Happy Release + Reviews : Lawless In Leather by Melanie Scott- New York Saints Series – Book 3

Posted on 05/05/2015 by shellbellereads

Lawless In Leather

New York Saints Series – Book 3

By Melanie Scott

Synopsis

SHE’S GOOD AT HER GAME.
Raina Easton never dreamed she’d end up playing ring master to a bunch of baseball cheerleaders. But when the New York Saints offers her a job to coach its new squad–the Fallen Angels–Raina can’t refuse. As the owner of a burlesque club, she can certainly show the girls more than a few good moves. But as for her new boss? That is, as they say, a whole ‘nother story. . .

AND HE’S GOT IT BAD.
Army veteran, biker, and all-around tough guy, Malachi Coulter isn’t your typical sports-team owner. For one thing, he doesn’t think cheerleaders belong on the baseball field. Another: he can’t seem to separate business and pleasure when he meets his somewhat scandalous new employee. Seems the major-league bad boy has met his match in the gorgeous, feisty Raina. All’s fair in love and baseball…could it be that, after all this time, Malachi is playing to win? Kobo

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Tina’s Review

Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
Cover design’s first impression is HOT, immediately followed by the question of who would want to wear a leather jacket with nothing underneath? The synopsis sounds like a lot of fun trouble and chemistry about to happen!
Looking Deeper:
It may be petty, but it throws me off that this is a New York team, with American owners, players and other cast members; however, the author often is noticed using terms not utilized in America (ie: Lift for elevator, Stag night for Bachelor party, Braces for suspenders). That said… Raina is a dancer, formerly of Broadway and currently the owner of a Burlesque club. She’s been hired by Alex to train the new Fallen Angels dance troupe (aka cheerleaders) for the Saints. Mal is the third of the trio that bought the Saints. Former special forces and now a security specialist, he’s trained to detect the slightest oddities. Both characters are strong, smart leads with not-so great pasts. The secondary characters consist of the couples from THE DEVIL IN DENIM and ANGEL IN ARMANI and a few minor characters from the previous installments as well as several new minor characters. All played the supporting role well, whether as plot filler or more significant support assistance. The plot had plenty of excitement and conflicts. Many of the conflicts were only vaguely resolved but the overall effect worked well. The story kept a steady pace and easy flow with little to no predictability. The conclusion was alright, but the big finale conflict was rather anti-climactic and simplistic. Overall, it was not a bad story. In fact, it was quite exciting and enjoyable. I only wish it had a stronger and more clearly defined conclusion, the epilogue was more of a wasted-potential piece of fluff catering more towards the other couples that of Raina and Mal.

Michel’s Review

Mal and his best friends have bought the worst baseball team in history. They need to get fans in the stands and behind the team. When one of them comes up with hairbrained idea to have cheerleaders to lure spectators into the stadium, Mal is purely capitol N..O..! Baseball does not have cheerleaders, period! He may be changing his mind when they bring in the burlesque dancer, Reina Easton. The attraction is undeniable.

Mal and Reina will butt heads, drive each other crazy, play the push and pull dance, but in the end both have been speared by cupid’s arrow.

The banter between these two is witty, the chemistry is sizzling, and the plot is well developed. Between the romance and suspense the story moves along at a quick pace and keeps the reader captivated.

I do have to agree with my blogmate Tina. Some of the word selections are not what Americans would use in their slang. I think the author needs to work on this and the publisher editors should of pointed this out. After all the book is a baseball themed romance. You don’t get more American than baseball.

Overall Lawless In Leather by Melanie Scott was a very good book.

The New York Saints Series

The Devil In Denim – Book 1

LIFE JUST THREW HER A CURVEBALL.

As the team-owner’s daughter, Maggie Jameson grew up in the New York Saints’ stadium–glove, cap, hot dogs, and all. Baseball’s in her blood, and she’s always dreamed of the day when she would lead the Saints to victory herself. That was before her dad had to sell the team to Alex Winters. The fast-talking, fiercely attractive businessman has a baseball pedigree that’s distinctly minor league. Maggie wants to hate him but his skills of seduction, however, are off the charts.

WILL LOVE BE A HOME RUN?

Alex could never have imagined how much this team means to Maggie. He needs her to help show the players that they’re still a family…even if he and Maggie are at the verge of exchanging blows. But her fiery determination and gorgeous looks prove irresistible to Alex. And much as he wants to relegate their relationship to the playing field–and get the Saints back in the game–Alex just can’t help himself: What he wants to win most is Maggie’s heart…in The Devil in Denim by Melanie Scott.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Angel In Armani – Book 2

WILL A LOVE OF THE GAME
Sara Charles is striking out on her own. With her dad out of commission, Charles Air has only one helicopter left–and only Sara to fly charters. With the family business in jeopardy, Sara needs all the clients she can get and the newest one is New York Saints team surgeon, Lucas Angelo. When an unexpected flirtation escalates into a night of pure blind passion, Sara is in agony over what she believes was extremely poor judgment on her part. She wants nothing more than to avoid Lucas. And keep her business her business. But she needs him–in more ways than one.

LEAD TO A FIELD OF DREAMS?But there is a catch: Lucas also needs Sara. Spring training is upon him, and his schedule is madness. So he asks Sara to be his personal pilot. It’s an offer she can’t refuse. She intends to keep him at arm’s length–especially when she discovers just what different lives they have. Little does Sara know that, for Lucas, the only thing more important than business is pleasure. He only plays to win. And he intends to hit it out of the park…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Lawless In Leather – Book 3

Author Bio:

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Melanie Scott is an unrepentant bookworm. Luckily she grew up in a family that fed her a properly varied diet of books and these days is surrounded by people who are understanding of her story addiction. When not wrestling one of her own stories to the ground, she can generally be found reading someone else’s. Her other distractions include yarn, cat butlering, dark chocolate and fabric. She lives in Melbourne, Australia. To keep in touch, sign up for her newsletter at http://www.melanie-scott.net.

She also writes fantasy and urban fantasy as M.J. Scott To find out more about M.J’s books, check out her website or sign up for her newsletter at http://www.mjscott.net.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Happy Release + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Yield by Sawyer Bennett – Legal Affairs Series- Cal and Macy’s Story – Book 3

Posted on 05/05/2015 by shellbellereads

Yield: A Legal Affairs Story (Book #3 of Cal and Macy’s Story)

By: Sawyer Bennett

Release Date: May 5, 2015

Buy: Amazon / ITunes / Google Play

Yield is the final book the Legal Affairs trilogy of Cal and Macy’s story. Clash and Grind, Books #1 and #2, are now available for purchase.

Yield Synopsis:

**Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter of an abusive nature, this book may not be suitable for all audiences.

Yield (verb): to surrender or submit (oneself) to another

Macy Carrington is broken. The strong, beautiful woman that I’ve unwittingly fallen in love with is all kinds of broken from a secret that she has carried for far too long.

A secret so dark, she has gone to great lengths to protect it.

A secret that I’m terrified will one day rip her away from me.

The only time Macy frees herself from the darkness is when she is naked and in my arms. When I am deep inside her body, there is nothing she fears. When she wraps herself around me, she is at peace.

If she would only yield to me completely, I know I can set her free.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25184992-yield

Purchase Yield: A Legal Affairs Story:

Amazon / ITunes / Google Play

Michel’s Review

Yield is the conclusion to Cal and Macy’s story. This couple has gone from mutual hate to friends with benefits to lovers. Their new found love is put to a test when Macy’s past comes back to haunt her. Her family has a closet full of secrets. They are under indictment for their underhanded business practices. The prosecutor needs leverage to make Macy’s father and uncle plea bargain. Macy is the one holding the chips. Her testimony could destroy her family completely. Macy doesn’t want to protect her family but she also doesn’t want her secrets spilled out into the world.

Cal has suspected that Macy had secrets that destroyed her once. He will not let them destroy her again. He doesn’t care if he knows what her secrets are, they are hers to hold close. He will do everything in his power and outside the legal box to get her family & prosecutor to back down. They are destroying the woman he loves. They are destroying his future happiness.

Somehow Sawyer Bennett always creates a hero that I fall head over heels in love with. Cal is at the top of the list. He is the perfect man.

Macy was a strong woman that dealt with her crappy life in a very unique way. She didn’t let her family destroy her and when all the chips were down she took complete control. She fought for herself and she fought for her life with Cal.

Sawyer Bennett has penned another winner.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling 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, the Last Call Series and the Cold Fury hockey series.

Connect with Sawyer:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bennettbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BennettBooks
Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/bennettbooks
Instagram: https://instagram.com/sawyerbennett123/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Sawyer_BennettFacebook: https://www.facebook.com

Sign up for Sawyer’s newsletter:

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Giveaway

Enter to win a $50 gift card (Amazon, B&N, or iBooks)

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Release Blitz for the Wounded Warrior Project: Way of The Warrior- Suzanne Brockmann, Catherine Mann, Julie Ann Walker, Tina Wainscott, M.L. Buchan, Anne Elizabeth, Kate Serine, Lea Griffith – Anthology-Stories of Amazing Military Heroes

Posted on 05/05/2015 by shellbellereads

Way of the Warrior

Synopsis

EIGHT PASSIONATE LOVE STORIES ABOUT AMAZING MILITARY HEROES BY BESTSELLING AUTHORS:
Suzanne Brockmann, Julie Ann Walker, Catherine Mann, Tina Wainscott, Anne Elizabeth, M.L. Buchman, Kate SeRine, Lea Griffith

To honor and empower those who’ve served, all author and publisher proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2002 and provides a wide range of programs and services to veterans and service members who have survived physical or mental injury during their brave service to our nation. Get involved or register for programs and benefits for yourself and your family online at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

“It is a proud privilege to be a soldier.” —George S. Patton Jr.
“We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” —Winston Churchill

The Authors Contributions to the Wounded Warrior Anthology

Suzanne Brockmann on “Home Fire Inferno”

I write about a SEAL team, so my military heroes tend to show up in a rather large group! And although Home Fire Inferno focuses on Navy SEAL Dan Gillman (whose wife, Jenn, is about to have a baby!), you’ll also see quite a bit of Izzy Zanella, along with Mark Jenkins, Jay Lopez, and the inimitable Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok. Readers will also get to meet the SEAL with the face of a serial killer and the intriguing nickname HoboMofo . . . who happens to live with his mother and his ten-year-old daughter. But all the SEALs in this story would be in full agreement that family is the one word answer to the question “What is your military hero/ine most excited about returning to after active duty?”

Honoring love and family is a long-held tradition in the U.S. Navy. A ritual called the First Kiss is still practiced for ships returning to their homeports. (Google “US Navy first kiss tradition” to see pictures that will brighten your day!) All married sailors, officer and enlisted alike, can take part in a lottery in which the winner is the first to disembark, greet, and kiss his or her spouse after many months away from home. It’s a huge deal, with boatloads of ceremony involved. This is the big, bad U.S. Navy, part of the most powerful military force in the world. But everyone—from admirals to seamen recruits—unabashedly recognize that the most important part of their homecoming lies in the arms of the men and women waiting for them.

Julie Ann Walker on “Hot As Hell”

Despite running missions to the ass ends of the earth, Navy SEAL Michael “Mad Dog” Wainwright from Hot as Hell is a family man at heart. Born and raised in Atlantic City, he longs for the sea when he’s conducting sorties in the desert. Hankers for the boardwalk when he’s belly deep in some bog in the jungle. And craves a slice of Tony Bologney’s pizza when he’d eaten one-too-many MREs – meals ready to eat – to count. So when Michael gets time off from missiles and mayhem, you can bet your bottom dollar he races home to be with his two brothers and his mother and father. Together, they make a night of pizza, walks along the boardwalk, salt water taffy, and some tossing of the dice at one of Atlantic City’s seaside casinos. It’s a bit of normalcy in a life that’s otherwise filled by the extraordinary. A bit of fun in a world Michael knows can be full of horror and woe. A bit of life to go along with so much death. Michael “Mad Dog” Wainwright lives for those moments, for those homecomings. They’re what he fights for…

Catherine Mann on “In Plain Sight”

Tech Sergeant Gavin “Bubbles” Novak isn’t known for a sparkling wit, but his steely eyed focus on the job has made him the go-to guy in the most stressful of pararescue missions. Until a fateful military mission leaves him blind and ends his Air Force career. With nowhere else to go, he returns to his small Kentucky hometown with his seeing-eye dog and takes a job as a 9-1-1 operator. His first day on the job brings a voice from the past, the only woman who has ever blasted through that tough shell to reach his soul – his high school sweetheart Stacie Curry. She’s being stalked by her abusive ex-husband and he’s broken into her home.

Stacie Curry thought she made the safe choice in marrying the hometown boy rather than leaving with brooding outsider Gavin. But her decision has led to a nightmare existence. Since her divorce, she is stalked and terrorized by her ex. When she calls 9-1-1, she’s stunned to hear Gavin’s deep voice on the other end of the line. And when she sees him face to face afterward, she’s shocked – and heartbroken – to learn he’s blind. But she soon finds Gavin will let nothing stand in the way of protecting her.

Learning to overcome the loss of his sight and his Air Force career, Gavin comes to her rescue, protecting her, helping expose her ex … and rekindling their old romance with a blazing-hot flame.

Tina Wainscott on “Beauty and the Marine”

Once the gorgeous golden boy of his small Georgia town, Marine Griff Tate returned home scarred from an explosion in Afghanistan. Now, the only people he sees are his family and the out-of-towners he takes hunting and fishing on their private acreage. Griff thinks that all he wants is to be with his family in the comfort of the woods in which he spent his youth. He can barely look at himself in the mirror—how can he expect a woman to want to wake up to his ugly mug every morning? But even a battle-scarred veteran needs love … even if he doesn’t know it!

Anne Elizabeth on “SEALed with Passion”

Navy SEAL LT Cmdr Jonah Melo has his feet back on American soil. That’s when the itchy-need begins–to get back into the action and/or to fill his time with something useful. Luckily, he’s got an opportunity to jump in and do a building project for the Wounded Warriors. This particular house is special because it’s going to be the home of his long-time friend Kevin Toms. Melo has participated in a lot of builds before, but seeing his buddy in a home that enables his happiness and mobility is going to top the list of experiences. If only he could be as blessed in love as he is in friendship.

M.L. Buchman on “NSDQ”

U.S. Army Captain Lois Lang knows only one thing, flying combat search-and-rescue helicopters into the heart of the battlezone and getting her people back out. And when a CSAR mission gone wrong forces her to make the ultimate sacrifice—for her it isn’t a choice. Her crew and the wounded they’ve recovered always come first.
But the battle that awaits her will test her limits. She can learn to walk again, but she must discover the strength to face what to do when she can’t fly.

Kate SeRine on “Torn”

During his deployment, the thing that kept Joe Dawson going was the thought of returning home to Sadie—his best friend since childhood and the woman he’s been in love with for as long as he can remember. But a mission gone wrong has left him scarred—both inside and out. And when he and Sadie finally share an unexpected moment of passion, Joe has a hard time believing that Sadie could have feelings for the damaged man he has become and worries that her heart is being ruled by pity and not love.

Those doubts are compounded now that he’s set to resume his duty as a deputy sheriff. With his father and three brothers already making names for themselves with successful law enforcement careers, the pressure’s on, leaving Joe torn between honoring the family tradition and leaving behind the only career he’s ever known outside the military.

Lea Griffith on her inspiration for “War Games”

There are many things I could tell you about my stepfather. He married a wonderful woman with a tiny, 6 year old girl from a previous marriage who still wondered why her daddy couldn’t be a daddy—and then he became a stepfather and helped raise her. A strict disciplinarian he nevertheless was giving to a fault. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War. (Side note: he refused to call it a “conflict”. He always said, “When people kill people like we killed people that’s a goddamn war.” Finally, I guess I’d tell you he was one of the most tortured souls I have ever known. In the midst of his torment, the nightmares and flashbacks, the anger that always simmered just below the surface there was a strength to be admired and it is that strength that makes him one of my heroes.

My stepdad was born and raised in a little town called Tennille, Georgia. It’s nothing but country with field after field of corn and cotton and country folk living a simple life. When young men came of age they either went into the family business of cotton and corn or they went into the service and this is the route William Thomas Howell, Jr. took. He entered the Air Force and lost any innocence he might have once had running tactical rescue and recovery missions in Vietnam of which he would say nothing about. I remember asking him what war was like and he refused to answer. Then one day when he was talking about Vietnam—not the war, mind you, but the country itself—I asked him what he missed the most about home when he was “in country”. He smiled and for some reason my gut clenched and I remember wishing I hadn’t asked the question. But then he answered and I had to smile with him. “Lightning bugs,” he said. “Lightning bugs and Coca Cola.”

My stepdad passed away almost nine years ago. He has missed the births of several of his grandchildren and the marriage of one of his children. But in the midst of his loss, he left a legacy that includes perseverance, giving and most of all a love of Coca Cola.

Oh, and the lightning bugs. I cannot forget the tiny bugs with the “lights in their butts”. It seems the smallest bug made a light big enough for my stepdad to yearn for. They make me smile every time spring comes. And yes, because he made me smile with his longing for lightning bugs I taught my girls how to catch them and put them in a mason jar for a little while before you release them. This more than anything else has helped me remember him.

Michel’s Review

Way of the Warrior anthology is a collection of some of the best military romance writers in publication. Their contributions to this collection is for the Wounded Warrior Project. All of the proceeds will benefit this cause.

This collection of stories is the perfect book to read in a very busy schedule. Each story is novella length or shorter and can be read in a short amount of time. Each story can be read as a stand alone book. Each contribution delivers a very heart felt story. From angst to humor. This book has it all. Each story is completely different and honors the men & women that have served and sacrificed for our country.

With the powerhouse writers such as Suzanne Brockmann, Julie Ann Walker, and Catherine Mann it is guaranteed to have the readers on the edge of their seats. M. L. Buchman’s story had me anxiously turning the pages. Tina Wainscott, Kate Serine, Anne Elizabeth, and Leah Griffith are new authors to me and I enjoyed their contributions to this book. I will be reading more of their works.

I do have to say that my favorite story in the book was by Catherine Mann. In Plain Sight featured Bubbles, Sergeant Gavin Novak from the Elite Force series. Fans of the Elite Force series have been anxiously awaiting for this strong silent alpha’s story to be told. This mysterious man captured our attention and left us intrigued. In Plain Sight, Bubbles will steal the reader’s heart. His story did not disappoint.

Read for a good cause… read the Way of the Warrior!

About The Authors

Suzanne Brockmann

Suz Brockmann is the award-winning author of over fifty books, and is widely recognized as one of the leading voices in romantic suspense. Her work has earned her repeated appearances on the New York Times bestseller list, as well as numerous awards, including Romance Writers of America’s #1 Favorite Book of the Year and two RITA awards.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Julie Ann Walker

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romantic suspense. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Catherine Mann

USA Today bestselling author Catherine Mann specializes in military romances with over 50 books in print. A RITA winner, she has also won the Bookseller’s Best Award. Catherine’s books have been widely released internationally including in Great Britain, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Iceland, Australia, and Japan. She lives with her husband, who is a combat veteran and retired Air Force Colonel, near Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle.

Website – Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Tina Wainscott

Tina Wainscott has always loved the combination of suspenseful chills and romantic thrills. She’s published fifteen romantic suspense novels, as well as ten paranormal romances as Jaime Rush. Losing her nephew, a Marine, in the war made her realize that our military men are really the perfect heroes. Not only during the war but afterward as they try to stitch their lives and souls together once they’re home.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Anne Elizabeth

New York Times bestselling author Anne Elizabeth is an award-winning romance author and comic creator. With a BS in business and MS in communications from Boston University, she is a regular presenter at conventions as well as a member of The Author’s Guild and Romance Writers of America. Anne lives with her husband, a retired Navy SEAL, in the mountains above San Diego.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

M.L. Buchman

M. L. Buchman has over 30 novels in print. His military romantic suspense books have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the year” and Booklist “Top 10 of the Year.” He also writes thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction. In addition to his career as a corporate project manager he has: rebuilt and single-handed a fifty-foot sailboat, both flown and jumped out of airplanes, designed and built two houses, and bicycled solo around the world. He is now making his living as a full-time writer on the Oregon Coast with his beloved wife.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Kate SeRine

Kate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) is a hopeless romantic who firmly believes in true love that lasts forever. So it’s no surprise that when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed her characters would always have a happily ever after. Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Lea Griffith

Lea Griffith began sneaking to read her mother’s romance novels at a young age. She cut her teeth on the greats: McNaught, Woodiwiss, and Garwood. She still consumes every romance book she can put her hands on, but now she writes her own. When not working as a Practice Manager for an Internal Medicine Physician, you’ll find her at her keyboard, writing. She loves romance and nothing is off-limits when it comes to her muse. Lea lives in rural Georgia with her husband, three teenage daughters, two dogs, a cat, and a Betta fish named Coddy George.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Day Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Two of Hearts by Christina Lee

Posted on 05/05/2015 by shellbellereads

Two of Hearts

Spin Off of Between Breaths Series

Release Date: May 5, 2015

By Christina Lee

Synopsis

A gripping standalone adult contemporary romance about finding yourself while taking a second chance at your first love…

Dakota Nakos was always the resilient, strong-willed achiever. But when her father dies and she’s entrusted with the family’s casino, she feels vulnerable, scared, and more than a little emotional –not exactly the best time to see an old lover she’s never really gotten over.

Dakota once meant the world to Shane Garrity. Then suddenly he left town to train as a U.S. Marshal, and their love for each other crashed into a memory. Now he’s come home for her father’s funeral, and one look at the girl he left behind stirs up both memories and regrets, and reignites a fire he feared he’d lost forever.

Dakota may be the same driven girl she always was, but she’s also changed in ways neither could have anticipated. She’s not just a young woman searching for own identity in the Native American community in which she was raised, but one questioning her new life outside her father’s shadow. Above all she wonders if Shane can push past her weakened defenses to rekindle what they once had, or whether the intense blaze between them will ultimately reduce her heart to ashes.

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

She closed her eyes on a sharp breath, looking soft and vulnerable.

Because I couldn’t help myself, my fingers left her chair and glided up her arms to her neck. Her breaths released from her lips in short pants and I considered touching my mouth to hers.

Would she let me? Would she want me to?

“Yes,” she whispered, the heat of her breaths warming the tiny sliver of air still lingering between us. “But that’s in the past. We had our chance and I . . . I got over you. So let’s leave it there.”

My stomach completely flipped over. “You got over me?”

I studied her lips edge to edge, and they trembled in response. She was so not over me.

I didn’t know what the hell was driving me. I just knew I didn’t like hearing those words. Not one damn bit.

“You got over me?” I growled as my fingers gripped the nape of her neck.

My lips brushed the line of her jaw and she shivered.

“Shane, don’t. Please,” she mumbled, her hands at my chest. “You’ll just leave again and I can’t . . . I can’t . . .”

She sounded so helpless and sad. For the first time she was allowing me to see exactly what she might have been feeling, might’ve gone through five years ago. She sounded wrecked—as wrecked as I had been.

My lips trailed to her ear. “Angel.”

Michel’s Review

Wow, it has been a real treat to have two releases from Christina Lee in less than a month’s time. The Between Breaths series has been a true pleasure to read. Each book is unique, emotional, and entertaining. All of the characters each have a story that needs to be told. Two of Hearts is a spin off of the Between Breaths series. It is linked to Whisper To Me, book three in the Between Breaths series. It continues the story of the Nakos family and their heritage.

Two of Hearts opens up on a very sad note. Dakota and Kai’s father has been murdered in a senseless mugging. Although the family is freshly grieving his death, they are having to deal with their tribal laws, the fate of the casino, and the questions concerning the murder. They need to determine if it was a random crime or a calculated murder resulting from the political and economical arena of their tribe. Many of the casino owners within their tribe have coveted the power that their father had rightly earned. There is also the question of who should take over the casino. Although their mother is the rightful heir, she is not Native American, therefore cannot own a casino on Native American properties.

Dakota Nakos has worked by her father’s side for years. She has dedicated her life to the family business and their employees. She is fully aware that the casino has a strong influence on the economical life of their tribe. Families depend on the casino for their income. The tribe depends on the casino to keep their families from falling into economical poverty. The tribe also depends on the casino to support the traditional values and laws that have been established in their heritage. The leaders of the tribe are concerned that a non Native American will not put the tribal heritage first. They are concerned that greed will rule their hearts. They must establish ownership quickly. The Nakos may be forced to sell the casino in the best interest of the tribe. There are quite a few of the other casino owners that want the casino for themselves because of the success and reputation the Nakos casino has acquired. This brings into question the motives for the murder.

Shane Garrity returned to town for the funeral. He had left their community to pursue a career as a US Marshall. When he left town, he left the one girl he always loved behind. Dakota Nakos owned his heart. They were young and in love but could not find a solution for their future together. They both wanted very different things in life. They didn’t know how to communicate and express their feelings. They both needed to grow up and learn their paths in life. Now that Shane is back he is determined to win back the heart of the only woman he has loved. He has found that his career choices may not of been the right thing for him. Now he is going to take the time to find the path that is right for him with Dakota at his side.

When the threats to the Nakos family become very real, Shane will put his professional training to good use protecting the woman he loves and finding the person that is dividing their tribal nation apart.

Two of Hearts is more than a romance, it is a moving story. It is a story of heritage vs. modernism. Can the Native American tribes hang onto their heritage and move their tribe forward in the modern world without losing the traditions that make them who they are. The intrigue, suspense, and politics will keep the reader captivated. The final revelations will leave the reader stunned. The romance is a second chance love story that will melt the reader’s heart.

Christina Lee has delivered another captivating page turner. Two of Hearts can be read as a stand alone romance or in series order.

The Between Breaths Series

All of You- Book 1

In this powerfully emotional debut New Adult novel, Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He’s irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.

Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating–she’s perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother’s bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.

When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him–for just one night. But he won’t accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.

Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.

So she needs to make a choice–let Bennett go or finally let him in.

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

Before You Break – Book 2

A sexy, emotional New Adult romance about a bad boy on the edge and a good girl about to lose control…

A college baseball star isn’t supposed to have skeletons in his closet. But Daniel Quinn is hiding a guilty past so dark he refuses to let anyone get close. Except there’s something about gorgeous, studious Ella Abrams that goes beyond the electric attraction between them–something that makes him want to open up.

Ella has suffered enough heartache and guilt to fill one of her psychology textbooks, but she keeps that part of herself hidden behind a bubbly exterior. Until she receives an anonymous call while working a suicide helpline and the voice on the other end touches something inside of her that she can’t ignore.

Soon Ella and Quinn’s physical connection heats up, even as their deep and revealing hotline talks intensify. But by the time Ella realizes that her seductive jock and her sensitive caller are the same guy, it might be too late to save him–or to stop herself from falling too far…

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

Whisper To Me – Book 3

A hot and consuming New Adult romance about a wayward musician and the one girl who keeps him grounded…

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson–except one person…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth–especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along…

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

Promis Me This – Book 4

A new love will test the boundaries of passion between a privileged boy next door and the tattooed, blue-haired girl who helps him embrace his wild side…

Nate has developed quite a playboy reputation around campus. It’s not that he doesn’t respect or trust women; he doesn’t trust himself. The men in Nate’s family are prone to abusive behavior—a dirty secret that Nate’s been running from his entire life—so Nate doesn’t do relationships. But he can’t help himself around one girl…

Jessie is strong, independent, and works at a tattoo parlor. Nate can’t resist getting close to her, even if it’s strictly a friendship. But it doesn’t take long for Nate to admit that what he wants with Jessie is more than just friendly.

With Jessie, he can be himself and explore what he’s always felt was a terrifying darkness inside him. Even when Nate begins to crave her in a way that both shocks and horrifies him, Jessie still wants to know every part of him. Testing their boundaries together will take a trust that could render them inseparable… or tear them apart.

INCLUDES A PREVIEW OF TWO OF HEARTS.

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

There You Stand – Book 5

From the author of All of You and Before You Break comes a new Between Breaths male/male romance about the silent, inked up skateboarder and the tattoo artist who unravels him piece by piece…

Tattoo artist Cory Easton has worked long enough at Raw Ink to know, just by looking at a dude, what his body art reveals, what makes him tick, what even makes him scared. Until he meets the quiet and remote Jude York–so unreadable, so unreachable, and so unlike anyone else, he can’t help but arouse Cory’s curiosity.

As captivating and complex as his ink, Jude is a mystery–and Cory’s falling fast and hard under his spell. Against his better judgment to steer clear.

The rumors of Jude’s past overshadow him–whispers of prison and an unmentionable secret that’s kept him in the protective shadows of a local motorcycle club. As Cory probes deeper, he wonders how much he really wants to know. Especially since Jude has awakened something inside him that has been buried too long–and has him feeling completely alive for the first time in forever…

Includes a preview of Christina Lee’s upcoming adult romance Two of Hearts.

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

Two Of Hearts – Book 6

Release Date: May 5, 2015

A gripping standalone adult contemporary romance about finding yourself while taking a second chance at your first love…

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

______________________________________

Author Bio:

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son–her two favorite guys. She’s addicted to lip gloss, salted caramel everything, and believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

GIVEAWAY
$25 Gift Card (Winner’s choice of retailer) & Book Swag

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The 3rd Annual Mental Health Awareness Book Fundraiser benefiting the Keith Milano Memorial Fund

Posted on 05/01/2015 by shellbellereads

An amazing group of authors have agreed to donate a portion of their May 2015 books sales to the Keith Milano Memorial Fund at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

The Keith Milano Memorial Fund was established to help raise awareness about the devastating and deadly disease that is mental illness. Our hope is that by having the strength to say that Keith was “Bipolar” we can strip away the stigma.

If anyone wishes to make a direct donation to the Keith Milano Memorial Fund they can do that HERE.

Our goal is to raise awareness about mental illness and to get people talking…..

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24; the US loses 22 Vets a day to suicide, more than they lose in combat; there is one death by suicide in the US every 13 minutes. These statistics are scary but together we can work to make a difference!

Here is a list of the participating authors and books:

Author	Book(s)
Alison Bailey	The “Perfect” Series and Past Imperfect
Amy Harmon	The Song of David (preorder live May 11th)
Amy Lane	Chase in Shadows
Ann Lister	Rock Gods series – Fall For Me, Take What You Want, Make You Mine, Looking At Forever, Meant for Me (releasing in May)
Anthology – Kindle Alexander Toni Aleo, Sawyer Bennett, Chelle Bliss, Eden Butler, Brenda Rothert	The Night Shift – Dirty Things Happen in the Dark
Andria Large	At War
Beverly Preston	Surviving Broken
Brenda Rothert	Killian and Unspoken
Cassia Leo	The Story of Us Series – The Way We Fall book 1 and book two The Way we Break released in May
Cardeno C	Jumping In
Claudia Connor	Worth the Risk
Chelle Bliss	Throttle Me
Faith Gibson	The Stone Society Series – Rafael, Gregor and Dante (releasing the end of May)
Emily Snow and Avonlea Cole	Bad Advice
Felice Stevens	Through Hell and Back series – A Walk Through Fire, After the Fire and Embrace the Fire
Ginger Scott	Wild Reckless
Harper Sloan	Full Catalog
Holly Roberts	The Completion Series: Play, Strike, Kick, and Slam
Ilsa Madden Miles	Very Wicked Beginnings
Julie Jaret	Perspectives series (currently two titles: Extreme Close-Up and Over-Exposed
K Bromberg	Fueled
Katy Evans	The Real Series
Kelly Jamieson	Loving Maddie from A to Z
Lainey Reese	Full Catalog
Lauren Blakley	Full Catalog
Lisa Eugene	Grayson
ME Carter	Change of Hart
Melissa Collins	On Solid Ground
Michelle Lynn	Love Me Back
Nicole Edwards	A Million Tiny Pieces by Nicole Edwards and Unhinged, Unraveling, & Chaos – The Unhinged series by Timberlyn Scott
Nina Levine	The Storm MC series – Storm, Fierce, Blaze, Revive, Slay & Relent
Rebecca Brooke	Letters Home
Raine Miller	Rare and Precious Things
Sandra Owens	Someone Like Her
Samantha Young	On Dublin Street
Samantha Towle	Trouble
Sawyer Bennett	Clash (Cal and Macy #1), Grind (Cal and Macy #2), Yield Cal and Macy #3), Uncivilized, On the Rocks (Last Call, #1) , Make It a Double (Last Call, #2), Sugar on the Edge (Last Call, #3), With a Twist (Last Call, #4), Shaken, Not Stirred (Last Call, #5), Legal Affairs Boxed Set (Legal Affairs #1-6), Confessions of a Litigation God (Legal Affairs #7) Off Sides (Off #1), Off Limits (Off #2), Off the Record (Off #3), Off the Course (Off #4), Off Chance (Off #5), Off Season (Off #6)
Scott Hildreth	Baby Girl series
SJD Peterson “Joe”	Full Catalog
Stacy Borel	Hitchhiker
Susan Mac Nicol	Love You Senseless and Sight and Sinners (Men Of London series)
Tina Reber	Jacked
Violet Duke	Can’t Resist Series: Resisting the Bad Boy, Falling for the Good Guy, Choosing the Right Man and Finding the Right Girl and Nice Girl to Love Trilogy boxed set

This year the event will also include an online auction and author takeover over 4 amazing days!! We hope that you will join us for not only some great auction items but to have an opportunity to speak with participating authors during an epic author take over event.

Please join us on Facebook HERE

In addition to all of these great things, thanks to the amazing design skills of author SJD Peterson, we also have custom t-shirt for sale, which part of the sales will also benefit the Keith Milano Memorial Fund.

Personal Message from Denise Milano Sprung: When Keith passed away, I made a promise to myself that he would not go quietly nor would he be forgotten. It is with the help of all of you that 10 years later, I am able to keep this promise and most of all to be able to help others who may be suffering in silence.

Thank you does not seem like enough. So please know that from the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul, every one-click of these books helps others and continues to reduce the stigma that is associated with mental illness. THANK YOU for all you do and for spreading the word and for opening your hearts to help others.

Fund information:

Keith Milano Memorial Fund

140 Adams Ave Suite B-12

Hauppauge NY 11788

www.keithmilano.org

https://www.facebook.com/keithamilano

@MilanoFund

direct donation http://bit.ly/MilanoFund

#isupportmentalhealthawareness

The Keith Milano Memorial Fund benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). http://www.afsp.org/

Donations at the end of the May Mental Awareness Event will be made by the authors directly to The Keith Milano Memorial Fund at AFSP. Keith’s fund is a self-directed memorial fund. 100% of the money is spent on programs and research programs selected by the Milano / Sprung family

For examples of programs: http://www.keithmilano.org/#info

AFSP is the only national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide.

AFSP is a fully accredited 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization incorporated in the state of Delaware with primary offices in New York City. Federal tax ID # is 13-3393329. AFSP’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) number is 10545.

All donations to AFSP are tax deductible.

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Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Marrow by Tarryn Fisher

Posted on 05/01/2015 by shellbellereads

Happy Release Day to Marrow by Tarryn Fisher! We are so excited to be sharing the release of another much anticipated book from this amazing author!!

♥ BUY THE BOOK ♥

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

In the Bone there is a house.

In the house there is a girl.

In the girl there is a darkness.

Margo is not like other girls. She lives in a derelict neighborhood called the Bone, in a cursed house, with her cursed mother, who hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. She lives her days feeling invisible. It’s not until she develops a friendship with her wheelchair-bound neighbor, Judah Grant, that things begin to change. When neighborhood girl, seven-year-old Nevaeh Anthony, goes missing, Judah sets out to help Margo uncover what happened to her.

What Margo finds changes her, and with a new perspective on life, she’s determined to find evil and punish it–targeting rapists and child molesters, one by one.

But hunting evil is dangerous, and Margo risks losing everything, including her own soul.

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♥ BUY THE BOOK ♥

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Robin’s Review

In her new psychological thriller, Tarryn Fisher writes about an imaginary town in Washington State named Bone Harbor. The inhabitants of The Bone are impoverished. There is little hope for a better life. As the children of The Bone grow older, their life force is drained. Faith is missing. Depression is commonplace. People are undereducated, desperate, mentally incapable and abused. Criminal activity is widespread. Folks numb themselves with alcohol. Malnourishment is prevalent. If you are raised in The Bone, in The Bone you will remain.

What was the inspiration behind writing Marrow? Children suffering for the sins of their parents. People hurting each other. Individuals crying out for help. The lack of a voice for those who are persecuted. Fisher wrote a letter to readers that can be found at the end of her novel. Marrow was borne as a way for her to cope with feelings of hopelessness for people who suffer. If Tarryn Fisher could not take vengeance on behalf of a suffering child, she decided Margo Moon would do it for her.

Margo narrates her own story. We first meet her at the age of thirteen. She lives with her prostitute mother in the “eating house” on Wessex Street. Margo gradually paints a picture of decline in the relationship with her mother after the early years of her life. She befriends Judah Grant, a handsome boy who is confined to a wheelchair. Judah lives just a few houses down the street from Margo, and he is her only friend. Judah becomes a source of encouragement and support for Margo, even when life in The Bone continues to be oppressive. When a young girl from their neighborhood goes missing, Margo and Judah join the search to find her. Margo is observant. Her eyes are slowly opening, and the truth that she sees sparks an anger that irrevocably changes her life.

Why choose the name Marrow? Marrow is a metaphor for the essential self. It’s your very essence. Marrow is a psychological thriller, but it’s also a character study of Margo Moon. Fisher’s background in psychology was beneficial in crafting this novel. Margo undergoes a dramatic transformation during her teenage years. She’s determined to find a way to leave The Bone. She is incredibly angry at the injustice she sees. She is no longer meek. Margo wants vengeance for all of the innocents. She follows her own moral code and delivers her own form of justice. Fisher calls it “poetic vengeance.”

Marrow is like nothing I have ever read. Tarryn Fisher’s writing style is creative, poetic and brilliant – it always has been – but she really steps up her game with Marrow. It’s a very intelligent story from both a societal and psychological perspective. Getting inside of Margo’s head was both dark and disturbing. Flashes of Fisher’s witty sense of humor are peppered throughout the story to help temper the darkness. It was fascinating for me to follow the slow deterioration of Margo’s reasoning – her descent into becoming a sociopath. Although there are places where the story was slow, I do feel much of Margo’s inner dialogue is necessary to see the gradual changes to her personality. When Marrow begins to feel like a psychological thriller? That’s when you really find out what’s in Margo’s marrow!

If you are interested in Marrow, you should consider reading Mud Vein (also written by Tarryn Fisher) first. Although Mud Vein and Marrow are meant to stand alone, the plots of both novels are loosely tied together. In my opinion, reading Mud Vein before Marrow will significantly improve your reading experience. If you love reading dark thrillers, I highly recommend 4.5 star Marrow!

Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of six novels. Her newest novel, Marrow, just released in April 2015 and she is currently working on the second installment of Never Never. She is the co-founder of Clothed Caption, a fashion blog she runs with her friend, Madison Seidler. Tarryn resides in the Seattle area with her family. She loves rainy days, Coke, and thinks Instagram is the new Facebook. Tarryn is represented by Amy Tannenbaum of the Jane Rotrosen Agency.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway

Kindle Copies of Marrow

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Promo: The Breaking Free Series by E. M. Abel now Available…

Posted on 04/29/2015 by shellbellereads

Breaking Free Series on sale for a limited time….

Breaking Free Series

By E. M. Abel

Synopsis

Freeing Asia — Book 1

How does a tomboy raised in a house full of men find the sensual woman inside of her? Growing up with a widowed, retired Marine as a father and two older brothers taught Asia to be tough. But how does she stop being one of the guys and learn to find the right one?

Finding herself won’t be easy, finding love will be even harder.

Meeting Jay opens Asia’s eyes to the possibility of love and unbelievable sex but can his country club world accept the woman more comfortable in torn jeans and flip-flops? Or will she find the love she yearns for in the tattooed arms of her first love, a pro skater who has come back into her life?

With the possibility of new love or closure from a painful first love, finding her path is riddled with uncertainty and discoveries but before she can follow her heart she must first set it free.

Breaking Shaun— Book 2

Some men fall in love and hand their balls over to the first woman who keeps them interested—but not me. Surfing and my freedom are the only two things I’ve ever needed. Meaningless one-night stands are fun, but the drama and jealousy that follows them aren’t worth it.
Until I met Natalie, I never realized there were women who thought like me. She enjoys sex with no strings, and with a body like that, there isn’t a man around who doesn’t want a piece of her—including me.
But our friends and relatives all run in the same circles. And we all know friendship and sex leave a mess. Hearts always end up broken.
I know it.
But I still want her.

Sometimes, the things we want don’t always come easily. Every choice, every action has consequences that can change you.
They can change everything.
And no matter how fiercely guarded, even the strongest hearts can break.

Saving Jay— Book 3

Jay
My life was a dark and desolate place. Consumed by work and full of regret, loneliness had become my closest friend. Ink and a tattoo machine were my therapy, a way to claim my own skin with the art that I loved.
The day I walked into her shop, I knew I’d found what I needed.
The light I’d been looking for.

Jade
When I first looked into those blue eyes I saw a depth behind them that I wanted to explore. Jason “Jay” Clarke was more than a perfectly pressed suit and dimpled smile. He was a man with a heart of gold drowning in the weight of his world.
He wanted me to mark him.
I never expected him to soothe my aching heart.

When our worlds collide and Jay begins to fall apart, will my love be enough to save him?

Author Bio

E.M. Abel has been writing for as long as she can remember. Keeping journals, documenting her life and feelings, gave her an escape and a means to express herself. In 2013 she finally decided to take a chance and publish her debut novel, Freeing Asia, and she hasn’t looked back since. Her writing style has been described as “real” and “unapologetic”. She enjoys pulling her readers through an entire gamut of emotions– happiness, fear, sadness, humor, etc. She is determined to stay true to her voice and only publish books she loves. Her stories give her an outlet, a way to show the world who she is, and she refuses to settle for anything less.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Blog Tour + Review: Say My Name by J. Kenner

Posted on 04/29/2015 by shellbellereads

Say My Name

Stark International Trilogy- Book 1

By J. Kenner

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner kicks off a smoking hot, emotionally compelling new trilogy that returns to the world of her beloved Stark novels: Release Me, Claim Me, and Complete Me. Say My Name features Jackson Steele, a strong-willed man who goes after what he wants, and Sylvia Brooks, a disciplined woman who’s hard to get—and exactly who Jackson needs.

I never let anyone get too close—but he’s the only man who’s ever made me feel alive.

Meeting Jackson Steele was a shock to my senses. Confident and commanding, he could take charge of any room . . . or any woman. And Jackson wanted me. The mere sight of him took my breath away, and his touch made me break all my rules.

Our bond was immediate, our passion untamed. I wanted to surrender completely to his kiss, but I couldn’t risk his knowing the truth about my past. Yet Jackson carried secrets too, and in our desire we found our escape, pushing our boundaries as far as they could go.

Learning to trust is never easy. In my mind, I knew I should run. But in my heart, I never felt a fire this strong—and it could either save me or scorch me forever.

Say My Name is intended for mature audiences.

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

Michel’s Review

Say My Name by J. Kenner is a spinoff of the Stark Trilogy featuring Damien Stark’s PA, Sylvia Brooks.

Sylvia has always been interested in real estate. When an opportunity to purchase an island off the California coast becomes available, she presents it to her boss, Damien Stark. Stark tells her to run with it and makes her head of the project. The project would include purchasing the island and developing it into an exclusive family resort. Sylvia has worked her tail off and wants this project more than anything. That includes finding the right investors, the right architect, the right kind of promotions, and all the t’s crossed & i’s dotted. Everything seems to be falling into place until the architect pulls out of the project because of a zen moment. If she does not find the perfect architect for this project it will all go down the drain. She has one architect in mind but it is almost impossible to obtain him on this project. Jackson Steele hates the Stark Industry. He hates Damien Stark. He refuses to work with them. There is a bigger reason why he won’t take the project. Sylvia.

Sylvia and Jackson have a past that ended on a bad note five years ago. She asked him to walk away from her and never look back. Jackson Steele is a man of his word and did what Sylvia asked of him. He walked away with a million regrets and a heart full of hurt. Five years later, the only thing he wants from Sylvia is to see her suffer the way he did after he walked away.

Sylvia will do everything in her power to get Jackson Steele on board with the project. She will swallow her pride. She will surrender her body. The one thing she will not do is lose herself to Jackson Steele. She will not let him know the secrets from her past that made her the woman she is today. Can she keep Jackson distant enough not to destroy her heart?

Jackson and Sylvia both have secrets. They both are harboring some bad memories of the past. Their secrets could destroy each other as well as the new project. The one thing they are learning is that five years didn’t make one difference as far as their hearts are concerned. Maybe it’s time to reveal the secrets and move forward.

Jackson and Sylvia are coming to solutions that will work for both of them. Solutions that will also make the project a success. Someone knows their secrets. Someone is out to destroy the Stark Resort project. Who is it and how far will they go? Cliffhanger!

The second book in the Stark International Trilogy, On My Knees, will release June 23, 2015. I am looking forward to this sensual intrically woven suspense trilogy.

Read Say My Name by J. Kenner. It will not disappoint!

Author Bio:

J. Kenner spent more than ten years as a litigator in Southern California and Central Texas, using her rare free time to indulge her passion for writing. California born, she now lives—and writes—in Texas, with her husband and daughters.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Happy Release + 5 Star Review + 2015 Favorite: The Mistake by Elle Kennedy – Off Campus Series – Book 2

Posted on 04/28/2015 by shellbellereads

The Mistake

Off-Campus Series – Book 2

By Elle Kennedy

Synopsis

He’s a player in more ways than one…

College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game…

After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

It’s official…. I am a self declared PUCK BUNNY ! Elle Kennedy has delivered another fantastic book in her highly acclaimed Off-Campus series. Her latest release, The Mistake, features hockey player John Logan. John Logan is the latest college hockey legend to Grace the pages and make the readers swoon. This guy has it all… he’s a gifted athlete, he is hotter than hades, he’s a dirty talker that definitely can back up his banter, he’s a nice guy beneath the whorish reputation he carries, he’s dedicated to his family beyond expectations, and when he falls in love- he falls hard and takes everything down with him.

John Logan has been pining for his best friend Garrett’s girlfriend, Hannah. Hannah is everything he wants in a girlfriend. Logically he knows that she is off limits but he can’t help the way he feels. While trying to deal with his unrequited feelings he leans on his players reputation and sexual prowess for self therapy. He’s banging a different coed nightly and using frat parties as his playground. It may look like he is at the top of his game but deep down he is coming in last. Something has to give.

An accidental meeting with a freshman changes everything. When Logan meets Grace Ivers, he shares more than her gummy bears. The two start fooling around in a casual manner. He really doesn’t know much about Grace. He’s only interested in the distraction she provides him. But when the regular Puck Bunnies pull out their claws and start attacking Grace he steps in for the rescue. This leads to a huge mistake and wrong assumptions. When all is said and done, he has carelessly used Grace, led her on, and threw her away. When he realizes the consequences of his mistake he is full of regret. He wants a chance to rectify his mistake. He wants Grace. He wants another chance.

After numerous rejections, a long summer with his miserable family, and a harsh dose of reality, Logan is back at Briar ready to finish his senior year. He knows he has to make the most of the this year because it is his last chance before his future reality crushes him. The top of his list is making peace with Grace Ivers. He wants the opportunity to prove that he is a good guy and boyfriend material. But Grace has different ideas. She is going to put John Logan through the hoops. She’s going to make him dance to a new tune. She has a list. It’s a good thing that John Logan is a competitive athlete. He is going to get the workout and game that most players could never endure. John plans to win this game. This game is the only thing that matters in his miserable life. His future is riding on this game. He made have made the biggest mistake in his life but he learned a very value lesson. He learned the true meaning of love.

I absolutely loved this book as much as I loved the first book in the series. The tone of the story, the plot, the dialogue, and the characters are captivating. The Mistake is packed with humor, angst, heartbreak, redemption, and hope. Once again Elle Kennedy showcased her superb writing talent.

I am looking forward to the next books in this series. There are two hockey roommates screaming for a book. The very spoiled rich player Dean needs to be brought down a notch. Babyfaced Tuck needs someone to wrap him up in hugs & kisses and make sure he doesn’t forget to shave.

Each book can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order.

Read The Mistake by Elle Kennedy. It will not disappoint.

The Off-Campus Series

The Deal

Off-Campus Series – Book 1

By Elle Kennedy

Synopsis

USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

…and it’s going to be oh so good

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

***New Adult/Contemporary Romance. First of a series, but each book will be a standalone***

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

_____________________

About Elle Kennedy

A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Newsletter

Happy Release + 5 Star Review: Wolf by Nicole James – Evil Dead MC Series – Book 4

Posted on 04/28/2015 by shellbellereads

Wolf

Evil Dead MC Series- Book 4

By Nicole James

Synopsis

The Evil Dead Motorcycle Club gave Wolf his nickname. They said it was because women stood about as much chance with him as Little Red Riding Hood stood against The Big Bad Wolf. And maybe that was true.

For Wolf, when it comes to his club, he’s all about loyalty. He loves his brothers, he loves the freedom of the road, and he loves his independence. When it comes to women, Wolf is all about the chase. He likes the hunt, he likes the challenge, and he loves women. And for the hot-as-hell badass biker, they’ve always come too easily. But they never fully satisfy him.

That is, until he met Crystal.

Buried under that hard-edged sexy-as-sin tomboy with the smartass mouth that can put any brother in the MC in his place, is a feminine side she only reveals when pushed. And Wolf is just the man to push. Problem is she’s the only woman to ever push back. Which only makes him more determined to have her.

Life in the Evil Dead MC isn’t easy, and neither is loving one of them. It’s a life that can leave a man scarred and bloody. And sometimes the fallout is far reaching and takes more than a man is willing to give.

It can be just as risky for any woman brave enough to love one of them.

The scars of life run deep, for both of them.

Sometimes life doesn’t give you a fairytale, sometimes you have to make your own.

And sometimes it takes a spitfire to tame a hell-raiser.

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Michel’s Review

I have been waiting for this book to release. The Evil Dead MC series by Nicole James is one of my all time favorite biker series as well as book series. Each book in this series is fresh, gritty, suspenseful, and loaded with testosterone driven alpha males that don’t take no for an answer. The other interesting thing about the Evil Dead MC Series is that it is not locked into a specific set of characters and ongoing plot. The Evil Dead MC is a national MC club that has chapters throughout the country. In one book it may feature some of the characters from the California chapter and in another it will feature characters from one of the Alabama chapters. We have met various characters from Mississippi, Louisiana, and the northwest. Although the characters are spread out geographically, they all blend together by their common connection to the Evil Dead MC.

We first met Wolf and Crystal in the first and second books of the Evil Dead MC series. Wolf is a member of the California chapter and Crystal is the bartender at their clubhouse. She is not a club whore. She is a valued member of the Evil Dead MC family but has no permanent ties because she is not an old lady. She has been having an ongoing affair with the Evil Dead brother, Wolf. Their relationship is not one with commitment. As far as Wolf is concerned he thinks he can sleep around, bring club whores around and that Crystal will always be there with open arms whenever he gets an itch. Crystal wants more from Wolf than he is willing to give. Their relationship has become toxic. It is affecting the peace within the clubhouse and causing all kinds of riffs between the members and whores. Mac ( the president) has laid down the law and ordered Wolf to cut Crystal loose. If he cannot abide by his decision then he is going to ban Crystal from stepping foot on any Evil Dead properties. The other members are pissed because Crystal is part of the family. Wolf is willing to abide by Mack’s order but is having trouble staying away from her. She is the only woman he has ever gone back to for more. She accepts his sexual preferences, she makes very little demands, and satisfies him completely. But when Crystal has finally had enough of his crap, she chooses to leave the Evil Dead MC world for good. She’s done. She’s finished with being a door mat and afterthought. She’s tired of explosive sex and toxic wordplay. She needs more.

That old saying “you never know what you had until you lose it” smacks Wolf in the face and in the balls. He finally realizes what he had after it’s too late. Crystal has left for good with no forwarding address. No one knows where she is.

Meanwhile back at the clubhouse there is a storm brewing. Someone is singling out the Evil Dead MC and their businesses. There is murder, arsen, and loss of income without a clue as to who is behead it. The Evil Dead MC is under attack.

Then there are the old ladies. It seems they have a mind of their own. They know where Crystal is and have been in contact with her. They meticulously plan a secret girls weekend in Vegas while their old men are trying to get to the bottom of the club’s troubles.

From here on out the book gets intense. Between a girls weekend in Vegas, a surprise wedding, some hot tattoo artists, and the rally in Sturgis : there is never a dull moment. When their final enemy makes a play it could cost some of the members their lives.

I was glued to the pages of this book. Although this book is more relationship driven than the previous books, the Evil Dead MC still plays a big part in the story. This MC club that Nicole James has created is worth their weight in gold. This series has the grit that fans of biker books want, has sensual romances, and something different in each books plot to make this series stand out.

I highly recommend Wolf and the Evil Dead MC series by Nicole James. It is guaranteed to thrill!

The Evil Dead MC Series

Outlaw- Book 1

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When outlaw biker, Cole Austin sees a young woman handcuffed and being dragged across the yard of the Dead Souls Motorcycle Club’s remote clubhouse, he’s stunned by the realization of just how dark his world has become. This scene is even more than his twisted soul can stomach. Compelled to intercede and save her, he has no idea his whole world is about to change. He believes he’s doing the right thing until a secret she’s hiding makes him question if saving her may be the biggest mistake of his life. The two strike a deal, a deal they may both come to regret. Can his soul be saved? Is there anything he won’t do for her? Are there some things he just can’t? And are there some things she can never forgive?

Crash – Book 2

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When outlaw biker Tyler “Crash” Shaw volunteers his services to his club brother, Cole Austin, VP of the Evil Dead MC, he suddenly finds himself a rich girl’s bodyguard and babysitter. Well, it’s a bitch of a job, but maybe he can have a little fun with it. He thinks he’ll get a kick out of teaching the pampered stuck-up girl a lesson or two on how the other half lives. She can cook and clean for him in exchange for his help. No free ride for her. He intends to teach her that money can’t buy her way through life.

The world saw a classy pulled-together wealthy lady. All he saw was a spoiled little rich girl. A troublemaker, that’s all she was to him. Until she revealed the shattered girl inside that tried so hard to hide her weaknesses and fears with a façade of arrogance, attitude, and sass.

He’d tear down those walls she tried so hard to build, if only she’d let him.

Could the love of a man so wrong for her be the only one to save her?

And in his darkest hour, would her love be enough to save him?

From the MC’s California charter in San Jose, to the casinos and brothels of Reno, to brother charters in the Deep South, this story will take you on a ride of highs and lows that lead ultimately to redemption.

Shades – Book 3

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Shades hadn’t seen Skylar in years, and now here she was, the love of his life, riding back into his life on the back of a brother’s bike.
For years after Shades had lost Skylar, he’d tried satisfying the emptiness of losing her with booze, pussy and the club. He’d turned his frustration at having to give her up into a determination to climb the ranks of the club, but he hadn’t counted on the fact that the pull he’d felt toward Skylar had only laid dormant in him all these years. Or that all it would take to reignite it was just one look at her. And he sure as hell hadn’t counted on her showing up on the back of a brother’s bike.
When Skylar finally comes back into his life, will his desire for earning that VP patch stand in the way of any future he could have with her?
And when a rival MC shows up looking for Skylar, things go from complicated to damn near impossible.
Does Skylar come with more baggage than Shades is willing to sign up for?

____________________________________

Author Bio:

Nicole James grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. As a child, she wrote her first book, Charlie the Firefly, at the age of eight. Her mother knew long before she did that she would someday become an author. Growing up, she spent many happy weekends and summers in Michigan at a cabin on a lake. Winters, she loved to ski. As an adult, Nicole has traveled all over the West and South. She has lived in Illinois, Arizona, Georgia and Alabama. She has a love of motorcycles, writing, reading and the beach. Her favorite city is New Orleans. She loves music of all kinds, but especially the blues. She has two wonderful sisters, two fabulous kids, one awesome son-in-law, and an adorable granddaughter.

Website ~Facebook ~Twitter ~ Goodreads– Amazon Author page

Saucy Southern Readers

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