6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Wasted Lust by J. A. Huss

Posted on 07/02/2015 by shellbellereads

Wasted Lust

A 321 Spin Off Novel

By J. A. Huss

Release Date : June 25, 2015

Synopsis

A GIRL WITH REGRETS…

Sasha Cherlin died the night she let Nick Tate walk out on her for a life of crime. Her very essence was destroyed when they broke their promise to one another.

A MAN WITH REMORSE…

Nick Tate made his choice with her future in mind. He loved Sasha enough to know that leaving her behind was the only way to keep her safe.

A PATH TO REVENGE…

Special Agent Jax Barlow understands the bond of love and he plans to use it to get justice. Nick and Sasha will do anything to rewrite their past. He’s counting on that to bring them down.

Wasted Lust is a 321 spin-off, full-length, romantic suspense filled with lies, secrets, and the power of redemption by the New York Times bestselling author, JA Huss.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

https://youtu.be/y6m0KurJF9E

Excerpt

JAX

Nick is an idiot.

But I can’t fault him for it. If he had realized Sasha’s true worth—aside from killing and secret information—she’d still be his. She’d probably be dead because of it too.

My hatred for him dims a little. I will never like that man. Ever. But he left Sasha for a reason, I think. He left her because she was too good for him. She was pure and he was corrupt. I have a feeling that leaving her behind was as purposeful a move as any of the others he’s made throughout the years.

But why?

Does he love her? Is she the missing woman? She can’t be. Sasha freely admits she has not heard from or talked to him in a decade and I believe her.

So who is the woman who lured him back to the States six years ago? Sasha would’ve been just graduating high school. Her passport shows she was in New Zealand with her family that summer after graduation. So if he didn’t come to see her, then who?

This mystery has plagued me for years. Why does one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals leave Central America and come back to the US when he’s got a powerful position in a Honduran gang to protect him at home?

Why risk it?

For the job?

No. It can’t be that simple. Nothing about this guy is simple.

Did he lie to Sasha? Was he really her promise? It’s convenient that her father and his, the only two men who could substantiate the claim he made, are both dead.

I ponder this until we reach the airport. And by that time, Sasha is sleeping so deeply, she doesn’t even wake up when I pick her up in my arms and walk her up the stairs. I take her to the back of the plane and place her on the bed. “Sasha,” I whisper softly in her ear.

“Hmmm?” she moans back.

“Let’s take off your coat.”

“Mmmm.” She moves just enough for me to get her coat off, and then she turns over and falls back asleep with her hands bunching the pillow up to her face.

I stand there and smile down at her. Just smile. She’s so fucking adorable. And I’m starting to regret that rash decision to have sex with her in the car. You only get one first time. This one was pretty good as far as first times go. But still… I should’ve waited. Made it more romantic and less primal.

I lean down and kiss her on the head and then I walk out, leaving the lights off so she can get some rest. I go all the way up front to the business end of the plane and take a seat at the table.

“Drink, sir?” Essie asks.

“Sure. Brandy, if you’ve got it. You the only one on staff tonight?”

“No, the other girls are chatting in the galley. But if you want them, I can get them.”

“No, let them chat. I’ve got everything I need and I can use the quiet time.”

“Very good, sir,” she says, placing a snifter with two fingers of brandy in front of me on the table. “Just call if you need anything.”

I need a lot of things. But nothing Essie can help with. So I won’t be calling for her. I just drink my brandy and think about Sasha. I think about picking her up again and carrying her to the car that will be waiting for us when we land. I hope she doesn’t wake up.

Mostly because I want to carry her again. I loved that feeling. Her soft body against my hard one. But also because I’m not taking her home. And when she figures that out, she’s gonna be pissed.

_____________________________________________________

Just some general info about this book and how it relates to the rest of my books:
This is a story about Sasha Cherlin who appears in Slack, Come, Come Back, Coming For You, 321 (unnamed at the very end), and Meet Me In The Dark. It CAN be read as a standalone, but readers should be aware that this book is meant to be “The End” for Sasha and her life in the Company. Wasted Lust occurs ten years after Coming For You, two years after Meet Me In The Dark and AT THE SAME TIME as 321, so it is a parallel book, and although there are no real spoilers for 321 (I was very careful to avoid them) the plots converge in the middle of Wasted Lust. I would consider this to be a traditional romantic suspense and it is not dark.

Michel’s Review

Wow! Fans of the Rook and Ronin series, the Dirty, Dark and Deadly series, the Three, Two, One novel and Meet Me In The Dark novel have been waiting for this book. Wasted Lust is Sasha Cherlin-Aston’s book. This book is the grand finale of all these books combined. I say this loosely because of there are probably some surprises in store. Wasted Lust was SUPERB!

J. A. Huss is a brilliant writer. Her books are loaded with thrilling dark suspense, high octane action, and erotic romance. She meticulously delivers a complex plot that has unpredictable twists and turns. Her characters are very complex individuals with unique talents and personalities. Each character, whether they are the main character or secondary character, captures the reader’s full attention. Readers instantly become connected with the characters, immersed in their stories, and invested in the entire multiple series. She very carefully ties all of these characters together and brings their world to life. There are no six degrees of separation in this series, it is more like six degrees of connections.

We met Sasha Cherlin when she was thirteen years old in Slack: A Day In The Life of Ford Aston. She quickly became a prominent character in the ongoing books. In the Dirty, Dark, and Deadly series, Sasha became a prominent player. She was a Company child, a highly specialized child assassin. Her involvement with the major players in the Dirty,Dark, and Deadly series set the tone for Meet Me In The Dark.

After the Company was taken down, Sasha was not only left orphaned but also left without a real identity. She is no longer a lethal assassin, she is just a lost kid. Ford Aston adopted her and made her a part of his family. Her teen years were spent adjusting to a normal family life, becoming a carefree teenager, adjusting to society, and having a healthy existence. Although she has adjusted pretty well, she is still haunted by her former life in the Company. She has made great strides to leave her old life behind. She has become a strong young woman pursuing a PHD degree in Anthropology. Her life is on a positive path after ten years of struggling to become normal. She finally feels like she has put that life behind her until the past comes back to haunt her.

Coming back from a dig in South America she is waylaid by the FBI because of her connection to Nick Tate. Nick Tate was also a Company kid. He was her promise. He betrayed her ten years ago and left her behind. Now he’s back and according to the FBI he is hunting her. The FBI wants her to work with them. Agent Jax Barlow, from the Three,Two, One novel, wants her for himself. He sees the scared kid, the intelligent scholar, the dangerous assassin, and sensual woman that is wrapped in the package known as Sasha Aston. His desire for her goes beyond capturing the most wanted fugitive. He wants Sasha, the whole package with all the wrappings.

As the secrets begin to resurface and the Company’s tentacles begin to reach out, it is clear that Sasha’s life is in danger. She is no longer the ruthless assassin she once was. She has learned what fear truly means. She is also dealing with the old hurts that came from Nick betraying her. Jax vows to keep Sasha safe and alive. Sasha doesn’t think that Jax can accomplish this. He has no idea how ruthless and far reaching the Company is. He has no clue as to how dangerous Nick Tate is. He has no clue how dangerous Sasha Cherlin is.

As Jax and Sasha take on this high profile case they will learn that there is more at stake than their hearts. They will learn that they have to completely trust and depend on one another. Sasha will learn that she has wasted her lust.

This is the most emotional novel that J.A. Huss has written. The reader gets a true insight to Sasha Cherlin. It will tear at your heart strings and bring you to tears. This young woman will capture your heart.

Wasted Lust is full of surprises. The Company is once again pulling out their secret weapons and is determined to win. All of the characters from these series are in danger.

This book is not only emotional, it is very erotic. The sizzling chemistry between Sasha and Jax is scorching hot. Their passion has turned the pages into flames.

Although this is the grand finale I have a feeling that J.A. Huss is going to keep all of these characters alive. Their children are their legacy. They have stories too.

I highly recommend Wasted Lust. It should not be read as a stand alone novel. I would recommend reading all of the series. They are addicting. If you choose to read Wasted Lust as a stand alone novel, I can guarantee you will be going back and one clicking all of these books.

Reading Order:

Rook and Ronin Series

Tragic- Amazon

Manic – Amazon

Panic – Amazon

Slack – Amazon

Taut – Amazon

Bomb –Amazon

Guns – Amazon

Dirty, Dark, and Deadly Series

Come- Amazon

Come Back – Amazon

Coming For You – Amazon

Novels

Three, Two, One – Amazon

Meet Me In The Dark – Amazon

Wasted Lust – Amazon

_______________________________________________

Author Bio:

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card, Coach Tote Bag, all JA Huss Books SIGNED – starts June 24 ends July 5.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review + 2014 Favorite : The Pact by Karina Halle

Posted on 12/29/2014 by shellbellereads

The Pact

Contemporary Romance

By Karina Halle

Synopsis

***SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRICING – $0.99 UNTIL JANUARY 1st***

*The Pact is a FULL-LENGTH
*STANDALONE (not part of a series)
*”FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS” CONTEMPORARY ADULT ROMANCE

It all started with a pinky swear…

Linden McGregor is tall, rugged, and gunslinger handsome; a helicopter pilot with a Scottish brogue and charm to spare. He’s also one of Stephanie Robson’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as she’s known him.

Beautiful, funny and an ambitious businesswoman (with one hell of an ass), Stephanie Robson is one of Linden McGregor’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as he’s known her.

But some relationships can’t be boxed, can’t be classified, can’t be tamed.

Back in their mid-twenties and tired of the competitive hit-or-miss dating scene of San Francisco, Steph and Linden made a pact to marry each other if neither one of them were in a serious relationship by the time they hit thirty.

It sounded like fun and games at the time but as the years to thirty tick past and lovers come and go out of their lives, the pact becomes larger than life.

Sex is inevitable. Friendships are tested. Hearts are on the line.

The pact is about to change everything.

Note: due to the dirty talk and sexy times, The Pact is not meant for anyone under the age of 18. All characters in THE PACT are in their thirties, therefore this is NOT a new adult book…even though love can mess you up at any age.

Buy: Amazon

Robin’s Review

In her acknowledgements, Karina Halle mentioned she had no plans to write The Pact. She had other novels planned – novels that had been planned for some time. But inspiration can strike at the oddest times, and this time it struck when Halle was reading a magazine as she was waiting to board a plane to whisk her away to Hawaii. In just three short weeks – on her vacation, no less! – Karina Halle wrote The Pact. She wrote every single day while she was in Hawaii, sharing “….it all came so easily, I just couldn’t stop. It was a hell of a lot of fun.” Sometimes you just have to take an idea and run with it.

Stephanie Robson calls him Cowboy. Linden McGregor calls her Baby Blue. Linden has a Scottish brogue accent and beard. Steph has newly dyed jet-black hair and blue eyes. Linden is self-assured, handsome, ambitious and intense. He has a BA in business and is close to getting his helicopter pilot’s license. Steph is beautiful and smart. She runs a clothing store in San Francisco, but aspires to open her own clothing boutique. Linden has hair the color of mahogany and dark blue eyes. He’s a womanizer and self-centered. Together Linden and Steph are best friends.

Linden has a proposition for Stephanie. It’s her birthday, and they are both perched on barstools at The Burgundy Lion in San Francisco. Both of them are now in their twenty-fifth year. They have each struggled with dead-end relationships for years. Linden tells Steph they are good for each other. Compatible. They make sense together. He proposes that the two of them should agree to marry each other if neither are in a serious relationship by the time they turn thirty. Certain that Linden is joking around, Steph agrees to his proposal with a pinky swear and the pact is born!

We were told The Pact would be a different type of novel for Karina Halle. Her usual repertoire consists of gritty, dark romance, horror romance, and new adult contemporary romance. The Pact is classified as adult contemporary romance and is narrated from dual points of view. It’s sexy and fun and has a lighter feel to it. Many of you who follow my reviews know that I absolutely love reading stories about friends who become lovers. There was the perfect amount of sweetness and angst in The Pact. All of these features combined to put a huge smile on my face after finishing the story!

Before I end this review, I need to mention the writing. I truly appreciate and respect the talented writing of this author. How many authors are capable of writing an unplanned full-length novel in three weeks? Of this quality? During their spare time while on vacation? And it’s not just the story, itself. It’s the attention to detail. Pay close attention to the adjectives, adverbs, and descriptions Halle weaves into her writing. She appeals to the senses of her readers. Her attention to detail results in bringing the scenes she is writing to life. Karina Halle is very diverse in her writing. It’s true. The Pact is unlike any of her previous novels, and I think this 5-star novel will appeal to many new readers who love the adult contemporary romance genre!
Author Bio:

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term “Hybrid Author.” Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she’s a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA…whenever possible.

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

6 Star Review: Nine Minutes by Beth Flynn

Posted on 12/29/2014 by shellbellereads

Nine Minutes

By Beth Flynn

Synopsis

On May 15, 1975, fifteen-year-old Ginny Lemon is abducted from a convenience store in Fort Lauderdale by a member of one of the most notorious and brutal motorcycle gangs in South Florida.

From that moment on, her life is forever changed. She gets a new name, a new identity and a new life in the midst of the gang’s base on the edge of the Florida Everglades—a frightening, rough and violent world much like the swamps themselves, where everyone has an alias and loyalty is tantamount to survival.

And at the center of it all is the gang’s leader, Grizz: massive, ruggedly handsome, terrifying and somehow, when it comes to Ginny, tender. She becomes his obsession and the one true love of his life.

So begins a tale of emotional obsession and manipulation, of a young woman ripped from everything she knows and forced to lean on the one person who provides attention, affection and care: her captor. Precocious and intelligent, but still very much a teenager, Ginny struggles to adapt to her existence, initially fighting and then coming to terms with her captivity.

Will she be rescued? Will she escape? Will she get out alive—or get out at all? Part psychological thriller, part coming-of-age novel, filled with mystery, romance and unexpected turns, Nine Minutes takes readers into the world of one motorcycle gang and inside the heart of a young girl, whose abduction brought about its fall.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Michel’s Review

Nine Minutes is one of the books that stunned my senses and left me with a major book hangover. I read this book over a month and half ago. After I finished the book I had to gift this book to several of my friends because it is the kind of book you “have” to read. Each and every friend that has read this book had the same kind of reactions that I had to it.

This more than a typical biker romance. It is a story that renders a very real look into a lawless lifestyle. Although many of the characters are hardened criminals with ethics that are horrendous, they are also very human. Their emotions and feelings are just as valid as anyone else emotions. Their methods of dealing with their emotions are just as valid as how anyone else deals with their own. We all have insecurities, we all have hopes and dreams, we all want the ones we love to have the best we can give, and we all have our own ways of protecting our deepest emotions.

The background for this story is so true to it’s portrayal. I grew up in that area of south Florida in that exact timeframe. I am very close to the same age as the heroine in this story. The existence of this kind of MC club was in fact present in that area at that time. As I was reading this book I had chills from the in depth descriptions. I felt like I was walking back in time to my younger years and looking at it through different eyes. It is was mind blowing. When my mother, who has lived in south Florida for over fifty years, and raised her family there, read this book she was just as stunned as I was.

The story itself was captivating. It is a story of a lawless life, a story of a stolen life, and a story of unconditional love. Although Grizz lived in a very violent world and delivered his own kind brand of justice, he also had a sense of honor and heart of gold. For those he loved, he gave his all. For those that betrayed his love and trust, he dealt with in a very gruesome violent manner. In the end he paid for his love. In the end he paid for his sins. He did it with honor for those he loved. He accepted the punishments for the crimes he committed. He protected his family from suffering the repercussions of his crimes. He gave those he loved the ultimate gift. He gave them the gift of love and happiness.

Ginny was a young teenage girl when she was abducted. She was just beginning her journey into womanhood. Although she was taken, manipulated, and molded into a different kind of person, she was also given the gift of unconditional love. Her life may have turned out very differently had she not been abducted. Would she have had a better life? Most likely not. Her childhood was not sunshine and roses. Her life was not full of love. She was forced to grow up at an early age. She was forced to become responsible and self reliant. She was a survivor. She used her intelligence to guide her. I think that is one of the reasons she was abducted. One person saw the uniqueness and inner strength she possessed. One person saw her value as a human being. One person loved her for everything she was. One person valued her enough to steal her away. In the end that one person almost destroyed her life. Through it all that one person also gave her more than his love, he gave her a love that would last a lifetime and always be there for her. He gave her a new love story to live.

Nine Minutes is not a forever love story. Nine Minutes is breathtaking story of unconditional love and strength of the human spirit. Nine Minutes is two beautiful love stories that intwine one woman into a person of strength, compassion, and beauty. Two love stories that show her how by just being herself is more valuable than anything else in this world.

Nine Minutes is a powerful story. Although Nine Minutes ends with a cliffhanger, it is not one that will have readers in an emotional uproar. Nine Minutes has a resolution to that part of Ginny’s story. It ended the only way it could. The cliffhanger is more about the secrets that will be revealed. It is about the other love story in the book. It is the path to Ginny’s forever love story.

Read Nine Minutes! It is exceptional!

Author Bio:

Beth Flynn is a fiction writer who lives and works in Sapphire, North Carolina, deep within the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Beth and her husband, Jim, have spent the last 16 years in Sapphire, where they own a construction company. They have been married 30 years and have two daughters (the youngest in high school) and two dogs. In her spare time, Beth enjoys writing, reading, gardening, church and motorcycles, especially taking rides on the back of her husband’s Harley. She is a four-year breast cancer survivor.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

6 Star ARC Review + Giveaway: The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

Posted on 12/03/2014 by shellbellereads

The Law Of Moses

By Amy Harmon

Release Date: November 27, 2014

Synopsis

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.

And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all…a love story.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Excerpt

“You still talk to your horses.”

I jerked and Sackett shifted, not liking the spike of energy that shot through me or the fact that my fingers had yanked at his mane.

Moses stood silhouetted in the barn door, holding what looked to be a large canvas in his hand.

I hadn’t realized I was still talking to Sackett, and I did a quick examination of what I’d just said. I believe I had just uttered an embarrassing rant on people named Moses not being allowed in Georgia. “Oh, Lord,” I prayed silently but fervently, “you can make the blind man see and the deaf man hear so it shouldn’t be too much to ask to make this man forget everything he’s just seen and heard.”

“What does Sackett think about those new, stricter laws in Georgia?”

I looked up at the rafters, “Hey, thanks for comin’ through for me, Lord.”

I loosened the cinch that secured the saddle around Sackett’s middle and pulled the saddle from his back, hoisting it onto the saddle horse and removing the blanket beneath without looking at Moses. I was kind of surprised that he remembered Sackett’s name.

Moses took a few steps inside the barn and I could see a small smile playing around his lips. I gave Sackett a firm pat on his rump signaling I was done, and he trotted off, clearly eager to go.

“You’re back.” I said, refusing to embarrass myself further by getting angry.

“I took Tag home. He had big plans to train for his next fight old school, like Rocky, but discovered that it’s a little more appealing in the movies. Plus, I don’t do a very good Apollo Creed.”

“Tag’s a fighter?”

“Yeah. Mixed martial arts stuff. He’s pretty good.”

“Huh.” I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t know anything about the sport. “Didn’t Apollo Creed die in one of the movies?”

“Yeah. The black guy always dies at the hands of the white man.”

I rolled my eyes, and he grinned, making me grin with him before I remembered that I was embarrassed and ticked off that he had kissed me and left town. It felt a little too much like the past. The grin slipped from my face and I turned away, busying myself shaking out the saddle blankets.

“So why did you come back?” I kept my eyes averted. He was quiet for a minute, and I bit my lips so I wouldn’t start to babble into the awkward silence.

“The house needs more work,” he replied at last. “And I’m thinking of changing my name.”

My head shot up, and I met his smirk with confusion.

“Huh?”

“I heard there was this new law in Georgia. Nobody named Moses can even visit. So I’m thinking a name change is in order.”

I just shook my head and laughed, both and embarrassed and pleased at his underlying meaning. “Shut up, Apollo,” I said, and it was his turn to laugh.

Robin’s Review

The Law of Moses begins with a word of caution to the reader. From the first words of the prologue, Amy Harmon’s consummate writing demanded my full attention. Perhaps the prologue is a bit of foreshadowing, but I truly had no idea what it meant. How it would relate to the story? When I finished reading The Law of Moses, I was emotionally spent, but I finally understood. I truly admire Amy Harmon’s talent and creativity. The Law of Moses is her seventh novel. I have read each of them, and her ability to tell a story just keeps getting better.

Our protagonist, Georgia Shepherd, begins the story by telling us about Moses Wright. He was born a crack baby. Baby Moses was placed in a laundry basket and abandoned at the Quick Wash. Employees from the hospital named him baby Moses because he was found lying in a basket. Crack babies are known to have all kinds of problems throughout their lives – ADHD, impulse control, seizures, mental disorders, hallucinations and hypersensitivity. Authorities were able to identify his mother three days after he was found because his mother died of an overdose. Moses was raised by family, but he never spent very long in one place because he was hard to manage. When the story begins, Moses moves in with his great grandmother, Kathleen Wright, just before he turns eighteen.

It’s the summer before her senior year in high school, and seventeen year-old Georgia Shepherd dreams of barrel racing on the rodeo circuit. Her father is a veterinarian, but her parents also have several horses they use for equine therapy with foster kids. Georgia assists with equine therapy, but she is better known for her ability for breaking in and training horses in Levan, Utah. Kathleen Wright asks the Shepherd family to put Moses to work on their farm. Georgia describes Moses as tall, with broad shoulders, defined muscles and light, funky-colored eyes. She compares him to a dangerous jungle cat. He is messed up, cracked in the head, emotional and extremely artistic. And Georgia is attracted to Moses.

Did I mention Moses was artistic? He paints beautiful, gigantic murals whenever the inclination occurs. He paints on walls and buildings or anywhere else that seems appropriate at the time. He paints wherever he wants without questions and remorse. But it’s what Moses paints that is highly unusual. Moses paints pictures of people who are dead, and this could be a problem for him because several young women have disappeared in central Utah over the past few years.

Okay. Here are my thoughts. Amy Harmon has written a very intriguing coming of age novel. It’s also a beautiful love story involving two unlikely characters. If you love a great mystery, you will find mystery in spades in The Law of Moses. It’s one of those novels you will not want to put down. I mentioned at the beginning of my review that the writing in this story is consummate. I absolutely meant that. The writing in The Law of Moses is above average in creativity, proficiency and in the manner that it flows. There have been so many wonderful novels released this year, but I can honestly say that The Law of Moses is one of the very best that I have read. Congratulations to Amy Harmon on this 6 star novel!

Robin’s 5 Greats

1) Consummate writing
2) Uniquely creative
3) Intriguing characters
4) Gripping mystery
5) One of my 2014 favorites

Author Bio:

Amy Harmon is a USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in several countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written five novels – the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway
1 Kindle Paperwhite
1 $50 Amazon giftcard
3 signed copies of The Law of Moses

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Blitz + Review : Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward

Posted on 09/29/2014 by shellbellereads

Stepbrother Dearest

By Penelope Ward

Synopsis

You’re not supposed to want the one who torments you.

When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a jerk he’d be.

I hated that he took it out on me because he didn’t want to be here.

I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room.

But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.

At first, I thought all he had going for him were his rock-hard tattooed abs and chiseled face. Then, things started changing between us, and it all came to a head one night.

Just as quickly as he’d come into my life, he was gone back to California.

It had been years since I’d seen Elec.

When tragedy struck our family, I’d have to face him again.

And holy hell, the teenager who made me crazy was now a man that drove me insane.

I had a feeling my heart was about to get broken again.

Stepbrother Dearest is a standalone novel.

**Contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. It is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward will be on sale for $2.99 Release Day Only

Michel’s Review

Wow! Stepbrother Dearest is one of those books that held me prisoner from the very first word to the end. I was captivated by the story and felt like I knew Greta and Elec personally. Their story seemed very real and touched my heart.

We meet Greta and Elec when they are both teenagers. Greta’s mother married Elec’s father. Do to circumstances in Elec’s home life, he is forced to go stay with his father. He’s an angry young man with a chip that is larger than a boulder on his shoulder. He’s prepared to be hostile and belligerent. He’s prepared to share his misery with every member in the family, including his stepsister Greta. On the surface we see a very angry young man, but under the nasty exterior, there is a boy that is hurting very deeply.

Greta is a happy, go lucky, naïve teenage girl. She’s excited to finally have a sibling to share her life with. What she gets instead of a brother is a bully. A brother that fully intends on making her life miserable. She has a hard time understanding Elec’s monstrous behavior. That is until she looks beneath the surface. Once she begins to see the real Elec, her opinion changes drastically. Once he knows he can trust Greta, Elec begins to show her the real Elec that hides beneath the sneers and smart mouthed punk.

Greta and Elec become close. They realize they have feelings that go beyond brotherly sisterly love. One forbidden night will change their lives forever. One forbidden night will never be forgotten. One forbidden night is the end of their time together.

As the years go by, neither Greta or Elec has forgotten that forbidden love. Life has taken them in different directions. Both have moved on in their lives. They are pursuing careers and building lives of their own. All seems well until there is a family tragedy that brings them together once again. Now they are adults that can make their own destinies. They will have to chose between the new lives they have built for themselves or chose to pursue their forbidden love.

I can’t say too much more about this book without giving spoilers. I will say Penelope Ward wrote a powerful story of love and redemption. The story was written from duo POV’s and was easy to get inside the characters minds. She portrayed the characters maturity and emotional levels with perfection. The teenage Elec and Greta were exactly as teenagers should be. The adult Elec and Greta had matured gracefully and became strong individuals with a great sense of self. They had become the children most parents want their kids to become in their adult lives. How they handled their reunion was with the utmost care and consideration for those in their lives. The love they shared was a powerful once in a lifetime love that time could not take away.

Penelope Ward is a talented writer. She creates characters that are very real and memorable. Their stories are emotional with a strong dose of reality. Stepbrother Dearest deserves a 6 Star Review!

I highly recommend this book.

Tracey’s Review

Greta is seventeen when her stepbrother, Elec, comes to live with her family for the year.Not quite sure what to expect, Greta is hopeful that Elec will be the brother she never had.

‘I had a stepbrother.

That was a weird thought. I hoped we would get along. As an only child, I had always wanted a sibling. I laughed at how stupid this was, fantasizing that this was going to be some kind of fairytale relationship overnight, like friggin’ Donny and Marie Osmond or Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal.’

But paradise it isn’t. Elec’s arrival is less than friendly, and he is very clear about not wanting to have any kind of relationship with Greta or her parents.

‘He wouldn’t look at me, so I used the opportunity to continue examining him as he dumped his bag on the floor.

Thud.

Was that my heart or the bag?’

With his dark good looks and bad boy demeanor, Elec inspires thoughts that are anything but sisterly in Greta. Sibling rivalry just got a lot sexier.

I was absolutely hooked from the first page of Stepbrother Dearest. There was no way that I was going to be able to put this book down without finding out exactly what was going to transpire between Greta and Elec. There was some serious sexual tension going on; the smolder between these two had me fanning myself, and waiting for the moment when the spark became full-on combustion. But this is not just a hot and sexy read. There is so much more to Elec than is apparent at first glance. His painful past has shaped him completely, and there are secrets that he refuses to share, even as he and Greta grow closer. When events arise that cause Elec and Greta to go their separate ways, Greta knows that she will never be the same. And, when the find themselves together again, it’s clear that she is not alone in her feelings.

I am personally a fan of stories where we, as readers, get to see the perspective of each of the main characters, so I was not disappointed that there was dual POV in Stepbrother Dearest. Reading about how Elec felt, in his own words, allowed us to see the issues that had driven him from the first time he met Greta, and gave him much more depth. And, even seven years later, the chemistry between Greta and Elec was off the charts hot, and seeing how both of them felt made it a much more satisfying read for me.

Penelope Ward has done another fantastic job with Stepbrother Dearest. I absolutely cannot recommend this book enough, and give it 5.5 deeply satisfying stars.

Author Bio:

Penelope Ward is a USA Today Bestselling author.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers. She spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career.

Penelope lives for reading books in the new adult genre, coffee and hanging out with her friends and family on weekends.

She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and a 8-year-old boy, both of whom are the lights of her life.

Penelope, her husband and kids reside in Rhode Island.

She is currently working on her fifth novel, Jake Understood. She is the author of Gemini, Jake Undone, My Skylar and Stepbrother Dearest.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Be sure to connect with Penelope Ward on Facebook During Stepbrother Dearest release week for prizes and more….

Release Day Blitz: Understatement Of The Year by Sarina Bowen- The Ivy Years-Book 3

Posted on 09/29/2014 by shellbellereads

The Understatement of the Year

The Ivy Years Series- Book 3

Release Date: September 29, 2014

By Sarina Bowen

Synopsis:

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexual preference from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother.

Buy: Amazon/ Kobo

Michel’s Review

The Ivy Years series by Sarina Bowen has been phenomenal. Each book has addressed some very different and difficult subject matters. They were written with compassion and great care. The characters are larger than life and jump off the pages. The reader’s completely connect with their stories, their emotions, and their lives. The Understatement Of The Year has followed in the same excellent standard that the previous books in the Ivy Years has set.

The Understatement Of The Year approaches the very difficult subject of homosexuality in the world of sports. Not only did it lay out the difficulties of a college athlete being gay, it also showed the difficulties of “coming out of the closet”.

John Rikker was kicked out of his former college and kicked off the hockey team because his homosexuality was exposed. Harkness College, known for being a liberal school, accepted John Rikker in the middle of hockey season. Not only is John a very gifted athlete, he is the first athlete to be outed in college hockey. This has put him on the media’s radar. It has also put in him a position where he has to prove himself as an all-star athlete to his teammates. It’s hard enough being the new guy on the team, add being gay and it makes the welcoming committee very sparse. To add ugly to ugly, Michael Graham is on his new team.

Michael and John have a history. They were best friends in middle school and high school. They also discovered their sexuality together. A very bad incident separated the two of them. John was sent away to live with his grandmother. There he was able to become open about his sexuality. For Michael Graham it was quite a different story. He denied his homosexuality to himself and all those around him. Now he’s threatened that John is going to expose his secret.

This book not only focused on the discrimination of being gay, it also showed a very emotional side side of being a homosexual. The emotions from hiding your secrets, denying yourself love, and fighting the very person you are is gut wrenching. Also the emotions that go along with being the odd man out, having your life on display, and having to go far and beyond to prove your worth as a player, friend, and human being will tear the reader up. Add a secret affair, an emotional romance, and self discovery and you have the perfect book.

The Understatement Of The Year is one of those “must read” books. I absolutely loved this book and can honestly say is my favorite in The Ivy Years series.

Sarina Bowen is a gifted writer. Her writing is not only romantic, it is highly emotional. Each story reflects the glory of the human spirit. She tackles some very difficult and unique subject matter and gives her characters a life that jumps off the pages. Her delivery of an emotional romance is phenomenal.

Author Bio:

Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.

The Year We Fell Down, Book #1 in The Ivy Years series, began breaking hearts in March 2014. Book #2, The Year We Hid Away, is brand new.

For Harlequin-E, Sarina writes the Gravity series. Coming in From the Cold features an angsty downhill ski racer and one of the most unique plot conflicts in contemporary romance today.

Sarina enjoys skiing, coffee products and a nice glass of wine. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

She would be honored to connect with you at http://www.sarinabowen.com.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter~ Goodreads

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Tag Archives: 2014 Favorite

6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Wasted Lust by J. A. Huss

ARC Review + 2014 Favorite : The Pact by Karina Halle

6 Star Review: Nine Minutes by Beth Flynn

6 Star ARC Review + Giveaway: The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

Release Day Blitz + Review : Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward

Release Day Blitz: Understatement Of The Year by Sarina Bowen- The Ivy Years-Book 3

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