Blog Tour, Excerpt, & Jenn’s Review: Darkest Temptation by Rachel Van Dyken

November 3, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

DARKEST TEMPTATION
Series: The Dark Ones Saga #4
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Release Date: October 31, 2017

I’m a werewolf King who chose to step down out of grief for my mate.

For centuries I’ve been alone, choosing to live a life of modesty despite the wealth surrounding me.

I deserve to be punished.

I crave things I have no business craving.

And it is manifesting itself in a way I’m terrified I won’t be able to control any longer.

Especially since she arrived.

Vampire. Orphan. Beaten beyond recognition.

My blood calls to her in a way that makes no sense.

I’m a wolf.

She’s a vampire.

The two don’t mate.

They barely tolerate one another.

All it takes is one slip of control on my part — one taste.

And I doom us all.

Then again, I never knew what is lurking inside has the power to balance good and evil.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

The air around me thickened with a sweet-smelling fog. I inhaled and closed my eyes, allowing my baser instincts to take over.“Wolf.” She whispered my name.

I sniffed. The voice was not familiar. It was not my mate. It was… other.

“Wolf,” she beckoned again.

Branches crunched beneath my feet as I made my way closer to the sweet scent, closer to the warmth, closer to what I should have been running from.

I was already mated.

And yet — I was being pulled.

Like a siren’s song.

I hated sirens.

Every last one of them.

But only the strongest were male.

This — I sniffed the air again as ecstasy took over — this was no male.

This was all female.

The instinct to protect kicked in, forcing a surge of adrenaline through my limbs as I staggered toward the trees.

Green eyes blinked through the fog.

I stilled.

My breath caught.

Vampire.

I frowned, reaching for her.

“Kiss me, Wolf.”

Why was I tempted?

Why did I want to touch this being?

When every hair stood on end like she was foe not friend. When I had a mate back home that I loved more than life itself.

Confusion warred with disgust, and then the vampire stood on her tiptoes and pressed her cheek against mine, the way my people greeted.

But she was no wolf.

Her lips grazed the outside of my ear before she bit down onto my neck…

I jerked awake. Sweat pooled the bed like I’d just taken a shower.

And my mate, the one I was so convinced would be lying right next to me, was gone.

She’d been gone.

Over a hundred years.

And every year, like clockwork, on the anniversary of her death.

I saw my vampire.

She bit me.

And I woke up with a bruise on my neck as if it were real.

Why?! Why did I do this to myself….again?! This is the second time I’ve started in the middle of a Rachel Van Dyken series, only to be uber curious about the previous characters! Damn you, Rachel for reeling me into your series and making me go back and read all of the books before it. Ok, I actually mean Thank you, Rachel (*muah).


Biting is hot, right?! It’s not just me?! Ok, good. But I would say that I have a Vampire Standard. I’m a picky bitch when it comes to vampires, ok? But I am so glad Rachel wrote this series. I haven’t even read them all, but I know I will luuurve it, as soon as I’m done beating up my stubborn-self over not reading all of her books in order. Hopefully, I’ve learned my lesson by now (*wink). There are some things that I missed because I haven’t read the previous book. There are some things that confused me. This is my own fault. BUUUUT that didn’t stop me from completely devouring and enjoying this book.

Mason has been fighting himself for too long. He is both werewolf and vampire, but no one knows. Mason had a previous mate, a human. Although, he loved her, he always thought she was fragile and couldn’t completely be himself or let loose with his desires for fear of hurting her. Serenity is his MATE. They are destined to be together and have a history together that they don’t even know about. The longer they fight it, the worse it is for them to the point of physically hurting themselves. Stuck in a house together, they must face the inevitable, and when they finally give in…..Epic….Animal….Heat.


Yes, this book was fairly predictable, but what I loved most about this book was the characters and the alpha-banter between the guys. Rachel is one of the best writers of Alpha Male Bickering, which is totally a thing. Trust me.

I’m off to read all the previous books. (*rolls eyes at myself)

Start the Series Today

The Dark Ones

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Untouchable Darkness

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo 

Dark Surrender

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo: 

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

Facebook | Website | Newsletter | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Rachel’s Rockin’ Readers

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Review: On A Tuesday by Whitney G.

October 26, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

ON A TUESDAY
Series: One Week #1
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Author: Whitney G.
Release Date: September 19, 2017

We met on a Tuesday.
Became best friends, then lovers, on a Tuesday.
And everything fell apart on a Tuesday…

Charlotte Taylor has three automatic strikes in my book: 1) She hates me. She also claims that I’m a “domineering jerk with a huge, overbearing ego.” (I do have something huge. It’s not my ego, though.) 2) She takes our mandatory tutoring sessions way too seriously. 3) She’s sexy as hell…And a virgin.

At least, those were her strikes before our study sessions started lasting longer than they were supposed to. Until one innocent kiss became a hundred dirty ones, and until she became the first woman I ever fell hard for.

Our future together after graduation was supposed to be set:
Professional football for me. Law school for her.

But she left me at the end of the semester with no explanation, and then she completely disappeared from my life.

Until tonight.

We met on a Tuesday.
Became everything, then nothing, on a Tuesday.
And now it’s seven years later, on a Tuesday…

**This is a full length second chance romance, inspired by Adele’s “When We Were Young”**

AMAZON

I don’t think I’m God’s gift to women. I know that for a fact.”

A great NA romance is getting harder and harder to find. At least for this picky reader. But when I pick up a book by Whitney G. I know I’ll have a guaranteed winner on my hands. And I’m never wrong! On A Tuesday was a deliciously sizzling slow burn mixed with enemies to lovers mixed with second chance romance? Which basically had me going
Because that combination is MY CATNIP. CATNIP I tells ya!

On A Tuesday is told in two parts; past and present, with the past taking up well over the first half of the book. And you won’t find this girl complaining because that first half was my absolute favorite. The story starts at the seven year college reunion with Gray and Charlotte having been apart for all those years but not knowing what happened. It then takes you right to the past where it all began.

Grayson Connors is everything that Charlotte Taylor knows to stay away from. He’s cocky, popular, had a new girl on his arm every day of the week, and takes nothing seriously unless it’s his football career. But when Gray sets his eyes on her, he stops at nothing to wear down her defenses. What begins as a reluctant friendship leads to an incredible connection and soon to something so much more. The bickering between these two was absolutely delicious. Charlotte is not afraid to put Gray in his place, and she does it with a perfect amount of sass and sharp wit. But Gray is no stereotypical jock and it’s not long before Charlotte begins to see behind his cocksure exterior and reputation, to the sweet man beneath.

Getting both Charlotte and Gray’s POV really help in understanding these characters that much more. Though I have to say, it was difficult to watch Charlotte’s animosity to Gray in the present and having no idea why. The suspense of what happened between them after they burned so hot and strong in college stretches until the very end. Admittedly, the twist at the end felt a bit formulaic and drama rama to me, but it did bring everything together, so I can’t complain too much.

On A Tuesday was a super satisfying second chance romance full of steam and humor and a perfect amount of sass and wit. It was deliciously sexy and I’m thrilled to see that it’ll be a series!

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Review: Burn For You by JT Geissinger

October 25, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

BURN FOR YOU
Series: Slow Burn #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Release Date: October 17, 2017

The marriage is fake. But for a sassy chef and an arrogant billionaire, the sparks are real…

Jackson “The Beast” Boudreaux is rich, gorgeous, and unbelievably rude to the staff at Chef Bianca Hardwick’s New Orleans restaurant. Bianca would sooner douse herself in hot sauce than cook for Jackson again, but when he asks her to cater his fund-raiser, Bianca can’t refuse, knowing the cash will help pay her mother’s medical bills. Then Jackson makes another outrageous request: Marry me. The unconventional offer includes an enormous sum—money Bianca desperately needs, even if it does come with a contract—and a stunning ring.

The heir to a family bourbon dynasty, Jackson knows the rumors swirling around him. The truth is even darker. Still, he needs a wife to secure his inheritance, and free-spirited, sassy Bianca would play the part beautifully. Soon, though, their simple business deal evolves into an emotional intimacy he’s built walls to avoid.

As the passion heats up between them, Bianca and Jackson struggle to define which feelings are real and which are for show. Is falling for your fake fiancé the best happy ending…or a recipe for disaster?


AMAZON 

She was my religion. My north and south, my heaven and earth, the axis of rightness around which everything had suddenly aligned. For the first time in my life, all my polarized parts worked as one, humming happily along in harmony with the universe, finally understanding their place. 

Looking for a perfectly paced slow burn romance? Well, I’ve got your fix right here! This series is so appropriately titled, and for this slow burn lover? I gobbled it right up.

Bianca Hardwick is a talented chef that’s determined to get her restaurant off the ground and make her mother proud. Her signature menu created around her favorite bourbon is keeping her restaurant packed, but it also brings the attention of a particular brute apply known throughout Louisiana as “The Beast”. And after being on the receiving end of his attitude, Bianca can see that title is more than earned.

The first time I laid eyes on the man known throughout the state of Louisiana as “the Beast,” I thought he couldn’t possibly be as bad as his reputation. As it turned out, I was wrong. He was worse.

Jackson is the name behind the Boudreaux bourbon that is his family’s legacy. But what starts as a look at a woman that’s using his family’s bourbon to get guests in her restaurant, actually turns into something else. At first it’s an offer to cater his fundraiser dinner. Next? A proposal of marriage.

Jackson needs to be married by the time he’s 35 in order to receive the rest of his trust. The problem is? His birthday is quite literary right around the corner. Knowing he’ll never trust a woman with his heart ever again, he knows the best alternative is Bianca. She needs money for her ailing mother’s medical care and he needs a wife in name only. What’s a mutually beneficial arrangement between two people that can barely stand to be in the same room together?

But the more you get to know Jax, the more you see beyond the grumpy and brusque personality to a very broken and vulnerable man beneath. The more time he and Bianca spend together, the more he yearns for what could be but likely never would. Bianca goes from hating him to tolerating him to something so much deeper. This is a slow burn in every sense of the word. It takes these two a while to finally see beyond their assumptions of each other. It takes a while for Jax to really open up and let Bianca in to the dark crevices of his heart and memories. But when she gets in there? There’s no turning back.

No one calls me Jax. No one but you.” When her lips curved up at the corners, I felt like I’d been living my life up to then at the bottom of a dark well filled with trash and slimy water, and someone had just lifted the lid and lowered me a ladder.

With a colorful cast of secondary characters, a sweet and sassy romance, plenty of emotions, and an enemies to lovers trope unlike many I’ve read lately, Burn For You was one fantastic read.

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Review: Most Of All You by Mia Sheridan

October 23, 2017 by ·

MOST OF ALL YOU
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Mia Sheridan
Release Date: October 17, 2017

A broken woman . . .

Crystal learned long ago that love brings only pain. Feeling nothing at all is far better than being hurt again. She guards her wounded heart behind a hard exterior, and carries within her a deep mistrust of men who, in her experience, have only ever used and taken.

A man in need of help . . .

Then Gabriel Dalton walks into her life. Despite the terrible darkness of his past, there’s an undeniable goodness about him. And even though she knows the cost, Crystal finds herself drawn to Gabriel. His quiet strength is wearing down her defenses and his gentle patience is causing her to question everything she thought she knew.

Only love can mend a shattered heart . . .

Crystal and Gabriel never imagined that the world that had stolen everything from them would bring them a deep love like this. Except fate will only take them so far and now the choice is theirs: Harden their hearts once again or find the courage to shed their painful pasts.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I don’t create beauty, I just reveal what’s already there.

See that pile of complete mush in the corner there, clutching her kindle and making googly eyes at the ceiling? Yep, I’m not even embarrassed to admit that it’s me at this moment after finishing this book? Because this story? All. Of. The. Swoons. And the reason for it? Two words for you: Gabriel. Dalton.

Man but it’s a rare occurrence that you read about such an incredible hero. He’s unlike any hero I’ve read in a long dang while. He’s sweet, shy, endearing, and his heart is so open, it makes you want to cry, especially knowing what he’s been through. He’s been through something so awful and life altering, that it may break any other man. But he persevered and used love instead of hate to form his future.

Crystal is a perfect example of a subject of circumstance. Her difficult and trying childhood taught her that men will only ever want one thing from her, and that’s all she’s really good for. Until a sweet man that watches her dance at the strip club she works for with absolutely no lust in his eyes turns her world upside down.

I was spellbound, caught once again in his gaze. No one had ever looked at me the way Gabriel was right then, not in all my life.

Crystal fights the instant connection she has with Gabe with everything she’s got; cruelness and coldness being her go-to defenses. But life has other plans for them and when a terrible night leaves her in the gentle care of this beautiful man, she finds herself forming a connection unlike anything she’s ever known in her life. Gabe’s sweet nature soon begins to crumble her defenses and make her see that she’s worthy of more than what life has handed her.

God, but I loved these two together. I love Gabe’s sweet patience and seeing Crystal’s soft side come out into the light. I loved watching their connection slowly build into something that was truly unforgettable. A low burn sort of romance that was as sweet as it was emotional and satisfying.

And you, most of all, you. You get my heart. You. And, God, I hope you want it. But if you don’t, I still won’t regret giving it to you. Even then, I won’t regret loving you because it means I win.”

Most Of All You was completely unforgettable. It was unique, packed full of emotion and depth that tugs at every single heartstring. It was beautiful and touching. It kept me reading well into the night, hoping beyond hope for these two to find their happiness.

I’ve always pretended I was made of stone, but the truth is, I feel more like I was formed from sand, as if I might crumble at any second.”

I loved the journey that Mia Sheridan put Crystal through. You truly see her grow and have not a doubt in your mind why these two belong together. If you’re looking for something that’s different and will make you feel SO MUCH, this is a book you need to read.

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

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Review: Midnight Unleashed by Lara Adrian

October 20, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

MIDNIGHT UNLEASHED
Series: Midnight Breed #15.5
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Lara Adrian
Release Date: October 10, 2017

 

For Breed vampire Trygg, a menacing former assassin and the ultimate loner, duty is everything…until his solo mission to destroy a powerful enemy earns him an unwanted partner in the form of Tamisia, a beautiful, ice-hot immortal who ignites a flame in his cold heart, and his blood.

Banished from her Atlantean colony, disgraced immortal Tamisia longs for a chance to redeem herself and return home where she belongs. Her work at a Rome women’s shelter has given Sia purpose, but when a break-in results in a brutal killing, her quest for answers puts her in the middle of the hunt for a dangerous enemy of the Order–and brings her up against one of the deadliest of their Breed warrior members, the Gen One vampire, Trygg.

A former Hunter enslaved to the commands of a madman, Trygg has devoted his life to the Order. Duty is his only master now, until an interfering beauty inserts herself into his investigation. The last thing Trygg wants is a partner in his mission, but Sia will not be denied–nor will the fierce desire she stokes in him. Soon the warrior who needs no one is craving the only woman he should not desire, unleashing a powerful hunger in his cold heart, and in his blood.

AMAZON 



“Those men. Is that what they were—drug dealers?”He stared at her. “You don’t need to know anything more than what I told the cops, Sia. Do us both a favor and leave it at that.”

“They were searching for something, Trygg.”

“So you mentioned.”

“Do the police have any idea what it might be?”

“I didn’t tell them that part.”

Sia gaped. “Why not? Rosa was killed for whatever it was they thought she had. If telling the police about it will help them understand what kind of trouble she was in—”

“The police can’t help.” Trygg blew out an impatient curse. “And whatever those men wanted from the woman doesn’t matter now.”

“It matters to me,” she insisted.

His dark eyes narrowed and he gave a stiff shake of his head. “This conversation is over. I told you, what happened here is the Order’s business. Go back inside and get some rest. Forget about tonight.”

She scoffed. “Forget it?”

When he started to move around her, Sia grabbed his arm. Warm, hard muscle clenched beneath her fingertips, sending a shocking heat through her body. She drew her hand away at once, trying to ignore the distressing awareness she felt for a man who infuriated her more and more the longer she knew him.

“You think I will ever forget what I saw tonight? A young woman was murdered, Trygg. A woman I liked. A woman I was responsible for keeping safe. And now an innocent little baby is without her mother. Maybe that’s something your cold-hearted kind can simply dismiss, but don’t expect me to do the same.”

“Yes, Tamisia. That’s exactly what I expect.” He scowled now, his scarred, sinister face taut with growing irritation and something more difficult to define. “In fact, I’m fucking demanding it. You do not want to be involved in this. So stow your questions and march your fine ass back into that house and stay there.”

Right now, she was a distraction he could not afford.

After trusting the wrong man leads to the gruesome death of her friend, Tamisia ‘Sia’ finds herself banned from her beloved Atlantean colony and thrown into the unfamiliar human world. Soon the powerful female finds herself in a war between a deadly enemy and the Breed warriors.

Soon Sia finds herself captivated by a Breed warrior that seems to want nothing to do with her. With the Breeds being a long time enemy, being attracted to one of their kind is certainly not what she expects. But as they’re thrown together in a hunt for a mutual enemy, the heat between them is undeniable.

Don’t push me, Sia.” She shook her head. “I think a push is exactly what you need.” Without warning, she took his mouth in a hard, hot kiss.

I loved that Sia was the aggressor and went after what she went. Trygg put up a valiant effort to deny the chemistry between them, but ultimately a connection like theirs proves to be too much.

This was a quick paced, sexy read based in Adrian’s Midnight Breed world. I highly enjoyed the back and worth between Trygg and Sia and the action that flowed harmoniously with the romance. The ending did feel a bit rushed and I was disappointed to see the resolution happen off the pages. Midnight Unleashed was still a satisfying read from what’s one of my favorite PNR series.
 LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times and #1 international bestselling author with nearly 4 million books in print and digital worldwide and translations licensed in more than 20 countries. Her upcoming release is FOR 100 REASONS, the third book in a contemporary romance series that reviewers are calling “phenomenal” and “one of the hottest series of the year.” Learn more about the author and her books at LaraAdrian.com.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram 

 

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Jennifer’s Review: Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield

October 7, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

ACT YOUR AGE
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Author: Eve Dangerfield
Release Date: September 27, 2017

Just because Kate ‘Middleton’ McGrath, wants a man to call ‘daddy’ in bed doesn’t mean—
Oh, you stopped reading. Cool.

Kate gets it. Kinks aren’t for everyone. Hell, they’re probably not for Mr. Henderson, her grumpaholic boss. She really shouldn’t have crush on him, but the man is just so goddamn stern. Sure, a lot of that comes down to ‘being her boss,’ but still, it feels like there might be something there.

Tyler Henderson is a golden boy who’s lost his shine. He’s old, his dream career is over, his fiancée’s left him. Now all the former firefighter can do is to try and bury his troubles in paperwork and hard liquor. He says ‘try’ because he can’t get Middleton out of his head long enough to wallow properly. He’s not going anywhere near the girl. HR issues aside, he’s done with sweetness and things don’t come sweeter than a cupcake-baking engineer who knits her own hats.

A case of mistaken identity causes Kate and Ty’s attraction to give way to blistering sex. They have more in common—and more to lose—than either of them realized. When it comes to unreasonable attraction you can rarely change your mind but can you act your age?

Amazon | Kobo

What
Is
Happening
To
My
Body?

This is the HOTTEST book I’ve read in a looooong time. Sure, some readers have a hard “Daddy” limit and prefer to avoid these books. And to those readers, I say:

<a href=”http://www.teen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/week-in-review-ryan-gosling-gifs-katy-perry.gif”>Teen</a>
Oh, you don’t want them? That’s fine. More Daddies for me. Give me AAAALL the Daddy books.

I was embarrassed to read this in front of ANYONE in the world. This is a book that should be read all by yourself…in the closet. Not that you should be ashamed if you love this because this girl is shouting from the rooftops that I loved it. I dare you to read this book and not get turned on.


I don’t even know how to review this book because there is no way in hell that Amazon would let me publish this review. This book is a combination of Pound of Flesh by Jessa Kane and Willing Victim by Cara McKenna.

It’s like Eve Dangerfield asked me what all my fantasies are and then made a book about them just for me. Thank you, Eve, for publishing all of my secret fantasies to the whole world!! Now everyone knows all my kinky fuckery!

I was worried for my health while reading this book. It’s that hot. This book killed me. Goodbye, everyone. Jennifer no longer exists….

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Review: Show Me The Way by A.L. Jackson

October 5, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

SHOW ME THE WAY
Series: Fight For Me #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: October 2, 2017

The first sexy, captivating, stand-alone novel in the brand-new FIGHT FOR ME series from NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson . . .
Rex Gunner. As bitter as he is beautiful.
The owner of the largest construction company in Gingham Lakes has been burned one too many times. His wife leaving him to raise their daughter was the last blow this single dad could take. The only woman he’ll let into his heart is his little girl.
Rynna Dayne. As vulnerable as she is tempting.
She ran from Gingham Lakes when she was seventeen. She swore to herself she would never return. Then her grandmother passed away and left her the deed to the diner that she once loved.
When Rex meets his new neighbor, he knows he’s in trouble.
She’s gorgeous and sweet and everything he can’t trust.
Until she becomes the one thing he can’t resist.
One kiss sends them tumbling toward ecstasy.
But in a town this size, pasts are bound to collide. Caught in a web of lies, betrayal, and disloyalty, Rex must make a choice.
Will he hide behind his walls or will he take the chance . . .
“This book is absolutely perfect.” – Corinne Michaels, New York Times Bestselling Author
 READ FOR FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

You make me feel like every chance is one worth taking. Like you’re leading me out of the darkness that’s ruled my life. When I close my eyes, who I see is you. Show me the way, Rynna. Show me the way out of it. Fuck. Please, show me the way.”

Can someone please tell me why I’ve gone this long without reading another AL Jackson book? Because I’m seriously disappointed it myself. This book reminded me all the reasons that made me fall in love with this author’s words and made me fall in love all over again. Show Me The Way was a beautiful and highly emotional story of love and second chances. It was perfectly paced, with just the right amount of angst, and wonderfully multi-layered characters that you can’t help but fall for.

He needed someone to revive his faith just as desperately as I did.
Because looking at him? I suddenly knew he had none of it.
That something had gone dim inside him.
That was the thing about chances.
We didn’t know their outcomes.
If we’d succeed or if we’d fail. It didn’t matter. I had to take a chance on him.

Rynna and Rex are two sides of different coins. Both hurt by their pasts, one is willing the hurt again for a chance at something beautiful, while the other has closed himself from everything for protection.

Years ago, Rynna ran away from the town that she grew up in and the only family she had in the only way she could think to survive. The cruel memories of her past have kept her away, until the passing of her beloved grandmother bring her back and right next door to Rex Gunner.

Damn her for weaseling her way in and making herself a place in a spot where she knew she would never stay. Fuck me for wanting it.

Rex Gunner needs the complication of a beautiful woman like a hole in his head. Done with the hurt that females could bring to his life, the only female that he devotes himself to is his adorable daughter. But when his beautiful neighbor sets her sights on him, he realizes that she sees beneath the brusque and cold man to the wounded one beneath that’s yearning for the right woman to make him believe again.

Rex is borderline hostile to Rynna when he first meets her. Slowly but surely, Rynna works herself deeper and deeper under his skin, where he wants her least. But with every beautiful and thoughtful word to his daughter, with her ability to brush his coldness off, Rex begins to see just how different Rynna really is.

Last two times I touched you nearly ruined me. Seeing you like this? Don’t think I’m ever going to be the same. Stealing my sleep. Stealing my breath. Stealing my sanity. Little thief.”

The romance is perfectly paced, with flashbacks to Ryan’s past that slowly unveils the reasons for her running. There’s an intriguing element of suspense that keep you turning the pages as urgently as the romance does. I was immediately captivated from the very first chapter and it didn’t let up until the last page.

I loved watching Rex slowly melt from gruff and grumpy to hesitantly admitting his feelings for Rynna. I loved getting glimpses of Ryan’s past and understanding what she’s gone through. It made me respect that woman that she is today. The woman that isn’t afraid to take a risk, a chance on a man that shows her every reason not to. She wasn’t pushy, but had this understated strength to her that I couldn’t help but love.

I adored Rex’s little girl. She was one of the highlights of this story for me. I adored Rex and Rynna together. I loved the back and forth between them in the beginning, the slow burn and the ultimate implosion. It was absolutely sizzling.

And when everything unravels at the end? Mind blowing!

I’m totally hooked on this series and I already can’t wait for more. After meeting Rex’s friends, Oliver and Matt, I’m already needing their stories.

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New Release & Review: A SEAL’s Strength by JM Stewart

October 3, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

A SEAL’S STRENGTH
Series: Military Match #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: JM Stewart
Release Date: October 3, 2017

A sizzling new series about three friends looking for love-and the sexy SEALs who are ready to fulfill their craziest fantasies.

This second chance was worth the wait . . .

As a SEAL, Gabriel Donovan did the toughest jobs imaginable without blinking an eye. But three years after his wife’s death, the idea of dating still makes him sick to his stomach. His daughter desperately needs a mother, though, and there’s nothing Gabe won’t do for his little girl.

Stephanie Mason doesn’t run from anything. Not even coming face to face with the “one that got away” on a blind date. Steph’s body vividly remembers every single thing about Gabe and while some things have changed, the way he makes her feel sure as hell hasn’t.

Gabe and Steph know that love comes with risks, but if they’re brave enough, this second chance might just bring them the love of a lifetime.

AMAZON

She’d been his best friend, and he’d simply let her go. Of all his regrets, Steph was a big one.

A SEAL’s Strength is a wonderfully swoony second chance romance that I finished in one sitting.

Three years after losing his wife, Gabriel Donovan is ready to date again. Caving to his friends and sister’s insistence, he allows to be set up through a military match making company owned by one of his mechanic’s wife. Not entirely sure he can even really put himself out there again, Gabe is more focused on raising his sweet daughter and moving on from his wife’s memory. But when his date happens to be a blast from his past that he never expected and one of his biggest regrets? Well, things definitely change.

Right then he only knew two things for sure. She was still gorgeous, and her smile still lit a flame in his gut.

Eleven years ago Steph and Gabe had a friends with benefits arrangement in college that soon began to turn into something much deeper for Steph. She didn’t expect to fall for the man, but then life happened, and he joined the military and she never saw him again. After a string of failed relationships and the catastrophic end to her most recent, Steph is gun shy to give things a shot with the first man to break her heart. But the chemistry between them is too fiery and the connection to deep to simply walk away.

We want the same things, baby. Someone to find our feet with. I want more time with you. I’m not quite done with you yet.” He brushed his thumb along her lower lip, then followed the path with his mouth. “You want someone you can trust, and despite everything, I hope you know you can trust me.”

I adored these two together. There was something so genuine and real about this couple’s second chance. Sometimes you meet the one you’re destined to be with at the wrong time and then life happens. Sometimes you get a second chance to make a mistake right again. They didn’t spend years pining after each other, but you can definitely see just how strong their connection is. I love how the author was able to develop their relationship without diminishing Gabe’s deceased wife.

If second chance romance is your jam, this is definitely worth checking out. It’s quick paced and reads quick. I finished in one swoony sitting and definitely found myself a new author to read.

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Blog Tour, Guest Post, Review & Giveaway: Too Beautiful To Break by Tessa Bailey

September 29, 2017 by ·

TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK
Series: Romancing The Clarksons, #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: September 26, 2017

A love of a lifetime . . .

Leaving Belmont Clarkson is the hardest thing Sage Alexander has ever done.

From the moment they met, she knew Belmont was the one, and getting up close and personal with him on his family’s epic road trip has taken her desire to a new, even hotter level.

But there’s no way she can go there—not without revealing secrets that could devastate them both.

Losing Sage is not an option.

Belmont’s heart is hers, has always been hers.

He knows she’s hiding something from him, but nothing will stand in his way of telling her just how much she means to him.

Finding her is easy—saving her from her past could cost him everything.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Google Play | iBooks | Indiebound | Kobo

DGR asked Tessa Bailey what her 5 favorite scenes were with the Clarkson siblings. This was her answer:

Hello! Thank you so much for having me! What a great (and difficult) question! LOL. Here are the scenes in the book that stick out as my favorite.

  1. Trust exercise in the desert. This scene is in TOO HOT TO HANDLE. The siblings have been dragged out into the middle of the desert for a bonfire, but they quickly realize they’ve been tricked into making confessions to one another. It’s a funny scene—and really telling.

  2. Hair ribbons. In TOO WILD TO TAME, there is a scene where Aaron cuts his necktie into strips and knots them into Grace’s hair, to replace the ones she lost. It’s the first time he shows his hand (how he feels) and it’s such an unexpected move from our cynical politician.

  3. Fake acting coach. Peggy is my favorite character in the series and there’s no end to her talents. She proves this in TOO HARD TO FORGET by pretending to be an acting coach, sweeping into a high school auditorium with dramatic flare and saving Elliott’s daughter from total embarrassment. It’s a hilarious scene.

  4. Black moment at the football game. Another scene from TOO HARD TO FORGET. Elliott and his daughter are standing on the sidelines while the winning play is happening on the field. And they look at each other and realize Peggy should be there. It’s a great moment and I could just cry thinking about it!

  5. Train platform kiss. In the final book of the series, TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK, the first kiss between the hero and heroine takes place on a smoky, early morning train platform and it was as dramatic as that sounds! I’ve always wanted to write a movie kiss and I finally got my chance!

JENNIFER’S REVIEW


Tessa Bailey out-did herself with this book. This is the most emotional Tessa Bailey book. It’s not sad. It’s beautiful. It’s EPIC.


Tessa has been teasing me with Belmont & Sage throughout this series, feeding me little lines of crack to keep me addicted and coming back for more!! I couldn’t get enough of their weirdness/attachment issues. I felt like I waited forever for these two to be together, but the wait was worth it because this book was every bit of perfect.

Belmont. For the love of Belmont. There is a quiet dignity to this man. A stillness that is rare in a hero. He is the anchor that stays strong when the world is falling to pieces. And what better man for Sage? Her life back home is a mess. Of course, she tries to keep him away from her mess, but Belmont & Sage are the EPIC love story, and their story is MEANT TO BE. And they do. They are. They….be.


These two are unbreakable. You can’t wedge a needle between them. They are so in sync with each other. But sometimes, depending on another person can be dangerous if it is taken to an unhealthy level. Belmont & Sage realize that in order for their relationship to work, they have to learn to overcome their fears apart from each other and be able to accomplish life goals without giving into the never-ending urge to hide from life in each other’s arms all the time.

There is so much beauty in this book. So many tears in this book, beautiful tears. I wouldn’t call this book sad, but it’s not a bunch of rainbows either. I have to say, I’ve never read a book quite like this. I could definitely tell that Tessa was inspired by this story, and I honestly wonder if she wrote this book first before writing the 3 books before it.

There is a spark to Tessa’s writing. It always ignites a fire in my jingle, but she managed to melt my heart as well with Belmont & Sage. They are SOLID to the end. Never once did I doubt their ending. That doesn’t mean this book was predictable. It means that Belmont & Sage’s love is steady and you know it will never end.

LANA’S REVIEW

Sometimes the right thing was the most painful. Sometimes it gutted you and ruined you forever, so a single second wouldn’t pass without a reminder. Sage knew that lesson all too well.

Ever since the very first time we met Belmont, I’ve been fascinated by his quiet intensity. Ever since we get introduced to his and Sage’s somewhat…borderline dysfunctional relationship, I’ve been anticipating their story with a rabid sort of glee. But I was also afraid. See when you anticipate a certain character’s story, you tend to build it up in your head, and it inevitably falls short. Belmont was such an enigma. He’s such a memorable, multi-layered, and broken character. And I’m thrilled to report that not only did Tessa Bailey do him justice, she blew all my expectations out of the water.

Too Beautiful To Break was entirely worth the wait and lived up to every single promise. Belmont’s story was EVERYTHING; Emotional, gripping, swoony and entirely unforgettable.

I’ve never trusted anyone the way I trust you. Not while wanting at the same time. And want…want isn’t the right word for this feeling inside me, Sage.”
“What is the right word?”
“Famine,” he ground out. “I’ve been in a famine.”

The Clarkson siblings tale concludes with this book, as they reach their ultimate destination. Four books in the making, they originally took off on a cross country trip in order to fulfill their mother’s last wish by jumping into the freezing water of the Atlantic on New Year’s Day for the Polar Plunge.

But as they near their destination, Sage announces that she needs to leave, shaking Belmont to the very core. Their relationship is this combination of codependency meet suppressed lust. It’s such a fascinating dynamic. Sage is the balm to Belmont’s tortured soul. She calms him in a way nothing in his life ever has. And Belmont has been Sage’s constant in a life that has been anything but.

Sometimes, she swore they shared a fractured pulse.

Too Beautiful To Break shows just how very versatile this author really is. Belmont is not her typical dirty talking, uber alpha. He’s complex and while no less alpha, there’s also this endearing child like quality to him. His quiet intensity grabs you from the start and completely hooks you in this book. He’s a complete goner for Sage and he doesn’t even want to hide it. He just wants to prove to her that he’s worth it.

If you’re not my perfect Sage, let me learn you. Prove it. So I can prove to you I’m not going anywhere.”

I was dying to know what happened to Belmont to make him the way that he is. I was starving for more details of Sage and her past. While she paints the picture of the perfect little wallflower, there was always this hidden depth to Sage and you certainly saw it come out here.

This was a beautiful and gripping romance about two broken souls piecing themselves back together. It was romantic and emotional. It was swoony and the most perfect book to end the book with.

My one quibble is the somewhat rushed details at the end. There’s a particular revelation of Belmont’s past coming to light and I wanted more of it. Considering that that particular detail is what molded him into the man that he is today, I needed a little more on that end. Aside from that, I enjoyed this book from start to finish and I couldn’t imagine a more perfect book to close this series with.

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove 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 and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

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· Filed Under: All Reviews, Author Spotlight & interview, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

New Release & Review: The Beautiful Now by M. Leighton

September 26, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

THE BEAUTIFUL NOW
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: M. Leighton
Release Date: September 26, 2017

Dane James worked my stepfather’s fields. He was the boy next door.

Strong.

Hardworking.

Forbidden.

From the moment we met, we were star-crossed lovers—always wanting, never having. We loved each other for most of our lives, but right from the beginning destiny had other plans. She knew we would fall in love. She knew we would fall apart. Over and over again, like the curse of a recurring nightmare. Or the hope of a familiar dream.

Our past was tumultuous. Our future was bleak. But the one thing we always had was the beautiful now.

Until that was taken from us, too.

AMAZON

Get it for the release price of $3.99 while it lasts, or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

We didn’t have a future. We couldn’t possibly. We both knew it. But we had the now. The beautiful now. And that was better than nothing.

Oh my heart. My poor little heart. It’s absolute putty in the talented hands of M. Leighton. This woman knows how to write a book that tugs at absolutely every heart string. A book that equally breaks your heart and warms it at the same time. The Beautiful Now was a beautiful, gripping, and simply unforgettable second chance romance. It was unique and unlike anything I’ve read lately, and I loved every emotional page of it.

I knew people looked at him and just saw a poor worker’s boy, not of much importance. But deep down, where their eyes couldn’t see, he was a lot more. Something told me he was everything.

Sometimes social classes, the ignorance of parents, and the innocence of youth could cost you everything. That was exactly what Brinkley experienced as a teenager. At twelve years old she met a boy on the wrong side of her social class that made her question everything. At fifteen she realized that he meant everything to her but she could never have him. He worked her stepfather’s field, and her mother expected her to keep up appearance of a family of their class. But that didn’t stop feelings from forming. Nothing like her family, Brinkley fell hard and fast, even though she did everything to avoid the boy that she was continuously warned away from.

we were on two different sides of that fact. He was a rock and I was as fluid as the ocean. He knew exactly who he was and what he wanted, while I took on the form of whatever contained me, whoever I was around.

At seventeen the love bloomed into a one in a lifetime. The odds were always stacked against them, but no one expected for it all to fall apart in the way that it did.

Dane James. He was my relief. He was my exhale. He was my rock.

Now years later, Brinkley is back in a town she hated and couldn’t run further away from. Her reasons for coming back are as undeniable as her feelings for the boy that stole her heart all those years ago. She doesn’t expect to ever see him again. She doesn’t expect to fall for him all over again. And she definitely doesn’t expect the road that life has waiting for her.

The story is told in alternating parts of past to present. It’s flawlessly woven together to build a gripping and incredibly emotional story. You get to see the young and somewhat innocent Brinkley grow into a strong and incredible woman. Her dedication to those she cares about, her ability to finally stand up for what she believes, all of it shows a woman that had to grow up hard but learned from it.

As for Dane, I have no words. This is not your typical alpha overload hero. He’s definitely still an alpha, but in this endearing understated way. He made my swoons have swoons.

He felt necessary to my heart, to my head, to my very existence, and nothing in the world mattered except him. Being close to him. Having him against me, around me, inside me.

This was a slow paced and highly emotional romance that enjoyed from cover to cover. For those craving something a little different but packed full of feelings, this is a book you need to read.

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