Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: The Billionaire’s Passionate Revenge by Jennifer St. George

Posted on 09/17/2015 by shellbellereads

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Gifted Ebook Copy of

THE BILLIONAIRE’S PURSUIT OF LOVE (Book #1)

THE BILLIONAIRE’S PASSIONATE REVENGE

Billionaire Romance #3

Jennifer St. George

Releasing Sept 15th, 2015

Penguin Books Australia

Heiress
Lady Zara Ravensdale and Xavier Hunt, the gardener’s son, were once
inseparable. But before their romance had a chance to bloom, it was crushed by
scandal and betrayal.Xavier is now an international celebrity and sexier than sin while Zara is deep
in debt, running Ravensdale Manor as an upmarket hotel to make ends meet.
Unable to forget the past, Xavier returns to the manor, determined to exact his
revenge on the Ravensdale family – once and for all.Together again, passions reignite and the old chemistry becomes impossible to
ignore. But Xavier and Zara are both keeping secrets and neither can forget
their troubled history. Will they be able to uncover the truth of that night or
will Xavier’s need for revenge tear them apart forever?

The Billionaire’s Passionate Revenge is the third book in the Billionaire
series by bestselling romance author, Jennifer St George. If you love
billionaire romance, don’t miss this passionate read!

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THE BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE SERIES

The Billionaire’s Pursuit of Love

Tempted by the Billionaire Tycoon

The Billionaire’s Passionate Revenge

Excerpt

She opened the French doors and walked across the lawn. The closer she came, the wider her eyes grew. The garden bed looked as if it could win gold in the Chelsea Flower Show. The tangle of weeds was now a mass of reds, yellows, creams and oranges, bordered by tiny blue flowers. Gorgeous. No wonder wealthy Americans flocked to Xavier’s landscape design business.

Her eyes strayed from Xavier’s handiwork to his muscled shoulders flexing under a white cotton shirt. She paused. The sweat-stained fabric gave extra definition to the glory that lay beneath. She grazed her teeth over her bottom lip. All that physical labour and an outdoor lifestyle had given Xavier the body of a god. Sculpted, tanned and hot. So unbelievably hot.

‘You just going to stand there, or come over for a proper look?’ Xavier called without looking up.

Her pulse spiked. God. Had he caught her gawking?

She strode forward as though she hadn’t been sprung ogling. ‘Xavier, this is incredible,’ she breathed.

He rocked back on his heels and threw her a killer smile. Her belly performed a little fluttery dance.

‘Not too bad for a couple of hours’ effort,’ he said, casting a critical eye over his work.

She moved to the far end of the garden to appreciate the splendour from another angle.

‘How did you do this?’ she asked.

‘Nothing a quick run to the local nursery couldn’t fix.’ Xavier’s brow creased. ‘But it’s not finished yet.’

‘What are you talking about?’ She bent down and smelled a gorgeous scarlet flower. ‘What else do you need to do? It’s perfect.’

‘Needs to be watered in and mulched. I’ll do it after lunch.’

He stood and pulled off his gardening gloves and dropped them on the grass. Stripping off his shirt, he wiped it across his sweat-glistening chest. She sucked in a quick breath. The physical nature of his job was evident in his perfectly defined muscles and golden skin.

‘I . . . I can water it,’ she said, trying to focus on the floral display and not his delicious body and the effect it was having on her own. ‘You’re supposed to be writing your book.’

‘You!’ he exclaimed, drawing his arm across his brow, giving her a beautiful view of taut muscle. She ran her tongue across her dry lips.

‘I want the garden to live,’ he quipped. ‘If you step any closer, these flowers will wilt with fright.’

She thrust her hands on her hips. ‘I’m not that bad.’

‘Oh no,’ he said with a laugh wrapped up with irony. ‘You just have that magic touch for turning everything green into a nice shade of brown.’

He flicked his finger down her nose. A teasing gesture from their childhood. His simple, intimate touch sent a quiver of delight through her veins. God, she’d missed him. Missed this. Having someone who knew her so well. Someone who knew her inadequacies and found them endearing. Someone who knew the dull pain of grief that never left.

‘Just because I couldn’t grow anything then doesn’t mean I’m a rubbish gardener now.’

‘Oh yes.’ He grinned. ‘I can see how well the place has fared under your gentle touch,’ he said, sweeping his hand around to encompass the almost derelict garden.

‘Hey.’ She slapped his arm. ‘I only took over managing this place six months ago when Dad had to go into care. It takes time and love to build something special.’

A spark of merriment flashed in his eyes. ‘Read that somewhere, did you?’

She swallowed. Oh God. She had. In his latest gardening volume. She couldn’t believe she’d quoted his lines back to him.

‘Ah . . .’

‘Chapter one, page ten of my latest book,’ he said, rubbing his temple in an exaggerated fashion. ‘If I’m not mistaken.’

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Jennifer St George is a best-selling romance author whose sexy stories feature courageous, career-minded heroines and strong heroes in glamorous international settings. She has six books published with Penguin Book’s digital-first imprint, Destiny Romance. Jennifer spent the first 25 years of her career in the corporate world travelling the globe. Many of the exotic locations she’s visited feature in her stories. Jennifer now lives in gorgeous Byron Bay, Australia and writes to the sound of the waves with a view of the beach.

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway: Bad Romance by Jen McLaughlin

Posted on 09/16/2015 by shellbellereads

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Select Loveswept Ebook Bundle

BAD ROMANCE

A Stepbrother Novel

Jen McLaughlin

Releasing Sept 15th, 2015

In this explosive novel from bestselling author Jen McLaughlin, a good girl falls for the ultimate bad boy: her stepbrother. Perfect for fans of Sabrina Paige, Caitlin Daire, and Krista Lakes, Bad Romance proves that passion can be so wrong it’s right.

Seven years in the army will change a guy. But after a shoulder wound ends his career as a sniper, Jackson Worthington finds himself back home, fighting a battle that’s all too familiar: keeping his hands off Lily Hastings. She’s still her rich daddy’s little angel, innocent, impossibly lovely, as squeaky-clean as Jackson is dirty. And she’s still his stepsister—forbidden but not forgotten, not after the soul-melting kiss that got him kicked out of the house at eighteen. He couldn’t resist her then. How the hell can he resist her now?

Lily is about to marry a man she doesn’t love, and commit to a high-stress job she hates, all to please the father who controls every waking moment of her life. On top of everything, her teenage crush is back, with a sleek, chiseled body and a trace of the rebellious boy whose lips sealed her fate. Jackson’s timing couldn’t be worse . . . or better. Because Lily’s all grown up, too. She’s aching for another taste. And for the first time, she’s ready to be a bad girl.

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& N |
iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt

Walt, my stepfather, frowned at the letter in his hand. “Yale said they would take him, despite his bad grades. I have to buy his way in, but I will.”

“They did?” Mother gasped, smiling.

“‘He’s’ right here,” I said drily. “And doesn’t want to go to Yale.”

Neither of them noticed.

“At least he can amount to something, unlike his father.”

Mother smiled even wider. “Thanks to you, Walter.”

“You’ll go at the end of the month,” Walt said, not even looking at me, even though he clearly spoke to me. “You’re dismissed.”

The hell I was. “I don’t want to go to Yale. I’m joining the army.”

Walt laughed. “Not in my house.”

This was bullshit. Everything about it was. Mother was married for the millionth time, and this time to a man who quite clearly didn’t want the extra kid that came along with her. No big shocker, there. His new wife didn’t exactly want me, either.

She never tried to hide that fact from me.

Had told me, straight up to my face.

But to have some pompous prick all up in my business, telling me what I had to do with the rest of my life as if I needed to listen to him, was the last straw. I was eighteen years old. I didn’t have to listen to Walter Hastings. Or to his wife.

Screw them all.

They’d only been married a few months, and he wasn’t my damn stepfather, no matter what he thought. I mean, he was. Legally. But I didn’t need him.

I didn’t need anyone.

So I stood up, fisting my hands at my sides. “I don’t want to be a lawyer. I already told you that.”

Walt laughed. “And I told you that, under my roof, you do what I tell you to do, and that’s that. You’ll do it, and you’ll like it. I won’t budge.”

“Neither will I, Walt.”

“Don’t call me that,” Walt said, his voice low and seething. His name was Walter, and he hated it when I called him Walt . . . which was why I did it. “My name is Walter, or Mr. Hastings, or sir. No one calls me Walt. Learn some respect, boy.”

I didn’t answer. Just smirked.

Walt could kiss my ass.

“Jackson, dear . . .” Mother fidgeted. “It’s a good career. You’ll be lucky if you live to see the other side of twenty if you join the army. Listen to your father. He knows what’s best for you.”

I stiffened. I might not know my father, but I knew one thing. Walt wasn’t him. “He knows shit, and he sure as hell doesn’t know me because he’s not my father. He has no idea what’s best for me, or who I am. Or what I want. I want to—”

“Watch your mouth, young man, and how you speak to your mother. You’re going to law school, to Yale. That’s final, so get it into your head. End of discussion.” Walter picked up his newspaper, addressing his wife. “And if he wants to continue living here, he will stop annoying me.”

I gritted my teeth, because he was a tight-suited asshole. “Then I’ll leave this house. Go out on my own. Make my own way.”

“Over my dead body. You’re part of this family now, and while you are, you’ll live up to the Hastings name. And that’s all that will be said on this matter. You may go,” Walter said dismissively, flicking a hand my way. “I’m finished with you.”

There was so much I wanted to say, but why bother? I knew it was a waste of my time, so I walked away from them both. He wouldn’t listen, and, really, it didn’t matter even if he did. Officially, I was an adult now, so I didn’t need their approval to sign up for duty, no matter what they seemed to think. End of discussion. What the fuck was that, anyway? The discussion was over when both parties decided it was. Not one.

Pompous prick.

As I left, I heard Walt sigh. “Honestly, Nancy, I don’t know what to do with that boy. Are you sure his father won’t take him off our hands? He’s nothing like my Lilly.”

Ah . . . Lilly Hastings. Fifteen. Rich. Smart. Sweet as hell. And gorgeous, to boot. Walter didn’t deserve her, and it boggled my mind that she was the old man’s daughter, because she was nothing like him. Everything she got, she must’ve gotten from her deceased mother. That was the only thing I could figure.

I initially tried to hate her on principle, but the thing was, I couldn’t. From my first day here, when she brought me chocolate chip cookies because they were my favorite, till today, she’d been nothing but kind to me. She was the only person who made life in the Hastings household bearable. And because Lilly was the total opposite of her father, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hate her.

And believe me, I tried.

Michel’s Review

Bad Romance is the perfect title for Jen McLaughlin’s latest release. This new adult romance gives a new meaning to forbidden love.

Jackson and Lily have everything working against their love, including Lily herself. They are step siblings that were separated years before due to extreme family issues that ended up in an explosive separation. Jackson joined the military and spent years working towards his career. Lily grew up and became the woman her father wanted her to be. She surrendered herself.

When Jackson returns to town and runs into Lily, she is reminded of the girl she once was. She also feels just as deeply for Jackson as she did the day he left. But life has changed her and she is on a new path.

An arranged marriage, a violent fiance, hostile parents, PTSD, and a failing corporation are only some of the road blocks standing between Jackson and Lily. It will be up to them how they choose to go forward. One thing for certain, it is a bad romance that feels so good.

Jen McLaughlin wrote an angsty romance that fans of new adult romance are going to embrace whole heartedly. I found the book a bit predictable and had a hard time connecting with the characters and their relationship. I had a bit of a hard time buying to overall situation that was holding Lily back because this is the new millennium. There are too many solutions to her plight.

Overall Bad Romance was entertaining.

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Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy books with Penguin and Random House. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is also an USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and three cats. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

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Release Day Blitz: Dirty Promises by Karina Halle – The Dirty Angels Series – Book 3

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Dirty Promises

Dirty Angels Series – Book 3

By Karina Halle

Release Date : September 15, 2015

Synopsis

Dirty Promises is the final book in The Dirty Angels Trilogy. While the first two books can be read as standalones, Dirty Promises can not. Reading Dirty Angels and Dirty Deeds beforehand is HIGHLY recommended.

Also, people sensitive to violence and immoral characters who make questionable decisions should refrain from reading this book. The real cartel life is not pretty, not easy and certainly NOT romantic and that is more than reflected in Dirty Promises.
Blood. Sex. Revenge.
It ain’t easy being king.
Drug lord Javier Bernal has sliced and diced his way to the top of the Mexican drug trade, presiding over the country’s largest cartel. But his rise to power comes at a brutal price: the death of his sister, Alana. Devastated and wracked with guilt, he turns away from his new wife, Luisa, forcing their marriage into a steady decline. But it isn’t until she’s pushed into the waiting arms of Esteban Mendoza, his right-hand man, that Javier realizes everything he’s lost.
And it isn’t until he learns the truth about Alana, that he realizes everything there is to gain.
Blood will spill.
Cities will burn.
Heads will roll.
Because Javier will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.
And what he wants is raw, ruthless revenge.
The most dangerous man is the one with nothing left to lose.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

EXCERPT

My gun began to feel heavy in my hands. I needed to use it, and soon.

Light was seeping in underneath the door, so I pushed my goggles up on my head and slowly pushed it open.

The kitchen was empty, and the only light came from above the stove. The fridge hummed and the house was silent except for muffled laughter coming from down the hall.

A terrible scream splintered the room.

A man’s scream.

Had the ambush already begun?

I exchanged a worried glance with Diego as we heard doors further down the hall being flung open. Footsteps.

People ran past the kitchen, heading up the stairs toward the scream, not bothering to look our way.

All of them except for Juanito, that was.

He stopped dead in his tracks at the archway, staring at us like we were ghosts. I couldn’t help but grin.

He snapped out of it, reaching for his gun, but mine was already aimed at him. I shot him in the kneecaps, both of them, just as his gun fired, bullets cracking the ceiling.

Then, as if on cue, all of the outside erupted in gunfire. The sound shook the walls, and through the rattling windows bursts of light filled the sky. My army was here.

I ran over to Juanito who was screaming in pain, and picked him up by the collar, shaking him.

“All right you little fuckface,” I sneered at him, trying to fight the urge to strangle the fucking life out of him. “Tell me where Esteban is and I’ll make your death painless. Don’t tell me and I’ll break your bones with a hammer. Which one is it?”

His screaming wouldn’t stop. I shook him again. “You can’t protect him now. You’ll never fucking walk again and he sure as hell won’t give two fucks about a pathetic piece of garbage like you. So talk.”

But before he could, Diego was calling out my name. I let go of Juanito, rolling over him just in time as the air above me burned with bullets. Diego fired back at the assailants, and I kept rolling until I was behind the kitchen island. I quickly reached for the grenade which I knew could take out enough of them without damaging the structural integrity of the house, and tossed it out of the kitchen. It rolled down the hallway.

They yelled at each other to move but it was too late. I pressed my hands over my ears as the blast went off.

“Jesus, Javi,” Diego swore as pieces of plaster rained down on him. “You haven’t even moved back in yet.”

I didn’t care if it was sloppier than my usual methods — it was efficient. I scrambled to my feet and stared at the wreckage. There was a ragged hole in the wall, smoke and flames licking the edge.

I shrugged. “I wanted to open up that room anyway.”

Miraculously, or something of that nature, Juanito was still alive, holding on to his bleeding and blasted knees as he writhed on the floor.

He was missing half his face though, so it wasn’t like he escaped the explosion unscathed. He was very scathed and crawling for freedom.

I covered my nose and mouth with the crook of my elbow and walked into the smoke, letting it wash over me. Juanito looked up at me with what was left of him, begging for mercy with an outstretched hand.

I stepped on his hand instead, crunching the bones beneath my boot.

“That was for my sister,” I seethed. “I know you intercepted her call when she was calling me for help.”

“Javier, we have to go,” Diego said, coughing and coming over to stop me. A war was raging around me, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was an eye for an eye.

This time I stomped on Juanito’s arm, driving it in with all my might, like I was squashing a cockroach, until I felt it break beneath me.

He screamed.

I smiled.

But I was the furthest thing from happy.

And Juanito couldn’t even speak at this point. His mouth was a flap of burning skin, covering a gaping hole. He was useless.

I slid the hunter’s knife out of its sheath, and with one swift motion, stabbed it downward into the top of his skull.

The screaming stopped.

Robin’s Review

So…..I just finished reading Dirty Promises by Karina Halle. Dirty Promises is absolutely phenomenal, but this story is not going to be for everyone. If you’re expecting a new adult or contemporary romance similar to Where Sea Meets Sky or Racing the Sun or Love, in English, you are going to be surprised! You need to have a strong threshold for reading about torture, rape and many other depraved acts. If you are sensitive to these types of violence, please thoughtfully consider whether or not to move forward with reading this story. Now on to the good stuff!

Although each novel of the Dirty Angels series can be read as a standalone, I recommend these books be read in order. In fact, I will take this statement one step further and recommend that you read Sins & Needles, Shooting Scars and Bold Tricks before beginning the Dirty Angels series. The events that take place in The Artists Trilogy occur before the Dirty Angels series and many of the characters cross over into Dirty Angels, Dirty Deeds and Dirty Promises. It’s not absolutely necessary, but I think if you read The Artists Trilogy first, it may improve your reading experience. I consider both of these series to be dark romantic suspense, with a key emphasis on the word dark.

The plot of Dirty Promises centers on a Mexican cartel, with the main characters being drug lord Javier Bernal, his queen Luisa Bernal, and their second-in-command, Esteban Mendoza. Javier and Luisa are having marital problems. Esteban is jealous of Javier and power hungry. He seeks to exploit any weakness that Javier may have. What plays out is a chess match – players maneuvering to see who will come out on top. I don’t want to give too much away, but as you can imagine, the cartel lifestyle is brutal. It’s every man for himself, and as you probably know, drug lords rule by fear.

Esteban Mendoza. Javier Bernal. Esteban is sexually depraved. Javier, our antihero, likes to inflict pain. Actually, both of these men like to inflict pain, but at least Javier has the capability of feeling remorse. Esteban is pure evil. Both of these men are fueled by hatred and rage, while Luisa spirals downward into an exceedingly black frame of mind. Dirty Promises is told from the perspective of each of these characters. Karina Halle pushes the boundaries of dark writing in this novel. It’s creativity at the darkest level. Reading their thoughts put me in a very dark place. In fact, there were moments when this novel was almost too intense for me to read.

The true strength of Dirty Promises lies in the writing. Karina Halle has written more than twenty-five books which span over several genres. With this being said, I believe Dirty Promises may be Halle’s best book yet. She shows the true extent of her talent and creativity, and her artistic and storytelling skills. Her descriptive writing appeals to the senses of those who read her novels, even the most seasoned readers, and the effect is truly astounding. Her descriptive writing gives you the feeling of witnessing a scene firsthand, kind of like the movies, with the benefit of knowing what the characters are thinking. I’m going to be honest with you. If you love dark novels, if you think you can handle the violence, I highly recommend Dirty Promises! Karina Halle gets a 6-star rating from me, and I will definitely be including this novel on my list of 2015 favorites!

Michel’s Review

Dirty Promises by Karina Halle is the grand finale in the Dirty Angels Series. The ending was epic! Karina Halle pulled out a handful of surprises, gruesome shockers, and realistic scenes that make this story credible. She allowed these characters to fail and hit rock bottom . When they found the strength to pick themselves up and fight back, it was not a classic fairytale battle where Prince Charming conquers, wins the princess, and they live happily ever after. It’s a dirty dark story. It’s a dirty fight. Some would say that Javier conquered his world and won. He may have came out the last man standing but it was not without paying a very heavy price.

Javier Bernal is the King. He’s become the leader of one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico. He rules his kingdom with a heavy hand. He’s ruthless, at times heartless, and would not hesitate to kill if you cross him. He lives by his own code of honor and has stayed true to it throughout the years. But one incident changes him and his kingdom begins to crumble. His marriage begins to fail. His power is waning. His right hand man, Esteban Mendoza, is stepping in and taking his kingdom, including his queen, Luisa Bernal.

Javier has sunk to deepest depths of hell. He has become the devil himself. He has lost his sense of honor. He has become the man he never wanted to be. Power was too seductive. It cost him his wife and family. It cost him his cartel and power.

Javier will have to reach deep to find himself. He has some powerful tricks up his sleeve. He will never surrender, even if it means his queen must die.

Luisa Bernal is caught in Javier’s path to hell. She is a pawn between two men seeking absolute power. Her love for Javier has destroyed her. Her love for Javier will be her death. She may not have chose this life but she will choose to die with her dignity. Even Javier cannot take that away from her.

A brutal bloodbath that takes many lives will prove who will come out on top. No one is going to be the same.

This book was very realistic portraying the violence in the Mexican Cartels. It is gruesome, violent, abusive, and degrading. At the same time there are valuable life lessons learned. Choices that will either define them as humans or monsters. In the end Javier Bernal is going to face his sins. It will be up to him to choose what kind of man he wants to be.

Karina Halle did not hold back in this story. She gave the reader an action packed, edge of the seat ,dark romantic suspense book. Her writing was incredible. As a reader you are drawn into their world and witnessing this dark story as it unfolds.

I highly recommend The Dirty Angels series. These books need to be read in series order. I would also recommend reading the Artist Trilogy along with the novella, On Every Street. The Artist Trilogy introduces the readers to Javier Bernal as a young man on his quest for power. The reader gets a true sense of the man he is and how he evolved into what some would call the devil himself.

______________________________________________________________

The Dirty Angels Trilogy

Dirty Angels

Dirty Angels Trilogy – Book 1

From the USA Today Bestselling author of Love, in English and The Artists Trilogy, comes a dark romance about a good girl and a very, very bad man. It’s a deliciously twisted take on forbidden love, set among the drug cartels of hot, steamy Mexico and is not for the faint of heart. It contains explicit sex, violence, abuse, drug use, bad language and sexy Mexicans. You have been warned…

For Luisa Chavez, a twenty-three year old former beauty queen, a better life has always been just out of her reach. Sure, she’s had men at her feet since she was a young teenager but she’s never had the one thing she’s craved – security. Having grown up in near poverty, her waitressing job in Cabo San Lucas can barely let her take care of herself, let alone her ailing parents. Every day is another unwanted advance, every day is a struggle to survive.

When Salvador Reyes, the depraved leader of a major Mexican cartel, takes an interest in her, Luisa is presented with an opportunity she can’t afford to pass up. She’ll become Salvador’s wife and exchange her freedom and body for a life of riches – riches she can bestow upon her deserving parents. But Luisa quickly finds out that even the finest wines and jewels can’t undo the ugliness in her marriage, nor the never-ending violence that threatens her every move.

Soon, Luisa is looking for an escape, a way out of the carefully controlled life she’s leading. She finally gets her wish in the worst way possible.

As it is, being the wife of Salvador makes her an ideal target for rival cartels and there’s one particular man who needs Luisa as part of his cartel’s expansion. One particular man whose quest for power has destroyed lives, slit throats and gotten him out of an American prison. One particular man who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.

That man is Javier Bernal. And he wants Luisa. He wants to take her, keep her, ruin her.

Unless she ruins him first.

Some men were born to create empires, some women were meant to be queen.

**Dirty Angels is the first standalone novel in the Dirty Angels Trilogy, in which all books feature or involve different characters. The character of Javier Bernal is from The Artists Trilogy, and while reading TAT is recommended if you want additional insight into this twisted character, it is not required.**

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

************

Dirty Deeds

Dirty Angels Trilogy – Book 2

By Karina Halle

Synopsis

From The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of The Pact and Sins & Needles, comes the next standalone novel in the darkly romantic suspense Dirty Angels Trilogy – DIRTY DEEDS.

As a flight attendant, Alana Bernal has had her share of suitors. She’s also had more than her fair share of tragedy within her messed-up family. But what she hasn’t had is love. Real, rip-your-heart-out, tear-your-clothes-off, all-consuming love.

At least that was the case until she met an American tourist, Derek Conway, a ripped ex-soldier with steely eyes and a commanding presence.

What started as a chance encounter between the two in Puerto Vallarta, a weekend full of hot sex and mindless passion, has led to something more.

Something deadly.

Because Derek isn’t the type of man to fall in love. He’s not a man who sticks around.

And he’s definitely not in Mexico on vacation.

Derek is a mercenary, a killer-for-hire, a man who does the ugly jobs for the highest bidder.

Unfortunately for Alana and Derek, the highest bidder has the power to destroy whatever worlds they have created for themselves.

The highest bidder can destroy everything.

NOTE: this book follows Dirty Angels but can be read as a standalone. It has scenes of violence, harsh language and sexual situations. Not intended for those under 18.

Buy: Amazon

Dirty Promise

Book 3

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

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of Where Sea Meets Sky, Racing the Sun, The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle , on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Drowning To Breathe by A.L. Jackson

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

The danger in pretending is it becoming real…

Sebastian Stone, Sunder front man and guitarist with a rap sheet about ten miles long, escaped to Savannah, Georgia, to get away from the trouble he’d caused.

Not find more of it.

The moment he saw Shea Bentley, he saw beneath all her sweet and innocence to something that went deeper.

Darker.

Their relationship was built on secrets; their love built on lies.

Sebastian never imagined how deep her secrets went.

When the past and present collide, Sebastian and Shea find themselves fighting for a future neither believed they deserved. Their passion is consuming and their need unending.

Now, holding the truth in his hands, Sebastian is faced with sacrificing everything he’s come to love to protect Shea and his family.

Two pasts intertwined.

Two lives bound.

Will their demons drown them or will Shea and Sebastian finally learn to breathe?

Drowning to Breathe

A Bleeding Stars Novel, Book 2

AMAZON

Lust and love fought for dominance in his expression when he tore himself away, and he slammed my door shut and ran around to his side. I didn’t hesitate to shift in my seat, my hand going to the flat, rigid planes of his abdomen as he shifted hard, tires squealing as he took to the street. I kissed at his neck and teased at his ear, fingers toying with the waistband of his jeans, while he groaned and tried to focus on the road.

“You tryin’ to kill me, Shea?”

I gasped when the car jerked and Sebastian made a sudden, sharp turn, and then another. He screeched to a stop on a deserted side street.

A fog of lust clouded my mind as I was yanked back onto his lap, my knees on either side of his legs, his needy cock grinding at the seam of my cut-off shorts as his mouth overtook mine.

Oh. God.

I moaned, fingers digging into his shoulders.

I arched up and pressed my breasts to his chest. They ached with just a glimmer of the need throbbing between my thighs.

Hot hands gripped the outside of my hips, forcing me back down on his dick that strained from his jeans.

I might have been on top, but he was definitely in control.

“Fuck, baby…what have you done to me…what have you done to me? Dying to be inside you. Have to feel you. Need you so bad.”

“You have me.”

He wanted nothing at all…

Until he found she had everything to give…

Sunder lead singer and guitarist Sebastian Stone has
everything—fans, fame, and fortune. He also has a heart full of bitterness and
a reputation for a short-fused temper. But an outward reputation rarely reveals
the true man inside. Facing assault charges after trying to protect his younger
brother, Sebastian is sent to Savannah, Georgia to lie low until the dust
settles in L.A.

Shea Bentley is beautiful, kind, and hiding from the very
lifestyle Sebastian has always embraced.

When the mysterious, tattooed stranger begins hanging out at the
bar where she works, Shea is quick to recognize he is nothing but trouble, but
she’s helpless to the way her body lights up every time his intense gray eyes
tangle with hers.

They both soon find themselves drowning in a sea of desire and
passion that won’t let them up for air.

Sebastian knows firsthand secrets never die, and he’s not the only
one who’s hiding them.

Loving someone always comes with a price. But will it be Shea’s
past that costs them everything?

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A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary and new adult romance.

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college
student. She filled the journals she
carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the
difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends
and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel.
A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her
husband and three children.

Connect with A.L. Jackson online:www.aljacksonauthor.com

To stay up to date with important news on A.L. Jackson, including new releases, sales, and exclusive specials and
excerpts, text “jackson” to 96000 to subscribe!

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Release Blitz + Series Review: Softer Than Steel by Jessica Topper…

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Softer Than Steel

Love & Steel Series – Book 2

By Jessica Topper

Synopsis

From the author of Deeper than Dreams and the Much “I Do” About Nothing novels, a story that proves that you have to find yourself before you can find love…

As rock star “Riff Rotten”, Rick Rottenberg has enjoyed all the perks that fame can offer, especially now that he’s reunited with his former band mate, Adrian “Digger” Graves. But despite his success, Rick is a mess. Still reeling from the death of his wife years ago and terrified his demons will end his career, he agrees to seek help for his anxiety.

Burned by a musician in the past, Sidra Sullivan has closed her heart to love. So when Rick walks into her yoga studio, she wants nothing to do with him–until the bad boy shows an unexpected soft side.

As Sidra and Rick work through their painful pasts, they realize just how strongly opposites can attract. But when a crisis threatens the delicate balance they’ve forged, they’ll discover if their love is strong enough to weather another storm or just too broken to survive…

INCLUDES A PREVIEW OF THE FIRST LOVE & STEEL NOVEL: LOUDER THAN LOVE

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

“Making music has got to be like . . . like childbirth, bringing something totally new into the world like that. Isn’t that scary?”

Rick contemplated her comparison and she waited, watching him with those incredible eyes, both dark and bright. “Yes, in a way it’s bloody terrifying,” he admitted. The creating and the coaxing, making sure what you envisioned in your head translated into reality and not just a shadow of itself. “But the excitement and exhilaration trumps the fear.” He popped a pair of headphones on her ears and backed out of the room with a grin.

Behind the console, he flicked switches, adjusted levels, and pressed the talkback button. “Pay no attention to the man behind the glass,” he whispered, but Sidra’s broad smile told him the console mic had sent his fluid murmur to her ears crystal clear.

She tentatively tapped the double-mesh screen of the microphone in front of her. “But don’t you worry, once it’s out in the world . . . what everyone thinks of it? Of you?”

“I used to get caught up in it. But you’ve just got to trust and make peace with the fact that you put in—and put out—your very best effort.”

The track he chose for her flowed not only through her headphones, but the speakers of the console in front of him as well, its beat and melody causing the indicator lights to jump and fall in time. Sidra’s eyes closed and her frame rocked slightly. To me, Rick thought.

That’s my music, moving her.

Michel’s Review

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Softer Than Steel by Jessica Topper. The Love & Steel series is an unique rock star romance series. Rather than featuring young rock gods making their rise to fame, Jessica chose to create rock god legends making a comeback from their super stardom of the eighties. These are middle aged men that can rock the house and still make the panties drop.

Softer Than Steel features Rick Rottenberg , aka Rick Rotten. He’s at crossroads in his life and the pressure is on. Rick is a widower, father, empty nester, perfectionist, and lead vocalist for the band. He can handle being on the stage in the spotlight better than he can handle most social situations. He has anxiety attacks that can be brought on by the slightest imbalance or new situation. He hasn’t engaged in relationships with the opposite sex since his wife passed fourteen years earlier. He carries guilt, grief, and remorse with stoic pride. He loved fiercely and lost his wife too early.

The band has been touring for the last four years. They were supposed to control their own destiny but the old patterns are playing out. Adrian is finally going to get married. The band is finally going to make an new album. For Rick this is his main focus and priority, for the other members of the band it is secondary to their own personal lives.

Rick’s panic attacks escalate and he starts to take yoga as a way of releasing his built up tensions. Rick wanted to learn how to control his panic attacks but he got a bonus to go along with it. He was learning to love again.

Sidra is a yoga instructor. Her vast knowledge of the practice keeps her students coming back for more. When the handsome English Professor joins her class, she finds herself deeply attracted to her new student. When she finds out he is a famous musician all bets are off. She’s been there, done that, and walked away deeply scarred. Never again! But Rick is persistent and he shows Sidra there are more sides this man than fame and music.

I really enjoyed the book but it felt a bit slower than the previous books in this series. The book was too well researched. The practice of yoga took over the story and the main characters seemed secondary. I did not feel the overwhelming chemistry, attraction, or passion between Sidra and Rick. I also think that there were too many secondary characters that hindered the flow of the book because the reader had to stop and think how they were connected to the story before they could move on in the passage. There were the band members, their business associates, Kat’s group of friends and their families, Sidra’s family and friends, yoga instructors, and other supporting characters. Also there were too many different themes going on. Sidra was half Indian and half Irish. There was focus on her culture as well as her family background. The reader also got to experience her past relationship with a musician that left heartbroken. Rick was English and Jewish and there was quite a bit of focus on that, not to mention the band’s past and present careers. There was also a focus on Rick’s personal past and his loss. There was just too much going on in this book and the romance got lost in many passages.

Overall it was a well written book but just not the same caliber as the previous books in this series.

I would still highly recommend the Love & Steel Series by Jessica Topper.

The Love & Steel Series

Louder Than Love – Book 1

In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband…and discovers a love that defies classification.

It’s been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth…the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian “Digger” Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids’ TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it’s unclear whose past looms larger: the widow’s or the rocker’s. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

Reviewed: September 2013

A strong debut for new author Jessica Topper.

Louder Than Love is an extraordinary love story. It’s about second chances in life. It is about making peace with oneself and moving on to become a better person. It is about letting go of grief and moving on.

Adrian “Digger” Graves was once a metal guitar god in the eighties. His star burned bright. Corroded Corpse was the metal band could shred the metal and rock the house. Fame, fortune, sex, drugs, and corruption ruled his life. It also sent him spiraling down into the depths of hell. It was time to pay the devil his dues. In the process he lost himself. He lost his family. He lost his self respect. He lost his band. It took him years to recover and become a part of the real world once again. He learned from his mistakes and vowed he would never make them again. Along the way he learned there were other things more important in life than fame and fortune.

Katrina Lewis had the perfect life. She had the perfect husband and child. One tragic moment takes it all away. Now she is a single parent trying to overcome her grief. She’s not ready to move on but she knows it’s time. When she seeks out the mysterious composer that created music for a popular children’s show to perform at her library, she’s in for a great surprise. Rather than getting an unknown musician, she gets Digger Graves from Corroded Corpse. The rock god that covered her bedroom walls as a teenager. Kat is going to learn that there is more to this legend. She’s going to meet the man who’s music touches her soul. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing a children’s song or shredding the metal, he controls the strings to her lost heart.

Louder Than Love is unique because of the characters. This is not your typical rocker book that is in the new adult genre. It is a mature contemporary romance with mature characters. They have both loved and lost. They both have had lives that most would of would envy and want for their own. Both their worlds tumbled out of control. Amongst the chaos they both survived their worlds and came out different people. They have both had to rebuild their lives, rebuild themselves, and face past mistakes. The end result is that they will experience a love that is extraordinary.

This is not a second chance romance where lovers reunited. It’s a second chance for happiness. It is a new romance that enriches their lives and brings out the best in both of them.

I truly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

Deeper Than Dreams

Love & Steel Series – Book 1.5 – Novella

By Jessica Topper

Synopsis

Will wedding bells rock out for Louder Than Love’s most beloved couple in this Love and Steel novella?

Falling in love with rock star Adrian “Digger” Graves was a dream come true for former librarian Kat Lewis. But with a little help from friends and family–including Kat’s adorable daughter, Abbey–Adrian has planned an evening and a proposal beyond her wildest dreams.

The night before, Kat witnessed the triumphant reunion of Adrian’s rock band at Madison Square Garden. Tonight, he will escort her to the elegant, ultra-exclusive Library Lion’s benefit. It seems like a fairytale, but even fairytales have a deeper, darker side. When old habits return to tempt her knight in shining heavy metal armor, will Kat’s happily ever after come crashing back to reality?
THIS IS AN EPILOGUE NOVELLA THAT PICKS UP THE DAY AFTER LOUDER THAN LOVE ENDS. This novella is intended to be read after Louder Than Love.
Don’t miss the next Love and Steel novel, Softer Than Steel, coming in September 2015 from InterMix.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

It”s been two years since the first book, Louder Than Love in the Love & Steel series by Jessica Topper released. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was excited to see the sequel novella, Deeper Than Dreams releasing. As I started to read Deeper Than Dreams, I realized that it picked up right where Louder Than Love left off. With such a lengthy time span between the release of these two books I had forgotten quite a bit of the story. Therefore I felt like I had to go back and reread Louder Than Love. After reading Louder Than Love once again, I had to revise my review. I was still enraptured by this story and felt like I had a more constructive review the second time around. I was anxious to proceed on and read Deeper Than Dreams.

Deeper Than Dreams cannot be read as a stand alone novella. It is more of an epilogue for Louder Than Love.

Adrian Digger Graves has just had his big comeback performance. He has reunited with his old band and played at Madison Square Gardens. He is on a high from the success. The music world is praising their performance. Corroded Corpse is on their second claim to fame. The first time almost destroyed him. Will the resurgence of Corroded Corpse be a good thing or bad thing for Adrian?

This time around he has life experience, maturity, and a strong woman in his corner. He knows that love and family come first. He’s determined to hang onto it all.

A dream date. A magical proposal. A perfect Cinderella. A beautiful princess. A solid support group. And finally a better band.

Adrian Graves has it all. Most of all he has the love that lasts a lifetime.

I loved this novella. It gave another happily ever after for Adrian and Kat.

About Jessica Topper

Jessica Topper is an ex-librarian turned rock n’ roll number cruncher. She can trace her love for the written word back to age three, when she memorized Maurice Sendak’s “Chicken Soup with Rice” in its entirety.

After her daughter was born, Jessica left the Manhattan library world and began working for her husband’s music management company. He offered her a part-time bookkeeping job so she could “stay home for the baby’s first year” and pursue her dream of writing.

The baby is now thirteen, and Jessica has been working her full-time, sold-her-soul-for-rock-n-roll job as Office Manager for veteran jam band moe. ever since. She may have traded in books for bookkeeping, but the written word is never far from her mind, or her heart.

Jessica lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter and one ancient cat.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Affiliate by K. A. Linde

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Today is release day for K.A. Linde’s The Affiliate! I am so excited about this new young adult fantasy! Grab your copy and check out the excerpt and giveaway K.A. is sharing with us!!

The Affiliate Synopsis:

On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm’s lifelong plans come to fruition when she’s chosen as an Affiliate to the Queen.

Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene’s position only grows more treacherous when she finds herself drawn to the one man she can never have…

King Edric himself.

Cyrene must decide if love is truly worth the price of freedom. Find out in this first book in USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s new Ascension series.

Buy Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Itunes

Exclusive Excerpt:

“I see the way you look at her, Edric. Your eyes follow her, you dance the longest dances with her, and now, you’re sending her presents. I’ve known you too long not to know that this is unlike you. You’re not Kael. You don’t fraternize with the Affiliates who parade themselves in front of you, hoping for a scrap of your time. Yet here you are with this Cyrene. What is she to you?” Daufina asked.

At her question, Edric paced the long room. She watched him through the silence and wondered what he was thinking.

“You told me once that you would inform me if you wanted to take a mistress—”

“I do not want to take a mistress,” Edric snapped.

Daufina straightened in surprise. He never raised his voice with her.

“I apologize,” he said with a sigh. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Just talk to me.”

“Would you believe me if I said that I didn’t want anything to do with her?” His eyes were pleading.

“No,” Daufina admitted.

“No,” he agreed. “No, I wouldn’t either. I keep telling myself that I’m acting like a fool, Daufina, but then I see her again.” He stroked his chin as he tried to find the words. “She has this pull. When I’m with her, the throne slips away, and I’m just a man with a beautiful woman. It both intrigues and terrifies me.” He splayed his hands before him. “I can never be anything but the king…but when I’m with her, I want to be.”

K.A. Linde Bio:

USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde is the author of The Affiliate, the first book in the Ascension Series. As a military brat, she traveled the world with her family, imaginary friends, and ever-increasing supply of books. She has spent much of her life dreaming up new worlds and characters and forcing them into uncomfortable, usually life-threatening scenarios. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a masters degree in political science, she began spending every waking hour putting those characters onto paper.

When not writing, she spends her time dancing, collecting paperbacks in the hopes of filling a Beauty and the Beast style library one day, traveling to visit her friends who live all over the country, and still reading anything she can get her hands on. She currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and two puppies, Lucy and Riker, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Links:

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Release Blitz: Screwed by Kendall Ryan

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Screwed

By Kendall Ryan

Synopsis

I have one rule: Don’t shit where you eat.

Several of the women in the condo complex I own would love some one-on-one playtime, and why wouldn’t they? I’m young, fit, attractive, and loaded. Not to mention I’m packing a sizable bulge below the belt. It’s a combination that drops panties on a regular basis.

Yay, me, right?

But my cock, troublemaker that he is, has been confined to my trousers by my business partner. A concession I agreed to, and one that’s never been hard to enforce until Emery moves in across the hall. She’s smart, young, determined, and sexy as hell. I want a taste. I won’t stop until I’m buried deep inside the succulent new-in-town brunette.

After being warned about my past, she does her best to steer clear, but I’m about to show her that underneath it all, I’m a guy with a heart of gold and a cock of steel.

My name is Hayden Oliver, and this is my story.

SCREWED is standalone romantic comedy by New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Kendall Ryan.

iBooks **** AMAZON **** BARNES & NOBLE

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***********

Kendall Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance novels, including Hard to Love, Unravel Me, Resisting Her and When I Break.

She’s a sassy, yet polite Midwestern girl with a deep love of books, and a slight addiction to lipgloss. She lives in Minneapolis with her adorable husband and two baby sons, and enjoys hiking, being active, and reading.

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

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Blog Tour + 5 Star Review: Ryker by Sawyer Bennett – The Cold Fury Hockey Series – Book 4

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

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RYKER

Cold Fury #4

Sawyer Bennett

Releasing Sept 8th, 2015

The rugged men of the Carolina Cold Fury hockey team are winning hearts once again
in another scorching novel from New York Times bestselling
author Sawyer Bennett.

The stakes have never been higher for Carolina Cold Fury goalie Ryker Evans. With
his contract running out, he’s got a year left to prove he’s still at the top
of his game. And since his wife left him, Ryker has been balancing life as a
pro-hockey star and a single parent to two daughters. Management is waiting for
him to screw up. The fans are ready to pounce. Everybody’s taking dirty
shots—except for the fiery redhead whose faith in Ryker
gives him a fresh start.

As the league’s only female general manager, Gray Brannon has learned not to mix
business with pleasure. And yet even this tough, talented career woman can’t
help breaking her own rules as she gives Ryker everything she’s got. She hopes
their hot streak will last forever, but with Ryker’s conniving ex plotting to
reclaim her man, the pressure is on Gray to step up and save a tender new love
before it’s too late.

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Excerpt

“D-a-a-a-d,” Ruby shrieks from upstairs.

It’s a sound that once used to cause all the hair to stand up on my arms and on more than one occasion caused me to go tearing after the call of my youngest daughter thinking she was being murdered by an intruder. I’ve since come to recognize that particular shrill cry as one of excitement and wonder, and I can’t help but grin over what Ruby is possibly into now. At almost five years old, she refuses to accept the concept of a well-mannered, indoor voice and goes balls to the wall in everything she does.

“Is the house on fire, Rubes?” I call out.

Her little voice shouts back to me in a squawk. “No.”

“Have aliens landed?” I keep my voice just loud enough to carry up the stairs but still

decibels below her own.

“No,” she yells, and there . . . right there . . . that’s a little giggle from her.

“Did Timmy fall down the well?”

“No, Dad . . . but you have to come here,” she yells, and, to give her credit, it’s toned down just a bit. When I don’t answer her right away, she calls down in a sweet voice that makes my heart pitter-patter. “Please, Dad.”

Brilliant, little brat. Throwing in some manners to throw me off my game.

“I’ll be right there,” I tell her as I finish the last of Violet’s braid and manage to efficiently bind it with a hair elastic. Leaning over, I place a kiss on her head. “All done, dreamy dwarf.”

Violet leans her head back and gives me an upside-down grin. I love the sprinkle of freckles on her nose and it compels me to kiss her again.

“Do me a favor,” I tell her as I turn toward the living room. “Get the cereal and milk out for me while I go see what your sister needs?”

I don’t bother waiting to see what she does, because Violet has become my metaphorical right hand over the last few months. While she still loves for me to braid her hair and help with her homework, she’s also relished taking on a bit of a caretaker role since the girls moved in with me permanently this past summer.

They’ve been here almost six months and I actually feel like I know what the hell I’m doing now. It wasn’t always like that, and thank God for Kate’s help or I would have gone insane in those first few months of becoming a single parent of two little girls. Kate patiently helped me establish a routine and taught me how to braid hair, distinguish excited shrieks from cries of pain, and most important . . . how to conduct the perfect princess tea party.

I skirt my way through the living room, bending over to pick up one of Ruby’s dolls from the floor, and bound up the stairs taking two at a time. I find Ruby in the bathroom that she and Violet share, bent over the toilet and peering at something.

She shares the same dark hair and gray eyes as Violet, except her locks spring out everywhere in a mass of tiny curls. I have no idea where that came from, but assume it’s a rogue strand of ancestral DNA from either me or my soon-to-be ex-wife, Hensley. Both of us, as well as Violet, have fairly straight hair, so Ruby is definitely dipping into the family gene pool with her wild curls, but damn . . . they totally fit with her personality.

“What’s up?” I ask as I walk over to the toilet.

She straightens up, shoots me a grin, and points. “Look . . . a spider.”

I cautiously take a step forward and lean over, grimacing as I look into the bowl.

And holy shit . . . a spider the size of a T rex is floating on the surface, all eight legs spread out, bent and poised to look as if it’s ready to leap out and attach itself to my face. I suppress a full spinal shudder and reach a tentative hand toward the handle to flush it.

Two things happen almost simultaneously that take at least three years off my life.

The spider somehow manages to skitter across the water, the beast so large it actually creates waves, and Ruby shrieks at me, “No! Don’t kill it, Dad!”

It is with a major blow to my pride—as a man, as a dad, as a six-foot, six-inch professional hockey player nicknamed the Brick because I’m as big and tough as a brick wall—that I jump backward at least two feet from the monster-infested toilet and banshee-crying sprite, causing my hip to slam into the corner of the sink.

“Shit,” I curse loudly, and Ruby’s eyes go round, followed by her lips.

“Oh, Dad . . . that’s a bad word.”

No shit.

I smile at her as I rub my hip. That’s definitely going to leave a bruise. “Sorry, Rubes. I’ll put a dollar in the swear jar.”

She merely nods her acceptance of my apology and turns worried eyes back to the toilet.

“You have to save it,” she implores.

Yeah . . . that’s not going to happen. Not now. Not ever.

“Sure, baby,” I tell her as I take her by the shoulder and turn her toward the bathroom door. I swear the spider glares at me with a million red, evil eyes. “Go on down and get breakfast. Violet’s fixing your cereal. I’ll get the spider out.”

“Okay,” Ruby says as she pulls away from me, but continues to give me instructions. “But let it out the front door and I’ll bring it some food later.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I assure her as she disappears down the stairs. When I hear her feet hit the bottom landing, I turn toward the toilet, intent on a quick flush to put me out of my misery.

Except when I look in the bowl, the fucking thing is gone.

I’ll just go ahead and admit it. Spiders scare the living hell out of me. I have no clue why, and while I would battle the biggest, baddest monster to the death for my daughters, I’d much rather flush a little spider down the toilet.

I immediately scramble backward out of the bathroom, grabbing the doorknob and shutting it quickly behind me. My heart is racing a million miles an hour, the thought of that furry hell beast now loose in my house.

Just one more thing on the list of things I still need to do today.

Get the girls dressed and ready for school.

Take the girls to school.

Clean up the spilled laundry detergent.

Finish the laundry.

Arm myself with a can of hairspray and a lighter to torch the rogue spider in the bathroom.

Pick up my dry cleaning.

Work out.

Team practice.

Pick up the girls from Kate and Zack’s house.

Dinner.

Baths.

Story time and cuddling.

Go to bed because I’ll be exhausted.

Easy as fucking pie, and I’ll get up and do it all over again the next day with a smile on my face. I’m finding life as a single parent isn’t as daunting as I thought it would be and I’ve finally found my groove.

Michel’s Review

Every time I think I have a favorite hero from one of Sawyer Bennett’s books she goes and releases a new book. I instantly fall head over heels for the new hero she created. I don’t know how she does it but her men just keep getting better.

Ryker is the fourth book in the Cold Fury Hockey series. Ryker Evans is the new goalie for the Cold Fury Team. Although he is new to the team, he is a seasoned veteran that is closer to retirement than making a big name for himself. He has a solid reputation as a goalie although he blew the winning goal last season. His teammates may not believe in him but his general manager, Gray Bannon, does. She knows he has what it takes to take the Cold Fury to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ryker is a busy man. He’s playing the best hockey he has ever played. He is also raising his two young daughters and providing a stable home for them. He doesn’t have time for hookups or one night stands. He wants a committed relationship that has room to grow. He wants Gray Bannon. He knows she is the last person he should be pursuing but her sharp mind, compassionate spirit, and sexy body has him thoroughly entranced.

Gray Bannon is a certified genius. She is the first female general manager for a professional hockey team and it’s not because her father owns the team. She has a scientific formula for building a winning team. Some may not understand the statistics but she is certain it is going to work. Ryker Evans gets it. He gets her. He is the sexiest man she has ever met. He is off limits.

Ryker and Gray engage in a sizzling hot affair that can either burn them both or become a warm up to a happily ever after. Gray may lose her job and damage future hope for women in professional hockey. Ryker may have to retire before he is ready, especially since he is having his best professional season.

Throw in some hostile team members, an arrogant assistant general manager, a clueless ex wife, and two adorable little girls and you have a fantastic book. Ryker Evans is beyond sexy and Gray Bannon knows how to handle his sexy.

Sawyer Bennett has once again delivered an exciting page turner. Read Ryker! It can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order. I would highly recommend The Cold Fury Hockey series. These dynamic players know how to play more than a great game of hockey. They know how to play your heart and win!

USA Today and New York Times Best-Selling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, the Legal Affairs Series and the Last Call Series. She will be releasing her third book in the Cold Fury Hockey Series with Random House Loveswept, June 2015.

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Grab the other Cold Fury Romances

ALEX

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GARRETT

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ZACK

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Release Blitz: One Night With The Billionaire by Lauren Hawkeye

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Are you ready to spend your night with the billionaire? NYT Bestselling Authors Lauren Hawkeye is back with a sexy romantic suspense that will have you swooning over Alexi and wishing for his protection. Get your hands on ONE NIGHT WITH THE BILLIONAIRE today!

About ONE NIGHT WITH THE BILLIONAIRE

Certifiable genius Mari Hart has spent her life focusing on school and getting ahead. Freshly out of school at age twenty, with two doctorates in hand and no idea what to do next, Mari decides to allow herself one night to be young, something she’s never done before. She’s smart, and she’s responsible—what could go wrong?

But at Florida’s hot, kinky new nightclub she sees something that she shouldn’t, and even her incredible intelligence can’t save her—but billionaire Alexios Kosta can. One of the world’s richest men—one with dark secrets of his own—Alexi has the power to make all of Mari’s problems go away.

The catch? To obtain full protection, Mari must become Alexi’s wife. And it isn’t long before their public displays of affection spark something far hotter than either could ever have imagined…

This is book two of the A Virgin, A Billionaire and a Marriage series. It is a category length novel that stands alone- no cliffhangers!

Add ONE NIGHT WITH THE BILLIONAIRE to Goodreads!

Buy it now: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Excerpt

There are heavy footsteps behind me. The muscles of my legs burn—my quads, my hamstrings, my glutes.

I don’t stop.

Sitting in traffic at the end of the alley is a sleek black Porsche. Rental plates.

My hands reach for the door, fumble for the handle.

The thundering steps behind me are growing closer.
The door is, miraculously, unlocked. It opens under my shaking fingers. With the last of my strength, a final surge born of adrenaline, I fling myself into the back seat, the scent of leather and new car surrounding me like a blanket.

“What—” The driver’s voice is male, and it swears when a bullet thuds into the metal of the door that I slam closed behind me. There’s a screech of tires, and I slam into the seats in front of me as the driver wheels out into traffic with speed and surprising skill.

“Drive.” I don’t recognize my own voice. It’s harsh, raw, like the shredded soles of my feet. “Please. Get me out of here.”

The driver doesn’t reply, concentrating on his driving as I slowly, painfully, pull myself to a sitting position. I shift so that I can look at him in the rearview mirror.

Our eyes meet, caramel and soft gray, and an electric current burns away the remnants of shock.

It’s him.

It’s the man from the club.

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!

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Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Sexy by JA Huss

Posted on 09/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Sexy

By J. A. Huss

Release Date: September 9 , 2015

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

Synopsis:

Fletcher Novak is Sexy.

Fletch has charm, Fletch has charisma, and Fletch has moves. He turns dreams into reality two nights a week, baring his body to lonely women, bored housewives, and bachelorettes looking for that one last good time. He’s into one-night stands, one-time things, and he never, ever gets serious.

Tiffy Preston is looking for commitment.

A billionaire’s daughter with the world at her fingertips, Tiffy’s in Lake Tahoe to take over her father’s hotel and clean up the Mountain Men Male Revue Show. She’s well-bred, polite, and hates everything Fletcher represents.

But Fletcher offers Tiffy something she can’t refuse—total satisfaction and the man of her dreams. All she has to do is… everything he tells her.

Because Sexy doesn’t sell… it’s for sale.

Sexy is a full-length, standalone novel by New York Times Bestselling author, JA Huss.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

Excerpt

“Have you thought about me?” I ask. “Since last night at the show? Because I’ve thought about you.”

“What did you think about me? That I’m your next victim?”

“No, actually.” I smooth down the blanket on the ground of the shed and then step towards her, taking her face in my hands and pulling her tight against my chest. “I’ve thought about your hot breath as you panted against my cock when I was standing on your chair. I thought about your upturned eyes, looking at me if I ever got the chance to get you on your knees.”

She gulps air.

“Now tell me what you’ve been thinking about. Because you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want to be.”

“We’re locked in,” she whispers as my mouth moves in closer.

I kiss her softly. No tongue, just a small, tender kiss that makes girls melt. “You have a phone, Tiffy. One call to your BFF, Claudio, and you’re free.”

She stares at me.

“But even though I might be the biggest prick you ever met, you want me, don’t you.”

She swallows hard.

“And I want you. That’s why we’re here. I want you. So if you don’t feel the same way, now’s your chance to say so.”

“I want…” She stops. There was a word on her lips, but I’m almost certain it was not my name. Jealousy heats me up in a millisecond. What kind of girl has another man’s name on her tongue when she’s gazing up into my eyes?

“What?” I say sharply. “What were you gonna say?”

“I want to be irresistible. Like you.”

“What?” I have to admit, I’m surprised. And then I laugh. “Are you a virgin?”

“I’m twenty-six, asshole. I’m not a fucking virgin.”

“Then what do you mean? I’m confused.”

“You’re just…” She sighs. “So good at this stuff. Seduction, right? I’m bad at it.”

“Who do you want to seduce?” My jealous rage is back.

“No one. Not specifically. But you’re so confident. And I’m so… not. I feel like I should take notes.”

It’s my turn to sigh. “What, you want me to teach you how to seduce someone?” The irony is not lost.

“Well, look. I hate you. I really do. You had me grabbing your cock last night and then I got accused of sexually harassing you. You made me feel like an idiot in that meeting with your plans and proposals. And now I’m up in your sex den, and I’m not sure what’s happening.” She looks at me with pleading eyes. “Tell me how you get all this control. How do you do it?”

I think about this for a few seconds, and then take a calculated risk. “How many blowjobs have you given in your life, Tiffy?”

“What?” She laughs, putting her hand over her heart like the word ‘blowjob’ is an assault on her virtue.

“Any?”

“I’ve given… one,” she admits, and then averts her eyes.

I’m turned on again. “One? One is not enough. If you want to know how to control a man, you don’t need to look any further than your own mouth. Men are drawn to lips. Every girl they ever think about sexually starts with an image of their cock in that girl’s mouth. So if you want control, you gotta lead a guy to your mouth.”

She takes a deep breath. “Go on.”

God, why am I so annoyed that she’s asking me for pointers? I can make her do anything I want right now. I should be celebrating.

“Please,” she begs. “Tell me.”

I place a hand on her shoulder and push. “Get on your knees.”

Michel’s Review

Get ready for one smoking hot romance. Sexy by JA Huss is steamy!

Sexy by JA Huss is a fun, sexy, erotic contemporary romance. Unlike her other books that have a dark and complex plot, Sexy was simplicity at it’s finest. It was a warm hearted and extremely erotic story about finding true love when you least expect it. It also showed that there is more to a person than by the outer image we show the world. It’s important to look deeper rather than taking things at face value.

Sexy kept me enthralled. I could not put the book down. I enjoyed every sexy moment with Tiffy & Fletcher.

I highly recommend Sexy by JA Huss!

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Author Bio:

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Blitz: One Night With The Billionaire by Lauren Hawkeye

Are you ready to spend your night with the billionaire? NYT Bestselling Authors Lauren Hawkeye is back with a sexy romantic suspense that will have you swooning over Alexi and wishing for his protection. Get your hands on ONE NIGHT WITH THE BILLIONAIRE today!