Release Blitz + 5 Star Reviews + Giveaway + Tour Dates: Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

Posted on 10/03/2017 by shellbellereads

Without Merit

By Colleen Hoover

Synopsis

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us and November 9 comes a moving and haunting novel of family, love, and the power of the truth.

“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines, when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

Poignant and powerful, Without Merit explores the layers of lies that tie a family together and the power of love and truth.

________________________

Robin’s Review

Author Colleen Hoover touches on a very important topic in her new novel titled Without Merit. Her distinctive wit and humor dance around the subject of mental health. Readers will find comfort in her familiar writing voice but will also notice Without Merit is a bit different from anything she has ever written. Packed with unconventional characters and intense family drama, this book was nearly impossible for me to put down!

Our primary character, Merit Voss, lives in a re-purposed church building located in a small Texas town. Dubbed Dollar Voss, the church building is now the home to seven Voss family members. Merit is the self-proclaimed keeper of Voss family secrets. From her point of view, her family is embarrassing and completely dysfunctional. She harbors pent up anger towards family members, resents her eccentric living circumstances, and blames both of these reasons for her lack of a social life.

We’ve all heard some of these questions asked – how do you know if your family is normal? Which human behaviors are considered dysfunctional? Is there even such thing as a normal family? While I was reading this novel, I found myself focusing on questions such as these. Without Merit forced me to consider my own family dynamics and other important themes such as perspective, judgement, and resentment.

From the viewpoint of a teenage girl, the behaviors or makeup of a family unit can be traumatic, even embarrassing and frustrating. Colleen Hoover was very clever as she penned Merit’s passive-aggressive point-of-view. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but throughout this story I had this sense that we were building towards something important. It was subtle at first, barely there, and then it became more gradual. But it was there – I felt this impending sense that something climactic was coming.

Without Merit has solid character development, creativity, romantic tension, and eccentric secondary characters – all the characteristics we love to see in a top Colleen Hoover novel. Hoover took a step away from the new adult genre with this novel – something that I was delighted to see! This fiction novel falls soundly into the young adult age group, with a lean toward the coming of age genre.

Without Merit is a fantastic read, but the truth is, this story has the potential to touch people’s lives. At the very minimum, it will open the eyes of readers to the importance of mental health. I am sure of this. I highly recommend Without Merit. I’m giving this book a 5-star rating and will be adding it to my list of 2017 favorites!

*****

Michel’s Review

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover is one of those unique novels that doesn’t quite fit in any specific genre. It is the type of novel that will appeal to readers of all ages and all backgrounds.

Without Merit features a dysfunctional family seen through a teenager’s perspective. Like most modern day families,the Voss family structure is based upon busy schedules, individual agendas and poor communications. It is their normal until it no longer works. When one family member disrupts the cogs in their wheels, it’s the beginning of the breakdown of their family unit until they find a better way to function as a unit rather than a bunch of individuals living under one roof.

Merit Voss feels invisible amongst her family members and permanent house guests. Her family is dysfunctional in every way. Her mother lives in the basement while her father’s new wife is running the house. Her siblings are busy with their involvement in school activities and extra curricular activities. They each have their own quirks that add to the family dysfunction. Her twin sister’s boyfriend has moved in with them and she finds herself falling for him. The last thing she needs is to deal with the guilt of coveting her sister’s boyfriend. When her stepmom’s crazy younger brother joins the family home it disrupts the family dynamics all the more. His crazy antics and insightful observations add to the chaos.

One fateful moment brings clarity to the family. One dog bonds them together in an unusual way. Things have to change because no matter what happens, they love one another.

Colleen Hoover touched upon so many issues that plague the modern day family. Not only was the family dysfunctional, every person in the household had their own issues they were dealing with. Colleen added her quirky sense of humor to all of the characters and gave them individual traits that were easy to love. This lightened the heaviness of the subject matter in this book. She also showed that whether it’s blood or by choice, family is the foundation that made each individual strong in their own way. The family bond is what healed them all and led them on the path of healthier lives.

I would highly recommend Without Merit by Colleen Hoover.

_________________________________________________

Now for the fun….the #WithoutMerit Contest!

Enter the Rafflecopter to win a limited edition signed hardcover copy of WITHOUT MERIT! (5 winners in total) Contest is open until October 30^th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Don’t miss Colleen on tour for WITHOUT MERIT:

SEATTLE, WA

Monday, October 2^nd

THIRD PLACE BOOKS

7:00 PM

17171 Bothell Way NE

Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/colleen-hoover-without-merit

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/137295906877328/

LOS ANGELES, CA

Tuesday, October 3^rd

CHEVALIER’S BOOKS

7:00 PM

126 N. Larchmont Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90004

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-talk-and-signing-with-colleen-hoover-for-her-new-book-without-merit-tickets-37139282594

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1911946199130358

KANSAS CITY, KS

Wednesday, October 4^th

WOODNEATH LIBRARY CENTER

7:00 PM

8900 NE Flintlock Rd

Kansas City, MO 64157

http://www.mymcpl.org/events/calendar/story-center-speaker-series-colleen-hoover

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/174560183089713

CHICAGO, IL

Thursday, October 5^th

ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP – LA GRANGE

7:00 PM

26 S La Grange Rd

La Grange, IL 60525

http://hooverandersons.brownpapertickets.com

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/264445024062577

CINCINNATI, OH

Friday, October 6^th

JOSEPH-BETH BOOKSELLERS

7:00 PM

2692 Madison Road

Cincinnati, OH 45208

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3081217

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/113057092698266

POTTSTOWN, PA

Saturday, October 7^th

BOOKS-A-MILLION

6:00 PM

Coventry Mall

351 W. Schuylkill Road Ste G16

Pottstown, PA 19465

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-colleen-hoover-at-books-a-million-pottstown-pa-tickets-37311651153

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/352249878530498

NEW YORK, NY

Sunday, October 8^th

NEW YORK COMIC CON

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

500 West 36th Street

Hudson Mercantile

New York, NY 10018

https://www.showclix.com/event/ColleenHoover5yf6nuy

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1979991848924145

DALLAS, TX

Tuesday, October 10

SMU BOOKSTORE

7:00 PM

B&N College

Southern Methodist University Bookstore

3060 Mockingbird Lane

Dallas, TX 75205

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colleen-hoover-book-launch-for-without-merit-tickets-37360492238?ref=elink

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/746877452165014

______________________________________

About Colleen Hoover

Author Bio:

Colleen Hoover’s love for writing began in 1985 when she was five years old. Her first story was titled “Mystery Bob” and was a huge hit with her mother, who was really good at faking interest. Colleen continued to write short stories for friends and family until December of 2011, when she decided to write a long story she titled, “Slammed.” She self-published SLAMMED to Amazon in January, 2012 and it hit the NYT’s bestsellers list in May, 2012. She has since signed with Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and now has six NYT’s bestsellers. Colleen prefers to be called a writer, as the term “author” still terrifies her and makes this feel like a job with expectations. She doesn’t work well under pressure and hopes writing will always remain fun and exciting. Colleen’s newest novel, UGLY LOVE, releases August 5th, 2014. She is currently working on a new novel, CONFESS, which she is writing as fast as she can before she wakes up from this crazy dream.

You can follow Colleen on Instagram and Twitter @colleenhoover. You can also find her on her blog at http://www.colleenhoover.com where she holds a daily book-a-day giveaway, or on her very active Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/authorcolleenhoover where she loves to give away more free stuff when her husband isn’t looking.

Colleen also wants the world to know that writing short biographies in third person is incredibly awkward.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Battle Scars by Jane Harvey-Berrick

Posted on 10/02/2017 by shellbellereads

Battle Scars

By Jane Harvey – Berrick

Release Date: October 1st, 2017

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis:

From the dusty plains of Afghanistan to the sleek corridors of the New York Times, journalist MJ Buckman seeks the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. What she doesn’t expect to find is a man who’s her complete opposite … and fits her perfectly.

Marine Sergeant Jackson Connor knows that relationships don’t work for men in the military. He’s living proof of that. But when a steely-eyed temptress in a flak jacket, who carries her moral cause in front of her, crosses his path, he’s furious, curious, and all kinds of in-lust.
* * *
A grown-up love story about two people who aren’t looking for love, but realize how precious it is when they find it. They don’t play games and there are no stupid misunderstandings, just life standing in their way.

Can they compromise? And what does that look like in a modern relationship between two driven people?

Assignment Vs deployment.

They’re always traveling in different directions. What relationship can survive that?

Michel’s Review

Jane Harvey-Berrick has become on of my go to authors. When I open one of her novels I know I am not only going to get an emotional romance but I am also going to get a truthful and compassionate story about people dealing with unpleasant circumstances in life. Whether it is a soldier suffering from PTSD or a seventeen year old boy becoming a man in his turbulent world or a dare devil stuntman with showmanship in his blood or a convicted felon acclimating to the outside world after years in prison, there is one thing in common in all of these novels. Jane Harvey-Berrick captures the vulnerability as well as the strength of the human spirit in an imperfect world. The one idea or emotion her novels clearly illustrate is HOPE no matter what the life circumstances are. With all the tension in today’s world people have forgotten the very basic thing that makes us stand out as humans, the potential to make a better world because of HOPE.

Battle Scars is a bit different from most military romances. This is a story of two people becoming a couple when their lives are on very different paths. One is a career military officer and the other is a journalist traveling throughout the world in search of the next story. Both of their jobs are fueled by adrenaline. They can be in very dangerous situations at any given moment which makes their jobs unpredictable. Somewhere in the midst of their chaotic world they found one another. Their love for one another changed how they looked at their own lives as well as their careers. Their mutual respect and acceptance of one another’s chosen careers was the foundation of their future relationship. Their choices may not have always been theirs to make but they learned to compromise. What was most important was the knowledge of each other’s love.

Jane Harvey-Berrick not only showed how difficult “military” relationships can be, she also showed the strength of these relationships. I admired the honesty her words delivered.

Jane Harvey-Berrick has delivered another outstanding book that went beyond the usual romance novel!

I highly recommend reading Battle Scars by Jane Harvey-Berrick.

______________________________

Jane is a writer of contemporary romance fiction, known for thoughtful stories, often touching on difficult subjects: disability (DANGEROUS TO KNOW & LOVE, SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM); mental illness (THE EDUCATION OF CAROLINE, SEMPER FI); life after prison (LIFERS); dyslexia (THE TRAVELING MAN, THE TRAVELING WOMAN).

She is also a campaigner for former military personnel to receive the support they need on leaving the services. She wrote the well-received play LATER, AFTER with former veteran Mike Speirs. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk1CyB8c0xA )

Author Links

Web Facebook Twitter Amazon Page Goodreads Instagram

New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt + Giveaway + 5-Star Review: Too Beautiful To Break by Tessa Bailey

Posted on 09/29/2017 by cafemamanc7

A love of a lifetime . . .

Leaving Belmont Clarkson is the hardest thing Sage Alexander has ever done. From the moment they met, she knew Belmont was the one, and getting up close and personal with him on his family’s epic road trip has taken her desire to a new, even hotter level. But there’s no way she can go there—not without revealing secrets that could devastate them both.

Losing Sage is not an option. Belmont’s heart is hers, has always been hers. He knows she’s hiding something from him, but nothing will stand in his way of telling her just how much she means to him. Finding her is easy—saving her from her past could cost him everything.

Title: TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series: Romancing The Clarksons, #4

On Sale: September 26, 2017

Publisher: Forever

Mass Market: $7.99 USD

eBook: $5.99 USD

Add to: Goodreads

EXCERPT:

“You don’t have to leave right away,” Sage said when Belmont turned, watching her from beneath his eyebrows. “Can you wait here while I take a quick shower?”

Maybe that hadn’t been the right thing to say. His big back heaved and the touch of his tongue in her mouth came crashing in like a behemoth wave. They had crossed an unspoken boundary on the train platform. There was no going back to before, to when they stopped at rough, crushing embraces. As if that hadn’t been…more than sexual somehow.

“Yes, I’ll wait,” he said, his voice sounding like serrated metal. “I can light the fire for you.”

I’ll say. God, why did everything sound like an innuendo now? If her body weren’t flush and sweating beneath the jumpsuit, she would have laughed about it. But there was nothing funny about having Belmont looming mere yards away, looking like one word of encouragement would snap his chain and send him barreling toward her. “That would be perfect. I’ll just be…a few minutes.”

Sage all but dove into the itty-bitty bathroom, pressing her back up against the door and willing her racing heart to calm down. Why had she asked him to stay? Her resolve would weaken with every passing second. Biting down on her lower lip, she began the excruciating task of lowering the zipper of her jumpsuit, which kicked up a protest in her triceps and shoulder muscles. When she finally got it down, she gripped the hem of her T-shirt and attempted to lift it over her head.

Her arms wouldn’t cooperate. They flat out wouldn’t rise any higher than her ribs, leaving the T-shirt suspended in midair. Her muscles burned like someone had doused them in lighter fluid and held them above a flame. Sage’s agony must have escaped in the form of a whimper, because Belmont’s boots scraped just outside the door. And her stomach hollowed with awareness, lightning racing all over her skin.

“Sage.” His voice was deep, urgent. “Do you need help?”

No. Say no. She’d only gotten finished reminding him she didn’t need him. But in this case, it would be a lie and she’d done so much of that lately. With Belmont. The most truthful person she knew. “I can’t get my shirt off.” Her nose started to ache, the tip probably turning red. “My arms hurt.”

His growl was short and broken. A beat passed before the door opened and she felt Belmont filling the doorway behind her. She flicked a glance up to the ancient mirror and confirmed what she’d seen in her mind’s eyes. Belmont towering over her like an avenging angel, outlined by candlelight. He’d taken off his coat, leaving him in a black long-sleeved shirt, which he’d rolled up to the elbows. Every inch of visible skin was shot through with strained cords of muscle, as if his frustration were written on him like a road map.

Sage still had the shirt halfway lifted, so her lower back was visible. Not a big deal to most people. But Belmont had never seen anything below her neck. Or above her knees. With the jumpsuit peeled halfway down, the band of her underwear might even be peeking out.

Breathing grew difficult as Belmont took one step closer and took hold of the T-shirt, his knuckles grazing the small of her back. “You’re wearing”—his breath ghosted down her neck—“my shirt.”

Sage only realized she’d closed her eyes when they popped open. Oh God. In the shock of Belmont arriving, she’d forgotten. “I am?” Her mouth was parched. “L-look at that.”

“I am looking.” She jumped when Belmont reached over her shoulder with his left hand and turned on the shower, the sound of spray filling the room. Then the roughness of his knuckles returned, sliding up her spine along with the shirt. “I like knowing there was a layer of me standing between you and the earth.”

Her legs took on the consistency of Jell-O. His touch was a drug, making her languid, although it was different than the way he usually touched her. There was sex this time. So much of it. And it was that major difference that allowed Sage to accept the skimming of his fingers. Accept the part of herself that lusted. They were in a dark room and time had surely suspended anywhere outside this little plot of square footage. Words ached to leave her mouth, words that wouldn’t be suitable in the sunlight. This man, so warm and brave and large at her back, knew things about her no one else did. What was one more secret? “I stole it out of your suitcase. I broke a commandment and everything.”

“Why?” He breathed into her hair, sinking heat like an anchor in her belly. The shirt came off, her arms dropped to her sides, and she was left in nothing but a bra from the waist up. Inches from Belmont. “Why, sweetest girl?”

A light steam had begun curling in the air like beckoning fingers. Maybe this is a dream. It felt like one of the fevered fantasies she woke from on occasion, sweat slicking her breasts and neck. “Because I like the way you smell and it hadn’t been washed.”

His exhale was gravelly. “Sage.”

“Yes.”

She thought he might not respond, but finally he asked a question that made her nipples turn to hard points. “Can you manage”—a long, windy inhale—“the bra?”

Sage tried. She really, truly did. Her arms felt as though they might break off and hit the floor, but she reached back until her muscles locked up, refusing to move farther. But Belmont was already there, pushing them back down, holding them at her hips.

“Jesus. Please, stop. I can’t watch it.” His touch disappeared only for a second and then the cotton material of the bra tightened over her breasts. She could feel him working the back clasp with fingers she knew so well. They’d tunneled through her hair so many times, twisted in her clothing, but had never, ever, touched her with any kind of…intent. Intent to seduce. And that’s what he was doing, intentional or not. The inhibitions she’d held close forever, circled the drain, along with the shower water. “Your back is so beautiful.” A ghost of a fingertip traced down her spine. “But I need to leave before I—”

“What?”

“Before I turn you around.” They weren’t touching, but she could sense the shudder that ran through him. “Or look in that mirror.”

Right or wrong, the mine, their codependency aside, Sage knew if she let him leave just then, she would regret it for all time. Her body had been woken up. By one man. He’d kept her on the razor’s edge for thousands of miles, surrounding her with his power and taking it away. Over and over. And this fever wrapping around them in the tiny bathroom was completely different from easing his anxiety. Finally, she felt like a woman standing in front of him, instead of a calming device. This was mutual and alive and she couldn’t stand it to end. Tomorrow might be a different story, but this moment was the culmination of a thousand dreams and she could no more deny herself than she could forget his face.

“Belmont, do you think of the kiss?”

“I never stop,” he groaned into her hair. “Never.”

She took a deep breath for courage. “Will you shower with me?”

Tracey’s Review

I can say one true thing, without hesitation. The Clarksons are one intense family. They come by it naturally, of course, imbued with it, as they were, by their mother, Miriam. And, of all of the Clarksons, a family that I adore beyond measure, Belmont is extra-special, the one whose book I have been waiting for. Thank you, Tessa Bailey, for doing this special character justice in TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK.

Throughout the entire Romancing the Clarksons series, Belmont has stood out from his siblings. Stoic, quiet, intense, and ever-present, while the other Clarksons got their stories, their resolutions, the smoothing away of their life-hewn rough edges, Belmont, well, Belmont carried on. It’s clear throughout the books that there is something else going on with him, something simmering just below the surface, something that only Sage Alexander truly understands.

The pull between Sage and Belmont is truly magnetic. Their relationship is absolute yin and yang, and Sage understands before Belmont that they have to break the bond in order to become who they need to be. They both have unfinished business in their lives, and only by learning to step into their own fears and responsibilities will they be able to move forward.

Tessa Bailey has such a way with words, with characterization, and stories that grab you and don’t let go. I have no doubt that, like any good mother, she loves all of her characters equally, but I have to believe that Belmont holds a special place in her heart, because he certainly does mine. I have loved him throughout, and couldn’t to see his relationship with Sage blossom into the fullness that it was destined to be. Finally, in TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK, Bel and Sage are there, and I could not have enjoyed this book more. It’s an easy 5-stars for me, and a great way to wrap up this series. Perfect for fans of contemporary romance with plenty of angsty twists and turns on the way to happiness, the Clarksons should definitely be on TBRs everywhere. And, while I’m sorry to see this series end, I can’t wait to see what Tessa has in store for us next.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

THE ROMANCING THE CLARKSONS SERIES

TOO HOT TO HANDLE, #1

TOO WILD TO TAME, #2

TOO HARD TO FORGET, #3

TOO CLOSE TO CALL, #3.5

TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK, #4

Series Page on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend, and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

CONNECT WITH TESSA:

FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE

Enter the FOREVER GIVEAWAY here

https://app.viralsweep.com/view_widget/a7fc51-24705

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Racer by Katy Evans – The Real Series – Book 7

Posted on 09/28/2017 by shellbellereads

Racer by Katy Evans
Publication Date: September 28th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Racer, an all-new standalone in the Real Series from New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans is LIVE!

A bad boy with something to prove.

A woman with a mission.

The race of their lives.

The love of a lifetime.

I don’t think his parents expected him to live up to his name—Racer Tate—but once he felt the adrenaline rush behind the wheel, he was addicted.

He’s the fastest, fiercest driver around.

Scouting new talent brings me to his doorstep…

but his smile sends me to my knees.

The sexy, mysterious Racer Tate is not the kind of man a girl like me falls for. He’s secretive, reckless, elusive. But his proximity pushes me beyond reason, and his kiss….

This is our last chance to win, and he is our only hope. I’m supposed to watch him—make sure he doesn’t get into trouble. But it’s an impossible task. And now the one in heart wrenching, toe-curling, soul-crushing trouble is me. Because when your heart belongs to someone, their truths become your own, and their secrets become your salvation…or your curse.

He says he wants me. He says I’m the One. But he also thinks he’ll break my heart, one piece at a time until it’s gone.

Read Today!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2vkUzTi

Amazon UK: https://goo.gl/u6Afj4

iBooks: https://goo.gl/s1EHS7

Nook: https://goo.gl/zoTe8X

Kobo: https://goo.gl/WgX9oJ

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/JFvQ6D

___________________________

Michel’s Review

I have been waiting for a book like this to release for a long time. I remember when Real by Katy Evans released and stole the readers hearts. The intensity of the characters, the pureness of their romance, and the raw vulnerability made this book stand out. As the series progressed with new characters, it was still very good but not quite like Real until now. Racer by Katy Evans, the seventh book in the Real series, brings this series full circle. Racer Tate has grown up and demanding his own story.

Lana Heyworth is part of the formula one HW Racing Team which is owned by her family. The team is about to go under unless they can find a new driver to bring the team to greatness once again, As head of PR, Lana wants to find a driver that can save her family legacy. Her search brings her to St. Pete, FL where she meets Racer Tate, the legendary illegal street racer. After watching him drive she’s convinced he is the one. Not only is he the driver their team needs, he is also the one that makes her heart race.

They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Racer is every bit as intense as his father. He is also harboring secrets that could affect his future with Lana.

Lana has scars from the past she needs to overcome. She needs to learn to open her heart up and let love in. She can’t let past influences or her family hold her back.

I must say Katy Evans delivered the book I have been waiting for the past four years. I fell hopelessly in love with Racer like I did with his father, Remy. This book had the right amount of intensity, sexiness, and romance. I loved it!

___________________________

About the Author:

Katy Evans is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her debut REAL shot to the top of the bestselling lists in 2013 and since then 9 of her titles have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages across the world.

Connect with the Author:

Email: katyevansauthor@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorKatyEvans

Twitter @authorkatyevans

Release Day Launch + Excerpt + Giveaway + 5-Star Review: Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis

Posted on 09/26/2017 by cafemamanc7

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series… Don’t miss the amazing excerpt and giveaway below, and grab your copy today!

About CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE:

Meet cute…

Run for the hills—temporarily. That’s Colbie Albright’s plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie’s so over it that she’s under it. She’s also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she’s pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won’t be a stranger for long.

Make merry…

Spence’s commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn’t have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot—chemistry he’s got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself… just because she’s gorgeous and a great listener…just because she “gets” Spencer immediately doesn’t mean he won’t be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

…and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock’s ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime

Order CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE in ebook or paperback, now available!

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo| Barnes & Noble

Add to your Goodreads

EXCERPT:

At the unexpected sight of Spence, Colbie startled hard. How was it that he was the one who needed glasses and yet she’d not seen him standing against the window? “No, I don’t kill a lot of people,” she said cautiously because she was wearing only a towel in front of a strange man. “But I’m happy to make an exception.”

He laughed, a rough rumble that was more than a little contagious but she controlled herself because, hello, she was once again dripping wet before the man who seemed to make her knees forget to hold her up.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said and pushed off the wall to come close.

She froze, but he held up his hands like, I come in peace, and crouched at her feet to scoop up the clothes she hadn’t realized she’d dropped.

Leggings, a long forgiving tee, and the peach silk bra-and-panty set that hadn’t gotten so much as a blink from the TSA guy.

But it got one out of Spence. He also swallowed hard as she snatched them back from him.

“Hold on,” he said and caught her arm, pulling it toward him to look at her bleeding elbow.

“Sit,” he said and gently pushed her down to a weight bench. He vanished into the bathroom and came back out with a first aid kit.

It took him less than two minutes to clean and bandage the scrape. Then, easily balanced at her side on the balls of his feet, he did the same for both her knees, which she hadn’t noticed were also scraped up.

“You must’ve hit the brick coping as you fell in the fountain,” he said and let his thumb slide over the skin just above one bandaged knee.

She shivered, and not from the cold either. “Not going to kiss it better?” she heard herself ask before biting her tongue for running away with her good sense.

She’d raised her younger twin brothers. Scrappy, roughhouse wild animals, the both of them so there’d been plenty of injuries she’d kissed over the years.

But no one had ever kissed hers. Not surprising, since most of her injuries tended to be on the inside, where they didn’t show. Still, she was horrified she’d said anything at all. “I didn’t mean—” She broke off, frozen like a deer in the headlights as Spence slowly lowered his head, brushing his lips over the Band-Aid on her elbow, then her knees.

When he lifted his head, he pushed his glasses higher on his nose, those whiskey eyes warm and amused behind his lenses. “Better?”

Tracey’s Review

There are authors that I know I can go to when I’m in need of a visit to my happy place, when what I want is a story that will leave me satisfied and lighter. Jill Shalvis is one of those authors for me, and CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE, the latest book in her Heartbreaker Bay series, has nicely done the job.

I have been waiting for über-nerdy, arch, brilliant Spence to get his book, and his HEA. Spence is a guy that’s risen from veritably nothing because he’s so stinking smart. For all that he has, though, his most wonderful attributes are his big heart and his love for the family of friends that he’s found in Heartbreaker Bay. For all of his smarts, it’s been hard for Spence to make a romantic relationship work, mostly because he spends so much time in his own head, focusing on work and projects.

Colbie Albright has arrived in Heartbreaker Bay looking for a jump-start for her creative process, a vacation from her ‘other’ life that has worn her down and left her empty. I fell in love with her from the first scene, and, I have to say, she and Spence are kind of perfect for each other. She can keep up with Spence from the get-go, something that he’s not used to, and I think that it knocks him and his well-meaning friends (Elle, I’m looking at you) a bit off-kilter, as well as drawing him right in.

I’m a big fan of those series that, while made up of standalone books, draw on the characters and relationships from previous books, because it just lends more heart to the story, somehow. Jill Shalvis is a pro at these types of series and books, adept at crafting worlds that readers enjoy visiting again and again, and characters that are a joy to spend time with. The folks from Heartbreaker Bay are like a family, and each book draws me more firmly into their orbit. CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE is as delightful as the other books in this series, and an easy 5 smart, sweet, slightly nerdy stars for me. A definite must-read for Jill’s fans, and for fans of romantic comedy everywhere.

A Rafflecopter giveaway

And don’t miss the previous books in Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay Series, SWEET LITTLE LIES, THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE and ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, now available! Grab your copies HERE!

About Jill Shalvis:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Release Blitz & 5+ Star Review & 2017 Favorite: The Learning Hours by Sara Ney – How To Date A Douchebag Series – Book 3

Posted on 09/26/2017 by shellbellereads

The Learning Hours

How To Date A Douchebag Series – Book 3

By Sara Ney

Buy:

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N | KOBO

He’s not a douchebag; but that doesn’t stop his friends from turning him into one.

MY FRIENDS WANT ME TO GET LAID.

So much so that they plastered my ugly mug all over campus, in bold printed letters:

Are you the lucky lady who’s going to break our roommate’s cherry?
Him: socially awkward man with average-sized penis looking for willing sexual partner. You: must have a pulse. He will reciprakate with oral. Text him at: 555-254-5551

The morons can’t even spell. And the texts I’ve been receiving are what wet dreams are made of. But I’m not like these douchebags, no matter how hard they try to turn me into one.

THIS ISN’T THE KIND OF ATTENTION I WANT.

One text stands out from hundreds. One number I can’t bring myself to block. She seems different. Hotter, even in black and white.

However, after seeing her in person, I know she’s not the girl for me. But my friends won’t let up–they just don’t get it. Douchebags or not, there’s one thing they’ll never understand: GIRLS DON’T WANT ME.

Especially her.

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N | KOBO

Michel’s Review

OMG! How To Date A Douchebag: The Learning Hours is one of those books I will never forget. It was so good and had me glued to the pages while falling hopelessly in love with a very different kind of hero. Hands down… Rhett Rabideaux stole my heart in the first sentence of the book. He was so unexpected yet so charming and humble throughout the entire book. As a man, he won my respect. As a young male college student, he commanded my admiration. As an allstar wrestler, he demanded my team dedication and spirit. As an individual who was subject to hazing and bullying, he had my complete sympathy. How he handled the negativity was beyond commendable. He is the true definition of strength and fortitude. All these great individual qualities are enough to make the reader swoon but Sara Ney made Rhett all the more desirable with his sexy southern charm and mastery of the French language.

Rhett Rabideaux gave up everything to attend Iowa State on a wrestling scholarship in his junior year. Who does that? Only the fearless soul who’s willing to take a risk. What he didn’t count on was a team full of douchebags that treated him worst than dirt. He can tolerate the team hazing up to a point until it cost him over $400. When his teammates put posters of him up, which included his phone number, advertising to get him laid went beyond their normal douchery. It was downright humiliating. Now he’s dealing with texts from numerous women that make sexting look innocent. There’s one texter that catches his attention even though he wants to blow her off. Her snarky wit and the fact that no pictures are included seems safe enough to respond to until he finds out who he’s exchanging texts with.

It all started on a dare and the command of the magic 8 ball when Laurel decided to text Rhett as a joke. When his combative responses started burning up her phone she couldn’t do anything but engage in the battle. After a few days of texting and a simple phone conversation she’s beginning to see Rhett in a different light. The more she learns about him, the more she wants his undivided attention. The only problem is she lied about who she was and about her intentions in the beginning. Now she must come clean with the truth and her real identity because she wants Rhett Rabideaux more than any guy on campus.

Rhett and Laurel are opposites in every way. They shouldn’t belong together but they fit perfectly. It’s time to teach the meddling douchebags a lesson. Rhett Rabideaux will never fit into their club. He’s stands above them all.

Sara Ney delivered a unique romance that truly shows that love is a matter of the heart. Looks, money, and popularity don’t necessarily guarantee happiness. Actions speak louder than words. Matters of the heart follow their own beat.

I loved every moment of this book and fell hopelessly in love with Rhett Rabideaux!

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.

She lives with her husband, children, and her ridiculously large dog.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Blog Tour + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Exes With Benefits by Nicole Williams

Posted on 09/22/2017 by shellbellereads

Exes With Benefits

By Nicole Williams

Release Date: September 18, 2017

Buy: Amazon / B & N / IBooks

Synopsis:

He wants a second chance. I want a divorce. To get what I want, I’ll have to give him what he does.

From New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, Nicole Williams, comes a new standalone romance in the same vein as Roommates with Benefits.

___________________________________________

“One month. That’s nothing in the scope of a person’s life.” He slid a bit closer.
“One month is everything when it comes to opening myself back up to you.”
He didn’t argue that. He let silence speak for him instead.
“What exactly are you expecting during this one month?” I might have winced when I heard myself say those words.
He rubbed his mouth, trying to hide whatever was trying to form. “For you to give me another chance. For you to be my wife.”
The term made me nauseated. “Your wife? As in your indentured servant? No way.”
It was a smile he was trying to hide. Not very successfully. It made me thankful I’d slipped into these old boots so I could give him a solid kick in the ass if necessary.
“Like be willing to spend time with me. That’s it. That’s all,” he added when he correctly interpreted the question in my eyes. The question.
“What will we be doing during that time we’re spending together?” I pulled at the chest of my dress when I noticed the way his gaze had lingered there a moment too long.
His shoulder rose. “Got any ideas?” There was an unmistakable glint in his eyes.
“No,” I answered instantly.
“You used to have plenty of ideas for filling the time.” He took a swig of his Coke.
“And then I learned how to use my brain.”
He studied my fake smile, almost like he was contemplating what it would feel like against his mouth. “Dinners. Dates. Simple stuff like that.”
I held my best poker face, considering his offer. I didn’t want to stay married to him. If one more month was what it took to be free of Canaan Ford, I could suck it up. I’d already made it five years. “No expectations of anything of a physical nature?”
“If I remember right”—his eyes narrowed as he rubbed the back of his head—“it was generally you who instigated all of that back then.”
I shoved his chest. Bad idea. Solid. Firm. Home.
My jaw ground as I worked to erase that word from my conscious where he was concerned. “And you were just the perfect gentleman.”
Canaan snatched my hand before I could pull it away. Holding onto it, he dragged me closer. Not so close that our bodies touched, but close enough the separation was painful.
“Exactly,” he said in that low voice of his. The one he’d whispered my name in so many times as he moved inside me. “A gentleman gives his woman exactly what she needs. As many times as she need it. Just doing my part.”
“How noble.”
“That’s right. So if you want to make any changes to this one month agreement, consider me your humble servant.” When his hand dropped to my waist, his touch hesitant at the same time it was insistent, I didn’t flinch out of instinct the way I should have.
Instead, I had to remind myself to pull away from him; to flinch at his touch. “I have a boyfriend, Canaan.” Even to my ears, it sounded like a weak protest.
His hand didn’t fall away when I stepped back. “You’re a married woman, Maggie.”
“My husband forfeited his rights years ago.” My eyes found his, expecting them to shoot away once mine made contact.
They didn’t. His gold eyes held to mine. “He’s here to reclaim them.

Michel’s Review

Exes With Benefits by Nicole Williams is more than a second chance romance. It’s an emotionally charged novel which clearly takes the characters on a life changing journey. Two young people got married before they were ready to step fully into the adult world. Their maturity level left them incapable of dealing with the emotional storm called life. Their communication with one another was broken. Their ability to express their emotions was non existent. Their coping mechanisms were became destructive. Their relationship became toxic. One became an enabler and the other was about to detonate. The only thing that could fix their problems was to walk away from the life they had begun to destroy.

Maggie Church and Canaan Ford got married right out of high school because of a surprise pregnancy that ended with a miscarriage. They clearly loved one another deeply but couldn’t handle the tragedy in their lives. To make matters worse there were other tragedies weighing on their souls. They were both too immature to handle their loss on an emotional level. Canaan began to drink heavily. The drinking led to a path of self destruction which included fighting and out of control behavior. Maggie couldn’t take watching Canaan self destruct and finally chose to walk away. As she watched Canaan in her rear view mirror, she vowed she would never return to Farmington, Missouri or Canaan Ford.

Five years later Maggie is forced to face her past and finally put it to rest. She has returned to Farmington for her grandmother’s funeral and to finalize the divorce. Canaan had refused to sign the divorce papers for the past five years. She has made a new life in Chicago with a successful career as an artist. She has been in a relationship with another man for the past two years. She needs to put the past to rest so that she can fully move forward in her life. Coming home isn’t always easy, especially when facing another loss. What she came home to was something altogether different than what she left behind years ago. Farmington is still the same charming small town where everyone knows each others business but the peoples lives have changed. Her friends have built careers and families of their own. Her ex husband is still living in the same apartment above the garage at her grandmother’s house but he is a different man altogether. She’s finding it hard to believe Canaan is the same man as the boy she left behind. She refuses to allow herself to become vulnerable to Canaan’s charm and apparent sincerity. She needs their divorce to become finalized.

Canaan was broken before he lost Maggie. Losing Maggie was the final bullet that killed his dying soul. He had a choice to live as the man he always intended to be or die alone from his own self destruction. He has always loved Maggie Church and knows they were destined for one another. He made a conscious choice to become the man Maggie deserved. He changed his life. He grew up. He became responsible. He became emotionally present. He became a real man. Now he’s going to win his wife back no matter how hard she tries to walk away. This time he is going to keep her. If she walks away, he’s going to chase her and bring her home. She is his wife. He just needs 30 days to prove it.

Needless to say, Nicole Williams painted a vivid picture of Maggie and Canaan’s life with her words. This novel was like an artistic painting that evoked so many emotions with it’s choice of color, realms of shading, and deliberate strokes of the brush. Sometimes the colors blended perfectly but the shading overpowered the overall piece. Other times the brushstroke strayed outside the lines but added more detail to the overall intensity. When all the creativity, choice of colors, and masterful technique came together, it became an emotional masterpiece. This is what Exes With Benefits by Nicole Williams became. Her words were what created a beautiful masterpiece about life, love, and the choice of happiness.

__________________________________________________

Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

Website Facebook Twitter Blog Instagram

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Wicked Dirty by J. Kenner – Wicked Nights – Stark World Series – Book 2

Posted on 09/19/2017 by shellbellereads

Wicked Dirty

Wicked Nights – Stark World Series – Book 2

By J. Kenner

ADD TO GOODREADS

BUY NOW

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | Kobo | B&N | Google Play

Sometimes bad isn’t good enough…

On the outside, Lyle Tarpin is a clean-cut Hollywood actor whose star is on the rise. Inside, he’s battling his own demons, shunning relationships and finding solace in the arms of a string of anonymous women paid very well for their discretion.

But when he’s photographed in a compromising position by an over-eager reporter, the only way to save his career is to say that the woman he was with is his fiancée. And now Lyle has to play a very public game with the only woman who’s ever managed to get under his skin.

Struggling waitress Sugar Laine agrees to spend one night with Lyle—but only because she’s desperate to save her family home. She never expects that a night of passion will turn into a pretend engagement … or that the heat between them will blossom into love.

But sometimes love has a price.

And now the only question is—can Lyle and Sugar afford to pay it?

ADD TO GOODREADS

BUY NOW

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | Kobo | B&N | Google Play

My blood pounds through my body, my heart beating so hard that I can feel the pressure not only against my ribs, but against the wall behind me. My lips are parted, my breath coming in shaky gasps.

He’s only inches away, so close I could reach out and touch that famous, gorgeous face. His eyes, as deep and blue as the summer sky, roam over me. He eases closer, moving slowly, his face reflecting a hunger that sends shivers through me.

Once again, my mind conjures the image of a hungry wolf. Only now I’m thinking that maybe getting eaten wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Besides, I’m here. Might as well enjoy it.

Then, of course, I remember exactly what it is.

Oh, God.

His fingertip brushes my forehead, and I almost jump out of my skin. I meet his eyes, see something that looks like irritation, and want to kick myself. I need to focus, dammit.

“You were somewhere else.” He speaks flatly, as if he’s working to keep all emotion out.

I shake my head, conjuring a lie. “I’m right here.” And then, because I’ve seen movies with call girls, I put my hand flat on his chest, trying to seem seductive. He’s wearing a gray T-shirt, and I can feel his heart beating beneath the planes of his muscled chest.

I read somewhere that he was getting in shape to play a superhero in an upcoming movie. And kudos to whoever’s orchestrating that transformation, because this guy is rock solid.

He’s still looking at me, and I fist my hand in the material of his shirt, needing an anchor against the storm of emotion I see playing out on his face. Desire. Hunger. Longing. Regret.

And pain. I see so much damn pain that I have to fight the urge to cup my palm against his cheek and tell him that whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.

Instead, I simply whisper, “Lyle?”

I’m not sure if it was the wrong thing or the right thing to say, but I know that it was unexpected. And before I can apologize or cover or say anything else at all, he is on me. One hand at my throat, the other hard on my breast. I’m pinned against the wall, helpless, as he claims my mouth again. Wildly. Brutally.

I try to think what I’m supposed to do—try to respond. But I’m trapped. I’m not Sugar. I’m not Laine. I’m not anyone. This isn’t about sex. It’s about pain and need and that storm of horrors I saw on his face. I might as well not even be here. And as his hand squeezes tight on my breast—as his mouth clashes so hard against mine that he draws blood—my only thought is that I shouldn’t have come at all. That this was stupid. Foolish. And that this night is going to leave me scarred.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to be what he wants. A warm body. An anonymous female.

But I can’t do it. I can’t do it at all.

All I can be is me. A woman desperate enough to have sex for money. A girl trying anything and everything to save her house. To protect her family’s memory.

I can be that girl.

But I can’t be nothing. I can’t be no one.

And as his hand tightens in my hair—as he kisses me violently—as his body presses hard against mine and I feel the steel of his erection—I know that I’ve made a terrible, horrible, awful mistake.

Stop!

Michel’s Review

J. Kenner has created a sensational fictional world that leaves the readers wanting more. The characters are beyond dynamic, they bring something more to the Stark World that makes this series a success. Each character stands out on their individual merit as well as their contributions to their world. It leaves the readers wanting more of this world and more of all these dynamic individuals.

Lyle Tarpon is on the verge of superstardom with his upcoming role in a super hero film where he plays a villain turned good. This role will take him to the top and guarantees a blockbuster three film contract. For the past ten years he has solely focused on his acting career and kept his reputation squeaky clean. He’s determined to reach his professional goals but it comes with a great sacrifice. Lyle has kept his past under wraps, kept his Iowa farm boy image clean, stayed away from any type of romantic relationship, and dedicated his free time to children charities. His acting abilities have become more than a profession, it has literally taken over his life. He’s lost his true self along the way. The man he’s hidden away sometimes needs to be released before it explodes out of control. He’s found a way to keep those explosions under control by hiring anonymous women for their discrete companionship for one night and one night only. Lyle is determined to keep his secrets locked up tight.

Sugar Laine is struggling to hang onto her family home. The home is the last link she has to her family. She has sacrificed her life for the past five years trying to hang onto the house by working two jobs. She was forced to take out a balloon loan type mortgage in order to save the house from being condemned. Now the balloon note is due and she doesn’t have the money. When the opportunity to earn $10,000 by being an escort to an anonymous client arises, she’s willing to put aside her morals and personal feelings to earn the money. It’s just a business transaction and she needs the money. But when she arrives at the appointment, things go quite differently. Her client is non other than Hollywood superstar Lyle Tarpon. His behavior towards her isn’t anything like his reputation. On the surface he seems like a beast but it’s what hiding behind the beast that captures her attention. The man has so many contradictions that it’s hard to determine who the real Lyle Tarpon is. She doesn’t think he even knows who that is.

As luck would have it their secret liaison is exposed. Lyle is forced to hire her to become his “girlfriend” in order to keep his upcoming role in the movie. It’s a temporary solution that will fix Sugar’s financial problems and keep his squeaky clean reputation in tact.

Sometimes the best business deals take a different direction. Sugar is going to find out there is more to life than a house with four walls. Lyle is finally going to take on the biggest role of his life, learning to live with himself rather than the roles he created.

Once again J. Kenner had me hooked in the first chapter. I could not put this book down and loved the journey both Lyle and Sugar had to take to find their true happiness. I can’t wait to see what comes next in the Wicked Nights- Stark World series. There are some other dynamic people screaming for their happily ever after.

J.Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

Release Blitz + Excerpt and 5+ Star Review: Dear Bridget,I Want You by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Posted on 09/18/2017 by shellbellereads

Dear Bridget

By Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

Release Date: September 18, 2017

BUY:

Dear Bridget,

I’m writing this letter because it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever garner the courage to say this to your face.

So, here goes.

We’re totally wrong for each other. You’re the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I’m just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England.

But here’s the thing… for some bloody reason, I can’t stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways.

I want you.

The only reason I’m even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don’t believe it’s one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we’re joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke.

So, what’s the purpose of this note? I guess it’s a reminder that we’re adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it’s to let you know that I’m leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you’d like to visit me in the middle of the night sometime.

No questions asked.

Think about it.

Or don’t.

Whatever you choose.

It’s doubtful I’ll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway.

–Simon

ADD TO GOODREADS

BUY:

******

Every time I considered leaving my room, I would grab the framed picture of Ben and stare at it. The urge to go to Simon was so strong; I basically hadn’t put down the framed photo of my deceased husband in an hour. I was lying in my bed, holding a picture of a dead man while fantasizing about one who was very much alive and in the other room. With the door cracked open waiting for me. There was one part of Simon’s note that I just kept reading over and over.

I want to make you come. Hard. I want you to get lost in me and I want to hear you say my name over and over while we fuck.

While we fuck.

While we fuck.

I was pretty sure that Ben had never used the word fuck like that before. Did we even fuck? We made love, sure. Our sex life was normal—at least, I think it was normal. Don’t get me wrong, the passion wasn’t the same as when we first got together. But after ten years, both of us working full time and raising a child, it was normal to have some of the desire dwindle, wasn’t it?

While we fuck.

I looked at the picture of my husband and sighed. We didn’t fuck. Not even in the beginning. And I felt guilty for that now. Maybe we should have been fucking. I certainly didn’t do anything to entice him to want me the last few years. Was it my fault our sex life had gotten boring? I rested the picture of Ben over my heart and laid my hand over it. I could feel my heart beating out of control beneath my fingers.

Shutting my eyes, I tried to force thoughts of Simon from my mind. But it was no use. Visions of his hard, sculpted body hovering over me had infiltrated my brain. So, here I was, a thirty-three-year-old, single mother lying in my bed all alone with a picture of my dead husband held to my heart while I visualized fucking another man.

Fucking.

Not making love.

I needed my head examined.

After two hours and no sleep in sight, I decided the only way I was going to be able to get any rest was if I got everything I was feeling off of my chest. Flicking on the light, I carefully set the framed photo of my beloved Ben on my nightstand and then opened the drawer and dug out a pen and piece of pretty stationery. I would write down my thoughts to clear my mind. I had no intention of actually giving the letter to Simon, so there was no reason to filter anything I said.

Dear Simon…

★★★★

Michel’s Review

The Dynamic Duo… Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have done it again and released another exceptional romance loaded with humor, emotional angst, and sizzling hot sex! Dear Bridget, I Want You is guaranteed to become another best seller!

It all begins in the ER with a sexy, dirty talking, British doctor and a patient with fishhook in her butt. That should be embarrassing enough but having the wrong day of the week underwear on and a smart mouthed doctor noticing takes the cake. Bridget is mortified but also very turned on. Thank God she had the foresight to go to a different hospital instead of the one she works in to take care of this embarrassing delicate mishap. She won’t have to see Dr. McHottie, Dr. Hogue again. Little does she know this is just the beginning of her adventures with this sexy doctor.

Bridget has reached her thirties and is a widow and single mother. She works as an ER nurse and struggles to make ends meet after the accidental death of her husband. Being a single,working mother of an eight year old boy is challenging. Trying to hold onto her home and give her son the same kind of life as he had while his father was alive is consuming. She doesn’t have time for herself let alone dating. She’s still grieving her husband and the life they once had. After two years her inner woman is beginning to awaken but she’s not quite ready to put herself back in the game. That is until the sexy doctor rents out her mother in law apartment and also joins the staff at the hospital she works at. There’s no escaping this dirty talking, fun loving doctor that has taken over her life.

Dr. Simon Hogue came to the United States to study medicine. He’s in his last year of residency before he returns home to England to begin his practice as a doctor. He’s dedicated his life to helping others and has a great bedside manner with all his patients. His great bedside manner extends beyond his professional life and all the ladies want the sexy doctor’s attention. Simon has no intention of settling down nor does he want children of his own. He has his future mapped out until he meets Bridget.

Their lives are on very different paths. Their futures are in different countries. Their passion for one another is undeniable. What begins as a fun flirtation turns into an emotional journey for all three of them. Life has a different plan.

Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have once again delivered a magical romance that makes the heart beat faster and makes you swoon. I think all the readers are going to need Dr. Hogue to treat their romantic ailments. Don’t worry… the doctor is in and writing some very detailed, dirty talking prescriptions! Too bad our favorite little goat and Aussie vlogger didn’t hit the ER with their expert advice… it would of made this book perfect.

____________________________________________________

Other books from Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

Cocky Bastard

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

***

Stuck-Up Suit

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N /ITunes

***

The Playboy Pilot

Buy : Amazon / ITunes / B & N / Google Play / Kobo

Mister Moneybags

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Audio | Amazon paperback

______________________________________

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twelve languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Website | Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

****

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

Ego Maniac

Amazon / B & N / IBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Boss Man

Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Baller

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Life On Stage Series

Throb – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

Beat –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

MMA Fighter Series

Worth The Fight – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Worth The Chance – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Worth Forgiving –Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Cole Series

Belong To You – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Made For You – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Stand Alone Novels

First Thing I See– Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Left Behind – Amazon / Barnes and Noble

____________________________________________

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a fifteen-time New York Times bestseller of twelve novels.

Having grown up in Boston with five older brothers, she spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

Connect with Penelope Ward

Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram

*****

Additional Books by Penelope Ward

Mack Daddy

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Neighbor Dearest

Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / IBooks / Kobo

Roomhate

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Sevin

Amazon / Amazon UK / ITunes / B & N / Kobo/

Stepbrother Dearest

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

My Skylar

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Gemini

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Undone

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Understood

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

*****

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway : In Too Deep by Lexi Ryan

Posted on 09/17/2017 by shellbellereads

Title: In Too Deep

Series: The Blackhawk Boys #5

Author: Lexi Ryan

Genre: Sports Romance

Release Date: September 15, 2017

Blurb

New York
Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan brings readers a sexy NFL player who’s
pulled out all the stops for one more chance with the love of his life.

***

I have four
months to make my wife fall in love with me or let her go forever.

I loved
Bailey Green long before she watched her loser ex take his last breaths. I held
her while they lowered his coffin into the ground, stilled her shaking hands
when the nightmares would tear her from sleep. I waited for her through her
grief. But while she was always willing to let me in her bed, she refused to
let me in the one place I longed to be—her heart.

Tired of
playing second string to a dead man, I let her go. I moved to Florida to begin
my NFL career and tried to pretend my perfect life didn’t leave me empty. I’d
almost given up. Until one drunken night in Vegas, we stumbled down the aisle
and said, “I do.”

In exchange
for the divorce she wants so badly, she’s agreed to remain my wife until the
end of the year. She has no idea the favors I’ve called in or the lies I’ve
told to get her here, but if I succeed, none of that matters.

My secrets
always seemed justified, but Bailey has her own—secrets that explain why she
always pushed me away, secrets that make me wonder if I should have let her.
Now we’re in too deep and I might lose the only girl I’ve ever loved and the
best friend I’ve ever had.

In Too Deep is a sexy and emotional novel intended for
mature readers. It’s the fifth book in the world of the Blackhawk Boys, but can
be enjoyed as a standalone.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

Excerpt

“You know,
once you were my friend,” I say. “And maybe that’s what I miss most about us.
Maybe instead of judging me for my decisions, you could try being my friend again.”

He puts his
glass down on the table, his eyes locking on mine before he slowly stalks
toward me.

I lift my
chin, refusing to back down, because dammit,
I shouldn’t have to apologize for wanting Mason’s friendship. Is that so
terrible?

But my
defiant stance doesn’t faze him and he keeps coming, one step at a time, until
he’s finally up against that bubble he prefers to keep between us. He takes
another step and he’s inside it, but still not nearly as close as I want him.
He takes another, and if I had the courage, I could reach out and touch him.
Another step and he’s so close that he has to bend his head down to maintain
eye contact. So close that if I lift onto my toes, I could brush my lips
against his.

I almost
do, if only because fighting with him makes me feel as if there’s something
broken in me, and I want it to be over. I miss the soft stroke of his lips
against mine. I miss the sound of his sweet murmurs as he unbuttoned my pants
and slid my underwear off my hips. I miss the sex, but more than that, I miss
the way he’d hold me after. He held me in a way no one else had ever bothered
to. Not even Nic. Mason would pull me against him, my back to his chest, and
he’d snuggle against me until I could feel the warmth of his breath against my
bare shoulder.

I want all
of that again, and what breaks my heart the most is if I’d known when I took
that deal—if I could have seen into the future and gotten a glimpse of exactly
what I was giving up—I still would have done it. I did what I had to do.

Mason’s
eyes drop to my mouth. “I don’t want to be your friend, Bailey.”

“Yeah,” I
whisper. “You’re making that really clear. All or nothing, am I right?”

His jaw
hardens, and I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he moves even closer. My
back’s against the sliding glass door, and his body presses into mine. He
shifts until his thigh is between my legs, and then he lifts a hand to my hair,
sliding his thumb up my neck until he’s cupping my jaw. I want to melt because
I’ve missed this so damn much. I’ve missed him
so damn much.

“I’ve never
wanted to be your friend,” he says, shaking his head. And it’s a blow to the
heart I’m not sure I’m strong enough to endure. When I told him we could be
lovers but nothing more, we were friends…best friends. Then he moved down here
and shut me out.

“I’m sorry
my friendship was such a burden.” Fuck, even my sarcasm sounds weak, but this
whole conversation has me vulnerable.

“It wasn’t
a burden. It was a daily reminder of
what I couldn’t have. I thought that if I quit fucking you it wouldn’t hurt so
much that you refused to be mine.” His thumb traces my bottom lip, and I
tremble. “I thought if I could get the memory of your taste out of my head that
maybe I’d be okay with being your buddy.”
He sneers the word, his face twisting in disgust, but when the sneer falls
away, it leaves raw need in its wake. “But I was wrong. I don’t want to be your
friend, because that means you’re only giving me part of yourself, and I am the
spoiled bastard you say I am. What was your word? Privileged?”

He dips his
head down and turns his face to the side, sweeping the tip of his nose over the
tip of mine. “I don’t want your friendship unless it comes with your body. And
I don’t want your body unless it comes with your heart.” He dips a little
farther and brushes his lips so softly against mine that I almost wonder if I’m
imagining it. Maybe he isn’t touching me at all. Maybe the sensation is nothing
more than air passing between our mouths.

He’s
chipping at the walls I keep erected around my heart. And what happens when
they’re gone? What happens when he sees me for who I really am?

“You say
you want to be my friend,” he says, “but friends don’t lie to each other. They
don’t hide their pasts.” His hand falls from my hair. I brace myself for his
retreat, but he doesn’t back away. Instead, he finds the hem of my dress and
slides up my thigh, then between my legs until he reaches my cotton panties.
“Is this it, then? Is this all you want from me?”

His
knuckles skim across my center, and I should stop him. Fuck. I should stop him. I know what he’s trying to do, what he’s
trying to say, and how I’ll feel when this is over. But all I can think is how
I feel right now. How it finally feels to have him this close—his heat, his
touch.

All I can
think is that if the rest of my life is going to be some sucky, lonely series
of if-onlys and what-ifs, dragging from one day to the next, I just want this
moment for as long as it can last. Maybe I’ll wrap it up and hold on to it.
Keep it for later when I can untuck it and examine the heat of his breath
against my neck or the gentle graze of his fingertips along the lace edge of my
panties.

He nips at
my ear with his teeth, and I moan. His breath has gone shallow, and I can feel
the tension building in him—that push and pull of wanting and knowing you
shouldn’t want. It’s easy for me to recognize, because I’ve lived in that limbo
for almost four years.

___________________________________

Michel’s Review

In Too Deep by Lexi Ryan is the fifth and possibly final book in the Black Hawk Boys series. This spectacular new adult sports romance series has held readers captive from the beginning. In Too Deep brings the series full circle and gives the readers another perspective on the fatal accident that brought this series and characters to life.

***

Bailey Green and Mason Dahl met their freshman year of college. They started out as a hookup that turned into a friends with benefits until Mason wanted more. Bailey refused to get into a real relationship with Mason. She was still grieving Nick’s death and struggling to keep up with her college courses and tuition. She was working as a stripper to make ends meet. For four years she held Mason at bay. They settled on a friendship only type relationship although they both still desired one another. After college graduation the gang is moving on to their perspective careers. Mason has become an NFL player for the Gators. Bailey is stuck in Black Hawk Valley, still tending bar and playing around with her photography. A weekend in Vegas celebrating their friends engagement is a life changing event for both of them. A drunken night turns into a legal marriage. Bailey wants out and Mason is determined to make their marriage work.

***

Their hasty, secret marriage could ruin Mason’s career on the Gators unless they come clean with the public. Bailey’s past could ruin Mason’s career as well. Bailey’s desperate to break all ties before she ruins Mason’s life. Mason is desperate to stay married until he can get his position on the team secured or at least make him a tradable player.

***

They both love each other but the past is holding them both back in very different ways. For Mason it’s knowledge that he is competing against a dead man. For Bailey, it’s her past toxic relationship with Nick that could ruin Mason’s life. They have reached the point of either letting go of each other or letting the past destroy them both. It doesn’t matter how much they really do love each other, their past is dictating their future. They both have secrets that could destroy each other and their already troubled relationship.

***

Lexi Ryan delivered more than a romance, she brought this series full circle. There were so many things that were left unexplained about Nick’s presence in Bailey’s life and how his death changed her future. The fatal accident is where it all started and ended up being the very thing that validated this entire series. I fell hopelessly in love with Mason and admired his determination. My heart broke for Bailey but I also respected her decisions.

***

I’m sad to say goodbye to all of these dynamic characters in the Black Hawk Boys series. I am hoping that Lexi Ryan will continue with the new characters introduced on the NFL team.

_____________________________________

Also Available

FREE for a limited time!!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of emotional romance that sizzles, Lexi enjoys reading, sunshine, a good glass of wine, and rare trips to the beach. Lexi lives in Indiana with her husband, two children, and neurotic dog. You can find her at her website: http://www.lexiryan.com/

Author Links

WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER

GOODREADS

AMAZON

PINTEREST
NEWSLETTER

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Racer by Katy Evans Publication Date: September 28th, 2017 Genre: Contemporary Romance

Racer, an all-new standalone in the Real Series from New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans is LIVE!

Read Today!

About the Author:

Connect with the Author:

Share this:

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series… Don’t miss the amazing excerpt and giveaway below, and grab your copy today!

About CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE:

Meet cute…

Make merry…

…and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock’s ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime

Order CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE in ebook or paperback, now available!

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo| Barnes & Noble

And don’t miss the previous books in Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay Series, SWEET LITTLE LIES, THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE and ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, now available! Grab your copies HERE!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

Share this:

The Learning Hours

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N | KOBO

He’s not a douchebag; but that doesn’t stop his friends from turning him into one.

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N | KOBO

Share this:

Share this:

BUY NOW

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | Kobo | B&N | Google Play

Sometimes bad isn’t good enough…

On the outside, Lyle Tarpin is a clean-cut Hollywood actor whose star is on the rise. Inside, he’s battling his own demons, shunning relationships and finding solace in the arms of a string of anonymous women paid very well for their discretion.

But when he’s photographed in a compromising position by an over-eager reporter, the only way to save his career is to say that the woman he was with is his fiancée. And now Lyle has to play a very public game with the only woman who’s ever managed to get under his skin.

Struggling waitress Sugar Laine agrees to spend one night with Lyle—but only because she’s desperate to save her family home. She never expects that a night of passion will turn into a pretend engagement … or that the heat between them will blossom into love.

But sometimes love has a price.

And now the only question is—can Lyle and Sugar afford to pay it?

BUY NOW

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | Kobo | B&N | Google Play

Share this:

BUY:

Dear Bridget,

I’m writing this letter because it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever garner the courage to say this to your face.

So, here goes.

We’re totally wrong for each other. You’re the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I’m just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England.

But here’s the thing… for some bloody reason, I can’t stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways.

I want you.

The only reason I’m even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don’t believe it’s one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we’re joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke.

No questions asked.

Think about it.

Or don’t.

Whatever you choose.

It’s doubtful I’ll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway.

–Simon

BUY:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Audio | Amazon paperback

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Share this:

Share this:

Racer by Katy Evans
Publication Date: September 28th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance