Release Blitz: Because of Sydney by T.A. Foster

Posted on 08/27/2015 by shellbellereads

BECAUSE OF SYDNEY

TA FOSTER

AVAILABLE NOW

BLURB:

Determined to establish a new life far from the ghosts of her past, twenty-two year old Sydney Paige is willing to try anything to launch her reporting career and quiet the painful memories of her family back home.

Money-driven Mason Lachlan knows exactly what he wants in life and how to get it. Nothing stands in the way of the successful millionaire’s next deal, not even the deeply-buried anguish he feels from being abandoned by his father and tucked away as a dark family secret.

When Sydney must report the biggest land deal to hit South Padre in years, Mason becomes the focus of her story. Problems surface when their undeniable attraction for each other compromises everything they both have worked for.

Can love exist when bottom lines and deadlines collide?

This is a standalone Contemporary Romance, there is NO cliffhanger!

Buy links:

—

To celebrate the release of Because of Sydney, TA Foster has her first book on sale for ONLY $0.99

Get it NOW!

TA Foster Because of Sydney Full

Release Blitz + Review: Devine Domination by Lili Valente – Bought by the Billionaire Series – Book 4

Posted on 08/26/2015 by shellbellereads

The Bought by the Billionaire Series by Lili Valente is Complete!!

Lili Valente

Divine Domination

Bought by the Billionaire, book 4

Erotic Romance

Releases August 25, 2015

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JYTbHa

iBooks: http://apple.co/1IXQKTa

Nook: http://bit.ly/1hjFVC7

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Lc6KBP

Googleplay: http://bit.ly/1ISnTQ4

[maxbutton id=”5″]

Divine Domination (Bought by the Billionaire Book 4)

[maxbutton id=”5″]

WARNING: It’s Book Four. You know what you’re in for by now–more heat, more suspense, more head games, and more Jackson f*cking Hawke.

When Jackson gets his hands on the men who kidnapped Hannah, he’s going to rip their hearts, still beating, from their chests.

Or worse.

No amount of pain or desecration seems sufficient punishment for the sin of taking Hannah away from him.

He won’t stop until he has the woman he loves back in his arms and in his bed. But as the ugly truth behind his and Hannah’s intertwined pasts is revealed, their love will face its greatest challenge yet.

* * Divine Domination is the 4th and final installment in the Bought by the Billionaire romance series. For maximum enjoyment it should be read after books 1, 2, and 3.* *

[maxbutton id=”13″]

Divine Domination Excerpt

2015 Lili Valente

WARNING: Contains spoilers for books one through three in the series.

Hannah had no idea how long she lay on top of Jackson, catching her breath, only that when she finally opened her eyes the blue sky was stained with sunset light and the sea air had grown cooler.

“I wonder if that’s what heroin is like,” she rasped, her voice rough.

“If so, no wonder it’s so hard to quit.” Jackson’s fingers played gently up and down her stomach. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” She turned her head, meeting his eyes over her shoulder, her heart flipping when she saw the vulnerable, open expression on his face.

“Make me want you more every day?”

She lifted her hand, cupping his scruffy cheek in her hand. “Dark magic.”

He smiled, and her flipping heart turned a cartwheel. “I believe it. There’s no other explanation.”

But there was another explanation.

It was love. Once-in-a-lifetime, only-gets-better, love-you-more-every-day-until-they-put-me-in-the-ground love. She’d known that for a while now and someday soon, Jackson would know it, too.

She didn’t doubt it, not even on those mornings when he stayed in his room until well after breakfast, hiding from her after a night when close had become too close for his comfort. There would come a day when he would realize that there was no need to hide and nothing to be afraid of.

He was safe with her. He could let his guard down and be the man he truly was, the man who was as sweet as he was Dominant, as gentle as he was controlling. She would never take his love for granted or betray his trust.

Never. No matter what.

“No matter what,” she said aloud, her brows drawing together as something ugly whispered through her subconscious. It was like a foul smell drifting through the air, familiar, but horrible, something she knew she didn’t want to recognize.

Once she named it, there would be no denying the existence of the filth smeared across the walls or the body rotting beneath the floor.

Once she remembered, she would never forget again.

“What’s wrong?” Jackson asked, his voice going deep and dangerous as the orange sky darkened, black and blue creeping in to bruise the undersides of the clouds. “Cat got your tongue, Harley?”

Before she could reply, or tell him that she wasn’t Harley, Jackson’s hands were back around her throat.

But this time, his touch wasn’t gentle. His fingers tightened like a vice and pain blossomed through her forehead, the pressure building suddenly, fiercely, until it felt like her eyes would burst from their sockets.

Panicked, she clawed at Jackson’s arms, desperate for breath, but his grip only tightened.

“You’re going to die, Harley,” he growled against her throat as the world went black. “I will end you if it’s the last thing I do.”

****

Hannah woke with a startled groan, hands flying to her neck. She gasped for breath, her throat still tight from the terror of the beautiful memory turned nightmare.

She swallowed slowly and blinked, willing herself to remember the way that day on the boat had really ended, with her and Jackson sailing home under the stars. She’d snuggled in his lap as he’d steered with one arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close to him with a gentleness that made it clear that she was precious to him.

Her heartbeat was nearly under control when the world pitched. A moment later, the plane touched down with a rough bump.

Startled, Hannah turned to look out the window, where pale light glowed on the horizon and unfamiliar palm trees—more sparse and scrubby than the ones back home—streaked past the window. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was, but then it all came rushing back—Adam in the doorway, the miracle of learning that her sister was alive, the pain of realizing Jackson planned to kill Harley, and then the terror of grasping that she had much bigger problems than a broken heart.

She had been kidnapped by Jackson’s father and he was going to kill her. Or Harley. But first, he was going to make her father choose between the daughters he’d sacrificed so much to protect.

Depending on how things played out, this could very well be the last sunrise Hannah would ever see.

Tracey’s Review

“So never doubt that you can trust me, sunshine…I won’t hurt you, I won’t let you down, and I won’t leave, no matter how deep we go or what we find there.”

Suspense and action are the name of the game in DIVINE DOMINATION, Book 4 in the Bought By the Billionaire series by Lili Valente. Just when I thought that things were moving along nicely, that Jackson and Hannah were beginning to trust each other, BAM! Lili ended Book 3 with an unexpected twist, and the story picks right back up here.

The tenuous trust that Hannah and Jackson have begun to build is put to the test when all signs point to his betrayal. It doesn’t take long, though, for the real villain to show himself: Ian Hawke, Jackson’s father, has made a career of retribution, and Hannah is the chess piece in his game. Having been used by Hannah’s father to further his own ends, Ian will stop at nothing to exact his revenge. But he hasn’t figured on Jackson, and the lengths that he will go to to protect Hannah.

Hannah was one in a million, the strong, sensitive, beautiful, clever, kinky-as-hell lover he hadn’t believed existed until she’d swept into his life. She was his hurricane and his touchstone. She was an endless adventure and the home he never thought he’d find. She was…everything…

Along with the darkly passionate moments that Lili is known for, this last book is also a story about love and the freedom and redemption that occur as a result of opening yourself up to someone and trusting them completely. There is also some revelation about Harley, Hannah’s twin sister, and her back story, and I would love to see more about her and Clay. Another 5+-star read, DIVINE DOMINATION is the perfect ending to this series, and I could not have enjoyed it more.

Bought by the Billionaire Series

Dark Domination:

Book 1, Bought by the Billionaire

Lili Valente

Amazon:http://amzn.to/1Fhz8h3

Nook: http://bit.ly/1GnTnj9

Googleplay: http://bit.ly/1eOlgo1

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1FrBdGc

iBooks: http://apple.co/1IeDoUN

Deep Domination

Book 2, Bought by the Billionaire

Lili Valente

Release Date – June 30, 2015

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1J6vLgS

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Hng9q7

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1MFsxC8

Googleplay: http://bit.ly/1JCyG3n

iBooks: http://apple.co/1f0T8OI

Desperate Domination

Book 3, Bought by the Billionaire

Lili Valente

Release Date – July 28, 2015

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Rj6uqJ

B&N: http://bit.ly/1OmNkus

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1eh6IN5

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/1Ml4Pg5

iBooks: http://apple.co/1SCuyQL

[maxbutton id=”15″]

Naughty and Nice Sexy Starter Kit ($40 value)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

[maxbutton id=”7″]

Facebook | Goodreads

Lili Valente has slept under the stars in Greece, eaten dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths on their food, and walked alone through Munich’s red light district after dark and lived to tell the tale.

These days you can find her writing in a tent beside the sea, drinking coconut water and thinking delightfully dirty thoughts.

Lili loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her via email at lili.valente.romance@gmail.com

Release Blitz: Unconditional Anthology – 10 Full Length Love Without Limits Novels

Posted on 08/26/2015 by shellbellereads

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Life isn’t easy. Love is harder. Love cuts, love burns and sometimes love breaks.

But living a half-life, living with regrets, that’s no life at all.

People say we’re broken, not like other people. Maybe that’s true—ability, disability—what’s in a word? So whatever the world throws at us, we won’t stop, we won’t crumble. When we love, we love hard.

Love without limits.

Unconditional is an Anthology from authors Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Jane Harvey-Berrick, Sarina Bowen, Mary Elizabeth, D.Hart, Amber L. Johnson, CJ Lyons, Lauren K. McKellar, Shay Savage, and Magan Vernon.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Crossing by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

He stole her lipstick…and her heart.

Twenty-year-old Dani Walker can’t believe her luck when she’s paired up with the gorgeous Liam Garrett as her Acting I scene partner – or when he ends up in her bed. Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s had nothing but one night stands.

The Education of Caroline by Jane Havery-Berrick

Ten years after their first affair, Sebastian and Caroline meet again. Now a successful journalist, Caroline heads out to report from the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. Love is the last thing on her mind when she crosses paths with Marine Chief Sebastian Hunter.

Will this chance encounter reignite the erotic passion of their past, or will the hidden cost of war tear them apart again?

Falling From The Sky by Sarina Bowen

Until his accident, bad boy Hank “Hazardous” Lazarus had everything: a gorgeous girlfriend, a career as a freestyle snowboarder and a spot on the US Olympic team. Could he possibly meet the love of his life in the last place he ever wanted to go–the hospital?

True Love Way by Mary Elizabeth

Some days are brighter than others, but Penelope Finnel is invisible behind the colored lenses of her heart-shaped sunglasses. Dillon Decker hopes he is the cure to her madness. But when friend turns to lover, and lover turns to caretaker, how much can either of them tolerate before they’re swallowed whole?

Forgotten Treasures by D. Hart

Fate took away Baylor’s past, giving her a second chance at life, but when faced with a choice to move forward, leave it buried, or follow her heart, she struggled with her basic need to survive and be loved. When she met Brandt, he gave her a reason to rebuild a life full of forgotten treasures.

Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson

When it comes to love there’s no such thing as conventional.

Everyone thinks Colton Neely is special.Lilly Evans just thinks he’s fascinating.

Their friendship grows into love, even as Colton does not express it in words. But one decision threatens to break down the world that Lilly has tried so hard to integrate into and she must figure out if the relationship can survive if they are apart.

Lost In Shadows by CJ Lyons

A West Virginia mountain, the middle of a blizzard, killers on his trail…no place for a city boy like Lucky Cavanaugh, an ATF explosives specialist.

Out-manned, out-gunned and shot, he takes Forest Service Wildlife Biologist Vinnie Ryan hostage until he convinces her that he’s one of the good guys.

Vinnie heals not only his injuries but also his broken heart. But when they uncover a terrorist plot, Lucky is forced to choose between duty and passion, risking the life of the woman he loves in order to save the lives of thousands.

The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K. McKellar

When eighteen-year-old Kate’s father turns up drunk to graduation, she knows something is wrong—really wrong. What she doesn’t expect is a hereditary disease that will turn her life around.

The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life—about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.

Surviving Raine by Shay Savage

Isolated on a raft after their ship capsizes, an alcoholic death-match fighter and a young woman have to face the elements as well as their entwined pasts. Bastian can survive in the harshest environments, but can he survive Raine?

The Only One by Magan Vernon

Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.

Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Sustained by Emma Chase – Legal Briefs Series – Book 2

Posted on 08/25/2015 by shellbellereads

__________________________________

Sustained

Legal Briefs Series- Book Two

Release Date: August 25, 2015

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.

When you’re a defense attorney in Washington, DC, you see firsthand how hard life can be, and that sometimes the only way to survive is to be harder. I, Jake Becker, have a reputation for being cold, callous, and intimidating—and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand.

Complications don’t work for me—I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will get you off. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming—and I don’t pretend to be.

Then Chelsea McQuaid and her six orphaned nieces and nephews came along and complicated the ever-loving hell out of my life. Now I’m going to Mommy & Me classes, One Direction concerts, the emergency room, and am knee deep in a damn compost pit.

Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent, and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be tough, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, and defend her…and the kids.

And that—that, I know how to do.

Excerpt

Chelsea’s skin radiates the flushed, cheery glow of alcohol. Her eyes are hooded and happy but shield her thoughts, making her harder to read than usual. She leans back in her chair, regarding me, running her finger around the rim of her glass. “So if you started out as such a troubled youth, how did you become”-she gestures to me-“this? Successful. Honorable. Respectable.”
I pour the last of the wine into my glass. “ ‘Respectable’ is probably pushing it a little bit…but the story goes like this: I was fifteen, running around with some real dipshits. Older guys. One night we thought it’d be brilliant to break into a sporting goods store, because that’s the kind of losers we were, only I didn’t know one of them was carrying. He ended up shooting a guard in the leg.”
Chelsea gasps just a little.
And my cock twitches a lot.
“We ran out the back, right into the arms of a waiting squad car.” I shake my head at the idiot I was. “The prosecutor wanted to charge me as an adult, send me away for serious time-and he could have. I had a hot temper and a record, and aside from my mother, I thought the whole goddamn world was my enemy.”
Chelsea leans forward, completely enthralled. “So what happened?”
“The Honorable Atticus Faulkner happened. He was the juvenile judge on my case-a big, mean, scary son of a bitch. And he…thought he saw something worthy in me. So he kept me in juvenile court- gave me community service and probation, to be supervised by the hard-ass himself.” I chuckle. “At the time, I thought the judge was doing me a favor-going easy on me.”
“He wasn’t?”
“Depends on your definition of ‘easy.’ For the next few years I trimmed grass by hand with fucking garden shears. I carried boulders, scrubbed floors, reshingled the goddamn roof-real Mr. Miyagi, wax-on-wax-off kind of shit. He rode my ass-nothing was ever good enough. It made me want to do everything better, just to fucking spite the bastard. And then…he had me start doing research. Studying case law, drafting briefs, analyzing opinions-it was fascinating to me. When my probation was up, the Judge offered me a job. By then I’d gotten my head out of my ass and was actually scoring decent grades in high school. With his recommendation and a shitload of student loans, I got through college, then law school…and that’s all she wrote.”
“I think that’s amazing,” she says softly, watching me.
“Yeah-the Judge is a pretty amazing guy.”
Her lips slide into a gentle smile and something like awe shines in her eyes. “I was talking about you.”
I’m hardly ever taken off guard. Surprised. But this stunning wisp of a woman just did exactly that.
Chelsea turns her head toward the piano music floating in from the other room. “I love this song.”
It’s a Van Morrison cover-“Crazy Love.”
I toss my napkin on the table and move to stand next to her, holding out my hand. “Would you like to dance?” And I can tell I just surprised her too. The simple delight on her face when her hand slides into mine makes me want to do it again.
We step out onto the edge of the dance floor. I wrap my arm around her lower back, holding her tight and flush against me. One of Chelsea’s hands rests on my shoulder, toying with the hair at the nape of my neck. The other is clasped in mine just over my heart. We sway, just looking at each other for a few moments.
“I was going to ask you to dance,” she tells me. “But you don’t seem like the type who would’ve said yes.”
“I’m not,” I answer, staring at her lush moth. “I was just using it as an excuse to be closer to you.”
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love.
She sighs, practically sinks into my arms. Chelsea’s head fits against my chest like she was made to be there. My chin rests against her hair, and I smell clean and sweet vanilla.
“Hey, Jake?”
“Yeah?”
Chelsea lifts her head from my chest. “You don’t need an excuse.”
I lower my head at the same moment she reaches up for me. And her lips-fuck-they’re warms, soft, and move with such innocent daring, I’m practically trembling. Was it just last night that I first kissed her? It seems longer ago. I cup her cheek, stroking her skin with my thumb, kissing deeper, tasting wine and the moan I’ve been obsessing over all night.
And the absolute craziest part of it all? I haven’t gotten laid in three goddamn weeks, but if this is all we do-kissing, with her against me, my arms around her-I’ll be grinning in the morning like a guy who banged a whole sorority house full of cheerleaders.
I’m hoping for more. I want everything-all the secret, sweetest parts of her-but if this is all I get to have tonight? It’s enough.
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love…

_______________________________________

Michel’s Review

I am just going to shout out….I LOVE EMMA CHASE !!!!

EMMA CHASE ROCKS!

Sustained by Emma Chase is the second book in the Legal Briefs series. I loved the first book, Overruled and didn’t think she could top it. I did not give her enough credit because not only did she top Overruled but had me falling head over heels in love with Jake Becker from Sustained. Jake Becker was just as entertaining as Drew Evans from the Tangled series. One moment I was wanting to wring his neck and the next moment he was making my heart burst.

Jake Becker is a hardened defense attorney on the fast track of making partner in the prestigious firm he works for in Washington D.C.. He’s learned to be tougher than his clients and has desensitized himself. He may be brash, appear callous, and come across as heartless but beneath the surface there is this whole other guy that most people will never see. He lives his life by certain rules. One of those rules is to avoid all romantic attachments. He loves sex and has one night stands frequently. When a one night stand goes wrong and weeks later he finds out he may have caught a venereal disease it changes his outlook on dating.

After weeks without sex he’s a bit cranky. When a smart mouthed little kid bumps into him and steals his wallet, he is downright pissed. When he meets the little brats guardian, Chelsea McQuaid he is mesmerized and his gavel is standing at attention until he realizes that there are five more little people lurking. He should turn around and run as fast as he can. But we all know how best intentions go, yeah they go down the drain.

Not only will Jake fall head over heels for Chelsea, he is going to fall in love with six precious little people that he will defend with his life. He will learn the true meaning of love in every form. He will learn to change a diaper, weather a One Direction concert, bet on Mommy & Me classes, and take on the evil wicked parents of an elite school. Is one woman worth it? Chelsea McQuaid is worth that and so much more.

Sustained was delightful! I laughed and swooned. Jake Decker makes Stanton Shaw and Drew Evans look like wannabe’s.

I highly recommend Sustained and Overruled. Each book can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order. I can’t wait for the next book. Appealed will release in November. I don’t think Brent Mason can top Jake Decker but knowing Emma Chase I could very well be wrong.

The Legal Briefs Series

Overruled – Book 1

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

A Washington, DC, defense attorney, Stanton Shaw keeps his head cool, his questions sharp, and his arguments irrefutable. They don’t call him the Jury Charmer for nothing—with his southern drawl, disarming smile, and captivating green eyes, he’s a hard man to say no to. Men want to be him, and women want to be thoroughly cross examined by him.

Stanton’s a man with a plan. And for a while, life was going according to that plan.

Until the day he receives an invitation to the wedding of his high school sweetheart, the mother of his beloved ten-year-old daughter. Jenny is getting married—to someone who isn’t him.

That’s definitely not part of the plan.

***

Sofia Santos is a city-raised, no-nonsense litigator who plans to become the most revered criminal defense attorney in the country. She doesn’t have time for relationships or distractions.

But when Stanton, her “friend with mind-blowing benefits,” begs her for help, she finds herself out of her element, out of her depth, and obviously out of her mind. Because she agrees to go with him to The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Mississippi, to do all she can to help Stanton win back the woman he loves. Her head tells her she’s crazy…and her heart says something else entirely.

What happens when you mix a one-stop-light town, two professional arguers, a homecoming queen, four big brothers, some Jimmy Dean sausage, and a gun-toting Nana?

The Bourbon flows, passions rise, and even the best-laid plans get overruled by the desires of the heart.

Sustained – Book Two

Coming August 25, 2015

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.

Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent, and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be tough, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, and defend her…and the kids.

And that—that, I know how to do.

Appealed – Book Three

Coming November 17, 2015

Pre- Order : Amazon / B & N / Kobo

When Brent Mason looks at Kennedy Randolph, he doesn’t see the awkward, sweet girl who grew up next door. He sees a self-assured, stunning woman…who wants to crush the most intimate—and prized—parts of his anatomy beneath the heels of her Louboutins.

When Kennedy looks at Brent, all she sees is the selfish, Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue–worthy teenager who humiliated her in high school in order to join the popular crowd. A crowd that made those years a living hell for her.

But she’s not a lovesick social outcast anymore—she’s a Washington, DC, prosecutor with a long winning streak. Brent is the opposing attorney in her next case, and Kennedy thinks it’s time to put him through a little hell of his own.

But things aren’t exactly working out the way she planned. Brent has his sights set on Kennedy, and every fiery exchange only makes him want her more—and makes her wonder if he’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is in the courtroom. In the end, they may just find themselves in love…or in contempt of court.

Author Bio:

By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother who resides in a small, rural town in New Jersey. By night she toils away the hours bringing her colorful characters and their endless antics to life. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.

Emma is an avid reader. Before her children were born she was known to consume whole books in a single day. Writing has also always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz + Review + Giveaway: In The Dark by Monica Murphy – The Rules Series – Book 2

Posted on 08/25/2015 by shellbellereads

In The Dark

The Rules Series – Book 2

By Monica Murphy

Release Date: August 25, 2015

Buy : Amazon / ITunes

Stuck spending the summer with his screwed up family, Gabriel Walker is bored out of his mind and looking for an adventure. And he seems to find it with the hot girl who lives next door. The attraction between them is instant. Electric. Soon they’re spending every stolen minute together. Talk about the perfect summer fling…

Lucy isn’t what she seems. She doesn’t live next door—she’s the girl who’s been hired to house sit for the summer while the family goes on a worldwide vacation. If Gabe wants to believe she’s a spoiled rich girl looking for some fun, she can go along with that. After the summer, she’ll never see him again.

They don’t count on running into each other at college. Now Lucy must keep up the pretense of being a rich girl—and it’s exhausting. She knows she’s falling in love with Gabe and she’s scared he feels the same. Will he still care about her when he discovers the truth?

Michel’s Review

In The Dark by Monica Murphy is the second book in The Rules series. This New Adult series features three rich bad boys and the dynamic young women that capture their hearts and change their bad boy ways. This series is fun, sexy, and light hearted. It’s not weighed down with emotional angst or over the top sexcapades. It’s the perfect series to add to your ereader and is guaranteed to delight.

Gabriel Walker is on a forced summer vacation with his family. He is bored and spends his time spying on his sexy neighbor. When he finally approaches her little does he realize that he has just given away the key to his heart.

Lucy is house sitting for the summer. She knows she doesn’t fit in with the rich elite residents. She tries to stay away from Gabe Walker but it is impossible. He may be rich but he is also a decent guy that’s fun to be around.

The two decide to have a summer fling. Gabe assumes Lucy is in the same social class he is. She doesn’t tell him any different. What does it matter, they won’t see each other after summer ends.

Summer comes to an end and it’s back to school. Both Gabe and Lucy are surprised when they run into one another on campus. She thought he was living in Texas. He thought she was a rich girl living out of daddy’s pockets. Now they both have to face the truth. The one thing that is still apparent is that they can’t stay away from one another or keep their hands off one another. But first they will have to deal with their secrets.

Once again Monica Murphy wrote the perfect new adult romance. It had the perfect combination of the carefree coed spirit, the emotional moments, and the sizzling hot romance.

I highly recommend In The Dark and Fair Game. The Rules series is delightful.

I am looking forward to the final book, Slow Play.

The Rule Series

Fair Game

The Rule Series – Book 1

Release Date: May 12, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis

FAIR GAME (The Rules Series, Book 1) May 12, 2015

Bad enough Jade Frost’s boyfriend drags her to a boring poker game. Even worse that he actually threw her into the betting pot during an intense round…and lost. Talk about the perfect excuse for Jade to make him her ex-boyfriend.

Now she supposedly belongs to the ultra rich, extremely gorgeous Shep Prescott. He could have anything he wants yet he seems to be in hot pursuit of her. No matter how rude, how snarky, how impossible she acts, it doesn’t stop him. More like her horrible behavior seems to make him want her more.

When she finds herself starting to fall for him, Jade’s confused. There’s more to Shep than the carefree rich charmer he portrays. He has secrets. And she wants to discover them, no matter how ugly they might be…

In The Dark

The Rule Series – Book 2

Release Date: August 25, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Synopsis

IN THE DARK (Book 2) August 25, 2015

Lucy isn’t what she seems. She doesn’t live next door—she’s the maid who’s been hired to house sit for the summer while the family goes on a worldwide vacation. If Gabe wants to believe she’s a spoiled rich girl looking for some fun, she can go along with that. After the summer, she’ll never see him again.

Slow Play

The Rule Series – Book 3

Release Date: November 3, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Synopsis

SLOW PLAY (Book 3) November 3, 2015

Newly broke girl Alexandria Asher just wants to live a normal life. After her parents are sent to prison on embezzlement charges, she enrolls in college under her mother’s maiden name and tries her best to pretend she’s someone else.

Tristan Chadwick is everything Alex is trying to avoid. A seemingly egotistical, lazy, rich jerk, she dumps her beer on his head when he comes on to her one night at a party. This only spurs Tristan into action. He loves nothing more than a challenge. And the beautiful Alex is exactly the type of challenge that intrigues him.

Despite her reluctance, Alex finds herself quickly involved with Tristan. Underneath that playboy exterior is a good guy, a sweet and sexy guy who she is undoubtedly falling for. What they both don’t realize is the actions of Alex’s parents are the reason for so much tragedy in Tristan’s family. And when Tristan discovers who Alex and her family really is, can he forgive and forget?
______________________________________________________________________________

I write books. I have the best job ever. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Writer of new adult contemporary romance-ish stuff. Published with Avon and Bantam. Mom and wife. Native Californian.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a501259533/?

Release Blitz + Review: Anything But Broken by Joelle Knox – Hurricane Creek Series – Book 1

Posted on 08/25/2015 by shellbellereads

Anything But Broken

Hurricane Creek Series – Book 1

By Joelle Knox

Synopsis

The first in a New Adult series about small towns, fast cars, bad boys and the girls who keep falling for them.

After five years, tragedy brings Hannah Casey back to Hurricane Creek to bury what’s left of her family. She’s flunking out of college, haunted by scandal, and the only person who cares is Sean Whitlow, an irresistible bad boy with a soft spot for her. The problem? He’s her dead sister’s ex.

Sean doesn’t bleed red, he bleeds motor oil. During the week, he struggles to turn his auto repair shop into a profitable business. But when Saturday night rolls around, he’s the reigning stock-car king of the local race track. He doesn’t know how to lose-or how to walk away and leave Hannah alone with her grief.

Between her grades and her wealthy family’s dark secrets, Hannah’s barely holding her life together. And the last thing Sean needs is to get tangled up with another Casey girl. As the attraction between them spins out of control, they’ll either find a love with no limits-or go up in flames.

Buy: Amazon / B & N

Excerpt

I don’t stay in bed. By the time Sean comes knocking on Evie’s front door, I’ve washed my face, brushed my teeth, and torn through my room, kicking dirty clothes into the closet and wondering how I made such a damn mess when I don’t even have all my things with me.

I’m at the door before I remember I forgot to change, and it’s too late now. So I answer the door in my pajamas—cotton shorts and a tank top that feels transparent right now.

“Hey. Come on in.”

“Good morning.” He actually did something, one of the bright blue boxes from the bakery down the street from the boutique, and he hands it to me as he walks in.

“Thank you.” I carry the box into the living room, where my quilting supplies are spread out on the floor in front of the TV. Evie helped me sort scraps last night, and I went to bed without putting anything away. “Are you thirsty? I can make coffee, or we have some Cokes.”

“The bakery thinks of everything.” He tilts his head toward the box, and I open it to find two covered cups of coffee nestled inside along with the pastries.

“You’re going to spoil me,” I tell him as I sit on the couch. The coffee table is another of those pieces that looks either cosmetically distressed or lovingly salvaged—only now I know which. Evie finds them at flea markets and yard sales, dropping ten dollars on pieces of furniture no one wants, only to turn around and make them beautiful.

Just like Sean and his car—or me with my scrap quilts, I guess. Maybe we’re all obsessed with rescuing broken things.

Sean takes one of the coffees and sprawls out beside me, one arm looped casually around my shoulders. “Got any plans for today?”

Just the hospital later, but I don’t feel like bringing it up. So I reach for one of the pastries instead, breaking off a corner to nibble. “Not really. I need to open up my laptop and actually deal with some of my email, I guess.”

“Sounds fun.” He wrinkles his nose as he leans his head back and closes his eyes. “I left Gibb alone at the garage.”

I should probably feel guilty about that, but it’s hard to when he’s here, next to me, and I get to snuggle into his side as I eat breakfast. “I’m sure he can handle it. He seems really good at his job. Evie says he is, anyway.”

“She’s right.” Sean tilts his head my way and opens one eye. “You look good.”

My cheeks aren’t the only part of me that heat at the compliment. I abandon the pastry and coffee in favor of curling closer to him, because every point of contact means another giddy spark of anticipation.

It’s easier to flirt with him in text messages, but I try to capture a hint of that mischief as

I smile at him. “I stayed in my pajamas just for you.”

“I like it.” The back of his hand brushes my bare thigh.

An accident? I don’t want it to be. Holding my breath, I shift closer, chasing his fingers.

But he hasn’t moved, so I wind up rubbing my leg against his hand.
Sean is watching me now. “Does Evie come home for lunch?”

I don’t think I’ve been here long enough to know for sure, and I can’t remember right now, anyway. Because that’s not what he’s really asking. This isn’t safe like the lake, with people nearby to keep us from going too far.

Whatever too far means.

“I think she might be meeting Sawyer for lunch,” I tell him, because I know she talked about it. Was it today? God, I hope so, because I can’t think with Sean watching me.

He slides his free hand into my hair and cups my neck. He doesn’t say anything, but he’s utterly focused on my mouth, and he draws in a sharp breath when I lick my lips.

It’s the reminder I need—that I’m not the only one caught in the grip of needy hunger. I press my hand to his chest, splaying my fingers wide. Not to hold him back, but to brace myself as I lean in.

He lifts me into his lap instead, his steely grip a shocking reminder of his strength. I end up perched on his thighs, my knees riding alongside his hips. Straddling him, and it’s nothing like the lake. We might be wearing more clothing—well, he is—but there’s no darkness or water to hide behind.

He can watch my cheeks flush, and he can watch that warmth spread. My tank top is too thin to hide the tightening tips of my nipples, so I crush my chest to his and kiss him before reality can catch up with me.

But it isn’t reality that crashes into me a heartbeat later. It’s sensation, the tightness spreading into a deeper heat as his tongue slicks over mine, and his fingertips edge beneath the hem of my tank top.

I want to melt. Everything inside me is screaming for it, but I break away and pant against his cheek. “I should tell you. That I still don’t—that I’m not ready—”

“For sex?” His voice is low, hoarse. Filthy.

I never thought anything could weaken my resolve. But I didn’t know I could feel like this—flustered and turned on and achy. Empty, and just thinking that makes me feel debauched. “Can we still do other stuff?”

His chest rumbles beneath mine, and his hands slide higher up my back. “Hell, yeah.”

Michel’s Review

When I accepted this ARC for review I had no idea who Joelle Knox was. I just assumed that she was a new writer. The synopsis for this book sounded intriguing. I love New Adult romance. When I found out that Joelle Knox was the dynamic writing team otherwise known as Moira Rogers and Kit Rocha, I was elated. Donna and Bree have been creating magical romances for years. They have a special chemistry that makes their books come to life. I was pleased to see that they chose to start writing in the New Adult genre.

Anything But Broken is a solid start to the compelling new series, Hurricane Creek. Hurricane Creek is a small town in Georgia. Like most small towns, it has it’s secrets, it has it’s powerful residents, and it has it’s share of broken people. Small town life revolves around status, gossip, racing, and football. This is your typical southern town. Joelle Knox infused life into this town and introduced us to some of it’s dynamic younger residents that are making a name for themselves and carving out their futures.

Hannah Casey has returned to Hurricane Creek after being away for five years. Her family sent her and her sister away in order to keep their deep dark secrets. Now she has returned to bury her parents. Her sister passed away after they were sent away to South Carolina. She would of done anything to avoid coming back and dealing with the ugly truths her parents left behind. She has been alone far too long and was never really able to develop as an individual because of her parents demands . Now she is not only mourning her loss, she is also floundering because she doesn’t know who she is.

Sean Whitlow is Hannah’s sister’s ex boyfriend. He knows some of her family secrets. He knows how her parents suppressed her in her younger years. He’s there to help Hannah deal with the tragic loss as well as helping her find herself.

Hannah is going to face some ugly truths about herself. She is going to find that her family kept more secrets than she realized. She will also find love. Sean Whitlow will open her eyes and steal her heart. Along the way she will reconnect with old friends, make peace with the past, and become a part of a real family.

I loved this book. It dealt with some very heavy issues in a very honest realistic way. The authors did not sugarcoat it and tapped into the emotions that go along with alcoholism and mental health disorders. They gave the readers a positive outlook and showed that there is help if you are brave enough to reach out.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series. The authors created dynamic secondary characters that are screaming for their own stories to be told.

I highly recommend reading Anything But Broken by Joelle Knox. It will not disappoint.

The Hurricane Creek Series

Anything But Broken – Book 1

Sean doesn’t bleed red, he bleeds motor oil. During the week, he struggles to turn his auto repair shop into a profitable business. But when Saturday night rolls around, he’s the reigning stock-car king of the local race track. He doesn’t know how to lose–or how to walk away and leave Hannah alone with her grief.

Buy: Amazon / B & N

Anything But Perfect – Book 2

Coming 2016

Anything But Tempted – Book 3

Coming 2016

____________________________________________

About Joelle Knox

Joelle Knox is the penname of co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. Best friends for years, they’ve been collaborating and publishing together since 2008. As Kit Rocha they write the award winning dystopian erotic romance Beyond series, and as Moira Rogers they’ve penned dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories.

Anything but Broken is their first contemporary romance and their first new adult romance.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Virtual Tour + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway: Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne

Posted on 08/25/2015 by shellbellereads

Enter to Win

Loveswept & FLIRT Mugs

and Select Ebook Bundle

BLURRED LINES

Lauren Layne

Releasing Aug 25th, 2015

Loveswept

In
a novel that’s perfect for fans of Abbi Glines and Jessica Sorensen, USA
Today bestselling author Lauren Layne delivers a sexy take on the timeless
question: Can a guy and a girl really be “just friends”?

When
Parker Blanton meets Ben Olsen during her freshman year of college, the
connection is immediate—and platonic. Six years later, they’re still best
friends, sharing an apartment in Portland’s trendy Northwest District as they
happily settle into adult life. But when Parker’s boyfriend dumps her out of
the blue, she starts to wonder about Ben’s no-strings-attached approach to
dating. The trouble is, even with Ben as her wingman, Parker can’t seem to get
the hang of casual sex—until she tries it with him.

The
arrangement works perfectly . . . at first. The sex is mind-blowing, and their
friendship remains as solid as ever, without any of the usual messy romantic
entanglements. But when Parker’s ex decides he wants her back, Ben is shocked
by a fierce stab of possessiveness. And when Ben starts seeing a girl from
work, Parker finds herself plagued by unfamiliar jealousy. With their
friendship on the rocks for the first time, Parker and Ben face an alarming
truth: Maybe they can’t go back. And maybe, deep down, they never want to.

BUY NOW

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt

I scoop up the last bite of cereal from my bowl as I stand. “We should probably get going,” I say, still chewing. “IKEA gets crazy on Saturdays, and I don’t want to risk them being out of stock on the extra-large shelves.”

“You have that many dolls?” Liz asks, looking torn between being creeped out and feeling completely sorry for me.

“Fifty-seven and counting,” I say, straight-faced. “And actually, Ben, if you’re going to be a while, I might just run upstairs and brush their hair? I noticed last night Polly was starting to develop a tangle.”

Ben drains his coffee, pushes back from the counter, and shakes his head at me. “You poor, sick weirdo.”

Then he turns to Liz, putting his hands on her skinny waist and pulling her forward with an apologetic smile. “You mind if I take a raincheck on breakfast?”

I barely hide the snort. In Ben’s world, raincheck is a synonym for I’m going to intentionally lose your phone number.

In under a minute, Ben is nudging Liz out onto the front porch, and, impressively, she doesn’t even look pissed. I follow them out, just to be annoying, watching as he whispers something in her ear. Her eyes go wide and sympathetic and she gives me an It’s gonna be okay, little buddy smile. She heads toward the sidewalk with a wave.

“What did you just tell her?” I ask, taking a sip of my coffee as we watch her leave.

“I told her you were an abandoned orphan and that the only thing your birth mother left you with was a doll named Polly. Hence the sad obsession.”

I shake my head. “You know I’m going to have to rewrite the house rules. And No dolls will so be going on there.”

Liz turns back and gives one last wave. Both Ben and I wave back, and I can’t help myself. “Enjoy your walk of shame!” I call after her, my voice sweet as sugar.

Liz’s head snaps back as though trying to determine if she heard me correctly, but Ben puts a hand over my face and shoves me back into the house before closing the front door.

He absently rubs a hand over his abs as he looks me up and down.

“You should change. You can’t wear your ratty booty shorts and that ugly T-shirt to IKEA.”

“First of all, you can absolutely wear your rattiest and ugliest T-shirts to IKEA. That’s pretty much the IKEA dress code. And second, we’re not going to IKEA. Really, are you getting so comfortable with your lies that they become fact in your mind?”

“We are going to IKEA,” he says, running both hands through his short brown hair before heading toward the stairs.

“For what?” I ask.

“I need a new dresser.”

“What’s wrong with your old dresser?”

“It broke.”

I wrinkle my nose. “How the hell do you break a dresser?”

He shoots me a look over his shoulder and wiggles his eyebrows.

It takes me only seconds before I put the pieces together. “Airhead?” I hitch a thumb over my shoulder at the departed female. “You banged her against the dresser?”

“Hey, she was unusually tall, which gave me the unusual opportunity and prime angle to—”

I slap my hands over my ears and start singing Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” my default protective gesture whenever Ben gets a little too colorful with descriptions of his sexual antics.

Another house rule: Parker absolutely does not want to know what happens in Ben’s bedroom.

“Hey, do you and Lance have plans today?” he asks.

“Maybe you should have asked that before you mandated an IKEA trip. But no, he’s got an all-day study group.”

Lance is getting his MBA from the University of Portland.

“Cool. Let’s grab lunch after.” He heads into his bedroom without looking at me.

Lunch, huh?

I narrow my eyes and sprint up the stairs after him, pushing open his door before he can shut it in my face.

Sure enough, his dresser is definitely leaning unhealthily to one side, and I count two, no make that three, condom wrappers.

He pulls a green polo from the tiny closet in the corner and looks around his messy floor until he finds his jeans.

I wait expectantly.

“What?” he asks.

“Lunch?” I lift my brows. And wait for the explanation.

Ben scratches idly at his slightly stubbled chin. Sharing a bathroom with the guy, I know he shaves every morning, but the stubble seems to be perpetual.

“Well, you know that girl I dated a couple weeks ago? Kim?” he asks. “She wanted me to go to her sister’s engagement brunch, and I told her I was busy all day. But she’s just crazy enough to stop by and see if I’m actually out of the house, so I thought we should be elsewhere. . . .”

I hold up a hand. “Fine. I’ll be your alibi. But I get to pick the restaurant, and you’re buying. Oh, and you have to put the toilet seat down every day for an entire week.”

He raises his hand as though wanting to say something in class. “I’d like to add a house rule: Parker isn’t allowed to tell Ben how to pee.”

“You don’t make the house rules. I do. And I didn’t tell you how to pee,” I say exasperatedly as he wrenches open a dresser drawer and pulls out a pair of boxers. “I’m trying to do your future wife a favor by teaching you how not to be a pig.”

He inches by me into the hallway. “Another house rule: Parker shalt not say profanities as future wife to a dedicated bachelor.”

“You’re not a dedicated bachelor. You’re just a typical horny twenty-four-year-old dude, and, again, you don’t make the house rules—hey!”

He shuts the door to our shared bathroom in my face, and too late I realize that I’d missed all the classic signs of a skilled Ben Olsen diversion. He’d just wanted to beat me into the bathroom.

“Don’t use all the hot water!” I shout, pounding my palm on the door.

The door opens just enough for me to see one blue eye blinking back at me. “Didn’t you say Polly had a tangle? You better go get on that.”

The door shuts again, and I pound a second time. “Remember, the green towel is mine. The white one is yours.”

I wait for confirmation, but there’s only silence.

“Ben, I know you can hear me! Don’t ‘accidentally’ use mine just because yours smells funny.”

More silence.

Damn it. He is so planning to use my towel.

So, yeah, my best friend is a guy. Doesn’t mean I have to like it all the time.

Michel’s Review

Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne was an absolutely charming feel good kind of book. I love the “Friends To Lovers” theme. These kind of books are easy to read because the characters already have an established close relationship and the reader doesn’t have to muddle through the meet & greet process.

Parker and Ben met in their freshman year of college and became best friends. Six years later they are still best friends. They know each other in and out. They know each others quirks, weaknesses, faults, and strengths. They have built a mutual respect for one another. They have established a platonic loving relationship.

When Parker breaks off with her long term boyfriend, Ben ,a one night stand kind of guy, starts looking at Parker in a whole new light. When Parker wants Ben to teach her how to embrace single life it puts a whole new twist on their friendship. They are going to be friends with benefits. Let the fun begin and falling head over heels in love take over.

This book was fun. The banter between Parker and Ben was witty, fun, and charming. Their relationship once it moved to the benefits phase was sizzling hot. When they hit the falling in love phase it was down right swoony.

I highly recommend Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne if you are looking for a warm and fuzzy romance.

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

Lauren Layne is the USA Today
Bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren
worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from
Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing
career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent
assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s
gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with
several more on the way in 2015.

Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled
Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour, running at a
doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Release Blitz: Code of Honor by Missy Johnson – The Sontagio Family Series – Book 1

Posted on 08/25/2015 by shellbellereads

Code of Honor

Spontagio Family Series – Book 1

By Missy Johnson

Synopsis

In a series debut for fans of Tracy Wolff and Sylvia Day, New York Times bestselling author Missy Johnson asks a burning question: What happens when love is undeniable—and taboo?

Pietro Gustovi is loyal, polished, and hard as stone, the kind of guy women want and men respect. At twenty-three, he’s survived tragedies that would break men twice his age. And he owes it all to his father’s closest friend, Giovanni Spontagio, who took him in as an orphaned teenager. Pietro would give his life for Giovanni . . . but his heart belongs to Giovanni’s daughter.

Raised in Chicago under the spotlight of power and privilege, Lucia Spontiago feels most alive on stage. Determined to become a prima ballerina, she escapes her father’s protective gaze long enough to audition for the ballet in New York City. Soon, however, Lucy realizes that she is not alone. Pietro is watching her back. And though he’s like a brother to her, Lucy cannot deny the thrill she feels knowing his eyes are on her.

Pietro could never betray his mentor by sleeping with his only child. But Lucy follows her passions, no matter how forbidden. Soon their nights are consumed by explosive, red-hot temptation—a dance that will expose shocking secrets and burn everything else to the ground.

Note: Code of Honor ends on a cliffhanger. Pietro and Lucy’s story continues in Code of Love!

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Tina’s Review

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

Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
Sharp dressed man that looks to have the weight of the world on his shoulders and mind. Makes a gal want to try to alleviate some of his stress. 😉
Looking Deeper:
First-person POV, alternates with clear definition. Pietro feels indebted to Giovanni for taking him in when he was a teen after his parents were killed. His attraction to Lucia, Giovanni’s daughter must be kept a secret for fear of Giovanni’s reaction. He’s also determined to get to the bottom of his parents’ murder, although danger surrounds the case from every angle. Lucia was a little breathing room to become her own person, regardless of how much she loves her overly-protective father. She’s attracted to Pietro, even when everyone refers to them as siblings. Their chemistry is natural to two people that spend their teen and young adult years living together and discovering each other in new capacities. (Sort of similar to a Step-sibling story, but not quite.) There are some interesting secondary characters that add a nice depth and some dynamics to the plot. Their whole relationship and his past are nothing but conflicts, but they manage to work though them in ways that would be appropriate to the age and situation. There is some predictability, but not too bad. The conclusion was completely ABSENT. At no time were we informed that this was a SERIAL, ending on a cliffhanger. I’ve wasted hours of what little time I have for an incomplete story… not happy about that at all. HOWEVER, if I had been informed and forewarned, I’d think that the story in itself was pretty darn good so far.

____________________________________________

Author Bios:

Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog…you get the picture).

When she’s not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Virtual Tour + Excerpt + Review: Delayed Penalty – Pilots Hockey Series – Book 1

Posted on 08/24/2015 by shellbellereads

Enter to Win a

Select Loveswept Ebook Bundle

DELAYED PENALTY

Pilots Hockey #1

Sophia Henry

Releasing Sept 1st, 2015

She closed her heart long ago. He
just wants to open her mind. For fans of Toni Aleo and Sawyer Bennett, the
debut of Sophia Henry’s red-hot Detroit Pilots series introduces a hockey team
full of complicated men who fight for love.

Auden Berezin is used to losing
people: her father, her mother, her first love. Now, just
when she believes those childhood wounds are finally healing, she loses
something else: the soccer scholarship that was her ticket to college.
Scrambling to earn tuition money, she’s relieved to find a gig translating for
a Russian minor-league hockey player—until she realizes that he’s the same
dangerously sexy jerk who propositioned her at the bar the night before.

Equal parts muscle and scar tissue,
Aleksandr Varenkov knows about trauma. Maybe that’s what draws him to Auden. He
also lost his family too young, and he channeled the pain into his passions:
first hockey, then vodka and women. But all that seems to just melt away the
instant he kisses Auden and feels a jolt of desire as sudden and surprising as
a hard check on the ice.

After everything she’s been through,
Auden can’t bring herself to trust any man, let alone a hot-headed puck jockey
with a bad reputation. Aleksandr just hopes she’ll give him a chance—long
enough to prove he’s finally met the one who makes him want to change.

BUY NOW

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt

I’m pretty sure there were only two ways Crazy Hair could have looked better than he had at O’Callaghan’s. The first was as he did right now: sitting on a bench in the locker room wearing nothing but the lower half of his uniform, including his skates, sweat rolling over his sinewy pecs and creating a happy trail all the way into his hockey pants.

The second way—I can only assume—would be if he were completely naked.

“Aleksandr, this is Auden Berezin. She will be your translator.”

“I don’t need a translator.”

I almost laughed, because he’d said he didn’t need a translator in Russian.

“You must talk with the media at some point, Sasha. They’re riding my ass to get better answers from you than ‘was good game.’ ”

Aleksandr Varenkov, hot Russian hockey god, laughed, showing the perfect set of white teeth I’d noticed at the bar.

“You have your teeth in, but you haven’t even showered yet?” Orlenko asked.

Was Orlenko a mind reader? I sure hope not, because I would be fired for thinking about my client naked.

“I wanted to look good for pictures.” Aleksandr winked at me. Then he stood, and drops of sweat raced down the hard planes of his chest.

I’d never been so envious of perspiration in my life.

“Sometimes I talk in the shower. Will she translate for me in there?”

My cheeks began to burn, so I averted my eyes, lowering them to the black Cyrillic script tattooed down his sides, then thought better of that line of sight and studied the soiled beige carpet below my feet.

“Aleks—” Orlenko sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“Zhenya,” Aleksandr began. “You know I’m kidding, yes?” He shoved a towel onto the shelf above his nameplate and walked away without waiting for an answer.

“Yes,” Orlenko hissed. He’d said it under his breath, but I heard him and wondered what my grandpa had gotten me into. “Well, that was Aleksandr Varenkov, your client. He’s a talented player and a good man. But he can be a little—”

“Douchey?” I offered in English. I shouldn’t have said it, considering Grandpa’s professional reputation was in my hands. Then again, Evgeny Orlenko was Grandpa’s friend first, so maybe he wouldn’t be too hard on me. Besides, Grandpa knew what kind of mouth I had, and he’d sent me for the job anyway.

Orlenko laughed, and continued in Russian. “Wild was the word I was looking for, but your adjective may not be that far off.”

“I’ve got it, Mr. Orlenko.”

“Are you sure?” He inspected me through thick black-rimmed glasses that were too small for his puffy face.

“As a college student with an active social life, I’ve learned how to handle arrogant douche bags.” This time I was being paid to handle one.

“I shouldn’t be having this conversation about one of my clients,” Mr. Orlenko said, his lips quirking up, then back into a tight line. At least he was trying to keep a straight face. “You’re like a breath of fresh air, Audushka. I hope you stay that way even with his off-ice antics.”

Off-ice antics? What the hell did that mean and why would I have to deal with them? “Will I have to hang out with him outside of the arena? I thought I was here to translate for media interviews after games and some practices.”

“Aleksandr speaks very little English. He’ll need your assistance in all aspects of his career; interviews, community service. At least, until he gets acclimated. Vitya said you were here for the month, is that correct?”

“Yep. All of winter break.”

“You’ll be putting in a lot of hours.”

“I’m a hard worker. And I need the cash. Got cut from the soccer team, and I have to replace the scholarship money I lost.” I was running my mouth again. Maybe I did need to tone it down.

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that. The being-cut part.” He cleared his throat. “Here’s my card. I wrote my cell number on the back. If you have any trouble or if Aleksandr makes you uncomfortable in any way, please give me a call.”

“Thanks.” I scanned the card wondering if I should try to memorize his number now, since I wasn’t sure how stable this client sounded.

After Orlenko left the locker room, I realized I hadn’t asked him what I should do next, and he hadn’t given me instructions as to where I should wait while Aleksandr showered. Since I wasn’t part of the media, I was extremely aware of being the intruder standing in a room of half-naked men. A shower shouldn’t take very long, so I dug my e-reader out of my messenger bag and sat down on the stool that Aleksandr had just vacated.

“Ewww.” I jumped up and skimmed my palm against my damp backside. Hadn’t even thought about any runaway sweat that might’ve dripped from Aleksandr’s lean, hard body onto the stool.

Stop. Just stop thinking about the shiny, wet flesh covering his impeccably carved frame.

Michel’s Review

Delayed Penalty by Sophia Henry is the first book in the dynamic New Adult Hockey Series, the Pilots Hockey. Sophia Henry is a new author to the New Adult and Sports Romance genres. She has made an excellent debut with Delayed Penalty.

I am not going to say too much about the story itself because it would leave too many spoilers for the reader. What I will say is this is a really good book even though I did not give it 5 stars. The plot was solid, the pacing of the story was good, the characters were interesting enough to stay invested in the book, and the technical writing was well executed. There were some things that held me back from giving a higher rating. These things are the typical “new author” weaknesses that become stronger with experience, time, and investment in their series.

I really liked this story. It was a fresh and unique in both genres. This story also brings another interesting aspect that I think readers are going to love. Both of the characters are of Russian decent. The reader will get to experience the American Russian culture as well as authentic Russian culture.

I really liked both of the leading characters. They were both solid people with very real issues. They were both strong but also had flaws that made them more vulnerable. The only problem I had with them is that they just seemed a bit flat. These two people were dynamic and I wished the author would of brought them to life. I wanted to become deeply invested in them. I wanted to live their story with them rather than being told their story. I wanted to experience their emotions, their highs and lows, and their romance. I think if the author would of injected a little bit more emotion and personality these two characters would of stole the readers hearts. The chemistry between the two would of exploded off the pages.

The secondary characters were just okay. They didn’t seem to support the story enough. The reader did not get to know any of them personally or get a sense of their relationships with the leading characters. Because of the reader did not really get to know much about these characters, it doesn’t leave the reader “dying” for the next book in the series. I’m afraid that this series will be put on the back burner in the readers minds and could get lost amongst all the other sports romances and new adult romances.

The readers expect more lively, emotional, and larger than life personalities in new adult romances as well as sports romances. They want to see their fun carefree spirits as well as their issues. They want to feel their youthfulness. Readers also want to see the comaraderie among the teammates and the tight friendship bonds that come along with it.

This book could of stood a little more focus on the sport as well. It would of made the leading male character more credible with his talented playing abilities.

Readers like to be told a story but what they love more is becoming a part of the story and experiencing it right along with the characters.

Sophia Henry told an excellent story. I hope the next book in the series, Power Play, the characters will come to life and let me experience their story.

I would still highly recommend Delayed Penalty in spite of the things I found lacking. It is a good story and a good start to a new series.

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

Sophia Henry, a proud Detroit
native, fell in love with reading, writing, and hockey all before she became a
teenager. She did not, however, fall in love with snow. So after graduating
with an English degree from Central Michigan University, she moved to North
Carolina, where she spends her time writing books featuring hockey-playing
heroes, chasing her two high-energy sons, watching her beloved Detroit Red
Wings, and rocking out at concerts with her husband.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

2015 Favorite + 6 Star Review: Hawthorne & Heathcliff by R.K. Ryals

Posted on 08/23/2015 by shellbellereads

Hawthorne & Heathcliff

By R.K. Ryals

Genre: Mature YA / New Adult / Coming of Age

Synopsis

Two names that didn’t belong to us. Two shoes that did.

Intense and introspective, seventeen-year-old Hawthorne Macy knows all about being abandoned. She’s felt the stark pain of being left behind by the people who are supposed to love her the most; her parents. Raised by her caring uncle on an old plantation, Hawthorne lives her life on the fringes of her small Southern town.

Until she meets his shoe.

Senior year, last period English class, and a pair of silent tennis shoes resting next to hers in the back of the room throws Hawthorne into a world she’d learned to stay outside of.

His name is Max Vincent, but in her mind, he’s Heathcliff. The handsome eighteen-year-old boy behind the shoes will pull Hawthorne into a passionate and unforgettable adventure of self-discovery during a time when love seems impossible.

Shoes can tell a lot about a person. The journey they take you on can tell a lot about how they’ll hold up.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

Hawthorne & Heathcliff by R.K. Royals was recommended to me when it first released. I read the synopsis and thought this book sounded good. I purposely stayed away from Goodreads and Amazon reviews because I did not want to open this book with expectations or pre-formed opinions. I wanted to experience this book for myself.

I opened this book with an open mind and clear head. The very first page drew me in and I could not put the book down until the very last word was read. I read the book almost two weeks ago and could not think of how to write a review for this book. There are no words that can describe the beauty of this book. On the surface it is a coming of age romance that is beautiful within itself. But between the lines is where this book shines and makes an impact that will not be forgotten long after the last page has been read. It touches the very core of the human spirit. It shows how resilient the human spirit can be once we open our hearts & minds and allow life to happen. Life is messy. Life is chaotic. Life is unpredictable. It can also be beautiful and exalting. It’s how we process it all and allow it into our souls. We need to open our hearts and let life in with all it’s messy glory. To accept it and make it our own. Allow it to shape us to become a stronger and better person. To become the person we were meant to be rather than being the person we thought we should be.

This book was an emotional journey. I laughed, cried, ached,and rejoiced. My heart was engaged with every single word.

The writing in this book was brilliant. R.K. Ryals based part of the book on the poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath. It made the leading characters reflect about how they saw themselves and their lives. But that is only the beginning, she used shoes as a prop on how they saw other people and how those people fit into their lives. She also used classic literature by Jane Austin to showcase the leading characters. She added all of these elements to bring Max and Claire to life without letting them overshadow their own unique personalities. The subtle messages and examples the secondary characters delivered in this book is astounding. Their characters became just as important as the leading characters in a very different way. All of these elements make the characters and their romance shine. It is one of the most beautiful romances that I have read because it was honest and realistic.

Hawthorne & Heathcliff is a book for all ages. Whether you are a teenager experiencing first love or a senior citizen experiencing your last days, this book will touch your soul. It’s a celebration of the human spirit in all it’s glory.

Read Hawthorne & Heathcliff by R.K. Royals.

______________________________________

Author Bio:

R.K. Ryals is the author of emotional and gripping young adult and new adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and fantasy. With a strong passion for charity and literacy, she works as a full time writer encouraging people to “share the love of reading one book at a time.” An avid animal lover and self-proclaimed coffee-holic, R.K. Ryals was born in Jackson, Mississippi and makes her home in the Southern U.S. with her husband, her three daughters, a rescue dog named Oscar the Grouch, A Shitzsu named Tinkerbell, an OCD cat, and a coffee pot she honestly couldn’t live without. Should she ever become the owner of a fire-breathing dragon (tame of course), her life would be complete.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Category Archives: Book Review

Release Blitz: Because of Sydney by T.A. Foster

Release Blitz + Review: Devine Domination by Lili Valente – Bought by the Billionaire Series – Book 4

Release Blitz: Unconditional Anthology – 10 Full Length Love Without Limits Novels

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Sustained by Emma Chase – Legal Briefs Series – Book 2

Release Blitz + Review + Giveaway: In The Dark by Monica Murphy – The Rules Series – Book 2

Release Blitz + Review: Anything But Broken by Joelle Knox – Hurricane Creek Series – Book 1

Virtual Tour + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway: Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne

Release Blitz: Code of Honor by Missy Johnson – The Sontagio Family Series – Book 1

Virtual Tour + Excerpt + Review: Delayed Penalty – Pilots Hockey Series – Book 1

2015 Favorite + 6 Star Review: Hawthorne & Heathcliff by R.K. Ryals

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: