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My passion is reading. I am an avid reader and love to share my love for books.

Review: Throttle by Sassie Lewis

Posted on 03/19/2015 by shellbellereads

Throttle

By Sassie Lewis

Synopsis

No Surrender…

Sin is a man who lives by his own rules. Large and in charge, he takes what he wants and makes no apologies about it. Running his custom bike shop and raising his son are the only things he’s ever cared about. That is, until a full-bodied goddess crosses his path.

No Regrets…

Georgia’s the forbidden fruit custom built for temptation. He knew she was off limits, for more than one reason, but there’s only so long he can fight his desires. When he ignores the rules and claims her, what price will he pay for that one taste of perfection?

Buy: Amazon

Tina’s Review

Novella: about 100 pages. A RARE first-person (MALE) POV.
The cover is mildly misleading, allows you to believe this may be a MC book. Not really. He’s a gear head… owns THROTTLE (garage/shop) and builds, rebuilds, customizes, and fixes bikes. He’s got an “in” with the bikers, but it’s NOT a MC book. Synopsis: Again, a little misleading. You’d think his son is a young child as opposed to a college graduate.
Cynfor (Sin) was a little hellion growing up; always in trouble and pushing the limits. That is, until a newborn is dropped at his parents’ doorstep when he’s only 17 years old. From then, his son, Tyson, had been his sole focus. Now, as a 38-yr old single dad, he finds his son’s college graduate status delivers mixed emotions. He’s hot for the girl on Ty’s arm. Georgia lives a pretty solitary existence with no parents or siblings and only an elderly unwell foster mother. She works numerous jobs to make ends meet and wears baggy second-hand clothes that Sin manages to easily see past which is good because she’s seriously attracted to Sin, despite the fact that he’s Ty’s dad and 14 yrs her senior.
The characters were well created and enjoyable. Dialogue was good, interaction felt natural. The plot flowed well, but was not as full and dynamic as it could have been if it were a full novel length. There’s plenty of sex, mostly Neanderthal worthy. Ms. Lewis is rather descriptive and often remarks on the audible elements of the deed, other than that, it was not overly graphic nor clinical. There were a few issues that were resolved in very human fashion. The characters were allowed to make mistakes, learn from them, and try to earn a second chance. I had Tyson figured out almost immediately, but that did not – in any way – detract from the story. The conclusion was solid, with no cliffhangers. There’s just enough going on at the end of this story that if there were another novel(la) written to follow this one, I’d not be surprised.
Only one spelling error noted, but it was easily over-looked. Overall, it was an enjoyable, quick read.

Author Bio

Sassie Lewis is a born and bred Australian. She lives on the outskirts of Brisbane Queensland, with her husband, two daughters, one son and a dog that hates having a bath.
She swears like a sailor, and blames her ability to over share personal matters – matters that fall into that TMI category – on a faulty brain to mouth filter, that forgets to tell her “This isn’t appropriate dinner conversation”.
An avid reader since childhood. Sassie came across erotic romance in her mid-twenties, falling deeply, madly in lust with the genre instantly. And has had wet panties ever since.
With her somewhat skewed and unique view of the world, along with a little encouragement from her father, she thought what the heck! and she penned her first erotic romance.
She hopes to drag you into the world she’s created, and leave you as breathless and wanting, for her fictional friends, as she became, while writing them.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Happy Release + Review: Naughty King by Michelle A. Valentine – A Sexy Manhattan Fairytale – Part One

Posted on 03/19/2015 by shellbellereads

Naughty King

A Sexy Manhatten Fairytale : Part One

By Michelle A. Valentine

Synopsis

The King Always Gets His Way.

Women, business, pleasure: When I want it, I get it.
I’m never denied.
Including her.
I will break her.
I will show her who the king of this city really is.
The Feisty Princess of Manhattan will learn I am not a man that can be tempted.
No matter how damn bad I want her in my bed.

Book one in a three part erotic romance series from NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Michelle A. Valentine (Rock the Heart, Phenomenal X, Wicked White, Demon at My Door).

Naughty King (A Sexy Manhattan Fairytale: Part One)
Feisty Princess (A Sexy Manhattan Fairytale: Part Two) — Coming Soon
Dirty Royals (A Sexy Manhattan Fairylate: Part Three) — Coming Soon

Buy: Amazon / B & N / Kobo / Google Play

____________________________________

Tracey’s Review

Alexander King is one super-fine hot alpha male, a force to be reckoned with, both in the boardroom and the bedroom. Used to taking what he wants, Alexander has set his sights on a hostile takeover of Dan Buchanan’s business. Dan’s daughter Margo has been sent to work for Alexander as part of the deal, and to spy on him. Things are about to get very interesting, because Margo is not at all what King is used to dealing with, and he won’t give up without a fight.

I have been waiting for Naughty King since I read the first blurb about it, and I was not disappointed. Michelle Valentine has written a sassy sexy read that is the perfect introduction to her Sexy Manhattan Fairytale series. Alexander may come across as a jerk, but he’s hiding a sensitive side behind his hot-as-heck swagger. And Margo, well, she can more than keep up with him. Seeing the two of them go at it is sexy as all get-out, and the steamy scenes, well, I am still fanning myself. These two are the perfect foil for each other, and I look forward to seeing where their story goes. I also absolutely loved Yamada; he had me laughing out loud, and Michelle nailed him, without making him seem like a caricature. He definitely lends some comic relief, while also helping Margo hold her own.

Naughty King is short, but totally hot, and well worth a read. And, while it ends on a cliffy, it’s the perfect set-up for the second book, Feisty Princess (Margo’s nickname), so grab this 4-star read and enjoy!

About Michelle

Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

Find Her Online

Review: The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M. J. Rose

Posted on 03/19/2015 by shellbellereads

The Witch of Painted Sorrows

Historical Romance

By M.J. Rose

Synopsis

Possession. Power. Passion. New York Times bestselling novelist M. J. Rose creates her most provocative and magical spellbinder yet in this gothic novel set against the lavish spectacle of 1890s Belle Époque Paris.

Sandrine Salome flees New York for her grandmother’s Paris mansion to escape her dangerous husband, but what she finds there is even more menacing. The house, famous for its lavish art collection and elegant salons, is mysteriously closed up. Although her grandmother insists it’s dangerous for Sandrine to visit, she defies her and meets Julien Duplessi, a mesmerizing young architect. Together they explore the hidden night world of Paris, the forbidden occult underground and Sandrine’s deepest desires.

Among the bohemians and the demi-monde, Sandrine discovers her erotic nature as a lover and painter. Then darker influences threaten—her cold and cruel husband is tracking her down and something sinister is taking hold, changing Sandrine, altering her. She’s become possessed by La Lune: A witch, a legend, and a sixteenth-century courtesan, who opens up her life to a darkness that may become a gift or a curse.

This is Sandrine’s “wild night of the soul,” her odyssey in the magnificent city of Paris, of art, love, and witchery.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

Robin’s Review

I would like to express my appreciation to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review The Witch of Painted Sorrows.

It’s not often I venture down the path of reading historical fiction, but I can genuinely admit my all-time favorite novel falls in this genre. Choosing my next read usually involves a recommendation from a person whose opinion I trust, or I’ll choose a novel written by an author I am familiar with. I decided to read The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M. J. Rose because I was intrigued by the synopsis, and I liked the idea of the supernatural mixed in with historical fiction. I also thought the cover of this novel was beautiful. Really beautiful.

The setting for The Witch of Painted Sorrows is 1890s Belle Époque Paris. Sandrine Salome fears her husband. She runs away from her home in New York to seek sanctuary at the home of her grandmother in Paris, France. We learn Sandrine is descended from a long line of courtesans, the most famous being a sixteenth century painter and witch known as La Lune. When Sandrine arrives at Maison de la Lune, she learns her grandmother has closed up the opulent mansion for renovations.

Sandrine meets the architect her grandmother has hired to renovate the mansion. She sneaks away every day to visit Julien Duplessi at Maison de la Lune. She repeatedly ignores warnings from her grandmother that she is in danger. She pursues painting, explores her sensuality and falls in love with Julien. She dabbles in the occult. Sandrine is in the midst of self-discovery and is undergoing change – she’s becoming something new. But at what cost?

I have nothing but praise for the world-building in this novel. It is very apparent M. J. Rose did an extraordinary amount of research about Belle Époque Paris. The occult movement was very popular in Paris during this era, so mention of mysticism and witchcraft and alchemy was historically accurate. Paris landmarks. Names of streets. Businesses. The École des Beaux-Arts – one of the finest art schools in France – is still in operation today. Moreau and Matisse are names of actual painters who lived in Paris during the late 1890’s. Even the frequent use of French names and the French language lent to the authentic feel of this historical novel.

I would love to share with readers how much I enjoyed reading The Witch of Painted Sorrows, but unfortunately, I just didn’t enjoy it. There were scenes in this story that I feel did not advance the plot. I never felt an emotional connection to Sandrine, who is the main character of this novel, or either of the secondary characters. The ending of this novel is very abrupt, which left me with plenty of questions when I was finished reading. There doesn’t appear to be a sequel. I struggled to maintain interest, and to be quite honest, it was very hard for me to finish reading The Witch of Painted Sorrows. I am certain individuals who love historical fiction will love Rose’s attention to detail, but I can only give The Witch of Painted Sorrows a 2-star rating.

_______________________________________________________________

M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice… books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

Please visit her blog, Museum of Mysteries at http://www.mjrose.com/blog/

Her photo was taken by Judith Pushett utilizing an old relic: a turn-of-the-century 11 x 14 inch wood camera.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

Her most recent novel THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS (Atria/S&S) was chosen as an Indie Next Pick and her next novel, THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS will be released March 2015.

Rose is a New York Times and USAToday bestseller whose work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com

The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and currently serves, with Lee Child, as the organization’s co-president.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Happy Release + 5 Star Review: Chaps and Chance by Jessie Evans- Lonesome Point, Texas Series- Book 5

Posted on 03/18/2015 by shellbellereads

Chaps and Chance

Lonesome Point, TX Series, Book 5

Jessie Evans

Release Date : March 17, 2015

Synopsis

A steamy, suspenseful, stand alone romance from New York Times Bestselling author Jessie Evans

How far will they go for a second chance…

Years ago, Layla Parker’s romantic dreams came true. She married her high school sweetheart and settled into a house on his family’s ranch to live happily ever after. But sometimes dreams turn into nightmares and when Layla’s husband became abusive, she felt there was no way out. Her big brother was serving overseas, her friends were away at college, and her single father insisted she’d made her bed and now she had to lie in it. It isn’t until her father’s death over a decade later that Layla gains the courage to leave her marriage. She hopes to find peace living alone, but her dreams of happily ever after died a long time ago.

Cole Lawson has spent years secretly pining for his former best friend. Layla Parker captured his heart sophomore year of high school, but she was already taken. When she married her boyfriend two years later, she and Cole grew apart and have rarely seen each other since. Cole’s been a lady killer since the day he realized that his dimpled smile made all the cowgirls swoon, but when he discovers Layla is newly single he’s ready to put an end to his womanizing ways and make a serious play for the one who got away.

When tragedy strikes the Lawson family, Cole and Layla’s rekindled friendship grows into something more, but soon a dark secret from Layla’s past threatens to destroy their shot at forever. Now Cole will have to decide–listen to his heart or to the people warning him that Layla might not be as innocent as she seems.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Google Play / Kobo

Excerpt

Quiet. Calm. Don’t breathe. Don’t think. Don’t move. Play dead, Layla. You can do that.

You’ve been half-dead for years.

Layla squeezed her eyes shut and curled into a tighter ball inside the absolute blackness of the storage ottoman in the corner of Grayson and Reece’s bedroom. She’d dismissed the closet and underneath the bed as too predictable to be good hiding places. At the last moment, just as footsteps plodded slowly up the stairs, she’d lowered herself into the hollow ottoman and pulled the heavy leather lid on top.

Now, there was nothing but to keep quiet and pray.

Pray that it wasn’t Wayne’s boots thumping on the wooden floor in the hall, pray that this was a thief who would take her valuables and go away, and pray that Cole didn’t get hurt when he came rushing to her rescue.

She should never have called him. She shouldn’t have put him in danger, no matter how terrified she was.

Please, God, please let Cole be okay. Please let this be anyone other than Wayne.

A moment later, her husband’s deep voice shattered the middle-of-the-night silence, proving no one was listening to her prayers. “I know you’re here, Layla. And I know your brother isn’t. So why don’t you come out and talk to me, baby girl. I think we’ve got a lot to go over, don’t you?”

Layla bit down hard on her bottom lip, concentrating on the pain, fighting the tremor that rocked through her body in response to hearing her husband’s voice for the first time in months. She’d started to forget how easily he could frighten her, the way all it took was a few words and a certain tone of voice to let her know she was in trouble.

That tone thickened his words as he spoke again, making it clear how much he itched to get his hands on her, his fists into her, his rage washing over her like a flood of poison she couldn’t escape.

“I know what you did, baby.” Wayne’s words were followed by a low laugh that transformed into a prolonged, racking cough.

Tracey’s Review

Jessie’s Lonesome Point, TX, series just keeps getting better and better. I know, I say it after each book, but it is absolutely true. When each new installment in the series releases, I know that it’s going to have me riveted from the first page, unwilling to do anything but read, and Chaps and Chance delivers in the most wonderful way.

Once I met Cole Lawson, there was no way that I was willing or able to do anything but fly through this book as fast as I could. All of the Lawson brothers are yummy, but Cole, mmmmm, Cole. Hot as heck, sexy as sin, and steadfast to the end, he is the stuff that book boyfriends are made of. He’s loved Layla Parker since they were kids, and wants nothing more than to put the smile back on her face that years of living with her abusive husband Wayne took away. He knows that it’s not often that a second chance at love comes along, and will do whatever it takes to have the happy ending that they missed out on when they were younger.

Layla is one strong woman. Having survived ten long years of hell at Wayne’s hands, she’s emerged smarter and tougher. Left with a heart as battered as her body had been, Layla isn’t expecting to find love again, but Cole shows her that sometimes the best things are worth waiting – and fighting – for.

“They stared at each other, into each other, until the years and the awkwardness fell away, and for a moment, it was the way it used to be, back when they’d spent hours together, talking and laughing, with only comfortable silences falling between them.”

Jessie Evans is one of my go-to authors. She delivers angst, passion, sadness, and joy in equal measure with every book, and I look forward to each one with anticipation. I cannot wait to read Ropes and Revenge, John Lawson’s book, and to continue my love affair with Lonesome Point. 5+ ‘I love a cowboy’ stars for Jessie and this gem of a book.

Lonesome Point, Texas SeriesLeather and Lace

Amazon / B &N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Saddlles and Sin

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Diamonds and Dust

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

12 Dates of Christmas

Amazon / B & N / ITunes/ Google Play

Glitter and Grit

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Google Play

Sunny with a Chance of True Love: The Ballad of Ugly Ross

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Chaps and Chance

Amazon/ B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Ropes and Revenge

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Pre Order: Amazon

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.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter

Cover Reveal: 21 Stolen Kisses by Lauren Blakely

Posted on 03/18/2015 by shellbellereads

We are seriously swooning over the cover for Lauren Blakely’s 21 STOLEN KISSES!! 21 STOLEN KISSES is a New Adult Forbidden Romance being published by Bloomsbury Spark and will be available May 5^th! Pre-order your copy now and your future self will be sure to thank you when you wake up to this amazing read on May 5th!

Amazon Barnes & Noble Bloomsbury ITunes Kobo

ABOUT 21 STOLEN KISSES:

When I first met him I resisted.
Like any forbidden love, I told myself he was a crush, and it would pass.
That was a lie. It never faded.

And I never expected he would fall for me just as hard.

There were so many reasons that should have kept us apart, least of all, the decade that separated us.
Growing up in New York City, I learned early on that love is a double-edged sword.
Love broke up my parents, love took away my friends, and love — the big, intense, never-been-like-this-beforelove — landed me in therapy.
Now I’m heading to college, and it’s time to give love a clean slate again. But, can I really start over when he’s still in my life?
Because the one man I’ve always wanted, is also the only guy I absolutely can’t have…
And he wants me just as fiercely.

Can I settle for anything less than the love of my life?

About Lauren Blakely:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in her novel, FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her bestselling series include Caught Up in Love, Seductive Nights, and Fighting Fire. She recently released Nights With Him, a standalone novel in her New York Times Bestselling Seductive Nights series that became an instant New York Times Bestseller. Her next book in that series is Forbidden Nights, releasing in early 2015. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, text BLAKELY + your email address to 678-249-3375 (please use the actual + sign).

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21 STOLEN KISSES Goodreads ** Lauren Blakely Goodreads

Happy Release + Review + Giveaway: Famous by Kahlen Aymes- The Famous Novels – Book 1

Posted on 03/18/2015 by shellbellereads

Famous

The Famous Novels – Book 1

By Kahlen Aymes

Synopsis

Caden Carlisle is a world-renowned superstar with good looks, million dollar movie deals and women throwing themselves at him wherever he goes. He has it all… but wants nothing more than a normal life without the paparazzi and glitz.

Brooklyn Holloway is an up and coming starlet with a solid head on her shoulders and her eyes wide open. It’s all about art for her and she isn’t looking to star in blockbuster films. She’s perfectly happy keeping a low profile and doing indie projects with a message.

When fate throws the two of them together on set; both are unprepared for their undeniable connection. Cade is drawn to Brook’s down-to-earth wholesomeness and she can’t help the irresistible pull of his good looks, sense of humor and chivalrous ways… So, when he begins to think he’s in love with her, resisting is next to impossible, despite being committed to someone else.

Only when filming ends and the world’s fascination with celebrity invades their bubble, can they decide if the emotions they felt on set were scripted, or forever.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Smashwords

Excerpt

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Cade.

I’d risen, and he was trying to rush through the crowd toward me, but was having a hard time making his way around all of the people. Part of me was thankful for that. I felt trapped, like I’d die an absolute death if I didn’t make an immediate escape.

I needed to get out of there fast, or soon, I was going to be a sobbing mess. I could feel the misery welling up and threatening to overflow.

I pushed my way through the crowd toward the other end of the bar, toward the entrance and away from Cade.

“Brook!” he called. “Brook, wait, please!”

I kept going, my eyes on Nathan a few yards in front of me. My vision blurred with tears, but I stumbled through the crowd, pushing my way toward him.

“Brook! Bloody hell! Stop!” Cade was beside me, and grabbed my arm. “Stop… Just wait a second, please.” His voice lowered as he looked at the tears running down my face, his scent enveloped me. Finally, I had the courage to meet his eyes but my face crumpled, and I cried hard.

“Cade, just please, let me go. It’s obvious that coming here tonight was a big mistake.” My voice broke, and more tears slipped from my lashes. I bowed my head when my shoulders began to shake. I couldn’t stop them from doing that, and it felt humiliating to be standing here, in the middle of a bar, in a place I’d never been, with a couple of hundred eyes boring into me… and worse, to witness what I’d just seen.

“Tell me why you’re here,” he commanded softly, his finger lifting my chin so I had to look him in the eyes. He looked sad and anxious. “When I saw you, I couldn’t believe my eyes.” His eyes searched my face, trying to read my mind. “I felt like the earth opened up to swallow me alive.”

I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I opened my mouth, closed it, and then shook my head. “It just… It doesn’t matter now.” I tried again to pull my arm free.

“Goddamn it, Brooklyn! Tell me why you’re here!” he pleaded, and grabbed my other arm, which completely prevented me from looking away from his face. We were both breathing hard; standing motionless; as if there was no one else in the room.

Finally, I looked away as I struggled for strength to control the tears in my voice.

Maybe if I tell him the truth, he’ll let me go.

I turned back to him. “I came here to tell you that what you saw in those photos wasn’t real, and that I was ending things with David. That you are who I want to be with.” I started to shake, my face crumpled. Cade took me by the shoulders, and pulled me tightly to his chest.

“But from the looks of things, you’re doing just fine. It didn’t take you long, did it?” A small sob escaped, as I resumed in earnest. “I thought I was going to surprise you for your birthday, but it looks like I’m the one getting the big surprise.” I was angry and hurt; my heart shattered into a million shards that ripped through my flesh and left me bleeding. I renewed my struggles to get free of him, but he was too strong. He moved me away a little to look in my eyes, his brow low over his eyes and his mouth tense.

“Brook, what was I supposed to think? You never said you were mine. How was I to know? Those pictures were like reliving the entire last year as I watched you with him when I wanted you for myself!”

“After the way it was between us… the way it felt! You saw how my heart was breaking when you left. After that, how could you doubt me? You don’t trust me at all.”

Michel’s Review

Famous by Kahlen Aymes is an emotional and angsty beginning for the new series.

The book starts out on the set for the movie featuring the Remembrance Trilogy. Brooklyn Holloway is playing Julia and Caden Carlisle is playing Ryan. Both of the actors are caught up in the powerful love story of the characters they are portraying. They are also realizing that they have an undeniable attraction to one another off the set. They are drawn together in so many ways. But their realities keep them from coming together.

Brooklyn Holloway has a boyfriend. She is also very young. It is her first motion picture. Caden Carlisle is a seasoned actor, he is a superstar, and he is from England.

Not only does their vast differences play against their relationship, their geographical dwellings do too. Add in Hollywood politics, iron tight contracts, and manipulating agents, and it seems this couple is doomed.

Brooklyn and Caden will do anything to be together. They were meant for one another.

Just as things are looking positive, life will rear it’s ugly head. They will have to fight for their love.

Famous was a good start for the new series. At first I was a bit concerned because the first few chapters seem to focus on the Remembrance Trilogy. After that the book takes on a whole new direction. At times the book seemed a bit repetitious and a bit slow. The overall story had good balance and interesting characters.

I am looking forward to the next book with hopes that Brooklyn and Caden will find the happily ever after they are striving for.

Author Bio:

I’m a single mother of one daughter, Olivia. She’s amazing in every way.

I was born in the Midwestern United States and educated at a private university where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Administration.

I’ve always been creative with art, music, theater and writing. I decided to write a story as a way to build a network for a business venture. The reader support of my stories and my overwhelming desire to find out where my characters would take me, soon had the writing morphing the business. No one was more shocked than I. When readers began nominating my work for online awards, it took my breath away and only made me love it more. It soon became clear that writing was, and should be, my focus.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Series Reveal: The Rule Series by Monica Murphy

Posted on 03/18/2015 by shellbellereads

ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND fans…you are going to LOVE this new series by Monica Murphy! Check out the covers and the FAIR GAME excerpt below!

Fair Game

The Rule Series – Book 1

Release Date: May 12, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Synopsis

FAIR GAME (The Rules Series, Book 1) May 12, 2015

Bad enough Jade Frost’s boyfriend drags her to a boring poker game. Even worse that he actually threw her into the betting pot during an intense round…and lost. Talk about the perfect excuse for Jade to make him her ex-boyfriend.

Now she supposedly belongs to the ultra rich, extremely gorgeous Shep Prescott. He could have anything he wants yet he seems to be in hot pursuit of her. No matter how rude, how snarky, how impossible she acts, it doesn’t stop him. More like her horrible behavior seems to make him want her more.

When she finds herself starting to fall for him, Jade’s confused. There’s more to Shep than the carefree rich charmer he portrays. He has secrets. And she wants to discover them, no matter how ugly they might be…

Excerpt

“What are you doing?” she asks, sounding the tiniest bit breathless.

“Making sure you’re not injured,” I answer, proud of how under control I sound. Inside, I’m chaos. My heart is thumping hard against my chest and my breathing’s accelerated. I grip her knee, and realize my hand is fucking shaking.

“I think you’re trying to get your hand up my skirt.” Leave it to Bitch Face to call me out. I can’t help but find her straightforwardness attractive. No girl is ever straightforward with me. They’re always coy. Playing games and flirting and never asking for what they really want. They always defer to me.

After awhile, that gets pretty damn boring.

“Maybe I am,” I say, moving my hand to rest on top of her knee.

Her lips curve into the smallest smile and seeing it feels like a victory. As if I’ve just won an extra difficult battle and that tiny curve of her lush lips is my prize. “You’re pretty determined, aren’t you?”

She’s not pushing me away. I need to take this moment. Seize this fucking moment and make it mine. Make her mine. At least for tonight. Her scent is making my head spin and just touching her knee has got me sporting wood. “I’m always determined.”

“Determined to piss me off?”

I chuckle and her smile grows. “Am I doing a good job?”

“You’re an expert at making me mad.”

“I think we’re having a moment,” I tell her. “A bonding moment.”

She looks the slightest bit horrified. “No. Way. That is the last thing I want to do.”

I raise my eyebrows, let my hand slide up a bare inch more. Then another. I’m so close to getting under that skirt, it’s not even funny. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“You don’t like me either. You call me Bitch Face.”

“You introduced yourself to me as Bitch Face.”

She tilts her head, all that wavy red hair tumbling over her shoulder. My fingers itch to touch it. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. I thought it was an unusual name…” I let my voice drift and she smiles once more.

“Says the man with an unusual name.”

“I told you it’s an old family name.”

“As a last name, not as a first.” She makes a little face. “It’s not very sexy.”

“You don’t think?” Interesting.

“I can’t imagine shouting out your name in the throes of passion.” Her cheeks go the faintest pink. That she’s even thinking like this gives me a secret thrill.

Forbidden. Unknown. This is the last girl I should consider getting naked with.

“Throes of passion?” I ask. “Someone’s been reading too many romance novels.”

“You know what I mean.” She waves a hand, dismissing her words.

“I don’t.” I pull the innocent act, which she isn’t falling for but it’s still fun. “What are you talking about exactly?”

“You’re not going to make me explain, are you?”

“I would love for you to explain. Or maybe I should help you.” I crawl my fingers up her thigh, playing with the frayed hem of her denim skirt. “Are you talking about…having sex?”

She nods, her cheeks blazing up. Hmm, she’s extra pretty when she blushes.

“And that moment…when we’re fucking…and you’re so damn close.” I lean in and inhale deep, my eyes almost falling shut as I absorb her scent, her warmth and that flush in her cheeks, the way her breathing quickens. “So fucking close as I push deep inside you. You don’t think it would be sexy to yell out my name just as I make you come?”

“N-no.” She shakes her head, that single word coming out as a squeak.

“Really.” I give in and settle my cheek next to hers, nuzzle her ear with my nose before I whisper, “Because by the time I have you coming, I’m fairly certain you’ll be crying out my name and begging me please.”

“You’re a real arrogant prick, aren’t you?”

I pull back from her the slightest bit, a little shocked. The girl doesn’t mince words. “Merely confident in my abilities.” I cup the back of her head, thread my fingers in the silky soft waves of her hair. I’d love to wrap her hair around my fist and tug her head back right before I kiss her…

“Proud of your manwhore status?”

“I can’t help it if the ladies flock to me.”

She rests her hand on my chest and gives me a gentle shove. “I’m not flocking to you.”

“Even after all that talk about coming and with my hand up your skirt?”

Jade looks down with a sharp gasp, dropping her hand to mine and shoving it out from beneath her skirt. “What are you doing?”

“I thought it was obvious.” When she says nothing, only glares at me, I continue. “I was going to kiss you and hopefully get you off with my fingers.”

Her mouth drops open. Instead of looking aroused, she looks…pissed. Vaguely horrified. “You’re disgusting.”

I lean back. Move way, way back though I’m not getting off the bed. Not yet. I still have a chance.

Or then again, maybe I don’t.

In The Dark

The Rule Series – Book 2

Release Date: August 25, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Synopsis

IN THE DARK (Book 2) August 25, 2015

Stuck spending the summer with his screwed up family, Gabriel Walker is bored out of his mind and looking for an adventure. And he seems to find it with the hot girl who lives next door. The attraction between them is instant. Electric. Soon they’re spending every stolen minute together. Talk about the perfect summer fling…

Lucy isn’t what she seems. She doesn’t live next door—she’s the maid who’s been hired to house sit for the summer while the family goes on a worldwide vacation. If Gabe wants to believe she’s a spoiled rich girl looking for some fun, she can go along with that. After the summer, she’ll never see him again.

They don’t count on running into each other at college. Now Lucy must keep up the pretense of being a rich girl—and it’s exhausting. She knows she’s falling in love with Gabe and she’s scared he feels the same. Will he still care about her when he discovers the truth?

Slow Play

The Rule Series – Book 3

Release Date: November 3, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Synopsis

SLOW PLAY (Book 3) November 3, 2015

Newly broke girl Alexandria Asher just wants to live a normal life. After her parents are sent to prison on embezzlement charges, she enrolls in college under her mother’s maiden name and tries her best to pretend she’s someone else.

Tristan Chadwick is everything Alex is trying to avoid. A seemingly egotistical, lazy, rich jerk, she dumps her beer on his head when he comes on to her one night at a party. This only spurs Tristan into action. He loves nothing more than a challenge. And the beautiful Alex is exactly the type of challenge that intrigues him.

Despite her reluctance, Alex finds herself quickly involved with Tristan. Underneath that playboy exterior is a good guy, a sweet and sexy guy who she is undoubtedly falling for. What they both don’t realize is the actions of Alex’s parents are the reason for so much tragedy in Tristan’s family. And when Tristan discovers who Alex and her family really is, can he forgive and forget?
______________________________________________________________________________

I write books. I have the best job ever. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Writer of new adult contemporary romance-ish stuff. Published with Avon and Bantam. Mom and wife. Native Californian.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Book Tour + Review + Giveaway : The Fear That Divides Us by M. N. Forgy – The Devil’s Dust Series – Book 3

Posted on 03/18/2015 by shellbellereads

The Fear That Divides Us

The Devil’s Dust Series – Book 3

By M. N. Forgy

Synopsis

Road Captain of the Devil’s Dust Motorcycle Club, Bobby has the scars to prove just how dangerous his life is. He gives the world he knows hell and loves every moment of it. Wearing a panty-dropping grin along the way, his fierce life has never been a problem for him, until her. Jessica is the only female who has him distracted in his game. After taking him to bed, she’s the only woman to tell him to take a hike. Waking with her gone, he can’t resist her pull. He’s seen the marks on her body, ones which tell the horrors she’s lived through. He’s also seen the fear in her eyes when she lets herself become weak to his advances. Bobby has a decision to make. Can he help Jessica, or will it mean giving up his carefree life?

Jessica, also known as Doc, lives life in fear. Years back, she ran to the Devil’s Dust for protection, seeking the demise of her abusive, dominant husband. Her mind and soul tortured by her past, she can’t allow herself to move forward. The only thing in her sight is her daughter’s safety. Even if she has the attention of one particular tattooed biker, she can’t succumb to his charm and drag her daughter back into a world of danger, no matter how much he thinks he can save her.

Mistakes will be made.

Fears will be faced.

Pain will be remembered.

Can Bobby and Jessica survive the dangers they bring upon themselves?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Excerpt

Do I fight my fear? Triumph the terror wracking my mind and soul and gamble on the chance that Bobby can reset it all, make me forget my past and actually restart and build a life without being afraid? Or do I do what I know best, resisting, and run home behind my door with the security of three deadbolts and wonder what if?

Michel’s Review

The Fear That Divides Us by M. N. Forgy is the third full length novel in the Devil’s Dust series. This book can be read as a stand alone or in series order.

The Devil’s Dust MC has had it’s share of violence, betrayal, and trouble. It has also had it’s fair share of good times. They are a strong brotherhood and family unit. They protect their own at all costs.

Bobby has been a member of the Devil’s Dust MC for quite a few years. He has seen it all. The one thing that made a lasting impression on his soul is Jessica, also known as Doc. She captured his attention when he was a recruit. She kept his attention as she healed from her ordeal and became a strong independent woman. Her beauty is more than what the eye sees. Her strength is beyond measure. But she is still holding Bobby at arms length.

Bobby has and will do anything for Jessica. He has killed for her. He has cried for her. He will protect her at all costs. Although they hook up occasionally, he wants more. He wants her to be his old lady. Her past and fears are holding her back. It will be up to him to show her how strong she really is. It will be up to her to let the past go.

This is the first book I have read in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am planning to read the previous books. This book doesn’t particularly revolve around the Devil’s Dust MC and their club business. This book focuses on the couple itself and the problems they are facing behind the closed doors. It was well written with very strong charismatic characters. The backdrop of the MC added an interesting dimension in their relationship.

I am looking forward to reading more books in this series. M. N. Forgy has created an MC world readers will love. I highly recommend The Fear That Divides Us.Boo

The Devil’s Dust Series

What Doesn’t Destroy Us – Book One

When Dani’s sheltered life is turned upside down by her mother’s secrets, she finds protection with her estranged outlaw father. Against all warnings, she falls for bad boy biker, Shadow. He is beast and beauty sealed in a leather cut with a gun holster. Can Dani learn to live within the Club rules? Is she more like her father than she could imagine?

Shadow has grown up among drug addicts, whores and murderers. The only family he’s ever trusted has been the Devil’s Dust motorcycle club. He will do anything for a brother; even kill. In fact, killing is so easy, he’s made a career of it. His one regret is not being able to kill his own worthless mother. When Dani shows up with her provocative temper and innocent charm, Shadow begins to question his violent lifestyle. But can he trust her with his demons?
Sex.
Blood.
Betrayal.
Will Dani and Shadow let family ties destroy them?
***WARNING***
This novel contains explicit language, sex, drugs, violence, and sexual situations that some might find offensive. This book is intended for adults 18+ years of age.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Scars That Define Us – Book 2

The Devil’s Dust MC has a list of new threats to the club’s lifestyle. Dani, to prove her loyalty, is trying to embrace a part of herself that she never knew existed until now. A sinful beast lurking beneath her surface has been awakened and is ready to eliminate anyone that stands in its way. Looking at her stained hands, she rinses the blood from them. She resigns herself to innocence lost and welcomes her thirst for more blood.

After a breathtaking turn of events, Shadow is looking at life in a different perspective. Not knowing who he can trust or who he can forgive has left him feeling desolate and alone. As Shadow is laying behind his rifle, he wonders if he can pull the trigger to eliminate the threat. He takes a deep breath and squeezes the trigger, the rifle recoil ignites the fuel that drives him.

Retaliations will be required.

Boundaries will be shattered.

Redemption will be lost.

Betrayal so deep, yet they still yearn for one another. Can Shadow overlook Dani’s transgressions? Can Dani overlook the mistrust that Shadow has placed upon her?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Broken Piece Of Us – Book 2.5

***WARNING – This is not your typical happily ever after.

Babs is no stranger to the MC world. As an ol’ lady, she takes the hell that comes with it and dishes it out times two. When things take a turn for the worst, it leaves her questioning just how equipped she is for the hell she lives. She thought her marriage with Locks was it; that she had it all. But the past has a way of sneaking up and tearing life apart. Finding herself trapped as Locks’ ol’ lady, with the threat she will be his till the grave, her world spirals out of control. The only person risking it all to save her is the last person she thought would care: Bull.

The president of the Devil’s Dust MC, Bull, is good at running women off and is even better at pissing off his brothers. When he sees the way his vice-president is treating his ol’ lady, he tries to keep his thoughts to himself. The one thing Bull insists on in his club is respect and loyalty: respect for the patch, respect for your brother, and loyalty to the club. However, after finding Babs in a harsh predicament after a run in with Locks, he can’t help but step in.
Crossing lines and hurdling around life’s unpredictability, will they find refuge in each other or will they have to endure what life gives them?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Love That Defies Us – Novella

Dani has taken the role of a mother easily, and is loving the title ‘wife to be.’ But with that happiness, comes complications. Having children, and a fiancé involved in a motorcycle club, has her and Shadow becoming distant, and missing their sexy escapades. A spark that was once a vibrant flame is now a suppressing ember.

Shadow knows he has not been there for Dani, not like he should be. Doing the dirty work of the club, and taking on the responsibilities of Vice President of The Devil’s Dust, he’s had his hands full.

With violent murders unfolding around the club, it has thrown town locals into a panic. What they didn’t expect was for them to get caught up in the carnage.

Can Dani and Shadow survive the distance that has been wedged between them, or will it have them questioning their imminent marriage?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Fear That Divides Us – Book 3

Mistakes will be made.

Fears will be faced.

Pain will be remembered.

Can Bobby and Jessica survive the dangers they bring upon themselves?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

About M. N. Forgy

M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She’s a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn’t live with the “what if” anymore and finally took a chance on her character’s story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

Kindle, $10 Starbucks Gift Card, $25 Amazon Gift Card

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Cover Reveal: Chasing The Dragon by T.K. Leigh

Posted on 03/18/2015 by shellbellereads

He’s trying to protect his heart…
She’s a shell of the girl she once was…
Can he chase away the demons threatening to destroy her?

Mackenzie Delano craves control. After tragedy strikes during her freshman year of college, she compensates for the helplessness she felt by micro-managing every aspect of her life, from her business life to her social life…to her love life. But she wasn’t expecting to cross paths with a mysterious man who seems to invade her every thought.

Tyler Burnham has been living his life with one rule in mind…never fall in love. Focusing solely on his career, he is able to remain a detached observer of life… Until a case is dropped in his lap, forcing him to form an intimate relationship with a sharp-tongued woman in order to obtain the location of a man deemed an enemy of the State.

When Tyler finds himself falling for Mackenzie, will he be able push his feelings aside and recover the information he needs? Or will he put the mission and their lives at risk to follow his heart?

Chasing The Dragon is the first installment of a two part series of deception and betrayal where nothing is as it seems.

***Note – Chasing The Dragon is the first book in a two-book duet and is a spin-off of T.K. Leigh’s USA Today Best Selling Beautiful Mess series. It is not necessary to have read that series in order to read this duet, but it will contain a mild spoiler from the third book in the Beautiful Mess series, Gorgeous Chaos.***

T.K. Leigh, otherwise known as Tracy Leigh Kellam, is the USA Today Best Selling author of the Beautiful Mess series. Originally from New England, she now resides in sunny Southern California with her husband, dog and three cats, all of which she has rescued (including the husband). She always had a knack for writing, but mostly in the legal field. It wasn’t until recently that she decided to try her hand at creative writing and is now addicted to creating different characters and new and unique story lines in the Contemporary Romantic Suspense genre.

When she’s not planted in front of her computer, writing away, she can be found running and training for her next marathon (of which she has run over fifteen fulls and far too many halfs to recall). Unlike Olivia, the main character in her Beautiful Mess series, she has yet to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

FACEBOOK * TWITTER * GOOGLE+ * PINTEREST * INSTAGRAM * GOODREADS

Happy Release: Coda by CD Reiss – The Submission Series – Book 9

Posted on 03/18/2015 by shellbellereads

Coda

The Submission Series – Book 9

By CD Reiss

Release Date: March 18, 2015

Buy: B & N / ITunes / Google / Kobo

Synopsis

Did you want a pat little ending about Jonathan and I riding off into the sunset? Did you want flowers and stars? Man, I wish it was all soft filters and violins. I wish we could fight about who cleaned the bathroom or who was cooking dinner. But I knew I was never destined for simple contentment.

I almost committed murder for him. I almost tore us apart to save him. How do you get back on the horse after that? Because, I promise you, nothing is the same. Nothing.

I’ve earned our happily ever after. Now I have to survive it.

The Complete Submission Series

Eight Book Bundle of Submission Series…

Only $3.99

Buy: Amazon / B & N / Google Play

About CD Reiss

CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.

Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did embed TV story structure in her head well enough for her to take a big risk on a TV series structured erotic series called Songs of Submission. It’s about a kinky billionaire hung up on his ex-wife, an ingenue singer with a wisecracking mouth; art, music and sin in the city of Los Angeles.

Critics have dubbed the books “poetic,” “literary,” and “hauntingly atmospheric,” which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she’s some sort of braggart who’s too good to give the toilets a once-over every couple of weeks or chop a cord of wood.

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Author Archives: shellbellereads

About shellbellereads

Review: Throttle by Sassie Lewis

Happy Release + Review: Naughty King by Michelle A. Valentine – A Sexy Manhattan Fairytale – Part One

Review: The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M. J. Rose

Happy Release + 5 Star Review: Chaps and Chance by Jessie Evans- Lonesome Point, Texas Series- Book 5

Cover Reveal: 21 Stolen Kisses by Lauren Blakely

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21 STOLEN KISSES Goodreads ** Lauren Blakely Goodreads

Happy Release + Review + Giveaway: Famous by Kahlen Aymes- The Famous Novels – Book 1

Series Reveal: The Rule Series by Monica Murphy

Book Tour + Review + Giveaway : The Fear That Divides Us by M. N. Forgy – The Devil’s Dust Series – Book 3

Cover Reveal: Chasing The Dragon by T.K. Leigh

Happy Release: Coda by CD Reiss – The Submission Series – Book 9

CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.

If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Pinterest | Intagram

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CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.

If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Pinterest | Intagram

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