Summer Reads: 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: Gus by Kim Holden

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Gus

A Sequel to Brightside

By Kim Holden

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Synopsis

The journey that began in top-rated, best-selling Bright Side, continues …

This is the story of Gus.
Losing himself.
Finding himself.
And healing along the way.

“ … but the honest-to-God truth is I don’t even know how to function anymore. Bright Side wasn’t only my best friend; she was like my other half … the other half of my brain, the other half of my conscience, the other half of my sense of humor, the other half of my creativity, the other half of my heart. How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?”

Buy: Amazon 

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6StarSunRobin’s Review

When author Colleen Hoover recommends a novel, I make a note of it. Not only is Hoover a gifted writer, but I respect her opinion when it comes to a book recommendation. The novel I’m referring to on this occasion is Bright Side by Kim Holden, and it apparently made a positive impression on her. It was impossible to ignore all of the positive feedback from readers who had already taken her recommendation to heart, so I decided to purchase and read Bright Side.  Kim Holden’s gripping and emotional story about Kate Sedgwick was heartbreaking, inspiring, and beautiful.  Optimistic. Bright Side earned a 6-star rating from me and a rare spot on my list of all-time favorite novels.

Because of my immense love for Bright Side, I have been looking forward to the day I could read Gus, the second novel of Holden’s Bright Side series. It’s a story about Kate Sedgwick’s lifelong best friend, Gus Hawthorne. Simply put, Gus found a way under my skin. This story grew on me, steamrolling into something just as special as Bright Side. Gus Hawthorne is the songwriter and lead singer for Rook. The novel sort of has a slow start, with Gus drowning in heartbreak and loss. His life is falling apart. While the band is touring Europe, Gus is doing his best to get through each day. In order to ensure the success of the U.S. tour, management decides to hire a personal assistant for Gus.

Scout Mackenzie doesn’t know anything about Rook or its lead singer. She’s just running away from her problems when she accepts the position to be a personal assistant to Gustov Hawthorne. Scout has recently been in an abusive relationship. She could use the money, and she definitely needs some time away. Taking this position is perfect for her because Rook is beginning its tour of the United States, and she will be traveling with the band on the tour bus.

Right from the beginning, Gus and Scout do not hit it off. They put up with each other because they have to.  This may seem strange, but I love this aspect of Gus. I commend Kim Holden for going this route, although it might not be a popular choice. I believe both of these characters need time to heal – to get some perspective on the circumstances they have been through.  I found it refreshing to read how a relationship develops between Gus and Scout. How they grow on each other. We see them become friends first, helping each other heal. Friends before lovers.

One of my favorite things about Bright Side is the characters, most of them full of positive energy and charisma, so I was super excited to see Kim Holden revisit them in Gus. You should expect to spend plenty of time with the members of Rook – Gus, Franco, Robbie and Jamie. And Gus’s Ma? I just love her, and the close relationship they share. Ma is definitely my favorite secondary character, and she has a special role in this novel. The characters from Grant, Minnesota? Keller and Stella, Duncan and Shelly and many more are found in Gus. Kim Holden ties her characters from Bright Side and Gus together nicely.

Gus is an emotional story. At times, the novel can be sad. I found myself in tears on several occasions, but Gus is also funny, hopeful and inspiring. I absolutely adored the many ways we visit Kate and Gracie throughout this story!  The healing and love that flourishes between Gus and Scout is heartwarming and fulfilling, and they show growth as individuals. The author does a fantastic job of fully developing each main character.

Bright Side and Gus. There is something very powerful about each of these stories. Maybe what I am feeling is the mood or tenor. I’m not sure, but whatever it is, I continue to feel it long after I have finished reading. Both novels are very special to me. Gus receives a 6-star rating, and I am including it on my list of 2015 favorite novels!

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Don’t miss out on Brightside by Kim Holden!

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Brightside

Bright side by Kim Holden

8c83f-addtogoodreadsSynopsis

Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.

They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.

And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Author Bio

kim holdenSome of my favorite things: reading, writing, the two coolest guys on the planet (my husband and son), my bicycle (my husband built it for me), Facebook (I’m fairly certain it’s an addiction at this point), iced coffee (hazelnut), and music (LOVE Sunset Sons, the 1975, Dredg, the xx, Balance and Composure, Teenage Bottlerocket, and 30 Seconds to Mars). I also love dreaming, which brings me to my next point. I have one bit of advice for anyone reading this … follow your dreams. It’s never too late. Get started today … heck get started RIGHT NOW! I wanted to write a book 20 years ago. Instead I waited. And waited. I should’ve been writing. But I didn’t. I don’t do regrets, because the past is just that, the past. But let me tell you there’s nothing in the world like achieving something you’ve dreamt about for years and years. So, get started. Make your dreams reality.
I love to hear from other readers. Send me a message or find me on Facebook (https://facebook.com/kimholdenauthor) and tell what’s up in your reading world.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Gus

Pre Release Blitz …2015 Favorite… 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot – Princess Diaries Series – Book 11

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Princess Diaries – Book 11

Genre: New Adult / Contemporary Romance

By Meg Cabot

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

Synopsis

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding–but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia’s gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn’t need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother’s leaked “fake” wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia’s father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone–especially herself–that she’s not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

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

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5StarCrown

Michel’s Review

I still believe in Fairy Tales. I still want the Princess to find her Prince Charming and live happily ever after. I think most females, young and old, appreciate this kind of fairy tale. We don’t care if the Princess may not be perfect, we might want our Prince Charming to be a little bit of a rebel, and we don’t care if their romance is a little rocky at times. We want the magic of the romance.

I began reading this series many years ago with my daughter right before she began middle school. Together we have followed Mia’s journey from a awkward tween to a confident young woman. We’ve watched her experience all the growing pains that go along with becoming a woman. We’ve also watched her go from your average American girl to royal princess. She has had many blunders but also had many triumphs. And like the country of Genovia, we have fallen in love with Princess Mia Thermopolis.

The Princess Diaries started out as YA and progressed to mature YA. The latest release, Royal Wedding, is New Adult romance.

Princess Mia Thermopolis is now 26. She has found her place in the world. She has embraced her royalty with grace (most of the time). She has gone from an awkward quiet girl to a woman with a voice. She has learned to step up and make decisions. She has learned that life isn’t a strait line. She has struggled along the way. She has learned life lessons. She has experienced heartbreak as well as joy. She has held onto her childhood friends and made new ones along the way. Through it all she has remained true to herself. She is still the same Mia Thermopolis we have always loved.

Princess Mia is marrying her first love Michael Moscovitz.

The events that lead up to the royal wedding will have the readers laughing, crying, and swooning. Michael will steal your heart. He makes Prince Charming pale in comparison. He has been dubbed “The World’s Greatest Lover” and his dad has dozens of magazines to prove it. The best part about Michael is that he loves Mia just as she is. He doesn’t care if she is a princess or a regular woman. She is his heart.

Whether you are a long time fan of the Princess Diaries series or have only seen the movie, you can easily pick this book up and become immersed in Mia’s story. This book is magical.

Once again Meg Cabot has charmed the readers with her beautiful, funny, wonderful Princess Diaries. Be sure not to miss the Royal Wedding.

The Princess Diaries will always be one of my all time favorite series.

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About Meg Cabot

MegCabotAuthor-2Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for both adults and tweens/teens. There have been over 25 million copies of Meg’s nearly 80 published books sold in 38 countries. Her last name rhymes with habit, as in “her books can be habit forming.” She currently lives in Key West, Florida with her husband and various cats.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

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2015 Favorite…. 6 + Reviews: Never Never 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

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Never Never Part Two

Never Never Trilogy – Book 2

By Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

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Synopsis

*Part two of the Never, Never novella series.

New York Times bestselling authors Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher are back with the much-anticipated, nail-biting sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Never, Never.

“Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last.

And never stop loving me between all of them.

Never stop, Charlie.

Never forget.”

Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can’t imagine, beckons to be found.

“Where are you, Charlie?”

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Smashwords

 

beautiful young couple in the sunlight

beautiful young couple in the sunlight

SBJ2015Favorite

6+star

Michel’s Review

I have been counting down the months, days , and minutes for Never Never 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher to release.  The moment it released I devoured this book.  I am so invested in Silas and Charlie’s story.

Never Never 2 picks up where Never Never left off.  Silas and Charlie have gone through another reset.  Silas is in his car.  Charlie is missing.  Once again Silas has to figure out who he is, what his past is, and what is going on in his present.  Luckily he had the letter and clues that he left himself to unravel the mystery.

Meanwhile Charlie is in a very strange place after the reset.  She doesn’t have any clues as to who she is and how she came to be where she is.  She has to rely on her wits to survive.  She is piecing some of her past together through her dreams.

Silas is on the search for Charlie and time is running out.  Charlie is trying to escape but has no idea where to go once she does.

Never Never 2 progresses the story of Charlie and Silas along.  The reader is given a glimpse of what might have led to the dilemma they are in.  There are revelations about both of their families, friends, and their relationship.  There are revelations as to why they may be in the predicament they are in.

Both Silas and Charlie are smart.  They have the intelligence to reason through their predicament.  They have the inner strength to survive where their lives are at.  They have their love to get them to the place they need to be.  They need to find each other.

Once again Colleen and Tarryn kept the readers captivated with Silas and Charlie’s story.  This installment to the story gave readers a lot of information and hidden clues.  It also contained enough information to give the readers hope.  In the end the reader is left puzzling over their dilemma but not torn to shreds about it.  It left the readers with faith in Silas and Charlie.  It also left the readers with some solid clues that they could formulate into solid theories.

I can’t wait for the final book.  I have my theories!

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one sad woman sitting on the floor near a wall and holding her head in her hands

6+star

Robin’s Review

Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher ended Never Never with a killer cliffhanger that left thousands of readers desperate for more of Charlie and Silas. If you are anything like me, you’ve probably been wondering, “Where is Charlie?” Never Never: Part 2 is very satisfying, and although it’s not the conclusion to the series, I’m delighted to share it completely surpassed my expectations!

Once again, we find Colleen Hoover writing the chapters for Silas Nash. Sigh. Out of all of her male characters, Silas Nash is my favorite. I love his passion. His intensity and determination. His fierce love for Charlie. “Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last. And never stop loving me between all of them. Never stop, Charlie. Never forget.” Silas is a young man who will not be deterred.  He’s smart. Determined to find Charlie. Determined to find out why he and Charlie continue to lose their memory.

Tarryn Fisher continues to be the voice of Charlie Wynwood. Even with no memories, Charlie is a very perceptive young lady. She’s a strong protagonist who – underneath all of her bravado – can also be a little vulnerable. Readers, like myself, who are somewhat familiar with Tarryn Fisher? I think we all see a little bit of Tarryn in Charlie. Just like Silas, we were all left scratching our head, wondering what could have happened to Charlie at the end of Never Never. Since we begin Part 2 with a reset, Charlie has no real answers. It was a brilliant way to keep the mystery of “Where is Charlie?” alive.

Plain and simple – I absolutely loved Never Never: Part 2. This story is everything I had hoped for. Everything I had been anticipating. More often than not, the second novel of a trilogy is the weakest installment. Not with Never Never: Part 2. It’s honestly one of the best middle books that I have ever read. It appears to be well thought out. It’s full of classic writing from Hoover and Fisher. Really – anytime you read a story written by either of these authors, you can expect the writing to be exemplary, but it’s also seamless. The story is narrated by Silas and Charlie, the authors choosing to alternate points of view by chapter. The difference in writing styles feels completely natural because each protagonist has a unique personality.

My emotions were all over the place while I was reading Never Never: Part 2. It was thrilling. I was anxious and confused. It even had me in tears. From beginning to end, the story is creative and dramatic. Mysterious. Intriguing. Romantic. Part 1 of Never Never left my mind in a whirlwind – I had questions on top of questions after I finished reading. Have you ever been subjected to information overload? We are given a boatload of information in Never Never: Part 2. Theories are laid to rest. Questions are answered. Never Never: Part 2 has a satisfying conclusion that left my mind at ease, and I am nothing but hopeful for Silas and Charlie in the final book of the trilogy.

Lots of novels receive a 5-star rating. When I review a novel, I sometimes do something a little more. If a 5-star novel deserves more than that rating, if I feel it has something extra-special, I give it a bonus star. Never Never: Part 2 falls directly into this category. 6 stars for Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher!

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gentle embrace of beautiful young lovers in the sunlight

 

 

 

About The Authors

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Colleen’s Bio

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, and Ugly Love. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

 

Tarryn’s Bio

Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times bestselling author of Mud Vein. She was born in South Africa, and lived there for most of her childhood. She moved to Seattle just for the rain. She reads and writes more than she sleep. She spends way too much time on Facebook and Instagram and drinks sick amounts of Starbucks.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Happy Release + 5 Star Review + 2015 Favorite : Salvation by Robin Covington – Nashville Nights Series – Book 2

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Salvation

Salvation

Nashville Nights Series – Book 2

By Robin Covington

8c83f-addtogoodreads

Synopsis

Letting go never felt so good.

Carlisle Queen is dying and no one knows it.

Burying the pain of losing her friends and her professional swimming career in a terrorist attack, America’s former sweetheart dulls her pain with drugs, pills and parties. The bomb left her with more than nightmares; shrapnel is lodged in her back and inching closer to her spinal cord. When the doctors tell her paralysis is inevitable, she decides to take her own life rather than face a lifetime in a wheelchair.

Mateo Butler isn’t anyone’s hero.

Reeling from the death of his little sister and his own cowardice, he spends his nights partying and his days ignoring the medical school acceptance letters and his parents’ concerned phone calls. Just a couple of months from graduation, he’s facing a future filled with shame and regret. The last thing he needs is to meet the woman who compels him to be a better man.

Can they save each other?

When Carlisle and Mateo meet, the chemistry between them is combustible. They play, party and hide their true selves until one night turns their lust into something more…something real. As secrets are revealed and walls collapse, what they were and what they might become doesn’t matter as much as who they are together. When the choice comes down to life or death, can love be their salvation?

**A portion of the royalties from this book will be donated to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation**

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Excerpt

His phone vibrates in his hand and we both look down at the screen. Zane has responded and Mateo quickly presses the screen, both of us relieved to move on from the awkwardness that was creeping into our night.

Zane’s sent a selfie, the stage with the current performers in the background of the picture. “Ariel! Glad you could make it even if you have to hang out with that loser. I’ll come find you after the show and rescue you.”

“He calls me Ariel?” I ask.

Mateo glances at me, his expression a little bit confused. “Yeah. You know the whole red hair and mermaid thing. The swimming¼” His words drift off when I don’t respond, his expression telling me that he’s worried about my taking offense. I let the silence drag out a little bit longer before I let him off the hook and smile. His obvious relief makes me laugh out loud.

“Newsflash braintrust, you two aren’t the first to think that up.” I gesture towards the phone. “Hand it over.”

I type onto the screen. “If we fuck, you’ll write a song about me. It will go viral. I will have to listen to it for the rest of my life. No thanks. Ariel.”

I hand the phone back to Mateo, noticing for the first time the dark expression on his face. Not anger. Something deeper. Carnal. Something that gets me wet and makes my body flash hot all over.

“I rescind my offer of a threesome. You know this, right?” Mateo pulls me in tight against him, his breath hot against my cheek. “There’s no fucking way I can share you with anybody. There would be bloodshed. Prison for me.” He punctuates the next few words with a series of small nips against the skin of my neck. “Very. Bad. Idea.”

“Well, then you better make my sacrifice worth it. ” I snake my hand backwards between us, touching as much of his hard abdomen and even harder crotch as I can from my awkward angle.

“You already know I’m worth it. I bet you’re already wet for me. Dying for it.” He keeps one arm looped around my waist ensuring that I stay where he wants me while the other wanders, skimming over my bare thighs and then inching up under the hem of my denim skirt to trace the bottom curve of an ass cheek. He groans against my ear. “Fuck, I love the fact that you hate underwear.”

I lick my lips. “I don’t like anything to get in between me and what I want.”

He laughs, the sound dark and sensual and the perfect thing to crank me up one notch higher.

“Well, you can’t have what you want right now.” The tips of his fingers trace the curve of my ass and I hold my breath as he makes a shallow dip into the wet, slick place between my legs. My body sags but he holds me in place in the right spot for him to make me crazy with that dirty mouth. “If you’re a good girl and enjoy Zane’s set, later tonight I’ll bury my cock in your pussy as deep as you want, for as long as you want, as often as you want. Sound good?”

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SBJ2015Favorite

5Star

Michel’s Review

Wow! Salvation by Robin Covington blew me away!  It is one of the most emotional books I have read in 2015.  This is a story of despair, hope, redemption, and unconditional love.  Both of the leading characters are emotionally damaged in very different ways but their inner turmoils collide in a life altering way.  They are faced with decisions that go beyond choosing each other as their one and only love.  They are forced to face mortality.  They are forced to chose life or death.  They are forced to face the fact that if they survive the grim reaper their lives are still going to be changed drastically.  They are facing very controversial decisions that are both right and wrong.  In the end the one thing that matters most in their lives is their love for one another.  Whether their time is limited or extended, their love is a once in a lifetime gift.

Carlisle Queen is living life with a deadline.  She was an Olympic champion and international competitor.  When a terrorist attack destroys her life she no longer has the same kind of drive she once had.  Her injuries from the bombing have left her beyond broken.  She is living in constant pain and the knowledge that her injuries are going to eventually kill her.  Her only hope for survival is a very risky surgery that could leave her completely paralyzed.  She is not even a candidate for the surgery at this time.  She has seen every specialist there is to see.  Her prognosis is not looking good.  She also has very strong feelings about the surgery.  She does not want to go through life in a wheel chair.  She has consciously chosen to take her own life when her health and pain can no longer be managed.  With this resolution, she is living life on the edge.  She manages her pain with pills and drugs.  She has random hookups.  She limits her friendships and relationships because she knows she is a ticking time bomb.

On the surface Mateo Butler is the perfect guy.  He is drop dead gorgeous, has a great personality, and is extremely intelligent. He has a bright future and has been accepted into medical school.  He is the guy that every girl wants.  His confidence and charming personality has earned him quite a reputation with the ladies.  He is a genuinely good guy.  Beneath the surface he has his own demons.  He is haunted by his sister’s death.  He turned his back on his sister when she chose to take her own life rather than fight the disease that was taking her life.  He could not forgive her for actions.  He regrets turning his back on her and now he can’t make it right.  He’s not sure if he really wants to become a doctor.  He is beginning to think that it may have been his sister’s dream and not his.  He is at crossroads on what direction he is going to take after college graduation.

When Mateo and Carlisle meet it is instant attraction.  What starts out as a one night stand hook up turns into a solid friendship.  The friendship leads them both into a sizzling hot relationship that neither of them wanted or expected.  But the heart wants what it needs.  In many ways their relationship is perfect.  They enjoy each other’s company, they are extremely compatible, they bring out the best in each other, and their sexual relationship is sizzling hot.  The only problem is that they are both keeping their secrets close.  They are hiding the demons that chase them.  When reality smacks them in the face they will have to face choices that most couples will never have to face.  Can their love survive these choices?

Salvation was an incredible story.  It was gut wrenching and emotional.  At the same time it showed how important it is to share your love with someone.  It showed how important it is to live life to the fullest no matter what lays ahead.

Read this book!

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The Nashville Night Series

91FFKhp8wdL._SL1500_Temptation – Book 1

She needs to be good.

At sixteen, Kit ditched her crappy life and moved to Nashville with only $200, her guitar, and a notebook full of songs. She hit it big, but five years of living like a rock star plus a stint in rehab has killed any good will she had with her label. The suits have ordered Kit to shape up or ship out of the limelight. The last thing she needs is a hot, sexy distraction with a sinful smile.

He doesn’t know the meaning of the word.

Max Butler is as far from a celebrity as you can get and he likes it that way. A Nashville firefighter, he’s living the single life with a revolving door of parties, friends, and a different woman in his bed every night. When his normal life suddenly collides with the girl on his favorite Rolling Stone cover, he sees the perfect chance to fulfill his ultimate fantasy and see just how bad Kit can be.

Sometimes bad is so very good.

With three weeks until Kit leaves for her big tour, Max promises to give her a break from being the good girl–no strings attached. But when hot days lead to sultry nights, the lines get blurred and suddenly three weeks of bad might not be good enough.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

SalvationSalvation – Book 2

Letting go never felt so good.

Carlisle Queen is dying and no one knows it.

Burying the pain of losing her friends and her professional swimming career in a terrorist attack, America’s former sweetheart dulls her pain with drugs, pills and parties. The bomb left her with more than nightmares; shrapnel is lodged in her back and inching closer to her spinal cord. When the doctors tell her paralysis is inevitable, she decides to take her own life rather than face a lifetime in a wheelchair.

Mateo Butler isn’t anyone’s hero.

Reeling from the death of his little sister and his own cowardice, he spends his nights partying and his days ignoring the medical school acceptance letters and his parents’ concerned phone calls. Just a couple of months from graduation, he’s facing a future filled with shame and regret. The last thing he needs is to meet the woman who compels him to be a better man.

Can they save each other?

When Carlisle and Mateo meet, the chemistry between them is combustible. They play, party and hide their true selves until one night turns their lust into something more…something real. As secrets are revealed and walls collapse, what they were and what they might become doesn’t matter as much as who they are together. When the choice comes down to life or death, can love be their salvation?

**A portion of the royalties from this book will be donated to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation**

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

redemptionRedemption – Book 3

Release Date: June 15, 2015

Holding on never felt so good.

Emory Cabell is leaving the lies behind her.

Finding out that you’re the half-sister to America’s country music queen is game changer. Determined to meet the sibling she never knew and compelled to pursue the music career she’s always wanted, Emory leaves her small town and heads to Nashville. Thrown by the bustle of Music City and the cutthroat dealing of the business, she finds unexpected shelter in a musical partnership with country music’s notorious bad boy.

Zane Wyatt has his eyes set on the prize.

Known as a man who never stays the night, Zane is reliable only when it comes to his music. Years of paying his dues has gained him the coveted lead guitarist spot on the hottest music tour of the year. Hoping this gig will lead to his own recording contract, he agrees to write a few songs with Emory but he’s blown away by the sexual chemistry sizzling between them and leveled by his feelings for this quiet woman with the beautiful soul.

Can love be more than just a line in a song?

Darkness and light…they should not work. But one night in her bed proves they’re hotter than the number one single they wrote together. Things get complicated when the spotlight sheds light on all of Zane’s past sins and Emory struggles with trusting him with her heart. When the sought after recording contract stipulates they remain a duet, it threatens everything Zane has worked towards and challenges everything he thought he knew about himself. With his life at a crossroads, will he choose the music or the future with a woman whose love might just be his redemption?

Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes 

 

About Robin Covington

5812874Robin Covington loves to explore the theme of fooling around and falling in love in her bestselling books. A Night of Southern Comfort, her debut novel was nominated for the RT Book Reviewers Choice Awards for Small Press and was touted by RT Book Reviews as bringing a “fresh, modern feel to the genre while still sticking to the things that get our adrenaline pumping — sex and danger”

When she’s not writing sexy, sizzling romance she’s collecting tasty man candy, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and stalking Dean winchester. You can find Robin at her website (robincovingtonromance.com), Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Don’t send chocolate . . . send eye candy!

Robin lives in Maryland with her hilarious husband, brilliant children (they get it from her, of course!) and her beloved furbabies.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Salvation

Happy Release + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Last Kiss by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick – The Hitman Series – Book 3

 

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last kiss it's liveLast Kiss

The Hitman Series – Book 3

By Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick

Synopsis

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit and Last Breath comes the next dark and sensual tale in the Hitman series that crosses the line between danger and desire…

Naomi: When I was kidnapped I thought only of survival. I don’t thrive well in chaos. That’s why I gave my captors exactly what they wanted: my skill with computers. Making millions for a crime lord who kept me imprisoned in his basement compound kept my family safe. When he was taken out, I thought my ticket to freedom had arrived. Wrong. I traded one keeper for another. This time I’m in the hands of a scarred, dark, demanding Russian who happens to be the head of the Bratva, a Russian crime organization. He wants my brain and my body. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued, but I can’t be a prisoner forever…no matter how good he makes me feel.

Vasily: At a young age, I was taught that a man without power is a puppet for all. I’ve clawed—and killed—my way to the top so that it is my heel on their necks. But to unify the fractured organization into an undefeatable machine, I need a technological genius to help me steal one particular artifact. That she is breathtaking, determined, and vulnerable is making her more dangerous than all of my enemies combined. But only I can keep her safe from the world that she now inhabits. Soon, I must choose between Naomi and Bratva law. But with every day that passes, this becomes a more impossible choice.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks / Kobo

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Excerpt

“Do you wish for me to touch you?”

I nod, sucking in a breath when his thumb skates across my lower lip. I should be thinking GERMS BACTERIA CONJUNCTIVITIS HERPES SKIN CONTACT PATHOGENS but all I can focus on is how skittery and excited his touch makes me. My pulse jumps, and I realize that I’m as aroused now with him talking to me and touching me with his fingers as I was in the bathroom when I masturbated.

He pulls his hand away again, and I realize his other is gripping my shoulder, his arm wrapped around my back. I’m pulled against his chest, and I feel oddly secure here against him. Then, Vasily moves his fingers in the air again, as if to get my attention. I watch as his free hand now moves to my knee and firmly presses it back, nudging my legs apart.

And I’m helpless to protest. I want this. I want to know what’s going to happen when he touches me. I’m throbbing and aching with need, and my breath is coming as small, gasping little pants that are registering even in my distracted mind.

“Are you still unsettled?” he asks in a low voice.

“No,” I whisper, my tone matching his. “I’m aching.”

He groans softly, and then his hand glides up the inside of my thigh, the backs of his fingers skimming along my leg. Then, Vasily’s hand moves and he is cupping my pussy. He feels scorching hot against me, and just the sensation of his skin touching mine is making me anxious.

“You are very wet,” he rasps, and I notice curiously that his breathing is as rapid as my own. One of his fingers presses forward, parting the lips of my pussy and pushing in. “Very wet.”

“I can’t help it. It’s a natural reaction to stimuli, but I understand if it disturbs you—”

“I like it.” His voice is a guttural growl against my ear, and I shiver. I didn’t realize how close he’s pressed to me but I can feel his breath on my neck, and his head is canted toward mine, as if he is telling me secrets. “I like that your wetness is for me.”

“I don’t know if—” I begin to protest, but his finger taps against my clit, and I gasp, completely and utterly distracted by that quick touch. It feels . . . different to have a man do it for me. Very different. Intense. Raw. I grab his hand at the wrist and press my flesh against his fingers, asking for more.

“Tell me what you want, Naomi.”

“More.” I press his hand again, breathless, and my hips twitch. “Start with an even rhythm and circle the hood of my clit. Over time, speed up and increase the frequency of touches. You can change the pattern as you go but don’t let up until I come.”

He laughs again, and I stiffen, but then his finger begins to move against my clit, stroking it in tiny circles like I told him. “I like that you tell me exactly what you want, Naomi. There are no games with you.”

I’m confused at that. Isn’t that what he wants me to do? But then a second finger follows the first, and he’s rubbing wide circles around my clit, and adding an extra little stroke every now and then, and it feels like he’s taking my flesh between his fingers and just rubbing rubbing rubbing . . . And I love it.

“Just like that,” I tell him, closing my eyes and falling against his shoulder. I hold my knees open wider so he won’t stop touching me, and my hips begin to move, involuntarily following his fingers as he touches me.

“Do you like this?” His voice is rough, biting, and so close to my face.

I nod without opening my eyes, letting the sensations take over. “It feels much better when you do it,” I tell him, and cry out when one of his fingers dips lower and touches me . . . deeper. “What are you doing?”

“I am seeing if you like more touches.” His nose nuzzles against my face, and I press against him, seeming to need his caresses as much as I need his touch on my clitoris. “Are you frightened?”

“No, but I like the other touch better,” I tell him as his finger circles lower. “That one just makes me ache.”

“It makes your cunt ache to be filled,” he tells me. “Someday, you will let me fill it for you.”

I don’t reply; I don’t need to, because he circles a finger at the entrance to my core a moment longer, and then shifts his hand. My fingers graze over his, exploring—I feel too good to open my eyes and leave the sea of sensations—and I realize he’s now working my clit with his thumb. His finger presses deeper again, and I gasp when he sinks it into me.

I’m riding his hand.

He murmurs something in Russian and I feel his mouth press against my brow.

Then, as if he’s a car that’s changed gears, he begins to press his thumb against my clit rapidly. His speed is so fast that he practically feels as if he’s vibrating . . . and these motions carry down to the thick finger that’s buried deep inside me.

I’ve never experienced this double sensation before, and it’s overwhelming.

I bite my lip, and when that won’t hold my feelings inside, I burst into noisy gasps and my hands start clawing at him, at his shirt. I don’t know what I need, but this feels like too much. It’s overwhelming and twice as powerful as anything I’ve ever done to myself. “Stop, stop,” I breathe, even as I press my legs further apart and lift my hips against his hand.

“Vasily, stop. Vasily!”

“Keep saying my name like that, Naomi.”

“Vasily, please.” I pull at his shirt, practically butting my head against him as I writhe against his hand. “I need . . . something . . . more . . . not as fast. Too much!”

But he keeps twitching that intense thumb against my clit, stroking his finger inside me. He’s not stopping. If anything, he’s going faster.

And all of a sudden, my body can’t handle it anymore. I burst and a hard, choked noise rushes out of my throat, and my body clenches and I’m coming, coming, coming, endlessly coming.

I feel as if I’m being torn apart by pleasure so intense it’s making my toes curl even as the breath leaves my lungs. And all the while, I gasp like a dying fish and cling to his shirt.

Hypothesis? Destroyed.

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Michel’s Review

Wow…. Last Kiss blew me away!  I could not put this book down.  It consumed me from the first page until the very last word.  It is by far my favorite book in the outstanding Hitman series by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick.

The Last Kiss is one of the most uniquely intense books I have read.  Both of the main characters were not your normal hero and heroine.  They had their individual quirks that endeared them to my heart.  The mission they are set out to complete was not only impossible but a true test of who they are and what they could endure.  It subjected them both to circumstances that were outside of their personal comfort zones and pushed their limits.  Both of these characters were beautifully flawed.  Both characters are outside of the range of what most people would consider normal.  Both characters needed each other in ways that most people don’t.  They accepted each others flaws and celebrated them with admiration and respect.

Vasily Petrovich has been a member of the Bratva since he was a young boy.  He was accepted into the Petrovich family leader’s home as one of their own.  It was not without a price.  He has become desensitized to emotions, desensitized to pain, and does not seek out personal gratification.  As a young boy he has been trained as a soldier and warrior.  He was taught that nothing matters in his life except the welfare of the Bratva.  The Brava is the heart of Moscow.  They are the true rulers and their people look to them for their well being.  When Vasily allows his leader to be assassinated to ensure the future of Bratva, it leaves the Bratva without a true leader.  It is a position that he wants to step into.  He must gain the support and trust of the elders before he can step into this position.  He must find a way to eliminate Elana Petrovich’s influence on the Bratva.  He is tasked with the mission to find what is considered the heart of the Bratva.  He is tasked to find the long lost painting known as the Caravaggio.  This valuable painting was lost to the Bratva while Alex Petrovich was in power.  The Bratva wants it back.  Their rival factions also want the Caravaggio.  It is a true sign of power in Russia.  Both the Bratva and rival factions have put a high price on the Caravaggio.  If Vasily cannot obtain the Caravaggio he will pay a very high price.  A price much higher than the leadership of the Bratva.

Vasily is a very smart man.  He knows the task is next to impossible.  He has done his research and found the one person that can obtain the information he needs to get the Caravaggio back.  He needs the Emperor .  The Emperor is the hacking genius of the underworld.  The Emperor can obtain any kind of information.  The Emperor can destroy anyone with one click.  He has found the Emperor and he is going to kidnap him.

Naomi Hays is the Emperor .  She is not your ordinary hacker and cyber genius.  She is autistic.  She has Aspbergers Syndrome.  She is a high functioning Aspie but has a lot of limits and quirks.  When she is kidnapped by Vasily at first she is fearful.  After a small amount of time she is all in with helping Vasily locate the Caravaggio.  He is the first person to show her understanding, not question her behavior or quirks, and appreciates her pure genius mind.  He does not question her methods.  He gives her everything she needs and wants without a second thought.  He is the first man that she perked her interest.  He is a lot like her.  He stirs something that stimulates more than her mind.  She wants to find out what it is for scientific purposes.  Naomi is going to learn about desire, need, stimulation on all levels, and emotions.

Together Vasily and Naomi will embark on a dangerous hunt that will lead them into the hedonistic underworld sex clubs to the evil underworld in the Bratva.  They will venture all over Europe seeking the Caravaggio.  Along the way they will find something more valuable than the Caravaggio.  They will find the other half of themselves.  They will find the true meaning of love and acceptance.

Last Kiss was brilliant.  The authors handled every aspect of Aspbergers Syndrome with great respect and care.  They very meticulously highlighted the fact that people with Aspbergers are not mentally and socially impaired, they are just different.  Their brain works in a different kind of synchronicity than the average person.  They are beautiful minds.

The Last Kiss was fast paced, action packed, emotional, and sensual.  The plot was fresh and unique.  The writing was impeccable .

There are some taboo situations that are somewhat graphic.  These are handled with care and are not the main focus of the book.  These situations are a very revelant of the story and progression of the plot.

The Last Kiss by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick is a 6 Star book.  It can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order.  I would recommend series order.  Either way don’t miss this outstanding book.

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Hitman SeriesBanner81sy08gO35L._SL1500_Last Hit

Book 1

From two bestselling authors—the first in a deliciously bold new series that takes readers to the most dangerous edge of desire . . .

Nikolai: I have been a contract killer since I was a boy. For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all spoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small, scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears.

Daisy: I’ve been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best about people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man who has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk . . . and also, my life.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks

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Book 2

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit comes the next in the steamy series that explores the exquisite power of our darkest passions . . .

Regan: I never really knew what misery was until the day I was kidnapped and sold for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two months later, I’m at a brothel in Rio when I meet Daniel Hays. He says he’s here to save me, but can I trust him? All I know of him are his sarcastic retorts and his tendency to solve every dispute with his gun. He’s also the only safe thing in my world, and I know it’s wrong to fall in love with him, but I can’t seem to help myself. He says he’ll protect me until his last breath, but I don’t know if I should believe him or even if I can.

Daniel: For the last eighteen months, one goal has dictated every action I’ve taken. I’ve left the Army, turned paid hit man, and befriended criminals all across the globe to find my kidnapped sister. In every brothel I raid and every human trafficking truck I stop, I hope the next face I find is my sister’s. In a hidden brothel in Rio, I find Regan Porter, bruised but not broken, and still sane despite her weeks in captivity. I should leave her behind or send her home, because the last thing either of us needs right now is to get involved. But with every passing minute, I find I’m less able to let her go.

MATURE AUDIENCE

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last hit reloadedLast Hit Reloaded

A Hitman Novella

Release Date: January 20, 2015

With their explosively sexy novels, the bestselling authors of Last Breath, Last Kiss, and Last Hit have proven themselves “a force to be reckoned with.”* Now comes an all-new to-die-for novella in their acclaimed Hitman series…
There was a time when Nick loved the fear he instilled in his enemies. His tattoos alone promised danger, but it was the look in his eyes that delivered on it. A contract killer since he was just a boy, Nick has now forged a new life—and a new identity—with the woman who followed him, captured him, and changed him.
He terrified Daisy. Once. But she couldn’t resist, and she ignored every warning. It paid off. Now she’s part of a new beginning, a fresh start in America helping him to leave behind a reckless and violent past as a professional killer. But the past is never easy to outrun, especially when so much of it thrives on revenge.
A new threat has emerged from the shadows, and now Nick and Daisy have no choice but to rely on Nick’s killer skills to protect them from everything they’ve tried so hard to escape.

Includes a bonus excerpt from Last Kiss.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

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Last Kiss

Book 3

Release Date: May 5, 2015

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit and Last Breath comes the next dark and sensual tale in the Hitman series that crosses the line between danger and desire…

Naomi: When I was kidnapped I thought only of survival. I don’t thrive well in chaos. That’s why I gave my captors exactly what they wanted: my skill with computers. Making millions for a crime lord who kept me imprisoned in his basement compound kept my family safe. When he was taken out, I thought my ticket to freedom had arrived. Wrong. I traded one keeper for another. This time I’m in the hands of a scarred, dark, demanding Russian who happens to be the head of the Bratva, a Russian crime organization. He wants my brain and my body. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued, but I can’t be a prisoner forever…no matter how good he makes me feel.

Vasily: At a young age, I was taught that a man without power is a puppet for all. I’ve clawed—and killed—my way to the top so that it is my heel on their necks. But to unify the fractured organization into an undefeatable machine, I need a technological genius to help me steal one particular artifact. That she is breathtaking, determined, and vulnerable is making her more dangerous than all of my enemies combined. But only I can keep her safe from the world that she now inhabits. Soon, I must choose between Naomi and Bratva law. But with every day that passes, this becomes a more impossible choice.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks / Kobo

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About The Authors

jessica clare bio-2Jessica Clare is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author who writes under three different names. As Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance.

She also has a third pen name (because why stop at two?). As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals. She lives in Texas with her husband, cats, and too many dust-bunnies. Jill spends her time writing, reading, writing, playing video games, and doing even more writing.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
jen frederick bioJen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog. She’s been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

 

 

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last kiss

Happy Release + 5 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: The Mistake by Elle Kennedy – Off Campus Series – Book 2

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The Mistake

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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5Star

Michel’s Review

It’s official…. I am a self declared PUCK BUNNY !  Elle Kennedy has delivered another fantastic book in her highly acclaimed Off-Campus series.  Her latest release, The Mistake, features hockey player John Logan.  John Logan is the latest college hockey legend to Grace the pages and make the readers swoon.  This guy has it all… he’s a gifted athlete, he is hotter than hades, he’s a dirty talker that definitely can back up his banter, he’s a nice guy beneath the whorish reputation he carries, he’s dedicated to his family beyond expectations, and when he falls in love- he falls hard and takes everything down with him.

John Logan has been pining for his best friend Garrett’s girlfriend, Hannah.  Hannah is everything he wants in a girlfriend.  Logically he knows that she is off limits but he can’t help the way he feels.  While trying to deal with his unrequited feelings he leans on his players reputation and sexual prowess for self therapy.  He’s banging a different coed nightly and using frat parties as his playground.  It may look like he is at the top of his game but deep down he is coming in last.  Something has to give.

An accidental meeting with a freshman changes everything.  When Logan meets Grace Ivers, he shares more than her gummy bears.  The two start fooling around in a casual manner.  He really doesn’t know much about Grace.  He’s only interested in the distraction she provides him.  But when the regular Puck Bunnies pull out their claws and start attacking Grace he steps in for the rescue.  This leads to a huge mistake and wrong assumptions.  When all is said and done, he has carelessly used Grace, led her on, and threw her away.  When he realizes the consequences of his mistake he is full of regret.  He wants a chance to rectify his mistake.  He wants Grace.  He wants another chance.

After numerous rejections, a long summer with his miserable family, and a harsh dose of reality, Logan is back at Briar ready to finish his senior year.  He knows he has to make the most of the this year because it is his last chance before his future reality crushes him.  The top of his list is making peace with Grace Ivers.  He wants the opportunity to prove that he is a good guy and boyfriend material.  But Grace has different ideas.  She is going to put John Logan through the hoops.  She’s going to make him dance to a new tune.  She has a list.  It’s a good thing that John Logan is a competitive athlete.  He is going to get the workout and game that most players could never endure.  John plans to win this game.  This game is the only thing that matters in his miserable life.  His future is riding on this game.  He made have made the biggest mistake in his life but he learned a very value lesson.  He learned the true meaning of love.

I absolutely loved this book as much as I loved the first book in the series.  The tone of the story, the plot, the dialogue, and the characters are captivating.  The Mistake is packed with humor, angst, heartbreak, redemption, and hope.  Once again Elle Kennedy showcased her superb writing talent.

I am looking forward to the next books in this series.  There are two hockey roommates screaming for a book.  The very spoiled rich player Dean needs to be brought down a notch.  Babyfaced Tuck needs someone to wrap him up in hugs & kisses and make sure he doesn’t forget to shave.

Each book can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order.

Read The Mistake by Elle Kennedy.  It will not disappoint.

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The Off-Campus Series

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The Deal

Off-Campus Series – Book 1

By Elle Kennedy

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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

_____________________

About Elle Kennedy

Elle-KennedyA 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!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Newsletter

 

 

The Mistake

Release Blitz + 2 Very Different Reviews: Black Iris by Leah Raeder

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Black Iris

By Leah Raeder

Release Date: April 28, 2015

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Synopsis

The next dark and sexy romantic suspense novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Unteachable, which was praised for its “lush, haunting prose, deft storytelling, and scorching sensuality” (M. Pierce, bestselling author of the Night Owl trilogy), and called “one of the best forbidden romances” (Lauren Blakely, New York Times bestselling author).

Laney Keating’s senior year of high school sucked. It began with one moment of weakness, one stupid gesture for a hopeless crush. Then the rumors started. Slut, they called her. Queer. Pillhead. Psycho. Mentally ill, messed up, so messed up even her own mom decided she wasn’t worth sticking around for.

If Laney could erase that whole year, she would. College is her chance to start with a clean slate.

She’s not looking for new friends, but they find her: charming, handsome Armin, the only guy patient enough to work through her thorny defenses—and fiery, filterless Blythe, the bad girl and partner in crime who becomes closer than a sister.

But Laney knows nothing good ever lasts. When a ghost from her past resurfaces—the bully responsible for everything, the boy who broke her down completely—she decides maybe it’s time to live up to her own legend. And Armin and Blythe are going to help.

Because that was the plan all along.

Because the rumors are true. Every single one of them. And Laney is going to show them just how true. She’s going to show them all.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

dark reads

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Excerpt

April is the cruelest month, T.S. Eliot said, and that’s because it kills. It’s the month with the highest suicide rate. You’d think December, or even January—the holidays and all that forced cheer and agonized smiling pushing fragile people to the edge—but actually it’s spring, when the world wakes from frostbound sleep and something cruel and final stirs inside those of us who are broken. Like Eliot said: mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain. In the deepest throes of depression, when sunlight is anguish and the sky throbs like one big raw migraine and you just want to sleep until you or everything else dies, you’re less likely to commit suicide than someone coming out of a depressive episode. Drug companies know this. That’s why antidepressants have to be marked with the warning MAY CAUSE SUICIDAL THOUGHTS.
Because what brings you back to life also gives you the means to destroy yourself.

4 Star

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Robin’s Review

I was intrigued by the synopsis for Black Iris by Leah Raeder. When the cover was revealed in January, I fell in love with it. The cover is full of rich color and is absolutely stunning. It’s one of the most beautiful book covers that I have ever seen!

Black Iris is not a typical new adult novel. It’s a story of dark revenge, and there may be triggers for some individuals. It’s a story about a girl who is bullied for her attraction to females. There is a female/female relationship in Black Iris, but there is also a male/female relationship. Both types of relationships are represented. There is drug use and addiction. Attempted suicide. Mental illness. Violence. Blood. Hate crimes and vengeance. I’m not really sure what this says about me, but Leah Raeder snared my attention with this extremely dark story.

Delaney Keating is targeted by Brandt Zoeller while she is in high school. One meaningful gesture towards the girl she has a crush on destroys her life. Zoeller makes sure he gets deep inside her head, underneath her skin, completely breaking Laney down. Now she wants revenge. She becomes the predator. A hunter. Little wolf. Laney has a plan. She has her prey in sight, and she wants revenge on everyone involved.

Black Iris is a story written in layers. Each chapter is labeled with a name of a month. Raeder leaps back and forth between present and past with each new chapter. I found this confusing at first because I was attempting to keep up with all of the shifts to the timeline. But then I decided it was easier to sit back and experience Black Iris as it unfolds. There’s a reason Black Iris is written in this style. Raeder was meticulous with her writing, slowly revealing bits and pieces of information in a very calculated fashion. The plot of Black Iris builds to a fever pitch over the course of the entire story until the big picture finally snaps in place.

I knew I would be stepping outside of my comfort zone when I began reading Black Iris, but I enjoy reading dark novels. Psychological thrillers are some of my favorites. The writing is poetic and creative. The story is spellbinding. Unique. It made me think. When I finished reading Black Iris, I immediately began reading it again. All of those cryptic passages suddenly made sense. Black Iris is disturbing. It’s intense. Completely manic. I am giving Leah Raeder a 4-star rating for Black Iris and including it on my list of favorite novels for 2015!

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Michel’s Review

Warning: Black Iris has many triggers that readers may not be comfortable with.  There is drug abuse, psychological abuse, homophobic issues, gay issues (f/f), an unhealthy love triangle, mental issues, and sociopath tendencies.

I really hate writing this review.  I am not a novice reader and usually find positive qualities in every book.  I am a huge fan of dark thrillers.  I love to read books that have unique plots and unique characters.  I look for the entertainment value as well as the overall execution of the plot in the story.  Black Iris brought me down a black hole and left me feeling deeply disturbed.

It’s interesting how two people can read the same book and walk away with completely different reactions.  That is the beauty of the human spirit and mind.

Black Iris is one of those books that is going to have mixed reactions.  It is not your typical New Adult novel.  It is not a romance.  It is a fictitious novel that has many triggers that are true portrayals of actual ugly situations, different sexual preferences, mental illness in many forms, cruelty, substance abuse, and murderous urges.  It is diabolical. It does not have a promise of hope or redemption. It has a very dark tone throughout the book and never lightens up.  I did not smile or feel good with any passage throughout the book.  It was a book that I had to force myself to finish.  The ending did not have a happy resolution.

I will say that Leah Raeder tackled some very controversial subject matter.  The writing was good.  The plot was well thought out.  Each chapter is delivered within a year timeline and jumps from past to present.  The problem I had with this timeline was that it was all over the place, there was no sequential order and I had a very hard time jumping from one moment to the next.  It was just too much work.  At the same time each of these chapters with different timelines all came together and made sense in the whole scheme of things.  It made the plot have an impact.

As for the characters, I hated them all.  I never connected with any of them.  I also felt that they were too mature for their actual ages and life situations.  Most people that age do not look and plan their futures out that meticulously.  Most people that age are either living in the moment or just planning out generalized things for their future.  The ruthlessness and very individualized planning just would not work in this situation because there is no way to predict the behaviors of the other individuals especially when you don’t know who they are  or what their true motivations are.

Black Iris is a novel of true hate and vengeance. I don’t have the desire to waste my time with such evil.  The ending did not redeem the characters, it just released them from the sexuality they hid away.

I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Author Bio:

7105371LEAH RAEDER is a writer and unabashed nerd. Aside from reading her brains out, she enjoys graphic design, video games, fine whiskey, and the art of self-deprecation. She lives with her very own manic pixie dream boy in Chicago.

(And she still writes pretentiously lyrical fiction.)

 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Happy Release + 6 Star Review: The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen – The Ivy Years Series – Book 4

 

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The Shameless Hour

The Ivy Years Series- Book 4

Release Date: April 15. 2015

By Sarina Bowen

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Buy: Amazon/ B & NITunes

Synopsis

The girl who’s had everyone meets the boy who has no one.
For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.
Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright sinister fraternity prank, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.
Bella doesn’t want Rafe’s help, and she’s through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can’t be snuffed.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

shameless excerpt

I heard the band start to play the classic one-two Merengue rhythm that I’d heard my whole life. On the dance floor, the energy picked up as the geezers began to move to the faster beat.

“Let’s go,” I said, standing up. I offered Bella my hand.

But Bella shook her head. Even worse, she scooted her chair toward the wall.

“Don’t leave me hanging,” I said, my hand still waiting in the air. “Come on now. Nobody puts Bella in a corner.”

On the other side of the table, Bella’s sister snorted into her white wine.

Bella rolled her eyes. Hard. “You did not just quote Dirty Dancing.”

I leaned down near Bella’s ear. “I did. Now get your ass out of that chair, like the girl in the movie, or I’ll have to put you in a fireman’s hold.”

Her mouth tight, Bella stood up. Not one to waste an opportunity, I clasped her hand, tugging her onto the dance floor. When we were right in the center, I put one hand onto Bella’s waist and took her opposite hand in mine. She was as stiff as a piece of wood. “Shake it off, chica. This is supposed to be fun.”

“Your job tonight was to make my life less embarrassing. Not more.”

“I am doing that. We’re going to be the best looking dancers on this floor, and everyone in this mausoleum is going to wonder how I got so lucky as to be here with you. Now listen to this rhythm, okay? Just step to the beat. And let your hips absorb the motion.” I began to move to the music. The merengue is a Dominican dance, and every kid in my neighborhood can merengue before his fifth birthday. It’s just not that complicated.

With nervous eyes, Bella began to move.

“Use these hips,” I prompted, touching the silky fabric of her dress. As I watched, she loosened up a tiny fraction. “Yes! But even more. You look great. I wouldn’t steer you wrong. And think of pressing the balls of your feet into the floor.”

Biting her lip, Bella moved with me.

“That’s it! See? Nothing to it.” Just like that, we had a proper merengue going on.

“Can I sit down yet?” Bella asked.

“Not even close,” I laughed. “See, I knew you could move.”

Bella pouted. “We’ve seen each other’s moves, Rafe.”

She lifted her eyes, and the heat in them went straight to my dick.

Jesucristo. That was the trouble with getting so close to Bella. I was always going to be susceptible to her. Anything she did to remind me of that night was always going to knock me right over.

“Ha.” She said. “I finally found a way to shut you up.” Bella put a little more effort into her merengue then, looking smug.

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6+star

Michel’s Review

The Shameless Hour is the fourth book in the Ivy Years Series by Sarina Bowen.  Each and every book in this series has been beyond excellent and made our 2014 Favorites list.  The Shameless Hour is following in the foot steps of it’s predecessors with a very unique story and very unique characters.  There is nothing predictable about this book.  This book paves the path for new characters in the series as well as featuring some of the beloved characters from previous books.  She has allowed her characters to mature, grow as individuals, and move forward in their lives.  Some have graduated and left Harkness College, others are working towards graduating, some are changing their interests and goals, others are finding new paths to follow; the one thing that remains the same is their dedication to friendship and love.  Each character has a story to tell and hopefully each one will get a book.  Up on the Harkness Roll Sheet in the Ivy Years series is Bella Hall, the student hockey team manager.

Bella Hall is in a class by herself.  She can manage a team full of college hockey players and take any kind of crap from the guys and give it right back,  She is a progressive thinker and is very open about her own sexuality.  She doesn’t see any harm in hooking up with a guy as long as it doesn’t hurt any one else and there are no expectations for a relationship.  She is a free spirit until a horrific mistake makes her the joke of the campus.  Her mistake has been posted on the internet as a fraternity prank and it ruins her self esteem.  The once outgoing girl turns into an introvert.  But another previous mistake ends up being her redemption and the best thing to ever happen to her.  It opens her eyes about the true meaning of love and relationships.  It opens the door for new friendships.  It shows her how loyal and valuable her friendship has been to others.  It also gives her an opportunity to focus on her goals and ambitions for the future.  Most of all… these two mistakes, one good and one bad, will be life changing for her in a very good way.  She will find the kind of love she never knew she wanted or needed.

Rafe Santiago is a sophomore Soccer player at Harkness.  He comes from a humble background.  He was raised by a single mother in a strict Hispanic Catholic environment.  He has been taught to respect women, that one night stand hookups are wrong, and that love should be the only reason to have sex out of wedlock.  When a bad break up leads to a drunken one night stand with the beautiful Bella Hall, he is mortified the next day.  He isn’t mortified because he had sex, he is mortified that he treated Bella with disrespect the morning after.  He truly likes her as a person and has always harbored a secret crush on her.  He is determined to apologize and make things right with Bella.  He wants to date her and show her what a caring relationship means.  When the unthinkable happens to Bella he’s determined to show her what an exceptional and beautiful person she is inside and out.

Rafe and Bella will form a beautiful friendship that comes from true respect.  They will find that they have more in common than they think.  They will also learn new things about themselves as well as each other.

Sarina Bowen penned another emotional and heart wrenching story.  When Bella’s mistake was revealed I was floored. I was having an OMG moment and was completely stunned.  I have never read a book with this kind of dilemma as part of the plot.  How she handled this dilemma and how the characters reacted to it was amazing.  She once again showed that people can overcome the things that hurt them most.  This was a beautiful love story that showed the readers the value of friendship and respect.  Rafe was another swoon worthy hero in the Harkness Hall of Fame. Well done Sarina! I can’t wait to see what’s coming next…. maybe a movie star, a hot shot soccer player, or some of our beloved hockey players.

 Read The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen.  It can be read in series order or as a stand alone romance.

 

The Ivy Years

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818GCay3WHL._SL1500_The Year We Fell Down – Book 1

The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else. What now?

She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.

Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.

Also, he’s taken.

Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.

They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.

But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness — one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

81J5WH4NrbL._SL1500_The Year We Hid Away – Book 2

She’s hiding something big. He’s hiding someone small.
Scarlet Crowley’s life was torn apart the day father was arrested for unspeakable crimes. Now the shock has worn off, but not the horror.

It’s a safe bet that Scarlet is the only first year at Harkness College who had to sneak past TV news trucks parked on her front lawn just to leave town. But college will be Scarlet’s fresh start.

Clutching a shiny new student ID — with a newly minted name on it — she leaves it all behind. Even if it means lying to the boy she’s falling for.

Bridger McCaulley is a varsity hockey star known for being a player both on and off the ice. But a sobering family crisis takes that all away. Protecting his sister means a precarious living arrangement and constant deception. The only bright spot in his week is the few sensual, stolen hours he spends with Scarlet.
The two form a tentative relationship based on the understanding that some things must always be held back. But when grim developments threaten them both, going it alone just won’t work anymore. And if they can’t learn to trust one another now, the families who let them down will take everything they’ve struggled to keep.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

71xMq-VxtUL._SL1500_Blond Date – Book 2.5

A blind date. A nervous sorority girl. A mean-spirited fraternity prank. What could go wrong?

As a sorority pledge, there are commandments that Katie Vickery must live by. One: thou shalt not show up for the party without a date. Two: the guy shall be an athlete, preferably an upperclassman.

Unfortunately, Katie just broke up with her jerkface football player boyfriend. Even worse, her last encounter with him resulted in utter humiliation. She’d rather hide under the bed than attend a party where he’ll be.

Yet staying home would mean letting him win.

Enjoying herself tonight was out of the question. She could only hope to get through the evening without her blind date noticing that he was spending the evening with a crazy person.

Andrew Baschnagel is living proof that nice guys don’t finish first. He’s had his eye on Katie since the moment her long legs waltzed into his art history class. So when her roommate sets Andy up to be Katie’s date, he’d be crazy to say no. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of practice with either girls or parties. Yet.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

81cohD5ne1L._SL1500_The Understatement Of The Year – Book 3

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexual orientation from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother.

Buy : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

81sgBgZLqaL._SL1500_The Ivy Years Collection- Three Full Length Novels + Novella

Life at the elite Harkness College is brought to you in four tales, each one sexier and more heartbreaking than the last. Contains: hockey hotties, snarky T-shirts, a slow-burn love affair, a liar (with reasons,) a virgin (with reasons,) and one adorkable basketball player.

Book 1: The Year We Fell Down
The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else.
Corey was supposed to start college as a member of the women’s ice hockey team. Instead, she’ll spend it in a wheelchair. The only upside? Her too-delicious-to-be-real neighbor across the hall.

Book 2: The Year We Hid Away
She’s hiding something big. He’s hiding someone small.
Dorm rooms are supposed to be for sleeping, studying, and partying. Not for hiding your eight-year-old sister.

Novella: Blonde Date
A blind date. A nervous sorority girl. A mean-spirited fraternity prank. What could go wrong?

Book 3: The Understatement of the Year
What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.
Michael Graham will never tell anyone the truth about himself. Too bad his past walks right into the locker room on the first day of hockey practice.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

 Author Bio:

Sarina BowenSarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.

The Year We Fell Down, Book #1 in The Ivy Years series, began breaking hearts in March 2014. Book #2, The Year We Hid Away, is brand new.

For Harlequin-E, Sarina writes the Gravity series. Coming in From the Cold features an angsty downhill ski racer and one of the most unique plot conflicts in contemporary romance today.

Sarina enjoys skiing, coffee products and a nice glass of wine. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

She would be honored to connect with you at http://www.sarinabowen.com.

Sign up for Sarina’s Mailing List

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter~ Goodreads ~Amazon Author Page

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Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: Interim by S. Walden

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Interim

Genre: YA/ NA Crossover Suspense/Psychological Thriller

By S. Walden

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Synopsis

Book Description:

 

~A lot can change in the space between devising a plan and carrying it out. That space is called the Interim.~

 

 

High school seniors Jeremy Stahl and Regan Walters aren’t friends. Not even close. He’s a picked-on, picked-apart loser outcast. She’s a cool kid running with the popular crowd. It’s unlikely they’d ever speak to one another. Too bad he’s madly in love with her. But what does it matter, anyway? He’s got no time for love. Only revenge.

 

Meticulously detailed in the pages of his battered red notebook is his master plan: April 14, 9:30 A.M., two guns, eighty rounds of ammo, backup knives, eleven victims. He’s finally ready to answer every single taunt, jeer, and flying fist—unwarranted abuse that’s spanned six years of his lonely life. He’s justified. He’s ready. But he never readied himself for her.

 

Regan finds his journal. She reads it, and when he discovers her intrusion, he has to switch tactics. She’s a liability now.

 

Better fix that.

 

(WARNING: This is a New Adult standalone that contains graphic language and violence, including gun violence. If school shootings are an especially sensitive subject for you, then I urge you to refrain from reading this book.)

 Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Smashwords

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Letter to the Reader:

 

Dear Reader,

Not many authors will discourage you from reading their work. After all, the goal of our stories is to grow our readership, not diminish it. I’m well aware of that, but when I first became inspired with Jeremy’s story, I knew I would have to go about promoting it in an entirely different way—something far removed from my past marketing campaigns. I knew I would have to hide the book, stamp disclaimers all over it, plant seeds of doubt in your minds, decline requests for advanced reviews—in essence, all the things an author SHOULD NOT do when marketing her book. That’s why it took me so long to write the damn thing—over a year of worrying, second-guessing, flip-flopping, arguing. Jeremy sat waiting patiently, and I stared back at him wondering just how much he would destroy my career.

Then I remembered that his story is exactly the type of controversial social issue I enjoy tackling. I knew I had to write it because I could. I could be sensitive to the subject matter without being PC. I could leave my political and moral opinions out of it. I could make it a human story, not a gun story. I could do all these things if I worked very hard—if I was diligent and faithful to my characters and their experiences. Once I realized these things, I stopped fretting and just started writing, careful to keep all the details private and sacred. That’s how writing should be: private and sacred.

Now Jeremy’s story is no longer private, but I hope you will find it sacred. I hope you will throw off your preconceptions and bury your social and political views, your moral judgments. It’s too easy to go into a story like this already angry, especially if you or someone you love has experienced gun violence. I urge you to think long and hard before starting Interim if you are especially sensitive to the topic of school shootings. There are extremely violent, descriptive scenes, and I do not wish for my book to be a trigger for you.

I am well aware of the social debate a book like this may provoke. I did not write it for debate. I did not write it to make a statement about guns, gun control, gun access, Constitutional rights, etc. I am not interested in comparing my story to the horrific school shootings that have taken place in the United States. I have no motive other than to tell a story about an abused boy who felt he deserved justice. What you take away from the novel is entirely up to you.

Love,

Summer

INTERIM Regan

Excerpt

Who was he? What was his purpose? He knew it once. Once, a long time ago, he decided to be a hero. He decided to avenge himself and all the other kids who were helpless against abuse. Once, a long time ago, he learned the difference between justice and mercy. He learned when justice was required. He learned when mercy was allowed. Once, a long time ago, he faced himself in the mirror and saw a stranger—a better boy than he could ever be. A boy with a mission. A boy with convictions. And he reached out to take hold of that boy, through the looking-glass, falling into a wonderland where righteousness ruled supreme and evil was destroyed with the pop pop! of a gun. The world made sense to him. Then.

INTERIM Bullet

Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/user/summerwalden/playlist/7I0P4NnU5bCiRzqMTapGEM

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6+star

Robin’s Review

Twenty-three years ago, Pearl Jam released the alternative rock single named Jeremy. Jeremy is one of the most widely-recognized songs performed by Pearl Jam and is based on two different true stories. The main inspiration for Jeremy was a newspaper article about Jeremy Wade Delle of Richardson, Texas. On the morning of January 8, 1991, Jeremy Delle shot himself in front of his second-period English class. This song is also inspired by a student songwriter Eddie Vedder knew when he was in junior high school in San Diego. Instead of taking his own life, this student decided to gun down his classmates.

Now that you know the story behind the song, have you ever taken a moment to focus on the words of Jeremy? Go on…..pull out your iPod or do a search of YouTube videos and listen. It’s a very deep and dark song about a troubled teenager who decides to take control of his life and fight back on his own terms. It didn’t take long for me to recall Pearl Jam’s Jeremy once I began reading Interim, and the song will forever mean more to me now that I have read this novel.

It wasn’t easy for S. Walden to write her story about Jeremy Stahl. It took her a long time to come to terms with what was bouncing around in her head. Walden wants readers to know she is not speaking to a point. She has no agenda. She just has a story. Knowing Walden’s proclivity to write about dark and controversial subjects, I was nervous about reading Interim. In fact, I have never feared the content of a novel like I did with Interim. I had a healthy respect for this story based on the synopsis and personal discussion with the author before I began reading.

Walden truly agonized over writing Interim. Bullying. Parental neglect and abuse. Gun violence in schools. When you combine controversial subjects with violence, you have a recipe for something dark and scary. Something to be feared. This is the truth of the matter – the events that take place in Interim could happen at any school or shopping mall or workplace on any given day. So before you begin reading Interim, please be sure to read the letter from S. Walden at the beginning of the novel and be very sure you can handle the content.

I’m going to get straight to the point. Interim is a 6-star novel. It’s everything I could have hoped for in a thriller. Intense emotions, anger and panic. Darkness. Suspense. Graphic violence. Young adult romance. The authentic feel of the high school social scene. Issues teenagers deal with on daily basis. Walden was a teacher for several years, and she’s acquainted with the age group. She’s familiar with bullying. The dialogue, conversations between Jeremy and Regan, Hannah and other secondary characters, kept me on the edge of my seat. Interim completely held my interest. It’s one of the finest examples of character development that I can recall. It may have taken a long time for Walden to write this story, but I applaud the amount of time and thought she put into writing it. There is nothing rushed or sloppy about Interim. It’s one of the best novels I have read this year, and it has definitely earned a place on my list of 2015 favorites!

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IMG_2348S.Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. She is the USA Today bestselling author of Going Under. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about it.

She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her twitter feed at @swaldenauthor.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads

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6 Star Review + Exclusive Interview : Homefront by Jessica Scott

Homefront_RD_bannerhomefront finalHomefront

Homefront Series – Book 1

By Jessica Scott

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Synopsis

“Beautifully Written” JoAnn Ross – New York Times Bestselling author of the Shelter Bay series

He’s always loved her…

First Sergeant Gale Sorren waited a war and half a lifetime for a chance to get stationed near the ex-wife who left him years ago. When he finally musters the courage to see her, the life he imagined she was living was nothing close to the reality.

She’s never stopped loving him…

Melanie never stopped worrying about Gale each time he headed off to war. But he’s never been there when she needed him and she’s had fifteen years to steel her heart against him.

But when Gale moves to Fort Hood, he finally has a chance to make things right with Melanie and the daughter she raised without him.

Can Mel trust her heart to a man who has always let her down?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes 

Homefront_Available_now

Excerpt

“Jamie’s upstairs.” Her voice sounded off. Heavy and sultry. Her eyes were dark and clouded with shadows, and something else.

Something he thought he knew but was afraid to name.

He cleared his throat before he spoke. It was a long time before he found the words he needed to say.

The words he wanted to say started with please and ended with them naked. He wasn’t sure that would go over well.

And besides, he wanted to keep the moment untarnished in his memory. It had been so fucking long since he’d held her.

“So what’s our negotiating position?” he asked.

“On what?” She frowned and looked down at her wine glass.

“I’m going upstairs. Are there any things that are expressly forbidden? I don’t want to undermine you.”

She smiled and it was warm and sunny. “You sound like you know how kids play mom against dad.”

He grinned down at her, fighting the urge to stroke his fingers over her cheek. She was so fucking adorable. “It’s part of the duty description of being a first sergeant,” he said mildly.

She frowned. “I’m quite sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Soldiers will try to get between you and your commander. It’s up to the commander and the first sergeant to present a united front.”

She opened her mouth to say something then closed it.

He stepped close. “What?”

“I—” She paused, refusing to lift her gaze to meet his. “I guess I hadn’t thought about it.”

Something he’d said upset her. It cut at him, slicing away the moment before and replacing it with something raw and bleeding. “What, Mel?”

He lifted his hand to her cheek then, more to offer comfort than to steady her.

He was shocked when she didn’t pull away.

“I guess I never thought about you and me being a united front.” Her words were thick and uncertain, filled with fear and old hurts. Because he could find no other way to soothe the aching hurt in her eyes, he lowered his mouth to hers. A gentle kiss. Hesitant. A brush of lips.

Tentative and seeking. He sucked gently on her bottom lip, urging her to open for him, begging her with his mouth to not pull away.

There was fear in his kiss. Terror that she would pull away and slap at him.

But then her lips parted. Just a little, but it was enough for him to feel her breath on his tongue. She tasted sweet and sunny from the wine. He could get drunk on her taste. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue against hers and losing a piece of his soul.

He held himself viciously in check. Barely cupped her cheeks as he fought the turbulent need inside, as it surged up, wanting her, only her. To remind her that she was his, she’d always been his.

But this was a campaign, not a single battle.

He eased back before she could pull away. “I’m here now.” His words brushed against her mouth. “For as long as you’ll let me, I’m here.” He stroked his thumb over her cheek. “I know I haven’t been someone you can count on.” He brushed his lips against hers again. “But I’d like to be.”

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6+star

Michel’s Review 

Homefront by Jessica Scott is the first book in her new series featuring career military men and women that are in the precarious position of struggling with their careers and finding the right balance with their families.  At times the military forces their men and women to make their jobs more important than family.  It is a necessary evil that keeps them alive and able to return home to the ones they love.  These choices not only leave scars on the soldier, they also leave scars on their families.  Some wounds are impossible to heal.  Others take time, effort, dedication, patience, and most of all, love.

Gale Sorren is a soldier.  He has dedicated most of his life to the army.  He has served two tours in Afghanistan and trained his men to be tough soldiers.  He walked away from his wife and young daughter because he didn’t know how to be a soldier and be husband/ father.  His immaturity and fear caused him to lose the one thing that should of been his foundation.  He lost his family.

While in Afghanistan the reality of his loss hits home in a very devastating way.  His young teen daughter is in the hospital and facing some serious psychological problems.  He wants to be there for her and her mother.  When he is denied leave because of miscommunications, he literally loses his cool.  His reactions almost cost him his career.  But it is also an eye opener.  He realizes that he has never been there when his family really needed him.  He never put them first.  He never realized how his choices and actions affected their lives.  He has vowed that once he is home he is going to do everything in his power to get stationed near his family.  He is going to put them first.  He only hopes that he is not too late.

A few years later he is finally stationed near his ex wife and teenage daughter.  His daughter has gone from being a bright eyed little princess to a very troubled teen.  She is screwing up in school, defying her mother, sneaking around with a boy, and making everybody’s life miserable.  Gale is going to have to learn a new way to communicate with his daughter and his ex wife.  He will struggle with it all.  He will make mistakes.  He will make some great strides.  The one thing that is very clear is that he is going to do everything within his power to become a part of his family.  He will show them how much he really loves them every moment of the day.

While Gale struggles to find his footing with his family, he is also struggling with his new post.  Not only are there the usual army problems and issues, there are also problems among the officers.  After a discovery of a domestic crime that could ruin one man’s career, the lines are drawn in the sand.  Officers are taking sides and it is getting ugly.

Meanwhile two teenagers are in danger.  It is up to Gale to make his daughter and her boyfriend’s homelife a safe environment.  At the same time hang onto his career and win his wife back.

The one thing that makes everything different now is that Gale is a strong man and leader. Melanie is a strong woman and mother.  They are no longer teenage kids trying to raise a baby.  They are mature adults that look at life differently and understand the importance of effort.  They also know that love is the foundation that makes the family work.

Jessica Scott wrote another powerful story that not only touched my heart but shocked me.  As a parent of teenagers I could understand the difficulties in parenting.  I could understand Gale and Melanie’s need to protect their child and any other child that may be in trouble.  As a women I understood Melanie’s fears, heartbreak, and reluctance to trust Gale.  I respected the way Gale handled every situation.

Homefront is an amazing book!

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Excusive Interview with Jessica Scott

  1. Can you tell the readers how you became inspired to become a novelist while actively serving our country?

 Jessica : I wanted to tell stories about normal soldiers coming home from war. I love a NAVY Seal romance as much as the next gal but I felt like I could tell a story about the everyman – not the special forces soldiers but the regular joes.

 

  1. What type of books did you write first, fiction or non fiction?

 

Jessica :My first love has always been fiction. Nonfiction has come relatively easily but fiction took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get it right.

 

  1. What inspired you to venture into the New Adult genre after being successful with Contemporary Romance.

Jessica: I don’t know, honestly. I was in that weird place I get at least once a year where I’m thinking I’m done, I don’t have anything left in me and then Beth and Noah kind of just jumped out of me. I wrote their book really quickly and honestly, I’ve never had it happen to me like this. I love the story and I’m so glad others are enjoying it, too.

 

  1. Did you find it harder to write a New Adult book?

Jessica : Not really. I found writing in the first person really easy to slip into. I was able to get into their points of view more easily so it was a really refreshing change, if that makes sense.

  1. Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration for your latest novel, Homefront?

Jessica : Homefront is a spin off series of the Coming Home series. It’s First Sergeant Sorren’s story and it’s 100% a reunion story (which I seem to write a lot). It’s about a man learning to become a father and a husband when he’s been gone for most of his daughter’s life.

  1. What can readers look forward to in the future from Jessica Scott?

Jessica : Well, there are two more homefront books coming later this year. After the War comes out in May and hopefully, Face the Fire will be out in June (if I can get it finished by then). After that, there will be two more new adult books. Any further out, I think I have to hit the skids and think I’m done with no more stories to tell before I figure out what comes next.

About Jessica Scott

Jessica Scott1USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She’s also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

Most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012. Learn More at http://www.jessicascott.net

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