New Release + Review: How To Date A Douchebag:The Failing Hours by Sara Ney – How To Date A Douchebag Series – Book 2

Posted on 02/03/2017 by shellbellereads

Are you ready to meet Zeke? Sara Ney’s HOW TO DATE A DOUCHEBAG: THE FAILING HOURS is available now, and trust us – you do not want to miss this one!

How To Date A Douchebag: The Failing Hours

How To Date A Douchebag Series – Book 2

By Sara Ney

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

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About THE FAILING HOURS

Zeke Daniels isn’t just a douchebag; he’s an asshole.

A total and complete jerk, Zeke keeps people at a distance. He has no interest in relationships–most assholes don’t.

Dating? Being part of a couple? Nope. Not for him.

He’s never given any thought to what he wants in a girlfriend, because he’s never had any intention of having one.Shit, he barely has a relationship with his family, and they’re related; his own friends don’t even like him.

So why does he keep thinking about Violet DeLuca?

Sweet, quiet Violet–his opposite in every sense of the word. The light to his dark, even her damn name sounds like rays of sunshine and happiness and shit.

And that pisses him off, too.

Get your hands on THE FAILING HOURS:

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Michel’s Review

After reading How To Date A Douchebag: The Studying Hours , I was not sure how Sara Ney would be able to redeem Zeke Daniels or make him at least a bit likable. This guy was a pure jerk. His roommates ( who are equally just as bad in their own way ) even thought he was an A-hole. He’s arrogant,confrontational,selfish, and closed off. He doesn’t discriminate, he treats everyone he comes in contact with the same. Unlike his roommate Oz, he doesn’t have a charming bone in his body. He doesn’t claim to be a ladies man, he’s the exact opposite. He knows his popularity with women is because he’s an athlete. He doesn’t try to charm their pants off nor does he try to make them feel good. Jock groupies are just easy lays in that moment in time.

Zeke is struggling with school. He needs a tutor to help write his Biology paper. His position on the wrestling team is also on the line and it’s not because of poor grades. His bad attitude is taking it’s toll on the team. The coach has laid down the law. He has to become a Big Brother mentor or lose his place on the team. It’s time to man up and get with the program. Zeke is not a happy camper. He hates the idea of kids.

Violet was assigned to be Zeke’s tutor but bailed when she saw him in the library. He intimidated her. Now she’s forced to own up to ditching him and do her job. As she gets to know him, she begins to see there are many layers to Zeke Daniels.

Violet and Zeke’s paths cross outside of the library. She babysits a young girl while her parents attend class. They both are spending time with children in need. The difference is how they approach their care. Zeke quickly realizes he needs Violet’s help in the childcare department.

As Zeke’s layers begin to peel away, the readers begin to see a different side to Zeke. He’s a closet nerd who loves building model planes and reading history books. He is also very observant of others and secretly helps the only way he knows how. He has a penchant for gambling as well. He takes on bets he cannot win. His prickly nature is his armor to protect himself from disappointment. He has abandonment issues that stem from his childhood.

Violet and Zeke have more in common than they both thought. As both of their layers begin to peel away, they begin to find a true friendship. They might even find love. Zeke’s a work in progress but is worth the effort. Violet is the only one brave enough to peel those layers away.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Zeke transform into the person both Violet and Coach saw hiding below the surface. He’s not perfect and still a bit too blunt, but he is a good guy after all. He’s a work in progress and is excelling.

I am thoroughly enjoying the How To Date A Douchebag series by Sara Ney. The witty dialogue, snarky attitudes, and creative pickup lines before each chapter are a bonus that makes this series stand out.

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How To Date A Douchebag Series

How To Date A Douchebag: The Studying Hours

How To Date A Douchebag Series – Book 1

Buy: Amazon

About The Studying Hours

CRUDE. ARROGANT. A**HOLE.
No doubt about it, Sebastian ‘Oz’ Osborne is the university’s most celebrated student athlete—and possibly the biggest douchebag. A walking, talking cliché, he has a filthy mouth, a fantastic body, and doesn’t give a sh*t about what you or anyone else thinks.

SMART. CLASSY. CONSERVATIVE.
Make no mistake, Jameson Clarke may be the university’s most diligent student—but she is no prude. Spending most of her time in the hallowed halls of the library, James is wary of pervs, jocks, and douchebags—and Oz Osborne is all three.

She’s smart, sarcastic—and not what he expected.

…EVERY DOUCHBAG HAS HIS WEAKNESS.

He wants to be friends.
He wants to spend time with her.
He wants to drive her crazy.

He wants…

Her.

*****

Michel’s Review

How To Date A Douchebag: The Studying Hours by Sara Ney was a hoot!

Sebastian “Oz” Osbourne is the star wrestler and manwhore on campus. He is a pig and makes no apologies. He’ll hookup with a girl in a closet, bathroom, hallway, or anywhere he can drop his pants. He’s moving onto his next conquest before he has his pants zipped from the last. He doesn’t do girlfriends or dates. He’s too busy with wrestling, maintaining his GPA for his scholarship, and working.

When Zeke Daniels bets Oz he can’t get the nerdy looking librarian type of girl sitting at the table across from them to kiss him, Oz can’t turn the bet down. As he approaches the girl in glasses, pearls, and a cardigan, he thinks it’s going to be easy pickings. He’s in for a great surprise. This girl could care less that he is the most desired guy on campus. She doesn’t even know who he is. Convincing her is impossible until he mentions money. This smart mouthed girl is willing to listen. She’s willing to help with the bet for a price. The price doesn’t include getting to know him.

Oz is baffled by Jameson Clark. She’s the first girl to turn him down. She’s the first girl that actually stands up to him and talks to him as a person rather than a superstar jock. He’s intrigued and wants to get to really know her. The chase is on.

Oz and Jameson become reluctant study partners. Their study dates turn into a friendship that has limits. Oz is chasing Jameson. Jameson is pushing Oz back every time he gains ground. Oz has a lot to learn about real women and real people. He has to learn the world does not revolve around him. While Jameson may enjoy teaching Oz a few lessons, her heart is starting to get caught up in the process.

The Studying Hour was a delightful and fun reading experience. I loved the snarky banter and witty comebacks. The chemistry between Oz and Jameson was sizzling hot. I highly recommend this book.

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About Sara Ney

Purveyor of all things witty & romantic, I love: iced latte’s, traveling, and bright, bold colors. On any given day, you can find me in my office, lovingly gazing at my bookshelf or shuffling my Bic felt-tip pen collection. I love hand writing letters, and sarcasm.

I live in the midwest, but “Will Write for Travel,” and believe everyone should follow their dreams, no matter how big or small. My favorite authors include Cindy Miles, S Walden, Suzanne Enoch – and am a glutton for Historical, RomCom, Sports and MC romance.

One husband. Two daughters. Plenty of chaos.

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5 Star Review + Excerpt: Accidentally On Purpose by Jill Shelves – Heartbreaker Bay Series

Posted on 02/02/2017 by shellbellereads

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series…

About ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE:

There’s no such thing as a little in love . . .

Elle Wheaton’s priorities: friends, career, and kick-ass shoes. Then there’s the muscular wall of stubbornness that’s security expert Archer Hunt—who comes before everything else. No point in telling Mr. “Feels-Free Zone” that, though. Elle will just see other men until she gets over Archer . . . which should only take a lifetime . . .

There’s no such thing as a little in lust . . .

Archer’s wanted the best for Elle ever since he sacrificed his law-enforcement career to save her. Their chemistry could start the next San Francisco earthquake and he craves her 24/7, but Archer doesn’t want to be responsible for the damage. The alternative? Watch her go out with guys who aren’t him . . .

There is such a thing as . . .

As far as Archer’s concerned, nobody is good enough for Elle. But when he sets out to prove it by sabotaging her dates, she gets mad—and things get hot as hell. Now Archer has a new mission: prove to Elle that her perfect man has been here all along . . .

ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE in ebook or paperback, releasing today!

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo| Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

“Hey, honey,” Trudy said in her been-smoking-for-three-decades voice. “Need anything?”

“Nope, I’m good.” Good plus mad, but although she adored Trudy, the woman couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. “Just taking in the nice morning.”

“Oh, that’s a disappointment,” Trudy said. “I thought maybe you were looking for that hottie with the nice package, the one who runs the investigation firm down the hall.”

Elle nearly choked on her tea. “Nice package?”

“Well I’m old, not dead.” And with a wink, Trudy pushed her cart down the hall.

It was true that Archer was annoyingly hot, not that she cared. Hot was useless to her. She’d much rather have the things that had eluded her for most of her life—safety, security…stability.

Three things Archer had never been accused of.

At the other end of the hall, she stopped in front of the door with a discreet sign: HUNT INVESTIGATIONS.

The investigative and elite security firm was carried on Archer’s reputation alone, no ads or marketing required. Basically Archer and the men he employed were finders and fixers, independent contractors for hire, and not necessarily tied by the same red tape as the law.

Which worked for Archer. Rules had never been his thing.

She opened the door and let herself into the reception area, which was much bigger than hers. Clean, masculine lines. Large furniture. Wide open space. A glass partition separated the front from the inner offices.

The check-in counter was empty. The receptionist wasn’t in yet—it was too early for Mollie. But not for the other employees. Past the glass Elle could see part of the inner office. A group of men, five of them, entered by a private door. They’d clearly just come back from some sort of job that had required them to be locked and loaded since they currently looked like a SWAT team.

Elle literally stopped short. And if she was being honest, her heart stopped too because sweet baby Jesus. The lot of them stood there stripping off weapons and shirts so that all she could see was a mass of mind-blowing bodies, sweaty and tatted and in all varieties of skin colors.

It was a cornucopia of smutty goodness and she couldn’t tear her eyes away. In fact, she couldn’t speak either, mostly because her tongue had hit the floor. Her feet took advantage of her frozen brain, taking her to the interior door, where she wanted to press her face up against the glass.

Luckily, someone buzzed her in before she could. They all knew her. After all, her job required her to work closely with the security firm, and therein lay her deepest, darkest problem.

Working closely with Archer Hunt was dangerous in oh so many, many ways, not the least of which was their history, something she did her best to never think about.

She was greeted with variations on “Hey, Elle” and “Mornin’” and then they all went their separate ways, leaving her alone with their fearless leader.

Archer.

Add to your Goodread

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Tracey’s Review

The Heartbreaker Bay series by author Jill Shalvis has quickly become a favorite of mine. Jill’s an ace at crafting stories that revolve around an eclectic and captivating cast of characters, a world that immediately draws the reader in and makes them feel like a part of the action. ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE is Archer’s and Elle’s story, and I absolutely loved it.

There has been something between Archer Hunt and Elle Wheaten since the night that they met 8 years ago. That something has evolved and changed over time, but it’s always been there, and both Elle and Archer know it. Elle holds herself responsible for Archer throwing away his career in order to save her, and Archer feels responsible for Elle, making it his business to keep tabs on her. Stir in a lot of untapped chemistry, and you’ve got the recipe for one heck of an explosion.

I absolutely adore Archer. He doesn’t know quite what to do with Elle, but he can’t stay away. And Elle, she’s one heck of a totally take no prisoners chick, more than capable of taking care of herself and anyone else that comes along. The back-and-forth between them, the tension and heat, makes for some swoony exchanges, and I loved reading their interactions. Add in the awesome and quirky cast of characters that make up the rest of Elle’s and Archer’s circle of friends, and you’ve got my favorite kind of read.

I really hope that Jill has more in store for us from Heartbreaker Bay, because Spence totally needs a book, as do Kylie and Elle’s sister. In the meantime, though, 5 snarky, sexy, super-sleuthy stars. Read this book. Read all of these books, because they are all kinds of awesome, and I couldn’t recommend them any more highly.

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

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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 ONE SNOWY NIGHT, 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.

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Release Blitz and 5+ Star Review: Crown of Lies by Pepper Winters – Truth and Lies Duet – Book 1

Posted on 02/01/2017 by shellbellereads

“I met the boy I wanted. But then he vanished and a new man claimed me instead. My father approved, my colleagues congratulated, and behind closed doors, I was bedded by a stranger.”

***

Crown of Lies

Truth and Lies Duet – Book 1

By Pepper Winters

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

Synopsis

“I met the man I wanted. But then he vanished, and a new man claimed me instead. My father approved, my colleagues congratulated, and behind closed doors, I was bedded by a stranger.”
Noelle Charlston lives a fairy-tale life: a doting father, a powerful job, and a future blessed with financial security.
However, two meetings with two men changes her happy existence forever. First, she meets the man who makes her heart sing. Three years later, she meets the man who makes her blood quiver.
Broken-hearted from a teenage romance, Noelle’s freedom is no longer hers. It belongs to the stranger her father believes is her perfect match. The stranger who pulls his lies over everyone he touches.
Including her.
Seduced and manipulated, Noelle gives into the mysterious Penn Everett. The lies he spins, the truth he hides, the mystery he weaves—it’s all enough to slowly erode the woman she is and turn her into something else.
Until her past collides with her present.
And it’s her turn to lie.
To everyone…including herself.

Michel’s Review

Crown of Lies is the latest release by Pepper Winters.

In true Pepper Winters style, this book is a complicated, intricately executed story where words are chosen with conscious precision to add multiple layers to the complex characters and their evolving story. Each passage is delivered in perfect synchronicity that challenges the reader’s perceptions of the characters and the direction of the story itself. Her thought process and brilliant use of the English language give the readers more than a story, it gives them a dynamic reading experience that not only involves the mind but also engages all the senses. The reader becomes a participant rather than an observer. The slow burn of sexual tension to explosive passion is only a small fraction of what is happening between the complex characters. The true chemistry comes from their psychological sparring and foreplay. It is a battle of wills fighting against the battle within oneself. There are no dividing lines between right and wrong, black and white, or good and bad. It is all a part of the intricate puzzle that is completed with the last word.

The first sentence had me hook, line, and sinker….

“IN EVERY GIRL’S LIFE, there is betrayal.

“Betrayal from loved ones, unknown ones, and from the ones we choose to make our own. However, where there’s deceit, there’s trust, too. And sometimes, those two things camouflage themselves to mimic the other.”

Retail heiress, Elle Charleston, has been groomed to become one of the most powerful women in the United State. Her throne is the Belle Elle retail chain. She spent her childhood reading ledgers and spreadsheets rather than chasing fairytales. Instead of playing dress up with dolls, she dressed mannequins and window displays. She chose clothes for real women rather than Barbie dolls. She was the princess in a world of merchandise rather than an ivory tower. Her seclusion in a corporate world stole her childhood. She became socially awkward unless she was in a business environment. Her contorted perceptions, and social inadequacies were at war with a young girl yearning to experience the real world.

On her nineteenth birthday the desires of a young girl won the battle over the carefully groomed future CEO. The naive princess stepped out of her gilded castle to explore the kingdom known as New York City. She had been prepared to complete multi – million dollar deals but she was not prepared to navigate the streets. What happened the night she stepped out of her gilded prison would change her life and her perceptions of her carefully orchestrated life.

What starts as a celebration turns into a night of violence and paralyzing fear. Her knight in shining armor is a mysterious young man in a hoodie. A young man that is different from any person she has met in her world. Four simple words changed her world. “ Do you trust me?”. Those four simple words led her to adventure, her first kiss, and ultimately a broken heart. It was a night where the boy of her dreams vanished before the sun began to rise. Her unrealistic dreams were forever lost.

Three years later Elle is a completely different woman. She has succumbed to her prison. She takes her position as a prisoner, other wise known as CEO of Belle Elle, with great pride. She knows her strengths in the business world and the power she carries along with it. She has turned her back on the naïve young girl with grand ideas of romance and love. She no longer believes in romance and love. She no longer puts her blind trust in the hands of others. She has resigned herself to the life she was groomed to rule. In a sense she has betrayed her younger self.

Two men are vying for her attention. One has been groomed to become her husband and partner in business. The other is a repulsive man shrouded in mystery and deceit. One makes her blood boil in many ways. The other makes her soul recoil in everyway. The choices are hers to make. Is she willing to take chances with her perfectly synchronized life? Is she ready to step out of her gilded cage and become free at last?

“IN EVERY GIRL’S LIFE, there is betrayal.”

CLIFFHANGER… IN TRUE PEPPER WINTERS BRILLIANCE!

The reader is left with so many questions,. There are so many intricately woven lies that the truth is hiding within the pages and carefully chosen words. It will all be revealed in the Throne of Truth on February 28th, 2017.

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Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Mists of the Serengeti by Leylah Attar

Posted on 01/31/2017 by shellbellereads

Leylah Attar’s MISTS OF THE SERENGETI is here!
Check out this standalone contemporary romance/women’s fiction, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Once in Africa, I kissed a king…

“And just like that, in an old red barn at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, I discovered the elusive magic I had only ever glimpsed between the pages of great love stories. It fluttered around me like a newborn butterfly and settled in a corner of my heart. I held my breath, afraid to exhale for fear it would slip out, never to be found again.”

When a bomb explodes in a mall in East Africa, its aftershocks send two strangers on a collision course that neither one sees coming.

Jack Warden, a divorced coffee farmer in Tanzania, loses his only daughter. An ocean away, in the English countryside, Rodel Emerson loses her only sibling.

Two ordinary people, bound by a tragic afternoon, set out to achieve the extraordinary, as they make three stops to rescue three children across the vast plains of the Serengeti—children who are worth more dead than alive.

But even if they beat the odds, another challenge looms at the end of the line. Can they survive yet another loss—this time of a love that’s bound to slip through their fingers, like the mists that dissipate in the light of the sun?

“Sometimes you come across a rainbow story—one that spans your heart. You might not be able to grasp it or hold on to it, but you can never be sorry for the color and magic it brought.”

A blend of romance and women’s fiction, Mists of The Serengeti is inspired by true events and contains emotional triggers, including the death of a child. Not recommended for sensitive readers. Standalone, contemporary fiction.

♥ Buy the Book ♥

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Robin’s Review

Isn’t it true that each time you open the cover of a new book, you allow yourself to be whisked away to another world? That’s the really magical thing about reading. Instead of just leading your own ordinary life, you can lead a thousand different lives, all in your spare time. I don’t recall a time when I’ve ever been more aware of this than now, while reading Mists of the Serengeti. Mists of the Serengeti is a blend of women’s fiction and contemporary romance, a standalone novel where author Leylah Attar takes readers on a grand adventure across the grassy plains of northern Tanzania.

A major theme of Mists of the Serengeti is, “We are all connected.” Our lives are intertwined by invisible threads, connected in more ways than we can possibly understand. Told from dual first-person perspectives, English schoolteacher Rodel Harris Emerson and divorced coffee farmer Jack Warden learn this truth the hard way. When a bomb explodes at the Kilimani Mall in eastern Africa, the explosion triggers events that send Jack and Ro on a direct collision course, one where they find themselves in an extraordinary fight to save children who are worth more dead than they are alive.

If you don’t remember anything else that I tell you about Mists of the Serengeti, remember my thoughts about the writing. It’s absolutely stunning in this story! Both lyrical and poetic, Leylah Attar’s writing flows just like rich wine as she immerses you in the world of Tanzania and the Maasai peoples. Attar paints each scene with exceptional descriptive writing. Her vivid descriptions of the African grasslands and wildlife, rife with vibrant sounds and color, appealed to each of my senses. Satisfying my thirst for knowledge, the author educates readers about various topics ranging from coffee farming to the Maasai culture. She introduces readers to languages, traditions and customs many of us will not be familiar with.

As exceptional as I found the writing and literary content to be, I was equally swept away by the uniqueness of this love story. Both main characters begin this story with the grieving process, but it doesn’t take long for attraction to begin blooming between Jack and Rodel. United in purpose, the two of them discover a rich, vital love, a “rightness” found in each other, and they both grow in ways they couldn’t have possibly imagined when they set off on this adventure. Jack and Ro are also joined by a delightful cast of secondary characters – Goma, Bahati and Scholastica – whose presence only enhanced my reading experience!

If you’re looking for a 5-star book that promises great adventure, look no further. Let Leylah Attar whisk your senses away with the quiet beauty of the African plains, with the love and suspense you’ll find waiting in the Mists of the Serengeti!

Leylah Attar’s Release Day Giveaway
https://js.gleam.io/e.js

Leylah Attar writes stories about love – shaken, stirred, and served with a twist.Sometimes she disappears into the black hole of the internet, but can usually be enticed out with chocolate. Leylah is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance/women’s fiction.

Paperback Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: To Wild To Tame by Tessa Bailey – The Clarkson’s Series – Book 2

Posted on 01/31/2017 by shellbellereads

Too Wild To Tame

The Clarksons Series – Book 2

By Tessa Bailey

***

Mass Market: $5.99 USD

eBook: $2.99 USD

Buy: Amazon / B & N / IBooks / Kobo

Synopsis

Sometimes you just can’t resist playing with fire . . .

By day, Aaron Clarkson suits up, shakes hands, and acts the perfect gentleman. But at night, behind bedroom doors, the tie comes off and the real Aaron comes out to play. Mixing business with pleasure got him fired, so Aaron knows that if he wants to work for the country’s most powerful senator, he’ll have to keep his eye on the prize. That’s easier said than done when he meets the senator’s daughter, who’s wild, gorgeous, and 100 percent trouble.

Grace Pendleton is the black sheep of her conservative family. Yet while Aaron’s presence reminds her of a past she’d rather forget, something in his eyes keeps drawing her in. Maybe it’s the way his voice turns her molten. Or maybe it’s because deep down inside, the ultra-smooth, polished Aaron Clarkson might be more than even Grace can handle . . .

Excerpt

His progress toward the door halted when Grace shot to her feet, arms stiff at her sides, those green eyes like glowing jade moons. “I…that isn’t what I was asking for. I just meant, let me help you, in general. I—I didn’t think…”

Aaron’s neck heated. “If you don’t like the idea, we can change it—”

She jumped. She actually jumped straight up in the air, hands flying to her cheeks. “I love it. Oh, please don’t change anything. I was just so surprised.”

He inclined his head, mentally cursing the way his heart decided to make its presence known at such an inconvenient time, walloping his rib cage with thick booms, courtesy of Grace’s pleasure. How juvenile. “I’m kind of surprised myself,” he admitted, then wished he’d kept his mouth shut.

At least until Grace floated toward him. All shining eyes and rosy excitement, she spurred a lust storm in his stomach. “It’s so much better when you say what you’re thinking, Aaron.”

“You mentioned that.”

And of course, it made him want to say more. Say whatever it would take to get her legs wrapped around his hips. To rock between her thighs until her wetness drenched the fly of his pants. “Get away from me, Grace,” he rasped. “It would be just like me to take advantage of you after having to tell that story.”

Silence deepened around them. “How can you say that after you just found a way for me to rebuild the camp?” It seemed as if her entire body lifted and fell on a harsh sob. “Last night, you asked me if I still saw some good in you…and I didn’t answer. How could I not have answered you?” She shook her gorgeous head. “I didn’t mean to—”

Aaron shot forward, capturing her unspoken words with his own mouth. Guilt. There had been even more guilt in her eyes. Aaron’s response was pure denial. Not because of me. Not over me. But as soon as their lips joined, his mind wiped clean of anything but Grace’s one-of-a-kind taste. She was juicy, sweet, refreshing, intoxicating madness. He let it pull him down into its depths—her depths—gathering up her taste greedily so he could live with the effect as long as possible, even though surely a man couldn’t withstand this type of arousal for an extended length of time. He’d want to fuck her again as soon as he came. It was a certainty his body was all too eager to confirm. Yet protectiveness held him in a state of limbo. Wanting—needing—to mate with her delicious body while determined to protect her from himself.

Couldn’t she sense the past meaningless encounters he wore like gloves, cheapening everything he touched? Couldn’t she sense his inability to be meaningful to her? Grace should have someone with substance, not someone who couldn’t even garner the love of his own family. Someone who considered the ramifications of his actions and how they would serve as betrayal. This is how you repay me?

The voice from his not-so-distant past had Aaron tearing his mouth away with a guttural growl, clasping Grace by the shoulders. Too hard. Ease up. “Get away.”

“If you really want that, let me go,” she whispered.

God, he couldn’t do it. Not with her face tipped back, lips swollen and shined up, those eyelids halfway fallen. He’d never in his life had trouble resisting sex. It was always a logical decision based on his needs. This? There was nothing cut and dried about it. His attraction to Grace was messy and wild and untapped. Made his chest expand with the effort to contain the expanding of something unfamiliar. Crazy and blinding. His dick needed a good, rough handling from one woman only. Grace. And she wasn’t pushing him away. Seemed like she wanted the job, too, her tits sliding up and down his abs with every breath. Give her one more chance. Show her what she’s in for with a bastard like you. With a muttered epithet, Aaron raked his hand up the back of Grace’s thigh, sliding it down the back of her tights, and settling his middle finger in the valley of her ass. “Get away from me,” he managed, wedging his straying digit a little more securely, earning him a closed-lipped noise.

“No,” she gasped after a few seconds.

Aaron’s tether broke. Recapturing Grace’s mouth with an obscene amount of tongue, he backed them toward the bed, satisfaction rippling in his middle when she went down beneath him, her legs falling open in welcome. He draped his body over Grace’s slighter one, eager grunts leaving his mouth as he positioned himself over her pussy and bore down with his erection. Their groans were pain-filled, reaching every corner of the cabin, breaking off when Aaron got back to kissing that addictive mouth, yanking the oversized sweater up, up to her belly, so he could rock against her sex with only his pants and her tights as obstructions.

“Aaron.”

“You were warned,” he reminded her with a strangled shout, delivered into the space above her head. “Three times, Grace. That’s three times more than I’d give anyone else.” He slid up and back in the cradle of her legs, groaning over the rasping friction her tights delivered to his stiff, fuck-hungry dick. “Make it four times. I gave you an out back at the house. You should have taken it.”

When Grace should have been trembling or alarmed by the cut steel in his voice, she only stretched out beneath him like a cat, opening up for him. Almost preening beneath his rough ministrations. “Maybe I should have. But we’re here now, so stop trying to scare me.” Her fingertips moved down Aaron’s chest to the seat of his pants, where she smoothed her palm over the curve of his cock, which started him panting like a marathon runner. “You don’t really want to scare me, do you, Aaron?”

Christ, her soft words, the sight of her, were choking him up. Her hair was a haphazard display framing her face, those crooked front teeth somehow making him twice as eager to seal their mouths together again. He was a hunter who’d discovered a sprite dancing in the woods and dragged her home, intending to use her body for vigorous relief, but got forgiveness in return. “No, I don’t. I don’t want to scare you.”

“I know,” she breathed, unfastening his belt buckle. “I just know.”

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Tracey’s Review

Aaron Clarkson is the mover and shaker, the take-charge man, the man that always has a plan. And right now, his plan is to put his recent crash-and-burn behind him, the one that almost derailed his career, and get back in the game. Aaron isn’t about to let a chance meeting with free-spirited Grace Pendleton throw him off course, but he’s never met anyone like Grace before, and she’s about to show him a whole other side of life.

I am absolutely in LOVE with the Romancing the Clarksons series by author Tessa Bailey. This interesting and complex cast of characters has grabbed my heart and run with it, and I could not be enjoying these books more.

Aaron is an interesting guy. He’s the Clarkson that sees things the way that they are, that calls a spade a spade and to heck with emotions or feelings. It’s just the way that he’s always been, and he’s comfortable with the status quo. A stop in Iowa during their cross-country trip to grant their dead mother’s wish presents the perfect opportunity for Aaron to do what he does best. He knows the game of politics inside and out, and, if he can just spin things the right way, he’ll be back in the thick of things in no time.

Aaron comes across as self-centered, and a little bit amoral, and I wondered how he was going to redeem himself. Until Grace showed up. From moment one, she is the flame to his moth, and a force of nature that he cannot evade.

It was insane. Everything was insane. She was forcing him to consider light and shadows, when he’d only ever dealt in black and white. And she was the light. Shining bright enough to flay him.
He’d operated until now as if people were only hiding selfishness, the kind he didn’t bother to conceal. But not Grace. She contradicted everything he held true and it made the earth shake under his feet.

Grace knows what it’s like to have her inner spark dimmed, and she’s not doing it anymore. Living life on her terms, righting wrongs, doing good, Grace calls to something in Aaron, something long-buried, and makes him question everything that he thinks that he knows and wants. Grace is not without her own issues, having dealt with some very heavy issues in her past. But she looks deeper than Aaron’s surface, and finds something that calls to her, too, believing in him before he believes in himself, in them. But when it finally clicks for Aaron, when he finally sees himself, the real him, underneath all of the shell that years of negative self-talk had created, it’s magic.

He’d been thrown into a vast ocean without a life jacket, and she was reaching out with something resembling help, but it was so foreign and nothing like he’d ever experienced that gripping on to it was difficult. Slipping. It kept slipping. What finally forced him to hold…on was Grace. She was in the same ocean. Maybe she was always there. What if having him reach out and clasp on was the rescue she needed?

There are plenty of super-sexy moments in between all of the self-actualization that goes on. I mean, oh, MY, the heat. Aaron is one dirty talker, and the scenes between him and Grace are intense, and, at times, raw. When wide open meets tamped down, the point of intersection is sheer passion, and it is off-the-charts incendiary, which is something that I’ve come to expect in Tessa’s books. This series just keeps getting better, and I cannot believe that I have to wait until next year to get the other books. These are stories that you don’t want to miss. They’re hot, they’re emotional, and they wrap you right up and take you along for the always-interesting ride. 5 stars for TOO WILD TO TAME. Get these. Now. You can thank me later.

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

_______________________________

Romancing The Clarkson’s Series

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When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .

The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .

Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.

____________________________________________

About Tessa Bailey:

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving 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 of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Goodreads

***

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5+ Star Review: Next To Never by Penelope Douglas – The Fall Away Series – Book 4.5

Posted on 01/27/2017 by shellbellereads

Next To Never

The Fall Away Series – Book 4.5

By Penelope Douglas

Release Date: January 17, 2017

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis

New York Times bestseller Penelope Douglas introduces Quinn, younger sister to Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon, in the latest novella in the series that began with Jared and Tate in Bully….
Quinn Caruthers has several problems.

Her father, Jason, and her three older brothers, Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon.

Under the close watch of the men in her family, Quinn has found it nearly impossible to spread her wings–or even date–without them jumping in to hover. And when a family friend–several years older–from her childhood captures her heart, she knows they’re going to be a problem. Lucas Morrow is a man–experienced, sophisticated, and important. And knowing her brothers, he may as well be forbidden.

But Lucas left town years ago and shows no signs of returning. Quinn knows she shouldn’t wait for him anymore.

But then a package turns up on her doorstep with no return address and its contents reveal family secrets that threaten to turn Quinn’s world upside down. She’s never asked about the tumultuous path of her parents’ romantic history, but she soon learns their happy marriage had a very rocky and passionate start.

As she begins to see things around her with new eyes, Quinn will have to make tough choices about whether she’ll keep waiting…or finally go after what she really wants.
*Next to Never is a 60,000 word novella from Quinn’s point-of-view. It is NOT her love story. That will be a full-length novel eventually. This story deals with some family history, introduces the new generation, and catches up with the original couples.

Michel’s Review

The Fall Away Series by Penelope Douglas has been one of my all time favorites. When I saw Next To Never release, not only was I surprised but also thrilled. I thought the series was over until the next generation was ready to take over the pages. Next To Never brings the series full circle and also introduces the readers to the next generation, who are screaming for their place on the pages.

It all begins with Quinn Caruthers. Quinn is about to begin senior year of high school and hasn’t really committed herself to one thing. She has always done what she’s been told, kept busy in all the extra curricular activities, and was basically a ” yes ” girl. She is questioning her life and the choices coming in the future. Her mother and father want her to attend a certain college and are encouraging her to go the extra mile to get in. It’s not that she doesn’t want to go but she never thought about what other options she has. What else is out there? What does she really want to do? One thing always seems to stand out when she thinks about it. An abandoned garage on Main St. This empty building has so much potential and needs to come alive once again. Maybe she can change it’s future when she finally finishes hers. Her life is full of questions and her dreams are unrealized. Her future is mapped out for her until something unexpected happens. She receives an anonymous novel in the mail. There is no return address. The only clue she has is the postmark is from Canada. Once she opens the book it’s going to change her course in life and her perspective on everything she thought she knew.

What begins as an intriguing forbidden romance novel evolves into something more. The characters begin to take on a life themselves. They begin to become more and more familiar to her. By the time she finishes the novel she realizes she has known these people all her lives. Their story is not what she believed it to be. This novel not only changes her perspective on those she loves, it also inspires her to reach for the stars and build her own dreams. It is the defining moment for her life.

As the story unfolds, the readers get a true introduction of the next generation of Trents and Caruthers. Each of these dynamic teenagers have their own strong personalities and paths to follow in life. They are going to face their own struggles just as their parents had to. They are screaming to get on the pages.

Penelope Douglas has her work cut out for her. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

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The Fall Away Series

Bully – Book 1

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Penelope Douglas delivers an unforgettable New Adult romance that toes the fine line between love and hate….

My name is Tate.

He doesn’t call me that, though. He’ll barely refer to me at all, and he’ll hardly ever speak to me.

But he still won’t leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I’ve been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got worse as time wore on. I even went to Europe for a year, just to avoid him.

But I’m done hiding from him now, and there’s no way I’ll allow him to ruin another year. He might not have changed, but I have.

It’s time to fight back.

When one brave young woman stands up to her best friend Jared, now tormenter, the consequences go beyond anything either of them ever would have imagined….

Buy: Amazon

***

Until You – Book 1.5

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Penelope Douglas comes a companion novel to Bully.
This is Jared’s story.
Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or numb to all emotions? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between. Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. I hate that I can’t let her go. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn’t trust her—or anyone else. So I hurt her. I pushed her away. But I still need her. She centers me. Engaging her, challenging her, pushing her—it’s the one last part of me that feels anything anymore.

But then she went and screwed everything up. She left for a year and came back a different girl. Now, when I push, she pushes back…and I’m not sure either one of us will ever be the same.

Buy: Amazon

***

Rival – Book 2

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

Buy: Amazon

***

Falling Away – Book 3

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Rival

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid. K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away….

K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As they grow closer, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…

Buy: Amazon

***

Aflame – Book 4

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Bully, Until You, Rival, and Falling Away comes the sizzling conclusion to the Fall Away series.

The tables have turned. Now I have the power—and it’s his turn to beg…

Everyone wants to be me.

Maybe it’s the sway of my skirt or the way I flip my hair, but I don’t care. Even though their attention is the last thing I crave, I just can’t stop. I dominate the track, the speed rattles my bones, and the wind and the crowd screams my name.

I’m her. The girl driver. The queen of the race. And I’m surviving—something he thought I’d never do.

They all talk about him. Did you see Jared Trent on T.V? What did you think of his last race, Tate? When is he coming back to town, Tate?

But I refuse to care too much. Because when Jared does come home, I won’t be here.

Tatum Brandt is gone. I’m someone new.

Buy: Amazon

____________________________________________________________

About Penelope Douglas

Penelope Douglas is a writer living in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to “just get the damn degree!” She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she HATED public administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later she was married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, The Originals, and she shops at Target almost daily.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

5+ Star Review: Love In Lingerie by Alessandra Torre

Posted on 01/27/2017 by shellbellereads

Love In Lingerie

By Alessandra Torre

Release Date: January 16, 2017

Buy: Amazon / B & N / IBooks

Synopsis

I hired her to fix my company, to bring Marks Lingerie back to life. I didn’t expect her to become my friend. I didn’t expect to fall in love with her.

The first rule of business is to never touch your employees. I think there is another rule about not falling for your best friend—a rule against imagining the curves of her body, or the way her breathing would change if I pulled down her panties and unzipped my pants.

Now, I can’t wait any longer. I’m tossing out the rules.

Damn the company.

Damn our friendship.

Damn my fears.

Michel’ Review

Love In Lingerie is my favorite book Alessandra Torre has written. From the moment I opened this book I was mesmerized by the story that began to unfold. It’s not the typical office romance nor is it a erotica romance. It’s a story of two people building an evolving relationship in a period of three years. It’s about learning to trust, following inner instincts, working as a team, and building a strong friendship that will stand the tests of time.

Trey Marks company is in trouble. He needs to hire a new creative director before his Marks Lingerie goes bankrupt. During his interview with Kate Martin he realizes the company needs to go in a new direction. Although he doesn’t completely agree with her views or business ideas, his instincts tell him she’s exactly what he needs to save his company.

In the course of three years Kate and Trey bump heads, hold each other’s hands, and create a stronger company. They also get to know one another inside out. They both are denying their true desires because they can clearly see that they would be completely wrong for one another. There is also the no fraternization policy within the company. Trey likes the kinkier side of sex and doesn’t do committed relationships. Kate likes the straight and narrow road and believes in commitment. They clearly want different things in life. When the reality of what they want clashes with their hearts desire, it’s a no brainer. They were meant to be together.

Alessandra Torre’s writing was brilliant. The pacing was perfect. The slow simmering build to the explosive moment was delivered with perfection. The witty dialogue, the strong dynamic characters, and captivating scenes kept me glued to the pages. This book was downright delightful and fun.

I highly recommend Love In Lingerie by Alessandra Torre.

_____________________________________

Author Bio:
Alessandra Torre is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of thirteen novels. Her books focus on romance and suspense, all with a strong undercurrent of sexuality. Torre has been featured in such publications as Elle and Elle UK, co-hosted Dirty Sexy Funny with Jenny McCarthy, as well as guest blogged for the Huffington Post and RT Book Reviews. She is also the Bedroom Blogger for Cosmopolitan.com.

You can learn more about Alessandra on her website at http://www.alessandratorre.com, or you can find her on Twitter (@ReadAlessandra) or Facebook.

***

You can learn more about Alessandra on her website at www.alessandratorre.com, or you can find her on Twitter (@ReadAlessandra) or Facebook.

***

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Broken Pieces by Toni Aleo – The Patchwork Series – Book 2

Posted on 01/26/2017 by shellbellereads

Broken Pieces

The Patchwork Series – Book 2

Genre: Paranormal

By Toni Aleo

Release Date: January 24, 2017

Buy: Amazon US

iBooks

Kobo

Nook

Synopsis

The rules of The Works have remained unchanged for centuries. There is to be no romantic mixing between any of the five supernatural clans.

But from the moment Oceanus von Stein, second-in-command to the Patchwork family, caught sight of Taegan Conner, daughter of the leader of the Wolves, he knew he would never love anyone else.

Only now, Taegan has been promised in marriage to another, an arrangement to strengthen her family’s alliances—and she gets no say in the matter.

Neither does Oceanus.

While they both know they have their places and responsibilities in their clans, their love is too strong. How can they let go of what they have? Though it is forbidden, Oceanus and Taegan won’t stop until they can have each other. The only problem is that the world is against them, and Oceanus has a threat to his sister’s life to vanquish.

Can they find a way to be together, or will they both always be two Broken Pieces?

_________________________________________________

Excerpt

As I watch my father sit, he doesn’t do so smoothly. His movements are jerky before he folds his old, leathery hands together and his eyes scan the room. The scars are very prominent on his face and hands. All the experiments he did on himself are visible, along with the scar tissue that is ancient and freakish on him. While his eyes are bright, from the new pair he just obtained, he looks like death. And tired. Very tired.
Clearing his throat, he lets his gaze fall on me, and I meet it head on.
“I had a meeting with Kurt Conner.”
Kurt Conner.
The pack leader of the wolves.
My love’s father.
Clearing my throat, I sit up straighter as my forearms lay against the cool top of the old oak table. Before I can comment, though, he is going on. “He needed a loan for the wedding of Taegan.”
What?
My world stops.
I feel all eyes on me. My father is staring at me, waiting for a response, but I don’t have one.
Because what the actual fuck is going on?
Did I hear him wrong?
“A wedding?”
“Yeah, she is marrying some other pack leader’s son—you know how those wolves are. Wanting to unite families with arranged marriage and all that wolfish nonsense, I don’t know. But I didn’t give him the money until—”
“Until?” I gasp, my heart in my throat, my stomach on the ground, and every piece of me feeling as if I am falling into the fiery depths of hell because surely I am hearing my father wrong.
Taegan is to marry me.
“He offered up some information on Frank Kelley—”
“He hasn’t died yet?” Jonas asks, and I know it’s to give me time. To let me think, to let me process, but I can’t. Taegan is to marry someone else? She didn’t even tell me. We were together last night! Had she known? Was she playing me? Damn it, what the hell? How could she allow me to find out this way? I mean, I knew my time was running out, but hell, did she keep this from me? I’ve never experienced heartache or true heartbreak, but I’m pretty sure this feeling of my chest caving in and blowing up is just that.
She’s marrying someone else?
She isn’t waiting for me?
Gasping for breath as I try to push the bile back down my throat, I watch as my father shakes his head. “Not yet. And apparently, they are wanting to attack us in one more attempt to get the formula for him. They think they can kidnap Rebekah and use her as leverage.”
I feel Rebekah move as she squeaks. “Me?”
“You. So we are on high alert. Keep your eyes open, and, Rebekah, I don’t want you working at the bar until this is taken care of. I have a meeting with Frank Kelley on Friday.”
“Father, I’m fine at the bar. It’s owned by our family, most of our family is there, along with JJ. The Kelleys don’t even come that much.”
“Yes, but other families come to the bar, and that makes me uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine, I can take care of myself.”
He leans on his desk, and I don’t care about their melodrama. I can’t. Even though I know I should intervene, calm both sides—because my father is right, we need to keep Rebekah underground while this goes on—I can’t help but think of the fact that my love is marrying another. Someone other than me. How in the world is this fair? Why didn’t she fight them? She told me she was mine, and I was hers. Why didn’t she wait for me?
And then it’s like I’m being slapped back into reality.
She didn’t wait for me because we can’t.
We can’t be selfish and love each other because we have commitments to our families. Yes, we love each other. Yes, she is my world, and I’ll love only her. But just like I have to, she has to protect her family. I’m sure there is something more to this, and while I wish she had told me, I know I can’t be upset. I have to respect the process of our families.
Being the eldest, we have no choice.
We don’t get to be greedy.
Wow, I don’t even believe I’m trying to convince myself.
How could she?

___________________________________________

Michel’s Review

Are you afraid of things that go bump in the night? Are monsters really real? In our world deep within the darkness is another world where monsters exist in their own world known as The Works. A society full of different species of monsters and things that really go bump in the night. The Works consist of shifters, wolves, vampires, witches, and pieced together immortals known as the Patchworks. The creator of the Patchworks, the Von Stein family ( decedents of Dr. Frankenstein), are the absolute rulers of The Works. They hold the secret to immortality. Obey their rules or experience death. There isn’t any room for compromise or shades of gray. The rules are in place for a reason, for the survival of all the species within The Works. Intermarriage and intermixing of genetics is strictly forbidden.

Oceanus von Stein is next in line to rule The Works. He is vying his time to take over his father’s supreme rule. He has plans to bring the Works out of the last century into a more progressive society. The archaic laws are no longer working in today’s world. His biggest motivation is his love for Taegan Conner, the first princess of The Wolves Clan. Their love is forbidden and he has plans to change that. Taegan will be his queen. His father has different plans for Oceanus, which do not include Taegan Conner.

Taegan has been promised in marriage to the son of another prominent wolf clan. She is being forced to marry a man she doesn’t love. She is begging Oceanus to run away with her but Oceanus is too dedicated to his family and the legacy he will inherit. He is trying to buy them time but the clock is running out.

While Oceanus and Taegan are trying to find a way to have a life together other things are going on in the Works. The shifters are up to no good. An imposter has infiltrated the Works. His sister Rebekah is in grave danger. She has secrets that cannot be exposed to the Works. Other Patchwork clans are negotiating unreasonable alliances which could not only change Rebekah’s life but Oceanus’s life as well. His father refuses to relinquish his position and The Works is in very real trouble. The burden is on Oceanus’s shoulders. He may have to sacrifice the only thing that matters in his life. He may have to sacrifice his love. In a world full of monsters, the scariest one is his father, the man who gave him life.

Broken Pieces runs parallel to the first book, Pieces. I would strongly recommend reading that book first. It is the same story but from a different perspective and point of view. Another new forbidden romance is added to the mix. There are new situations and factors that are added to the overall story that could affect every single person within the Works. By the time the book reaches the last quarter Toni begins to take the overall story in a different direction which ends on a massive CLIFFHANGER.

Toni Aleo has written an authentic paranormal series with an original plot that has left me reeling.

The complex world of the Works was intriguing, frightening, and interesting. The characters were strong and dynamic in their own individual ways. I am looking forward to what happens next in this unique paranormal series. The monsters are on the prowl and the von Steins days may be numbered.

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PIECES

Pieces

The Patchwork Series – Book 1

***

In New York City, an underground society of supernatural beings exists, hidden among everyday humans. They don’t know of our activities or any of our secrets.

The districts of the Works are made up of vampires, wolves, shifters, witches, and I’m in the fifth and arguably most important district, the Patchwork. My father is the leader of our group, and he oversees all of the other factions.

As his only daughter, that makes me the princess of it all. Cool, right? Actually…no. Sure, I live in a mansion and money isn’t an object, but that doesn’t matter because I can’t leave. I have a guard who follows me around 24/7. My father and three older brothers treat me like I’m a fragile piece of glass, never allowed to take an independent step or make any decisions on my own.

It’s beyond frustrating—especially since my father essentially runs my life. He says what I do, when I do it, how I do it, and all that jazz. He tests his formulas and new techniques on me. I’m a walking science experiment.

I hate it.

I hate my life here.

But then he comes along: Killian.

He’s just some vampire…or so I thought.

But you’ll have to read my story to find out what I mean. To know my secrets. Until then, though, allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Rebecca von Stein.

And I’m a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein.

Welcome to the Works.

*****

Buy

AMAZON

ITUNES

KOBO

______________________________________________

About the Author

My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.
… and did I mention I love hockey?

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Release Boost + New Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Taking Turns by J A Huss

Posted on 01/26/2017 by shellbellereads

Title: Taking Turns

Series: Turning #1

Author: JA Huss

Genre: Dark Erotic Suspense

Release Date: January 18, 2017

Blurb

Chella plays the game of Taking Turns with three men as she comes to terms with her sexuality.

I’ve never been afraid of the dark…but that doesn’t mean I wanted to live in it. And maybe everyone wants what they can’t have, but I should’ve thought it over before I accepted the key and unlocked the door to their forbidden world.

Number One is mostly silent. He watches me with them very carefully. His gaze never wanders. His interest never wanes.

Number Two is mostly gentle. But it’s the other side of him I like best. The wild side.

Number Three is mostly reserved. He refuses to cross the line. Even when I beg.

It was carnal, it was sensual, and it was erotic. That’s it. That’s all it was supposed to be. A trip into the dark. A peek into the forbidden.

I just didn’t expect to like them.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Trailer

Excerpt

SMITH:

I flick the light on and she closes her eyes, hiding her face to shield herself from the sudden brightness.

She’s… pretty. Dark hair, long and straight, kind of like Rochelle’s, but nothing at all like Rochelle’s at the same time. Her skin is fair, which isn’t surprising since it’s winter and the sun seems to have gone missing in Denver for the past month. Her hands are tied behind her back, so I can’t see them. And she’s sitting up, knees to chest, completely naked, and I can see her pussy.

I stare for a moment longer than I should and then I finally look at her face—a sweet face. Wide blue eyes looking up at me, the remnants of her make-up streaked down her cheeks like she’s been crying.

But she isn’t crying now.

Her nose is small and her plump lips are wrapped around the ball of the gag. Drool is dripping out of her mouth. One long strand hangs just above her left breast, ready to fall.

“Well,” I say, far beyond curious at this point, “I can’t wait to hear what you’ve got to say about this.”

I crouch down in front of her legs and catch her scent. The flowers. Or citrus, whichever it is. I inhale deeply and can’t help but take in the smell of sex.

I look her in the eyes as I reach behind her head and unstrap the gag. It falls forward, dropping into her lap as I watch her adjust, swallow down the drool, and then take a deep breath.

She says nothing.

Hmmm.

Just stares at me.

My hand is between her legs. My finger slipping inside her pussy. She is wet. So fucking wet. She doesn’t close her eyes or moan. In fact, her eyes never leave mine. Not once.

She likes it.

I remove my slick fingers from her pussy and bring them to her mouth.

She opens, sucks them.

My God.

Still, she stares into my eyes.

I envision her mouth on my cock and grow hard at the thought.

And then I close my eyes.

But only for a moment. Barely a blink. I’m back in control. I reach for her upper arm and pull her to her feet. She complies willingly. And then I spin her around and begin untying her wrists.

The rope is tight. Tighter than it should be. Quin knows how to tie a girl up, I’ve seen him do it enough times to be sure of that. But he was probably panicking, so I don’t judge.

When I get the rope off there is a deep red burn ringing her wrists.

She brings her hands in front of her to get a look at her wrists. I take them, looking closely at her wounds. “I have something for that. But first, let’s make progress on your clothes.”

“I have clothes,” she says, her voice not weak, not small, but firm and strong. “On the chair.”

I walk over to the chair and pick them up. Jeans. Nondescript sweater. Winter shearling boots. Some semi-nice lingerie and thick cotton socks.

“Well, that won’t do,” I say, walking back to the closets. I open the one across the short hallway from the one I share with Bric and Quin. Rochelle’s closet.

I don’t know what I expected, but I’m kinda taken aback that everything Rochelle owns is still in there. Her many, many, many pairs of thrift-store shoes, and skirts, and those horrible long dresses. Even her purses are still here. She never shopped for purses at the thrift stores. They are all designer. Even the fringy ones. They live in soft cloth bags that come inside the purse when you purchase it, and they are lined up on the top shelf like little surprises wrapped in velvet.

I only know this because I bought her a few purses myself that first year. A Prada, a Gucci, and some other brand she asked for that I had never heard of, but which set me back almost three thousand dollars.

If Rochelle ever tells someone the story of us, she better not call me cheap.

I sigh and divert my attention to the limited number of classy, five-star-restaurant-worthy dresses hanging on the far end of a rack. I look back at the new girl for a moment, then choose a red one. To set off her hair.

“Here,” I say, holding the hanger out to her. “Put this on, please.”

“What?” the girl asks, taking the hanger from me.

“I didn’t stutter. Put on the dress. I have to walk you out, obviously. You can’t walk out in jeans, for fuck’s sake. This is Turning Point Club. We have a dress code.”

“Why can’t I go out the back?”

I stop looking for shoes to match the dress and turn to stare at her. “Is that how you got in?”

She nods. “The freight elevator.”

“Figures. Fucking Rochelle hated the dress code. Well, the freight elevator isn’t going to work for me, I’m afraid. I don’t leave by way of the freight elevator. I walk in. Everybody sees me. I walk out. Everybody sees me. And since I have to walk you out, you’re going to look the part. Now put on the fucking dress.”

I turn back to the shoes.

“I need my bra and underwear,” she says.

“Not for that dress, you don’t.”

_____________________________

Michel’s Review

Spoiler Free Review

***

The Game

3 Men

1 Woman

4 Players

Very Detailed and Specific Rules

Specific Time Guidelines for each player

No Winner

No Loser

One Prize For All – Carnal Delight

End of Game

JA Huss is one of those authors that completely takes me by surprise with every new novel or new series she unleashes into the reading world. Expect the unexpected. Be prepared for twists and turns that add layers upon layers before reaching a concise conclusion or ending to a story. The ending may just be the beginning or an unexpected revelation. Be prepared to journey into the dark sensual world that not only fulfills the erotic fantasy but also delves into the minds of very unique individuals in the darkness. With JA Huss there is no black or white, light or dark, right or wrong, or good and bad. It’s a combination of it all melding together to make one outstanding and thought provoking story. The story holds the reader captive and leaves them wanting more.

After reading Taking Turns by JA Huss, I was completely floored by what I had just read. It was not the typical erotic romance novel that revolves around the darker side of sex or menage scenes that scorch the pages. It had those elements but also included so much more. This book is about four characters driven by a dark need. Taking Turns is told through each characters POV with a very clear understanding of who is who in each passage. Each character stands uniquely on their own merits with distinct and very likable personalities. While their motivations are questionable, the reader gets a sense of who they are until JA Huss throws another layer to their persona. What makes this book stand out was not the sex itself, it was how the sex scenes came into play, how each individual approached the situation, and what they gave to reach each situation.

In most cases, erotic romance walks a fine line in definition. The romance tends to get lost or overpowered by the erotic elements. I went into this book expecting that to happen. Throughout most of the book the erotic elements were the forefront of the story unfolding. It was questionable if a romance would develop and who would be the ones involved in the romance. As each man’s personality materialized I found myself hoping he was the one. As the sexual heat intensified between the four, one man began to surface to the top. It is at that point the reader realizes that this story has had the romance all along but it was cleverly disguised as something else. This is pure JA Huss brilliance at it’s best.

I can honestly say that I am still processing what I read in Taking Turns. I have many questions that I know will be answered by the end of the series. I have no doubt that JA Huss is going to throw some new kinks into the mix. She’s going to take the readers on a mind boggling journey before The Turning Series ends.

What started out as a game with no losers or winners has turned into a game of consequences. I can’t wait to see what comes next in The Turning Series. Turning Back will release on April 12, 2017.

Pre Order: Amazon

_______________________________

Coming Soon

Title: Turning Back

Series: Turning #2

Author: JA Huss

Genre: Dark Erotic Suspense

Release Date: April 12, 2017

Blurb

I lived in the dark for three years. My whole world revolved around the whims and happiness of three men. It was just a trip into the forbidden. A way out of a bad situation and forward into nothingness.

Quin, with his easy smile and charming good looks. He was always there for me… Until he wasn’t.

Smith, and his dispassionate attention. He was never there for me and he never regretted it.

Bric, the one who listened, but only to himself. Self-absorbed, self-obsessed, and self-serving. He was never the one I wanted.

And now he might be the only one I have left.

It was good while it lasted, I guess. But it could’ve been so much more. It could’ve been so much better.

And that’s why I’m turning back.

Pre-order Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Author Bio

JA Huss is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.

Author Links

NEWSLETTER
PRIVATE FAN GROUP
BLOG / AMAZON / TWITTER
FACEBOOK PROFILE

FACEBOOK PAGE
INSTAGRAM / PINTEREST

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 2017 Favorite + 5 Star Review: Preppy: Part 2 – The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater – The King Series – Book 6

Posted on 01/25/2017 by shellbellereads

Preppy : Part Two

The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater

By T. M. Frazier

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

Full Blurb

Preppy finds himself back in a world he once loved, but no longer recognizes. His dim smile can’t hide his inner turmoil and the people he views as family all suddenly feel like polite strangers.

Except for one person. A girl with dark eyes and even darker hair.

A girl who isn’t even an option.

At least, not anymore.

Dre can’t decide who she’s going to listen to. Her heart, her head, or her body. Because two out of those three things have her heading right back to Logan’s Beach. Closure is what she tells herself she’s seeking, but when she unlocks doors that were never meant to be opened she soon discovers that when it comes to Samuel Clearwater, closure might NEVER be an option.

This is book six in the King Series and the second part of Preppy and Dre’s story.

Excerpt

“Oh yeah?” Preppy asked, taking a step forward, crowding me in, staring deep into my eyes with an intensity that had me biting down hard on my lower lip. “Do YOU like a clean look, Doc? Or do you like it dirty? Beards. Tattoos…scars?”

Yes, I like it dirty. So dirty.

I was stunned into silence. Preppy’s proximity was fucking with my brain, and I was afraid I was going to blurt out something that would dig me a deeper hole than I’d already dug for myself. I opened my mouth to answer, but I couldn’t get the words out. Not like I needed to. Preppy answered for me. “If I remember correctly, you like it dirty. Real fucking dirty.”

He took another step. “Remember that first time? In the field? By the train tracks? Remember how I pulled your hair while I fucked you from behind and stretched you open? Remember how it felt to have me moving inside of you? How it felt when you came and screamed in my fucking ear? I do. I remember. Thought of that scream every fucking day since. It was deafening.” He chuckled and pressed his teeth against his bottom lip. He groaned, the sound shot straight to my pussy. “I can still fucking hear it now.”

So can I.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. “What are you doing?” I asked, trying to step around him, but he pressed his hands against the wall, caging me in. The warmth of his chest radiated onto mine. I tried to look anywhere but into his eyes, afraid of what I might see, but there wasn’t anywhere else to look. He moved even closer.

Preppy pressed his knee between my thighs, parting my legs. “Me?” he asked, with mock innocence. “I’m just reminiscing with an old friend.”

“This doesn’t feel like just reminiscing.”

He stared intensely into my eyes. “No, not YET it doesn’t.” He grinned. “But it fucking will. Soon.”

Michel’s Review

As readers we all have our favorite type of books that capture our hearts and imaginations. The King series by T. M. Frazier is one of those series that readers have embraced whole heartedly. There is one particular character in this series who is not only the glue that holds them all together but is also larger than life. A character that every reader of this series adores because of his personality, his quirks, and his ability to put life in a perspective that is uniquely his own but also inspires those around him. He’s not perfect at all. He has a dark side that is just as strong as his light side. His bad is on an even playing field with his good. He doesn’t make excuses nor does he try to change who he is. He is just going to be himself whether you like it or not. He is Samuel Clearwater, also known as Preppy. Like his personality, Preppy has a story that is larger than life. His story has monsters,dungeons, castles, kings, princesses, knights in tarnished armor, and a kingdom where night is day and day is night. It’s all in the perspective and how he lives his life as a part of this kingdom. He is the missing royal prince of Logan Beach and he’s back in all his glory. Preppy is taking back his throne, his place in Logan Beach but first he has to wake up to claim his throne.

After reading the first book in Preppy’s story, the readers got to see what Preppy was up to during the missing years of King’s story. While King was sitting in prison Preppy was busy minding his kingdom and working effortlessly to get King’s daughter back. He met a junkie that would become a means to his end. She was the key to getting King’s daughter back. First he had to get her off the drugs and agree to help him. Things didn’t go quite as planned. He fell for the junkie and knew he had to let her go. He wasn’t what she needed in her life. She needed a clean break with people that could love and support her rehabilitation. Four years later life has taken a different path for them both.

Dre has returned to Logan Beach to sell her grandmother’s home. She also came back for closure. After the devastating news of Preppy’s death she knew she needed to say her final goodbyes and let go of their past. She would of never imagined that he was still alive but still unreachable. Finding Preppy alive and in a coma was a shock. Finding out she was legally married to Preppy was even more shocking. The most shocking thing of all was when Preppy finally became conscious and on the road to recovery, he was a complete stranger. He wasn’t the man she fell in love with. He wasn’t the man any of them knew. Preppy was still lost to them all.

After being tortured and mentally dead for quite some time, it’s impossible to grasp freedom. He lost himself to the darkness. Now he has his life back but he’s not the same man who owned that life. He’s lost in the darkness. Finding his way back to the light seems impossible even though he is awake and free from his captor. Life went on without him and now he is in a world that is different and doesn’t make sense to him. He still loves his family and friends with all his heart but doesn’t feel like he knows them any longer. He doesn’t feel like they know who he is either. The only thing that seems to be the same is his feelings for Dre. He never told her how he felt about her. He let her go when he should of held onto her. He swore if he got another chance he would come clean. How can he tell her how he feels when he is so broken. How can he love her when he doesn’t even know how to love himself? He’s not the man he once was. He doesn’t know if he will ever be that man again. Preppy was lost a long time ago. Samuel Clearwater died the day he became Preppy. Who is the man in the shell of a broken body and a tormented mind?

Dre, King, Ray, Bear, Ti, and the Logan Beach crew (including Rage) are thankful for the miracle of Preppy’s resurrection. When they lost him they lost a part of themselves. The man that came back from the dead is not Preppy. He is a lost broken soul in the body of the man they love. They will do anything to help him find himself again. It’s going to take patience, understanding, and at times hard love. Preppy is worth it all. The only thing they can do is offer a hand and love in his journey back from hell.

Preppy: Part Two is Preppy’s journey back to the living. The journey is not easy. At times it is heartbreaking and other times it is filled with hope. In the end, only Preppy can travel the road. Dre is his rainbow at the end of the road. She is his home.

Preppy found his way home and now he’s grabbing onto the life he has fought for. Nothing in Preppy’s life has been easy. He has had to work for his happiness. He’s earned it and he’s reaping the rewards. Just when he’s taken his life back, life throws another monster in his path. This time it could break them all. What does that mean…CLIFFHANGER!

T. M. Frazier has done it again… she has left us wanting more of Preppy.

____________________________________

Haven’t read this series yet?

Meet King & Pup in King (Book One)

The King

By T. M. Frazier

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

Synopsis

*****

Tyrant

King Series – Book 2

Conclusion to King

Amazon / Amazon UK

*****

Lawless

King Series – Book 3

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

*****

Soulless

Lawless Part 2

King Series – Book 4

By T.M. Frazier

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

*****

All The Rage

Connected to the King Series

By T. M. Frazier

Release Date: June 7, 2016

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

*****

Preppy : Part 1

The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater

By T. M. Frazier

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

Synopsis

Samuel Clearwater, A.K.A Preppy, likes bowties, pancakes, suspenders, good friends, good times, good drugs, and a good f*ck.

He’s worked his way out from beneath a hellish childhood and is living the life he’s always imagined for himself. When he meets a girl, a junkie on the verge of ending it all, he’s torn between his feelings for her and the crippling fear that she could be the one to end the life he loves.

Andrea ‘Dre’ Capulet is strung out and tired.

Tired of living for her next fix. Tired of doing things that make her stomach turn. Tired of looking in the mirror at the reflection of the person she’s become. Just when she decides to end it all, she meets a man who will change the course of both their lives forever.

And their deaths.

For most people, death is the end of their story.
For Preppy and Dre, death was only the beginning.

This is the fifth book in the King Series and it’s meant to be read after Soulless.

_________________________________________________

Author Bio:

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and three feisty fur kids.

She attended Florida Gulf Coast University where she specialized in public speaking. After years working in real estate and new home construction, she decided it was finally time to stop pushing her dreams to the back burner and pursue writing seriously.

In the third grade she wrote her very first story about a lost hamster. It earned rave reviews from both her teacher and her parents.

It only took her twenty years to start the next one.

It will not be about hamsters.

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

_____________________________

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Category Archives: 5-Star

New Release + Review: How To Date A Douchebag:The Failing Hours by Sara Ney – How To Date A Douchebag Series – Book 2

_

About THE FAILING HOURS

About Sara Ney

5 Star Review + Excerpt: Accidentally On Purpose by Jill Shelves – Heartbreaker Bay Series

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series…

About ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE:

There’s no such thing as a little in love . . .

There’s no such thing as a little in lust . . .

There is such a thing as . . .

As far as Archer’s concerned, nobody is good enough for Elle. But when he sets out to prove it by sabotaging her dates, she gets mad—and things get hot as hell. Now Archer has a new mission: prove to Elle that her perfect man has been here all along . . .

ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE in ebook or paperback, releasing today!

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo| Barnes & Noble

Add to your Goodread

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

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Release Blitz and 5+ Star Review: Crown of Lies by Pepper Winters – Truth and Lies Duet – Book 1

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Mists of the Serengeti by Leylah Attar

Paperback Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: To Wild To Tame by Tessa Bailey – The Clarkson’s Series – Book 2

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When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .

Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.

5+ Star Review: Next To Never by Penelope Douglas – The Fall Away Series – Book 4.5

5+ Star Review: Love In Lingerie by Alessandra Torre

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Broken Pieces by Toni Aleo – The Patchwork Series – Book 2

Release Boost + New Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Taking Turns by J A Huss

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 2017 Favorite + 5 Star Review: Preppy: Part 2 – The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater – The King Series – Book 6

_

About THE FAILING HOURS

About Sara Ney

Share this:

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series…

About ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE:

There’s no such thing as a little in love . . .

There’s no such thing as a little in lust . . .

There is such a thing as . . .

As far as Archer’s concerned, nobody is good enough for Elle. But when he sets out to prove it by sabotaging her dates, she gets mad—and things get hot as hell. Now Archer has a new mission: prove to Elle that her perfect man has been here all along . . .

ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE in ebook or paperback, releasing today!

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 ONE SNOWY NIGHT, now available! Grab your copies HERE!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp

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When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .

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