Category Archives: Good Review

New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt + 6-Star Review + 2017 Favorite: Still by Kennedy Ryan

Posted on by
Reply

STILL BANNER BT.jpg

“Grip is my ultimate…If I was forced, gun-to-the head, to make one book boyfriend real to be mine, it would be him. No questions asked.”

— Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling Author

STILL, the sexy,emotional final installment of the GRIP series,

is available NOW!

 

Enter the $50 Gift Card Release Giveaway!

http://bit.ly/StillLIVEGive

 

Still-book-cover-front

 

I’ll be there.

Through thick and thin.

Ride or die.

You can count on me.

The promises people make. The vows we take.

Assumptions of the heart.

Emotion tells us how we feel, but life…life has a way of plunging us in boiling water, burning away our illusions, testing our faith, trying our convictions.

Love floating is a butterfly, but love tested is an anchor.

For Grip and Bristol,

Love started at the top of the world

On a Ferris wheel under the stars

But when that love is tested, will they fly or fall?

 

Excerpt:

“Mmmmm, that looks good.”

The comment grabs my attention, and I find myself smiling for the first time since I left Bristol. As she walks toward me, the approaching sunset paints the roof in shadows, but I see her clearly. Dark hair, burnished in places, falls around her shoulders. She has already discarded the dress she wore at lunch today in favor of a T-shirt and nothing else; it’s the one I just tossed into the hamper.

She tugs at my HABITUAL LINE STEPPER T-shirt, the hem landing at the top of her thighs. Where the T-shirt stops, my eyes keep going, past the lean muscles of her legs and the cut of her calves, the delicate bones of her ankles and to her bare feet. I love this girl, head to toe. Beyond this gorgeous packaging, it’s everything beneath that makes me beyond grateful she’s mine. The loyalty, the bottomless pit that is her heart, her sense of humor. The toughest girl I know is also the most tender, and I’m so honored I get to see both sides, all her sides.

“You out of clean clothes?” I nod to my T-shirt. “You gotta wear my dirty stuff now?”

An impish smile tugs at her bare lips. She’s washed away her makeup, and with it, all the sophistication she wraps around herself for her job. Up on this roof in my T-shirt, she’s just my girl. I love her in every iteration, but this is the one only I get to see, so it’s probably my favorite.

“I have clean clothes.” She steps close enough for me to smell her scent and mine mingling in the fabric. “I like the way this shirt smells.”

I drop a look over her, my eyes resting on the curves of her breasts in the soft cotton, where her nipples have gone taut under my stare.

“How does the shirt smell?” I ask, my voice as smoky as the steaks I should be paying attention to.

“Like you.” She leans forward until her breasts press into my chest. “It smells like you.”

My hands are twitching to touch her, and I finally surrender, slipping under the shirt to grasp her waist, pulling her up the few inches until our lips meet. I’ve been thinking about these steaks all day, and before Bristol arrived, I thought I was starving—but this, what I feel having her in my arms after hours apart, this is starving. It starts in my balls and tunnels up through my chest, infiltrates my heart, and presses its way to my mouth, which is open and devouring in a lips-searching, tongues-dueling kiss. I grip her by the ass, grinding our bodies together until the texture of her skin and mine, the scents of her skin and mine meld into this one panting, voracious thing that never seems to get enough.

“You better not burn my steak,” Bristol pants in between kisses.

I angle my head to send my tongue deeper into her mouth, holding her still, teasing her until she’s straining up, open and begging when I pull back.

“Grip.” My name is a whimpering complaint. She cups my neck and tugs my head back down.

“Oh, no.” I resist, laugh, and turn to the grill. “You were so concerned about me burning these steaks, Ms. Medium Rare.”

“I am.” She slides her arms around me from behind and I feel a sweet sting, her teeth gently biting my shoulder through my T-shirt. I love it when she bites me, but I’m not giving her that satisfaction yet. “But that doesn’t mean you get to stop kissing me. You have to multitask.”

One slim hand slides over my abs and past my belt to cup me through my jeans.

Damn. Not sure how long I can keep up this charade that I don’t want to screw her into the wall on the roof where anyone with half a telescope could see.

“Wow,” I say, keeping my tone unaffected, though she’s gotta feel me getting longer and harder in her hand. “Somebody’s horny as hell.”

She makes a sound that’s half outraged laughter, half indignant grunt before stepping around to stand in front of me by the grill.

“I will not be slut-shamed by my own boyfriend.” Amusement lights her eyes, turning them to quicksilver.

“Shamed?” I put down the grilling fork I’m using for the steaks and reach for her again. “No shame in being horny for me, baby. I wanna give you a gold star.”

Her eyes slide down to the erection poking her in the stomach. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Should we name it?”

“Guys who have to name their dicks probably aren’t using ’em right.”

“So I ask again . . . should we name it?”

I cock a brow and press our hips together.

“Are you implying that I don’t know how to use mine? Because that’s not the impression I got this morning when you came so hard you were singing like a bird.”

She tilts her head, her eyes wide and considering. “Did you say like a bird?” A small smile plays around her lips. “What made you say that?”

“I don’t know.” I give a careless shrug. “Why?”

“It’s silly,” she says, rolling her eyes in self-derision. “I was thinking today when I laughed it sounded like . . .”

Bristol blushes about once every Halley’s Comet, so the color washing across her cheeks makes me wonder.

“What?” I probe. “Your laugh sounded like what?”

“Like a happy bird,” she mumbles, peering up at me like I’m going to laugh in her face.

Which I do.

“Stop laughing at me.” She narrows her eyes in mock warning.

“Right.” I dip my head to catch her eyes and tease her. “Because when you tell me you laugh like a happy bird I’m just supposed let you get away with that.”

“I’m not telling you things anymore.” She narrows her eyes and folds her arms over her chest.

“Yeah, right. I’m your best friend.” I pull her back into me. “You’ll tell me everything like you always do.”

“You are, you know.” Her voice softens. “My best friend, I mean.”

When she looks at me like this, her eyes stripped of every defense, no guard in sight, completely honest and open and vulnerable, I feel slightly invincible. It’s a trick of the heart, I know, but I can’t help but think that as long as she looks at me like this, there isn’t anything I couldn’t survive, that our love is the stuff of legends, rolled in Teflon, disaster-proof. I’m as fanciful as Bristol, my laughing bird.

“You’re mine, too,” I echo her sentiment. “My best friend.”

“I won’t tell Rhyson,” she promises with a grin.

“I’m pretty sure he spits the same line to Kai.” I keep a straight face. “We have to say that shit to get laid.”

“I hate you.”

“Orrrrrrrrr do you love me and want to blow me after dinner?” I shrug and lift my hands, my palms up. “Just saying. Listen to your heart, Bristol. Listen to your heart.”

“I’m listening to my belly right now, smartass, and it’s growling. Feed me.”

“Like my mama used to say, ain’t no freeloaders in this house. What’ll you give me for feeding you?”

“Um . . .”

“I do have a suggestion, if you’re searching.”

“Let me guess—you have a ‘Will fuck for food’ sign up here somewhere?”

“I used bubble letters.” I laugh and give her ass a light smack. “You can barter that booty.”

It’s so damn easy with Bristol—our banter, the chemistry, the perfect rhythm of our conversation. It was one of the first things I noticed when we met all those years ago. We didn’t read each other’s minds or finish each other’s sentences. It wasn’t cosmic, but it was a connection that seized me by the brain and grabbed me by the balls. She was as smart as she was sexy, as curious as she was forthcoming. There were years in between when we made things complicated, when things were strained, but now with our hearts settled on each other for good, it’s simple.

This.

Her.

Us.

Tracey’s Review

Emotion tells you about love, but hard times prove it. How can you know something is great unless it’s tested? Until then, it’s just an assumption. It’s a question, but life has a way of answering.

So, if I had to use just one word to describe STILL, the latest book by author Kennedy Ryan, the story that takes Grip James and Bristol Gray along paths fraught with more emotions than I can describe, it would have to be poetic . Sheer poetry, from start to finish, STILL is a beautiful, heartbreaking, joy-filled work that is easily one of the best books that I’ve read this year.

As an avid reader (first) and blogger (second), it is my pleasure to read a lot of books. I marvel at the ease with which some authors put words to page, the sheer number of words and ideas that seem to exist in an unending well for so many of these people. I mean, I guess that plenty of folks have one book inside them, one seed that can blossom into something that can be shared. But, to share
words that move us, the readers, to heights and depths, taking us along and make the reading of these books a living and visceral experience, that, my friends, is a gift. Kennedy Ryan falls firmly into the latter category, birthing, creating, crafting collections of words that go far beyond the norm.

I fell in love with Bristol Gray and Marlon ‘Grip’ James what seems like forever ago. Both of them made their first appearances in Kennedy’s Soul series. But it wasn’t until I finally cracked open FLOW and GRIP that I realized how important these two characters are. Strength, perseverance, conviction, healing, and, y’all, so much love. Talk about epic.

And, now, STILL. I wasn’t sure what more Kennedy could give us, because they were already so much. But that’s my limitation, you see, and not Kennedy’s, because she showed me, with utter clarity, conviction, and a talent that I don’t see very often, that there was still so much more to be shared.

STILL touches on so many things of import. Social justice, the lingering and pervasive affliction of inequality in our culture, the value of truth and honesty and looking beyond the surface. Through it all, though, and something that I truly believe, is the fact that it’s all about the love. One little word forges unions, razes walls, drives out fear, lifts up, frees.

STILL is a book that will bring you joy, reduce you to tears (believe me when I say sobbing mess, friends), and lift you up higher than you can imagine, and it’s all done with, as I said, sheer poetry. If you read just one book this year, let it be STILL (although, FLOW and GRIP must be read first). This book is an easy 6 stars for me, and one that I recommend without hesitation. I cannot imagine what Kennedy Ryan has next for us, but, judging from what we’ve had in the Grip series, it will be nothing short of amazing.

 

STILL AD ONE FEET.jpg

Read STILL Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US➜ http://amzn.to/2xuUe1V

Amazon UK➜ http://amzn.to/2feQ5EF

Add to GoodReads➜ http://bit.ly/2vBiUWN

Start the Series Today!

FLOW, the FREE prequel, MUST BE READ before GRIP!

Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2m0IKOh

Amazon UK➜ http://amzn.to/2xSpMMS

Audiobook ➜ http://bit.ly/FLOWAudiobook

WATTPAD ➜ http://w.tt/2kUo8Yk

Read GRIP Today for only 99¢!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US ➜ http://amzn.to/2mR7fec

Amazon UK ➜ http://amzn.to/2gz387W

Amazon CA ➜ http://amzn.to/2vADPJn

Amazon AU ➜ http://amzn.to/2gsH3Em

GRIP ➜ http://bit.ly/GRIPAudiobook

Add to GoodReads ➜ http://bit.ly/2k1T1rL

Join the GRIP Discussion Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1891983067712410/

Join the STILL Recovery Room:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1494003790653226/

Order Signed GRIP Series Paperbacks:

http://kennedyryanwrites.com/signed-paperbacks/

About Kennedy:

Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them.

She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.

Kennedy Ryan

Connect with Kennedy:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kennedyrwrites

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennedyryan1/

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KennedyRyanAuthor

YouTube: http://bit.ly/2gsAGkp

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2x0qCtC

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/681604768593989/

http://kennedyryanwrites.com

New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt + Giveaway + 5-Star Review: Too Beautiful To Break by Tessa Bailey

Posted on by
Reply

A love of a lifetime . . .

Leaving Belmont Clarkson is the hardest thing Sage Alexander has ever done. From the moment they met, she knew Belmont was the one, and getting up close and personal with him on his family’s epic road trip has taken her desire to a new, even hotter level. But there’s no way she can go there—not without revealing secrets that could devastate them both.

Losing Sage is not an option. Belmont’s heart is hers, has always been hers. He knows she’s hiding something from him, but nothing will stand in his way of telling her just how much she means to him. Finding her is easy—saving her from her past could cost him everything.

 

Title: TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK

Author: Tessa Bailey

Series: Romancing The Clarksons, #4

On Sale: September 26, 2017

Publisher: Forever

Mass Market: $7.99 USD

eBook: $5.99 USD

Add to: Goodreads

 EXCERPT:

“You don’t have to leave right away,” Sage said when Belmont turned, watching her from beneath his eyebrows. “Can you wait here while I take a quick shower?”

Maybe that hadn’t been the right thing to say. His big back heaved and the touch of his tongue in her mouth came crashing in like a behemoth wave. They had crossed an unspoken boundary on the train platform. There was no going back to before, to when they stopped at rough, crushing embraces. As if that hadn’t been…more than sexual somehow.

“Yes, I’ll wait,” he said, his voice sounding like serrated metal. “I can light the fire for you.”

I’ll say. God, why did everything sound like an innuendo now? If her body weren’t flush and sweating beneath the jumpsuit, she would have laughed about it. But there was nothing funny about having Belmont looming mere yards away, looking like one word of encouragement would snap his chain and send him barreling toward her. “That would be perfect. I’ll just be…a few minutes.”

Sage all but dove into the itty-bitty bathroom, pressing her back up against the door and willing her racing heart to calm down. Why had she asked him to stay? Her resolve would weaken with every passing second. Biting down on her lower lip, she began the excruciating task of lowering the zipper of her jumpsuit, which kicked up a protest in her triceps and shoulder muscles. When she finally got it down, she gripped the hem of her T-shirt and attempted to lift it over her head.

Her arms wouldn’t cooperate. They flat out wouldn’t rise any higher than her ribs, leaving the T-shirt suspended in midair. Her muscles burned like someone had doused them in lighter fluid and held them above a flame. Sage’s agony must have escaped in the form of a whimper, because Belmont’s boots scraped just outside the door. And her stomach hollowed with awareness, lightning racing all over her skin.

“Sage.” His voice was deep, urgent. “Do you need help?”

No. Say no. She’d only gotten finished reminding him she didn’t need him. But in this case, it would be a lie and she’d done so much of that lately. With Belmont. The most truthful person she knew. “I can’t get my shirt off.” Her nose started to ache, the tip probably turning red. “My arms hurt.”

His growl was short and broken. A beat passed before the door opened and she felt Belmont filling the doorway behind her. She flicked a glance up to the ancient mirror and confirmed what she’d seen in her mind’s eyes. Belmont towering over her like an avenging angel, outlined by candlelight. He’d taken off his coat, leaving him in a black long-sleeved shirt, which he’d rolled up to the elbows. Every inch of visible skin was shot through with strained cords of muscle, as if his frustration were written on him like a road map.

Sage still had the shirt halfway lifted, so her lower back was visible. Not a big deal to most people. But Belmont had never seen anything below her neck. Or above her knees. With the jumpsuit peeled halfway down, the band of her underwear might even be peeking out.

Breathing grew difficult as Belmont took one step closer and took hold of the T-shirt, his knuckles grazing the small of her back. “You’re wearing”—his breath ghosted down her neck—“my shirt.”

Sage only realized she’d closed her eyes when they popped open. Oh God. In the shock of Belmont arriving, she’d forgotten. “I am?” Her mouth was parched. “L-look at that.”

“I am looking.” She jumped when Belmont reached over her shoulder with his left hand and turned on the shower, the sound of spray filling the room. Then the roughness of his knuckles returned, sliding up her spine along with the shirt. “I like knowing there was a layer of me standing between you and the earth.”

Her legs took on the consistency of Jell-O. His touch was a drug, making her languid, although it was different than the way he usually touched her. There was sex this time. So much of it. And it was that major difference that allowed Sage to accept the skimming of his fingers. Accept the part of herself that lusted. They were in a dark room and time had surely suspended anywhere outside this little plot of square footage. Words ached to leave her mouth, words that wouldn’t be suitable in the sunlight. This man, so warm and brave and large at her back, knew things about her no one else did. What was one more secret? “I stole it out of your suitcase. I broke a commandment and everything.”

“Why?” He breathed into her hair, sinking heat like an anchor in her belly. The shirt came off, her arms dropped to her sides, and she was left in nothing but a bra from the waist up. Inches from Belmont. “Why, sweetest girl?”

A light steam had begun curling in the air like beckoning fingers. Maybe this is a dream. It felt like one of the fevered fantasies she woke from on occasion, sweat slicking her breasts and neck. “Because I like the way you smell and it hadn’t been washed.”

His exhale was gravelly. “Sage.”

“Yes.”

She thought he might not respond, but finally he asked a question that made her nipples turn to hard points. “Can you manage”—a long, windy inhale—“the bra?”

Sage tried. She really, truly did. Her arms felt as though they might break off and hit the floor, but she reached back until her muscles locked up, refusing to move farther. But Belmont was already there, pushing them back down, holding them at her hips.

“Jesus. Please, stop. I can’t watch it.” His touch disappeared only for a second and then the cotton material of the bra tightened over her breasts. She could feel him working the back clasp with fingers she knew so well. They’d tunneled through her hair so many times, twisted in her clothing, but had never, ever, touched her with any kind of…intent. Intent to seduce. And that’s what he was doing, intentional or not. The inhibitions she’d held close forever, circled the drain, along with the shower water. “Your back is so beautiful.” A ghost of a fingertip traced down her spine. “But I need to leave before I—”

“What?”

“Before I turn you around.” They weren’t touching, but she could sense the shudder that ran through him. “Or look in that mirror.”

Right or wrong, the mine, their codependency aside, Sage knew if she let him leave just then, she would regret it for all time. Her body had been woken up. By one man. He’d kept her on the razor’s edge for thousands of miles, surrounding her with his power and taking it away. Over and over. And this fever wrapping around them in the tiny bathroom was completely different from easing his anxiety. Finally, she felt like a woman standing in front of him, instead of a calming device. This was mutual and alive and she couldn’t stand it to end. Tomorrow might be a different story, but this moment was the culmination of a thousand dreams and she could no more deny herself than she could forget his face.

“Belmont, do you think of the kiss?”

“I never stop,” he groaned into her hair. “Never.”

She took a deep breath for courage. “Will you shower with me?”

 

Tracey’s Review

I can say one true thing, without hesitation. The Clarksons are one intense family. They come by it naturally, of course, imbued with it, as they were, by their mother, Miriam. And, of all of the Clarksons, a family that I adore beyond measure, Belmont is extra-special, the one whose book I have been waiting for. Thank you, Tessa Bailey, for doing this special character justice in TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK.

Throughout the entire Romancing the Clarksons series, Belmont has stood out from his siblings. Stoic, quiet, intense, and ever-present, while the other Clarksons got their stories, their resolutions, the smoothing away of their life-hewn rough edges, Belmont, well, Belmont carried on. It’s clear throughout the books that there is something else going on with him, something simmering just below the surface, something that only Sage Alexander truly understands.

The pull between Sage and Belmont is truly magnetic. Their relationship is absolute yin and yang, and Sage understands before Belmont that they have to break the bond in order to become who they need to be. They both have unfinished business in their lives, and only by learning to step into their own fears and responsibilities will they be able to move forward.

Tessa Bailey has such a way with words, with characterization, and stories that grab you and don’t let go. I have no doubt that, like any good mother, she loves all of her characters equally, but I have to believe that Belmont holds a special place in her heart, because he certainly does mine. I have loved him throughout, and couldn’t to see his relationship with Sage blossom into the fullness that it was destined to be. Finally, in TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK, Bel and Sage are there, and I could not have enjoyed this book more. It’s an easy 5-stars for me, and a great way to wrap up this series. Perfect for fans of contemporary romance with plenty of angsty twists and turns on the way to happiness, the Clarksons should definitely be on TBRs everywhere. And, while I’m sorry to see this series end, I can’t wait to see what Tessa has in store for us next.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Google Play

iBooks

Indie Bound

Kobo

 

THE ROMANCING THE CLARKSONS SERIES

 TOO HOT TO HANDLE, #1

TOO WILD TO TAME, #2

TOO HARD TO FORGET, #3

TOO CLOSE TO CALL, #3.5

TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK, #4

 

Series Page on Goodreads

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans, and laptop, and drove cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend, and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband and daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.  

 

CONNECT WITH TESSA: 

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Goodreads

FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

 

Enter the FOREVER GIVEAWAY here

 https://app.viralsweep.com/view_widget/a7fc51-24705

Remix Tour + Excerpt + Giveaway + 5+-Star Review: Grip by Kennedy Ryan

Posted on by
Reply

Grip Remix Banner.jpeg

“…one of the most engaging and well-written romance books I have read…It’s like nothing you’ve read before. It touches the issues no one talks about in our community. And it’s a MUST-READ.”

—LJ Shen, Amazon Bestselling Author

GRIP, Kennedy Ryan’s sexy, emotional Amazon Bestseller,

is available now for only 99¢!

Scroll all the way down for an excerpt and to enter the

$25 Gift Card Giveaway!

GRIP COVER SALE

Resisting an irresistible force wears you down and turns you out. I know. I’ve been doing it for years.

I may not have a musical gift of my own, but I’ve got a nose for talent and an eye for the extraordinary. And Marlon James – Grip to his fans – is nothing short of extraordinary.

Years ago, we strung together a few magical nights, but I keep those memories in a locked drawer and I’ve thrown away the key. All that’s left is friendship and work.

He’s on the verge of unimaginable fame, all his dreams poised to come true. I manage his career, but I can’t seem to manage my heart.

It’s wild, reckless, disobedient. And it remembers all the things I want to forget.

Read GRIP today for only 99¢ or FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US ➜ http://amzn.to/2mR7fec

Amazon UK ➜ http://amzn.to/2gz387W

Amazon CA ➜ http://amzn.to/2vADPJn

Amazon AU ➜ http://amzn.to/2gsH3Em

Add to GoodReads ➜ http://bit.ly/2k1T1rL

FLOW, the FREE prequel, MUST BE READ before GRIP!

Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2m0IKOh

Amazon UK➜ http://amzn.to/2xSpMMS

WATTPAD ➜ http://w.tt/2kUo8Yk

STILL, the sexy and emotional final installment of The Grip Series,

releases September 24th!

Preorder STILL Today!

Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2xuUe1V

Amazon UK ➜ http://amzn.to/2f4kxSa

Amazon CA ➜ http://amzn.to/2wmWoRR

Amazon AU ➜ http://amzn.to/2xcBEuD

Add STILL to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2vBiUWN

GRIP SERIES REMIX SALE

Click here to enter the $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Excerpt

“Neither of us has been in a serious relationship in years.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” I stand and slide my feet into the Jimmy Choos. “You haven’t exactly been waiting around, have you?”

“Damn right I haven’t been waiting around.” He doesn’t get up, but his firm hold on my wrist stops me from walking away. “I’m not Rhyson.”

I look down at him, frowning my confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Remember when Kai put Rhyson in the friend zone?”
 Of course I do. For a long time, my sister-in-law Kai denied the attraction between her and Rhyson.

“Yeah, so?”

“When Kai wasn’t checking for Rhys, I assumed he had to be sleeping with other girls.” Grip shrugs. “I mean, he and Kai were just friends. But, nope. He said he only wanted Kai and didn’t sleep with anyone else.”

“Then you’re right.” I tug at my wrist, but he holds on tight. “You’re definitely not Rhyson.”

“It was months, Bristol. She shut him out for months. Not years.”

“I’m not shutting you out.” I release a tired breath. “I’m living my life, and you’re living yours.”

“Right.” He nods and turns his mouth down at the corners. “So, if you won’t be with me, then I’ll fuck whoever the hell I want. If you have a problem with that, you know what to do about it.”

For a moment, our eyes tangle in the dimness. His words sink into my flesh like briars. Every word out of his mouth only proves that I’m right to get out of here. That I’m right not to give in. If I ever gave him a chance and he fucked around on me . . . I’ve seen what that looks like. It looks like a woman as strong as my mother reduced to pathetic, teary drunkenness.

“It’s none of my business.” I shift my eyes away from him and to the glittering city skyline just beyond the rooftop.

“It’s none of your business until you say it is.”

I force myself to look back.

“Don’t hold your breath, Grip.” I say my next words with deliberation. “I mean, it’s not like I’m sitting around saving it, either.”

He pulls me forward, and I press my hand to the hardness of his chest so I don’t fall into him. My knee supports me, pressed against his on the couch.

“Are you poking me?” One strong hand wraps around the back of my thigh, anger marking his expression. “Do you want to know if it bothers me when you fuck other guys?”

I just stare at him unblinkingly. He presses my leg, urging me forward until I’m fully on the couch, fully on him, one knee on either side of his legs, facing him. Straddling him.

“It makes me want to set the world on fire.” His words come softly, but the truth roars in his eyes. “To think of you with them.”

 

Tracey’s Review

I fell for her before the beat dropped… 

Kennedy Ryan writes in pictures, crafting masterpieces that consume me. Her way with words, the intricate, heartfelt, emotional tapestries that she weaves, make it impossible not to feel with my whole heart. Newest obsession? Marlon ‘Grip’ James. Poet, musician, overcomer, star.

There were plenty of hints about the push and pull between Grip and Bristol Gray, his manager, his best friend’s sister, and the woman that he’s wanted for a very long time, in the previous books in the Soul series by Kennedy. But fans wanted more, wanted the whole back story of Grip and Bristol, and Kennedy delivered, oh, how she delivered.

It’s hard to say what I love most about GRIP, and it’s prequel FLOW, because I love absolutely everything about these books. The intensity and sheer tenacity of Grip’s feelings, the badassery blended with vulnerability that is Bristol, the simmering desire and want that is just always there. A passion and sense of belonging that ignited in one short week, that continued, always there beneath the surface of their relationship, for so long, giving a whole new meaning to ‘meant to be.’

Kennedy has done an excellent job, too, of painting the very real picture of themes prevalent in our culture today, and does so eloquently and realistically, all the while managing to give a sense of hope. Because of their differences, Grip and Bristol face obstacles that they should not have to. While time moves slowly in regards to change that should have already happened at this late date, I’m a dreamer, and hope, along with Grip and Bristol, that love changes hearts, changes history, that love wins.

GRIP is an easy 5+ stars for me, and is going right up there as one of my favorite reads this year. Loving Kennedy’s body of work, and these characters as I do, I’m kicking myself for not having read this book earlier, because it is wonderful. A must-read for fans of Kennedy Ryan, fans of the Soul series, and lovers of a book full of heart and soul, GRIP (and FLOW before it), belongs on TBRs everywhere.

❤ P.S. Extra props to Kennedy for having Grip use one of my very favorite songs by Prince as part of a pivotal song. I’ll think of Grip and Bristol every time I listen to it now. ❤

 

Find the GRIP Series On Audio!

FLOW ➜ http://bit.ly/FLOWAudiobook

GRIP ➜ http://bit.ly/GRIPAudiobook

Join the GRIP Discussion Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1891983067712410/

Image-1.jpg

Click here to enter the $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Kennedy Ryan

About the Author:

Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them.

She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.

Connect with Kennedy:

Order Signed GRIP Series Paperbacks:

http://kennedyryanwrites.com/signed-paperbacks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor/

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/681604768593989/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennedyryan1/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2x0qCtC

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kennedyrwrites

YouTube: http://bit.ly/2gsAGkp

Website: http://kennedyryanwrites.com

Release Day Blitz + 4.5-Star Review: Lust by Emma Hart

Posted on by
Reply

 

 

LUST2New York Times bestselling author, Emma Hart, brings together two polar-opposite single parents in the second book in the sinfully sexy Vegas Nights series.

Detective Adrian Potter had a lot to answer for. I didn’t care that he was tasked with shutting down the city’s most prolific hookers.

I cared that he was stopping me from providing for my daughter.

He didn’t care.
Not at all.
Until I broke down in the backseat of his car… And he let me go.

Adrian was a single parent, too. He knew how hard I had it. At least, he thought he did.
He had a job. He had people who cared. He didn’t know just how lucky he was.

My name is Perrie Fox.
I was a whore of the highest value.

Until Detective Adrian Potter.

Until the tattooed, redemption-seeking detective entered my life, looking for his fairytale.

The cop and the hooker.

Happily ever fucking never.

You’ve met one Fox sibling.
Now meet the other…

(LUST is book two of the Vegas Nights series. While it is a standalone, the time frame does overlap with scenes in the previous book, SIN. You can, however, read LUST without reading SIN.)

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Barnes & Noble | iBooks

 

Tracey’s Review

So, a hooker and a cop. Seen it, you say. But, no, I say, you haven’t seen it like this, like Emma Hart’s written them in LUST, the second book in her Vegas Nights series. Trust me when I say that neither Perrie Fox nor Adrian Potter are like the others that you’ve seen. Emma has written a couple of characters with plenty of heart, lots of sass, and enough chemistry between them to power, well, Las Vegas.

Emma’s characters never fail to grab me, heart and soul, and Perrie and Adrian are some of my favorites to date. These two are all sizzle and pop from their first meeting. Polar opposites, or so it would seem, it doesn’t take too long to figure out that they’re more alike than they’d like to admit, and just what each other needs.

And those kids, though. It only seems fitting that someone as sassy and snarky and take-no-nonsense as Perrie would have a mini-me that can almost, almost out-attitude her. Lola had me laughing out loud in pretty much every scene she was in. And, Zac, Adrian’s son, is the perfect match for Lola, and the constant reminder of what a great father Adrian is. Even with all of their demons, Perrie and Adrian have done a great job as parents, and the love between them and their kids is evident.

You can’t help but fall for the characters in Emma’s books, because, beneath the story, they’re doing the best that they can, just like the rest of us. Physical attraction aside, Perrie and Adrian are parents, children, people working to get a job done, and, at the end of the day, just people. Dealing with the seamier side of life has left them both somewhat jaded and untrusting, and seeing those layers peel away the longer that they spend time together made for one of Emma’s best stories yet.

LUST is 4.5-stars worth of snark, spark, and heart-mending, and I absolutely adored it. Although it’s part of a series, it can be read as a standalone (although, why, why, why, would you want to miss the first book? Get reading!). It needs to be on your TBR, and fast. You’ll be in love before you know it.

 

 

 

emma

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies—usually wine—and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy—unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

SIGN UP FOR ALL NEW RELEASE INFO!

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

 

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5-Star Review: Dirty Filthy Rich Love by Laurelin Paige

Posted on by
Reply

 

Dirty Filthy Rich Love by Laurelin Paige

Release Date: September 11th

 

 

Dirty Filthy Rich Love is LIVE:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2oIzdc8

Amazon International: myBook.to/DFRL

iBooks: http://apple.co/2ojC4ZS

BN: http://bit.ly/2vonRPc

Kobo:http://bit.ly/2vQXTHi

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hEeOCS

 

Start the Duet TODAY:

Dirty Filthy Rich Men (book 1):

Dirty Filthy Rich Boys (free series starter):
http://amzn.to/2lKsa4o

 

 

Blurb:

I’ve discovered Donovan Kincaid’s secret.

It’s dirty and filthy and rich – as dirty and filthy and rich as he is – and it haunts me as much as he ever did.

Even after knowing what I know now, I still want to talk to him, to touch him. But there’s an ocean between us, and I’m not sure it can be crossed with something as easy as a phone call or a plane ride.

Yet I’m willing to try.

He doesn’t know this yet, but this time I’m the one with the power. And maybe – just maybe – if the air were cleared and all our secrets bared, there could still be a chance for us.

And this dirty, filthy thing between us might end up being love after all.

 

 

Excerpt:

He took another step toward me, and I started to step back, but there was a counter behind me, so I had to stay put. And maybe I wanted to stay put. He was only a foot and a half away from me now.

“But I haven’t lied to you, Sabrina.” His gaze never left mine. “And I’m not lying when I say I don’t give a fuck about anybody else’s cunt but yours.”

We stood there, not touching, not speaking, each of us standing our ground. But I had no basis to keep my position, and it felt like he’d won so much already.

I couldn’t back down.

“Prove it,” I said.

His expression flared, his eyes growing dark and mean, and I realized what I’d done. Donovan wasn’t one to be provoked.

I’d just invited the devil out to play.

“Unzip your skirt and put your hands on the counter behind you.”

My heart hammered and my belly twisted. My panties were embarrassingly drenched all of a sudden, and I wanted him. But I stood completely still. “I didn’t—”

He cut me off. “No talking and unzip your skirt.”

My mouth slammed shut, but I still didn’t move. If I moved, I’d be asking for this. But if I talked, I’d be telling him to stop.

And I didn’t want this to stop.

I just didn’t want to ask for it because I was stubborn and stupid for wanting him in the first place.

But he would give it to me without the words, without my obedience. Because he knew me. He knew what I needed.

With his eyes never leaving mine, he found the zipper at the side of my waist and pulled it down. After that, the skirt was loose enough that all he had to do was tug it once and it fell easily to my feet. He nudged his knee against my inner leg, and automatically I stepped that foot out of the pool of material on the floor, widening my stance.

He gave a nod of praise, sending a jolt of warmth through my entire body.

Then he bent down in front of me.

Suddenly, breathing was harder than it should have been. My chest moved up and down, air passed through my mouth, but I couldn’t get enough of it to my lungs.

And he hadn’t even touched me yet.

The sight of him alone—Donovan Kincaid, one of the most powerful men in the world, down on his knees in his black Ermenegildo Zegna suit—it was overwhelming and erotic, and by the time he put his hand at the back of my knee, I was already trembling.

Tracey’s Review

We wrapped ourselves in this chrysalis, this love we’d found that would change us both. This filthy love that had reminded me what it felt like to be cared for. This rich love that taught Donovan for the first time in his life what it could feel like to belong to someone.

This book, y’all. Listen, I’ve read Laurelin Paige, and I know, I know, that any book that she delivers will suck me in and hold me captive until the very last page, and she absolutely nailed it with this darkly intense and erotic read.

I was already hooked on the story, invested in the relationship between Donovan Kincaid and Sabrina Lind. These two have been bound to each other for years, entrenched in ways that don’t become clear until the whole story unfolds in this book. They’re both complicated, Donovan and Sabrina, carrying baggage with a capital ‘B.’ This is, though, what makes them able to understand each other, and, really, perfect for each other.

Donovan, with all of his dark secrets and alpha attitude, is not the typical Prince Charming, but Sabrina’s not the type to want that, anyway. She has very particular needs, and, for better or worse, he gets her completely. Their relationship is anything but conventional, but it mostly works for them, and, when it doesn’t, well, those are the moments that allow them to grow into the people, the couple, that they’re striving to be, to smooth the rough edges and move to the next level.

DIRTY FILTHY RICH LOVE is the perfect wrap-up to the story that began in DIRTY FILTHY RICH BOYS. Laurelin, as usual, has written a flawlessly and well-crafted story, with a plot that immediately and continuously engaged me, and characters that are written with plenty of humanity, with all of the flaws and imperfections that that entails. This book, and the others in the series, are everything that I’ve come to expect from Laurelin, and rates an easy, if sometimes uncomfortable, five stars. This is a series that fans of Laurelin or of the darker, angstier reads should absolutely add to their TBRs.

 

CONNECT WITH LAURELIN PAIGE:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelinPaige/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2knJOrx

Twitter: @LaurelinPaige

Facebook Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HudsonPierce/

 

Never miss an update! Subscribe to Laurelin’s mailing list:

http://bit.ly/LaurelinNews

http://www.laurelinpaige.com

New Release + Excerpt + Review: Gray Matter by Becky McGraw

Posted on by
Reply

 

Gray Matter: Deep Six Security, Book 5 by Becky McGraw

Date of Publication: August 28, 2022

Blurb

Can Gray help his new office manager clean her dirty laundry? Or will the mafia princess hang him out to dry?

Since leaving the FBI Grayson Jennings has found peace in his life with his job as a forensic accountant with Deep Six Security and he treasures it. It remains that way until Michaela Girabaldi is hired as the new office manager for their east coast office.

The smart-mouthed Jersey girl strolls into the office in red high heels with her bags packed with enough dirty laundry to last them both a lifetime. In Prison. Her dirtiest laundry is the 1.2 million dollars she insists she didn’t steal from the mob and Gray is wrangled into helping her find it.

Well, this was not Gray’s first rodeo with a beautiful criminal and he had the bruises to prove it. He was not going to blindly trust a woman ever again, especially one suspected of murder and many other nasty crimes. He would help her, but he wouldn’t be getting into bed with the mafia princess or falling for her or her games.

Mickie says only her cousin knows where the loot is located, so Gray sets out to find her. To do that, he’ll have to follow the money, but he is afraid at the end of that trail he’ll find a lot more than he bargained for.

But will he find the money before the mob finds Mickie? Or will she distract him with her Nonna’s Magic Massage Oil and cannolis at the beach house where they’re hiding out and get them both killed?

 

Available From

Amazon (Kindle)
 B&N: Nook
 Kobo
 iTunes

Excerpt:

Gray stepped off the curb, but hopped back when a long, black limo with blacked out windows almost hit him.  The brake lights flickered as the driver slowed even more. 

When the car finally passed him, he stepped off the curb and walked across the street.  He just couldn’t bear watching her walk inside that building.  Gray would find a place for her to stay tonight, and he’d make damned sure she had a place when she came back to town after her training.

“Michaela…” he said, dropping his hand on her shoulder.

She gasped and her body tensed.  Gray’s only warning was a clanking whoosh and a quick black flash before her handbag connected with the side of his head.  A gong-like sound echoed in his skull as he staggered back with stars dancing in his line of vision. 

He slumped against the brick wall, holding his throbbing jaw as he ran his tongue over his teeth to make sure they were all still in place.

“Oh, God—I’m so sorry!” she screeched as she walked up to him.  “You scared me.”  Her look of horror turned to anger when their eyes met.  “But it’s your own fault for following me. Why are you following me?”

Gray wished he had an answer to that question himself.  “Why are you staying at a homeless shelter?” he shot back, rubbing his aching jaw.

“I’m not, I’m, ah—visiting a friend,” she replied, her cheeks flushing.

“The same friends you’re staying with?” he volleyed, knowing a lie when he heard one.

“What business is it of yours?” she demanded, putting her hand on her hip.

“It’s my business because I need to make sure you’re a good fit for our office.  Right now, considering your penchant for lying and assault, I’d say I have reason to be concerned.”

Her face fell, and her hazel eyes filled with angry tears.  “If having you in my business is a requirement of the job, then I don’t want it,” she replied, lifting her chin.

“But you need it,” he countered, pushing off of the dirty brick wall to take her arm.  He nodded his chin toward the shelter.  “Come back to the hotel with me and I’ll get you a room.  Is there anything you need to get from inside?”

Tracey’s Review

Oh, those Deep Six Security guys, you just have to love them. These are some bad*ss guys, and they get into more hot water than they can handle sometimes. Take Grayson Jennings, for example. He’s just trying to do his job, setting up the next office for the Deep Six folks, when he is blindsided by a very small, very feisty, very Italian whirlwind with plenty to hide.

Michaela ‘Mickie’ Girabaldi has definitely found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. On the run from some very bad men, Mickie’s just looking for a way to stay alive. When her search brings her to the offices of Deep Six Security, and a second meeting with Gray Jennings, she’s less than thrilled.

I love this series, and Becky McGraw might have just written my favorite of them yet with GRAY MATTER. While there is plenty of the usual suspense, I found myself laughing out loud at the banter between Gray and Mickie. Clearly, neither one was ready for what they’d gotten themselves into, and there is plenty of humor, as well as scenes so steamy that a fan and a cool drink are nice to have on hand.

Having all of the usual suspects on hand to keep things jumping was a pleasure, and meeting Mickie’s brother, Dante, seems like a great lead-in for another book that Becky needs to give us. All in all, GRAY MATTER is 4 action-packed, sexy, laugh until you cry stars, and a definite must-read for fans of the Deep Six books.

About Becky McGraw

A Jill of many trades, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Becky McGraw has been an optician, a beautician, a legal secretary, a real estate broker, web designer, graphic artist, and romance writer. She knows just enough to make her dangerous, and her humor-laced contemporary western cowboy, and military, police procedural romantic suspense novels varied and interesting. Becky resides in Florida with her husband of thirty-three years and her dog Abby. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America Published Authors Network.

Find Becky McGraw Online

Website Mailing List Goodreads Amazon Facebook Twitter Instagram

 

Hosted by:
</div

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Playlist + 4.5-Star Review: Lucky Number Eleven by Adriana Locke

Posted on by
Reply

 

 

Title: Lucky Number Eleven
Author: Adriana Locke
Genre: Romantic Comedy/Sports Romance
Release Date: September 7, 2017

 

Blurb
People say not to believe the things you read
in magazines, but you know what? Most things you’ve heard about me are probably
true.
I totally banged the reporter in the locker
room after the championship game last year.
Those pictures in Expose from last summer?
Those were not modified.
I’m also not really six-foot tall. (But let’s
keep that between us.)
Now, I know you’re wondering about that last
Expose headline—the one about me and my teammate (and ex-best friend) Finn
Miller’s sister, Layla James. That one is a little more complicated.
Here’s the thing: I’ve played football my
whole life. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to adjust when the game
changes. And if there’s one thing I always do, it’s find a way to win.
Granted, the stakes are higher. The playbook
has changed. There’s more on the line than (another) MVP title. But guess what
hasn’t changed? Me. I’m still Branch “Lucky” Best and I’m not about to fumble
this one.
Grab a seat and a subscription to Expose. I’m
about to make some headlines. (Again.)
A sexy, swoon-filled standalone novel.

 

 

Purchase Links

 

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Check out Adriana’s website for giveaways to celebrate this release!

 

 

Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/adrianalocke/playlist/7uVR6DSz4hdtv07Sjq0m99

 

Excerpt
“One question,” Poppy interjects, looking at Branch. “What position are you?”
“I typically like the bottom so I can watch—oomph,” he says, getting another elbow
from Finn. “Wide receiver. Why?”
Looking at Poppy, I can’t help but laugh as her eyes light up.
“You got a problem with wide receivers?” Branch asks.
“You do,” Finn interjects, giving me a narrowed glare. “They aren’t any better than
quarterbacks.”
Branchlooks from me, to Finn, and back to me. “Why do we not like quarterbacks?”
“My sister was dating Callum Worthington.”
“No shit?”
His face puckers like he just bit into a lemon. “How in the hell did that
cocksucker end up with you?”
“He didn’t. We’re not together anymore.”
Branch’s eyes heat, the look causing my pulse to quicken. “I’m not a bit sorry to hear that.”
“You better forget you heard any of that,” Finn warns. “This is my sister, Branch. Not a cheerleader or reporter or some chick from a dating app. Got it?”
“Finn, relax,” I say, shoving a swallow past the lump in my throat. “I appreciate the
big brother spiel, but I can handle myself.”
“I know you can,” he says, pulling his gaze away from Branch. “But you can’t handle him.”

 

Tracey’s Review

“Life is timed to a watch we don’t control. Things happen today to set up things later that we can’t predict or see or imagine. Don’t fight it. Embrace it.”

If Layla Miller knows one thing about pro football players, she knows that they’re, well, players. Layla’s learned that lesson, both from her brother Finn and his friends, and from personal experience. It’s been demonstrated time and again that, off the field, it’s no holds barred.

When Layla meets Branch “Lucky” Best, she’s determined not to make the same mistake again, the one that’s all fun and games until it’s not. And, Branch? He’s all about the good time, and Layla is at the top of his list for good times, best friend’s sister or not.

There’s not a book that Adriana Locke has written that I don’t love, and part of what makes her a favorite is that she writes so many different kinds of books. From angsty, heartbreaking reads (that’d be SACRIFICE) to a series of Southern boys that each own a piece of my heart (that’s you, Landrys), Addy truly has something for everyone. LUCKY NUMBER ELEVEN, Addy’s addition to the Exposé series, is all things sexy and sweet, with moments of pure philosophy mixed in.

The thing about Adriana’s books is, there are layers. Branch could be just another football god, all swagger and pheromones, but that’s not the sum total of who he is. It takes life throwing a monster of a curveball (sorry, I’m mixing sports metaphors, but…) in the form of one Layla James Miller to show Branch just what’s important, and Addy does a wonderful job of helping him shine.

Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of steam, sizzle, and sexy times for our Lucky Number Eleven and his lady. But the humor, the life lessons, and the way that they navigate those unexpected detours really made this book such an enjoyable read for me. LUCKY NUMBER ELEVEN is an easy 4.5 ‘coffee cake and curveballs’ stars for me, and perfect for fans of contemporary romance with plenty of swoony, sexy, heartwarming moments.

Author Bio

USA Today
and Amazon Top 10 Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books.
After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys
created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather’s nice and there’s always a piece of candy in her
pocket.
Please contact Adriana at www.adrianalocke.com.
She loves to hear from readers.

 

Author Links

FACEBOOK GROUP
GOODREADS GROUP
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
PINTEREST
SPOTIFY
WEBSITE

 

Release Boost + Excerpt + 5-Star Review: SAVIOR by S.L. Scott

Posted on by
Reply

 

Title: Savior
Series: The Kingwood Series #2
Author: S.L. Scott
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Mystery
Release Date: August 13, 2017

 

Blurb

 

Everything is not as it seems.
Alexander IV has succeeded to the throne of the billion-dollar Kingwood Empire, but the people he thought he could trust aren’t allies.
They’re enemies.
Everyone he cares about is at risk.
Decisions–SACRIFICES–must be made.
What will he do to protect the people he loves? Will Sara Jane live or die?
Find out NOW in this EPIC conclusion to the bestselling The Kingwood Duet. Savage, book 1 in the series, should be read first and is LIVE on Amazon.

 

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt

 
I sit outside on a bench, looking at the scuffs on the tips of my black leather shoes. The bottoms are worn from wearing them while riding my bike. It was the only sign that set me apart from the other rich kids where I grew up. Other than Cruise, no one rode motorcycles or had dealt with anything worse than getting a warning after getting busted for smoking, skipping school, sneaking out, smoking weed, getting drunk, or driving over the speed limit. The list could go on.
 
I have a car. I just don’t drive it much, preferring the freedom I feel on my bike. It wasn’t just my clothes or the bike that set me a part. None of them had lived, breathed, existed simply because their soul mate did. Not even now.
 
From the moment I saw her, I knew Sara Jane was it for me, an angel in a Catholic school uniform, eating a candy bar. She couldn’t have been more innocent. Except she was. The girl had barely been kissed. It’s like she had been waiting to meet me, as if she had saved herself for me. How a girl who looked that good and smelled even sweeter remained untouched for so long was beyond me.
 
I would have loved her no matter what. She could have been a prostitute, and I would have only seen her halo. I was a ship navigating a stormy sea, but she called me to her lighthouse, a beacon shining in the dark. It was never about her innocence, or the sins I had inherited. The day I met Sara Jane was about two lives that weren’t meant for only one lifetime, but destined to be together forever.
 
Maybe that’s what had given me the confidence to break away from the kids I grew up with. I knew I was meant for something bigger than a life of partying and getting high socially.
 
I was meant for Sara Jane, and she for me.
Tracey’s Review

Well, I finally got my hot little hands on SAVIOR, the second book in the Kingwood Duet by author S.L. Scott, and it was everything that I was hoping. I was hanging onto the cliff that Suzie threw readers over at the end of SAVAGE (Book 1) by my fingernails, y’all, and dying to see what was next for Sara Jane and Alexander. SAVIOR started out with a bang, and, friends, there is no break in the action, the suspense, and the glorious passion of it all, from the first page to the last.

As I was reading SAVIOR, I kept thinking about what a range Suzie has with her books. The two books in the Kingwood Duet are unlike anything else of hers that I’ve read, and they are riveting and wonderful in their own way. There is such a depth of emotion between Alexander and Sara Jane, a bond that nothing, and I mean nothing can break. And, while that’s a common theme in all of Suzie’s stories, there’s just something different about this series. Dark, dangerous, and filled with edge of your seat action, these books make for a story that you just can’t stop reading.

I couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying conclusion to the epic story that began with SAVAGE, and sped through SAVIOR to find the answers to all of the questions, the secrets that were waiting to be revealed, with barely a pause. Suffice to say that fans of romantic suspense NEED to have these books atop their TBR, because they will blow you away. There are plenty of angsty, heart-stopping reads out there, but Alexander King and his queen are in a class by themselves, so do yourself a favor and dive into them now.

Also Available

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Join the Savage
Facebook Spoiler Group

 

Author Bio

 

 

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She’s obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she’s a pro.
Author Links

Release Day Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway + 4.5-Star Review: The Beauty of Us by Kristen Proby

Posted on by
Reply

 

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes a sexy, new standalone contemporary romance in her Fusion Series, THE BEAUTY OF US, out now! Grab your copy today and get to know Trevor and Riley!

 

About THE BEAUTY OF US:

New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby delivers another sizzling novel in her delectable and sexy Fusion series.

Riley Gibson is over the moon at the prospect of having her restaurant, Seduction, on the Best Bites TV network. This could be the big break she’s been waiting for. But the idea of having an in-house show on a regular basis is a whole other matter. Their lives would be turned upside down, and convincing Mia, her best friend and head chef of Seduction, that having cameras in her kitchen every day is a good idea is daunting. Still, Riley knows it’s an opportunity she can’t afford to pass on. And when she meets Trevor Cooper, the show’s executive producer, she’s stunned by their intense chemistry.

Trevor’s sole intention is to persuade Riley to allow Best Bites TV to do a show on her restaurant. But when he walks into Riley’s office, he stops dead in his tracks. The professional, aloof woman on the phone is incredibly beautiful and funny. But can he convince her that he’s interested in Riley for himself? Or is he using the undeniable pull between them to persuade her to agree to his offer?

 

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

 

Add to your Goodreads

 

 

And Don’t Miss the First Three Standalone Novels in the Fusion Series!

LISTEN TO ME
CLOSE TO YOU
BLUSH FOR ME

 

 

EXCERPT:

“There seems to be an explosion in the jackass population,” I reply, and sigh, passing my glass to Kat for a refill.

“Where are you meeting them?” he asks, and I bite my lip.

“I don’t want to tell you.”

“Online,” he says with a nod.

“I didn’t say that!”

“Didn’t have to. If you met him at the gym or the grocery store, or somewhere else in person, you wouldn’t be embarrassed.”

“I’m not embarrassed.”

“Yes, you are. Otherwise, you wouldn’t mind telling me.”

“Fine.” I sigh and rub my forehead with my fingers. “I met them online.”

“Stop that,” he says.

“I don’t know where else I’d meet people,” I reply. “I’m at work at least fifty hours a week. I don’t do school or clubs or church, and I rarely go to the grocery store because I always eat here.”

“I could stop feeding you,” Mia interjects and I toss her a glare.

“I’m just saying, if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.”

“I don’t understand any of the words you just said.” I squint at him, trying to process.

“Switch it up,” he says with a grin. “Try to meet people somewhere else. I mean, you didn’t meet me online, and I’m not an asshole.”

“Sure, you’re cute, and you look like you have your shit together, but I suspect that once I got to know you I’d learn that you have mommy issues and fourteen dogs.”

“You might,” he says with a thoughtful nod. “I do hide those things well. All I’m saying is, stop using the dating sites and try meeting people in real life.”

“Yeah. Easy for you to say.” I pout into my wineglass. “Do I need to send you some money for this counseling session?”

“Nah, the first one’s on me,” he says, tossing that crazy-hot smile at me again. “Just don’t combine Star Wars and Star Trek anymore and that’s payment enough for me.”

He pulls a few bills out of his wallet and tosses them on the bar, then stands to leave.

“Have a good night, and good luck,” he says.

“Thanks.” Just as he’s almost out of view, I call out. “Wait! I didn’t ask your name.”

“Trevor,” he says, and my stomach immediately does at least four cartwheels. “Trevor Cooper.”

“You’re early,” is all I can think to say. My cheeks burning, my fingertips immediately tremble. “You’re not supposed to be here for two more days.”

“I like to come early. Get the lay of the land, that sort of thing.” He smiles and waves. “See you in a couple of days.”

He walks away, and as soon as I hear the front door close, I turn to my friends and just stare at them in utter horror.

“Tell me that didn’t just happen.”

Tracey’s Review

After the amuse bûche that Kristen threw us in BLUSH FOR ME hinting at what was to come for the ladies of Seduction, I couldn’t wait to see what she had up her sleeve. What she had was THE BEAUTY OF US, Riley’s and Trevor’s book, and I absolutely could not have enjoyed it more.

With the same mix of romance and suspense that I’ve come to expect and enjoy so much in Kristen’s previous books, THE BEAUTY OF US just hit all the marks for me. The characters are people that I truly wish that I could hang out with, the friendship, support, and camaraderie making the FUSION world one of my very favorite places. Riley and Trevor are absolutely perfect for each other, and different from any characters that I’ve read lately. With plenty of twists and turns to keep us on our toes, along with sexy time aplenty and a place that I love to visit, this was a book that I could not put down.

I should have known that I would be in love with Trevor Cooper before the end of his first scene. Wry, witty, and smart, he’s one of my favorite of Kristen’s guys to date (note: I’m pretty sure that I say that about all of her guys, so…). He’s got Riley’s number, and proves to be the perfect fit for her, even though he’s very different from what she’s used to. I love the way that he takes charge to show her that all men are most certainly not created equal, and to be the one to show her just how special she is.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Riley as Kristen wrote her. Smart, strong, and savvy, she made me laugh many a time, and cry right along with her when things got crazy, too. I love the way that Kristen writes her female characters, from way back in the early days, right up through the FUSION books. Riley couldn’t be more different from her friends, but they all just fit. Women supporting women is something that I really cherish seeing, and Kristen has nailed it, writing the ladies of Seduction with wonderful friendship, support, and camaraderie.

With all of the ladies accounted for except Mia, you can bet that there’s some kind of story just waiting to be revealed. As in her other books, Kristen gives just enough juicy deets in THE BEAUTY OF US to make me want that next book now, now, NOW. In the meantime, 4.5 sassy, sexy, nerdy, heartwarming stars for THE BEAUTY OF US. This, and all of the books in the Fusion series, are perfect for fans of contemporary romance, and, if you’re a fan of Kristen Proby, they’re must-reads.

 

A Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About Kristen Proby:

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.

 

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter** Newsletter Sign Up

THE BEAUTY OF US Goodreads ** Kristen Proby Goodreads

 

 

 

New Release + Blog Tour + 5-Star Review: Beneath the Truth by Meghan March

Posted on by
Reply

 

From USA Today bestselling author Meghan March comes the final sexy standalone set in the Beneath world of New Orleans.

I used to believe there were lines in life you don’t cross.
Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Don’t steal.
Until I learned people don’t always practice what they preach.
I turned in my badge and gun and walked away from everything.
Then I got the call no one wants, and I’m back in New Orleans.
What I don’t expect is for her to be here too.
Another line you don’t cross?
Don’t touch your best friend’s little sister.
She’s always been off-limits.
Too bad I don’t follow the rules anymore.

 

Amazon | iBooks | BN | Kobo

 

Tracey’s Review

Meghan March has gone and done it. She’s written the last book in the Beneath series, telling the story of Rhett Hennessy and Ariel Sampson, and tidily and emotionally wrapping up a series that I have enjoyed very much. While it’s sad to see this group of stories come to an end, Meghan has done an excellent job of bringing everything full circle, and I could not put this book down to save my life.

Rhett and Ariel have known each other forever. As her big brother’s best friend, Rhett was literally the boy next door, and the star of Ariel’s dreams, both then and now. When a family tragedy bring Rhett back to New Orleans, it isn’t a happy homecoming. He’s been out of contact and away from the Big Easy for years after the life-changing events that took place, and coming back is bittersweet, to say the least.

For Ari, answering her brother’s summons to come back to New Orleans isn’t even a question for her. Even though she’s the owner of her own tech firm, and a certified genius, Ari’s family is her touchstone, and being back home is exactly where she needs to be. When the mysterious events surrounding both her family and Rhett’s start to get darker and more dangerous than either of them could have anticipated, Ari and Rhett will team up to do whatever it takes to crack the case. And if all the close contact finally allows them to open their hearts to each other, all the better.

I absolutely adore Ariel. She is a firecracker, with all the sass and savvy that Meghan routinely brings to her lead ladies. She really doesn’t need a man to feel complete, because she’s doing just fine on her own, but, heck if she’s going to pass up the opportunity to make good on her childhood crush.

Rhett has a lot of baggage, but he’s also plenty in touch with himself, and this trait is one of the things that I most love about the way that Meghan writes her men. Strong, mysterious, Rhett is these things, but he’s also seen enough to know that life is short, and opportunities not to be missed. He loves NOLA, his family, and Ariel’s family above all, and will do what it takes to shed light on the events going down, and he won’t waste anymore time letting a certain redhead know how he feels.

Meghan couldn’t have written a better conclusion to this beloved series, in my opinion. There are all of our favorites from the earlier books, heartfelt passion and serious sizzle, and a wonderful epilogue that had me smiling. 5 stars, of course, for BENEATH THE TRUTH, and for this series. Fans of books with passion, suspense, and plenty of emotion will love this book (and the others!), and I highly recommend it.

 

 

meghanmarchpic

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | PINTEREST