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

Posted on 04/15/2015 by shellbellereads

The Shameless Hour

The Ivy Years Series- Book 4

Release Date: April 15. 2015

By Sarina Bowen

Synopsis

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

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With nervous eyes, Bella began to move.

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

Biting her lip, Bella moved with me.

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

“Can I sit down yet?” Bella asked.

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

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

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

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

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

Michel’s Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Ivy Years

The Year We Fell Down – Book 1

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

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

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

Also, he’s taken.

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

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

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

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Year We Hid Away – Book 2

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

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

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

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

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Blond Date – Book 2.5

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

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

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

Yet staying home would mean letting him win.

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

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

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Understatement Of The Year – Book 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buy : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Ivy Years Collection- Three Full Length Novels + Novella

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

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

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

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

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

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Author Bio:

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

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

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

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

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

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Happy Release + Review: Ropes and Revenge by Jessie Evans-Lonesome Point,Texas Series – Book 6

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Ropes and Revenge

Lonesome Point, Texas Series- Book 6

By Jessie Evans

Synopsis

Two broken hearts, one chance to make something beautiful with the pieces…

Eight months ago, John Lawson lost his wife and best friend in a tragic accident on his family’s ranch. In the time since, he’s devoted himself to two things–taking care of his two newly motherless sons and proving that Lily’s accident was no accident. Now, he finally has hard evidence that his wife was murdered and he won’t rest until he has the killer’s blood on his hands. He doesn’t have time for anything but vengeance, especially not a crazy ghost hunter wanting to poke around the old spring on his family’s ranch.

Persephone Styles–Percy to her friends–learned about ghosts the hard way, when she was orphaned by a violent crime at the age of seven. Ever since, she’s seen spirits and been obsessed with studying souls beyond the grave. She’s in Lonesome Point to document the town’s spectral activity, but finds herself powerfully drawn to widower John Lawson and empathizing with his grieving children. For the first time in years, Percy is as riveted by the living as she’s always been by the dead and longs to be a part of John’s life.

But when one night of passion becomes something more, Percy realizes John is as haunted as she is and that the man she’s coming to love is walking a dangerous road that may end with him becoming a murderer’s next victim.

Buy: Amazon

Tracey’s Review

John Lawson is a broken man. Having lost the love of his life, he’s having a hard time putting the pieces of his life back together. Although Lonesome Point law enforcement has ruled Lily’s death an accident, John is sure that there is more to the story, and lives for the moments that he meets Lily in the in-between, the space between waking and sleeping.

Persephone ‘Percy’ Styles has a gift. Able to communicate with the spirit world, and having spent all of her time with those no longer here, she’s ready to focus on the living, and to bring comfort to a man she doesn’t even know. After encountering a psychic exchange between John and Lily, Percy feels called to visit Lonesome Point and to help John heal, and Lily to pass over to the next world.

The Lonesome Point, TX, series by Jessie Evans has been a favorite of mine since the first book. Small-town life, quirky and loveable characters, mystery and intrigue, and, oh, yes, absolutely swoony cowboys and the ladies that are lucky enough to capture their hearts, make for a winning combination at every level.

I have loved each and every book in this series, but the Lawson brothers hold a special place in my heart. Loving, loyal, and completely committed to family, these three men are truly something. John, the eldest, is the rock of the family, the man that had stepped in when his father died, who has always been there for his mother and brothers, and who had found happiness with his true love only to have it ripped away. Losing Lily has thrown him into a tailspin, and the feeling that her death was no accident has kept him from being able to move on. When Percy shows up, he wants nothing to do with her particular brand of ‘help,’ figuring her for a nutcase, and pushes her away.

“I understand that’s not part of your belief system,” she said. “And I can respect that, but I have reason to believe there are spirits here who need my help and I’d like to stay until they feel safe enough to make contact.”

“Safe enough to make contact,” he echoed, his next breath emerging with a huff. “What are they going to do, come whisper in your ear?”

“Something like that,” she said, lifting her chin.

Percy quickly shows that she is what she says, and John, eager for answers, and intrigued by Percy and her gifts, finds himself working with her to unravel the mystery of Lily’s death.

This wouldn’t be a Jessie Evans book without a sweet, sexy, and heart-melting romance, and she does not disappoint. Almost from the beginning, John finds himself drawn to Percy, not only as someone to help him in his quest, but as a woman. She is unlike no one he’s known before, but his guilt over being attracted to her is a major stumbling block. Percy, for her part, has never felt the way she does about John for anyone else, and is determined to show him that his place is in the here and now, with her.

“…You deserve better than a man who doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to love someone else again.”

“Maybe I don’t want better…And I know I don’t want to leave. I want to stay until you get your answers.”

“I care about you, Percy,” he said, his chest aching as his heart stretched in two different directions. “I don’t want to see you hurt, and I especially don’t want to be the one doing the hurting.”

“If you ask me to leave again, you will hurt me,” she said. “I need to see this through. Not just for you, but for me too. I need to see where this goes. Not just the investigation, but this. Us.”

Ropes and Revenge is the last book in the Lonesome Point series, and, although I am sad to see this series end, I am completely satisfied with the way that everything is wrapped up. I’m excited to be able to say that I will get to revisit the characters and place that I have come to love, as Jessie will be writing an off-shoot series based on the children of Lonesome Point. What could be better than a whole new generation of people to love? As ever, 5+ ‘happily ever after, what a fantastic story’ stars for Jessie Evans and Lonesome Point, TX.

Lonesome Point, Texas SeriesLeather and Lace

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

Saddlles and Sin

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

Diamonds and Dust

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

12 Dates of Christmas

Amazon / B & N / ITunes/ Google Play

Glitter and Grit

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Google Play

Sunny with a Chance of True Love: The Ballad of Ugly Ross

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Chaps and Chance

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

Ropes and Revenge

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Buy: Amazon

About Jessie Evans

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessie Evans, gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sexy, contemporary Southern romances she loves to read.

She’s married to the man of her dreams, and together they’re raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a cottage in the jungle. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more.

When she’s not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and drifting in and out on the waves, feeling thankful for sun, surf, and lovely people to share them with.

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

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Interim

Genre: YA/ NA Crossover Suspense/Psychological Thriller

By S. Walden

Synopsis

Book Description:

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

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

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

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

Better fix that.

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

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Smashwords

Letter to the Reader:

Dear Reader,

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

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

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

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

Love,

Summer

Excerpt

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

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

Robin’s Review

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

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

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

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

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

________________________________________________________________

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

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

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

Facebook Giveaway

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

Happy Release + Review + Giveaway: Only For Us by Cristin Harber- The Only Series – Book 3

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Only For Us

The Only Series – Book 3

By Cristin Harber

Synopsis

The third installment of the Only series. Must be read in order.

Grayson and Emma. First love. True love. And… they have a daughter. Abandonment is his curse. He left his woman, survived his team, and missed the moment most precious to a father. Until now.

I didn’t know you were killing yourself with work. I didn’t know you’re raising our daughter. So help me God, had I known, there is no military force on earth that would’ve kept me from you.

Love needs to heal all, or they won’t survive the collision of their separate lives. Emma must reach deep into her heart that is barely hanging on and find forgiveness. Grayson, wrecked with PTSD-filled nightmares, must prove that he’s here to stay and able to rebuild his family against all odds.

I need to say I love you. But what I mean is I love you–in a way that defies definition and exists only in a world that you and I are in.

Only for Us is the third installment in the Only series. All novellas will release Spring 2015.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Exceprt

“I’ve done nothing for you to give me that trust, but I need you to anyway.”

I’m not pressed against his chest anymore. The warmth that encapsulated me moments ago is gone, but I feel different. Life’s shifted—I’ve been hanging on this roller coaster for years, and now it’s as if we’re cautiously slipping toward smooth sailing. The lump in my throat eases, and my eyelids lift, my gaze falling on the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.

“What do you say?” He inches closer.

“I love you, Grayson.” Deep breath. “When it comes to us, I’m all in.”

Michel’s Review

Grayson and Emma have found their way back to one another. Their separation was the catalyst to a very hard journey for both of them. For Grayson it was turning his back on the only thing he loved to serve in the military. For Emma it was mission of daily survival after the only man she ever loved left her without a word. The only thing that has made this betrayal easier is the beautiful baby he doesn’t know he has left behind. Their daughter is the only thing that came out good and pure.

Now Grayson is back and wants to reclaim the future he and Emma should of had. The separation has left a lot of mistrust and emotional scars. He vows he has become a better man. A man that will honor the woman he loves and cherish the daughter they created.

Emma and Grayson want to put their lives back together. They want to hang onto the love they have for one another. Although they have accepted and forgave each other, their path still will not be easy. They will have to win over Emma’s family, put Grayson’s childhood in the past, and find a new path to travel. First on the agenda is for Grayson to find a job in the civilian world. Lucky that Titan has their eyes on him. He may find a job that suits his skill set and will keep him close to home with Emma. It may be dangerous but not as bad as his job in the military. Emma will have to come clean to Grayson on how she has been supporting her daughter while going to college. It could be a deal breaker for them.

Just as things look like they are going to work out, Emma’s secret will be exposed in the worst possible way. What happens next? Cliffhanger. The final installment in the Only series, Only Forever, will release soon.

The Only Series is addicting. Cristin Harber has written an emotional story of first love and true love that will forever stay true. Read this series!

Only Series

Only For Him

Only Series – Book 1

Genre – New Adult

By Cristin Harber

Synopsis

Grayson Ford and Emma Kinglsey–close since they were kids, opposites in every way. He’s the stuff high school crushes are made of, Mister Popular, and captain of every team. She’s artsy, cute, and not in his league, though fully aware of Summerland’s “I Dream of Dating Grayson Ford” support group.

I can’t say no. The girl’s had my heart since before I knew it went missing.

He hides a life of hell. His father hates him, his mother’s gone. Emma is his only savior, yet she doesn’t know her power over him. She’s the only girl he wants, the only one he could ever tell–though he won’t.

I’m stronger, bigger, more of a man than he’ll ever be, but because I ruined his life, I’ve taken his crap, his attacks, the vulgar nature of his existence.

Until she discovers Gray’s embarrassment, his humiliation. Emma fights for him and for a chance. Theirs is a Cinderella story that she believes impossible. But as the layers peel back, it’s just a guy who needs a girl in order to keep breathing.

My mind is already doodling Mrs. Grayson Ford in imaginary notebooks. He has no clue where my head is at… But, given that I didn’t see what just happened coming, maybe I have no clue where his head is at either.

Only for Him. Only series, Volume One.
All novellas will release Spring 2015.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Only For Her

Only Series – Book 2

Sequel To Only For Him

By Cristin Harber

Synopsis

The second installment in the Only series. Must read book one first!!

First loves never die but Grayson Ford comes close. Bleeding out in a war zone, he barters with God. Bring him back alive, and he’ll make it right with his girl.

All I want is Emma. I need her, and I fight for her memory. A story. A smile. Anything. But it’s all blank.

Emma is not his girl anymore. Time has skipped by and life’s been hard. She strips to pay the bills, waitresses to fill the hours between classes and her third job. All while working to be the best mama she can be to the little girl who will never know her daddy. Even though Grayson abandoned her, she mourned his death. Until he calls, and everything she knew was wrong.

It’s him. The him that ruined my life. That made my life. That confused my mind to the point that I can’t figure out if I’ve been destroyed or set free. The him that… is… dead.

He’s back with one objective–Emma Kingsley–and she never sees it coming.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

Only For Us – Book 3

Only For Us

Only Series – Book 3

Release Date: April 14, 2015

The third installment of the Only series. Must be read in order.

Grayson and Emma. First love. True love. And… they have a daughter. Abandonment is his curse. He left his woman, survived his team, and missed the moment most precious to a father. Until now.

I need to say I love you. But what I mean is I love you–in a way that defies definition and exists only in a world that you and I are in.

Only for Us is the third installment in the Only series. All novellas will release Spring 2015.

The third installment of the Only series. Must be read in order.

Grayson and Emma. First love. True love. And… they have a daughter. Abandonment is his curse. He left his woman, survived his team, and missed the moments most precious to a father. Until now.

I didn’t know you were killing yourself with work. I didn’t know you’re raising our daughter. So help me God, had I known, there is no military force on earth that would’ve kept me from you.

I need to say I love you. But what I mean is I love you–in a way that defies definition and exists only in a world that you and I are in.

Only for Us is the third installment in the Only series. All novellas will release Spring 2015.

ABOUT CRISTIN HARBER

Cristin Harber is a USA Today bestselling romantic suspense and military romance author. Fans voted her onto Amazon’s Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors in 2013, and her debut Titan series was #1 romantic suspense, #1 military romance, and a USA Today Top 100 bestseller.

She lives outside Washington, DC with her family and English Bulldog.

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

You can become a Titan Agent for exclusive scenes, details, and more! Visit the official Titan website here!

Text TITAN to 66866 to sign up for exclusive emails!

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Happy Release + Review: Crushed by Lauren Layne- A Redemption Novel

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Crushed

A Redemption Novel

By Lauren Layne

Synopsis

Lauren Layne’s latest novel about the healing power of redemption tells the story of a crush gone wickedly wrong, proving that what you want isn’t always what you need.

Growing up in New York, Michael St. Claire never expected to spend his twenties wearing cowboy boots. But that was before he learned about his real father, a total stranger with a family in Cedar Grove, Texas. Once in the Lone Star State, Michael meets Kristin Bellamy, who is exquisitely refined and everything Michael always thought he wanted in a woman. The only problem is that Kristin is dating Michael’s new half brother, Devon.

Kristin’s mouthy, curvy sister Chloe has always been in love with Devon Patterson. So when Michael offers to help Chloe break up Devon and Kristin, Chloe agrees to a deal that seems too good to be true. Before long, Chloe finally gets her man, only to make a startling discovery: She no longer wants the guy she had to fight for—she wants the one who stood by her side.

After all he and Chloe have been through, Michael swears he’s damaged goods. Can Chloe convince him that love is worth the risk?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Tina’s Review

Judging a Book by it’s cover: The cover is sweet, soft, and inviting – a bit misleading when considering the drama and angst inside. The synopsis is a little busy and chaotic, but captures the general essence of the book.
Looking Deeper: The beginning starts out with a bang… pun intended. There are several important characters and key factors introduced within the first chapter, so make sure you’re paying attention -oh, and, keep your hand and feet inside the car at all times – it promises to be a crazy ride! It’s hard to break this one down purely by Lead male, lead female, and secondary characters because of the relationship dynamics. We know Michael *is* the lead male, but from there, it’s mix-and-match drama for a bit. Unrequited lust, drama, angst, chaos, jealousy, spite… oh, it’s got it all. The characters are all unique in personality and attitude, which provides some entertaining moments. Dialogue and interaction range from a bit awkward to natural and believable. The plot is solid with a steady and progressive flow. As you could imagine when a several love triangles intertwine, there is plenty of conflict. Add in there the parental and sibling drama and it’s truly a drama of epic proportions, but the conflicts are handled in realistic, age-appropriate ways. There was not a lot of predictability. The conclusion was rather solid, but the epilogue felt like an afterthought without a significant, defined purpose. Overall, it was a good read for those who enjoy the angsty, dramatic plots of the NA genre.

____________________________

Author Bio:

Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.
Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye – Hard Ink Series- Book 3.5 – Novella

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

We are so, so excited to bring you guy the Release Week Blitz for Laura Kaye’s HARD TO BE GOOD!! HARD TO BE GOOD is a novella in Laura’s Hard Ink Series, published by Avon Romance. We absolutely love Laura’s Hard Ink men and are so excited to see Jeremy and Charlie get their HEA!!

Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes| Kobo

HARD TO BE GOOD on Goodreads

About HARD TO BE GOOD:

Hard Ink Tattoo owner Jeremy Rixey has taken on his brother’s stateside fight against the forces that nearly killed Nick and his Special Forces team a year before. Now, Jeremy’s whole world has been turned upside down—not the least of which by a brilliant, quiet blond man who tempts Jeremy to settle down for the first time ever.

Recent kidnapping victim Charlie Merritt has always been better with computers than people, so when he’s drawn into the SF team’s investigation of his army colonel father’s corruption, he’s surprised to find acceptance and friendship—especially since his father never accepted who Charlie was. Even more surprising is the heated tension Charlie feels with sexy, tattooed Jeremy, Charlie’s opposite in almost every way.

With tragedy and chaos all around them, temptation flashes hot, and Jeremy and Charlie can’t help but wonder why they’re trying so hard to be good…

EXCERPT:

“You should be inside celebrating,” Jeremy said, his voice a raw scrape. “You and Marz did an amazing thing this morning.” An hour ago, Marz and Charlie had cracked open a heavily encrypted microchip that contained a wealth of information that not only seemed likely to help the team clear its name, but proved that Charlie’s father hadn’t been dirty, like they’d all thought. “And I’m so happy for you about your dad.”

A wounded darkness passed through Charlie’s gaze, but he finally nodded. “Didn’t feel right without you there.” Pink filtered into his cheeks, and damn if that wasn’t as cute as it was sexy. Jeremy wasn’t sure anything had ever made him blush.

“I’m just not—” Jeremy shrugged and looked down at Charlie’s chest again. Having seen the guy dress more than once, he knew that shirt covered lean muscle that ran from strong shoulders down to his narrow hips. Jeremy fisted his hands against the urge to burrow them under the hem of the tee. After weeks of looking, and wanting, he was dying to touch. Jeremy found Charlie hard to read though, and hadn’t wanted to do anything to scare him off. “—very good company right now. I’m sorry if that—”

Charlie nudged Jeremy’s chin up with his hand, his fingers just barely touching Jer’s stubble-covered skin. But then his thumb landed softly against his lips.

Jeremy’s heartbeat kicked up and his lips fell open. Slowly, oh so tentatively, Charlie stroked the soft pad of his thumb back and forth across them.

“Charlie,” Jeremy whispered as arousal surged through his body, spiking his pulse, tensing his muscles, hardening his dick.

Uncertainty poured off Charlie as the man’s hand trembled where it touched him, but those blue eyes absolutely blazed desire. No way was Jeremy imagining that.

“You’re always good company, to me,” Charlie said in a low voice, his gaze dropping to Jeremy’s lips. Charlie leaned in closer, and closer still, and Jeremy could hardly believe the other man was the one to initiate this. But he was fucking thrilled.

Jeremy swallowed, his lips anticipating that first soft brush. Charlie was so close his shaky breath caressed Jeremy’s lips. His pace was maddening but so damn sexy Jer could barely breathe. And then Charlie’s eyelids fluttered closed and he was right there…

And don’t miss the other Hard Ink books, now available:

Hard As It Gets

Hard As You Can

Hard to Hold On To

Hard To Come By

Praise for the HARD INK SERIES:

“TOP PICK! If you’re looking for danger, gritty action, and sizzling passion, then Kaye has just the book and the series for you.” ~RT Book Reviews Magazine

Michel’s Review

Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye is the one book that the Hard Ink Fans have been dying for. The build up throughout the series has left the readers wondering when Jeremy and Charlie would get their happily ever after. This novella gives the readers what they want and so much more. I am amazed how Laura Kaye can pack so much into a novella. The emotional depth of this story was phenomenal. The pacing wasn’t too fast or too slow. The sexual tension and chemistry between Jer and Charlie was sizzling hot.

Although the story didn’t revolve around all the suspense that has been going on at Hard Ink, it did move the overall plot closer to the final revelations. This book focused more on the relationship between these two strong men. It showed how even in today’s society it is still hard to find acceptance of gay relationships. Exposing your deepest feelings and vulnerabilities to your loved ones, family, and friends is hard enough without the added taboo. Also trying to find your footing in a committed relationship whether straight or gay is very hard. We all have insecurities about showing our true emotions. The freedom of letting these emotions out and allowing them to grow is the ultimate surrender. Jer and Charlie will take the readers on an emotional journey that will not only touch their own hearts but capture the readers as well.

Once again Laura Kaye has written a beautiful love story.

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Happy Release + Review: Captive Films Season Two -Volume Three by Jillian Dodd

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Captive Films 2.3

Captive Films Serial- Season 2 : Volume 3

Includes Episodes 5 and 6

By Jillian Dodd

Synopsis

In reality TV form, this series follows the lives and loves of those who work at Captive Films.

Hot, successful, playboy Riley Johnson, whose business success far exceeds his success in love.
Movie star, Keatyn Douglas, whose epic love story has spawned a series of books and movies.
And Dawson Johnson, who joins Captive with a tragic past.
Expect lots of drama, sex, and tabloid-worthy events.

Fans of the USA TODAY bestselling series, The Keatyn Chronicles®, will love reconnecting with their favorite characters as adults.

Each Captive Films season contains six episodes, two in each volume.
Think of it as a TV show you hold in your hands!

So tune in and enjoy this week’s drama.

Please note that as the characters have grown up, so have their stories. This contemporary romance is intended for readers 18+.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Captive Films: Season Two- Volume One

Captive Films Serial- Book 2.1

Includes Episodes 1 & 2

By Jillian Dodd

Synopsis

In reality TV form, this series follows the lives and loves of those who work at Captive Films.
Hot, successful, playboy Riley Johnson, whose business success far exceeds his success in love.
Movie star, Keatyn Douglas, whose epic love story has spawned a series of books and movies.
And Dawson Johnson, who joins Captive with a tragic past.
Expect lots of drama, sex, and tabloid-worthy events.

Fans of the USA TODAY bestselling series, The Keatyn Chronicles, will love reconnecting with their favorite characters as adults.
This series is meant for readers 18+.

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

Captive Films 2.2

Captive Films Serial- Season 2 : Volume 2

Includes Episodes 3 and 4

By Jillian Dodd

Synopsis

In reality TV form, this series follows the lives and loves of those who work at Captive Films.

Fans of the USA TODAY bestselling series, The Keatyn Chronicles®, will love reconnecting with their favorite characters as adults.

Each Captive Films season contains six episodes, two in each volume.
Think of it as a TV show you hold in your hands!

So tune in and enjoy this week’s drama.

Please note that as the characters have grown up, so have their stories. This contemporary romance is intended for readers 18+.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Captive Films: Season One

Episodes 1-6

Captive Films Series

By Jillian Dodd

Synopsis

In reality TV form, this series follows the lives and loves of those who work at Captive Films.

Fans of the USA TODAY bestselling series, The Keatyn Chronicles®, will love reconnecting with their favorite characters as adults.

Each Captive Films season contains six episodes, two in each volume.
Think of it as a TV show you hold in your hands!

So tune in and enjoy this week’s drama.

Please note that as the characters have grown up, so have their stories. This contemporary romance is intended for readers 18+.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Excerpt

I stand in front of her. “Take your clothes off.”

She looks surprised by this.

And normally, I’d want to undress her, but not now.

She needs this.

“Um,” she says, looking puzzled.

“I’m taking my clothes off,” I say as I strip them off and throw them into a chaise. “Get naked with me.”

Her eyes trail hungrily down my body. I love the desire I see in them, but that’s not what this is about.

If it were, I’d have her stripped and pinned under me in about two seconds flat.

I walk down the steps and into the pool, the water the perfect soothing temperature.

She takes her clothes off and joins me in the center.

“I don’t like being told what to do,” she says softly.

“I know you don’t, but sometimes you need it.” I give her a long, sweet kiss. Then I hold her shoulders, keeping her away from me. “You’re naked,” I state.

“Yeah, I am,” she flirts.

“That means right here, in this pool, it’s just us. Naked.”

“You’ve said the word naked like four times. I get it. We’re naked.”

“We are physically, but I want you naked emotionally.”

Michel’s Review

Captive Films: Season Two – Volume 3 by Jillian Dodd has taken the characters full circle. For Riley he will have to go full circle and accept the past before he can really move forward and have the ADULT life he dreamed of having. Some of his issues will be solved. He will have something to look forward to. All the characters will find something they lost in past and use it in their future lives.

Riley has finally found what he wants and where he wants to go in life. He has put the past to rest. He is moving forward from his mistakes. All is looking bright and shiny until one of those mistakes drops the bomb that could make Riley’s World explode into pieces. Can you guess what happens next? Cliffhanger!

Now readers will have to anxiously await to see how Riley is going to pick up the pieces of this latest explosion. Captive Films: Season Three cannot get here soon enough!

—————————————————————————–

Jillian Dodd grew up on a farm in Nebraska, where she developed a love for Midwestern boys and Nebraska football. She has drank from a keg in a cornfield, attended the University of Nebraska, got to pass her candle, and did have a boy ask her to marry him in a bar. She met her own prince in college, and they have two amazing children, a Maltese named Sugar Bear, and two Labrador puppies named Camber Lacy and Cali Lucy. She is the author of the That Boy Trilogy and The Keatyn Chronicles Series.

Stalk Her: Website |Facebook | Twitter |Instagram | Goodreads Pinterest

Tuesday Teaser + Excerpt: Fair Game by Monica Murphy – The Rule Series

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND fans…you are going to LOVE this new series by Monica Murphy! Check out the covers and the FAIR GAME excerpt below!

Fair Game

The Rule Series – Book 1

Release Date: May 12, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Synopsis

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

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

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

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

Excerpt

“What are you doing?” she asks, sounding the tiniest bit breathless.

“Making sure you’re not injured,” I answer, proud of how under control I sound. Inside, I’m chaos. My heart is thumping hard against my chest and my breathing’s accelerated. I grip her knee, and realize my hand is fucking shaking.

“I think you’re trying to get your hand up my skirt.” Leave it to Bitch Face to call me out. I can’t help but find her straightforwardness attractive. No girl is ever straightforward with me. They’re always coy. Playing games and flirting and never asking for what they really want. They always defer to me.

After awhile, that gets pretty damn boring.

“Maybe I am,” I say, moving my hand to rest on top of her knee.

Her lips curve into the smallest smile and seeing it feels like a victory. As if I’ve just won an extra difficult battle and that tiny curve of her lush lips is my prize. “You’re pretty determined, aren’t you?”

She’s not pushing me away. I need to take this moment. Seize this fucking moment and make it mine. Make her mine. At least for tonight. Her scent is making my head spin and just touching her knee has got me sporting wood. “I’m always determined.”

“Determined to piss me off?”

I chuckle and her smile grows. “Am I doing a good job?”

“You’re an expert at making me mad.”

“I think we’re having a moment,” I tell her. “A bonding moment.”

She looks the slightest bit horrified. “No. Way. That is the last thing I want to do.”

I raise my eyebrows, let my hand slide up a bare inch more. Then another. I’m so close to getting under that skirt, it’s not even funny. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“You don’t like me either. You call me Bitch Face.”

“You introduced yourself to me as Bitch Face.”

She tilts her head, all that wavy red hair tumbling over her shoulder. My fingers itch to touch it. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. I thought it was an unusual name…” I let my voice drift and she smiles once more.

“Says the man with an unusual name.”

“I told you it’s an old family name.”

“As a last name, not as a first.” She makes a little face. “It’s not very sexy.”

“You don’t think?” Interesting.

“I can’t imagine shouting out your name in the throes of passion.” Her cheeks go the faintest pink. That she’s even thinking like this gives me a secret thrill.

Forbidden. Unknown. This is the last girl I should consider getting naked with.

“Throes of passion?” I ask. “Someone’s been reading too many romance novels.”

“You know what I mean.” She waves a hand, dismissing her words.

“I don’t.” I pull the innocent act, which she isn’t falling for but it’s still fun. “What are you talking about exactly?”

“You’re not going to make me explain, are you?”

“I would love for you to explain. Or maybe I should help you.” I crawl my fingers up her thigh, playing with the frayed hem of her denim skirt. “Are you talking about…having sex?”

She nods, her cheeks blazing up. Hmm, she’s extra pretty when she blushes.

“And that moment…when we’re fucking…and you’re so damn close.” I lean in and inhale deep, my eyes almost falling shut as I absorb her scent, her warmth and that flush in her cheeks, the way her breathing quickens. “So fucking close as I push deep inside you. You don’t think it would be sexy to yell out my name just as I make you come?”

“N-no.” She shakes her head, that single word coming out as a squeak.

“Really.” I give in and settle my cheek next to hers, nuzzle her ear with my nose before I whisper, “Because by the time I have you coming, I’m fairly certain you’ll be crying out my name and begging me please.”

“You’re a real arrogant prick, aren’t you?”

I pull back from her the slightest bit, a little shocked. The girl doesn’t mince words. “Merely confident in my abilities.” I cup the back of her head, thread my fingers in the silky soft waves of her hair. I’d love to wrap her hair around my fist and tug her head back right before I kiss her…

“Proud of your manwhore status?”

“I can’t help it if the ladies flock to me.”

She rests her hand on my chest and gives me a gentle shove. “I’m not flocking to you.”

“Even after all that talk about coming and with my hand up your skirt?”

Jade looks down with a sharp gasp, dropping her hand to mine and shoving it out from beneath her skirt. “What are you doing?”

“I thought it was obvious.” When she says nothing, only glares at me, I continue. “I was going to kiss you and hopefully get you off with my fingers.”

Her mouth drops open. Instead of looking aroused, she looks…pissed. Vaguely horrified. “You’re disgusting.”

I lean back. Move way, way back though I’m not getting off the bed. Not yet. I still have a chance.

Or then again, maybe I don’t.

In The Dark

The Rule Series – Book 2

Release Date: August 25, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Synopsis

IN THE DARK (Book 2) August 25, 2015

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

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

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

Slow Play

The Rule Series – Book 3

Release Date: November 3, 2015

By Monica Murphy

Synopsis

SLOW PLAY (Book 3) November 3, 2015

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

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

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

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

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Happy Release : Etched In Stone by Mayra Statham – Six Degrees Series

Posted on 04/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Etched In Stone

Six Degrees Series – Book 2

Release Date: April 14, 2015

By Mayra Statham

Synopsis

One look, one moment and I was completely defenseless.

One touch, one embrace and I was utterly consumed.

tOne kiss, one caress and that’s all it took.

One look and thirty-four year old Parker Stone knew his life would never be the same. She called to him unlike anything ever had in his life, sparking an unbridled desire and captivating him completely.

One touch and twenty-eight year old Liz Del Rio wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk away. Experiencing a life full of disappointment and heartache, she wasn’t looking for a relationship, let alone love and all the risks that came with it. Every time life had taught her the same lesson: not to let people in because they always leave and when they leave, it leaves scars upon your soul.

One kiss sealed their fate and they knew they would never be able to live without one another.

Liz and Parker embed themselves into each other’s world. Passion burns bright and fast, but what happens when your lives are connected in ways you could have never imagined?

Secrets from Liz’s past threaten to break not only what they have, but who she is as they learn that once love is etched in stone nothing can make it crumble.

____________________________________

The Six Degrees Series

Crown’s Chance At Love

Book 1

Sabrina Miller lives in darkness. Having lost the love of her life just three years ago, she is content to live her life in muted grey just so she doesn’t have to feel. As a single mother of three she immerses herself in her career and daily routine all while letting her inner light extinguish.

One Tuesday morning, a chance encounter with Michael Crown threatens to break down all of the barriers she’s worked so hard to build around her. But who really Is Michael Crown?

Despite his struggles with his own darkness, Michael Crown finds himself at a crossroads with Sabrina. He has a chance to completely let his guard down and let love in, but it may come at the cost of losing the only woman he’s ever really ever loved. Can he find the redemption he so desperately needs and let Sabrina Miller in?

Buy: Amazon

Author Bio:

Mayra Statham resides in California. She is married with kids. Her addiction to romance novels and being an avid reader in the genre has made her dream come true. She enjoys going to book signings with her sister. She also loves helping others indies by promoting their work. Some of her favorite authors are Kristen Ashley & Roxie Rivera . She loves being contacted by readers.

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Happy Release + Review + Giveaway: Ricochet:Extraction Point by Heather C. Leigh- Ricochet Series- Book 3

Posted on 04/13/2015 by shellbellereads

Richochet: Extraction Point

Richochet Series- Book 3

By Heather C. Leigh

Synopsis

Rick “Ricochet” Brennan served eight years as an elite Marine special ops Force Recon soldier. After an injury, and the terrible memories from that night, he retires and goes to work for his former Command Officer, Howard “Mack” McEvoy, at his training center in Atlanta.

Sanctum MMA appears on the surface to be a normal gym, training elite fighters to be the best. Except each trainer, hand-picked by Mack, possesses a special background that allows Mack to run one of the best-kept secrets in the country.

When twenty-three year old Quinn Wallace finally escapes her abusive husband, she turns to her father’s old Marine Corps buddy, Mack, for help. Broken and skittish, Quinn finds herself surrounded by large, intimidating men— men who could easily overpower her. She avoids them the best she can, but when Rick turns out to be more than just a rough fighter with bruised knuckles, she finds herself wondering if she can allow herself to trust again.

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Excerpt

“Hey,” he said calmly. “Why aren’t you resting?” Rick put his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging her arms.

Quinn’s eyes grew large and went to his gloved hands.

Fuck, she hates fighting. Now I know why she looks freaked out.

Rick yanked his hands away and took a step back. “I didn’t mean for you to see me fight, Quinn. I’m sorry.”

To his surprise, Quinn stepped forward, closing the distance Rick had put between them. He watched as she hesitantly lifted her arms, placing her hands on his sweat-slicked chest. Her eyes met his and his breath left in a sharp huff. The fear he had expected to see wasn’t there. No… Quinn’s eyes were dark and glistening with lust.

“I didn’t know that watching you fight would be so comforting. It makes me feel safe, and… turned on,” she murmured. Rick shivered as her hands ran down his torso, moving over each defined muscle until they were resting on either side of his waist.

“Turned on?” Rick swallowed, barely able to speak with Quinn touching him like that. She was only just about healed from the attack. He figured it would be months, if not longer before she’d be interested in pursuing anything physical.

“Yes, turned on.” Quinn’s fingers dug into Rick’s waist, her thumbs making small circles on the ‘v’ shaped ridges of his lower abs. Scorching waves of pleasure rippled down his spine, instantly making his cock come to life.

“Jesus,” he muttered softly. Using every last bit of willpower he had, Rick captured Quinn’s wrists, removing her hands from his body. “Not here, doll.” He glanced around, but none of the other fighters were looking their way. Still, he’d kill them if they saw the lust in Quinn’s eyes. That was for him, and him alone.

Quinn pouted, crossing her arms and glaring like a kid denied her favorite candy.

He couldn’t help himself. The sight of this tiny thing trying to look intimidating was funny. Rick laughed. “You’re too much, doll.” The corner of her mouth twitched up—it was just a hint of a smile, but it made Rick’s day. Quinn hadn’t smiled once since his team rescued her. Seeing some of her personality coming back flooded him with emotion.

Michel’s Review

Richochet: Extraction Point is the third and final book in the Ricochet Series. This book had my heart racing, my stomach rolling, and my fear for Quinn escalating. The abuse she endured during her marriage was bad but nothing compared to what is in store for her now since she defied her husband. The one thing she has going for her now is her new family at Sanctum MMA Gym and Rick Ricochet Brennan’s love. Even though she has not revealed her secrets to these men and her lover, these men are resourceful enough to find her and rescue her.

Rick is out of his mind with Quinn missing. He never told her how he felt about her. He never really made her believe she was his. He is going to rectify that and claim his woman.

When they finally rescue Quinn she begs Rick to let it go and not seek retribution. Can he do that?

Like the old saying goes…what goes around comes around… karma can be your friend or your worst enemy. It looks like Karma smiled on Rick and Quinn and shook her fist at their enemies.

I loved this final book in the series. It was intense and gave the reader a better insight into the members of the exclusive Sanctum MMA gym. These men are fighters…these men are warriors.

I hope they all get their own mini series or books.

Read the Ricochet Series, it will not disappoint!

Ricochet: Locked & Loaded

Ricochet Series – Book 1

By Heather C. Leigh

Synopsis

When twenty-four year old Quinn Wallace finally escapes her abusive husband, she turns to her father’s old Marine Corps buddy, Mack, for help. Broken and skittish, Quinn finds herself surrounded by large, intimidating men— men who could easily overpower her. She avoids them the best she can, but when Rick turns out to be more than just a rough fighter with bruised knuckles, she finds herself wondering if she can allow herself to trust again.

Ricochet is a full-length novel to be released as three parts.

***This book contains hot sweaty men, sexy scenes for those over 18, and uncomfortable, sometimes violent scenes.***

Buy: Amazon

Ricochet : Friendly Fire

Ricochet Series – Book 2

Release Date: April 5, 2015

By Heather C. Leigh

Synopsis

Ricochet is a full-length novel to be released as three parts. Friendly Fire is part 2.

Buy: Amazon

Ricochet : Extraction Point

Ricochet Series : Book 3

Release Date: April 12, 2015

By Heather C. Leigh

Synopsis

Ricochet is a full-length novel to be released as three parts. Extraction Point is part 3.

Buy: Amazon

___________________

About Heather C. Leigh

I’m the author of the Amazon best selling Famous series. I like to write about the ‘dark’ side of fame. The part that the public doesn’t get to see, how difficult it is to live in a fishbowl and how that affects relationships.

I was born and raised in New England and currently live outside Atlanta, GA.

I love the Red Sox, the Patriots, and anything made of chocolate (but not white chocolate, that doesn’t count).

My favorite authors are Dan Wells, Tina Reber, Ken Follett, and Stephen King. Happy reading!

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Happy Release + Review + Giveaway: Ricochet:Extraction Point by Heather C. Leigh- Ricochet Series- Book 3

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We are so, so excited to bring you guy the Release Week Blitz for Laura Kaye’s HARD TO BE GOOD!! HARD TO BE GOOD is a novella in Laura’s Hard Ink Series, published by Avon Romance. We absolutely love Laura’s Hard Ink men and are so excited to see Jeremy and Charlie get their HEA!!

Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes| Kobo

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