Release Day Blitz + 6-Star Review + Giveaway: Falling For Fate by Caisey Quinn

Posted on 09/23/2014 by Saucy Southern Readers

FALLING FOR FATE by Caisey Quinn is LIVE!

While second in the Second Chance series, this novel stands alone.

*SURPRISE!! Caisey decided to include a Special Bonus Novella!

Grab your copy now and it will include Falling for You, the prequel to Falling for Fate!

**ON SALE DURING RELEASE WEEK FOR 2.99!

~PURCHASE LINKS~

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

SYNOPSIS

Fate Buchanan just wants to escape the constraints of her old life. After checking her mother into rehab and catching her fiancé with her maid of honor the night before their wedding, she ran. Angry and hurt, she’s aching to do something reckless.

Dean Maxwell is having one last summer of freedom before taking over his family’s multi-billion dollar medical conglomerate. When he sees a beautiful woman running down the beach alone after dark, he knows it’s not safe. So he does something impulsive.

When their paths cross unexpectedly after a night of unbridled passion, neither of them can forget the memory of the affair they shared. What began as one night is about to become a whole lot more.*While part of the Second Chance series, this novel is a standalone.

CAISEY’S CASTING PICKS

EXCERPT

“God, you’re so f*cking beautiful.”

Her eyes widened up at him. She could only imagine how she looked. Hair messy and damp, his shirt sliding off one shoulder, eyes glazed over.

“You are.” He shook his head as if searching for the words to explain his attraction to her. “That first night, swear to everything holy, I thought you might be some mythical creature come to steal my soul. But you were so damn beautiful that I would have given it to you.”

She kept quiet, afraid to move or speak and risk breaking the magic that kept him with her, kept him from running. He wasn’t running. He was opening up and being honest.

Dean lowered himself into the bed beside her, propping on one elbow and facing her. Fate mirrored his position and admired the way the moonlight lit his handsome face.

“I asked the universe for a sign. It sent me you.”

Her whispered confession made him smile. But his expression turned serious far too soon for her liking. “I felt it the moment I saw you. A compulsion like I’d never felt before, as if some unseen force propelled me toward you without my consent. I’ve felt it ever since.”

Fate rested her head on her hands and nodded against them. “I feel it too. I’m just…a little afraid of it. Of what it might cost us.”

“My mom used to say that things worth having didn’t come easy and that the kind of girl that was worth waiting for wouldn’t wait on anyone. Those two adages keep coming back to me every time I think of you.”

She inched her hand over toward his. “Do you do that often? Think of me?”

Dean kept eye contact, only breathing and watching her. “Define often.”

Fate grinned. “More than once a week.”

The slight curve of his lips faded and his gaze became a heavy, tangible thing she could feel pressing into her.

“I thought of you every day, Fate. And I didn’t even know your name. Even after I did… I think after that, it was more like several times a day.”

She wanted to keep this moment, to keep him here with her just like this. Both of them exposed and vulnerable. It was real and honest and—despite her exhaustion— exhilarating. But she knew it wouldn’t last forever. Nothing ever did.

“Sleep with me tonight. Don’t leave. Just… Just sleep with me, please.”

He nodded, letting his fingers interlace with hers between them and placing a soft kiss on the top of her hand. “I’m not going anywhere. Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Goodnight, Dean.”

*PLAYLIST TRACK: Stay with Me by Sam Smith*

Kelley’s Review

This is a book that you pick up and can’t put down until it’s over and even then you are wishing there were just a few more pages.

Dean would have never thought in a million years that the woman he found running down the beach would memorize him for months to come. She was absolutely stunning and almost angelic. She wanted Dean not for who he was or for the money he had, she just wanted the man and he wanted to know more about her. Dean wondered when it was all over if it was just a dream. He had her in his arms one moment and in the next she was gone.

Fate was so furious. She had changed her life for Trevor. She had molded herself into everything he could have ever wanted. She picked the wedding dress he liked, the cake he liked. Everything was about making Trevor happy. She even drank red wine because he insisted on ordering it for her. She hated it. The only thing she held onto was her virginity. She wanted their wedding night to be special. A night to remember. She ever expected that the night before her wedding would be the one she would never forget. When she found her maid of honor in the wine celler with her fiance she snapped. She asked for a sign and then ran smack dab into Dean. He was gorgeous and sexy and she needed to forget Trevor and do something spontaneous and crazy and so she decided a one stop roll in the sand might be what she needs.

Casiey does an excellent job brining two broken people together that were never meant to be. Dean has watched his father go through women like tissues and is not interested in settling down anytime soon. Fate is fighting what she feels for Dean because she saw how her mother went through men and then there was the whole Trevor thing. Some how Casiey has them facing their demons and grabbing on to something real.

I adored this read. I was sucked in by the pre-quel novella. If you want a read that you can’t put down that is filled with forbidden love and smoking hot chemistry then you will love Falling For Fate.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caisey Quinn lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series as well as several New Adult Romance novels featuring country girls finding love in unexpected places. You can find her online at http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com

Connect with Caisey on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaiseyQuinn

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaiseyQuinn

Giveaway

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Release Day Blitz: In Her Wake by K.A. Tucker- A Ten Tiny Breaths Series Novella

Posted on 09/01/2014 by shellbellereads

We are stoked to bring you all the Release Day Launch for K.A. Tucker’s IN HER WAKE! IN HER WAKE is a new adult contemporary romance and a prequel novella in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series, published by Atria Press (an imprint of Simon & Schuster).

Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | BAM | Bookish | Other

EXCERPT:

That’s how I spot her.

There’s no doubt that it’s her; I’ve memorized her face.

Leaning against a wall on the opposite side, her lips wrapped around a clear bottle filled with clear liquor, her fiery red hair a wild mane against the stark white wall, a tight black T-shirt showing off toned arms. She’s in no rush to part with that bottle, guzzling back a good portion before she hands it off to someone, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Her eyes at half-mast.

She’s wasted.

My heart starts racing. What the hell is Kacey Cleary doing here? By my calculation, she’s probably finishing her last year of high school, having lost at least half a year while recovering.

I tug my cap down even farther, though I doubt she can see two feet in front of her.

What if she does recognize me? How would she react? Does she know my real name? What I look like? I can’t say for sure that my face wasn’t printed in a newspaper somewhere. She could have Googled my name and found a dozen game shots with me in them. I have my helmet on in most of them, but you can find a profile picture of me easily enough if you’re looking.

I don’t know that she was, though. I wonder if Kacey Cleary gives a fuck about anything anymore. Her Facebook account is inactive. She hasn’t posted a single word and the well-wishes have dwindled, as everyone moves on.

I do know that she shouldn’t be at a party in this state. I’ve heard of bad things happening when girls get that drunk. Especially when they don’t care.

But what do I do?

A blonde stumbles into my chest with two beers in hand. “Hey, do you go here? What’s your name?” She’s tipping her head back way farther than necessary to look up at me, telling me she’s trying to flirt but is too drunk to do it right.

I smile down at her anyway. She’s a good cover. I can stand right here and watch Kacey. “I’m Trent, and I used to go here.”

“Really? When’d you graduate?”

From the corner of my eye, I see Kacey shift from the wall and begin climbing the stairs, her arm hooked around the railing to help her. Two guys following her.

About IN HER WAKE:

Cole Reynolds had it all. And then one night he makes a bad choice… and loses everything.

When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy. Normally, he’d be able to lean on his best friends. The best friends that have been in his life since he could barely walk. Only, they’re gone. Worse, there’s the shattered body of a sixteen-year-old girl lying somewhere in a hospital bed, her entire life ripped from her because of a case of beer and a set of keys.

Everyone assures him that they know it wasn’t intentional and yet he can’t ignore the weight of their gazes, the whispers behind his back. The all-consuming guilt he feels every time he thinks of that girl who won’t so much as allow him near her hospital room to apologize. As the months go by and the shame and loneliness festers, Cole begins to lose his grip of what once was important-college, his girlfriend, his future. His life. It’s not until Cole hits rock-bottom that he can begin to see another way out of his personal hell: forgiveness.

And there’s only one person who can give that to him…

And don’t miss the previous titles in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series!

Michel’s Review

I am a huge fan of the Ten Tiny Breaths series by K.A. Tucker. I was hooked the moment I read Ten Tiny Breaths. Every book in this series has been excellent and maintained the high standards of the previous books in this series.

When I saw that In Her Wake was releasing I was very excited. It is the prequel to Ten Tiny Breaths from Cole’s / Trent’s POV. I thought I knew the story that lead Trent to Kacey’s side in Miami. But like anything in life, there are two sides to a story. Two people can experience the same life impacting moment and be affected differently. They both will carry the emotional trauma throughout their lives and be forever changed because of it. How the individual deals with the trauma, reacts to the impact of that moment, and changes because of it is uniquely theirs. No one can say one person had it harder or easier than the other. They are both affected and have earned their emotional scars.

As Cole’s story about the night of the accident unfolds, we see a very different person than the one we met in Ten Tiny Breaths. We get to meet Cole (not Trent). We get a glimpse of his happy life, a life full of laughter, friendship, love, and happy family. We see a young man very secure with himself and his bright shining future. One moment changed everything. He lost his best friends, shattered his family, destroyed another family, and most of all he lost himself. Cole Reynolds died in that accident and Trent Emerson was born. These two men are completely different from each other and yet they share the same body, the same mind, and the same family. One destroyed his perfect life and the other is just trying to get through life day to day, moment to moment.

In Her Wake is an emotional story that makes your heart bleed for Cole and his family. The devastation to their lives is heart wrenching.

K. A. Tucker handled Cole’s / Trent’s story with tender loving care. She gave the readers another reason to love this man completely. Cole needed hugs and a reason to go on. K.A. Tucker gave him to us…now he will have more hugs and love than he ever thought he deserved. Thank you for giving us Cole and our friends in the Ten Tiny Breaths series.

In Her Wake is a powerful novella. It has become my favorite book from the Ten Tiny Breaths series.

ABOUT K.A. TUCKER:

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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ARC Review: Rival by Penelope Douglas- Falling Away Series- Book 3

Posted on 08/26/2014 by shellbellereads

Rival

Falling Away Series- Book 3

By Penelope Douglas

Synopsis

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Bully and Until You

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

She’s back.

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

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

I’m back.

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

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

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Fall Away Series

Bully

My name is Tate.

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

But he still won’t leave me alone.

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

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

It’s time to fight back.

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

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Until You

This is Jared’s story.

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or numb to all emotions? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between. Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

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

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

Includes a teaser for RIVAL, the next unforgettable novel from Penelope Douglas….

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Falling Away- Coming January 6, 2014

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

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

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

Pre Order- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Robin’s Review

Once again, Penelope Douglas has written a powerful story for her Fall Away series. Rival is a new adult contemporary romance novel written from a dual point of view. It’s the explosive story about Madoc Caruthers and his stepsister, Fallon Pierce. Expect white heat in Rival, similar to the tone and intensity found in the first novel of the series, Bully.

Their family is completely dysfunctional. His father is married to her mother. Biologically speaking, the siblings are not related. Their parents are estranged, with neither parent living at the family home. After being forced to attend a Catholic boarding school for two years, Fallon decides to return home, where she finds Madoc and the housekeeper, Addie, are the only persons in residence. Hostility reigns between Madoc and Fallon. They clash repeatedly. Filled with rage, Fallon does not back down from Madoc. He goads her, she taunts him. It’s an interesting type of foreplay, but imagine what follows.

There is so much more to this novel than a sibling rivalry. The plot of Rival is absolutely compelling. While reading, I found myself continually shocked by the unexpected twists and turns layered into the story. Penelope Douglas uses flashbacks to fill in the blanks. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I found that I was completely wrong. Once I reached a certain point in Rival, I found myself struggling with the believability factor, as it pertained to the ongoing hostility between Madoc and Fallon. However, this wasn’t something I continued to feel for the entire novel. Other than this one drawback, I can say that I found myself completely invested in Madoc, Fallon and their story. Rival has earned a solid 4-star rating.

Michel’s Review- 4.5 Stars

Rival by Penelope Douglas is book three in the Fall Away series. It can be read as a stand alone or in series order. The previous books are Bully and Until You. These books feature Jared and Tate and the characters from this series. This is where we meet Madoc, Jared’s best friend and cohort. Of the two, Madoc is the more laid back, fun loving, party kind of guy. He seems to let things roll off easily and nothing brings him down. With his family’s wealth, lack of parental guidance, and good looks it appears that Madoc has everything going for him. But behind this façade is a completely different young man. His family is dysfunctional, he is a product of a split home, and is left to his own devices most of the time. His father is a high profile attorney that has more interest in his career than he does his family. He remarried but never invested himself in his new family. His new wife was obviously only married to him for his prestigious standing and wealth. She also had a teenage daughter that she neglected as well.

These two teenagers were thrown together and forced to become a family. They were polar opposites. Fallon was a shy, quiet, and studious kind of girl. Madoc was a popular party kind of guy. Most of the time the two butted heads and took sibling rivalry to a new level. It would seem these two were destined to hate each other. But they both had something in common, they were both deeply hurt by their parents neglect and disregard. They found solace in each other that soon led to the forbidden attraction to one another. Once the parents discover the secret relationship between the two all hell breaks loose. What little family unity existed is now fractured beyond repair. Fallon is sent away to a Catholic boarding school. Madoc is left to his own devices. Their parents have more or less gone their own ways, living apart, and married in name only. There are deep resentments and malicious feelings for all that are involved.

Two years later Fallon returns to her former home with a vendetta of revenge. She wants to destroy Madoc and his father for the treatment she received in their home. Madoc hates Fallon after she deserted him and left him to deal with the ugliness their parents had made of their lives.

It’s an all out war. It’s a love hate relationship. It’s their way of dealing with the feelings neither one of them knows how to express. It is their foreplay.

What unravels and comes into play will have the readers glued to the pages. The story is unpredictable and very well plotted. Fallon and Madoc are Rival’s that make the battlefield look like a playground. When the peace treaty is finally reached the reader’s will be ecstatic.

Rival is sizzling hot! It is almost an erotic romance. The connection between Fallon and Mardoc is undeniable.

I loved how Penelope Douglas portrayed these two teenagers maturing into adulthood. They were very realistic to what young people are really like. She showed the many different types of families our modern day world knows. The secondary characters, the cast from the first two books, their families, and their community will definitely hit home. I am invested in this series and cannot wait for the next book, Falling Away to release in January, 2015.

This series is New Adult and is graphic. It will appeal to young adults as well as the mature audience. It is well written, has original plots, charismatic characters, and steamy romance.

I highly recommend Rival and The Fall Away series.

My seventeen year old daughter has read the Fall Away series. It has become her favorite. She has recommended this series to all her friends and they love it. When I asked them what made this series so special, they all replied that the characters seemed very real. They were like a lot of their friends and classmates. They loved that Penelope showed a truthful side of how teenagers really are in today’s world. Bully made a huge impact among their friends and fellow students. Bully is now on the recommended reading list in the Anti-Bullying campaign in their school.

The WVHS Girls have rated and voted the Fall Away Series & Rival their TOP PICK OF 2014.

About Penelope Douglas

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

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ARC Review: Dear Jon by Lori L. Otto- Choisie Series- Book 3

Posted on 08/19/2014 by shellbellereads

Dear Jon

Choisie Series- Book 3

By Lori L. Otto

Synopsis

A summer with his family in Utah is all Jon Scott needs to pull himself together. It’s time to focus on his mom’s sobriety and the continuing education of his two younger brothers, Will and Max. For once, things seem to be on track with that part of his life. For the first time, he sees real hope for his family.

This family time is a much-needed distraction from the relationship he walked away from in Manhattan. Livvy Holland, the girl he’s loved since they were children, has let him down for the last time. He doesn’t want to waste his time dwelling on the fight they had, or the shocking incident that happened the next day, after her graduation. It’s something he’ll never forget, or forgive.

Things never go as Jon plans, though. Despite her actions and a distance of two thousand miles, Livvy has every intention of keeping Jon’s attention throughout the summer with a series of 30 letters: three a week for every week he’s gone. He doesn’t have to read them; there are times when he simply doesn’t want to. He has plenty of things keeping him busy: a job that requires long hours, family friends that come over for parties, brothers that ask too many questions, and a girl that’s very unlike anyone Jon’s dated before.

But there’s something about Livvy Holland that keeps drawing him back to her. Reading the letters will either break the ties, or eventually reunite them. His brain wants one thing; his heart wants another.

By the end of the summer, Jon will return to Manhattan. He’s come to terms with his past. He has a bright future. Back at Columbia, though, he must accept choices Livvy has made without him that will change his present plans.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Choisie Series

Contessa – Book 1

Book one of the YA/New Adult Choisie series by the author of Emi Lost & Found!   When she was four, a generous couple welcomed orphan Olivia Sophia into their lives. As she grew up, her parents made good decisions for her, raising “Livvy” to be an intelligent and creative young girl. Now sixteen, three people influence many of her choices: her first love, her second father, and a third man who speaks to her through his artwork.   Livvy’s father is practical and steadfast; even-tempered and quietly observant. She’s an artist who acts on her emotions and thrives on attention. Unhappy with their differences– and misunderstanding her father’s methods– Livvy chooses to focus on the similarities she shares with an enigmatic painter from her mother’s past. Her overactive imagination leads her down an obsessive path– one that only stands to hurt everyone around her.   The distraction of a new boyfriend has the potential to end her search and reunite her family, but his involvement in her life could be just as devastating, taking Livvy away from her father for good.   Mature YA for limited sensual content.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Olivia- Book 2

When devastating news brings an abrupt end to a romantic rendezvous, Livvy Holland struggles to accept the death of one of her closest mentors. Livvy’s artwork has always been an expression of her emotions, and avoiding the pain she feels from her recent loss makes painting seem impossible. Her inspiration gone, she devotes her attention to the future she’s planning with Jon Scott.   Blissfully happy in her own denial, all of Livvy’s free time has been given to the boy she’s always loved. Facing grown up decisions, she finds it hard to live up to her parents’ expectations of her as a daughter and an artist. Under her father’s constant scrutiny and persistent surveillance from curious paparazzi, Livvy finds it difficult to maintain the adult relationship she’s begun with Jon.   The changes in Livvy are evident to those closest to her, and a few that were once her allies begin to interfere with her personal life. This newfound attention – along with distractions that take Jon’s attention elsewhere – cause Livvy to question all the choices she’s made: what college she’ll attend, what man she should be with, and what she thought was her life’s purpose.   Livvy faces her greatest challenge when Jon’s unanticipated plans derail her own. Overwhelmed, confused, and longing to satisfy her own wants and needs, Livvy must endure more heartache before finding herself.   This book is intended for mature teens and adults.

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Robin’s Review

“****If you have not read Olivia or the synopsis for Dear Jon, this review will contain spoilers.****

“While Olivia was in the process of being written and published, I was intrigued to discover Lori Otto had plans to add an additional novel to her Choisie series titled Dear Jon. After reading Olivia – after reading Jon Scott had walked away from his relationship with Olivia Holland – I was immediately eager beyond words to read the coming novel to be written from Jon’s point of view. Two short months later, I am eager to share with readers that Dear Jon was absolutely worth the wait! I am overjoyed by these emotions, thoughts and feelings dancing around in my head! I hope I am able to write a review which will properly convey my thoughts and feelings, a review that is worthy of Dear Jon.

Before discussing the content of this novel, I should mention Dear Jon has a different format from previous novels written by Lori Otto. It consists of a prologue and thirty-one chapters, with each chapter representing a letter written to Jon by Livvy Holland. Each letter begins with the same four words. Each letter ends with the same three-word sentence. And each of the thirty-one letters has its own theme. We are able to enjoy the experience of Jon reading Olivia’s letters, and we know his thoughts, feelings and emotions as he reads each of them! With respect to time, the events of Dear Jon take place over the summer months following Olivia’s high school graduation. Jon spends the summer in Utah with his Aunt Patty, mother and two brothers, Will and Max. While enjoying some quality family time, Jon also gets a much needed break from his relationship with Olivia. But he has plenty of time to reflect on the content of the letters being mailed from Manhattan.

The outpouring of love and emotion Livvy has written in each letter to Jon breaks my heart, while also filling me full of hope. In each letter, Livvy reflects on moments of importance shared between the two them – decisions about their relationship, struggles dealing with family, moments full of love and happiness, and even the low points of their relationship. She shares her private thoughts and feelings with Jon about each of these past experiences, and how they relate to what she is presently feeling. Livvy takes an honest look at her life. She opens up about her own faults, how she wants to change, how she is changing. With each letter, Jon is able to notice a palpable change in Olivia. She is maturing and becoming more selfless. She understands how her actions have affected those that she loves. She continues to mature as an individual, while her doubt about any reconciliation with Jon continues to grow. This made me feel so sad, but in the overall process, Olivia Holland does grow up. She takes responsibility for her actions, becomes more confident in her individuality, and accepts that she may have to move on from her hope for a future with Jon.

For the most part, I was delighted for Jon throughout this novel. Spending the summer in Utah was the very best decision he could have made for himself. He recognizes that he needs quality time with both brothers. Long ago, Jon accepted the responsibility as a role model and father figure to them both. He knows he will not be around for them when he returns to Manhattan for his fall semester at Columbia. Jon discusses some very relevant topics with Will, and impresses upon him the importance of being a positive role model for Max. Jon encourages Will to participate in school, sports and social events for his younger brother. He emphasizes the importance of keeping a watchful eye on their mother, a recovering alcoholic, and to encourage her stay focused on her recovery. Jon gains valuable experience with his summer job, as he assists building new homes. Jon also meets Audrey, and she becomes a very important part of his life. Jon Scott is one of the very best characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. Although forced to grow up at a very young age, he stays focused on school and goals, hoping to provide a positive future for his brothers and himself.

Dear Jon was everything I had hoped it would be, but it was so much more! Knowing how heartbroken Olivia was after Jon walked away from their relationship, I was thrilled with the opportunity to read each letter she addressed to Jon. I was captivated by his emotions, thoughts and feelings as he read what was spilling from her heart. Jon was such a pleasant surprise! Jon feels so much, and he loves hard. Olivia and Jon fell in love at such a young age, and we all know it is very hard for first love to last. Lori Otto has a special talent for writing stories that feel authentic. I learned early on that you can never know what future to expect for her characters. Her outcomes are not predictable. Olivia and Jon have grown so much as individuals. Their character growth feels realistic. They have each faced hardships, even though they come from completely different backgrounds. My love for Olivia Holland and Jon Scott has grown exponentially since I first read Contessa. I have no idea what the future may hold for this young couple, but I am excited to find out! I am giving a rare 6-star review to Lori Otto for Dear Jon!

Author Bio:

After graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Lori Otto worked in the billboard industry for ten years. Frustrated with trying to communicate entire messages in “seven seconds or less,” she decided to leave outdoor advertising and return to her love of creative writing.

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Release Day Blitz + 6- Star Review + Giveaway: Captured by Jasinda and Jack Wilder

Posted on 08/12/2014 by shellbellereads

Captured

World of Wounded Novels

By Jasinda and Jack Wilder

Synopsis:

You go into combat, you fear death. It’s what keeps you careful, keeps you alive. I’ve faced death more times than I can count. I’ve taken bullets. I’ve taken lives.

But nothing can prepare me for the soul-crushing terror of being captured.

***

I married a Marine. I knew the risks. Every time my husband shipped out, I knew there was a chance he wouldn’t come back. But Thomas always did. Always. Then one day two officers in full dress uniform knocked on my door and shattered my world.

How do you keep going when you lose what made life worth living?

***This is a full length, stand-alone contemporary romance, set in the world of WOUNDED**

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Michel’s Review

***6 STAR SALUTE ***

*** 2014 FAVORITE READ ***

*** Captured is a POWERFUL Book ***

Jack and Jasinda Wilder deserve a standing ovation for Captured ! It is a phenomenal reading experience!

Captured is one of those books that will engage all of your sensory factors, emotionally and physically. This book renders every emotion with a poignant, brutally honest insight into the human psyche. The explicit descriptions throughout the book will have the readers feeling the physical pain, the adrenaline highs and lows, the surreal feel of the environmental surroundings from the temperature to the geographical elements, the smells and tastes from those surroundings, and the pure physical joy of the ‘feel good’ moments.

Captured is written from duo POV’s throughout a three-year period. The reader experiences Derek West’s traumatic experience in the war arena and his re- introduction back into society. His journey will touch your soul.

From Reagan Barrett’s POV the readers will experience the emotional chaos that comes from loving a career Marine. They will see the strengths, weaknesses, and heartrending trials loved ones go through on the home front.

Derek and Reagan have traveled an emotionally tortuous road. Their journey is heartbreaking with a multitude of trials and tribulations. Along the journey they will discover the true meaning of love. Their final destination is one of peace and pure happiness.

Captured not only highlights the horrors of the war front, it also spotlights the pure joy of finding love. The sexual chemistry and romance between Derek and Reagan is smoldering.

From the war arena to the home front….one letter will touch the soul.

This one letter will

Give Hope
Give Peace In Death
Motivate one to Live
Bring the dawning of new life
Evoke guilt
Demonstrate the power of forgiveness
Bring people together to form a new family unit
Give second chances
Reconnect old friendships
Reaffirm Life

One letter will touch many lives.

The written word is powerful!

Captured showcases just how powerful the written word is!

Jack and Jasinda Wilder have Captured that power!

Kelley’s Review

Your heart, mind, body, and soul will be Captured…

Wow! What an amazing read. I could not put it down. Jasinda and Jack truely captured what life is like after love, loss, heartache, and pain. The lives that Marine Corps families live are not easy. Marines are deployed everyday and their wives do everything they can to show them the love and support they need, while keeping themselves so busy that they don’t have to think about the dangers their husbands are facing. I know what this feels like because I was the wife of a Marine and it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life. He was deployed for 6-months while I went to school and worked three jobs to keep my mind off of what he was facing. The letters are the one thing that kept me going. I wrote to him every other day and when I would get a letter back it would be like time stood still and I would read those letters over and over again until the ink began to fade. Every night before I went to bed I read the letters and every morning when I woke up. I needed him with me and that is how I made it work. The letters in this story are heart-wrenching and full of love and devotion. Jasinda and Jack did their research and gave us something so beautiful, and so real that is brought tears to my eyes. It took me back 20 years ago when I was writing those letters. But, enough about me.

Reagan and Derek are two lonely souls that have been ravaged by war and loss. Both are dealing with shell shock. Reagan just can’t do it again. She can’t take the risk that her heart with be irrevocably broken and Derek is seriously wounded mentally after being a prisoner of war. He is skittish and easily startled. The journey to recovery for Derek is painful, emotionally and physically. His return to civilian life is toilsome as he has to conquer his demons everyday.

Reagan Barrett is tough. She is a widow and has been running her husband’s family farm on her own for the past ten years, all while being a single mom. She has the amazing support of her neighbors Hank and Ida who have become her extended family. Reagan has buried the idea that she will ever fall in love again.

When Derek West shows up on her doorstep all of the feelings she has buried start to come to life and Derek ignites a passion in her that she never knew existed. The chemistry between Derek and Reagan is off the charts, HOT.

Will these two broken souls be able to recover from all the wounds that war has inflicted upon them and find their happlily ever after? You will have to read Captured to find out.

Thank you Jasinda and Jack for a truly amazing story full of love, and loss and giving others a glimpse into the life of a Marine Corps family. Marines go in first and are the last to leave. They are tough and strong and their wives are amazing women who are selfless and give love easily to their husbands and others around them. Captured is a must read for anyone that wants to know what it is like to be a Marine Corps wife.

CAPTURED will show you:

Courage
Amazing Grace
Perseverance
Turmoil
Unity
Return
Everlasting Love
Determination

*** On a personal note, We want to thank the men and women of the Armed Forces for serving and protecting our nation. We would also like to thank their families and loved ones for enduring life on the home front while their loved ones selflessly serve and protect our country. You are all true heroes in every way.

Author Bio:

NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL and international bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include ALPHA, STRIPPED, WOUNDED, and the #1 Amazon and international bestseller FALLING INTO YOU. You can find her on her farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her five children and menagerie of animals.

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Giveaway

Jasinda and Jack have generously gifted our blog a signed copy of Captured to give away.

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Release Day Blitz + Review- Dust To Dust by Karina Halle- The Experiment In Terror Series-Book 9- 6 Stars

Posted on 08/11/2014 by shellbellereads

Dust To Dust

Experiment In Terror Series- Book 9

By Karina Halle

Synopsis:

The dramatic conclusion to the Experiment in Terror Series.

Perry Palomino and Dex Foray.

On their own, they’re uniquely brilliant. Together, they’re an unstoppable team.

Until now.

Because after everything the duo has encountered, they haven’t come across an evil quite like this. An evil that has been years in the making, an evil that will stop at nothing until they, and everyone they care for, are destroyed.

Dex and Perry’s love has survived a multitude of sins.

But can it survive the end?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Experiment In Terror Series

1. Darkhouse – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

2. Red Fox – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

2.5. The Benson – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

3. Dead Sky Morning– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

4. Lying Season– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

5. On Demon Wings– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

5.5. Old Blood– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

5.7. The Dex Files– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

6. Into The Hollow– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

6.5. And With Madness Comes The Light– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

7. Come Alive– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

8. Ashes To Ashes– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

9. Dust To Dust– Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Michel’s Review

At long last the highly anticipated grand finale in The Experiment In Terror series is released!

Dust To Dust by Karina Halle is brilliant! It is the perfect ending for the enthralling, bone chilling, hair raising, frightful Experiment In Terror series. This series has taken the readers on an unforgettable journey. The adventures and perils that Dex Foray and Perry Polomino have faced, battled, and survived have astounded every reader. Not only have Dex and Perry faced off every kind of evil and supernatural being, they have made self discoveries, acknowledged their weaknesses, faced their fears, become stronger individuals, accepted their gifts, and valued every moment, good and bad. Their adventure has made them both better people.

We have witnessed Perry Palomino go from an introverted, self doubting, somewhat delusional girl to a strong woman willing to fight for those she loves. She has become a powerhouse within herself.

We have watched Dex Foray change from a crass, thoughtless, self serving jerk into an honorable man. He has accepted his gifts, opened his heart, let go of his past, and learned to love deeply.

The Experiment In Terror series is not just a series in the horror genre. It is a romance series.
We have witnessed Dex and Perry go from strangers to reluctant partners that led to a strong friendship with mutual respect. Along the way they found a deep love that will exist in life and death. No one can tear them apart, not even the supernatural.

Dex and Perry have survived evil in many forms. They have traveled many miles. They thought they had faced the worst kind of terror and made their peace. But like everything in life, their fortitude will be tested once again. They will have to go full circle, back to the beginning where everything began.

Dust To Dust brings Dex and Perry to New York City. This is where it all began for Dex. This is where the Palomino women became connected with the O’Shea clan. This is where the ultimate evil has touched all of their lives. They will have to face off this ultimate evil. It is war.

Every war has casualties. Every war has fatalities. Every war leaves wounds and scars that remain long after the battle is fought. But for the ones that survive the war , they will carry these scars and the memories very close to the heart.

Dust To Dust is a frightful battle for life and love.

I am very sad to see The Experiment In Terror series end but am also very satisfied on how the ending played out.

Karina Halle is a brilliant writer. Her stories draw the reader into the characters world. We experience every adventure, every physical feeling, every emotional reaction, and every moment. Our sensory system goes into overload while reading these books. Our emotional side sympathizes with each of the characters emotions. The reader truly becomes completely involved. I can easily see The Experiment In Terror being made into a mini TV series like American Horror Story or Supernatural. It would stand out among these types of shows because of the powerful romance between Dex Foray and Perry Palomino.

Karina Halle I applaud you for the excellent delivery of The Experiment In Terror series. It is one of my all time favorite series.

Dex and Perry will haunt my dreams and everyday life. They will live on long after the final eulogy in Dust To Dust.

*** The Experiment In Terror Series is a 6 STAR Series***

Robin’s Review

The ninth and final novel of the Experiment in Terror series is Dust to Dust. It’s been a long and crazy ride for author Karina Halle. She has done a remarkable job keeping this lengthy series fresh and exciting when many authors would have struggled to do the same. Halle is wonderfully creative when it comes to writing in the horror romance genre. She has one hell of a vivid imagination and crazy talent for putting her horror scenes to paper. Ghosts. Demons. Haunted houses. Spooky sanatoriums. Zombies. Halle has written about all of these, but nothing can prepare readers for what she has planned in Dust to Dust. If you are a fan of the Experiment in Terror series, you are in for a real treat!

Throughout this series, Halle has taken readers to an abundance of haunted locations. Dex Foray and Perry Palomino have paired up to film episodes for their internet show Experiment in Terror at the following locations: a lighthouse on the Pacific coast of Oregon; the deserts of Red Fox, New Mexico; deserted D’Arcy Island, located just off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; the wilds of the Canadian Rockies; the haunted French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana; and the creepy Sea Crest Sanatorium in Gary, Oregon. In Dust to Dust, Halle brings her series to a conclusion where it all began for Dex Foray – in a brownstone townhouse located in New York City.

Dex and Perry have been in many frightening and dangerous situations, always managing to escape by the skin of their teeth. Everything they have experienced since meeting each other in that lighthouse has lead up to the dramatic conclusion of this series. In Dust to Dust, they each find themselves racing against time, fighting the ultimate evil in the battle of their lives. Dex’s long, lost brother Michael has been very busy planning to exploit their weaknesses, and this time the stakes are much higher with Maximus Jacobs and the entire Palomino family directly involved. Evil is found in many forms in this series, but expect the worst in Dust to Dust.

If you follow the writing of Karina Halle and think you may have seen it all, just wait until you see what she has in store for you in Dust to Dust. Expect gnawing worry. Tears of sadness. Interesting revelations. Unimaginable monsters. Heart palpitations. Fear and shock. Devastation. Repaired relationships. Love and tenderness. Expect the unexpected! And look for plenty of new “Dexisms” – hilarious, laugh out loud quotes which could only come from the mouth of Dex Foray!

In summary, I found this concluding novel informative, frightening, sad, but full of love. I found myself glued to the pages as I learned more about Dex Foray and his family history. Karina Halle lays the truth out for her readers, so be sure to pay attention. And frightening? Two things had me full of anxiety: a cloven-hoof demon with a busy agenda and the brownstone townhouse where Dex lived as a child. I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun for readers with anything more than that. I was full of sadness at times while reading Dust to Dust, and not just because this is the final novel of this beloved series. There are moments you will feel sadness, too. And there is so much love between Dex and Perry that it will fill your heart with happiness – just wait until you read the epilogue.

In short, Karina Halle has wonderfully brought her series full-circle with this concluding novel. Her writing is sensational and full of descriptive details which make you feel as if you are participating in the story. If you have never read, or even heard of, the Experiment in Terror series, please do yourself a favor and consider reading Darkhouse. This series is strangely addictive, and the novels only get better as the series progresses. As for Dust to Dust? Karina Halle has earned my 5-star rating!

Author Bio:

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term “Hybrid Author.” Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she’s a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA…whenever possible.

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

ARC Review: Hillbilly Rockstar by Lorelei James- Blacktop Cowboys-Book 6

Posted on 08/05/2014 by shellbellereads

Hillbilly Rockstar

Blacktop Cowboys- Book 6

By Lorelei James

Synopsis

She’s protecting his body and guarding her heart….

Country music star Devin McClain understands there’s a downside to life in the public eye, but the laidback Wyoming cowboy has never imagined he’d attract crazed fans who would do anything to garner his attention. When veiled threats become real, he agrees to hire a discreet security detail. But Devin is shocked when that bodyguard is a hard-bodied woman. He’s even more stunned to be attracted to the steely-eyed stunner.

Former soldier Liberty Masterson’s return to civilian life has been fraught with challenges until she lands a job with a prestigious security firm. But when she agrees to provide personal protection during a cross-country tour, she doesn’t realize she has signed up to masquerade as the playboy star’s girlfriend. Though she’s more comfortable in combat boots than high heels, she has no choice but to appear to be the sexy groupie Devin prefers.

Living in close quarters causes the chemistry between them to ignite, and Devin realizes he wants to turn their charade of a romance into reality. Although Liberty surrenders to his every whim behind closed doors, she fears the sexy country star doesn’t see the real her; and Devin can’t help but worry when the tour ends that there might not be enough between them to build something that won’t fade away….

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Tracey’s Review

6 Stars

Devin McClain is a sexy and talented heartthrob, at the top of his game as a country superstar. He’s also generous, caring, and down-to-earth, having done his time and paid his dues to get to where he is. But fame doesn’t come without its share of crazy, and someone is gunning for Devin in a big way. When his bus driver is badly beaten, the powers that be decide that it’s time to call in the experts, and look outside the tour for extra security.

Liberty Masterson has been to hell and back, and she has the scars to prove it. Following a career in the military, reentry into civilian life has not been easy, but she has finally found her place as a security specialist. When she is tapped to guard Devin on his current tour, she thinks that she will be doing nothing more than babysitting a spoiled musician. Close quarters and a strong attraction soon having her revising her opinion.

I could not have loved this book any more. Lorelei has written a beautiful and sexy story that I could not put down until I’d finished. Watching Devin and Liberty navigate their relationship, seeing them grow to love each other, sometimes against their will, made for the best kind of love story. As each of them learned to accept things about themselves, and grow because of it, they became more free to be what the other needed. And, just so there’s no confusion, this book is off-the-charts hot. One of the things that I loved best about Devin and Liberty is that they both know exactly what they want from each other when it comes to sexy time, and they spend plenty of time enjoying it.

‘Hillbilly Rockstar’ is the first book that I have read by Lorelei, but it certainly will not be the last. This is truly a 6-star read for me, and I obviously could not recommend it more.

Michel’s Review

6 Stars

I am a huge fan of Lorelei James. I have read every single book she has published. Each and every book has been fantastic. I was highly anticipating the release of Hillbilly Rockstar, book 6 in the Blacktop Cowboys Series. Hillbilly Rockstar can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order.

Wow…Lorelei James knocked it out of the arena with Hillbilly Rockstar. It is by far one of my favorite books by this author.

Hillbilly Rockstar was an emotional journey for both characters. Devlin and Liberty had to face their weaknesses and strengths, accept themselves for who they are, and learn to share their hopes, dreams, fears, and hearts. The evolution of their relationship was truly beautiful. It was a powerful story.

Hillbilly Rockstar was sizzling hot. No one writes sexual tension, sexual chemistry, and blazing bedroom scenes like Lorelei James.

I could not put this book down ! This is definitely one of my 2014 Top Reads!

Author Bio:

Lorelei James is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author of erotic westerns: the Rough Riders series, the Blacktop Cowboys series, and the erotic romances in the Mastered series. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Day Blitz + 6 Star Review: All for This by Lexi Ryan

Posted on 08/04/2014 by Saucy Southern Readers

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

**ALL FOR THIS is book three in the Here and Now series. It is not a stand-alone and it’s intended to be read after LOST IN ME and FALL TO YOU.**

What if you would never remember the day you made the most important decision of your life?

That’s what they’re telling me about the day of my accident—the day I put on Max’s ring and chose him over Nate. I’m counting on the wisdom behind a decision I don’t remember making.

Max is amazing—sexy, sweet, and kind. I was starting to believe happily-ever-after might be in my future after all. Then the unthinkable happened and my world imploded. If I’m going to make this work with Max, I need my missing memories, or at least answers from about those five days before my accident.

But what does my future hold if those answers aren’t anything like I imagined?

Lost in Me (Book One) – FREE

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Amazon UK ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

Fall to You (Book Two)

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Amazon UK ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

All for This (Book Three)

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Amazon UK ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

Excerpt

**SPOILER ALERT!** The following excerpt from ALL FOR THIS by its very nature contains spoilers for the first two books in the Here and Now series, LOST IN ME and FALL TO YOU. If you hate spoilers and haven’t read the first two books, don’t read any further.

Hanna

“Where’s Hanna?” I know the voice, and an unwelcome thrill dances up my spine as Nate pushes into my kitchen and stalks toward me.

“Customers aren’t allowed back here,” Liz says behind him.

“Don’t do it,” he says, and those dark, broody eyes are all over me like he’s trying to take me in, memorize me.

I take a deep breath and look to my sister. “You should probably go.” Then I turn to Nate. “Don’t do what?”

“Um…” Liz looks Nate up and down. “Are you sure? Because I can stay to protect you. Or…try.” God bless her, she’s standing behind Nate with her hands on her hips, ready to swing on my behalf.

“Why don’t you give us a minute?”

She narrows her eyes at Nate. “Hurt her and I’ll cut off your balls in your sleep.” Then she pushes out of the kitchen, the door swinging wildly behind her.

“Don’t move in with him,” Nate says.

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

“I thought you said you weren’t moving forward with Max until after the babies were born. Don’t you think moving in is moving forward?”

“I don’t know where you get your information, but I’m not moving in with him.”

“You’re not?”

I shake my head. “He asked me to, and I said no.”

He must have been expecting a fight, because his shoulders relax and he drags a hand through his hair. “Thank you.”

I toss my wash cloth into the sink. “Is that all?”

“No.” He lifts his eyes to mine. “I need to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For this.”

In two long strides, he closes the space between us and presses his mouth to mine. His lips are hot and hungry as his tongue sweeps inside—coaxing and demanding all at once. And it’s so good. So sweet and easy and safe that, for a breath, I forget how wrong it is. I’m back in the hotel in St. Louis, finding myself in the fire between us. For a breath, I forget that I’m wearing Max’s ring.

I shove at his shoulder and push him away. “Don’t do that again.” My stomach squeezes, and my heart is so battered and beaten that it’s unrecognizable.

Nate

Her eyes flash with anger, disappointment, and heat. “Do you think you can win me with a kiss? Did you think I’m so fickle that your mouth on mine is enough to convince me to break Max’s heart?”

I step forward, blocking her between me and the counter as I lower my mouth to her ear. “I thought maybe you needed a reminder.”

“What do you want from me? You want me to admit that I want you? You know I do. You want me to tell you I’m still in love with you? It’s true.”

My heart swells and hammers at her words. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel worthy of Hanna’s love, but that doesn’t change that I want it, need it like I need air.

“Isn’t that enough? Is it like this with him? When he’s whispering in your ear, does your body hum with need? We both know I could kiss you again and make you forget him. I could kiss you until you wanted me so badly you climbed onto that counter and let me touch you everywhere, let me do anything I wanted with your body.”

“You won’t,” she says, her voice shaking slightly.

“Are you so sure?”

“You won’t,” she repeats, “because I’m asking you not to. You won’t because you’re too good not to respect that.”

“I don’t want to be good,” I growl. I step back so I can see her face—her parted lips, her smoky eyes. “I want you.”

“I’m taken.”

“What happened?” I ask, scanning her face, trying to read her shielding expression. “Between when I left LA and when I came back to New Hope, what happened to make you take him back?”

She’s silent for a minute, and I wonder if she’s going to tell me the truth. “I found out he bought me the bakery—that all my worries and insecurities about our relationship were totally unfounded.”

“I’ll buy you a hundred bakeries.”

“But I don’t want a hundred bakeries. I only want this one.”

In New Hope. I close my eyes because I can’t deny that geography still stands between us.

“Please don’t kiss me again.”

“What if you ask me to?”

She swallows. “I won’t ask.”

Kelley’s Review

This series gripped me from the very beginning. The premise that you wake up one day to find out you have everything you ever wanted, but don’t know how you got it is very intriguing. Lexi Ryan does an excellent job unveiling Hanna’s memories as she begins to remember the events that led her to make certain decisions. This series is a must read. I completely identified with Hanna from the beginning. The fact that she battled her weight and tried to stay out of the spotlight tugged at a my heartstrings as I can relate to those things. She really is the most humble and kind heroine that I have ever read. She does what is best for others and not necessarily what is best for herself. Even as she has to choose which man she is going to give her heart to, she does her best not to hurt the other as much as possible.

Lexi leaves each book on a cliff-hanger until you get to book three which is Here and Now. At this point it is time for Hanna to choose either Max or Nate. After reading Fall to You I felt like I would be ok with either man being Hanna’s happily ever after. When I started reading All for This I really began to struggle with whether or not I wanted to see Hanna with Max or Nate. Max sacrifices so much and puts his heart out there and is willing to do whatever it takes to win Hanna’s heart. I truly fell head over heels in love with Max even more than I was before after seeing him be such a sweet and doting father to Claire.

Nate Crane is holy hotness and he is the match that strikes the fire in Hanna’s body and soul. The chemistry between the two of them is scorching hot. I was not entirely convinced that Nate was the right man for Hanna. It took me reading to the very end of this read to accept the choice Hanna made and say to myself that she made the right one. That to me is what makes this read so different from any other series I have read. Here we are the last book in the series and this should be a no brainer but it is not. There is so much complexity in the choice that Hanna has to make. Does she want to leave New Hope? Would Nate move to New Hope but then resent her because he could not be with Colin? Would Max be truly ok with Nate being a part of Hanna’s life if they were to be together, knowing that she still loves Nate?

Lexi weaves a tantalizing tale that keeps you turning the pages. This is a series that you will not be able to put the kindle down for so make sure it is fully charged when you start reading Lost In Me because you will not be able to wait to read Fall to You and All for This. Bravo Lexi Ryan for creating a 6-star series that will remain at the top of my list of recommendations for years to come.

About the Author

Once a college English professor, I now write full-time. I live in rural Indiana, where, when I’m not writing, I get to hang out with my husband and two kids–a six-year-old boy and a two-year-old hellion, er, girl. Not surprisingly, reading and writing remain my favorite activities, though both come in bits and pieces these days, not the big hunks of time I enjoyed before I had children. When I’m feeling virtuous, I like to go running (I use that word liberally. I’m really, really slow) or do yoga. Don’t worry, I’m always careful to balance out such activities with a hearty serving of ice cream or a chocolate martini.

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Release Blitz and ARC Review: Lead by Kylie Scott- Stage Dive Series-Book 3

Posted on 07/29/2014 by shellbellereads

Lead

Stage Dive Series -Book 3

By Kylie Scott

Synopsis

Stay up all night with the sexy rockers in Stage Dive, the epic New Adult series from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott, author of Lick and Play.  As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it’s booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble. 　   Lena’s not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

Excerpt:

“Lena, you seen my old black Led Zep shirt?”

“Nope.”

“You sure?” His brows became one dark cranky line. The scratches on his face were healing well, thank goodness. Though it didn’t reduce my desire to throttle his mother on a daily basis.

“Yes. I haven’t seen it.”

Can’t find it anywhere…”

“And this is a surprise, how?” I slipped my hands into my back jean’s pockets. “Jimmy, you own more clothing than Cher, Brittney, and Elvis, put together. Things are bound to go missing.”

“Sure you haven’t seen it?”

“For goodness sake, what do you think, Jimmy? That I stole it to sleep in or something?” I laughed bitterly. Sure as hell, the truth deserved a good mocking. I’d sunk so despicably low.

I hadn’t even meant to steal the stupid thing, but the shirt had been mixed up with my laundry a few days ago. It’d been the first top I laid my hand on after stepping out of the shower, ready to go to bed. Without thought, I’d put it on and it’d been so soft, the scent of him lingering beneath the laundry detergent. Every night since, I’d found myself in it come bedtime. My shame knew no limits. And no, I still hadn’t quit. The words still hadn’t come even close to leaving my mouth.

He frowned. “No.”

“That I have some deep secret longing to feel close to you resulting in my stealing your shirt like
some creepy perv?”

“Course I don’t fucking think that,” he replied crankily, reaching up to grip the top of the doorframe. All of his bulging muscles stretched the arms of his white T-shirt in the nicest way. It was all I could do not to start drooling, my heart beat taking up residence somewhere down between my thighs. And who could blame it? Not me. Maybe if I got laid, this would go away and things would return to normal. It’d seemed safer to avoid rubbing up against any men just in case I got carried away and started dating again. This new situation, however, changed everything.

“Well, of course not! That would be crazy.” And wasn’t that the god’s honest truth? Cray-zeee. Lock me up and throw away the key because it wasn’t like I didn’t know better.

“Just can’t figure out where the hell it could be.”

Angels couldn’t have smiled as innocently. They might have tried, but they would have failed, the dirty-mouthed, winged, little liars. “Jimmy, I don’t know where it is. But I’ll look around for it later, okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, and then added as an afterthought, “and stop looking at me weird.”

“I’m not!”

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Michel’s Review

OMG…. Kylie Scott has another bestseller! Lead rocked the house down!

Lead is book three in the Stage Dive series and features lead singer Jimmy Farris. He is the egotisical front man for Stage Dive. He adds a new meaning to the phrases “self absorbed”, “self entitled”, “rude”, and “dickhead”. He is a recovering addict in need of a sobriety companion 24/7. Due to his insufferable personality he has run off every single companion the band has hired. They are at wits end until they accidentally meet Lena Morrissey in their manager’s office.

Mal gave me a finger wave. “Lena Morrissey, huh?”

“Yes.”

“I like you. You’re funny.”

“Thanks,” I replied drily.

“So you do admin-type shit here?”

“I did. Yes.”

He gave me an easy smile. “You don’t seem very impressed by me, Lena. Am I not impressive to you?”

“Sure you are. I guess I’m just busy getting fired right now to fully appreciated the magnitude of the moment.” Hands on hip, I looked him in the eye. He was cute and I bet his smile worked on lots and lots of women. But it wouldn’t work on me. “Rest assured, later I’m going to freak out.”

He leaned against the doorframe. “I’ve got your word on that?”

“Absolutely.”

“I’m trusting you here.”

“And I appreciate that, Mr. Ericson. I won’t let you down.”

“I really think you could be the one, Lena,” the drummer said, pulling me from my thoughts.

I blinked. “That so?”

“Oh yeah. Big time. But you’re not for me.”

“No?”

“Sadly not.” He shook his head.

“Damn.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re really missing out.” He sighed, slipping his hair behind his ears. Then he looked over his shoulder. “Gentlemen, that problem we were talking about earlier. I believe I may have found a solution.”

David Farris looked from Mal to me and back again; his forehead creasing. “You’re serious?”

“He isn’t easy to live with. Think she can handle it?”

“Yeah, I do,” said Mal, bouncing on the balls of his feet all excited like. He put up his dukes, as if for fighting. “Show me what you got, Lena. Knock me out. Come on champ. You can do it. Put me against the ropes?”

“Mal’s right, she’s different.”

Finally, at long last, Jimmy sighed and looked up at me.

And the man might be pretty, but he sure as hell wasn’t nice. I’d met enough not-nice men to know. Trust me to find him attractive.

So I frowned straight back at him.

His glare went up a notch.

I matched it.

“Why, you two are getting along like a house on fire already! It’s like you’ve known each other for years. I think she’ll make a wonderful live in assistant,” said Mal. “Tell him, Lena.”

“A live in assistant?” I parroted, clueless.

“Since when did I need an assistant?” Jimmy looked me over from top to toe, lips tight with obvious disapproval.

“Since you can’t seem to keep a sobriety companion.” His brother returned calmly, a little coldly even.

And thus begins the story of Jimmy Farris, singer extraordinaire being put in his place and brought into the world of the mere human race.

An epic reading adventure you don’t want to miss.

Jimmy Farris has left a foul impression on the readers throughout this series. It is very hard to like him. It is hard to understand his motivations and actions toward his band brothers. As we all know, don’t judge a book by the cover. Don’t judge, accept.

Lena Morrissey with her quick wit, smart mouth, perceptive mind, and dedicated manner is exactly what Jimmy needs. She accepts his grouchy nature and likes him anyway. When he crosses the line, she puts him in his place. When he needs someone to support him, she has his back no matter what. She sees beyond the outer wrappings Jimmy presents to the world. She sees a man that has been deeply hurt. She sees a man that has lost his sense of self worth. She sees a man that doesn’t know how to reach out to others. She sees a man that doesn’t think he deserves to be loved. As his sobriety companion it is her job to keep him on the straight and narrow. To help him build an iron clad control against the drugs. To direct his self destructive nature in another direction. But is it her job to love him? Will she be able to survive an unrequited love?

“The man was such a show pony, one that I just so happened to be hormonally susceptible to. Blame it all on my girl bits, sure why not?”

“He always seemed so polished, so perfect, you could almost ignore the chaos and pain living inside of him.”

“His smile, oh god his smile, I wanted to wipe it off his face with a pickaxe. I’d be gentle, you could trust me.”

“I’d been in love before, sure. The difference here was, I loved him, all of him, and there’d be no easy getting over it this time. Every part of me wanted him, I yearned for him on the cellular level. There could be no escaping emotions of this magnitude. His good and bad, dark and light, his nice parts and his nasty. Everything he was, I loved, and it left me utterly helpless.”

Jimmy is counting on Lena. She is the only one he can tolerate intruding in his life. He doesn’t want her love. He just needs her to be there and have his back. He will help her get over her crush on him so that she will not quit. He will have her back when she needs it the most. Because after all he is a selfish man, he needs her and that is all there is to it.

“Don’t hate me Lena,” he whispered. “You want to be mad at me when I do dumb things, that’s fine. But don’t ever hate me. I couldn’t take that, not from you.”

Lead is one of this books that is a turbulent ride, a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows. It is fun, feisty, witty, sensual, panty dropping sexy, and emotional. The dialogue and banter between Jimmy and Lena is phenomenal.

Kylie Scott is a brilliant writer. She has the reader captivated in the very first line of the book. We are glued to the pages until the very end. She managed to take a very flawed unlikable character and make us fall head over heels in love with him. She gives us strong women that we can admire and respect. She gives the the reader a fun and entertaining book that titillates every emotion.

Lead is a six star book. The Stage Dive series is by far one of the best written series published and has deserved all six star reviews.

The Stage Dive Series:

Lick – Book 1

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man in her room, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is certain, being married to one of the hottest rock stars on the planet is sure to be a wild ride.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Play – Book 2

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Lead – Book 3

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Deep – Book 4 – Coming January 6, 2015

One by one, the members of Stage Dive are falling in love. David, Mal, and Jimmy have all taken the plunge, and now it’s Ben’s turn—only he refuses to fall into that trap. The sexy bassist enjoys his no-strings-attached lifestyle. But when Ben is forced to keep the one girl he’s always had a weakness for　out of trouble in Sin City, he quickly learns that what happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay there.

Author Bio:

Kylie is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and one delightful husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Websiite ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

ARC Review: Sugar On The Edge by Sawyer Bennett – Last Call Series Book 3

Posted on 07/27/2014 by shellbellereads

Sugar On The Edge

Last Call Series – Book 3

Sawyer Bennett

Synopsis

He’s utterly alone…

Tortured and existing in a dark spiral of despair, bestselling British author, Gavin Cooke, has come to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to escape the seedy lifestyle he had been living in London and in a desperate attempt to regain his writing focus. He’s twisted, bitter and angry at the world. He’s a loner… needing not a single thing other than his Scotch and a laptop upon which he can bang out his next erotic, dark thriller.

She’s running in place and getting nowhere…

Savannah Shepherd’s life is falling apart. Her dream of being a wildlife photographer seems a distant memory and she’s barely able to make ends meet. Driving herself forward with no clear goals apparent, she’s about ready to pack up her bags and head home with her tail between her legs.

Two unlikely lovers…

He’s raw, forceful and a dirty talker. She’s a flowers and romance type of girl. Yet within each other, they find a mutual craving that can only be satisfied by giving in to their desires for one another.

Lust turns into something more… something they were not looking for but tentatively accept. Will it be enough to push them past the obstacles of Gavin’s bitter past?

SUGAR ON THE EDGE can be read as a stand-alone.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Michel’s Review

ARC copy provided by author for a fair and honest review.

Sugar On The Edge is by far the best book Sawyer Bennett has written! She has proven her growth as an author, created more complex characters, gave them more of an edgy darkness, created a plot that was unique, and merged several genres together that work perfectly together.

Sugar On The Edge can be read as a stand alone novel or in the Last Call series order. The beloved characters from the previous books are present in Sugar On The Edge. They lend a strong supporting role for the characters without influencing the direction of this story or having their own stories repeated or referred to throughout the book. Sawyer Bennett allowed her leading characters, Gavin Cooke and Savannah Shepard, to take the readers away in a completely new direction.

British author Gavin Cooke has come to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to complete his book. He is on a deadline. His destructive behaviors, drinking, and disregard have left his publishers and agent in a corner. They have suggested he take himself out of the seedy streets of London and buckle down. He is an arrogant self absorbed, dirty mouthed, critical, and contemptuous arse. He knows it and makes no apologies. His crude mouth, diabolical behavior, and self destruction have just changed geographical locations.

Gavin Cooke is sex on a stick! His filthy mouth and filthy moves will have you swooning. His vulnerability and misguided guilt will have you wanting to hug him after you tie his delicious self to the bed. He is one hot alpha male. His snarly, dry British sarcasm and creative blend of words will tantalize all the senses

Savannah Shepard is a struggling photographer. After losing her job at the local newspaper she is forced to take on several jobs to make ends meet. When she takes on the job of being a temporary housekeeper for Gavin Cooke, her life has just taken on another crappy job. The man is a complete jerk. He assumes too much, sees too little, and berates everything. He may think she’s a lamb and he’s the big bad wolf . He has another thing coming, Savannah has taken on the wolves and beat them to the ground. She is a tigress in a lamb’s skin.

Gavin and Savannah’s relationship is combustible and every surface they touch goes up in flames. Gavin may be domineering and Savannah may seem submissive but all is not what it seems. Together these two will find all the right ingredients to make the perfect combination that will intoxicate the readers.

There will be explosive sexual chemistry, panty dripping scenes, dramatic tear jerking moments, swooning romance, shocking actions, and a new story with a happy ending. Their journey will keep the readers captivated. I will say this, it is a good thing that Savannah and Gavin have their own persona Yoda, Brody Markham.

Sawyer Bennett has broke the mold with Sugar On The Edge. Her star is shining bright!

Author Bio:

USA Today Best-Selling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, the Legal Affairs Series and the Last Call Series.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Category Archives: 6-Star

Release Day Blitz + 6-Star Review + Giveaway: Falling For Fate by Caisey Quinn

FALLING FOR FATE by Caisey Quinn is LIVE!

While second in the Second Chance series, this novel stands alone.

*SURPRISE!! Caisey decided to include a Special Bonus Novella!

Grab your copy now and it will include Falling for You, the prequel to Falling for Fate!

SYNOPSIS

EXCERPT

Release Day Blitz: In Her Wake by K.A. Tucker- A Ten Tiny Breaths Series Novella

We are stoked to bring you all the Release Day Launch for K.A. Tucker’s IN HER WAKE! IN HER WAKE is a new adult contemporary romance and a prequel novella in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series, published by Atria Press (an imprint of Simon & Schuster).

Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | BAM | Bookish | Other

And don’t miss the previous titles in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series!

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ARC Review: Rival by Penelope Douglas- Falling Away Series- Book 3

ARC Review: Dear Jon by Lori L. Otto- Choisie Series- Book 3

Release Day Blitz + 6- Star Review + Giveaway: Captured by Jasinda and Jack Wilder

Release Day Blitz + Review- Dust To Dust by Karina Halle- The Experiment In Terror Series-Book 9- 6 Stars

ARC Review: Hillbilly Rockstar by Lorelei James- Blacktop Cowboys-Book 6

Release Day Blitz + 6 Star Review: All for This by Lexi Ryan

Excerpt

Hanna

Nate

Release Blitz and ARC Review: Lead by Kylie Scott- Stage Dive Series-Book 3

ARC Review: Sugar On The Edge by Sawyer Bennett – Last Call Series Book 3

FALLING FOR FATE by Caisey Quinn is LIVE!

While second in the Second Chance series, this novel stands alone.

*SURPRISE!! Caisey decided to include a Special Bonus Novella!

Grab your copy now and it will include Falling for You, the prequel to Falling for Fate!

SYNOPSIS

EXCERPT

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We are stoked to bring you all the Release Day Launch for K.A. Tucker’s IN HER WAKE! IN HER WAKE is a new adult contemporary romance and a prequel novella in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series, published by Atria Press (an imprint of Simon & Schuster).

Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | BAM | Bookish | Other

And don’t miss the previous titles in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series!

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Excerpt

Hanna

Nate

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