Review: Sweet Victory by Gina L. Maxwell

SWEET VICTORY
Series: Fighting For Love #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic
Author: Gina L. Maxwell
Release Date: February 27, 2017

Sophie Caldwell might not like asking for help, but help is what she needs if she’s going to save her family business from her uncle. Her grandma left one rule for Sophie if she wants to gain sole ownership before she’s thirty–get married. Yeah, fat chance of that happening since she hasn’t had a boyfriend in years, and now she can’t get her uncle off her ass.

British-born MMA fighter Xander James has never lost a fight, and he’s not about to start now. He’s on the brink of a comeback that could make him a UFC champion, but his landlord wants to take away his last chance by shutting down his gym. Hell, no. Fortunately, his landlord’s niece has a problem of her own. Time for a proposal she can’t refuse.

Each book in the Fighting for Love series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 Seducing Cinderella
Book #2 Rules of Entanglement
Book #3 Fighting For Irish
Book #4 Sweet Victory

AMAZON

God, had any woman ever tasted so good, felt so perfect, so soft and strong and absofuckinglutely amazing? No way. At least none that he’d had. Sophie Caldwell left them so far in her dust that new rating systems would have to be invented. One through ten was a joke.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years since I first read the book that began my love affair with all things Gina L Maxwell, Seducing Cinderella. This book was slightly bittersweet for me to read since it concludes what’s been one of my favorite series. But damn, Gina, way to go out with a bang!

So Xander James…
Yeah. What’s better than a ripped MMA fighter? Give him a British accent. I mean….*drools*. I know, I know, I’m easy. But I can’t help myself. I loved the man.

Xander is training for his comeback fight. He’s supposed to be focused on nothing but that, but the green haired pinup beauty and owner of the cupcake bakery nextdoor to his gym proves to be a distraction he can’t resist. When he sees an opportunity to save her bakery and his gym from a sale planned by her greedy uncle, he takes it. The terms? A marriage.

Now, I’m a sucker for the fake marriage trope, and this story fully delivered on that end. Sophie was a sassy, tatted and pierced ball of awesome. She’s had her heart broken by every man she’s ever trusted and it’s hard to believe what the sexy MMA fighter is offering her. It’s even harder when the lines blur and the sexual chemistry between them proves to be too much to resist.

She was a visual addiction that only got stronger with each passing day.

I LOVED the banter between these two. LOVED IT.

Jesus Christ, Xander. I don’t know whether I should try to have sex with that thing—and I emphasize try—or use it to roll out dough.
What the hell am I supposed to do with that weapon of mass vagina destruction?”
“Now you’re just trying to play to my ego,” he said with a wicked grin…

The chemistry between them was through the roof. I loved the slow build and the high sizzle.

I also loved seeing all my favorites from the past books make a cameo.

Sweet Victory was a deliciously satisfying conclusion to one of my favorite series. It was sexy and sweet. It was entertaining and scorching hot. It was everything I’ve come to expect from this author and exactly what made me a fan of hers to begin with.


THE FIGHTING FOR LOVE SERIES

SEDUCING CINDERELLA | RULES OF ENTANGLEMENT | FIGHTING FOR IRISH

Review: Raw Deal by @CherrieLynn

RAW DEAL
Series: Larson Brothers #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Cherrie Lynn
Release Date: January 24, 2017

Savannah’s brother was killed in a cage fight with Mike “Red Reaper” Larson after a savage punch to the head.

When Mike shows up at the funeral, he’s nothing like Savannah expected. Gone is the fierce, brutal beast she’s seen in the cage. In his place is a beautiful man torn with guilt, seeking forgiveness, and willing to do anything to ease her pain.

Her family doesn’t approve, but her heart doesn’t stand a chance. Irresistibly drawn together, neither of them can deny the intoxicating desire unleashed between them, turning their pain into the most exquisite pleasure.

But every time Mike steps into the cage, Savannah knows she could lose him too. She can’t go through that again, but how can she let go of the one man who sets her body and soul on fire?

AMAZON | B&N | iTUNES | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

We have to take solace wherever we can find it, he’d said, and somehow, by some divine intervention or alignment of the stars or whatever the hell else determined their destinies…he was her solace.

Do you see that pathetic pile of emotional goo sitting there on the couch with her box of tissues and sniffling into her Ben & Jerry’s? Ignore her. She’s still trying to calm her tits after having her heart put through an emotional wringer that was this book. No really. She normally doesn’t cry through almost an entire book, and she definitely doesn’t refer to herself in the third person. So you know when all of this does happen, it’s definitely an unforgettable 5 star read. I’m talking have your tissues ready and prepare to have your hearts squeezed in a vice sort of read.

She didn’t know him, and no one would understand. But instead of letting go, she only squeezed his hand harder. The only anchor she had in this maelstrom of emotion was the hand that might very well have ended Tommy’s life.

What would you do if the man that may just be responsible for the single most devastating loss in your life is also the man that captures your heart and soul?

Losing her older brother is hard enough. Having to witness the blow to the head inside the MMA cage that caused his death is unforgettable. Savannah is the strongest link left in her family. Attempting to get through her own grief while consoling her parents and widowed sister in law is hard enough. But when the man that went head to head with Tommy in the fight that cost him his life shows up at the funeral, the last thing she expects is for him to enrapture her so thoroughly.

Mike Larson is the oldest of three brothers. Growing up hard, he’s made many sacrifices to support his brothers. He’s never hesitated to use his fists, after all, he’s made a successful career at it. Knowing that he’s responsible for a man’s death, no matter if it was a tragic accident, doesn’t ease his mind or heart. He’s haunted by his guilt and nothing will ease it unless he can make things right with the man’s family. Falling for his younger sister wasn’t in the plans, but their connection is simply inevitable.

He wanted her so fucking bad it terrified him, so bad it hurt.

Mike is a man wrecked by guilt and sorrow. He’s had a hard life, but nothing has been harder than living with the knowledge that it was his hit that cost a man’s life. He knows that falling for the guy’s sister is wrong, but he can’t stay away from her.

I cannot explain to you all just how much I adored Mike Larson. This is a man that is all alpha, but at his core he’s sweet, understanding, and as tender as he is devastatingly sexy.

He watched her, listening intently. No one had ever listened to her the way he did. Like every word was a treasure to be examined and considered.

This story was filled with so much emotion, it was impossible to read it with a dry eye. The connection between him and Savannah was incredible and undeniable. It was sizzling. It was utterly mesmerizing.

He could fall for this girl. So hard. So easily. Hell, he was fooling himself to think he hadn’t already begun that particular descent.

Savannah is woman that struggles with her own guilt. She knows her family and her sister in law will never accept her relationship, but she also sees a side of Mike that she knows not many have. The sweet and caring side. The side that will move mountains for the people he loves. A man that will do everything and anything at the drop of a hat just to be there for her and to make her smile.

Raw Deal is aptly titled because it certainly left me feeling raw. Raw with so much feeling, my heart near burst at the overwhelming emotion of it all. It was beautifully written, gripping, and poignant. It was a painful sort of beauty. A phenomenal story of love in the unlikeliest of places.

Of course it had Cherrie’s signature punch to the ovaries….

I want you begging, Savannah. Fucking begging me to come. If it takes all night, I’ve got it. If you have to miss your flight, I don’t care. Even if it has to be the last time, I don’t want you to ever forget.

I adored everything about this book. EVERYTHING. I think I was sniffling though the entire thing. I couldn’t stop. I’m beyond excited for this brand new series from one of my favorite authors. And if this book is anything to go by, I already know the other two Larson brothers will be well worth the wait. A rockstar and a poker king? Bring. It. On.

Review: Becoming A Legend by Sarah Robinson

BECOMING A LEGEND
Series: Kavanagh Legends #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sarah Robinson
Release Date: December 13, 2016

From the author of Saving a Legend (“A deep and moving story about family, acceptance, and love.”—Katy Evans) comes another smoldering MMA romance featuring the Kavanagh brothers, the chiseled alpha males whose real legacy is love.

Kane Kavanagh has always had one goal: being the best mixed martial arts fighter alive. With the MMA National Championships in Las Vegas fast approaching, the man they call “Killer” has no intention of letting anyone or anything get in his way. Somehow, though, a feisty opponent has slipped beneath his guard—and stolen his heart. Fiery and passionate, Nora Hannigan is harder to pin down than any rival Kane has faced in the ring. And she isn’t afraid to tell Kane that she wants nothing to do with him.

With her best friend about to marry into the Kavanagh family, Nora has been resisting Kane’s shameless attempts at flirting for months. But after their undeniable chemistry finally takes over, leading to the hottest night of Nora’s life, she’s running scared. There’s a lot about her life Kane doesn’t know, and she won’t be responsible for ending his career. Now Kane’s out to prove that he’s ready for commitment by winning her heart—and he’s never lost a fight.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I want every single string, kitty. I want your heart.”

How have I not read anything by this author before? What is wrong with me? Why am I starting this series with book 3? Well, at least I know the answer to the third question there, and that’s because I like to do things back-asswards more often than not. As for the other two? I have no clue and I’m kicking myself for the mistake thoroughly because I seriously enjoyed this book.

As a reader that typically goes for the alphaholes and manwhores, it was a refreshing change of pace to get a nice guy. Kane Kavanagh has had the hots of his brother’s girlfriend’s best friend for some time and all he’s gotten in return is her snark and disinterest. But Kane is not the playboy and batboy that he may come across as at first. Sure he’s focused on his professional fighting career, but he’s also loyal, sweet, and when the man sets his eyes on his goal, he’ll stop at nothing to get it…and what he wants is Nora. Nora has been trying to resist Kane for months, but when she finally gets to see the man beneath the sex appeal and show, she realizes that there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye.

Nora is a sweet girl that only ever wanted the love of her mother. Unfortunately her mother only ever cared about her herself and her next good time. Nora has been the adult her entire life and taking care of her mother is nothing new. She doesn’t want Kane or his amazing family to know the depth of the trouble she’s in or what her mother truly cost her, so avoiding Kane’s attentions is more of a necessity than she admits to at first. But the fiery attraction between them soon proves too much of a temptation to resist. What first starts as a not strings attached means to appease the sexual tension between them, soon begins to turn into something much more meaningful.

She wanted Kane, but she didn’t want him on those terms anymore, and certainly not at his expense. She wanted either everything or nothing, and she needed to find a way to be okay with whichever outcome occurred.

Becoming a Legend was a wonderful combination of sweet and sexy. Kane, while a playboy in his recent years, knows a good thing when he’s got it. And it’s only Nora for him as soon as they get started. I loved that there was absolutely no other woman drama. Kane only had eyes for Nora and I adored the sweet side of him that came out around her. He was protective and possessive but without going overboard.

Nora was a fantastic heroine. All she’s ever wanted was her mother’s love and seeing the extents of her sacrifices for her was almost heartbreaking to read. This was a perfectly paced, sweet and heartwarming romance that I enjoyed from start to finish. There was just the right amount of sizzle with just the perfect splash of action to spice things up. I loved that there was no craziness with Kane and Nora’s relationship. While the primary drama came from outside forces, it never felt like it was too much. It was the perfect addition to add an interesting plot line to the romance. If you’re looking for a sweet and sexy hero and romance with just as much sizzle, then this is definitely a must read.


Kavanagh Legends Series


BREAKING A LEGEND | SAVING A LEGEND | BECOMING A LEGEND

Review: ★Fighting Dirty★ by Lori Foster

Review-Fighting DirtyFighting Dirty
Series: Ultimate #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lori Foster
Release Date: March 1, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

dirty_450x2

He’s the hottest MMA fighter in the game, but one woman is ready to try out a few steamy moves of her own in an unforgettable new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster 

With the life he’s led and the muscles he’s gained, Armie Jacobson isn’t afraid of anything. Except maybe Merissa Colter’s effect on him. It’s not just that she’s his best friend’s little sister. Fact is, she deserves better. Women pursue him for one night of pleasure, and that’s all he wants to offer. Until rescuing Merissa from a robbery leads to the most erotic encounter of his life.

Good girl meets bad boy. It’s a story that rarely ends well. But Merissa is taking matters into her own hands. No matter how he views himself, the Armie she knows is brave, honorable and completely loyal. And as past demons and present-day danger collide, they’re both about to learn what’s truly worth fighting for…

 

Buy LinksAMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO

[Read more…]

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: ★Fighting Solitude★ by Aly Martinez

fighting solitude book tourFIGHTING SOLITUDE
Series: On the Ropes #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Aly Martinez
Release Date: February 2, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

I was born a fighter. Abandoned by my parents, I spent my life forging my own path—one guided by my fists and paved with pain.

Untouchable in the ring, I destroyed everyone who faced me, but that’s where my victories ended. Outside the ropes, I repeatedly failed the few people who loved me. Including my best friend, Liv James—the one person I’d die to protect.

Even though I didn’t deserve her, Liv never stopped believing in me. Never gave up. Never let go. After all, she understood what I’d lost, because she’d lost it too.

Liv was everything to me, but she was never truly mine.

That was going to change.

I lost my first love, but I refused to lose my soulmate.

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

Fighting to be the man she deserves.

Fighting the solitude of our pasts.

Fighting for her.

Buy LinksAmazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO

[Read more…]

Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★The Slayer★ by @Kele_Moon

Title: The Slayer (Untamed Hearts, #2)
Author: Kele Moon
Genre: Erotic | Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 31, 2015
AddtoGoodreads

To Chuito the apartment was a self-imposed prison for a lifetime of sins. To Alaine, the girl next door, it was salvation from her overbearing, religious father.He was a devil.
She was an angel.

Two people who should’ve never met, let alone become friends, but it’s not until they give into the dangerous passion that’s been simmering under the surface for five years that things go to hell.

On the outside, Chuito ‘The Slayer’ Garcia is on top of the world. He’s successful. He’s wealthy. He’s a champion MMA fighter surrounded by friends who support him, but they don’t know what he was before he came to Garnet.

A gangster.
A thief.
An addict.
A murderer.

Now his past is churning up demons he can’t ignore. Chuito knows he needs to go back to Miami to end it, but there’s something holding him back, a single temptation he can’t resist before leaving.

Alaine.

She’s the one drug he can’t give up…even if it destroys them both.

“To me you’re coke. Fine. Smooth. Perfectly white. Very bad for me, but so fucking sexy I don’t give a shit. It’s worth going down for.” – Chuito Garcia

His destiny always found him no matter how much he ran from it. As sure as Chuito knew the next breath would have to enter his lungs whether he wanted it to or not, he knew that Alaine couldn’t be his forever.

This was THE best fighter romance I’ve read. Ever. To date.

This was Kele’s best book to date.

This is a book that will not only stay with me but it’s going straight to my re-read shelf along with my top 5 favorites.

Simply said, I loved the absolute FUCK out of this book.

I can’t tell you that I loved Chuito in the previous books because let’s be honest here, the man can be a true asshole to anyone that isn’t his closest friends or family. If you’ve read The Viper and saw how he treated Marcos’ girlfriend, you know what I’m talking about. But beneath the tattoos, the title belt, the reputation, and the rough gangster exterior is the heart of a protector. Chuito is a man that does everything fiercely; the way he lives, the way he fucks, and definitely the way he loves. He will do anything for his family. Even if it means selling his soul to the devil, or better yet the Italian mob, to protect his best friend and cousin.

Fate caught up with everyone eventually. Even the devil wasn’t immune to it.

The Slayer will take you back to the beginning and really give you the bones of Chuito’s story, and it is no light read. This is not a man that had an easy life. This is someone that got his first battle scars on the streets, running with a gang that’s only more dangerous when it’s crossed. But when he saw a way out, he took it. Unfortunately, the life had already fully sucked in his cousin and he was unable to help him then. The story line here mixed in with the events of Crossing the Line, and to truly appreciate this book, I would highly recommend reading that first.

Alaine is a ray of life that Chuito never expected to deserve or to give him the time of day. But when the beautiful young woman becomes his neighbor, the begin an incredibly strong friendship. Alaine has been in love with Chuito for as long as she’s known him. There isn’t a part of him that doesn’t call to every feminine part of her. Now let me tell you, watching the way that Chuito is with her will absolutely melt your heart. This is not a man that ever hides his feelings or leads her on. He’s not your typical manwhore that sleeps around to take his mind off of the one woman he doesn’t think he can have or deserves. He couldn’t be further from that. But that doesn’t mean that he gives into her. She’s too good for him, too pure. His past and his life can always catch up with him. His current situation with Tino isn’t exactly one he wants touching her either. So while he loves her, he knows he can never give her more than that.

I just love you. That’s it. Only love. Not sex. I can just love someone. Love is good. Sex is cruel.”

Their connection was something that absolutely drew you in. The chemistry between them is so palpable it’s electric. Their private dancing is just the icing on the cake.


Listen to the drums. That’s the part you listen to. Feel it.”
“I’m feeling it.”
No. Feel it like a heartbeat. Like life. You want it to be a love song, hear the sex in it. Hold me like I hold you.” He jerked her tighter against him as he said it, forcing her breasts to crush against his chest and her dress to ride higher up on her thighs. “Like you need me.”

God but I loved it.

This was not a love story of a few days or even weeks. This was a love story strengthened by friendship and grown through several years. This may just even be one of my most favorite couples I’ve read to date.

Chuito fights the connection between them for a long as he can. But inevitably, it proves to be too much, and when these two finally get together? Well, forget sparks, we’re talking about 4th of July fireworks here. I don’t remember the last time I read a book where the first sexual encounter actually gave me goosebums. With the books I’ve read, believe me when I say that this pervert has been desensitized to most of it. But boy did these two together get my heart pumping.

She clung to his shoulders and let him take her mouth the way he had taken her heart a long time ago- violently and without warning.

But it was so much more than just an incredible love story. At the heart of it, there’s Chuito’s past catching up with him and him fighting like hell to protect Alaine and his cousin from it. There was one scene in this book that was so incredibly gut wrenching to read, I actually had to set the book down for 5 minutes after reading it, just to calm myself.

Gangster tears weren’t ordinary tears. The cut had to be deeper than bone, a hurt that made motherfuckers unrepentant murderers. It ripped open souls and bled out humanity.

All of my favorite secondary characters from previous books made an appearance. And of course what would this series be without Tino and Nova. Now Tino, oh my darling Tino. I freaking love this man. The banter between him and everyone else was the comedic relief that was definitely necessary and oh so welcome.

You just told me you manspaced. You’re fucked up too.”
“It’s a common courtesy,” Tino went on. “No woman wants to suck on a hairy dick.”

But when if there’s one thing that Tino does even more fiercely than Chuito, it’s protecting his loved ones. And there is definitely one heart breaking choice that Tino makes in this book that you just know will haunt him all through his book and I can’t wait to see how that plays out.

I’m pretty sure that I highlighted over half this book. I just couldn’t stop myself. I loved it so hard.

I’m talking everything; the story, the romance, the angst, the heartache, EVERYTHING. As long as this book was (an it was LONG), I never wanted it to end.

This is a book and author that needs to be on everyone’s TBR list. I don’t care who you are, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this series or these characters. If this book doesn’t make you fall head over heels for Chuito and Alaine, then we haven’t been reading the same one. I’m that confident. Kele Moon is an incredibly talented author that continues to write books that are better and better than the last. All have her signature voice, but yet they’re different in the best of ways. No one book, character, or story of hers is the same. I can’t tell you how much I love that. This book will break your heart, it will melt it, and then it will piece it together, all in one breath stealing and captivating story. I simply cannot recommend it enough.

READING ORDER

Click the Covers to Purchase or Pre-Order

A freckle faced, redhead born and raised in Hawaii, Kele Moon has always been a bit of a sore thumb and has come to enjoy the novelty of it. She thrives off pushing the envelope and finding ways to make the impossible work in her story telling. With a mad passion for romance, she adores the art of falling in love. The only rules she believes in is that, in love there are no rules and true love knows no bounds.

So obsessed is she with the beauty of romance and the novelty of creating it she’s lost in her own wonder world most of the time. Thankfully she married her own dark, handsome, brooding hero who had infinite patience for her airy ways and attempts to keep her grounded. When she leaves her keys in the refrigerator or her cell phone in the oven he’s usually there to save her from herself. The two of them now reside in Florida with their three beautiful children who make their lives both fun and challenging in equal parts–They wouldn’t have it any other way.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#TheSlayer is coming! Countdown Series Spotlight & #Giveaway with @Kele_Moon

We’re up to week 3 of my Kele Moon Spotlight and countdown till The Slayer. Speaking of The Slayer, have you seen the absolutely lick worthy cover for it along with the full synopsis? You can check it out HERE! But please be prepared to lick your screens. Don’t say I didn’t warn you 😉

If you missed my previous posts, last month I was incredibly lucky to read a super early ARC of The Slayer and It. Blew. Me. Away. It was one of the best books I’ve read to date. Period. And also one of the best books Kele’s ever written. Considering I’ve loved pretty much every book on her back list, that’s REALLY saying something. I can’t even describe to you all the amount of feels, the swoons, and the hot flashes that Chuito gave me, so I won’t even try. The Slayer will be released on March 31, and I’ll be sharing lots of teasers with you guys in the meantime.

But before you get to get your grabby little hands on MY Chuito (uhem), I want to take you all back to the series that started it all for me; The Battered Hearts. Each week I’ve been spotlighting a different book from that series, which all leads up to Untamed Hearts with The Viper & The Slayer. In case you’re curious, you don’t necessarily need to read The Battered Hearts series before Untamed Hearts and each book has a different couple. I would still highly recommend reading Battered Hearts first simply because it’s a fantastic series and each of the characters from that series continues to appear in Untamed Hearts. You’d enjoy and appreciate every book that much more if you read them in order.

For those of you that haven’t yet read the Battered Hearts series, don’t forget to enter the Giveaway below. You’ll get a chance to win every book in the series or a $10 Amazon gift card!

So let’s continue, shall we, with my absolute favorite book in the Battered Hearts series: Crossing The Line. If you haven’t read the previous 2 books in this series and plan on reading The Slayer, I highly recommend starting with Crossing the Line and following it with The Viper. This is the book that really sets everything in motion and it’s simply a MUST READ second chance love story. You can check out my review for it HERE

About The Book
Crossing The Line
Genre: Erotic, Contemporary Romance (fighter romance)
Length: 381 pages

Wyatt Conner is a hard man. A sixth generation sheriff in his hometown of Garnet. A former MMA fighter. His life is about following the rules and making sure everyone else in Garnet follows them too.Before life hurt him, Wyatt was different. Love had once blinded him to his upbringing and made him defiant against anyone who tried to separate him from the girl he loved. He easily broke laws to ensure her safety.

When she left it destroyed him.

Now she’s back.

Tabitha knew coming home was a mistake, but family obligation demanded it. She wasn’t expecting to run smack into the love of her life the same day she returned.

Despite the danger, Tabitha is powerless against the wild rush of desire that explodes between them the moment she finds herself in Wyatt’s arms again. She needs a second chance too, but she can’t risk Wyatt finally discovering the real reason she left.

Even for another taste of true love.

Tabitha knows her haunted past will destroy both of them if Wyatt finds out. What she suffered through was too terrible and it’s the one thing that will have him crossing the line for revenge.

Buy Links
Excerpt

Tabitha retched so hard and for so long, she felt like she was ripping all the pain of her soul out through her stomach, and even then it wasn’t enough. The rain fell harder, soaking her hair as the thunder rolled. Lightning cracked in the distance, illuminating the gray sky. It’d be just her luck to get struck. She certainly didn’t see how things could get much worse than they were at that moment.

As soon as she formed the thought, it was shattered with the short, impatient sound of a police siren. The flash of red and blue colored the pretty lavender and white flowers around her. The groan of a big police vehicle pulling up behind her car made it obvious she wasn’t going to be left to wallow in her misery. Welcome back to Garnet, where nothing was private and everything was up for public entertainment.

This was truly unbelievable, and Tabitha found herself saying a prayer, out loud, just to make sure any celestial being in the near vicinity heard her, because the situation was that desperate.

“Please don’t let it be him,” she whispered frantically, her voice hoarse from all the throwing up. “Please, please, please. Anyone but him. If there is a God, you will not do this to me.”

She sat there on her knees, shaking in exhaustion and pain as the sound of a car door being opened and shut actually made her jump. She kept her back to the intruder on her private meltdown, because she just couldn’t bear to look. Life could not be this cruel. It just couldn’t, even to someone born with the last name McMillen.

Her stomach rolled once more, and she fought to hold back the urge to be sick again. The sound of boots squishing in mud and grass had her silently wishing for the earth to open up and just swallow her whole.

“Tab?”

Tabitha stiffened when she heard the low, stunned voice of Wyatt Conner, the man who was impossible to get over.

It was official—there was no God.

She squeezed her eyes shut and hung her head. She was sitting there, covered in mud, throwing up in the grass after driving nonstop from Key West to Garnet. If there was a worse way to see him again after thirteen years, she couldn’t think of what it could be.

“Are you okay?”

Tabitha answered his question by leaning over and retching again. Her stomach was empty. She hadn’t eaten all that much in the past twenty-four hours due to nerves. Now she was actually shaking, though if it was the exhaustion, the low blood sugar, or the trauma of coming back home again, she didn’t know. Wyatt fell down on his knees behind her as her stomach continued to rebel, and she didn’t have the strength to argue.

“I’m gonna call Tommy. He and Frank Duffy take turns running the ambulance up to Mercy General.” Wyatt stroked her hair, his other hand resting over the small of her back as if she’d never left.

“God, no,” she choked out, because that was the very last thing she needed, to get hauled to Mercy General in an ambulance driven by the former quarterback from her graduating class. “I’m fine. Just nerves.”

“I ain’t buying it. You’re hurt.”

“No.” She shook her head frantically and wiped her mouth as she struggled to pull herself together. “I’m fine, Wy.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“Just the dumb bottom step back at my old place. I slipped. It’s nothing. I’m okay. I just need a moment. You don’t have to—”

“I do have to,” Wyatt said firmly. “Is your stomach better?”

She nodded silently, still refusing to look at him. This just felt too hard. It made the loss of innocence a little too much to bear if she actually had to look eye to eye at what she’d lost.

“Stay here. I got some water back in the car.”

Wyatt didn’t really give her a choice in the matter, just jumped to his feet and turned to go back to his squad car. She wiped at her mouth once more and pushed at her hair, tucking the wet strands behind her ears. As ridiculous as it was, she was trying to pull herself together.

She looked down to her navy-blue tank top and khaki shorts, now both covered in mud. Then she brought her leg up, finally acknowledging the cut from the rake when she fell. It ran nearly the full length of her calf, which was just perfect. She couldn’t imagine what her shoulder looked like.

Wyatt made it back in record time and silently offered her the bottle of water. She took it without looking up and rinsed her mouth out. She spit the water into the grass a few times, knowing her dignity was already in tatters. Then she took several long gulps of water. She was still working on washing the taste of fear out of her mouth when Wyatt dropped a blanket over her shoulders—one of those trusty police-issue brown blankets that were thick and scratchy but served their purpose.

Then, without further ado, certainly without asking or even warning her, Wyatt bent down and picked her up. She gasped from the shock of it. The water bottle slipped out of her hand and dropped to the ground as she flung her arms around his neck out of instinct. She blinked past the rain and finally stared up at him simply because she had nowhere else to look.

Tabitha had the same crushing breathlessness she’d experienced in the yard after falling on her ass, because she’d forgotten how good-looking Wyatt was in person. She’d seen him plenty over the years on television. His best friend, Clay Powers, was a UFC heavyweight champion. Since Wyatt was his right-hand man and training partner, he’d always been featured heavily in those pay-per-view fights. Tabitha had watched every single one. She enjoyed watching Clay fight. They’d been friends a long time, and she was beyond thrilled to see him become so successful. No one deserved it more. But the reason she saved those fights for years afterward was to play back the parts with Wyatt in them—like a lovesick fool. No mixed-martial-arts fan had mourned Clay Powers’s retirement quite as much as Tabitha. It’d cut off her lifeline to a time and a dream that was long dead but impossible to let go of.

Now here Wyatt was, all six feet five inches of him. He was much bigger at thirty-four than he was at twenty-one, stronger, more powerful and intimidating. His blond hair was longer, curling at his nape. Despite the rain, it still held the unnatural impression from his hat, which he must’ve recently abandoned. Without thought, she reached up and ran her fingers through golden strands, a habit thirteen years dormant rising to the surface as if she’d never left. His hair was as silky as she remembered, flowing through her fingers easily as she flattened it out.

Wyatt stopped his trek and stared down at her for one stunned second. She looked into his eyes that were the lightest shade of blue, like sun hitting the ocean on a clear day. They were haunted, filled with pain that was stark and cutting when she realized she was the one who’d caused it. She wanted to touch the fine lines at the corners of those beautiful eyes, and the worry creases on his forehead just to smooth them out and give his innocence back. He was still stunningly handsome, far more so than she remembered, because Wyatt was one of those men who just got better-looking with time, but she could still tell life was taking its toll.

“You shouldn’t have stopped.” She sighed. “It wasn’t necessary. I was just having a moment, and I know I don’t deserve—”

“I’m your husband,” Wyatt interrupted, his low voice filled with pain. “Taking care of you was supposed to be my job.”

Giveaway
The Battered Hearts ebook series
&
$10 Amazon GC
All for 1 lucky winner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: ★Love Hurts★ by Mandi Beck

 
Love Hurts
(Caged Love #1)
Author: Mandi Beck
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Fighter Romance
Release Date: January 18, 2015

Even when she won’t fight for us, I’ll go to war for her…

Inside the Octagon, I have no fear. I’m at home, in my element, inflicting pain onto men trained to hurt me just as badly. Making them submit, knocking them out, maiming them, because it’s them or me. And I choose them.Outside the Octagon, my only weakness is a five-foot-two, classy as fuck woman that I’ve loved for most of my life. She’s the one that brings me to my knees, fills my arms, my heart, and one day soon, my bed. She makes me reckless. Volatile. I drink too much and try too hard to fuck my way out of feeling—all because of her.

Frankie De Rosa is my girl, my best friend. I haven’t earned her yet, but I won’t stand by and let anyone take her from me. She will be the greatest fight of my life, but she’s worth the battle.

Love hurts, but anything worth having does, right?

I’m Deacon “The Hitman” Love — Welcome to the Cage.

Buy Links

 Review4 stars


We flamed bright and then crashed, losing everything in the process.

You know how sometimes you stumble unto a book that while it’s a little rough around the edges, you can just tell that with a little more time honing their craft, you’ve just discovered an author that’s about to go straight to your auto-buy list? Mandi Beck is definitely that author for me. Was this book perfect? No, there were quite a few parts that didn’t really work for me and didn’t quite add up. But for a debut novel, this was fantastic. I’m always more lenient in my ratings of a debut novel and author simply because it takes time to truly discover your perfect formula. I can also tell you that Mandi definitely has hers with the dirty talking OTT alpha male that Is Deacon. I loved it! It has a few of your typical New Adult circumstances that may not work for everyone, but this angst whore just gobbled it right up.

You can’t lose someone that makes up a part of who you are. We are a part of each other, Princess. That’s never going to change.

Deacon “The Hitman” Love is a successful MMA fighter that’s never lacking for female attention. Unfortunately no amount of faceless women and a few sweaty hours spent between the sheets will never erase his longing for the one woman he truly wants; his best friend, Frankie. Deacon has been in love with Frankie for almost as long as they’ve been friends. She’s been a part of his life and his family’s for years. While she may be like a sister to his brothers, the way he feels for her is anything but brotherly. But Frankie doesn’t see him that way and she’s been dating a royal douchebag that Deacon can’t help but rile at every chance he gets. But then one stolen kiss changes everything…

I loved you, but I wasn’t ready for you. I hadn’t earned the right for you to love me back yet.

Frankie doesn’t trust Deacon and his love-them-and-leave-them habits not to break her heart. Her boyfriend is the reasonable choice for her or at least that’s what she makes herself believe. But when Frankie gets hurt, nothing will stop Deacon for fighting his way into her heart.

Frankie is terrified of letting Deacon in, but it’s not long before she realizes that her feelings for him are much deeper than she’s let herself believe.

My mind is screaming at me to run, run far and fast because in the end, he’ll burn me. It’s what he does, even though it’s not what he sets out to do. My heart though, my heart is swelling, weeping, and singing all the time.

The relationship between Frankie and Deac was definitely a volatile one. Deacon is hot tempered and Frankie isn’t much better with her flip-flopping feelings. But it just worked in this book. Maybe it was all the delicious dirty talk?

Because I have to say that Deacon really delivered on that end.

I struggled a bit in the first half of the book to really understand the dynamic of Frankie and Deacon’s relationship. I would have loved to have more development on that and really getting a better look into their past that led to the certain quirks they currently have; him kissing the inside of her wrist, buying her expensive jewelry for her birthdays, his whole family calling her “The Princess” etc. I’m not sure if this will be something that Mandi may give us in the next book, but it would have been great to have here. As it was, I struggled a little to really develop a connection to Deacon and Frankie’s friendship. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely chemistry between them, and the author does a great job with that.

I am a strong woman, Deac. I have overcome a lot in the past few months, but I don’t think I can be strong enough to survive you.

Deacon also definitely has his share of bonehead decisions here. There were times where I wanted to reach through my kindle and beat him with it just to make him see sense.

Frankie was a big question mark for me for a good portion of the book. Considering the majority of the story is told in Deacon’s POV, it was tough to get a good grasp on her. Does she truly care for Deacon the way he cares for her? Is the presence of another guy going to introduce a love triangle? (shudders). Luckily this more or less gets ironed out in the second half, and I found myself warming up to her. Although she is dating someone in the beginning and there is the ex boyfriend that suddenly entered the picture, I never felt that dreaded love triangle situation. Frankie and Deac are definitely the main focus, and I’m so happy about that.

While I could sit and nitpick at certain parts, the bottom line is that I enjoyed the heck out of this book, minor quibbles and all. It was angsty, sexy, and with a little element of suspense. Plus it’s set in my home town of Chicago. How do I not love that?

My biggest quibble? That. Fucking. Cliffhanger. OMG! I swear it almost made me stroke out. How could you leave me like this? HOW? How, I ask you?!! That was just cruel. I need the next book like yesterday! But as much as I hated the cliffhanger, it also made sense. A lot of times I read books and it feels like an author cuts it off suddenly for shock value or for no other reason but to split a book that could have easily been one longer novel into two. This was not the case here. You can tell that these characters had come a somewhat full circle and it needed that break. So as much as that cliffy made me a stabby shouty mess, I get why it was necessary.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this couple next!

He’s like a feather floating on a breeze, weightlessly riding the wind, until that air starts to swirl around him violently and the lightness of the feather no longer matters, because now in the tempest, it is a deadly, living thing. That’s our Deacon. pain is his art and he’s incredibly adept at it.

Review: ✩Crossing the Line✩ by @Kele_Moon


Wyatt Conner is a hard man. A sixth generation sheriff in his hometown of Garnet. A former MMA fighter. His life is about following the rules and making sure everyone else in Garnet follows them too.Before life hurt him, Wyatt was different. Love had once blinded him to his upbringing and made him defiant against anyone who tried to separate him from the girl he loved. He easily broke laws to ensure her safety.

When she left it destroyed him.

Now she’s back.

Tabitha knew coming home was a mistake, but family obligation demanded it. She wasn’t expecting to run smack into the love of her life the same day she returned.

Despite the danger, Tabitha is powerless against the wild rush of desire that explodes between them the moment she finds herself in Wyatt’s arms again. She needs a second chance too, but she can’t risk Wyatt finally discovering the real reason she left.

Even for another taste of true love.

Tabitha knows her haunted past will destroy both of them if Wyatt finds out. What she suffered through was too terrible and it’s the one thing that will have him crossing the line for revenge.

Buy Links

Review5 stars

Every story had an innocent beginning, even theirs, and Tabitha found herself wishing she had a chance to go back and relive it one more time, because she didn’t want to let go any more than Wyatt did.

Oh dear GAWD, this book! This wonderful, emotional, heart breaking and heart warming book. I can’t tell you why I waited this long to read it considering that I read the first two when they first came out. But all I know is that I absolutely loved it. It broke my heart at times, but then it mended it in the most beautiful way possible.

Wyatt Conner has loved Tabitha since 3rd grade. What started innocent and pure, soon grew into a more intense love over time as they both grew into young adults

Wyatt made everything golden. Life was beautiful around him, and she loved him for it. 

Tabitha has not had an easy life. Between her alcoholic mother and drug addict and abusive brother, she hasn’t been a stranger to hunger, fear, and tears. But through all this, she has one light at the end of the tunnel, her protector and the boy that’s always stood by her, Wyatt.

Their growing romance through the years was one of my favorite things about this book. It was absolutely beautiful. There was no internal drama or angst (though plenty of it from outside forces). Wyatt was absolutely perfect. He was protective and sweet, and yet he also had an undercurrent of finely leashed violence when it came to protecting Tabitha. It truly added to his appeal, since it was just that added element that kept him from being too perfect.

Tabitha was an incredible heroine as well. She was protective and loyal in her own right. Growing up the way that she did, she still managed to hang on to her sanity and have a meaningful relationship. She always had this understated layer of strength that I absolutely loved. Some of the things that she was forced to endure gutted me, and yet she always came out on the other end without the ‘woe is me’ mentality. And her love for Wyatt always persevered above anything else…until the very end

Somewhere along the way, Wyatt Conner had been imprinted on her soul. The threads that tied them together were unbreakable and bone deep. No matter how desperately she tried to untangle herself from him, somehow it just ended up pulling them tighter together.

She knows that her mother and wrong-side-of-the-law brother will never allow her to date the infamous son of the sheriff, but try as she might, she can only avoid Wyatt’s sweet yet persistent advances for so long. She knows she may not be good for him, but she’ll at least be good to him.

I love you, Tab.”
“I know.” She leaned down and kissed the place directly over his heart that was beating hard and fast. “But you shouldn’t.”

The story begins in the present, and then takes you back to the beginning to show the reader where and how everything began for Wyatt and Tabitha. It was an absolutely perfect progression, even though the story primarily is told in the past (It was a little over 60%).

Kele Moon painted such a beautiful and yet heartbreaking story of love that only grew through the years and even though it had every reason to, never fizzled out.

The odds were clearly stacked against them from the beginning, and you spend the entire time reading about their past just waiting for that other shoe to drop. I was equal parts anticipating it to see how it all plays out, and dreading it because I loved them together so much. Neither of these characters were perfect and yet they were absolutely perfect together.

Prepare yourself for an overload of feels, because their story will hit you right in the feelers

I love Kele Moon’s writing, and this book does an incredible job showing how talented of an author she is. It was perfect. It was emotional, it was beautiful, and it was erotic

He wanted to claim her. Own her, Leave his mark on her. He’d always known he loved her, but until now he hadn’t understood just how desperately he wanted to push her down on the bed and fuck her until he went blind from the pleasure of it.

The one minor quibble for me was at times the dialogue really grated on my nerves. The ‘ya’s’, ‘aint’s’, and constant use of ‘fella’ didn’t work for me. But luckily everything else was so fantastic, that it overshadowed the one small quible that I had.

If you haven’t yet read this author, this is a must read. The entire series is. And having read The Viper before this book, I appreciated the ending even more. You clever, clever girl, Kele.



Don’t miss the first 2 books in the Battered Hearts series!

    

Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ☆The Viper☆ by @Kele_Moon

Title: The Viper (Untamed Hearts, #1)
Author: Kele Moon
Genre: Erotic / Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Publisher: Loose Id
Tour Organized by: As the Pages Turn

Marcos Rivera is a fighter. A gang member. Someone who has seen the dark side of humankind and survived. He has lost family and gained enemies. He has stolen cars and destroyed hearts, stripping one for money and the other for pleasure. His past is haunted and his future is bleak.

Until her.

Katie Foster is a high school history teacher. Smart, strong, and sexy. She is a woman Marcos shouldn’t want. Shouldn’t touch. Shouldn’t love. He met her in Garnet, a backwards, hick town that’s the last place in the world he wants to be, but he finds himself going back for a taste of the forbidden.

Katie represents all that is good in the world, and Marcos knows he’s nothing but trouble for her perfect life. He fights and he screws. He commits crimes and he breaks the rules. He will never change and he will never escape his gang lifestyle.

Or can he?

What happens when two different people from two very different walks of life risk it all by giving into the passion that threatens to consume both of them? Can a woman who only knows how to play it safe give her heart to a man who lives hard and loves harder?Will she survive The Viper?
Buy Links
Amazon / B&N / ARe / LooseId
Review4.5 stars
I can’t stop thinking that maybe two negatives might equal a positive.

I have loved all books by Kele Moon, but her Battered Hearts series was a favorite of mine. So when I saw she was releasing a spin-off series with her Untamed Hearts series, I was just a little excited. And by that I mean I e-stalked the fuck out of the poor author for any and all tidbits about the book and jumped at the chance to read the ARC.

If you’ve read and enjoyed the Battered Hearts series, you will absolutely love this one. And if you haven’t yet discovered the amazing talent that is Kele Moon and her delicious MMA heroes? I’m not sure why you’re still reading my review and not one-clicking these badboys.

One fateful night brings two strangers crashing together irrevocably changing both of their lives.

Katie Foster is a good girl. A high school teacher. A divorcee. And someone that’s played it safe all her life. So when a mysterious stranger with haunting light gray eyes rescues her from a car crash, she can’t seem to get him out of his mind. That night changes her, causes her to take more risks and truly experience life for the first time in her life. And that includes the tempting stranger that continues to be the recurring fantasy in all her dreams and waking minutes.

Marcos Rivera is a fighter, an ex-convict, a gangbanger, and a thief. He’s also someone that lived a hard life and knows that there’s no sunshine or a sweet woman in his near future; just dirt or prison bars. Even knowing all this, Katie Foster continues to be a temptation that he just can’t resist. If only for a little bit, he wants to know what it would be like to be a woman like her. Someone pure, someone sweet, and oh so tempting.
[image error]
They may be from 2 different worlds and they may be as different as night and day, but that doesn’t stop the scorching hot chemistry that brews between them.

While the romance between Katie and Marcos takes center stage in this book there are a lot of other things going on as well. I thought Kele Moon did a flawless job weaving everything together in one amazing book. She also managed to write two incredibly endearing characters with Katie and Marcos. I simply adored Marcos. I can’t say enough about him. He absolutely stole my heart and at the same time had my heart breaking for him. The connection between Marcos and Katie may have been more on the instant side, but you can truly understands what draws them together. And the sex scenes? Off the charts hot.

What I loved the most is that it wasn’t just a romance, it was also so much more. While I loved Marcos, what was even better was that extra peak into Chuito. Oh. My. GAWD. Chuito. I cannot wait for his book.

I don’t want to tell you much more since it would simply spoil the book and experience for you. Read it for yourself and find out. But be prepared for some swooning and panting, because Marcos REALLY doesn’t play around. The man is deliciously devious between the sheets.

Watching a hot girl come was his drug of choice. When other guys his age were sinking into drugs or alcohol, he was sneaking into girls’ bedrooms and going down on them.

Any questions? Right then. Didn’t think so 😉

I couldn’t get enough. While all the characters from the previous books make an appearance here, I was especially happy to get more of Tino and Nova. Italian mafia bad boys? Sign me up for that! (Especially Nova)

And if you’re wondering if you can read this book without previously reading the other series, absolutely. The author gives you plenty of detail about previous characters to allow you to not miss a beat, without making it sound redundant for those that have read it.

And if you’re wondering if the book lives up to this amazingly HAWT cover?

 

About the Author
A freckle faced, redhead born and raised in Hawaii, Kele Moon has always been a bit of a sore thumb and has come to enjoy the novelty of it. She thrives off pushing the envelope and finding ways to make the impossible work in her story telling. With a mad passion for romance, she adores the art of falling in love. The only rules she believes in is that, in love there are no rules and true love knows no bounds.
So obsessed is she with the beauty of romance and the novelty of creating it she’s lost in her own wonder world most of the time. Thankfully she married her own dark, handsome, brooding hero who had infinite patience for her airy ways and attempts to keep her grounded. When she leaves her keys in the refrigerator or her cell phone in the oven he’s usually there to save her from herself. The two of them now reside in Florida with their three beautiful children who make their lives both fun and challenging in equal parts–They wouldn’t have it any other way.
Giveaway
1 x $25 Amazon or B&N gift card (winners choice)
5 x eBook copy from any of Kele’s backlist including The Viper

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: