ARC Review: Shelter Me by Catherine Mann- Second Chance Ranch Series-Book 1

Posted on 08/10/2014 by shellbellereads

Shelter Me

Second Chance Ranch Series- Book 1

By Catherine Mann

Synopsis

From the USA Today bestselling Catherine Mann comes this beautiful, heartwarming novel about a returning soldier, the daughter of his fallen commander, and a very special dog with a mission. For fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery.

Nestled in the sunny fields of Tennessee lies the McDaniel family’s Second Chance Ranch Animal Rescue. Two new arrivals are on their way, but only one is the four-legged kind.

Staff Sergeant Mike Kowalski wants only one thing after he gets home from Iraq: to sleep in a king-sized bed with clean sheets. But first, he has to hand off his fallen commander’s dog, Trooper, to his family without handing off his heart to Sierra…

Sierra McDaniel needs a break. Her family life is crazy, and when she’s not mucking out kennels, she’s slogging through grad school. Sierra certainly doesn’t want another dog, especially one that reminds her of her father. And she definitely doesn’t want to see Mike with that charming smile of his…

But Trooper has a mission of his own. Before too long Mike is moving to the ranch to lend a hand—and hoping for his own second chance with Sierra.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Michel’s Review

I am a huge fan of Catherine Mann. From her Military Romances to Romantic Suspense, every book has been very good. Shelter Me rose to the high standards Catherine has set with her other books. The thing that made Shelter Me stand out even more was that the book was told from Trooper’s (the dog) point of view throughout the book. One would think that is ridiculous but it worked!

Shelter Me is the story of loss, surviving, and rebuilding. It shows the heartbreak of losing loved ones and finding a new way to live life without that loved one there. It is a story of finding a love that makes every good and bad thing in the past worth experiencing. It is a story of healing.

Sierra and Mike are brought together because of Trooper. All three of them have lost the one man that touched their hearts in different ways. For Sierra it was her father, for Mike it was his Commander, and for Trooper it was his Master.

When Mike delivers Trooper to Sierra, he finds her struggling to keep the family ranch going. Before Mike knows it, he is lending a hand and hoping for a second chance with Sierra. Trooper is on a mission to bring these two people, his family together.

This book was beautifully written and had a powerful message. I loved all the characters, especially Trooper. This is a book you will not be able to put down.

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Catherine Mann writes contemporary romance for Berkley, Harlequin, and Sourcebooks, with her work reprinted in more than twenty countries. She lives on the Florida coast where she and her military flyboy husband have brought up four children. An active volunteer with her local Humane Society, Catherine enjoys writing while foster puppies nap on her feet. FMI: http://catherinemann.com

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Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Posted on 08/09/2014 by shellbellereads

Ugly Love

By Colleen Hoover

Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with a new heart-wrenching love story.

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.

Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.

Promises get broken.

Rules get shattered.

Love gets ugly.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Michel’s Review

Wow! Ugly Love is one of those books that steps outside of the usual expectations in the romance genre. The entire formula in this contemporary romance is remixed, tossed around, broken down, and is put back together with a whole new shape and form. But the end result is beyond words. It is worth the emotional journey and in the end I think the characters learn that there is more than one definition of love and that each definition should be treasured.

Colleen Hoover creates extraordinary characters out of ordinary people that are just doing what they can to manage their own lives. She allows them to experience the good and the bad. She allows them to react to their lives in a very realistic way. She gives them strengths, weaknesses, quirks, and an individuality that makes them unique. She breathes life into these characters and they jump off the pages screaming for us readers accept them, love them, cheer them on, value their thoughts, and embrace their story. Ugly Love will do that and more. Miles Archer and Tate Collins will grab your hearts and not let go.

I cannot say too much about the overall story because it would give away too many spoilers. I will say that the title of this book is absolutely perfect for this story. The reader will find many hidden messages in the passages that will render them speechless. These passages will also make the reader appreciate the loves in their lives and the relationships they have experienced.

Miles Archer has seen the ugly side of love. He has been emotionally paralyzed because of that ugliness.

Tate Collins has experienced love but not in a deep and meaningful capacity. She thinks she can handle Miles Archer and his relationship issues. What she doesn’t realize is that she can’t handle her own heart.

Hearts will be broken, hearts will be shattered, and love will rear its ugly head. Eyes will be opened and the view will change. In the end it will be up to Tate and Miles to decide whether to stop and enjoy the view or to move past it without a glance.

With that said the only analogy I can come up with for this book is that we are all gardeners in life. We can plant the seed, watch evolve from a seedling to a bud. We will witness this bud open into a beautiful bloom. This bloom is so beautiful we will want to pick it and keep it close to us. But like most beautiful things, once it is picked the beauty will only be fleeting even though we have put it in water to keep it’s beauty. We will watch this beautiful bloom wilt, begin to fade, and eventually decay. But because this blooms’ beauty touched our hearts we want to preserve it’s memory by pressing it in a book. The memory of its beauty has been preserved but the actual bloom we were so taken with is in fact an ugly dead flower.

But if we learn from this experience we can plant a new garden. We can plant the seed, nourish it, tend to it, let it pollenate, allow it to bloom into it’s full beauty, and let it go through it’s cycle in life. It’s okay to allow the weeds in the garden. It is okay to let nature take its course.

Ugly Love is that garden in Miles Archer and Tate Collins lives. It will be up to them how they chose to tend their garden.

I highly recommend Ugly Love.

Author Bio:

Colleen Hoover’s love for writing began in 1985 when she was five years old. Her first story was titled “Mystery Bob” and was a huge hit with her mother, who was really good at faking interest. Colleen continued to write short stories for friends and family until December of 2011, when she decided to write a long story she titled, “Slammed.” She self-published SLAMMED to Amazon in January, 2012 and it hit the NYT’s bestsellers list in May, 2012. She has since signed with Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, and now has six NYT’s bestsellers. Colleen prefers to be called a writer, as the term “author” still terrifies her and makes this feel like a job with expectations. She doesn’t work well under pressure and hopes writing will always remain fun and exciting. Colleen’s newest novel, UGLY LOVE, releases August 5th, 2014. She is currently working on a new novel, CONFESS, which she is writing as fast as she can before she wakes up from this crazy dream.

You can follow Colleen on Instagram and Twitter @colleenhoover. You can also find her on her blog at http://www.colleenhoover.com where she holds a daily book-a-day giveaway, or on her very active Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/authorcolleenhoover where she loves to give away more free stuff when her husband isn’t looking.

Colleen also wants the world to know that writing short biographies in third person is incredibly awkward.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Review: Taming My Prince Charming by J. S. Cooper-Sequel To Finding My Prince Charming

Posted on 08/09/2014 by shellbellereads

Taming My Prince Charming

Sequel to Finding My Prince Charming

By J. S. Cooper

Synopsis

When Lola met Xavier, Prince of Romerius, she was immediately attracted to his dark, handsome good looks and sparkling green eyes. She spent a whirlwind weekend with him and almost fell for his charm, until he humiliated her and she fled.

Lola wasn’t prepared to find out that Xavier was her new professor and her new boss. She also wasn’t prepared for the sparks that flew every time they were together. When Xavier takes her on a work trip, she is shocked when they are mobbed by the paparazzi and agrees to go to Romerius with Xavier to pretend she is his fiancé.

Only Lola had no idea that Xavier had a master plan from the moment he met her. He wanted a week to make her his, so that he could get her out of his system. Only Xavier had no idea that fate had another plan for him.

Taming My Prince Charming is the sequel to Finding My Prince Charming.

It is recommended for readers 18 and over as it contains mature situation and language.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Michel’s Review

** 2.5 Stars **

This review is one of the hardest reviews I have had to write. I am a huge fan of J. S. Cooper’s books. I love her work, her characters, and the worlds she creates for them. Her books are always entertaining, romantic, and well written. It is with a heavy heart that I write this review.

Taming My Prince Charming by J. S. Cooper is the sequel to Finding My Prince Charming. I was looking forward to this release because of the cliffhanger in the first book. I was also hoping that I could connect with these characters this go round and become more invested in their story. I was also under the impression that this was the conclusion to their story. But this was not the case.

Taming My Prince Charming was just another installment into the ongoing story and ended with another cliffhanger. But this time around I think this cliffhanger left a bad taste among some readers.

Taming My Prince Charming picks up where Finding My Prince Charming left off. Xavier has taken Lola to Romerius under the pretense of a royal engagement. We are under the impression that he did this to protect Lola from the media. But why would this protect her when a royal engagement would cause even more sensation.

Once they are in Romerius it becomes clear that Xavier has an agenda. What that agenda is never really explained or hinted at. Is it revenge? Is it a power play? Who is his revenge directed at and why? The only person that suffered throughout this book was Lola. She was subjected to some pretty ugly situations where she had no clue how to react. She was kept in the dark. Xavier not only has used her for his own sexual pleasures, he is exposing and exploiting her in a perverse world in which she does not belong.

Lola’s character changed quite a bit in this book. She went from being a strong, intelligent, independent young woman to becoming a submissive doormat. She gave Xavier some sass at times but let him walk all over her when her inner self was screaming to run in the other direction. The Lola from the first book would have been on a plane back to London without any second thoughts.

The plot in Taming My Prince Charming changed drastically from Finding My Prince Charming. Readers were expecting Lola to be introduced into the world of royality. We were expecting the conflict to come from that world. The royal world barely came into play. The readers were briefly introduced to the royal family. They did not get any information about the country of Romerius, the traditions, the politics, and their part in the world. The plot took on a new direction focusing on “The Club”. It was unclear what exactly this club is in the whole scheme of things. It is obvious The Club is for royals to act out on their sexual perversities and indiscretions. And why would they label these acts of indiscretions as a Ball?

I felt like the plot was jumbled and not on a clear direction. I also felt that the author was borrowing from other plots from her previous books. The Club is clearly one of those things.

Add a woman from Xavier’s past, another handsome prince with an agenda of his own, another prince that cheats on his wife, a young cousin that on the surface seems innocent, a disapproving mother, and a brother rushing home for unknown reasons and the reader finds their heads spinning.

I felt like the characters were not fully developed. We never get a true sense of who Xavier is. We get glimpses into his thoughts but they are not clear or followed through. He does not really come across as a Crown Prince. He has no concerns for his nationality, his countrymen, or his role in their lives. We never understand his attraction to Lola other than wanting to screw her. He abuses her innocence, insults her integrity, and treats her like a cheap whore most of the time. He is never tender with her. Why would she be attracted to a man who treats her so badly.

Lola’s character did a one eighty flop that just disappointed me.

As for all of the secondary characters I got a sense of who they were but just a small bit. I know their names but am not sure how they really fit into the story.

Taming My Prince Charming was not a royal romance. I really don’t know what it was. I feel adding the word romance is somewhat of a farce as far as this book is concerned. There really wasn’t romance in this book. The character interaction, the build up of sexual chemistry, and the dialogue that leads to a romantic love story was missing. It was more of a few sexual interludes that had no tenderness or true fire behind them.

Taming My Prince Charming should have been titled Lola and The Big Bad Wolf.

I will read the next book in this series because of Lola and Lola alone. She was left in a horrific situation that has my gut clenching. I am hoping she comes through this ordeal a stronger woman and gives Xavier the FU and gets out of the palace.

Keeping My Prince Charming will be out in November 2014.

Author Bio:

Cooper is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She is a true romantic that is in love with love. The J. S. stands for Jaimie Suzi. She just thought J. S. sounded cooler! J. S. was born in London, England and moved to the States at age 17. She studied history in college and then went to law school and then decided to follow her writing dreams. J. S. writes ‘New Adult’ contemporary romance books because that is what she also loves to read.

Available Books: The Last Boyfriend, The Last Husband, Before Lucky, The Other Side of Love, Zane & Lucky’s First Christmas, Crazy Beautiful Love, Scarred, and Healed.

Upcoming books: Finding My Prince Charming, If Only Once (The Martelli Brothers), Everlasting Sin, The Rebel Next Door and Hot Prof.

Please join J. S. Cooper on her facebook page if you enjoy her books here: https://www.facebook.com/J.S.Cooperauthor. If you wish to get in contact, please email her at Jscooperauthor@gmail.com.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

Review: Rogue by Katy Evans- The Real Series- Book 4

Posted on 08/09/2014 by shellbellereads

Rogue

The Real Series – Book 4

By Katy Evans

Synopsis:

The fourth story in the new adult series that began with the New York Times bestseller Real, featuring Brooke’s best friend, Melanie, and the ROGUE she can’t resist.

Greyson King…

My boyfriend. My friend. My protector. He’s the reason I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, and the reason I fall asleep limp, worn out, and aching for his warm arms around me. When we make love, he says my name like it means something. Like I mean something.

His name is Greyson King, but his alias is Zero.

There’s zero trace of him, he has zero past, and now I know that with him, I will have zero future.

He may leave no trace of him anywhere, but his imprint is in me, in my very soul–and I hate that a mere look at him commands the beat of my heart. The temperature of my body.

I’ve looked for love my entire life. I’ve waited for the butterflies, the rainbows…

Instead I’m in a free fall of emotions and there’s no one to catch me but the one man I should be running away from. The one man I thought was my prince charming.

Except this prince charming went rogue.

Greyson will stop at nothing to make me be with him. He’ll let no one stand in our way, will allow no one to threaten me, and maybe this is what scares me most of all…

What will my rogue do to keep me?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Lis’ Review

She is color, he is blackness. She is light, he is dark. She parties to hide her fears. He built walls to hide his broken life. They are total opposites. And perfect for each other.

In Real, Katy Evans introduced us to Brooke and her friend Melanie, the bold one, the loud one, the life of the party. Melanie’s the one who shouted out to Remy when she took Brooke to see the fight. Melanie’s the one who gave Remy Brooke’s phone number. She wants everyone to be happy, she exudes that happiness, a happiness she’s created for herself and those around her. But Melanie has fears and a deep dark secret or two that no one knows. Until Greyson comes along.

Greyson King is Zero.. so emotionless he’s nothing. A stone cold enforcer for the Underground who has Melanie in his sights. She’s on his list, and it’s not like Santa’s list of good little boys and girls. He goes through this list, hitting his marks one by one in an effort to find out the one thing he’s searched for all these years. Yet with number five, with Melanie, he finds so much more. And in the end, the list becomes meaningless when they uncover each other’s secrets, nearly losing everything they both want in the process.

Katy Evans’ writing is amazing. Every word, every sentence opens a well of emotions. She doesn’t just describe the characters’ feelings, she paints them in a three dimensional way that envelops the reader inside them until you are living and breathing them, laughing and crying them, holding your breath and then gasping them right along with Melanie and Greyson. Her style leaps off the page and you live each and every passionate embrace, cry every tear, tremble with every fear and suffer every heartbreak. It’s gut-wrenching yet so artistic in its creation of unforgettable characters.

This story of the happy go lucky best friend and the dark and mysterious bad boy (and he is soooo bad in every way) is a definite must read. You get both points of view in one book, a complete story that will only make you realize, as Melanie does, that you just can’t live without the Rogue.

Author Bio:

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

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

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

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

ARC Review: The Sweetest Summer by Susan Donovan

Posted on 08/08/2014 by shellbellereads

The Sweetest Summer

Bayberry Island Series- Book 2

By Susan Donovan

Synopsis

A mermaid statue could be the cause of heartbreak or everlasting romance for a practical-minded police chief and his first love—in the second of the delicious Bayberry Island trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Susan Donovan….

Every instinct told Police Chief Clancy Flynn that his island’s claim to fame was nothing but a silly tourist attraction. But now and then, he couldn’t help but wonder if his lifetime of bad romances—starting with the pretty tourist who broke his fourteen-year-old heart—could be traced back to a childhood prank involving that very statue….

Then one day the pretty tourist comes barreling back into Bayberry—all grown-up and on the run with her niece. Though Evelyn McGuinness is wanted for kidnapping, she tries to persuade Clancy that there’s more to the story. Now the by-the-book police chief must make the toughest decision of his life: to take Evelyn into custody—or into his arms….

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Tracey’s Review

Life as Evelyn McGuinness has taken a turn for the surreal. On the run to protect her niece, she has returned to the place that she first found love. Clancy Flynn, now the chief of police of Bayberry Island, Massachusetts, remembers that summer, too and fondly, which is funny, given that he doesn’t even believe in love. When Fate, or a Mermaid, bring Clancy and Evelyn together again, though, he wonders if second chance love is possible.

All of the characters in the book are just so real that you can imagine meeting and happily spending time with them, and Bayberry Island is the perfect setting for them. The chemistry between Clancy and Evelyn is palpable and engaging, and, while steady and supportive, is also pretty darned hot. And the secondary characters are great, especially Mona’s Mermettes and the nudist community folks. 🙂

The Sweetest Summer has so many things going for it. Susan Donovan has brought action, myth, family, and love together to create a story that grabbed me from the first page and had me reading steadily until the end. That, for me, is the mark of a really good book, and one that I heartily recommend.

Author Bio:

New York Times bestselling author SUSAN DONOVAN’s novels have won accolades for their humor, characterization, and sexual tension – “brain candy for smart women,” as she calls it. Susan has written more than twenty novels and novellas that have been translated into dozens of languages. Her novel, TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, won Romantic Times Bookreviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Contemporary Romance in 2003, and THE KEPT WOMAN and NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL were RITA finalists. She is a former newspaper journalist with degrees from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She lives in Maryland with her family and dogs.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Teaser Blitz: American Honey Anthology

Posted on 08/08/2014 by shellbellereads

Today is the fifth and final day day of the teaser blitz week for AMERICAN HONEY: a summer anthology by 10 bestselling authors. It includes ten steamy summer novellas that you can’t miss!

AMERICAN HONEY will be released on August 11th and it is now available for PRE-ORDER for just .99 cents! Check out the links below to purchase.

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

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1pacG4M

Today we have teasers from PLAY IT AGAIN by Scarlett Metal and THE STORM by Jennifer Foor

PLAY IT AGAIN by Scarlett Metal

City girl falls for small town boy. Can their relationship survive their differences?

LINKS FOR THE AUTHOR:

Scarlett Metal:
Website: http://scarlettmetalauthor.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scarlettmetalauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scarlettmetal
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6983412.Scarlett_Metal

——————

THE STORM by Jennifer Foor

One woman
One man
An empty hotel
A summer storm
One night they’ll never forget.

LINKS FOR THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Foor:
Website: http://www.jenniferfoor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferFoorAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennyfoor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763676.Jennifer_Foor

—————————

Be sure to add AMERICAN HONEY to Goodreads and pre-order while it’s on sale!

Here is a list of the stories inside the anthology.

WALK ME DOWN by H.J. Bellus

The summer that saved Tess. A hot country romance.

———–
DIRT ROAD SUMMER by Ashley Johnson

Unexpected hometown love in the summer.

———

BEING NEIGHBORLY by Carey Heywood

Southern boy tries not to fall for his city girl neighbor

———
ONE SOUTHERN NIGHT by Marissa Carmel

Star quarterback and sassy city girl blow the whistle on the fifty yard line.

———

TANGLED VINES by Melissa Collins

A story of twists and turns all tangled together on a vineyard. Owen and Elle learn about each other as they navigate their way through a new business partnership.

———
THE REEDUCATION OF SAVANNAH MCGUIRE by Heidi McLaughlin

Southern boy reeducates his childhood best friend on life, love and freedom.

———

FINDING OURS by Megan Smith

Two people destined to be in love, forbidden to be together.

———
REMEMBER TONIGHT by Chelsea Landon

Farmers daughter shows a champion bull rider the ride of his life

———

PLAY IT AGAIN by Scarlett Metal

City girl falls for small town boy. Can their relationship survive their differences?

———
THE STORM by Jennifer Foor

One woman
One man
An empty hotel
A summer storm
One night they’ll never forget.

Teaser: Boarded By Love by Toni Aleo

Posted on 08/07/2014 by shellbellereads

“So I heard you want to dance with somebody,” I say teasingly.
She laughs. “Maybe. You the man for the job?”
I find myself nodding like a fool. “I could be the heat you’re looking for.”
Shaking her head, she looks away. “Didn’t I say you were trouble?”
“You did,” I say and I take a step closer. “But I think you are going to ignore that and take advantage of me.”

-Jude to Claire

Boarded by Love by Toni Aleo

Coming September 8th, 2014!

Add to Goodreads!

Jude Sinclair here, hockey player for the Bellevue Bullies and lover of all ladies. Hockey’s in my blood and, not to sound full of myself, but I’m good at it… really good. The draft is within my reach—it’s mine to take—but that’s not the only reason people know my name. They know me because of my way with woman. They know the score, and I aim to please. I just tend to stay away from repeat performances. In other words, I don’t do relationships above my family and friends. I’m happy with life. However, I should warn you that my story and how I see it playing out is about to change due to a certain redhead on campus.

She’s beautiful. Stunning. Breathtaking.

She’s my game changer.

He’s trouble from the moment I see him. I don’t know what I’m thinking, but from the moment I meet his gaze, I’m his. It’s a scary feeling.

I’ve never trusted anyone outside my aunt and uncle—and even that took months. I didn’t have it easy growing up. My mom was usually strung out, and she didn’t give me a second thought. Drugs and the men who paid her were most important. It was horrible, but I’m stronger today. Because of my past, security is what I need most. Money assures me that I can take care of myself today, tomorrow, and next month. I don’t want to ever be hungry or go without again, so I work hard for every penny.

Oh, by the way, I’m Claire Anderson. I’m a hard-studying sophomore at the University of Bellevue, dancer for the school team, and a burlesque

dancer at a club, but that’s my secret.

You may think you know how our story ends, but you have no clue. It’s not easy falling in love, or living happily ever after. At first, it may seem so, but when is anything worth having ever won without a fight?

Especially, when you’re boarded by love.

About the Author

Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, Falling for the Backup, and Blue Lines.

When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel.

She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog. Read more about Toni here.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Wherever You Will Go by Stephanie Smith

Posted on 08/07/2014 by shellbellereads

Wherever You Will Go

By Stephanie Smith

Synopsis

Brooke Willis had everything she ever wanted: a happy marriage, volunteer placement at the art gallery, and the promise of starting a family with the man of her dreams.

Saxon Reed had everything he ever thought he needed: a successful career, nice cars, expensive apartment, and more money than he knew what to do with.

After losing her husband Brooke insists on taking over his company to keep his dreams alive. Struggling in an industry she knows nothing about, Brooke turns to Saxon, her husband’s best friend and business partner, for guidance and support. Their mutual grief, and Saxon’s need to look after his best friend’s wife, creates a connection beyond just business.

Can Brooke take over the company and find a new life without saying goodbye to the past? Can Saxon protect and care for Brooke without scaring her away.

What happens when your heart doesn’t listen to your head? When lines are crossed and boundaries are pushed?

“Life goes on, whether you choose to move forward and take a chance in the unknown or stay behind, locked in the past, thinking of what could’ve been. I don’t want to live in the past anymore. I’m so lonely; there’s nothing for me here.”

Excerpt

“So?” I say, desperate to hear what she thinks in the hope she’ll tell me what to do.

“Fuck,” she breathes out. “Fuck.”

“I know, right? I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’m starting to feel like it’s careening out of control.”

“Starting to?” Her voice is high-pitched. “Brooke, fuck. This got out of control the minute you two started working together.”

“Well, I think that’s over-exaggerating a little,” I tell her, annoyed.

“Brooke, Saxon has always had a thing for you. What did you think sleeping with him on a regular basis was going to do? He has feelings for you. From what you say, very deep feelings. Do you feel the same?”

“What? I don’t know? Maybe? No.”

“Huh?”

“Shit, Rach, I care for him deeply. He means the world to me and has been my biggest support since Nate.” She frowns. “You know what I mean. Seeing him and spending time with him every day, we’ve naturally become close.” She nods, relenting. “But deep feelings? Yeah, I guess I do, but I don’t want this to go any further.”

“Why not?”

“Why not?” I scream. “What do you think? He’s Nate’s best friend, Rachel. I couldn’t do that to Nate.”

“Brooke, sweetie. You aren’t doing anything to Nate. Nate’s not here, Brooke. You aren’t cheating or being unfaithful to him. He’s gone, and it’s nearly been a year,” she says softly, trying to placate me.

“I feel like I’m choosing between them.” Tears well up in my eyes before falling down my cheeks.

Rach moves into the chair next to me and hugs me to her. “You can’t choose between them, Brooke. You don’t have that option. Nate isn’t here. He isn’t a choice.”

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Author Bio:

I’m first & foremost a reader & fangirl, I will always be first & foremost a reader & fangirl. I am on street teams, I pimp and I brag. I LOVE my Authors!! I have recently started writing as a way to relax and spend some time for me. My first novel Wherever You Will Go is due to release later this year. I’m having so much fun writing my first story and I’m looking forward to the journey it is taking me on.

Giveaway

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Cover Reveal: Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward

Posted on 08/07/2014 by shellbellereads

Stepbrother Dearest

Coming : September 2014

By Penelope Ward

Synopsis

You’re not supposed to want the one who torments you.

When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a jerk he’d be.

I hated that he took it out on me because he didn’t want to be here.

I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room.

But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.

At first, I thought all he had going for him were his rock-hard tattooed abs and chiseled face. Then, things started changing between us, and it all came to a head one night.

Just as quickly as he’d come into my life, he was gone back to California.

It had been years since I’d seen Elec.

When tragedy struck our family, I’d have to face him again.

And holy hell, the teenager who made me crazy was now a man that drove me insane.

I had a feeling my heart was about to get broken again.

Stepbrother Dearest is a standalone novel.

Author Bio

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 9-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and a 7-year-old boy, both of whom are the lights of her life.

Penelope, her husband and kids reside in Rhode Island.

She is currently working on her third novel and loves friend requests from readers!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

Cover Reveal: Falling For Fate by Caisey Quinn- Second Chance Series-Book 2

Posted on 08/07/2014 by shellbellereads

The second book in the Second Chance series by Caisey Quinn has a cover!

While the series is made up of standalone novels featuring different couples, it does center around a location: The Second Chance Ranch, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility owned by Trace Corbin and Gretchen Gibson from the Kylie Ryans series. Here’s what Caisey had to say about the series!

Caisey: I really love writing this series because with each new novel I get a new story to build around the ranch. The overlap between characters in each book is a lot of fun for me, even though readers don’t always catch them. It’s almost like a hidden treasure. For instance, Fate’s mom appears briefly in Van’s story (Last Second Chance), but as the books are released approximately 3-4 months apart, not everyone remembers those details. It’s such a treat for me knowing that they’re in there!

Readers have asked if they will see Trace and Kylie in this series and they will! Trace will pop in from time to time and then towards the end of the series they’ll both attend a celebratory dinner at the Ranch.

While Last Second Chance was pretty hot, with tortured soul musician Van Ransom, Falling for Fate is a bit on the sweeter side. Though y’all know me, there will still be plenty of steam! Dean and Fate have a chance encounter and then meet again unexpectedly. While they’re both young professionals, having very different relationship backgrounds and experiences leaves them a bit out of their league when it comes to one another.

I am so in love with this cover because my characters meet on the beach and I asked the designer (Regina Wamba of Mae I Design) to give it an ocean water feel. She did such a wonderful job! I hope y’all like it as much as I do!

MORE ABOUT FALLING FOR FATE

Fate Buchanan just wants to escape the constraints of her old life. After checking her mother into rehab and catching her fiancé with her Maid of Honor the night before their wedding, she ran. Angry and hurt, she’s aching to do something reckless.

Dean Maxwell is having one last summer of freedom before taking over his family’s multi-billion dollar medical conglomerate. When he sees a beautiful woman running down the beach alone after dark he knows it’s not safe. So he does something impulsive.

When their paths cross unexpectedly after a night of unbridled passion, neither of them can forget the memory of the affair they shared. What began as one night is about to become a whole lot more.

*Note: While part of the Second Chance series, this novel stands alone.

Falling for Fate

(Second Chance #2)

Adult Contemporary Romance

Cover Designed by Regina Wamba | Mae I Design

Scheduled Release Date: September 23, 2014

FOR MORE ABOUT THIS RELEASE OR THE AUTHOR

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

Caisey loves chatting with readers online so drop her a note at any of the above!

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Category Archives: Contemporary

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ARC Review: The Sweetest Summer by Susan Donovan

Teaser Blitz: American Honey Anthology

Today is the fifth and final day day of the teaser blitz week for AMERICAN HONEY: a summer anthology by 10 bestselling authors. It includes ten steamy summer novellas that you can’t miss!