Early Review: Indecent Proposal by Katee Robert – The O’Malleys Series – Book 3… Coming Soon!

Posted on 08/18/2016 by shellbellereads

Indecent Proposal

The O’Malleys Series – Book 3

By Katee Robert

Release Date: August 30, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Synopsis

Greed. Ambition. Violence. Those are the “values” Olivia Rashidi learned from her Russian mob family-and the values she must leave behind for the sake of her daughter. When she meets Cillian O’Malley, she recognizes the red flag of his family name . . . yet she still can’t stop herself from seeing the smoldering, tortured man. To save her family, Olivia sets out to discover Cillian’s own secrets, but the real revelation is how fast-and how hard-she’s falling for him.

Plagued by a violent past, Cillian is more vulnerable than anyone realizes. Anyone except Olivia, whose beauty, compassion, and pride have him at “hello,” even if she’s more inclined to say good-bye to an O’Malley. While his proposal of sex with no strings seems simple, what he feels for her isn’t, especially after he learns that she belongs to a rival crime family. Cillian knows that there is no escape from the life, but Olivia may be worth trying-and dying-for . . .

Tracey’s Review

Cillian O’Malley has always been known as the hell-raiser, the skirt chaser, the O’Malley most likely to find himself in the middle of trouble. But that was before, before the night his beloved brother died, and everything changed. Olivia Rashidi is running. Determined to escape the long and powerful arm of her half-brother Dimitri, she’s made Boston home for her and her young daughter, hiding in plain sight, and trying to stay out of trouble.

Any book that Katee Robert writes is guaranteed to land at the very top of my TBR list. Her characters, the stories, the dialogue, Katee is the mistress of bringing all things together for a read that is sure to engage. I have read and enjoyed the first two books in her series about the O’Malley family of Boston, and AN INDECENT PROPOSAL is my favorite so far.

As the middle sibling in the powerful O’Malley clan, Cillian O’Malley has had it fairly easy. He doesn’t have the burden of taking over the reins of the family business from his father, and marrying him off to help ally them with one the other powerful crime families isn’t in the cards. Since the tragic death of his brother, Devlin, Cillian has been keeping his nose clean and learning more of his part as the numbers man for the far-reaching and varied O’Malley interests. The one woman that he can’t forget, though, is Olivia Rashidi. As the illegitimate daughter of one of the most powerful Russian syndicates, she knows all too well the reality of being part of a mob family, and wants no part of it for her daughter. Cillian, with his charm, his dark sex appeal, and his refusal to leave her alone, has all of her alarms going off, but darned if she can’t stay away.

I’m going to tell you that Katee can write a steamy scene like nobody’s dang business. The chemistry between Cillian and Olivia is off-the-charts hot, and Cillian can bring it. I mean, seriously, smoke might have been coming out of my e-reader at some points while I was reading this book. And, besides the intense physical attraction, these two just click in every way, smoothing out each others’ rough edges and creating a safe place for each other.

AN INDECENT PROPOSAL continues the complex and intense O’Malley saga, and does it very well. I was so invested in seeing how things played out for everyone that I literally could not put this one down. I love that Katee has created this intricate tapestry of the inter-mingling of the three big families that rule Boston, and bringing the Romanovs more fully into the thick of things really amped things up. Everyone is so very different, even coming from the same backgrounds, and I am really enjoying seeing each character’s story as it plays out. Sloan O’Malley has been a bit of a mystery throughout the series, and I am looking very forward to FORBIDDEN PROMISES, her story. AN INDECENT PROPOSAL is 4.5 hot, suspenseful, powerful stars of a thrill ride, and, as are all of Katee’s books, one that I happily recommend.

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

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The O’ Malley’s Series

The Marriage Contract – Book 1

Teague O’Malley hates pretty much everything associated with his family’s name. And when his father orders him to marry Callista Sheridan to create a “business” alliance, Teague’s ready to tell his dad exactly where he can stuff his millions. But then Teague actually meets his new fiancée, sees the bruises on her neck and the fight still left in her big blue eyes, and vows he will do everything in his power to protect her.

Everyone knows the O’Malleys have a dangerous reputation. But Callie wasn’t aware just what that meant until she saw Teague, the embodiment of lethal grace and coiled power. His slightest touch sizzles through her. But the closer they get, the more trouble they’re in. Because Callie’s keeping a dark secret-and what Teague doesn’t know could get him killed.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

*****

The Wedding Pact – Book 2

Carrigan O’Malley has always known her arranged marriage would be more about power and prestige than passion. But after one taste of the hard-bodied, whiskey-voiced James Halloran, she’s ruined for anyone else. Too bad James and his family are enemy number 1.

Hallorans vs. O’Malleys—that’s how it’s always been. James should be thinking more about how to expand his family’s empire instead of how silky Carrigan’s skin is against his and how he can next get her into his bed. Those are dangerous thoughts. But not nearly as dangerous as he’ll be if he can’t get what he wants: Carrigan by his side for the rest of their lives.

Buy : Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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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:

Review…New Sports Romance & New Adult Series: The Montgomery University Series by Kathryn Renard

Posted on 08/17/2016 by shellbellereads

The Montgomery Series

By Kathryn Renard

New Adult & Sports Romance

The Pre – Season

A Montgomery University Short Story – Book 1

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis

Nineteen-year-old Josie Savage can’t wait for college to start and along with it, her new life away from her football star father. A father-daughter trip to Hawaii that is more obligation than fun until she until she starts a vacation romance with a sexy Navy SEAL. It’s a romance that defies logic in its intensity and passion. College is waiting, but can she turn her back on a chance for love in paradise? Find out in this short-story prequel to the well-reviewed novel “The Backup”.

Michel’s Review

When I first began reading The Pre-Season, I thought I was reading an erotic novella. After I finished this short story, I realized it was the first step in Josie Savage’s journey to becoming an independent woman. A vacation affair with an older hot Navy Seal makes her realize how important her upcoming college career is.

Josie and Elijah are perfect together in and out of bed. Their red hot affair is going to leave them both with steamy memories and fantasy material. Their lives are on two very different paths. Josie is heading off to college on the east coast at Montgomery University. Elijah is a Navy Seal. He’s bound to his duty and serves with honor.

What started out as a vacation with her superstar NFL quarterback father begins to change the dynamics in the father/ daughter relationship. Their life together has been a very rocky road. From denial to neglect, Josie’s father has always been out for himself. He craves the lime light, fast women, and hero worship. Josie just wants a father that loves her for who she is.

The relationship begins to change as the time slips away in vacation paradise. Elijah and Josie’s father are both going to have to let her go. Josie has to find the courage to leave both these dynamic men behind.

Once I got into The Backup, the first full length novel in the series, I realized how much this short story added depth to the woman Josie has become.

*****

The Backup

The Montgomery University Series – Book 2

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis

Josie Savage has lived in the shadow of her football star father since he acknowledged paternity. After winning an academic scholarship to Montgomery University, she’s hoping 3000 miles will be enough to get out from under his controlling thumb. But the school’s incredibly sexy backup quarterback with a shady background is a distraction she doesn’t need. Worse yet, his starting quarterback roommate has his sights set on Josie. Can a famously publicity-shy California girl manage to navigate the attraction of two sexy star athletes?
Book 1 of the “Montgomery University” series of New Adult romances.
**Contains plot-driven detailed consensual sex scenes**

Michel’s Review

Josie Savage’s story starts right where it left off in The Pre-Season.

Her arrival at Montgomery University is anything but quiet. Once again her father is stealing the limelight as she moves in. She wants her peers to see her as an individual rather than Joey Savage’s daughter. It doesn’t help that he bribes her roommates with new computers and threatens the guys outside her Campus Home.

Josie slowly begins to settle in. She has bonded with her roommates and it looks like freshman year is off to a great start. At her first college party she catches the attention of both quarterbacks, the starter- Mark Bishop and the backup -Runner Rarity. One is completely available and the biggest manwhore on campus, the other is taken by the meanest woman on campus. Both are super hot, but one makes her heart race. The one that is unavailable. One is a naturally talented athlete that doesn’t need football to succeed in the future and the other is an incredibly talented, hungry player waiting to take the field and make his future.

What starts out as friendship with both of these incredible guys turns into a love triangle that tests her friendships with her roommates, her reputation, and makes her a target for the meanest woman on campus.

One will steal her heart and become the most important man in her life. The other will become the best friend and strongest ally she has in school.

Fate will step in and prove which player commands the field. Fate will also test his commitment to the game. Josie will have find the strength to stay by his side and believe that this is not her father all over again.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great introduction to a colorful, dynamic cast of characters that will play a huge role in this series. It showcased exactly how college is in the freshman year, as well as the importance of college sports. It also showcased family dynamics and how those relationships can mold our lives.

*****

Sidelined

The Montgomery University Series – Book 3

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis

Montana Tierney had her college path planned. But then her father took the head-football coaching job at Montgomery University and all of her plans came crashing down. Free tuition at MU meant Montana would be going there instead of the college of her dreams. To make matters worse, she has a crush on one of the players on her dad’s new team. Mark Bishop is a notorious playboy who makes it clear to Montana that he doesn’t have time for inexperienced girlfriends. Humiliated, Montana is moving on when Mark admits to himself and to Montana that he has feelings for her. Just as it seems Montana will end up with the hottest guy on the team, a brutal on-field injury threatens to end Montana and Mark’s relationship before it can even begin.

Book two of the well-received “Montgomery University” series of New Adult romances.
**contains plot-driven detailed consensual sex scenes**

Michel’s Review

Montana Tierney’s freshman year is quite different from the year she expected. Rather than going to Notre Dame and spending her freshman year with her boyfriend, she’s going to a small university on the east coast. Her father took the job as head football coach. The tuition is free and her family is close by. She’s left the midwest and her friends behind. Being the youngest child in the family, her siblings are pursuing their own careers and lives. She’s stuck in a world that revolves around football. Her roommates are quite different from her, one is outgoing ,super friendly, and tied to the football team through her boyfriend. The other is withdrawn, moody, and anti social on a good day. She’s in the same Campus Home that the football team resides in as well. She can’t escape her life. After her long distance boyfriend breaks up with her, she is determined to try to fit in and pave her own path.

Mark Bishop is finishing out his senior year quite differently. Rather than being the starting quarterback, the new coach has moved him to playing tight end. He’s not overly sure about the position but at least he’s starting. His natural athletic ability and love for the game is all that matters. After his senior year he will be done with football. He will take his place in his family’s wealthy world.

He befriends the coach’s daughter and it leads his senior year down a new path. The friendship is tested by the sexual tension that lies beneath the surface. She is also forbidden territory.

Montana is testing her new independence and isn’t making the best decisions. Rather than trying to find a nice guy to hang out with, she’s flirting with the wrong kind of guys. She’s attracted to Mark Bishop and knows he’s off limits. She can’t keep herself away from the sexy football player.

Montana’s mistakes and relationship with Mark turn into something much bigger than either anticipated. Some of her mistakes could endanger her father’s position as coach and hurt the football program. When she finally makes the right choice, fate steps in and changes the path once again.

Mark and Montana are going to be tested in every way. Both are going to struggle to find what is more important, football or love. When it comes down to it, there isn’t really a choice.

Once again I was glued to the pages waiting to see how the Montgomery coeds survived another year at Montgomery University. All of the dynamic characters have captured my heart. Football isn’t the only thing happening on campus. Love is in the air and ready to score.

*****

The Comeback

Montgomery University Series – Book 4

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis

Maddy Cassidy has hit her stride at Montgomery University. She has great friends, stellar grades, and sees no bumps on the road to a drama-free junior year. Classes haven’t even started when sparks fly between her and Elijah Hart, a moody Navy SEAL who’s landed in academia after a devastating battlefield experience. He’s not planning on falling for anyone until Maddy’s looks and brains start to get under his skin. Will someone as beautiful as she is be able to look past his life-changing injury? And will Elijah’s passion for Maddy be able to protect her from an unexpected danger?
**Contains plot-driven descriptive consensual sex**

Michel’s Review

Maddy Cassidy could care less about football. She is there for the academics, a degree in physics. Her social life doesn’t revolve around the football team like her roommate Josie Savage. She’s really not interested in dating. She just wants to complete her junior year with stellar grades.

Junior year is starting out quite differently than expected. One of her former roommates has moved on to become an exchange student in London. Their new roommate Nella, an exchange student from London, is annoying. To top it off, her first encounter with one of the other students at the swimming pool has left her seething. Not a good start.

Elijah Hart is at Montgomery University, as a guest professor, after he was severely injured. His career as a Navy Seal has ended quite differently than he thought it would. He’s grateful he’s alive after losing his leg. Fate has stepped in and landed him at the same university as Josie Savage. Their torrid vacation affair turned into a close friendship.

He was shocked when the sexy coed he insulted at the pool is none other than one of Josie’s roommate. He finds Maddy intriguing. He wants to get to know her better. He didn’t count on the complications that come from Maddy and Josie’s history. He’s willing to do anything to get Maddy in his bed and in his life.

Life at Montgomery University is anything but boring. Maddy has become this season’s poster girl for the football team. One the players is head over heels in love with her. She’s not attracted to him, she’s attracted to the new sexy, egotistical professor.

As Elijah and Maddy’s relationship heats up, so does her notoriety. She is trying to dissuade a volatile football player attentions, repair her friendship with Josie, learn to tolerate Nella, and keep her grades up. She’s under pressure.

The pressure escalates as her relationship with Elijah becomes more solid. What neither of them anticipated was a very dangerous stalker determined to have Maddy for himself.

It’s a life or death situation. Elijah may be a former Navy Seal but it may not be enough to save Maddy.

I could not put this book down. This book turned into a pure romantic suspense novel that had me on the edge of my seat with my heart racing a mile a minute. Kathryn Renard found her niche writing this book. It was fantastic. I am looking forward to more from this dynamic author. Her writing talent is blossoming.

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Author Bio:

Kathryn Renard Kathryn Renard is an award-winning journalist who has always enjoyed romance novels. She felt there was a need for romances that were more like real-life college years. With this in mind, she started writing. Her modern heroines and swoon-worthy heroes have flaws, but they also have a lot of passion. They may kiss the wrong guy, or sleep with the wrong girl, but her couples are worth rooting for.

Kathryn enjoys books with great plots and great characters, but also great sex scenes. She includes these elements in her books. Her characters do not tend to close the bedroom door on the reader.

In her real life, Kathryn works for a well known national news organization, and lives in Washington, DC with her husband, twin daughters, and two dogs.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway : Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley – Fantasyland Series – Book 5

Posted on 08/15/2016 by shellbellereads

Midnight Soul

Fantasyland Series – Book 5

By Kristen Ashley

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * GooglePlay * iBooks* Kobo

MIDNIGHT SOUL is here! This amazing fantasy takes place in our world and a parallel universe where fantasies are true…but perhaps not all you would expect. MIDNIGHT SOUL is the highly anticipated finale to Kristen Ashley’s bestselling Fantasyland Series. Be sure you check out all of the stops on the tour and order the final novel in this amazing series today!

MIDNIGHT SOUL Synopsis:

Against his will, Noctorno Hawthorne, an undercover vice cop, finds himself embroiled in magic, mayhem and parallel universes. Too late, he meets an amazing woman only to find she’s destined for his identical twin in another world.

And things aren’t going real great there.

Noc is recruited to help save that world.

What he doesn’t know is his destined love resides there.

Franka Drakkar wears a mask. A mask she never takes off to protect herself in a world of malice, intrigue and danger.

When Franka meets Noc and he discovers her secrets, convinced she carries a midnight soul, having shielded herself from forming bonds with anyone, she struggles with accepting his tenderness and care.

When Noc meets Franka, over wine and whiskey, her mask slips and Noc knows it’s her—only her—and he has to find a way to get her to come home with him.

And then make her want to stay.

***

Order MIDNIGHT SOUL here!

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * GooglePlay * iBooks* Kobo

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

____________________________

Excerpt

~Franka~

“You need to leave,” I declared.

His brows drew together a moment before his expression showed clearly that comprehension had dawned.

Sadly, comprehension might have dawned but he didn’t leave.

He crouched by the bed and offered in a soft voice, “You need me to carry you to the other room so you can have a bit of privacy?”

Dear goddess.

He thought I needed a chamber pot.

But…

What was happening to my face?

Dear goddess!

The heat I felt in my cheeks could be nothing other than me blushing.

I didn’t blush. I’d never blushed. Not even when I’d set about seducing my first lover at age sixteen.

I needed to be quit of this man as soon as possible.

“No…I…do…not,” I bit out.

“Sure?” he asked kindly.

“I need you to leave, Noctorno,” I used his full name in an effort to irritate, something that worked if the flare in his eyes was any indication, “so Josette can prepare me. We’re away to Kristian’s this morning.”

Another drawing of his brows before he asked, “What?”

“After my toilette, Josette and I are to my sleigh so we can begin our journey to my brother’s home.”

His eyes got bigger as his mouth inquired peculiarly, “Are you high?”

“No,” I answered his ridiculous question unnecessarily, “Indeed, I’m low. As you can see since I’m lying abed.”

For a second he just stared at me.

Then he threw his head back and burst into loud, deep, beautiful laughter.

I wanted to throw something at him.

Unfortunately, in my current position, this was not an option open to me.

“I fail to see what’s amusing,” I noted.

He controlled his mirth only to mutter, “I’ll explain it later.” He went on more distinctly, “Frannie, you’re not goin’ to your brother’s today. Or tomorrow. Or until you’re fit. Then, maybe Valentine will spirit you there, or whatever the fuck that’s called. But for the foreseeable future, your ass is in that bed and you’re resting so you can heal.”

Well!

Who did he think he was, telling me what I would or would not do?

“As you’ve determined,” I began, “this is not the first time I’ve been in this condition so I do believe that I know best what I’m capable of and…”

I stopped speaking because he came slightly out of his crouch so he could put his face into my face and he was no longer looking mirthful.

He was looking angry.

Very angry.

“That was when you had no one lookin’ out for you but that’s not the case anymore. So this is how it’s gonna be,” he announced.

He then, to my shock, irritation and outrage, announced how it was going to be.

Like he had the right to tell me how it was going to be!

***

Michel’s Review

Every summer I make it a goal to read a few series that I haven’t had time to get to. One of those series was the Fantasyland Series by Kristen Ashley. Although I am a huge Kristen Ashley fan, I am not really into fantasy romance. I have to be in the “mood” to read this type of book. Summer was the perfect time for me to dive into this series and give it my full attention. Once again Kristen Ashley wowed me with her vivid imagination, her sexy alpha men, quirky capable women, sizzling hot romance with a touch of humor, and an entertaining story. The Fantasyland Series had a bonus, it had a special blend of magic and mystique in two parallel worlds.

Midnight Soul should not be read as a stand alone in this series. It is the grand finale.

As I have said many times before, Kristen Ashley is the bomb! Once again she has taken a character that readers disliked and turned their hearts. Kristen Ashley gave Franka Drakkar a complete makeover. Readers got a glimpse into the real woman beneath the facade. A woman with vulnerabilities,extreme loyalties, monumental insecurities,and a big heart waiting to be given. Only a man like Noctorno Hawthorne could see beneath the surface and see the beautifull soul buried deep within.

After the mega showdown and resolutions, Franka is in a different place. She is transitioning into a new life with the possibilities of new friendships, relationships, and life experiences. She’s a bit lost because her life has completely changed and she’s not on solid footing. Noc can see her internal struggles and offers friendship. He introduces her to his world, the modern parallel world that leaves her with wonder and curiosity.

This newly found friendship leads Franka on a new adventure, an adventure of the heart. Together Noc and Franka are going to discover the best of both worlds and the true meaning of happily ever after.

As most Kristen Ashley fans know, Kristen is the queen of happily ever afters that are told through epic epilogues.

I am happy that I opened my mind and embraced the Fantasyland series. It was a reading adventure with Kristen Ashley magic.

I highly recommend the Fantasyland Series.

And Don’t Miss the First Books in the Fantasyland Series!

WILDEST DREAMS

THE GOLDEN DYNASTY

FANTASTICAL

BROKEN DOVE

About Kristen Ashley:

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.

Nothing’s changed.

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better.

WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER * NEWSLETTER * GOODREADS * PINTEREST * INSTAGRAM

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway: Sidelined by A. M. Hargrove and Terri E. Laine

Posted on 08/11/2016 by shellbellereads

Book Title: Sidelined (A Wilde Players Dirty Romance)
Author: A.M. Hargrove & Terrie E. Laine
Genre: Sports Romance
Release Date: August 11, 2016
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

From the USA Today Bestselling Authors, A.M. Hargrove and Terri E. Laine comes a new standalone sexy sports romance, Sidelined – A Wilde Players Dirty Romance.

Cassidy

I hate him… I love him… He destroyed me… and now He needs me.

Fletcher Wilde, a gorgeous quarterback in the NFL, is the man I should have married. He’s is the one that walked away, choosing football over me. He shouldn’t be back, especially not looking that good. And not sitting in my waiting room chair with a bum leg and confident cocky grin that sets my insides on fire.

It’s impossible to forget how he rocked my world both in and out of the bedroom. Keeping things professional won’t be easy, especially given our history. My mission, however, is getting him back on the field—the place he loved more than me, while not losing myself in him all over again.

Fletcher

Cassidy Miller is the only physical therapist in town. And after a potential career ending injury, she’s my ticket back on the field or my NFL career is over. Unfortunately, she’s the same Cassidy who ripped my heart to shreds when I thought we were a team.

Sexy and intelligent, she’s the last person I thought I’d see again. As it turns out, she looks better than ever, making me want that smart mouth of hers doing things to me that would drive a sane man crazy.

Lucky for me, my determination is legendary. Winning is in my blood, which makes me number one on the field. Being a single-minded man, my focus is to get her back and this time for good.

“Can we start from scratch? Like this whole night?” I ask.

“What do you mean?”

A frustrated sigh leaves me. “I don’t want it to be like this between us.”

I expect a snappy response, but that’s not what I get. “I don’t really either. But after you dumped me—”

What is she saying? “I didn’t dump you. I had to leave to go with the pros.”

She looks at me like she wants to say duh.

“Yeah, you dumped me for the pros.”

My hand drives through my hair. “That’s not how it went. I had to leave, and you were supposed to come.”

That one word has me harder than I thought possible. She speaks, but I’m barely coherent to what she’s saying.

“I had to finish college. Then there was PT school, my dad, and I couldn’t possibly go.”

Reaching out, I take her wrist and pull her closer. Her eyes widen, making her look like a doe in the middle of the road. And, damn, if that doesn’t make her my prey.

The words crawl out of my mouth like a growl. “Take your clothes off and get in this tub with me.” I shut off the water and push the button to get the jets running. This is a dead-end conversation, like it will always be.

Her head shakes, sending all that hair I want to wrap around my hand flying.

“You’re crazy.”

“Maybe.” I haven’t let go of her wrist, determined to convince her to stay. “Everyone’s entitled to a little crazy.

When she doesn’t answer, I give her hand a slight tug. “Take your clothes off, Cass, and get in here.”

“I might hurt your knee.”

“Chicken.” I splash her with some water.

She jumps back, and I lose my hold on her. “Fletcher, you got me wet.”

Her eyes narrow as my grin widens. “That’s the idea.”

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Michel’s Review

The football season is almost upon us. The training camps are underway and the fans are gearing up for opening day. Sports romance fans are also getting in the mood for some football, or should a say a hot football romance. A. M. Hargrove and Terri E. Laine have delivered the opening football romance for the readers to devour. First up on the players roster is Fletcher Wilde, NFL quarterback. Are you ready for some hot passes and scoring touchdowns that will make your panties wet and your heart flutter? Fletcher has the plays.

Fletcher Wilde has returned home to North Carolina on his season break to take care of his parents home and dogs while they are away on vacation. Nothing ever happens in this sleepy small town and it’s a good rest before summer training camp. He hasn’t been home since he signed with the NFL.

Twenty five seconds can be a game changer. It can change the coarse of the game or change the outcome of your life. Fletcher knows this but didn’t realize the impact until twenty five seconds changed everything. His career is on the line and his heart is taking back his life. A hit and run accident changed Fletcher Wilde’s life. It brought him back to Cassidy, the only woman he has ever loved.

Cassidy Miller was devastated when Fletcher left her for the NFL. Picking up the pieces of her broken heart was difficult. She moved on, finished college, married, started a career, and became a business owner. On paper it looked like her life was perfect. The fact is that she had a miserable marriage and is now divorced. Although she is the only therapist in town, her business is struggling. When Fletcher Wilde walks through her door for therapy, her heart is on the line.

Cassidy and Fletcher are finally going to get closure or the happily ever after they were meant to have. They will have to deal with Fletcher’s injuries, Cassidy’s mistrust, a conniving agent, overprotective BFF, greedy team owners, and a diabolical ex husband. Fletcher’s game for anything as long as Cassidy is his end zone.

A. M. Hargrove and Terri E. Laine have a winner with this second chance romance. I’m looking forward to seeing what Wilde is up next the game roster.

Sidelined was the perfect, sexy sports romance to kick off the season.

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One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, USA Today bestselling author, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So she made a quick decision to quit her job and reinvented herself as a Naughty and Nice Romance Author.

Annie fancies herself all of the following: Reader, Writer, Dark Chocolate Lover, Ice Cream Worshipper, Coffee Drinker (swears the coffee, chocolate, and ice cream should be added as part of the USDA food groups), Lover of Grey Goose (and an extra dirty martini), #WalterThePuppy Lover, and if you’re ever around her for more than five minutes, you’ll find out she’s a non-stop talker. Other than loving writing about romance, she loves hanging out with her family and binge watching TV with her husband. You can find out more about her books at http://www.amhargrove.com.

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Terri E. Laine, USA Today bestselling author, left a lucrative career as a CPA to pursue her love for writing. Outside of her roles as a wife and mother of three, she’s always been a dreamer and as such became an avid reader at a young age.

Many years later, she got a crazy idea to write a novel and set out to try to publish it. With over a dozen titles published under various pen names, the rest is history. Her journey has been a blessing, and a dream realized. She looks forward to many more memories to come.

You can find more about her books at http://www.terrielaine.com.

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***

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway: Close To You by Kristen Proby – Fusion Series – Book 2

Posted on 08/09/2016 by shellbellereads

Kristen Proby is known for writing heartfelt characters with deep connections and sizzling passion. In her brand new Fusion Series from William Morrow, she seduces readers’ senses with the sexy, contemporary romance in which five best friends open a hot new restaurant together. Today, we are thrilled to bring you CLOSE TO YOU, the second book in the Fusion Series! CLOSE TO YOU brings readers the next story in this amazing cast of characters. Grab your copy of CLOSE TO YOU today and check out the special offer below!

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the second novel in her sizzling Fusion series.

Camilla, “Cami,” LaRue was five-years-old when she first fell in love with Landon Palazzo. Everyone told her the puppy love would fade—they clearly never met Landon. When he left after graduation without a backward glance, she was heartbroken. But Cami grew up, moved on, and became part-owner of wildly popular restaurant Seduction. She has everything she could want…or so she thinks.

After spending the last twelve years as a Navy fighter pilot, Landon returns to Portland to take over the family construction business. When he catches a glimpse of little Cami LaRue, he realizes she’s not so little any more. He always had a soft spot for his little sister’s best friend, but nothing is soft now when he’s around the gorgeous restauranteur.

Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

Order Your Copy Today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

______________________________

Excerpt

~Cami~

He’s back.
I take a deep, cleansing breath and push my hands through my blond hair, scrutinizing my makeup. I don’t wear much, and I’m certainly not as talented with it as my best friend, Addie, but it’ll do. My green eyes are accentuated nicely, lips are pink, and heart is beating faster than ever.
“You’ve known him your whole life. It’s not like he’s new,” I remind myself in the mirror. “You’re just going over to say hi. It’s no big deal.”
I don’t look convinced, so I narrow my eyes and lean in. “He’s just an old friend. Suck it up, buttercup.”
Landon is my other best friend, Mia’s older brother. Addie, Mia, and I grew up together, and I’ve been in love with Landon for as long as I can remember. God, one look at him usually sends the giant birds in my stomach into overdrive. He’s handsome— understatement of the year— and sweet and . . . damn.
I’m ridiculous.
I shake my head at my reflection and turn away to grab my purse and set out to Landon’s parents’ place, where he’s been staying since arriving home a few days ago. Landon was in the Navy since he graduated from college. He was a pilot, until an accident a few months ago that resulted in him ejecting from the plane.
I’ve never felt fear like I did the day we received the call that he’d been hurt. And the past few months of him being on the other side of the world have been torture. I couldn’t see him to make sure he was okay. He had to recover, then go through the process of being discharged from the Navy before he could come home.
Thank God he’s back now. I gave him a couple of days to acclimate, but I just can’t stay away anymore. I need to see him.
And I’m nervous as hell.
I park at the curb by his parents’ house, gather my courage about me, and walk up the sidewalk to the front door, knocking with more conviction than I feel.
There isn’t any movement in the house, making me frown. It’s early enough in the day that he should be home.
I knock again, and just when I’m about to give up and leave, the door is yanked open and there he is.
Half- naked.
Hair rumpled.
Eyes blurry.
Did I mention that he’s half freaking naked?

________________________________

Tracey’s Review

“I didn’t think I believed in soul mates…It’s always sounded like a romantic notion for movies and books, but I’ve realized that a soul mate isn’t someone who just slips into your life and one day you realize, Oh, there you are. It’s the person that you measure time against.”

For Cami LaRue, Landon Palazzo has always been more than just her best friend’s older brother. For as long as she can remember, there’s been something between them, something more, but the timing was never right, and time and years separated them. Now that Landon is back home in Portland, though, things are different, and feelings long buried are brought to light.

CLOSE TO YOU is the second book in Kristen’s new Fusion series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kristen’s ability to write a group of characters that make you want to join right in with them and hang out is one of the first things that drew me to her books way back in the With Me In Seattle days, and Cami and her circle of friends are another great example of this.

Love, family, and friendship always play a big role in Kristen’s books, with stories interwoven, but not necessarily dependent upon each other. The characters in the Fusion series truly are family, friends that have known each other so long that it’s like they’re one big clan. Although they are each fine on their own, with strong support systems, and their own lives, Cami and Landon are truly just what each other needs. Being able to finally explore the feelings that they have both tamped down for so long feels like the most natural thing in the world for them, and seeing them find their ‘other’ and get to their HEA is so rewarding.

One of my most favorite things about Kristen’s writing is her scenes when everyone is pretty much unguarded and letting their hair down, so to speak, and CLOSE TO YOU has plenty of those moments. The five ladies of Fusion are great foils for each other, and seeing such a strong and enduring friendship between these women is refreshing and uplifting. As well, Kristen’s men are both strong yet tender, and Landon is a definite keeper (I mean, seriously, that quote, though!). His love and eloquence when it comes to Cami are downright swoon-inducing, and I thank Kristen for writing him in such a realistic and human way.

CLOSE TO YOU is, at heart, a book designed to give us the HEA we readers are looking for, and Kristen is absolutely on her mark. 4.5 romantic, steamy, friend-to-lovers stars for this book. I can’t wait to see what the remaining ladies of Fusion are in for, and look forward to each of them in the near future.

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

Order CLOSE TO YOU during release week, fill out this form, and receive an email with the Exclusive Short Story, GROW WITH ME, featuring Will and Meg from Kristen Proby’s PLAY WITH ME in the With Me in Seattle Series after Release Week!

And Don’t Miss the First Novel in the Fusion Series, LISTEN TO ME!

Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes ** Kobo

About Kristen Proby:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

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Pre Release + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway: Close To You by Kristen Proby – Fusion Series – Book 2

Posted on 08/06/2016 by shellbellereads

Kristen Proby is known for writing heartfelt characters with deep connections and sizzling passion. In her brand new Fusion Series from William Morrow, she seduces readers’ senses with the sexy, contemporary romance in which five best friends open a hot new restaurant together. Today, we are thrilled to bring you CLOSE TO YOU, the second book in the Fusion Series! CLOSE TO YOU brings readers the next story in this amazing cast of characters. Pre-order your copy of CLOSE TO YOU today and check out the special offer below!

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the second novel in her sizzling Fusion series.

Camilla, “Cami,” LaRue was five-years-old when she first fell in love with Landon Palazzo. Everyone told her the puppy love would fade—they clearly never met Landon. When he left after graduation without a backward glance, she was heartbroken. But Cami grew up, moved on, and became part-owner of wildly popular restaurant Seduction. She has everything she could want…or so she thinks.

After spending the last twelve years as a Navy fighter pilot, Landon returns to Portland to take over the family construction business. When he catches a glimpse of little Cami LaRue, he realizes she’s not so little any more. He always had a soft spot for his little sister’s best friend, but nothing is soft now when he’s around the gorgeous restauranteur.

Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

Pre-Order Your Copy Today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

________________________________

Excerpt

~Landon~

“Are you going to write this down?”

“I’m making notes,” I reply, and tap my head, indicating that I’ll remember what she says.

“Well, that’s comforting,” she mumbles, and turns away, making me smile. Cami has always been funny. She’s giving and kind, and we once had a special friendship. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want her. Had she been a couple of years older, there was a time when I would have pursued her romantically, but then I went into the Navy, and she got married, and life carried on. It’s not right for a man to continue to call and send letters to a married woman, no matter how much it kills him that she belongs to another man. So we drifted apart.

Suddenly she stops pacing, links her fingers nervously together, and sighs. “Landon, I wanted to thank you for coming home when Mom and Daddy died.”

I stare at her for a moment, then shake my head, shove my hands in my pockets, and shuffle my feet. “You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“Yeah, I do.” She nods. “It was a weird time, and having you here was . . . well, comforting.”

“I’m glad. How are you?”

“Better,” she says, and smiles. “A lot has happened in the few years since then.”

It’s been a few years? I had no idea. Time sure goes fast.

“The restaurant keeps all of us busy.” She takes a deep breath and looks around the empty space.

“Speaking of, I think a row of booths, like the existing ones we have, would be beautiful over here,” she says, gesturing to the far wall. She continues to share her vision, her eyes shining with excitement.

She’s professional and animated, and I can’t look away from her. I never could. The dimple in her cheek winks when she grins, talking about the need for a larger storage space in the back. Her hair is up in a simple ponytail, and she’s in jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt.

She still looks sixteen.

But when she turns, and her sweatshirt molds against her body, she’s anything but a kid. She’s all woman.

Beautiful, stunning, amazing woman.

“Seriously, you’re not paying attention to me,” she grumbles.

“Oh, I’m paying attention,” I reply. Maybe not the way she wants, but I’m paying attention. “How are you and the cat getting along?”

She frowns. “He’s taken over my house.”

“He likes you. You’re a likable girl.” I shrug and watch as her frown deepens, then she shakes her head.

“We’re talking about work.”

“I think, for the first meeting, we did good,” I reply, and glance about the room. “What used to be in here?”

“A toy store,” she replies. “I guess most people buy stuff online these days.”

“I think I can raise the ceiling in here,” I say, studying the drop ceiling. “I can make it match your existing ceiling, open it up a bit.”

“Good. I don’t know why they made it lower.”

“Probably to save on heating costs.”

“Raising it will be much better.” She’s nodding, hands on hips, slowly sauntering around. “Can we match the floors too?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Awesome.” She pauses, smiles, and claps her hands. “I’m so excited!”

“Even if I’m your contractor?” I ask, and reach out to tug on her hair, but she ducks out of my way.

“I guess I can deal with you.”

“You like me.” The crush she’s had on me since we were kids has never been a secret. I managed to keep mine hidden, but Cami never did.

“You’re okay.” She shrugs and chuckles, and for the first time that I can remember, she’s not looking at me with that sparkle in her eyes, and I’m not sure what to do about that. Or if I even should do anything about that.

But I fucking miss it.

Tracey’s Review

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

P reorder CLOSE TO YOU, fill out this form, and receive an email with the Exclusive Short Story, GROW WITH ME, featuring Will and Meg from Kristen Proby’s PLAY WITH ME in the With Me in Seattle Series after Release Week!

And Don’t Miss the First Novel in the Fusion Series, LISTEN TO ME!

Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes ** Kobo

About Kristen Proby:

Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Review: Fool Me Once by Katee Robert – Foolproof Love Series – Book 2

Posted on 08/05/2016 by shellbellereads

Fool Me Once

Foolproof Love Series – Book 2

By Katee Robert

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

They say opposites attract, but this is just ridiculous.

Aubry Kaiser doesn’t like people—actually, that’s not right. She loathes people. With her crippling anxiety, there’s no way she can demo her favorite video game at a convention with five thousand other people. Maybe if she brings someone to act as a shield…

But the only person available is the sexy cowboy she can’t stand.

Quinn Baldwyn is in a mess of his own. He’s been dodging his wealthy family’s matchmaking attempts—and life advice—for years, but with his sister’s wedding on the horizon, he needs of a shield of his own.

He and Aubry can barely hold down a civil conversation, but in bed…fireworks. And the closer they get to Quinn’s sister’s wedding, the more he realizes that he might actually like Aubry.

Now it’s up to him to convince her she might actually like him, too.

Excerpt

“You know, I’ve been thinking—”

“Good God, don’t strain yourself.”

“—and I’m thinking that I need a better nickname for you. Sweet cheeks might be accurate, but no one in my family is going to believe I’d call the woman I’m in a relationship with something that…lowbrow.”

She tilted her sunglasses down to stare at him over the top of them. It made her amber eyes stand out all the more. “How about you call me nothing at all? Because that sounds ideal from where I’m sitting.”

“Nah. I’ve always been a fan of pet names.”

“One—I can tell. Two—save your pet names for your actual animals.”

She’d left that one wide open, but he chose to ignore it. Just this once. He twined her hair around his finger again. “I was thinking bunny.”

“You can call me bunny if you want to provoke me to actual physical violence.”

Yeah, it didn’t fit, either. He relaxed back into his seat, starting to enjoy the idea of this. “Cherry.”

“Hard pass.”

“Cookie.”

“No way.”

He wondered when she’d noticed that he was still stroking her hair. He hadn’t been lying when he said they would have to put on a good show for his family. That meant he had to get her used to him touching her, at least in these innocent ways. Or that was what he told himself as he kept playing with the ends of her hair.

And touching in the not-innocent ways?

To distract himself, he said, “Peaches. No, don’t look at me like that. You got to pass on three—that’s your limit. And you smell like peaches.” He leaned a little closer, keeping one eye on the road, and adopted his best Nicholas Cage voice, “I love peaches. I could eat peaches for hours.”

“Ew, gross.”

He sat back and laughed. “You have a problem with a man worshiping you that way?”

“I have a problem with Nicholas Cage comparing my lady bits to a fruit and, frankly, the image of him down there is enough to kill any desire the act would cause.”

She sounded so horrified that he laughed again. Or he started to. The problem with teasing her like this was he was now picturing himself between her thighs. Quinn shifted, trying to get his instant physical reaction under control. His cock wasn’t in a cooperative mood, though, and his brain kept serving up images of Aubry’s back arching, her fingers digging into his forearms, her head thrown back in ecstasy he was giving her.

Jesus Christ.

Tracey’s Review

***4.5 Hot, Sassy, Zombie-Fighting Stars***

Aubry Kaiser and Quinn Baldwynn have what you might call an understanding. Aubry understands that she can’t stand him, and Quinn understands that, while it’s a lot of fun to get under her skin, she’s about as cuddly as an armadillo. When circumstances arise that would make it mutually beneficial for them to drop the gloves and help each other out, Aubry’s not sure that she can manage not to kill Quinn for even just a few days’ time.

I like nothing more than a hot and sassy enemies-to-lovers read, and Katee Robert can write one like nobody’s business. Having met Aubry and Quinn in FOOLPROOF LOVE, the first book in this series, I knew that they were like oil and water together, and when I saw that these two were getting their own story, I was all in.

Aubry is a take-no-prisoners, equal opportunity loather. She’s made a career of shutting herself off from people, spending most of her time perfecting her skills as an online gamer. With a past like hers, it’s no wonder that she’s leery of letting anybody get too close, and is just as happy keeping to herself and keeping people at bay with her vitriol and snark, hiding her debilitating anxiety from everyone but her closest friend.

Quinn could not have come from a more different background, but he’s happily left it all behind to do what he really loves, much to his family’s dismay. When duty calls in the form of his sister’s wedding, Quinn needs someone to step into the gap to help shield him from his parents’ matchmaking ways. As luck would have it, the one person available to fill the bill is Aubry. Match made in Heaven? Uh, no, but desperate times require desperate measures, so a deal is struck, and the fun begins.

“I think you’re asking the impossible.”
“Do you? I think you’re just a bit disappointed that you don’t get to experience all I have to offer…I think the lady doth protest too much when it comes to wanting me.”
“Oh my God, does that line actually work with women?”
“I think it just did…But it’s not meant this time. This arrangement is purely business.”

When Aubry and Quinn hit the road, it’s with every intention of getting through the next few days without killing each other. That way of thinking comes to a screeching halt fairly quickly when it becomes apparent that the sparks that these two set off are Stage 4 epic, and not to be denied. Hot? Yep. Panty-melting? Definitely. Scenes so hot that a fan is definitely required? You bet. Because Katee is a mistress of hotness, and the action between Aubry and Quinn does not disappoint. And, if some feelings develop along the way, well, who could blame them?

I knew that FOOL ME ONCE would go on the list of my favorite recent reads, and I was right. Katee’s second foray into the world of Devil’s Falls and its residents is everything that I’d hoped for, and Aubry and Quinn and their quirky kind of love just make me happy. Now we just need Daniel’s and Hope’s book, and I’ll call this series perfect. Add these books to your TBR. They’re just what you need when you’re looking for a sexy, sassy, smart book that will lift your spirits along with your temperature.

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

_________________________________

New Release + Review: Jonquils For Jax by Katy Regnery – The Blueberry Lane Series – The Rousseau’s – Book 1

Posted on 08/05/2016 by shellbellereads

Jonquils for Jax, The Rousseaus #1 by Katy Regnery

Date of Publication: August 5, 2016

Did you fall in love with The English Brothers? Were you hot for the Winslows? Katy Regnery’s New York Times bestselling Blueberry Lane series continues with The Rousseau siblings in Summer 2016!

Jacqueline “Jax” Rousseau is vivacious, rich, smart and beautiful…but that doesn’t mean she’s lucky in love: she’s dated doctors, lawyers, actors and politicians who’ve all managed to end up disappointing her. In fact, she’s on a self-imposed hiatus from love when she has an unpleasant run-in with her neighbor’s gorgeous new landscaper, Gardener Thibodeaux. Jax is not accustomed to gruff, ill-mannered men that can’t be charmed, but when he saves her skin, she realizes that something about Gard intrigues her…and if she can find her way through the armor that surrounds his heart, she might finally find a love that won’t let her down.

Amazon (Kindle)
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___________________________

Michel’s Review

It’s time to take another trip down Blueberry Lane. This time the destination is the Rousseau estate. Readers have met some of the Rousseau siblings in the previous books of the series featuring the English siblings, the Winslow siblings, and the Story sisters. These dynamic wealthy families are entwined with each others lives. They have grown up together and are making their own marks on the world.

***

Jacquelyn Rousseau has returned home to Blueberry Lane after spending the last few years in California. With an Oscar under her belt, she’s learned that being a famous filmmaker is not all it was cracked up to be. Once the paparazzi discovered her family connections, it made her life even worse. She’s returned home to Philadelphia to lick her wounds and try to figure out her next step in life. She has also returned home for her older brother’s wedding.

***

Although she has some very close friends in the wealthy world she came from, she also has some acquaintances she’d rather forget. Escaping one of those handsy acquaintances at her brother’s wedding leads her to meeting the English family’s new gardener. This new gardener comes to rescue and sends her world into a tailspin.

***

Gardener Thibodeaux is not your ordinary gardener. His past is quite unique. He’s a retired police detective with roots from Louisiana. He’s legally blind and sexy as sin. He’s still learning to navigate in his sightless world when he meets the duchess, Jax Rousseau.

***

What starts as a tentative friendship leads to the perfect future for both Jax and Gard. Their relationship is not going to be easy because something this good takes dedication and determination. Their talents complement one another. Their passion completes one another.

***

Once again Katy Regnery has written a delightful romance. I loved the dialogue and sexy french phrases. I love the world of Blueberry Lane.

***

Get to know the families of Blueberry Lane!

*All books in The Blueberry Lane Series can be enjoyed as standalone novels.*

THE BLUEBERRY LANE SERIES:

THE ENGLISH BROTHERS
(Blueberry Lane Books #1-6 & 11)

Breaking Up with Barrett
Falling for Fitz
Anyone but Alex
Seduced by Stratton
Wild about Weston
Kiss Me Kate
Marrying Mr. English

THE WINSLOW BROTHERS
(Blueberry Lane Books #7-10)

Bidding on Brooks
Proposing to Preston
Crazy about Cameron
Campaigning for Christopher

THE ROUSSEAUS – Coming soon!
(Blueberry Lane Books #12-14)

Jonquils for Jax
Marry Me Mad
J.C. and the Bijoux Jolis

(Note: All sub-series – The English Brothers, The Winslow Brothers, The Rousseaus, The Story Sisters and the Amblers – can be read as standalone series. Eg; You do not need to read The seven English Brothers books to enjoy the three Rousseau books.)

About Katy Regnery

Katy Regnery, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author, started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract for a winter romance entitled By Proxy.

Now a hybrid author who publishes both independently and traditionally, Katy claims authorship of the six-book Heart of Montana series, the six-book English Brothers series, and a Kindle Worlds novella entitled “Four Weddings and a Fiasco: The Wedding Date,” in addition to the standalone novels, Playing for Love at Deep Haven and Amazon bestseller, The Vixen and the Vet.

The Vixen and the Vet is included in the charity anthology Hometown Heroes: Hotter Ever After, and Katy’s novella “Frosted” appeared in the Jan ’15 anthology, Snowy Days Steamy Nights. Additionally, Katy’s short story, “The Long Way Home” appeared in the first RWA anthology (Feb ’15), Premiere.

Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

Find Katy Regnery Online

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New Release + Review: Burning Moon by Jo Watson

Posted on 08/03/2016 by shellbellereads

Burning Moon

A Destination Love Novel

By Jo Watson

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

There’s a very fine line between blushing bride and mascara-streaked sobbing mess. #beenthere

Lily Swanson has been planning her perfect life since she was twelve years old: Meet Mr. Right, have the big white wedding, buy a house in the ‘burbs and raise 2.5 picture-perfect kids. However, when her fiancé bails, leaving Lily alone at the altar to face 500 gossipy guests, her dream turns into a nightmare. But then Lily makes an impulsive decision—she ditches the dress, grabs her passport, and heads off to Thailand to spend her honeymoon alone.

Or so she thinks…

Because Lilly quickly learns that everything in Thailand is very hot-the weather, the merchandise, and especially Damien—the sexy, spontaneous man she meets before her feet even hit the sand. Now with no plan, and nothing holding her back, Lily lets Damien lead her on a wild, unpredictable ride to the world’s most exclusive party, Burning Moon. But after a week of letting go, indulging her every impulse and desire, Lily must go back to the girl she used to be. Or can Damien convince her that their party doesn’t have to end?

________________________

Excerpt

Michael Edwards—fiancé of one year, perfect boyfriend of two—had left me, Lilly Swanson, just ten minutes before I was scheduled to walk down the aisle. The bottle of perfume that he’d wanted me to wear today, insisted I wear, because “it was his favorite,” mocked me from the dressing table. So I picked it up and threw it against the wall, watching it shatter into a million pieces, just like my life. I was hit by the sickly sweet smell of jasmine and felt sick to my stomach.

What was I going to tell the five-hundred guests who were sitting in the church waiting for me? Some had even flown here to South Africa all the way from Australia.

Hi everyone. Thanks for coming. Guess what? SURPRISE! No wedding!

A wedding that my father had spent a small fortune on.

A wedding that was going to be perfect.

Perfect, dammit. Perfect!

I’d made sure of that. I had painstakingly handled every single tiny detail. It had taken months and months of meticulous planning to create this day, and now what?

Things went very blurry all of a sudden. I vaguely remember my brother James bursting into the room, screaming insults and then vowing to kill him. He even punched the best man when he claimed to have no knowledge of Michael’s whereabouts. My rational, logical father tried to find a legitimate motive for Michael’s behavior, insisting we speak to him before jumping to any rash conclusions. Hundreds of phone calls followed: where was he? Who had seen him? Where did he go?

At some stage the guests were told, and the rumor mill went into full swing…

He’d had an affair.

He’d eloped with someone else.

He was a criminal on the run.

He was gay.

He’d been beamed up by aliens and was being experimented on. (Hopefully it was painful.)

People threw around bad words like bastard, asshole and liar. They also threw around words like shame, sorry and pity. They wondered whether they should take their wedding gifts back, or leave them. What was the correct protocol in a situation like this?

While the world around me was going mad, I felt a strange calm descend. Nothing seemed real anymore, and I began to feel like a voyeur looking at my life from a distance. I didn’t care that I was sitting on the floor in my bra and panties. I didn’t care that my mascara and lipstick were so smudged I looked like Batman’s Joker. I just didn’t care.

Some minutes later my other brother Adam, the doctor, burst in and insisted I drink a Coke and swallow the little white pill he was forcing down my throat. It would calm me, he said.

Shortly after that, my overly dramatic, theater-actress mother rushed in to give the performance of her life.

“Why, why, why?” She placed her hand across her heart.

“What is this, a madness most discreet? A stench most foul?” She held her head and cried out, “Whyyy?!”

“For heaven’s sake, Ida, this isn’t some Shakespearean bloody play.” I could hear the anger in my father’s voice. Even after 18 years of divorce, they still couldn’t be civil to each other.

“Lest I remind you that all the world is a stage.” My mother shouted back, the deep timbre in her voice quivering for added dramatic tension as she tilted her head upward and clenched her jaw.

“There you go again with your crap! Clearly you still haven’t learned to separate fantasy from reality!”

“Well, I managed to do that with our marriage!”

My brother jumped between them. “Stop it. This isn’t the time!”

And then all pandemonium broke out.

The priest came around to offer some kind of spiritual guidance but exited quickly, and very red-faced, when he saw my state of undress. Some inquisitive relatives stuck their heads through the door, painted with sad, sorry puppy-dog looks, but they, too, left when they saw me spread-eagled on the floor.

An enormous ruckus ensued when the photographer burst in and started talking photos of me—no one had told him. The ruckus became a total freak show when my favorite cousin Annie, who had designed my dress for free as a wedding gift, saw the state of her “best creation” lying crumpled and torn on the floor. She looked like she was about to cry.

Then everything went very blurry and the noises around me combined into one strange drone.

I closed my eyes and everything went black.

________________________________

Tracey’s Review

Lily Swanson has had a vision of her perfect life for, like, ever, and she thought she’d found it with her fiancé, Michael. But when all of Lily’s dreams go up in flames, she does what any woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown would do: she packs her bags, hops a plane, and goes on her honeymoon. To Thailand. By herself. And so Lily’s new life begins…

When I take a chance on a book or an author that I’ve never heard of, there’s always a fifty-fifty chance that things will not go well. Will I like the plot, will the characters engage me, will it make me laugh, will it make me cry, the list goes on and on. So, I had the chance to read BURNING MOON by Wattpad phenom Jo Watson, and I figured, sure, sounds interesting, why not? Let me just say that I am SO glad that I said yes to this book, because I could not have enjoyed it more.

Lily’s inner monologue and outer dialogue had me laughing out loud. This is a woman that has literally had the rug pulled out from under her, and, after a few days of feeling sorry for herself and wallowing in her despair, is just going for it. It’s one thing after another for her, and, just when things look dire, there comes some relief in the person of Damien Bishop. Enigmatic, live on the edge, take life by the horns Damien, who helps Lily see just what it’s like to let go and to live.

I think that one of the things that I liked best about BURNING MOON is Lily’s realization in the end that she doesn’t need saving. She has everything she needs right within herself to be the person that she’s meant to be, even if she has had to wade through some hard times and heartbreak to get there. I love her sass, her spunk, her tendency to jump to conclusions, and her overactive imagination. These things all come together to create a character that I would happily read more about any time.

BURNING MOON was easily a 4.5-star read for me. Humor, a little bit of heat, world travel, and romance that takes a while to come together make for a great introduction to this author. Add this one to your TBR, because it is a treat of a book, and I highly recommend it.

***ARC generously provide for an honest review.***

_______________________________

Jo Watson is an award-winning writer of romantic comedies. Burning Moon won a Watty Award in 2014. Jo is an Adidas addict and a Depeche Mode devotee. She lives in South Africa with her family.

New Release + Review: Kicked by Celia Aaron

Posted on 08/01/2016 by shellbellereads

Kicked

By Celia Aaron

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Trent Carrington.

Trent Mr. Perfect-Has-Everyone-Fooled Carrington.

He’s the star quarterback, university scholar, and happens to be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He shines at any angle, and especially under the Saturday night stadium lights where I watch him from the sidelines. But I know the real him, the one who broke my heart and pretended I didn’t exist for the past two years.

I’m the third-string kicker, the only woman on the team and nothing better than a mascot. Until I’m not. Until I get my chance to earn a full scholarship and join the team as first-string. The only way I’ll make the cut is to accept help from the one man I swore to never trust again. The problem is, with each stolen glance and lingering touch, I begin to realizing that trusting Trent isn’t the problem. It’s that I can’t trust myself when I’m around him.

This is a full-length, standalone American football romance novel with hot guys in tight pants who really know how to handle their balls.

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A movie started playing on the back of each seat, but I focused on Cordy. Her polo was unbuttoned, and I could see the swell of her breast. My cock went from fight mode to fuck mode in the time it took me to shift more toward Cordy.

“Are we…” She nibbled her lip.

I grabbed her chin and turned her to face me. “What?”

“Are we like, together?” She stumbled over her next words, as if she couldn’t get them out fast enough. “I know it’s too early to DTR—”

“DTR?” I grinned.

“Define the relationship.” She furrowed her brow.

“Right. Well, I define it as you’re mine and I’m yours. How’s that?”

Her gaze brightened. My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it.

“Someone’s calling you.” She glanced to my pants.

“It’s my mother.”

“Oh.”

I’d told Cordy about the difficulties I had with my mom, but I didn’t go into the details of how much acrimony our relationship would stir up. Mom had no doubt seen the press conference. She would know. Mom always knew. She was waiting for me to pick up the phone so she could load me down with Carlotta’s tears, my family’s legacy, and the bright future she thought I was throwing away. I’d deal with it. Later.

I leaned close to Cordy’s ear. “Put your jacket on your lap.”

She turned to me, a wary look on her heart-shaped face. “Why?”

“It’s cold.”

“Not really.”

“You’re trembling.”

She arched a brow. “Not because I’m cold.”

“Then why?”

“Because you—” She seemed to rethink her answer and, instead of responding, pulled her jacket into her lap as I’d requested.

“Good. My hands are cold.” I slid my palm along her thigh beneath the jacket.

She jumped and looked at me with a scandalized expression. “Trent!” She hissed through clenched teeth.

“What?” I pressed my fingers higher until I reached the apex of her thighs, then I eased my hand between her legs.

“We can’t do this here.” She glanced around, but no one could see us in the dark, and if anyone was looking, all they’d see was us sitting together and Cordy’s jacket in her lap.

I rubbed my index finger along the seam of her jeans over her clit. “We can.”

She gripped my wrist, but I didn’t stop. Her breathing grew faster as I stroked her. My cock demanded reciprocity, but it would have to wait. I wanted to pleasure her more than anything. When her lips parted, I knew I had her.

I pressed my lips to her ear. “Unbutton your jeans, and unzip them.”

She tilted her hips forward and did as I’d said.

“You’ll have to be quiet.” I ran my fingers along her quivering stomach and she let out a small sound.

Michel’s Review

I have to give kudos to Celia Aaron, she brought college football to life. I was impressed with the fact that her “football star” was a female. Celia Aaron’s knowledge of the game,tenacious research of the kicker position, and blow by blow descriptive plays made the book come alive. The relationship between Cordie and Trent was the perfect push and pull kind of relationship readers look for in a new adult romance.

Cordie and Trent have a history. They were skirting on a relationship two years prior to becoming teammates on the football team. It was the typical rich boy and poor girl issues that kept them apart. Cordie and Trent both walked away broken hearted.

Cordie is the first female kicker in college history. She became the third string kicker to appease the equal opportunity regulation in college sports. Her first love is soccer but personal finances have forced her to accept a partial scholarship in football. It doesn’t matter because she is the MAV (Mascot With A Vagina ) rather than a valued player. Fate has a way of stepping in and changing the rules of the game. The first string kicker is injured and out for the season. The first string kicker position is open and the team is holding walk on try outs. This is an opportunity for Cordie to show her stuff and get a full time scholarship. Trent volunteers to help her win this position. He is going to train her and make her the strongest contender in the try outs.

Trent has ulterior motives. It’s his second chance with Cordie. He knows he screwed up two years ago. He wants to make things right and make Cordie his own.

Cordie and Trent not only have to deal with the demands of the football team but also have to deal with every obstacle blocking their relationship. There are so many obstacles coming in so many different directions. They are going to have to fight for their love.

Kicked was very entertaining and put me in the mood for football season. Celia Aaron did a stellar job writing this book.

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Celia Aaron is the self-publishing pseudonym of a published romance and erotica author. She loves to write stories with hot heroes and heroines that are twisty and often dark. Thanks for reading.

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Against his will, Noctorno Hawthorne, an undercover vice cop, finds himself embroiled in magic, mayhem and parallel universes. Too late, he meets an amazing woman only to find she’s destined for his identical twin in another world.

And things aren’t going real great there.

Noc is recruited to help save that world.

What he doesn’t know is his destined love resides there.

Franka Drakkar wears a mask. A mask she never takes off to protect herself in a world of malice, intrigue and danger.

When Franka meets Noc and he discovers her secrets, convinced she carries a midnight soul, having shielded herself from forming bonds with anyone, she struggles with accepting his tenderness and care.

When Noc meets Franka, over wine and whiskey, her mask slips and Noc knows it’s her—only her—and he has to find a way to get her to come home with him.

And then make her want to stay.

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From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the second novel in her sizzling Fusion series.

Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

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From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the second novel in her sizzling Fusion series.

Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

Pre-Order Your Copy Today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt

And Don’t Miss the First Novel in the Fusion Series, LISTEN TO ME!

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes ** Kobo

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CLOSE TO YOU Goodreads ** Kristen Proby Goodreads

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Jonquils for Jax, The Rousseaus #1 by Katy Regnery

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