At a friend’s lavish wedding, Harley McLain and her twin sister, Charity, meet sexy stock-car driver Cooper Brickman. The more reserved Harley is immediately smitten—until he hits on her twin. But Harley has had enough of being the “nice” girl, and after trading dresses with Charity, she seduces Cooper for a night of wild sex.
……ready for a hot lap.
What was supposed to be a one-night fling gets complicated when Cooper needs a nanny to look after his kid sister—and is convinced sweet, dependable Harley would be perfect for the job. She can’t resist the money—or Cooper’s hot bod. But when her deception is revealed, will it destroy her dependable image—or will he finally realize how sexy sweet can be?
Final Lap is the last book in the beloved Fast Track series by Erin McCarthy. The Fast Track series has ran a great race and will be forever in the winner circle of favorite book series. We have met the sexy Nascar driver’s and watched them get out lapped by strong sexy woman. These guys definitely know how to drive like champions in the bedroom. This series is loaded with excitement, quirky characters, fast humor, and sexy romances. It’s sad to see this series end.
Final Lap is the grand finale of the series. It starts out at Imogen Wilson and Ty McCordle’s wedding (book 2 in series). There Harley McLain meets the sexy driver Cooper Brickman. Naturally being a conservative, somewhat shy, and motherly type, she gains Cooper’s attention for all the wrong reasons. He sees her as someone to unload all his difficulties raising his twelve year old sister. He seeks her advice once she lets on that she is nanny professionally. Harley does not want to be seen as the motherly type for once in her life. She wants to be seen as a sexy woman like her twin sister.
What’s a girl to do when she wants to be sexy Cinderella? The twin swap of coarse. All she wants is one hot night with Cooper Brickman. And Cooper Brickman is the perfect playboy prince to fill Cinderella.
After her fairytale night with Cooper, life is back to normal. That is until Cooper convinces her to come to work as a nanny for his twelve year old sister.
Cooper’s twelve year old sister is smarter than the two of them put together. Her shenanigans will turn the house upside down, send them both into a spin, and open their eyes to what is most important. They will form a beautiful friendship that turns into love. They will find a perfect balance in their odd little family. All will be well until Cooper admits he slept with her twin sister.
Betweem the twin swap and Cooper’s horrible mother this couple will go through the wringer. It will look like their love is out of the race. But true love and family unity will save the day. Cooper and Harley will burn up the sheets and complete the Final Lap.
All the beloved characters from this series will make appearances throughout the book. They will all end up being winners in the Final Lap.
Thank you Erin McCarthy for this sizzling hot series.
Author Bio:
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written almost fifty novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for New Orleans, tattoos, high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.
As Reapers Motorcycle Club president, Reese “Picnic” Hayes has given his entire life to the club. After losing his wife, he knew he’d never love another woman. And with two daughters to raise and a club to manage, that was just fine with him. These days, Reese keeps his relationships free and easy—he definitely doesn’t want to waste his time on a glorified cleaning lady like London Armstrong.
Too bad he’s completely obsessed with her.
Besides running her own business, London’s got her junkie cousin’s daughter to look after—a more reckless than average eighteen-year-old. Sure she’s attracted to the Reapers’ president, but she’s not stupid. Reese Hayes is a criminal and a thug. But when her young cousin gets caught up with a ruthless drug cartel, Reese might be the only man who can help her. Now London has to make the hardest decision of her life—how far will she go to save her family?
I shuddered, and shook my head, burying my face in his shoulder as he started working my clit harder. My hips twisted over his, grinding his cock down hard as the tension built inside me.
“Ladies first,” he whispered, then used his hand on my ass to lift me just enough for him to shove three fingers down deep inside. Holy crap. I don’t know how he pulled it off logistically and I didn’t care. All that mattered was the way he filled me up and ground down on my clit at the same time. My heart was beating too fast and I felt dizzy with need and desire and pleasure that wound so tight I thought I might explode. Oh, God… please explode! Then it hit and I bit his shoulder so I wouldn’t scream, waves of ecstasy shattering me. My body went lump over his, and he pulled the hand that’d tortured me free. Then it was at my mouth, pushing inside until I tasted myself all over him as he gripped my jaw in a soft but firm hold.
“You ready to suck my cock?”
I nodded so fast it made me dizzy. Then I slithered down his body, ripping at his jeans and pulling his belt free. he lifted his hips to help me, his erection springing free to slap up against his belly. Id seen it before, of course, but never quite this close and personal. We hadn’t had a normal courtship, and I realized with a shock that we’d only had sex three times, total. Wow. Felt like so much more than that.
A little frission of excitement raced up my spine- there was so much more about him I couldn’t wait to learn. I giggled, giddy and he grinned down at me, wrapping his fingers tight into my hair.
“I feel like a kid when I’m with you.”
“I do, too,” I whispered back.
Michel’s Review
I am a huge fan of the Reaper’s MC series by Joanna Wylde. I have been looking forward to this book, Reaper’s Stand. Throughout the series we have gotten some really harsh glimpses of the perilous leader of the Reaper’s MC. Reese “Picnic” Hayes has inserted his bad ass attitude through out the series. At the same time we saw some vulnerabilities that made the reader’s crave his story. We wanted him to find a woman that could stand up to him and love him, regardless of who he is. What Joanna Wylde gave Reese “Picnic” Hayes was a lot more than he bargained for. She gave him a strong woman that could hold her own in his world and give him a special place in her world.
With the upcoming troubles with the cartel, the future of the Reaper’s MC is looking grim. War is coming to the Reaper’s MC and their allies. The last thing Picnic needs is a woman. Especially a woman like London Armstrong. She is not a part of his world and doesn’t belong in it. He’s had the love of a good woman, lost her, and raised his children alone. He’s had the best of the best and the worst of the worst. There’s something about London’s honest attitude, dedication to her family, and hard working ethics that appeals to him. Not to mention her natural beauty and smoking hot body.
London Armstrong owns the local cleaning business. She has taken on some contracts for the Reaper MC club. She has been raising her niece alone for the last six years and dealing with a very troubled teenager. She doesn’t have time in her life for a man. Especially a man that brings trouble of his own. Reese “Picnic” Hayes puts a whole new meaning to the word trouble.
When her niece gets tangled up in trouble with Reese’s club, London has to bargain for her nieces safety. She appeals to Reese’s softer side, his position as a parent. How can he deny her? But he has conditions of his own that include getting into London’s bed.
London has been dating the local deputy in town. Now she will have to chose between her attraction to Reese or Deputy Nate Evans. Once she makes her choice all hell breaks loose.
Her niece Jessica finds more trouble than London can handle. The war with the cartel is escalating. The deputy is not all he seemed to be. Reese is giving London more than she bargained for. It will come down to London choosing between Jessica, Nate, and Reese. She will always chose her family first. She will become a prime player in the war. She will pay dearly in this deadly war.
I absolutely loved Reaper’s Stand. No only was it an intense love story, it was the climatic ending in the ongoing war the Reaper’s have been fighting. This story was suspenseful and thrilling. Reaper’s Stand not only focused on the club but also focused on the importance of family. It also portrayed the honest emotions that go into parenting and protecting your children no matter what age they are.
The romance between London and Reese was steamy. Although these two were mature adults, they found the playfulness and excitement that most experience in their youth. They are realistic with their expectations in their relationship. When trouble comes knocking on the door, both will have to make some hard choices. These choices aren’t about their feelings for one another. They are choices that will affect their families, the club, and the future.
I love the Reaper’s MC series. It is one of the best Biker series in publication. The characters and their club life are very real. Joanna not only gives the readers badass bikers, she also shows the very human side of their lives. I highly recommend this book and series.
Joanna is a freelance writer living in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She started writing fiction in 2002, then took a long hiatus to explore other writing opportunities. She returned to fiction in January 2013 with ‘Reaper’s Property’, the first book in the Reapers Motorcycle Club series, and has recently released ‘Reapers Legacy’, the second of the series.
Darkness is the only thing I see. Ever since the day my life changed. The day that everything and everyone I held close to me ceased to exist. The day I lost it all and the demons of my past consumed my every waking moment.
I tried to keep others at arm’s length. Tried not to let my darkness taint them. Ruin them. Harm them. And whether I want to admit it or not, as much as I wish I could keep them locked out, they refuse to leave. Refuse to let me suffer alone.
If I hadn’t been so focused on keeping those demons from flying free, I wouldn’t have missed how one perfect angel was able to sneak her way under my skin—refusing to let go. Making me want things I don’t deserve.
She consumes me. Her beauty knows no end. The love she promises tempts me every time she’s near. But that pure heart that makes her MY Emmy is the one thing I’m convinced I’ll destroy if I ever let her close.
I’m a broken man. A broken man with too much darkness in his soul to ever let her light shine upon me. But even that doesn’t stop me from craving her with every single breath in my body.
**This is the final book in the Corps Security series. This book is not suitable for younger readers. There is strong language, adult situations, and some violence.*
I think reader’s have been biting at the bits for this book in the Corps Security Series by Harper Sloan. Locke has been a complete enigma since book one. His stand offish behavior and deliberate avoidance has intrigued the readers. We have seen glimpses of his softer inner self when it comes to the women in his circle being emotionally troubled. He is a warrior where they are concerned except for one woman. Emmy touches something deep inside and that is the last thing Locke wants. He has repeatedly spurned her, hurt her feelings, egged her on, and desired her throughout this series. He gives her mixed signals and keeps her emotions tangled. After the tragedy with Cooper in the former book, Emmy is done with Corps Security and Locke. She just can’t handle the emotional roller coaster Locke brings to the office. Most of all she can’t handle the memories from Cooper. It’s time to cut her losses, move on, and start another life.
She moves back home to Florida. Home is not a pleasant place. Her parents own the local slimy strip joint and they expect her to be their headlining princess. They have also found a despicable prince charming for her. Charming he is not. He is a volatile and ruthless monster that wants her only to gain her parents club. If she won’t give in to him willingly, he will take her by force.
Once Emmy is gone, Locke realizes that he has lost the only thing that is good in his life. He is done with running from Emmy. He plans to claim her for life and love her until death. He is going to Florida to get his woman.
As the rest of the story unfolds the reader’s will find out about the deep scars Locke has carried on his soul. It will break your heart. We will also see a man hopelessly in love and trying to do his best to make the changes Emmy needs from him.
Like all the books, the plot will have some intense action and seriously screwed up villain. Locke will not only have to prove his worth, he will have to protect her with his life.
Locke is a classic Corps Security book. The Corps Security Series is loaded with dynamic alpha men, smart women, sizzling romance, thrilling action, and Sway. What’s Sway… the sparkly golden glitter that glues all these characters together.
A Portion of the proceeds from Locke Sale will be donated to the Semper Fi Fund.
Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed ‘Estrogen Ocean’, much to her husbands chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero–the super alpha kind!
Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn’t take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.
***PULL is the continuation of Claire Wallis’ sharp and shocking debut novel, PUSH. It is the second book in the series and is not intended to be a standalone.***
“It is impossible for someone like me—someone with a sin-list capable of wrapping itself around the world—to find redemption. To be repaired.”
David Calgaro has secrets, and the only woman he’s ever loved is about to pay the ultimate price to protect them. He’s spent a lifetime searching for purpose and control. And the only place he’s managed to find them is in a single, perfect moment; a moment in which he has absolute control over someone else’s life.
David is unredeemable, unfixable, unsalvageable. But Emma Searfoss has forced a tiny sliver of hope to penetrate his soul. Hope that, even though redemption is impossible, maybe life isn’t. Maybe he isn’t who he thought he was. Maybe he’s meant to be more.
This is a new adult novel with mature content for readers 17 and up.
I feel like I am wrapped in a cyclone. Everything is whirling around me, drawing the air out of my lungs and filling me with the best kind of turmoil. Every time his tongue slides against mine, a prickle in my gut tells me how right we are together. How much I need David. How much I need us.
I hope the cyclone never stops.
Emma Searfoss has spent a lifetime trying to escape her abusive stepfather. It’s why she moved far away from home. It’s why she’s kept no ties with her remaining family. And it’s why she’s got a major rage problem. When her neighbor shows up to fix the kitchen in her new apartment, his enigmatic charm calms the fire in her. David is cool and collected, and he makes Emma feel safe for the first time ever. But David has his own chilling past—his six previous girlfriends have all disappeared without a trace. Emma’s walking a dangerous line, but David’s pull is intoxicating. And impossible to resist…
Michel’s Review
*** I wrote this review in May 2014 when Push was first released. After 5 months and several books reviewed, I have not been able to forget this book. I am still blown away by the intensity and the emotional impact this book had on me. I have recommended this book to several of my seasoned reader friends and they have had the same kind of reactions. Claire Wallis delivered a unique story with a very untraditional writing style. There were two prologues and two epilogues are written from each character’s POV. The content of the book is mostly written in third person but has chapters throughout the book written in first person POV from supporting characters. It is choreographed in a very deliberate manner that stuns the readers. The writing is absolutely brilliant! ***
Push by Claire Wallis is getting a lot of attention in the reader world. There are discussion groups dedicated to this book. All the major review sites and bloggers are blowing up over this book. It has every reader reacting! How could I not read this book? I had to know what was causing this kind of hysteria.
Now that I have finished this book, I completely understand all the reactions and sensation this book is generating.
Everything about Push is completely original. The plot is intricately woven. The reader gets a look at both the characters pasts as well as their present. The book is mostly written from Emma’s point of view. We get to know David through their conversations, Emma’s point of view, past girlfriends’ point of views, the prologue and epilogue. The author brilliantly takes the reader into the complicated worlds these characters evolved from. She develops a story that will keep the reader consumed to the very last word. When all is said and done, all the reader can think is WTF! I had to peel my jaw off the ground. I felt like I needed a shot of whiskey to calm me down. I felt like I needed a whole bottle of antacid to get my stomach out of knots. I needed the next book….. like YESTERDAY!
Push is exhilarating, chilling, horrific, distressing, anguishing, tormenting and heartbreaking. At the same time, the reader experiences an unusual but beautiful relationship. A relationship that goes beyond the kind of love most relationships are based on. Everything about this couple worked. They were exactly what each other needed. But sometimes having that perfection is not enough. This is the case with David and Emma.
When I started this book I was immediately drawn in. There are two prologues, one from Emma’s point of view and the other from David’s point of view. The prologues made it very clear what was going to happen at the end of the book. I was flabbergasted! I had to know more. I had to find out how they came to this point. I was hoping that the ending would turn out differently.
Emma was a very impressive heroine. She had a horrible childhood. She was mentally and verbally abused by her stepfather. Her stepfather ruined her family. But despite her ugly past, she didn’t let it drag her down. She is feisty, independent, self sufficient, aggressive, tough, and hard. She doesn’t believe in love. She doesn’t trust easily. She never gives anyone a piece of her heart. She’s okay with who she is. When she meets David, pieces of herself that she locked away begin to surface. He accepts her for who she is. He wants to protect her and take care of her. He is tender, caring, and supportive. He is everything she never knew she needed. He is perfect for her even though he has a slew of hidden secrets. She is okay with that. She accepts him for who he is because like her he has been to hell and back.
David is one of the most complicated characters I have ever experienced. On one hand I absolutely loved him. He is compassionate, giving, tender, and loving in his own unique way. He has a mesmerizing personality that is hard not to love. On the other hand, deep down he is a monster. He is your worst nightmare. Your heart breaks when you find out how he evolved into this horrific person. You are hoping that his relationship with Emma will somehow change him. Some people are not fixable.
Somehow these two messed up souls are beautiful together. They give each other what they need. They bring out the very best and the very worst in each other. They embrace it all. They are chaotic perfection together.
When you reach the end, there are two epilogues. One epilogue is from Emma’s point of view and the other is from David’s point of view. The ending will leave you with your heart in your feet, stomach in knots, and ugly tears running down your face. It ends on a major CLIFFHANGER!
Push by Claire Wallis blew my mind! I cannot wait for the sequel. I hope the publisher does not leave us readers hanging for long. I don’t think I can get this book out of my head.
Push by Claire Wallis is clearly the book that is going to soar to the top of 2014 Book of the Year list.
Note: This review is based on my reactions and emotions. The writing was flawless. The plot was brilliant. The overall story to this point is heart wrenching.
Robin’s Review
It has been three weeks since I finished reading Push by Claire Wallis, and I still think about this novel. Or should I say obsess? This is the exception. Generally, my head shifts focus with each novel that I begin reading. Reviewing novels is hard. Sometimes it takes all of the fun out of reading when you have to focus on what you want to say when you write the review. When I read Push, I knew our blog had already covered this story. So, I read it for sheer enjoyment. And I can’t forget it. I can’t escape this story. Have you read the synopsis? Push is dark romance at its finest. Go read this thriller now because the sequel Pull is being published soon! 6 stars to Claire Wallis for her debut novel!
Author Bio:
Enamored with the process of creating messy characters filled with imperfections and wicked inclinations, Claire believes that you don’t actually have to like a character to fall in love with them – a good story, after all, is best served with a hearty side of evil (just ask Disney). Claire’s first New Adult novel, Push, was released by MIRA Books on May 1st 2014. The story speaks to her appreciation of enigmatic male characters, perfectly capable of charming themselves straight into your unwilling heart. She enjoys writing about characters that are, at any given moment, both loathed and loved. You know, the ones that refuse to be forgotten.
Claire Wallis has penned hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles over the last ten years, with science playing the lead role in almost all of them. Though non-fiction writing will forever be her first love, fiction has unexpectedly swooped in, hooked her by the soul, and become her true love. As a result of this coup d’état, Claire’s writing career has made a complete U-turn, and instead of rocks, plants, insects, and microbes, she is now putting human characters in the lead.
Claire’s previous jobs include working at a limestone quarry, hawking vegetables at a farmer’s market, clerking at the dollar store, and convincing new mothers that they need to renew their subscription to that parenting magazine in order for their child to survive. She lives in Pennsylvania with her amazingly awesome husband and son.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You and Be with Me comes a daring tale that pushes boundaries . . .
At 21, Calla hasn’t done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.
But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought shed left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.
Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from they moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn’t give them her mom.
As I lay there, trying to swallow a loud, obnoxious yawn, I remembered something he’d said when we first met, about life being too short. I imagined he had firsthand experience with shortened lives while he was serving. That mentality came from experience. I got that now. Could even understand it, but there was something I didn’t understand.
“Why?” I asked.
There was a beat. “Why what?”
Jax sounded tired, and I should shut up or point out that I was now tired and could sleep, so he could leave. But I didn’t. “Why are you here? You don’t know me and . . .” I trailed off, because there really wasn’t anything left to say.
A minute went by, and he hadn’t answered my question, and then I think another minute ticked on, and I was okay with him not answering because maybe he didn’t even know. Or maybe he was just bored and that was why he was here.
But then he moved.
Jax pressed against my back, and the next breath I took got stuck in my throat. My eyes shot open. The sheet and blanket were between us, but they felt like nothing.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Getting comfortable.” He dropped an arm over my waist, and my entire body jerked against his. “It’s time to sleep I think.”
“But—”
“You can’t sleep when you talk,” he remarked.
“You don’t need to be all up on me,” I pointed out.
His answering chuckle stirred the hair along the back of my neck. “Honey, I’m not all up on you.”
I freaking begged to differ on that point. I started to wiggle away, but the arm around my waist tightened, holding me in place.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he announced casually, as if he wasn’t holding me prisoner in the bed.
Okay. The whole prisoner thing might be melodramatic, but he wasn’t letting me up. Not when he was getting all kinds of comfy behind me.
Oh my God, this was spooning. Total spooning. I was spooning with an honorary member of the Hot Guy Brigade. Did I wake up in a parallel universe?
“Sleep,” he demanded, as if the one word carried that much power. “Go to sleep, Calla.” This time his voice was softer, quieter.
“Yeah, it doesn’t work that way, Jax. You have a nice voice, but it doesn’t hold the power to make me sleep on your command.”
He chuckled.
I rolled my eyes, but the most ridiculous thing ever was the fact that after a couple of minutes, my eyes stayed shut. I . . . I actually settled in against him. With his front pressed to my back, his long legs cradling mine, and his arm snug around my waist, I actually did feel safe. More than that, I felt something else—something I hadn’t felt in years.
I felt cared for . . . cherished.
Which was the epitome of dumb, because I barely knew him, but feeling that, recognizing what the warm, buzzing feeling was, I fell right asleep.
Michel’s Review
Stay With Me by J. Lynn is another fine addition to the Wait For You series. It delivered an emotional romance that brought me to tears. This story showed readers the true meaning of unconditional love. It redefined the term “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. It also showed how building ones self esteem and confidence can heal more than the wounded soul.
Stay With Me is quite different from the other books in Wait For You series. Unlike the other books, this book takes place off campus. It also has an edgier plot that has some violence. The background and undertones of this book are bit darker than campus life. It depicts the ugly underside of a failing small town. But in all it’s darkness the characters make this book shine brightly.
Calla has endured many ugly things in her young life. Her mother is a junkie and has brought the dregs of society into her home too many times. Calla finally thought she escaped her mother for good when she left for college. Her mother has managed to pull her back when she takes all of her college money and runs up her credit cards. Calla is forced to return home to get her money back.
When she arrives home, not only has her money gone missing, her mother has gone missing as well. Left destitute, she cannot return to college. She is forced to take a job as a waitress in the family bar. She is dreading going back to that hole in the wall where she spent many of her childhood years. But like most things in life, the bar has changed since she has been gone. It no longer seems as seedy as it once was. There is a better crew running the place in her mother’s absence. One of these people is the sexy bartender Jax.
Jax sends her world spinning with his sexy flirting, genuine concern, protectiveness, and fun personality. He gives her a chance to let her guard down and be the person she really is. He gives her the hope that she can finally find a real boyfriend, experience a real kiss, and maybe find a love loyal to her.
Jax fell for Calla the moment she walked through the door. She is the kind of girl he has been waiting for to share his life. He wants to see Calla healthy, happy, and at peace. He knows her history, he knows how her mother is, he knows the demons she fights, and he loves her all the more for it.
Calla’s mother has severely scarred Calla emotionally and physically. She has ruined their lives. She has brought trouble to Calla’s doorstep when she skipped town with Calla’s money. Her mother has buried herself deep with the dregs of society. She has burned the wrong people. She has stole drugs from the wrong people. They want their money back. They don’t care how they get it, who they hurt, or what consequences will be paid. They want retribution. That retribution is Calla. Jax will do everything in his power to protect Calla from her mother’s enemies. It looks like the only thing that is going to save them both is the reappearance of her mother. No one is holding their breaths.
Through all the threats and violence, Calla and Jax will find a love filled with beauty.
Stay With Me was loaded with suspense and mystery. It also had all the elements we love in a new adult romance. The wonder of new love, the recognition of self worth, and finding the inner strength to build a better life. Some of the old characters from the series put in their appearances and we met quite a few new intriguing characters.
I highly recommend Stay With Me. It can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order.
Jennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn Bio:
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
His life was never easy. Hers wasn’t supposed to be this hard. They come from different worlds, but fate lures them together in a way neither expected in Cecy Robson’s raw, steamy series debut—perfect for fans of Monica Murphy and J. Lynn.
Evelyn Preston’s future once looked perfect—until her wealthy father was caught in an embezzlement scandal and took his own life. Alone and struggling to pay her college tuition and bills, Evelyn finds a job as a waitress at the ultra-hip nightclub Excess, where she used to have more in common with the privileged private-school clientele than her fellow staff members. But something attracts her to the sexy six-foot-four bouncer and underground MMA fighter Mateo Tres Santos. Although they’ve led different lives, their troubled pasts bonds them in both survival and love.
Mateo is ex-army who wound up in prison for assaulting the man who harmed his sister. Now he’s feeling the same protective impulse for this petite blond waitress. When Evelyn experiences a panic attack at the club, Mateo comes to her rescue. And when Mateo is wounded shielding her from a brawl, Evelyn returns the favor and comes to his aid.
As their attraction intensifies, Mateo is determined to find out what nightmares are lurking in Evelyn’s past—even if that means tackling his own to save her.
Evelyn: the Riches-to-Rags cocktail waitress. She was once one of the social and financial elite then became a pauper when her father’s embezzlement scandal surfaced, the IRS confiscated everything, he committed suicide, any remaining family disowned her & her so-called friends dumped her. Now she’s struggling through school loans, trying to get a degree and pay the bills by waitressing in one of the most elite nightclubs in Philly – Excess.
Mateo: the head bouncer at Excess. Mateo was a stellar soldier in the Army until, while on leave, he nearly beat a man to death in the heat of passion. Dishonorably discharged and sentenced to prison, Mateo did his time. Now, he participates in the underground fighting circuit and is the lead bouncer at Excess.
Once Perfect is written in a first-person (Evelyn’s) POV style.
Mateo and Evelyn had both had a less-than-ideal upbringing for different reasons & their family issues play a huge role in the development of the story. Learning to accept and understand one another’s differences is the biggest challenge.
The characters are multifaceted. The plot flows smoothly. I was a little disappointment with the lack of dimension & wished for a little more conflict or plot diversity. I really enjoyed the secondary characters & find myself wondering what will become of several of them, BUT I did not care for the continuous racial jabs between friends.
Michel’s Review
I thoroughly enjoyed this new adult romance by Cecy Robson. I liked the originality of the characters backgrounds and family. Both of the characters had less than stellar family lives and upbringings. Although their experiences are on opposite sides of the spectrum. But opposites attract , Mateo and Evelyn prove this in sexy romance.
The chemistry between Mateo and Evelyn is sizzling. Their passion is contagious.
I thoroughly enjoyed Once Perfect and would recommend it to other readers. I am looking for some of the secondary characters to have their own book.
Go read Once Perfect by Cecy Robson
Author Bio:
Cecy (pronounced SESSY) Robson is the Penguin Random House New Adult author of Once Perfect, Once Loved, and Once Pure and the award-winning author of the Weird Girls Urban Fantasy Romance series. A self-proclaimed professional napper, Cecy counts among her talents a jaw-dropping knowledge of useless trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song despite her family’s vehement protests. A writer, registered nurse, and mother living in the South, Cecy enjoys spending time with her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.
Deacon has an ugly history, a history that broke him, leaving him a ghost of a man. Out of necessity, he left the normal world to descend into the criminal world and found he fit. So he stayed. Cold as ice and living off the grid, Deacon has no intention to connect, not with anyone.
Then he returns to some remote cabins in the Colorado Mountains and finds they have new owners. One of them is Cassidy Swallow, a young woman willing to work hard to live her quiet dream in a house by a river surrounded by aspen and pine.
Suddenly, Deacon finds he’s at war. Cassidy’s pull for him to connect is strong. He fights it, but he loses, always coming back for more. But when he does, he gives her nothing.
From the first time she sees him, Cassidy knows Deacon is dead inside. She knows he’s the kind of man who could destroy a woman. But one night when Deacon’s control slips, Cassidy takes a chance.
He might break her. He also might be her dream come true.
The Unfinished Heroes are back. Kristen Ashley’s rugged alphas that live on the edge, live by their own laws, and contain the dredges of the underworld have stolen the reader’s hearts. Throughout the series, there has been one of those alphas that has stood out among these bad boys. His air of mystery, intrigue, lack of emotions, unfathomable personality, and expertise in the dregs of humanity have had the reader’s in love with him before he uttered one word. We have been anxiously waiting for Deacon to open his mouth and tell us his story. We have been waiting to embrace this badass alpha and give him the love he desperately needs. It looks like Cassidy Swallow beat us to it and she is not letting Deacon go.
Deacon is quite a surprise. I don’t think any of us could see the man he kept behind closed doors. I can honestly say that I am head over heels in love with this man. He has one of the most beautiful souls. When he finally opened up his closed doors the sunshine he let out was blinding. The pure radiance of Deacon will warm the readers through and through. How can you not love a man that cleans gutters, BBQ’s, and uses songs that speak of the emotions he’s feeling?
What could bring the true Deacon out of hiding and appear to be an open book? Cassidy Swallow of course. She is a strong independent, caring, yet vulnerable woman that has always showed Deacon that the sun shines even on the dreariest day. He has been coming to her rental cabins for six years on his down time. Throughout these six years, she has stayed consistent with her bright personality, quit wit, and acceptance. She doesn’t push him to open up but leaves the invitation open at all times. She always makes him feel welcome.
When these two finally come together after skirting around each other for six years it is HOT! They are perfection together. They build a strong and steady relationship that not only burns passionately, but is also built on a foundation of acceptance and trust. Their passionate need for one another will have the readers fanning themselves. Their charming relationship will have the readers swooning. They may appear to have the perfect relationship but Deacon is still keeping some secrets. Those secrets will eventually tear them apart. Deacon will have to let go of all his secrets in order to have the sunshine in his life that only Cassidy can give.
Of course the badass alpha gang will make their appearance and lead the Unfinished Heroes into another adventure. It looks like Nick has dug himself into a hole. With that, Kristen Ashley left us dangling and dying for Nick’s book.
Deacon had all the special elements that only Kristen Ashley can conjure up. Her alphas with their badass personalities and unique charm never fail to have the reader’s falling hard. Her lovely leading ladies are strong women with enough humor to handle these badass alphas.
The one thing I will say is that the tone in this book was not overly original. It had the same kind of voice that all the other books have had. I found quite a bit of the dialogue and interaction predictable. The pacing was a bit dragging in areas. This book did not have the suspense and action that the other Unfinished Heroes books have had. Also some of the kinkier sex scenes were very awkward. They felt kind of mechanical rather than passionate. I don’t think Kristen Ashley has found her zone in writing this kind of kinky sex scene. There was something off in each of these scenes that just didn’t make my tummy tingle.
Because of these things I could not give the book a five star rating. I was expecting a little more originality and growth in the writing.
I still enjoyed the book. I love Deacon and Cassidy. I closed the book with the tingly feel good smile that Kristen Ashley always delivers. I would highly recommend the book and the Unfinished Heroes series. It will charm your soul.
Author Bio:
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.
Nothing’s changed.
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better.
Holy cannoli, y’all! It’s finally here! We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for K.A. Tucker’s BURYING WATER! BURYING WATER is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel, published by Simon & Schuster and it will blow. You. Away! Check out the excerpt, teasers, and giveaway then run–don’t walk–to your nearest retailer!
The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.
Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?
Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.
The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.
BURYING WATER Excerpt:
Prologue
Jesse
Now
This can’t be real . . . This can’t be real . . . This can’t be real . . .
The words cycle round and round in my mind like the wheels on my speeding ’Cuda as its ass-end slips and slides over the gravel and ice. This car is hard to handle on the best of days, built front-heavy and overloaded with horsepower. I’m going to put myself into one of these damn trees if I don’t slow down.
I jam my foot against the gas pedal.
I can’t slow down now.
Not until I know that Boone was wrong about what he claims to have overheard. His Russian is mediocre at best. I’ll giveanything for him to be wrong about this.
My gut clenches as my car skids around another turn,the cone shape of Black Butte looming like a monstrous shadow ahead of me in the pre-dawn light. The snowy tire tracks framed by my headlights might not even be the right ones, but they’re wide like Viktor’s Hummer and they’re sure as hell the only ones down this old, deserted logging road. No one comes out here in January.
The line of trees marking the dead end comes up on me before I expect it. I slam on my brakes, sending my car sliding sideways toward the old totem pole. It’s still sliding when I cut the rumbling engine, throw open the door, and jump out, fumbling with my flashlight. It takes three hard presses with my shaking hands to get the light to hold.
I begin searching the ground. The mess of tread marks tells me that someone pulled a U-turn. The footprints tell me that more than one person got out. And when I see the half-finished cigarette butt with that weird alphabet on the filter, I know Boone wasn’t wrong.
“Alex!” My echo answers once . . . twice . . . before the vast wilderness swallows up my desperate cry. With frantic passes of my flashlight, my knuckles white against its body, I search the area until I spot the sets of footprints that lead off the old, narrow road and into the trees.
Frigid fingers curl around my heart.
Darting back to my car, I snatch the old red-and-blue plaid wool blanket that she loves so much from the backseat. Ice-cold snow packs into the sides of my sneakers as I chase the trail past the line of trees and into the barren field ahead, my blood rushing through my ears the only sound I process.
The only sign of life.
Raw fear numbs my senses, the Pacific Northwest winter numbs my body, but I push forward because if . . .
The beam of light passes over a still form lying facedown in the snow. I’d recognize that pink coat and platinum-blond hair of hers anywhere; the sparkly blue dress that she hates so much looks like a heap of sapphires against a white canvas.
My heart freezes.
“Alex.” It’s barely a whisper. I’m unable to produce more, my lungs giving up on me. I run, stumbling through the foot of snow until I’m on my knees and crawling forward to close the distance. A distance of no more than ten feet and yet one that seems like miles.
There’s no mistaking the spray of crimson freckling the snow around her head. Or that most of her long hair is now dark and matted. Or that her silver stockings are torn and stained red, and a pool of blood has formed where her dress barely covers her thighs. Plenty of footprints mark the ground around her. He must have been here for a while.
I know that there are rules to follow, steps to make sure that I don’t cause her further harm. But I ignore them because the sinking feeling in my stomach tells me I can’t possibly hurt her more than he already has. I nestle her head with one hand while I slide the other under her shoulder. I roll her over.
Cold shock knocks the wind out of me.
I’ve never seen anybody look like this.
I scoop her limp body into my arms, cradling the once beautiful face that I’ve seen in every light—rage to ecstasy and the full gamut in between—yet is now unrecognizable. Placing two blood-coated fingers over her throat, I wait. Nothing.
A light pinch against her lifeless wrist.Nothing.
Maybe a pulse does exist but it’s hidden, masked by my own racing one.
Then again, by the look of her, likely not.
One . . . two . . . three . . . plump, serene snowflakes begin floating down from the unseen sky above. Soon, they will converge and cover the tracks, the blood. The evidence.Mother Nature’s own blanket to hide the unsightly blemish in her yard.
“I’m so sorry.” I don’t try to restrain the hot tears as they roll down my cheeks to land on her mangled lips—lips I had stolen plenty of kisses from, back when I was too stupid to realize how dangerous that really was. This is my fault. She had warned me. If I had just listened, had stayed away from her, had not told her how I felt . . .
. . . had not fallen wildly in love with her.
I lean down to steal a kiss even now, the coppery taste of her blood mixing with my salty tears. “I’m so damn sorry. I should never have even looked your way,” I manage to get out around my sobs, tucking the blanket she loved to curl up in over her.
An almost inaudible gasp slips out. A slight breeze against my mouth more than anything else.
My lungs freeze, my eyes glued to her, afraid to hope. “Alex?” Is it possible?
A moment later, a second gasp—a wet, rattling sound—escapes.
She’s not dead.
Not yet, anyway.
Michel’s Review
K. A. Tucker’s writing always blows me away. Her gift of story telling has readers enthralled from the very first word to the very last punctuation mark. Her characters come to life and jump off the pages. Their stories keep the reader captivated.
Unlike the Ten Tiny Breaths series, Burying Water has taken K.A. Tucker in a new direction. This gripping novel has some darker undertones. Although the darker undertones set the pace for the story, the real focus is the kind of love that will be cherished forever.
Burying Water is thrilling novel packed with mystery, intrigue, violence, romance, and the importance of family ties.
I am not going to give many more details because there would be too many spoilers.
I found the characters, Jesse and Water, compelling. The secondary cast and their contributions were an integral part of this story. Their characters stood out and made the readers take just as much notice of their part in the story as the main characters did.
Burying Water played on every emotion. One moment I was laughing, the next I was cringing, crying, or overwhelmed with excitement. It is an intense book that engages the reader’s mind as well as senses.
The romance in the story was amazing. It was almost like two romances in one. There was the before romance that was consuming and forbidding. The after romance was a deep sensual slow build that slowly kindled into a blaze.
I was blown away with this book. K. A. Tucker has become one of my all time favorite writers.
I highly recommend Burying Water!
About K.A. Tucker:
Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader, and currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.
Vanessa Campbell is a CPA by day and a perfectionist by night. She’s fit, successful…and decidedly lonely. She can’t stop thinking about the youngest McCauley brother, Cameron. He’s just like her: smart, attractive, and usually right—except when dealing with her.
…BUT SOMEONE’S GOT TO DO IT
Cameron McCauley likes Vanessa a little too much. She’s a blond goddess with a razor-sharp tongue. She hates to be wrong, just like him. But she can hold a grudge and is stubborn to a fault—also like him.
A past disagreement has them rubbing each other the wrong way. Cam is dying to shake Vanessa up—get her to let loose. But if he succeeds, can his heart handle it?
“Colin,” Cam tried again. “You know dumping water on someone in the shower is a no-no. And especially Ubie’s new girlfriend.” Ubie—short for Uncle Brody. Brody Singer, the blond “adopted” McCauley who had grown up as part of the family
“But he told me to do it.”
Cam blinked. “He did? Well, you should never—”
“Dad thought it was kind of funny after he yelled at me.” Colin gave him a sharp nod, then added with a smirk, “Dad said he used to do that to you, and that you cried like a girrrl.” Considering Colin’s anti-girl phase, that was a high insult.
“Is that right?” Cam frowned, remembering being the butt of too many jokes while growing up. “Mike has no idea what he’s dealing with. You think your dad’s tough? Watch Uncle Cam.” Knowing he shouldn’t encourage the mischief in his nephew’s eyes but unable to stop himself from the unspoken dare, Cam hurried to the kitchen, found a large glass and filled it with ice-cold water. Considering the freezing January wind outside, Mike would be basking in a hot shower to warm up. Cam grinned, looking forward to his brother’s howl of misery.
Colin trailed him like a puppy. “Oh wow, Uncle Cam. Are you going to get Dad?” He clapped.
“Shh.”
“Oh, sorry.” Colin’s big grin showed a missing front tooth.
Cam walked down more ugly brown carpet that looked as it if had been vacuumed to death—Mike and his obsession with cleanliness—and tiptoed into the big guy’s room. He made sure he had a clear exit. If his goliath big brother caught him, he’d be toast. Fortunately, he could move like a gazelle.
Gliding into the master bathroom, he readied himself. One, two…three. He yanked open the curtain and tossed the cold water at…Vanessa Campbell?
He stared in shock at the sexiest woman he’d seen in a long, long time. Naked, her creamy skin glistened with water as she gaped at him in horror. Which quickly turned to anger.
“Cameron McCauley!”
“Oh, wow.” He couldn’t look away
Michel’s Review
The McCauly’s are back. In the third book of the McCauly Brothers Series, Ruining Mr. Perfect we get Cameron’s story. Cameron McCauly is the youngest of the McCauly clan and quite different from his older brothers. Being a successful investment advisor has led him to develop a taste for the finer things in life. He is not as rough and rugged as his brothers. He is more of a perfectionist. He has taken quite a bit of ribbing from his siblings because of his more refined nature. It has also created some tension with his father. This tension between them is hard to deal with in a close knit family like the McCaulys.
Vanessa Campbell is a hardcore, driven CPA with an attitude that can make grown men weep. She has issues that go beyond her need for order, control, and cleanliness. She’s beautiful and smart but comes across as being a downright bitch.
Vanessa and Cam have butted heads throughout this series. They are very similar in a lot of ways but also very different in others. They are antagonistic to one another and don’t see eye to eye. Both have the need to be right all the time. The one thing they have in common is their attraction to one another.
When these two get together and finally let go, it is smoking hot. Cam has the ability to get Vanessa to let go and loosen up. His playful but witty antics have a way of breaking through her ice princess persona. Between Cam’s dirty talking and her need for control in the bedroom, the sheets sizzle.
These two can be perfect together but first both will have to learn to compromise.
Meanwhile, outside of the steamy head butting relationship between Cam and Vanessa, there is another plot going on in the McCauly family. The parents are having some serious problems in their marriage. The build up of these tensions just adds to the ongoing saga of the McCauly family.
I absolutely loved this book. I had hesitations about Vanessa’s character because of the ice princess attitude. She is one of those characters that you love to hate. Marie Harte did a brilliant job with her character. Vanessa is who she is, but Marie showed us a softer and vulnerable side that most people don’t see on the outside. Cameron stole my heart. He may be quite different from his brothers, but he has the right amount of McCauly traits and the right amount of unique traits that will endear him to the readers.
The McCauly family and their contributions to this novel made the book even more endearing. This family has captured the reader’s hearts. I am looking forward to the next book in the McCauly Brothers series. What To Do With A Bad Boy is going to be explosive.
I am a huge fan of Marie Harte and the McCauly Brothers series. Ruining Mr. Perfect was fantastic and I highly recommend this book and series.
Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after.
The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Shattered Hearts series.
Five years, six months, eight days…
It’s been eighteen years since Abigail was born with a hole in her heart. Five years since she collapsed on the soccer field. Five years, six months, eight days since she found out she was adopted.
Abby has spent five years wondering about the family she never knew and waiting for her eighteenth birthday.When Abby shows up on the doorstep of Chris and Claire Knight, her birth parents are overjoyed to see the little girl they lost eighteen years ago.
One summer is all they have to make up for the years they lost. But a summer of love soon turns into a summer of heartache.
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes
Michel’s Review
Chasing Abby is the conclusion to the highly acclaimed Shattered Hearts series by Cassia Leo. Readers have been waiting for this book since the series began.
Chris and Claire Knight have waited eighteen years for this moment. The moment to meet the daughter they gave up for adoption because of their mistakes in their youth. The regret has weighed on their souls for the last eighteen years. They have moved on in life and made a beautiful family. They have become huge successes in their careers. They have become parents of three more children. The one thing missing in their lives has been their first born child, Abby.
Abby has had a loving life with her adoptive parents. Although she has had a happy life, her life experiences have been very limited and controlled because of her severe heart condition. Her health issues have caused her adoptive parents to become obsessively over protective of her. They have kept her adoption a secret all her life. When a life threatening hospital stay reveals the truth about her adoption, she will have to wait until her eighteenth birthday to find out who her real birth parents are.
Her life in general has been very happy. Her adoptive parents love her. She has great friends. She even has a phenomenal boyfriend, Caleb Everett, that whole heartedly supports her and takes great care ensuring her good health and happiness.
The moment she has waited for is finally here. Through years of pictures in a bank safety deposit box, Abby finally finds out who her biological parents are. She is stunned. Through Caleb’s support and encouragement she finally gets up the nerve to meet them face to face.
The reunion is emotional on so many levels. Chris and Claire are finally meeting their long lost daughter. Their fears of acceptance are heartfelt. Their joy of finally being able to openly love their child is exalting. Now they want Abby to become part of their family. They want her to get to know her two brothers and sister. They want her in their lives. But with Abby’s serious health issues their future is not guaranteed. Time isn’t on their side.
They have one summer to love and become the family they always wanted to be. It will be a summer filled with wonder and hope. It will also be a summer of adjustment, building relationships, dealing with sibling rivalry, and facing shattering heartbreak.
This book had me an emotional wreck. When I finished this book I was sitting in a pile of kleenex. It is one of the best UGLY cries I have had. I felt every emotion each of these characters felt. I was proud of the kind of woman Abby turned out to be. I was elated for Chris and Claire to finally mend the hole in their hearts they had for eighteen years. I broke right along with Abby when her heart took away the very life of her soul. This book has the same kind of emotional impact as Fault In Our Stars did.
Cassia Leo did a magnificent job with this book. Everything about this book was complete perfection. Read the Shattered Hearts series.
This is the last published book from Cassia Leo. This book will be her blaze of glory.
Cassia will continue writing under a new pen name. I look forward to her new direction and new persona. I want to thank her for giving the readers so many fabulous books.
Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cassia Leo grew up in California and has lived in three different countries. She loves to travel and her dream is to one day score a record deal based on her awesome shower singing skills. She is the author of the Shattered Hearts series (Relentless, Pieces of You, Bring Me Home). She is also the author of the popular Luke and Chase series.
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written almost fifty novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for New Orleans, tattoos, high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.
Saucy Southern Readers 