From New York Times Bestselling author, Sawyer Bennett, comes a SEXY new stand alone romance…
When you’re a rock god, fame and fortune are your two best friends, but they can be fickle bitches. Everyone wants a piece of me and I have no clue how to deal with it all. I’m being sued, pressured to sign contracts, and fending off rabid women who want to steal my virtue.
Well, not that I really have any virtue, but still… my life has turned completely bat-shit crazy.
That’s why I need Emma Peterson. She got me out of a bit of a jam once, and I know she can do it again. The only problem is that sweet, prim and totally straight-laced Emma doesn’t want anything to do with me. Not professionally, and certainly not personally.
It’s not that I want her in that way. Let’s be realistic… it would take a crow bar of epic proportions to get her to spread those legs for me.
No, I only want her legal expertise and for her to make sense of my crazy world. It’s a good thing I have just the leverage to make her do my bidding, because her refusal is not an option.
*Sexy Lies and Rock & Roll is a hot, romantic comedy stand alone.
_______________________________
About the Author
USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.
Brotherhood is what Bull bleeds and all that he knows.
Being the king of The Devil’s Dust and surrounded by easy women was his everyday… until having his heart broke rooted him to the bottom of a whiskey bottle.
Heartbroken, and drowning in lost memories he’s unsure of the direction of his life, when the answer – consisting of a terrified Mexican girl- nearly knocks him off his feet.
Determined to get his act together and rectify his club, he rides to Texas for answers, only to be confronted with the emotional ghosts he isn’t ready to deal with.
He sees Anahi, and he wants her.
But she may come with more baggage than Bull is ready for.
Anahi used to be prim and proper. She used to wear dresses and keep up appearances to impress people she didn’t know. I guess you could say she was a fucking lady.
But that was when she lived in Mexico with her parents.
Before her uncle turned on her.
Before, the only man she ever loved, her step-brother, betrayed her.
Before she was forced to be a drug mule for the Cartel.
Evening gowns a lost memory, expensive heels traded for boots, and a nine millimeter in her hand instead of a limited edition purse. Anahi sets aside everything she’s ever known including the fairytale stories her mother told her about America.
She’s angry, determined, and looking for a way out.
Excerpt
“Bull?” my voice breathy.
“Yeah?”
“The last time I let someone close to me… it didn’t go well.”
He pecks a kiss on my erect nipple that was in his mouth seconds before.
“Anahi, Alvaro is a boy pretending to be a man, and I’m about to show you the difference between pretending and actually being,” he states matter of fact, his tone smug.
I smirk. “You’re so arrogant.”
He lifts his chin, his eyes finding mine. “Only one way to find out, darlin’,” he states wolfishly. “I’m going to fuck you to the point you’ll have to take your time sitting down afterwards, baby.”
With that, the head of his length presses into me. My back arches off the bed, an audible gasp leaving my lips. Bull pushes in another couple inches, filling me to the point I swear I can’t take anymore. The sensation of burning and bliss battling with one another I can’t help but fidget beneath him. I don’t know whether to cry or moan.
He slips in more, filling me to the brink and a cry rips up my throat. Bull presses his lips against mine, silencing my pain.
Fucking me like he hates me, but kissing me like he cares.
_______________________________________
Michel’s Review
What Might Kill Us by M. N. Forgy brings the Devil’s Dust MC series full circle. The war that began in What Doesn’t Destroy Us has reached it’s final battle. The Devil’s MC will finally get retribution for the loved ones they lost. They are finally going to destroy the cartel. They have paid a high price. It’s time to destroy their enemies and put the dead to rest.
Bull, the Devil’s Dust MC President, has been buried in the bottle since Babs died. He’s losing his edge and self respect. He is an alcoholic on the path to self destruction. His brothers are trying to find a way to bring Bull back to the man he once was. They still respect their fearless leader and feel his pain. Although Bull is lost in the bottle, he is still a formible opponent. He’s deadly, ruthless, and one hundred percent dedicated to his brothers.
When he’s accidentally knocked off his feet by a terrified Mexican girl and witnesses her capture, something awakens within his soul. For the first time in years he isn’t numb. What he doesn’t realize is this is the turning point in his life. This is an open door for retribution and new beginnings.
Anhi was raised to be a princess. After her parents death she was locked away with her step brother in her uncle’s compound. Her uncle is the leader of one Mexico’s most powerful cartels. She would rather stay locked away than to become a part of this evil network. Her uncle has other plans for her. Her choice is to become a mule or be sold into slavery. Her uncle uses force to get what he wants.
Once Anhi is in the states, she’s waiting for the opportunity to escape her fate. Her fate was sealed the moment her uncle forced her to transport his drugs. The one opportunity she did have failed. She was captured on the streets after she ran into a biker and lost her momentum. She has lost all hope until a biker shows up in Texas looking for drugs and answers.
Bull and Anhi are worlds apart but also tied together by one moment in time. The more information Bull uncovers in Texas seals their fate. He has finally found something more important than the bottle. This time he is going to save the girl.
M. N. Forgy gave Bull the justice he needed. She handled his addiction, his despair, and healing with great care. She showed the darkest moments as well as the elating moments. She allowed Bull to heal and become a stronger man. She also gave him a second chance at love and happiness. Well done!
________________________________________
The Devil’s Dust MC
Haven’t read this series yet?
The Devil’s MC Boxed Set
Now is your chance, grab books 1-4 for ONLY $0.99!
All four of the Best selling Devil’s Dust Novels, including two Novellas that were once in anthologies.
“The author easily manipulated my emotions and I enjoyed every minute.” – Amazon Reviewer
What Doesn’t Destroy Us
Shadow has grown up among drug addicts, whores and murderers. The only family he’s ever trusted has been the Devil’s Dust motorcycle club. He will do anything for a brother; even kill. In fact, killing is so easy, he’s made a career of it. His one regret is not being able to kill his own worthless mother. When Dani shows up with her provocative temper and innocent charm, Shadow begins to question his violent lifestyle. But can he trust her with his demons?
The Scars That Define Us
After a breathtaking turn of events, Shadow is looking at life in a different perspective. Not knowing who he can trust or who he can forgive has left him feeling desolate and alone. As Shadow is laying behind his rifle, he wonders if he can pull the trigger to eliminate the threat. He takes a deep breath and squeezes the trigger, the rifles recoil ignites the fuel that drives him.
The Broken Pieces Of Us
The president of the Devil’s Dust MC, Bull, is good at running women off and is even better at pissing off his brothers. When he sees the way his vice-president is treating his ol’ lady, he tries to keep his thoughts to himself. The one thing Bull insists on in his club is respect and loyalty: respect for the patch, respect for your brother, and loyalty to the club. However, after finding Babs in a harsh predicament after a run in with Locks, he can’t help but step in. Love That Defies Us
With violent murders unfolding around the club, it has thrown town locals into a panic. What they didn’t expect was for them to get caught up in the carnage.
The Fear That Divides Us
Road Captain of the Devil’s Dust Motorcycle Club, Bobby has the scars to prove just how dangerous his life is. He gives the world he knows hell and loves every moment of it. Wearing a panty-dropping grin along the way, his fierce life has never been a problem for him, until her. Jessica is the only female who has him distracted in his game. After taking him to bed, she’s the only woman to tell him to take a hike. Waking with her gone, he can’t resist her pull. He’s seen the marks on her body, ones which tell the horrors she’s lived through. He’s also seen the fear in her eyes when she lets herself become weak to his advances. Bobby has a decision to make. Can he help Jessica, or will it mean giving up his carefree life?
The Lies Between Us
Lip is no stranger to the criminal life. Growing up among convicts, he wanted nothing more than to show his worth. He’ll do anything for the club without question, including serving six years in prison. But nobody could have predicted life’s plan. Rugged, tattooed, and wanting nothing more than to have Cherry, Lip is no longer the man whom Cherry remembers. After his release, he came out a beast with more secrets and lies than his cage could hold.
__________________________________
About M. N. Forgy
M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She’s a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn’t live with the “what if” anymore and finally took a chance on her character’s story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.
Bodhi McKnight has always had everything handed to him on a silver platter: fame, success, money, girls. The raven-haired, blue-eyed hottie is the son of Hollywood A-listers, and when he’s asked to join the boy band Virtuous Paradox, his star shoots even higher. But so do expectations, leading Bodhi down a destructive path of addiction—until a drop-dead gorgeous guardian angel shows him her sizzling brand of tough love.
When Bodhi ends up in rehab, he doesn’t expect to meet someone as cool and down-to-earth as Kimberly Gordon. Although he’s enjoyed the company of beautiful, charming women before, none of them have tried to get to know the “real” Bodhi. But Kimberly isn’t fazed by his stardom. She’d rather go horseback riding, teach Bodhi to play guitar, or ask him about his feelings. Soon Bodhi realizes he’s fallen head over heels for her. He just hopes that he’s strong enough to protect what they have from all the pressures and temptations of the outside world.
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
________________________________
Excerpt
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Her tone is playful and gives me hope. And I need hope. Not to score with her, but to get through my days.
“You should join me in the shower.” I waggle my eyebrows at her and rub my hand over my abs, pushing up my shirt a little so she can see what’s underneath.
Kim shakes her head, but her smile tells me that she likes the idea. She covers her mouth to stifle a laugh, and I chuckle.
Michel’s Review
Heidi McLaughlin is one of my favorite authors. I have been reading her books since she first hit publish on her first novel. She has a special gift of creating an emotional story with dynamic characters that keep the readers glued to the pages. We become invested in the characters lives within the world she created. Whether it be a rock star, a Navy Seal, a reality television star, or a cowboy, the character grabs hold of the heart. With her latest release Blow, readers are introduced to the dynamic boy band Virtuous Paradox. We have all had some kind of girl crush on a member of a boy band and have fantasized about them. We sometimes forget that these beautiful young men are also ordinary people with very real lives behind the image. They have their insecurities, personal demons, struggling relationships, and lessons to learn in life. The difference is that their lives are very public. Their mistakes are elevated by the media. It’s a high price to pay.
Bodhi McKnight is a cocaine addict. He has reached the point of self destruction. His family has intervened and sent him to an exclusive rehab for thirty days. Not only will Bodhi have to face his demons and overcome his addiction, he will have to learn to love himself. He will have to learn how to deal with his relationships in life whether it be family, friends, or his professional colleagues.
While in rehab he meets Kimberly Gordon. Kimberly is not a counselor, she is an assigned friend to help him cope with the withdrawals and the grueling process of becoming healthy. She’s there to offer support and friendship.
Bodhi and Kimberly break the cardinal rule and become involved. Once the thirty days is over they will have to face the real world. Can their forbidden relationship survive in the real world? Can it survive the world that led Bodhi to addiction in the first place? Can love heal Bodhi?
While I liked the premise of a forbidden romance , I also felt this book mocked the process of rehabilitation from drug addiction. One of the crucial steps in becoming healthy is honesty with oneself as well as others. Kimberly encouraged Bodhi to lie while in rehab so that they could be together at night. She encouraged him to sneak around rather than encouraging him to follow the program. She is an employee of this rehab center. She knows that in order to become healthy the patient has to complete the steps of the program. I also felt Bodhi’s rehab was skimmed over and became insignificant after the initial withdrawals.
The relationship between Bodhi and Kimberly was very touching in many ways but some of the sex scenes turned me off. I love a dirty talking man but there are just some words that are a complete turn off for me. When Bodhi used words such as cunt or twat, I was appalled. Those are two of the most derogatory words used in a negative manner towards women in general. The sex scene went from sizzling hot to ice cold.
Blow still has a good romantic story that many readers will like. For me I was on the fence with this book. I tend to want a little more grit to the story. After all drug addiction is a dark and dirty subject.
_____________________________________
Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup, two Parakeets, Gonzo & Hedwig, and their newest addition of a Highland West/Mini Schnauzer, Jill.
During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she’s writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting court-side during either daughter’s basketball games.
Dirty Sexy Sinner (Dirty Sexy Book 4) by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde
Date of Publication: November 8, 2016
Blurb
DIRTY SEXY SINNER . . . The surprise fourth book in the DIRTY SEXY SERIES!
All books in the DIRTY SEXY Series are stand-alone novels!
New York Times bestselling authors Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde bring you a dirty, sexy, smoking hot SERIES featuring four bad boy heroes who are bonded by shocking secrets and their damaged past. Sinful, addicting, and unapologetically alpha, these men are every woman’s erotic daydream … And your ultimate dirty fantasy.
ALL BOOKS IN THE DIRTY SEXY SERIES can be read on its own, or as a companion to the other book in the series:
Dirty Sexy Saint (Clay)
Dirty Sexy Inked (Mason)
Dirty Sexy Cuffed (Levi)
Dirty Sexy Sinner (Jackson)
So, a guy walks into a bar…and changes lots of lives in the process. Because the news that Jackson Stone has to share with the brothers Kincaid is a bolt from the blue, and will change everything that they think that they know.
Jackson’s about to get some surprises of his own. Tara Kent welcomes Jackson into her world, and that of the Kincaids, and gives him that one thing that he’s always lacked, true acceptance, and a place free from judgment or comparison. Both Tara and Jackson are able to truly be themselves for the first time ever, bringing out things in each other that allow them to finally feel comfortable in their own skins. With the easiness comes a whole lot of sexy times as the two give in to the spark that ignited right from their very first meeting.
This fourth book in the Dirty Sexy series by authors Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde more than lives up to its name. Sexiness galore, I tell you, it’s sexy time all over the place. But there’s much more here, as well. Friendship, family, growth, redemption, forgiveness, all of the usual pieces of a Carly and Erika collaboration, make DIRTY SEXY SINNER a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and my favorite of this series so far. There is a depth and an edge of darkness to both Jackson and Tara that make them interesting to read, and I was rooting for their happily ever after from early on. Whether you’ve read all of the Dirty Sexy books, or you’re new to the series, this is one that you don’t want to miss. And, if you haven’t read the first three books, grab them, too, and settle in for some dirty sexy fun.
***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***
About Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde
***About Carly Phillips***
Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at http://www.carlyphillips.com.
***About Erika Wilde***
Erika Wilde is the author of the sexy Marriage Diaries series and The Players Club series. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two daughters, and when she’s not writing you can find her exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. For more information on her upcoming releases, please visit website at http://www.erikawilde.com.
When their parents got married, the only thing Caleb Luxan had in common with Wren Brashill was that they both hated their parents. When he was sixteen, Caleb discovered Wren’s closely guarded secret and vowed to protect her: from that day forward she became the reason for every decision he made.
Jealousy and long-suppressed desire overpowered Caleb’s fierce protectiveness and they spent one forbidden and unforgettable night in each other arms, but the aftermath left Caleb panicked, Wren heartbroken, and their relationship in shambles. In the time since that fateful night, he’d only seen her once and had only managed to make the situation even worse.
The sudden death of his estranged father calls Caleb home and face-to-face with Wren for first time in years. He is presented with a choice that forces him to confront the painful memories of his youth and his many regrets with Wren.
Like it or not, his father’s last, hard lesson, will demand Caleb deal with his long denied emotions for Wren, or let go of her forever.
_________________________________
Excerpt
Caleb’s muscled frame was rigid and as Wren looked at him, she studied his profile, and could feel his coiled tension. The fingers in his right hand curled into a fist. “I was so mad. So many times, I wished he’d been the one to die.” His voice was full of pain, as the words tore from him. “I fucking hated him with every breath I took. You saw how much.”
Wren nodded, though he didn’t see her acquiescence. She knew what he went through growing up when they had formed an affable alliance against their parents. She hated her mother at least as much as Caleb hated his father and she understood his anger and pain; then the apathy that became a welcome alternative. They’d been unlikely allies against a common enemy.
“Maybe I deserved his indifference.”
Wren got up and went to Caleb, standing behind him as he stood still as stone, and staring out the window. Her heart ached with love and grief for Caleb. She wanted to touch him; to offer reassurance, to take away the ache in his voice and heart. Without considering her actions, her arms slipped around his waist and she pressed up against his strong back and leaned her head against him, between his shoulder blades.
Caleb was massive in comparison to her, and she was like a flower curling around him. Her hands fanned out against his hard stomach, her fingers finding the definition of his abs beneath his shirt. “Stop, Cale. I won’t let you do this to yourself. Your dad wouldn’t want that. None of it was your fault.” Her arms slid fully around him and held him tight against her body. “I can’t bear it. You’ve had enough pain. Enough.”
Caleb sucked in a deep breath, the action bringing her even closer. He could feel every curve of her body pressed so closely against his back. He could feel her breathing, could feel how she shared his pain. His hand came up and he ran the flat of his hand from her elbow down to her hand, and then wrapped his fingers around hers.
“When did you turn into the strong one?”
Wren’s arms tightened around him. “When I met you. ”
“Oh, Wren.” Should he just spill his guts? Would it fix everything? “I’ve got so much to say to you. How long can you stay?”
She nodded against him, unwilling to end the contact between their bodies; needing the closeness as much as he did.
He wanted to apologize for how he acted the last time he’d seen her, he wanted to say a hundred things… he needed her forgiveness.
“How long do you need me?”
In that moment a miracle happened; a sort of beautiful irony that taunted Caleb with it’s fragileness. It was as if he’d never screwed everything up between them. But would it stay this way?
How long do I need you? Caleb thought. His heart raced to the point of exploding, and he wondered if Wren could feel it.
Forever.
Tracey’s Review
Second-chance romance is one of my go-to genres. There’s always something so fulfilling about people that are able to reconnect and make a go of things, something redemptive and promising. When it works, that second chance is sweet and extremely gratifying.
ONE STEP CLOSER by author Kahlen Aymes makes the victory of a second chance even more powerful. Caleb and Wren both have so much from their pasts to overcome. Not only was there much emotional pain to get past, the two of them have the additional issue of the somewhat forbidden due to the fact that they’re step-siblings.
Both Caleb and Wren had suffered the loss, both physical and emotional, of a parent. When Caleb’s emotionally distant father and Wren’s emotionally abusive mother married, it wasn’t long before the two children were drawn to each other, he from a sense of protectiveness, her with gratitude. With only each other to look to for love and support, it didn’t take long for protectiveness and gratitude to turn to love and desire, feelings that neither Caleb nor Wren would have dared act upon. One night of unbridled passion changed their relationship completely, and it took the loss of Caleb’s father to bring them together again.
Kahlen has written a book full of emotion and fire, a story that does a good job of showing how the tie that binds Caleb and Wren cannot be broken, even over time and distance. I had a bit of a hard time warming up to Caleb, but, given the way that he was raised, and the lack of any parental warmth, it wasn’t unexpected. Wren is delightful, and, given the way that her mother treated her, a true survivor. Seeing the two of them get past the things keeping them apart made for an emotionally satisfying read that I thoroughly enjoyed. ONE STEP CLOSER is a solid 4 stars for me, and a nice addition to Kahlen’s body of work.
***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***
_________________________
I’m a single mother of one daughter, Olivia. She’s amazing in every way.
I was born in the Midwestern United States and educated at a private university where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Administration.
I’ve always been creative with art, music, theater and writing. I decided to write a story as a way to build a network for a business venture. The reader support of my stories and my overwhelming desire to find out where my characters would take me, soon had the writing morphing the business. No one was more shocked than I. When readers began nominating my work for online awards, it took my breath away and only made me love it more. It soon became clear that writing was, and should be, my focus.
Did you fall in love with The English Brothers? Were you hot for the Winslows? Katy Regnery’s New York Times bestselling Blueberry Lane series continues with The Rousseau siblings in 2016!
For as long as Madeleine “Mad” Rousseau can remember, she’s been the “sweet” twin to her sister Jax’s “sassy.” But after an especially painful break-up, Mad decides she’s had enough of being sweet. Children’s librarian during the day, she begins visiting Philly’s seedier nightspots on a quest for adventure. When Cortlandt “Cort” Ambler, the ex-boyfriend of Mad’s sister, Jax, saves her from disaster on one such evening, an unlikely friendship is born between the rebellious librarian and the moonlighting pianist…and two broken hearts begin a journey toward being whole again.
Get to know the families of Blueberry Lane!
*All books in The Blueberry Lane Series can be enjoyed as standalone novels.*
Michel’s Review
It’s back to Blueberry Lane where five dynamic wealthy families lives are intertwined.
Madeleine “Mad” Rousseau has always been the sweet twin in the Rousseau family. She puts her family and friends first. She would never betray them. Her twin sister Jax has returned home from Hollywood after recently going through her own life changing dilemmas. As usual Maddy has put her sister first while her own life is in shambles. She’s keeping her troubles to herself because part of her problems could hurt Jax.
She has just gone through a painful break up that led her down a troublesome road. While trying to drink her problems away, she runs into Cort Ambler, a childhood friend and her sister Jax’s ex boyfriend in high school. Cort broke Jax’s young heart. Now Mad finds herself one again insanely attracted to Cort. He’s off limits because of Jax. The heart wants what it wants and hers wants Cort. Is Maddy brave enough to go for what she wants in life or is she going to settle with living a life in Jax’s shadow. Will she sacrifice her own happiness because of her sister.
Cort Ambler has always loved Madeline Rousseau. In high school he chose the wrong twin by mistake. Ten years later he has a second chance and he is going to do everything within his power to win Mad’s heart.
I love the Blueberry Lane series. I thoroughly enjoyed Marry Me Mad but found it bit a predictable and repetitious. The story seemed to go in circles with Mad’s indecisiveness and Cort’s declarations of undying love. It seemed like the characters were dwelling in their own minds more than they were interacting together as a couple. Even though I felt it lacked in some areas it was still a charming romance. Anything by Katy Regnery is good.
I am looking forward to the next Rousseau to take the fall in matters of the heart.
Make sure you don’t miss the start of the Rousseau series! Jonquils for Jax is now available!
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.
Twenty-five books later, Katy claims authorship of the multi-titled, New York Times and USA Today Blueberry Lane Series, which follows the English, Winslow, Rousseau, Story, and Ambler families of Philadelphia; the six-book, bestselling ~a modern fairytale~ series; and several other standalone novels and novellas.
Katy’s first modern fairytale romance, The Vixen and the Vet, was nominated for a RITA® in 2015 and won the 2015 Kindle Book Award for romance. Katy’s boxed set, The English Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1–4, hit the USA Today bestseller list in 2015, and her Christmas story, Marrying Mr. English, appeared on the list a week later. In May 2016, Katy’s Blueberry Lane collection, The Winslow Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1-4, became a New York Times E-book bestseller.
In 2016, Katy signed a print-only agreement with Spencerhill Press. As a result, her Blueberry Lane paperback books will now be distributed to brick and mortar bookstores all over the United States.
Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, two dogs, and one Blue Tonkinese kitten create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home
Even before the second semester of his sophomore year at Columbia began, Trey Holland knew his life would be completely different by the end of it. He had yet to meet the pretty–yet flustered–freshman who he’d be mentoring on the school paper. He had yet to discover the despicable secrets his new best friend was hiding.
All Trey knew at the time was that the relationship with his high school sweetheart was nearing its end.
In those days before the spring semester began, life for Trey was simple. School was a place to learn. His fraternity was a community of like-minded brothers. Life was full of well-intentioned people. Complications were tiny bumps in the road, easily smoothed over, leaving no trace behind.
In a matter of weeks, Trey is thrust into a jaded reality brought on by choices he makes and by the vile actions of those around him. It won’t take long for him to look back and see the wreckage left in the wake of wanting.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Portions of this book deal with the sensitive subject of rape and sexual abuse. While the incidents are not ‘experienced’ first hand, they are retold in hindsight by characters. The descriptions of the events are brief, and while they are not graphic, they may be considered disturbing to some.
___________________________________
Robin’s Review
For years now, I’ve been reading fiction from a variety of genres, and Lori Otto has become one of my very favorite authors. She writes about family and friendship. Loyalty and love. Sometimes she writes about topics which are relevant to current events. Her newest novel, In the Wake of Wanting, embodies all of these characteristics and so much more.
Before I begin my review In the Wake of Wanting, it would be remiss of me to not share Otto’s author note:
“Portions of this book deal with the sensitive subject of rape and sexual abuse. While the incidents are not ‘experienced’ first hand, they are retold in hindsight by characters. The descriptions of the events are brief, and while they are not graphic, they may be considered disturbing to some.”
If you are sensitive to these subjects, please take Otto’s author note into consideration before you decide to read In the Wake of Wanting. Now onto the good stuff!
Raised as the son of New York City royalty, Trey Holland is a product of his upbringing. He’s polite. Giving. Kind. Loyal. Someone who puts others before him. Now a sophomore at Columbia University, Trey has recently noticed that his feelings for Zaina Mishra are changing. Trey feels suffocated – feels like his future has already been mapped out. He’s beginning to think his 4-year relationship with his high school sweetheart has run its course.
When Coley Fitzsimmons walks into Trey’s journalism class at Columbia University, he’s filled with awe and wonder. Not only is she beautiful, but Coley has been assigned as Trey’s journalism partner for the school newspaper, and she knows EXACTLY who he is. But Coley also catches the eye of Trey’s best friend, Asher Knoxland, the President of The Columbia Daily Witness. It’s a sticky situation for Trey to be in…..and one that will test his values.
In the Wake of Wanting has everything that I love to see in this genre! Although classified as a new adult novel, In the Wake of Wanting shows elements of romantic suspense. This is such a sweet love story – probably THE best Otto has ever written. Emotions that the characters are feeling just bleed off of the page. Otto gave me bouts of anxiety. I felt anger. Hurt. Fear. Complete shock. I was disturbed at times – so much so that I had a sick feeling. I felt sadness. Joy. And I even had butterflies in my stomach.
Trey and Coley are outstanding characters. Both primary characters are just so easy to love – and I fell in love with them! Their romance? Sweet and sexy. Otto had me from the moment Trey first set his eyes on beautiful Coley. In my opinion, Lori Otto writes best from a male point of view, and In the Wake of Wanting is narrated from Trey’s first-person perspective. Character dialogue is probably the greatest strength of this story because it beautifully conveys the emotions that I spoke of earlier.
Those who follow Lori Otto will already be familiar with Trey’s background, but I feel Otto did a pretty good job of sharing pertinent information about Trey and the Holland family with readers who might be interested in reading this as a standalone novel. To sum things up, In the Wake of Wanting is timely, educational and powerful. It’s a story of survival and fighting back. And it’s one of the sweetest love stories that I’ve read in a long time. You definitely won’t want to miss reading this 5-star novel – In the Wake of Wanting is one my 2016 favorites!
_______________________________________
Author Bio:
After graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Lori Otto worked in the billboard industry for ten years. Frustrated with trying to communicate entire messages in “seven seconds or less,” she decided to leave outdoor advertising and return to her love of creative writing.
Samuel Clearwater, A.K.A Preppy, likes bowties, pancakes, suspenders, good friends, good times, good drugs, and a good f*ck.
He’s worked his way out from beneath a hellish childhood and is living the life he’s always imagined for himself. When he meets a girl, a junkie on the verge of ending it all, he’s torn between his feelings for her and the crippling fear that she could be the one to end the life he loves.
Andrea ‘Dre’ Capulet is strung out and tired.
Tired of living for her next fix. Tired of doing things that make her stomach turn. Tired of looking in the mirror at the reflection of the person she’s become. Just when she decides to end it all, she meets a man who will change the course of both their lives forever.
And their deaths.
For most people, death is the end of their story.
For Preppy and Dre, death was only the beginning.
This is the fifth book in the King Series and it’s meant to be read after Soulless.
____________________________
Excerpt
“No! I hate you,” she spat, as I continued to tug her beside me.
“Good, you can hate me while I fuck you,” I said. “But first things first. My lesson obviously didn’t take in that brain of yours. You want what you want and I can’t stop you,” I said, as we approached the train tracks which were elevated on a mound of gravel several feet off the ground. The warning lights flashed orange, the neon reflective barriers dropped down to cover the service road, while the bells indicating an approaching train clanged away. “And since I can’t stop you, I’m going to help you out. Bullet in the head was so three hours ago. I’ve got something even better in mind now.”
“Wait. What?” she asked, her teeth chattering. “You…you wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t what?” I said, turning around to face her, almost losing my footing when I noticed the trail of dried tears on her cheeks. I looked away for a fraction of a second to regain my composure. “You think I wouldn’t kill someone?” I cocked an eyebrow. “You already know that I’ve been there, done that, bought the motherfucking t-shirt, doll.” Her eyes went wide and she made a move to step back. “Oh no, Doc, I read your letter and I saw what you wanted. And remember, I’m nothing if not accommodating.”
When I pulled her to climb the gravel mound her knees locked up so I bent over and picked her up by the waist, tossing her over my shoulder, carrying her onto the tracks while she beat on my back with her closed fists. When I got to the top I set her down roughly and she fell backwards onto her ass, bracing herself with her hands against the large pieces of gravel under the tracks.
The whistle of the train blew in the distance. It wouldn’t be long now. Dre made a move to stand up, but that wasn’t what I had in mind. I bent down and pushed on her chest, spreading her tiny frame across the tracks. I crawled on top of her, pinning her down with my thighs. I leaned over her, my chest to hers as we both breathed rapidly. She struggled underneath me to get up, pushing at my chest, but I wouldn’t budge. “Why the struggle, Doc? This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
She glanced up at me as the train whistled again. Her gaze flipped to her right, where the single yellow light from the train emerged from around the corner, shining brighter and brighter as it chugged closer and closer. For a moment she stopped struggling, looking back and forth from the train to me.
“So what, you’re gonna die too?” she asked, hoping to appeal to my sense of self preservation.
I shrugged. “I get bored easily, maybe the devil will make me his errand boy or something.”
“Preppy, this isn’t funny. Get up and get off the fucking tracks,” she said, her concern shifting from herself to me.
I shook my head and yawned. She wiggled underneath me, and although there was a train barreling toward us my cock once again stirred to life. Maybe I should just rip down her panties and push inside of her. Train or no train, it would be one fuck of a way to go out.
“You have to choose, Doc,” I said, making my voice as serious as I was capable. “Life?” I asked, screaming over the sound of the train screeching against the track. I pushed my hard cock against her core and she gasped. Her trembling turned into a shiver, her mouth fell open. I glanced to the side at the blinding light of the approaching train as it bathed us both in a tunnel of light. I leaned down, so close that my lips were a whisper above hers, as I shouted, “Life? Or death? What’s it gonna be, Doc?” My hair blew around my face as the light grew brighter and brighter. “Answer the fucking question!” I demanded, my hands squeezing her shoulders, my fingers digging roughly into her skin. “DO YOU WANT TO FUCKING DIE?”
With only seconds left until we became shredded under the train, Dre closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them again they were glistening, fresh tears spilling from the edges.
She started to speak, her lips forming the beginning of the word, but before it could fully leave her lips I stood, pulling her up with me. I lifted Dre into my arms and took a running leap off the tracks, my legs flailing in the air as we fell the seven or so feet. Dre’s decision still on her lips, her scream surrounding the air around us as we crashed down into the field.
“I wanna liiiiiiiiiiiivvvvvveeeeee.”
________________________________
Michel’s Review
Love. Never. Dies. Samuel Clearwater, aka Preppy, will live on forever whether it be in memories or in the flesh. He left his MFing mark on the world. He captivated the readers hearts in the King series. His quirky, dynamic personality and high sense of fashion had the readers swooning the moment his character entered the pages in the first book of the King series. He has been a dynamic force throughout the series, alive or dead. He is the heart of the series.
Preppy: The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater by T. M. Frazier is the first book in Samuel Clearwater’s life story. It takes the reader back to the beginning of the series when King has been arrested and sentenced to prison. While King was serving time, Preppy was holding down the fort, running the Grow Grannies business, and trying to find a way to get custody of King’s daughter. He will do anything for his best friend.
It all begins with a strung out junkie named Andrea “Drea” Capulet. Drea has found herself in hot water with Preppy after trying to rip off one of Grow Grannies. Rather than killing her Preppy decides to put her to use. First he has to clean her up, get her off the heroine, and make sure she is going to do right by her grandmother as well as hold up her end of the bargain. The bargain is much more complicated than either of them anticipated.
Preppy didn’t count on falling for the girl. He also didn’t count on wanting to do the right thing. He never has before. His life has been one been one cluster f*ck after another. Living his life to the fullest and not letting the past drag him down has always been his mantra. Loving with his whole heart is easy. Being worthy of love is harder than dying a million deaths. Death is not the end for Preppy… it’s only the beginning.
T.M. Frazier had me glued to the pages. The in depth story of Preppy was not only fascinating but also very entertaining. Preppy is one of the most complex characters I have read. On one hand he is a ray of sunshine and on the other he is the worst storm a person can encounter. His life story while King was incarcerated was complicated and unexpected. His choices were a complete surprise. His capability of loving is endless. Preppy will not be forgotten, he will live on long after his death.
The ending flashes forward to the present… the cliffhanger from Soulless. This time T.M. Frazier added another twist to the cliffhanger that leaves the reader screaming for more.
I can’t wait for Samuel Clearwater to arise from the grave… Preppy is coming back with a force stronger than the fiercest storm!
Doe has no memories of who she is or where she comes from.
A notorious career criminal just released from prison, King is someone you don’t want to cross unless you’re prepared to pay him back in blood, sweat, sex or a combination of all three.
King’s future hangs in the balance. Doe’s is written in her past. When they come crashing together, they will have to learn that sometimes in order to hold on, you have to first let go.
King is the first book in a two part series. Tyrant is the name of the second book due out August 2015.
When the fog is sucked away from my mind like smoke through a vacuum, the truth that has been beyond my reach for months finally reveals itself.
But the relief I thought I would feel never comes, and I’m more afraid now than I was the morning I woke up handcuffed in King’s bed.
Because with the truth comes dark secrets I was never meant to know.
I will put the lives of those I love most at risk if I let on that my memory has returned, or if I seek help from the heavily tattooed felon who owns me body and soul.
I don’t know if I’m strong enough to resist the magnetic pull toward King that grows stronger every day.
He’s already saved me in more ways than one. Now it’s my turn to do whatever it takes to save him.
My real name is like a shadow, always close behind, but never quite able to catch up.
I fly under the radar because no one ever suspects I’m capable of the kind of brutal violence I commit each and every day.
You see, I’m a girl. I’m nineteen.
And I’m a killer.
This life is all I know. It s all I want to know. It keeps the s**t buried that I need kept buried. It allows me to live without thinking too much.
Without dwelling on the past.
Until him.
It all changes when an ordinary boy becomes my next target.
And my first love.
I have to choose.
The only life I ve ever known has to die, or he does.
Either way, I ll be the one pulling the trigger…
All the Rage is a STANDALONE
_________________________________________________
Author Bio:
T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and three feisty fur kids.
She attended Florida Gulf Coast University where she specialized in public speaking. After years working in real estate and new home construction, she decided it was finally time to stop pushing her dreams to the back burner and pursue writing seriously.
In the third grade she wrote her very first story about a lost hamster. It earned rave reviews from both her teacher and her parents.
It only took her twenty years to start the next one.
Lara Kessler showed up as if heaven sent her to me, and suddenly my priorities changed. Love is funny like that. One minute you’re living the dream, then BAM! Half my soul shows up backstage wearing a purple shirt and sexy skin-tight jeans, making me realize what I’ve been missing all along. Loving her means exposing a life I’ve tried to bury.
My heart had lost its beat.
Until I saw him.
Kaz Fabian caught my attention the moment I laid eyes on him. Love is funny like that. The famous guitarist was every woman’s fantasy—great face, chiseled jaw, cut biceps. The rock star was pure sex on and off stage, but his charm and charisma won me over. Loving him means burdening him with a life I’ve tried to leave behind.
With her future dim and his past in the spotlight, can they overcome their fate or will they just be another tragic love story?
And you don’t get to choose who you fall in love with.
The minute he opened his sexy mouth, Holliday Hughes should have known Jack Dalton was trouble. His smooth pickup lines, broad shoulders, and ridiculously handsome face charmed her right out of her clothes. She gave into her desires, the instant attraction blinding her to the obvious.
One night. That was all it took for Holliday’s world to be flipped on its axis. Jack Dalton was cocky. Smug. Volatile. Demanding. He ignited something deep inside her like no other, but there was something more to this brooding bad boy. There was a dark side to him she couldn’t help but be drawn to.
Torn between what she knew about him and a mysterious side he tried to hide, could she walk away or was he simply too hard to resist?
________________________________________
New York Times and USA Bestselling Author, S. L. Scott, was always interested in the arts. She grew up painting, writing poetry and short stories, and willing her days away lost in a good book and the movies.
With a degree in Journalism, she continued her love of the written word by reading American authors like Salinger and Fitzgerald. She was intrigued by their flawed characters living in picture perfect worlds, but could still debate that the world those characters lived in were actually the flawed ones. This dynamic of leaving the reader invested in the words, inspired Scott to start writing with emotion while interjecting an underlying passion into her own stories.
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. She dreams of seeing one of her own books made into a movie one day as well as returning to Europe. 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.
“You think you know me. You think you want to know me. But trust me, Miss Lang. Pursuing me will be the worst mistake you ever make. I’m broken beyond repair…
…and I take great pleasure in breaking everyone else around me.”
Ophelia Lang needs money, and she needs it bad. Her parent’s restaurant is going under, and ever since she lost her job teaching third grade elementary, scraping enough cash together to pay the bills has proven almost impossible. Her parents are on the brink of losing their home. The vultures are circling overhead. So when Ophelia is offered an interview for a well-paid private tutoring gig in New York, how can she possibly say no?
Ronan Fletcher is far from the overweight, balding businessman Ophelia expected him to be. He’s young, handsome, and wealthy beyond all reason. He’s also perhaps the coldest, rudest person she’s ever met, and has a mean streak in him a mile and a half wide. A hundred grand is a lot of money, however, and if tolerating his frosty temperament, his erratic mood swings and whatever else he throws at her means she’ll get paid, then that is what Ophelia will do.
Her new boss is keeping secrets, though. Awful, terrible secrets.
The ghosts of Ronan Fletcher’s past are about to turn Ophelia’s future upside down, and she can’t even see it coming.
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
AFGHANISTAN
2009
“Get back, Fletcher! Get back! The tank’s gonna blow!”
I was running. Behind me, seven miles of desert stretched out toward Kabul city, glowing in places where burned out military trucks were being devoured by fire. Twisted metal rained down from the sky, on fire and sharper than a razor’s edge, impacting in the dirt. Thud. Thud, thud.Thud. Shrapnel whistled through the air, striking the ground a few feet away from me as I weaved my way through the wreckage. Smoke was biting at my lungs, acrid and burning, making it hard to breath.
“Fletcher! What the fuck, man!”
Behind me, Specialist Crowe was losing his mind. Alternating between shouting into his radio and shouting at me, he couldn’t seem to decide which course of action to take. I’d ordered him to follow, but I could understand why he hadn’t. The situation was more than unsafe; charging headlong into the fire and destruction was a suicide mission, and I knew it. I also knew that my men were trapped inside the upturned vehicle still a hundred feet ahead of me, however, and I knew the truck was going to blow any second. They were going to burn to death if I didn’t help them. I wasn’t going to abandon them to that fate.
“Captain! God, man, stop!”
My heart was surging, my veins overflowing with adrenalin. My boots hit the dirt, left, right, left, right, left, right, my fists pumping back and forth as I sprinted toward the truck that was laying on its roof up ahead. Through the fractured windshield, I could see Hellaman and Wicks still strapped into the front seats of the vehicle, upside down and unmoving. They were either unconscious or dead. Hopefully they were just out for the count, but there was a lot of blood splattered on the inside of the glass. A lot of blood.
Black smoke curled upward from the underside of the truck, and I could already hear the hissing sound of fuel burning and sizzling somewhere. Groaning. I could hear groaning, too.
I reached the truck just as something inside the engine caught fire, and Hellaman came to. His eyes were wide with pain and fear as I dropped down onto my belly next to the driver’s side window, which was smashed out, small cubes of safety glass scattered into the dirt.
“Captain? Captain Fletcher. Shit, I can’t breathe. I can’t…breathe.” His face was deathly pale, and his hands shook violently as he tried to claw at the seatbelt that was digging into his chest.
“It’s okay. It’s okay, Private. We’re gonna get you out of there, okay? Just hold on a moment.” My bowie knife was in my hand. I took it and made quick work of slashing through the webbing holding Hellaman in place. There was nothing I could do to cushion his fall. Slamming into the roof of the truck, Hellaman groaned weakly, and then passed out again, either from pain or from the shock, I didn’t know. I stowed my blade and grabbed him by the shoulders, then wrestled him free through the window. His face was cut; his arms were striped with blood and running rivers of crimson out onto the ground. No time to be gentle, though. No time to be safe. I hooked my hands under his arms and I quickly jogged backwards, dragging him away from the wreckage. Twenty feet was enough.
I ran back to the truck. Flames were visibly licking at the underside of the vehicle now, snaking upward toward the night sky. Wick was still out cold. I ran around to the back of the truck and tried to force the loading doors open, but they were jammed closed, bent and warped, refusing to budge.
“Shit.”
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
There was someone alive inside. Running out of time. Almost no time left. I positioned myself by the truck’s rear right window, thanking god the thing was already splintered. The bulletproof windows on military trucks were no joke. You could take a semi automatic to them and it would take longer than I had to smash them. The impact of rolling three times had obviously been enough to compromise the glass, though.
“Shield your faces,” I hollered. “Glass, glass, glass!” Bracing, I spun around and smashed the sole of my boot against the window as hard as I possibly could. The glass groaned, fracturing some more, but it didn’t shatter. I kicked again, and again, and again. Finally, the window exploded in a shower of bright shards, giving in under the force of my boot.
“Captain, there’s fuel in here,” someone inside yelled. “Get back!”
I ducked down and lay flat on my stomach again, crawling in through the now empty window frame. Inside the truck, gasoline hung heavy in the air, burning my nostrils and my eyes. Next to me, Roberts was dead, his head twisted at an odd angle, eyes staring, unseeing into the abyss.
On the other side of the truck Private Coleridge, Sam, a nineteen-year-old kid from Houston, was lying on his back on the roof, holding his rifle in both hands, his body convulsing wildly. His eyes swivelled to look at me, but his head remained locked in position, his teeth grinding together.
“What…what happened, Capt’n?” he asked. “We were drivin’ along, and then…everything was…spinning.”
“IED,” I told him. “Desert’s full of them. Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
“I can’t…move. I can’t feel…anything.”
He wasn’t paralyzed. If he were, he wouldn’t be shaking the way he was right now. He was just in shock. A sharp slap to the face would probably go a long way to getting him moving, but there simply wasn’t time for that kind of motivation. Grabbing him by the webbing stitched onto the strap of his pack, which was still on his back, I hauled him to me and then backed out through the window as quickly as I could. The fire was raging now. I dragged Sam back to where I’d left Hellaman and was about to run back to the truck when a loud metallic crack split the air apart, and then a ball of fire rocked the truck, a wall of heat and pressure slamming into my body, sending me reeling back into the dirt.
“Oscar!” Sam yelled. “Oscar’s still alive in there!”
“Fuck.” I was up on my feet and running. The heat was intense—so intense that I had to shield my face as I grew closer to the wreck. The fire had consumed the underside of the truck, the tires blazing, the gas roaring as the fuel line was engulfed. And I could hear screaming. The kind of blood curdling, awful screaming of a man being burned alive.
My radio headset crackled with static, and then Colonel Whitlock’s voice barked out through the speaker. “Fletcher, do not go back inside that vehicle. Do you hear me? Do not go back inside that vehicle.”
Disobeying a direct order from a colonel was an offence worthy of court marshal. I ripped my headset from my ears and threw it to the ground, ignoring it. Ignoring the consequences. Another blood curdling scream reached me, and that was it. I was on my stomach, crawling into the mouth of hell.
My side pressed up against the frame of the window, and pain tore at me, sinking its teeth into my skin. Heat. The heat was overwhelming, so fierce and violent that there was no oxygen inside the truck. Only smoke and confusion. Only death.
“Oscar!” I called out, reaching with both hands, trying to find him. “Where are you, man?” The truck was only a six-guy transport, but the billowing, rolling clouds of black smoke hid everything. I went by touch until I heard him cry out again, weaker this time, voice riddled with agony. He was at the very rear of the truck. A few seconds was all I had. Any longer and I would either suffocate or burn up myself. My head was pounding, my lungs begging for clean air, and I could feel myself start to drift.
The journey to the back of the truck took an eternity. One hand over the other, I pulled myself around an upturned transport box, and jammed my body in between the narrow gap at the right hand side of the vehicle, reaching out, groping, searching, until I found what I was looking for. A leg. A foot, to be precise. I grabbed hold of it and pulled. An agonised yell filled the truck.
“Ahh, my leg. My leg. It’s fucked!”
“I know. I’m sorry, man. I can’t get you any other way.” I gritted my teeth, and I pulled. In any other situation it would have been a crime that I was handling an injured man this way. The clock was running down, though, and if causing more pain, causing even more damage meant the difference between one of my guys being injured or being dead, then I was going to do what I had to do.
I somehow managed to maneuverer myself so that I was over Oscar—I couldn’t even see his face, the smoke was so thick—and then I started shoving. Six hard pushes and I managed to drive him through the gap in the window frame, out onto the desert floor. His body was ripped away, pulled free by someone else, and then he was gone. I was almost too tired to heave myself free, but I scrounged up my last scrap of energy and I crawled forward, determined to make it out before the entire vehicle was enveloped. Halfway out, my fingers clawing in the dirt, my body lit up with pain. Indescribable. Unbearable. A pain so sharp and breathtaking that I couldn’t even cry out. It felt like something was ripping my body in two. I spun around and looked up to see a burning line of fuel pouring down on me, hitting my side, burning into me. I was on fire.
I kicked and jerked myself out of the truck, ripping at my jacket. Tearing at the material, trying to get it off. The fabric seemed to come away in my hands, and then I was shirtless in the cold, cold desert, rolling on the ground, trying to put the flames out.
The world went black. Someone threw something over me, and then hands were beating at my body, slapping and trying to roll me. A strangled gasp worked its way out of my mouth, but that’s all I could manage. The flames were out. The thick, heavy material that had been thrown over me was pulled back, and Crowe stood over me, face covered in soot and grease, eyes the size of dollar coins. I could barely see him properly. Barely hear the words coming out of his mouth.
Colonel Whitlock appeared next to him, and then the sky was filled with the beating thump of helicopter blades. They spoke for a second, and the thundering drum of the helo overhead dipped long enough for me to make out what Crowe said to Whitlock.
“He didn’t stop, sir. He didn’t stop until they were all out.”
Whitlock scowled. “I can see that, Specialist. He disobeyed a direct order in doing so, too.”
“He’ll be reprimanded?” Crowe asked. He was speaking as if I was no longer present; both of them were.
“No,” Whitlock said sternly. “Ironically, I think Captain Fletcher’s more likely to be honored than punished in this particular instance. Now get him on the chopper before I change my mind. The crazy bastard’s bleeding everywhere.”
_________________________________
Michel’s Review
*** Spoiler Free ***
As a blogger and avid reader I consume over 300 books yearly. I can honestly say that there isn’t much that surprises me at this point. There are only so many plots, subject matters, and themes to be covered. What I look for is the creative flare the author brings to the story. I look for character development, original delivery of the story, descriptive enhancements, and the overall flow of the story. I want to be taken away, entertained, and experience the story right along with the characters. Between Here And The Horizon by Callie Hart had all these elements and more. It was completely original and had two separate stories going on that came together cohesively and made this book even more spectacular.
The moment I began to read this book I was drawn into the world of Captain Fletcher. The vivid descriptions made it feel like I was a bystander witnessing the monumental events unfolding on the pages. I felt the tension, the intensity of the moment, and the fear of the outcome. By the end of the first chapter my mind formed an opinion of how this story was going to unfold. Boy I was I wrong. I am rarely surprised or shocked senseless, but by the time I read a few more chapters I was completely stunned stupid. The shock factor was riveting! I kept thinking …. No No No… this didn’t just happen… No way. Once I accepted that shocking moment my mind fast forwarded and I was thinking, okay Callie Hart is going to fix this. It going to be some kind of mistake or a life changing monumental moment. So I was kind of right… it was a monumental life changing moment. I was also wrong because that monumental life changing moment took the story in a completely different direction. A direction I did not see coming.
Once the story was on a new path, I became enthralled with the new world that sets the scenes. Callie was meticulous with her vivid descriptions of life in the coastal Maine area. Her meticulous attention to details and capturing the stoic New Englanders attitudes validated the direction of the story. It became an integral part of the journey leading all the characters to a better life. At this point the story is on a completely different direction than how it began. Callie then added another brilliant element, snippets of past lives in a time of war. These snippets were important in developing two of the leading characters. The outcome of these snippets tied both stories together and added another twist to the ending.
By the end of the book, everything makes sense in a very different way leaving the readers with different perspectives of each of the characters.
I hung on every single word throughout this book. I could not put it down. When I finished this book I felt like I had just experienced an incredible story that I witnessed first hand, up close and personal. I experienced a multitude of emotions throughout this book.
Between Here And The Horizon by Callie Hart is one of the best books I have read in 2016.
Read Between Here And The Horizon by Callie Hart… it’s an amazing reading experience!
_________________________________
Meet Callie Hart:
Callie Hart is an obsessive romantic who loves throwing a dark twist into her stories. Her characters are imperfect, flawed individuals who dictate when she eats, sleeps and breathes. Callie’s Internationally Bestselling Blood & Roses series has garnered well over 1000 5 star reviews.
USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.
M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She’s a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn’t live with the “what if” anymore and finally took a chance on her character’s story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.
Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.
Tracey’s Review
***About Carly Phillips***
I’m a single mother of one daughter, Olivia. She’s amazing in every way.
New York Times and USA Bestselling Author, S. L. Scott, was always interested in the arts. She grew up painting, writing poetry and short stories, and willing her days away lost in a good book and the movies.
Saucy Southern Readers 