Excerpt Reveal: ★Fighting Silence★ by @AlyMartinezAuth

“Hi.” I stood up off the bed as he started climbing through the window.

His eyes went wide when he saw me, causing him to momentarily lose his balance on the windowsill and go crashing to the floor. “God. Damn,” he cursed as he rose to his feet while taking in my new wardrobe. “You… I…um…” His hand went to his lip.

He was rooted in place only a few steps away, but his eyes traveled over every inch of my body and back again.

Till was speechless. I had never felt so empowered in my life.

“Are you okay?” I feigned concern as I slowly approached.

“Not even close,” he told my breasts, making me giggle.

After sliding a hand under the edge of his T-shirt, I raked a fingernail over each of his abs before dipping it into the waistband of his jeans.

“I’m sore today,” I announced, closing the distance between us. My breasts were pressed against him, but he still hadn’t even attempted to touch me yet. I had plans to remedy that. I smirked then stood up on my tiptoes, kissing the base of his neck. “Make me sore for tomorrow too.” At the last second, I darted my tongue out to the hollow dip at the base of his neck. It was meant to tease him, but as the taste of his skin hit my tongue, I was flooded with memories of taking more of him in my mouth. The moan escaped before I’d even felt it coming.

A loud rumble shook his chest, but that was the only warning I received. Suddenly, I was off my feet and sailing through the air. Just as I landed on the bed, Till crashed on top of me. His mouth roughly landed on mine.

“Tell me we can’t do this again,” he demanded as his hands found my breasts.

“We’re definitely doing this again.” I arched into him.

“It’s gonna get so messy, Eliza. Please.” He groaned as I reached into the front of his jeans.

“I’m okay with messy,” I breathed, guiding his hand from my breast and into my panties.

“Fuuuuuck” he cursed when he discovered just how thorough I’d been with the razor earlier. His finger pressed inside me as his body traveled down the bed and settled between my legs, stripping my panties off during his descent.

He added another finger in a less than gentle but overwhelmingly intoxicating, rhythm.

“Tell me to stop, Eliza. We can’t do this again.” He grazed his teeth on the inside of my thigh.

“We’re already doing it.”

“Tell me to stop.”

“No.”

“It’s going to ruin us.”

“If you don’t stop talking, you’re going to ruin this.”

“I’m serious.” He kissed the inside of my other thigh, his fingers never faltering in their steady pace.

“So am I. Stop trying to talk yourself out of this while your fingers are buried inside me.” I threaded a hand into his hair and gave it a gentle tug.

“Goddammit. Tell me to stop!” he demanded one last time, but his fingers sped before twisting in the most delicious way.

I decided to give him what he wanted, but only because I knew he wouldn’t follow through.

“Stop.” I rolled my hips forcing him even deeper.

“Well, it’s too fucking late now.”

I would have laughed, but his mouth sealed over my clit and stole my breath, words, thoughts, and orgasm. My body shook as he pushed me higher even while I was falling. It shouldn’t have worked like that, but whatever voodoo magic Till Page was working with that night was all right with me. He didn’t stop swirling his tongue until I used his hair to pry his mouth away.

“Too much!” I cried.

He looked up with a wickedly proud grin. His hand disappeared, and seconds later, his cock replaced it.

Pre-order Fighting Silence 
RELEASE DATE: February 23rd, 2015
About The Book
Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it’s the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?I’ve always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn’t a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.

You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.

They both happened anyway.

Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.

Fighting for my career.

Fighting the impending silence.

Fighting for her.

Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.

I think that’s the sound I’ll miss the most.

About the Author

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

Weekly Deals & Steals: #Sales & #Freebies February 17

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Cover Reveal & Excerpt: ★Love The Way You Lie★ by Skye Warren

Love The Way You Lie
Author: Skye Warren
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: March 12, 2015
Photographer: Sara Eirew (http://on.fb.me/1yq0nSa)
Synopsis
A dark romance about the lies that lead us down…I’ll do anything to get safe, even if that means working at the scariest club in town.

I’ll do anything to stay hidden, even if it means taking off my clothes for strangers.

I’ll do anything to be free. Except give him up. When he looks at me, I forget why I can’t have him. He’s beautiful and scarred. His body fits mine, filling the places where I’m hollow, rough where I am soft.

He’s the one man who wants to help, but he has his own agenda. He has questions I can’t answer. What are you afraid of?
You.

 BUY SKYE WARREN’S BOOKS 

Excerpt

In the first moments onstage, I’m always blinded.

The bright lights, the smoke. The wall of sound that feels almost tangible, as if it’s trying to keep me out, push me back, protect me from what’s going to happen next. I’m used to the dancing, and the catcalls, and the reaching, grabbing hands—as much as I can be. But I’m never quite used to this moment, being blinded, feeling small.

I reach for the pole and find it, swinging my body around so the gauzy scrap of fabric flies up, giving the men near the stage a view of my ass. I still can’t quite make anything out. There are dark spots in my vision.

The smile’s not even a lie, not really. It’s a prop, like the four inch heels and the wings that snap as I drop them to the stage.

Broken.

A few people clap from the back.

Now all that’s left is a lacy bra and panty set. I grip the pole and head into my routine, wrapping around the pole, sliding off, and starting all over again. I lose myself in the physicality of it, going into the zone as if I were running a marathon. This is the best part, losing myself in the burn of my muscles and the slide of the metal pole against my skin and the cold, angry rhythm of the song. It’s not like ballet, but it’s still a routine. Something solid, when very few things in my life are solid.

I finish on the pole and begin to work the stage, moving around so I can collect tips. I can see again, just barely, making out shadowy silhouettes in the chairs.

Not many.

There’s a regular on one side. I recognize him. Charlie. He tosses a five dollar bill on the stage, and I bend down long and slow to pick it up. He gets a wink and a shimmy for his donation. As I’m straightening, I spot another man on the other side of the stage.

His posture is slouched, one leg kicked out, the other under his chair, but somehow I can tell he isn’t really relaxed. There’s tension in the long lines of his body. There’s power.

And that makes me nervous.

I spin away and shake my shit for the opposite side of the room, even though there’s barely anyone there. It’s only a matter of time before I need to face him again. But I don’t need to look at him. They don’t pay me to look them in the eye.

Still I can’t help but notice his leather boots and padded jacket. Did he ride a motorcycle? It seems like that kind of leather, the tough kind. Meant to withstand weather. Meant to protect the body from impact.

The song’s coming to a close, my routine is coming to an end, and I’m glad about that. Something about this guy is throwing me off. Nothing noticeable. My feet and hands and knowing smile still land everywhere they need to. Muscle memory and all that. But I don’t like the way he watches me.

There’s patience in the way he watches me. And patience implies waiting.

It implies planning.

I reach back and unclasp my bra. I use one hand to cover my breasts while I toss the bra to the back of the stage. I pretend to be shy for a few seconds, and suddenly, I feel shy too. Like I’m doing more than showing my breasts to strangers. I’m showing him. And as I stand there, hand cupping my breasts, breath coming fast, I feel his patience like a hot flame.

This time I do miss the beat. I let go on the next one, though, and my breasts are free, bared to the smoky air and the hungry eyes. There are a few whistles from around the room. Charlie holds up another five dollar bill. I sway over to him and cock my hip, letting him shove the bill into my thong, feeling his hot, damp breath against my breast. He gets close but doesn’t touch. That’s Charlie. He tips and follows the rules, the best kind of customer.

I don’t even glance at the other side of the room. If the new guy is holding up a tip, I don’t even care. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who follows rules. I don’t know why I’m even thinking about him or letting him affect me. Maybe my run-in with Blue made me more skittish than I’d realized.

All I have left is my finale on the pole. I can get through this.

This part isn’t as physically strenuous as before. Or as long. All I really need to do is grind up against the pole, front and back, emphasizing my newly naked breasts, pretending to fuck.

That’s what I’m doing when I feel it. Feel him.I’m a practical girl. I have to be. But there’s a feeling I get, a prickle on the back of my neck, a churning in my gut, a warning bell in my head, when I’m near one of them. Near a cop. My eyes scan the back of the room, but all I can see are shadows. Is there a cop waiting to bust someone? A raid about to go down?
My gaze lands on the guy near the stage. Him? He doesn’t look like a cop. He doesn’t feel like a cop. But I don’t trust looks or feelings. All I can trust is the alarm blaring in my head: get out, get out, get out.

I can barely suck in enough air. There’s only smoky air and rising panic. Blood races through me, speeding up my movements. A cop. I feel it like some kind of sixth sense.

Maybe he feels my intuition about him, because he leans forward in his seat.

In one heart-stopping moment, my eyes meet his. I can see his face then, drawn from charcoal shadows.

Beautiful, his lips say. All I can hear is the song.

I’m not even on beat anymore, and it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because there’s a cop here, and I have to get out. Even if my intuition is wrong, it’s better to get out. Safer.

I’ll never be safe.

The last note calls for a curtsey—a sexy, mocking thing I choreographed into my routine. Like the one I’d do at the end of a ballet recital, made vulgar. I barely manage it this time; a rough jerk of my head and shoulders. Then I’m gone, off the stage, running down the hallway. I’m supposed to work the floor next, see who wants a lap dance or another drink, but I can’t do that. I head for the dressing room and thrown on a T-shirt and sweatpants. I’ll tell them I feel sick and have to leave early. They won’t be happy, and I’ll probably have to pay for it with my tips, but they won’t want me throwing up on the customers either.

I run for the door and almost slam into Blue.

He’s standing in the hallway again. Not slouching this time. There’s a new alertness to his stare. And something else—amusement.

“Going somewhere?” he asks.

“I have to… my stomach hurts. I feel sick.” I step close, praying he’ll move aside.

He reaches up to trace my cheek. “Aww, should I call the doctor?” His hand clamps down on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

I grip my bag tight to my chest, trying to ignore the threat in his words. And the threat in his grip. I really do feel sick now, but throwing up on him is definitely not going to help the situation. “Please, I need to leave. It’s serious. I’ll make it up later.”

He’ll know what I’m saying. That I’ll make it up to him personally. I’m just desperate enough to promise that. Desperate enough to promise him anything. And he’s harassed me long enough that I know it’s a decent prize. I’m sure he’ll make it extra humiliating, but I’m desperate enough for that too.

“Please let me go.” The words come out pained, my voice thin. It feels a little like my body is collapsing in on itself, steel beams bending together, something crushing me from the outside.

Regret flashes over his face, whether for refusing my offer or forcing me that low. But this time, he doesn’t let me go. “There’s a customer asking for you. He wants a dance.”

About the Author

Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of dark romantic fiction. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely romantic.

#ValentinesDay #BlogHop #Giveaway

Happy Valentine’s Day, dirty birds! Now you all know I love you long time, and I figured that on this day that it deserves a little something special from me to give you all just because you . What can I say, I’m generous like that 😉 But why stop with just me?

Together with some fabulous blogs, we’ve decided to make it even more fun and give you even more chances to win. My blogging friends and I  have gotten together to do this EPIC celebration to show our love for you all! Throughout the weekend you can enter to win multiple prizes by visiting my fellow bloggers. Each blog will be giving away something fun, so make sure you visit all the stops for a chance to win! These are all FACEBOOK stops 🙂
On my stop, I’ll be picking 2 winners. 1 person will win a signed paperback of LOVELY TRIGGER by R.K. Lilley (US only). And 1 person will win a $10 Amazon GC so you can pick up as many book boyfriends as your one-clicker desires 😉


Blogs included on the Valentines Day Blog Hop: 


(Winners will be chosen at random on Sunday, February 15 at 8pm. Each blog will announce their winner(s) and winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize.)

Weekly Deals & Steals: #Sales & #Freebies

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Cover Reveal: ★By Any Other Name★ by @jmdarhower

By Any Other Name
(Forbidden Series Book One)
By USA TODAY Bestselling Author J.M. Darhower
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: February 23rd, 2015
Synopsis
A deadly rivalry.
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.
Genevieve “Genna” Galante knows a thing or two about
causing trouble. After all, it’s engrained in her DNA. As the only daughter of
Primo Galante, notorious boss of the Galante crime family, her life is dictated
by a certain set of rules… rules Genna was never very good at following.
Matteo “Matty” Barsanti never wanted anything to do
with the family business, but as the first-born Barsanti son, certain things
are expected of him. It’s his duty, according to his father, to help take down
the enemy… even if that enemy means something to him.
A chance encounter on an elevator changes the course of lives,
causing the biggest trouble of Genna’s young life. The only good Barsanti is
a dead Barsanti
. She’s heard it said time and time again. So what happens
when she falls in love with one of them?
The story of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of the
biggest rivalry New York has ever seen, determined to make it… if only they can
survive their parents’ feud.

Excerpt

“A Roman Coke,” Genna mused. “What’s that?”

“It’s rum and Coke. We just call it a Roman Coke around here.”

“Because you’re Italian?”

“And because when you get drunk enough, it all just slurs together anyway.”

“Ah.” Genna picked hers up, motioning toward him with it. “So what are we drinking to?”

“Today.”

“Today?”

He nodded. “Right now, this moment. Let’s drink to it.”

Smiling, she clinked her glass with his. “Today, then.”

They threw them back at the same time. The liquor hit Genna’s taste buds and she grimaced, the vicious burn seeping down her throat and settling deep in her chest. “Ugh, is there even any Coke in this damn thing?”

Matty laughed, setting his empty glass down. “Just a splash.”

“I couldn’t tell.”

“That’s because I prefer it that way,” he responded. “Strong and rough, enough to leave a lingering ache. I like it to hurt just a bit.”

Oh good God. Those words sent a chill down Genna’s spine, one she couldn’t hide, as Matty waved for the waitress. Eyes never leaving Genna, he ordered another round of drinks.

“Another?” she asked, picking up the water to take another sip, this one to soothe the sting in her chest. “You said one drink.”

A sly smile curved his lips. “I like to keep them coming.”

“Is that right?”

“Absolutely.” Matty stood, leaning across the table, his lips near her ear. “Maybe you’ll let me show you later.”

About the Author
J.M. Darhower is a USA Today
bestselling author, best known for her Mafia romantic suspense novels. She
lives in a tiny town in rural North Carolina, where she churns out more words
than will ever see the light of day. She has a deep passion for politics and
speaking out against human trafficking, and when she isn’t busy writing (or
being a fangirl) she’s usually ranting about those things.

Blog Tour, Excerpt & #Giveaway: ★The Science of Attraction★ by @veritymjacobs

THE SCIENCE OF ATTRACTION
Author: Verity Jacobs
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 26, 2015

Kate Ramsey is at the top of her game.She’s the hot new recruit at the most prestigious research institute in Germany, and she’s determined to live up to the hype — even if it means working day and night. Stress relief comes in the form of a no-nonsense affair with her neighbor, who also happens to be the director of the institute. Who says sex should be anything more than a contract between two people who have other things on their mind?

So when Tom Baker saunters into her life, Kate is understandably upset to see this well-oiled machine splutter and seize. Tom is young and smart, and far too pretty for his own good. Kate can’t help but be drawn to him, even if giving in to the attraction would mean risking everything she’s worked for.

Buy Links
Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes

BOOK TRAILER

Storyboard for The Science of Attraction: http://www.pinterest.com/verityjacobs/the-science-of-attraction/
Excerpt

Scar

“So, what are we drinking to?” Tek asked, flopping down on the remaining chair.

“Well, I’m drinking to beautiful women and summer sun.” Tom grinned and held his bottle aloft, leaning back and catching my eye again.

“I’m drinking to five days away from the bench,” Margot added wryly.

“I’m drinking to being near the freakin’ water again, even if it’s just a pebbly old sea,” Tek said, his Antipodean beach snobbery shining through.

“And I’m drinking to keeping you all out of trouble,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“Now why would you want to do a thing like that?” Tom said, winking as he clinked his bottle against my glass.

“Because you obviously need it,” I shot back, looking over at him and instinctively, foolishly, holding his gaze.

“Do I?” he said, his voice low. It took me a second to realize that Tek and Margot had started up their own conversation. I was well and truly trapped in a Tom bubble.

I took a breath and somehow managed to tear my eyes away from his, shifting my focus downward. But of course, that was no better.

“Where did you get this?” I asked, reaching out without thinking to stroke the scar that stretched across the width of his forearm.

“Mountain biking with my brother,” he said softly. And then, “It looked a lot more impressive when I was eleven.”

I smiled and rubbed my fingertip back across the white stripe, ignoring the voice in my head that was telling me not to. It was soft and indistinct anyway, garbled no doubt by half a bottle of wine.

“It still feels a little funny to the touch,” he continued, “especially when you— Ah!”

His gasp shot straight through me, and I realized with a start that I was grazing the surface of his skin with my nails in a slow caress.

“—do that,” he finished, and somehow I couldn’t help but look up again.

Big mistake.

“It feels kinda great,” he said, “but it also drives me nuts.”

There was something about this statement that stripped all previous conversation of its innocence. Something about the pairing of pleasure and pain that left me short of breath.

“You have a brother?” I said faintly, reining in my hand and blinking a couple of times in a vain attempt to reset my head.

“Yeah, I do,” he said. “He’s a year older, we’re pretty close.” He took a swig of beer and smiled sidelong at me, a smile that seemed designed to absolve my sins, even as it inspired new ones.

About the Author

Verity Jacobs is a reformed scientist, who left the lab when she fell in love with writing about love. She lives with her husband and baby girl in London, where she dreams by day and writes all night long. She is addicted to the heart flutters and stomach flips of the fictional romance world.

Giveaway

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Release Blitz & #Giveaway: ★Tight★ by @ReadAlessandra

Title: TIGHT
Author: Alessandra Torre
Genre: Erotic Romance
Cover Design: Judi Perkins
Photography Credit: Maksim Gorbunov
Release Date: Feb. 7th 2015
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TIGHT Final CoverI was happy in my small town. In my life as a single thirty-two year old woman. I had a good job, wonderful friends, my independence.I also hadn’t got laid in three years. Hadn’t been on a date in two. Had stopped counting calories and putting on makeup… a while ago.

Then Brett Jacobs waltzed in. Caressed my thigh, dug rough fingers into my hair, lowered his soft mouth to my skin, took sexual control of my mind and stirred it all around with what he packed in his pants. He dumped my quiet life upside down and crawled into a place in my heart I thought was dead.

The issue is his secret. The issue is her. The issue is that I don’t even know she exists, and he thinks she’s dead. The issue is that everything is about to hit the fan and I can’t hold on to him tight enough.

Buy Links
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TEASERS

MEET ALESSANDRA

AT headshot - red dressA New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written seven novels, four of which became #1 Erotic Bestsellers.
Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, became a breakout hit, rising to the top of the charts on Kindle and Amazon where it attracted the interest of major publishing houses and garnered Torre her first print deal with Harlequin HQN. Less than twelve months later, Torre signed a second print deal, this time with Redhook (Hachette) for her erotic thriller The Girl in 6E. From her home near the warm waters of the Emerald Coast in Florida, she devotes several hours each day to various writing projects and interacting with her fans on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Happily married and with one son, she loves watching SEC football games, horseback riding, reading and watching movies. Torre has four books slated for release in 2015. To stay informed, consider subscribing to her popular monthly newsletter

STALK ALESSANDRA

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DGR’s January Reads Roundup & #GIVEAWAY

I know, I know, I’m super late with my post. I suck. I totally and completely suck. I sorry! I managed to completely over-estimate my reading capacity once again and take on way more than I can chew. So I’ve been super frazzled trying to get to all my ARC commitments and review in time that I barely had time to put this post together on a timely basis…like you know…at the beginning of this week! Le sigh. But better late then never, right? I mentioned on my Facebook page this week as I was composing my January favorites (as I do for every month) that since I didn’t really have too many mind blowing five star reads, this month instead of giving you guys my favorites, I’m just going to do a roundup for all the books I read. So here they are in no particular order… Some were amazing, some were great, some not so much but a good month nonetheless 

 

If you follow me on Facebook or Goodreads then you may have noticed I have been completely obsessed with the Blood & Roses series. Like…OBSESSED. Now you know I love me the anti-heroes, the dirty talkers, and the assholes. Well Zeth Mayfair is like my Holy Grail. I kid you not. I devoured this series! If you’re a fan of the darker and grittier reads with anti-heroes, this is a series that MUST be on you TBRs! Unfortunately, my ARC obligations haven’t allowed me to finish this series just yet, but I fully intend to the second I have some free time. The first four books were all 4-5 huge stars for me.
 Goodreads / Amazon / My Review (4 Stars)
 Goodreads / Amazon / My review – 4.5 Stars
 Goodreads / Amazon / My Review– 4.5 Stars
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review– 5 Stars


The Untouchables is book 2 in the Ruthless People trilogy. Ruthless People was one of my favorite books last year. Unapologetically vicious with one tough bitch of a heroine and an equally vicious hero. The Untouchables was definitely a very big anticipated release for me. But in my wait, I managed to forget most of book 1 and that definitely limited my enjoyment of The Untouchables. Between all the additional POVs and trying to keep up with the plot and remember details from book 1, I had a tough time with it. But when i read Ruthless People again, I definitely appreciated so much more. I would definitely recommend reading these books as close together as possible to make sure you enjoy them fully. Book 3, American Savages is due for release on March 19, so the wait isn’t bad at all 🙂
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review – 3.75 Stars


I love Romantic Suspense, it’s one of my favorite genres. And Lynn’s Hostile Operations Team series is a huge favorite of mine. They’re action packed and super sexy and HOT ICE was certainly no acceptation. I absolutely loved it! A gorgeous special ops agent forced to play bodyguard to a a governor’s spoiled daughter (or is she?) and sparks fly! Nothing better than hate to love trope 😉
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review– 4.25 Stars


Now I love me a gritty and brutal read, but this was FUCKING INTENSE. I mean HOLY SHIT! Kick kicked my fucking ass. It was a super violent and brutal look into the dark underbelly of the MC life with a side of romance. If you’re feeling brave, then definitely pick this one up! This is book 1 in Carmen’s new Savage Saints MC series.
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review– 4 Stars


I adore Samantha Young’s writing and when I saw the blurb for this book, I just knew I had to read it. It was so good! Love to hate, my favorite trope. It had a sassy and strong heroine and an asshole hero that takes a little bit too long to see the light….oh and sizzling hot sex. Loved it!
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review– 4.25 Stars


This debut author seduced me with a hot cover and a drool worthy blurb, and I was impressed as hell with what the book delivered. Although it is a little rough around the edges at times, for a debut book, it was fantastic! Angsty and oh so hot. Keep in mind this is NOT a standalone and has one killer cliffy and the release date of book 2 hasn’t been announced yet, though it is set for this year. 
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review – 3.75 Stars


Naughty Little Wishes is book two in the Birthday Dare series. I really liked Take Me If You Dare and was excited to finally get Tabitha’s story in this book. Unfortunately it just fell totally flat for me. I never managed to form a connection to either character or their romance, and Tabitha drove me absolutely nuts. And Andrew was just way too uptight for my tastes. That being said, I’m still excited about the next book in this series and would gladly read it.
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review – 2.5 Stars


If you follow my review then you already know how much I love Pam Godwin and everything that she writes. Dirty Ties is a standalone and is different from any of her other books because instead of dark it was a super sexy romantic suspense. This was my very first 5 star read of 2015. I freaking loved it! I don’t want to give you too much, but I’ll give you two words: Elevator. Scene. Trust me on this. Read it now and thank me later 😉
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review– 5 Stars


No one, and I mean NO ONE writes a dirty talker quite like Tessa Bailey. I loved having this second book for Trent and Ruby. Although this is considered book 0.5 in Tessa’s Crossing The Line , we originally met these characters in book two of the Line Of Duty series, His Risk To Take. I’d recommend reading that first, but you can still read this as a standalone. I also strong recommend reading this book before Risking It All, which I think is easily my favorite book to date.
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review – 4 Stars


I adore all things Ella Frank. The woman is like a jack of all trades. There isn’t a single genre that she can’t take and make her bitch. Now she can add Romantic Fantasy to her list. This was so incredibly unique and vivid world with a splash of romance and lots of intriguing characters. This is book one in Ella’s new Arcanian Chronicles series, and is not meant to be read as a standalone as it is a continuing story arc.
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review – 4 stars


I first discovered this author in her other Rockstar series that she co-writes with Cari Quinn, Lost in Oblivion. Considering how much I loved all the books in that series, I jumped at the chance to read this first book in her When You’re Gone trilogy and so happy I did. The cliffhanger wasn’t too bad and book 2 is already out with book 3 just around the corner. If you like angsty rockstar romances, I highly recommend it. 
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review – 4 Stars


If you all haven’t yet read Elle Kennedy’s After Hours, I’m not quite sure what you’re waiting for. Each book is sizzling hot, but One Night of Trouble was easily my favorite. You have a good guy gone bad…very bad and the tattooed heroine that helps him find his long lost wild side. Lots of sexy times ensue. I loved it and highly recommend reading the series in order, though each book is easily read as a standalone.
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review– 4.25 Stars


Talk about your ovary exploding mother of pervy! This book? It needs to come with a damn warning. Ovaries may not survive. Luckily this pervert is basically desensitized to it with my steel plated ovaries, so I didn’t mind. Keep in mind this book has a couple very descriptive MFF scenes, so if some FF isn’t your cuppa, you may not like it. While I usually prefer the cock-on-cock action instead, I can’t say it bothered me any. I could have done without the second scene simply because it just didn’t fit for me in the general scheme of the plot, but as far as debut books go, this was awesome! Super hot and highly entertaining. This is book 1 in the Blindfold Club series.
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review– 3.75 Stars


I’ve been a huge fan of the McClouds & Friends series since the very first book. This author has a knack for writing some super possessive and dirty talking uber alphas. Sam certainly fit the bill very nicely. I can’t say this was my favorite in the series since I was a little let down with the heroine. She seemed so different throughout the series and there were parts of this book that I wanted to throttle her. That being said, it was still a great read and I liked it a lot.
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review – 3.75 Stars


It’s no secret that I love all things Pepper Winters. The woman writes one incredible dark romance. Her Indebted series is no exception. These books have become my crack, with each one only continuing to get better and better. If Jethro and Nila’s story doesn’t absolutely suck you in by book 2, then this one will certainly solidify it. Trust me. All fans of dark romance need to read this one!
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review – 4.5 Stars


Now Floored only came out yesterday, so technically it should go into my February post, but I read it in January and just couldn’t wait to share it with you all. This book kept me laughing like a loon the whole time. So much awesome in one sexy little read. A super hilarious heroine with even funnier inner monologue, a dirty talking cop with a penchant for using his handcuffs, and a hate to love trope to seal the deal. This was fantastic! And if you’re looking for an easy and humorous uplifting read, look no further. I will be posting my review on the blog during my blog tour stop next week, but trust me when I tell you this was a terrific 5 star read for me. I loved it!


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A Case For The Negative Review

I have a question; when did writing negative reviews become a stigma in the book world? Why is it that no matter where I look on social media lately someone is complaining about something and someone not writing a “proper” review. When did it become equivalent to school children on a playground bickering about stupid shit that wouldn’t even make anyone’s radar until it’s posted and bitched about on social media? Why is it that professional reviewers and bloggers are being lumped in with the few rotten apples that apparently seem to be only on Goodreads? When did it become necessary to publicly shame people in posts or comments simply because you don’t agree with them?

Notice that I’m not specifically pointing at anyone here? Well there’s a reason for that, because it’s not just limited to authors and reviewers lately. Everyone seems to be jumping on the judgy bandwagon and finding it necessary criticize and/or to “educate” (often rudely) on how someone else should be doing something (writing reviews, writing books, pricing, selling, buying, reading, you name it). Are we not grown adults and professionals? Do we not know how to conduct ourselves professionally? Are things like common courtesy and professionalism now a thing of a very distant past?

Allow me to address the elephant in the room here: I write negative reviews. There’s lots of people that don’t believe in reviewing a book that they didn’t enjoy, and hey, different strokes for different folks. I don’t happen to subscribe to that particular newsletter. You see, I find negative reviews to be extremely helpful for me as a reader. Why? Because most of the time my buying decision comes from the negative reviews more so than the glowing positive one. 
As a consumer, don’t you want to know both sides of the coin before spending your hard earned money on a product that you may know in advance won’t work for you? Everything is a business essentially. Authors provide a product (their books), and reviewers/bloggers provide a service (their opinions). While I love to promote my favorite authors, and I’m lucky enough to have discovered many of them throughout the years, they’re not the main reason I write reviews. Nope. The main reason is people like me; readers. 
You guys trust me enough to follow my reviews and more often than not it’s because your book tastes are in line with mine. Personally, that’s why I follow many of the reviewers that I do; because they have similar books tastes and that’s how I discover new authors and books for myself. Of course that’s not always the case and not everyone will always agree with my opinion, and you know what? That’s OK. That’s your right. Same as it’s my right to have mine.
And that brings me to the touchy subject on negative reviews…
re·view
rəˈvyo͞o/
noun
  1. A formal assessment or examination of something with the possibility or intention of instituting change if necessary.
Does anywhere in that definition imply that reviews are only meant to be positive? No. Because that defeats the purpose of a review, does it not? If all my reviews were 4 or 5 stars, I’d mostly think of it as a plot summary with praise. While I try to pick books and authors that I know in advance would work for me, there’s always the occasion that it doesn’t. I also like to try new authors and give books outside my own personal comfort zone a shot. Why not? How else would I diverse my library?
Have you all visited the interwebs lately? Do sites like TravelAdvisor, Yelp, Glassdoor, Cnet, yahoo and plenty more ring a bell? Of course they do. Have you read any of the reviews on them lately? No? I suggest you take a look, because you’re going to find that they’re not all nicely written, grammatically correct, glowing, or sometimes even fair. (Psst, they also allow other users to comment on them).They’re opinions after all, and you know what they say about those, right?
Why do people get so riled up about something as simple as an opinion? You don’t agree with it? That’s your right, of course. Just as it’s that person’s right to have their own opinion. You don’t think it’s correct? Well that pretty much defeats the definition of opinion. You think it’s mean spirited? It happens, this is the internet after all. Anyone with an opinion feels it’s their right to write about it and there’s not much you can do to change that. What you can change is how you react to it. Because here’s the thing, the only thing that’s affected here is public image, and in this industry (like any other industry out there) that’s a BIG thing. 
What I mean is, you write a mean spirited review that’s completely without merit or just plain stupid, the only thing you do is tarnish your image. If I read a review like this, I certainly wouldn’t put much weight on what they said. And if you’re a person (whether it be author, reader, reviewer, whatever) that decides to start publicly shaming reviewers that write negative reviews, well again, the only thing it will affect is your own image. I grew up on a very wise Russian saying; Never argue with an idiot, people won’t be able to tell the difference. And when I see commenters on negative reviews, that’s essentially what is going on.
The funny thing, is most of these “reviews” don’t even make my radar until some drama explodes over them. I wouldn’t even bat an eyelash at them until it turns into some controversy where everyone and their mother decides to jump into the fray and educate the reviewer on what they’re doing wrong. Then it’s blowing up my social media feeds everywhere. Le sigh.
Personally when I’m deciding to purchase a book, I like to read both the positive and negative reviews. I like to know in advance if a book will have a particular no-no trigger of mine (love triangle, cheating, etc). Why would I pick up a book knowing in advance it won’t work for me. I’d feel mislead and pissed. That goes for any product you purchase. That’s what makes you an educated consumer. As an educated consumer, don’t you think you can differentiate between an objectively written negative review and something that’s completely without merit? Of course you can. I personally wouldn’t trust any product that only has 5 star reviews. It’s just not possible that something is so great it will work for everyone. That’s just not the world that we live in. And most of the time, the negative reviews (even the stupid ones) only give the positive ones merit.
This is what happens when you put something up for public consumption; people will have opinions on it. That goes for any product or even business out there. Everything is subjective, and everyone is different.
Have I read negative reviews that were mean spirited and pointless or just flat out rude? Also-fucking-lutely. And it’s certainly not just limited to books. Unfortunately not everyone will take the time to consider things like feelings before expressing their thoughts. But that’s what differentiates the professionals from the assholes. Personally, I can’t remember the last time I saw someone talking about a great reviewer on Goodreads or Amazon that’s fair, constructive, and honest. But boy is my feed riddled with complaining about those few bad apples that seem to color the rest of us poorly. If I had a dollar for every time I read something about one of those “Goodreads” assholes, I’m pretty sure I could safely retire. 
Spoiler Alert: there’s still plenty of us out there (Goodreads included) that rate fairly, write constructive reviews, don’t bash authors, and help pimp books that we think deserve the praise. Why are we getting lost in this negative shuffle? Why are we lumped in along with the assholes that give the rest of us a bad name? Why does it look like we’re a rare breed where in fact if you truly looked, you’d see that we’re the majority. 
My point with this post is not to shame anyone, criticize or educate. Quite the contrary actually. Why do we keep focusing on all the negative when there’s so much positive as well. If I focused on only the negative experiences, I’m pretty sure I’d lose my ever loving mind. So why not brush the negative off and live happily ever after together? Let’s take a moment here, shall we?
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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