Upcoming Release…Excerpt Reveal + Review- The Wedding Pact by Katee Robert – The O’Malleys Series – Book 2

Posted on 04/21/2016 by shellbellereads

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The Wedding Pact

The O’ Malley’s Series – Book 2

By Katee Robert

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Pre Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Synopsis

Carrigan O’Malley has always known her arranged marriage would be more about power and prestige than passion. But after one taste of the hard-bodied, whiskey-voiced James Halloran, she’s ruined for anyone else. Too bad James and his family are enemy number 1.

Hallorans vs. O’Malleys—that’s how it’s always been. James should be thinking more about how to expand his family’s empire instead of how silky Carrigan’s skin is against his and how he can next get her into his bed. Those are dangerous thoughts. But not nearly as dangerous as he’ll be if he can’t get what he wants: Carrigan by his side for the rest of their lives.

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Excerpt

“What are you wearing?”

A pause, as if she’d shocked him. “You’re hitting on me.”

“Are you complaining?” She twisted around in her chair and stared into the mirror on the wall across from her. When he didn’t immediately respond, she kept going. The only alternative was to back down, and Carrigan was so goddamn tired of backing down. The only reason she kept taking James’s calls was because of the distraction he offered her. If he wasn’t going to play, there was no reason for her to stay on the phone.

She really wanted him to stay on the phone. “Shy? That’s okay, I’ll go first. I’m wearing a thin white tank top and a pair of black panties.” She was a liar, but it would take all of five seconds to make it the truth.

“Lovely, you’re testing me.” His voice gained an edge.

Good. At least someone was feeling as out of control as she was. “I suppose you’d like photographic proof.” She stood and shimmied out of her long skirt, and then pinned the phone between her ear and shoulder while she unhooked her bra and took it off. “Hold, please.”

Ignoring his cursing, she adjusted her angle so he would have to be blind to miss the faint outline of her nipples against the fabric of her tank top, and snapped a picture. She knew she was playing with fire. Good lord, of course she knew. But she wasn’t about to stop. She grinned as she sent the picture.

Carrigan put the phone back to her ear in time to hear his sharp inhale. “Your turn.” She held her breath, waiting to see if he’d actually do it. Receiving pictures was one thing. Putting them out in the world was entirely another. Really, she shouldn’t have taken the risk in the first place. There was no telling what he would do with them—they might show up on the Internet. Then who would want to marry her?

Funny, but the idea of countless men checking out her rack didn’t bother her nearly as much if it meant she dodged the marriage bullet. The shame on her family might be enough that her father would send her away permanently. She’d like to spend some time in New York or LA or even New Orleans. Maybe Rome or Paris or Tokyo. The world was so damn big and she’d only seen a little slice of it.

Her phone beeped, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the picture he’d sent and started to shake. Oh my God. James was shirtless, wearing only those goddamn jeans she couldn’t seem to get enough of. And they were unbuttoned—a clear invitation if she ever saw one. An invitation she desperately wanted to accept. “Damn, James. Somebody taught you how to selfie.”

“Maybe I’m a natural.” His voice was little more than a growl. “You started this, lovely. Tell me what’s next.”

The strange mix of command and handing her the reins got her head back in the game. She walked over to her bed and climbed onto it, trying to ignore the trembling in her legs. She could be in charge. She wanted to be. “I’m lying on my bed.”

“What color are the sheets?”

The question seemed to carry far more import than it should. “White.”

“They don’t suit you. Red is your color. Go on.” He sounded so damn imperial, as if he actually knew her. He didn’t. No one did, really. She wore so many masks, sometimes she worried she’d forget the woman at the center of them all.

But this time he was right. She would have chosen red for herself.

Carrigan put the thought away and focused on the now. “You talk too much.”

“My mistake.” He didn’t sound the least bit sorry. Good. She wasn’t, either. “How do you want it, lovely? Rough, I’d bet. You’re not fucking breakable, and I think you love to be reminded of that fact.” Something rustled on his end of the line. “Close your eyes.”

She obeyed without thinking, and then instantly snapped them open. “I thought I was in charge.”

“You let me know if I get something wrong.” His laugh told her how unlikely he found the possibility.

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Tracey’s Review

The Hallorans. The O’Malleys. The Sheridans. Three powerful families, all inextricably entwined. James Halloran, ruling head of the Halloran mafia family, should not be thinking about Carrigan O’Malley. Although their families, along with the Sheridans, now exist in a shaky truce, neither James nor Carrigan has any business wanting the other.

THE WEDDING PACT is the second book in this series by Katee Robert, and I am loving these books. As usual, Katee writes complex characters in situations that will make or break them. Against all odds, love overcomes division, and enmity gets lost in the reality of people looking beyond the surface, all with a dose of super-hot sexy times thrown in.

Dancing around each other since a chance encounter of the steamiest sort, James and Carrigan are drawn to each other even as their opposing families strive to keep them apart. When an outside threat appears to take control of the Boston crime scene, and things get really crazy, it will be up to the two of them to bring some sanity to their crazy world.

THE WEDDING PACT is an absorbing and engaging read, and an easy 4.5 stars for me. I highly recommend these new books, and look very forward to AN INDECENT PROPOSAL, Cillian O’Malley’s book.

***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***

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The O’ Malley’s Series

The Marriage Contract – Book 1

Teague O’Malley hates pretty much everything associated with his family’s name. And when his father orders him to marry Callista Sheridan to create a “business” alliance, Teague’s ready to tell his dad exactly where he can stuff his millions. But then Teague actually meets his new fiancée, sees the bruises on her neck and the fight still left in her big blue eyes, and vows he will do everything in his power to protect her.

Everyone knows the O’Malleys have a dangerous reputation. But Callie wasn’t aware just what that meant until she saw Teague, the embodiment of lethal grace and coiled power. His slightest touch sizzles through her. But the closer they get, the more trouble they’re in. Because Callie’s keeping a dark secret-and what Teague doesn’t know could get him killed.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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About Katee Robert:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Connect with Katee at:

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Excerpt Reveal: Marry Screw Kill by Liv Morris

Posted on 04/21/2016 by shellbellereads

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marry screw kill preorder

Marry Screw Kill

By Liv Morris

Release Date: April 25, 2016

Pre Order: Itunes / B & N / Kobo

Synopsis

There are two men in my life. I’m marrying one, want to screw the brains out of another, and by the time this story is over you may want to kill someone.

The choices are still pending…

(A NO CHEATING standalone you need to read sitting down.)

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Excerpt

“When drowning, one grabs the first lifeline thrown without regard to

who holds the rope.”

James silences his blaring alarm clock in the early morning darkness of our

bedroom. He falls back on the bed with a sigh as I face the wall, feigning sleep.

Not moving a muscle, I wait for what comes next. He’ll either get out of bed or

climb on top of me. When I sense a slight movement from his side of the bed, I

hold my breath.

“Come here, Harlow.” His hand curls around my waist and he rolls my body

over to face him. Morning sex it is. He pushes away the tangled bed hair covering

my eyes as I blink the sleep from them. “There’s my beautiful girl.” He kisses my

forehead with a soft brush of his lips.

“Morning,” I reply in a sleepy, hoarse voice. He pulls down the twisted covers

and exposes our naked bodies. His gaze travels over me, lingering on his favorite

spots—ones he knows very well.

“What a sight to wake up to.” He hovers above my body and looks down at

me with hooded eyes. “My day is always better when I start it inside you. Now,

spread those long legs so I can fuck you.”

I part my legs and my day begins…

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Liv Morris

USA Today bestselling author, Liv Morris, was raised in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. She now resides on the rock known as St. Croix, USVI with her first and hopefully last husband. After relocating twelve times during his corporate career, she qualifies as a professional mover. Learning to bloom where she’s planted, Liv brings her moving and life experience to her writing.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Excerpt Reveal: Filthy Foreign Exchange by S. E. Hall and Angela Graham

Posted on 04/21/2016 by shellbellereads

FFE EXCERPT

FFE COMING SOON

filthy Foreign exchange

Filthy Foreign Exchange

By S. E. Hall and Angela Graham

Release Date: April 24, 2016

Pre Order: ITunes

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling authors Angela Graham and S.E. Hall have teamed up again to bring you a full-length, steamy new romance.

Echo Kelly is loyal to her studies, family, and aerial artistry. She has no time for or interest in anything else, and is heartbroken when her oldest brother, Sebastian, gets accepted to a study-abroad program— exchanging places with cocky, not-at-all-shy foreign exchange student Kingston Hawthorne.

Kingston Hawthorne had the life every twenty-year-old guy dreams of— endless cash, easy women, and fast cars— until his father ripped it all away, shipping him off to the States and placing him temptingly close to the underage virgin who fascinates him in the most challenging of ways.

With Kingston’s bedroom just a connecting bathroom away from Echo’s, the chemistry between them is even more enticing than the notes he leaves for her on the shower door.

How long can you pretend you’re just friends?

An attractive young couple in a loving embrace kissing one another in bed.

Excerpt

On Monday morning, I find myself ripping off my clothes and jumping in the shower like I’m going for the gold at an Olympic race. I crank the nozzle as far right as it’ll go—the hotter the better, for the steam to build quickly.

A prelude.

More than I want a cleansing, I want the hidden message—our secret exchange of thoughts, belonging to only us—to appear.

But as the shower glass fogs, no words emerge. And the depth of my disappointment is irrational; there should not be the sting of tears in my eyes right now.

Kingston is forbidden fruit in so many ways: he’s our exchange student, my father has already warned him against me…and his departure date is set and inevitable. So my anticipation of these messages is not only foolish, but self-destructive. Because the more attached I get, the worse it will hurt when they’re no longer even a possibility.

I hurry through my now-mundane shower with a heavy lump of disenchanted sensibility in my gut.

But when I turn off the water and step out, every thought I’d just told myself made sense is replaced with a swell of immeasurable bliss.

Guess what else fogs up in a steamy bathroom?

The mirror.

And on it is his message to me—the best one yet.

There was something in her movements that made you think she never walked but always danced.

I’m instantly aware—this is bad, because once you think something’s gone and it comes back better than ever, your craving for it reaches a whole new, dangerous level.

You only fully realize the depth of want and need immediately after experiencing loss.

Too many emotions to name surge inside of me, my head a good kind of hazy while the muscles around my heart cinch tighter. I know Kingston and I are merely friends, albeit becoming better ones with every effortless interaction. We’re just housemates who’ve found a clever, entertaining way to match wits.

But if it was, if it could be, more…he’d be damn good at it.

I now understand how he’s able to bewitch girls by the droves. It’s not just his strikingly good looks, or enticing accent…it’s him. Those girls are such simpletons, so spellbound by the outside package that they don’t even realize the entirety of his allure.

But I do. I see his invisible, inherent charm; the sheer seductiveness that emits from his every smile and move; and his keen mind.

Shaking off the silly, romantic musings that have no place in my life, I hustle to get ready for school.

But once I’m in the parking lot, ignoring the bell warning me I’m about to be late, I throw caution—and my better judgment—to the wind, and type out a text.

Me: You’ve read Anne of Green Gables?

The second bell rings as I wait for a response, but for some inexplicable reason, I simply don’t care. Then a different ding sounds—and with it, my heart thrums an anxious beat.

Kingston: No, should I have?

Me: Yes, great books. But I asked bc the quote you left me this morning, which I really liked btw… it’s from one of the books.

Kingston: Ah, well they stole your story then, Love.

I’ve definitely unfairly judged the girls caught under his spell. The choice was never theirs. He’s that good.

Me: How do you figure?

Kingston: I searched “quotes for Echo Kelly” and that came up. As it should. Said it perfectly.

This—he—could get addictive. And lines clearly drawn in my head and heart could easily become blurry, if not completely obliterated, should I sit here any longer.

So I force myself back into friend mode and reply accordingly.

Me: You’re on a roll this morning. Better save some of those savvy lines for the tarts.

I hesitate before sending one last message.

Me: I’m late. Have a good day playboy!

I run into school, out of breath for two reasons but satisfied with myself for taking back control of the situation that was headed in a direction I dare not explore.

First, you don’t leap from shy introvert who doesn’t date to Kingston Hawthorne: a smooth-talker with a face made for dreams, a body of unworldly men, and the entourage of a celebrity. He’s not the type of guy to get your feet wet with, or you’re sure to drown on your first swim. And secondly, the detour I threw worked, because the texts that continue the rest of the day are back on the track they need to be.

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S. E. Hall

se hall bio S.E.Hall, lover of all things anticipation and romance, is the author of The Evolve Series: Emerge, Embrace, Entangled, Entice, Endure and companion novellas Baby Mama Drama and Guide for Tools Looking to Date My Daughter by character Sawyer Beckett. S.E. also wrote the stand-alone Finally Found novels Pretty Instinct and Pretty Remedy. Her co-written works include The Provocative Professions Collection: Stirred Up, Packaged and Handled 1&2, One Naughty Night and full-length, standalone novel Matched with Angela Graham as well as Conspire, a romantic suspense, written with Erin Noelle.

S.E. resides in Arkansas with her husband of 18 years and 3 daughters of the home. When not writing or reading, she can be found “enthusiastically cheering” on one of her girls’ softball games.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter

*****

Angela Graham

angela graham bio Angela Graham is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of the Harmony Series. She spent a lot of her childhood hidden away in the aisles at her local public library where she fell in love with reading. It was a home away from home through her youth to her adulthood.

In 2012 she knew she found her calling in the world of fiction the moment she began pounding away at the keys for her first short story. With a baby on her shoulder, she wrote about a year before deciding to try her hand at a novel. It was the best decision she ever made and one that changed her life in ways she never imagined.

Together with S.E. Hall, she has released five novels and one short story together.

Angela resides in Northwest Arkansas with her three beautiful children and a rowdy dog.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Dirtiest Secret by J. Kenner – SIN Series – Book 1

Posted on 04/19/2016 by shellbellereads

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Get ready for bad boy Dallas Sykes…..

Dirtiest Secret

S. I. N. – Book 1

Stark International Series

By J. Kenner

Release Date: April 19,2016

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Amazon Print / Audible

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of such “racy, sizzling Stark novels” (RT Book Reviews) as Release Me and Say My Name comes a Stark International Novel featuring provocative bad boy Dallas Sykes—the first in a new trilogy in the S.I.N. series.

It was wrong for us to be together, but it was even harder to be apart.

The memory of Dallas Sykes burns inside of me.

Everyone knows him as a notorious playboy, a man for whom women and money are no object. But to me, he’s still the one man I desperately crave—yet the one I can never have.

Dallas knows me better than anyone else. We bear the same scars, the same darkness in our past. I thought I could move on by staying away, but now that we’re drawn together once more, I can’t fight the force of our attraction or the temptation to make him mine.

We’ve tried to maintain control, not letting ourselves give in to desire. And for so long we’ve told ourselves no—but now it’s finally time to say yes.

Dirtiest Secret is intended for mature audiences.

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Excerpt

Even by Southampton standards, the party at the nine-thousand-square-foot mansion on Meadow Lane reeked of extravagance.

Grammy Award–winning artists performed on an outdoor stage that had been set up on the lush lawn that flowed from the main house to the tennis courts. Celebrities hobnobbed with models who flirted with Wall Street tycoons who discussed stock prices with tech gurus and old-money academics, all while sampling fine scotch and the season’s chicest gin. Colored lights illuminated the grotto style pool, upon which nude models floated lazily on air mattresses, their bodies used by artisan sushi chefs as presentation platters for epicurean delights.

Each female guest received a Hermès Birkin bag and each male received a limited edition Hublot watch, and the exclamations of delight—from both the men and the women—rivaled the boom of the fireworks that exploded over Shinnecock Bay at precisely ten p.m., perfectly timed to distract the guests from the bustle of the staff switching out the dinner buffet for the spread of desserts, coffee, and liqueurs.

No expense had been spared, no desire or craving or indulgence overlooked. Nothing had been left to chance, and every person in attendance agreed that the party was the Must Attend event of the season, if not of the year. Hell, if not of the decade.

Everyone who was anyone was there, under the stars on the four acre lot on Billionaires’ Row.

Everyone, that is, except the billionaire who was actually hosting the party. And speculation as to where he was, what he was doing, and who he was doing it with ripped through the well-liquored and gossip-hungry crowd like wildfire in a windstorm.

“No idea where he could have disappeared off to, but I’d bet good money he’s not pining away in solitude,” said a reed-thin man with salt-and-pepper hair and an expression that suggested disapproval but was most likely envy.

“I swear I came five times,” a perky blonde announced to her best friend in the kind of stage whisper designed to attract attention. “The man’s a master in bed.”

“He’s got a shrewd head for business, that one,” said a Wall Street trader, “but no sense of propriety where his cock is concerned.”

“Oh, honey, no. He’s not relationship material.” A brunette celebrating a recently inked modeling contract shivered as if reliving a moment of ecstasy. “He’s like fine chocolate. Meant to be savored in very limited quantities. But so damn good when you have it.”

“More power to him if he can grab that much pussy.” A hipster with beard stubble and a man-bun wiped his wire-rimmed glasses clean with his shirttail. “But why the fuck does he have to be so blatant about it?”

“All of my friends have had him.” The petite redhead who pulled in a six figure wife bonus smiled slowly, and the flash of her green eyes suggested that she was the cat and he was the delicious cream. “But I’m the only one of us to enjoy a second helping.”

“All your friends?”

“How much pussy?”

“At least half the women here tonight. Maybe more.”

“Man, don’t even ask that. Just trust me. Dallas Sykes is the King of Fuck. You and me? Mere mortals like us can’t even compare.”

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5Star

Michel’s Review

Spoiler Free Review

I am a huge J. Kenner fan. I loved the Stark series and The Stark International series. Dirtiest Secret is part of or a spin off of the Stark International series. It features retail billionaire, Dallas Sykes. Readers met Dallas Sykes in the Stark International Trilogy. His character had an air of mystery and a huge amount of sex appeal. At last the fans of the Stark International series are going to get his story. It’s a real doozy! It’s not your typical tortured billionaire story. Dallas Sykes is more than the billionaire playboy known as the ” King of Fuc# “. He’s a very tormented man.

Dallas has been in love with the one woman that is forbidden to him. He has loved her all of his life. Everything that has ever mattered has revolved around Jane Martin. Together they have experienced their first friendship, their first love, their first sexual encounter, and their first heartbreak. They have also experienced a darker side that damaged them both deeply. Not only was it the breaking point of their secret relationship but the cause for the scars they carry in their souls.

Dallas and Jane are scarred from the past. How they reacted to their experience was very different and very damaging. Each took a different path in life that has now brought them full circle. It is time to face their demons. This time around is different, they are adults with very different views. The one thing that remains the same is their deep love for one another.

Dallas is keeping secrets about the past. He is also keeping secrets about his present day activities that could end their new found peace.

The secrets are beginning to surface. The revelations are shocking. Dallas will never give up his quest for retribution and it may destroy Jane.

Dirtiest Secret is a great beginning to the SIN trilogy. J. Kenner tapped into some very dark subject matter, added a taboo relationship, and added a mystery to the mix. I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds and where it ends. Jane and Dallas deserve the happily ever after.

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J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and internationally bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A four time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).

WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM YouTube Amazon Author Page

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Over The Line by Lisa Desrochers – On The Run Series – Book 2

Posted on 04/19/2016 by shellbellereads

Over The Line

On The Run Series – Book 2

By Lisa Desrochers

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

The USA Today bestselling author of Outside the Lines once again explores love on the edge in an explosive new romance about obsession, betrayal, and a killer attraction.

Lee Delgado never planned on falling in love with the irresistible Oliver Savoca, son of a Chicago crime lord. Considering that their families are rivals, she knew it could never work. And now that both their fathers have been nabbed on racketeering charges, any real chance at a future with the man she loves has been shot to hell. But a greater blow is yet to come.

Not only does Lee learn that a contract is out on her life, she has reason to believe that Oliver is behind the devastating betrayal. Now she’s working closely—very closely—with Federal Agent Sean Callahan to help bring her man down. But however she’s come to feel about Callahan, Lee is still deeply, hopelessly, unabashedly in love with Oliver.

Where that fearless love takes Lee next is beyond her control—but the risk is worth every beat of her heart.

AMAZON | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

EXCERPT:

I want Lee to know, no matter where she goes, I will find her.

At the thought of her betrayal, rage rises up and wraps like an iron cloak around my heart, threatening to crush any bit of humanity left there. I close my eyes and hold my breath until it passes.

And I see her as she was before everything that came after—that first day of business law class at Kellogg, nearly two years ago.

She was starting her first year. I was in my second. I was already seated near Angela Bagglio, who I had a passing interest in due to her loose family ties to the Delgado organization. Her brother was a wiseguy wannabe, little more than a glorified gofer within the Delgado machine. But I’d discovered, sometimes it was the smallest details that led to the largest victories.

When Lee Delgado sashayed into the classroom, I’d like to say I was unaffected. I’d like to believe I was in complete control of everything that happened then and after.

But I’d be kidding myself.

Her bright hazel eyes surveyed the room, and when they caught for a second as they passed over me, I felt a shift in gravity itself. There were times reading nuances in expressions and actions was all that came between me and a slug in my head. That hitch in her perusal of the room left no doubt she was aware who I was.

From that second on, I was helpless to take my eyes off her.

Her sandy brown waves cascaded over the shoulders of her cream-colored silk blouse to an open collar that hung loose, revealing a hint of cleavage. Her burgundy pencil skirt hugged the round curves of her hips and ass and ended above the knee, giving me a glimpse of a pair of toned thighs and calves. She had a killer body and knew it. I had to respect a woman who knew her strengths and wasn’t afraid to use them to her advantage.

She took a seat in my row, but on the opposite side of the classroom. I was barely coherent when the professor started lecturing. I couldn’t tell you the first thing he said.

As she listened, she lifted a hand and combed through her waves with her fingers, separating out a strand and twirling it around her finger. A rush shuddered from my tailbone up my spine to my brain, and even though I had no clue why, that was the moment I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stay away.

The rest, as they say, is history.

If she thinks she can hide from me, she’s got another thing coming.

Mob controlled gambling has always been a huge racket, with better payouts because we don’t pay taxes like the legal betting sites. Back in the day, bookies were involved and actual cash changed hands. Now nearly everything is electronic. Bets are collected directly from our clients’ online accounts and payouts are distributed back into them. Payout is calculated after each event based on outcome versus the spread. It’s one of the parts of my job that I truly enjoy. I’m always in the program, tweaking and modifying. But, suddenly, the week before Christmas, two days after Lee and I returned from our weekend in Aspen, I noticed the spread didn’t factor anymore and our payouts went through the roof. I thought maybe I’d screwed something up and tried to get into the program to check it. Ended up throwing my laptop against the wall when my pass code wouldn’t get me in.

It took me the next two days, and the fact that Lee wasn’t answering my texts or calls, to put together what had happened. Though I’m not sure exactly how she managed it, I know it had to have been her who hacked into my program and changed the payout ratios. I’ve looked at it from every angle and there are no other feasible possibilities. And it makes sense. I had an ulterior motive when we started hooking up, and I had no doubt she had one of her own. But as we got deeper into each other, things shifted and I lost focus. I let down my guard and gave her too much, and she took advantage of the opening.

I knew I wouldn’t be seeing her over the holidays because her siblings were all coming back to the family home in Wilmette, just outside of Chicago, for Christmas. It took me another day to decide I had no choice but to go there.

But when I got to the house, the place was swarming with cops and Feds, and yellow police tape was strung across the pillars at the front door. The reports the next day said it was believed the Delgados had fled to Europe after a “gangland style attack” on their home.

The online gambling leg of our business has been bleeding cash at the rate of nearly a hundred grand a month since Lee fucked with the program. Every month it gets worse as word spreads of our big payouts. The guy who designed and encrypted the program is dead; a casualty of my father’s wrath when he made the mistake of telling Victor he’d corrected a system glitch that had cost us a couple hundred grand over the first year of implementation. I’ve done everything I can to break Lee’s pass code, but considering the illegal nature of the account, and the fact that I couldn’t enlist anyone who might report back to Victor what happened, my resources to resolve the issue have been severely limited.

So I put my time and energy into another avenue. Finding Lee.

Like everyone else in Chicago, I assumed that my father was responsible for the contract on Lee and her family. I talked to his guys. Tried to see if any of them had a bead on the Delgados’ location. I couldn’t find anyone who was even looking.

So, as much as I dreaded it, I went straight to the source.

I was dead to my father. He’d made that clear. But that day, for the first time since I’d crossed him, Victor looked at me with pride in his eyes when he asked, “You purchase that special delivery for our friends up in Wilmette?”

And that’s when I knew it wasn’t us. It’s also when I knew I was a dead man unless I could find a way out of this mess on my own.

So I looked harder for Lee, dug a little deeper into the Delgado family tree. I didn’t find her, but I managed to stumble on some other useful information during my search. And then, finally, the stroke of luck that led me here: Rob showing up in Chicago.

I’ve been able to keep everything under the rug since she left, but underground betting has always been the Savoca business’s bread and butter. If Victor or anyone else in the organization discovers the hemorrhage of cash that our gambling ring has become, it’s my head my loving pop will want on a spike.

I told the guys I had some personal business in Vegas; gave Al a direct order to park his ass at my apartment and not to move until I got back. I took a flight to Vegas, and from there, traveled to Florida on an ID I pinched off of a guy we rolled in Little Italy for not making book. He’s dead now, courtesy of Al, so he won’t be divulging my alter ego to anyone.

My family doesn’t know this particular alias. They’d have a hard time tracking me. Once I find Lee, things should move pretty fast. But I have to find her first.

So here I am.

Michel’s Review

I am loving the On The Run Series by Lisa Desrochers. This dynamic new series is quite different from most mafia themed series. It’s a series about a family, siblings in the witness protection program. Not only are they hiding from their enemies but they are also hiding from their own family. There is a power play within the family and they may be in the way. Their lives have been turned upside down. They’ve gone from privileged city kids from a powerful family to an ordinary middle class family in a small town on the west coast of Florida. In some ways their lives are on a better path, but in other ways it was an extreme sacrifice giving up loved ones, past educational accomplishments and careers. They are also all falling into a role of a parent for their younger brother Sherman. Each Delgado sibling gave up something. This is Lee Delgado’s story.

Lee Delgado was on a bright shining path. She was almost finished with her MBA in finance when she was forced into the witness protection program. Not only did she have to walk away from her educational accomplishments, she also had to walk away from the man she loved. That may be for the better because that man now holds a contract on her life.

Lee Delgado and Oliver Savoca should of never crossed paths. Their families are mortal enemies. Both families are vying for the ultimate power in the Chicago area. The Savoca family was responsible for the Delgado’s mothers death. War has been declared.

What started out as a way to extract revenge and retribution turned into a passionate love affair until Lee crossed the line. In her quest to destroy the Savoca family , she placed a price on Oliver’s head by his own father. Now he is seeking retribution.

Oliver Savoca has been brought up in a world of violence and retribution. He sees these archaic ways as an end to the modern day mafia. He’s studied finance and business. He wants to change his families ways in gaining power. The way to do it is through money. When Lee destroys everything he has worked for and breaks down his family dynamics, he knows it’s time for a change now. It all depends on Lee. He will hunt her down or die trying.

Lee Delgado and Oliver Savoca are the modern day Romeo and Juliet of the mafia world. Their secret affair goes beyond the mafia codes. The Delgado family will never accept their darkest enemy into the family. The Savoca family will kill them both before they allow their union.

When Oliver hunts Lee down and finds her in a sleepy town in Florida, the dynamics of their relationship begin to change. They may not survive the change but they will know where their true feelings lie.

When all secrets are revealed, the Delgado family is in for a shocker. The Savoca family will also be falling apart just as the Delgado family has.

The Delgado siblings are survivors. They have adapted to their new lives. They are building new hopes and dreams. They are finally free of the violent world they were born into. Now they just have to stay alive to fulfill those dreams.

I love this new series. It is intense, passionate, and emotional. Lisa Desrochers has tapped into each of the members of the Delgado family. Each sibling has their own story yet at the same time, they have one thing that remains their top priority…Family. There is danger and hopeless in every shadow but at the same time there is renewal and hope at the break of dawn each and every day.

I highly recommend the On The Run series. The first two books were fantastic. I can’t wait for the next book!

_______________________________________

On The Run Series

Outside The Lines

On The Run Series – Book 1

By Lisa Desrochers

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

Synopsis

From the author of the USA Today bestselling A Little Too Far series, the first in an edgy new contemporary romance series that follows a family on the run…

As the oldest son of a Chicago crime lord, Robert Delgado always knew how dangerous life could be. With his mother dead and his father in prison, he’s taking charge of his family’s safety—putting himself and his siblings in witness protection to hide out in a backwater Florida town.

Fourth grade teacher Adri Wilson is worried about the new boy in her class. Sherm is quiet and evasive, especially when he’s around his even cagier older brother. Adri can’t help her attraction to Rob, or the urge to help them both in whatever way she can.

But the Delgados have enemies on two sides of the mob—their father’s former crew and the rival family he helped take down. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds them. And if Rob isn’t careful, Adri could end up in the crossfire…

*******

Over The Line

On The Run Series – Book 2

By Lisa Desrochers

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

The USA Today bestselling author of Outside the Lines once again explores love on the edge in an explosive new romance about obsession, betrayal, and a killer attraction.

Where that fearless love takes Lee next is beyond her control—but the risk is worth every beat of her heart.

_______________________________________

Lisa Desrochers is the author of the USA Today bestselling A Little Too Far series and the YA Personal Demons trilogy. She lives in northern California with her husband, two very busy daughters, and Shini the tarantula. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places and then take her by surprise. Connect with her online at www.lisadwrites.com, on her blog at lisadesrochers.blogspot.com, on Twitter at @LisaDez, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LisaDesrochersAuthor.

Release Blitz + Excerpt: Deep Under by Lisa Renee Jones – Tall,Dark,and Deadly Series – Book 4

Posted on 04/18/2016 by shellbellereads

release blitz deep under

deep under lisa now available

deep under cover lrj

Deep Under

Tall, Dark,and Deadly Series – Book 4

By Lisa Renee Jones

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Amazon Paperback

Synopsis

*This is a standalone book, as with the other books in the Tall, Dark and Deadly series you do not have to read the entire series to enjoy this book.

Kyle, one of the alpha men of Walker Security, is hot, bothered, and intense, and when Myla lands in his line of fire, she’ll soon learn her secrets, and her passion, belong to him, from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.

Myla is beautiful, a dove with clipped wings, captive by the wolf, a vicious drug lord. One look into her eyes and Kyle could see the pain, the fear…the desperation. Or so it seems. He’s been fooled before by a woman and it cost him everything and everyone he loved. He won’t be fooled again.

deep under teaser rb 2

Excerpt

“Who are you? And I mean really. Who are you?”

My gut tells me that if I tell her right now, in this moment, it will not be well-received. “A friend,” I say, my gaze lowering to her lush mouth and lifting. “And the man who wants to kiss you. Really kiss you. Can I kiss you, Myla?”

“You’re asking?”

“Yes. I’m asking. After all you’ve been through-”

“He hasn’t destroyed me. He hasn’t beaten me and I don’t like that you think he has.”

“I don’t think he’s beaten you.”

“He hasn’t,” she insists. “I’m not giving him that power and damn it, you better not either by treating me like I’m broken and fragile. So kiss me if you’re going to kiss me or let me go, if you don’t want-”

I cup the back of her head, and slant my mouth over hers, my tongue sliding against hers, stroking, caressing, and the taste of her, one part hunger I welcome, but the other part, the torment, I intend to drive away. I deepen the kiss, my hand pressing beneath her tank top, finding warm, soft skin. My fingers splay over her rib cage, while my mind reminds me that no matter how big she talks, she wants this escape for a reason. She has been abused, used, hurt.

I tear my mouth from hers, my breathing and hers ragged, my hands settling at her waist. “Myla-”

“Don’t do this,” she pleads, “Don’t be the kind of hero I don’t need. Give me something good to remember the next time he touches me, something that gets me through it.”

“I told you,” I grind out. “He will never touch you again.”

“You underestimate him.”

“You underestimate me,” I assure her. “You want to forget? Let’s forget.”

“Don’t treat me like-”

I tangle my fingers in her hair and drag her gaze to mine. “Is that too gentle?”

“It is until you kiss me again,” she challenges, and so I do, holding nothing back. My tongue stroking, taking, demanding, and she rewards me by giving me no fear, but rather a soft moan, and a whisper of “Kyle,” when I nip her lip.

“That’s what I want,” I say. “My name on your tongue, not his. My tongue on your body, not his.”

“That’s what I want too,” she dares, and when she adds, “very much,” there is this sense of her claiming something outside of a world she’d accepted but hated that empowers me, to help her go there, be there. I reach down and pull her tank top over her head, tossing it away. And she is not shy, timid or scared. She tugs my shirt up, but my shoulder strap and weapon, hold it in place. I’m far from detoured though, unhooking her sports bra and dragging it down her arms, my gaze raking over her high full breasts and pebbled pink nipples. And the minute our gazes collide, the fire between us ignites, and we are kissing again, my hand flattening over her back, melting her naked breasts to my chest.

She tries a new approach to getting me naked, shoving at my jacket and I shrug it over my shoulders, letting it fall to the ground, but when her hand goes for the clasp on my shoulder strap, my reaction is automatic. I grab her hand and stop her. “What are you doing?”

“I can’t get your shirt off while your gun is on,” she says, and then gives me an unhappy look. “Did you think that I was going for your weapon?”

“Programming,” I say. “Protect your weapon, always. And you aren’t the only one with a bad relationship baggage.”

“I can accept that and understand it, but now it’s my turn to say quid pro quo. I’m opening the door to trusting you. You need to do the same and trust me.”

She’s right. A hand for a hand. I let mine fall away now, leaving hers at my strap, a move from my gun. She closes her hand over the butt of my gun, daring me to challenge her, her chin lifting, gaze meeting mine as she says, “If you were him-”

My hands slide around her neck, dragging her mouth to mine. “Obviously I need to fuck you fast and hard before I go slow and sexy, just to get him the hell out of this room.” I kiss her, a deep, demanding, stroke of tongue on tongue, I end with a challenge. “Do you want me or my gun?”

“You,” she whispers, her hand sliding away from my weapon. “I want you.”

deep under rb teaser 2

_________________________________

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.

Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show HERE

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

deep under cover lrj

New Release + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Posted on 04/12/2016 by shellbellereads

Stuck-Up Suit

A Contemporary Romance Novel

By Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Release Date: April 11, 2016

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N /ITunes / Kobo

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1TMtlek

Audible: http://amzn.to/1qeMA4o

Synopsis

It started out like any other morning on the train.

Until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle.

He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world.

Who did the stuck-up suit think he was…God?

Actually, he looked like a God. That was about it.

When his stop came, he got up suddenly and left. So suddenly, he dropped his phone on the way out.

I might have picked it up.

I might have gone through all of his photos and called some of the numbers.

I might have held onto the mystery man’s phone for days—until I finally conjured up the courage to return it.

When I traipsed my ass across town to his fancy company, he refused to see me.

So, I left the phone on the empty desk outside the arrogant jerk’s office.

I might have also left behind a dirty picture on it first though.

I didn’t expect him to text back.

I didn’t expect our exchanges to be hot as hell.

I didn’t expect to fall for him—all before we even met.

The two of us couldn’t have been any more different.

Yet, you know what they say about opposites.

When we finally came face to face, we found out opposites sometimes do more than attract—we consumed each other.

Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for where I’d wind up when the ride was over.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

Excerpt

Graham: What are you wearing, Soraya?

Soraya: Are you serious right now?

Graham: You ruined my day. You owe me.

Soraya: I don’t owe you anything, you fucking perv.

Graham: This from the woman who sent me a shot of her cleavage. Nice tits, by the way. They’re so big, at first, I thought it was a picture of an ass.

Soraya: You’re the ass.

Graham: Show me your face.

Soraya: Why?

Graham: Because I want to see if it matches your personality.

Soraya: Which would mean what?

Graham: Well, that wouldn’t bode well for you.

Soraya: You won’t ever see my face.

Graham: Probably better off. So, give me a hint about what you’re wearing.

Soraya: It’s red.

Graham: So you haven’t changed out of that dress?

Soraya: No, I’m naked with dye dripping down my body and my tongue is throbbing thanks to you.

That was an odd thing to say.

Graham: That’s an interesting visual.

Soraya: You are seriously crazy, dude.

Graham: I AM a little crazy, actually. I probably need my head checked because I’ve been fantasizing about a headless person all day.

Soraya: Well, the naked pic ain’t gonna happen.

Graham: How about I go first?

______________________

Michel’s Review

Once again Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have combined their superb writing talents in their latest release of Stuck-Up Suit.

Stuck-Up Suit is a powerhouse romance that will appeal to readers of all romance genres. Graham Morgan is a swoon worthy hero that is going to have the readers falling head over heels in love. He’s not the typical hero, in fact he’s a real prick until he meets Saraya Venedetta, who reminds him that there is more to life than spread sheets, investments, and financial gain. Graham lost himself and became jaded after a devastating, destructive relationship. He forgot to look at the wonders of life, friendship, and decency until Soraya challenged his mind and heart.

Soraya and Graham have both been deeply hurt in life. They have both found very different ways of coping with their heartbreaks. Two damaged souls find love, respect, and new perspectives when they least expected it. Like any good romance, to evolve into a deeply committed relationship, it takes work. It takes patience, understanding, and compromise. It also takes sacrifice. Just when they are finally figuring it out, life drops another bomb that could very well be the final explosion that breaks them. In many ways it is a blessing and in others it is a reminder of past hurts.

Graham and Soraya are smart, strong individuals capable of dealing with the hiccups in their lives. Their love is strong enough to weather the storms.

Stuck-Up Suit was an emotionally packed fun book. The dialogue and interaction between the characters kept the readers deeply invested in their story. Their chemistry was so hot it could burn down the house. Their passion for one another melts the coldest heart.

Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward are the Dynamic Duo when it comes to romance!

Read Stuck-Up Suit!

________________

Other books from Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

Cocky Bastard

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

__________________________________________

About The Authors

About The Author: Vi Keeland

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting New York Times & USA Today Best Selling smut author by night!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

Baller

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Life On Stage Series

Throb – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

Beat –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

MMA Fighter Series

Worth The Fight – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Worth The Chance – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Worth Forgiving –Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Cole Series

Belong To You – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Made For You – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Stand Alone Novels

First Thing I See– Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Left Behind – Amazon / Barnes and Noble

********************

Penelope Ward is a USA Today Bestselling author.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers. She spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career.

Penelope lives for reading books in the new adult genre, coffee and hanging out with her friends and family on weekends.

She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and a 8-year-old boy, both of whom are the lights of her life.

Penelope, her husband and kids reside in Rhode Island.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Additional Books by Penelope Ward

Roomhate- Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Stepbrother Dearest – Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

My Skylar – Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Gemini –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Undone –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Understood –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Release Blitz + Excerpt: Devoted by Lexi Blake – A Masters and Mercenaries Novella – 1001 Dark Nights

Posted on 04/12/2016 by shellbellereads

A woman’s work

Amy Slaten has devoted her life to Slaten Industries. After ousting her corrupt father and taking over the CEO role, she thought she could relax and enjoy taking her company to the next level. But an old business rivalry rears its ugly head. The only thing that can possibly take her mind off business is the training class at Sanctum…and her training partner, the gorgeous and funny Flynn Adler. If she can just manage to best her mysterious business rival, life might be perfect.

A man’s commitment

Flynn Adler never thought he would fall for the enemy. Business is war, or so his father always claimed. He was raised to be ruthless when it came to the family company, and now he’s raising his brother to one day work with him. The first order of business? The hostile takeover of Slaten Industries. It’s a stressful job so when his brother offers him a spot in Sanctum’s training program, Flynn jumps at the chance.

A lifetime of devotion….

When Flynn realizes the woman he’s falling for is none other than the CEO of the firm he needs to take down, he has to make a choice. Does he take care of the woman he’s falling in love with or the business he’s worked a lifetime to build? And when Amy finally understands the man she’s come to trust is none other than the enemy, will she walk away from him or fight for the love she’s come to depend on?

AMAZON

“I’ve been burned before,” he replied quietly. “Several times.”
She softened slightly. She did understand corporate spying. Her father had practically been the CIA. It was why she hadn’t gone after Glendale the way she should. She knew the sins her dad had committed against them. She didn’t understand them entirely or why her father had hated Glendale in particular, but she knew the Adlers had been burned more than once by her father’s deep belief in corporate espionage. “I’m sorry to hear that. I really wasn’t trying to hurt you. I don’t even know what you do. I don’t have a reason to take something from you.”
He stared down at her and for a moment she thought he was going to argue. Then he dragged her close and his mouth was on hers. He kissed her like a starving man, his tongue plunging deep.
He needed. She could feel it. She wasn’t sure what it was he was asking her for, but she felt his bone-deep need. It poured off him, and everything that was soft and warm inside her responded. That affectionate part of herself bent to his will. She’d shoved it down for so very long. Her love and affection weren’t needed in her father’s world. It had been something to hide away and toss out because it had been useless.
Flynn needed it and she was determined to give it to him.
“Don’t go,” he said against her lips. “Stay with me.”
It was all she’d wanted to do in the first place. “Yes.”
He picked her up, hauling her high against his chest, but when she thought he would move back to the bedroom, he strode toward his desk. He sat down with her in his lap and flipped open his laptop. The screen was suddenly on, but she was thinking far more about the thick erection pressed against her backside.
“Type. Be fast. I don’t want to wait,” he growled against her ear.
He’d pulled up his e-mail and moved the cursor to where she would put in a name. His hands moved under her shirt, reaching up to cup her breasts as he licked and nipped at her ear.
How was she supposed to type when her whole body was busy responding to him? “Flynn, I’m going to make a mess of this.”
“Type or I’ll explain to your boss that you’re far too busy pleasing your Master to come in to work today.”

Devoted teaser 3 (1)

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Amazon Author Page

Release Blitz + Excerpt: Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

Posted on 04/11/2016 by shellbellereads

STUCK UP SUIT RELEASE BLITZ

STUCK UP SUIT NOW AVAILABLE

517Vnflaf5L._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_

Stuck-Up Suit

A Contemporary Romance Novel

By Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Release Date: April 11, 2016

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N /ITunes / Kobo

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1TMtlek

Audible: http://amzn.to/1qeMA4o

Synopsis

It started out like any other morning on the train.

Until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle.

He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world.

Who did the stuck-up suit think he was…God?

Actually, he looked like a God. That was about it.

When his stop came, he got up suddenly and left. So suddenly, he dropped his phone on the way out.

I might have picked it up.

I might have gone through all of his photos and called some of the numbers.

I might have held onto the mystery man’s phone for days—until I finally conjured up the courage to return it.

When I traipsed my ass across town to his fancy company, he refused to see me.

So, I left the phone on the empty desk outside the arrogant jerk’s office.

I might have also left behind a dirty picture on it first though.

I didn’t expect him to text back.

I didn’t expect our exchanges to be hot as hell.

I didn’t expect to fall for him—all before we even met.

The two of us couldn’t have been any more different.

Yet, you know what they say about opposites.

When we finally came face to face, we found out opposites sometimes do more than attract—we consumed each other.

Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for where I’d wind up when the ride was over.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

March 18th Stuck-Up Suit Teaser

stuck up suit

Excerpt

Graham: What are you wearing, Soraya?

Soraya: Are you serious right now?

Graham: You ruined my day. You owe me.

Soraya: I don’t owe you anything, you fucking perv.

Graham: This from the woman who sent me a shot of her cleavage. Nice tits, by the way. They’re so big, at first, I thought it was a picture of an ass.

Soraya: You’re the ass.

Graham: Show me your face.

Soraya: Why?

Graham: Because I want to see if it matches your personality.

Soraya: Which would mean what?

Graham: Well, that wouldn’t bode well for you.

Soraya: You won’t ever see my face.

Graham: Probably better off. So, give me a hint about what you’re wearing.

Soraya: It’s red.

Graham: So you haven’t changed out of that dress?

Soraya: No, I’m naked with dye dripping down my body and my tongue is throbbing thanks to you.

That was an odd thing to say.

Graham: That’s an interesting visual.

Soraya: You are seriously crazy, dude.

Graham: I AM a little crazy, actually. I probably need my head checked because I’ve been fantasizing about a headless person all day.

Soraya: Well, the naked pic ain’t gonna happen.

Graham: How about I go first?

stuck up suit 2

The heroine in Stuck-Up Suit works as an assistant to an advice columnist. She sometimes can’t help herself and sneaks to dish out her own brand of no-bullshit advice. We’ve set up a website for readers to get to know Soraya a bit—with some funny answers she would give if her boss Ida ever let her take the reins. J You can check it out here: www.ask-ida.com

______________________

________________

Other books from Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

51X69Xg3BlL._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_

Cocky Bastard

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

__________________________________________

About The Authors

About The Author: Vi Keeland

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

Baller

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Life On Stage Series

Throb – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

Beat –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

MMA Fighter Series

Worth The Fight – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Worth The Chance – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Worth Forgiving –Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Cole Series

Belong To You – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Made For You – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Stand Alone Novels

First Thing I See– Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Left Behind – Amazon / Barnes and Noble

********************

Penelope Ward is a USA Today Bestselling author.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers. She spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career.

Penelope lives for reading books in the new adult genre, coffee and hanging out with her friends and family on weekends.

She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and a 8-year-old boy, both of whom are the lights of her life.

Penelope, her husband and kids reside in Rhode Island.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Additional Books by Penelope Ward

Roomhate- Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Stepbrother Dearest – Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

My Skylar – Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Gemini –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Undone –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Understood –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

stuck - up suit cover

Excerpt Reveal: Dirty by Kylie Scott – Dive Bar Series – Book 1

Posted on 04/06/2016 by shellbellereads

Are you ready to get Dirty?

Dirty is Book One in Kylie Scott’s Dive Bar Series releasing April 19th!

Dirty

A Dive Bar Novel

By Kylie Scott

Release Date: April 19, 2016

*****

Pre-order your copy of DIRTY here:

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / Kobo

Release Date: April 19, 2016

Blurb

The last thing Vaughan Hewson expects to find when he returns to his childhood home is a broken hearted bride in his shower, let alone the drama and chaos that comes with her.

Lydia Green doesn’t know whether to burn down the church or sit and
cry in a corner. Discovering the love of your life is having an affair on your wedding day is bad enough. Finding out it’s with his best man is another thing all together. She narrowly escapes tying the knot and meets Vaughan only hours later.

Vaughan is the exact opposite of the picture perfect, respected businessman she thought she’d marry. This former musician-turned-bartender is rough around the edges and unsettled. But she already tried Mr. Right and discovered he’s all wrong-maybe it’s time to give Mr. Right Now a chance.

After all, what’s wrong with getting dirty?

dirty teaser 330

dirty teaser 323

Excerpt

Heavy footsteps roused me from my stupor. I don’t know how long exactly I’d been sitting in the bathtub, staring off at nothing, pondering the catastrophe my life had become. Couldn’t have been too long since sunlight still lit the room.

The footsteps came closer and closer. And then they entered the room. Oh, shit. I froze, not even daring to breathe. There was a loud yawn, followed by the cracking of joints. Then a large hand reached in beside the closed shower curtain and turned on the tap. A torrent of ice cold water poured down. It was like a billion itty-bitty knives stabbing at my skin. All of the scratches and raw patches from earlier stung like shit. I gritted my teeth, shoulders hiked up to around my ears as if that would provide any protection.

Yep, I sat there, all huddled up, listening to the man take a leak.

Awesome. Just plain awesome.

Wasn’t like I could jump out and interrupt the man midflow. And say what? I knew this was not a good situation to get caught in.

I’d basically broken into this guy’s house.
And had then gone on making myself right at home, having a messy emotional breakdown in his bathtub.

Normal, rational people didn’t do this sort of thing. I didn’t even have a criminal record, had never particularly done anything outlandish or interesting until now. This was all Chris’s fault, the bastard. I’d just have to make the best of it and hope this guy had a sense of humor.

Just as the water began to warm, he flushed the john and freezing cold water drenched me anew. I’d been about to open my mouth and announce my presence, but that put an end to that. Needles of icy cold water pelted down on my skin. I fucking froze. Teeth gritted, I suppressed a squeal of pain and rage.

Then the shower curtain flew back.

“Shit!” The man was very tall, very naked, and very surprised. He stumbled back a step, a hand clutching at the bench behind him, eyes furious and wide. “What the hell?”

Good question.

I opened my mouth, closed it. Language skills had apparently abandoned me. In total silence, the man and I stared at each other.

Even with no clothing to take cues from, the dude was clearly the epitome of cool. He looked about my age, or maybe a little older. He had longish red-blond hair, dark blue eyes set in an angular face, a lean but muscular torso covered in tattoos, and a rather large cock. Not that I meant to check him out, it’s just kind of hard to ignore a penis and scrotum when they’re dangling right in front of your face. I tilted my head, trying to get some perspective. Every viewpoint, however, was equally shocking. There was dick as far as the eye could see.

And I should stop ogling him. Right.

“Hi.” With a calm I didn’t even vaguely feel, I reached up and turned off the tap. Much better. His monster penis had momentarily derailed me, but I was back on track now. Time to talk myself out of this mess. “Hey.”

“What the fuck are you doing in my house?” he asked flatly.

“Right. Well . . .” I neatly tucked my dripping-wet shoulder-length blond hair back behind my ears. As if that would help. My winged eyeliner and false lashes were probably halfway down my cheeks. “I, um, I . . .”

“You what?”

“I’m Lydia,” I said, the first thing to come to mind.

No reply. His handsome face, however, took on a distinctly pissy expression. Even his strawberry-blond hair seemed a fiery hue. Fine, so we weren’t swapping names and getting cozy. Fair enough. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was, keeping my eyes on his face. The struggle was real. It might have been due to my not seeing one in so long, but his dick seemed almost hypnotic. The thing had magical powers, I swear. It was so big and mobile, subtly swaying every time he moved. My gaze kept darting down despite my best efforts.

Finally he put me out of my misery, grabbing a towel off a nearby rack and wrapping it around his waist. It made for quite the hot-looking miniskirt. Not just any man could have pulled off such a look.

But back to my explanations.

“Ah, firstly, I’d just like to say sorry about this.” I waved a hand at him and his bathroom and, well everything, really. “For any inconvenience I might have caused here in your bathroom.”

The guy stood tall, looming over me with his hands on hips. Tattoos covered his arms to his wrists. Still, he had a whole lot of sinew on show. Definitely not the kind of man you’d want to mess with. Dude could probably snap me in half in a second. I bet he was a tattoo model, or a biker, or a pirate, or something. Something a lot hot and more than a little scary.

Shit. I really should have chosen another house.

“I don’t normally break into people’s places and hide out in their tub,” I babbled, on the verge of incoherency. “So I’m really sorry. Seriously. So very sorry. But you’ve got a lovely home.”

“That so?”

“Not that, I mean, that’s not why I’m here. I just . . .” Fucking hell, my mind was a disaster. I took a deep breath, letting it out nice and slow, before trying again. “I love the old Arts and Crafts bungalows, don’t you? They have such soul.”

His brows drew tight. “Are you high? What the fuck are you on?”

“Nothing!”

“You haven’t been popping any pills or snorting something?”

“No, I swear.”

“Nothing to drink?”

“I haven’t had anything,” I said, but the suspicion and anger still lined his face. Paired with the stubble on his chin and the shadows beneath his eyes, my unwilling host was one tired, cranky man. Couldn’t really blame him.

“So you’re completely sober,” he said.

“Completely.”

A pause.

“You’re thinking I’m bat-shit crazy now, aren’t you?” I asked, despite the answer sitting plain as day on his pretty face.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Oh, god. “I’m not. I’m sane.”

“You sure about that?” He looked down the long line of his nose at me, distinctly unimpressed. “Seen a lot of weird shit in my years. Stuff like you wouldn’t believe. But I got to tell you, right now, this . . . you, are taking the cake.”

“Great.” And I was so definitely probably going to jail. Someone ought to give me a cookie. My ability to take a bad situation and make it worse today was amazing.

“You touch any of my stuff?” he asked. “Take anything?”

“Yes, your sofa is cunningly hidden down the front of my dress. You won’t believe where I fit the TV.”

Again, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Between you and me, probably not the time to be funny, babe.”

Crap. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. You have every right to be mad.”

“Damn right, I do.”

I nodded, contrite. “I haven’t touched any of your things.”

The dude just stood there, staring. Lots going on behind his eyes. None of which I could read.

A stray tear trickled down my face. It must have saved itself up just for the occasion. Gah. How pathetic. I sniffled, brushing it off hurriedly with the back of my hand.

“Fuck’s sake,” he muttered.

“I really am sorry about this. The truth is, I just needed somewhere to hide for a little while. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

He sighed. It wasn’t a happy sound. “Lydia?”

“Yes?” Despite my best efforts, my voice trembled slightly.

“Look at me.”

I did so. He still looked cranky and crazy cool while I remained a hot mess.

“I’m Vaughan,” he said.

“Hi.”

He tipped his chin and silence fell between us once more.

With the tip of his tongue rubbing at his upper lip, he looked at the wide open window, and then back at me. Yep, that’s how I’d gotten in. Houdini had nothing on my mad skills.

“What are you doing in my house, Lydia? The truth.”

“It’s kind of a long story, actually.” Along with being excruciatingly embarrassing. But then, what wasn’t about this day?

Vaughan crossed his arms over his wide chest and waited me out while I fussed with my ruined skirts and tried to come up with a way to spin the story to not make me look a complete fool. Christ, the holes in my stockings were huge. On one side, my entire foot stuck out. So screwed.

Vaughan crouched by the side of the tub, resting his arms on the side. Up close the shadows under his eyes seemed even bigger and darker against his pale skin. And there were bags big enough to use as carry-ons. Despite the strong lines of his lean face, the man looked done-in. Ready to sleep for a hundred years.

I knew that feeling.

“Looks like a wedding dress,” he said quietly.

“Yes, it is. I was going to get married today.” I took a deep breath, wiping my face with my hands. Just as expected, my palms came away smeared with black eye makeup. “Ah, boy. I must look a wreck.”

Without comment, Vaughan reached out and grabbed a towel, handing it to me. It was sort of threadbare, old. Dated like the rest of the house. I hadn’t seen more than one room, but real estate agents got a feel for these sort of things. Minimal upkeep for the past five or so years would have been my guess. Perhaps it’d even been left empty. Bushes out front hid the house from view, so I’d never gotten a good look at it before.

“Thank you.” I patted myself dry with the towel as best I could. What remained of my beautiful dress was a sopping wet ruin. “I’m sorry I broke into your house, Vaughan. I swear I don’t normally do this sort of thing.”

“No,” he said, his voice deep. “Figured as much. Where’d you come from?”

“The big house at the back.”

His brow wrinkled. “You climbed over the fence?”

“Yes.”

Tired, red-tinged eyes appraised me anew. “That’s a tall fence. Must have been one hell of an emergency.”

“It was a disaster.”

For a long moment he studied me, deep in thought. Then he sighed yet again, climbing to his feet.

“Are you going to call the cops on me?” I asked, my throat tight with tension. “I know you have every right to, I’m not disputing that. I’d just, I’d like to know. Mental preparation and all that.”

“No. I’m not.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.” My whole body sagged in relief.

Then he clapped his hands together, startling the crap out of me. “Okay, Lydia. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

“Yes?”

“I arrived late this morning, have only had a few hours sleep. If I don’t get some coffee soon, things are going to get ugly. And you probably need to get dried off.” With no fuss, he held out his hand. “Let’s get shit sorted out. Then we can sit down and you can tell me the long story of how the hell you ended up in my house. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” I said, voice lightening.

He pulled me up. Then, with strong hands on my waist, lifted me out of the tub. Immediately water started dripping off of my saturated dress, pooling on the scuffed wooden flooring at my feet. Chris would have been distinctly unimpressed. Chris didn’t like messes. But as Vaughan didn’t seem to care, neither did I.

“You’re really not going to call the police?” I asked.

“No. Hold still,” he said, carefully plucking a fake eyelash from my cheek.

“Thank you.”

“Your dress is kind of fucked.” He looked me over from top to toe.

“I know,” I said sadly.

“I’ll leave you to get changed.”

“Wait. Please. I can’t get out of it on my own.”

More frowning.

“It’s vintage,” I explained with a grim face. “There’s no zip, just a line of little buttons up the back.”

“’Course there is.” Without another word, he turned me around and got started in on said buttons. As he worked, he hummed beneath his breath, the song vaguely familiar.

“Aren’t you still mad?” I asked, perplexed.

“Nuh.”

“But I broke into your house.”

“Window was open.”

“I still trespassed.”

Busy fingers kept working on undoing the dress. “You sat in the tub and cried because some dickhead fucked you over.”

That shut me up.

“Or that’s what I’m assuming, given the dress and all. I take it he’s the one that gave you that shiner on your cheek?”

“No. No one hit me. And yes, you assumed right about the being fucked over.” I tried to look back at him, but I couldn’t see a thing beyond my wild-ass hair. Impressive how it’d survived the shower. The stylist clearly knew her shit.

“You sure no one hit you?” He did not sound convinced.

“Yes. I lost my grip and hit the floor when I was climbing in the window. My home invasion skills need work.”

“I’d suggest you try a different career.” He finished with the buttons and took a step back, scratching his head. “You okay with the dress now?”

“Yes, thank you,” I told his reflection in the mirror. “For everything, I mean.”

“Sure.” He almost smiled and gave a small shake of the head as if he couldn’t quite believe what was going on. Or maybe it was disbelief that he wasn’t kicking me straight back out the window through whence I’d come.

Lord knows, it’d shocked the shit out of me.

He turned toward the door. “See you out there.”

dirty teaser 316

*************

About the Author:

Kylie is a long time fan of erotic love stories and B-grade horror films. She demands a happy ending and if blood and carnage occur along the way then all the better. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and one delightful husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Kylie is represented by Amy Tannenbaum at the Jane Rotrosen Agency, New York.

Stalk Kylie Scott: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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A woman’s work

A man’s commitment

A lifetime of devotion….

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