Blog Tour + Excerpt + Giveaway : Genie by Kitty French

Posted on 03/06/2015 by shellbellereads

Feathers. Lies. Glitter. Secrets. Lust. Meet Genie Divine, the wise-cracking London show-girl on a hell-bent mission to save her beloved family theatre.
Now meet Abel Kingdom, the australian gym mogul determined to buy it out from underneath her.
On paper they have nothing in common, and when they meet, they have even less.
The only thing they DO have is chemistry. Undeniable, rip-my-clothes-off-and-do-me-now-against-the-wall chemistry.
He wants her theatre. She wants him dead.
The stage is set for an explosive summer…
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‘I’ve left my keys downstairs,’ she said. ‘There’s a spare in your

set.’

He frowned, fishing his keys out of his jeans. ‘I havea key to

your door?’

‘You did, until now,’ she corrected. ‘I’ll have it back, please.’

‘Do you have one for my door?’

Genie sighed. ‘Yes.’

‘Then you can have yours back when I have mine.’

He really was a world class wind-up, and her temper

flared. ‘Stop being a dick and give me my key, Abel.’

He flicked through the keys and identified the one for Genie’s

door, then stepped forward and slid it into the lock.

‘Don’t call me names when I’m helping you out,’ he admonished her silkily.

She half laughed at the absurdity of his statement. ‘You’re not helping me. You’re trying to take everything I have. Believe me, I’ve called you far, far worse in my head. Be glad you only heard dick and liar.

’‘I haven’t lied to you, Beauty,’ he said, after a heartbeat, his hand still on the keys in the door. ‘Not once.’

‘You’re lying to yourself too if you believe that, Abel,’ she said,

her words softened by his term of endearment. ‘I sawyou the first

time you came here. You were turned on watching me onstage.

And again, watching me tonight.’

‘You’re dead wrong,’ he muttered, his eyes nailed to her door.He was close to her, and she could almost feel the anger contained in his taut body.

She wasn’t wrong and she knew it, and she sensed that

this went to the core of him. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his chest and saw him close his eyes in silent resistance.

‘Is it so bad to be turned on by me like this, Abel?’ she said,

feeling his heart beating hard against her palm.

‘Don’t fuck with me, Genie,’ he ground out, pushing her door

open. ‘I mean it.’

It was one of those moments when sense goes out the window

and instinct takes over. Genie tugged at the belt of her robe and

shrugged it off, letting it fall to the floor in one fluid motion,

revealing her body in nothing but the nipple tassels and tiny crystal

g-string she’d left the stage wearing.

‘Is it so bad to want me when I look like this, Abel?’

He turned towards her and dropped his eyes, his palms scrubbing over his jaw as if he didn’t trust his hands if they weren’t occupied.

‘I told you not to fuck with me, Beauty,’ he breathed, almost

agonised, and she saw the exact, dangerous moment that his resolve snapped.

He shoved the keys into his pocket and then his hands were on her waist, lifting her up onto the hallway table, sending the lamp flying as he parted her thighs with his hip to let him in between them. Genie gasped when he tipped her chin back with his hand and dipped his head to her throat, the erotic drag of his hot and open mouth down her skin. The clean, aromatic scent of his hair surrounded her, dark silk falling over his brow as a

low, animalistic growl rattled through his chest.

Genie put her hands on either side of his stubbled jaw and lifted

his head to hers, desperate for his kiss yet still shocked by the

intensity of it when he finally gave it to her. Hard enough to bruise,

designed to punish, profoundly sexy. She gulped down air and

dragged his head down again when he lifted it, his crotch hard in

hers as he clamped her against him with his hand splayed on her

back, his other hand cupping the back of her neck. He held her as a

man holds a woman he adores, and he kissed her as a man kisses a

woman he needs to fuck more than he needs to breathe.

Her hands moved under the bottom of his tee shirt, and he

broke off for the briefest of seconds to drag it over his head before

pulling her into him again, skin to skin. The sensation blindsided

her; the heat and the beauty of him. Tanned deep bronze in the

way that only a man who spends his life out in the sunshine can be,

with a fine trail of dark hair traced on his midriff that she wanted to

follow all the way down into his jeans. His hands move to cover and

cup her breasts, making her moan into his mouth.

‘I warned you not to fuck with me…’ he muttered again, still

angry even as his mouth gentled over her jaw, grazing the skin

beneath her ear, drifted over her collarbones to the swell

of her breasts in his hands, somehow lewder for the scant cover provided by the crystal tassels than if she’d been naked.

‘You’re covered in fucking glitter,’ he spoke against her skin as

he dragged her hips forward to the edge of the table and trailed his

tongue over the top curves of her breasts. ‘You too,’ she whispered,

smoothing her fingers over the gold dust that had transferred itself

onto his shoulders, his cheekbones, his abs.

She drew in a shuddering breath when Abel lowered his head

and licked around the edges of the sequinned tassels. No man had

ever touched her in costume like this before. Having his mouth slide

around the tassels was just about the sexiest thing she’d ever seen

or felt, and her body screamed for his tongue over her nipples.

‘Take these off,’ he said, tugging lightly on the tasselled ends,

his restless mouth roaming the curves her breasts. ‘Ineed to taste

all of you.’

Genie groaned with frustration, wanting him to see her too.

‘They don’t come off easily.’

Abel grumbled low in his chest, like an animal denied

his dinner. Genie understood; she wanted him to feast on her just

as much.

‘And this?’ he said, bending to kiss his way down her

stomach and lick along the top edge of the crystal g-string. ‘Is this welded on too?’

She shook her head, although he hadn’t waited for her

reply in any case. He’d already dropped to his haunches, his

fingers splayed on her inner thighs, holding her open. His hands wer

e firm and tanned against the smooth ivory of her skin. He move

d the barely- there barrier of her g-string aside with one finger and studied her, intent and intense, his lips parted just enough for Genie to be able

to feel the warmth of his breath between her legs.

Genie’s heart stopped beating for a few seconds. She’d thought

that she’d wanted him to touch her in the lift, but nowhere near as

much as she wanted him to put his mouth on her now. And then he

did, slow, warm and sure, the sweep of his eyelashes dark on his

cheek, his earlier restlessness replaced by unhurried sensuousness;

pure gold. Watching him, she smoothed her fingers over his hair, saw each stroke of his tongue a second before the sensation hit her

flesh.

The first orgasm Abel had given her had been urgent and extreme, driven by the need for speed. Tonight he took his sweet time, paying attention to her reactions, licking her slowly, circling his tongue harder when it made her fingers grab into his hair to rock herself onto his mouth for more. She lost focus when he laughed, low and sexy, then eased his fingers inside

her, drawing her clitoris into his mouth. He had her and he knew it, holding her in his mouth as her muscles jerked and she dug her fingernails into the smooth bulk of his warm, sports-star shoulders.

His breathing was almost as shallow as hers for a few seconds,

and he turned his face to drift barely there kisses a long her inner

thigh before rising to his feet. His cock strained hard against his

jeans, but he caught hold of her hand when she reached down to

release him.

‘Go to bed, Beauty.’

‘Come with me?’ she asked, quiet, wanting him, wanti

ng to give to him as he’d given to her.

Abel shook his head, and Genie could feel him retreating

even though he was as standing as close as he could possibly be.

‘That’s not how this is gonna go.’

Confusion clouded her mind. She couldn’t get the measu

re of him. He wanted sex with her really, really badly. He might not have

said it with words, but his cock couldn’t lie.

‘How is it going to go then, Abel? You get to help yourself to my

body but I don’t get yours?’

‘Don’t pretend you didn’t like it,’ he said. ‘You were the one who

took your clothes off, lady. I took it that you needed servicing.’

‘Needed servicing?’ she said, repeating his dumb insult because

it took her by surprise so much.

‘You heard me right.’ He scooped her forwards off the

table with his warm hands on her ass and set her down on her feet. ‘And now you’ve been serviced, so we can both go and get some sleep.’

Genie hated that the sound that left her lungs sounded like a

strangled cat, but it was all she could manage, to articulate the rage

and frustration and loathing that formed in her chest as Abel

touched his fingers to his brow in mock salute and disappeared into

his apartment without glancing back.

Inside his front door, Abel kicked the nearest chair so hard it flew across the room and made for the shower. Again.

Inside her front door, Genie heard the smash. Half of her wanted to

go and force him to take what he so obviously needed. The other

half of her wanted to smash something herself, preferably

something heavy over Abel Kingdom’s stupid, beautiful head.

USA Today Bestselling author Kitty French is a total romance junkie; she loves to read it, watch it, and most of all to write it. Her sizzling Lucien Knight trilogy topped the amazon erotic charts on both sides of the Atlantic ~ everyone went crazy for Lucien
Knight, the wise cracking Viking sex god who can melt underwear from ten paces away.
Kitty lives in England with her husband and two young sons, and she is mildly addicted to fairy lights, wine and stationery.
She also writes romantic comedy for HarperCollins under thepseudonym Kat French.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
TWITTER https://twitter.com/kittysbooks
FACEBOOK http://on.fb.me/1LDc4hA
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6 Star Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: Three Two One by JA Huss

Posted on 02/02/2015 by shellbellereads

Three Two One

Dark Suspense / Erotic Romance

Stand Alone Novel- Non traditional M/F/M Romance

By JA Huss

Synopsis

ONE GIRL

Battered, barefoot, and huddled under a bookstore awning in the pouring rain, Blue only knows one thing. After fifteen months of captivity, finally… she is free.

TWO FRIENDS

Self-made millionaires JD and Ark are not out to save anyone when they stumble upon a wet and shivering girl one early Sunday morning. But when you sell sex for a living and salvation rings your bell… you answer the call.

THREE SOULMATES

After years of searching, love lifts the veil of darkness, and three people—with three very big secrets—find themselves bound together in a relationship that defies the odds.

Or does it?

Love. Lust. Sex.

This trinity might be perfection… but not everything should come in threes.

WARNING: This is a STANDALONE non-traditional M/F/M ROMANCE with a non-traditional ending.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Excerpt

Who is this man?
How did I get from where I was to where I am?
Why do I constantly have to ask myself this question?
“Did you like school growing up, Blue?”
“You’re out of questions. You owe me, I don’t owe you.”
His laugh makes his chest rumble beneath my back. “You’re right. I do. But we’ve got all day, so let’s just talk for now. High school. Yes or no?”
I let out a long breath and try to enjoy the intimacy he’s offering. I don’t get a lot of offers. “Yes, I liked school.”
“Were you smart? Did you get good grades?”
“Yes.”
“And what did you want to be when you grew up?”
And there it is. He’s pretty good at this, I have to give him credit for that. He’s asking questions about the distant past so he can draw conclusions about the present.
“It’s not a hard question.”
“What did you want to be?” I ask, not to be a bitch and throw it back in his face, but because I’m interested. “King of Public Porn was something you aspired to?”
“Believe it or not, I wanted to be a soldier. A Navy SEAL.”
“Hmmm. Tough one. It’s like me saying I wanted to be a novelist.” I look over my shoulder a little so I can get a peek at his face. But he surprises me by resting his scratchy chin on my shoulder, making the moment even more intimate than it was.
“Huh. I don’t see the connection.”
I roll my eyes even though he can’t see them. “It’s a dream people have. The reality of it is so much bullshit.”
“Because it’s hard to make it to the finish line?”
“Are you a Navy SEAL?”
“Are you a novelist?”
“No, that’s my point. It’s just a dream.”
“Do you even write?” His hands slide up my front and cup my breasts. He squeezes them hard and the familiar throbbing begins between my legs. Goddamn, this guy is good. Always got his eye on the prize. And how the fuck did sex with him become a treat I desire instead of the other way around? How did he do that? Make me want him so thoroughly?
“Blue?”
I let out a long breath, hoping to calm the rising storm building inside me. But the heat of the water, and the heat of his body, and the heat of my own desire are all I can think about. So instead of evading, and because I want him to fuck me so badly, and at this point I realize he knew that denying me last night would make me even more susceptible this morning… I answer him with the truth. “I do.”
“Mmm,” he says, his hands rubbing down the inside of my thighs. They dip so low, I can feel the water swirl around my clit.
This makes me gasp a little, and for a fraction of a second, I’m embarrassed. But then the little swirls of water are back and that’s all I can think about.
“Fuck me,” I whisper.
“What do you write, Blue?” he asks like a man in control.
“Stories,” I say, like a woman on the edge of sexual frustration madness.
“Where can I read one?”
“Fuck me.”
“If I fuck you, will you let me read one?”
I turn around in the tub and look him in the eyes. They are knowing. Like they know I’m his. “Fuck me like you’d fuck your wife on her wedding night.”
“And you’ll give me a story?”
I nod. “I promise.” It comes out as a whisper.
He leans down and kisses me. His hand cups the side of my face and I turn into him even more. My leg hits his erection and that makes him claim my mouth harder. His tongue pushes inside, searching. Like he’s seeking the truth and it can only be found by twining ourselves together.

Michel’s Review

Wow! JA Huss has done it again! Three Two One was beyond exceptional ! The character dynamics, the deep seated lust, the dark theme, and the intense suspense kept me glued to the pages. I could not put this book down. There was never a moment of predictability. Each character was deliciously flawed. Their relationship was unique and heartfelt. Their moment of truth was devastating. In the end it left the readers stunned but satisfied with the outcome of this extraordinary book.

Not everything should come in threes.

I have read many menage themed books. In most cases I became bored with this type of book pretty quickly. I found that most of these books focused on the sex and did not build a convincing case that three people could make a successful relationship. I struggle with two alpha males sharing one woman because it is not typically in their nature. Most alpha males are the “MINE” kind of guys.

Three Two One was convincing. It was realistic. I could understand the characters motivations, drives, and desires. I felt their deep connections. I also felt their fears and apprehensions. I could see the rivalry, resentments, insecurities, and complete surrender.

JA Huss did a wonderful job allowing the readers to get inside each of the characters heads. It made their story much more credible. The lust, desire, and sex scenes were sizzling hot. But what was so amazing about these three people was the love and romance they shared. At the same time she built a dark, seedy, mysterious plot that would eventually tear their world to pieces.

Words cannot describe how good this book was. JA Huss is a brilliant writer!

Read Three Two One for an amazing reading experience.

Author Bio:

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

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

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Love Bites by Rachel K. Burke

Posted on 01/26/2015 by shellbellereads

Love Bites

By Rachel K. Burke

Synopsis

What do you do when you fall in love with your best friend’s boyfriend?

That is the question that twenty-six year-old Justine Sterling has been asking herself ever since the day she met David Whitman, her best friend Renee’s boyfriend. Justine is determined to ignore her growing feelings for the irresistibly charming David, until one night, when she finds herself in the bed of the one person she should stay away from.

When Justine and David’s affair ends in heartbreak, Justine is forced to repair the damaged friendship with her best friend. In doing so, she learns that right and wrong decisions aren’t always black and white, and sometimes you have to follow your heart to see where it leads.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks

Michel’s Review

Love Bites by Rachel K. Burke is more than your typical angsty New Adult Romance. It is a story of learning to live after the heartbreak. It is a story of forgiveness, soul searching, and hope.

Justine Sterling broke the ultimate rule. She fell in love with the wrong guy. She fell in love with her best friend’s boyfriend. The devastation that comes from breaking this rule could be the the worst thing Justine has ever done or it could be the best thing she has done. Depending on how you look at the situation, either way Justine learned a lot of life lessons.

This story focuses more on what happened after she broke up with her boyfriend. The emotional journey Justine has to go through before she finally finds herself and love once again is something all of us has experienced in our lifetimes. Sometimes we focus on the past instead of seeing what is right in front of our eyes.

Love Bites was very well written. The characters were well developed and easy to relate to. The pacing in this book was a bit slow and I found quite a bit of repetitive passages. Overall it is a good book and I would recommend it. I am looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Author Bio:

Rachel discovered she wanted to be a writer at the age of ten, when her love of R.L. Stine murder mystery novels inspired her to start writing her own.

In 2008, she began freelance writing for several magazines including Prevention, Jamsbio and Worcester Magazine.

Rachel graduated from Bridgewater University in 2011 with a B.A. in Communications and Media Studies. She currently resides in Santa Monica, CA.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

The author will be giving away (1) Swag Bag and (1) $25 Amazon Gift Card. If you would like to offer the giveaway with your post, please use the Rafflecopter code below.

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Review: Justified by Aurora Rose Reynolds- Alfha Series- Book 1

Posted on 12/15/2014 by shellbellereads

Justified

Alfha Series – Book 1

By Aurora Rose Reynolds

Synopsis

After the first sighting, he’s fascinated.

After the first smile, he’s infatuated.

By the first kiss, he’s obsessed.

Nolan sees Chloe through a window of a bakery in downtown Manhattan. At first sight, something about her calls to a piece of him he thought was lost. Without thinking, he begins watching her, and when the moment presents itself, he strikes, claiming Chloe for himself.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Michel’s Review

Looking for a quick read during this busy time of year? Looking for a hot alpha and a sweet woman that can wrap the hot alpha around her little finger? Looking for a steamy romance with scorching love scenes? Look no more! Justified by Aurora Rose Reynolds has all this and more!

Do you believe in love at first sight? Nolan didn’t until he saw Chloe working in the bakery. One look and he knew he had to have her. He was determined to dominate Chloe no matter what. Lucky for him that Chloe’s feelings were mutual.

From this point on the sizzling hot chemistry and scorching love scenes will burn up your ereader.

Justified is the perfect short book to read during this busy season. Warning… this book may make you combust!

Aurora Rose Reynolds never disappoints!

About Aurora Rose Reynolds

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

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: I Belong To You by Lisa Renee Jones- Inside Out Series- Book 5

Posted on 11/28/2014 by shellbellereads

I Belong To You

Inside Out Series- Book 5

By Lisa Renee Jones

Synopsis

Master…

Being that person, that man, is how I define myself, how I allow the

rest of the world to define me as well. And now, with a terrible loss

shredding me inside out and someone trying to destroy my family to

punish me, control is more important than ever. It is everything. It is

what I need. It is all I need. Or maybe I just need…her.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Excerpt

“Mark.”

I squeeze my eyes shut as Crystal’s voice stirs an odd sensation in my chest that somehow eases the ache in my gut. Desire rockets through me, and I tell myself it’s about fucking and control. I need it, and she’s my safe zone outside of the club.

“Are you okay?” she asks when I do not speak.

When our gazes meet the jolt is as unwelcome as it is intense. She feels it, too. I see it in the slight widening of her eyes, the way she curls her fingers into her palms on the counter across from me.

“You were furious with me a few minutes ago,” I say. “Why are you standing here now?”

“I’m not one-dimensional. I can be furious and worried at the same time.”

Unable to squash my intrigue over the unknowns of her past, I agree. “No, you aren’t one-dimensional. Nor are you simply a rich girl who wants to prove something to daddy.”

“Thank you.” She crinkles her brow. “I think.”

We fall into silence, a hum of electricity charging between us. “I still go back to you saying ‘The End’ to me a few minutes ago. You meant it this time, too. That doesn’t translate to you standing here.”

“Neither does much of what you do, where I’m concerned.”

“You’re absolutely right. It doesn’t. What does, though, is sticking to ‘The End.’ What doesn’t is how badly I want to drag you into another room and fuck you right now.”

She shakes her head. “It’s not me you want. It’s someone who’ll sign a contract and be your outlet and bridge to control. You left that bedroom thinking about the impossibility of a reason for Rebecca’s death, beyond your self-blame and guilt. You need that bridge.”

There is banked pain lacing her words, and a hint of the earlier anger I’d seen in her eyes. I could make those things go away by telling her what she’s said isn’t true. I could tell her she’s gotten under my skin. But I don’t even know who the man beneath the surface is right now. I’ve destroyed two women. Crystal doesn’t deserve to be number three.

“Is everything okay?” my father asks from the doorway, repeating Crystal’s earlier words.

“Yes,” I say, my gaze lingering on Crystal before I push off the counter, hands going to my hips. “We’re ready to talk to Mom about what’s been going on.”

“We are?” Crystal asks, sounding surprised. “Tonight?”

“We can’t risk her finding out from somewhere else,” I explain.

“She’d feel betrayed,” my father adds.

Crystal gives a choppy nod. “Yes. I can see that. But I am not looking forward to telling her.”

“None of us are,” my father says. “Right now, though, she wants us all to eat together. And since it’s the best chance we have of getting some food down her, I say we wait until after we’ve finished. I don’t want to jeopardize her appetite.”

“I’m all for getting food down her,” I say. “She’s skin and bones.”

“I’ve been force-feeding her what she does eat,” Crystal adds. “The nurse suggested some high-calorie protein shakes. I tried that, but she hates them.”

My father starts to turn, then pauses. “By the way, Crystal, Larry Prescot called me just before you got here. You won him over. Thanks for calming him down before he got to Dana.”

“My pleasure.”

He disappears into the hallway and I grab Crystal’s arm. “How okay is Prescot?”

“Very.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I threw out my father’s name—something that I normally would never do.”

“But?”

“I was on the phone with my father when the receptionist buzzed to tell me that Prescot had arrived for our meeting. My father overheard and insisted that I drop his name. I reminded him that I’m adamant about succeeding on my own merits. But I’m also not one to foolishly ignore resources when backed into a corner, and I was. Prescot was being a total jerk. I knew we were about to lose the business.”

“So you broke your rule.”

“I did. And it was an amazing turnaround. Prescot suddenly remembered the many ways people have tried to paint him as a monster in the media, and became sympathetic rather than judgmental. I called my father afterward, and it turns out that Prescot enjoys the benefits of his secretary beyond her exceptional organizational skills, and his wife of twenty years doesn’t know.”

“But your father does.”

“Yes. And now, so do we.”

My lips curve. “Sounds like I owe you and your father a thank-you.”

“All you’d get in return from my father is a demand that I quit my job. He hates me working for anyone but him, especially now with all this bad press.”

“Is he afraid it will overflow to him?”

“No. He’s afraid I’ll get hurt.”

Me too, I think. Me too. “And what did you tell him?”

“I told him I’m his daughter, not his possession. He doesn’t own me any more than you do, and neither of you gets to claim responsibility for my happiness. That’s all mine.”

As she leaves the room, I stare after her in silent agreement. I’m not responsible for her happiness. But I’m not going to be responsible for her misery, either.

Tracey’s Review

some of my favorite books, filled with twists and turns, mysteries, romance, intrigue, and danger. It is literally hard for me to put these books down when I’m reading them, because they are just so compelling. Lisa Renee writes great characters, angsty and real, that draw me in to their worlds, and storylines that hook me every single time. I BELONG TO YOU, the final chapter in Mark Compton’s and Crystal Smith’s story, was no exception.

Over the course of the series, we have come to see the different sides of Mark, but he has always been, without exception, in control. He is a Master, after all, careful to keep his emotions in check, even to the point of losing his beloved Rebecca because of it. In the novellas THE MASTER UNDONE and MY CONTROL, we began to see glimpses of a different Mark Compton, as his relationship with Crystal Smith awakened feelings in him that he kept buried deep down. Crystal also has a past that shaped her and made her a woman determined to forge her own way. She challenges Mark in every way, in the workplace and in the bedroom, refusing to hand over control.

I did not particularly like Mark in previous books. He was aloof, condescending, and very much in charge, and he took great pleasure in letting everyone know that he was the boss. Recently, though, the realization that his actions with Rebecca put her in a position that led to her death, and his feelings of helplessness around his mother’s illness have begun to change him. As his relationship with Crystal evolves and they become a real couple, learning each others’ secrets and earning each others’ trust, Mark emerges as the man that he likely would have been all along, if his past hadn’t taken such a painful turn. This is a Mark Compton that I could actually appreciate, as he has finally come to a place of peace.

Lisa Renee has done a nice job of weaving all of the pieces of this series together to get to the point where we understand the cause of each character’s pain, and are looking forward now to their continued growth. The final book in the series, ALL OF ME, releases in February 2015, and I am looking forward to seeing how she will wrap everything up for all the characters and answer any remaining questions. I would easily recommend both I BELONG TO YOU and the entire Inside Out series as some of my must-read books.

Inside Out – Reading Order

If I Were You – Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Being Me- Buy: Amaznon / Barnes and Noble

Revealing Us- Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

His Secrets: Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Rebecca’s Lost Journals Boxed Set (Includes Bk 3.1 & 3.3 and Master Undone)

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My Hunger- Book 3.4- Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

No In Between- Book 4 – Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

I Belong To You – Book 5 -Coming November 18, 2014

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble/ ITunes

All Of Me – Book 6 – Coming February 22, 2014 –

Pre Order : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.

Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show HERE

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

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Holiday Review Blog Tour + Giveaway: The Trouble With Christmas by Kaira Rouda

Posted on 11/19/2014 by shellbellereads

Trouble With Christmas

A Holiday Romance

By Kaira Rouda

Synopsis

At 35-years-old, Cole Stanton is burned out. His high-paced, uber-successful career has left him yearning to start over. He finds Indigo Island, buys a restaurant and settles into an uncomplicated life. But Christmas is a mess. He has over-committed the small restaurant’s resources again, and is over his head. He finds himself longing for everything he has left behind, until a chance encounter with gorgeous Lily offers a spark of salvation to his business and, perhaps his life.

Beautiful pastry chef Lily Edmonds is thirty years old and heartbroken. It’s just before Christmas and she’s just been dumped by via telephone by her fiancee. Her best friend Avery Putnam invites her to Indigo Island, hoping to add joy back into Lily’s life. A chance encounter with the sexy owner of a local restaurant makes Lily feel an attraction she thought she’d never feel again, and offers her a business challenge to keep her mind focused on something other than her broken heart.

Cole Stanton and Lily Edmonds are both starting over. Will the joy of the holiday season bring them together or will the troubles with Christmas push them apart?

Buy: Amazon

Michel’s Review

The Trouble With Christmas by Kaira Rouda was a charming southern holiday romance. This book is perfect for those who are foodies and appreciate the art of cooking. It is also perfect for those that enjoy a light romance with mature characters.

Pastry Chef Lily Edmonds has been dumped by her fiancé right before Christmas. Their long term relationship came to an end out of the blue. She is reeling from the shock, hurt by the betrayal, and dreading the holidays. Everyone has someone special to celebrate the holidays with. She feels like she is imposing on her friends by tagging along for the Putnam family holiday celebrations on Indigo Island.

Cole Stanton has moved to Indigo Island after experiencing a shocking blow that made him question his life and career choices. Indigo Island is place to start over and make a new life that helps people rather than destroys them. He has invested in a failing local restaurant. He is determined to help bring this business back to life. He is determined to make the other side of Indigo Island just as appealing as the tourist side.

When Cole and Lily meet by accident, they are instantly attracted to one another. Once they begin to get to know one another they realize they have a great deal in common. Cole has the drive and determination to rebuild the restaurant. Lily has the knowledge and know how to make their Christmas Dinner Special a success.

What starts out as a project to help Cole’s restaurant and local community turns into love. It also brings the entire Indigo Island together to celebrate the holidays.

The Trouble With Christmas was a lovely story about love and friendship. It focused on the best reasons for giving. It focused on friendship and community.

Kaira Rouda wrote a charming holiday romance.

Author Bio:

Kaira Rouda is an award-winning and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction. Her books include: Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs; Here, Home, Hope; All the Difference; In the Mirror; and the short story, A Mother’s Day. She lives in Southern California with her husband and four children and is at work on her next novel. Connect with her on Twitter, @KairaRouda, and on Facebook at Kaira Rouda Books. And of course, on Pinterest! For more about Kaira and her books, please visit her website KairaRouda.com.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Holiday Review Blog Tour + Giveaway: Holiday At Magnolia Bay by Tracy Solheim

Posted on 11/18/2014 by shellbellereads

Holiday At Magnolia Bay

A Holiday Romance

By Tracy Solheim

Synopsis

After a mission goes terribly wrong, ending in the death of a teammate, Navy Seal, Drew Lanham, is forced to take a leave from active-duty. Retreating to his godmother’s beach house in coastal Magnolia Bay, Drew plans to spend the three weeks R&R licking his wounds and catching some rays while the nightmares from his failed op fade. The last thing he wants to do is mingle with the locals. What he doesn’t count on is an early morning encounter with a goddess rising from the sea. His interest is piqued and his body put on alert when he finds out that same woman may or may not be after his godmother’s money.

Marine biologist, Jenna Huntley, has been searching her whole life for a place to call home and Magnolia Bay is that place. Unfortunately, she’s underutilizing her education giving tours at the town’s turtle rescue center. With the help of an octogenarian patroness, she maps out a proposal to develop a turtle hatchery on-site. Everything is going as planned until the older woman’s godson arrives. Suddenly, nothing is as it seems and Jenna’s future is hanging in the balance, with a sexy warrior pulling all the strings. Her natural tendency is to help the damaged hero, but she’s sworn off letting military men in her life ever again.

Will Drew and Jenna be able to put their pasts behind them and learn to trust their hearts long enough to enjoy their Holiday at Magnolia Bay?

Buy: Amazon

Holiday At Magnolia Bay was a very entertaining holiday romance. It had a fresh and original holiday theme that I think many readers are going to enjoy.

Drew Lanham has come to Magnolia Bay for some much needed down time after a mission has gone horribly wrong. Drew has been a Navy Seal for years and takes his call of duty to heart. After a mission he usually decompresses with fellow teammates by partying and sex. This time he needs something different. He needs a peaceful environment where he can get his head clear and come to terms with the fubar mission. He chose to spend his time with his eccentric godmother in Magnolia Bay.

When he meets marine biologist Jenna Huntley, he finds he is putting more than his Navy Seal career into perspective. He is changing his views on relationships, love, and sex. He is finding that he wants to get to know a woman outside of the bedroom.

Jenna Huntley was a military brat. She understands the demands and downfalls a military career can bring to those they love. She redirected her life to revolve around the one thing that brought her joy in her youth. The sea turtles at Magnolia Bay were one of the only things that stayed constant in her childhood. She has dedicated her career and life to protecting these turtles and is trying to build a sanctuary for them. With the help of Drew’s eccentric godmother, her dreams are finally going to come true.

Like the saying goes some things are too good to be true. Drew and Jenna will find that saying to come to life. But the good thing is they will find something that is better than what they hoped for. They will find the importance of love in all forms.

I really enjoyed this holiday romance. It had a fresh plot, charismatic characters, sizzling romance, and the holiday spirit. I highly recommend reading Holiday At Magnolia Bay to brighten your holiday spirits.

Author Bio:

Tracy Solheim is the international bestselling author of the Out of Bound Series for Penguin. Her books feature members of the fictitious Baltimore Blaze football team and the women who love them. In a previous life, Tracy wrote best sellers for Congress and was a freelance journalist for regional and national magazines. She’s a military brat who now makes her home in Johns Creek, Georgia, with her husband, their two children, a pesky Labrador retriever puppy and a horse named after her first novel. Her fifth book for Berkley, Back To Before, will be released in January. She also has a digital holiday novella for Tule Publishing’s Southern Born Books coming October 20. See what she’s up to at http://www.tracysolheim.com. Or on facebook at Tracy Solheim Books and Twitter at TracyKSolheim.

Website – Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: For Now by Chelsea M. Cameron- Rules of Love Series- Book 2

Posted on 11/18/2014 by shellbellereads

For Now

Rules of Love Series- Book 2

By Chelsea M. Cameron

Synopsis

Two people. A one-night stand. What could go wrong?

Javier Cruz definitely isn’t relationship material, but that suits Hazel Gellar just fine. She’s not a relationship girl and doesn’t plan on ever being one.

But after a mind-blowing, panty-ripping, bed-breaking night, she knows once isn’t going to be enough. Fortunately, Javi feels the same way. Soon, what started as just one night turns into a lot of nights, and Hazel doesn’t know what to do.

Will she and Javi make the choice to be together for longer than just right NOW?

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Michel’s Review

If you are looking for light hearted New Adult book, For Real by Chelsea M. Cameron is the ticket. For Real is the second book in the Rules of Love series. It can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order.

For Real is the story of two ordinary college students. They are not mired with past angst and regrets. This is a story of a love / hate relationship. We meet Hazel and Javier. Their best friends are dating and they are thrown together all the time. Rather than make it an easy and light friendship, the two are always picking at each other. They live to to get under each other’s skin and enjoy annoying one another. Beneath the surface they are attracted to one another.

One night they finally give in to their attraction. It starts off with a kiss and leads to much more after weeks of fighting with one another. What was meant to be a hook up ends up in a full blown relationship. Hazel and Javier don’t know what hit them.

For Real was a light fun read. The characters were realistic and enjoyable. Their banter and dialogue was witty. The way they antagonized one another was entertaining. Their chemistry was sizzling hot and made it very clear that they were perfect for one another.

I would recommend For Real by Chelsea M. Cameron. It takes the heaviness out of the day and delivers a delightful moment in reading.

Previous book in the series…

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AUTHOR INFORMATION

Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world’s worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman). She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Beholden by Corinne Michaels- The Belonging Duet- Book 2

Posted on 10/31/2014 by shellbellereads

Title: Beholden (Book Two in the Belonging Duet)

Author: Corinne Michaels

Release Date: October 22, 2014

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Catherine Pope got a second chance at love, only to have it ripped away—again. She should’ve known better.

But she dared to hope.

She refuses to let fate take the reins this time. Catherine decides she’s going to fight.

Jackson Cole risked it all.

He thought this time would be different.

With his loyalties pulling him in two directions—it’s time to make a choice…his past or his future.

Will they be beholden to their fears or will they both fight against their demons and finally find the love they both long for?

Kelley’s Review

Corinne Michaels delivers laughter, love, and tears with a story that will stay with you many days, weeks, and months down the road.

Jackson Cole is a complex man. He has a lot of secrets and has been through hell and back during his military career and while running his private security business. He has lost several friends and fellow soldiers and blames himself for it. When his best friend Aaron dies Jackson loses his mind and has to go bring him home. Jackson pushes Catherine away just as she finally opened herself up to love again. He walks away and does it in the name of protecting her and himself from heartbreak.

This part of the book nearly destroyed me. I was sobbing like a baby. No this can’t be happening and just when you feel like you can breathe again tragedy strikes and it is Jackson this time who is fighting for his life. This is only one bump in the road though. This story takes another plot twist that rips the rug out from under you. My head was spinning. Corinne shows us what it is like to have the love you need from very close friends when you feel like your world has come to an end and you are trying to pick up the pieces. Gretchen and Ashton become Catherine’s rock and between the tears Corinne has me laughing at the girls silly antics and their made up vocabulary with words like “twunt”. That is so something that my two best friends and I would have made up. The bond between Catherine, Ashton, and Gretchen reminded me of my two best friends of 20+ years and what life was like way back when before kids and messy divorces and perhaps that is why I connected so much with this story.

I really enjoyed the flip-flop of this story as well. Normally the female heroine leaves everything behind to run off into the sunset with the alpha male hero. Not this time. Corinne does something a little different and I have to say that the conclusion of Catherine and Jackson’s story was quite refreshing. I also adored the epilogue. You really get to see Catherine and Jackson and their witty banter years down the road along with Catherine’s antics to drive Jackson crazy. I loved their happily ever after.

Once again I reiterate I was engrossed in Beloved and Beholden for four days from the minute the kids went to bed until at least midnight each night. I had to see what was going to happen next. The chemistry was scorching hot between Catherine and Jackson and they had so many hurdles to jump and obstacles to overcome that I could not put these books down until I literally passed our from exhaustion. Thanks again for letting me ready your stories Corinne. I am really looking forward to reading whatever you have in store for us next.

Beloved (Book One in the Belonging Duet)

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Not enough.

Catherine Pope has never been enough. Every man she has ever loved abandoned her—from her father to her fiancé. She finally accepted the fact she would never be enough to hold any man’s heart and soul.

Then Catherine met Jackson Cole.

When her world literally collided with the sexy former Navy SEAL, everything she always believed is turned upside down and left scattered. He made her feel alive and desirable, consumed her with fierceness and loyalty—which completely unnerved her. Jackson got her in a way no one ever had, giving him the power to destroy her.

If she breaks down and gives him what’s left of her battered heart—will he protect it? Or will Catherine become an irrelevant part of yet another man’s life?

Will she get the one thing that has always evaded her – to finally be someone’s beloved?

Kelley’s Review

Corinne has a bright future ahead of her as an author. For a first read this book blew me away. The emotions that Corinne evoked in me are beyond words. Four days from when the kids went to bed until sometimes midnight or later I was engrossed in Catherine and Jackson’s story. The dishes and laundry piled up and my house looks like a team of football players ransacked it but it was so worth it. Now I am cleaning the house wonder when we will get Ashton and Mark’s story because I already miss Catherine and Jackson so much.

Catherine Pope has worked really hard to make a career for herself as a publicist. She is engaged and about to be married and is so excited to start a new adventure with Neil that is until she shows up as his apartment with their wedding invitations and finds him banging one of her friends. That about does Catherine in. She never in a million years would have seen that coming. She never felt she was good enough for anyone after her father left when she was only nine years old. She remembers the day he left like it was yesterday.

Jackson Cole is a bit of a mystery in Beloved. He is a handsome flirt and while Catherine is out with her girls drowning her sorrows she just happens to fall into his lap. One look at Catherine and Jackson is entranced. He tries to get her to stay for a drink but she runs off. He never expects to find out that his company Raven cosmetics hired her to be his personal publicist. Oh what a lucky man.

Corinne does an excellent job with character development when she really drags Catherine through the mud. Neil turns out to be a total scumbag and I seriously wanted to reach into my kindle and slap the crap out of him. Piper is a woman who readers will love to hate. She is Neil’s lover and loves to flaunt it in Catherine’s face.

Catherine and Jackson have a very rocky relationship as excess baggage takes hold of their relationship and spirals it out of control and just when it seems that all is right and good in the world again, tragedy strikes and it looks as if Catherine and Jackson might not get their happily ever after.

Thanks you soo much for letting me read your gifts to the world Corinne.

Corinne is an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. She’s happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife. After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness.

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Release Blitz +Blog Tour + Giveaway +Excerpt: Here With Me by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted on 10/23/2014 by shellbellereads

Here With Me

By Heidin McLaughlin

Synopsis

Ryley Clarke has grown up with the military in her blood, with both parents serving their country. Ryley knows the risks of being married to the military. But when the unthinkable happens, and her future husband is killed in action, Ryley can barely survive… until Evan’s twin brother, Nate, helps her pick up the pieces.

After serving on a special mission with the military for six years, Evan Archer returns home to find the unthinkable – the love of his life, Ryley Clarke – engaged to his brother, Nate. With Nate on deployment, Evan needs to figure out what happened in his absence, and more importantly, how to win Ryley back from the man he once considered his best friend, but now thinks of as his rival.

Buy: Amazon

AUTHOR INFORMATION

BIO:

Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell and two Parakeets.

During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she’s writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting court-side during either daughter’s basketball games.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Saucy Southern Readers

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Tag Archives: Blog Tour

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Giveaway : Genie by Kitty French

6 Star Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: Three Two One by JA Huss

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Love Bites by Rachel K. Burke

Review: Justified by Aurora Rose Reynolds- Alfha Series- Book 1

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: I Belong To You by Lisa Renee Jones- Inside Out Series- Book 5

Holiday Review Blog Tour + Giveaway: The Trouble With Christmas by Kaira Rouda

Holiday Review Blog Tour + Giveaway: Holiday At Magnolia Bay by Tracy Solheim

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: For Now by Chelsea M. Cameron- Rules of Love Series- Book 2

Two people. A one-night stand. What could go wrong?

Javier Cruz definitely isn’t relationship material, but that suits Hazel Gellar just fine. She’s not a relationship girl and doesn’t plan on ever being one.

But after a mind-blowing, panty-ripping, bed-breaking night, she knows once isn’t going to be enough. Fortunately, Javi feels the same way. Soon, what started as just one night turns into a lot of nights, and Hazel doesn’t know what to do.

Will she and Javi make the choice to be together for longer than just right NOW?

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Previous book in the series…

FOR REAL Buy Links:
Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Beholden by Corinne Michaels- The Belonging Duet- Book 2

Release Blitz +Blog Tour + Giveaway +Excerpt: Here With Me by Heidi McLaughlin

Here With Me

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Two people. A one-night stand. What could go wrong?

Javier Cruz definitely isn’t relationship material, but that suits Hazel Gellar just fine. She’s not a relationship girl and doesn’t plan on ever being one.

But after a mind-blowing, panty-ripping, bed-breaking night, she knows once isn’t going to be enough. Fortunately, Javi feels the same way. Soon, what started as just one night turns into a lot of nights, and Hazel doesn’t know what to do.

Will she and Javi make the choice to be together for longer than just right NOW?

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Previous book in the series…

FOR REAL Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

AUTHOR INFORMATION

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Here With Me

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FOR REAL Buy Links:
Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes