Shattered

Lost In Oblivion Series – Book 4

A Rock Star Romance

By Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott

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Synopsis

Book 4 in the NEW ADULT rockstar series, LOST IN OBLIVION
He’s shattered…and she’s the only woman who can help him pick up the pieces.
Nick Crandall has everything he ever thought he wanted. Tons of money, a glamorous lifestyle, professional admiration for making music. But all his success doesn’t erase the memories of who and what he’s lost on the road to fame and fortune. Nor does it stop his dream from shattering, right before his eyes.

Until the person he least expects pulls him back from the brink.

Lila Shawcross is obsessed with her work, which includes managing the drama-prone members of Oblivion. She’s definitely not about to let a hot-headed, hard-bodied lead guitarist wreck her orderly existence or dilute her focus. So what if she’s never craved a man quite this much? There are just too many complications, including the gold band on her left hand.

Except Nick is determined to possess her…and what Nick wants, Nick gets. Because this time, he’s not walking away.

**Big cliffhangers ahead on this couple’s journey to HEA.

Tracey’s Review

You’d expect to see Nick Crandall’s picture next to ‘brooding rockstar’ in the dictionary. As the lead guitarist for the band Oblivion, he’s the guy that’s killing it with his guitar and his sexy good looks. Lila Shawcross is Nick’s complete opposite. She’s made a career of managing bands like Oblivion, and doing it with an icy calm and a demeanor that cannot be cracked. But opposites do attract, after all…

Nick and Lila have been dancing around each other since this series began, and finally, FINALLY, they get their piece of the story. These two could not be more different, but, oh, my goodness, they are on fire! What I like most about them, besides the freaking combustible nature of their feelings for each other, is how they just get each other. You wouldn’t expect it, given that they seem to be polar opposites, but they just really do. Each of them brings out the best in the other, helping them to rise to be better versions of themselves. What begins as attraction quickly turns into so much more, and watching it happen kept me smiling like a crazy person.

The Lost In Oblivion series by Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott has quickly become one of my very favorites. These ladies continue to write these guys (and ladies) in such a way as to be downright addictive. Fans of the hot rocker books need to read these, because they are on FIRE, and because they have so much heart. Every single member of Oblivion has a piece of my heart, and I love knowing that I’ll continue to get to see snippets of them for a while to come. As is their way, Cari and Taryn leave us with a cliffhanger ending here, having to wait to find out exactly how Nick and Lila will handle the junk that life is throwing at them. 5+ sweet, sexy, dang I’m blushing stars for SHATTERED. FUSED, the conclusion of Nick and Lila’s story, can’t come quickly enough.

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The Lost In Oblivion Series

Rocked – Book 1

Love definitely wasn’t on the setlist.

Opening for their idols on their first tour, Oblivion is living the dream. Mostly. Frustrated at being shoved out of his mediator role by their new manager, Deacon McCoy loses himself in brutal workouts. He only comes up for air long enough to refuel—and to tease the deliciously cute chef who makes him crave a lot more than what she’s offering on her serving plate.

As the child of roadie parents, Harper Pruitt has heard every pickup line twice. To her, musicians are one step above the scraps on her cutting board. All she wants is to get enough experience to run her own catering company, but Deacon and his bottomless stomach are too tempting to resist. He’s far from the typical rock star and before long, she finds herself experimenting with him, inside and out of the kitchen.

Apron – and panties – optional.

When Harper sees that Deacon’s dream band with his best friends may be turning into a nightmare, she can’t walk away. Deacon’s so much more than just a peacemaker and the man behind the bass. But she has her own dreams to chase…even if she’s starting to think what she’s building with him might be the biggest one of all.

You met Deacon McCoy in SEDUCED, now you can watch just how far a big man can fall.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Twisted – Book 2

He’s always saved her. Now she’s going to return the favor…

Gray Duffy never thought he’d end up as the co-lead guitarist of Oblivion, one of the hottest rock bands in the country. Even better? He’s sharing the experience with his best friend, Jazz. Since the day she’d showed up as his family’s new foster kid, Gray has protected her. Loved her. And not just platonically either. After all these years of wanting her in his bed, he still doesn’t know what it would be like to have her mouth on his.

Except for that one time. The time he’d shared her with Nick. The best worst night of his life.

Now they’re living their dream. They’re making music together and spending every waking moment trapped in tight quarters. With success at their fingertips, the time is right for him to finally make his move toward the woman he needs.

He just never figured he would lose control. Or that she would find out.

They’ve loved each other through everything. But what if this time love just isn’t enough?

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Destroyed – Book 3

Only one woman has ever refused him…and she’s the only one he wants.
Now that he’s successful beyond his wildest dreams with his band Oblivion, Simon Kagan is happy to enjoy his all-access pass to the groupie train. After getting more fists in the ribs than hugs growing up, he discovers having a warm female in his bed is an easy way to escape the loneliness.

Until Margo.

From the moment the classy, buttoned up violinist entered his sphere, he knew she was different. After one amazing night in the studio, he feels like he’s finally connected with someone on a deeper level–only to have her walk away without a backward glance.

As a member of the Boston Symphony orchestra, Margo Reece’s life revolves around the regimented structure of a second chair violinist. But Simon’s uncanny ability to crawl into a song and create a smoky, sin-filled experience translated into the hottest night of her life. She walked away afterward because that’s what she was supposed to do.

And Margo always does what she’s supposed to.

Until Simon.

When she’s called on again to blend her sound with Oblivion’s, she has to make the decision to play it safe or let her wild side free.

*** Unlike all of the other Oblivion books, this one has a cliffhanger, due to upcoming events that will be resolved – mostly – in Consumed. ***

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Book 4 in the NEW ADULT rockstar series, LOST IN OBLIVION
He’s shattered…and she’s the only woman who can help him pick up the pieces.
Nick Crandall has everything he ever thought he wanted. Tons of money, a glamorous lifestyle, professional admiration for making music. But all his success doesn’t erase the memories of who and what he’s lost on the road to fame and fortune. Nor does it stop his dream from shattering, right before his eyes.

Until the person he least expects pulls him back from the brink.

Lila Shawcross is obsessed with her work, which includes managing the drama-prone members of Oblivion. She’s definitely not about to let a hot-headed, hard-bodied lead guitarist wreck her orderly existence or dilute her focus. So what if she’s never craved a man quite this much? There are just too many complications, including the gold band on her left hand.

Except Nick is determined to possess her…and what Nick wants, Nick gets. Because this time, he’s not walking away.

**Big cliffhangers ahead on this couple’s journey to HEA.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn wrote her first story—a bible parable—in 2nd grade, much to the delight of the nuns at her Catholic school. Once she saw the warm reception that first tale garnered, she was hooked. Now she gets to pen sexy romances for a living and routinely counts her lucky stars. When she’s not scribbling furiously, she can usually be found watching men’s college basketball, playing her music way too loud or causing trouble. Sometimes simultaneously.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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TARYN ELLIOTT comes from the great state of New York—upstate, thank you very much. She’s usually busy making up stories with her best friend until the wee hours of the morning, or fangirling over her favorite TV show. She falls in love with each and every one of her leading men as she writes their book, and there’s always a soundtrack to match.

She loves talking to readers, so if you’d like to reach her, please visit her website: tarynelliott.com and sign up for her newsletter, or drop her a line at: taryn@tarynelliott.com.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Book 7–Bodychecking (Seattle
Sockeyes Hockey) AVAILABLE IN FEBRUARY 2016

 

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We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for THUNDER ROLLS by Dee Davis! THUNDER ROLLS is Episode 8 in the Rising Storm Series brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab the last episode in Season One of this sexy series today!

Rising Storm Episode 8 (Nov. 12): Dee Davis’s Thunder Rolls
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Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy…

Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection.

But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.

Reading like an on-going drama in the tradition of classic day and night-time soap operas like Dallas, Dynasty, and All My Children, Rising Storm is full of scandal, deceit, romance, passion, and secrets.

With 1001 Dark Nights as the “producer,” Julie Kenner and Dee Davis use a television model with each week building on the last to create a storyline that fulfills the promise of a drama-filled soap opera. Joining Kenner and Davis in the “writer’s room” is an incredible group of New York Times bestselling authors such as Lexi Blake, Elisabeth Naughton, Larissa Ione, Rebecca Zanetti and Lisa Mondello who have brought their vision of Storm to life.

A serial soap opera containing eight episodes in season one, the season premiere of Rising Storm, TEMPEST RISING, debuted September 24^th with each subsequent episode releasing consecutively this fall.

So get ready. The storm is coming.

About THUNDER ROLLS: Episode 8 of the Rising Storm Series

Secrets, Sex and Scandals …

Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy… Get ready. The storm is coming.

In the season finale …

As Hannah Grossman grapples with the very real possibility that she is dating one Johnson brother while secretly in love with another, the entire town prepares for Founders Day. The building tempest threatens not just Hannah’s relationship with Tucker and Tate, but everyone in Storm as dire revelations threaten to tear the town apart.

Experience Rising Storm Here…

Rising Storm Episode 1 (Sept. 24): Julie Kenner’s Tempest Rising
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Rising Storm Episode 2 (Oct. 1): Lexi Blake’s White Lightning
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Rising Storm Episode 3 (Oct. 8): Elisabeth Naughton’s Crosswinds
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Rising Storm Episode 4 (Oct. 15): Jennifer Probst’s Dance in the Wind
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Rising Storm Episode 5 (Oct. 22): Larissa Ione’s Calm Before the Storm
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Rising Storm Episode 6 (Oct. 29): Rebecca Zanetti’s Take the Storm
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Rising Storm Episode 7 (Nov. 5): Lisa Mondello’s Weather the Storm
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Rising Storm Episode 8 (Nov. 12): Dee Davis’s Thunder Rolls
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And don’t miss Season Two of the Rising Storm Series coming in 2016! Sign up for the newsletter here so you don’t miss a minute of the drama!

About Dee Davis:

Bestselling author Dee Davis has a masters degree in public administration. Prior to writing, she served as the director of two associations, wrote award winning PSAs, did television and radio commercials, starred in the Seven Year Itch, taught college classes, and lobbied both the Texas Legislature and the US Congress.

Her highly acclaimed first novel, Everything In Its Time, was published in July 2000. Since then, among others, she’s won the Booksellers Best, Golden Leaf, Texas Gold and Prism awards, and been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Holt and two RT Reviewers Choice Awards.

Recently she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Romance Writers and has also been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award for romantic suspense from Romantic Times. In addition, she is Hall of Fame member of the New Jersey Romance Writers and was awarded an Odyssey Medal from Hendrix College.

To date, she has written over twenty-five romantic suspense, time travel, and women’s fiction novels and novellas. Among her latest books you’ll find her A-Tac, Liar’s Game, and Last Chance series.

She’s lived in Austria and traveled in Europe extensively. And although she now resides in an 1802 farmhouse in Connecticut, she still calls Texas home.

Visit Dee Davis’ website.

Rising Storm Website | Facebook |Twitter | 1001 Dark Nights | Rising Storm on Goodreads

Goodreads reviewers love†Cruel and Beautiful:

“a romance that will break your heart and melt it at the same time”

“heart-breakingly good”

“This book is about love, the truest and purest kind there is.”

“heartwarming and gut wrenching”

“I haven’t cried so hard over a book in a good while.”

“Beautiful. Simply beautiful.”

Get Cruel and Beautiful†on Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Add Cruel and Beautiful†to your Goodreads TBR

Cate Forbes, a dedicated college student with a carefully plotted future, doesnít know the first thing about love. When she accepts a blind date with a rumored tasty piece of eye candy, she thinks she can get by with a night of fun. Cateís plans quickly unravel when she gets one look at the sexyÖ

Drew McKnight.

The relentless hockey-playing medical resident knows what he wantsóa career in Oncology and Cate. Although heís heard the gorgeous brunette is a little relationship skittish, a single night out isnít what he has in mind. Determined to have heróin every way possibleóhe shows her just what a future with him would hold.

Only life has other plans. The unthinkable happens and everything begins to shatter. Both in too deep, they will have to fight the cruel and hang onto the beautiful.†

Get Cruel and Beautiful†on Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Add Cruel and Beautiful†to your Goodreads TBR

ABOUT A. M. HARGROVE

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager A. M. Hargrove realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodge ball pro and had ¸ber quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what laptop out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone, called her boss, and quit her job. Grinning, she made another call to her hubs and told him of her new adventure (after making sure his heart was beating properly again).

So began A. M. Hargrove’s career as a Naughty and Nice Romance Author.

Her books include Adult, New Adult and Young Adult Romances, including, The Guardians of Vesturon Series (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent, and the novella Beginnings); Dark Waltz and Death Waltz (The Praestani Novels); The Edge Series (Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge, and Kissing Fire); The Tragic Series (Tragically Flawed and Tragic Desires); Exquisite Betrayal; Dirty Nights: The Novel; and The Hart Brothers Novels (Freeing Her, Freeing Him, and Kestrel).

Please find her at www.amhargrove.com.

ABOUT TERRI E. LAINE

Wife and mother of three, I’ve always been an avid reader. In my early years, my best friend and I would tell each other stories over the phone when we were bored. We called them our “soap operas” and generally revolved around whatever boy we liked at the time.

Over five years ago, I got this crazy idea to write a novel and try to publish it. And the rest is history. This journey has been a blessing, and a dream realized. I look forward to many more memories to come.

Find more about me and social media links at www.terrielaine.com.

Dirty Twisted Love

Book One

By Lili Valente

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Warning: This is a dark enemies-to-lovers romance that contains violence, a damaged alpha male, and dirty twisted hate banging. Read at your own risk.

The first time CIA Agent Clay Hart fell for Harley Mason, she nearly killed him. But she won’t get another chance at his heart or his life. He’s going to take the son she’s hidden from him for years, send her to jail where she belongs, and never look back.

Harley isn’t the sick twisted person she used to be, but sins have a long half-life and rage an even longer reach. Now the only man she’s ever loved is back from the dead and determined to take away her reason for living. But she won’t give up her son without one hell of a dirty, twisted, sexy fight.

She won’t give up.

He won’t give in.

And neither of them is prepared for the sparks that fly between them or the shared enemy determined to destroy them both.

* *Dirty Twisted Love is the first installment in the Dirty Twisted Love romance series. It is a spin off of the Bought By the Billionaire series, but can be read as a standalone romance. This is a SERIAL story, with a CLIFFHANGER ending. If you don’t like being teased, steer clear.* *

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Tracey’s Review

Harley Mason has always looked out for Number One. Putting herself first is, after all, what has kept her alive, when, by rights, she ought not to be. But it hasn’t come without a price, because the one time that Harley actually allowed herself to believe that she could have her own piece of happiness, Fate stepped in and changed everything.

Clay Hart made the mistake of falling for Harley, but in her quest to avenge her family, he became collateral damage. Determined to save his son from a life with Harley, Clay will not stop until he shuts her down for good. But he isn’t prepared to still feel that pull, the magnetic force that brought them together so long ago, the one that threatens to cause all kinds of problems now.

Readers of the Bought By the Billionaire series by Lili Valente were first introduced to Harley in that series. The twin sister of Hannah Mason, Harley is dark to Hannah’s light, a scrapper to the nth degree, a woman more likely to stab you in the back and smile while doing it. Harley’s thirst for vengeance led to the ruin of not one, but two, good men, and ended up setting in motion a chain of events that put her and her twin sister at serious risk. But goodness grows in the most desolate of places, and Harley was given a gift. Having lost the only man that she ever loved, she was blessed with a son, and Harley will do anything to protect him and give him a life of safety and security.

Lili Valente has quickly made a name for herself in the erotic romance genre. Unafraid to take on dark situations, she nonetheless infuses them with light and love. I have to say that, at first meeting, Harley seemed incapable of redemption. She destroyed not only her life, but that of her sister and two innocent men, and seemed pretty remorseless about it. But at the end of DIVINE DOMINATION (Bought By the Billionaire Book 4), there was a glimmer, the possibility that she was still able to be saved from herself.

DIRTY TWISTED LOVE shows Harley in a new light. She will still do whatever she has to to ensure her safety, yes, but with the goal of making a safe life for her and her son, Jasper. Becoming reacquainted with Clay all of these long years later is a major kink in her plan, and promises to ratchet up the intrigue and angst. Adding in the smoldering and unwelcome hate passion that Clay is carrying towards Harley is going to make this one hot series indeed.

Lili is the consummate Queen of the Cliffy, and ends this read with the proverbial bang. It’s danger, passion, intrigue, oh, my, netting DIRTY TWISTED LOVE 5+ hotter than heck stars. You don’t want to miss this new series by Lili, so add it to your TBR and buckle up, ’cause it’s bound to be a bumpy ride.

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About Author

Lili Valente has slept under the stars in Greece, eaten dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths on their food, and walked alone through Munich’s red light district after dark and lived to tell the tale.

These days you can find her writing in a tent beside the sea, drinking coconut water and thinking delightfully dirty thoughts.

Lili loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her via email at lili.valente.romance@gmail.com

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Licked 

By Brooke Blaine

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU

Synopsis

As the owner of Licked, an eclectic ice creamery and bar, Ryleigh Phillips doesn’t have time for that love stuff. Serving up Nibble My Nuts sundaes and Drunken Sailor boozy shakes are as close to an orgasmic affair as she’s had in months thanks to her expanding empire—until the night of her ten-year high school reunion.

When Ryleigh’s crush, gorgeous ex-football god Cameron Mathis, comes streaking into her life (literally—streaking), she begins to wonder if she really can have it all.

Wouldn’t it just figure that the moment you think life is perfect is when it falls spectacularly apart?

Enter Hunter Morgan, the contractor in charge of Licked’s renovations. Devastatingly handsome, and a smartass to boot, he’s got his eyes on Ryleigh from the moment he finds her passed out on his couch (yeah, that’s a long story). There’s just one tiny complication—he happens to be Cameron’s best friend.

When the lines between relationships and friendships blur, and it’s impossible to choose between two delicious flavors, what’s a girl to do?  Taste a sample of each? Or go out and get LICKED?

Excerpt

“And then?”

I tugged at the edge of my apron in an attempt to avoid the three pairs of eyes staring bug-eyed at me. “And then he walked me to my car.”

“And then you…?” Shayne asked.

“Went home,” I said.

“Wait a minute, can we talk about the fact that he made you sleep on his couch?” Paige’s eyebrows were raised up to practically her hairline. “I’m sorry, but in what fucking universe is that acceptable? Why didn’t you call Quinn to pick you up?”

“He didn’t make me, geez. He passed out and it was late, and I thought maybe…you know. Morning sex.”

Shayne cocked an eyebrow. “And did that happen?”

“Well, no. Hunter made me coffee, and then Cameron woke up and…that’s it.”

“Wait,” Quinn interrupted. “You slept in an apartment with two guys and both of them had you sleeping on the couch? Jesus, Ryleigh, it’s against man-code for that to happen. Did you wear a chastity belt last night or something?”

I groaned, my head falling into my hands. Of course the girls would give me a hard time. I’d been talking up tackling Cameron at the reunion for weeks, so my body wasn’t the only one feeling let down.

Still, I was seriously regretting inviting them over for a powwow at my shop during our off hours.

“I think I need another shot of vodka in my Feisty Ho-bag now.” Paige pushed her glass stemware toward me, and I grabbed a liquor bottle from behind the bar and tipped some into her glass.

Boozy shakes. They were the bread and butter of Licked during the brunch and evening hours, and the main reason for the expansion next door. I glanced at the black tarp hanging over the doorway that led to the space I’d bought a few months ago and sighed. Construction was running behind, and it was too late to hire another company if I wanted to keep the launch date set.

And I had to keep the date set.

“So are you seeing him again?” Shayne asked, dunking her cherry through the layers of baklava bits and whipped cream on top of her Nibble My Nuts shake. “I will totally get involved if I need to.”

No doubt she’d be successful. She basically ran one of the top matchmaking companies in the city, not that you’d know it from her degrading pay scale. Her boss was a fucking nightmare, but Shayne was convinced she had to pay her dues.

“I don’t need your expert skills this time, but thank you. He’s got my number, so…we’ll see.”

“You can’t just wait around for a guy to call,” she said.

“I’m not waiting. I’ve got all that”—I gestured to the ugly tarp that hid the mess behind it—“to deal with, so I’m actually quite busy at the moment.”

The three of them gave each other “the look.” You know, the one that said, We’ve got to help our poor little friend get laid so she doesn’t end up gorging on the ice cream and boozy shakes she makes and be relegated to spinsterhood.

“Guys,” I said, placing my hands on the counter as I stood in front of them. “I’m not on my way to spinsterhood. I just have priorities.”

“I’m sure you could squeeze Cameron Mathis in,” Quinn said with a wink. “Get it? Squeeze him in…”

“More like blow off the dust, grab a key, unlock that shit, and pray there are no bats,” Paige agreed.

Oh for fuck’s sake. “All right, no more booze for either of you.”

Tracey’s Review

Boozy ice cream? Yes. Quirky girl with a penchant for retro wear and icons of fabulosity? Yes. One hot guy that’s good with his hands and his mouth? Oh, heck, yes!

I’d read the A Desperate Man trilogy, Brooke Blaine’s collaboration with Ella Frank, and really liked it. So when I saw that Brooke was releasing a new read, LICKED, it was definitely on my list of ‘I need to read this one!’ And, oh, my goodness, am I glad that I did.

Ryleigh Phillips has always been different. A longtime believer in being herself, even at the expense of popularity, she’s finally found her place. As the owner of Licked, an ice cream and booziery for the 18 and over crowd, Ryleigh brings joy (and some infinitely kick-ass product names!) to those around her. When a love connection with her high school heartthrob doesn’t go as expected, into her life stalks Hunter Morgan, friend of said heartthrob and contractor with a vision. Soon there’s more going on between Ryleigh and Hunter than just the collaboration of Licked-After Dark, and things couldn’t be hotter or more swoon-inducing.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Many laugh-out-loud moments, some SERIOUSLY steamy interludes, and a band of zany girlfriends made LICKED one of my favorite reads of 2015. An easy 4.5-stars, I highly recommend that you add LICKED to your TBR; you can thank me later. 😉

***ARC generously provided by the author for an honest review.***

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About the Author

You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas. Flash Point is Brooke’s debut solo novel, and she is the co-author of the erotic serial, A Desperate Man, with Ella Frank. The latter has scarred her conservative southern family for life, bless their hearts. Licked, a romantic comedy, will be released on November 11th, 2015. If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find – just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for ten years.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Giveaway

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A troubled Scottish rugby player who doesn’t play by the rules.
A vivacious man-eater who’s given up on love.
When it comes to Lachlan and Kayla, opposites don’t just attract – they explode.

Kayla Moore has always been comfortable with her feisty, maneating reputation. At least it was fine until she hit her thirties and saw her best friends Stephanie and Nicola settle down with Linden and Bram McGregor, leaving Kayla to be the odd one out. Tired of being the third wheel with nothing but one-night stands and dead-end dates in San Francisco, Kayla decides to take a vow of celibacy and put men on the backburner.

That is until she lays her eyes on Linden and Bram’s cousin, hot Scot Lachlan McGregor. Lachlan is her sexual fantasy come to life – tall, tatted, and built like a Mack truck. With a steely gaze and successful rugby career back in Edinburgh, he’s the kind of man that makes her want to throw her vow right out the window. But Lachlan’s quiet and intense demeanor makes him a hard man to get to know, let alone get close to.

It isn’t until the two of them are thrown together one long, unforgettable night that Kayla realizes there is so much more to this brooding macho man than what meets the eye. But even with sparks flying between the two, Lachlan can’t stay in America forever. Now, Kayla has to decide whether to uproot her whole life and chance it all on someone she barely knows or risk getting burned once again.
Sometimes love is a game that just needs to be played.

Robin’s Review

There’s a message of hope riddled throughout the passages of Karina Halle’s latest novel. It’s titled The Play. From the dedication, “For Bruce, Pit Bulls, and other misunderstood beings who are rarely given a second chance in life,” to the final words, hope is infused into this book. Karina Halle and her husband rescued a Pit Bull mix named Bruce from an animal shelter with a high-kill rate, but she decided it wasn’t enough. Halle has devoted this contemporary romance to the plight of strays – unloved dogs, cats and other animals that have been abused and/or abandoned. She’s donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of The Play to animal charities that are in need of funding.

As you can probably imagine, The Play has a strong message about helping stray animals. This message fits well with our male main character, Lachlan McGregor, who considers himself no better than a stray dog who grew up on the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. Abandoned by his mother at an orphanage on his fifth birthday, Lachlan grew up feeling hopeless – unloved, cast aside, and unworthy of a good home. Lachlan identifies with stray animals, and he has taken up their cause by starting a non-profit organization in Edinburgh that rescues animals and places them in loving homes.

Our female main character is Kayla Moore. Kayla is somewhat jealous of her best friends Stephanie and Nicola. Halle first introduced us to Stephanie in The Pact, and she is now married to Linden McGregor. We met Nicola in The Offer, where she paired up with Bram McGregor. Kayla recently decided to take a vow of celibacy. For the time being, she’s sworn off dating and flirting with men. She figures if she doesn’t make an effort, she can’t be disappointed with her love life.

Lachlan is in San Francisco to help his cousin Bram obtain additional funding for his apartment complex. Because Kayla works in advertising at a local magazine, Bram asks her to put in a good word about his non-profit housing complex. If they publish an article about his cause to help people who can’t afford housing, it could possibly generate more donations. Kayla’s vow of celibacy goes out the window when she interviews the rugby-playing beast (Lachlan) about fundraising for the apartments.

This story felt realistic in many ways. It’s difficult enough to find a person to connect with, who you are comfortable with, on so many different levels. Falling in love is never easy, but when it’s with someone who lives across the ocean, on a completely different continent, it can be a challenge to make a relationship work. When you add in the type of demons that Lachlan faces on a daily basis, you wonder how this couple could possibly survive. Halle did an excellent job of portraying what it’s like to suffer from addiction. I also found the actions of both characters to be believable toward the end of the book.

The Play is a long novel. It’s essentially two books in one, and Halle actually divided it into two parts. The strength of this story undoubtedly lies in the second half, where it steamrolls to its conclusion. The fluctuation of emotions that I felt while I was reading, ranging from heartbreak and anger to angst and joy, left a very positive impression on me. I personally connected with both of the main characters, and they each showed true character growth. The Play is also educational – I learned a whole lot about the plight of unloved animals, dogs and cats who fight for their lives every day. Karina Halle is creative and writes beautifully, and these characteristics are especially true in the last half of this novel. That’s why I am adding The Play to my list of 2015 favorites and assigning it a 5-star rating!

 

The Off-Campus series is back…. Featuring

Dean Di-Laurentis … he knows how to score on and off the ice!

Pre Order Now….

Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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The Score

Off-Campus Series – Book 3

By Elle Kennedy

Synopsis

He knows how to score, on and off the ice

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

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The Off-Campus Series

The Deal

Off-Campus Series – Book 1

By Elle Kennedy

Synopsis

USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

…and it’s going to be oh so good

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

***New Adult/Contemporary Romance. First of a series, but each book will be a standalone***

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

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The Mistake

Off-Campus Series – Book 2

By Elle Kennedy

Synopsis

He’s a player in more ways than one…

College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game…

After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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About Elle Kennedy

A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

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Good Girl VS. Bad Boy

Jessie Evans

Releasing November 12, 2015

Synopsis:

Let the battle of the sexes begin… He’s hot, wild, unpredictable, untamable, and her best friend’s older brother.

Colton Brody is everything a good girl like Phoebe Page should avoid. But since her sister Kelly’s death, Phoebe isn’t as worried about being good as she used to be. She wants to live big with no regrets, the way Kelly did, and she intends to start with having a top secret, super steamy, no-strings-attached holiday fling with the man she’s crushed on her entire life.

What could go wrong?

Except everything?

Wounded in action and discharged without a chance to prove himself, all Colton cares about is getting back into the Marine Corps where he belongs. He will not get sucked into small town drama, will not take that promotion at the firehouse, and certainly won’t fall in love with his little sister’s best friend. He’s down for friends-with-benefits, nothing more, and plans to leave town long before quirky, bossy, cute-as-a-button Phoebe can get under his skin.

He’s in control.

At least until a certain sexy brunette turns his world upside down.

It isn’t long before Colton finds himself buying flowers, talking feelings, and wishing Phoebe wanted more than another night of hot, no-holds-barred sex. Because when he’s with Phoebe even hot and dirty feels like making love.

Now Colton will have to decide what’s worth fighting for–the dreams a plane crash stole from him or the dream he’s holding in his arms.

WARNING: Good Girl vs. Bad Boy contains a mix of heart-warming romance, quirky characters, laugh out loud moments, and blisteringly hot banging. If you don’t like hot sex, laughter, mentions of humping unicorns, turkey bowling, off-beat town rituals, or graphic descriptions of artisanal pancakes, steer clear.

Buy Links:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1KneXjs

Kindle UK: http://amzn.to/1P1l8hf

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About Jessie Evans

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessie Evans, gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sexy, contemporary Southern romances she loves to read.

She’s married to the man of her dreams, and together they’re raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a cottage in the jungle. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more.

When she’s not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and drifting in and out on the waves, feeling thankful for sun, surf, and lovely people to share them with.

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Reap

Scarred Soul Series – Book 2

By Tillie Cole

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Raised as a prototype for the Georgian Bratva’s obedience drug, 221 fails to think, act, or live for himself; he’s his master’s perfectly-crafted killing puppet. Standing at six-foot-six, weighing two-hundred-and-fifty pounds, and unrivaled in to-the-death combat, 221 successfully secures business for the Georgian Mafiya Boss of NYC, who rules the dark world of the criminal underground. Until his enemies capture him.

Talia Tolstaia dreams to break from the heavy clutches of Bratva life. She dreams of another life–away from the stifling leash of her Russian Bratva Boss father and from the brutality of her work at The Dungeon, her criminal family’s underground death-match enterprise. But when she stumbles upon her family’s captive who is more monster than man, she starts to see the man underneath. A powerful, beautiful, damaged man whose heart calls to hers. But sacrifices must be made–blood for blood…life for life…souls for scarred souls…

Michel’s Review

Wow!  Reap is the second book in the Scarred Souls series by Tillie Cole.  This series is phenomenal.  I could not put these books down and was quickly drawn into this dark and gritty world.

We have all read books about the underworlds of organized crime.  Whether it is the Italian Mafia, the Russian Mafia, or street organizations, the one thing they all have in common is criminal intent and violence.  They are the rulers of the underworld.  They are the parasites of humanity. They are ruthless, heartless, and without conscience.  They are in it for the power and the money.  The ruling sanctions are the ultimate power.

The Scarred Souls series dives into the world of the Russian Mafia.  There is a power struggle within the infrastructure of this organization.  The powerful families are vying for the power.  They will do anything to gain the ruling power including using their children as pawns.  Their children are being stolen.  Their children are being sold into slavery.  By taking the heirs they are leaving these powerful families weak.  But what happens to these children.  Are they murdered? Are they sold into slavery? Or are they turned into monsters?  If you guessed one of the above, you would be correct.  If you guessed all three, you are on the right track.

Reap is the second book and features 221.  221 was taken from his family when he was a young boy.  He was turned into a mindless killing machine through illegal drugs, drug enhancements, and mind control.  He is no longer a human but a living, breathing, weapon used as a prototype.  His existence is an example of making mindless soldiers and fighters to be used for the Russian Mafia.  Once again he is kidnapped from the only life that he knows.  But this time will be different.  This time he will either die or become a member of the human race once again.  221 will find out what kind of man he was meant to be from the ones he has known to be his enemies.  The truth will come out, he will find that he has a beating heart and the capacity to love.  It will come at a high price.  It’s a price worth paying.  He will learn the meaning of the age old saying “love thy enemy”.

Talia has lived her life under her father’s power.  She has always had to look over her shoulder.  She has been raised to hate her father’s enemies.  But when one is chained up in her basement she begins to question her heritage as well as her integrity.  She is beginning to see a man rather than an enemy.  She sees someone who needs her love more than her family does. She sees a man that has more heart than anyone she has ever met.  She sees her soulmate.

Talia and 221 are going to find that love is more powerful than anything their families and enemies can do to them.  They just have to know the right way to fight.  They have to fight with their hearts.

The Scarred Souls Series by Tillie Cole is captivating.  There is a powerful story behind each book that is not only emotional but gripping in every sense of the word.  I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series.

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Scarred Soul Series

Raze – Book 1

TO TAKE BACK LIFE, ONE MUST FIRST FACE DEATH…

Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge… bloody, slow and violent revenge. Revenge on the man who wronged him.
Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill ‘The Silencer’ Volkov, head of the infamous ‘Red’ bosses of New York’s Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it’s a virtual prison. Her father’s savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring-The Dungeon-ensures too many enemies lurk at their door. She dreams to be set free. Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. While working for her church-the only reprieve in her constant surveillance-Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn’t talk. Doesn’t communicate with anyone.

He’s a man beyond saving. But Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man… … this man they call Raze.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Reap – Book 2

Raised as a prototype for the Georgian Bratva’s obedience drug, 221 fails to think, act, or live for himself; he’s his master’s perfectly-crafted killing puppet. Standing at six-foot-six, weighing two-hundred-and-fifty pounds, and unrivaled in to-the-death combat, 221 successfully secures business for the Georgian Mafiya Boss of NYC, who rules the dark world of the criminal underground. Until his enemies capture him.

Talia Tolstaia dreams to break from the heavy clutches of Bratva life. She dreams of another life–away from the stifling leash of her Russian Bratva Boss father and from the brutality of her work at The Dungeon, her criminal family’s underground death-match enterprise. But when she stumbles upon her family’s captive who is more monster than man, she starts to see the man underneath. A powerful, beautiful, damaged man whose heart calls to hers. But sacrifices must be made–blood for blood…life for life…souls for scarred souls…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Author Bio:

Amazon & USA Today Best Selling Author, Tillie Cole, is a Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother — a farmer’s daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a multitude of rescue animals and horses.
Being a scary blend of Scottish and English, Tillie embraces both cultures; her English heritage through her love of HP sauce and freshly made Yorkshire Puddings, and her Scottish which is mostly demonstrated by her frighteningly foul-mouthed episodes of pure rage and her much loved dirty jokes.

Having been born and raised as a Teesside Smoggie, Tillie, at age nineteen, moved forty miles north to the ‘Toon’, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where she attended Newcastle University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Religious Studies. She returned two years later to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching High School Social Studies. Tillie, regards Newcastle to be a home from home and enjoyed the Newcastle Geordie way of life for seven ‘proper mint’ and ‘lush’ years.

One summers day, after finishing reading her thousandth book on her much loved and treasured Kindle, Tillie turned to her husband and declared, “D’you know, I have a great idea for a story. I could write a book.” Several months later, after repeating the same tired line at the close of another completed story, she was scolded by her husband to shut up talking about writing a novel and “just bloody do it!” For the first time in eleven years, Tillie actually took his advice (he is still trying to get over the shock) and immediately set off on a crazy journey, delving deep into her fertile imagination.

Tillie, ever since, has written from the heart. She combines her passion for anything camp and glittery with her love of humour and dark brooding men (most often muscled and tattooed – they’re her weakness!). She also has a serious side (believe it or not!) and loves to immerse herself in the complex study of World Religions, History and Cultural Studies and creates fantasy stories that enable her to thread serious issues and topics into her writing — yep, there’s more to this girl than profanity and sparkles!

After six years of teaching high school Social Studies and following her Professional Rugby Player husband around Europe, they have finally given up their nomadic way of life and settled in Calgary, Alberta where Tillie spends most of her days (and many a late night) lost in a writing euphoria or pursuing a dazzling career as a barrel-racing, tasselled-chap wearing, Stetson-sporting cowgirl… Ye-haw!

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