Blog Tour + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Broken Girl by Gretchen de la O

Posted on 06/13/2016 by shellbellereads

Broken Girl

By Gretchen de la O

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis

My name is ROSE NEWTON, and I sell my body on the streets of San Francisco. I’m what you call society’s dirty little secret. On the outside, I’m in control, the woman who makes her own rules and gives nothing away for free. Inside, I’m broken and numb. Torn and shattered by my past, my life is nothing more than the lost fragments of what’s left of me. SHANE WEST represents everything that’s foreign to me. He’s brave, kind, funny, gorgeous and persistent. When fate brings us face to face, an undeniable attraction blazes between us. He becomes the constant I’ve never had and the only man I’ll ever trust. There is nothing simple about falling in love when you’re keeping a secret like mine. *Reader’s discretion advised. Certain content might not be suitable for some readers.

Michel’s Review

In the last two years I have met Gretchen de la O at several book signings. Each time I spoke with her she told me she was working on something very different and very dark. She said it contained some very heavy subject matter and that it was a very difficult book to write. She couldn’t put an exact time frame as to when the book would release because she wanted to get this story right. She didn’t want to take the easy road with Rose’s story. She wanted to give Rose the voice that would tell her story .

Broken Girl by Gretchen de la O is quite different from the books I usually read. It’s a dark, gritty look inside of a truly broken person. It’s a harsh reality with ugly truths, jagged revelations, and deep emotional scars. This is not a fun, fluffy romance book where love fixes all. Quite honestly I wouldn’t even consider this book a romance at all. It’s a vivid portrayal of a young girl’s journey into a dark twisted adulthood. A lost little girl existing beneath the layers of betrayal, abuse,condemnation, and self destruction. If you are looking for light reading, this may not be the book to choose. If you have hard limits in your reading preferences, don’t read this book.

Broken Girl contains childhood sexual abuse, violence, physical abuse, drug abuse, and self abuse. It is vividly graphic. It has hardcore subject matter that is quite disturbing. Although most of the content is very dark there is also a progression to the light. A broken individual finally finding the path to her own personal self redemption. Take off your rose colored glasses and brace yourself.

Rose Newton never really had a chance in life. Her childhood was horrific. She encountered abuse on every level. It’s only natural that her childhood would lead to a life of prostitution. Prostitution gives her the power to control the abuse. It’s the only source of income she can earn to survive in a very expensive world. She’s not living in luxury, in fact she lives in poverty. She views sex as a means to an end, no emotional or physical attachments.

She’s worked the streets since she was sixteen years old. She has no illusions of a grand future. She doesn’t have hopes and dreams for the future. Her life is pathetic. The few friends she has are people like her, living in the dark shadows of society. Their friendships are conditional. Each of them guards their inner secrets, emotional demons, and past lives.

Rose accidentally meets a handsome young man in a laundromat after he saves another prostitute from harm. She’s intrigued that a stranger would help a person like her. Her curiosity leads her to return to laundromat and to a reluctant friendship with Shane. This is the first choice that will begin to take Rose in a different direction in life. It will be the first step into her journey of self discovery. It may be her only chance at being truly loved.

As Rose’s journey begins to progress, her current life will spiral out of control. She will start to experience real emotions and eye opening events.

Rose has to learn to forgive and love herself before she can attempt to becoming a whole person. She has to learn that she is worthy and entitled to love just like every other person. She has to find out who Rose is capable of becoming.

I admit this was a very hard story for me to read. I had a very heavy feeling throughout the book. Some parts appalled me, others broke me. I did not find this entertaining but was fully engaged in the story. It was the type of book that was based upon some very heavy issues and dark subject matter. What made me give the books 5 Stars is it’s brutal honesty and realistic solutions.

Gretchen de la O wrote a very honest, brutal accounting of a broken girl’s life. It’s not a pretty story. It’s a girl finding the glue to put herself back together. It’s a lesson of self respect and becoming whole.

________________________________________

Gretchen de la O, is a writer of romantically unique stories. A proclaimed positive energy infuser by people who know her, she finds joy in helping those around her discover their creative process. Gretchen is a firm believer that anything is possible if you set your mind to it; and what you expect out of life, always finds a way of showing up. She’s authentic in her dedication to her own creative process, finds strength in her spirituality, and is always looking for the bright spot in every situation.

Gretchen released her first novel, Almost Eighteen in September of 2011, the first in a three book new adult student/teacher romance, The Wilson Mooney Series. In November of 2012, she followed with book two, Eighteen at Last, and concluded the series with Beyond Eighteen in October, 2013. Her Fourth novel, PROTOTYPE, a romantic suspense, the first book in the Possession Series was released in October 2014. BROKEN GIRL, Gretchen’s fifth novel, is a standalone contemporary romance slated to be released April 29th, 2016. Please visit Gretchen at www.gretchendelao.com .

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Giveaway

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Lovegame by Tracy Wolff

Posted on 06/13/2016 by shellbellereads

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LOVEGAME

Lovegame

By Tracy Wolff

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

True Crime novelist Ian Sharpe has spent his career writing about serial killers for very personal reasons. For his latest exposé, he is taking on the sadistic madman known as the Red Ribbon Strangler, and when his research leads him to Hollywood’s most private and provocative actress, he will break every rule to uncover her truth.

The daughter of one of Hollywood’s golden couples, chased by paparazzi and treated as a commodity her entire life, Veronica Romero wields her sex appeal like a weapon. She expects Ian to be as easy to control as every other man she’s ever known. But from the beginning, he refuses to fall into line. Mysterious and cool, challenging and just a little bit dangerous, Ian somehow makes her feel safe—even as he digs into the deepest secrets of her life and pushes her to the breaking point.

As raw ecstasy gives way to agonized truths, their dark obsession exposes secrets that have been buried for far too long. Ian wants to tear down her walls and heal the sensual woman underneath. But if Veronica’s learned anything, it’s that the line between pleasure and pain is a narrow one—and when caught between them the only thing that matters is how you play the game.

e3681-excerpt

I take picture after picture, with a vintage champagne glass in my hand or my face buried in a huge bouquet of dahlias. Toward the end, Marc has the stylist and his assistant wrap me up in a long string of artificial belladonna since the real stuff can cause problems if it touches the skin. Then they heap my gloved hands with a mountain of the poisonous black berries and Marc has me hold my hands out to the camera in a deadly macabre offering.

Again and again Marc shoots me like that, taking pictures from every possible angle. On his knees in front of me, looking up. From a ladder above me, looking down. Beside me. Behind me. Across the room. Up close. Again and again he points and clicks. Again and again, I smile and pout and make every other expression he asks for. I even take his suggestion to tilt my head back with my mouth open wide and hold one of the berries between my thumb and index finger as I pretend to be about to drop it in. As I do, I close my eyes and pretend not to be totally icked out.

When I open them two minutes and twenty shots later, the first person I see is Ian. He’s leaning back against one of the mirrored walls and for once his omnipresent notebook is nowhere to be seen. Instead he’s staring straight at me, a half-snarl on his normally calm face and his eyes burning with a mixture of contempt and desire.

It’s the first time I’ve seen anything but pleasant or puzzled interest from him and it has the tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Has ice skating down my spine and a desert taking up residence in my mouth. Because, in that moment, as our eyes lock and his turn impossibly darker, impossibly blacker, I don’t know who he sees. Can’t tell who he wants.

Me or her?

Actress or murderer?

Sentient being or a character he helped create?

It’s just more fuel to add to the fire of my earlier doubts and in that one tense and electric moment, it comes to me. What the cover shot should be.

What I need it to be.

Marc backs off a little, has his assistant come forward with a trash bag for me to throw away the last of the berries and the gloves I’ve been wearing. As she pauses to tie up the bag in front of me, I ask her for a couple wipes.

She quickly returns with a box of baby wipes and I smile my thanks even as Marc instructs me back against the mirror for what he calls “the last series of shots.”

I do as he instructs, but as he’s fiddling with the lighting, I turn toward the mirror and swipe the wipe over the right half of my face.

“What are you doing?” my makeup artist squawks as he comes racing across the room at me.

“Trust me, Dalton,” I tell him as I continue to scrub.

“Stop doing that!” he orders as he grabs on to the end of the wipe and actually tries to wrestle it away from me.

“Just wait,” I instruct, refusing to let go no matter how hard he tugs.

“But—”

“What are you up to, Veronica?” Marc asks. He sounds more intrigued than annoyed.

“I’ll show you,” I tell him, pushing gently at Dalton’s hand until he finally lets go with a whimper.

And then, with the whole room—including Ian—watching me intently, I wipe the entire half side of my face clean of any and all makeup. I do it carefully, making sure that the line that runs down the center of my face is exact so that both sides are completely symmetrical.

When I’m done, I reach up and take off my right earring and hand it to Dalton who still looks slightly shell-shocked. Then I step back and stare at this new reflection of myself in the mirror.

Half me at my most natural, half her at her most armored, it’s a devastating look. Made even more so by the elaborate fifties makeup Dalton has me in—all red lips and thick black liner and long, long lashes.

There is a difference, I tell myself fiercely as I study myself. I am not her. I will never be her, no matter what it felt like four months ago.

In the background I’m aware of Marc cursing softly, of him snapping picture after picture. I don’t turn around, instead continuing to give him my back so that he gets both me and my reflection in each shot.

“Turn around,” he breathes after he’s taken at least three dozen pictures.

Reluctantly, I do as he requests, then follow his impatient gesture for me to move away from the mirror. I step forward and then the camera starts again, clicking away to get the shot from this angle as well.

At that moment, Ian moves and I make the mistake of glancing his way. Our gazes lock and heat slams through me at the look he’s giving me, has my eyes widening and my lips parting on a gasp as I struggle to draw air into lungs that have abruptly forgotten how to work.

“Fuck,” Marc breathes from where he’s narrowing in on my face. “That’s it. That’s the money shot.”

I drag my eyes away from Ian, but it’s too late. For the first time in a very, very long time, I feel vulnerable. And I hate every second of it.

___________________________________________

About Tracy Wolff:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from sweet contemporary to erotica, from paranormal to Urban Fantasy and from young adult to new adult.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

*****

Giveaway

Giveaway:
1 winner will receive a $35 Amazon Giftcard and copies of the Ethan Frost Trilogy by Tracy Wolff
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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Dishonor Thy Wife by Belinda Austin

Posted on 06/13/2016 by shellbellereads

A Psychological Thriller of Sexual
Obsession and a Twisted Romance.

DISHONOR THY WIFE

Belinda Austin

Releasing June 13th, 2016

A Psychological Thriller of Sexual
Obsession and a Twisted Romance.

Ronni and Brad have an arranged
marriage. Six years ago, he broke off with his fiancée or else face jail time
for getting the then underage Ronni pregnant, i.e. statutory rape. The couple
has not slept together since. The spoiled Brad is resentful and can be verbally
abusive to both Ronni and their daughter who he mostly ignores.

Brad is not the only one trapped in an
unwanted marriage. Ronni was a dirt-poor teenager when her grandfather forced
her to marry the rich medical student. She is simply trying to make the best of
a bad marriage until she can finish college and be able to support herself and
Traci.

One day after a medical conference,
Brad returns home a changed man. He starts acting like a real father to Traci
who now adores him. Brad even treats Ronni with kindness. As
her heart melts towards Brad, Ronni wonders if he is still seeing his mistress. As her heart melts towards Brad, Ronni wonders if he is still
seeing his mistress even as she begins to trust him.

Ronni finds she enjoys her husband spying through the keyhole of
her bedroom door. She begins to perform for him.

Once Ronni has a taste of forbidden
passion, she is addicted until Brad begins acting like a Jekyll-Hyde and his
violent outbursts return. She believes he may be bipolar, never realizing that
something far more sinister is going on, and she is playing a dangerous game
beneath the covers with Brad.

As secrets unfold, lies unravel, and
fraud is uncovered, what happened at a Philly medical convention sets off a
chain of events that begs the question, does a woman really know the cracks
beneath her husband’s skin?

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Well here goes, now it begins, a devious plan concocted in Philly. “You look nice, Ronni.” Wow! My voice had gone up as if she clenched my balls because the wife looked unbelievably sexy. In soft light, she appeared almost pretty with her hair mussed. One strap of her t-shirt drooped over her shoulder.

Okay, down boy! Quit picturing how she would look with pointy nipples tingling with excitement, and legs spread wide, hips humping. I cursed the desire welling inside my dark soul. I must not sleep with her—ever! That was our agreement. “Ronni?” I said in a eunuch voice.

“Well, who were you expecting, Brad? Fool!”

Next to the wedding picture was a photo of a child, supposedly my daughter. The oldest trick in the book was to trap a man with pregnancy.

“No one calls me a fool and gets away with it!”

She ran towards the stairs.

My legs were longer and I grabbed her arm, laughing at her kicking and missing.

I spun her around, trapping her with my arms. Our bodies touched everywhere and I held her even tighter. “You smell of jasmine,” I moaned, lowering her to the stairs and raining kisses across her neck. Her wiggling aroused me beyond belief. I throbbed, pounding with such pressure; all I could think of was easing my pain in Ronni. My blood rushed to that one spot where my need was desperate. At this moment, the act was worth any price. Guilt could come later. I closed my eyes, and muttered, “God, I promise to say ten Hail Marys later even though I’m not Catholic.”

I shoved her hand on my pants, rubbing her palm against me. “Please, I need you, Ronni. Feel how much I want you. I need you so much, Ronni. Please, stroke me, pet me. Yeah, that’s it. More!”

She quit struggling and groaned.

I removed my hand and she continued rubbing. Squeezing. Pulling. Caressing.

My breath came in deep gasps. “Unzip me,” I panted and tugged at the zipper of her pants, my fingers clumsily poking her.

“Ouch, get off me you oaf!”

She slapped my cheek hard, sobering me, making me remember who we were and that bed was out of the question between us. “Again, Brad? You’re raping me again?”

I stood, straightening my pants and feeling rather sheepish about the rape thing. I plunked down on a step to conceal my throbbing arousal, looking like a petulant child. Any moment now, I might have a temper tantrum—Ronni really should give out to her husband. She was a tramp, just as her mother had been.

“I wish you stayed in Philadelphia permanently, Brad, or the plane crashed,” she snapped.

I never struck a woman in my life and clenched my hands into fists, resisting the urge to punch her. It took a minute for my pants to deflate. I then stumbled up the stairs, banging my ankle against the last step.

Belinda is
a former Software Engineer and Web Developer. She is a Zumbaholic. Belinda
loves to create novels with twists and turns, and love stories that will
squeeze your heart. Her goal is to entertain and touch you by making you laugh,
cry, get angry: go through the emotional experience that makes us all human and
by doing so humanize her characters.

Her aim
with her books is to grab the reader by the shirt collar and drag him or her
into the novel, and not let go until the end. She hopes that the reader will
not just read her story, but experience it, with chills, blood pounding, brain
bursting, etc.

Belinda
was born in the Los Angeles area and lives in Texas.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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New Release: Stolen By The Sheikh by Lauren Hawkeye & Suzanne Rock

Posted on 06/13/2016 by shellbellereads

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New York Times bestselling authors Lauren Hawkeye and Suzanne Rock’s STOLEN BY THE SHEIKH is available now! Get swept away in Liv and Nayo’s story.

About STOLEN BY THE SHEIKH

Fast-talking career woman Olivia Bremer is at the peak of her profession. Employed by one of the country’s most influential magazines, she spends her days dining with celebs and taking her pick of free products from designers and cosmetic companies. Every woman’s dream job, basically. So what if it’s a little lonely at the top. Success often comes at a price, right?

Nayef “Nayo” Darzi is used to getting his way. The wealthy prince can have any beauty he wants—until danger throws him together with a stubborn American, perhaps the first woman unaffected by his alpha tendencies. Tattooed and contentious women aren’t his thing—normally. But there’s something about Olivia and her sexy curves that makes Nayo want to take a big bit. If he can keep her out of trouble long enough…

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Get a sneak peek of STOLEN BY THE SHEIKH:

“I apologize. I never meant to offend. It’s just, where I come from, women are meant to be provided for.” Nayo reached up and tucked a stray strand of her long red hair behind her ear. “And a woman as beautiful as you would have many suitors lined up for the job.” Her body betrayed her, reacting to that one simple touch in ways most men couldn’t elicit with their best efforts. Jesus. What was wrong with her? She should be telling this ass-backwards man where he could shove it, yet instead she was quivering at his touch. She needed to get out of there and get her head on straight, fast.

“Um. Thanks?” Listen, I’m already running late for my meeting, and I still need to clean myself up. Carrie will have a fit if I show up looking like this.”

She started to turn to walk away, but Nayo’s intense stare held her in place. He took in every inch of her from top to toes, and back up again. His eyes burned a trail of heat on her body as if his hands touched everywhere he looked. Finally his gaze stopped, lingering on the first green stain she acquired on her chest and to her own surprise, she found herself leaning forward ever so slightly to give him a better view.

“I think you look perfect,” he said. Stepping in close, Nayo reached his hand up to her face and slowly rubbed his thumb along her jaw. “Except for maybe this.”

“What are you…” Before she could finish, Nayo placed his thumb to his mouth and licked off the green smoothie that was there. A low growl escaped his lips. “Delicious.”

She felt heat rush her cheeks, flushing them a deep crimson. She couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or the sight of him licking his thumb, but it was probably a bit of both.

“I…uh..” Liv stammered over her words, lowering her head in hopes he wouldn’t notice how much he had affected her with his words, his actions. Fat chance though, it would be hard to miss the red in her cheeks, as her fair skin provided a great contrast.

Nayo leaned in close, breathing his next words into her ear “I’d love to taste more.” Her whole body shivered and Liv snapped her gaze up to meet his. She slowly tilted her drink toward him, offering it up without a second thought.

“I wasn’t talking about the drink.” Heat coursed through her body at his words. Her breath hitched in her throat as Nayo closed what little distance was left between them. Images of biting that luscious lower lip of his flooded her mind as Liv parted her own in invitation… Ding! Ding Ding Ding! “Oh, for fuck’s sake” Liv muttered under her breath, her boss’s incessant text messaging effectively ruining the moment. And she knew it had to be her boss. No one else would send her that many messages in a row.

About Lauren Hawkeye

Lauren Hawkeye/ Lauren Jameson never imagined that she’d wind up telling stories for a living… though when she looks back, it’s easy to see that she’s the only one who is surprised. Always “the kid who read all the time”, Lauren made up stories about her favorite characters once she’d finished a book… and once spent an entire year narrating her own life internally. No, really. But where she was just plain odd before publication, now she can at least claim to have an artistic temperament.

Lauren lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada with her husband, toddler, pit bull and idiot cat, though they do not live in an igloo, nor do they drive a dogsled. In her nonexistent spare time Lauren can be found knitting (her husband claims that her snobby yarn collection is exorbitant), reading anything she can get her hands on, or sweating her way through spin class. She loves to hear from her readers!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Reader Group

About Suzanne Rock

A lifetime New Englander, Suzanne married her college sweetheart and has been with him for over twenty years. Every summer she drags her husband and two daughters to Maine on a quest for the perfect lobster dinner. Every fall she can be found down in Foxboro, Massachusetts cheering on her favorite football team. In between those trips, she’s a chauffeur, a maid, a chef, an event planner, a hairdresser, a wardrobe stylist, a tutor and a sometimes masseuse. To keep her sanity, she often drinks copious amounts of coffee and stares at the blank screen of her laptop, dreaming of great adventures. Sometimes she even writes them down for others to enjoy.

Suzanne is represented by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency and writes mainstream romances under the pen name Ava Conway.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Reader Group

New Release + 5 STAR Review : Coast by Jay McLean – Kick Push Series -Book 2

Posted on 06/10/2016 by shellbellereads

Coast

Kick Push – Book 2

By Jay McLean

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

***Please note: Coast is the sequel to Kick Push and must be read in order***

One life-changing summer.
One boy.
The boy.
The boy who offered me safe touches and heart-stopping smiles – smiles he shared with his son.
We filled our days with porch-step kisses,
filled our ears with laughter,
filled our hearts with love.
Deep, soul-aching, desperate love.

But love is misleading.
It’s an invisible, fleeting moment.
Somewhere between false adoration and pure hatred comes an emotion, a vulnerable need, a single desire.
It lives within the ones who miss it, who crave it,
who know better than to expect it.
Love is relentless.
Even when that love turns to hate, turns to loathing,
turns to pain.

Love should heal you.
But it can also break you.
Believe me, I know…
Because I’m Becca Owens – a broken girl…
…And he’s Josh Warden – the boy who broke me.

________________________________

Michel’s Review

Spoiler Free Review

COAST is NOT A STAND ALONE NOVEL

Last summer I read Kick Push by Jay McLean. The moment I finished this phenomenal book I was dying for the conclusion to Joshua and Becca’s story. It about killed me to wait almost a full year before Coast released. I can honestly say that it was worth the wait and gave Joshua and Becca the happily ever after they truly deserved. It wasn’t an easy journey filled with flowers and sunshine. It also wasn’t a gut wrenching journey filled with hurtful angst. It was a journey of growth, self discovery, and forgiveness. Over a three year period Joshua, Becca, and little Tommy are going to learn the true meaning of life, love, and acceptance. They are going to learn that no matter what happens in the incredible journey known as life, as long as they have each other they can coast.

I don’t want to say too much more because I don’t want to give away spoilers. It took Becca three long years to find herself, to heal enough to move on in life, and accept happiness. Joshua also had to find his place in life. His professional career and family commitments are colliding. He has to make choices, shuffle his schedule, and bring Becca home. The glue that holds all of them together is Chazarae. She gave each of them the push they needed to learn how to coast.

Jay McLean did a phenomenal job writing this story. She touched upon every emotion and created a story that any reader can relate to. I highly recommend these two books.

____________________________________

Kick Push Series

Kick Push

Kick Push Series – Book 1

By Jay McLean

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

There’s a single defining moment within every skater.
It lasts only a second. Two if you’re good.
Three if you’re really good.
It’s the moment you’re in the air, your board somewhere
beneath you, and nothing but wind surrounds you.
It’s the feeling of being airborne.

The sixteen-year-old version of me would’ve said it was the
greatest feeling in the world.
Then at seventeen, I had my son.
And every single second became a defining moment. Even the ones that consisted of heartbreak when his mother left us.

Seventeen. Single. Dad.
That’s what my life became.
Yet, every day, I managed to find that feeling of being
airborne.
Or at least I convinced myself I did.
But I lied—to myself and to everyone around me.
Until she showed up; Tanned skin, raven dark hair, and eyes the color of emeralds.

You know what sucks about being in the air?
Coming down from the high.
Sometimes you land on the board and nail the trick.
Then kick, push, and coast away.
Other times you fall.
You fall hard.
And those are the times when it’s not as easy to get back up, dust off your pads and try again.
Especially when the girl with the emerald eyes becomes your drug…
And you become her poison.

_________________________________

Author Bio:

Jay McLean is the author of the More Series, including More Than This, More Than Her, More Than Him and More Than Forever. She also has two standalones coming soon titled Where The Road Takes Me, and Combative.
Jay is an avid reader, writer, and most of all, procrastinator. When she’s not doing any of those things, she can be found running after her two little boys, or devouring some tacky reality TV show.
She writes what she loves to read, which are books that can make her laugh, make her smile, make her hurt, and make her feel.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

New Release + Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: Foolproof Love by Katee Robert

Posted on 06/10/2016 by shellbellereads

Foolproof Love

Foolproof Love Series – Book 1

By Katee Robert

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Bull rider Adam Meyer put Devil’s Falls in his rearview mirror years ago and hasn’t stopped running since. Now he’s back—temporarily, if he has any say about it. Restless, he finds himself kissing the sexiest girl in town…and agreeing to be the fake boyfriend in her little revenge scheme.

Jules Rodrigez isn’t interested in the role of town spinster. Being seen with a hell raiser like Adam is the perfect way to scandalize the residents, make her ex jealous, and prove she’s a sexy, desirable woman. And if their plan includes ridiculously hot sex—in public, of course—all the better.

But this thing between them has an expiration date. Putting down roots isn’t in Adam’s blood, and Jules’s roots in Devil’s Falls are bedrock deep. He’ll leave, even if it rips out his heart. But this time, he’s not sure he’ll survive it…

________________________________

Tracey’s Review

*******4.5 Seriously Hot, Quirky, Cat-Loving Stars*******

Jules Rodriguez has a problem. Her ex, the one that dumped her and high-tailed it out of town right after high school graduation, is back in Devil’s Falls. Jules knows that some people think of her as the ‘on the shelf’ spinster with a penchant for cats, nursing a broken heart over the one that got away, and she is determined to put an end to that idea. How? By stirring up some scandal, and giving the townfolk, especially Grant, something to talk about. Enter one Adam Meyer, former bad boy of Devil’s Falls. Adam is more than happy to help a girl out, as long as she knows the score: he’s just back in town for a while, but he sure isn’t staying. In the meantime, though, he’ll be glad to help Jules with her plan.

Okay, I’m not going to lie. If you tell me that the heroine of a book owns a cat café, namely Cups and Kittens, I’m already all in. Add in a tall, dark, sexier-than-sin cowboy, one that’s damaged but not beyond redemption, and I’m a goner. Happily, FOOLPROOF LOVE by Katee Robert, has all of this and more, making it one of my favorite reads lately.

Katee has the gift of writing books peopled with quirky complex characters, and storylines that grab you from the first words and wrap you up completely. I didn’t know much about FOOLPROOF LOVE before I started it, but knowing that Katee had written it, there was no question that I had to read it.

I loved every single character in this book. Jules spent high school known as one half of the ‘golden couple,’ until Grant left Devil’s Falls for greener pastures. Since then, she’s done her best to move on, and she has done, for the most part. Her love of her hometown is evident in all that she does, and she is not about to have Grant, or anyone else, determine how people see her, or how she feels about herself. Adam Meyer is definitely not a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of guy. Shaped by his father’s desertion, he couldn’t wait to leave Devil’s Falls behind, refusing to be tied down to any place or anyone. But one person that Adam would do anything for is his mother, and finding out that she’s sick has brought him back to the place that he just can’t bear to stay.

The chemistry between Jules and Adam is H.O.T., oh, my gosh, it’s crazy combustible, like, whoa, as Jules would say. The two agree to be ‘fake’ boyfriend and girlfriend, in order to kick up Jules’ scandal factor a few notches, but, well, we know how these things go. It isn’t long at all, oh, maybe one hot minute, before the ‘fake’ part evolves into something very real and not at all what either of them was expecting.

I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed FOOLPROOF LOVE. Besides two main characters that I love, Katee has populated Devil’s Falls with a whole host of other folks that I can’t wait to read about. Aubry, Quinn, Daniel, all of them have a story of their own, and I can’t wait to have them in my hot little book-loving hands. I highly recommend this book (can you tell?!), and suggest you pop it right up to the top of your TBR. Happy reading!

***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***
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Excerpt

“That’s really sweet, Grant. It was great seeing you, but my boyfriend is waiting for me.”

He frowned. “Boyfriend?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s a new thing. We haven’t exactly gone public with it—you know how Devil’s Falls can be—so you wouldn’t have heard.” She gave him a pat on his arm. “It was nice seeing you. So great. Really, we’ll have to catch up sometime soon.” And then she stepped around him, dragging Aubry behind her.

“What are you doing?” Aubry whispered.

“Winging it.” She stopped by the trio of men, all too aware of Grant watching her. “Hi, Daniel. Quinn. Adam.” They raised their beers.

Daniel looked over her shoulder with a frown. “Is that your piece-of-shit ex-boyfriend I see?”

“The very one.” She disentangled her arm from Aubry’s. “Speaking of, I need a favor.”

“Anything for you, kid.”

She tried not to roll her eyes at him calling her kid. He was a whole seven years older than her. Not exactly ancient. “Actually, it’s not you I need the favor from.” Before she could talk herself out of it, she sidled up to Adam and put her arms around his neck. To his credit, he didn’t shove her on her butt in the dirt, merely raising his eyebrows. Jules kept her voice low so there was no chance of Grant overhearing. “So as you’ve noticed, my ex is watching me really closely right now, and I might have told him a tiny white lie about me dating someone in order to avoid a devastating dose of humiliation. And since I can’t date Daniel and no one would ever believe I’d date Quinn—”

The man in question frowned. “You really know how to hit a man where it hurts, Jules.”

“—that leaves you.”

Adam’s face remained impassive. “I see.”

There wasn’t a whole lot to work with in those words, but he also had let his free hand drift down to settle on her hip, so she just kept talking. “If you could just play along and maybe kiss me like you want to do filthy things to me in the bed of your truck, I’d really appreciate it.”

If anything, his eyebrows rose higher. “That guy really got under your skin, didn’t he?”

“You have no idea.” Next to them, Daniel made a sound suspiciously like a growl, but neither of them looked over. Adam’s hand pulsed on her hip, the heat of it shocking despite the warmth of the night. His calluses dragged over the sensitive skin bared by her T-shirt, and she shivered. Maybe this was a terrible idea. She didn’t have time to really reconsider, though, because he set down his beer, cupped the back of her neck, and dealt her the single most devastating kiss of her life.

No, not a kiss.

He took possession of her mouth, his tongue tracing the seam of her lips and then delving inside. He tasted of beer and something darker, something that hinted at exactly what she’d asked for—like he wanted to do filthy things to her in the bed of his truck. She closed her eyes, giving his tongue a tentative stroke, and had to fight down a moan at the way the move made her entire body go tight. More.

He lifted his head, breaking the kiss and slamming her back into the real world. She blinked up at him, all too aware of her body pressed against the entirety of his, of how he was hard in all the places she was soft, of how goddamn good he smelled. “Wow.”

There went that eyebrow again. “You think it was believable?”

Foolproof Love Series

Fool Me Once -August 1, 2016

A Fool For You – TBA

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About Katee Robert:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Connect with Katee at:

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Excerpt Reveal: Stripped Bare by Emma Hart

Posted on 06/10/2016 by shellbellereads

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When unlucky in love Mia O’Halloran finds herself face to Sex God V-Lines with a chiseled, hot male stripper in possession of a package not even the postal service could lose, what happens in Vegas is definitely supposed to stay in Vegas.

She doesn’t expect to find Mr. Multiple Oh-Oh-Oh as her client—and hell, how is she supposed to pitch a marketing plan when she can remember how easily he briefed her g-spot on an orgasm… or five?

West Rykman has one rule: you don’t mix business with pleasure. They can look, but unless they’re shoving a dollar inside his pants, they can’t touch. He learned that lesson the hard way two years ago.

He had no idea the flame-haired vixen with a penchant for hot, kinky sex and a mouth that would make a hooker cry would be the one to bend—and break—his rule.

She’s sworn off men after ten too many heartbreaks.

He’s determined he’ll never lose it all for a woman again.

She’s pretty screwed.

He’s really screwed.

And not in the we’re-not-sleeping-tonight way…

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STRIPPED TEASER 2

“Hi,” I said into the phone. “What’s up?”

“Me,” he rumbled back. “I’m pretty sure I’ve been hard all fucking day.”

I swallowed. Was this phone sex? I’d never done phone sex before.

“West?”

“Yeah?”

“Are we going to have phone sex?”

He paused. “Do you want to have phone sex?”

“Are you hard?”

“I’m always hard when I think about you.”

I felt like I needed to preen a little. “I’ve never had phone sex before.”

“What kind of assholes have you been dating?”

“You really don’t want to go there. We’ll be here all night. I mean, seriously. I bore myself at this point.”

“You’re rambling. Are you drunk?”

“I wish,” I mumbled. I needed to be drunk to phone-sex, didn’t I?

Yes, I decided, blankly staring at my TV. I did. And not just any kind of drunk. I needed to be absolutely hammered.

“You didn’t answer the question, Mia,” he said softly.

Oh. Right. Did I want to. Well, I had looked at that picture several times…

“Yes. I want to.” I was officially crazy. I’d lost my mind. No doubt about it.

“Where are you right now?”

Through the phone, I heard a door shut.

“Are you in bed?” he asked.

“No.”

“Get into bed. Take your clothes off first.”

His tone was commanding and strong, and before I could think it through, I was in my room, my phone was on the bed, and I was stripping down to my underwear.

I picked the phone up and climbed in bed. “I’m in bed.”

“Good.” His voice was a little gruff. “What are you wearing?”

I bit down on my lower lip and glanced at the scarlet-red underwear set I had on. “Hold on.” I brought up the camera on my phone, kicked the sheets to the side, and took a photo of myself using the front camera. It was good enough, so I texted it to him. “Check your messages.”

He was silent for a good few seconds. Then there was, “Jesus, Mia. Fucking hell.”

“Do you…like it?”

“Like it? You look sexy as fuck. If I were with you right now, I’d rip those fucking panties off you.”

“And do what?” Look at me go.

He laughed slightly. “Kiss you,” he answered roughly, all traces of laughter from his voice gone. “I’d run my hands up your body as you wrap your legs around my waist.”

I swallowed, my clit aching as the low tone of his voice mixed with his words turned me on.

“I’d kiss down your neck and unclasp your bra so I could touch your gorgeous tits.”

My hand hovered as I contemplated doing it—and then I did it. One quick fiddle with the clasp between them and my bra cups fell to my side. My nipples were hard, and I cupped my right breast, my thumb ghosting over my nipple.

“I’d take them in my mouth. Roll my tongue over your hard nipples until you moan beneath me and beg me for more.”

My eyes closed.

“And then I’d kiss my way down your stomach to those tiny, red panties.”

My hand took on a life of its own as it followed his words. My fingertips trailed down the center of my stomach until they brushed the waistband of the red lace thong.

“Then what?” I asked.

“Then I’d peel them down your legs and, once they were off, open your legs so I could see your wet little pussy.” He exhaled. “Are you naked?”

“Yes,” I replied softly.

“I want to see you.”

“Will you send one back?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” I whispered. Then I awkwardly took a picture.

Luckily it wasn’t blurred, and no sooner had I sent it to him than one came right back. No face, just like mine, and my eyes skipped right over the hot body to where he looked like he had a tight grip on his cock.

I struggled to right my breathing. I was even more turned on now, seeing that he was too.

“Fuck, Mia. I’m so hard for you.”

I swallowed. “Are you touching yourself?”

“Yes. But, if you send me another picture like that, I won’t need to.” He paused. “Are you touching yourself?”

“Not yet.”

“Touch yourself. Now. Open your legs and slide your fingers over your clit.” The demanding tone was back, and I loved the thrill that danced down my spine on a shiver. “Rub it and put a finger inside your pussy. I want to know how you feel when you fuck your own tight pussy.”

My heart pounded in my chest as I did what he’d said. I slid my hand down between my legs, ghosted a fingertip over my clit, and bit down on my lower lip as I pushed my middle finger inside myself.

“Move it,” he ordered me, his voice gruff. “Rub your thumb against your clit. Fuck your own hand, Mia, and imagine it’s mine. Imagine I’m there watching you finger yourself and get off.”

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies – usually wine – and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy – unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

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Cover Reveal: Filthy English by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Posted on 06/09/2016 by shellbellereads

filthy english cover

Filthy English

By Ilsa Madden-Mills

Release Date: July 11, 2016

Synopsis

A smokin’ hot British player…

A jilted girl…

One night of mistaken identity…

Two weeks before her wedding, Remi Montague’s fiancé drops her faster than a drunken sorority girl in stilettos. Armed with her best friend and a bottle of tequila, she hops a plane to London to drown her sorrows before fall semester begins at Whitman University.

She didn’t plan on attending a masquerade party.

She sure didn’t plan on waking up next to the British bad boy who broke her heart three years ago—the devastatingly handsome and naked Dax Blay. Furthermore, she has no clue how they acquired matching tattoos.

Once back at Whitman together, they endeavor to pretend they never had their night of unbridled passion in London.

But that’s damn hard to do when you live in the same house…

One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime.

*A modern love story inspired by Romeo and Juliet*

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Briarcrest Academy Series

Very Bad Things – Book 1

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Very Wicked Beginnings – Book 1.5

Buy: Amazon

Very Wicked Things – Book 2

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Very Twisted Things – Book 3

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Dirty English

By Ilsa Madden- Mills

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK

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Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills writes about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap.

She’s addicted to all things fantasy, including unicorns and sword-wielding heroes in books. Other fascinations include frothy coffee beverages, dark chocolate, Instagram, Ian Somerhalder (seriously hot), astronomy (she’s a Gemini), Sephora make-up, and tattoos.

She has a degree in English and a Master’s in Education.

When she’s not pecking away on her computer, she shops for cool magnets, paints old furniture, and eats her weight in sushi.

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

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Cover Reveal: Anti-Stepbrother by Tijan

Posted on 06/09/2016 by shellbellereads

anti stepbrother cover

I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what would happen if I fell in love with the anti-stepbrother instead?

Anti-Stepbrother

By Tijan

Release Date: August 2016

Synopsis

He told me to ‘settle, girl.’
He asked if ‘something was wrong with me?’
He said I was an ‘easy target.’
That was within minutes when I first met Caden Banks.
I labeled him an *sshole, but he was more than that. Arrogant. Smug. Alpha.

He was also to-die-for gorgeous, and my stepbrother’s fraternity brother.

Okay, yes I was a little naive, a tad bit socially awkward, and the smallest amount of stalker-ish, but if Caden Banks thought he could tell me what to do, he had another thing coming.

I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what would happen if I fell for the anti-stepbrother instead?

antistepbrother

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I didn’t begin writing until after undergraduate college. There’d been storylines and characters in my head all my life, but it came to a boiling point one day and I HAD to get them out of me. So the computer was booted up and I FINALLY felt it click. Writing is what I needed to do. After that, I had to teach myself how to write. I can’t blame my teachers for not teaching me all those years in school. It was my fault. I was one of the students that was wishing I was anywhere but at school! So after that day, it took me lots of work until I was able to put together something that resembled a novel. I’m hoping I got it right since someone must be reading this profile! And I hope you keep enjoying my future stories.

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Excerpt Reveal: Hitched by Kendall Ryan

Posted on 06/09/2016 by shellbellereads

Today we are bringing you the first look inside Kendall Ryan’s upcoming book HITCHED!

hitched 1 Marry the girl I’ve had a crush on my whole life? Check.

Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check.

Produce an heir… Wait, what?

I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There’s only one problem—she hates my guts.

And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir.

She can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Says she’ll never be in my bed.

But I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’m not about to start now.

Mark my words—I’ll have her begging for me, and it won’t take ninety days.

On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling SCREWED series, Kendall Ryan brings you HITCHED, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat. A NYC playboy turned business mogul has ninety days to win over the woman he’s always desired in order to save his father’s company. One tiny problem: She hates his guts.

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hitched 1

I give him a skeptical look. “You want to show me your dick?”

“If it’ll help convince you.” He drains the last drops of his Scotch and stands up. “Come on, let’s go.”

I stare after him as he walks away.

Is he serious? He’s just going to whip it out? I look around to see if anyone is watching me, then I get up and follow him to the bar’s back hallway, near the restrooms, unable to comprehend why the hell I’m humoring him. This is ridiculous.

Once we’re safely in a private corner, Noah undoes his belt, opens his fly . . . and pulls out a fucking fire hose.

Holy mother of God. My hands fly to my mouth. I want to gasp in shock, but there’s no way I’m giving him the upper hand.

He was right. His cock is nothing short of massive, and it’s not even fully erect right now. Nine inches may actually be a conservative estimate of what it might look like hard. He must destroy men’s egos every time he walks into a locker room. And I don’t even want to think about what he destroys with women . . .

“Meh. I’ve seen bigger,” I force out, fighting to maintain my composure.

Noah chuckles. “I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

“Well, th-that monster is not coming anywhere near my uterus. No, thank you. I prefer to keep my organs intact.”

Noah’s grin widens. “I doubt that, but just to be on the safe side, I’ll ease it in nice and slow. Piece of cake. Plus, you’ve got good health insurance, right?”

“That is not funny, Noah. Now, put that thing away or I’ll remove it.”

I try to sound stern, but my shaking voice and bright red cheeks surely give me away. Why the hell can’t I stop staring?

He chuckles—yeah, the jerk can definitely see right through me—but he obliges, tucking the beast back into its lair.

hitchedseries

Kendall Ryan Headshot 1 pic

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

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Category Archives: Blog Tour

Blog Tour + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Broken Girl by Gretchen de la O

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Lovegame by Tracy Wolff

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Dishonor Thy Wife by Belinda Austin

New Release + 5 STAR Review : Coast by Jay McLean – Kick Push Series -Book 2

New Release + Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: Foolproof Love by Katee Robert

Excerpt Reveal: Stripped Bare by Emma Hart

When unlucky in love Mia O’Halloran finds herself face to Sex God V-Lines with a chiseled, hot male stripper in possession of a package not even the postal service could lose, what happens in Vegas is definitely supposed to stay in Vegas.

She doesn’t expect to find Mr. Multiple Oh-Oh-Oh as her client—and hell, how is she supposed to pitch a marketing plan when she can remember how easily he briefed her g-spot on an orgasm… or five?

West Rykman has one rule: you don’t mix business with pleasure. They can look, but unless they’re shoving a dollar inside his pants, they can’t touch. He learned that lesson the hard way two years ago.

He had no idea the flame-haired vixen with a penchant for hot, kinky sex and a mouth that would make a hooker cry would be the one to bend—and break—his rule.

She’s sworn off men after ten too many heartbreaks.

He’s determined he’ll never lose it all for a woman again.

She’s pretty screwed.

He’s really screwed.

And not in the we’re-not-sleeping-tonight way…

Amazon: Sign up to be notified | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

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Cover Reveal: Filthy English by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Cover Reveal: Anti-Stepbrother by Tijan

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Excerpt Reveal: Hitched by Kendall Ryan

Today we are bringing you the first look inside Kendall Ryan’s upcoming book HITCHED!

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New York Times bestselling authors Lauren Hawkeye and Suzanne Rock’s STOLEN BY THE SHEIKH is available now! Get swept away in Liv and Nayo’s story.

About STOLEN BY THE SHEIKH

Get a sneak peek of STOLEN BY THE SHEIKH:

About Lauren Hawkeye

About Suzanne Rock

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When unlucky in love Mia O’Halloran finds herself face to Sex God V-Lines with a chiseled, hot male stripper in possession of a package not even the postal service could lose, what happens in Vegas is definitely supposed to stay in Vegas.

She doesn’t expect to find Mr. Multiple Oh-Oh-Oh as her client—and hell, how is she supposed to pitch a marketing plan when she can remember how easily he briefed her g-spot on an orgasm… or five?

West Rykman has one rule: you don’t mix business with pleasure. They can look, but unless they’re shoving a dollar inside his pants, they can’t touch. He learned that lesson the hard way two years ago.

He had no idea the flame-haired vixen with a penchant for hot, kinky sex and a mouth that would make a hooker cry would be the one to bend—and break—his rule.

She’s sworn off men after ten too many heartbreaks.

He’s determined he’ll never lose it all for a woman again.

She’s pretty screwed.

He’s really screwed.

And not in the we’re-not-sleeping-tonight way…

Amazon: Sign up to be notified | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | NEWSLETTER

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Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

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Today we are bringing you the first look inside Kendall Ryan’s upcoming book HITCHED!

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