ARC Review: Addicted by Zoey Williams

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By Zoey Williams

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Synopsis

Talia Truman is a manager’s worst nightmare. A former child star, Talia traded in her braids and became a smart-mouthed party girl with a penchant for bad boys and even badder decisions. (Usually involving alcohol.) With a massive movie deal on the line, however, Talia needs to keep herself—and her purple thong panties—out of trouble. But sex-addiction rehab? Definitely not her idea…

Unfortunately, being stuck in rehab with emerging country music star Matt Skyler—aka The Most Delicious Man Talia Can’t Have—is testing Talia’s newfound chastity. All she wants to do is fall off the wagon and onto Matt. But Matt isn’t exactly the bad boy she thought he was. In fact, Talia is starting to suspect that this cowboy might secretly be a total gentleman. And worse still, she likes that.

Now, under the blinding glare of the paparazzi, this not-so-bad boy and trying-to-be-good girl must choose between their reputations…and who they really are.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

4 star

Tina’s Review

*** Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ***

Talia Truman was a television child star and is trying to break away from that persona with her partying, drinking and boys. She thought she scored a movie franchise deal only for them to threaten to take it away. She needs to clean up her act – now – if she wants any chance at keeping the movie deal. More for publicity than need, her manager decides that the best way for Talia to clean up her image is to admit her into a sex addiction rehab facility.
CMA’s “Best New Artist” nominee, Matt Skylar, is a bigger fake than Talia! He’s taking it real hard that although he’s nominated, he’s not KNOWN. All the publicity and attention falls to the Bad Boys of Country. So, a he figures he’d rough up his appearance and plan a stint in rehab that he purposely extended from two weeks to six weeks. On the eve before his “graduation”, Talia joins the facility and calls his bluff.

Novella, under 100 pages. Stand-Alone. No Cliffhanger.
The characters, all of them, have a caricature feel to them; like they are exaggerated for comedic purposes. In this, Ms Williams would be successful. The dialogue is witty and sharp. Banning the toothbrush was funny, but it escalates from there. There’s a fluidity of the read, making it an easy, joyful piece to read. The action causing the conflict is believable, the reactions to the building conflict are very appropriate for the characters and the resolve is perfect. There really is not a lot of predictability in whole and the conclusion is solidly wrapped up.

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ARC Review: Full Throttle by Julie Ann Walker- Black Knights, Inc. Series- Book 7

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Full Throttle

Black Knight, Inc. Series- Book 7

By Julie Ann Walker

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Synopsis

She Needs a Hero…

Abby Thompson didn’t sign up to be the daughter of the President of the United States. The position was forced on her by the small matter of her birth. Preferring a quiet life of study, she’s content to leave the politics and the international intrigue to her father. Unfortunately, the most powerful man on the planet is sure to make enemies. When a group of armed thugs takes her hostage half a world away, demanding the U.S. government release prisoners in exchange for her safe return, she fears her father’s policy of “not negotiating with terrorists” means she’ll never see the shores of the Potomac again. Luckily, there’s one glimmer of hope. His name is Carlos Soto. And though she abruptly ended things with him years ago, she knows now he’s the only man who can save her…

Black Knights, Inc. to the Rescue…

Carlos “Steady” Soto has taken part in his fair share of dangerous missions working at the covert government defense firm of Black Knights Inc. But nothing prepared him for the emotional rollercoaster he faces when he’s tasked with rescuing the only woman he ever loved—who also broke his heart. Racing against time and outmaneuvering a group of trained terrorists will take everything he’s got. Plus there’s the heat simmering between them which is threatening to ignite into an inferno. While ruthless enemies stalk them, they must learn to trust each other again. Even if they do make it out alive, will Abby turn her back on him…for the second time?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

4.5 star

Tina’s Review

*** ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ***

Abby Thompson was the youngest daughter of the POTUS front-runner eight years ago and a student at Georgetown, studying pre-med when an explosion on campus rocked everything and everyone near to her and subsequently she ended up having to give up pre-med and took up botany instead. Currently, as the President’s daughter, she is protected more heavily than even before, especially when she leaves the country and there’s inconclusive buzz and murmurs of kidnapping one of the President’s daughters.
Carlos “Steady ” Sotos was studying to become a General Surgeon in college, claiming he enjoyed the thrill and challenge of not knowing what would come through the ER doors next. But, that was then… before that tragic day eight years ago. After that day, he signed up and joined the military. Now he’s a member of Black Knights, Inc., a covert government defense firm that operates under the cover of being a custom motorcycle shop, and finds himself on Abby’s supplemental BKI security detail in Malaysia.

As a fan of Ms. Walker’s BKI series, I was very grateful and appreciative to have been approved to receive an ARC of this book. My fandom will not reflect in the ratings or review, as you will see.
The Prologue starts you out eight years ago when Abby was in college with Carlos and his twin, Rosa, all of which were studying medicine in one form or another. Then, tragedy strikes and forever changes their lives. Chapter One flashes you forward to present day. Carlos is, hands-down, front and center from page one. He is an extremely Hot Alpha Male. Muy Caliente! I feel that most of the focus of the book was on him, overshadowing Abby. I could not connect with her as much as I’d have liked to. The secondary characters, both good and bad, were very well-written. I had to wonder if, in Ms. Walker’s extensive travels, she’d ever been to Malaysia. The descriptions of the sights and sounds transported me to that Hotel with them. Perfectly executed. There’s a secondary relationship building between Dan and Penni that I am guessing we’ll see further develop in a later book. The plot itself was excellent, I really enjoyed the story line. It was a silky, smooth read with great character interaction and dialogue. There was a lot of conflict that carried on throughout the entire book that was not fully confronted and resolved until the very end. There was very little predictability. The conclusion felt a bit rough; it seemed rushed and there were questions left. Where do they go from here, with her in D.C. and him in Chicago? If it would have had an Epilogue with a more solid ending, this would have definitely been a five-star book. As is, it was VERY close.

4 star

Michel’s Review

I am a huge fan of the Black Knights, Inc. series by Julie Ann Walker.  This is one of the best romantic suspense series out there.  Add the biker element and special ops background  to the characters of this series to make the formula even more enticing.

Full Throttle is the seventh book in the series.  It was a steamy and suspenseful book.  The characters captured the readers attention.  Carlos Soto is one hot alpha man that had me swooning.  Abby was a strong woman with a personality that made readers empathize with her.  The plot, the use of words, the flow of the story, and suspenseful plot were masterfully executed.

I highly recommend reading Full Throttle.  It can be read as a stand alone book or in series order.

Author Bio:

julie ann walkerJulie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Holiday Review: Cowboys For Christmas by Liz Talley, Kim Law, and Terri Osburn

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91cerK7C8wL._SL1500_Cowboys For Christmas

A Holiday Romance Anthology

By Liz Talley, Terri Osburn, Kim Law

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Synopsis

3 cowboys…2 weeks…1 wedding!
Three all-new stories by Kim Law, Terri Osburn, and Liz Talley
Claire, Georgia, and Mary Catherine couldn’t be more different, but they promised they would be there for one another no matter what. And when they all gather in Holly Hills, Texas, for Mary Catherine’s Christmas wedding, they’ll find they have one thing in common: hearts that are about to be branded—by unforgettable cowboys.
In “Love Me, Cowboy” by Terri Osburn, wallflower Claire would be more excited about the wedding if it didn’t mean running into Mary Catherine’s brother—the bull rider she once had a scorching one-night stand with…
Ivy League volleyball coach Georgia never wanted to see Holly Hills—or another cowboy—again. But a sexy veterinarian is making her rethink her vow to never marry a Texas man in “Kiss Me, Cowboy” by Liz Talley.
Claire and Georgia both think that Mary Catherine is getting hitched to the wrong man, despite how perfect he is. And in “Marry Me, Cowboy” by Kim Law, a local rancher with a wild reputation gives Mary Catherine a glimpse of what might have been—and what could still be…

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

4.5

Michel’s Review

Cowboys For Christmas was a fantastic anthology.  The authors did a wonderful job of tying their individual story with those of the other authors.  The plotting was precise throughout the three stories.  The individual plots of each story focused on one of the leading female characters and their personal trials and tribulations.  Each of these stories not only gave the readers insight to their individual leading character but also stayed very true to other characters and the personalities the other co authors created.  Throughout each book there are some of the same scenes, with the same tone, but delivered from their characters perspective of that moment.  The flow of each story was in perfect timing with the other two stories and made the overall story seem effortless.  To deliver this kind of book with three different stories, the same characters, and the same overall plot takes a lot of work and collaboration between the authors.  This was done with supreme care and made this anthology an excellent read.

We meet three women that have been friends since childhood.  They grew up in Holly Hills, Texas.  Holly Hills, Texas is a small ranching community that is basically defined by two prominent families.  The Holly Family and the Campbell Family.

Love Me, Cowboy by Terri Osburn

Claire Campbell was the fat girl that was ruled by her mother’s commands.  Her mother cared more about the family’s social status and position in Holly Hills.  Claire was always insecure and fed her emotions.  Now at twenty eight, she has returned to Holly Hills to teach elementary school.  She is no longer the “fat” girl and “weak” girl that her mother once controlled.  She has started to develop a backbone.  The one thing that haunts her from her past is Tyler Holly.  Tyler Holly is the younger brother of her best friend and the one boy she always had a crush on.  A high school one night stand that didn’t turn out so well has always haunted her.

Tyler has returned to Holly Hills as well after a serious rodeo injury.  He is looking to recuperate and get back on the rodeo circuit.  With his sister’s upcoming wedding, he is bound to run into the one woman that could hold him in Holly Hills.  Claire Campbell has always been the girl his heart has wanted.

Can these two find happiness together with their futures going in different directions?

Kiss Me, Cowboy by Liz Talley

Georgia Hightower left Holly Hills, Texas  as soon as she could.  She was the poor trailer trash of the community.  The only people that saw the girl that hid beneath the surface were her best friends, Claire Campbell and Mary Catherine Holly.  She vowed to never return to Holly Hills unless she was successful and had money to prove her self worth.

She is dreading returning to Holly Hills.  She is dreading attending Mary Catherine’s wedding.  She feels Mary Catherine is selling herself short.  But because she is a loyal friend she returns to the one place that has horrible memories for her.  Not only is she dreading the return to Holly Hills, she is also dealing with some problems in her life she has established in Boston.

When she meets Reed McCormick, the new vet in town, Holly Hills doesn’t look so bad.  She will see the town through new eyes and come to appreciate everything the sexy vet can show her.

As her problems come to a head in Boston, she will have to choose a lonely successful life or a life filled with love in Holly Hills?  Is Reed McCormick enough to make Georgia stay in Holly Hills.

Marry Me, Cowboy by Kim Law

Mary Catherine Holly has come home to Holly Hills to get married on Christmas Eve. She is marrying the town’s golden boy who is now a successful doctor in Dallas.  The two were high school sweethearts until Mary Catherine exhibited an independent wild streak.

Her wild streak included dating a boy from the wrong side of town. Jax Tipton was the very definition of trouble and wild.  The two had a wild teenage affair that ended badly.

Now she is a mature adult woman.  She has a successful career and good social standing in the community.  She would prefer to be married in Dallas but because of her family’s social status in Holly Hills she is getting married there.

Her step mother is planning the entire wedding.  The wedding must be perfect and meet the expectations of their social status.  Mary Catherine is fine with her step mother taking over all the wedding planning.  She is fine with someone else choosing her dress, choosing her bridesmaid dresses, and choosing the venue.  She just wants to get the wedding over with and get out of town before she runs into Jax Tipton.

Betweem the bridezilla step monster and a sexy boyfriend from the past, Mary Catherine’s world is spiraling out of control.  Her friends know she isn’t happy.  Jax Tipton knows she isn’t happy.  Will Mary Catherine recognize it before it’s too late?  Is Jax the man that can put a smile back on her face?

I absolutely loved this anthology.  I would of given this book a 5 Star Rating but there was one thing that held me back.  This book was supposed to be a Holiday Romance.  It was not.  There was very little mention of the holidays.  The few scenes that revolved around some kind of holiday event where more focused on the upcoming wedding rather than the upcoming holiday.  I never felt the holiday spirit.  This book focused more on the wedding theme rather than the holiday theme.  This was a great disappointment to me.

I would highly recommend Cowboys For Christmas.  It is well written, highly entertaining, and loaded with small town romance.

About the Authors:

Terri Osburn is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Anchor Island series. She makes her home along the coast of Virginia with an eye-rolling teenager, three fat tabbies, and a hyper yorkiepoo.
Liz Talley is a former English teacher who lives in North Louisiana with her high school sweetheart, two rough and tumble boys, and a gaggle of pets.
RITA-nominated and Golden Heart winner Kim Law is a former computer programmer, now spending her days writing happily ever afters. A native of Kentucky, she lives with her husband and a passel of animals in Middle Tennessee.

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ARC Review: Vision of Darkness by Tonya Burrows- D. I. E. Squadron – Book 1

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Vision Of Darkness

D. I. E. Squadron Series- Book 1

By Tonya Burrows

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Synopsis

A beacon of light…

Undercover DEA agent Alex Brennan doesn’t believe in the paranormal, despite the exhausting nightmares that reveal things he shouldn’t know. When sleep deprivation causes him to make a horrible mistake on the job, he is driven to find answers. Dreams guide him to a lighthouse in Three Churches, Maine, where he finds an inexplicable and comforting familiarity in the arms of the lighthouse’s beautiful keeper, Pru Maddox.

A whisper of memory…

Deadly misfortune has long plagued Pru’s family, the result of a curse “The Green Lady” placed on the lighthouse. Skeptical, Alex searches for less ghostly explanations, though he can’t deny that the town has had more than its fair share of disappearances, suicides, and accidents. As their passion simmers, Alex digs deeper, and his dreams turn violent, frightening, and very real.

A vision of darkness…

To keep Pru safe, Alex must embrace his abilities and unravel the lighthouse’s mystery. Except someone—or something—wants the past to stay buried…and will do anything to keep it that way.

Buy: Amazon 

4 star

Tina’s Review

*** eBook ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review. ***

Character Introductions-
Alex Brennan had just endured two years undercover for the DEA and now has been ordered some indefinite downtime. He needs this time to reacquaint himself with, well… himself and find his direction again. In doing so, he’d planned to head out West to visit a friend, but found himself going North into Maine. Stopping to eat at a diner, he encounters Pru. She sparks his interest with an intensity he’s never felt before.
Waitressing at her grandmother’s diner in Three Churches, Maine, Pru Maddox sees a lot of road-weary travelers and hears a lot of gossip from the locals. She’s been divorced for six months, practically runs the diner when her grandmother’s off on an adventure, and she most recently purchased the lighthouse, it’s outbuildings and the property around it with the dream of turning it into a Bed and Breakfast – if only The Green Lady would cooperate.

~ Debut book in Tonya Burrows’s NEW series! Paranormal Romance Genre! ~
From the moment Alex and Pru meet, they feel an intense draw toward one another but she’s recently divorced and guy shy. He’s not in the greatest position at the moment either, in part due to an on-the-job incident. Alex “knows” when things are about to get ugly; he “feels it”, but chalks it up to gut-instinct or good intuition. He does not believe in any of the “woo-woo” that his squadron or his institutionalized brother does. He’s extremely stubborn and cynical whereas Pru is still very naive and trusting, even after a traumatic experience caused a chain of events that eventually tore her world apart. The secondary characters are solid and support the story well, good and bad. This series promises to be edgier and darker than Ms. Burrows’s other two series, but still holds enough HEAT to burn up the pages. The flow is smooth, the dynamics are present and plentiful, the conflicts are layered and interwoven. How do I approach the predictability without spoilers? Before the twenty percent mark, I thought I figured out the “woo-woo” of the relationship, but was only partially right. The same goes for the ship and crew. There were a few plot points that were not fully addressed, but they were not key points. Alex and Pru receive a solid ending, but the Epilogue provides a healthy lead-in to the next potential book.

Author Bio:

Tonya Burrows wrote her first romance in 8th grade and hasn’t put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she’s currently soaking up the sun as a Florida girl. She suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. Luckily, her two dogs and ginormous cat are excellent travel buddies.

When she’s not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can usually be found at a bookstore or the dog park. She also enjoys painting, watching movies, and her daily barre workouts. A geek at heart, she pledges her TV fandom to Supernatural and Dr. Who.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Blitz + Review: Third Position by Melody Grace- Dirty Dancing Series – Book 3

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Third Position

Dirty Dancing Series – Book 3

By Melody Grace

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Synopsis

He taught me a dance beyond passion. He showed me the pleasure my body was made to create.
Now I have to choose.
Raphael or my future?
My passion or my one true love?
There’s no hiding from the truth any longer.
Everything changes tonight.

*The third and final part of the sexy, seductive romance serial*

Buy: Amazon

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4 star

Tracey’s Review

THIRD POSITION by Melody Grace picks up directly following SECOND POSITION. This is the last installment in Melody’s DIRTY DANCING series, and, oh, my goodness, it is HOT. Melody has definitely saved the best for last, and ended the series with a panty-melting, swoon-inducing, feel-good finale.

Raised to follow in her mother’s prima ballerina footsteps, perfecting her craft has been the focus of Annalise’s whole life. But Raphael brings out Annalise’s inner passion, awakening desires in her that she didn’t even know she had, and making her question her dedication to the troupe and to a life centered solely around ballet. Her mother’s unexpected arrival in Rome, coupled with the jealousy of Raphael’s former partner, threaten the new relationship developing between Annalise and Raphael, forcing her to make a decision about how she will live her life.

I enjoyed this whole series very much, but this third book really cemented my feelings. Seeing Annalise come into her own, and become the person that SHE wants to be made for a nice wrap-up, and the hotness factor in the relationship between her and Raphael was off the charts. Melody does sexy time excellently, and she absolutely delivered here; the heat between these two was sizzling, and had me fanning myself and blushing at the same time.

The fact that these books are serial-length should not keep anyone from reading them, because, when put together, they add up to one big thumbs-up, and definite additions to my ‘recommends’ list.

Author Bio
melody grace

 

Melody Grace is a small-town girl turned SoCal beach lover. After spending her life with her nose in a book, she decided it was time she wrote one herself. She loves steamy romance novels, happily-ever-afters, and lusting after fictional menfolk.

 

Website  / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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Review: The King by Tiffany Reisz – The Original Sinners Series- Book 6

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The King

The Original Sinners Series – Book 6

By Tiffany Reisz

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Synopsis

Cunning. Sex. Pure nerve. Only this potent threesome can raise him

to his rightful place as ruler of Manhattan’s kink kingdom.

Bouncing from bed to bed on the Upper East Side—handsomely paid in both bills and blackmail fodder—Kingsley Edge is brilliant, beautiful and utterly debauched. No carnal act or chemical compound can relieve his self-destructive apathy—only Søren, the one person he loves without limit or regret. A man he can never have, but in whose hands Kingsley is reborn to attain even greater heights of sin. He plans to open the ultimate BDSM club­: a dungeon playground for New York’s A-list that’ll change the scene forever.

The club becomes Kingsley’s obsession—and he’s enlisted some tough-as-nails help. His new assistant Sam is smart, secretive and totally immune to seduction (by men, at least). She and Kingsley make a wicked team. Still, their combined—and considerable—expertise in domination can’t subdue the man who would kill their dream. The enigmatic Reverend Fuller won’t rest until King’s dream is destroyed. It’s one man’s sacred mission against another’s….

“Reisz’s Original Sinners series just keeps getting better!” —RT Book Reviews

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

4 star

Robin’s Review

Tiffany Reisz has established a name for herself in the erotica genre. Reisz quickly captures the interest of readers in the first pages of The Siren, a compelling tale about erotica writer Nora Sutherlin. In each novel that follows, Reisz continues to weave an entertaining story about larger-than-life characters, practically guaranteeing that readers will continue to be eager for more. The King is the second novel of the White Years portion of The Original Sinners series. And now, after five novels full of clever dialogue, we are finally able to learn more about the illustrious Kingsley Edge.

The King is set in England, where Kingsley pays an unexpected visit to Zach and Grace Easton to meet Soren’s son, Fionn. The novel is told from Kingsley’s point of view, as he recounts a portion of his life story to Grace. King is very specific about what he shares with the mother of Soren’s son. He reminisces about his relationship with Soren while he was in school. We learn more about what came after high school, including the years Kingsley spent in the French Foreign Legion, but the bulk of the novel details how Kingsley came up with his idea for his kingdom, the Eighth Circle, a BDSM playground, and how his dream came to fruition.

We meet several new characters in The King, but Sam undeniably is my favorite. King shares an unusual relationship with Sam, and I found what they have between them is intriguing. She passes his scrutiny and strict standards, so Kingsley hires her as his assistant. He values Sam’s friendship and respects her past. With her help, King hires several employees and scouts for a location for the Eighth Circle. I loved meeting Sam, and I sincerely hope that we see more of her in the last two novels planned for this series!

Mistress Felicia. Mistress Irina. Lachlan. Blaise. One of the best parts of The King was meeting and learning the story behind each of these characters. We also have the villains of this story, Reverend Fuller and his wife, Lucy. Kingsley and Reverend Fuller are each fighting for a cause, and both are determined to win. Just like in the previous novels of The Original Sinners series, you should expect some mystery thrown into the mix to keep you guessing what will happen next.

There were parts of The King that I found delightful, but there were also moments of the story which, for me, fell flat. I had a difficult time embracing the storyline about televangelist Reverend Fuller and his church. However, I found the dialogue between Soren and Kingsley to be fascinating! Most notably, I loved the conversations about their shared past, continuing love for each other and what they had to say about Soren’s Virgin Queen, teenager Eleanor Schreiber. The brief glimpse we get of Eleanor is fantastic – one of the best parts of the book! In fact, I found it incredibly interesting to get their perspective of Eleanor and who she will become. There were moments spent with Kingsley Edge that were touching, and I thought the ending of The King was just perfect! Overall, I feel The King is a solid 4-star novel.

Author Bio: 

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Tiffany Reisz lives in Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend (a reformed book reviewer) and two cats (one good, one evil). She graduated with a B.A. in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and is making both her parents and her professors proud by writing BDSM erotica under her real name.

When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. Her first full-length novel THE SIREN was inspired by a desire to tie up actor Jason Isaacs (on paper). She hopes someday life will imitate art (in bed).

THE SIREN was awarded the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Erotic Romance 2012.

If she couldn’t write, she would die.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bc4d7a9079/

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Review: Last Chance Family by Hope Ramsay- Last Chance Series- Book 8

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Last Chance Family

Last Chance Series- Book 8

By Hope Ramsay

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Synopsis

Mike Taggart has always been willing to take a gamble. But these stakes are just way too high – there’s no way he’s prepared to become a legal guardian to his five-year-old niece. His only option is to head from Las Vegas to Last Chance to sort things out as quickly as possible. Problem is, he arrives to find an inconsolable little girl, her sick cat, and a gorgeous veterinarian he can’t get out of his mind.

Charlene Polk has two talents: healing sick critters and falling in love with the wrong men. Mike has trouble written all over him, but she can’t leave him in the lurch. And the more time she spends with the sexy high roller, the more she sees that this ready-made family is the best stroke of luck they’ve ever had . . .

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

4 star

Tina’s Review

*** Provided by Netgalley in Exchange for an Honest Review. ***

Professional Poker player Mike Taggert’s half-sister, Angie, was gunned down in Chicago, witnessed by her five-year old daughter, Rainbow. Now, Mike’s flown in from Vegas to collect Rainbow and her sickly cat. His hope is provide a better opportunity for Rainbow by handing her off to his half-brother, Reverend Timothy Lake, in rural South Carolina. But Timothy never even knew he had half-siblings and a niece.
Charlene Polk is the veterinary assistant at Creature Comforts Animal Hospital, working for Dr. David Underhill. She first encounters this handsome man, an unkempt child and the sickly cat a few minutes before the office was to close. One look at the child’s face convinced her to take a few minutes to see to the sneezy beast. Later that night, she discovers that he’s subleasing her neighbor’s apartment.

Charlene comes from a old-fashion, well to-do family with strict ideals and morals. Whether she realizes it or not, her parents have rubbed off on her to a degree, being that she was awful quick to judge someone without knowing them even after she’s been subjected to exactly the same sort of scrutiny as a young adult. Mike grew up in poverty with an alcoholic mother. Now, as a professional poker player, his whole world revolves masking his emotions and not giving any tells. This leads people to see him as unfeeling and they are suspicious of it – at first. Never had there been two more seemingly opposite people. The nosy busybodies are perfectly depicted. The interaction and dialogue between characters felt natural and believable. While the flow of writing is very smooth, the plot feels a little flat and tired. It sort of dragged for me. Now, this could be because this is the eighth book to the series and I have not read any of the previous books. There are a wide variety of supporting characters that I can only imagine have already been highlighted and/or showcased before this story, some enjoyable and others not. I wanted to reach through my e-reader and destroy Charlene’s parents. The conflict was the plot, for the most part. There were numerous points of predictability, but not in such a manner where it would be off-putting. The conclusion was solid. This story was sweet and warm; stolen kisses and caresses, the sex remained behind closed doors and was mostly implied.

*My brain keeps mulling over the cover… it has four kittens in a basket. In the book, the basket only contained three kittens. If the fourth kitten is to represent Tigger, it should have been a larger cat. It’s a minor details issue I have, on the publisher’s side, and does not reflect on the rating itself. It’s a discrepancy.

Author Bio

Hope Ramsay was born in New York and grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you’ll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. Hope earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Buffalo, and has had various jobs working as a Congressional aide, a lobbyist, a public relations consultant, and a meeting planner. She’s a two-time finalist in the Golden Heart, and is married to a good ol’ Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her heroes. She has two grown children and a couple of demanding lap cats. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia where you can often find her on the back deck, picking on her thirty-five-year-old Martin guitar.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

last chance family

Release Blitz + Review + Giveaway: Any Way We Want Vol. 1 by Grey Cole- Any Way We Want Series

any way we want-release blitzany way we want

 

Any Way We Want

Want Series – Book 1

Genre : Erotica

Menage-M/M/F ~ M/M/M ~M/M ~M/F/M

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Synopsis

I couldn’t have picked two men more opposing than they. One dark-headed, slightly controlling, but intuitive. The other all unruly copper curls, somewhat bashful, but sensual. Yet, my fall for them felt the same—hard and fast.

I never slept around or cheated, but when you’re the girl who got dumped for being too kinky–you realize and accept you are different. Somehow, some way, they had to be mine. My mind spun with what could be, and I set out to entice them with my fantasy.

Only, my plot had a twist…Royce and Shea were already lovers. Luckily for me, they liked to share.

Warning: Contains a headstrong daughter of nudist, hippy parents, an Alpha with seriously protective instincts, positive representations of Asperger’s Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and oh yeah, M/M, M/M/M, M/M/F, and M/F/M.

Buy: Amazon

any way we want #1

Excerpt

Champagne always made her giggly and warm and tingly. Especially tingly. If she’d had a man, you better believe she would be fucked six ways from Sunday right about now. Instead, Luna found herself finishing off a few reports after saying goodnight to the guys. It had been a stellar day. Phase Two—by far the largest coup in their plan—had been firmly achieved. Royce had broken out the champagne, and Luna managed to consume copious amounts before promising the men she would call a cab when she was ready to head out for the night. They were reluctant to leave her behind, but their desire to do a little personal celebrating of their own was palpable. Far be it for her to stand in the way of the double dose of the pure male need and testosterone that engulfed the room.

Since she and Shea had become fast friends, he had divulged more than his share of their passionate tale to her over the last six months, even though she felt sure that he’d kept it toned down for her benefit. Still, she felt like she could read them. When she noticed little things, like the way Royce’s fingertips would curl possessively around Shea’s bicep at the end of even the briefest touch or when Shea’s eyes would suddenly shine brighter while Royce presented the most boring of facts and figures, Luna would glance to the others present in the room to see if they, too, were aware of exactly how sexual … how sensual … their bosses were. But, it seemed she alone picked up on these things. No raised eyebrows. No gossip around the water cooler.

That made her wonder if she was actually picking up on things, or if she was just perving on the gorgeous duo. Her subconscious picked that moment to send X-rated images flitting across her brain, involuntarily making her squeeze her crossed legs tighter. In an effort to halt her mind’s deviant trajectory, she grasped at the water bottle to her right, only to send it spinning across the desk until it toppled over the edge and skittered across the floor to come to a halt by the door.

Deciding she had probably done enough damage for the night, she saved all her documents and logged out of the computer before jotting herself a note. Sticking it to the computer, she laughed out loud at the message. You were drunk and horny last night, double check your files before sending. A little unsteady, she made her way to the abused water bottle, figuring she should refill it to stay hydrated. She’d call for a cab and head home to finish off the night with some Pinot and some porn. This time she actually giggled out loud. Pinot and porn. God, if only to have the third P present. Oh well, she thought, wiggling her fingers in front of her face, you’ll have to do.

She ended up tiptoeing down the hall, cringing at how dark and still it was when no one was around. Just when she seemed to become accustomed to the difference, she heard them. Moans and groans and curses and near shouts. Luna froze for a moment before understanding hit her with her blunt force. Where her body tingled before—now it sang. Where she’d been warm—she blazed. Her eyes flew to the partially closed door of Royce and Shea’s office, only daring to listen for a moment longer before she turned on her heel and darted back to her own office.

Her water bottle hit the floor with a clang as she slammed the door behind her. Wincing at the loud noise, she waited a moment to see if she would be discovered before rushing over to her desk. Only a security light from the hall cast a dull ray of light into her office. She eased herself into her chair and spun it so that she faced the windows. Luna’s face burned anew as she recalled the frantic words exchanged between Royce and Shea. Even her wicked imagination had not done them justice.

She could make out her own expression in the glass—pupils blown, hair disheveled, clothes askew. Taking a few calming breaths, Luna closed her eyes tightly, but as soon as she did, images of the two men locked in a passionate embrace flooded her brain.

Fuck me, Royce.

Take every inch of me. You like that don’t you? When I pull your hair, you nearly come undone.

Fuck yeah. Please, Royce.

Luna would do anything to have those words lavished upon her, to be able to say those very things to them. So, she pretended they included her. That she was the object of their desire and they were hers. The little app on her iPad filled with the gay porn blogs she’d become addicted to after meeting the men had nothing on the heat those two created within her. She couldn’t have stopped her hands if she’d tried. The things had a mind of their own when they bunched her loosely flowing skirt around her waist and dove into her panties. Her fingers circled her clit for a moment before dipping into the searing wetness. She fingered herself hard for a moment, even throwing her own hand over her mouth to muffle the obscene noises threatening to bubble from her throat.

When her clit throbbed with need, she pushed her thumb to it.

Pressed.

Teased.

Pinched.

Repeated the pattern again and again.

When she felt herself on the verge of coming, Luna shoved both fingers in her vagina again.

Rotated them.

Spread them.

She liked it rough. Fuck, did she like it rough. She held her breath, knowing that would make her orgasm all the more intense. Her head slammed back against the chair. Her hips circled to ride her fingers to the finish.

Then her fingers were replaced by Royce’s. Fuck, but they were thick and demanding.

She needed Shea too. She pinched her lips together so that she could remove her hand. That hand flew down to squeeze one nipple. Hard. It was Shea thumbing the bud and then twisting so hard, asking if she liked that. Yes, Shea. Just like that, Luna moaned.

Royce told her to fuck his hand like she meant it, so she did. He needed to know she meant it. She cried out his name.

She bent and bucked and writhed. Then she came.

Silently.

Harshly.

Harder than she’d ever come before.

Her men smiled at each other. Then at her. Then they kissed, almost chastely, counteracting the wild moment. They kissed her. She tasted them on each other. Royce pressed his fingers into her mouth, and Luna licked them clean before he removed them and sucked her tongue into his mouth.

Luna’s body seemed to melt into the chair. Time was suspended. Her breaths were shallow and hot. Once she opened her eyes, she knew they would disappear, taking their sweet kisses and their panty-combusting commands with them. She almost couldn’t bear it. Right now, their presence was so strong she could almost feel it.

With a deep sigh, she let her fingers fall from her mouth and her breast. Both hands dropped to the chair with a thud. She giggled again at how deeply sated she was.

Only, her giggle seemed to echo. But it was deeper. Richer. More masculine.

She was drunker than she thought.

Luna’s eyes fluttered open and closed. Open and closed. She finally fixed her stare on the glass where twin gazes of amusement shone back at her. One an intense blue. The other a mesmerizing hazel.

Too late to pretend embarrassment, Luna swallowed her nerves and met their eyes with her own.

“Luna, dear girl,” Royce tsked, “if only we’d known.”

Shea dipped his head and bit Royce’s shoulder. “God, if we’d known,” he groaned.

Luna chose to believe that the champagne made her bold when she brazened, “And if you’d known?”

“That’s simple, darling. We could have celebrated. The three of us. Together,” Royce declared.

Inside, she gasped, even though she hoped she remained steadfast in appearance. But you’re both gay. Why would you want me? Her naïveté won in the end when she whispered, “But how would that even work?”

Royce spun her chair around to face them as they sat perched on her desk. “Any way we want.”

any way we want teaser

4 star

 

Michel’s Review 

I can honestly say that Menage Romances are generally not my cup of tea.  The reason I don’t tend to read these kinds of books is not because the kink bothers me, it is the content.  Most Menage Romances tend to focus on the sex scenes and not the actual content of the story.  The characters are hard to connect with because we don’t see their individuality but more of their sex drives and preferences.

When I read the synopsis for Any Way We Want by Grey Cole, I was intrigued.  I can honestly say that this book was so much more than pages and pages of sex scenes.  It is a rich story about three people who are in a very committed and loving relationship.  Their commitment to one another is unquestionable.  The problem is that they have kept their unique relationship a secret.  They are not sure “modern” society is quite ready for this kind of relationship even though this goes on behind closed doors all the time.

Shea, Luna, and Royce have been in a happy relationship.  Now Luna wants to rock their world by doing an interview about their unconventional lifestyle.  Their relationship has already had enough of a rocky start.

Shea and Royce have been best friends for years.  Somewhere along the way their friendship evolved into more.  They became lovers, partners, and soul mates.  Shea struggled with his sexuality for years.  Royce has always been attracted to women.  Shea is the one exception.  Shea is the other half of Royce’s soul.  When Luna comes into the picture, she adds the extra something special both men needed in their lives .  Luna felt blessed to have the love of two very dynamic men.

Luna wants to tell the world about their love.  Can their relationship survive this?

Any Way We Want Vol. 1 was an introduction into these three peoples lives.  It mainly focused on Shea and Royces background and relationship.  The reader got an insight on the love and commitment these two men have for one another.  There was no question about their love for Luna, it just was not the focus of this installment in the overall story.

I think Any We Want Vol. 1 was building the foundation for an explosive story that is going to test every emotion we possess.  This first volume was sizzling hot with it’s erotic scenes and emotional passages.  I am looking forward to the next installment of the Any We Want series.

Author Information

grey cole author bioGrey Cole

Grey Cole always dreamt of a book that featured hot male-on-male action that grew to encompass one lucky woman. Okay … maybe Grey really dreamt of this scenario playing out in real life and then decided to purge all those dirty thoughts onto the page.

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Giveaway

$25 Gift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDk5NjRmMDM5ZDM4YTBjYWM0YzAyYzM0NGI2ODRhOjUyNg==/

any way we want

ARC Review: The Shape of My Heart by Ann Aguirre – 2B Trilogy- Book 3

81DjCULifEL._SL1500_The Shape of My Heart

2B Trilogy – Book 3

By Ann Aguirre

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Synopsis

Some people wait decades to meet their soul mate. Courtney Kaufman suspects she met hers in high school—only to lose him at seventeen. Since then, Courtney’s social life has been a series of meaningless encounters, though she’s made a few close friends along the way. Especially her roommate, Max Cooper, who oozes damaged bad-boy vibes from every pore.

Max knows about feeling lost—he’s been on his own since he was sixteen. Now it’s time to find out if he can ever go home again, and Courtney’s the only one he trusts to go with him. But the trip to Providence could change everything….

It started out so simple. One misfit helping another. Now Max will do anything to show Courtney that for every heart that’s ever been broken, there’s another that can make it complete.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

4 star

Tina’s Review

*** Provided by Netgalley in Exchange for an Honest Review. ***

Courtney’s not your stereotypical heroine. She’s a bisexual, Jewish college student studying business. Max is the resident bad-boy majoring in mechanical engineering. He tried to play himself off as a jokester and partier, but there’s a darker, more intense side to him. Angus is the brightness in the house and gay. They need to fill the fourth roomie spot that just opened when Nadia moves out. Angus suggests his friend, Kia, who’s trying to get out of a controlling relationship. These are the main characters of the story, with a primary focus on Courtney and Max.

Obviously, this is the last book of the trilogy, of which I have NOT read the previous two. I will be commenting and rating the book as if it were a stand-alone novel. These are New Adult characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, none without flaws or drama. The main characters are early-20s college students that co-habitate. Max needs to go back home, for the first time in over five years and asks Courtney to come with him for moral support. During their journey, they experience a shift in their relationship which neither are great at deciphering or communicating. The characters are well written, even though they are kind of angst-y. Drama and trauma seem to run amok among the characters, main and secondary. The plot moves along smoothly, but a little slow in places. Interaction and dialogue are age appropriate, full of snark and sass; emotions are conveyed pretty well. There were numerous conflicts throughout the book, giving it plenty of dimension. Some of the resolutions were well thought out, while others seemed too easy. There was some minor predictability in the later third of the book, but nothing glaringly obvious. The conclusion was solid and was followed up with a nice epilogue.

Author Bio

lowres1Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. She likes all kinds of books, emo music, action movies and Doctor Who. She writes all kind of fiction in multiple genres, both YA and for adults.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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ARC Review: Perfect Chaos by Noshoda Rose- Unyielding Series- Book 1

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Perfect Chaos

Unyielding Series- Book 1

By Nashoda Rose

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Synopsis

Georgie

I lie to survive.

Have since I was sixteen and my world fell into chaos. But I found a way to endure, or rather it found me. Now I’m a prisoner of my own doing, hiding behind a false mask so no one sees the truth. Not even the man I want but can’t have—Deck. But I messed up and the lies are spilling over, out of control.

Deck is unrelenting and will settle for nothing less than the truth. He demands everything from me—EVERYTHING—even if it rips me apart.

DECK

I kill for a living.

Unyielding—It’s how I survive in my line of work. I bend people to my will…except Georgie.
But that ends now.
I’ve played her game for far too long. Now I think it’s time we play mine.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

4 star

Tina’s Review

Georgie was a control freak. So much so that her brother, Connor, teased that she should join the Canadian forces like he did. He was not only her brother, but one of her best friends. But her world abruptly changed one Sunday morning when Deck showed up to deliver the bad news. Now, years later, Georgie owns a coffee shop she named Perk Avenue, has inherited a watchdog… Deck and is living a lie out of necessity.
Deck Ryan served as Connor’s team leader. Informing his best friend’s family of his failure to save him was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. To watch sixteen-year old Georgie meltdown and walk out on her was even harder. Two years later, he returned and now – for years, he’s watched over her; kept her safe from others, and herself, either personally or through one of his men at Unyielding Riot.
**WARNING:
There is a “reliving” and recurring memory replay of graphic violence.
Not suitable for all readers.
———————————————————————————
Although this is the first book in a new series, it is – quite obviously – heavily tied to the Tear Asunder series, which I have NOT read. There is much mention early on regarding characters, and events that had occurred, that hint at a much deeper and more intimate history between these characters that this book alone would not be able to convey on it’s own as successfully.
Deck is the picture-perfect extremely intense uber alpha. Georgie is hiding her old self deep under a new facade of a care-free alcoholic party-girl out of fear and determination to keep her loved ones safe. Deck and Georgie are each tormented with their own demons from the past and this creates a pair of wonderful, extremely emotional and dimensional characters. The plot is filled with plenty of action, sass and twists. There’s some really clever stuff going on and there are many layers hidden within the plot that are capable of providing shock and surprise throughout. The dialogue is equal parts exasperating and humorous. The overall big-picture plot conflict will carry over, it looks like, as a predominant theme to throughout the series, however the individual conflict has been resolved fairly well for now. It would not be correct in calling the conclusion “solid”. There is definitely a “to be continued” feel, BUT the lesser, more intimate story does have a good grasp at closure. I guess we wait to see how things continue in PERFECT RUIN and PERFECT RAGE. Cover is extremely appealing, choosing a piece from Michael Stokes with model Aron Abikzer.

Author Bio:

Nashonda RoseNashoda Rose is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Toronto with her assortment of pets. She writes contemporary romance with a splash of darkness, or maybe it’s a tidal wave.

When she isn’t writing, she can be found sitting in a field reading with her dogs at her side while her horses graze nearby. She loves interacting with her readers on Facebook and chatting about her addiction—books.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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