6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Excerpt + Giveaway: Song of David by Amy Harmon

Posted on 06/17/2015 by shellbellereads

The Song of David

By Amy Harmon

Release Date: June 15, 2015

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

Synopsis

She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.

I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood.

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.

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

Excerpt

I stopped a foot from her and reached out, taking one of her hands in mine. “Do you like this song?” I asked. Obviously she did and obviously I was stupid.

“I love this song.”

“Me too,” I whispered. I reached for her other hand.

“Accidental Babies.”

“What?” I tugged her hands gently, and she took a step. I was so close now that the top of her head provided a shelf for my chin, and Damien’s song was being drowned out by the sound of my heart.

“It’s another one of his songs. . . and I think I love it even more,” she whispered back.

“But that song is so sad,” I breathed, and laid my cheek against her hair.

“That’s what makes it beautiful. It’s devastating. I love it when a song devastates me.” Her voice was thready, as if she was struggling to breathe.

“Ah, the sweet kind of suffering.” I dropped her hands and wrapped my arms around her.

“The best kind.” Her voice hitched as our bodies aligned.

“I’ve been suffering for a while now, Millie.”

“You have?” she asked, clearly amazed.

“Since the moment I saw you. It devastated me. And I love when a girl devastates me.” I was using her definition of the word, but the truth was, my sister was the only girl who had ever devastated me, and it hadn’t been sweet agony.

“I’ve never devastated anyone before,” Millie said faintly, shock and pleasure coloring her words. She still stood with her arms at her sides, almost like she couldn’t believe what was happening. But her lips hovered close to my jaw, as if she was enjoying the tension between almost and not quite.

“I’m guessing you’ve left a wake of destruction,” I whispered. “You just don’t know.”

Finally, as if she couldn’t resist any longer, she raised her hands to my waist. Trembling fingers and flat palms slid across my abdomen, up my chest, past my shoulders, progressing slowly as if she memorized as she moved. Then she touched my face and her thumbs found the cleft in my chin, the way they’d done the first time she’d traced my smile. Hesitantly, she urged my face down toward hers. A heartbeat before our mouths touched she spoke, and the soft words fluttered against my lips.

“Are you going to devastate me, David?” she asked.

“God, I hope not,” I prayed aloud.

Anticipation dissolved the lingering space between us, and I pressed needy lips to her seeking mouth. And then we melded together, hands clinging, bodies surging, music moaning, dancing in the wreckage. Sweet, sweet, devastation.

“Too late . . .” I thought I heard her whisper.

Michel’s Review

In my opinion, Amy Harmon is one the most gifted writers in the publishing world. Each and every one of her books is a DIAMOND. They are a celebration of the human spirit and the miracle of love. The reader experiences a multitude of emotions throughout each story. Each story is original, thought provoking, inspirational, and a beautiful love story. The Song of David is the latest addition to her outstanding accomplishments as a writer.

Song of David is closely related to The Law of Moses. The reader’s met David “Tag” Taggert in The Law of Moses. He was the dedicated best friend that stood by Moses side for many years. His life was deeply connected with Moses and still is. Like Moses, Tag is a unique individual. Where Moses has the gift of sight, David has the gift of nurturing . He is a protector, a loyal friend, a fair employer, and firm believer in second and third chances. He ensnares the lost souls that need someone on their side. He has assembled his own Tag Team of loyal friends and loved ones. He is their giant. He is their rock. He is so dedicated to his Tag Team that sometimes he forgets his own needs. That is his strength and his weakness.

When Tag meets the new pole dancer at his club, he is taken by her beauty and grace. Amelie is unlike any woman he has encountered. She is blind. Rather than needing David to be her protector, she wants him to be her partner. She teaches him what it really means to see. He learns that by really listening he will have a completely different vision of his world and himself. He has finally accepted who he is and what he wants to be. He has finally found true happiness. The Song of David is his story.

The book begins when David disappears. Through a series of cassette tape recordings David will tell his story. He will tell of his journey to becoming the beautiful man he is. He will tell his love story with Amelie.

Through these tapes it will be up to Moses, Amelie, and the Tag Team to find out where their fearless giant has disappeared.

This book portrays the beauty of the human spirit. It is a beautiful love story. It is The Son of David.

Amy Harmon wrote a poignant enthralling story that is thought provoking. Her subtle revelations lead the reader to explore the revelations within themselves. The Song of David is one the most powerful books I have read.

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Buy the song on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/song-of-david-single/id998774568

Music & Lyrics by Amy Harmon and Paul Travis – Song of David: iTunes

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Author Bio:

Amy Harmon is a USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in several countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written five novels – the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway- $50 Amazon Gift Card

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Song Of David by Amy Harmon

Posted on 06/15/2015 by shellbellereads

The Song of David

By Amy Harmon

Release Date: June 15, 2015

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

Synopsis

She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.

For me, heaven was the octagon.

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

Excerpt

I stopped a foot from her and reached out, taking one of her hands in mine. “Do you like this song?” I asked. Obviously she did and obviously I was stupid.

“I love this song.”

“Me too,” I whispered. I reached for her other hand.

“Accidental Babies.”

“It’s another one of his songs. . . and I think I love it even more,” she whispered back.

“But that song is so sad,” I breathed, and laid my cheek against her hair.

“That’s what makes it beautiful. It’s devastating. I love it when a song devastates me.” Her voice was thready, as if she was struggling to breathe.

“Ah, the sweet kind of suffering.” I dropped her hands and wrapped my arms around her.

“The best kind.” Her voice hitched as our bodies aligned.

“I’ve been suffering for a while now, Millie.”

“You have?” she asked, clearly amazed.

“I’m guessing you’ve left a wake of destruction,” I whispered. “You just don’t know.”

“Are you going to devastate me, David?” she asked.

“God, I hope not,” I prayed aloud.

“Too late . . .” I thought I heard her whisper.

Robin’s Review

Just over two years ago, in May of 2013, I read novel titled A Different Blue. A Different Blue was my first novel written by author Amy Harmon, and reading this New York Times Bestseller signified the beginning of my love affair for her writing. I worked backwards, reading everything she published prior to A Different Blue. Since then, I have read each new novel released by Amy Harmon. I am now delighted to be reviewing Harmon’s latest work, The Song of David.

The Song of David is a new adult contemporary romance that is loosely tied by the characters to The Law of Moses. Moses Wright and Georgia Shepherd are the primary characters in The Law of Moses, but we are also introduced to the best friend of Moses Wright, David “Tag” Taggert. Moses and Tag have a very interesting background, and Moses plays an important role in The Song of David. If you want the full effect of The Song of David, I highly recommend that you read The Law of Moses first.

The Song of David is told from the perspectives of Moses Wright and Tag Taggert. Amy Harmon came up with a brilliant and unique way of telling this story. We are given a first person point of view directly from Moses, but Tag’s perspective is told by means of a series of cassette tapes which he specifically recorded for Millie. The cassette tapes are a fantastic medium for telling a story!

At the beginning of The Song of David, we learn Tag has gone missing. He has a beautiful girlfriend and a “Tag Team” of supportive friends. He owns several successful businesses. He has a promising career as a MMA fighter. But Tag disappears without a trace, leaving nothing behind but a set of keys, a cassette recorder and several cassette tapes. Moses listens to the cassettes with Millie, as they try to figure out why he has disappeared. Tag recounts his memories of Millie, and we experience how the two of them meet and fall in love.

Several nights a week, Tag offers pole dancing in the fight arena that is connected to his bar. Twenty-two year-old Amelie Anderson is hired by his bar manager to be a pole dancer in the arena cage. She’s beautiful, with delicate features, and a nice body. Her dancing is athletic, her smile is dreamy, and her eyes, large and luminous, but Amelie is also blind. It doesn’t make a difference to Tag that she is blind – when Tag meets Amelie, her smile takes his breath away. Silly Millie is the sweetest character. She may be blind, but she is very strong and positive, never lamenting her station in life. I think she may be my favorite character ever written by Amy Harmon.

I have never been disappointed with anything written by Amy Harmon. I know that I can always count on a unique and thought-provoking story with each new book that she publishes. I continue to be impressed with her talent and creativity, and the genuine or natural feel to conversations which take place between her characters. Nowhere are these attributes more apparent than in The Song of David. Her writing flows naturally in this story. Conversations including Moses, Tag, Millie and her younger brother, Henry are heartfelt and full of wisdom. Harmon constantly triggered my emotions while I was reading this novel. I want to point out a couple of excerpts that I feel are worthy of mentioning. If you read The Song of David, pay close attention to what Tag has to say about Heaven. And I cannot finish this review without mentioning the passage where Millie makes love to Tag. This is truly one of the most beautiful love scenes that I have ever read.

There is so much to love about The Song of David. One of my favorite things about this novel is that it felt like a continuation of The Law of Moses. Moses and Georgia get plenty of page time, and we are able to read more about their future together as a couple. I loved the mystery in this story. Harmon alternates between cassette tape recordings, which is their love story and everything leading up to Tag’s disappearance, and the discussion between Moses, Millie and other characters, trying to solve the mystery of his absence. After I finished reading The Song of David, I felt full of hope. The ending of the story truly left me smiling. I hope everyone who reads this review will read The Law of Moses and The Song of David. Both of them are 6-star novels, and The Song of David is now a 2015 favorite!

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Buy the song on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/song-of-david-single/id998774568

Music & Lyrics by Amy Harmon and Paul Travis – Song of David: iTunes

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Author Bio:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway- $50 Amazon Gift Card

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6 Star Review : Never Let You Go by Katy Regnery – A Modern Day Fairytale –

Posted on 06/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Never Let You Go

A Modern Day Fairytale

Inspired by Hansel & Gretel

By Katy Regnery

Synopsis

In this modern retelling of “Hansel and Gretel,” 13-year-old foster children, Holden and Griselda, escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety but the other is left behind.

Ten years later, Griselda’s boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match where her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.

Though the connection between them is fierce, bitter regret, simmering rage and a cache of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the whitewater of the Shenandoah.

Never Let You Go is a story of fear and hope, defeat and survival, and two people – once profoundly broken – who discover that love is the only thing that can make them whole again.

This is a standalone novel inspired by Hansel & Gretel. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to profanity, scenes of physical abuse and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (Note: children are not sexually abused in this book.)

For June and July 2015, 25% of all gross royalties will be donated to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.

(The next standalone a m o d e r n f a i r y t a l e novel, Ginger’s Heart, inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, will be released in Winter 2015/2016.)

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

I am always apprehensive of romances based off of fairy tales. I hate cheesy erotic remakes that are borderline soft porn. So many erotic romance authors have ruined a classic fairy tale and delivered a sub par romance. When I read the synopsis for this book I was intrigued. It sounded like a romantic suspense book. At the same time I was very leery because it was based around the Hansel & Gretel fairytale. I was afraid that this new Hansel & Gretel would be too busy sampling each other than living the actual story. I have to admit that this particular fairytale always scared the crap out me as a child. The idea of abandonment, getting lost, and being captured was frightening.

Wow ! Wow ! Wow! Never Let You Go by Katy Regnery blew me away! I absolutely loved this book. I was stunned at the brilliance in the author’s retelling of the classic fairytale Hansel & Gretel. The modern twist were very realistic. The terror and suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. The resilience and survival instinct of the characters was riveting. The pure love and trust between them was breathtaking. I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting.

Imagine two ten year old children walking to the store. Because of their upbringing in the foster care system their stranger danger sensors are diluted. They have had to trust strangers all of their lives. When a stranger approaches them on the side of the road acting like they are very familiar to them, they easily assume that he is related to their foster parents. After all, the man has a puppy, how can he be a bad person. Wrong..wrong…wrong.

Holden Croft was placed in a new foster home three days before his abduction. Because of his small size and stammer, he was bullied and abused in his previous foster homes. When the little girl about the same age as him, living in his new home, befriends him; he finally feels like he has a place where he might fit in. Griselda was a beautiful golden child that had a smile that radiated like the sun. She was smart and strong. Holden desperately wanted this girl to be his friend.

When their foster parents take the family for camping trip in West Virginia the following weekend their lives will be forever changed. They will become bonded to one another for life. They will live through the worst terror and nightmares any person could experience. The only thing that kept them surviving was their bond and love for each other.

For three years they were held captive by a madman. They were beaten, tortured , and worked to the bone. When the opportunity and the dire need to escape presents itself they run. Their escape attempt is thwarted. Holden is recaptured and Griselda manages to get away. By the time she reaches the authorities, Holden and the bad man have disappeared.

For ten years Zelda (Griselda ) has lived with the guilt of leaving Holden behind. She has punished herself and does not allow herself any happiness. She is saving every penny to hire private detectives to find out what happened to Holden.

For ten years Holden has thought Griselda was dead. The bad man killed her and took him away. He became the person the bad man thought him to be. He was no longer Holden Croft. Holden Croft died along with Griselda ten years ago.

By fate, they are brought together once again. They will have to let go of the guilt, the fear, the regrets, and the nightmares. They will have to become Gris and Holden once again. They will find that although they are now two entirely different people, they are still H + G. They still need each other for survival.

This is an extremely emotional story. The reader will experience the horrors that these two children went through. They will weep for the adults they have become. They will ache right along with Holden and Griselda. They will rejoice in the pure love these two have for another.

Never Let You Go is a powerful story. It’s a psychological thriller that is just as frightening as the real Hansel & Gretel fairytale. It is also a beautiful romance that has a happily ever after ending. It has action, suspense, emotional angst, and unforgettable romance. I highly recommend this book.

This is the first book I have read by Katy Regnery. When I looked up her books I was shocked at how many books and good ratings she has. I quickly downloaded the first book in the Modern Fairytale series and can’t wait to sink into that one. Katy definitely has a creative flare that delivers a fresh voice and enthralling story.

The Modern Fairytale Series

The Vixen And The Vet – Book 1

Inspired by Beauty and The Beast

**2015 RITA Finalist!**

“With Southern charm and a deeply romantic plot, readers will fall in love with this modern day fairy tale.” –RT BOOK REVIEWS

In this modern-retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” Savannah Carmichael, betrayed by an unreliable source, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get back in the game by writing a patriotic human interest piece, Savannah turns her attention to the town hermit, Asher Lee, a wounded veteran who returned to Danvers eight years ago, and hasn’t been seen since.

After an IED explosion in Afghanistan took Asher’s hand and disfigured half of his face, he’s lived a quiet life on the outskirts of Danvers where the locals respect his privacy…that is, until Savannah Carmichael comes calling in a borrowed sundress with a plate of homemade brownies. When Asher agrees to be interviewed by Savannah, he starts feeling things for the beautiful reporter that he hasn’t felt in years.

Misfits in small-town Danvers, Savannah and Asher create a bond right away, touching each other’s hearts in ways neither thought possible. When a terrible mistake threatens to drive them apart, they’ll have to decide if the love they found in one another’s arms is strong enough to fight for their hard-won happily ever after.

This is a standalone novel inspired by Beauty & the Beast. Contemporary Romance: Due to profanity, realistically depicted scenes of war and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

(The next standalone a m o d e r n f a i r y t a l e novel, Never Let You Go, inspired by Hansel & Gretel, will be released on June 19, 2015.)

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Ginger’s Heart

Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood

Coming December 2015

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Author Bio

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

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

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

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

Connect with Katy:

Katy LOVES connecting with her readers and answers every e-mail, message, tweet and post personally!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Summer Reads: 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: Gus by Kim Holden

Posted on 06/04/2015 by shellbellereads

Gus

A Sequel to Brightside

By Kim Holden

Synopsis

The journey that began in top-rated, best-selling Bright Side, continues …

This is the story of Gus.
Losing himself.
Finding himself.
And healing along the way.

“ … but the honest-to-God truth is I don’t even know how to function anymore. Bright Side wasn’t only my best friend; she was like my other half … the other half of my brain, the other half of my conscience, the other half of my sense of humor, the other half of my creativity, the other half of my heart. How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?”

Buy: Amazon

Robin’s Review

When author Colleen Hoover recommends a novel, I make a note of it. Not only is Hoover a gifted writer, but I respect her opinion when it comes to a book recommendation. The novel I’m referring to on this occasion is Bright Side by Kim Holden, and it apparently made a positive impression on her. It was impossible to ignore all of the positive feedback from readers who had already taken her recommendation to heart, so I decided to purchase and read Bright Side. Kim Holden’s gripping and emotional story about Kate Sedgwick was heartbreaking, inspiring, and beautiful. Optimistic. Bright Side earned a 6-star rating from me and a rare spot on my list of all-time favorite novels.

Because of my immense love for Bright Side, I have been looking forward to the day I could read Gus, the second novel of Holden’s Bright Side series. It’s a story about Kate Sedgwick’s lifelong best friend, Gus Hawthorne. Simply put, Gus found a way under my skin. This story grew on me, steamrolling into something just as special as Bright Side. Gus Hawthorne is the songwriter and lead singer for Rook. The novel sort of has a slow start, with Gus drowning in heartbreak and loss. His life is falling apart. While the band is touring Europe, Gus is doing his best to get through each day. In order to ensure the success of the U.S. tour, management decides to hire a personal assistant for Gus.

Scout Mackenzie doesn’t know anything about Rook or its lead singer. She’s just running away from her problems when she accepts the position to be a personal assistant to Gustov Hawthorne. Scout has recently been in an abusive relationship. She could use the money, and she definitely needs some time away. Taking this position is perfect for her because Rook is beginning its tour of the United States, and she will be traveling with the band on the tour bus.

Right from the beginning, Gus and Scout do not hit it off. They put up with each other because they have to. This may seem strange, but I love this aspect of Gus. I commend Kim Holden for going this route, although it might not be a popular choice. I believe both of these characters need time to heal – to get some perspective on the circumstances they have been through. I found it refreshing to read how a relationship develops between Gus and Scout. How they grow on each other. We see them become friends first, helping each other heal. Friends before lovers.

One of my favorite things about Bright Side is the characters, most of them full of positive energy and charisma, so I was super excited to see Kim Holden revisit them in Gus. You should expect to spend plenty of time with the members of Rook – Gus, Franco, Robbie and Jamie. And Gus’s Ma? I just love her, and the close relationship they share. Ma is definitely my favorite secondary character, and she has a special role in this novel. The characters from Grant, Minnesota? Keller and Stella, Duncan and Shelly and many more are found in Gus. Kim Holden ties her characters from Bright Side and Gus together nicely.

Gus is an emotional story. At times, the novel can be sad. I found myself in tears on several occasions, but Gus is also funny, hopeful and inspiring. I absolutely adored the many ways we visit Kate and Gracie throughout this story! The healing and love that flourishes between Gus and Scout is heartwarming and fulfilling, and they show growth as individuals. The author does a fantastic job of fully developing each main character.

Bright Side and Gus. There is something very powerful about each of these stories. Maybe what I am feeling is the mood or tenor. I’m not sure, but whatever it is, I continue to feel it long after I have finished reading. Both novels are very special to me. Gus receives a 6-star rating, and I am including it on my list of 2015 favorite novels!

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Don’t miss out on Brightside by Kim Holden!

Bright side by Kim Holden

Synopsis

Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.

They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.

And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Author Bio

Some of my favorite things: reading, writing, the two coolest guys on the planet (my husband and son), my bicycle (my husband built it for me), Facebook (I’m fairly certain it’s an addiction at this point), iced coffee (hazelnut), and music (LOVE Sunset Sons, the 1975, Dredg, the xx, Balance and Composure, Teenage Bottlerocket, and 30 Seconds to Mars). I also love dreaming, which brings me to my next point. I have one bit of advice for anyone reading this … follow your dreams. It’s never too late. Get started today … heck get started RIGHT NOW! I wanted to write a book 20 years ago. Instead I waited. And waited. I should’ve been writing. But I didn’t. I don’t do regrets, because the past is just that, the past. But let me tell you there’s nothing in the world like achieving something you’ve dreamt about for years and years. So, get started. Make your dreams reality.
I love to hear from other readers. Send me a message or find me on Facebook (https://facebook.com/kimholdenauthor) and tell what’s up in your reading world.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

2015 Favorite…. 6 + Reviews: Never Never 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Posted on 05/22/2015 by shellbellereads

Never Never Part Two

Never Never Trilogy – Book 2

By Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Synopsis

*Part two of the Never, Never novella series.

New York Times bestselling authors Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher are back with the much-anticipated, nail-biting sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Never, Never.

“Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last.

And never stop loving me between all of them.

Never stop, Charlie.

Never forget.”

Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can’t imagine, beckons to be found.

“Where are you, Charlie?”

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

beautiful young couple in the sunlight

Michel’s Review

I have been counting down the months, days , and minutes for Never Never 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher to release. The moment it released I devoured this book. I am so invested in Silas and Charlie’s story.

Never Never 2 picks up where Never Never left off. Silas and Charlie have gone through another reset. Silas is in his car. Charlie is missing. Once again Silas has to figure out who he is, what his past is, and what is going on in his present. Luckily he had the letter and clues that he left himself to unravel the mystery.

Meanwhile Charlie is in a very strange place after the reset. She doesn’t have any clues as to who she is and how she came to be where she is. She has to rely on her wits to survive. She is piecing some of her past together through her dreams.

Silas is on the search for Charlie and time is running out. Charlie is trying to escape but has no idea where to go once she does.

Never Never 2 progresses the story of Charlie and Silas along. The reader is given a glimpse of what might have led to the dilemma they are in. There are revelations about both of their families, friends, and their relationship. There are revelations as to why they may be in the predicament they are in.

Both Silas and Charlie are smart. They have the intelligence to reason through their predicament. They have the inner strength to survive where their lives are at. They have their love to get them to the place they need to be. They need to find each other.

Once again Colleen and Tarryn kept the readers captivated with Silas and Charlie’s story. This installment to the story gave readers a lot of information and hidden clues. It also contained enough information to give the readers hope. In the end the reader is left puzzling over their dilemma but not torn to shreds about it. It left the readers with faith in Silas and Charlie. It also left the readers with some solid clues that they could formulate into solid theories.

I can’t wait for the final book. I have my theories!

one sad woman sitting on the floor near a wall and holding her head in her hands

Robin’s Review

Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher ended Never Never with a killer cliffhanger that left thousands of readers desperate for more of Charlie and Silas. If you are anything like me, you’ve probably been wondering, “Where is Charlie?” Never Never: Part 2 is very satisfying, and although it’s not the conclusion to the series, I’m delighted to share it completely surpassed my expectations!

Once again, we find Colleen Hoover writing the chapters for Silas Nash. Sigh. Out of all of her male characters, Silas Nash is my favorite. I love his passion. His intensity and determination. His fierce love for Charlie. “Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last. And never stop loving me between all of them. Never stop, Charlie. Never forget.” Silas is a young man who will not be deterred. He’s smart. Determined to find Charlie. Determined to find out why he and Charlie continue to lose their memory.

Tarryn Fisher continues to be the voice of Charlie Wynwood. Even with no memories, Charlie is a very perceptive young lady. She’s a strong protagonist who – underneath all of her bravado – can also be a little vulnerable. Readers, like myself, who are somewhat familiar with Tarryn Fisher? I think we all see a little bit of Tarryn in Charlie. Just like Silas, we were all left scratching our head, wondering what could have happened to Charlie at the end of Never Never. Since we begin Part 2 with a reset, Charlie has no real answers. It was a brilliant way to keep the mystery of “Where is Charlie?” alive.

Plain and simple – I absolutely loved Never Never: Part 2. This story is everything I had hoped for. Everything I had been anticipating. More often than not, the second novel of a trilogy is the weakest installment. Not with Never Never: Part 2. It’s honestly one of the best middle books that I have ever read. It appears to be well thought out. It’s full of classic writing from Hoover and Fisher. Really – anytime you read a story written by either of these authors, you can expect the writing to be exemplary, but it’s also seamless. The story is narrated by Silas and Charlie, the authors choosing to alternate points of view by chapter. The difference in writing styles feels completely natural because each protagonist has a unique personality.

My emotions were all over the place while I was reading Never Never: Part 2. It was thrilling. I was anxious and confused. It even had me in tears. From beginning to end, the story is creative and dramatic. Mysterious. Intriguing. Romantic. Part 1 of Never Never left my mind in a whirlwind – I had questions on top of questions after I finished reading. Have you ever been subjected to information overload? We are given a boatload of information in Never Never: Part 2. Theories are laid to rest. Questions are answered. Never Never: Part 2 has a satisfying conclusion that left my mind at ease, and I am nothing but hopeful for Silas and Charlie in the final book of the trilogy.

Lots of novels receive a 5-star rating. When I review a novel, I sometimes do something a little more. If a 5-star novel deserves more than that rating, if I feel it has something extra-special, I give it a bonus star. Never Never: Part 2 falls directly into this category. 6 stars for Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher!

gentle embrace of beautiful young lovers in the sunlight

About The Authors

Colleen’s Bio

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, and Ugly Love. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Tarryn’s Bio

Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times bestselling author of Mud Vein. She was born in South Africa, and lived there for most of her childhood. She moved to Seattle just for the rain. She reads and writes more than she sleep. She spends way too much time on Facebook and Instagram and drinks sick amounts of Starbucks.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Happy Release + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Last Kiss by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick – The Hitman Series – Book 3

Posted on 05/08/2015 by shellbellereads

Last Kiss

The Hitman Series – Book 3

By Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick

Synopsis

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit and Last Breath comes the next dark and sensual tale in the Hitman series that crosses the line between danger and desire…

Naomi: When I was kidnapped I thought only of survival. I don’t thrive well in chaos. That’s why I gave my captors exactly what they wanted: my skill with computers. Making millions for a crime lord who kept me imprisoned in his basement compound kept my family safe. When he was taken out, I thought my ticket to freedom had arrived. Wrong. I traded one keeper for another. This time I’m in the hands of a scarred, dark, demanding Russian who happens to be the head of the Bratva, a Russian crime organization. He wants my brain and my body. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued, but I can’t be a prisoner forever…no matter how good he makes me feel.

Vasily: At a young age, I was taught that a man without power is a puppet for all. I’ve clawed—and killed—my way to the top so that it is my heel on their necks. But to unify the fractured organization into an undefeatable machine, I need a technological genius to help me steal one particular artifact. That she is breathtaking, determined, and vulnerable is making her more dangerous than all of my enemies combined. But only I can keep her safe from the world that she now inhabits. Soon, I must choose between Naomi and Bratva law. But with every day that passes, this becomes a more impossible choice.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks / Kobo

Excerpt

“Do you wish for me to touch you?”

I nod, sucking in a breath when his thumb skates across my lower lip. I should be thinking GERMS BACTERIA CONJUNCTIVITIS HERPES SKIN CONTACT PATHOGENS but all I can focus on is how skittery and excited his touch makes me. My pulse jumps, and I realize that I’m as aroused now with him talking to me and touching me with his fingers as I was in the bathroom when I masturbated.

He pulls his hand away again, and I realize his other is gripping my shoulder, his arm wrapped around my back. I’m pulled against his chest, and I feel oddly secure here against him. Then, Vasily moves his fingers in the air again, as if to get my attention. I watch as his free hand now moves to my knee and firmly presses it back, nudging my legs apart.

And I’m helpless to protest. I want this. I want to know what’s going to happen when he touches me. I’m throbbing and aching with need, and my breath is coming as small, gasping little pants that are registering even in my distracted mind.

“Are you still unsettled?” he asks in a low voice.

“No,” I whisper, my tone matching his. “I’m aching.”

He groans softly, and then his hand glides up the inside of my thigh, the backs of his fingers skimming along my leg. Then, Vasily’s hand moves and he is cupping my pussy. He feels scorching hot against me, and just the sensation of his skin touching mine is making me anxious.

“You are very wet,” he rasps, and I notice curiously that his breathing is as rapid as my own. One of his fingers presses forward, parting the lips of my pussy and pushing in. “Very wet.”

“I can’t help it. It’s a natural reaction to stimuli, but I understand if it disturbs you—”

“I like it.” His voice is a guttural growl against my ear, and I shiver. I didn’t realize how close he’s pressed to me but I can feel his breath on my neck, and his head is canted toward mine, as if he is telling me secrets. “I like that your wetness is for me.”

“I don’t know if—” I begin to protest, but his finger taps against my clit, and I gasp, completely and utterly distracted by that quick touch. It feels . . . different to have a man do it for me. Very different. Intense. Raw. I grab his hand at the wrist and press my flesh against his fingers, asking for more.

“Tell me what you want, Naomi.”

“More.” I press his hand again, breathless, and my hips twitch. “Start with an even rhythm and circle the hood of my clit. Over time, speed up and increase the frequency of touches. You can change the pattern as you go but don’t let up until I come.”

He laughs again, and I stiffen, but then his finger begins to move against my clit, stroking it in tiny circles like I told him. “I like that you tell me exactly what you want, Naomi. There are no games with you.”

I’m confused at that. Isn’t that what he wants me to do? But then a second finger follows the first, and he’s rubbing wide circles around my clit, and adding an extra little stroke every now and then, and it feels like he’s taking my flesh between his fingers and just rubbing rubbing rubbing . . . And I love it.

“Just like that,” I tell him, closing my eyes and falling against his shoulder. I hold my knees open wider so he won’t stop touching me, and my hips begin to move, involuntarily following his fingers as he touches me.

“Do you like this?” His voice is rough, biting, and so close to my face.

I nod without opening my eyes, letting the sensations take over. “It feels much better when you do it,” I tell him, and cry out when one of his fingers dips lower and touches me . . . deeper. “What are you doing?”

“I am seeing if you like more touches.” His nose nuzzles against my face, and I press against him, seeming to need his caresses as much as I need his touch on my clitoris. “Are you frightened?”

“No, but I like the other touch better,” I tell him as his finger circles lower. “That one just makes me ache.”

“It makes your cunt ache to be filled,” he tells me. “Someday, you will let me fill it for you.”

I don’t reply; I don’t need to, because he circles a finger at the entrance to my core a moment longer, and then shifts his hand. My fingers graze over his, exploring—I feel too good to open my eyes and leave the sea of sensations—and I realize he’s now working my clit with his thumb. His finger presses deeper again, and I gasp when he sinks it into me.

I’m riding his hand.

He murmurs something in Russian and I feel his mouth press against my brow.

Then, as if he’s a car that’s changed gears, he begins to press his thumb against my clit rapidly. His speed is so fast that he practically feels as if he’s vibrating . . . and these motions carry down to the thick finger that’s buried deep inside me.

I’ve never experienced this double sensation before, and it’s overwhelming.

I bite my lip, and when that won’t hold my feelings inside, I burst into noisy gasps and my hands start clawing at him, at his shirt. I don’t know what I need, but this feels like too much. It’s overwhelming and twice as powerful as anything I’ve ever done to myself. “Stop, stop,” I breathe, even as I press my legs further apart and lift my hips against his hand.

“Vasily, stop. Vasily!”

“Keep saying my name like that, Naomi.”

“Vasily, please.” I pull at his shirt, practically butting my head against him as I writhe against his hand. “I need . . . something . . . more . . . not as fast. Too much!”

But he keeps twitching that intense thumb against my clit, stroking his finger inside me. He’s not stopping. If anything, he’s going faster.

And all of a sudden, my body can’t handle it anymore. I burst and a hard, choked noise rushes out of my throat, and my body clenches and I’m coming, coming, coming, endlessly coming.

I feel as if I’m being torn apart by pleasure so intense it’s making my toes curl even as the breath leaves my lungs. And all the while, I gasp like a dying fish and cling to his shirt.

Hypothesis? Destroyed.

Michel’s Review

Wow…. Last Kiss blew me away! I could not put this book down. It consumed me from the first page until the very last word. It is by far my favorite book in the outstanding Hitman series by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick.

The Last Kiss is one of the most uniquely intense books I have read. Both of the main characters were not your normal hero and heroine. They had their individual quirks that endeared them to my heart. The mission they are set out to complete was not only impossible but a true test of who they are and what they could endure. It subjected them both to circumstances that were outside of their personal comfort zones and pushed their limits. Both of these characters were beautifully flawed. Both characters are outside of the range of what most people would consider normal. Both characters needed each other in ways that most people don’t. They accepted each others flaws and celebrated them with admiration and respect.

Vasily Petrovich has been a member of the Bratva since he was a young boy. He was accepted into the Petrovich family leader’s home as one of their own. It was not without a price. He has become desensitized to emotions, desensitized to pain, and does not seek out personal gratification. As a young boy he has been trained as a soldier and warrior. He was taught that nothing matters in his life except the welfare of the Bratva. The Brava is the heart of Moscow. They are the true rulers and their people look to them for their well being. When Vasily allows his leader to be assassinated to ensure the future of Bratva, it leaves the Bratva without a true leader. It is a position that he wants to step into. He must gain the support and trust of the elders before he can step into this position. He must find a way to eliminate Elana Petrovich’s influence on the Bratva. He is tasked with the mission to find what is considered the heart of the Bratva. He is tasked to find the long lost painting known as the Caravaggio. This valuable painting was lost to the Bratva while Alex Petrovich was in power. The Bratva wants it back. Their rival factions also want the Caravaggio. It is a true sign of power in Russia. Both the Bratva and rival factions have put a high price on the Caravaggio. If Vasily cannot obtain the Caravaggio he will pay a very high price. A price much higher than the leadership of the Bratva.

Vasily is a very smart man. He knows the task is next to impossible. He has done his research and found the one person that can obtain the information he needs to get the Caravaggio back. He needs the Emperor . The Emperor is the hacking genius of the underworld. The Emperor can obtain any kind of information. The Emperor can destroy anyone with one click. He has found the Emperor and he is going to kidnap him.

Naomi Hays is the Emperor . She is not your ordinary hacker and cyber genius. She is autistic. She has Aspbergers Syndrome. She is a high functioning Aspie but has a lot of limits and quirks. When she is kidnapped by Vasily at first she is fearful. After a small amount of time she is all in with helping Vasily locate the Caravaggio. He is the first person to show her understanding, not question her behavior or quirks, and appreciates her pure genius mind. He does not question her methods. He gives her everything she needs and wants without a second thought. He is the first man that she perked her interest. He is a lot like her. He stirs something that stimulates more than her mind. She wants to find out what it is for scientific purposes. Naomi is going to learn about desire, need, stimulation on all levels, and emotions.

Together Vasily and Naomi will embark on a dangerous hunt that will lead them into the hedonistic underworld sex clubs to the evil underworld in the Bratva. They will venture all over Europe seeking the Caravaggio. Along the way they will find something more valuable than the Caravaggio. They will find the other half of themselves. They will find the true meaning of love and acceptance.

Last Kiss was brilliant. The authors handled every aspect of Aspbergers Syndrome with great respect and care. They very meticulously highlighted the fact that people with Aspbergers are not mentally and socially impaired, they are just different. Their brain works in a different kind of synchronicity than the average person. They are beautiful minds.

The Last Kiss was fast paced, action packed, emotional, and sensual. The plot was fresh and unique. The writing was impeccable .

There are some taboo situations that are somewhat graphic. These are handled with care and are not the main focus of the book. These situations are a very revelant of the story and progression of the plot.

The Last Kiss by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick is a 6 Star book. It can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order. I would recommend series order. Either way don’t miss this outstanding book.

Last Hit

Book 1

From two bestselling authors—the first in a deliciously bold new series that takes readers to the most dangerous edge of desire . . .

Nikolai: I have been a contract killer since I was a boy. For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all spoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small, scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears.

Daisy: I’ve been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best about people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man who has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk . . . and also, my life.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks

Last Breath

Book 2

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit comes the next in the steamy series that explores the exquisite power of our darkest passions . . .

Regan: I never really knew what misery was until the day I was kidnapped and sold for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two months later, I’m at a brothel in Rio when I meet Daniel Hays. He says he’s here to save me, but can I trust him? All I know of him are his sarcastic retorts and his tendency to solve every dispute with his gun. He’s also the only safe thing in my world, and I know it’s wrong to fall in love with him, but I can’t seem to help myself. He says he’ll protect me until his last breath, but I don’t know if I should believe him or even if I can.

Daniel: For the last eighteen months, one goal has dictated every action I’ve taken. I’ve left the Army, turned paid hit man, and befriended criminals all across the globe to find my kidnapped sister. In every brothel I raid and every human trafficking truck I stop, I hope the next face I find is my sister’s. In a hidden brothel in Rio, I find Regan Porter, bruised but not broken, and still sane despite her weeks in captivity. I should leave her behind or send her home, because the last thing either of us needs right now is to get involved. But with every passing minute, I find I’m less able to let her go.

MATURE AUDIENCE

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks

Last Hit Reloaded

A Hitman Novella

Release Date: January 20, 2015

With their explosively sexy novels, the bestselling authors of Last Breath, Last Kiss, and Last Hit have proven themselves “a force to be reckoned with.”* Now comes an all-new to-die-for novella in their acclaimed Hitman series…
There was a time when Nick loved the fear he instilled in his enemies. His tattoos alone promised danger, but it was the look in his eyes that delivered on it. A contract killer since he was just a boy, Nick has now forged a new life—and a new identity—with the woman who followed him, captured him, and changed him.
He terrified Daisy. Once. But she couldn’t resist, and she ignored every warning. It paid off. Now she’s part of a new beginning, a fresh start in America helping him to leave behind a reckless and violent past as a professional killer. But the past is never easy to outrun, especially when so much of it thrives on revenge.
A new threat has emerged from the shadows, and now Nick and Daisy have no choice but to rely on Nick’s killer skills to protect them from everything they’ve tried so hard to escape.

Includes a bonus excerpt from Last Kiss.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Last Kiss

Book 3

Release Date: May 5, 2015

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit and Last Breath comes the next dark and sensual tale in the Hitman series that crosses the line between danger and desire…

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks / Kobo

_____________________________________________________________

About The Authors

Jessica Clare is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author who writes under three different names. As Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance.

She also has a third pen name (because why stop at two?). As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals. She lives in Texas with her husband, cats, and too many dust-bunnies. Jill spends her time writing, reading, writing, playing video games, and doing even more writing.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
Jen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog. She’s been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

GIVEAWAY
Signed set of Hitman Books
Apple Watch Sport

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Release + 6 Star Review: After The War by Jessica Scott – The Homefront Series – Book 2

Posted on 05/05/2015 by shellbellereads

Jessica Scott

After the War

Homefront Series – Book 2

5/5/2015

Blurb:

The second book in the emotional new Homefront series from USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott

A terrible loss…

Captain Sarah Anders lost her husband to the Iraq war and has nearly lost the career she loves. Sent to Fort Hood, she only wants to do her job and take care of the daughter she’s raising on her own. She never counted on running straight into a memory she’d tried to forget.

A love he never forgot…

Captain Sean Nichols never got over Sarah. He simply tried to forget her amidst the war and the chaos of combat. But when she’s assigned to investigate his unit, he comes face to face with the woman no war or any amount of time could make him forget.

A dark secret…

As Sarah gets closer to the truth, Sean must accept that actions he took during the war may end the tentative love building between them. And even if Sarah can forgive him, Sean may never be able to forgive himself.

Buy:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes/iBooks | Google Play

Excerpt:

“I’m sorry you have to go through this alone.”

“Thank you for saying that.” She blinked quickly, and she heard a rustle of blankets. Her mind detoured into a very unprofessional space. “Did you just get into bed?”

He laughed quietly. “Yeah. Are you?”

“Yeah.” There was something illicit in that simple agreement. Illicit and enticing all at once.

“So we’re in bed together?”

“Ha ha ha.” She cleared her throat, though, as a fresh heat traced over her skin, warm and needy. “Tell me more about Kearney.”

“Damn, and here I thought you were going to ask me what I was wearing to bed.”

She hesitated. Only for a moment, not giving herself time to talk herself out of her next words. “What are you wearing to bed?”

A silence that let her mind wander. “Sweats.” He paused. When he spoke, his voice was husky and thick. “Tell me what you’re wearing.”

“Yoga pants and a T-shirt,” she said softly, her cheeks turning hot. Was she really having this conversation?

“Sarah?”

“Yeah?”

“This doesn’t feel wrong to me. I just wanted you to know that.”

Michel’s Review

After The War by Jessica Scott is the second book in her new Homefront Series.

After The War is Jessica Scott’s best book to date. It was a powerful and emotional book that was obviously a very personal look into the person Jessica Scott is. Jessica poured a lot of herself into this novel and gave the readers a real look at the hardships of being a female officer, a mother, and a woman. The difficulties of combining a military career and family life are hard enough but add being a single parent to a pre schooler adds more to an already full plate. She also showed that even though one can be a soldier prepared for war that you are never prepared for the loss personally. The fears are very real. The devastation is even harder because no matter how the pieces fall you still have to soldier on. You still have to be a parent to your child.

Captain Sarah Anders has struggled and had adversity since she began her military career. She lost one man she loved because of her career. He could not accept her choice of being a soldier. He wanted a wife and children at home while he was pursuing his own career as a soldier. She lost her husband, the only man that accepted her choices and career, to the casualties of war. She gave birth to her daughter alone. She has spent the last five years trying to combine her career and be the best parent to her ability.

When she is fired from one position and sent to Fort Hood it is like a slap in the face for her endeavors in the Army. She is assigned to a senior officer that believes no single parent , especially a woman, should be in the Army. Her superior officer (although being a woman herself) is much harder on her female officers than she is on her male officers. Sarah is assigned to investigate a case of the arrests of two soldiers fighting in a local bar. It should be a cut and dry case but as the investigation begins to unfold there is much more buried below the surface. One the main problems is dealing with the soldiers commanding officer. That officer is the same man that could not accept her career choices and walked away. Now nine years later they are forced to work together.

A lot of changes can take place over nine years. Sarah is living proof of that. She is a mother and widow. She is an officer walking a fine line in her career because of Army politics and her home life.

Captain Sean Nichols has also changed. He was once an idealistic naive young soldier that thought he could change the world. He thought going to war would make a difference. War has a way of changing a man’s perspective on life and his view of the world. He may be a career warrior but he is also a compassionate man. He understands the nightmares and devastation that stays within a man’s soul after the war. He is trying to keep his men sane, focused, and prepared. Two of his soldiers are falling off course. It is more than homefront problems affecting these men. Something happened while they were on the front that is causing these men conflicts.

Sean never dreamed he would see Sarah again. He is shocked to find out she married soon after they broke it off. He was even more shocked that she was a mother. Then when he found out who her husband was, he was devastated. He witnessed her husband’s death. Now he wants a second chance to get to know Sarah once more. He has changed and respects her career. He also admires her sense of dedication to her young daughter. He wants another chance with Sarah.

Can Sarah put aside her fears, mistrusts, and resentments and give Sean another chance? Will she be able to hold onto her career and have a personal life? Can she still be a good parent and a good soldier at the same time? She thought she knew how to do it. Coming to Fort Hood has changed everything. It could be for the worse or it could be for the better. Sarah has tough choices to make. The one thing that seems most important is taking a second chance at love.

After The War was a powerful story of a strong woman surviving her losses, her career choices, and being the best person she can be.

I admire Jessica Scott for writing this story.

__________________________________________________________________

About Jessica Scott:

USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She’s also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

She’s pursuing a graduate degree in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012.

Find Jessica Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Happy Release + 6 Star Review: The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen – The Ivy Years Series – Book 4

Posted on 04/15/2015 by shellbellereads

The Shameless Hour

The Ivy Years Series- Book 4

Release Date: April 15. 2015

By Sarina Bowen

Buy: Amazon/ B & N / ITunes

Synopsis

The girl who’s had everyone meets the boy who has no one.
For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.
Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright sinister fraternity prank, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.
Bella doesn’t want Rafe’s help, and she’s through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can’t be snuffed.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

I heard the band start to play the classic one-two Merengue rhythm that I’d heard my whole life. On the dance floor, the energy picked up as the geezers began to move to the faster beat.

“Let’s go,” I said, standing up. I offered Bella my hand.

But Bella shook her head. Even worse, she scooted her chair toward the wall.

“Don’t leave me hanging,” I said, my hand still waiting in the air. “Come on now. Nobody puts Bella in a corner.”

On the other side of the table, Bella’s sister snorted into her white wine.

Bella rolled her eyes. Hard. “You did not just quote Dirty Dancing.”

I leaned down near Bella’s ear. “I did. Now get your ass out of that chair, like the girl in the movie, or I’ll have to put you in a fireman’s hold.”

Her mouth tight, Bella stood up. Not one to waste an opportunity, I clasped her hand, tugging her onto the dance floor. When we were right in the center, I put one hand onto Bella’s waist and took her opposite hand in mine. She was as stiff as a piece of wood. “Shake it off, chica. This is supposed to be fun.”

“Your job tonight was to make my life less embarrassing. Not more.”

“I am doing that. We’re going to be the best looking dancers on this floor, and everyone in this mausoleum is going to wonder how I got so lucky as to be here with you. Now listen to this rhythm, okay? Just step to the beat. And let your hips absorb the motion.” I began to move to the music. The merengue is a Dominican dance, and every kid in my neighborhood can merengue before his fifth birthday. It’s just not that complicated.

With nervous eyes, Bella began to move.

“Use these hips,” I prompted, touching the silky fabric of her dress. As I watched, she loosened up a tiny fraction. “Yes! But even more. You look great. I wouldn’t steer you wrong. And think of pressing the balls of your feet into the floor.”

Biting her lip, Bella moved with me.

“That’s it! See? Nothing to it.” Just like that, we had a proper merengue going on.

“Can I sit down yet?” Bella asked.

“Not even close,” I laughed. “See, I knew you could move.”

Bella pouted. “We’ve seen each other’s moves, Rafe.”

She lifted her eyes, and the heat in them went straight to my dick.

Jesucristo. That was the trouble with getting so close to Bella. I was always going to be susceptible to her. Anything she did to remind me of that night was always going to knock me right over.

“Ha.” She said. “I finally found a way to shut you up.” Bella put a little more effort into her merengue then, looking smug.

Michel’s Review

The Shameless Hour is the fourth book in the Ivy Years Series by Sarina Bowen. Each and every book in this series has been beyond excellent and made our 2014 Favorites list. The Shameless Hour is following in the foot steps of it’s predecessors with a very unique story and very unique characters. There is nothing predictable about this book. This book paves the path for new characters in the series as well as featuring some of the beloved characters from previous books. She has allowed her characters to mature, grow as individuals, and move forward in their lives. Some have graduated and left Harkness College, others are working towards graduating, some are changing their interests and goals, others are finding new paths to follow; the one thing that remains the same is their dedication to friendship and love. Each character has a story to tell and hopefully each one will get a book. Up on the Harkness Roll Sheet in the Ivy Years series is Bella Hall, the student hockey team manager.

Bella Hall is in a class by herself. She can manage a team full of college hockey players and take any kind of crap from the guys and give it right back, She is a progressive thinker and is very open about her own sexuality. She doesn’t see any harm in hooking up with a guy as long as it doesn’t hurt any one else and there are no expectations for a relationship. She is a free spirit until a horrific mistake makes her the joke of the campus. Her mistake has been posted on the internet as a fraternity prank and it ruins her self esteem. The once outgoing girl turns into an introvert. But another previous mistake ends up being her redemption and the best thing to ever happen to her. It opens her eyes about the true meaning of love and relationships. It opens the door for new friendships. It shows her how loyal and valuable her friendship has been to others. It also gives her an opportunity to focus on her goals and ambitions for the future. Most of all… these two mistakes, one good and one bad, will be life changing for her in a very good way. She will find the kind of love she never knew she wanted or needed.

Rafe Santiago is a sophomore Soccer player at Harkness. He comes from a humble background. He was raised by a single mother in a strict Hispanic Catholic environment. He has been taught to respect women, that one night stand hookups are wrong, and that love should be the only reason to have sex out of wedlock. When a bad break up leads to a drunken one night stand with the beautiful Bella Hall, he is mortified the next day. He isn’t mortified because he had sex, he is mortified that he treated Bella with disrespect the morning after. He truly likes her as a person and has always harbored a secret crush on her. He is determined to apologize and make things right with Bella. He wants to date her and show her what a caring relationship means. When the unthinkable happens to Bella he’s determined to show her what an exceptional and beautiful person she is inside and out.

Rafe and Bella will form a beautiful friendship that comes from true respect. They will find that they have more in common than they think. They will also learn new things about themselves as well as each other.

Sarina Bowen penned another emotional and heart wrenching story. When Bella’s mistake was revealed I was floored. I was having an OMG moment and was completely stunned. I have never read a book with this kind of dilemma as part of the plot. How she handled this dilemma and how the characters reacted to it was amazing. She once again showed that people can overcome the things that hurt them most. This was a beautiful love story that showed the readers the value of friendship and respect. Rafe was another swoon worthy hero in the Harkness Hall of Fame. Well done Sarina! I can’t wait to see what’s coming next…. maybe a movie star, a hot shot soccer player, or some of our beloved hockey players.

Read The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen. It can be read in series order or as a stand alone romance.

The Ivy Years

The Year We Fell Down – Book 1

The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else. What now?

She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.

Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.

Also, he’s taken.

Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.

They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.

But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness — one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Year We Hid Away – Book 2

She’s hiding something big. He’s hiding someone small.
Scarlet Crowley’s life was torn apart the day father was arrested for unspeakable crimes. Now the shock has worn off, but not the horror.

It’s a safe bet that Scarlet is the only first year at Harkness College who had to sneak past TV news trucks parked on her front lawn just to leave town. But college will be Scarlet’s fresh start.

Clutching a shiny new student ID — with a newly minted name on it — she leaves it all behind. Even if it means lying to the boy she’s falling for.

Bridger McCaulley is a varsity hockey star known for being a player both on and off the ice. But a sobering family crisis takes that all away. Protecting his sister means a precarious living arrangement and constant deception. The only bright spot in his week is the few sensual, stolen hours he spends with Scarlet.
The two form a tentative relationship based on the understanding that some things must always be held back. But when grim developments threaten them both, going it alone just won’t work anymore. And if they can’t learn to trust one another now, the families who let them down will take everything they’ve struggled to keep.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Blond Date – Book 2.5

A blind date. A nervous sorority girl. A mean-spirited fraternity prank. What could go wrong?

As a sorority pledge, there are commandments that Katie Vickery must live by. One: thou shalt not show up for the party without a date. Two: the guy shall be an athlete, preferably an upperclassman.

Unfortunately, Katie just broke up with her jerkface football player boyfriend. Even worse, her last encounter with him resulted in utter humiliation. She’d rather hide under the bed than attend a party where he’ll be.

Yet staying home would mean letting him win.

Enjoying herself tonight was out of the question. She could only hope to get through the evening without her blind date noticing that he was spending the evening with a crazy person.

Andrew Baschnagel is living proof that nice guys don’t finish first. He’s had his eye on Katie since the moment her long legs waltzed into his art history class. So when her roommate sets Andy up to be Katie’s date, he’d be crazy to say no. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of practice with either girls or parties. Yet.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Understatement Of The Year – Book 3

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexual orientation from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother.

Buy : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Ivy Years Collection- Three Full Length Novels + Novella

Life at the elite Harkness College is brought to you in four tales, each one sexier and more heartbreaking than the last. Contains: hockey hotties, snarky T-shirts, a slow-burn love affair, a liar (with reasons,) a virgin (with reasons,) and one adorkable basketball player.

Book 1: The Year We Fell Down
The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else.
Corey was supposed to start college as a member of the women’s ice hockey team. Instead, she’ll spend it in a wheelchair. The only upside? Her too-delicious-to-be-real neighbor across the hall.

Book 2: The Year We Hid Away
She’s hiding something big. He’s hiding someone small.
Dorm rooms are supposed to be for sleeping, studying, and partying. Not for hiding your eight-year-old sister.

Novella: Blonde Date
A blind date. A nervous sorority girl. A mean-spirited fraternity prank. What could go wrong?

Book 3: The Understatement of the Year
What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.
Michael Graham will never tell anyone the truth about himself. Too bad his past walks right into the locker room on the first day of hockey practice.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Author Bio:

Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.

The Year We Fell Down, Book #1 in The Ivy Years series, began breaking hearts in March 2014. Book #2, The Year We Hid Away, is brand new.

For Harlequin-E, Sarina writes the Gravity series. Coming in From the Cold features an angsty downhill ski racer and one of the most unique plot conflicts in contemporary romance today.

Sarina enjoys skiing, coffee products and a nice glass of wine. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

She would be honored to connect with you at http://www.sarinabowen.com.

Sign up for Sarina’s Mailing List

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter~ Goodreads ~Amazon Author Page

Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: Interim by S. Walden

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Interim

Genre: YA/ NA Crossover Suspense/Psychological Thriller

By S. Walden

Synopsis

Book Description:

~A lot can change in the space between devising a plan and carrying it out. That space is called the Interim.~

High school seniors Jeremy Stahl and Regan Walters aren’t friends. Not even close. He’s a picked-on, picked-apart loser outcast. She’s a cool kid running with the popular crowd. It’s unlikely they’d ever speak to one another. Too bad he’s madly in love with her. But what does it matter, anyway? He’s got no time for love. Only revenge.

Meticulously detailed in the pages of his battered red notebook is his master plan: April 14, 9:30 A.M., two guns, eighty rounds of ammo, backup knives, eleven victims. He’s finally ready to answer every single taunt, jeer, and flying fist—unwarranted abuse that’s spanned six years of his lonely life. He’s justified. He’s ready. But he never readied himself for her.

Regan finds his journal. She reads it, and when he discovers her intrusion, he has to switch tactics. She’s a liability now.

Better fix that.

(WARNING: This is a New Adult standalone that contains graphic language and violence, including gun violence. If school shootings are an especially sensitive subject for you, then I urge you to refrain from reading this book.)

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Smashwords

Letter to the Reader:

Dear Reader,

Not many authors will discourage you from reading their work. After all, the goal of our stories is to grow our readership, not diminish it. I’m well aware of that, but when I first became inspired with Jeremy’s story, I knew I would have to go about promoting it in an entirely different way—something far removed from my past marketing campaigns. I knew I would have to hide the book, stamp disclaimers all over it, plant seeds of doubt in your minds, decline requests for advanced reviews—in essence, all the things an author SHOULD NOT do when marketing her book. That’s why it took me so long to write the damn thing—over a year of worrying, second-guessing, flip-flopping, arguing. Jeremy sat waiting patiently, and I stared back at him wondering just how much he would destroy my career.

Then I remembered that his story is exactly the type of controversial social issue I enjoy tackling. I knew I had to write it because I could. I could be sensitive to the subject matter without being PC. I could leave my political and moral opinions out of it. I could make it a human story, not a gun story. I could do all these things if I worked very hard—if I was diligent and faithful to my characters and their experiences. Once I realized these things, I stopped fretting and just started writing, careful to keep all the details private and sacred. That’s how writing should be: private and sacred.

Now Jeremy’s story is no longer private, but I hope you will find it sacred. I hope you will throw off your preconceptions and bury your social and political views, your moral judgments. It’s too easy to go into a story like this already angry, especially if you or someone you love has experienced gun violence. I urge you to think long and hard before starting Interim if you are especially sensitive to the topic of school shootings. There are extremely violent, descriptive scenes, and I do not wish for my book to be a trigger for you.

I am well aware of the social debate a book like this may provoke. I did not write it for debate. I did not write it to make a statement about guns, gun control, gun access, Constitutional rights, etc. I am not interested in comparing my story to the horrific school shootings that have taken place in the United States. I have no motive other than to tell a story about an abused boy who felt he deserved justice. What you take away from the novel is entirely up to you.

Love,

Summer

Excerpt

Who was he? What was his purpose? He knew it once. Once, a long time ago, he decided to be a hero. He decided to avenge himself and all the other kids who were helpless against abuse. Once, a long time ago, he learned the difference between justice and mercy. He learned when justice was required. He learned when mercy was allowed. Once, a long time ago, he faced himself in the mirror and saw a stranger—a better boy than he could ever be. A boy with a mission. A boy with convictions. And he reached out to take hold of that boy, through the looking-glass, falling into a wonderland where righteousness ruled supreme and evil was destroyed with the pop pop! of a gun. The world made sense to him. Then.

Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/user/summerwalden/playlist/7I0P4NnU5bCiRzqMTapGEM

Robin’s Review

Twenty-three years ago, Pearl Jam released the alternative rock single named Jeremy. Jeremy is one of the most widely-recognized songs performed by Pearl Jam and is based on two different true stories. The main inspiration for Jeremy was a newspaper article about Jeremy Wade Delle of Richardson, Texas. On the morning of January 8, 1991, Jeremy Delle shot himself in front of his second-period English class. This song is also inspired by a student songwriter Eddie Vedder knew when he was in junior high school in San Diego. Instead of taking his own life, this student decided to gun down his classmates.

Now that you know the story behind the song, have you ever taken a moment to focus on the words of Jeremy? Go on…..pull out your iPod or do a search of YouTube videos and listen. It’s a very deep and dark song about a troubled teenager who decides to take control of his life and fight back on his own terms. It didn’t take long for me to recall Pearl Jam’s Jeremy once I began reading Interim, and the song will forever mean more to me now that I have read this novel.

It wasn’t easy for S. Walden to write her story about Jeremy Stahl. It took her a long time to come to terms with what was bouncing around in her head. Walden wants readers to know she is not speaking to a point. She has no agenda. She just has a story. Knowing Walden’s proclivity to write about dark and controversial subjects, I was nervous about reading Interim. In fact, I have never feared the content of a novel like I did with Interim. I had a healthy respect for this story based on the synopsis and personal discussion with the author before I began reading.

Walden truly agonized over writing Interim. Bullying. Parental neglect and abuse. Gun violence in schools. When you combine controversial subjects with violence, you have a recipe for something dark and scary. Something to be feared. This is the truth of the matter – the events that take place in Interim could happen at any school or shopping mall or workplace on any given day. So before you begin reading Interim, please be sure to read the letter from S. Walden at the beginning of the novel and be very sure you can handle the content.

I’m going to get straight to the point. Interim is a 6-star novel. It’s everything I could have hoped for in a thriller. Intense emotions, anger and panic. Darkness. Suspense. Graphic violence. Young adult romance. The authentic feel of the high school social scene. Issues teenagers deal with on daily basis. Walden was a teacher for several years, and she’s acquainted with the age group. She’s familiar with bullying. The dialogue, conversations between Jeremy and Regan, Hannah and other secondary characters, kept me on the edge of my seat. Interim completely held my interest. It’s one of the finest examples of character development that I can recall. It may have taken a long time for Walden to write this story, but I applaud the amount of time and thought she put into writing it. There is nothing rushed or sloppy about Interim. It’s one of the best novels I have read this year, and it has definitely earned a place on my list of 2015 favorites!

________________________________________________________________

S.Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. She is the USA Today bestselling author of Going Under. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about it.

She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her twitter feed at @swaldenauthor.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads

Facebook Giveaway

https://www.facebook.com/swaldenauthor/photos/p.888883921174916/888883921174916/?type=1

6 Star Review + Exclusive Interview : Homefront by Jessica Scott

Posted on 04/12/2015 by shellbellereads

Homefront

Homefront Series – Book 1

By Jessica Scott

Synopsis

“Beautifully Written” JoAnn Ross – New York Times Bestselling author of the Shelter Bay series

He’s always loved her…

First Sergeant Gale Sorren waited a war and half a lifetime for a chance to get stationed near the ex-wife who left him years ago. When he finally musters the courage to see her, the life he imagined she was living was nothing close to the reality.

She’s never stopped loving him…

Melanie never stopped worrying about Gale each time he headed off to war. But he’s never been there when she needed him and she’s had fifteen years to steel her heart against him.

But when Gale moves to Fort Hood, he finally has a chance to make things right with Melanie and the daughter she raised without him.

Can Mel trust her heart to a man who has always let her down?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

Excerpt

“Jamie’s upstairs.” Her voice sounded off. Heavy and sultry. Her eyes were dark and clouded with shadows, and something else.

Something he thought he knew but was afraid to name.

He cleared his throat before he spoke. It was a long time before he found the words he needed to say.

The words he wanted to say started with please and ended with them naked. He wasn’t sure that would go over well.

And besides, he wanted to keep the moment untarnished in his memory. It had been so fucking long since he’d held her.

“So what’s our negotiating position?” he asked.

“On what?” She frowned and looked down at her wine glass.

“I’m going upstairs. Are there any things that are expressly forbidden? I don’t want to undermine you.”

She smiled and it was warm and sunny. “You sound like you know how kids play mom against dad.”

He grinned down at her, fighting the urge to stroke his fingers over her cheek. She was so fucking adorable. “It’s part of the duty description of being a first sergeant,” he said mildly.

She frowned. “I’m quite sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Soldiers will try to get between you and your commander. It’s up to the commander and the first sergeant to present a united front.”

She opened her mouth to say something then closed it.

He stepped close. “What?”

“I—” She paused, refusing to lift her gaze to meet his. “I guess I hadn’t thought about it.”

Something he’d said upset her. It cut at him, slicing away the moment before and replacing it with something raw and bleeding. “What, Mel?”

He lifted his hand to her cheek then, more to offer comfort than to steady her.

He was shocked when she didn’t pull away.

“I guess I never thought about you and me being a united front.” Her words were thick and uncertain, filled with fear and old hurts. Because he could find no other way to soothe the aching hurt in her eyes, he lowered his mouth to hers. A gentle kiss. Hesitant. A brush of lips.

Tentative and seeking. He sucked gently on her bottom lip, urging her to open for him, begging her with his mouth to not pull away.

There was fear in his kiss. Terror that she would pull away and slap at him.

But then her lips parted. Just a little, but it was enough for him to feel her breath on his tongue. She tasted sweet and sunny from the wine. He could get drunk on her taste. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue against hers and losing a piece of his soul.

He held himself viciously in check. Barely cupped her cheeks as he fought the turbulent need inside, as it surged up, wanting her, only her. To remind her that she was his, she’d always been his.

But this was a campaign, not a single battle.

He eased back before she could pull away. “I’m here now.” His words brushed against her mouth. “For as long as you’ll let me, I’m here.” He stroked his thumb over her cheek. “I know I haven’t been someone you can count on.” He brushed his lips against hers again. “But I’d like to be.”

Michel’s Review

Homefront by Jessica Scott is the first book in her new series featuring career military men and women that are in the precarious position of struggling with their careers and finding the right balance with their families. At times the military forces their men and women to make their jobs more important than family. It is a necessary evil that keeps them alive and able to return home to the ones they love. These choices not only leave scars on the soldier, they also leave scars on their families. Some wounds are impossible to heal. Others take time, effort, dedication, patience, and most of all, love.

Gale Sorren is a soldier. He has dedicated most of his life to the army. He has served two tours in Afghanistan and trained his men to be tough soldiers. He walked away from his wife and young daughter because he didn’t know how to be a soldier and be husband/ father. His immaturity and fear caused him to lose the one thing that should of been his foundation. He lost his family.

While in Afghanistan the reality of his loss hits home in a very devastating way. His young teen daughter is in the hospital and facing some serious psychological problems. He wants to be there for her and her mother. When he is denied leave because of miscommunications, he literally loses his cool. His reactions almost cost him his career. But it is also an eye opener. He realizes that he has never been there when his family really needed him. He never put them first. He never realized how his choices and actions affected their lives. He has vowed that once he is home he is going to do everything in his power to get stationed near his family. He is going to put them first. He only hopes that he is not too late.

A few years later he is finally stationed near his ex wife and teenage daughter. His daughter has gone from being a bright eyed little princess to a very troubled teen. She is screwing up in school, defying her mother, sneaking around with a boy, and making everybody’s life miserable. Gale is going to have to learn a new way to communicate with his daughter and his ex wife. He will struggle with it all. He will make mistakes. He will make some great strides. The one thing that is very clear is that he is going to do everything within his power to become a part of his family. He will show them how much he really loves them every moment of the day.

While Gale struggles to find his footing with his family, he is also struggling with his new post. Not only are there the usual army problems and issues, there are also problems among the officers. After a discovery of a domestic crime that could ruin one man’s career, the lines are drawn in the sand. Officers are taking sides and it is getting ugly.

Meanwhile two teenagers are in danger. It is up to Gale to make his daughter and her boyfriend’s homelife a safe environment. At the same time hang onto his career and win his wife back.

The one thing that makes everything different now is that Gale is a strong man and leader. Melanie is a strong woman and mother. They are no longer teenage kids trying to raise a baby. They are mature adults that look at life differently and understand the importance of effort. They also know that love is the foundation that makes the family work.

Jessica Scott wrote another powerful story that not only touched my heart but shocked me. As a parent of teenagers I could understand the difficulties in parenting. I could understand Gale and Melanie’s need to protect their child and any other child that may be in trouble. As a women I understood Melanie’s fears, heartbreak, and reluctance to trust Gale. I respected the way Gale handled every situation.

Homefront is an amazing book!

_________________________________________________________________________

Excusive Interview with Jessica Scott

Can you tell the readers how you became inspired to become a novelist while actively serving our country?

Jessica : I wanted to tell stories about normal soldiers coming home from war. I love a NAVY Seal romance as much as the next gal but I felt like I could tell a story about the everyman – not the special forces soldiers but the regular joes.

What type of books did you write first, fiction or non fiction?

Jessica :My first love has always been fiction. Nonfiction has come relatively easily but fiction took a lot of blood sweat and tears to get it right.

What inspired you to venture into the New Adult genre after being successful with Contemporary Romance.

Jessica: I don’t know, honestly. I was in that weird place I get at least once a year where I’m thinking I’m done, I don’t have anything left in me and then Beth and Noah kind of just jumped out of me. I wrote their book really quickly and honestly, I’ve never had it happen to me like this. I love the story and I’m so glad others are enjoying it, too.

Did you find it harder to write a New Adult book?

Jessica : Not really. I found writing in the first person really easy to slip into. I was able to get into their points of view more easily so it was a really refreshing change, if that makes sense.

Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration for your latest novel, Homefront?

Jessica : Homefront is a spin off series of the Coming Home series. It’s First Sergeant Sorren’s story and it’s 100% a reunion story (which I seem to write a lot). It’s about a man learning to become a father and a husband when he’s been gone for most of his daughter’s life.

What can readers look forward to in the future from Jessica Scott?

Jessica : Well, there are two more homefront books coming later this year. After the War comes out in May and hopefully, Face the Fire will be out in June (if I can get it finished by then). After that, there will be two more new adult books. Any further out, I think I have to hit the skids and think I’m done with no more stories to tell before I figure out what comes next.

About Jessica Scott

Most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012. Learn More at http://www.jessicascott.net

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Category Archives: 6-Star

6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Excerpt + Giveaway: Song of David by Amy Harmon

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Song Of David by Amy Harmon

6 Star Review : Never Let You Go by Katy Regnery – A Modern Day Fairytale –

Summer Reads: 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: Gus by Kim Holden

2015 Favorite…. 6 + Reviews: Never Never 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Happy Release + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Last Kiss by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick – The Hitman Series – Book 3

Happy Release + 6 Star Review: After The War by Jessica Scott – The Homefront Series – Book 2

Happy Release + 6 Star Review: The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen – The Ivy Years Series – Book 4

Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: Interim by S. Walden

6 Star Review + Exclusive Interview : Homefront by Jessica Scott

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