Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Confessions Of A Kleptomaniac by Jessica Sorensen

Posted on 10/06/2015 by shellbellereads

Happy Release Day to Jessica Sorensen and her new YA Contemporary Romance – Confessions of a Kleptomaniac. Enjoy a sneak peek into the book below and make sure to enter for a chance to win an ebook copy of this book!

♥ BUY THE BOOK ♥

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Everyone thinks Luna Harvey is a good girl, but she has a dark secret. She’s a kleptomaniac. For years, Luna has managed to keep her secret from everyone, until one day she slips up and almost gets caught. Fortunately, Grey Sawyer steps in and saves her from getting into trouble.

Grey Sawyer is one of the most popular guys in school and hasn’t always been nice to Luna. While she’s grateful he helped her out, Luna worries he’ll tell everyone her secret and her good girl reputation will be ruined.

Grey understands Luna’s situation more than she realizes, though, because he has a secret of his own. One he desperately wants to tell Luna. But with their rocky past, he knows he’ll have to get her to trust him first and show Luna he’s not the guy he used to be.

He reaches out and molds his hands around mine, bringing me the smallest amount of comfort. “Can you do me a favor? The next time something happens when you feel that pressure, can you talk to me first before you do anything?”

“You really want me to keep talking to you after what I just told you?”

“You think I’d stop liking you because you steal sometimes?” He shakes his head in disbelief. “Luna, I let my friends torture you for years. If anything, you shouldn’t be sitting here, talking to me.”

Michel’s Review

Wow! Jessica Sorensen keeps blowing me away with each book she releases. She has an incredible talent and taps into an unique genre. Her books cover mature young adult and new adult genres. She specializes in bringing to life one of the hardest transitions humans experience. It’s very hard transitioning from a teenager to a legal adult. At that age a person is still influenced by their families as well as their peers. They are desperately seeking their independence and control of their decision making. At the same time they are a bit insecure and still seek some kind of guidance. Jessica has a way of putting those confusing feelings and awkward moments into words that any person at any age can relate to, sympathize with, and understand. My children are at that age and I see so many similarities in Jessica’s books.

Confessions Of A Kleptomaniac has a very unique subject matter. So many times I have wondered why people shoplift when their life situations seem good. This book emphasizes that it is not always financial situations that cause people to steal. Rather it’s a psychological look at what drives people to become addicted to stealing. It is a need for control or empowerment. It’s an outlet to release pent of feelings of being powerless over ones life. It’s a temporary fulfillment of feeling in control.

Luna Harvey is a kleptomaniac. She comes from a strict religious background. Her family has kept her from being a normal teenager. When she steals it gives her the feeling of control over her miserable home life. When she finally gets caught it will force her to face her addiction as well as making good choices for her future. At first the punishment seems very harsh but ends up being the best thing to happen to her. She will finally face her harsh realities. She will make an unexpected friend that understands her better than her own flesh and blood. She will find herself and the freedom of being who she always wanted to be.

Grey Sawyer had an enchanted life. He was the star athlete of his school. He abused his popularity and bullied those that did not fit into his ideal group. He didn’t look at those he bullied as individuals or people with feelings. He was more concerned about his reputation and social status in school. It all changed when tragedy struck his family and he had to face the kind of person he was. He didn’t like what he saw. His financial situation has changed and life is no longer easy. It may be hard but he is embracing every moment of his new found hardship. He is becoming a better man.

When Grey witnesses Luna shoplifting it starts an unusual friendship that turns into a deep bond. Grey can confide in Luna. Luna finally has someone that sees what matters most. They both will learn about life choices.

Jessica Sorensen did a magnificent job with this book. I think it may be one of my favorite books that she has written. It really portrayed the difficulties of becoming an adult.

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

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Jessica Sorensen’s CONFESSIONS OF A KLEPTOMANIAC Release Day Giveaway
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Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: A Lover’s Lament by KL Grayson & BT Urruela

Posted on 10/06/2015 by shellbellereads

It’s the release day of A Lover’s Lament by KL Grayson & BT Urruela! I love this fantastic contemporary romance so much. Today, we have an excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so be sure to check out all of the release day fetivities!

About A Lover’s Lament:

In a matter of seconds my entire world changed, and it was in that moment that I stopped living and simply began to exist.

In my grief, I sent a letter to the first boy I ever loved. I hoped in writing it I’d find some peace from the nightmare I was living, some solace in my anger.

I didn’t expect him to write back. I wasn’t prepared for his words, and I certainly wasn’t ready for the impact this soldier would have on my life. A deep-rooted hate transformed into friendship, and then molded into a love like I’d never known before.

Sergeant Devin Ulysses Clay did what I couldn’t: he put the shattered pieces of my heart back together, restoring my faith in humanity and teaching me how to live again.

But now that I’m whole, I have a decision to make. Do I return to my life as I knew it and the fiancé I left behind, or do I walk away from it all for the only man to ever break my heart?

***

I’ve been living in hell, but you won’t hear me complain.

These men depend on me, as I do them, and this brotherhood is the only family I’ve ever known.

The Army saved me from a callous mother and a life on the wrong side of the tracks that was quickly spiraling out of control. So unlike most of the men in my platoon, going home wasn’t something I longed for.

I was content overseas, spending my days defending this country that gave me my life back. Fighting became my new normal … until her.

A letter from Katie Devora—a letter that I almost didn’t open. Her words put a fire back inside of me that I didn’t know I’d lost. She gave me hope during a time when I was fighting every day just to stay alive, and now it’s time I fight for her.

Buy Links:

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Exclusive Excerpt:

I wake before the sun has checked in for the day and scan the tent, noting my men still sleeping heavily. My morning ritual, at least the days I have time to do it, requires a bit of privacy, and I make certain I have it before I begin. Most of these clowns will just jerk it from their cots in the middle of the night with the rest of us passed out around them. There’s always been something odd about that to me. On a regular basis, I’ve woken up to the sounds of heavy breathing and skin slapping skin, and it pisses me the fuck off. If I’m not dog-tired, they’ll get a boot heaved in their direction, aimed straight for the dick and with the express purpose of putting them out of business for a while.

No, jackin’ the beanstalk in public isn’t for me. Unfortunately, that leaves only one other place to do it—the Drop Zone. Porta-shitters, as we like to call them, sit for weeks without being emptied and capture every bit of the sun’s heat. It’s like a fucking greenhouse in there, and one breath in that motherfucker while beating off and your dick is in full retreat.

So there’s a trick to doing this just right; you have to prep him first. You get him up and going, and then you quickly finish in the shitter. For most of these guys, the bikini-clad chicks above their cots or the porno mags stashed in their bags are a necessity for a proper jerk-off, but I’m an imaginative guy. I close my eyes and my mind becomes like a time machine of fuck. Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot … bam! … cum everywhere. Farrah Fawcett in her iconic red swimsuit bent over the counter … set the time machine and go.

This time my mind goes for none other than Jackie O. She’s spread-eagle, with my tongue lightly flicking her throbbing clit while she’s begging for my dick. And, of course, I’m making her call me Mr. President. I laugh at the last thought but notice it’s at least gotten the job started. Since my dick is half-mast and ticking its way to full form, I slink my way to the tent’s entrance.

Stepping out, I’m met by the sun creeping softly over the tops of the barriers, and I hurry toward the porta-shitters, positioned just past the Humvees in front of the eastern wall. This two-hundred-yard walk is the most important part of the process. You have to walk with speed but not urgency, in hopes that you don’t attract attention from the few others also awake—all while the imagined porn still reels in your head.

I manage to make it into the shitter undetected and quickly go to work on my shaft while my left hand pinches my nose like a vise and my eyes squeeze tightly shut. Only this time it isn’t someone famous that I picture. It’s Katie.

Even as early as it is, the Drop Zone is like a sauna, and beads of sweat collect on my forehead. I try desperately to hold in my breath as the seconds tick down. Just as my lungs begin to demand air and my body stiffens, I toss my head back with a stifled groan. My body recovers from its high much quicker in this setting, but at least the job is done. Two weeks of combat stress gone, just like that.

Michel’s Review

Rather than doing a typical review talking about the characters and their story, I have chosen to do a spoiler free review. I am not going to talk about the characters personally. I will say they are strong, dynamic, and charismatic. Their story is one that the reader needs to experience for themselves. It will touch your soul to the very core.

Wow…Wow…Wow! A Lover’s Lament by KL Grayson and BT Urruela is one of those books that captures the reader’s attention and keeps them glued to the pages until the very last word. It’s a beautiful, timeless love story that is emotionally honest. It’s a story of forgiveness, perseverance , commitment, and a celebration of the human spirit.

The combination of these two authors creating this story added a very special element to this story. The reader was able to experience both the realistic and raw points of view from the female and male perspective. The portrayal of the events that happened on the warfront were more personal and compelling. BT Urruela had first hand experience and was able to put the comradery, the fear, the loneliness, and the dedication these soldiers were experiencing into elegant words that each reader could easily connect with. KL Grayson complimented BT Urruela’s characters with compelling characters on the homefront going through their own emotional traumas. Both of the leading characters had compelling stories that touched the heart. When they brought both worlds together through youthful history, letters, and an emotional reunion, it was magical. It proved that the power of love is stronger than the power of hate. The power of love heals the soul.

This book was touching in so many ways. It will capture your heart.

____________________________________________________________

About the Authors:

K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KL-Grayson/1403900879892076?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorklgrayson

IG: @booksbyklgrayson

Taylor Urruela was an infantryman in the US Army from August 2004 until February 2011. At the end of a year long tour in Baghdad, IQ, his vehicle was hit by two roadside bombs, which took his right leg below the knee and the life of his commander. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds, an Army Commendation Medal and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He medically retired from the Army in 2011 and moved to Tampa, FL where he currently works as a Director and Brand Ambassador of VETSports, a veteran community sports nonprofit he co-founded in 2012. He also conducts speaking engagements and he’s a personal trainer for Tampa Sports Academy.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTUrruela?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BTUArmy

IG: @BTUrruela

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Release Blitz + Review + Giveaway: Sinner’s Steel by Sarah Castille – Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club Series – Book 3

Posted on 10/06/2015 by shellbellereads

Sinner’s Steel

Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club – Book 3

Release Date: October 6, 2015

By Sarah Castille

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

HE’S HELL ON WHEELS.
Tall, dark, and dangerously handsome, Zane “Tracker” Colter is the strong, silent type of tattooed muscle biker who drives women wild. But as a master of strategy for the outlaw MC club, Sinner’s Tribe, he doesn’t have time to play around with groupies and biker chicks-especially when he can’t stop thinking about Evie, the girl who got away…

SHE’S PLAYING WITH FIRE.
Evie’s been in love with Zane ever since they were children-until he broke her heart and disappeared. Now he’s back in her life, bigger and badder than ever. Zane is stunned by how beautiful and confident Evie’s become, using her artistic talent to customize motorcycles. He wants her so bad, he’d ride through fire to win her back. There’s one problem: Evie is dating his deadliest rival-the leader of the Black Jacks-and if Evie and Zane hook up, there’ll be hell to pay… in Sinner’s Steel.

Excerpt

“Take off your clothes.” Evie leaned against Zane’s bedroom door, more for support than a means of escape.

“Evie . . .”

A growl curled in her throat, her anger growing as she realized this was the beginning of the end. Once she saw what was under his shirt, there would be no going back. “Take them off. I want to see what he did to you.”

He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the bed, then he stripped down to his boxers. Her legs trembled as her gaze swept over his body, starting at his feet, her strength leaving her as she took in the discolored skin on his shins and thighs, the cuts on his wrists, and then gave out when she saw the full extent of his bruised and lacerated torso.

Her beautiful Zane.

She sank down to the floor, wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her head and sobbed, the grief ripping her apart inside. Tears spilled down her cheeks dripping on the floor with each ragged inhale. She cried not just for him, but for them, and the knowledge they could never be together.

“Fuck.” Zane’s voice was harsh, raw as he crossed the room to kneel beside her. “Sweetheart, it’s not as bad as it looks.”

She shook her head, held herself tighter, unable to speak for the images spinning around in her mind. Jagger had no bruises on his body. That guilty look on his face when he’d come into the shop . . . the marks on Zane’s wrists.

Zane hadn’t fought back. His hands were tied and he hadn’t fought back.

“Let me explain.” He cradled her in his arms, as if she was the one hurting. She supposed, in a way, she was.

“There’s nothing to say that could make this acceptable to me.” Evie sniffed back her tears. “I can’t do this, Zane. Seeing you like this is tearing me apart. I’ll never be able to forgive Jagger, never forget what he did to you. I won’t even pretend to understand how you agreed to it. The fact that you live in a world where this kind of thing goes on is bad enough, but on top of it . . . your patches . . . blood . . .”

“I’ll leave.” Simple words and yet they weighed heavy on her heart.

“I don’t want you to leave.” She held herself stiff, afraid to touch his battered body. “This club means everything to you. That you would take that beating from your best friend tells me how much you love this life. You would hate me every day for taking you away from it.”

“I love you more,” he said. “I have always loved you. I’ve lived my life in the shadows because I couldn’t let you go.” He drew in a ragged breath, brushed his lips over her hair. “I can’t lose you now. I went looking for Viper because I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

She struggled to sit, pushed herself to standing. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you either, but I don’t even know who I am anymore. All I know is that I’ve been stupidly naive, and this life you lead isn’t for me. I want to be with you, but I don’t see how this can work.”

His face smoothed, eyes darkened. Even now she knew him so well, she could see his emotional retreat.

She closed her fist and hit it to her breast, her eyes stinging with tears all over again. “It hurts me to see you in pain. It hurts me to think of you suffering. It hurts me to think of you in such danger that you have to take a life. I’ve spent my whole life hurting because I wanted you and couldn’t have you. I just can’t take the hurting anymore. I love you, Zane, but it hurts just too damn bad, and now you’re taking risks for me that could get you killed. I don’t want that. Even if we can’t be together, I need to know you’re alive and happy and doing what you love to do.”

His voice, when he spoke, was thick with pain. “You want to walk away? What about Ty?”

“I don’t know.” God, why couldn’t she stop crying? “I need some time to think about it. He adores you. He’s so happy to have you in his life, I can’t take that away from him.”

She turned, reached for the door, but it felt too wrong. Unfinished. There was something she needed to do.

“Will you let me do something for you before I go?”

“Anything.”

She gestured to his bruised, battered body. “You did this for me. I want to give something back. I want to take care of you so when I leave I’ll know you’re going to be okay.”

***

Pain.

His life was all about pain.

And yet the pain in his body was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. Zane’s hand clenched on his breast. If he could rip his damn heart out of his chest he would. Go back to the darkness that had sustained him for the last nine years, back to the shadows. Out of the damn light.

He heard the rush of water in the shower from the en suite bathroom, a luxury afforded only the senior patch brothers who kept rooms at the clubhouse, but he couldn’t go in. He was too wound up, too out of control, too damn emotional.

What else could he do? He had meant every word when he told her he would fight to be with her. He just hadn’t realized she would be the one standing in his way.

With a roar, he thudded his fist against the wall. His hands were about the only place on his body that wasn’t bruised. Might as remedy that problem because he had saved them for nothing.

When he felt no release from his assault on the wall, he ripped a drawer from the dresser and smashed it on the ground. Clothes flew across the room and the wood cracked and splintered. Like his heart.

“Zane!”

But now that the floodgates had opened, he couldn’t stop. He lifted the drawer and smashed it down again, his aching muscles protesting the impact. “Do you want him, Evie? Is that it? Is that what this is all about?” He knew it was ludicrous. She had seen who Viper was, but he needed a reason, something he could change.

“No, baby. You know that’s not true. Now come let me wash you and look after those cuts and bruises.”

Smash. Smash. Smash. He tore the drawer apart. He loved her compassion and yet he hated it if it meant the last time he touched her he would be in pain.

“I’ll shower with you so I can look after you properly.” She clasped the bottom of her T-shirt and tugged it over her head. Zane froze mid-strike, his primal instincts sharpening at the sight of her skin and her beautiful breasts encased in blue satin.

“I don’t want your help.” He threw the remnants of the drawer across the room.

“Too bad. And if you can’t it for you, then do it for me.” Evie undid the bra and tossed it on the bed with her shirt. “It will make me . . . feel better.” She slid her jeans and panties over her hips and then kicked them off. Gloriously naked, quietly confident, undaunted by his rage, she turned into the bathroom. “Come on.”

Zane’s body shook, torn between going after his woman and unleashing his frustrations on the rest of the furniture.

Don’t go in. He knew what would happen if he followed her, and it wouldn’t involve standing still while she treated his wounds. And with his heart raw and exposed, he didn’t think he could handle that level of intimacy without totally losing control. With a growl, he ripped out another drawer, and hammered it against the wall until it shattered, pieces flying in all directions. Exhausted, he sank down on the bed, the ruins of the drawers scattered at his feet, his muscles quivering at the exertion. He could hear the shower behind him, feel the breath of steam, smell the floral fragrance of shampoo.

Evie.

Loves me.

Leaving me.

Overwhelmed with the need to touch her, he stripped off his clothes, all thoughts of staying away forgotten beneath the desire to hold her in his arms one last time.

Evie turned when he stepped into the shower, rivulets of water streaming over her beautiful body. “Took you long enough. Did you break all the drawers?”

Words deserted him. He took her in his arms and held her against him.

“It’s okay,” she murmured against his chest, her arms tightening around him. “We’ll be okay.”

He didn’t know how long they stood under the warm water, but his heart finally slowed its frenetic beat and the tension eased from his body.

“You’re mine.”

“And you’re mine. That won’t change.” She slid her hands up his chest ever so gently to circle his neck.

She was right about that. Nothing wouldn’t change. He would find a way. He would fight for her until he couldn’t fight anymore.

________________________________________

Michel’s Review

Sarah Castille kicked up the Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club series to full throttle. This dynamic biker series has captured the readers attention. The latest release, Sinner’s Steel takes the club to a whole new level of danger.

A war has been brewing between the Sinner’s MC and the Devils Jacks MC. After the Jacks tried to kill the Sinner’s president and a former Sinner betrayed the club, the tension has boiled down to murder. The Sinner’s are hunting the man, Axel , that betrayed them. When they finally find him they are in for some other surprises and a downright war. This time the war isn’t only going to be between the clubs. It has become very personal for the Sinner’s VP, Zane “Tracker” Colton. It is going to be a fight for his woman. The one he claimed as a young man and lost because of a messy past that left him one of the most wanted men. He will kill to get his woman back.

Zane left Evie behind after their one youthful romantic night together. He had always been her best friend and one of the only people she could depend on. After their fateful night together , she never saw him again until ten years later. Ten years too late. Ten years of thinking he killed her father. Ten years of abandonment when she needed him the most.

Evie has become a strong independent woman. She is a single mother supporting her son. She gave up her college opportunities and became a paint detailer at Big Bill’s Custom Motorcycles, Paint, and Artwork. She has no allegiance to any MC. She is an artist doing her job and paying the bills to support her son. She has done well for herself. She has also caught the eye of the Devil Jacks MC president, Viper. She has been on a few dates with Viper and he has been the charming gentleman… until he finds out she has past connections with the Sinner’s.

Evie is shocked when Zane comes to her shop hunting a Jack. She hasn’t seen him in ten years. She doesn’t want anything to do with him now but knows she has to share her secret with him. He is the father of her son.

Zane wants Evie and Ty in his life. He wants Evie as his old lady. He has never stopped loving her. He will be damned if he is going to let Viper take her away now that he has found her again.

Let the war begin. Evie and Ty may end up being causalities of the war. Viper will show his true colors. Zane will show his true heart. It may be too late but he will die trying to show Evie his heart.

Sinner’s Steel is the most intense book of the series. It had a bittersweet love story that kept the reader rooting for Evie and Zane. Ty was a great kid that was the best of both of them. I really enjoyed this book!

The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club Series

Rough Justice – Book 1

From New York Times bestselling author Sarah Castille comes Rough Justice, a scorching new series featuring red-hot, hard-riding bikers and the women who can’t help but love them…
IT TAKES A GOOD, STRONG WOMAN
Raised in a motorcycle gang, tough, beautiful Arianne Wilder has always dreamed of a normal life. But no sooner does she escape her father’s domineering grasp than she wakes up to find herself in a rival gang’s clubhouse—at the mercy of the dangerously sexy Jagger Knight.
TO TAME A MAN WHO’S HELL ON WHEELS.
The alpha leader of the notorious Sinner’s Tribe, Jagger Knight is all muscle, all biker, and all man. But somewhere inside this hard, tattooed outlaw, Arianne senses a kindred spirit—and she can’t ignore their tempestuous attraction. Can she beat him at his own game in a revved-up blaze of glory? Or will their passion spark a war that’s the end of the road for them both?

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Beyond The Cut – Book 2

Release Date: June 2, 2015

SHE’S HOLDING ON TIGHT.
As a teen, Dawn ran from a life on the streets straight into the arms of Jimmy “Mad Dog” Sanchez, a biker who promised to be her knight in shining armor. But his love was just another cage. Years later, Dawn’s former life still has its hooks in her and she’ll do whatever it takes to break free. When Cade “Ryder” O’Connor, a member of a rival club, makes her an offer, Dawn finds herself in a different, hotter kind of trouble with one irresistible Sinner…

WILL HE GIVE HER THE RIDE OF HER LIFE?
Cade is an outlaw biker with allegiance to one thing and one thing only: The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club. But when it comes to the stunningly sexy, fiercely independent Dawn Delgado, Cade finds himself…hungrier for more. Trouble is on Dawn’s heels and he wants to be the answer to her prayers, whether she wants him to be or not. What can’t be denied is the red-hot attraction between them. However, as they fall deeper, the danger rises and Cade may have to sacrifice it all…in Beyond the Cut by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Castille.

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Sinner’s Steel – Book 3

Release Date: October 6, 2015

“Raw, rugged, and romantic.” -Eden Bradley, New York Times bestselling author
“A sexy and dangerous ride!”-Roni Loren, New York Times bestselling author

Pre Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

____________________________________________________

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Sarah Castille, writes contemporary erotic romance and romantic suspense featuring blazingly hot alpha males and the women who tame them. A recovering lawyer and caffeine addict, she worked and travelled abroad before trading in her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home in shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Sarah loves to connect with readers. Sign up for her newsletter to hear about new releases:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Blitz: Until Jax by Aurora Rose Reynolds – Until Him Series – Book 1

Posted on 09/29/2015 by shellbellereads

Until Jax

Until Him Series – Book 1

By Aurora Rose Reynolds

*******

Meet Jax and Ellie in this instalove, alpha romance!

Until Jax is LIVE! #Boom

Now Available at the following retailers:

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Blurb Ellie Anthony isn’t looking for love. She isn’t even looking for a man, but when Jax Mayson insists on keeping her and her daughter safe, she’s left with no choice but to trust him. Now she just hopes she doesn’t get hurt when she falls hard for a guy who’s known for breaking hearts. Jax Mayson knows that Ellie is his BOOM the moment he sees her. When he finds out she has a daughter, he realizes he wants a family, and he will do whatever is necessary to keep both of his girls safe, even if that means facing the demons from his past.

Excerpt

“Thank you again for taking me.” Pulling my eyes from the road for a brief moment, I look at Ellie. Her head is resting against the window, her legs pulled up onto the seat, tucked near her ass, and her arms are wrapped tight around them. One thing I’ve noticed about her over the last few hours is she’s always wrapping her arms around herself or tucking her body into a tight ball. It’s like she’s forcing herself to stay together. “I told you I got you, baby,” I say gently, wanting more than anything to take her hand in mine, but every time I touch her, she freezes up like she’s waiting for me to strike out at her, and I would be lying if I said that didn’t piss me the fuck off. It does; it feels like a slap in the face every time it happens. “I know,” she whispers, and the tears I hear in her voice cause a sharp pain in my chest. Fuck. “This is the turnoff.” Her feet go to the floorboard and her hands to the dash as she sits up taller, moving her face closer to the windshield. We drive up a long dirt driveway with forest and the occasional broken down car on each side. When we make it to the top of the hill, a singlewide trailer comes into view, with junk cars and garbage piled up out front. As soon as I come to a stop, she opens her door and hops out before I can tell her to keep her little ass in the cab. I don’t even know how I’m going to deal with the range of emotions that have settled over me since seeing her for the first time. “Fucking Boom,” I mutter, getting out behind her and doubling my steps until I’m able to reach her side, where I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her closer to me. She’s so fucking tiny that the top of her dark head sits right at my chest. So fragile, from her too soft skin to her petite size. And she’s mine.

Michel’s Review

I fell in love with Jax Mason when he was a little boy. He was an alpha at a very young age and was saving the girl before he could even write his own name. He was destined to follow in his uncles and daddy’s footsteps. He was genetically destined to have the BOOM. It happened to all of the Mason men. Now their sons are going to experience the BOOM! The explosion of the heart. The claiming of their woman. The Mine syndrome.

In the previous book, Until July, from the Until Her series, Jax was part of the rescue team that exposed a sex slave trafficking ring. Ellie was the resourceful woman being held captive along with July.

When Jax lays eyes on Ellie……..BOOM!!!

Ellie is still in danger. Two of the men got away. Someone paid a lot of money for her. They want her back. Jax will protect Ellie with his life. He will give her his heart.

Ellie is a package deal. It’s a good thing that Jax is a Mason and they love their little girls.

I loved this book. It was a feel good romance with that special magic that only Aurora Rose Reynolds can create. The Mason men never disappoint and make my heart race.

Jax owns me… Until… the next Mason man meets his BOOM!

Until July

Until Her Series – Book 1

By Aurora Rose Reynolds

Synopsis

Wes Silver wasn’t looking for love, but when July Mayson literally knocks him on his ass during their first encounter, his world is turned upside down by the quirky blonde, and every moment with her makes him more determined to protect her. July Mayson doesn’t understand the pull she feels toward the bad boy biker Wes Silver, but she knows being with him is like nothing she’s ever felt before. Now all she has to do is tell her overprotective father, Asher Mayson, that she’s found her boom.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

_________________________________

Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

___________

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Last Hope by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick – The Hitman Series – Book 4

Posted on 09/29/2015 by shellbellereads

Last Hope

Hitman Series – Book 4

By Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick

In the explosive new Hitman novel from the bestselling authors of

Last Kiss and Last Hit a jungle mercenary

and a female target find love on the run…

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Synopsis

In the explosive new Hitman novel from the bestselling authors of Last Kiss and Last Hit a jungle mercenary and a female target find love on the run…
Mendoza: I grew up in the slums and lost everything I loved to poverty, illness, and death. I had only one skill to leverage myself out of my circumstances—violence. Being hired out as a mercenary hitman brought me money and built an empire. But all that I’ve fought for is in jeopardy. My next job: Steal secret information that could bring down world governments. Find my target. Destroy it. But then, I meet her.
Ava: Karma hates me. When my best friend Rose is kidnapped, I have no choice but to take a job as a mule for a pair of criminals intent on selling top-secret information to the highest bidder. I should have known that bad luck tends to cling, because the plane I’m on goes down. That I survived a crash-landing was a miracle. And so was being rescued by Rafe Mendoza—hot, sexy, dangerous. The thing is, he wants the information that I need to free Rose. I can’t let him have it, but I need his help. And I need to fight this crazy attraction for this mercenary with hungry eyes. Rose is depending on me, and I won’t let her down, no matter how appealing Rafe is.

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LAST HOPE EXCERPT

The ricochet of the bullet has swollen my eye shut. I might be slightly concussed from the free fall from six thousand feet into the jungle. I’ve no clue where we are and we have no supplies, but I’ve never been happier than when Ava stuck her tits into my face. Those babies felt like the softest pillows ever created and I would’ve been happy to suffocate in damp valley of cleavage. Maybe I’d even get the chance to lick her sweat away.

I might have groaned and pretended my injury was worse to lengthen the moment. Her delicate hands smoothed over my forehead and, it may have been my imagination, but it seemed liked she might’ve lingered over my hair. Dig in, I want to grunt.

“What the heck is that sound?” Ava clutches me to her.

If I don’t answer, does that mean I can stay in this position forever? Because I want to. Actually, no, I’d like to move over and suck one fat tit into my mouth until it’s hard as a diamond. Then I’d like to slide down until my mouth is level with her pussy and see how salty sweet she tastes between her legs. The beast between my legs roars to life and it’s a good thing that the monkeys above us scream again, causing her to jump and strike my good eye with her elbow. The pain serves as a reminder of where we are, who I am, and what the fuck I should be paying attention to.

“It’s the howler monkey. They sound like humans screaming or sometimes like the jaguar. They’re kind of dumb and if we found Afonso’s gun, we’d be able to kill one and have meat every night for a week.”

She shudders. “I don’t want to eat monkey.”

The jungle is hot and wet during the day and cold at night. If the mosquitos don’t eat you alive, the jaguars and anacondas might. Not very many people can crash-land into the middle of the Amazon and make it out alive, but I’m upping our odds from around 20 percent to 50 percent based on Ava’s positive attitude. Unless my eye heals up, I’m not giving us more than that. If we could find the Boy Scout bag, though, we could bring our odds up significantly.

“There’s plenty of food in the Amazon from plantains to fish, so if you don’t like monkey, we won’t eat it.”

She shudders again. “Thank you.”

“You a vegetarian?”

No, that couldn’t be right. Didn’t she eat some prosciutto at the café? But I want to hear it from her. I want to know everything about her.

“No, but for some reason eating something that screams like a human freaks me out.”

“Monkey is off the menu,” I say, making no attempt to move away from her rack. “I have a knife in my belt.”

“Do you have anything else besides the knife?” she asks. Her tone is accusatory like I’m holding out on her.

“No,” I say slowly. “Just the knife.”

She narrows her eyes and then reaches out with her good hand and pokes my waistline. “What about that?”

“My pants? I don’t think that they’d fit you or they’d be a good weapon. Besides, I’d rather my legs didn’t get eaten by mosquitos.”

“Look, if you just plan on leaving me behind, then do it now. Don’t string me along.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Just my luck to perv on a crazy woman.

“That!” she spits out, and this time her finger jabs lower, right into the meat of my dick. I flinch back. “I can tell you’re packing something. What’s that thing in your pocket?”

“None of your fucking business,” I growl out, my happy feeling sucked away. I can feel the heat rising in my face that has nothing to do with the humidity. I will my erection to subside but as she stares at it, it does nothing but grow.

“Oh my god. Is that a . . . that’s not a gun, is it?” Her lips part in shock.

“No.” The erection isn’t going to go down anytime soon. Not with her eyes wide with wonder. She raises her gaze to me and then drops back down again, and hell if she doesn’t lick her fucking lips. I turn away, unzip, and then pull the shaft straight up behind the waistband of my cargo pants. I fasten the zipper, carefully, and then pull my T-shirt down over the top. It hides most of the problem. “Let’s go.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles.

I surge to my feet, catching her off guard. She stumbles back and thankfully stops staring at my junk. “Enough,” I growl more roughly than I intend. “We have important things to concentrate on, like where are we going to sleep for the night.”

She looks stricken and nods in agreement. “Sorry, I just was taken by surprise. You don’t have to tell me what’s in your pocket if you don’t want to. But I need to remind you that we’re in this together.”

I feel like an ass. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry that she thinks my dick is fake. That’s a new one.

Michel’s Review

The Hitman Series by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick is one of my favorite series. With the latest addition, Last Hope, the series has taken a new exciting direction. The series has left Europe and the Russian assassins. It has moved into the Amazon jungles with a new deadly group of mercenaries for hire. These new mercenaries have no allegiance to their country or organization. They are guns for hire. Their only commitment is to their group and the Tears of God.

Rafe Mendoza has been coerced into his next job. The government took one of his men captive to force him to obtain information that has been stolen. This stolen information could change the world as we know it if it falls into the wrong hands. It could make large nations fall and small nations rise to power. It could change the balance in the world.

A small time international arms dealer has obtained this information and is auctioning it off to the highest bidder. Ava is being used as a pawn to secure bidders for the upcoming auction. Rafe Mendoza must follow Ava to get to the source of information.

Ava is a quiet small town girl living in New York as a hand model. When her best friend, a super model, hooks up with a french businessman all seems normal. Until her friend is taken captive and forcing Ava to become a carrier of deadly information. She just wants to do as she is commanded and get her best friend home safely. She didn’t count on Rafe Mendoza or the dangerous men holding her friend captive.

What starts out in New York City leads Ava to Peru with Rafe Mendoza on her trail. From there she will get caught up in a deadly game of survival after a plane crash in the Amazon jungle. It’s a good thing that Rafe was on the plane.

Rafe and Ava will fight to survive the jungle. Not only are they fighting for their survival, they are also fighting their attraction for one another. Ava wants Rafe. Rate is holding back and fighting the inevitable. Rafe has a very strong fear of intimacy for a good reason. He has been deemed the devil’s spawn because of his size. It is beyond abnormal. But Ava is a strong willed woman and is determined to show Rafe that size doesn’t matter when it comes to the affairs of the heart.

Meanwhile the bad guys are closing in. It could be the last chance at a relationship for both Ava and Rafe.

I loved the new direction of the Hitman series. It was an adventure that kept the reader on the edge of their seats. This new band of mercenaries are going to steal the readers hearts. I love the unique angst that was between Rafe and Ava.

Read Last Hope. It will not disappoint!

Last Hit

Book 1

From two bestselling authors—the first in a deliciously bold new series that takes readers to the most dangerous edge of desire . . .

Nikolai: I have been a contract killer since I was a boy. For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all spoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small, scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears.

Daisy: I’ve been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best about people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man who has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk . . . and also, my life.

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Last Breath

Book 2

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit comes the next in the steamy series that explores the exquisite power of our darkest passions . . .

Regan: I never really knew what misery was until the day I was kidnapped and sold for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two months later, I’m at a brothel in Rio when I meet Daniel Hays. He says he’s here to save me, but can I trust him? All I know of him are his sarcastic retorts and his tendency to solve every dispute with his gun. He’s also the only safe thing in my world, and I know it’s wrong to fall in love with him, but I can’t seem to help myself. He says he’ll protect me until his last breath, but I don’t know if I should believe him or even if I can.

Daniel: For the last eighteen months, one goal has dictated every action I’ve taken. I’ve left the Army, turned paid hit man, and befriended criminals all across the globe to find my kidnapped sister. In every brothel I raid and every human trafficking truck I stop, I hope the next face I find is my sister’s. In a hidden brothel in Rio, I find Regan Porter, bruised but not broken, and still sane despite her weeks in captivity. I should leave her behind or send her home, because the last thing either of us needs right now is to get involved. But with every passing minute, I find I’m less able to let her go.

MATURE AUDIENCE

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Last Hit Reloaded

A Hitman Novella

Release Date: January 20, 2015

With their explosively sexy novels, the bestselling authors of Last Breath, Last Kiss, and Last Hit have proven themselves “a force to be reckoned with.”* Now comes an all-new to-die-for novella in their acclaimed Hitman series…
There was a time when Nick loved the fear he instilled in his enemies. His tattoos alone promised danger, but it was the look in his eyes that delivered on it. A contract killer since he was just a boy, Nick has now forged a new life—and a new identity—with the woman who followed him, captured him, and changed him.
He terrified Daisy. Once. But she couldn’t resist, and she ignored every warning. It paid off. Now she’s part of a new beginning, a fresh start in America helping him to leave behind a reckless and violent past as a professional killer. But the past is never easy to outrun, especially when so much of it thrives on revenge.
A new threat has emerged from the shadows, and now Nick and Daisy have no choice but to rely on Nick’s killer skills to protect them from everything they’ve tried so hard to escape.

Includes a bonus excerpt from Last Kiss.

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Last Kiss

Book 3

Release Date: May 5, 2015

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit and Last Breath comes the next dark and sensual tale in the Hitman series that crosses the line between danger and desire…

Naomi: When I was kidnapped I thought only of survival. I don’t thrive well in chaos. That’s why I gave my captors exactly what they wanted: my skill with computers. Making millions for a crime lord who kept me imprisoned in his basement compound kept my family safe. When he was taken out, I thought my ticket to freedom had arrived. Wrong. I traded one keeper for another. This time I’m in the hands of a scarred, dark, demanding Russian who happens to be the head of the Bratva, a Russian crime organization. He wants my brain and my body. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued, but I can’t be a prisoner forever…no matter how good he makes me feel.

Vasily: At a young age, I was taught that a man without power is a puppet for all. I’ve clawed—and killed—my way to the top so that it is my heel on their necks. But to unify the fractured organization into an undefeatable machine, I need a technological genius to help me steal one particular artifact. That she is breathtaking, determined, and vulnerable is making her more dangerous than all of my enemies combined. But only I can keep her safe from the world that she now inhabits. Soon, I must choose between Naomi and Bratva law. But with every day that passes, this becomes a more impossible choice.

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Book 4

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_____________________________________________________________

About The Authors

Jessica Clare is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author who writes under three different names. As Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance.

She also has a third pen name (because why stop at two?). As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals. She lives in Texas with her husband, cats, and too many dust-bunnies. Jill spends her time writing, reading, writing, playing video games, and doing even more writing.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
Jen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog. She’s been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Day Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Breaking A Legend by Sarah Robinson – The Kavanagh Legends Series – Book 1

Posted on 09/29/2015 by shellbellereads

Enter to Win a

Select Loveswept Ebook Bundle

BREAKING A LEGEND

Kavanagh Legends #1

Sarah Robinson

Released Sept 29th, 2015

Loveswept

Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and
Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the
Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and
love with all their hearts.

As one of the big names at his
family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the
spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left
feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come
with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and
gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in
Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get
his life back into fighting shape.

Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be
able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx
neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her
past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady
work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s
more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he
looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with
love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.

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Excerpt

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“I really appreciate it, but you don’t have to give it to me for free,” Clare’s brow furrowed as she took the membership card from the spunky redhead.

“Oh, please, girl. I used to work busing tables at O’Leary’s Pub when I was in high school. Is Cian still in charge over there?” She smiled back as she continued putting Clare’s information into the gym’s computer system.

“Yeah, he’s my supervisor.” Clare nodded at the woman, slightly mesmerized by how piercing and blue her eyes were in contrast to the bright red wavy hair that flowed down most of her back.

“Then believe me, these self-defense classes can be written off as a work expense on next year’s taxes.” Both women snickered. Clare leaned against the counter, enjoying the interaction, since she hadn’t made any friends around her age in the three weeks she had lived here. Clare felt a pang of regret slice through her as she wished that an irritating boss was the only reason she needed self-defense classes.

“I’m Casey Kavanagh, by the way.” The redhead reached out her hand to Clare, who accepted it happily.

“Clare—well, I guess you already know that.” Clare pointed toward the driver’s license that Casey was still holding. Casey just smirked and waved her hand nonchalantly.

“So—Kavanagh? You’re part of the family who owns this place?” Clare tried not to sound like she was prying, but she was curious. She’d heard that name all over town since she got here.

“Yeah, my uncle owns it. Started it up back in the late seventies. It’s been remodeled lately, but we definitely still have the old-school reputation.”

“Oh.” Clare nodded, not sure what that meant or what to say.

“Here, you can have this back. I think I have everything in here now.” Casey handed her the license. “The thirty-day trial membership begins today, and then we can talk about different types of plans after you’ve had a chance to try out our various amenities and classes.”

“Thanks. Do you think I could have a peek around? See where the locker rooms are and stuff like that?” Clare tucked her driver’s license back into her wallet along with the new membership card, then stuffed the wallet into the small brown purse that was slung over her shoulder.

“Hell, yeah! Come on, let me give you a tour. Welcome—officially, this time—to Legends!” Casey popped out from around the back of the counter, motioning for her to follow.

Clare watched the bouncy, energetic woman in amusement as she followed her, feeling slightly overdressed in her knee-length red dress and thigh-high black boots, compared to Casey’s black yoga pants and neon-green long-sleeved tee.

“Okay, so here are the locker rooms. Men over there, women right here.” Casey started to point toward various doors they passed as the hallway opened up into a large room with an open floor plan.

“The entire far side of the room is pretty much for the fighters, not really anything but testosterone and ball sweat over there.” Casey slid her arm around Clare’s elbow to pull her along.

Clare giggled at Casey’s remarks and took in the view of dozens of men on weight-lifting machines, standing in front of weight benches, and in the rings. She had to agree, there was definitely a lot of testosterone in here.

“But over here is where things are a bit less noisy.” Casey led Clare to a side hall that opened into several small classrooms. A few of the rooms were filled with people doing group exercises; Clare recognized a yoga class and a spinning class.

“All the classrooms are walled in by windows, but the glass is so thick that you can’t hear all the noise from the rings.” Casey indicated an empty classroom that was at the back wall of the gym.

The door they entered through was set in a wall of all glass, just like the back wall of the room that gave them a view of the street. Clare strode toward the back wall, loving the openness and the view of pedestrians passing by.

“Yeah, that’s my favorite part, too,” Casey said.

“What, people watching?”

“Of course! People are weird, which is fun,” Casey quipped, joining her at the window as they stood side by side.

“See, there’s an example of weird right there.” Casey pointed at a behemoth of a man crouching on the sidewalk with a large dog next to him.

“That’s my cousin, Rory, but he’s more like a brother. He works here sometimes, used to be a fighter but got hurt in the championships last year. Almost couldn’t walk again since his leg pretty much split in two. A year later, not only is he walking, but there he is crouched down, feeding a damn street dog.”

Clare watched more closely, and now she noticed the second dog. In front of both the man and the larger dog beside him was a smaller, frail-looking pup. It couldn’t be more than twenty pounds, although it seemed like it should be much bigger. The dog’s ribs were poking out of its side as Casey’s cousin slowly fed him a sandwich. He was careful to hold his hand out flat and she could see his lips moving from his profile, realizing he was probably coaxing the dog to accept the food.

“I think that’s sweet. I was studying to be a vet before I moved here.” Clare’s voice was soft as she admired the man’s kindness toward the stray.

The man stood and stretched a bit, opening up the other half of a bagged sandwich and then settling himself on the curb by the thin dog, who seemed more trusting of him now. In his new position, Clare could see more of his face and she realized that it was the same burly yet handsome man she had flirted with at O’Leary’s last night.

Of course, that was before he had broken her boss’s nose.

She felt a stirring in her abdomen as she watched him, her mouth slightly parting. The brown pup cautiously took a few steps to him, then sat and placed his head in Rory’s lap. Clare felt a glow as her heart warmed at the sight.

“I’m so not an animal person, but Rory would help a goddamn rat if he found one. That bigger dog there is his shadow, Ace. Barely ever see the two of them apart.” Casey stepped away from the window.

Clare hesitated, watching Rory and Ace for a moment longer, then pulled herself away to go follow her new friend. It had been a while since she had thought about her previous career aspirations, and a wave of sadness passed over her as she thought of the different trajectory of her life now. Maybe now that she was starting over, she could go back to school, she found herself hoping.

Michel’s Review

Breaking A Legend by Sarah Robinson is the first book in the new exciting Kavanagh Legends series. If you love MMA Fighter novels, Irish Family novels, a touch of the Irish mafia, strong women, lovable pups, and delectable Irish men… read this book! This exciting new series has everything that readers love and the writing is very good.

The book starts on high adrenaline. Rory “The Knockout” Kavanagh is in a championship title fight. One moment he’s beating his opponent to a pulp and then something goes wrong. That one second destroys Rory “The Knockout” Kavanagh.

One year later Rory is still struggling with the loss of his fighting career and his pain. He is finding solace in a bottle of pills and strong whiskey. He has withdrawn from the world and his family. The only thing that keeps him going is his rescue dog Ace.

The Kavanagh family is a close knit Irish family. The patriarch of the family was a champion boxer and also has ties to the Westies. The Kavanagh men range from fighters, police officers, and felons. Their Legends Gym is known for turning out champion fighters in Bronx. They are legends in the Woodlawn neighborhood.

When Rory meets the sexy new bartender, Claire Ivers, at O’ Leary’s Pub, she captures his attention and little does he know his life is about to change. He has met his match. He’s met the woman that makes him want to be a better man. A woman that not only stirs his desire but also rejuvenates his soul. He has found the person that shows him there is more to life than being a fighter. He can go on a new path and be just as successful.

Claire Ivers came to New York to escape her abusive ex boyfriend in California. She is all alone in the world. She is constantly looking over her shoulder and living in fear. She has let her dreams fall away. When she meets Rory Kavanagh and the Kavanagh clan her life is going to change. She is going to have a family in her corner. She is going to have a good man by her side. She hopes that she can hang onto it and that her past does not catch up to her.

The past comes knocking at the door with a vengeance. The Kavanagh’s are fighters. They protect what’s theirs.

I loved this book. It was well written. The book was red hot sexy, loaded with high adrenaline suspense, and fast paced. I would highly recommend Breaking A Legend by Sarah Robinson. I can’t wait for the next book, Saving A Legend, to release in March 2016.

Sarah Robinson is the bestselling
author of The Photographer Trilogy and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A
native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is
just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo
of rescue and foster animals.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Crazy About Cameron by Katy Regnery – The Blueberry Lane Series – The Winslow Brothers – Book 3

Posted on 09/25/2015 by shellbellereads

Crazy About Cameron

The Blueberry Lane Series – The Winslow Brothers – Book 3

By Katy Regnery

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Crazy about Cameron is the third of four books about the Philadelphia-based, wildly-handsome Winslow brothers who are all on the look-out for love.

(Say what? Not so much…Brooks and Pres are OFF. THE. MARKET, and Chris is so distracted with his campaign, he can’t see what – or who – is right under his nose.)

With her stiff posture, black-rimmed glasses and chestnut waves in a tight bun, Cameron Winslow’s downstairs neighbor, Margaret Story, has long been the unaware star of his filthiest dirty-librarian fantasies. But with a floundering business eating up all his time, Cam doesn’t have the open road he’d need to date a lady like Margaret.

Margaret, who grew up down the lane from Cameron, has always thought of him as a cross between a bully and a tease, as likely to pull her braids as pull her leg. But he’s grown up to be a smokin’ hot businessman, and Margaret can’t help daydreaming about what it would feel like to be under, um, with someone like him.

When hot-headed Cameron and buttoned-up Margaret start using the same shady contractor for apartment renovations, Margaret may find herself in some unexpected trouble, which forces long-concealed feelings to come out of hiding…and might just make way for two unlikely fantasies to finally come true.

Return to the world created in the English Brothers books with this fresh foursome of scorching hot Winslow Brothers!

*****

*All books in The Blueberry Lane Series can be enjoyed as standalone novels.*

Excerpt

Frankly, Cameron wasn’t sure if he was talking about the wine or about her.

She seemed so different tonight: less stiff, more soft. Less cautious, younger and, Christ, sexier, too. Was it just being in her own space that had wrought such a change in her? It made him wonder what space she inhabited on a daily basis that made her seem so tense and sharp all the time.

From the moment he walked through the door, he’d known that maintaining his thin veneer of disregard was going to be impossible. The way her huge brown eyes had widened, doelike and soft, as she gazed up at him? He was a goner. He’d gladly stand in her doorway forever if she’d look up at him like that for the rest of his life.

And of course he had to torture himself by wondering if those eyes went all wide and soft as she climaxed . . . or did she close them as her lips parted in ecstacy? Likely goddamned fucking Olson knew the answers to both questions, and it made Cameron’s blood boil.

He glanced over at her as she lifted the wineglass to her face, bending her head just a little, her eyes closing slowly as she inhaled the smell of the wine. She was a fucking work of art, this woman, and—Holy Christ!—the way she’d just purred “Ahhh, this one”? He was glad the denim of his jeans was still thick and new. Hopefully it would keep the fabric from tenting.

He watched, mesmerized, as she righted her head. Her eyes were still closed, but her voice was warm as honey, slow and smooth, as she murmured, “Candied black fruit. Spice.” She dipped her head again, and his mind went to filthy places watching it bob beside him. “Mmm. Fresh herbs. Kirsch. Oak. Mmm,” she sighed. “Heaven.”

And, oh fuck, even the hardest of hard denim wasn’t going to be able to combat the rush of blood that swelled his cock, pumping it longer and harder in his jeans with every word she whispered.

Cameron thought he was worldly. He thought he knew what sexy was. Five seconds ago, he would have answered it was a naked woman, spread eagled and willing on his bed, her skin flushed, her pupils dilated, her pussy hot and tight, ready to suck him forward and beg him to finish inside. But he’d known fuckall about sexy until Right. This. Minute.

Because Margaret Story—perched on the edge of her couch in a sweater dress that covered most of her body, her doe eyes closed, her pillowed lips making love to a glass of wine—had just officially blown Cameron’s mind.

Whoever he’d always thought she was? He was wrong. She wasn’t some sheltered librarian who needed him to come along and unleash her wild side. She wasn’t some helpless field mouse whom he’d swoop down on and catch in his teeth. Though she was self-contained, she was also passionate. She was sensuous and sexy as fuck without even trying, without even knowing, just because she was sitting there breathing, smelling like lilacs, and telling him what made a good wine great.

Michel’s Review

Crazy About Cameron by Katy Regnery is a delightful contemporary romance. I enjoyed every word. Although this story might be considered a fluff romance or a “cookie cutter” romance, it was delivered well and the characters were dynamic. With all of the dark romances and cutting edge subject matters, it is nice to come across a good classic romance that is easy to escape with. Crazy For Cameron is one of those “feel good” romances.

Cameron Winslow and Margaret Story have known each other since childhood. They both come from prestigious families in the Philadelphia area known as Blueberry Lane. The Winslow family is known for being wild and daring. The Story family, which is predominantly female, is known for their steady sedate presence. Each Story sister has their own distinct personality, as does the Winslow siblings. Cameron Winslow has always tormented the quiet bookworm, Margaret Story. He has teased her mercilessly. As teens each family lost contact with one another while the children were pursuing their educations. Now Margaret and Cameron are both adults, pursing their careers, and living in the same apartment building.

What starts out as a cordial relationship turns into a neighborly friendship between Margaret and Cameron. When they decide to share a contractor for some remodels on their apartments it brings them closer together.

Margaret has been working for her father’s corporation but her real passion is her winery that she has been building. When Cameron gets a glimpse of Margaret’s passion not only is he impressed but also intrigued. He realizes that he needs to have something other than his father’s legacy as a career. The opportunity arises when Cameron’s sister’s wedding is cancelled due to the venue booking clause. This opens new doors for Cameron and Margaret. They are going to venture together to build her winery into a thriving showplace and venue center. Along the way they will fall in love, find their true passion, face some danger, and bring all the families of Blueberry Lane together once again.

Katy Regnery has a gift of bringing her stories to life. The characters are as real as the people we meet on a daily basis. Their passions and motivations are realistic which makes it easy for the reader to identify with. Everything about this book and the overall Blueberry Lane series is romantic and charming. Each book can be read as a stand alone romance. Each story is wonderful.

I highly recommend Crazy For Cameron by Katy Regnery.

__________________________________

THE BLUEBERRY LANE SERIES:

THE ENGLISH BROTHERS
(Blueberry Lane Books #1-6 & 11)

Breaking Up with Barrett
Falling for Fitz
Anyone but Alex
Seduced by Stratton
Wild about Weston
Kiss Me Kate
Marrying Mr. English – available December 2015

THE WINSLOW BROTHERS
(Blueberry Lane Books #7-10)

Bidding on Brooks
Proposing to Preston
Crazy about Cameron – available 9.25.15
Campaigning for Christopher – available 11.17.15

**************
Other Series by Katy Regnery

Modern Fairytale Series

“The Vixen and the Vet” (Beauty & the Beast) – available now
“Never Let You Go” (Hansel & Gretel) – available June 2015
“Ginger’s Heart” (Little Red Riding Hood) – available TBD
“Don’t Speak” (The Little Mermaid) – available TBD (less)

__________________________________________

Author Bio

Katy Regnery, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author, started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract for a winter romance entitled By Proxy.

Now a hybrid author who publishes both independently and traditionally, Katy claims authorship of the six-book Heart of Montana series, the six-book English Brothers series, and a Kindle Worlds novella entitled “Four Weddings and a Fiasco: The Wedding Date,” in addition to the standalone novels, Playing for Love at Deep Haven and Amazon bestseller, The Vixen and the Vet.

The Vixen and the Vet is included in the charity anthology Hometown Heroes: Hotter Ever After, and Katy’s novella “Frosted” will appear in the upcoming (Jan ’15) anthology, Snowy Days Steamy Nights. Additionally, Katy’s short story, “The Long Way Home” will appear in the first RWA anthology (Feb ’15), Premiere.

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, and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

Connect with Katy:

Katy LOVES connecting with her readers and answers every e-mail, message, tweet and post personally!

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

________________________________________________

Facebook Release Party:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1618577991739028/

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Kick by Carmen Jenner – Savage Saints MC Series – Book 2

Posted on 09/24/2015 by shellbellereads

Title: TANK

Series: Savage Saints MC #2

Author: Carmen Jenner
Genre: Adult/Dark Romance

Release Date: September 24, 2015

Enter an unsettling world of volatile relationships, hot bikers, and even hotter sex that will have you on the edge of your seat and force you to keep a white-knuckled grip on your e-reader.

Blurb

Killer. Criminal.
Sociopath.

All of these words have been used to describe me,
and for the longest time I believed that that’s all I was.

I’m the man you call in to clean up your mess,
assuming your mess is a guy who needs a bullet to the head. I’m the man the MC
calls when they want their dirty work done.

I’m the man who doesn’t feel.

Until now.

Until her.

Now my mess is a woman who won’t save herself. I’ll
fight like hell to save her, but at what price to the club? And at what cost to
me?

Warning: TANK
contains graphic violence, profanity, drug use, and explicit sexual situations
that may be a trigger and cause some readers emotional discomfort. Intended for
an 18+ audience only. Not intended for pussies.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / AU

iBOOKS / KOBO / B&N

Michel’s Review

*** Warning***

This book has graphic violence, graphic language, substance abuse, rape, and explicit sexual situations. This book can be.. but should not be… read as a stand alone novel. It should be read in series order. This book is recommended for a mature audience of 18 or older.

Tank by Carmen Jenner is the second book in the Savage Saints MC series. Although it can be read as a stand alone novel, I highly recommend reading this book in series order because of the subject matter and content. Tank coincides with Kick. Many of the scenes and passages take place at the same time as the scenes in Kick but from a different perspective or coinciding with the club business dealt with in Kick.

Readers were introduced to Tank, the assassin for the Savage Saints in the first book. He joined the Savage Saints with his best friend Kick when they left their former MC. He’s earned his status as a killer. He’s heartless except where Ivy is concerned. She is his woman and he has made his claim.

Readers also met Ivy in the first book. Ivy is one of the club whores and fixated on Kick. She’s a junkie and will do anything to get her next hit. When she caused all kinds of trouble for Kick, she was almost banned from the Savage Saints. Tank stepped in and claimed her. He took her home. He forced her to detox. He’s forcing her to stay off the drugs and away from the club. He is forcing her to stay away from Kick, the twisted man she thinks she loves. She hates Tank. She hates that he is forcing her to become clean. She hates that he can see through her facade. She hates that he knows what drives her addictions. He doesn’t know everything though. Her past is beyond the worst nightmare. Her past could get the entire club killed.

Ivy may hate what Tank is forcing her to do but she also appreciates it. He’s the first person to show her compassion. He’s the first person that cared enough to help her. He’s the first person to truly love her. She hopes his love is not for nothing. She hopes that he won’t end up dead because of her.

I am not going to say too much more about this story because it’s something a reader must experience for themselves. What I will say is that Carmen Jenner did not pull any punches and did not sugar coat this book at all. She gave a realistic accounting of what it’s like to have addictions. She gave a vivid view of the abuse that Ivy went through. I can thoroughly sympathize with Ivy and understand her addiction. Carmen Jenner took something that was horrifically ugly and turned it into something beautiful without making it perfect. She let Tank and Ivy’s imperfections fuel their relationship and make them stronger.

Tank was well written and I commend Carmen for having the guts to portray this story with an honest delivery. It’s not a pretty story. It’s a story of second chances and personal redemption.

Tank is a solid 5 Star Book.

Also Available

AMAZON US / UK / AU
iBOOKS / B&N / KOBO

Kick Trailer

Excerpt

“So, the usual?” Louis asks.“Yeah.” Tank intervenes by knocking Louis’ arm away when he tries to hand me a menu.

I glare at the obnoxious arse. “I don’t get to decide what I want?”

“Nope.” He smirks, and it’s quite possibly the millionth one I’ve seen today. “I know exactly what you want. You just need to trust me.”

“Okay then,” Louis says. “Coffee?”

“Yes,” I practically shout. “The strongest you have.”

Tank shakes his head. “Get her a latté.”

I swear if looks could kill, Tank would be burnt to a char right about now. No one takes my coffee from me and lives to tell about it.

“Your system doesn’t need any more stimulation.”

“It’s caffeine, Tank, not cocaine,” I argue. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay.”

He shrugs, and Louis glances nervously between us again. He looks as though he wants to flee. Tank has that effect on a lot of people. Then again, it could be the fact that I just admitted to being a junkie and at any second he’s expecting me to break out my stash and start snorting lines off of his fancy table. Louis says, “Okay, so latté it is then.”

“No, I want—”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but your man is too scary to say no to.” He backs away from the table, shouting, “But don’t you worry, it’ll be the best latté you’ve ever tasted. You just sit tight.”

“He’s not my fucking man,” I shout back, drawing the attention of every patron in the room, which is really only two other people, not including Louis and Kerri. I look around sheepishly and then wrap my arms around myself, turning my attention back to Tank. “Stop fucking smirking, you arsehole, or I’m walking.”

“Try it and see how far you get, Warrior Princess.”

“I’m betting I’d at least get halfway down the street before you caught up to me.”

“You wanna test that theory?” He challenges with a grin, though his gaze warms me head to toe with its intensity. “My money says you’ll make it to the door before I drag you back to the table, put you over my fuckin’ knee and spank your arse ’til it’s red raw.”

I let out a deep, shaking breath and lick my lips. Jesus Christ do I want that. I want it so fucking bad. My nipples turn rock hard and Tank’s gaze drops to my black singlet. I’m suddenly hot, wet, and hyper aware of his lingering gaze. This man is going to be the death of me.

SAVAGE SAINTS MC
SERIES

READING ORDER

KICK

TANK

JETT

GRIM

KILLER

Visit the Savage Saints MC Official Website

Author Bio

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the Sugartown, Savage Saints, and Taint series.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 MAC 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?

http://www.carmenjenner.com

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)

REVELRY (Taint #1)

KICK (Savage Saints MC #1)

Author Links

WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS

Giveaway

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Review: Softer Than Steel by Jessica Topper + Love & Steel Series Reviews

Posted on 09/24/2015 by shellbellereads

Softer Than Steel

Love & Steel Series – Book 2

By Jessica Topper

Synopsis

From the author of Deeper than Dreams and the Much “I Do” About Nothing novels, a story that proves that you have to find yourself before you can find love…

As rock star “Riff Rotten”, Rick Rottenberg has enjoyed all the perks that fame can offer, especially now that he’s reunited with his former band mate, Adrian “Digger” Graves. But despite his success, Rick is a mess. Still reeling from the death of his wife years ago and terrified his demons will end his career, he agrees to seek help for his anxiety.

Burned by a musician in the past, Sidra Sullivan has closed her heart to love. So when Rick walks into her yoga studio, she wants nothing to do with him–until the bad boy shows an unexpected soft side.

As Sidra and Rick work through their painful pasts, they realize just how strongly opposites can attract. But when a crisis threatens the delicate balance they’ve forged, they’ll discover if their love is strong enough to weather another storm or just too broken to survive…

INCLUDES A PREVIEW OF THE FIRST LOVE & STEEL NOVEL: LOUDER THAN LOVE

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

“Making music has got to be like . . . like childbirth, bringing something totally new into the world like that. Isn’t that scary?”

Rick contemplated her comparison and she waited, watching him with those incredible eyes, both dark and bright. “Yes, in a way it’s bloody terrifying,” he admitted. The creating and the coaxing, making sure what you envisioned in your head translated into reality and not just a shadow of itself. “But the excitement and exhilaration trumps the fear.” He popped a pair of headphones on her ears and backed out of the room with a grin.

Behind the console, he flicked switches, adjusted levels, and pressed the talkback button. “Pay no attention to the man behind the glass,” he whispered, but Sidra’s broad smile told him the console mic had sent his fluid murmur to her ears crystal clear.

She tentatively tapped the double-mesh screen of the microphone in front of her. “But don’t you worry, once it’s out in the world . . . what everyone thinks of it? Of you?”

“I used to get caught up in it. But you’ve just got to trust and make peace with the fact that you put in—and put out—your very best effort.”

The track he chose for her flowed not only through her headphones, but the speakers of the console in front of him as well, its beat and melody causing the indicator lights to jump and fall in time. Sidra’s eyes closed and her frame rocked slightly. To me, Rick thought.

That’s my music, moving her.

Michel’s Review

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Softer Than Steel by Jessica Topper. The Love & Steel series is an unique rock star romance series. Rather than featuring young rock gods making their rise to fame, Jessica chose to create rock god legends making a comeback from their super stardom of the eighties. These are middle aged men that can rock the house and still make the panties drop.

Softer Than Steel features Rick Rottenberg , aka Rick Rotten. He’s at crossroads in his life and the pressure is on. Rick is a widower, father, empty nester, perfectionist, and lead vocalist for the band. He can handle being on the stage in the spotlight better than he can handle most social situations. He has anxiety attacks that can be brought on by the slightest imbalance or new situation. He hasn’t engaged in relationships with the opposite sex since his wife passed fourteen years earlier. He carries guilt, grief, and remorse with stoic pride. He loved fiercely and lost his wife too early.

The band has been touring for the last four years. They were supposed to control their own destiny but the old patterns are playing out. Adrian is finally going to get married. The band is finally going to make an new album. For Rick this is his main focus and priority, for the other members of the band it is secondary to their own personal lives.

Rick’s panic attacks escalate and he starts to take yoga as a way of releasing his built up tensions. Rick wanted to learn how to control his panic attacks but he got a bonus to go along with it. He was learning to love again.

Sidra is a yoga instructor. Her vast knowledge of the practice keeps her students coming back for more. When the handsome English Professor joins her class, she finds herself deeply attracted to her new student. When she finds out he is a famous musician all bets are off. She’s been there, done that, and walked away deeply scarred. Never again! But Rick is persistent and he shows Sidra there are more sides this man than fame and music.

I really enjoyed the book but it felt a bit slower than the previous books in this series. The book was too well researched. The practice of yoga took over the story and the main characters seemed secondary. I did not feel the overwhelming chemistry, attraction, or passion between Sidra and Rick. I also think that there were too many secondary characters that hindered the flow of the book because the reader had to stop and think how they were connected to the story before they could move on in the passage. There were the band members, their business associates, Kat’s group of friends and their families, Sidra’s family and friends, yoga instructors, and other supporting characters. Also there were too many different themes going on. Sidra was half Indian and half Irish. There was focus on her culture as well as her family background. The reader also got to experience her past relationship with a musician that left heartbroken. Rick was English and Jewish and there was quite a bit of focus on that, not to mention the band’s past and present careers. There was also a focus on Rick’s personal past and his loss. There was just too much going on in this book and the romance got lost in many passages.

Overall it was a well written book but just not the same caliber as the previous books in this series.

I would still highly recommend the Love & Steel Series by Jessica Topper.

The Love & Steel Series

Louder Than Love – Book 1

In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband…and discovers a love that defies classification.

It’s been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth…the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian “Digger” Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids’ TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it’s unclear whose past looms larger: the widow’s or the rocker’s. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

Reviewed: September 2013

A strong debut for new author Jessica Topper.

Louder Than Love is an extraordinary love story. It’s about second chances in life. It is about making peace with oneself and moving on to become a better person. It is about letting go of grief and moving on.

Adrian “Digger” Graves was once a metal guitar god in the eighties. His star burned bright. Corroded Corpse was the metal band could shred the metal and rock the house. Fame, fortune, sex, drugs, and corruption ruled his life. It also sent him spiraling down into the depths of hell. It was time to pay the devil his dues. In the process he lost himself. He lost his family. He lost his self respect. He lost his band. It took him years to recover and become a part of the real world once again. He learned from his mistakes and vowed he would never make them again. Along the way he learned there were other things more important in life than fame and fortune.

Katrina Lewis had the perfect life. She had the perfect husband and child. One tragic moment takes it all away. Now she is a single parent trying to overcome her grief. She’s not ready to move on but she knows it’s time. When she seeks out the mysterious composer that created music for a popular children’s show to perform at her library, she’s in for a great surprise. Rather than getting an unknown musician, she gets Digger Graves from Corroded Corpse. The rock god that covered her bedroom walls as a teenager. Kat is going to learn that there is more to this legend. She’s going to meet the man who’s music touches her soul. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing a children’s song or shredding the metal, he controls the strings to her lost heart.

Louder Than Love is unique because of the characters. This is not your typical rocker book that is in the new adult genre. It is a mature contemporary romance with mature characters. They have both loved and lost. They both have had lives that most would of would envy and want for their own. Both their worlds tumbled out of control. Amongst the chaos they both survived their worlds and came out different people. They have both had to rebuild their lives, rebuild themselves, and face past mistakes. The end result is that they will experience a love that is extraordinary.

This is not a second chance romance where lovers reunited. It’s a second chance for happiness. It is a new romance that enriches their lives and brings out the best in both of them.

I truly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

Deeper Than Dreams

Love & Steel Series – Book 1.5 – Novella

By Jessica Topper

Synopsis

Will wedding bells rock out for Louder Than Love’s most beloved couple in this Love and Steel novella?

Falling in love with rock star Adrian “Digger” Graves was a dream come true for former librarian Kat Lewis. But with a little help from friends and family–including Kat’s adorable daughter, Abbey–Adrian has planned an evening and a proposal beyond her wildest dreams.

The night before, Kat witnessed the triumphant reunion of Adrian’s rock band at Madison Square Garden. Tonight, he will escort her to the elegant, ultra-exclusive Library Lion’s benefit. It seems like a fairytale, but even fairytales have a deeper, darker side. When old habits return to tempt her knight in shining heavy metal armor, will Kat’s happily ever after come crashing back to reality?
THIS IS AN EPILOGUE NOVELLA THAT PICKS UP THE DAY AFTER LOUDER THAN LOVE ENDS. This novella is intended to be read after Louder Than Love.
Don’t miss the next Love and Steel novel, Softer Than Steel, coming in September 2015 from InterMix.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

It”s been two years since the first book, Louder Than Love in the Love & Steel series by Jessica Topper released. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was excited to see the sequel novella, Deeper Than Dreams releasing. As I started to read Deeper Than Dreams, I realized that it picked up right where Louder Than Love left off. With such a lengthy time span between the release of these two books I had forgotten quite a bit of the story. Therefore I felt like I had to go back and reread Louder Than Love. After reading Louder Than Love once again, I had to revise my review. I was still enraptured by this story and felt like I had a more constructive review the second time around. I was anxious to proceed on and read Deeper Than Dreams.

Deeper Than Dreams cannot be read as a stand alone novella. It is more of an epilogue for Louder Than Love.

Adrian Digger Graves has just had his big comeback performance. He has reunited with his old band and played at Madison Square Gardens. He is on a high from the success. The music world is praising their performance. Corroded Corpse is on their second claim to fame. The first time almost destroyed him. Will the resurgence of Corroded Corpse be a good thing or bad thing for Adrian?

This time around he has life experience, maturity, and a strong woman in his corner. He knows that love and family come first. He’s determined to hang onto it all.

A dream date. A magical proposal. A perfect Cinderella. A beautiful princess. A solid support group. And finally a better band.

Adrian Graves has it all. Most of all he has the love that lasts a lifetime.

I loved this novella. It gave another happily ever after for Adrian and Kat.

About Jessica Topper

Jessica Topper is an ex-librarian turned rock n’ roll number cruncher. She can trace her love for the written word back to age three, when she memorized Maurice Sendak’s “Chicken Soup with Rice” in its entirety.

After her daughter was born, Jessica left the Manhattan library world and began working for her husband’s music management company. He offered her a part-time bookkeeping job so she could “stay home for the baby’s first year” and pursue her dream of writing.

The baby is now thirteen, and Jessica has been working her full-time, sold-her-soul-for-rock-n-roll job as Office Manager for veteran jam band moe. ever since. She may have traded in books for bookkeeping, but the written word is never far from her mind, or her heart.

Jessica lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter and one ancient cat.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Day Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Hard As Steel by Laura Kaye – A Hard Ink / Raven Riders Crossover Novella

Posted on 09/23/2015 by shellbellereads

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Laura Kaye’s HARD AS STEEL!! HARD AS STEEL is a Hard Ink/Raven Riders Series Crossover Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab your copy today!!

Amazon eBook Amazon Paperback**

Excerpt:

I’m thrilled to be here celebrating the release of my 21^st book, HARD AS STEEL! After a midnight break-in at her apartment, close friends and Hard Ink Tattoo co-workers Ike Young and Jessica Jakes are forced into hiding—and forced to confront the feelings they’ve always denied for one another. I have always adored friends-to-lovers and forced proximity stories, and HARD AS STEEL delivers that and more, including a taste of both my award-winning and best-selling Hard Ink and upcoming Raven Riders series! Check out this excerpt:

They stared at each for a long moment. Jess went from feeling amused to awkward to observed…and that made her hot. Especially as she was standing there in nothing but a towel.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Ike’s gaze slowly ran down her neck to her chest. She wiped at something there and the wetness on the fingers told her it had been a droplet of water from her hair. Ike watched the movement of her hand openly, hungrily, and his desire made her bold, daring, hungry in return.

Without giving herself time to second guess the idea, she reached out and lightly dragged her wet fingers against his bottom lip.

And it was like she’d unleashed a beast.

Ike grabbed her wrist and hauled her to him. He was on her everywhere. His hands in her hair, on her back, grabbing her ass and lifting her up. His tongue licked the exact route that water droplet had taken, from chest to neck to ear. And then he was kissing her, fucking her mouth with his tongue, absolutely devouring her.

Jess held on like her life depended on it, and at some point she became aware of the breeze on her bare skin. She’d dropped the towel, which meant she was totally buck-ass naked in Ike’s big arms, and she couldn’t have cared less.

Ike licked her mouth, sucked her tongue, nipped at her lips. He turned and made for the stairs, and Jess thought she might die from sheer joy and anticipation. He tasted like strength and sin and sex, and she tightened her legs around his hips as he carried her to the loft, eager to see if all of him tasted so good—or even better.

When they reached the second floor, Ike growled low in his throat and his grip tightened on her on her ass, his fingers digging in. She moaned and—

Cool air from the ceiling fan washed over Jess as Ike dropped her onto the bed—and promptly turned around to leave. Jess was so stunned she couldn’t speak. Just as he hit the top of the steps, he said, “Don’t fucking tease me, Jessica. I’m trying to do right by you, but I’m still just a goddamned man.”

About HARD AS STEEL: A Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover Novella

After identifying her employer’s dangerous enemies, Jessica Jakes takes refuge at the compound of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. Fellow Hard Ink tattooist and Raven leader Ike Young promises to keep Jess safe for as long as it takes, which would be perfect if his close, personal, round-the-clock protection didn’t make it so hard to hide just how much she wants him—and always has.

Ike Young loved and lost a woman in trouble once before. The last thing he needs is alone time with the sexiest and feistiest woman he’s ever known, one he’s purposely kept at a distance for years. Now, Ike’s not sure he can keep his hands or his heart to himself—or that he even wants to anymore. And that means he has to do whatever it takes to hold on to Jess forever.

Michel’s Review

Once again Laura Kaye delivers another exciting addition to the Hard Ink Series. Not only does she give the readers another glimpse of what was happening in the grand finale of the Hard Ink crew, she also introduced the readers to her upcoming biker series, The Raven Riders.

This book coincides with Hard To Let Go. Tattoo artist Jessica Jakes has unknowingly placed the crew at Hard Ink in grave danger. After her apartment is ransacked and she is almost hurt, she realizes her grave mistake. She contacts fellow tattoo artist Ike Young for protection. Ike is part of the Hard Ink crew and also a member of the Raven Riders.

Jessica and Ike have worked side by side for years. They have become great friends. It doesn’t hurt that they are both attracted to one another. Jessica is a free spirit. Ike is reserved for good reason. He has secrets from his past. When he vowed to protect Jessica it was to rectify his past mistakes when he was supposed to protect someone. This time around he isn’t going to make mistakes. This time around he isn’t going to let his heart get involved.

The heart wants what it wants. Being hidden away in a secluded cabin with Jessica is going to do Ike in.

I loved this novella. It gave me another piece of the Hard Ink series that I have come to dearly love. I loved the introduction to the Raven Riders MC. I am looking forward to seeing where this new series will go.

Laura delivered a great story with a sizzling hot romance.

__________________________________________________

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Review: Softer Than Steel by Jessica Topper + Love & Steel Series Reviews

Release Day Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Hard As Steel by Laura Kaye – A Hard Ink / Raven Riders Crossover Novella

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Laura Kaye’s HARD AS STEEL!! HARD AS STEEL is a Hard Ink/Raven Riders Series Crossover Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab your copy today!!

Amazon eBook Amazon Paperback**

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Newsletter SignUp | HARD AS STEEL on Goodreads

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We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Laura Kaye’s HARD AS STEEL!! HARD AS STEEL is a Hard Ink/Raven Riders Series Crossover Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab your copy today!!

Amazon eBook ** Amazon Paperback

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Newsletter SignUp | HARD AS STEEL on Goodreads

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Amazon eBook Amazon Paperback**