Saturday, February 28, 2015

Blog Tour-Review and Giveaway: Chasing Desire by Joya Ryan


Adult Contemporary Romance
Release: February 16, 2015
Publisher: Brazen/Entangled Publishing
It’s her best friend’s wedding, and Autumn Lane is trussed up in a pink bridesmaid dress with a big “everything is great” smile plastered across her face. She’s not going think about her life imploding, or spending the next two weeks housesitting in the ridiculously small town of Diamond. No, she’d rather think about the tattooed hottie in the wedding party…and how to turn the wicked way he’s looking at her into a night of intense pleasure.

Huck Galvin is fiercely attracted to his mystery woman’s no-BS attitude, but their one-night-no-strings plan backfires when Huck discovers that Autumn is the out-of-towner he’s “chaperoning” for the next two weeks. Outside the bedroom, the two can’t stand each other, yet Huck can’t deny how much he wants one more night with her. But Autumn isn’t going to make it easy for Huck. Not by a long shot…

My Review

I've got two words to describe this book for you-guilty pleasure.

There's plenty of pleasure-the chemistry between Huck and Autumn is totally off the charts, and both of them can take charge with sensational results.  Both have issues from their pasts that have them looking for nothing more than a quick one-night stand...but with everything between them just clicking, they both find themselves wanting more.

Autumn does have a bit of a self-esteem issue, and keeps wavering back and forth between what she thinks Huck wants-her, or just her for now.  And Huck has trust issues and is reluctant to open himself up to another long term relationship.  But when everything is right-you just can't stop the inevitable.  

There's a solid cast of characters, all of whom are very likable and work well together, and the writing-especially the steamy scenes-will draw you in and not let go.  The storyline is good, if a bit predictable, but still told so that it will keep your interest-and those steamy scenes will have you cranking up the A/C to its maximum setting.

As I said, it's a great guilty pleasure, and gets 4.5 passionate stars from me.  Definitely just for the 18+ crowd ;-)

About the Author
National and International Bestselling Author.
Break Me Slowly: #1 Bestselling book in Contemporary Fiction and Women’s Fiction! by a long shot…

About Brazen/Entangled
If you like your heroes hot, the sex hotter, and a swoon-worthy romance to swoop in and save your happily ever after, Brazen has the story for you. Sinfully sexy soldiers. Alpha cops who demand control. Sweet guys with a naughty side in the bedroom. At Brazen, we’ve got the hero destined to melt your… heart.
STALK US HERE:   Facebook     @BrazenBooks     Pinterest

Giveaway
(1) Color changing Brazen Mug and (1) Print copy of CHASING TEMPTATION and CHASING TROUBLE




Promo-Excerpt and Giveaway: Too Many Reasons by Kristen Strassel


TOO MANY REASONS (A Spotlight Series Novel) by Kristen Strassel is here! Check out the excerpt and giveaway below!


Title: TOO MANY REASONS (A Spotlight Series Novella)
Author: Kristen Strassel
Age: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 9, 2015


Blurb:
Abby Gauthier is close to getting everything she's worked so hard for. The band she manages, Sinister Riot, has been offered a major record contract. But it comes with a catch: the band must add Eli Jamison, winner of the talent show The Spotlight, to the lineup.

“You’ve been my favorite part of this city.”

Devon Sinclair is the singer of Sinister Riot, and he's Abby's best friend. She's in love with him, but fears she'll lose him if she makes the first move. Devon knows adding Eli to the band is a mistake, and he's right. Eli's interested in more than just making an album. He wants to take control of the band, and he wants to get to know Abby better. A lot better. When tensions between Devon and Eli threaten to destroy Sinister Riot, Abby must act on her true feelings or lose everything she's ever wanted.

“I may not have been your first, but I’m going to make damn sure I’m your last.”



EXCERPT

Devon sat back down on the futon, but first, he moved my computer out of the way so he could sit next to me. I didn’t want to touch him; his skin scrambled all the reason in my brain, but his leg brushed my knees, and I was just going to have to hold on for the ride. “How can I make you feel better?”

I twisted my fingers in my lap. “That’s a loaded question.”

Devon chuckled before lacing his fingers through mine. I sucked in a breath as his thumb moved back and forth on the back of my hand. “Maybe it’s time we stop dancing around the answer.”

His words zapped my heart, like it had never really beat before he said that. I looked up at him, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able tear my eyes away again. My mouth fell open, words were just jumbled things floating around in my brain, and I couldn’t grab on to any of them. Devon moved his teeth against his lip ring, and I gasped, realizing how much I wanted to taste his lips.

“What are you saying?” It was more of a breath than anything else.

“That I’m in love with you, Abby.” He took my hand and squeezed it. “And I have been for a very long time.”

My heart was going to explode. All over Devon, all over the apartment. Hell, all over the city. A smile spread over my face as my whole body tingled. All of a sudden, I felt shy. “I love you, too.”

Devon pushed a piece of hair that had escaped from my bun when I dipped my head. “Every time I try to do something about it, you shoot me down.”

I gasped, the moment ruined….or was it? When I looked back up at Devon, he wasn’t mad at all. In fact, he was smiling. This time, he knew it was going to be different.

I didn’t know it was possible to fall even deeper.

“So you asked me a couple weeks ago if I wanted to kiss you,” he continued, still smiling, picking up my fingers one at a time and playing with each one. “But you never let me answer your question.”

He’d tried to kiss me. I had thought it was pretty definitive. “Okay.”

“The answer is that I wanted to kiss you from the moment I turned around and saw who bumped in to me with their lunch tray. Which I know you totally did on purpose.” He nudged my knee with his leg. “And every day since then.”










GIVEAWAY
$10 Amazon Gift Card



About the Author:

Kristen shares a birthday with Steven Tyler and Diana Ross. She spends each day striving to be half as fabulous as they are. She’s worn many hats, none as flattering as her cowboy hat: banker, retail manager, fledgling web designer, world’s worst cocktail waitress, panty slinger, now makeup artist and author. She loves sunshine, live music, the middle of nowhere, and finding new things to put in her house. 

Friday, February 27, 2015

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Hazards of Sleeping With A Friend by Alyssa Rose Ivy

We are extremely pleased to bring you the cover reveal for Alyssa Rose Ivy's THE HAZARDS OF SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND!! THE HAZARDS OF SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND is a New Adult romance and the fifth book in Alyssa's Hazards Series. Add it to your Goodreads shelf! THE HAZARDS OF SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND will be available March 26th!!


About THE HAZARDS OF SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND:
Warning: Sleeping with a friend might change your life forever.
Sleeping with Kyle was never in the plans. Pretending to be his girlfriend was one thing, but letting our relationship become anything but platonic was another. The problem with mixing friendship with sex is that inevitably feelings get involved, and when that happens there's no turning back.

When Kyle's life fell apart around him, I needed to help, but doing that meant opening myself up to the most terrifying thing in the world—falling in love.
The covers are designed by Once Upon a Time Covers and the Cover Model Photography by K. Keeton
About Alyssa Rose Ivy:
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Twitter | Author Goodreads | Pinterest | Website | THE HAZARDS SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND  Goodreads  | Facebook






Giveaway


Cover Reveal: Saving Dancer by Jordan Marie

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Cover Reveal: Saving Dancer
Author: Jordan Marie
Genre: MC
Releasing: March 2015


Cover Designer: Margreet Asselbergs - https://www.facebook.com/rebeleditdesign
Cover Model: Justin Miller - https://www.facebook.com/trainerjtoday
Photographer: Shauna Kruse - https://www.facebook.com/KIPmodelsandboudoir

READY?
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Carrie

I’ve been in love with Jacob Blake since he picked me up in his strong arms. He held me close and promised me everything would be okay. I knew then, I had met the man who would own my heart forever.

I was five years old.

As the years went by, the need and longing for Jacob only increased—at least on my side. Jacob has never seen me as more than his kid sister’s best friend.

I’ve spent my life chasing after Jacob and trying to make him see I’m more than just his sister’s little friend. I never dreamed that by trying to show Jacob how much I loved him, I would also destroy him.

One night...one night that held so much promise, but ultimately destroyed the man I love and broke him in so many pieces, that I don’t know if he can be mended back together.

Jacob “Dancer” Blake

I’m finally home. Out of the hell hole I had been trapped in since killing another man. With the thrust of my knife everything changed.

That night I ended two lives, the scum who had been trying to rape my little sister’s friend... and my own. The other man got the easier out. I live and breathe in a hell I’ll never escape.

My brothers look at me with pity in their eyes. It cuts my insides out.

There’s trouble in the club, trouble all around us and I have to get my head straight. I have to be able to help them. Trouble is, I can’t even help myself. I just keep piling the mistakes up.

Carrie just might be my biggest mistake yet.

Now it’s another night that’s haunting me--a night that I keep repeating even if I shouldn’t.

I’m so trapped in the darkness that I can’t stop myself from going back because she is light.

She wants to save me. You can’t save something as lost as I am.

I’m going to destroy her.

I’ve warned her. Now I’ll show her.


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aboutjordan

Jordan is a small town Kentucky girl whose life revolves around her husband and daughter. She's an avid reader who has always had the dream of letting others hear what the voices inside of her head had to say. She hopes you find them as entertaining as she does.


FB Profile Pic for Jen

Blog Tour-Review and Giveaway: Caught Up In You by Colee Firman


Caught Up In You Synopsis:
Life has a way of shaping you into what it wants you to be, regardless of how much you fight it.
Brantley Prescott is damaged. Scarred by a past she can’t forget. Hiding secrets she’s terrified to share. Searching for a future she doesn’t believe she’ll ever find. 
Myles Franco is alone. Burdened by mistakes he’ll never live down. Fostering a deep resentment for the opposite sex. Unleashing his wrath on any girl who gets too close. 
Brantley has worked behind the bar long enough to recognize Myles for what he is—a douchebag player with nothing on his mind but keeping a steady stream of girls flowing through his bed. With his messy dark hair, sapphire blue eyes, rock-solid body, and endless tattoos he’s impossible to ignore. But that’s exactly what she plans on doing.
After just one run-in with Brantley, Myles is even more determined to stick to the rules he lives by. She’s mouthy, blunt, and doesn’t back down—no matter how hard he pushes her. She could turn out be the one temptation that drags him down the path he’s been trying to avoid. He won’t let that happen.
Both are content living behind the solid walls they’ve built around themselves. Neither is prepared for what happens when their lives collide. 
Due to sexual content and graphic language - 17+ recommended.


Buy Links:

My Review

Put together two main characters with a ton of issues from their past and you can expect for sparks to fly-romantic and otherwise.  

Caught Up In You has a lot of great characters from the leads, Brantley and Myles, to every single secondary character (my favorites were Tom and Wyatt, Brantley's dad though not so much).  They all contribute well to the story, and even though there's a lot of them I don't think the story would feel the same without them.  Myles is wonderful, though doesn't necessarily make a smart decision hiding something from Brantley. The two of them together have great chemistry, even if they do clash from the start.

The story itself shows the importance of being up front and truthful when you're in a relationship (or trying to be in one), and is told from both Myles and Brantley's points of view.  I always like having both the lead characters' POVs as you get so much more to the story that way.  While the story does flow well and seems to move quickly, it did feel a bit drawn out at times...but overall it was a nice, dramatic read showing how Brantley and Myles overcome their own pasts as well as their own self-made stumbling blocks to finally find their way back to each other.

4 stars for this dramatic romance, recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.

Colee Firman Bio:
Colee Firman has always been a closet writer. As an only child, there were constantly stories swimming around in her head. In 2012, she finally started unleashing them on the world, beginning with The Unbinding Fate Series. 

As a Michigan native, she never passes up a chance to escape the winter weather. When she’s not working at her day job or writing, she’s traveling with her longtime boyfriend, reading with her cat, or binging on Netflix.
Giveaway:


Blog Tour-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway: Interference by Dakota Madison



New Adult Sports Romance
Date Published: February 9, 2015

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Dakota Madison returns with another spicy sports romance. This story set in the world of college basketball. 

Neuroscience student SEDONA MILLER is perfectly imperfect. She’s slightly nerdy and slightly eccentric, but completely brilliant. 

When an unfortunate accident leaves Sedona with an injured arm and she’s fired from her part-time job shelving books at the university library she has to find a new gig fast. 
The only job available mid-semester is working as a tutor for the athletic academic center. And the notorious bad boy of the university’s basketball team, JESSE WALKER, is the one and only guy on the new tutor’s roster.

But when SEDONA discovers a secret that could ruin the school’s winning basketball team doing the right thing could mean destroying the only guy she’s ever loved.

Excerpt

When I finally hit the last room in a long row of rooms I see a guy sitting there looking bored and staring at two fast food containers in front of him on the table.

He glances up at me when I enter. The first thing I notice is his piercing green eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes that green on a human being that weren’t Photoshopped 

The second thing I notice is his messy, light brown hair. It doesn’t look like it’s been combed in a week. It makes me wonder if it’s some new hair trend or if he just doesn’t bother to style it. Not that I have too much room to talk when it comes to hair. My curly red mop has been the bane of my existence since I was a kid. About the only thing I can ever do with it is pull it back into a pony tail.  

“Sedona?”

I nod.

“Have a seat.” He points to the chair right next to him. 

I remember Lewis’s warning and take a seat across the table instead. I want to be as close to the door as possible. The guy is big and muscular and much more intimidating than I imagined he’d be. 

My heart is thumping in my chest because his size and rough demeanor are making me nervous. 

When he pushes one of the fast food containers in my direction I cringe. I rarely eat fast food and when I do it’s from Just Veggies, an organic vegetarian place near campus.
He doesn’t hesitate to open his container and take a bite of the messy burger that’s dripping some kind of white sauce all over his pile of fries. 

My stomach turns in response. 

“I bought you a burger.” He points to the second container he’s pushed in my direction. “Ambrose scheduled our sessions during lunch.”

I make a point of pushing the container back over to him. “No thank you.”

He frowns. “It’s from Frankie’s. Everybody loves Frankie’s burgers.”

“Clearly not everyone.”

His brows knit like he can’t believe I refused the food he bought.

“You don’t want it?” He actually sounds hurt.

“No, I don’t.”

“Why?”

I lift my book bag from the ground and point to one of the many political cause buttons I have covering the knitted tote my mom made for me. 

He barely acknowledges it. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Now I’m the one who’s frowning. “Meat is murder. It’s a slogan. It means that I don’t eat animal flesh.”

“You’re one of those vegans?” He doesn’t bother hiding the condescension in his voice.

“Technically I’m a vegetarian. I eat free range, organic dairy products.”

“Fine. I’ll eat the burger.” He glares at me as he opens the second container and takes a huge bite of the burger.

I’m appalled until I notice that he slyly pushes both containers away and doesn’t take another bite of either burger.

“I guess I should have brought an apple for the teacher.”

“Only if it’s organic. And I’m not actually a teacher. I’m a tutor.”

We both stare at each other for a long moment. Awkward does not even begin to describe our pairing. We’re like two people from different planets trying to communicate when we don’t speak each other’s languages.

I remove a slip of paper from my bag. “Mr. Ambrose gave me your schedule of classes for the semester. You’re taking Film Appreciation, The History of Jazz, Advanced Yoga and Stress Management. What’s your major?”

He shrugs. “Undeclared right now. But I’ll probably go with Sports Management.”

“So these are Gen Ed classes?”

He cocks his head and looks confused. 

“General Education classes,” I clarify. “Elective classes you need to take to fulfill requirements that aren’t directly related to your major.”

“I guess so.”

I’m a little disturbed by his lackadaisical attitude, but I let it go for the moment. We’re clearly not going to be able to develop much of a rapport so maybe it’s best just to get down to business.

“We’re just handed a class schedule,” he clarifies. “Assigned classes. We don’t pick them ourselves.”

“And they assigned you the History of Jazz? That’s the class that you’re having trouble with?”

“The dude who was supposed to teach the class croaked and they got this new chick who apparently doesn’t like basketball.”

There is so much wrong with his statement I don’t even know where to begin. “Might I suggest that you call your professors either professor or doctor and not chick.” 

I bristle at my own use of the derogatory word, but I continue, “And what does her not liking basketball have to do with your performance in the class.”

At this he gives me a sly smile. “Let’s just say she’s not willing to play ball the way the other professors are.”

I’m not sure exactly what he means by that, but there seems to be some kind of sports reference that is lost on me.

“So you’re saying your other classes are going well and you’re just having trouble with the one class, History of Jazz?”

He leans back in his chair and eyes me for a few seconds before he nods. I don’t like when he looks at me like that. It’s like he’s examining some weird, new specimen and trying to make sense of it.

“All of my other teachers are huge basketball fans and they know I’m the in the starting lineup. I’m not sure what the jazz goddess’s problem is.”

I take in a deep breath before I say something that’s sure to get me fired. “Why don’t we start by calling her Dr. Fisher? I think that might help. And why do you think she has a problem?”

“She doesn’t like basketball. That’s not normal. Everybody loves basketball. This entire campus lives and breathes the sport.”

“I don’t love basketball. I don’t even like it. Not even a little bit.”

He actually looks stunned for a moment. Like I slapped him. Then he regains his cocky composure.

“You’re one weird chick,” he mutters almost to himself, but still loud enough that I can hear him.

“Excuse me?” I say even though I heard him. I just didn’t like having an insult hurled at me by someone I don’t even know.

“You. Are. One. Weird. Chick.” His words are slower and louder as if I didn’t hear him the first time.

“I actually heard what you said. I just didn’t like it.”

A smug smirk appears on his face that I would love to slap right off if I could. 

I continue. “In case you haven’t noticed I’m not a bird I’m a human being. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t refer to me as a chick.”

He bites his bottom lip as if he’s actually giving it some thought. Then he says, “You’re one weird woman. Is that better?”

“I’m not sure why you have to bring gender into the equation at all. Why not just call me a weird person?”

That makes him laugh. “You don’t care that I think you’re weird. You just don’t want me to call you a chick?”

“I’ve been weird my whole life. I’m used to it.” 

“At least you’re willing to own it.”

“So did you bring your textbook with you or are you just going to spend the next ninety minutes taunting me?” 

“I kind of like taunting you.”

My Review


Interference is a cute, quick read.  The romance is sweet, and you'll find yourself hoping that there really are guys out there like Jesse who don't take advantage of the bevy of girls who fall all over themselves for a guy who plays on the school team.

Jesse is the epitome of the sweet jock, and Sedona is his polar opposite as a brainy, hippie-type.  But the two of them just click together, even with Sedona's blissfully unaware attitude toward the sports community.  Sedona is so understanding of Jesse's situation, and immediately wants to be able to help him and not hurt him or his future once she finds out his secret

The writing style did feel a bit matter-of-fact and straightforward, which made it feel like we were being presented with the story instead of getting involved and wrapped up in it.  Sedona and Jesse's relationship did seem like it moved pretty fast.  

Interference makes for a good read, seemingly aimed more at the college-aged readers.  Recommended for 18+ due to language and adult situations, it was a 3.5-star read for me.

About the Author-Dakota Madison

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Mueller Bryson writes romance novels under four pen names: Dakota Madison, Savannah Young, Sierra Avalon and Ren Monterrey. She lives in a small town outside of Phoenix, AZ with her husband and their bloodhounds. 








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