Review: Baked Fresh by Annabeth Albert- Portland Heat Series – Book 2

baked fresh

Baked Fresh

Portland Heat Series – Book 2

By Annabeth Albert

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Synopsis

From its famous coffee to the mouthwatering fare at its cafés, restaurants, and bakeries, Portland, Oregon, has a lot to whet the appetite, including the hard-working men who serve it all up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…

Vic Degrassi is a baker on the rise, and it’s all thanks to his rare ability to make—and keep—his New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s losing weight, giving up smoking, or graduating from culinary school, Vic goes after what he wants—and gets it. This year? He wants Robin Dawson, the sweet-hearted hottie who volunteers with him at the local homeless shelter. When he learns that Robin is suddenly single after being unceremoniously dumped, Vic is more than happy to offer a shoulder to cry on—or at least a fresh-baked pastry to bite into. But it’s been a long time since Vic’s gone on a date, and he’s nervous about risking his friendship with Robin. So when their flirtation turns into a steamy night together, Vic and Robin have to figure out if they’re friends with benefits or lovers in the making, and if Robin is ready for something more than just a rebound. There’s only one way to find out: turn up the heat…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

4 Star

Tina’s Review

Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
Cover art is visually appealing. I do like the more translucent title banner of SERVED HOT a little better than this one. This one is a bit too opague, obscuring the view and hindering the emotional effect portrayed in the fisting of the clothing. The synopsis is flirty and teasing without giving it all away. It intrigues and pulls you in. The story is much more complex, however.
Looking Deeper:
First-person POV, Vic’s perspective. Note: Do not get Robby from book one confused with Robin here. 😉
Vic and Robin both suffer their own demons and insecurities, but a fake relationship and growing attraction bring them together, at least for now. Vic wants to be more than just the rebound guy though, he wants to be Robin’s everything. These characters have such heartwarming, endearing characters, even flawed as they are. The secondary characters add depth and provide good support to an already sturdy lead couple. The plot itself was a bit thin, but that’s often the case with shorter stories. The overall feel was fairly light even though much of the book revolved around “issues” they each were trying to work through. The conflicts were resolved well and the conclusion was solid, leaving no cliffhangers. This story CAN stand on it’s own, there’s only the briefest mention/scene from the SERVED HOT couple and can easily be read through without having read the first book. Another great story from Ms. Albert regarding hope, trust and second chances.

The Portland Heat Series

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Served Hot

Portland Heat Series – Book 1

Genre: GLBT, M/M, Gay

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By Annabeth Albert

Synopsis

In Portland, Oregon, the only thing hotter than the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are the hard-working men who serve it up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…

Robby is a self-employed barista with a busy coffee cart, a warm smile, and a major crush on one of his customers. David is a handsome finance director who works nearby, eats lunch by himself, and expects nothing but “the usual”—small vanilla latte—from the cute guy in the cart. But when David shows up for his first Portland Pride festival, Robby works up the nerve to take their slow-brewing relationship to the next level. David, however, is newly out and single, still grieving the loss of his longtime lover, and unsure if he’s ready to date again. Yet with every fresh latte, sweet exchange—and near hook-up—David and Robby go from simmering to steaming to piping hot. The question is: Will someone get burned?

First in the new Portland Heat series!

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

 

Author Bio:

6477494Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

 

baked fresh

Review: Manwhore by Katy Evans – Manwhore Series – Book 1

 

manwhore cover

Manwhore

Manwhore Series – Book 1

By Katy Evans

Release Date: March 24, 2015

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Synopsis

Is it possible to expose Chicago’s hottest player—without getting played?

This is the story I’ve been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don’t be fooled by that last name though. There’s nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he’s a man’s man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention.

Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he’s been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that’s where I come in.

Assigned to investigate Saint and reveal his elusive personality, I’m determined to make him the story that will change my career.

But I never imagined he would change my life. Bit by bit, I start to wonder if I’m the one discovering him…or if he’s uncovering me.

What happens when the man they call Saint, makes you want to sin?

Buy : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Google

manwhore pic

Excerpt

I look very different than the girl Saint met in his office. But I don’t feel any different. My nerves are frayed to the edges as I give my name to a bouncer at the entrance and I’m allowed into the club, every part of me snug and tight in my dress as my black heels hit the floor.

Whereas M4 was all museum-like, the Ice Box is pure dark decadence. Ice sculptures sit on pedestals around the room. Cages with body-painted dancers hang from the ceiling. A bar with white and blue lights stretches from one wall to another.

Strobe lights flash across the space as I get jostled by the crowd. The bass thumps as the song “Waves” by Mr. Probz plays for the dancing crowd. Drinks are flowing on shiny silver trays, and the drinks are so adorned—by fruits, olives, salt glitter or colorful liquid swirls—they’re like artworks. This isn’t a normal swanky club. It’s the rich boys’ club and everywhere you look are beautiful people wearing beautiful things.

“I met him! God! When he said hi I thought I’d faint…!”

My nerves eat at me as I hear that, because I know for sure they’re talking about him. Trying to breathe, I wind deeper into the club, wishing for Gina so bad I ache. The room is packed with women, some clearly on the hunt, others already paired with someone, a few hanging out with their friends. I breathe slowly, in and out, telling myself I can do this. It’s just a club. I can have some fun. It’s been a while since I’ve gone out to a club, and never a club like this, but it doesn’t matter. I can interview people, and if I’m lucky, I can do more than that.

After scanning the area and trying to find the best spy-spots, I go to the top level and that’s when I get the best look at what’s happening downstairs at the most crowded corner.

And speak of the devil. My heart stops a beat when I see that dark head of his, and that loathed, burning knot in my stomach squeezes with a vengeance. I swear no one in my life has ever made me this nervous.

He sits with his arms stretched out behind him, a wine glass and two women vying for his attention as he chats with his friends. His masculine face is illuminated in certain angles when the lights flash—his beauty unprecedented.

Okay. Breathing. Do I want him to know I’m here or not?

A watery sensation seems to spread down my limbs as I force myself to go downstairs. I wind a path to the ladies’ room and worm myself through the throng of bodies toward a wide mirror above a set of modernist floating sinks. A group of women preen at themselves while I look our reflections. To my right, a woman pouts her red lips, and to my left, her friend pouts her pink ones. Me? I’m still me, but I look extravagant, like I was born here. I look very different than the young girl in coveralls he met. Will he even recognize me like this?

“You going to the after-party?” Red Lips asks Pink Lips as they retouch their lipsticks.

“No key yet.”

“Lookie lookie.” Red Lips waves a keycard in the air.

There’s squealing in the room and she tucks the key into her bra. “Mine!”

“So there’s an after-party?” I ask them.

“At Saint’s penthouse,” one says, nodding.

“How do you get invited to this party?”

“A hundred keys are distributed during the evening.”

A sudden thought of stealing the very key she’s just tucked into her bra flickers through my mind. I mean, it’s just a key. It couldn’t possibly be a felony.

“Babe,” she tells me, “stop giving my key the eye! I’ve been waiting three years to get a key like this. Go and work your ass out there if you want one. Only the finest asses make it.”

“Thanks,” I say, turning to look at my ass in the mirror questioningly. Gina says I’ve got a great ass. It’s perky and the perfect handful, some would say. But would Saint say that?

I sigh and lean against the wall, then I spot all the little writings on an open stall door. I narrow my eyes, forcing my focus.

Malcolm for my baby-daddy

I sucked Saint’s cock

Tahoe rammed me right here

Callan licks cunt like a caveman

I head back into the noise and try to find a good spot for spying when I see him again. The two women won’t leave his side and now my stomach for some reason feels jumpy, annoying me. One of the blondes takes a shot from the waiter, licks the rim, and then adds salt.

Saint edges back and watches her with an expression of casual boredom, but his lips are curled, as if he’s having some fun.

I’m so engrossed watching—a little too fascinated and a little bit disgusted—I don’t realize a guard has walked up to me until he’s right in my face. He signals to the back of the room—to where Saint’s best friends are now watching me. Saint isn’t even looking my way. Oh no, he’s too busy being entertained, still wearing that almost-bored smile. Maybe they need to take their tops off to get him excited?

All three men fit in perfectly with the lavish surroundings, but I can’t look at the other two. Only at Malcolm. Malcolm’s dark good looks blend with the shadows like Hades in his own little corner of hell.

Suddenly he laughs over something one of the blondes does and he turns a little, his eyes landing straight on me—and stopping there.

I feel his stare like a hit of adrenaline. I want to look away, but I can’t, I feel trapped. I don’t know if I made this up but I could’ve sworn his chest jerked as if he sucked in a breath.

Does he recognize me?

Do I want him to?

Suddenly the atmosphere is so heavy I can’t breathe. My lungs feel like rocks and I really can’t breathe. As he rakes me in one fast, complete sweep of his eyes that makes my stomach grip nervously, he takes in my pumps up to my long blonde hair, and I become aware of my dress hugging the top of my thighs, my hips, my abdomen, my breasts and even my ass. Oh god. I force myself to follow the guard in his direction, every step accelerating my heartbeat. In that black suit and without a tie, the top button of his shirt open and his hair a bit rumpled, Saint is the embodiment of luxurious and decadent and sin. He is Sin Itself and I feel like an absolute…virgin.

He stretches his long legs out before him, his stare fixed on mine without any seeming inclination to move away.

“Mr. Saint,” the guard clears his throat. “The gentlemen had me summon her.”

Although his smile doesn’t waver, the look on his face is completely remote and unreadable.

“Here she is, gentlemen,” the guard then tells the other two—the blond and the copper-haired men looking at me like lunch.

“Tahoe,” the blonde says.

“Callan,” the copper-haired says.

Saint merely pats the blondes on the butt and sends them on her way, then he reaches out to take my elbow somehow in an instinctive gesture that brings me a strange sense of comfort. I don’t know anybody else here, so when he tugs me to his side, I go down and sit next to him on the edge of the long booth.

And that’s when he leans his dark head over to me and murmurs, “Malcolm.” His voice is so deep and rumbling, I shiver.

“Rachel,” I lamely offer.

He raises his eyebrow and stares at me. What are you doing here, Rachel? he seems to ask.

I’m wondering what to say, when Tahoe lifts his drink and drains it. “You’re up past your bedtime.” The Texan oil baby. Oozing charm, drawling out the words.

I don’t know why but I’m acutely aware of the position of Saint’s body in relation to mine. He just straightened fully in the booth and somehow shifted so his arm is very noticeably stretched out behind me.

“Like they say, no rest for the wicked,” I answer Tahoe with an extra-wide smile, my heart pounding over Saint’s nearness.

Suddenly I can smell him. Just him. Among all the mingled scents in the room, it’s Saint somehow in my lungs, in every breath. He radiates a vitality that draws me like a magnet. It unnerves me but something in his presence, so close to me, soothes me too.

“Apparently there’s a dress code—Saint had to drop his tail and horns at the door,” Callan jokes as a waiter sets a drink before me.

“Oh yes.” I tug the hem of my skirt self-consciously, “I had to drop half my dress.”

“Did you now?” Tahoe asks.

“T.”

One word, one letter, from Malcolm.

“Yeah, Saint?” Tahoe returns, lifting his eyebrows.

“Dibs.”

I almost spit out the drink. I cough and slam my hand to my chest, and Saint calmly reaches out to take my drink from my hand and sets it aside. “Okay?” he asks, ducking his head and peering into my face.

I give one last cough and squeeze my eyes shut and nod, and when I open my eyes, Saint is the only thing I see. I find him staring at me in such a penetrating way I can feel the stare in my bones.

“Did you just get to the party, Rachel?” he asks.

As he waits for my reply, he reaches for my cocktail and extends the glass out to me. His wrist is thick and looks so strong, so golden, his skin smooth, his arm dusted with a little bit of hair as I cautiously take it from him, our fingers brushing.

Tahoe reaches for his coat pocket and waves whatever he extracted in the air. “Saint! May I?”

Excitement leaps in my chest when I realize it’s the key!

“Not happening, that’s not her scene,” Malcolm murmurs besides me.

“Aw! Come on, let me give her a key. She’s a dime, man,” Tahoe drawls.

I’m so disbelieving, I’m not even breathing as Malcolm slowly stands. I follow him up, staring up into his face in confusion.

“What do you mean it’s not my scene?” I demand. I feel like there’s no gravity when he stands so close to me. I’m dizzy. Confused. And unexpectedly hurt.

For the first time since we met, he looks at me like he’s actually losing his temper…with me. He leans closer and puts his lips close to my ear. “Trust me when I tell you, it’s not your scene. Go home,” he whispers. He sends me a look laden with warning and walks away, blending into the crowd.

Tahoe and Callan stare at me, speechless. “That’s a first,” Tahoe mumbles and heads away.

I feel myself burn in humiliation and confusion. Worse is that, when I go outside, the same man who drove us around the day before walks over to me.

“Miss Livingston, a pleasure to drive you,” he says, hanging up his phone as if Saint just called him. He is a huge man, with a bald head, an earpiece, and no expression. A second later, he’s opening the car door of the Rolls for me.

Seriously?

Did Saint call him just now and ask him to escort me home?

Aware of people staring and seeing me being led to Saint’s car, I climb into the back of the car and I murmur my thanks simply because it’s not this man’s fault.

The car smells new and expensive and, like him. A bottle of wine and water bottles ride with me. There’s music in the background and the temperature is just right. The perfect luxury of it all tempts me to run my hands down my dress and look down at myself in confusion. What is wrong with me?

I feel as if he pulled the rug from under me and reminded me what I’m up against. The top of the species. Somebody ruthless.

I can’t take the heat in the back of my ears and on my cheeks. I sag on the backseat and set my forehead on the window. Focus, Livingston! Exhaling, I grab my phone and try to write down all the details about what I saw, but I can’t right now. I just can’t do anything but ride here, in his car, wondering why I feel so vulnerable.

manwhore teaser

4 Star

Michel’s Review

What is the one thing that Katy Evans does best?  The woman can create a man with the intensity that shakes the readers up and sends them in a tailspin while falling hopelessly in love with Mr. Intense.  Move over Riptide… The Saint is closing in on your Intensity throne.

Malcolm Saint is anything but a saint.  He is a privileged billionaire that uses his status and power to full advantage.  He is a known player in the bedroom as well as the boardroom.  He is a manwhore and embraces everything that comes along with it.  But like most people, there are many layers to Malcolm Saint.  He is more than meets the eye.  Each revelation makes the reader embrace him more.

Rachel’s a reporter for Edge magazine.  The magazine is on the edge of ruin and they are hoping that Rachel can get a major scoop on the elusive Malcolm Saint.  An exclusive with Malcolm Saint will not only save the magazine but also cement Rachel’s career as a journalist.

Getting an interview with Malcolm Saint is not easy but Rachel is persistent.  When she finally pins him down they will both be surprised.  Rachel isn’t like the women Malcolm is generally around.  She’s not out for his money, his power, or his bedroom expertise.  She genuinely wants to get to know him. Malcolm also surprises Rachel.  He is not the man he shows the world.  Yes he is powerful.  Yes he is a manwhore.  He is also a man with many layers that make him complicated and very real.

As Malcolm and Rachel spend more time together they begin to start falling in love.  They both start opening up to one another.  But like most good things are, there are also bad things to counteract the good.   And like most books these days…CLIFFHANGER!

I can’t wait for the next book in July.

Katy Evans has given us another intense alpha to love.  Read Manwhore.

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About Katy Evans 

Katy EvansKaty Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love. They married and are now hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning…

Katy Evans is the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of the Real series.

To find more about her, look her up on her website, Twitter, or Facebook, she’d also love to hear from you!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

manwhore

Review: Stupid Boy by Cindy Miles- Stupid In Love Series- Book 2

Stupid Boy

Stupid Boy

Stupid In Love Series- Book 2

Genre: New Adult

By Cindy Miles

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Synopsis

From Cindy Miles, bestselling new adult author of STUPID GIRL, comes the next installment of her blockbuster Stupid in Love series – STUPID BOY.

“Stupid Boy by Cindy Miles is everything I love about a new adult romance– angsty, emotional and sexy. I couldn’t stop reading!”
– NYT and USA Today bestselling author Lauren Hawkeye

Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze—more than ever before.

Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas—she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and—unbeknownst their “mark”—secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.

But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.

“A raw, beautiful, poignant story about pain, heartache and first love. I couldn’t put it down.”
– Carly Phillips, NYT bestselling author, on STUPID GIRL

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

4 Star

Michel’s Review

*** Arc provided by publisher, via Net Galley, for a fair and honest review. ***

When I saw Stupid Boy by Cindy Miles on Net Galley, I had to request a copy for review.  I have read all of Cindy Miles paranormal books and absolutely loved them.  I was intrigued to see that she had released some books in the New Adult genre.  And once again she delivered a fantastic book with solid emotional writing.

Harper Belle is the perfect girl.  She makes good grades, she is in one of the most prestigious sorority, her appearance is perfect, and her behavior is perfect.  She was appalled by the rush stunt the Kappa’s pulled the previous year.  She has devised a full proof plan for her sorority to put the Kappa’s in their place and make them model students.  She and her sorority sisters are going to make these bad boy frat boys into the perfect boyfriends and model students.  They are going to prove that with positive reinforcement that even the baddest of bad boys can be reformed.  Her plan is not going to hurt anyone, it is going to make the Kappa’s better men.

Like most plans go, they have hiccups and fall off track.  When she meets Brax Jenkins best friend from Boston, bad boy Kane McCarthy, she has found the perfect bad boy.  He has come to Texas to “run the numbers”.  He’s good at what he does and makes no apology for it.  He is the perfect candidate for Harper to reform.

Appearances aren’t everything.  Harper soon finds out that there is more to Kane than meets the eye.  He is a smart, intelligent, and caring person.  Somehow he looks beneath Harper’s perfect facade and sees a kindred spirit.  He recognizes a wounded soul.  He sees the beauty she has hid behind the perfection.

Both Kane and Harper will learn there are many sides to a person.  There is a fine line between good and bad, right and wrong, and everything in between.  What is important is to be honest with oneself.  Also to give with a pure heart.

Stupid Boy was a very emotional book.  Both Harper and Kane have survived horrific childhoods.  Their coping mechanisms may be different but in the end they both need the same thing.  They both need unconditional love.

Cindy Miles did an excellent job.  I enjoyed Stupid Boy so much that I had to download the first book in the series, Stupid Girl.  Let me tell you, Stupid Girl was another fantastic book.  Each book in the series can be read as a stand alone romance or in series order.

I highly recommend the Stupid In Love series!

The Stupid In Love Series

stupid girlStupid Girl – Book 1

Only fools fall in love…

After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston University, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course.

A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona.

As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Stupid BoyStupid Boy – Book 2

Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze—more than ever before.

Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas—she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and—unbeknownst their “mark”—secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.

But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Author Bio:

Cindy MilesCindy Miles is the best-selling author of twelve novels, one anthology and three short stories. She also writes as Elle Jasper, and grew up on the salt marshes of the Vernon River in Savannah, Georgia.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

 

Stupid Boy

Review: Love After All by Jaci Burton – Hope Series – Book 4

loveafterall

Love After All

Hope Series – Book 4

By Jaci Burton

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Synopsis

In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Burns, a woman discovers that the man she least expects is exactly what she needs…

High school math teacher Chelsea Gardner has the perfect plan. She’s tired of dating all the wrong men, and after years of frustration, she’s developed a foolproof list of requirements for finding “The One.”

Bar owner Sebastian “Bash” Palmer finds Chelsea beautiful, smart and fun, but he thinks her list is ridiculous and unnecessary. Intent on proving Chelsea is looking for love in all the wrong ways, he offers to help her find the “perfect” man.

Chelsea knows Bash isn’t the right guy for her—he barely meets one of her criteria—but there’s something about the charismatic man that has her yearning for things that are most definitely not list approved.

Because sometimes, a relationship that looks totally wrong on paper can turn out incredibly right…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

4 Star

Michel’s Review

If you are looking for a light hearted book with very little angst and drama then Love After All by Jaci Burton is the perfect book to curl up with.  It is the fourth book in the Hope Series and delivers a very satisfying story.

Chelsea is sick of dating the wrong men and decides that she is going to change up her dating techniques.  She is going to make up a list of the kind of man that would be perfect for her.  Her list includes a man that has a 9 to 5 job, does not like sports, prefers fine dining over fast food, and no crazy exes.  She wants a man that wants a relationship and plans to make it stick.

Chelsea has been friends with Sebastian “Bash” Palmer, the owner of the bar she frequents.  When she shows him the list he thinks she’s off her rocker.  No man can live up to her list.  He plans to show her that the list requirements are not what makes the difference but it is the man.  He decides to help her with the list.

Chelsea and Bash form a solid friendship.  Even though Bash does not want a relationship due to a bad marriage, he finds himself falling for Chelsea.  Chelsea’s list does not intimidate him at all.

When it comes to matters of the heart both Bash and Chelsea will learn that expectations don’t factor in.  What matters is giving the other person your love and the best of yourself. It’s about being honest with yourself as well as the one you love.

Jaci Burton penned another feel good romance that will not disappoint.

;Author Bio:

51hqRDKx5VL._UX250_Jaci Burton is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over 60 books. She lives in Oklahoma and when she isn’t on deadline, she can usually be found trying to convince her husband to remodel some room or another in their house (she blames HGTV for this). She loves gardening, sports, casinos and getting lost in a great book. She’s a total romantic and longs for the happily ever after in every story, which you’ll find in all her books.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

loveafterall

Review: The Truth About Jack by Jody Gehrman

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The Truth About Jack

By Jody Gehrman

Mature YA

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Synopsis

This Entangled Teen Crush book contains references to missed connections, mistaken identities, and lots of misbehavior. It may give you all the swoony feels.
Can the write guy be the right guy?
Dakota McCloud has just been accepted into a prestigious art school. Soon she’ll leave behind the artists’ colony where she grew up-hippie dad, tofu since birth, yurt-and join her boyfriend and best friend on the East Coast. It was the plan…until Dakota finds out her boyfriend and best friend hooked up behind her back.
Hurt and viciously betrayed, Dakota pours out her heart on a piece of paper, places it in a bottle, and hurls it into the ocean. But it doesn’t quite go where she expects…Jack Sauvage finds the bottle washed up on the shore and responds to Dakota’s letter. Except what if his straight-laced life doesn’t jive with the free-spirited girl he’s only seen from afar? As Jack creates a persona he believes she’ll love, they slowly fall for each other with each new letter. Now Jack is trying to find a way to make this delicate, on-paper romance happen in real life…without revealing his deception.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

4 Star

Tina’s Review

Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
Cute cover with a light-hearted feel. Synopsis reads like a typical YA/NA feel-good drama.
And Beyond:
First-person alternating POV in present tense. Dakota grew up in a hippie community. She’s vibrant, caring and not as naive as one would imagine her to be. Jack comes from money. His mother shelters and represses him due to a past tragedy she’d never gotten over. Both characters are young, barely old enough to start college in the fall, but he’s already lost his best friend to suicide and she’s suffered the ultimate betrayal from her boyfriend and best friend.
Dakota composes a message in a bottle and tosses into the ocean, only unbeknownst to her, it is found only moments later by Jack. Jack first caught sight of Dakota earlier that day and was immediately drawn to her. When he spots her bottle churning in the tide, he takes it as fate. However, he replies to her message under false pretenses and begins a pen pal-ship that is based only on half-truths. Now he needs to figure out how to transition from his pen pal character to the real Jack without ruining everything.
The characters are young. They both have some maturing and learning to do, especially Jack – but I blame a lot of that on his mother, too. There are several secondary characters in this story, all which seem to benefit the plot in one way or another without threatening to steal the spotlight. There’s a natural and easy way about the dialogue and interaction that was nice, even the intentional awkwardness was conveyed well. While the plot progresses slow and steady, the writing style is fluid and easy to read. There were a handful of conflicts that were resolved in timely and age-appropriate manners. Predictability was low. The conclusion included a solid epilogue that added to the story nicely. Overall, a it was a fun, light read catering more to the teen and young adult crowd.

Author Bio:

194256Jody Gehrman is a native of Northern California, where she can be found writing, teaching, reading, or obsessing over her three cats most days. She is also the author of ten novels and numerous award-winning plays. Her Young Adult novels include The Truth About Jack, Audrey’s Guide to Black Magic, Audrey’s Guide to Witchcraft, Babe in Boyland, Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, and Triple Shot Bettys in Love. Babe in Boyland was optioned by the Disney Channel and won the International Reading Association’s Teen Choice Award. Her adult novels are Bombshell, Notes from the Backseat, Tart, and Summer in the Land of Skin. Her plays have been produced in Ashland, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and L.A. She and her partner David Wolf won the New Generation Playwrights Award for their one-act, Jake Savage, Jungle P.I. She is a professor of English and Communication Studies at Mendocino College.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Review: Maverick by Chelsea Camaron- Roughneck Shorts- Book 1

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Maverick

Roughnect Shorts – Book 1

By Chelsea Camaron

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Synopsis

Invisible – Unseen

He was the high school crush who never knew I existed. I am still the girl hiding against the wall.
Life for Kenzy Davis is far from easy right now. After ending a long term relationship, she is back in her hometown, starting over.
Maverick Collins works hard and plays even harder. An invisible illness shakes his world at its core as his father fights for his life. Everything he ever took for granted stares him in the face, including the shy girl from his past.
Watching someone you love battle an illness is never easy. When the ICU nurse caring for his dad is the one girl from his past he saw around but overlooked, does Maverick find comfort in her embrace? Does Kenzy find a new calm in the chaos of her life? Or do their feelings remain invisible yet again?

Intended for mature audiences only. This book contains strong language and strong sexual situations. Please do not buy if any of this offends you.

Buy: Amazon 

4 Star

Tina’s Review

Novella-length. Alternating, clearly-defined, first person POV – extremely easy to follow along.
I feel the cover is not as attention-grabbing as it could be, but it does have it’s appeal. The synopsis reads a bit “fluffier” that I felt the story was. There was depth of emotion and hardships, some heavy topics to work around in there that are not indicated in the blurb.
Mackenzy leaves her boyfriend of five or so years, with whom she shares home-ownership with, after several co-workers become pregnant by him and returns to her hometown where she becomes an intensive care nurse at the hospital.
Maverick is a roughneck, working in the Permian basin. He lost his mom to cancer a few years back and a part of his dad went with her. When he gets the call at work that his father’s been taken to the hospital because of severe complications from his diabetes, he panics. But his father lands in Mackenzie’s care.
* be prepared for some raw emotions here to emerge from this sexy roughneck*
The characters are well-written. Kenzy is smart and independent. She’s not one to rush into things because she likes what she sees – and she’s nurturing and patient. Maverick, or “Tapper” as his friend have nicknamed him, is cocky and had a bit of a man-whore reputation until Mackenzy moved back to town. But he’s also reliable, dependable, and honest. The secondary characters add dimension to the plot with supportive, fun roles that create beneficial purposes. The interaction and dialogue occur naturally and is believable. The plot is not very full, mostly due to the story length, but it has enough dynamics to hold strong. There are only a few minor conflicts throughout that are handled in a timely and mature manner. The plot was pretty straight forward, not leaving a lot of room for surprises or predictability. The conclusion is wrapped up neatly with no cliffhangers.
This was an enjoyable opening to the Roughnecks trilogy and look forward to Heath and Lance’s books. I hope Jessika finds her match… maybe in Heath? Hmm… we’ll see!

 

Author Bio

6980925Chelsea Camaron was born and raised in Coastal North Carolina. She currently resides in Southern Louisiana with her husband and two children but her heart is always Carolina day dreaming.

Chelsea always wanted to be a writer, but like most of us, let fear of the unknown grab a hold of her dream; she realized that if she was going to tell her daughter to go for her dreams, that it was time to follow her own advice.

Chelsea grew up turning wrenches alongside her father, and from that grew her love for old muscle cars and Harley Davidson motorcycles, which just so happened to inspired her ‘Daddy’s Girls’ series. Her love for reading has sparked a new love for writing and she currently has a few more projects in the works.

When she is not spending her days writing you can find her playing with her kids, attending car shows, going on motorcycle rides on the back of her husband’s Harley, snuggling down with her new favorite book or watching any movie that Vin Diesel might happen to be in.

She hates being serious and is still a big kid at heart. She is a small town country girl enjoying life and, Chelsea hopes that her readers remember not to take life too seriously and to embrace your inner five year old, because five year olds know how to enjoy the simple things in life and how to always have fun.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Happy Release + 5 Star Review: Dare To Hold by Carly Phillips -Dare To Love Series – Book 6

Dare to Hold

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Dare to Hold

Dare To Love Series – Book 6

By Carly Phillips

Dare to Hold CoverBlurb:

Some women always get it right. Kindergarten teacher, Meg Thompson, on the other hand, consistently makes the wrong decisions — and she is currently single, pregnant and alone. Meg is determined to make changes in her life, to be a better mother than her own had been. No revolving door of men. No man, period. Just a single-minded focus on her baby. Her resolution would be easier to keep if not for hot cop, Scott Dare. He insinuates himself in her life, making Meg want to believe in happily ever after, even if history has taught her to know better.

When Scott Dare hears Meg’s friends are determined she have a night of hot sex, before her life changes forever, he decides that man must be him. Their one night is mind blowing and life altering. And Scott, a man already burned by his ex-wife, finds himself all in anyway. While protecting Meg from her violent ex and becoming part of her increasingly complicated life, he’s falling hard and he can’t seem to find distance. Not when their bodies respond to each other with such heated intensity and he’s drawn to her unique combination of strength and vulnerability.

But Meg’s future is one Scott has accepted he’ll never have, even if his growing feelings say otherwise …

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Buy:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play



Excerpt:

Some women always managed to get it right. To make the right choices, to pick the right man, to nail this crazy thing called life. Meg Thompson, on the other hand, managed to end up single and pregnant. But she couldn’t regret the baby growing inside her, and from now on, she was determined to get things right.

She pulled on her favorite pair of jeans, tugged them up over her hips, and unsuccessfully attempted to close the button. She grunted and lay down on the bed, pulling the sides closer together but no luck. She wriggled, sucked in a deep breath, and tried again, only to end up huffing out a stream of air in frustration.

“Didn’t these fit just last weekend?” she asked herself, peeling the denim off her legs and tossing them onto the floor with a groan.

She glanced down at her still-flat stomach, placing her hand over her belly. “How could something I can’t see or feel cause so much upheaval in my life?” And how could she love the baby growing inside her so much already?

A vibrating buzz told her someone was sending her a message. She checked her phone.

Lizzy: Almost ready?

Meg sighed. Her best friend, Elizabeth Cooper, was due to pick her up in ten minutes. Girls’ night out. Or, in Lizzy’s words, hookup night and Meg’s last chance for a hot, no-holds-barred fling before she started to show and her sole focus became being a new mom. Meg was up for girls’ night, but no way would she be picking up a stranger for a one-night stand. Her days of choosing the wrong men were over. Mike was the last in a long line of sucky choices. So not only didn’t she trust her judgment when it came to the opposite sex, it no longer mattered. She was finished relying on men to define her or make her happy.

“Right, baby?” She patted her belly and headed to her closet for a pair of elastic-waist leggings.

* * *

Meg and her friends settled into their seats at Mel’s, a popular spot for casual drinks after work and on the weekends. Mel’s was a dimly lit bistro with a wood-fired oven and grill in the back, dark mahogany-looking tables throughout, and a funky bar where people gathered. Meg loved it here.

She waved to the waiter, who stepped over to their table.

“What can I get you ladies?”

The girls ordered alcoholic drinks, and the good-looking waiter turned to Meg.

“I’ll have a club soda. With a lime.”

“Going for the hard stuff, I see.” He winked and scribbled down her order.

Meg smiled. “Designated driver.” Which wasn’t a lie. Lizzy might have picked her up, but Meg would be the one driving home.

She glanced around at the women she’d ignored for a long time in favor of her asshole ex and, unfortunately, her baby daddy. She was grateful these women were here for her now because Meg had a bad habit of dropping friends in favor of men. Men she looked to for the love and acceptance she’d never received from her own father she barely remembered. Meg sighed and rested her chin on her hands. Her childhood memories included a string of Alicia’s boyfriends who came and went from her young life.

Her mother had set a pattern Meg unconsciously followed. First she’d latched on to Dylan Rhodes, the one and only good guy in her life. He’d been her high school boyfriend and her rock until they broke up before going to college, and then Meg began emulating her mother’s taste by choosing men who always took advantage one way or another.

Luckily she and Dylan had reconnected when they’d moved back to Miami years later, but Meg had over-relied on Dylan instead of standing on her own two feet. It took Dylan falling hard for another woman to wake Meg up to her too-needy ways. Dylan was her friend, but he was now Olivia Dare’s husband. And Meg was determined to be independent. Everything the way it should be.

“Earth to Meg.” Lizzy waved a hand in front of her eyes.

Meg blinked, startled. “Sorry. Just got lost there for a minute.”

“Nowhere good, from the look on your face.” Lizzy tilted her head to one side, her long blonde curls falling over her shoulder. “Everything okay?” Her friend studied her, her brown eyes soft and concerned.

Meg smiled. “Couldn’t be better. I was actually thinking about the changes I’ve made—that I’m determined to keep making in my life. And it’s really good to be out with you guys,” Meg said, meaning it.

“It’s great to be out with you too,” Lizzy said.

The waiter stopped by the table and passed out their beverages. Meg took a long sip of her cold soda, appreciating the way it eased her dry throat.

“Well, you must be doing something right because you’re glowing,” Lizzy said.

“It’s the pregnancy hormones,” Meg muttered.

“No, seriously. You look beautiful,” her friend insisted.

Meg smiled at her. “Thank you.”

Allie Mendez, the office secretary and the third woman in their posse, slipped her cell into her purse and leaned closer to join the conversation. “Maybe I should get myself pregnant, because Lizzy’s right. You’re gorgeous.”

Meg blushed. “And you two need glasses.”

“Not if the guys at the next table are any indication. Look. The blond one can’t take his eyes off you!” Lizzy said, her voice rising in excitement.

Oh no. All Lizzy needed was a target and she’d be aiming Meg his way all night. “I’m sure he’s looking at one of you. Not the pregnant woman in the elastic-waist pants.” Lizzy and her blonde beauty or Allie and her olive skin and luscious curves attracted men wherever they went.

“You must not have looked in a mirror before leaving the house,” Allie told her, a frown on her pretty face.

“Oh, look! He’s coming this way. Now remember. There’s nothing wrong with getting yourself some before your life gets serious.” Lizzy nudged her arm.

“I don’t want some,” Meg muttered. “If he’s so hot, you should—”

“Hi, ladies,” the man said, bracing an arm on the back of Meg’s chair.

“Hi!” Lizzy said too brightly.

“My friends and I would like to buy you all a drink.” He spoke to the table, but his eyes were on Meg.

She shook her head. “We were just having a private convers—”

“We’d like that,” Allie chimed in.

“Mind if we join you then?” he asked, making Meg wonder if he was dense, oblivious, or just that ego-driven.

In response, Lizzy slid her chair away from Meg, making room for the other man to sit. Which, after grabbing his chair and pulling it over to the table, he did. His pals joined them too.

Meg shot her friend an annoyed look.

“Give him a chance,” Lizzy mouthed behind the man’s back.

Rob, Mark, and Ken, they said their names were, as conversation began to flow. Ken was the one closest to Meg, and with his light hair and coloring, he definitely resembled his Barbie-doll namesake. Even if she were interested in a hookup, a preppy man who liked to talk about himself wouldn’t be her choice. She disliked his wandering hands even more.

He brushed her back.

She stiffened.

He sat forward so their shoulders touched. She shoved her chair in the opposite direction.

Somehow he ended up close beside her again, his thigh touching hers.

She was all too ready to go home, but her friends seemed to like the guys they were talking to, and she didn’t want to ruin their time by being rude to Ken. She wouldn’t leave with him, but she’d be pleasant while they were here.

“So what do you do for a living?” he asked.

“I’m a kindergarten teacher.”

He blinked, long lashes framing green eyes. “That’s … brave.”

“Don’t like kids?” she asked, none too sweetly.

He fake-shuddered. “Not for a good long while. But you must have a decent pension plan?” he asked, back on the subject he liked best. Ken was a stockbroker and investor, and soon she found herself listening to all the ways she could save more money by investing with the best of the best. Him, of course.

She hid a yawn behind her hand, and when her bladder informed her she needed a trip to the restroom, she nearly groaned out loud in relief.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go … freshen up. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Meg rose and Ken followed, helping her pull out her chair.

Allie met her gaze. “Gentleman,” she mouthed in approval.

Meg swallowed a groan.

“I’ll be waiting,” Ken said as she walked away.

“Oh, please don’t be,” she said to herself, making her way to the bathroom at the far back of the restaurant.

She spent a long time in the restroom, checking her phone, swiping some gloss on her dry lips, and washing her hands, twice, in her effort to stall returning to the table.

When she did, she paused by Lizzy’s chair and whispered in her friend’s ear. “I’m going to bail. I’m not up to this. I’m really sorry. Will you be okay driving?”

“Of course. I barely had a sip. But I can leave and take you home.”

She shook her head. “No need. You seem to be hitting it off with Mark. I can get Uber,” she said of the car service in most cities, including Miami.

“I’d be happy to drive you,” Ken said.

She hadn’t realized he’d left his seat and had overheard them.

“No, really. Stay and have fun. I’m just not feeling too well.” Which was a lie, but it was nicer than go away, I’m not interested.

Which was ironic, since not too long ago, Meg would have been all too willing to see where things went with a guy who showed her any interest at all. Maybe the baby really was changing her, making her more self-reliant and aware as well as giving her better taste in men.

“Then you really shouldn’t go home alone,” Ken said, grasping her forearm.

Oh no, he didn’t. She pinned him with an annoyed glare. “Let. Go.” And what was it about her that attracted assholes anyway? she asked herself, as she tried to extricate herself without resorting to insults or calling management.

Lizzy jumped up from her seat just as the jerk released her arm, and a familiar voice reverberated in her ear.

“Touch her again and you’ll answer to me.”

5Star

Michel’s Review

When the father of her unborn child proves to be one more in a string of bad choices in the man department, Meg Thompson decides that she’s ready to do things on her own terms. Pregnant and alone, she’s determined that she can take care of herself. Scott Dare has been burned in love. Having faced the ultimate betrayal at the hands of his ex-wife, he has no intention of falling for what he sees as the myth of happily ever after.

I am a long-time fan of Carly Phillips and her DARE series. Dare To Hold is the sixth book in the series, and, once again, Carly has another winner on her hands. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Meg and Scott evolve. Meg realizes that tying herself to less-than-desirable men is a pattern for her, and is trying very hard to change. Scott, like all of the Dare men, is one heck of an alpha, and makes no bones about his desire to be with Meg. Having seen firsthand what she is dealing with with her ex, he is not about to let her handle things on her own. The dynamic between the two of them makes for some serious sparks and sizzle, and, in typical Carly fashion, more than a little uber-sexy time.

These books are always quick reads for me, for no other reason than that I cannot stop once I pick them up, and Dare To Hold is no exception. The plot moves quickly, and the presence of the entire Dare clan feels like visiting old friends. I am looking forward to getting Avery Dare’s story in Dare To Rock, but in the meantime happily give Dare To Hold 5+ ‘super-sexy, you really need a fan to read this’ stars.


About Carly Phillips:

Carly PhillipsNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels that today’s readers identify with and enjoy. After a successful 15 year career with various New York publishing houses, Carly is making the leap to Indie author, with the goal of giving her readers more books at a faster pace at a better price. Her Serendipity books will still finish up in January/February 2014 via Berkley as planned. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find all information about Carly at her website and other social media sites …

Find Carly Online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | TSU

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Happy Release: Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren

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Beautiful Secret

The Beautiful Series

Release Date: April 14, 2015

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Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

AN UPTIGHT BRITISH EXECUTIVE. AN ADVENTUROUS AMERICAN NEWBIE. A SEXY INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL IN THE MAKING.

New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Christina Lauren’s Beautiful and Wild Seasons series hook up in Beautiful Secret for an erotic intercontinental romp that celebrates the best of both worlds!

When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.

Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Excerpt

A silence fell over the table as everyone turned to watch Ruby leave the bar and head upstairs to bed. She had been utterly charming throughout dinner, and the group had groaned in unison when she’d excused herself because of our early morning. I, too, had been quite sad to see her go.

“Well, well.”

I looked up to see my brother’s smug expression.

“Now that we’re alone,” Will began, “I think we can all agree to drop any pretense that we’re not ruined for civilized conversation, yes?” Each of them nodded in agreement and beside me, his glass now refilled, Will raised his tumbler to take a small swallow of scotch. “I also think we can all agree Bennett will be an important consultant on this case.”

Max snickered.

“The conference?” I asked, confused.

“It’s an all-too-common predicament,” Bennett added dryly. “Knockout intern. Boss in denial. I’ll draft up a step-by-step plan of containment.”

I blinked, swallowing thickly as I realized what they meant. “She’s not my intern. I have absolutely no say in her career.” I shook my head, frustrated because it was exactly the wrong thing to say. “I’m not . . . that is to say, she’s not interested. Nor I.”

All four men laughed.

“Niall,” Will said, leaning his elbows on his knees. “She nearly dropped her drink in your lap when George asked if she was interested in anyone.”

“Was going to say the same thing,” Bennett said.

“And something tells me she’d be first to volunteer to clean it up,” Will added.

“Well, maybe that’s because she’s interested in someone who works with us at R-C.”

“Yeah. You.” Max lifted his glass and finished the last of the amber liquid.

“Sincerely,” I said, fighting a smile. “She’s a fantastic girl, but she’s certainly not a romantic option for me.”

Tilting his head, Bennett asked, “What color are her eyes?”

Green, I didn’t say. I shook my head as if I didn’t know.

“What was she wearing?” Will asked.

A blue dress that hit just above her knee, I didn’t say. A delicate gold chain around her neck and a ring on her right ring finger that I had to resist asking her about until George bulldozed in and asked about a boyfriend.

I rolled my eyes, and my brother laughed again, this time pointing his drink at me. “Blokes don’t notice these things unless they’re interested.”

“Or George,” Will added, and George reached over to grab the back of his neck and try to pull him in for a kiss.

“Well, it’s apparent I needn’t think on this any further,”

I said. “You’ve all decided for me.”

“It’s what we do,” Will said, adjusting the skewed collar of his shirt as he settled back into his chair. “It’s a sickness, we know.”

“I thought we’d lost that muscle, honestly,” George said.

“It’s a relief to know we still have it in us. The ladies will be so proud.” Max rapped his knuckles on the table as he made to stand. “Alas, I’d best be off. New routine: Sara gets the baby to sleep; I do the midnight bottle feeding.”

“Finally taking a bottle from you then? Guess you smell like a woman, too,” I said to Max, reminding him of the little dig he’d thrown my way on my last visit.

Max laughed and patted me on the back, and we all stood, a silent agreement in place that we were ready to call it a night. I watched my brother gather his things and say his goodbyes, feeling the same mix of pride and longing for what he was headed home to: a wife, a daughter. A proper home.

“Kiss the girls for me,” I requested as he made his way out of the bar. He waved a hand, retreating, and then disappeared from view.

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6556689Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced nine New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 23+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Happy Release: The Mad Tatter by J. M. Darhower

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The Mad Tatter 

By J. M. Darhower

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Synopsis

Reece Hatfield has just one rule when it comes to falling in love: don’t fucking do it. There’s no room in his life for another person. He can barely keep a handle on things as it is. A shadow of the man he used to be, Reece spends his days tattooing, the artist inside of him longing for the chance to do something different.

Avery Moore is all dance, all the time. Ballet is all she’s ever known, and she’s damn good at it. Her body is her art, a living canvas that captivates Reece the first time he lays his eyes on her.

He yearns to leave his mark on her body… in more ways than one.

The tattooed degenerate with a shady past. The beautiful ballerina with a bright future. They live in different worlds, yet somehow, they fit. But just because they fit doesn’t mean they belong together. Cracks sometimes form. Two pieces don’t always make a whole. The course of love never did run smoothly. Things get messy.

And Reece doesn’t do messy.

Not anymore.

Buy: Amazon

 

Author Bio:

jm darhowerJM Darhower is the author of countless stories and poems, most of which only she has ever read. She lives in a tiny town in rural North Carolina, where she churns out more words than will ever see the light of day. She has a deep passion for politics and speaking out against human trafficking, and when she isn’t writing she’s usually ranting about those things. Chronic crimper with a vulgar mouth, she admits to having a Twitter addiction. You can find her there.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Happy Release: Chasing Thunder by Ginger Voight

Chasing Thunder by Ginger Voight

Series: Wyndryder, Book 1

Release Date: April 14th, 2015

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NOW AVAILABLE!

Be sure to check out the trailer, add to your goodreads to read list, pick up your copy and enter the GIVEAWAY below for a signed copy of Chasing Thunder!

 

What is the true name of evil?
The Zodiac Killer, the Hillside Strangler, the Night Stalker, and the Green River Killer all left their mark on California . . . and now the city of angels is under siege.
When fiery, redheaded biker MJ Bennett witnessed her beloved grandfather gunned down on her sixteenth birthday, she made herself two promises. She would continue his quest to save teenagers lost to the dark side of Hollywood—the side tourists never see—and she would never let herself get that close to anyone ever again.
But after meeting traumatized runaway, Haley Roberts, she breaks her own rule. MJ suspects that Haley has narrowly escaped the Hard Candy Killer, a sadistic serial killer targeting teen sex workers with blonde hair and blue eyes.
MJ begins to connect the dots between Haley and a dangerous crime lord who hides his savage sex trafficking enterprise behind legitimate businesses. But the clock is ticking, and the Hard Candy Killer is closing in on the target he wants most, MJ, whose family secrets have her marked for destruction, turning the hunter into the hunted.
 
1st Books in these Series are FREE!
Groupie: http://amzn.to/1ApRpZt – FREE
Fierce: http://amzn.to/1DxVazM – FREE
Southern Rocker Boy: http://amzn.to/1EZGtlW – FREE
Enticed:http://amzn.to/1FAhtWe – FREE

//

Coming May 1st

Joely Morgan never expected to start her life over again just months shy of the Big 4-0. But she didn’t expect her husband to cheat on her either. She packs up her kids and heads home to Mom—who happens to own the most popular restaurant in town. Joely immediately throws herself into emotionally charged cooking, and her passion-infused sweets are an instant hit.
Xander Davy, the much younger, good-looking, smooth-talking restaurant manager, can’t help but notice the new, attractive addition to his kitchen. The only problem, as he sees it, is that she doesn’t seem to know how desirable she is. He quickly decides to remind Joely what it means to feel like a sensual woman again.
Xander’s shameless pursuit makes Joely’s soon-to-be ex rethink letting her go. He uses the children to try to get Joely back, but their sixteen-year-old daughter has other plans. She’s fallen head over heels with none other than Xander, who has his sights set firmly on her mother.
In BACK FOR SECONDS, author Ginger Voight serves up a heaping amount of sensuality and angst in a tale of sexual and personal awakening, one that examines reclaiming womanhood no matter where you are in life.

 

Ginger Voight is a screenwriter and bestselling author with over twenty published titles in fiction and nonfiction. She covers everything from travel to politics in nonfiction, as well as romance, paranormal, and dark, “ripped from the headlines” topics like Dirty Little Secrets.
Ginger discovered her love for writing in sixth grade, courtesy of a Halloween assignment. From then on, writing became a place of solace, reflection, and security. This was never more true than when she found herself homeless in L.A. at the age of nineteen. There, she wrote her first novel, longhand on notebook paper, while living out of her car.
In 1995, after she lost her nine-day-old son, she worked through her grief by writing the story that would eventually become The Fullerton Family Saga.
In 2011, she embarked on a new journey–to publish romance novels starring heroines who look more like the average American woman. These “Rubenesque” romances have developed a following thanks to her bestselling Groupie series. Other titles, such as the highly-rated New Adult series, Fierce, tap into the “reality-TV” preoccupation in American entertainment, which gives her contemporary stories a current, pop culture edge.
Known for writing gut-twisting angst, Ginger isn’t afraid to push the envelope with characters who are perfectly imperfect. Whether rich, poor, sweet, selfish, gay, straight, plus-size or svelte, her characters are beautifully flawed and three-dimensional. They populate her lavish fictional landscapes and teach us more about the real world in which we live simply through their interactions with each other. Ginger’s goal with every book is to give the reader a little bit more than they were expecting, told through stories they’ll never forget.

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