Surprise Release + 6 Star Review + 2017 Favorite…. Undeserving by Madeline Sheehan – Undeniable Series – Book 5

Posted on 07/03/2017 by shellbellereads

Undeserving

Undeniable Series – Book 5

By Madeline Sheehan

Synopsis

Warning: This isn’t a romance, but instead a tale of love between two despairing people, from two different worlds, both aching for something more.

Debbie Reynolds is a runaway, New York City-bound. Living on the road comes with many challenges—fighting for her next meal, seeking safe places to sleep, and dodging men with less than honorable intentions, all while searching for meaning in a life she finds painful and pointless.

Damon “Preacher” Fox, vice president of the Silver Demons Motorcycle Club, has been in prison for club-related crimes. As his release draws near, he begins to reevaluate his choices in life, realizing that if he stays with the club, this won’t be his last stint behind bars. Suddenly Preacher finds himself doubting everything he’s ever known, wishing for a life beyond the club.

When Preacher and Debbie’s paths cross, they find in each other a sense of peace they had been lacking. But life is about to catch up with Preacher, and Debbie, desperate to keep the one person who’s ever shown her any kindness, finds herself caught between forces far deadlier and more powerful than she could have ever imagined.

This is Debbie and Preacher’s story.

At the end, we should all go back to the beginning,
if only to remind ourselves that we once lived.

Michel’s Review

OMG!!!

I am sure most of Madeline Sheehan fans and MC Romance fans are reeling with shock by the surprise release of Undeserving, the fifth book in the Undeniable series. Fans of this series have been waiting almost three years for this book to release and I can honestly say the wait was worth it.

For those of readers who have not read this series or are new to the Undeniable series, Madeline Sheehan is the reigning queen of MC romance. Back in 2013 she released the first book in the Undeniable series and brought something fresh, new, exciting, different, dark, and lawless. She gave a vivid portrayal of a lawless world where the men made their own rules. She set the new emerging world of self publishing on a tailspin where the normal rules of romance could no longer apply. She broke all the rules and created characters who were not necessarily good men, in fact they were criminals that banded together with a true sense of family, and gave the readers a new kind of hero to fall hopelessly in love with. Even though these violent hardened men were lawless, they were still ordinary men who were capable of loving with their whole hearts. These hardened men were seriously flawed, extremely violent, and immoral,but they were also strong, charismatic, loyal, and stayed true to their hearts.

Madeline Sheehan is the author who paved the way for other authors and opened the door for the sub genre of MC Romance. Readers were hungry for this kind of story. I remember standing in for over an hour line at Book Bash 2013 in Orlando,FL to get my copy of Undeniable signed. Not only did I get to meet this lovely author, I also scored the last ” Duece’s Babe” t-shirt, which I still treasure today. Every person in that line was fangirling Madeline Sheehan. To this day I am still fangirling Madeline Sheehan and am still floored by her incredible writing.

Undeserving is the book that brings the Undeniable series full circle, a chance to revisit the beginning of the Undeniable series and what happened before the great love affair of Duece and Eva. It’s Damon “Preacher” Fox’s story, the beloved father of Eva West and ruthless president of the Silver Demons MC. He’s the one man Duece West feared but respected more than any other man. He’s the man who raised his only daughter in a violent world with a pure heart and unquestionable love. He was feared by his enemies and loved by his family. He created one of the most powerful MC’s that ruled the dark underworld of crime. He wasn’t always the hardened, ruthless man who ruled with an iron fist. He once was a young man with a pure heart hoping for a different kind of destiny in life. He had his own dreams and desires that didn’t include the Silver Demons but a series of violent events and a sixteen year old girl who was a junkie changed his destiny forever. On his deathbed, he finally reveals who Damon Fox, aka Preacher, really was and how his life became what it was.

” At the end, we should all go back to the beginning, if only to remind ourselves that we once lived.”

– Damon ” Preacher ” Fox –

At twenty four, Damon Fox had just been released from serving two years in prison. Doing time has a way of changing a man. He no longer wanted the life that he had come from but didn’t know exactly what he wanted. He knew he wanted more. He knew he wanted something good, something real, and something that was his and his alone. Rather than returning home to take his place in the Silver Demons MC, he choose to take a road trip to find himself. What he found was a roaming sixteen year old girl named Debbie Reynolds trying to steal his wallet at a run down, off the beaten path truck stop. He could see she was running from her past as well. He could also see that she was naive, innocent, and not the typical runaway. Rather than giving her a few bucks and sending her on her way, he chose to take her home to his family, who were at a rally in Four Points. What starts out as a tentative friendship that is a buffer with his troubled reunion with his family turns into a life changing experience, good and bad. He found that once in a lifetime love in the middle of a violent, ruthless massacre that forever changed his destiny. It forced him to accept his place with the Silver Demons. The only thing that kept him anchored and gave him peace was his girl Wheels (Debbie). Together they found happiness in a violent world that he thought he had complete control over. They a had their beautiful baby daughter,Eva, and they were muddling their way through the world of parenting when life once again reared it’s ugly head and betrayal spun his life beyond his control. Debbie had secrets and those secrets could destroy Damon and the Silver Demons. She was more than a worthless, sixteen year old junkie girl, she was Damon’s everything. When she left she took his soul. The only thing good left was his daughter Eva. When her secrets were finally and completely exposed, it left a hollowed man with a hardened, broken heart.

There is so much more to this story that leads to explanations of circumstances in the Hell’s Horsemen World. The readers get to see “Duece” Cole West as a teenager defying his ruthless father. They also get more insight to Frankie Deluva’s madness. Readers also get to meet some of the dynamic people in the Silver Demons MC such as Tiny, One Eyed Joe, Hightower, and Aunt Sylvia. Tiny will melt your heart. Readers will also get a better sense of Eva with all her strengths and weaknesses. But the most important thing is readers will get to see is the legacy of Preacher through his daughter, grandchildren, and MC family.

” At the end, we should all go back to the beginning, if only to remind ourselves that we once lived.”

– Damon ” Preacher ” Fox –

Madeline Sheehan has once again delivered a beautiful, stunning, shocking novel that will bring the readers to tears. She is still the ruling Queen of MC Romance! RIP “Preacher” Damon Fox.

Damon Fox

“Preacher”

Beloved Brother and Father

“Ride Forever Free”

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Undeniable – Book 1

Amazon

Warning: This is not a typical, sappy, love story. This is an all-consuming, soul-crushing, tear-your-heart-into-pieces story. It’s intense, gritty and raw, dark and disturbing, and it doesn’t happen overnight. This is an epic love story that knows no boundaries and has no time limits. It grows and develops—with hurt, sacrifice, and heartache—over the span of a lifetime.

Eva Fox is the princess of the Silver Demons Motorcycle Club. Growing up with bikers in the club lifestyle is all that she knows. When she’s a young girl, Eva meets the reason for her existence. Deuce West is the sexy, biker bad-ass of the Hell’s Horsemen Motorcycle Club. Like Eva, he was born and raised in the club—but that’s where the similarities end. Their first meeting is innocent, but as Eva matures into a woman, their chance reunions evolve into a fit of lust and love. Fate continues to bring them together time and time again, but their twisted journey is filled with pain, betrayal, and bloodshed that could tear them apart. Eva sees in Deuce what he cannot see in himself—a man worthy of love—and Eva spends her lifetime proving to him that her undeniable love is the one thing he can’t live without.

This is Eva and Deuce’s story.

It wasn’t easy.
Nothing worth doing ever is.
And love is worth everything.

Unbeautifully – Book 2

Amazon

Warning: This is not a story about fate or destiny. This is a story about pain, sorrow, and suffering. This is an impulsive whirlwind romance between two lovers that are not meant to be together. Theirs is not a world with sunshine and roses. Instead, their love blossoms in a secret world full of crime, violence, and death. Their story is about what can be born from nightmares.

Danielle “Danny” West is the daughter of Deuce West, President of the Hell’s Horsemen Motorcycle Club. A sweet and beautiful girl, she loses her way, searching for things that are always out of her reach. Erik “Ripper” Jacobs is the Sergeant at Arms in the Hell’s Horsemen. Once a man who always had a smile on his face, his life takes a turn for the worst when a tragedy befalls him, leaving him scarred and broken. During a midsummer night, Danny and Ripper’s paths cross, forever changing their lives. Hastily, their lust turns to love until another tragedy forces them apart. On a journey that is marred with ugliness and chaos, Danny and Ripper must discover if their unforeseen connection can find the beauty in their world.

This is Danny and Ripper’s story.

Everything has beauty. Even the ugly. Especially the ugly.
Because without ugly, there would be no beauty.

Unattainable – Book 3

Amazon

Warning: This is not a virtuous and tender love story. It’s chaotic, ruthless, and tragic. This story takes love and kills its innocence, steals away the pure moments, and crushes the hearts of the broken. A story born in childhood, tying one girl to one boy, leads to a destructive path—that hurts more than it doesn’t, that shatters more than it heals—testing the love that binds the two through a lifetime.

Tegen Matthews is the daughter of Dorothy Kelley, a club whore in the Hell’s Horsemen. A plain little girl, Tegen falls into the gritty world of the motorcycle club. When she meets a sweet, caring boy, she embraces the warmth and affection he shows her. Cage West is the son of the president of the Hell’s Horsemen. Tall and blond with deep brown eyes, as he grows up Cage realizes the power of his dimpled smile and smooth drawl. With one chance encounter, Tegen becomes forever tied to Cage. Following is a wayward journey that is filled with regrets, mistakes, and heartache, pulling at the threads that hold them together. Cage and Tegen fight hard but love harder, and in the end, what matters is where the journey takes one girl and one boy, who have been twined with one another since the beginning.

This is Tegen and Cage’s story.

Love doesn’t erase a broken heart, and it sure doesn’t change people. But no matter how old, how flimsy, how frayed the rope of love is, it keeps you tethered to the people you love.

Unbeloved- Book 4

Amazon

Warning: This is not a conventional or predictable love story. It involves one woman and two men bound by a love so destructive it spans two decades, pitting brother against brother, and shattering the lives of those touched by it.

Dorothy Kelley is a born romantic, searching for her prince. Instead she finds herself pregnant at fifteen, and in a loveless marriage by the tender age of eighteen. Then hope comes riding into her life on a motorcycle and within weeks, Jason “Jase” Brady, a member of the Hell’s Horsemen motorcycle club, sweeps Dorothy off her feet.

But nothing is ever simple for Dorothy. Jase is married with children. And as Dorothy patiently waits for Jase to give her the happily-ever-after she’s been dreaming about, James “Hawk” Young, a member of the Hell’s Horsemen with secrets of his own, sees an opening into Dorothy’s life and takes it. What follows is a long and painful journey of self-discovery and forgiveness, as Dorothy comes to realize that home was exactly where she’d left it, and the love she’d forever craved had always been within her reach.

This is the story of Dorothy, Jase, and Hawk.

We are all born pure; it is our journey that burdens us and leads us astray. Our mistakes that beat us down and cover us in guilt and shame, burying us a little more with each passing hardship. It is up to us to dig ourselves out, to come to terms with our faults, to embrace not only our imperfections but those of the ones we love, and to once again find the path we strayed from.

Undeserving- Book 5

Amazon

Warning: This isn’t a romance, but instead a tale of love between two despairing people, from two different worlds, both aching for something more.

This is Debbie and Preacher’s story.

At the end, we should all go back to the beginning,
if only to remind ourselves that we once lived.

________________________________________________

Author Bio

USA Today Bestseller, Madeline Sheehan, is the author of the Holy Trinity Trilogy and the Undeniable Series. Homegrown in Buffalo, New York, Madeline resides there with her husband and son.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2017 Favorite + Giveaway: The Long Way Home by Jasinda Wilder

Posted on 06/30/2017 by shellbellereads

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The Long Way Home

The One Series – Book One

By Jasinda Wilder

Synopsis:

I need you, Ava.

I am desperate. For you. For touch. For a kiss. For the scrape of your hand down my stomach. For the slide of your lips across my hipbone. The sweep of your thigh against mine in the dulcet, drowning darkness. For the warm huff of your breath on my skin and the wet suck of your mouth around me and the building pressure of need reaching release…I am mad with need.

Wild with it.

I cannot have you. I have lost you, as I have lost myself.

And so I go in search. Of myself, and thus the man who might return to you, and take you in his arms.

I loathe each of the thousands of miles between us, but I cannot wish them away, for I hope at the end of my journey I shall find you. Or rather, find myself, and thus…you. Myself, and thus us.

I am taking the long way home, Ava.

* * *

Christian,

I’m losing my mind, and I don’t know how to stop it. I shouldn’t be writing to you, but I am. I’m friendless, loveless, and lifeless. You’re out there somewhere, and still you’re all I really have. I hate my reliance and dependence on you, emotionally and otherwise, and that reliance is something I’m coming to recognize. I hate that I can’t hate you as much as I want to. I hate that I still love you so much.

I hate that there’s no clear solution to our conundrum. Even if we could forgive each other, what then?

I hate you, Christian. I really do.

But most of all, I don’t.

It’s complicated.

Complicatedly (still) yours,

Ava

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Michel’s Review

Spoiler Free Review

This is a spoiler free review and I will not talk about anything that happens in this book. I will say that it is a story about a marriage that fell apart after the couple faced the worst thing that could happen to anyone. Rather than coming together to get through their trying times, they both withdrew within themselves. Neither one of them was right or wrong, they were both severely damaged and surviving the only way they could. Marriage is hard in any circumstance because it’s about compromising, giving rather than taking, and communicating. Ava and Christian were thrown into life changes that spiraled out of their control. They didn’t have time to adjust to one change before the repercussions of that change evolved into another change that could not be managed or fixed. The outcome left them devastated and forever changed as individuals as well as a couple.

I remember the first time I picked up a Jasinda Wilder novel and fell hopelessly in love with her writing. It was when Falling Into Your released in 2013. I was blown away by this novel and quickly downloaded her previous books. Throughout the past four years Jasinda has grown as a writer and branched out into many other genres besides New Adult romance. She has published The Big Girls Do It Running, healthy lifestyle non fiction books, and has even become a national figure with her diet and healthy living program. Her program is successful because she tackles the real eating and exercise issues most people face daily and offers guides that are practical, sensible, and easy to follow. With her latest release, A Long Way Home, she’s back to the kind of novel that made me fall in love with her writing. The difference is that she has grown as writer and has found more compelling ways to take the readers on an emotional journey that is unforgettable. I was wrecked in a way that only Jasinda can do to me as a reader.

The moment I picked up The Long Way Home I was drawn into the story and could not put this book down until I finished it. While reading this book I experienced an array of emotions that changed with each passage. One moment I was sympathizing with Ava and literally hating Christian’s actions and then the next moment I thought Ava was the most selfish, uncaring person and Christian was justified by his actions. My heart broke for both of them and I felt their despair in the depths of my soul. I felt their pain as well as their lost identities. Through their letters to one another the reader got to experience their pre marriage relationship, their early marriage relationship, and the catalyst that tore them apart.

There was something else that made this novel more unique and more compelling than any other novel I have read. The novel was driven by Christian’s and Ava’s letters to each other but the reader was experiencing the separate lives they were living at that moment. The book focused on their relationship from the early beginnings to the present day. Christian and Ava were the main focus of the book even though there were a few other supporting characters that helped propel their story. And then the book takes a completely different direction and the supporting characters take over and completely wrap the reader up in their lives. This novel took a completely different direction and by the end of the book the reader is almost more involved with what is going to happen in their lives rather than Ava’s and Christian’s lives. It ended on two big monumental cliffhangers.

The writing was absolutely brilliant and very well thought out. After talking to Jasinda herself at UtopiaCon 2017, she gave me a little insight of what is to come next. This series was intended to take the reader’s on several emotional journeys and there are more characters with their own stories making an entrance. By the end of the series all of their stories will be wrapped up and deeply connected with one another. In many ways it’s like the real journeys we take through life. People come and go in our lives and leave their mark on us forever.

I highly recommend reading The Long Way Home by Jasinda Wilder.

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Enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card and a Signed Paperback of The Long Way Home!
Enter Here >>> a Rafflecopter giveaway

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New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include Alpha, Stripped, Wounded, and the #1 Amazon.com and international bestseller Falling into You. You can find her on her farm in northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her six children, and a menagerie of animals.

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Duo 5+ Reviews and 2017 Favorite : The Player Duet by K. Bromberg – The Player… Book 1 and The Catch … Book 2

Posted on 06/30/2017 by shellbellereads

The Catch

The Player Duet – Book 2

By K. Bromberg

Buy: Amazon

After an unexpected twist of fate, All-Star catcher Easton Wylder is left questioning the loyalty of everyone around him.

Even the woman who shares his bed, Scout Dalton.

But if Easton thought being uprooted to the last place he expected was the only challenge life had to throw at him, he was dead wrong.

With an ailing shoulder and his career in limbo, his decision to make an unexpected change leads him to question everything – Scout’s love, family loyalties, and whether he can conquer the one obstacle he’s never been able to overcome. The secret he’s never shared with anyone.

He may be a man pushed to his limits, but he’s hell-bent on proving his worth no matter the cost.

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Paperback

Michel’s Review

The Player

The Player Duet – Book 1

When The Player released in April I was unable to read it because my personal life was out of control. I knew that it was going to be a part of a duet and decided to wait to read it closer to the second book’s release. I read this book days before the second book released and was completely mesmerized with this story. I was counting down the days for the second book to release.

The Player by K. Bromberg is very different from any sports romance I have read. She took a different approach with the characters personalities as well as the plot. It was not your typical sports romance where the player is a player and his lady is oblivious to the professional sports world. K. Bromberg flipped the switch and threw some fast balls that most readers wouldn’t see coming. She also created complex and compelling characters who were intelligent, responsible, and attuned to their world. She added extra layers by giving them both very different kinds of daddy issues, career goals, and personal issues. She added the competitive side of the professional athlete and business practices in professional sports. Then she added the most important element of all, the sizzling hot romance that would make any reader feel like they were scoring a home run.

Easton Wylder is baseball royalty. He has been a part of the Aces since he was a kid watching his father, Cal Wylder make major league records. He’s followed in his father’s footsteps and is quickly building record breaking stats when a deliberate and illegal play results in an injury that could end his career. He’s still in the rehab process weeks after his surgery and management is not happy. He’s signed a contract to be back on the field within months rather than letting nature take it’s course in healing properly. His career is on the line and the management has brought in the best physical therapist in the sport to rehab him. Rather than Doc Dalton showing up for therapy sessions, his daughter Scout Dalton has been assigned to him. He’s reluctant to put his trust in her until she finally proves she is just as good as her father is at her job. She earns his respect and in the process wins his heart.

Scout Dalton is determined to get Easton back on the diamond in the allotted time even though she thinks it’s a ludicrous demand by management. She’s a professional and very good at what she does. She’s determined to gain the season contract as the lead physical therapist for the Aces for her father’s practice. It all depends on Easton getting back in the game. The last thing she needs is to fall in love with Easton when her professional ethics are on the line.

At this point I’m sure you are thinking that this plot has been covered before and you would be right. The difference is the layers and the complexities that K. Bromberg brings to the game. Both Easton and Scout have their own secrets and insecurities. They are both drowning because of their father’s professional reputations. Add a competitive enemy determined to ruin Easton’s career, it puts both their careers on the line. Then the unthinkable happens and you guessed it…CLIFFHANGER!

The cliffhanger was shocking! It had me counting down the days for The Catch to release.

K. Bromberg brought her A Game in this book!

Michel’s Review

The Catch

The Player Duet – Book 2

I downloaded The Catch the moment it went live and started reading it immediately . I did not put this book down until I finished it. As soon as it was finished I was texting my friend, who also read the first book in this duet, raving about the book!

OMG… K. Bromberg scored big with The Catch!

So without giving away spoilers, K. Bromberg resolved the shocking cliffhanger right off the bat but not without a lot of tension and unease. That part of the story becomes less important as the rest of the story begins to play out. Both Easton and Scout’s secrets are exposed. Both of their father’s ulterior motives and ruthless control over them becomes even more complex. The result is both of their careers at this point in time are ruined. The expectations of the management, the league, and the fans is beyond their control. The only thing they have is each other and their relationship is strained.

They are both going to have to re-evalute their professional goals, their family responsibilities, and their relationship with one another. Once their secrets are out they are going to be fighting to save their relationship and careers. They may find that they are their own worst enemy. Can these two look beyond what’s on the surface and look at what’s in their hearts.

Of course K. Bromberg is going to give them their happily ever after but she is going to make them work for it. In the end it’s better than winning the World Series.

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Baseball has never been sexier in an all-new novel by New York Times Bestselling Author, K. Bromberg.

Easton Wylder is baseball royalty. The game is his life. His passion. His everything.

So, when an injury threatens to end Easton’s season early, the team calls in renowned physical therapist, Doc Dalton, to oversee his recovery. Except it’s not Doc who greets Easton for his first session, but rather, his daughter, Scout. She may be feisty, athletic, defiant, and gorgeous, but Easton is left questioning whether she has what it takes to help him.

Scout Dalton’s out to prove a female can handle the pressure of running the physical therapy regimen of an MLB club. And that proof comes in the form of getting phenom Easton Wylder back on the field. But getting him healthy means being hands-on.

And with a man as irresistible as Easton, being hands-on can only lead to one thing, trouble. Because the more she touches him, the more she wants him, and she can’t want him. Not when it’s her job to maintain the club’s best interest, in regards to whether he’s ready to play.

But when sparks fly and fine lines are crossed, can they withstand the heat, or is one of them bound to get burned?

AMAZON | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Paperback

New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines, and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow.

Since publishing her first book in 2013, K. has sold over one million copies of her books and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over twenty-five times.

In April, she’ll release The Player, the first in a two-book sports romance series (The Catch, book 2, will be released late June), with many more already outlined and ready to be written.

She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media or sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date on all her latest releases and sales HERE

Release Day Blitz + Excerpt + Giveaway + 5+-Star Review: The Knocked Up Plan by Lauren Blakely

Posted on 06/23/2017 by cafemamanc7

From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a new and sexy romance…THE KNOCKED UP PLAN! A standalone romance told in dual POV, THE KNOCKED UP PLAN is about all of the fun, hotness, and heartfelt emotions that come when a single woman asks her gorgeous, jaded, sworn-to-be-single-forever good friend to get one particular job done. What happens next when he agrees to provide the bun for her oven are lots of hot sexy times and heartfelt moments.

Now available on all retailers! Get your copy delivered now!

✮✮✮ THE KNOCKED UP PLAN is here! Grab your copy today! ✮✮✮

There are three little words most guys don’t want to hear on the first date. Not those…I mean these… “knock me up.”

This single gal has had enough of the games, the BS and the endless chase. I know what I want most, and it’s not true love. It’s a bun in the oven, and I’m not afraid to hit up my sex-on-a-stick co-worker to do the job. Ryder is gorgeous, witty and charming — and he’s also a notorious commitment-phobe. That makes him the perfect candidate to make a deposit in the bank of me.

I won’t fall for him, he won’t fall for me, and there’s no way baby will make three.

Right?

There are four words every guy wants to hear on the first date — “your place or mine?”

When my hot-as-sin co-worker makes me a no-strings-attached offer that involves her place, my place, any place — as well as any position — I can’t refuse. Besides, I’ve got my own reasons to take her up on her deal even with her one BIG condition.

There’s no way I’ll want more from one woman than any position, any where, any night? Except . . . what if I do?

Be prepared to swoon and fan yourself from the heat! This full-length standalone contains lots of hot baby-making s-e-x, happy tears, playful jokes and a hot, swoon worthy hero you will fall madly in love with. One-click now for pure reading enjoyment!

Excerpt:

“How does it work?” I ask. “The whole donation process.”

She stabs a carrot slice, chews, and swallows. “Well, there’s this thing guys do when they’re horny. It’s called”—she glances furtively from side to side—“jacking off.”

“I’m well aware of how the protein shake is made. What I mean is, are we talking about one of those little rooms you go into?” I ask, since what man doesn’t have an image of a jerk-off chamber? “With magazines or porn or whatnot?”

“Yes, they schedule the donors for forty-minute sessions in them.”

“I’m more efficient than that, but that’s good to know.” I take another bite and chew. I set down the burger. “So, a nurse or orderly would escort me to a special room, and then I’d need to drop my
drawers and whack off. Into a cup, right?”

“A plastic sample cup. With a top,” she says, and I’m kind of amazed that she’s answering every question like a champ. No blushing, no stammering.

“What do they provide for entertainment? Laptops? Computers? Or is it old school with Playboy?”

“They provide pornographic material in printed form as well as video on a TV screen.”

“Awesome. So I just choke the chicken in a room with a ton of other dudes going at it in their own rooms, too. Hand a cup to the nurse. She seals up the goods. Then, what’s next?”

“They do tests on your swimmers.”

“They’ll pass. Then you come in, maybe the same day, maybe a few days later?”

“Same day. We’d have to time everything to my cycle and when I’m ovulating.”

“Fine, so they undress you, prop you up on an exam table, and stick a turkey baster into you?”

“You paint a lovely picture of the process.”

I hold up a hand, waving her off. “Wait. I’m not done. You’re in nothing but a hospital gown. The doc tells you to put your cute little feet in stirrups, and they stick that baster up inside what I am sure
is an absolutely gorgeous and heavenly home,” I say, because if she can complement my tadpoles, I can say something nice about the paradise between her legs. She mouths a thank you. “After the boys
make the upstream trip, they send you home.” I mime patting her on the rear and then sending her out the door.

“I think you’ve got the basic idea.”

“And after that?”

“That’s all,” she says. “That’s all I’d want you to do. I don’t expect or want any involvement. I’d have all the paperwork drawn up in advance saying there are no legal rights, responsibilities, or expectations of parenting, and no financial commitments required.”

I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but that’s the clincher for me—the lack of involvement. If I’m ever going to raise a child, I’m damn well going to do it right. The whole nine yards, two parents, just like my mom and dad raised my brother, my sister, and me.

Nicole isn’t asking me to sign up for daddy duty, though. She doesn’t want me to help with diaper detail or midnight feedings.

She’s a friend asking for the help she needs so she can then do those things on her own.

And helping a friend seems like something I should consider.

Fine, she’s asking for a hell of a lot more than a dude to put together an IKEA TV stand, and those things are beyond Da Vinci Code-level cryptic. I’d like to see Robert Langdon decipher some IKEA assembly instructions. Good luck with that, Harvard symbologist.

I like Nicole. I respect the dickens out of this woman. I want to take her request as seriously as she’s asking it. “Can I have a few days to think about it?”

“Of course. Take all the time you need,” she says, then glances at an imaginary watch on her wrist. “It’s only my biological clock ticking.”

✦ Kindle US ✦ Kindle UK ✦ Kindle CA ✦ Kindle AU ✦ iBooks

✦ Barnes & Noble ✦ Kobo ✦ Google Play ✦ Amazon PB

✦The audiobook will be narrated by Sebastian York and Andi Arndt! Link coming soon! ✦

Tracey’s Review

What’s the modern woman to do when she’s reached a certain age, that old clock (yes, you know the one that I mean) is ticking, and there’s nary a serious romantic prospect in sight? If you’re Nicole Powers, you take matters into your own hands and get busy planning this baby-making thing.

I’ve gotten used to Lauren Blakely knocking my socks off with her romantic comedies. Each one owns me just a little bit more, and choosing favorites is like picking one child over another; you just can’t do it. THE KNOCKED UP PLAN literally stole my heart and was quickly added to the list of Books That I’m Soooo Very Happy To Have Read.

Let’s talk about Ryder Lockhart for a minute. From the very first, his wit, his charm, and his approachability made him MOYD (Man of Your Dreams) material. All of these attributes, plus the fact that the gods of genetics have amply blessed him, make him the perfect choice for Nicole’s plan to enter the ranks of mommyhood, and placed him squarely among the ranks of favorite book boyfriends ever.

“What I’m trying to say is that I want to have a baby. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time now, and I’m ready to become a mom. A single mom…Would you help me?”
Ryder freezes…
“I looked into adoption, and while I think it’s amazing, I want to try first to have my own, so I’ve been looking into sperm banks.”
He smiles, and that’s another feature I can add to the list. The man has a great smile. It’s warm and exhilarating at the same time.
“Some women are checking out Plenty of Fish. You’re checking out plenty of tadpoles,” he says, then makes a keep-talking gesture with his free hand.
“Let me tell you all about sperm banks.”

I mean, a cup of sugar, being a plus-one at a social event, sure, but being asked to give the gift that keeps on giving, well, that’s something else, and not many guys would be down for it. Ryder, though, is not most guys, and has a wonderful, if somewhat battered, heart beating beneath those cover model looks. Helping out a friend in need is something that he’s happy to do. Nicole really couldn’t have made a better choice, and so it begins…

In THE KNOCKED UP PLAN, Lauren Blakely, with her mystical wordsmithing, has given readers even more characters to fall in love with, a seriously lovely twist on the subject matter, and had me alternately laughing, ‘awwing,’ swooning, and fanning myself (because, come on, y’all, it’s LB, and there will always be those moments!). Nicole and Ryder are not only cute together, they respect each other and they genuinely care about each other, and watching the changes in both of them as their relationship evolves is both heartwarming and sexy.

Lauren’s books are always some of my favorites, and THE KNOCKED UP PLAN is no exception. It’s riding high atop my 2017 Favorites, and the 5+ sweet, sexy, and swoony stars make it one that I’d recommend to rom-com lovers everywhere. You need to grab this one up, guys, because it goes down like the sweetest treat. Enjoy.

“A refreshing take on the baby trope, The Knocked Up Plan is as sweet as it is naughty. Blakely not only balloons Nicole and Ryder’s incredibly powerful chemistry to new heights with their steamy love scenes, but she also infuses sweet emotion into every single one of their interactions.”

– USA Today

Add it to Goodreads here!

http://bit.ly/2r4ml1u

*✮✮✮Enter to win this amazing THE KNOCKED UP PLAN GIVEAWAY!✮✮✮***

Lauren’s Bundle of Joy Special Delivery Giveaway! This bundle is valued at $200 and includes the most delicious cupcakes delivered to your door from Wicked Cupcakes, a $50 gift certificate for luxurious bath products to make your skin baby soft from The Body Shop, and comes wrapped up with a beautiful sterling silver bow bangle bracelet from Pandora ($125 value).

http://laurenblakely.com/knocked-plan-giveaway/

About Lauren Blakely:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In June she’ll release THE KNOCKED UP PLAN, a standalone contemporary romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review and 2017 Favorite: Salvaged by Jay Crownover – Saints of Denver Series – Book 4

Posted on 06/20/2017 by shellbellereads

Salvaged

Saints of Denver Series – Book 4

By Jay Crownover

Buy:

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ADD SALVAGED TO YOUR GOODREADS

Synopsis:

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men books continues her delightfully sexy Saints of Denver series.

Hudson Wheeler is a nice guy. Everyone knows it, including his fiancée who left him with a canceled wedding and a baby on the way. He’s tired of finishing last and is ready to start living in the moment with nights soaked in whiskey, fast cars, and even faster girls. He’s set to start living on the edge, but when he meets Poppy Cruz, her sad eyes in the most gorgeous face he’s ever seen hook him in right away. Wheeler can see Poppy’s pain and all he wants to do is take care of her and make her smile, whatever it takes.

Poppy can’t remember a time when she didn’t see strangers as the enemy. After a lifetime of being hurt from the men who swore to protect her, Poppy’s determined to keep herself safe by keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Wheeler’s sexy grin and rough hands from hours restoring classic cars shouldn’t captivate her, but every time she’s with him, she can’t help being pulled closer to him. Though she’s terrified to trust again, Poppy soon realizes it might hurt even more to shut Wheeler out—and the intense feelings pulsing through her are making it near impossible to resist him.

The only thing Poppy is sure of is that her heart is in need of some serious repair, and the more time she spends with Wheeler, the more she’s convinced he’s the only man with the tools to fix it.

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ADD SALVAGED TO YOUR GOODREADS

Excerpt

“Poppy.” I whispered her name and she tilted her head back and blinked up at me.

“Wheeler.” I was astounded that there was a hint of amusement in her voice. How she could find anything to laugh about after what she just told me was unfathomable. Her father had handed her off to a monster like it was nothing. She made her way out of hell with one of the purest hearts I had ever seen.

“I really want to give you a hug, probably more for me than for you, but I told you not to let anyone touch you without permission.” I knew I sounded a little desperate but I didn’t care. “So, can you put me out of my misery and give me permission to hold you, just for a second, please?”

Her eyes widened and then her obscenely long lashes dropped as she nodded timidly. “Okay, since you asked so nicely.” The humor was now thick around every word and she was laughing for real as I carefully wrapped my arms around her.

I sighed into the top of her head as I pulled her to my chest. Her hair smelled like flowers and felt like silk as I rested my cheek against the soft strands. WE stood like that for a long time, me with my arms curled around her as she stood stock-still. I could feel her heart beat and I wanted to think it was racing like it was because she was affected by my touch rather than because she was terrified of being so close to a man she didn’t know all that well.

I told myself not to breathe, not to move a single muscle, as her hands slowly lifted and gently touched my sides above the tops of my jeans. It felt like her palms were burning their imprint into my skin as they slowly, achingly started to inch their way around my back so that she was lightly holding me back. I heard her make a sound that may have been one of pleasure, but just in case it was one of fear, I leaned away from her so I could see her face.

Her gaze was centered on the tattooed candle that was burning bright and surrounded by light and smoke right on the center of my throat. She watched the movement as I swallowed hard and her gaze drifted up to mine.

“No one ever has ever asked me for permission for anything before. No one has ever cared what I wanted before.” The murmur of her words brushed across the base of my throat and my cock went instantly hard. I knew she felt it because her eyes popped wide and her breath hitched as she looked up at me and ordered quietly, “Ask me what I want right now, Wheeler.”

Michel’s Review

Salvaged is Jay Crownover’s best book in both the Saints of Denver and Marked Men Series. This novel will touch your soul and leave you with a great sense of hope.

When it comes to Hudson Wheeler most would think that old saying “nice guys finish last” was created just for him. I tend to think the old saying “good things come to those who wait” was created by him.

Readers were first introduced to Hudson Wheeler in Marked Men series. This quiet, sexy, unassuming mechanic has intrigued readers throughout the Marked Men series and the Saints of Denver series. He has earned the respect of all the men in the series. His earnest quiet nature has intrigued all the ladies throughout the series. He seems like the perfect guy except for his choices in women. His fiancee is another matter. It’s blatantly obvious she’s using him and cheating. It seems like he has turned a blind eye and lets her walk all over him. When he’s finally had enough and learns that her betrayal is more than some wild escapades, he walks away with a broken heart. The problem is he doesn’t really know how to move on. He’s been with the same girl since he was in high school. Her family became the family he never had. They turned their backs on him when he broke the engagement. Now she’s pregnant with his baby so he can never completely break his ties with her. His dream of having a family has changed and he doesn’t know how to alter those dreams. He has no idea how to be a father because he never had a family. He doesn’t know how to move on because he’s only had one relationship in his life. He’s going through the motions, trying to be a good guy where his ex is concerned but it’s hard with the anger and sense of betrayal festering beneath the surface. The only thing getting him through it all is his work until he makes a very unlikely friend, another damaged soul like himself. Poppy Cruz showed up in his life with her reluctant offer of friendship and an adorable puppy.

Poppy Cruz ( also from the Marked Men & Saints of Denver series) has survived brutal domestic abuse. Every experience she has had with men has ended with verbal abuse and violent physical abuse. The scarring went beyond physical, it damaged her soul. She has a hard time trusting anyone and keeps everyone at arms length. She no longer trusts her own instincts even though she’s surrounded by good, supportive people since she came to Denver. The only person that has made her feel like she might want to step out of her comfort zone is the quiet mechanic, Hudson Wheeler. She can sense that Hudson is a damaged soul as well. His quiet unassuming nature makes her feel safe rather than threatened. He respects her boundaries but also encourages her to expand them. He opens her eyes to all the good possibilities rather than reminding her of all the failures of the past. She wants to step out her comfort zone and strive to become normal. He’s willing to hold her hand and let her set the pace. Together they are healing from all the wounds life has left on their souls. Life hasn’t been easy for either one of them. Their souls have been wrecked but together their hearts are Salvaged.

Salvaged was an emotional journey for two very different but severely damaged people. They were brave enough to reach out and take each others hand while moving forward. It’s a story of healing and finding hope. It’s a story about accepting the good things life has to offer.

____________________________________________

About Jay Crownover:

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her dogs.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + 2017 Favorite: The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo

Posted on 06/13/2017 by shellbellereads

The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis:

In this entrancing novel “that speaks to the Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in us all” (Kirkus Reviews), a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

“Heartbreaking, yet beautiful” (Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is “Tinseltown drama at its finest” (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.

Robin’s Review

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Whereas a romance novel focuses solely on a romantic relationship and the happily ever after, women’s fiction tends to focus more on a woman’s journey. I’ve personally found women’s fiction to be a more diverse and unique genre. Consider, for example, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I’ve honestly never read anything like it! The latest novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid is a fascinating glimpse of Old Hollywood and the sacrifices required to become a movie star.

With one phone call, Monique Grant receives the opportunity of a lifetime. Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo plans to auction off 12 of her most memorable gowns to raise money for a cause, and she specifically requests an interview with Monique, a no-name journalist with Vivant magazine. Monique hopes this interview will boost her career, but she soon discovers Evelyn wants more than just a single interview. The aging, reclusive actress is finally ready to open up about her glamorous career – the sacrifices that she made and the secrets that she kept on her way to super-stardom.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is told from dual points of view, alternating between characters Monique Grant and Evelyn Hugo. For the most part, Evelyn’s point of view consists of the retelling of her life’s story. I found Evelyn’s story fascinating! Her life was dramatic, glamorous and even scandalous at times. Now in her late 70’s, Evelyn shares how a teenager from Hell’s Kitchen in New York City became a successful actress in Hollywood, the story behind each of her seven husbands, and the cunning and cutthroat sacrifices she made on behalf of herself and others.

A good portion of Monique’s point of view involves the process of interviewing Evelyn Hugo. Monique listens to what Evelyn has to say, but she also asks her good questions – questions I might ask if I was the person doing the interview. From the beginning of the novel, we are aware of events going on in Monique’s day-to-day life. Readers who love a little mystery in their novels will find it in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. As the story begins to unwind, it becomes more and more obvious Monique and Evelyn are connected in some mysterious way. Reid certainly had my curiosity piqued with hints of intrigue!

The author reeled me in with great descriptive writing – including lifelike descriptions of Evelyn, the movie star’s unique beauty, even descriptions of photographs taken of Evelyn throughout the years. I was impressed with Reid’s writing because I found I could picture things in my mind throughout the novel. The character dialogue in this novel is outstanding! Sometimes eye-opening, always clever, the dialogue captivated me and kept me glued to the pages of the book. An interesting feature of this novel are the articles written about Evelyn that are placed between each chapter. These articles are an ingenious way to let readers know what Hollywood reporters think about events going in Evelyn’s life.

Although I enjoyed Monique’s role in this story, it’s Evelyn Hugo who really steals the show! Evelyn is an extraordinary character who experiences all kinds of character growth! The author depicts this aspiring movie star perfectly – alluring, wealthy, charming, and ruthless in the pursuit of fame and fortune. I was also entertained by the stories behind each of Evelyn’s seven husbands – Ernie, Don, Mick, Rex, Harry, Max and Robert.

Readers who are familiar with Taylor Jenkins Reid will probably find The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo unlike any other book the author has written to date. But, just as I did, I hope those who read this novel will find it equally delightful! Taylor Jenkins Reid has earned my 5 star rating for The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I count this novel one of my 2017 favorites!

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Author Bio

Taylor Jenkins Reid lives in Los Angeles and is the acclaimed author of One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her books have been named a “Best Book of Summer” by People, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle, Good Housekeeping, USA TODAY, Redbook, Us Weekly, Parade, PopSugar, Buzzfeed, Bustle, Brit+Co, Goodreads, and others.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

_______________________________

2017 Favorite …Release Blitz + 6 Star Review: When Life Happened by Jewel E. Ann

Posted on 06/06/2017 by shellbellereads

When Life Happened, an all-new standalone romance from

Jewel E. Ann is now LIVE!

When Life Happened

By Jewel E. Ann

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / IBooks

Synopsis

Parker Cruse despises cheaters. It might have something to do with her boyfriend sleeping with her twin sister.

After a wedding day prank involving a strong laxative, that ends the already severed relationship between the twins, Parker decides to grow up and act twenty-six.

Step One: Move out of her parents’ house.

Step Two: Find a job.

Opportunity strikes when she meets her new neighbor, Gus Westman. He’s an electrician with Iowa farm-boy values and a gift for saying her name like it’s a dirty word.

He also has a wife.

Sabrina Westman, head of a successful engineering firm, hires Parker as her personal assistant. Driven to be the best assistant ever, Parker vows to stay focused, walk the dog, go to the dry cleaners, and not kiss Gus—again.

Step Three: Don’t judge.

Step Four: Remember— when life happens, it does it in a heartbeat.

Read Today!

***

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / IBooks

___________________________________

Michel’s Review

The one thing I have discovered is that when I open a Jewel E. Ann novel I am in for a great surprise and an all consuming reading experience. Her writing is charismatic, engaging, and real. She delivers a very entertaining story with a sense of humor while slamming the reader with a raw emotional experience. Not only does she create an entertaining romance, the one thing that stands out is the story itself is completely original. Of course we all know that there really aren’t too many plots that are original, especially this day in age where the publishing world doesn’t have specific guidelines and rules. What makes Jewel E. Ann stand out is her gift to tap into several plot ideas and combine them to make them completely her own and completely different from the other million books out there. She adds her magical touch of creating dynamic characters that are charmingly imperfect but very endearingly human.

The first thing I want to say about this book is no matter what your reading tastes are just KEEP READING! I know many of the romance genre readers have hard limits with books about cheating and will not read a book where the synopsis indicates this may happen. Again I say KEEP READING! This book is exactly what the title is. It’s a messy, emotional, delightful story about When Life Happened.

As I began reading When Life Happened I immediately connected with Parker Cruse. Parker was betrayed by her twin sister Piper. Parker caught Piper cheating with her fiancé/ high school sweetheart Caleb. Weeks later her sister her sister walked down the aisle Parker should of been walking. Parker made sure her walk of shame was done in style with a huge dose of laxatives resembling the scarlet letter on the train of her wedding gown. Revenge was sweet but it would never heal the wounds of a broken heart. Two years later and still emotionally paralyzed, Parker is moving on with her life. She’s taking on the world of adulting. She’s moving out of her parents house, she’s going to get a real job, and she’s going to be an independent grown up. It doesn’t matter that she’s moving across the street into her grandparents old farmhouse. It’s far enough away from her parents. It’s also far enough away from conniving twin sister and despicable husband that are returning to town in a month. What she didn’t anticipate is a grubby sheepdog and sexy neighbor intruding in her space. She didn’t count on the sexy neighbor, Gus Westman, making her feel things she hadn’t felt in years. She didn’t count on her neighbor making her feel like a woman. She also didn’t count on him being married. She can overlook his ordinary wardrobe and baseball caps, she can deal with his adorable mangy dog and give it a haircut, she can hold herself back from swooning at his bad jokes and quirky grins. Being around him on a hourly basis isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What she cannot overlook is his wife. The wife who becomes her boss and meal ticket. It doesn’t matter if she’s the world’s worst human being and wife. Gus belongs to that despicable woman, her boss. Gus wants to save his marriage until he doesn’t. Parker despises cheaters. She has taken back control of her life and learned to love herself. Who does Gus Westman think he is to take that away from her? He’s the man who loves her exactly for who she is until When Life Happened.

Sounds like a love story gone wrong? That’s absolutely correct but … KEEP READING… life happens and Parker is in the middle of all it’s beautiful mess. She’s going to find that life isn’t black and white. There are two sides to every story and her story is just beginning. She’s going to learn about forgiveness, acceptance, and love.

Jewel E. Ann had me with the first page. I could not put this book down and was completely surprised by the outcome because yes I am one of those readers that absolutely hates cheating. I am hopeless romantic that believes in true love and happily ever afters. I am also a human being that understands life can spin out of control and sometimes bad things happen before the good things can be appreciated. Life is messy but it is also beautiful. Parker experienced it all. Jewel E. Ann created a beautiful reading experience that left me with the warm and fuzzies!

__________________________________

About Jewel:

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

Connect with Jewel:

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

Twitter: @JewelE_Ann

Stay up to date with Jewel by signing up for her newsletter:

http://www.jeweleann.com/free-booksubscribe/

http://www.jeweleann.com

Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2017 Favorite: When Life Happened by Jewel E. Ann

Posted on 06/05/2017 by shellbellereads

When Life Happened, an all-new standalone romance from

Jewel E. Ann is now LIVE!

When Life Happened

By Jewel E. Ann

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / IBooks

Synopsis

Parker Cruse despises cheaters. It might have something to do with her boyfriend sleeping with her twin sister.

After a wedding day prank involving a strong laxative, that ends the already severed relationship between the twins, Parker decides to grow up and act twenty-six.

Step One: Move out of her parents’ house.

Step Two: Find a job.

Opportunity strikes when she meets her new neighbor, Gus Westman. He’s an electrician with Iowa farm-boy values and a gift for saying her name like it’s a dirty word.

He also has a wife.

Step Three: Don’t judge.

Step Four: Remember— when life happens, it does it in a heartbeat.

Read Today!

***

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / IBooks

___________________________________

Michel’s Review

As I began reading When Life Happened I immediately connected with Parker Cruse. Parker was betrayed by her twin sister Piper. Parker caught Piper cheating with her fiancé/ high school sweetheart Caleb. Weeks later her sister walked down the aisle Parker should of been walking. Parker made sure her walk of shame was done in style with a huge dose of laxatives resembling the scarlet letter on the train of her wedding gown. Revenge was sweet but it would never heal the wounds of a broken heart. Two years later and still emotionally paralyzed, Parker is moving on with her life. She’s taking on the world of adulting. She’s moving out of her parents house, she’s going to get a real job, and she’s going to be an independent grown up. It doesn’t matter that she’s moving across the street into her grandparents old farmhouse. It’s far enough away from her parents. It’s also far enough away from conniving twin sister and despicable husband that are returning to town in a month. What she didn’t anticipate is a grubby sheepdog and sexy neighbor intruding in her space. She didn’t count on the sexy neighbor, Gus Westman, making her feel things she hadn’t felt in years. She didn’t count on her neighbor making her feel like a woman. She also didn’t count on him being married. She can overlook his ordinary wardrobe and baseball caps, she can deal with his adorable mangy dog and give it a haircut, she can hold herself back from swooning at his bad jokes and quirky grins. Being around him on a hourly basis isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What she cannot overlook is his wife. The wife who becomes her boss and meal ticket. It doesn’t matter if she’s the world’s worst human being and wife. Gus belongs to that despicable woman, her boss. Gus wants to save his marriage until he doesn’t. Parker despises cheaters. She has taken back control of her life and learned to love herself. Who does Gus Westman think he is to take that away from her? He’s the man who loves her exactly for who she is until When Life Happened.

__________________________________

About Jewel:

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

Connect with Jewel:

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

Twitter: @JewelE_Ann

Stay up to date with Jewel by signing up for her newsletter:

http://www.jeweleann.com/free-booksubscribe/

http://www.jeweleann.com

Release Blitz and 5+ Star Review: The Queen and The Cure by Amy Harmon – The Bird and The Sword Chronicles – Book 2

Posted on 05/09/2017 by shellbellereads

The Queen And The Cure

The Bird And Sword Chronicles – Book 2

By Amy Harmon

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Paperback

Blurb

There will be a battle, and you will need to protect your heart.

Kjell of Jeru had always known who he was. He’d never envied his brother or wanted to be king. He was the bastard son of the late King Zoltev and a servant girl, and the ignominy of his birth had never bothered him.

But there is more to a man than his parentage. More to a man than his blade, his size, or his skills, and all that Kjell once knew has shifted and changed. He is no longer simply Kjell of Jeru, a warrior defending the crown. Now he is a healer, one of the Gifted, and a man completely at odds with his power.

Called upon to rid the country of the last vestiges of the Volgar, Kjell stumbles upon a woman who has troubling glimpses of the future and no memory of the past. Armed with his unwanted gift and haunted by regret, Kjell becomes a reluctant savior, beset by old enemies and new expectations. With the woman by his side, Kjell embarks upon a journey where the greatest test may be finding the man she believes him to be.

Michel’s Review

The Bird and the Sword Chronicles saga continues with the second release, The Queen and the Cure by Amy Harmon. I was quickly drawn back to the land of Jeru and their journey into a new era. This book can be read as a stand alone novel but I would highly recommend reading the first book in the series. It gives the reader a richer and more in depth reading experience.

The gifted are no longer the outcasts of society. They no longer have to live in fear. Like most things change takes time. It takes courage to take the first steps. It takes courage to stand out among men. Kjell of Jeru can walk into battle and defeat any enemy. He’s fearless but accepting his gift as a healer is another story. He has taken too many lives in the past without thought, how can a man of violence have the gift of healing. And what is the cost of using this gift. He no longer knows who he is or where his place among the new kingdom of Jeru is. He may be the bastard son of the king but he is not royalty.

When Kjell is sent by his brother, King Zoltev, to finish off the birdmen, he doesn’t realize that this quest is more than a expedition for the king. It is his destiny. When he saves a girl from death and takes her visions to heart, it is the beginning of a journey that will once again change the world as he knows it.

Without giving away any spoilers, this book is another epic tale that is more than a fantasy adventure. Amy Harmon once again delivers a moving story that illuminates the human spirit. I could not put this book down.

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The Bird and The Sword Chronicles

The Bird And The Sword

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

By Amy Harmon

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Swallow, daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heaven or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, daughter. Stay alive.

The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would sell his soul and lose his only son to the sky.

My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free.

But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a little bird?

_________________________________________________

Author Bio:

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, 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 twelve countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written ten novels – the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her newest release, The Bird and The Sword will be released in the spring of 2016. She will release From Sand and Ash in October of 2016, via Lake Union Publishing.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz … 2017 FAVORITE… 5+ Star Review- Preppy Part Three: The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater by T. M. Frazier

Posted on 04/27/2017 by shellbellereads

Preppy Part Three : The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater

King Series – Book 7

By: T. M. Frazier

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Paperback: Amazon

Preppy, Part Three: The Life and Death of Samuel Clearwater by T.M. Frazier is available now!!!

Preppy, Part Three: The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater by T.M. Frazier

Release Date: April 26th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance

The bowtie is BACK!

Dre was just a beautiful stranger when Preppy saved her the first time around. Now, he has to save her again, but she’s no longer some stranger, she’s family, and he has no idea who or what he’s up against.

What he does know is that putting his family back together is the only acceptable outcome.

Preppy’s to-do list?

SAVE FAMILY. SEEK REVENGE.

He’s alive…and he’s out for BLOOD.

Preppy Part Three is the third book and conclusion of Preppy and Dre’s story. It’s also the 7th book in the King Series, which should be read in order starting with KING & TYRANT.

Excerpt:

Kevin had occasionally done something that reminded me of myself, but next to a DNA test, I still had no valid proof he was my brother. Nothing that connected us as family.

Until now.

“Dude, you’re creeping me out,” Kevin said, reaching for his shorts.

Before he could pull them back on I dropped the hose and bee-lined toward him, wrapping him in a bear hug. “You really are my brother.”

“Huh?” Kevin asked, standing as still as a statue.

“Shhhh…just let me love you.”

“What exactly is going on out here?” Dre asked from the porch, flipping on the light. I still didn’t let go.

“He’s my brother. I’m sure of it now,” I informed her.

“I have no idea what’s going on,” Kevin said, wiggling free from my grip.

“Oh yeah?” Dre asked, amusement in her sleepy tone. She yawned and cinched the sash of the sexy little robe she was wearing that showed off those amazing legs of hers. “How are you so sure?”

I stepped back and pointed down to Kevin’s massive cock. “Because of that!”

Dre’s sweet laughter filled the air. I picked up the hose again and started to spray Kevin down. “Shit man, that’s cold!” he shouted, dancing around in the grass. “And are you gonna fill me in on what exactly she’s laughing at?”

“That,” I informed him, spraying his crotch with water. “Because I just found more proof that we’re brothers than the fact that we think we both were shot out of the same cunt.” I grinned from ear to ear.

“Okay? And what’s that?” Kevin asked. I turned off the hose and Dre tossed him a towel.

I dropped my eyes to the huge slab of man meat between Kevin’s legs. “From the waist down we’re not just brothers, we’re fucking twinsies.”

“Uh, what the fuck, Preppy?” Kevin asked, putting his shorts back on.

“Quick,” I said. “Tell me something. How do you feel about pancakes?”

Kevin shivered. “Honestly, I’m more of a waffle kind of guy.”

Dre gasped.

I shut my eyes tightly, clenching my fists at my side. I cracked my neck and slowly turned to face him. I opened my eyes. “What the fuck did you just say to me, boy? You better start running.”

“Wait, what?” Kevin asked, taking a step back and tripping over the sprinkler. He stood up and bolted through the gate. I chased him through the field while Dre looked on and laughed.

“I take it all back! You’re not my brother!” I shouted, tackling him to the ground and sitting on his chest.

“What the fuck, Preppy?” Kevin asked, squirming under me.

“You and I need to have a serious fucking talk.” I leaned down until my nose was almost touching his. “About the abomination that is waffles.”

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Paperback: Amazon

****

Michel’s Review

It was a bittersweet moment when I opened Preppy Part Three: The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater by T. M. Frazier. I knew this was the final book in the King Series and I was going to have to say goodbye to one of my most beloved book characters of all time. Preppy, aka Samuel Clearwater, is a thief. He stormed into the book world, jumped off the pages, and blatantly stole the readers hearts with no apologies or regret. He was ruthless with his extreme optimism, odd sense of humor, quirky fashion sense, unique code of ethics, and his unquestionable dedication to those he loved. Was he a good guy? The general rules of society would say no. He was a criminal, a killer, and psycho. But as we all know, the definitions of good and bad can be loosely interpreted. A person can possess both of those qualities, it’s all about how they portray and use those qualities that matter most. Preppy was ruled by his pure heart. He loved unconditionally. Receiving his love was like a ray of sunshine in the midst of a hurricane. He died for those he loved. He lived to make their world a better place ( by Preppy’s definitions of better). He was the HEART of the King series.

As the rest of Preppy’s story unfolds, it is another wild ride in the gator infested waters. Preppy has become a true husband and father. He’s discovered he has a younger brother by blood. He’s catching up with the world that moved on while he was dead and is finally finding his place in that world. He’s found himself again and now he’s the new and improved Preppy. The new Preppy is a bit more cynical and a lot more dangerous. When unknown enemies try to harm his family, he’s going to do more than kill them. He’s going to make them bleed one drop at a time and feed them to the gators.

It all begins with Dre being kidnapped and his brother Kevin surfacing. He doesn’t know who his enemies are because most of them are dead by King and Bear’s retribution or by his own hand. He not sure who he can trust other than King and Bear. The only thing he can focus on is protecting his wife and son.

As the danger escalates there are many shocking revelations about the past. Preppy intends to redefine the past and rewrite the story. King and Bear have his back no matter what. Dre loves him unconditionally. Bo is his reason for building a future.

This is the testament of Preppy’s life.

T. M. Frazier created a series that readers couldn’t get enough of. It was more than a dark romance series, it was an ongoing story of dedicated friendship, deep rooted ties to family, conquering the world, and unconditional love. Preppy was the HEART!

Although this is the final book in the King series… it is not a goodbye. Preppy will live in our hearts forever.

_________________________________________

Haven’t read this series yet?

Meet King & Pup in King (Book One)

The King

By T. M. Frazier

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK/ ITunes / B & N

*****

Tyrant

King Series – Book 2

Conclusion to King

Amazon / Amazon UK

*****

Lawless

King Series – Book 3

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes

*****

Soulless

Lawless Part 2

King Series – Book 4

By T.M. Frazier

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes

*****

Preppy : Part 1

The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater

By T. M. Frazier

Buy: Amazon / Amazon Uk / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

Samuel Clearwater, A.K.A Preppy, likes bowties, pancakes, suspenders, good friends, good times, good drugs, and a good f*ck.

He’s worked his way out from beneath a hellish childhood and is living the life he’s always imagined for himself. When he meets a girl, a junkie on the verge of ending it all, he’s torn between his feelings for her and the crippling fear that she could be the one to end the life he loves.

Andrea ‘Dre’ Capulet is strung out and tired.

Tired of living for her next fix. Tired of doing things that make her stomach turn. Tired of looking in the mirror at the reflection of the person she’s become. Just when she decides to end it all, she meets a man who will change the course of both their lives forever.

And their deaths.

For most people, death is the end of their story.
For Preppy and Dre, death was only the beginning.

This is the fifth book in the King Series and it’s meant to be read after Soulless.

*****

Preppy : Part Two

The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater

By T. M. Frazier

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / IBooks / Kobo

Full Blurb

Preppy finds himself back in a world he once loved, but no longer recognizes. His dim smile can’t hide his inner turmoil and the people he views as family all suddenly feel like polite strangers.

Except for one person. A girl with dark eyes and even darker hair.

A girl who isn’t even an option.

At least, not anymore.

Dre can’t decide who she’s going to listen to. Her heart, her head, or her body. Because two out of those three things have her heading right back to Logan’s Beach. Closure is what she tells herself she’s seeking, but when she unlocks doors that were never meant to be opened she soon discovers that when it comes to Samuel Clearwater, closure might NEVER be an option.

This is book six in the King Series and the second part of Preppy and Dre’s story.

****

Preppy Part Three : The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater

King Series – Book 7

By: T. M. Frazier

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Paperback: Amazon

The bowtie is BACK!

What he does know is that putting his family back together is the only acceptable outcome.

Preppy’s to-do list?

SAVE FAMILY. SEEK REVENGE.

He’s alive…and he’s out for BLOOD.

Preppy Part Three is the third book and conclusion of Preppy and Dre’s story. It’s also the 7th book in the King Series, which should be read in order starting with KING & TYRANT.

_________________________________________________

Author Bio:

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and three feisty fur kids.

She attended Florida Gulf Coast University where she specialized in public speaking. After years working in real estate and new home construction, she decided it was finally time to stop pushing her dreams to the back burner and pursue writing seriously.

In the third grade she wrote her very first story about a lost hamster. It earned rave reviews from both her teacher and her parents.

It only took her twenty years to start the next one.

It will not be about hamsters.

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

_____________________________

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Now available on all retailers! Get your copy delivered now!

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There are three little words most guys don’t want to hear on the first date. Not those…I mean these… “knock me up.”

I won’t fall for him, he won’t fall for me, and there’s no way baby will make three.

Right?

**** There are four words every guy wants to hear on the first date — “your place or mine?”

When my hot-as-sin co-worker makes me a no-strings-attached offer that involves her place, my place, any place — as well as any position — I can’t refuse. Besides, I’ve got my own reasons to take her up on her deal even with her one BIG condition.

There’s no way I’ll want more from one woman than any position, any where, any night? Except . . . what if I do?

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When Life Happened, an all-new standalone romance from

Jewel E. Ann is now LIVE!

Read Today!

About Jewel:

Connect with Jewel:

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When Life Happened, an all-new standalone romance from

Jewel E. Ann is now LIVE!

Read Today!

About Jewel:

Connect with Jewel:

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Preppy, Part Three: The Life and Death of Samuel Clearwater by T.M. Frazier is available now!!!

Preppy, Part Three: The Life & Death of Samuel Clearwater by T.M. Frazier

Release Date: April 26th, 2017 Genre: Contemporary Romance

Excerpt:

The bowtie is BACK!

Share this:

There are four words every guy wants to hear on the first date — “your place or mine?”

*✮✮✮Enter to win this amazing THE KNOCKED UP PLAN GIVEAWAY!✮✮✮***

Website Facebook Twitter Newsletter Goodreads

Release Date: April 26th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance