Release Day Blitz: Holiday Spice by Samantha Chase

Posted on 10/03/2017 by cafemamanc7

The Shaughnessy family is ready for the holidays! Samantha Chase’s HOLIDAY SPICE is available TODAY and contemporary romance lovers won’t want to miss this one! Read an excerpt below and pick up your copy today!

About HOLIDAY SPICE

Darcy Shaughnessy has gotten used to her overbearing brothers chasing away any man she wants to date. But a chance meeting with a brooding – and deliciously handsome – artist is about to make this holiday season one to remember.

There’s only one thing Benjamin Tanner loves more than his woodcarving: solitude. Then he gets snowed in with Darcy in his cozy cabin in the woods, and their heated feelings begin to melt the icy barrier between them.

With Ben’s need for privacy and Darcy’s love of family and social life, will opposites still attract once the snow clears and the holiday festivities come to an end?

Add HOLIDAY SPICE to your Goodreads shelf here!

Get your copy of HOLIDAY SPICE today!

Amazon / iBooks / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Read an excerpt of HOLIDAY SPICE now:

It had been tempting to watch her for a little bit longer. Everything about Darcy was so expressive that even though Ben hadn’t heard one word of her exchange with the security guard, he had been able to imagine the entire conversation based on the look on her face.

It was highly entertaining.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her expression one of total confusion.

“Savannah called me and told me you weren’t able to get on a flight. So here I am,” he said, offering her a small smile.

She frowned.

Seriously? Even when he came to save her, she was still pissed at him?

“What if I had gotten on a flight between the time Savannah called you and the time you got to the airport?”

He shrugged. “Then I would have made a very perilous trip for nothing. I would have gotten here sooner, but people don’t know how to drive in the snow. I passed a bunch of accidents.”

“You could have been one of them.”

Another shrug. “I have a truck that happens to be exceptional in the snow, and I’m used to driving in it. It wasn’t a big deal. You need to drive slowly, and you’ll be all right.”

Darcy looked around and made a noncommittal sound. “So you just got here, huh?”

“No, I’ve been here for a while. I couldn’t get past security, and it took some time to page you. I tried calling you several times, but I kept getting a message that all circuits were busy. I guess with the storm moving in and all.” He paused and gave her a lopsided grin. “Anyway, I saw you when you were on the escalator, but you didn’t see me.”

“There’s, like, a million people here,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. “And I wasn’t looking for, well, you.”

He frowned at her tone. “What did you think you were coming here for?”

“Honestly? I thought my brother had been able to charter a plane for me.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sorry to disappoint you. But the only charter you have is me—in the form of a truck and a trip back to the lake.”

“Oh. So I guess I’ll get a room at the hotel,” she said, and he noticed she wouldn’t look directly at him.

“I just planned on bringing you to the cabin until the storm is over and flights are back to normal. It won’t be more than a couple of days. No need for you to have to go to a hotel or anything.”

Now she did look at him. “No, really, it’s okay. I’d prefer to go to the hotel.”

She was looking at him with a hint of defiance, and he figured he’d let her have her way for now. The sooner they got on the road, the better. There was already a very real possibility they weren’t going to get home until after dark. It would be pointless to drag this out.

“That’s fine. No problem.” He motioned toward her suitcase. “I’ll take that for you. Let’s get going.”

“Oh.”

Ben could hear the relief in her voice and smiled to himself. For right now, he was happy to have a truce with her. They had a long drive ahead of them, and he’d rather it be peaceful rather than tense and awkward.

He waited while she pulled her coat out and got herself together, and then they made their way out to the parking garage. The traffic was insane, and he prayed it wasn’t going to be as bad as he was fearing.

It was.

And it was tense and awkward.

Don’t miss the other books in the Shaughnessy Brothers series!

Books in the Shaughnessy Brothers series

Made For Us / Love Walks In / Always My Girl / This Is Our Song / A Sky Full of Stars / Holiday Spice

About SAMANTHA CHASE

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter Sign Up / BookBub

Release Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway: Mine For the Week by Erika Kelly

Posted on 10/03/2017 by cafemamanc7

From the award-winning author of MINE FOR NOW comes the next sizzling standalone story in her Wild Love Series available now, about a chance meeting that changes the course of two people’s lives! Don’t miss the amazing excerpt below and grab your copy of MINE FOR THE WEEK today!

About MINE FOR THE WEEK (Wild Love Series #2):

As the top collegiate shortstop in the country, Ryan O’Donnell’s life is about discipline and training. But a growing restlessness causes him to bail on his baseball team over spring break to join his buddies at an exclusive singles resort. He just needs a few days to escape his life, and then he’ll get right back on track. But not twenty minutes after he arrives he meets HER, and the world as he knows it changes irrevocably. It should only be a hookup—that’s what spring break’s all about—but one taste of this sexy, vibrant woman isn’t enough. He has to have her. Even if it’s only for a week.

Sophie Valentine—yes, that Valentine—just found out her siblings want to sell off Crazy Hearts—the Peeps of the Valentine’s Day world. Being the youngest by eight years, she’s used to feeling left out, but selling off her family’s legacy without talking to her first? Not gonna happen. Upset, she takes off with her friends on their spring break vacation. She only wanted an escape—she never imagined meeting HIM. He’s smoking hot and intensely protective of her—and she loves it. But he’s about to start a major league baseball career, and she’s launching a battle to keep the family company. They have no future. It’s just…she’s never felt this way for anyone before.

Are they really going to walk away from this kind of connection…this passion? Or can a week turn into a lifetime?

Order your copy of MINE FOR THE WEEK today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads

And don’t miss the first title in the Wild Love Series!

MINE FOR NOW

Excerpt:

“Soph?” His arm banded around her, and he hauled her closer to his chest. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. He watched her with an unnerving intensity.

“Yes?” she said, barely able to speak. Was he going to kiss her?

But he just leaned his forehead against hers and let out a slow breath. “I’m about to defile my body, and I need your support.”

“Crazy Hearts are all about the lovin’.”

He fought a smile. “We’ll see about that.” He brought the cookie to his mouth and took a small bite. Immediately, his mouth puckered. He coughed, blowing the powdered sugar all over the desk. “That’s terrible.”

“No, it’s not. It’s beloved.”

“It’s like eating a mouthful of sugar. Is that the only ingredient?”

“Of course not. There’s also corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, artificial coloring, and some benzoate preservatives.”

“Jesus, Soph. You trying to kill me?”

“And, look, it’s not just a cookie.” She pulled his hand toward her, licking her lips before pressing them into the confectioner’s sugar. “It’s lipstick, too.”

He looked at her like she made him happy. “Everyone used to do that in middle school. I don’t know why it didn’t have this effect on me then.”

“What effect?”

“Makes me want to kiss you.”

“I know. I’m a sexy beast.”

“You are so sexy.” He leaned in, lips parted, and he stayed right there, so close she could smell the cookie on his breath. Was he asking for permission? She didn’t know. All she knew was that one moment her breath was trapped in her throat and the next his tongue swept along her lips. Arousal streaked through her so hot and fast the soles of her feet burned.

“Delicious,” he murmured, before tipping her chin. And then he kissed her. The moment their mouths met, he moaned, his arms wrapping even more tightly around her. “You light me up.”

His mouth opened hungrily, his tongue sliding in and seeking hers. She couldn’t resist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him right back.

Yes, oh, yes. Sensation spread from her center, a warm, thrilling rush that pulled her under. His hand went to the small of her back, pressing, and his kiss grew hungrier, more carnal.

“Damn.” His other hand gripped her thigh, and he shifted her, spreading her legs so she straddled him. And once he had her right there, pressed up tight against him, his hips rocked up.

And, God, the heat of his body, the silky softness of his hair. The urgency of his kiss. She slid her hands under his T-shirt, caressing the smooth skin and hard muscles of his chest. His stomach contracted, his arms tightened around her back, and his kiss turned voracious. She moaned into his mouth because nothing had ever felt so good.

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About Erika Kelly:

Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life–she just didn’t know it. Raised on the classics, she didn’t discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she’s been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she’s written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women’s fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she’s lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.

Website Facebook Twitter Newsletter Signup Erika Kelly Goodreads

Release Blitz + Excerpt: Puck Love by Carmen Jenner

Posted on 10/03/2017 by shellbellereads

Title: Puck Love

Author: Carmen Jenner

Genre: Sports Romance

Release Date: October 3, 2017

Blurb

Stella Hart is the hottest thing in country music. For ten
years, she’s been Nashville’s darling. She’s pure, sweet, and a positive role
model in an industry rife with scandals, sex, and sequins. Men want to own her,
women want to be her—everyone wants a piece of her, and Stella? Well, she wants
out.

As the center for the Calgary Crushers, Van Ross isn’t afraid
of the spotlight, but he doesn’t much like it either. Despite his reputation as
a player, the NHL’s bad boy lives for only two things: the game, and his
younger brother. That’s why when he comes across a country music superstar
seeking refuge at his home in the Canadian Rockies, he’s not too happy with the
media shitstorm this surprise houseguest brings.

With a nationwide manhunt, paparazzi dogging their every
move, producers of a reality TV show baying for blood, and a record label
desperate to see their “good girl” returned safely home, Van and Stella’s lives
are snowballing out of control.

While Van would like nothing more than to show the purest of
them all how well he handles his er … stick, Stella is no puck bunny. Nor is
she as innocent as she’d have the world believe. With chemistry like theirs, tension runs high on and off the
ice, but the end game is the same for both players: line up the puck, take the
shot, and score. If only their hearts understood the play.

Puck fame and fortune.

Puck right and wrong.

Puck love.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt

“What are
you running from?” I say, echoing the me from several months ago when this
strange and beautiful creature had arrived on my doorstep, lost, and seeking
refuge from a world that might have destroyed a lesser woman.

She takes
several steps back until there’s nowhere left to go but on top of the counter.
“I’m not running from anything.”

I press
against her. She’s stiff as a board. That
makes two of us. “I miss you, Stella. I jack it every day thinking about
you, sometimes twice a day. I want you.”

“You
can’t have me, Van.”

“Bullshit,”
I hiss. I slide my hand into her hair, and pull her closer. I lean in, but I
don’t kiss her. “Tell me you miss me. Tell me you’re thinking about me, too.”

“I don’t
. . .” She shakes her head, but her breath is hot and heavy against my face.
“I’m not.”
I close
my eyes and rub my cheek against hers. My stubble is likely scratching her
delicate skin, but she doesn’t pull away, and I slide my hand under her shirt.
She’s braless. I groan. All those long days and nights she tortured me at the
cabin by wearing only my flannel shirts with no bra, and probably no panties
either, for all I knew. This little cock
tease needs a taste of her own medicine.

Author Bio

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA Today and international bestselling author.Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU, 2015.

A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore makeup addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child.

A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?

PUBLISHED TITLES TO DATE

Welcome to Sugartown (Sugartown Series #1)

Enjoy Your Stay (Sugartown Series #2)

Greetings from Sugartown (Sugartown Series #3)

Now Leaving Sugartown (Sugartown Series #4)

Sugartown: The Collection

REVELRY (Taint #1)

KICK (Savage Saints MC #1)

TANK (Savage Saints MC #2)

Finding North

Toward the Sound of Chaos

Harley & Rose

The Way Back Home

Author Links

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM

TWITTER
GOODREADS

AMAZON

Release Blitz + 5 Star Reviews + Giveaway + Tour Dates: Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

Posted on 10/03/2017 by shellbellereads

Without Merit

By Colleen Hoover

Buy: Amazon / B & N / IBooks / Kobo

Synopsis

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us and November 9 comes a moving and haunting novel of family, love, and the power of the truth.

“Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.”

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines, when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

Poignant and powerful, Without Merit explores the layers of lies that tie a family together and the power of love and truth.

________________________

Robin’s Review

Author Colleen Hoover touches on a very important topic in her new novel titled Without Merit. Her distinctive wit and humor dance around the subject of mental health. Readers will find comfort in her familiar writing voice but will also notice Without Merit is a bit different from anything she has ever written. Packed with unconventional characters and intense family drama, this book was nearly impossible for me to put down!

Our primary character, Merit Voss, lives in a re-purposed church building located in a small Texas town. Dubbed Dollar Voss, the church building is now the home to seven Voss family members. Merit is the self-proclaimed keeper of Voss family secrets. From her point of view, her family is embarrassing and completely dysfunctional. She harbors pent up anger towards family members, resents her eccentric living circumstances, and blames both of these reasons for her lack of a social life.

We’ve all heard some of these questions asked – how do you know if your family is normal? Which human behaviors are considered dysfunctional? Is there even such thing as a normal family? While I was reading this novel, I found myself focusing on questions such as these. Without Merit forced me to consider my own family dynamics and other important themes such as perspective, judgement, and resentment.

From the viewpoint of a teenage girl, the behaviors or makeup of a family unit can be traumatic, even embarrassing and frustrating. Colleen Hoover was very clever as she penned Merit’s passive-aggressive point-of-view. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but throughout this story I had this sense that we were building towards something important. It was subtle at first, barely there, and then it became more gradual. But it was there – I felt this impending sense that something climactic was coming.

Without Merit has solid character development, creativity, romantic tension, and eccentric secondary characters – all the characteristics we love to see in a top Colleen Hoover novel. Hoover took a step away from the new adult genre with this novel – something that I was delighted to see! This fiction novel falls soundly into the young adult age group, with a lean toward the coming of age genre.

Without Merit is a fantastic read, but the truth is, this story has the potential to touch people’s lives. At the very minimum, it will open the eyes of readers to the importance of mental health. I am sure of this. I highly recommend Without Merit. I’m giving this book a 5-star rating and will be adding it to my list of 2017 favorites!

*****

Michel’s Review

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover is one of those unique novels that doesn’t quite fit in any specific genre. It is the type of novel that will appeal to readers of all ages and all backgrounds.

Without Merit features a dysfunctional family seen through a teenager’s perspective. Like most modern day families,the Voss family structure is based upon busy schedules, individual agendas and poor communications. It is their normal until it no longer works. When one family member disrupts the cogs in their wheels, it’s the beginning of the breakdown of their family unit until they find a better way to function as a unit rather than a bunch of individuals living under one roof.

Merit Voss feels invisible amongst her family members and permanent house guests. Her family is dysfunctional in every way. Her mother lives in the basement while her father’s new wife is running the house. Her siblings are busy with their involvement in school activities and extra curricular activities. They each have their own quirks that add to the family dysfunction. Her twin sister’s boyfriend has moved in with them and she finds herself falling for him. The last thing she needs is to deal with the guilt of coveting her sister’s boyfriend. When her stepmom’s crazy younger brother joins the family home it disrupts the family dynamics all the more. His crazy antics and insightful observations add to the chaos.

One fateful moment brings clarity to the family. One dog bonds them together in an unusual way. Things have to change because no matter what happens, they love one another.

Colleen Hoover touched upon so many issues that plague the modern day family. Not only was the family dysfunctional, every person in the household had their own issues they were dealing with. Colleen added her quirky sense of humor to all of the characters and gave them individual traits that were easy to love. This lightened the heaviness of the subject matter in this book. She also showed that whether it’s blood or by choice, family is the foundation that made each individual strong in their own way. The family bond is what healed them all and led them on the path of healthier lives.

I would highly recommend Without Merit by Colleen Hoover.

_________________________________________________

Now for the fun….the #WithoutMerit Contest!

Enter the Rafflecopter to win a limited edition signed hardcover copy of WITHOUT MERIT! (5 winners in total) Contest is open until October 30^th!

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Don’t miss Colleen on tour for WITHOUT MERIT:

SEATTLE, WA

Monday, October 2^nd

THIRD PLACE BOOKS

7:00 PM

17171 Bothell Way NE

Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/colleen-hoover-without-merit

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/137295906877328/

LOS ANGELES, CA

Tuesday, October 3^rd

CHEVALIER’S BOOKS

7:00 PM

126 N. Larchmont Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90004

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-talk-and-signing-with-colleen-hoover-for-her-new-book-without-merit-tickets-37139282594

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1911946199130358

KANSAS CITY, KS

Wednesday, October 4^th

WOODNEATH LIBRARY CENTER

7:00 PM

8900 NE Flintlock Rd

Kansas City, MO 64157

http://www.mymcpl.org/events/calendar/story-center-speaker-series-colleen-hoover

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/174560183089713

CHICAGO, IL

Thursday, October 5^th

ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP – LA GRANGE

7:00 PM

26 S La Grange Rd

La Grange, IL 60525

http://hooverandersons.brownpapertickets.com

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/264445024062577

CINCINNATI, OH

Friday, October 6^th

JOSEPH-BETH BOOKSELLERS

7:00 PM

2692 Madison Road

Cincinnati, OH 45208

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3081217

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/113057092698266

POTTSTOWN, PA

Saturday, October 7^th

BOOKS-A-MILLION

6:00 PM

Coventry Mall

351 W. Schuylkill Road Ste G16

Pottstown, PA 19465

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-colleen-hoover-at-books-a-million-pottstown-pa-tickets-37311651153

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/352249878530498

NEW YORK, NY

Sunday, October 8^th

NEW YORK COMIC CON

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

500 West 36th Street

Hudson Mercantile

New York, NY 10018

https://www.showclix.com/event/ColleenHoover5yf6nuy

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1979991848924145

DALLAS, TX

Tuesday, October 10

SMU BOOKSTORE

7:00 PM

B&N College

Southern Methodist University Bookstore

3060 Mockingbird Lane

Dallas, TX 75205

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colleen-hoover-book-launch-for-without-merit-tickets-37360492238?ref=elink

RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/746877452165014

______________________________________

About Colleen Hoover

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

New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt: Scandalous by LJ Shen

Posted on 10/03/2017 by cafemamanc7

Scandalous, the highly anticipated next standalone in the Sinners of Saint Series by LJ Shen is available NOW!

Scandalous by LJ Shen

Publishing Date: September 29th, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

They call him The Mute for a reason.

Hard, cold and calculated, he rarely speaks.

When he does, it’s with disdain.

When he does, his words aren’t meant for me.

When he does, my stomach flips and my world tilts on its axis.

He is thirty-three.

I am eighteen.

He’s a single dad and my father’s business partner.

I’m just a kid to him and his enemy’s daughter.

He’s emotionally unavailable.

And I am…feeling. Feeling things I shouldn’t feel for him.

Trent Rexroth is going to break my heart. The writing isn’t just on the wall, it’s inked on my soul.

And yet, I can’t stay away.

A scandal is the last thing my family needs. But a scandal is what we’re going to give them.

And oh, what a beautiful chaos it will be.

Excerpt:

Trent’s gaze cut to mine and stopped when his grays met my blues. The fading noise of Vicious barking at people to move along, and my father finally letting go of my arm to move toward Jaime and Dean—probably trying to gain both allies and sympathy—died down.

“I don’t like you,” Rexroth whispered under his breath, his voice harsh.

“I never asked you to.” I shrugged.

“You won’t be working here.” His arm brushed my shoulder, but I didn’t think it was by accident. I let loose a sugary smile, scanning his face and torso for no other reason other than to taunt him. “Good, you’ll be doing me a favor. My father is the one forcing me to work here. He’s pissed I turned down five Ivy League colleges. Remind me, Mr. Rexroth—which top tier university did you attend for your degree?”

The low blow was supposed to retrieve some of my lost dignity, but bile burned my throat, shotgunned from my stomach. Trent Rexroth was known in Todos Santos as an exhilarating success story, rising from the gutters of San Diego. He went to a shitty state college that accepted even the illiterate, working as a janitor on campus after hours. Those were given facts he’d recited himself in an interview for Forbes.

Had I really just tried to make him feel less worthy because he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth? It made me sicker than wearing my mother’s designer garbs.

Trent smiled, leaning into my body, into my soul. His smirk was more frightening than any scowl, frown, or grimace I’d ever seen. It threatened to tear me apart and sew me back together however he pleased.

“Edie.” His lips were dangerously close to my ear. A delicious shiver moved down my spine. Something warm rolled inside of me, begging to unknot and flower into an orgasm. What was happening, and why the hell was it happening? “If you know what’s best for you, you will turn around and leave right now.”

I elevated my head to meet his gaze and showed him my version of a grin. I was born and raised in a world of intimidating rich men, and I’d be damned if I go down like my mother—addicted to xanax, Gucci, and a man who paraded her on his arm for a short, glorious decade before keeping her solely for public appearances.

“I think I’m going to go find my desk now. I’d wish you a good day, Mr. Rexroth, but I think that ship has sailed. You’re a miserable man. Oh, and one for the road.” I fished for a Nature Valley bar in my mother’s purse and plastered it to his hard, muscled chest. My heart slammed into my neck, fluttering like a caged bird.

I hurried after my father as he glided down the vast, golden-hued hallway, not daring to look back. Knowing I’d started a war and arrived unequipped. But I also knew something else that gave me a surfer’s rush—if I could slam the final nail in my employment coffin and make Rexroth vote against me, I’d be off the hook.

I had just the plan for it. All I had to do was act like a brat. Game on.

Read Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2hp6if7

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2whiZeq

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/rBwXhs

Start the Series of Standalones Today!

(Free in Kindle Unlimited)

Vicious

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2rBgpRu

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2jzngb4

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2hUo31f

About LJ Shen:

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

LJSHEN

Connect with LJ Shen:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lj_shen

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Blog Tour + Review: Breakaway by Sophia Henry – The Pilots Hockey Series – Book 5

Posted on 10/02/2017 by shellbellereads

Breakaway
Sophia Henry
Published by: Random House: Flirt
Publication date: September 5th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports

In a standalone hockey romance that tugs at readers’ heartstrings, a broken ex-pro learns to live and love again—all thanks to the complicated, wonderful nurse who gives him a second chance.

Brianna Collins needs to break away from her overbearing family. Her parents expect her to “fix” her brother after a series of concussions derailed his hockey career. Unfortunately, no doctor will give him clearance to play, and she’s finished with being the person they rely on to perform a miracle that will never happen. For Bree, a six-month nursing assignment at a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the perfect escape.

Luke Daniels, former forward for the NHL’s Charlotte Aviators, has spent close to a year rehabbing a career-threatening injury—and distracting himself however he can. Worlds collide when Luke realizes that the girl from his latest one-night-stand happens to be the new nurse at the hospital where he volunteers in the pediatric unit. What’s more, Bree’s the only person who makes him excited about life again.

Despite her initial reservations, Luke can’t help pursuing sweet, beautiful Bree. Then he realizes it was her brother whose career he ended with an accidental hit, and he falls back on the thing that’s always helped suppress his demons: alcohol. But if Luke doesn’t kick his old habits, he just may lose the one thing he loves more than hockey.

Don’t miss any of Sophia Henry’s exhilarating Pilots Hockey novels:
DELAYED PENALTY | POWER PLAY | INTERFERENCE | UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT | BREAKAWAY

Praise for Sophia Henry
“Sophia Henry’s hockey novels are fun and flirty, warm and sweet, with relatable heroines and swoon-worthy hockey heroes. They’ll bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart.”—USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Books-A-Million / Google Play

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Michel’s Review

Breakaway by Sophia Henry is the fifth book in the Pilots Hockey Series. Breakaway has a very different tone and vibe than the previous books in the series and this may be why this book is getting mixed reactions from the fans of this series. If you are looking for a book that is hockey related but want more of the action off the ice away from the game, this is the book you want to pick up. This is a book about second chances, redemption, hope, love, and life after hockey. Each character is dealing with their own let downs and problems in life, a small part of it is due to their worlds coincidentally colliding one moment in time. The other part is what happens after all the pieces are broken and in need of repair.

Reading the synopsis gives the reader a good idea the direction this novel is going. It’s what happens after that brings Bree and Luke true happiness in life. It’s learning to accept what you can’t control, learning to walk away when all avenues are exhausted, learning to forgive others as well as forgiving oneself, and finally learning that life has so much more to offer when you open your heart.

Breakaway is loaded with emotional angst as well as sexy romance. Although I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous books in the series, I liked it a lot better once I took the time to digest the real message within the story. I would recommend this book to new readers as well as fans of this series. Sophia Henry took the Pilots Hockey Series beyond the ice.

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Author Bio:

Award-Winning Author, Sophia Henry, is a proud Detroit native who fell in love with reading, writing and hockey all before she became a teenager. She did not, however, fall in love with snow. So after graduating with an English degree from Central Michigan University, she moved to the warmth of North Carolina for the remainder of her winters.

She spends her days writing books featuring hot, hockey-playing heroes. When she’s not writing, she’s chasing her two high-energy sons, watching her beloved Detroit Red Wings, and rocking out at concerts.

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Release Blitz + 5 Star Review: Battle Scars by Jane Harvey-Berrick

Posted on 10/02/2017 by shellbellereads

Battle Scars

By Jane Harvey – Berrick

Release Date: October 1st, 2017

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis:

From the dusty plains of Afghanistan to the sleek corridors of the New York Times, journalist MJ Buckman seeks the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. What she doesn’t expect to find is a man who’s her complete opposite … and fits her perfectly.

Marine Sergeant Jackson Connor knows that relationships don’t work for men in the military. He’s living proof of that. But when a steely-eyed temptress in a flak jacket, who carries her moral cause in front of her, crosses his path, he’s furious, curious, and all kinds of in-lust.
* * *
A grown-up love story about two people who aren’t looking for love, but realize how precious it is when they find it. They don’t play games and there are no stupid misunderstandings, just life standing in their way.

Can they compromise? And what does that look like in a modern relationship between two driven people?

Assignment Vs deployment.

They’re always traveling in different directions. What relationship can survive that?

Michel’s Review

Jane Harvey-Berrick has become on of my go to authors. When I open one of her novels I know I am not only going to get an emotional romance but I am also going to get a truthful and compassionate story about people dealing with unpleasant circumstances in life. Whether it is a soldier suffering from PTSD or a seventeen year old boy becoming a man in his turbulent world or a dare devil stuntman with showmanship in his blood or a convicted felon acclimating to the outside world after years in prison, there is one thing in common in all of these novels. Jane Harvey-Berrick captures the vulnerability as well as the strength of the human spirit in an imperfect world. The one idea or emotion her novels clearly illustrate is HOPE no matter what the life circumstances are. With all the tension in today’s world people have forgotten the very basic thing that makes us stand out as humans, the potential to make a better world because of HOPE.

Battle Scars is a bit different from most military romances. This is a story of two people becoming a couple when their lives are on very different paths. One is a career military officer and the other is a journalist traveling throughout the world in search of the next story. Both of their jobs are fueled by adrenaline. They can be in very dangerous situations at any given moment which makes their jobs unpredictable. Somewhere in the midst of their chaotic world they found one another. Their love for one another changed how they looked at their own lives as well as their careers. Their mutual respect and acceptance of one another’s chosen careers was the foundation of their future relationship. Their choices may not have always been theirs to make but they learned to compromise. What was most important was the knowledge of each other’s love.

Jane Harvey-Berrick not only showed how difficult “military” relationships can be, she also showed the strength of these relationships. I admired the honesty her words delivered.

Jane Harvey-Berrick has delivered another outstanding book that went beyond the usual romance novel!

I highly recommend reading Battle Scars by Jane Harvey-Berrick.

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Jane is a writer of contemporary romance fiction, known for thoughtful stories, often touching on difficult subjects: disability (DANGEROUS TO KNOW & LOVE, SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM); mental illness (THE EDUCATION OF CAROLINE, SEMPER FI); life after prison (LIFERS); dyslexia (THE TRAVELING MAN, THE TRAVELING WOMAN).

She is also a campaigner for former military personnel to receive the support they need on leaving the services. She wrote the well-received play LATER, AFTER with former veteran Mike Speirs. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk1CyB8c0xA )

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New Release + Blog Tour + Excerpt: The Choices I’ve Made by J.L. Berg

Posted on 10/02/2017 by cafemamanc7

The Choices I’ve Made by J.L. Berg is available NOW!

tCiM BN Kobo

The Choices I’ve Made by J.L. Berg

Release Date: October 1st
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Death is easy.

Surviving it? That’s the hard part.

Dr. Jake Jameson knows this all too well. Losing his mother at the age of eighteen, he walks away from his small hometown and the painful memories it holds, vowing to never return again.

Twelve years later, he finds himself driving back down the coast of North Carolina. When his father leaves him a small medical practice, he has no choice but to heed the call until he can find someone else to take it off his hands.

But coming back home means facing everything he left behind, including the one woman who might make it impossible to leave again.

Molly McIntyre has spent her entire life in one town. Taking over her parents’ small inn, she’s settled into a quiet, happy life. But all of that comes to an abrupt halt when Jake shows up at her door in need of a place to stay.

Molly loathes everything about this man, but she can’t find it in her heart to refuse his request.

After over a decade, these former lovers quickly discover what once burned brightly between them has only grown in their time apart. Soon they must decide if the choices they’ve made have led them back to each other for a second chance or one final goodbye.