Review: Most Of All You by Mia Sheridan

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.

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

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.

 

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Jennifer’s Review: Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield

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….

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

Excerpt & Geri’s Review of Maybe This Christmas by Jennifer Snow

MAYBE THIS CHRISTMAS
Series: Colorado Ice #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jennifer Snow
Release Date: September 26, 2017

All wrapped up . . .

One more game. That’s all that stands between NHL star Asher Westmore and a major career milestone.

But then his brother bashes him against the hockey boards, sidelining him for months. Over Christmas holidays, no less.

If staying off the ice doesn’t drive him crazy, staying with his family will. The only bright spot amidst the mistletoe and twinkle lights: His best friend, Emma, is a physical therapist. And working out with her improves his body and his spirit.

One last time. Emma Callaway was in trouble the minute she and Asher added benefits to their friendship.

How is she supposed to resist a funny, caring guy who makes her toes curl? Her heart was safe while he lived in a different state. Now that he’s back home recuperating, though, it’s only a matter of time before she blurts out her feelings.

Emma’s only hope is that with a little holiday magic, she’ll get the best Christmas gift of all.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BAM | IndieBound

Asher climbed out of the car. “Nah. I’ll hang out with Em tonight. I’m her last patient of the day,” he said, suddenly feeling a little better and eager to get this appointment finished so they could go back to her place for the evening. Without the meds, he was suffering a little more, and she was the only thing that eased his pain.

“All right, man. Take it easy,” Jackson said as he closed the door.

Entering the clinic, he tugged the big, heavy old door closed behind him.

“Hey, Asher,” Jane said, standing as she saw him.

“Hi, Jane. How are you?” he asked, approaching the desk and leaning over it. If he sat again, getting up would be a struggle.

“I’m great. Um, actually, I wanted to ask you…if maybe you wanted to grab a drink at the Grumpy Stump tonight?”

Caught slightly off guard, he laughed. “You don’t hang out there, do you? You’re far too pretty to be slobbered on by all the local single men.”

She blushed. “Thanks. Actually, I don’t hang out anywhere. Single-mom life doesn’t lend itself it to many dates. Not that this would be a date…”

Oh, damn. He felt like an ass saying no to the woman who was obviously putting herself out there…but he wasn’t interested in dating. In fact, since his last semi-permanent situation ended a while ago, he’d been enjoying how things were going with Emma. Right now, she was certainly the only one he wanted to be with. “I…uh…”

Emma appeared in the reception area, an unreadable expression on her face as she glanced back and forth between the two of them.

“Well, the thing is…I promised Emma I’d do that…thing with her tonight,” he said, looking at her to save him.

Her expression softened slightly as she slowly nodded. “Right, you did promise me you would do that…thing tonight.”

He smiled. Saved. Now he could resume getting excited about a full evening with her, naked, with no pressure of a flight out the next day or having to be anywhere at all. The idea excited him beyond the sexy thoughts coming to mind. He looked forward to just being with her, holding her, kissing her, and talking. He’d been so caught up in his own problems the last few weeks, he had no idea what was going on with her.

“Ok, yeah, no problem,” Jane said, busying herself with the papers on her desk.

He felt like a jerk. He turned to Emma for help.

“Um…maybe Asher could get you and Aiden tickets for a game in Denver,” she said.

Perfect. Right there—that’s why he loved her so much. The thought made him pause. Love? Of course, love. She was his best friend.

“Right, Ash?” she said when he’d yet to confirm her suggestion.

“Oh, yeah…no problem.”

Jane smiled. “Aiden would love that. Thank you,” she said, sitting back down at her desk as the phone rang.

Emma’s eyes held a hint of amusement as he followed her into her therapy room.

“What?” he asked.

She closed the door behind them and grinned. “You just turned down a hot date to suffer through dinner at my sister’s house tonight.”

Oh shit.

**Excerpted from MAYBE THIS CHRISTMAS by Jennifer Snow. Copyright © 2017 by Jennifer Snow. Reprinted with permission of Forever. All rights reserved.  

This was another heartwarming, holiday read from Jennifer Snow about two best friends who found love with each other. You know me, I’m a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers story, and Maybe This Christmas delivered on the romance big time.

Asher Westmore and Emma Callaway have been best friends for years. Then they became best friends with benefits, which suited both of them just fine. Asher is a hockey placer for New Jersey while Emma is pursuing a snowboarding career. Then life comes at you fast.

For Emma, that change came when she took a serious tumble during a qualifying snowboarding competition for the Olympics, ending her career. These days, she’s a physical therapist in her small town of Glenwood Falls. Her friendship with benefits with Ash is going strong but lately, she had been feeling adrift. Not really sure whether she should get back into snowboarding or pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. There’s also her relationship with Asher. Emma’s feelings for her best friend is definitely deepening and she’s not quite sure if he feels the same.

Asher is about to hit a huge milestone of his career. He could almost taste it. But a knee injury and a hard hit from his own hockey-playing brother derailed that milestone for him. Now he’s back in Glenwood Falls to recuperate with Emma’s help, of course.

She was the one person in the world he always knew he could count on and the only one he wanted to be with.

While this book can be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend that you read the previous books in the series to get a background of Emma and Asher’s relationship. I don’t think it’s necessary but I think it would enhance your reading experience.

That said, I have not read any book in the series prior to this one but I didn’t feel lost and I was able to pick up the threads of the story very easily.

I enjoyed how Asher and Emma’s relationship transitioned from friends to so much more. It helped that the author already established that these two have an intimate physical connection. At the start of the book, they’ve been FWB for a long time. Years, I think. So it wasn’t a leap in any way.

Despite being friends and then lovers, they both had to deal with a lot of issues not just between them but also with their families and careers.

For Asher it’s dealing with his feelings of resentment for his brother Ben, Emma, and the thought of having to give up hockey. who always seem to achieve every accolade that Asher wants without struggle. Emma herself is dealing with a meddling sister and a father who is losing himself daily.

And speaking meddling…Emma’s sister Jess got on my last nerve.

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I mean, come on! She was positively heinous in her treatment towards Ash, turns up her nose at her sister’s accomplishment, and she makes decisions about Emma’s lovelife and career without consulting her. Sure, I believe that she’s doing it because she loves her sister but gah! It was still annoying. I had to resist the urge to throw my Kindle against the wall whenever she was in the scene because I just can’t deal with her meddling.

Fortunately for me, Jennifer Snow was able to write a really convincing romance between Asher and Emma. Despite some hiccups along the way, they were able to deal with their issues like adults. No unnecessary flouncing, drama or whatever. And Ash proved himself to be a really sweet and caring hero worthy of Emma and that one revelation in particular (which I won’t spoil here) sealed the deal for me.

So if you’re a fan of sports romance and the friends-to-lovers trope, I would recommend this book!

 

Jennifer Snow lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her husband and son. She writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance stories set everywhere from small towns to big cities. After stating in her high school yearbook bio that she wanted to be an author, she set off on the winding, twisting road to make her dream a reality. She is a member of RWA, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, the Canadian Authors Association, and the Film and Visual Arts Association in Edmonton. She has published over ten novels and novellas with many more on the way.

 

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Review: Dark Swan by Gena Showalter

DARK SWAN
Series: Alien Huntress 
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: September 25, 2017

The Alien Huntress series is back with fan favorite AIR agent Dallas Gutierrez from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling paranormal romance author Gena Showalter, who doesn’t disappoint with this sizzling hot alpha hero.

Lilica Swan isn’t quite human or otherworlder; she is the best—and worst—of both.

She is willing to do whatever proves necessary to save her sister from the seductive and deadly Alien Investigation and Removal agent, Dallas Gutierrez, even bonding her lifeforce to his by effectively marrying him.

But the bond will fade without consummation.

Can Dallas resist his insatiable desire for the powerful beauty? Or will she lead to his ultimate downfall?

Originally published in the Blood Red Kiss anthology.

AMAZON

I can think of three things you need right off the top of my head,” he said. “Well. Let’s hear them.”
“A spanking, a hug, and a good hard fuck.”


Firstly, this novella was originally released as part of Blood Red Kiss, so if you have that one, you’ll find this delicious little novella inside. If you haven’t read Gena’s Alien Huntress, you my dear friend, are seriously missing out. After I first discovered this author with her Lords of the Underworld, I soon found myself binging on her Alien Huntress series. Then I soon found myself completely hooked on Dallas and slowly dying a little with each year that passed and we didn’t get another book in that series. Well Gena has finally rectified that with Dallas’s story, and let me just tell you, it was worth EVERY SECOND of the wait!

…those sweet women with sweet smiles had never fully satisfied him. He’d never wanted one for more than a single night, because none had ever meant anything to him. But this woman with her carnal smile and quick wit utterly fascinated him. He couldn’t get enough of her.

Dallas has been hunting the Schon queen that’s been building her army by deceasing all that come in sexual contact with her. And let’s just say the woman has some…stamina. Uhem. While at first I was convinced that Dallas would somehow end up with the queen, Trinity, I was a little baffled by the heroine’s name here. Who in the world (pun intended) is Lilica? Oh the deliciousness of it all!

Lilica Swan is sassy, classy, and all things bad-assy!

Congrats. You’ve mastered hiding your actions from me. Now it’s my turn.” With no more warning than that, she slammed her knee between his legs. He hunched over, gasping for breath, stars winking through his vision. She smiled at him. “Sorry there’s not a tracker to help you find your balls.”

Lilica is determined to save her sister that’s in the crosshairs of AIR and especially the stranger from her dreams with the crystal blue eyes. When she finally comes face to face with Dallas, nothing can prepare either of them for what happens.

Dark Swan was everything I’ve come to love about this author; humor, snark, witty banter, sizzling romance and an addicting story. And it had my beloved Devyn (from Seduce the Darkness), so how can I not love it?

This finally brought the immensely satisfying conclusion to the Schon story line and gave the much awaited HEA to one of my favorite characters in the series. I really hope that there will be more books in this series, but even if it ends here, it couldn’t have ended with a better book.

Review: Countdown by Lexi Blake

ALPHAS OF DANGER ANTHOLOGY
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author:  Shayla Black, Lexi Blake, Mari Carr, Kris Cook, Anissa Garcia, Kym Grosso, Jenna Jacob, Kennedy Layne, Isabella LaPearl, Carrie Ann Ryan
Release Date: September 19, 2017

Happy-Ever-After has never been so intoxicating…

Danger…

When a man has beaten it, he becomes a hero.

Lust…

When a woman tastes it, she is helpless to resist his pull.

Love…

It won’t come easily, especially between alpha men and their headstrong women. Threats lurk in the shadows, and the price for passion is often exacted with a bullet or a blade…but the sacrifice is worth it when devotion is the reward.

Ten bestselling authors, masters of spine-tingling romantic suspense, bring you brand-new stories that will yank you to the edge of your seat and have your heart pounding as you turn the pages.

Best of all, the proceeds will benefit 4 Paws for Ability, a worldwide agency that enriches the lives of children and veterans with disabilities by training and placing quality, task-trained service dogs.

Stories Contributed to Alphas of Danger:
1. SHAYLA BLACK – DEVOTED TO WICKED
2. LEXI BLAKE – COUNTDOWN
3. MARI CARR – POWER STRUGGLE
4. KRIS COOK – CIA COVERT TEAM: RAINBOW KNIGHTS (M/M)
5. ANISSA GARCIA – WITH A VENGEANCE
6. KYM GROSSO – HARD ASSET
7. JENNA JACOB – REVENGE ON THE ROCKS
8. KENNEDY LAYNE – SEDUCING DANGER
9. ISABELLA LAPEARL – ENFORCE HER – A LEATHER, PIPES & PASSION SHORT STORY
10. CARRIE ANN RYAN – EXECUTIVE INK – A MONTGOMERY INK SHORT STORY

AMAZON

REVIEW FOR COUNTDOWN BY LEXI BLAKE

Let other men covet petite, delicate females. He wanted this one. She was the Alpha female, cool and competent and often at odds with him.

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!
OF ALL THE TEASING! I’m equal parts ecstatic and crying after finishing it.

This is set several years in the future, and set in a similar universe as Masters & Mercenaries. And that’s all the details you’ll be getting from me. My advise is to avoid any reviews giving any more away because you want to go into this blind. Lexi Blake packs a heck of a surprise into this story, and you’re going to want to enjoy it to it’s full effect.

The story is a sexy one. Two spies from different governments (American and Canadian) are sent to the Himalayas to apprehend a scientist working on a new delivery system for Anthrax that could kill thousands of people.

Ben, working for the Canadian government, has spent years lusting over a woman whose name he doesn’t even know. He calls her Magenta, for her hair, and Maggie for short. Maggie is a spy for the American government. They’ve tangled together through the years as their jobs landed them in the same places, and Ben’s sexual attraction to the woman has been growing with each encounter.

Now they’re locked in a mad scientist’s lair with a ticking bomb giving them less than an hour to live. So what’s a man and a woman with intense sexual attraction to do? Enjoy their last hour on earth together by giving into the pull between them. Ben and Maggie definitely set things on fire. Ben is demanding and all alpha, and Maggie is a kick ass heroine that submits to his desires in a way that’s both sweet and sassy. I LOVED THEM!

This was such a fun and sexy story that I was immediately craving more of. I sincerely hope we’ll get a spin off because this is a couple I NEED MORE OF!

Fans of this author do NOT want to miss this novella.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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