has one final job to complete before she’s free from the oath that bound her to a life of crime, but the sexy-as-hell Marine she spent one explosive tropical night with is hot on her heels at every turn. She has to outwit him to stay out of jail, but fighting their magnetic attraction soon becomes a game neither one of them can resist.

When Mariana’s last job goes dangerously wrong and she needs Ryan’s help to survive, he has to decide if their game of cat and mouse is only a game, or if he can trust this beautiful thief with something no woman has ever stolen: his heart.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | Kobo | Amazon Paperback | GOOGLE PLAY

If I could give only ONE BOOK RECOMMENDATION this whole year, it would be THIS BOOK. Holy Book Perfection. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, JT Geissinger is a genius. You know those authors that are underestimated and not nearly enough people know about them or read their books? That’s JT Geissinger.

I read Wicked Sexy last year and was blown away. After reading Wicked Intentions, my brain and heart and body are bursting!! These books are the whole package (pun intended). What I love about this book? EVERYTHING. It seriously has everything you ever want in a perfect book. The feels. The humor. The sex. The dirty talk. The amazing story. The words. The dark. The light. All wrapped up in one perfectly packaged book.
à la Mode St. » fashion

I discovered love was nothing like a fairy tale. It was more like a bad poem written in indecipherable meter by a drunken poet who couldn’t keep a job, so he lived with his mother his whole life while writing the most outrageous roadblocks and outcomes, based on nothing but the whims of his own inebriated brain. It had an awkward beginning, a wildly improbable middle, and an awful, painful end. And nothing rhymed.
Love was the worst.
Inconveniently, it was also the best.

à la Mode St. » fashionMariana. BAD. ASS. HEROINE. It’s impossible for JT to write a weak heroine. Mariana is a genius thief. The best. She has a sordid past and was raised to become the best thief the world has ever known. Riddled with secrets, she steals in order to keep herself safe. She meets Ryan when she is on a mission, and she has to seduce him, but the tables turn and he ends up seducing her instead, and THE CHASE IS ON!!!
à la Mode St. » fashion

“Wrap your legs around my back,” I say, panting too, “and tell me how much you hate me while I make you come.”
Her thighs become a vise around my waist. Her eyes burn. “I do hate you.”
I flex my hips, and her lashes flutter. She whispers, “I do.”

à la Mode St. » fashion
Ryan. BEST. HERO. EVER. JT writes the best heroes!! I loved Ryan’s natural humor and laid-back personality. But at the same time, he is a genius. I love all the geniuses!!! Ryan is irresistible. I am just grinning and giggling thinking about him. He is part of a top-notch security firm that is very well-connected. Mariana continues to underestimate him in the book, but Ryan doesn’t give up on her. His confidence. His swagger. His humor. Gah!
He melted my mind
à la Mode St. » fashion

He comes like he does everything else, one thousand percent committed. Crying out until he’s hoarse, praising me, making me feel beautiful, like fairy tales could be true and happily every afters might be an actual possibility. When it’s over and he’s spent, lying motionless and panting, his chest slick with sweat, I sit back on my heels and just look at him. I drink him in with my eyes, memorizing every golden line of his body.

Because in some dark part of my heart, no matter how much I want to believe in them, I know that fairy tales aren’t true.

à la Mode St. » fashion
Ryan chases Mariana in this book, and this chase is delicious. Mariana cannot resist him every time he catches her (who could?!). It’s a game of trust issues. The beginning of this book is perfect. The middle is perfect. The end is perfect.

Are you annoyed yet about how much I love this book?

My work here is done.

 Want to read the other standalones in the Wicked Games series? Find out more about WICKED BEAUTIFUL and WICKED SEXY below!

About WICKED BEAUTIFUL

WickedBeautiful.Ebook.v4.Amazon

Life coach and best-selling author Victoria Price has it all: a successful career, fabulous friends, a fantastic penthouse in Manhattan. What she doesn’t have—and doesn’t want—is a husband. Fifteen years ago her high school flame broke her heart so badly she swore she’d never love again. Now she makes millions teaching other women how to be just like her: a ruthless bitch.

Drop-dead sexy restauranteur and infamous playboy Parker Maxwell has only three rules for the women he dates: no questions about his past, no expectations for the future, and no spending the night. When he meets Victoria, however, he’s willing to break his own rules if it means sating the explosive desire she arouses in him. What he doesn’t know is that the alluring Victoria Price used to be the mousy Isabel Diaz, the girl he deflowered and dumped long ago.

Presented with a perfect opportunity for revenge, Victoria decides the game is on. But when her connection with Parker proves more than just skin deep, she has to make a choice: continue with her plan for payback, or risk her career, her reputation, and her heart by taking a second chance on love?

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Amazon Paperback | Google Play

About WICKED SEXY
WickedEbook.v3.Amazon

A badass ex-Special Ops officer and a smartass hacker fight a dangerous enemy…and a blistering attraction to each other.

Connor Hughes is an ex-special ops officer, CEO of Metrix Security, and bonafide badass. His private security firm is renowned for its effectiveness. He’s renowned for his lethal precision and iron self-control. But when the former Marine meets a gorgeous young hacker with a mouth as smart as her brain, his control unravels in ways he never could have predicted.

Tabitha West is a genius MIT dropout with a bad attitude, an obsession with Hello Kitty and piercings in unmentionable places. Tabby amuses herself by outwitting the most secure technology systems on the planet. Known in hacker circles as Polaroid due to her photographic memory, she’s as secretive as she is accustomed to working alone. So when Connor decides she’s the only one who can help him catch a cyber criminal intent on taking down one of his clients, she tells him exactly where he can stick it.

But when the cyber criminal turns out to be the Hannibal Lecter of computer crime—and a dark presence from Tabby’s past—Tabby and Connor are drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. They quickly find themselves fighting not only their common enemy, but also an explosive desire that threatens to consume them.

When the stakes are this high and the game this deadly, will falling in love be the most dangerous move of all?

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Amazon Paperback | Google Play

A former headhunter, J.T. Geissinger is the author of more than a dozen novels in contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense.

She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and is a two-time finalist for the RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America®. Her work has also finaled in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.

Join her Facebook reader’s group, Geissinger’s Gang, to take part in weekly Wine Wednesday live chats and giveaways, find out more information about works in progress, have access to exclusive excerpts and contests, and get advance reader copies of her upcoming releases.

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , ,

#DGRFave & Review: HOT Valor by @LynnRayeHarris

July 17, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

HOT ADDICTION
Series: Hostile Operations Team #11
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Release Date: July 18, 2017

A new standalone romance from New York Times Bestselling Author Lynn Raye Harris. Sexy, action-packed, and thrilling!

Colonel John “Viper” Mendez searches for a ghost from his past… and when he finds her, nothing will be the same!

They told him she was dead. They lied…

Colonel John “Viper” Mendez is having the second-worst day of his life. Accused of using the Hostile Operations Team to assassinate a foreign official, he’s gone from being a respected military black-ops commander to a fugitive in the space of an hour. On the run, hunted, and stripped of his honor, Mendez has nowhere to go–and few people he can trust.

Russian spy Ekaterina “Kat” Kasharin is a carbon copy of the woman Mendez once loved. Twenty-one years ago, Valentina vanished from his life. Kat claims to be her twin–but Kat’s lying. Ordered by her superiors in Russian Intelligence to abandon the man she loved–or watch him die–Kat had no choice but to obey.

But twenty-one years is a long time to love a man from afar, and Kat won’t stand by as a traitor plans his death–even if it means risking her heart and her life to save him. She can never reveal her true identity–or the secrets she keeps locked away. Secrets he would hate her for. Working with him is strictly business, and she won’t let emotions get in the way. But the attraction between them is smoking hot–and it’s not long before they’re burning up the sheets.

When the truth comes out, the mission implodes. Everything Mendez thought he knew was a lie. He’ll have to pull it together though before a deadly foe succeeds in taking away all he loves. By the time he realizes Kat might be most important of all? It could be too late to save her…

The Hostile Operations Team is a covert military Black Ops unit. Their motto is Where None Dare. H.O.T. operators come from all branches of the military. The only criteria for membership: they must be the best of the best!

AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO

She was an itch beneath his skin. A mosquito buzzing in his ear. A compulsion that threatened to tip across the line into addiction.

This. Book. GAH! It was worth every single second of the wait. Mendez was everything. EVERYTHING.
Harris can write a hot military hero like no one else. Is it any wonder why I’m addicted to this series. It’s become my crack. Pure and simple.

Lies, scandals, secrets, and espionage. All of it explodes in this incredibly powerful second chance romance. It was a heart pounding, action packed, sizzling story of love lost and found. I don’t even have words for how much I loved it, but I’m going to try.

Colonel John “Viper” Mendez has always been the man behind the scenes. The commander of HOT that always set their missions in motion and oversaw things from his desk. But his time in his position earned him a number of enemies and they’re ready to collect. When he gets set up to make it seem like he was using the Hostile Operations Team to assassinate a foreign official, all bets are off. Mendez is not a man that runs from his responsibilities, but he can’t catch the ones responsible from his jail cell. With the help of an slinkily ally, Ian Black, Mendez gets a blast from his past he never expected.

He was no longer commander of HOT. He was a fugitive with a price on his head. He was also a man with a past waiting for the answers to a mystery he’d never stopped thinking about.

Twenty one years ago he fell hard and fast for a beautiful Russian spy, only to lose her and never recover from her death. Valentina is the one woman that he will never forget or get over, so when he meets her carbon copy claiming to be her twin sister, Kat, sent to assist him on his mission, it’s like getting hit by a two by four of memories he can’t hide from.

Every time he looked at her, it was like being plowed into by a high-speed train. He was flattened, gutted, gasping for air.

Not all is as it seems with Kat. Twenty one years ago she was forced to give up the man she loved or watch him die, she made a choice that she never quite recovered from. She’s hardened, jaded, and even more deadly than the woman that Mendez knew as Valentina. Now she’s Kat and she’ll protect the man she never stopped loving even at the cost of her own life, but her identity is a secret that she’ll take with her to her grave.

You could run from your past. You could put years and distance between you and the things that haunted you. But you never got over them. You never got free.

I love a second chance romance. But when that second chance romance is between a special ops commander and a Russian spy he believed dead for 21 years? Holy mother of everything! It’s utterly delicious. Mendez struggles with his instant connection to Kat. He can’t understand if it’s something beyond her uncanny resemblance to the woman he loved, or Kat is keeping something from him. Theirs is a relationship that’s based on secrets and mistrust, and yet it crackles with enough chemistry to spark an explosion. I absolutely loved the two of them together. And as you get more and more of Kat’s past and the reasons why she did what she did along with what she’s been through for the past years, it becomes harder to stay angry at her. This is an incredibly strong woman that’s been through so much.

As for the story? HOT Valor was absolutely explosive! It was the perfect blend of action, suspense, and sizzling hot romance. It was delicious. Addicting. A non-stop action packed ride from beginning to finish. If you’ve been eager for more of Ian Black, you’ll be salivating with this book because the mystery finally gets revealed and it’s a doozy! I think I’ll go insane waiting for his book.

In the meantime, we get a sneak peek into the next couple and I’m already itching for their story.

If you’re a fan of this series, you simply cannot miss this book. It’s an absolute must read. Mendez lives up to every single promise and then some.

READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

HOT PURSUIT
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT MESS
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT PACKAGE
AMAZON

DANGEROUSLY HOT
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT SHOT
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT REBEL
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT ICE
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT & BOTHERED
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT PROTECTOR
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HOT ADDICTION
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

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Review: Cocky Client by Whitney G

July 16, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

COCKY CLIENT
Series: Steamy Coffee Collection #3
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Whitney G
Release Date: July 13, 2017

Today is officially the worst day of my life…

I woke up five hours late after a reckless one-night stand with the sexiest, cockiest, and most arrogant man I’ve ever met. (And this asshole actually left a note: “I think you were lying to me about being “experienced” last night. You orgasmed three times, and that was before we made it to your bedroom. I also find it hard to believe you “usually wear silk or lingerie.” Your drawers are all full of cotton granny panties–The best man you’ve ever fucked… )

My top two PR clients left me for my number one competitor, my roommate accidentally bleached my best suit, and my favorite coffee shop was shut down for “health concerns.”

Still, none of those things dimmed my excitement for what was supposed to be the best four o’clock signing session of my career. I was on the verge of signing the highest paying client in my company’s history, taking on a so-called “impossible” job that no publicist had been able to handle.

But at four o’clock, there was no athlete, television personality, or celebrity who showed up. Instead, that sexy, arrogant one-night stand stepped into my
office with his familiar panty-wetting smirk and introduced himself as my new, cocky client…

AMAZON

I shut my eyes as I surrendered complete control, as I realized that I was going to let this man do whatever he wanted to do to me for the rest of the night…

Whenever I need a dose of witty and smutty romance that’s short but still entirely satisfying, Whitney’s Steamy Coffee Collection is a no brainer. And they all happen to be enemies to lovers trope, which is my catnip! So, #Winning

Cocky Client brings together an arrogant billionaire and a sassy PR professional and boy do the sparks fly!

Penelope caves into her friend’s demand to spice up her non existent love life by having the hottest sex of her life with a complete stranger. For one night she can forget that her ex is trying to steal all her clients and her job has been her number one priority for too long. But when morning comes, all she’s left with are the sizzling memories and a snarky (but still sexy) “You’re welcome” letter from her one night stand.

When she learns that her one night stand is her firm’s brand new client, she’s not exactly thrilled. The man refused to give his name and hounded the firm for weeks. She had all intentions to turn down the anonymous client, until he agreed to her assistant spur of the moment astronomical fee. How can a girl turn down a client for $3 MIL? She can’t. So she does the impossible. She takes on NY’s public relations nightmare.

Ryan is more known for his womanizing ways and playboy persona than his successful business. He’s a notorious bad boy that a normal PR company won’t touch with a ten foot pole. He has a chip on his shoulder and an ego bigger than Manhattan. Not to mention the man has seen her naked. What’s a girl to do? Give it her all, duh!

As with the predecessors, this was a ridiculously fun novella. The sparks are immediate between Penelope and Ryan and only burn hotter and hotter with each new interaction. I loved Ryan’s dirty mouth and Penelope’s smart one. This was a shorty but a goodie. I’d have loved an epilogue to really seal the deal here, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

DON’T MISS THE FIRST TWO STEAMY NOVELLAS IN THIS SERIES!

PURCHASE | READ MY REVIEW

PURCHASE | READ MY REVIEW

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