Tag Archives: 5 Star Review

Release Day Launch + Excerpt + Giveaway + 5-Star Review: Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis

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From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series… Don’t miss the amazing excerpt and giveaway below, and grab your copy today!

 

About CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE:

Meet cute…

Run for the hills—temporarily. That’s Colbie Albright’s plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie’s so over it that she’s under it. She’s also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she’s pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won’t be a stranger for long.

Make merry…

Spence’s commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn’t have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot—chemistry he’s got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself… just because she’s gorgeous and a great listener…just because she “gets” Spencer immediately doesn’t mean he won’t be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

…and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock’s ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime

 

Order CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE in ebook or paperback, now available!

 

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo| Barnes & Noble

 

 

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EXCERPT:

At the unexpected sight of Spence, Colbie startled hard. How was it that he was the one who needed glasses and yet she’d not seen him standing against the window? “No, I don’t kill a lot of people,” she said cautiously because she was wearing only a towel in front of a strange man. “But I’m happy to make an exception.”

He laughed, a rough rumble that was more than a little contagious but she controlled herself because, hello, she was once again dripping wet before the man who seemed to make her knees forget to hold her up.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said and pushed off the wall to come close.

She froze, but he held up his hands like, I come in peace, and crouched at her feet to scoop up the clothes she hadn’t realized she’d dropped.

Leggings, a long forgiving tee, and the peach silk bra-and-panty set that hadn’t gotten so much as a blink from the TSA guy.

But it got one out of Spence. He also swallowed hard as she snatched them back from him.

“Hold on,” he said and caught her arm, pulling it toward him to look at her bleeding elbow.

“Sit,” he said and gently pushed her down to a weight bench. He vanished into the bathroom and came back out with a first aid kit.

It took him less than two minutes to clean and bandage the scrape. Then, easily balanced at her side on the balls of his feet, he did the same for both her knees, which she hadn’t noticed were also scraped up.

“You must’ve hit the brick coping as you fell in the fountain,” he said and let his thumb slide over the skin just above one bandaged knee.

She shivered, and not from the cold either. “Not going to kiss it better?” she heard herself ask before biting her tongue for running away with her good sense.

She’d raised her younger twin brothers. Scrappy, roughhouse wild animals, the both of them so there’d been plenty of injuries she’d kissed over the years.

But no one had ever kissed hers. Not surprising, since most of her injuries tended to be on the inside, where they didn’t show. Still, she was horrified she’d said anything at all. “I didn’t mean—” She broke off, frozen like a deer in the headlights as Spence slowly lowered his head, brushing his lips over the Band-Aid on her elbow, then her knees.

When he lifted his head, he pushed his glasses higher on his nose, those whiskey eyes warm and amused behind his lenses. “Better?”

 

Tracey’s Review

There are authors that I know I can go to when I’m in need of a visit to my happy place, when what I want is a story that will leave me satisfied and lighter. Jill Shalvis is one of those authors for me, and CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE, the latest book in her Heartbreaker Bay series, has nicely done the job.

I have been waiting for über-nerdy, arch, brilliant Spence to get his book, and his HEA. Spence is a guy that’s risen from veritably nothing because he’s so stinking smart. For all that he has, though, his most wonderful attributes are his big heart and his love for the family of friends that he’s found in Heartbreaker Bay. For all of his smarts, it’s been hard for Spence to make a romantic relationship work, mostly because he spends so much time in his own head, focusing on work and projects.

Colbie Albright has arrived in Heartbreaker Bay looking for a jump-start for her creative process, a vacation from her ‘other’ life that has worn her down and left her empty. I fell in love with her from the first scene, and, I have to say, she and Spence are kind of perfect for each other. She can keep up with Spence from the get-go, something that he’s not used to, and I think that it knocks him and his well-meaning friends (Elle, I’m looking at you) a bit off-kilter, as well as drawing him right in.

I’m a big fan of those series that, while made up of standalone books, draw on the characters and relationships from previous books, because it just lends more heart to the story, somehow. Jill Shalvis is a pro at these types of series and books, adept at crafting worlds that readers enjoy visiting again and again, and characters that are a joy to spend time with. The folks from Heartbreaker Bay are like a family, and each book draws me more firmly into their orbit. CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE is as delightful as the other books in this series, and an easy 5 smart, sweet, slightly nerdy stars for me. A definite must-read for Jill’s fans, and for fans of romantic comedy everywhere.

A Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

And don’t miss the previous books in Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay Series, SWEET LITTLE LIES, THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE and ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, now available! Grab your copies HERE!

 

 

About Jill Shalvis:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

 

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Release Blitz & 5+ Star Review & 2017 Favorite: The Learning Hours by Sara Ney – How To Date A Douchebag Series – Book 3

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 The Learning Hours

How To Date A Douchebag Series – Book 3

By Sara Ney

Buy:

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N | KOBO

He’s not a douchebag; but that doesn’t stop his friends from turning him into one.

MY FRIENDS WANT ME TO GET LAID.

So much so that they plastered my ugly mug all over campus, in bold printed letters:

Are you the lucky lady who’s going to break our roommate’s cherry?
Him: socially awkward man with average-sized penis looking for willing sexual partner. You: must have a pulse. He will reciprakate with oral. Text him at: 555-254-5551

The morons can’t even spell. And the texts I’ve been receiving are what wet dreams are made of. But I’m not like these douchebags, no matter how hard they try to turn me into one.

THIS ISN’T THE KIND OF ATTENTION I WANT.

One text stands out from hundreds. One number I can’t bring myself to block. She seems different. Hotter, even in black and white.

However, after seeing her in person, I know she’s not the girl for me. But my friends won’t let up–they just don’t get it. Douchebags or not, there’s one thing they’ll never understand: GIRLS DON’T WANT ME.

Especially her.

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N | KOBO

 

Michel’s Review

OMG! How To Date A Douchebag: The Learning Hours is one of those books I will never forget.  It was so good and had me glued to the pages while falling hopelessly in love with a very different kind of hero.  Hands down… Rhett Rabideaux stole my heart in the first sentence of the book.  He was so unexpected yet so charming and humble throughout the entire book.  As a man, he won my respect.  As a young male college student, he commanded my admiration.  As an allstar wrestler, he demanded my team dedication and  spirit.  As an individual who was subject to hazing and bullying, he had my complete sympathy.  How he handled the negativity was beyond commendable.  He is the true definition of strength and fortitude.  All these great individual qualities are enough to make the reader swoon but Sara Ney made Rhett all the more desirable with his sexy southern charm and mastery of the French language.

Rhett Rabideaux gave up everything to attend Iowa State on a wrestling scholarship in his junior year.  Who does that?  Only the fearless soul who’s willing to take a risk.  What he didn’t count on was a team full of douchebags that treated him worst than dirt.  He can tolerate the team hazing up to a point until it cost him over $400.  When his teammates put posters of him up, which included his phone number, advertising to get him laid went beyond their normal douchery. It was downright humiliating.  Now he’s dealing with texts from numerous women that make sexting look innocent.  There’s one texter that catches his attention even though he wants to blow her off. Her snarky wit and the fact that no pictures are included seems safe enough to respond to until he finds out who he’s exchanging texts with.

It all started on a dare and the command of the magic 8 ball when Laurel decided to text Rhett as a joke.  When his combative responses started burning up her phone she couldn’t do anything but engage in the battle.  After a few days of texting and a simple phone conversation she’s beginning to see Rhett in a different light.  The more she learns about him, the more she wants his undivided attention.  The only problem is she lied about who she was and about her intentions in the beginning.  Now she must come clean with the truth and her real identity because she wants Rhett Rabideaux more than any guy on campus.

Rhett and Laurel are opposites in every way.  They shouldn’t belong together but they fit perfectly.  It’s time to teach the meddling douchebags a lesson.  Rhett Rabideaux will never fit into their club.  He’s stands above them all.

Sara Ney delivered a unique romance that truly shows that love is a matter of the heart. Looks, money, and popularity don’t necessarily guarantee happiness.  Actions speak louder than words.  Matters of the heart follow their own beat.

I loved every moment of this book and fell hopelessly in love with Rhett Rabideaux!

 

 

 

 

 

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.

She lives with her husband, children, and her ridiculously large dog.

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Blog Tour + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Exes With Benefits by Nicole Williams

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Exes With Benefits

By Nicole Williams

Release Date: September 18, 2017

Buy: Amazon / B & N / IBooks

 

Synopsis:

 

He wants a second chance. I want a divorce. To get what I want, I’ll have to give him what he does.

From New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, Nicole Williams, comes a new standalone romance in the same vein as Roommates with Benefits.

___________________________________________

 

“One month. That’s nothing in the scope of a person’s life.” He slid a bit closer.
“One month is everything when it comes to opening myself back up to you.”
He didn’t argue that. He let silence speak for him instead.
“What exactly are you expecting during this one month?” I might have winced when I heard myself say those words.
He rubbed his mouth, trying to hide whatever was trying to form. “For you to give me another chance. For you to be my wife.”
The term made me nauseated. “Your wife? As in your indentured servant? No way.”
It was a smile he was trying to hide. Not very successfully. It made me thankful I’d slipped into these old boots so I could give him a solid kick in the ass if necessary.
“Like be willing to spend time with me. That’s it. That’s all,” he added when he correctly interpreted the question in my eyes. The question.
“What will we be doing during that time we’re spending together?” I pulled at the chest of my dress when I noticed the way his gaze had lingered there a moment too long.
His shoulder rose. “Got any ideas?” There was an unmistakable glint in his eyes.
“No,” I answered instantly.
“You used to have plenty of ideas for filling the time.” He took a swig of his Coke.
“And then I learned how to use my brain.”
He studied my fake smile, almost like he was contemplating what it would feel like against his mouth. “Dinners. Dates. Simple stuff like that.”
I held my best poker face, considering his offer. I didn’t want to stay married to him. If one more month was what it took to be free of Canaan Ford, I could suck it up. I’d already made it five years. “No expectations of anything of a physical nature?”
“If I remember right”—his eyes narrowed as he rubbed the back of his head—“it was generally you who instigated all of that back then.”
I shoved his chest. Bad idea. Solid. Firm. Home.
My jaw ground as I worked to erase that word from my conscious where he was concerned. “And you were just the perfect gentleman.”
Canaan snatched my hand before I could pull it away. Holding onto it, he dragged me closer. Not so close that our bodies touched, but close enough the separation was painful.
“Exactly,” he said in that low voice of his. The one he’d whispered my name in so many times as he moved inside me. “A gentleman gives his woman exactly what she needs. As many times as she need it. Just doing my part.”
“How noble.”
“That’s right. So if you want to make any changes to this one month agreement, consider me your humble servant.” When his hand dropped to my waist, his touch hesitant at the same time it was insistent, I didn’t flinch out of instinct the way I should have.
Instead, I had to remind myself to pull away from him; to flinch at his touch. “I have a boyfriend, Canaan.” Even to my ears, it sounded like a weak protest.
His hand didn’t fall away when I stepped back. “You’re a married woman, Maggie.”
“My husband forfeited his rights years ago.” My eyes found his, expecting them to shoot away once mine made contact.
They didn’t. His gold eyes held to mine. “He’s here to reclaim them.

Michel’s Review

Exes With Benefits by Nicole Williams is more than a second chance romance.  It’s an emotionally charged novel which clearly takes the characters on a life changing journey. Two young people got married before they were ready to step fully into the adult world.  Their maturity level left them incapable of dealing with the emotional storm called life. Their communication with one another was broken.  Their ability to express their emotions was non existent.  Their coping mechanisms were became destructive.  Their relationship became toxic.  One became an enabler and the other was about to detonate.  The only thing that could fix their problems was to walk away from the life they had begun to destroy.

Maggie Church and Canaan Ford got married right out of high school because of a surprise pregnancy that ended with a miscarriage.  They clearly loved one another deeply but couldn’t handle the tragedy in their lives.  To make matters worse there were other tragedies weighing on their souls.  They were both too immature to handle their loss on an emotional level.  Canaan began to drink heavily.  The drinking led to a path of self destruction which included fighting and out of control behavior.  Maggie couldn’t take watching Canaan self destruct and finally chose to walk away.  As she watched Canaan in her rear view mirror, she vowed she would never return to Farmington, Missouri or Canaan Ford.

Five years later Maggie is forced to face her past and finally put it to rest.  She has returned to Farmington for her grandmother’s funeral and to finalize the divorce.  Canaan had refused to sign the divorce papers for the past five years.  She has made a new life in Chicago with a successful career as an artist.  She has been in a relationship with another man for the past two years.  She needs to put the past to rest so that she can fully move forward in her life.  Coming home isn’t always easy, especially when facing another loss. What she came home to was something altogether different than what she left behind years ago.  Farmington is still the same charming small town where everyone knows each others business but the peoples lives have changed.  Her friends have built careers and families of their own.  Her ex husband is still living in the same apartment above the garage at her grandmother’s house but he is a different man altogether.  She’s finding it hard to believe Canaan is the same man as the boy she left behind.  She refuses to allow herself to become vulnerable to Canaan’s charm and apparent sincerity.  She needs their divorce to become finalized.

Canaan was broken before he lost Maggie.  Losing Maggie was the final bullet that killed his dying soul.  He had a choice to live as the man he always intended to be or die alone  from his own self destruction.  He has always loved Maggie Church and knows they were destined for one another.  He made a conscious choice to become the man Maggie deserved.  He changed his life.  He grew up.  He became responsible.  He became emotionally present.  He became a real man.  Now he’s going to win his wife back no matter how hard she tries to walk away.  This time he is going to keep her.  If she walks away, he’s going to chase her and bring her home.  She is his wife. He just needs 30 days to prove it.

Needless to say, Nicole Williams painted a vivid picture of Maggie and Canaan’s life with her words.  This novel was like an artistic painting that evoked so many emotions with it’s choice of color, realms of shading, and deliberate strokes of the brush.  Sometimes the colors blended perfectly but the shading overpowered the overall piece.  Other times the brushstroke strayed outside the lines but added more detail to the overall intensity. When all the creativity, choice of colors, and masterful technique came together, it became an emotional masterpiece.  This is what Exes With Benefits by Nicole Williams became. Her words were what created a beautiful masterpiece about life, love, and the choice of happiness.

 

 

__________________________________________________

 4887264Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

Remix Tour + Excerpt + Giveaway + 5+-Star Review: Grip by Kennedy Ryan

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“…one of the most engaging and well-written romance books I have read…It’s like nothing you’ve read before. It touches the issues no one talks about in our community. And it’s a MUST-READ.”

—LJ Shen, Amazon Bestselling Author

GRIP, Kennedy Ryan’s sexy, emotional Amazon Bestseller,

is available now for only 99¢!

Scroll all the way down for an excerpt and to enter the

$25 Gift Card Giveaway!

GRIP COVER SALE

Resisting an irresistible force wears you down and turns you out. I know. I’ve been doing it for years.

I may not have a musical gift of my own, but I’ve got a nose for talent and an eye for the extraordinary. And Marlon James – Grip to his fans – is nothing short of extraordinary.

Years ago, we strung together a few magical nights, but I keep those memories in a locked drawer and I’ve thrown away the key. All that’s left is friendship and work.

He’s on the verge of unimaginable fame, all his dreams poised to come true. I manage his career, but I can’t seem to manage my heart.

It’s wild, reckless, disobedient. And it remembers all the things I want to forget.

Read GRIP today for only 99¢ or FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US ➜ http://amzn.to/2mR7fec

Amazon UK ➜ http://amzn.to/2gz387W

Amazon CA ➜ http://amzn.to/2vADPJn

Amazon AU ➜ http://amzn.to/2gsH3Em

Add to GoodReads ➜ http://bit.ly/2k1T1rL

FLOW, the FREE prequel, MUST BE READ before GRIP!

Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2m0IKOh

Amazon UK➜ http://amzn.to/2xSpMMS

WATTPAD ➜ http://w.tt/2kUo8Yk

STILL, the sexy and emotional final installment of The Grip Series,

releases September 24th!

Preorder STILL Today!

Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2xuUe1V

Amazon UK ➜ http://amzn.to/2f4kxSa

Amazon CA ➜ http://amzn.to/2wmWoRR

Amazon AU ➜ http://amzn.to/2xcBEuD

Add STILL to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2vBiUWN

GRIP SERIES REMIX SALE

Click here to enter the $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Excerpt

“Neither of us has been in a serious relationship in years.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” I stand and slide my feet into the Jimmy Choos. “You haven’t exactly been waiting around, have you?”

“Damn right I haven’t been waiting around.” He doesn’t get up, but his firm hold on my wrist stops me from walking away. “I’m not Rhyson.”

I look down at him, frowning my confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Remember when Kai put Rhyson in the friend zone?”
 Of course I do. For a long time, my sister-in-law Kai denied the attraction between her and Rhyson.

“Yeah, so?”

“When Kai wasn’t checking for Rhys, I assumed he had to be sleeping with other girls.” Grip shrugs. “I mean, he and Kai were just friends. But, nope. He said he only wanted Kai and didn’t sleep with anyone else.”

“Then you’re right.” I tug at my wrist, but he holds on tight. “You’re definitely not Rhyson.”

“It was months, Bristol. She shut him out for months. Not years.”

“I’m not shutting you out.” I release a tired breath. “I’m living my life, and you’re living yours.”

“Right.” He nods and turns his mouth down at the corners. “So, if you won’t be with me, then I’ll fuck whoever the hell I want. If you have a problem with that, you know what to do about it.”

For a moment, our eyes tangle in the dimness. His words sink into my flesh like briars. Every word out of his mouth only proves that I’m right to get out of here. That I’m right not to give in. If I ever gave him a chance and he fucked around on me . . . I’ve seen what that looks like. It looks like a woman as strong as my mother reduced to pathetic, teary drunkenness.

“It’s none of my business.” I shift my eyes away from him and to the glittering city skyline just beyond the rooftop.

“It’s none of your business until you say it is.”

I force myself to look back.

“Don’t hold your breath, Grip.” I say my next words with deliberation. “I mean, it’s not like I’m sitting around saving it, either.”

He pulls me forward, and I press my hand to the hardness of his chest so I don’t fall into him. My knee supports me, pressed against his on the couch.

“Are you poking me?” One strong hand wraps around the back of my thigh, anger marking his expression. “Do you want to know if it bothers me when you fuck other guys?”

I just stare at him unblinkingly. He presses my leg, urging me forward until I’m fully on the couch, fully on him, one knee on either side of his legs, facing him. Straddling him.

“It makes me want to set the world on fire.” His words come softly, but the truth roars in his eyes. “To think of you with them.”

 

Tracey’s Review

I fell for her before the beat dropped… 

Kennedy Ryan writes in pictures, crafting masterpieces that consume me. Her way with words, the intricate, heartfelt, emotional tapestries that she weaves, make it impossible not to feel with my whole heart. Newest obsession? Marlon ‘Grip’ James. Poet, musician, overcomer, star.

There were plenty of hints about the push and pull between Grip and Bristol Gray, his manager, his best friend’s sister, and the woman that he’s wanted for a very long time, in the previous books in the Soul series by Kennedy. But fans wanted more, wanted the whole back story of Grip and Bristol, and Kennedy delivered, oh, how she delivered.

It’s hard to say what I love most about GRIP, and it’s prequel FLOW, because I love absolutely everything about these books. The intensity and sheer tenacity of Grip’s feelings, the badassery blended with vulnerability that is Bristol, the simmering desire and want that is just always there. A passion and sense of belonging that ignited in one short week, that continued, always there beneath the surface of their relationship, for so long, giving a whole new meaning to ‘meant to be.’

Kennedy has done an excellent job, too, of painting the very real picture of themes prevalent in our culture today, and does so eloquently and realistically, all the while managing to give a sense of hope. Because of their differences, Grip and Bristol face obstacles that they should not have to. While time moves slowly in regards to change that should have already happened at this late date, I’m a dreamer, and hope, along with Grip and Bristol, that love changes hearts, changes history, that love wins.

GRIP is an easy 5+ stars for me, and is going right up there as one of my favorite reads this year. Loving Kennedy’s body of work, and these characters as I do, I’m kicking myself for not having read this book earlier, because it is wonderful. A must-read for fans of Kennedy Ryan, fans of the Soul series, and lovers of a book full of heart and soul, GRIP (and FLOW before it), belongs on TBRs everywhere.

❤ P.S. Extra props to Kennedy for having Grip use one of my very favorite songs by Prince as part of a pivotal song. I’ll think of Grip and Bristol every time I listen to it now. ❤

 

Find the GRIP Series On Audio!

FLOW ➜ http://bit.ly/FLOWAudiobook

GRIP ➜ http://bit.ly/GRIPAudiobook

Join the GRIP Discussion Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1891983067712410/

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Click here to enter the $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Kennedy Ryan

About the Author:

Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them.

She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.

Connect with Kennedy:

Order Signed GRIP Series Paperbacks:

http://kennedyryanwrites.com/signed-paperbacks/

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

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/681604768593989/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennedyryan1/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2x0qCtC

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kennedyrwrites

YouTube: http://bit.ly/2gsAGkp

Website: http://kennedyryanwrites.com

Release Blitz + Review: Lucas by Sawyer Bennett – Cold Fury Hockey Series – Book 8

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Lucas (Cold Fury, Book #8)
Sawyer Bennett
Release Date: September 19, 2017

Synopsis:
The Carolina Cold Fury hockey team is stacked with hotshots. But when a new player joins their ranks, he learns that even superstars can’t go it alone when it comes to love.

Lucas Fournier is only serious about one thing: hockey. The league’s fun-loving charmer, Luc is always up for a good prank or a great lay, and he has no intention of settling down. But being traded to the Carolina Cold Fury—and to play alongside his big brother, Max—is no joke. With another title in sight, the last thing Luc wants is to let his new teammates down. To succeed, Luc will need to keep his head in the game and the most . . . er, demanding member of his anatomy in check. But when temptation hits, Luc hits back harder.

Museum curator Stephanie Frazier has always put business before pleasure, which just about explains her nonexistent sex life. But when Stephanie meets Luc at a champagne-fueled gala, she finds herself flirting like crazy—and going home with the uninhibited athlete. For one night, she learns what passion is all about. She just never counted on the little surprise Luc leaves behind. And that’s when things really start to get . . . interesting.

Sawyer Bennett’s New York Times bestselling Carolina Cold Fury series can be read together or separately.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33593824-lucas

Purchase Lucas (Cold Fury, Book #8):
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2xMqTRi
B&N: http://bit.ly/2iFAUc5
iBooks: http://apple.co/2jsm0mG
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2iWNW3m
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2jcyPk1
Audible: http://adbl.co/2h7mjm6Michel’s Review

The Carolina Cold Fury hockey team is back in full force.  They are not only shredding the ice in the play offs, they are also shredding our hearts one player at a time.  Sawyer Bennett has created a team of men that are melting the readers hearts and leaving them wanting more.

Lucas Fournier is thrilled to be a part of the Carolina Cold Fury team for many reasons, not only is he playing on the ice with his brother Max, he is also part of an exceptional hockey organization that believes in the importance of family as well as winning the cup.  It’s a win win situation.  Being one of the few single guys on the team is also a bonus, it’s a guarantee of more available ladies to choose from.  He’s a single guy and has no intentions of settling down anytime soon.  Let all the other players enjoy their family time while he reaps of the rewards as a single player. It all begins to change when he meets Stephanie Frazier at a museum benefit. He’s thrilled that he is available and that she wants a one night hook up with no strings attached.  Best night of his life. Best sex he’s ever had.  The sex was so good that he shredded the condom like he shreds the ice. He’s not overly concerned that the condom broke because Stephanie has the same mantra he has and is going to take the morning after pill.  All is good and he wouldn’t mind another hook up with Stephanie but knows it will never happen. As I said all is good until Stephanie shows up one month later to inform him the morning after pill didn’t work and she’s definitely pregnant. Neither one of them wants to settle down.  Neither one of them planned on becoming parents at this stage in their lives.  Neither one of them is sure how to handle the situation but they are both sure they want this surprise baby.

Stephanie Frazier is a free spirit.  She has focused on building her career and has no intentions of ever settling down.  She’s happy with her single life and is fine with one night hook ups.  Hooking up with Lucas Fournier was fun, thrilling, and the best sex she ever had.  It was a night to remember and a night to never repeat.  The morning after pill should of taken care of the condom mishap.  As fate would have it, she’s the one in a few that the pill doesn’t work on.  Now she’s facing becoming a mother and doesn’t have the first clue what to do.  She has no concept of loving family relationships or nurturing parents.  The one thing she is sure of is that she wants this baby no matter what Lucas Fournier does.  To her complete surprise Lucas is on board with having the baby and co parenting.  He’s willing to help out in any manner and is extremely supportive of her choices.  She’s not sure what to do with that because she’s never had anybody put her needs first.

Max and Stephanie begin as tentative friends trying to maneuver their way into the parenting role.  Their sexual chemistry is through the roof and they both have a healthy sexual appetite.  The problem is neither one of them knows how to be in a relationship. As time goes by Lucas wants more than Stephanie is willing to give.  Stephanie is frightened of all the emotions being around Lucas brings into her life.  She’s pushing Lucas away and Lucas is pushing harder.

Sawyer Bennett once again delivered another win for the Cold Fury Hockey Series.  The play offs are just beginning and there are some key players wanting their time to play on the Cold Fury pages.

 

______________________________________________
About the Author:
Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released multiple books, many of which have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.

A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

Sawyer likes her Bloody Marys strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active daughter, as well as full-time servant to her adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or even better, both.

Sawyer also writes general and women’s fiction under the pen name S. Bennett and sweet romance under the name Juliette Poe.

Connect with Sawyer:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bennettbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BennettBooks
Instagram: https://instagram.com/sawyerbennett123/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Sawyer_Bennett

Sign up for Sawyer’s newsletter: http://sawyerbennett.com/signup/

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Wicked Dirty by J. Kenner – Wicked Nights – Stark World Series – Book 2

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Wicked Dirty

Wicked Nights – Stark World Series – Book 2

By J. Kenner

 

ADD TO GOODREADS

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Sometimes bad isn’t good enough…

On the outside, Lyle Tarpin is a clean-cut Hollywood actor whose star is on the rise. Inside, he’s battling his own demons, shunning relationships and finding solace in the arms of a string of anonymous women paid very well for their discretion.

But when he’s photographed in a compromising position by an over-eager reporter, the only way to save his career is to say that the woman he was with is his fiancée. And now Lyle has to play a very public game with the only woman who’s ever managed to get under his skin.

Struggling waitress Sugar Laine agrees to spend one night with Lyle—but only because she’s desperate to save her family home. She never expects that a night of passion will turn into a pretend engagement … or that the heat between them will blossom into love.

But sometimes love has a price.

And now the only question is—can Lyle and Sugar afford to pay it?

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My blood pounds through my body, my heart beating so hard that I can feel the pressure not only against my ribs, but against the wall behind me. My lips are parted, my breath coming in shaky gasps.

He’s only inches away, so close I could reach out and touch that famous, gorgeous face. His eyes, as deep and blue as the summer sky, roam over me. He eases closer, moving slowly, his face reflecting a hunger that sends shivers through me.

Once again, my mind conjures the image of a hungry wolf. Only now I’m thinking that maybe getting eaten wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Besides, I’m here. Might as well enjoy it.

Then, of course, I remember exactly what it is.

Oh, God.

His fingertip brushes my forehead, and I almost jump out of my skin. I meet his eyes, see something that looks like irritation, and want to kick myself. I need to focus, dammit.

“You were somewhere else.” He speaks flatly, as if he’s working to keep all emotion out.

I shake my head, conjuring a lie. “I’m right here.” And then, because I’ve seen movies with call girls, I put my hand flat on his chest, trying to seem seductive. He’s wearing a gray T-shirt, and I can feel his heart beating beneath the planes of his muscled chest.

I read somewhere that he was getting in shape to play a superhero in an upcoming movie. And kudos to whoever’s orchestrating that transformation, because this guy is rock solid.

He’s still looking at me, and I fist my hand in the material of his shirt, needing an anchor against the storm of emotion I see playing out on his face. Desire. Hunger. Longing. Regret.

And pain. I see so much damn pain that I have to fight the urge to cup my palm against his cheek and tell him that whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.

Instead, I simply whisper, “Lyle?”

I’m not sure if it was the wrong thing or the right thing to say, but I know that it was unexpected. And before I can apologize or cover or say anything else at all, he is on me. One hand at my throat, the other hard on my breast. I’m pinned against the wall, helpless, as he claims my mouth again. Wildly. Brutally.

I try to think what I’m supposed to do—try to respond. But I’m trapped. I’m not Sugar. I’m not Laine. I’m not anyone. This isn’t about sex. It’s about pain and need and that storm of horrors I saw on his face. I might as well not even be here. And as his hand squeezes tight on my breast—as his mouth clashes so hard against mine that he draws blood—my only thought is that I shouldn’t have come at all. That this was stupid. Foolish. And that this night is going to leave me scarred.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to be what he wants. A warm body. An anonymous female.

But I can’t do it. I can’t do it at all.

All I can be is me. A woman desperate enough to have sex for money. A girl trying anything and everything to save her house. To protect her family’s memory.

I can be that girl.

But I can’t be nothing. I can’t be no one.

And as his hand tightens in my hair—as he kisses me violently—as his body presses hard against mine and I feel the steel of his erection—I know that I’ve made a terrible, horrible, awful mistake.

Stop!

 

Michel’s Review

J. Kenner has created a sensational fictional world that leaves the readers wanting more.  The characters are beyond dynamic, they bring something more to the Stark World that makes this series a success.  Each character stands out on their individual merit as well as their contributions to their world.  It leaves the readers wanting more of this world and more of all these dynamic individuals.

Lyle Tarpon is on the verge of superstardom with his upcoming role in a super hero film where he plays a villain turned good.  This role will take him to the top and guarantees a  blockbuster three film contract.  For the past ten years he has solely focused on his acting career and kept his reputation squeaky clean.  He’s determined to reach his professional goals but it comes with a great sacrifice.  Lyle has kept his past under wraps, kept his Iowa farm boy image clean, stayed away from any type of romantic relationship, and dedicated his free time to children charities.  His acting abilities have become more than a profession, it has literally taken over his life.  He’s lost his true self along the way.  The man he’s hidden away sometimes needs to be released before it explodes out of control.  He’s found a way to keep those explosions under control by hiring anonymous women for their discrete companionship for one night and one night only.  Lyle is determined to keep his secrets locked up tight.

Sugar Laine is struggling to hang onto her family home.  The home is the last link she has to her family.  She has sacrificed her life for the past five years trying to hang onto the house by working two jobs.  She was forced to take out a  balloon loan type mortgage in order to save the house from being condemned.  Now the balloon note is due and she doesn’t have the money.  When the opportunity to earn $10,000 by being an escort to an anonymous client arises, she’s willing to put aside her morals and personal feelings to earn the money.  It’s just a business transaction and she needs the money.  But when she arrives at the appointment, things go quite differently.  Her client is non other than Hollywood superstar Lyle Tarpon.  His behavior towards her isn’t anything like his reputation.  On the surface he seems like a beast but it’s what hiding behind the beast that captures her attention.  The man has so many contradictions that it’s hard to determine who the real Lyle Tarpon is.  She doesn’t think he even knows who that is.

As luck would have it their secret liaison is exposed.  Lyle is forced to hire her to become his “girlfriend” in order to keep his upcoming role in the movie.  It’s a temporary solution that will fix Sugar’s financial problems and keep his squeaky clean reputation in tact.

Sometimes the best business deals take a different direction.  Sugar is going to find out there is more to life than a house with four walls.  Lyle is finally going to take on the biggest role of his life, learning to live with himself rather than the roles he created.

Once again J. Kenner had me hooked in the first chapter.  I could not put this book down and loved the journey both Lyle and Sugar had to take to find their true happiness.  I can’t wait to see what comes next in the Wicked Nights- Stark World series.  There are some other dynamic people screaming for their happily ever after.

 

 

 

Julie - J Kenner Author PhotoJ.Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YouTube | Amazon Author Page

 

 

Release Blitz + Excerpt and 5+ Star Review: Dear Bridget,I Want You by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

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Dear Bridget

By Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

Release Date: September 18, 2017

 

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Dear Bridget,

I’m writing this letter because it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever garner the courage to say this to your face.

So, here goes.

We’re totally wrong for each other. You’re the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I’m just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England.

But here’s the thing… for some bloody reason, I can’t stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways.

I want you.

The only reason I’m even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don’t believe it’s one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we’re joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke.

So, what’s the purpose of this note? I guess it’s a reminder that we’re adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it’s to let you know that I’m leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you’d like to visit me in the middle of the night sometime.

No questions asked.

Think about it.

Or don’t.

Whatever you choose.

It’s doubtful I’ll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway.

–Simon

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BUY:

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******

 

Every time I considered leaving my room, I would grab the framed picture of Ben and stare at it. The urge to go to Simon was so strong; I basically hadn’t put down the framed photo of my deceased husband in an hour. I was lying in my bed, holding a picture of a dead man while fantasizing about one who was very much alive and in the other room. With the door cracked open waiting for me. There was one part of Simon’s note that I just kept reading over and over.

I want to make you come. Hard. I want you to get lost in me and I want to hear you say my name over and over while we fuck.

While we fuck.

While we fuck.

I was pretty sure that Ben had never used the word fuck like that before. Did we even fuck? We made love, sure. Our sex life was normal—at least, I think it was normal. Don’t get me wrong, the passion wasn’t the same as when we first got together. But after ten years, both of us working full time and raising a child, it was normal to have some of the desire dwindle, wasn’t it?

While we fuck.

I looked at the picture of my husband and sighed. We didn’t fuck. Not even in the beginning. And I felt guilty for that now. Maybe we should have been fucking. I certainly didn’t do anything to entice him to want me the last few years. Was it my fault our sex life had gotten boring? I rested the picture of Ben over my heart and laid my hand over it. I could feel my heart beating out of control beneath my fingers.

Shutting my eyes, I tried to force thoughts of Simon from my mind. But it was no use. Visions of his hard, sculpted body hovering over me had infiltrated my brain. So, here I was, a thirty-three-year-old, single mother lying in my bed all alone with a picture of my dead husband held to my heart while I visualized fucking another man.

Fucking.

Not making love.

I needed my head examined.

After two hours and no sleep in sight, I decided the only way I was going to be able to get any rest was if I got everything I was feeling off of my chest. Flicking on the light, I carefully set the framed photo of my beloved Ben on my nightstand and then opened the drawer and dug out a pen and piece of pretty stationery. I would write down my thoughts to clear my mind. I had no intention of actually giving the letter to Simon, so there was no reason to filter anything I said.

Dear Simon…

★★★★

Michel’s Review

The Dynamic Duo… Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have done it again and released another exceptional romance loaded with humor, emotional angst, and sizzling hot sex! Dear Bridget, I Want You is guaranteed to become another best seller!

It all begins in the ER with a sexy, dirty talking, British doctor and a patient with fishhook in her butt.  That should be embarrassing enough but having the wrong day of the week underwear on and a smart mouthed doctor noticing takes the cake.  Bridget is mortified but also very turned on.  Thank God she had the foresight to go to a different hospital instead of the one she works in to take care of this embarrassing delicate mishap.  She won’t have to see Dr. McHottie, Dr. Hogue again.  Little does she know this is just the beginning of her adventures with this sexy doctor.

Bridget has reached her thirties and is a widow and single mother.  She works as an ER nurse and struggles to make ends meet after the accidental death of her husband.  Being a single,working mother of an eight year old boy is challenging.  Trying to hold onto her home and give her son the same kind of life as he had while his father was alive is consuming.  She doesn’t have time for herself let alone dating.  She’s still grieving her husband and the life they once had.  After two years her inner woman is beginning to awaken but she’s not quite ready to put herself back in the game.  That is until the sexy doctor rents out her mother in law apartment and also joins the staff at the hospital she works at.  There’s no escaping this dirty talking, fun loving doctor that has taken over her life.

Dr. Simon Hogue came to the United States to study medicine.  He’s in his last year of residency before he returns home to England to begin his practice as a doctor.  He’s dedicated his life to helping others and has a great bedside manner with all his patients.  His great bedside manner extends beyond his professional life and all the ladies want the sexy doctor’s attention.  Simon has no intention of settling down nor does he want children of his own.  He has his future mapped out until he meets Bridget.

Their lives are on very different paths.  Their futures are in different countries.  Their passion for one another is undeniable.  What begins as a fun flirtation turns into an emotional journey for all three of them.  Life has a different plan.

Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward have once again delivered a magical romance that makes the heart beat faster and makes you swoon.  I think all the readers are going to need Dr. Hogue to treat their romantic ailments.  Don’t worry… the doctor is in and writing some very detailed, dirty talking prescriptions!  Too bad our favorite little goat and Aussie vlogger didn’t hit the ER with their expert advice… it would of made this book perfect.

 

 

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Other books from Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

51X69Xg3BlL._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_

Cocky Bastard

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

***

517Vnflaf5L._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_

Stuck-Up Suit

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

***

 

playboy-pilot

The Playboy Pilot

Buy : Amazon / ITunes / B & N / Google Play / Kobo

 

 

 

Mister Moneybags

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Audio | Amazon paperback

______________________________________

 

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twelve languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

 

Website | Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

****

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

Ego Maniac

  Amazon / B & N / IBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Boss Man

 Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N /  ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Baller

 Amazon /  B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Life On Stage Series

Throb – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

Beat –Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

MMA Fighter Series

Worth The Fight – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Worth The Chance – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Worth Forgiving –Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Cole Series

Belong To You – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Made For You – Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Stand Alone Novels

First Thing I See– Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

Left Behind – Amazon / Barnes and Noble

 

____________________________________________

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a fifteen-time New York Times bestseller of twelve novels.

Having grown 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. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.

 

Connect with Penelope Ward

Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram

*****

Additional Books by Penelope Ward

Mack Daddy

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo

Neighbor Dearest

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

Roomhate

 Amazon / B & N /  ITunes / Kobo

Sevin

 Amazon / Amazon UK / ITunes / B & N / Kobo/

Stepbrother Dearest

 Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

My Skylar

 Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Gemini

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Undone

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Jake Understood

Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

 

*****

 

 

 

 

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway : In Too Deep by Lexi Ryan

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Title: In Too Deep
Series: The Blackhawk Boys #5
Author: Lexi Ryan
Genre: Sports Romance
Release Date: September 15, 2017

 

Blurb

 

New York
Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan brings readers a sexy NFL player who’s
pulled out all the stops for one more chance with the love of his life.
***
I have four
months to make my wife fall in love with me or let her go forever.
I loved
Bailey Green long before she watched her loser ex take his last breaths. I held
her while they lowered his coffin into the ground, stilled her shaking hands
when the nightmares would tear her from sleep. I waited for her through her
grief. But while she was always willing to let me in her bed, she refused to
let me in the one place I longed to be—her heart.
Tired of
playing second string to a dead man, I let her go. I moved to Florida to begin
my NFL career and tried to pretend my perfect life didn’t leave me empty. I’d
almost given up. Until one drunken night in Vegas, we stumbled down the aisle
and said, “I do.”
In exchange
for the divorce she wants so badly, she’s agreed to remain my wife until the
end of the year. She has no idea the favors I’ve called in or the lies I’ve
told to get her here, but if I succeed, none of that matters.
My secrets
always seemed justified, but Bailey has her own—secrets that explain why she
always pushed me away, secrets that make me wonder if I should have let her.
Now we’re in too deep and I might lose the only girl I’ve ever loved and the
best friend I’ve ever had.
In Too Deep is a sexy and emotional novel intended for
mature readers. It’s the fifth book in the world of the Blackhawk Boys, but can
be enjoyed as a standalone.

 

 

Purchase Links

 

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Excerpt
 

© Lexi Ryan,
2017
“You know,
once you were my friend,” I say. “And maybe that’s what I miss most about us.
Maybe instead of judging me for my decisions, you could try being my friend again.”
He puts his
glass down on the table, his eyes locking on mine before he slowly stalks
toward me.
I lift my
chin, refusing to back down, because dammit,
I shouldn’t have to apologize for wanting Mason’s friendship. Is that so
terrible?
But my
defiant stance doesn’t faze him and he keeps coming, one step at a time, until
he’s finally up against that bubble he prefers to keep between us. He takes
another step and he’s inside it, but still not nearly as close as I want him.
He takes another, and if I had the courage, I could reach out and touch him.
Another step and he’s so close that he has to bend his head down to maintain
eye contact. So close that if I lift onto my toes, I could brush my lips
against his.
I almost
do, if only because fighting with him makes me feel as if there’s something
broken in me, and I want it to be over. I miss the soft stroke of his lips
against mine. I miss the sound of his sweet murmurs as he unbuttoned my pants
and slid my underwear off my hips. I miss the sex, but more than that, I miss
the way he’d hold me after. He held me in a way no one else had ever bothered
to. Not even Nic. Mason would pull me against him, my back to his chest, and
he’d snuggle against me until I could feel the warmth of his breath against my
bare shoulder.
I want all
of that again, and what breaks my heart the most is if I’d known when I took
that deal—if I could have seen into the future and gotten a glimpse of exactly
what I was giving up—I still would have done it. I did what I had to do.
Mason’s
eyes drop to my mouth. “I don’t want to be your friend, Bailey.”
“Yeah,” I
whisper. “You’re making that really clear. All or nothing, am I right?”
His jaw
hardens, and I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he moves even closer. My
back’s against the sliding glass door, and his body presses into mine. He
shifts until his thigh is between my legs, and then he lifts a hand to my hair,
sliding his thumb up my neck until he’s cupping my jaw. I want to melt because
I’ve missed this so damn much. I’ve missed him
so damn much.
“I’ve never
wanted to be your friend,” he says, shaking his head. And it’s a blow to the
heart I’m not sure I’m strong enough to endure. When I told him we could be
lovers but nothing more, we were friends…best friends. Then he moved down here
and shut me out.
“I’m sorry
my friendship was such a burden.” Fuck, even my sarcasm sounds weak, but this
whole conversation has me vulnerable.
“It wasn’t
a burden. It was a daily reminder of
what I couldn’t have. I thought that if I quit fucking you it wouldn’t hurt so
much that you refused to be mine.” His thumb traces my bottom lip, and I
tremble. “I thought if I could get the memory of your taste out of my head that
maybe I’d be okay with being your buddy.”
He sneers the word, his face twisting in disgust, but when the sneer falls
away, it leaves raw need in its wake. “But I was wrong. I don’t want to be your
friend, because that means you’re only giving me part of yourself, and I am the
spoiled bastard you say I am. What was your word? Privileged?”
He dips his
head down and turns his face to the side, sweeping the tip of his nose over the
tip of mine. “I don’t want your friendship unless it comes with your body. And
I don’t want your body unless it comes with your heart.” He dips a little
farther and brushes his lips so softly against mine that I almost wonder if I’m
imagining it. Maybe he isn’t touching me at all. Maybe the sensation is nothing
more than air passing between our mouths.
He’s
chipping at the walls I keep erected around my heart. And what happens when
they’re gone? What happens when he sees me for who I really am?
“You say
you want to be my friend,” he says, “but friends don’t lie to each other. They
don’t hide their pasts.” His hand falls from my hair. I brace myself for his
retreat, but he doesn’t back away. Instead, he finds the hem of my dress and
slides up my thigh, then between my legs until he reaches my cotton panties.
“Is this it, then? Is this all you want from me?”
His
knuckles skim across my center, and I should stop him. Fuck. I should stop him. I know what he’s trying to do, what he’s
trying to say, and how I’ll feel when this is over. But all I can think is how
I feel right now. How it finally feels to have him this close—his heat, his
touch.
All I can
think is that if the rest of my life is going to be some sucky, lonely series
of if-onlys and what-ifs, dragging from one day to the next, I just want this
moment for as long as it can last. Maybe I’ll wrap it up and hold on to it.
Keep it for later when I can untuck it and examine the heat of his breath
against my neck or the gentle graze of his fingertips along the lace edge of my
panties.
He nips at
my ear with his teeth, and I moan. His breath has gone shallow, and I can feel
the tension building in him—that push and pull of wanting and knowing you
shouldn’t want. It’s easy for me to recognize, because I’ve lived in that limbo
for almost four years.
___________________________________
Michel’s Review
In Too Deep by Lexi Ryan is the fifth and possibly final book in the Black Hawk Boys series.  This spectacular new adult sports romance series has held readers captive from the beginning.  In Too Deep brings the series full circle and gives the readers another perspective on the fatal accident that brought this series and characters to life.
***
Bailey Green and Mason Dahl met their freshman year of college.  They started out as a hookup that turned into a friends with benefits until Mason wanted more.  Bailey refused to get into a real relationship with Mason.  She was still grieving Nick’s death and struggling   to keep up with her college courses and tuition.  She was working as a stripper to make ends meet.  For four years she held Mason at bay.  They settled on a friendship only type relationship although they both still desired one another.  After college graduation the gang is moving on to their perspective careers.  Mason has become an NFL player for the Gators.  Bailey is stuck in Black Hawk Valley, still tending bar and playing around with her photography.  A weekend in Vegas celebrating their friends engagement is a life changing event for both of them.  A drunken night turns into a legal marriage.  Bailey wants out and Mason is determined to make their marriage work.
***
Their hasty, secret marriage could ruin Mason’s career on the Gators unless they come clean with the public.  Bailey’s past could ruin Mason’s career as well.  Bailey’s desperate to break all ties before she ruins Mason’s life.  Mason is desperate to stay married until he can get his position on the team secured or at least make him a tradable player.
***
They both love each other but the past is holding them both back in very different ways.  For Mason it’s knowledge that he is competing against a dead man.  For Bailey, it’s her past  toxic relationship with Nick that could ruin Mason’s life.  They have reached the point of either letting go of each other or letting the past destroy them both.  It doesn’t matter how much they really do love each other, their past is dictating their future.  They both have secrets that could destroy each other and their already troubled relationship.
***
Lexi Ryan delivered more than a romance, she brought this series full circle.  There were so many things that were left unexplained about Nick’s presence in Bailey’s life and how his death changed her future.  The fatal accident is where it all started and ended up being the very thing that validated this entire series.  I fell hopelessly in love with Mason and admired his determination.  My heart broke for Bailey but I also respected her decisions.
***
I’m sad to say goodbye to all of these dynamic characters in the Black Hawk Boys series. I am hoping that Lexi Ryan will continue with the new characters introduced on the NFL team.
_____________________________________
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Author Bio
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of emotional romance that sizzles, Lexi enjoys reading, sunshine, a good glass of wine, and rare trips to the beach. Lexi lives in Indiana with her husband, two children, and neurotic dog. You can find her at her website: http://www.lexiryan.com/

 

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New Release + 5 Star Review: The Outskirts by T.M. Frazier – The Outskirts Duet – Book 1

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The Swamp is about to get a whole lot hotter! 

The Outskirts 

The Outskirts Duet – Book 1

By T. M Frazier

Buy: Amazon

Synopsis

The swamp is about to get a whole lot HOTTER.

After a tragedy, Finn Hollis escapes
into the swamp to be alone.
That is until Sawyer Dixon shows up,
all SCORCHING HOT innocence,
claiming she owns the land less than
fifty feet from his front door.

Sawyer gets under his SKIN, but even worse?
She makes him CRAVE things.
Things Finn hasn’t thought about in a very VERY long time.

Finn WANTS Sawyer gone.
Almost as much as he wants her in his BED.

Originally slated to be a standalone, The Outskirts, is now book 1 of a duet.
The Outliers is the title of book 2.

BONUS: The digital book also includes deleted PREPPY scenes at 94%.

Excerpt:

Sawyer

My throat tightened and a heaviness grew in my chest like my heart didn’t know whether to beat faster or stop beating altogether. “Did you leave me all this to show me the life you could’ve had, but didn’t? Why!?” I pounded the wheel again and then again, and again and again until my vision was blurry and all I could see was the redness of my own heated rage. “You’re a fucking coward! You fucking COWARD!” I screamed to no one, pounding on the wheel until the skin across my knuckles split and blood dripped between my fingers.

Strong hands bit into my biceps, yanking me from the cab. I was spun around by my shoulders and found myself face to face with Finn. “I like it when you swear,” he said, pressing close.

“Finn, get off me! Get off me! Let me go!” I wailed, struggling to free myself from his grip. Kicking out my legs only to connect with the air as he evaded my every move.

A growl tore from his throat. Finn picked me up and walked me to the back of the truck, setting me on the open tailgate. He pushed himself between my legs and hovered over me to keep me from leaping off.

“Let me go,” I demanded, pushing at his hard chest. “I don’t have time for your broodiness right now.”

Finn held my wrists together with one hand. “No, of course you don’t. You’re too busy tearing up pictures and screaming at no one.”

“Let me go,” I repeated.

“No,” he said between clenched teeth.

“Just go! Leave me alone. Leave meeeeeee!” I wailed as I pounded against his stone chest.

“You don’t want to hit me,” he warned, his eyes hardened.

“Then let me go.”

“Why?” He stepped in closer, unaffected by my attempt to fight against him. My inner thighs were touching his outer thighs.

“Because she did!” I screamed, my eyes sprang open to find his cold blue gaze. “She could have run anywhere and taken me with her. Instead she left him but she left me too. She was a coward who couldn’t make the right decision and I love her. I love her…but I hate her. I hate her so much…so…” I was interrupted when Finn’s lips pressed against mine, momentarily rendering me stupid. I pointed my toes toward the sky to avoid my initial instinct which was to wrap my legs around him. It was so consuming that I momentarily forgot to fight him off, but I didn’t need to, he pulled his lips from mine.

“Stop doing that,” I said. I pushed him off but he stayed between my legs, his hands on my bare back just under the hem of his big t-shirt I was wearing. His gaze hardened. I could see the conflict written in his lined forehead and the deep V between his eyes. I had no doubt the conflict had everything to do with me.

And kissing me.

“It’s your fault that I do it,” Finn said, his voice deep and smooth against my chin and then my neck.

“So that’s your plan? Kiss me every time you want to shut me up?” I asked, still feeling every bit of my anger but also feeling something else. Something that sent tingles between my legs and an ache in my core. “Thank you for saving me. Really. Thank you. I appreciate it,” my voice cracked. “But you can just leave me alone now. And please, STOP kissing me.” My words a whisper.

“I’m going to kiss you whenever I want to kiss you,” Finn stated as if I didn’t have a say in the matter.

The early morning sunlight highlighted the beads of sweat trickling from his shoulders down his broad chest and across the valleys of his defined abs. He was standing so close that we were breathing in each other’s air.

“Whenever you want to kiss me?” I laughed. “I don’t understand you. I don’t understand any of this. You’re always mad at me. Why did you save me? Why do you keep kissing me when you’re always mad at me?”

“It’s when I’m pissed off at you that I want to kiss you the most,” Finn said, his voice flowing over my skin like a silky blanket. He slid me closer so I could feel the outline of his rigid erection as if he were proving a point. He lowered his lips to mine and consumed my mouth in a greedy kiss that had me shaking with need and spinning with confusion.

“Do you always kiss everyone you hate?” I asked, yanking my lips from his.

“Does this feel like hate to you?” he growled pushing his hard length between my legs.

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Michel’s Review

It’s a crazy coincidence that The Outskirts by T.M. Frazier released the same day Hurricane Irma decided to unleash her fury on Florida.  The southerly part of Florida experienced the fury of mother nature while readers were introduced to small town Floridian life near the swamps of the Everglades and Naples.  When most people think of Florida they quickly envision the coastal beaches, high energy cities, and theme park magic but beyond those perceptions are tight knit small town communities that thrive on fishing and the enterprise it’s vast environment provides.  These small towns don’t depend on tourism and the other venues of business to survive.  They depend on one another and their community as a whole.  Many towns like the Outskirts were destroyed by the wrath of mother nature but T.M. Frazier captured their spirit and clearly showed their true grit and strength of survival long after the storm winds have diminished.  Readers will be charmed with the dynamic people that give the Outskirts life.

Sawyer Dixon escaped her life in North Carolina after the death of her mother.  Her mother left her a deed for a piece of land in the swamps of Outskirt, Florida.  It was all the permission Sawyer needed to escape her abusive father and the church that ruled her life. It didn’t matter that she had never stepped outside her religious community nor did it matter that she didn’t know a living soul in her new home.  It was freedom.

Coming to the Outskirts was an eye opener.  For one thing, the town is almost a ghost town.  The job opportunities are void.  Her new neighbor is hostile.  The town sheriff is determined to help her in anyway possible.  The only bar/restaurant is willing to hire her without any experience.  No one seems to know who her mother was but it is clear that her mother was very much a part of this community years ago.  Sawyer sees every aspect of the Outskirts as an opportunity in her new life.

Finn Hollis, an Outskirts notorious citizen, has lost himself after experiencing a life changing tragedy.  He retreated to the swamps and withdrew from the living until Sawyer Dixon showed up in his swamp.  Suddenly he’s discovering that life goes on and he may want to jump back in.  Sawyer’s determination, innocence, and tenacity awakens his desire and need to protect.  She has earned his respect and is quickly winning his heart.

They are both beginning new lives in the Outskirts but trouble is rolling in.  Cliffhanger.

T.M. Frazier captured the spirit of small town life in Florida as well as delivering a sensual, heartwarming romance that is loaded with intrigue and suspense.  I can’t wait to see what happens next!

__________________________________________

About the Author:

T.M.Frazier is a USA TODAY bestselling author. She resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and her young daughter.

When she’s not writing she loves talking to her readers, country music, reading and traveling. Her debut novel, The Dark Light of Day was published in September of 2013 and when she started writing it she intended for it to be a light beachy romance.

Well…it has a beach in it!

TMFrazier

Connect with T.M. Frazier:

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

Twitter: @TM_Frazier

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http://www.tmfrazierbooks.com

New Release + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Tripped Out by Lorelei James – A Blacktop Cowboys Novella

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From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lorelei James, comes TRIPPED OUT, a new novella in her Blacktop Cowboys Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today!

 

 

About TRIPPED OUT:

Where there’s smoke…

Stirling Gradsky abandoned the corporate rat race for a more laidback lifestyle. So it’s ironic she’s stuck working with a hard-bodied, know-it-all scientist who treats her like a stoner instead of a stone cold business woman capable of running a large scale cannabis operation. Dr. Hot and Tattooed with the big…brain needs to stop sampling their product; he’s under the half-baked idea that he’s the boss.

Dr. Liam Argent’s doctorate isn’t in chemistry, but from the moment he meets his sexy new coworker, there’s enough heat between them to short out all the lights in the grow house. First item on his agenda? Clearing up the sassy, blunt blonde’s hazy notion that she’s in charge.

Sparks fly as their attraction blazes. But can they weed out their differences without getting burned?

 

 

 

Grab your copy of TRIPPED OUT today!

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Excerpt

It was just her luck that she lost her balance as she slipped on her cowgirl boot, falling sideways into the coat tree, knocking it over with a spectacular crash.

So much for her stealth exit.

Liam raced around the corner. “Stirling? Are you…”

“Leaving? Yes. Get some rest, Dr. Argent. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

His eyes narrowed. “You’re pissed off at me.”

“What makes you think that?”

“You called me Dr. Argent.”

“It is your name, as you’ve repeatedly reminded me over the past ten months. Anyway, I’m not pissed off because you don’t want to discuss your past with me. It’s your choice. I’m not the type to nag or beg. But relationships require a level of trust from both parties, otherwise it’s superficial. I’ve had enough of that, so I’ll pass if that’s all you’re prepared to offer me.” She bent down to retrieve her boot….and found herself airborne with Liam’s shoulder in her stomach as he carried her in a fireman’s hold into the living room.

Stirling was so stunned by his caveman behavior she couldn’t speak.

Liam laid her on the couch and stretched out on top of her, preventing her escape.

The smart man had pinned her legs so she couldn’t knee him in the balls, either.

So she glared at him. She’d said her piece; in fact, she’d probably said far too much.

“Did you mean it?” he demanded.

“Mean what? Mean to leave? Yes.”

“No. Did you mean it that we’re in a relationship?”

The vulnerability in his eyes just…slayed her. “The pranks, the bickering, the one-upmanship… We’ve been in a relationship since day one, Dr. Dumbass. An adversarial relationship, sort of fucked-up, to be honest. But in that time… Have I permeated your thoughts to the point you aren’t sure if you want to strangle me or if you want to f*ck me? Do you have entire conversations in your head about what clever remarks you’ll toss off the next time you run into me? Or maybe you plan to cross my path just so we can have a snarky back and forth? Does your heart race when you see me? Do you imagine shutting my smart mouth with a steamy kiss? Do you fantasize about storming into my office, locking the door, bending me over my desk, fucking me in silence until we both explode, and then leaving without saying a word?”

“Yes.”

“Yes to what?”

“Yes to all of it.”

 ****

 

Michel’s Review

Leave it to Lorelei James to deliver a creative romance with sensitive and somewhat “controversial” subject matter.  Not many authors have been brave enough to dive into the world of the legal Cannabis Industry.  While the subject is controversial and illegal in many states, it is a reality in today’s modern world.  Lorelei shows both the pharmaceutical and recreational side of the business as well as the regulatory and monetary operational side. Aside from it being a fun, entertaining, sexy romance I also found this book educational since I live in a state where it is still completely illegal.

Stirling Gradsky and Dr. Liam Argent are adversaries but they are also alike in many ways. Their ideas for the operation and production for business vary but their bottom line is the same.  They both want to produce the best product on the market and make it profitable. Work place antics and practical jokes become their foreplay.  When they put aside their ego’s and stubbornness, their relationship takes a passionate and explosive turn.

Two nerds who are recreational potheads find love beyond the pop tart packaging.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and was thrilled to see some of the beloved characters from the The Blacktop Cowboys and Rough Riders series become a part of their world.

 

 

 

About Lorelei James:

Lorelei James is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary erotic western romances set in the modern day Wild West and also contemporary erotic romances. Lorelei’s books have been nominated for and won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s choice Award, as well as the CAPA Award. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota with her family…and a whole closet full of cow girl boots.

From Lorelei: “Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.”

 

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