Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Break My Fall by Jessica Scott – Falling Series – Book 2

Posted on 02/15/2016 by shellbellereads

Break My Fall

Falling Series – Book 2

Genre: New Adult

By Jessica Scott

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Synopsis

Violence.
I’m addicted to it. It’s how I feel alive. It’s the only thing that’s real any more.
And now I have to sit around and discuss it like it’s physics or calculus. I can’t do it. I can’t pretend that it’s some sterile academic topic. Violence isn’t sterile. It isn’t calm. It’s pulsing. It’s alive.
It’s my drug.
Until I met Abby, I never wanted anything beyond the next fight. Never considered that I might finally find a way back to the land of the living.
Now? Now I find myself dreaming of a woman with golden eyes.
But I can never be with her. Because I am not whole. And I never will be again.
But I cannot stay away.
And loving her might finally be what breaks me.

Books in the Falling Series
Book 1: Before I Fall
Book 2: Break My Fall
Book 3: If I Fall (Forthcoming)

Excerpt

He’s watching me. I want to step closer to him but I can’t. I won’t.

Because I’m not blind to the darkness in Mr. Douglas. It’s there, just below the surface. Like a pot of water just before it boils.

The tension is back, now. A slow burning anger I should be getting as far away from as I possibly can.

“What?” I finally ask, needing something to break the spell between us.

“Why do you care why I got angry in class? You don’t even know my name.”

I narrow my eyes at him and open my mouth, then snap it closed, mirroring his earlier action. I didn’t expect the question and I have no idea how to answer.

Because in reality, I don’t have an answer for why I’m standing here at the moment.

Damn it.

My brain finally latches onto the first thing I come up with

“Wookie life debt. Payback for you helping me the other night.”

I try to leave then. Hoping that he’ll let me go and put all my curiosity away. For good.

“Hey.” His voice tugs at me to stop.

I won’t look at him now. Because I’m ashamed of what he’ll see if he looks into my eyes.

And I can’t stand the thought of him seeing the needful loneliness that has become my constant companion since Robert ripped my heart out and left it bleeding on the cobblestone sidewalk.

“What’s your name?” His voice is low and quiet. Steady now. Almost calm.

I turn, unable to avoid looking at him now.

It dawns on me that no, I don’t know his name.

I stand there for a moment, hesitant. The last time this happened, I fell too far, too fast.

This time will be different. Because I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.

It’s like standing too close to an electrical current.

The simplicity of the question is deceptively benign.

I’m drawn to him in a way that is unhealthy and dangerous. He’s already consuming my thoughts, drawing my attention away from the matter at hand and luring me down a dark corridor where only dark thoughts and whispered need twist together.

I hold up one hand, needing to break the spell or whatever is going on between us. My hand collides with his chest, and I am flush against the stark reminder of this man’s strength and power and capability to do violence.

There’s a small cut over his left eye, from the other night. Before the rational part of my brain kicks in, I brush my fingertips gently over the bruised and damaged skin.

He goes still beneath my touch. That full bottom lip opens a little. A tiny space, but I can feel the heat of his breath on my wrist.

His eyes are locked on mine. I’m trapped, unable to move. I’m not sure I want to. I’m furious for him but I’m frozen, burning where my fingers touch his skin.

I cannot move. Cannot look away.

“I’m Josh,” he whispers. An answer to an unasked question.

Michel’s Review

Break My Fall by Jessica Scott is the second book in the dynamic new adult, Falling Series. Unlike most new adult series, the Falling series features a unique cast of characters. These characters have experienced the trauma of war and are now trying to fit into society. They can’t relate to their college peers, they no longer fit in their former life in the army, and are holding on by a thread. The only thing that keeps them glued together is their rag tag group that hangs together at the bar owned by a former officer and soldier. The armed forces has used them up, spit them out, and offers very little to help them acclimate back into normal life. While most of their college peers are thinking about what frat party to attend or what paper is due next, they are running from their nightmares, trying to hold themselves together, and barely getting by. Each guy has their own means of coping and while it may be a quick fix, it is not the glue that is going to hold them together.

Josh Douglas is struggling with his new life. He’s attending one of the most elite colleges and yet he can’t escape his time in the army. He has seen and experienced the ugly side of war. He has watched his brothers die and or return home broken souls. He’s a broken soul himself. He no longer sleeps and thrives off of the thrill of fighting. The violence pumps up his adrenaline and makes him feel alive. The rest of the time he feels like he is a shell of a man he used to be. He’s lost his ability to connect with others. He’s lost his ability to function as a normal healthy red-blooded male. When he meets Abby Hilliard, he sees more than a quiet coed. He sees a woman that guards herself much like he does. On the surface she’s a beautiful and smart lady but beneath the surface she has her own demons. Demons that are just as threatening as his own.

Josh and Abby begin a guarded relationship that turns into one that opens up their souls. A relationship that gives them courage to open up. To allow themselves to feel the pain as well as feel the glories of love. Together they both find the hope they need to heal.

Jessica Scott writes a brutally honest love story. Her characters are the ordinary men and women we meet daily. What she does is gives the reader a view of what makes them special, the good and the bad. Her experience as an a career officer dealing with men and women suffering from PTSD and other life issues, makes each of her novels much more personal and dynamic. I truly sympathized with both Josh and Abby. Their ups and downs, the small victories and baby steps were very realistic. As I finished the Break My Fall I knew that they couldn’t be completely fixed but that they were going to be okay because they allowed the door to their souls to open.

The writing was engaging, emotional, and honest. Jessica Scott has once again touched my heart.

Read Break My Fall by Jessica Scott. It can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order.

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The Falling Series

Before I Fall

Falling Series – Book 1

Synopsis

Stay focused. Get a job. Save her father’s life.

Beth Lamont knows far too much about the harsh realities of life her gilded classmates have only read about in class. She’ll do whatever it takes to take care of her father, even if that means tutoring a guy like Noah – a guy who represents everything she hates about the war, soldiers and what the Army has done to her family.

Noah Warren doesn’t know how to be a student. All he knows is war. But he’s going to college now to fulfill a promise and he doesn’t break his promises. Except he doesn’t count on his tutor being drop dead gorgeous and distracting as hell. One look at Beth threatens to unravel the careful lies Noah has constructed around him.

A simple arrangement turns into something neither of them can deny. And a war that neither of them can forget could destroy them both.

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

Break My Fall

Falling Series – Book 2

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

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About Jessica Scott

USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She’s also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

Most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012. Learn More at http://www.jessicascott.net

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Cover Reveal: Hooker by Brooke Blaine – L. A. Liaisons Series – Book 2

Posted on 02/11/2016 by shellbellereads

Hooker

L. A. Liaisons Series – Book 2

By Brooke Blaine

Release Date: March 9, 2016

Synopsis:

Whoever said singles were missing out by not finding true love and getting married before the age of thirty had never experienced the sheer pleasure of nightly romantic comedy viewings in their underwear while eating one of Licked’s famous Crazy Cat Lady sundaes. Because life just doesn’t get better than that.

At least, it doesn’t for Shayne Callahan. It didn’t take more than a handful of broken hearts after college to solidify that she was better at pairing up those around her than herself. As a matchmaker at the elite HLS—Hook, Line, & Sinker Matchmaking Company—in the City of Angels, she has a knack for finding the other halves of even the most eccentric clients:

Sugar daddy with a foot fetish? Gross, but no problem.

A severe case of nudophobia? Match made before lunch.

But even the most happily independent of women can find their best-laid plans screeching to a halt when they meet that guy. For Shayne, that guy comes in the form of boyishly handsome, suspender-lovin’, dimple-poppin’ Nate Ryan on a pantsless (we’ll get to that later) Metro ride.

Of course, relationships can never be easy. Before the destined lovers can ride off into the sunset, they must overcome a power-hungry and sexual-punning boss, a celebrity scandal and cover-up, and let’s not forget Shayne’s dreadful foot-in-mouth disease—with which there can never be a happily ever after.

Will fate throw Shayne a freakin’ bone? Or will she be destined to live out her life as sexy(ish), single(ish), and L.A.’s finest Hooker (upper)?

Book Trailer

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About Brooke Blaine:

You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas.

She is the author of the international bestselling romantic comedy series, L.A. Liaisons (“Licked” and “Hooker), as well as Flash Point and The Desperate Man series. The latter, co-authored with Ella Frank, has scarred her conservative Southern family for life, bless their hearts.

If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find – just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for ten years.

Licked (L.A. Liaisons, #1)

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Tour + 5+ Star Review + Giveaway: To The Stars by Molly McAdams – Thatch Series – Book 2

Posted on 02/11/2016 by shellbellereads

We are so excited to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Molly McAdams’ TO THE STARS! TO THE STARS is a contemporary romance novel being published on February 9^thby HarperCollins’ William Morrow Impulse imprint and is the second novel in Molly’s Thatch Series.

To The Stars

To The Stars

Thatch Series – Book 2

By Molly McAdams

Grab Your Copy Today!

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About TO THE STARS:

In the second standalone book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Molly McAdams’ Thatch series, Knox Alexander must convince his long-time love Harlow Evans that they’re meant to be together.

He promised to wait for her.
She told him he was wasting his time.
Not waiting for him ended up being the biggest mistake of her life.

When they were younger, Knox Alexander swore to Harlow Evans that he would wait for her to turn eighteen so they could be together. But that was two and a half years away, and Harlow couldn’t ask him to give up all the fun and thrills of going away to college for her. As the years passed, Knox remained a constant in her life but when her eighteenth birthday came around, Harlow’s heart belonged to someone else.

Every day for the last four years, Harlow has been haunted by that fateful choice. And though he may appear unaffected by what happened in their past, Knox has always tried to fill the void Harlow left. But when he comes stumbling back into her life and refuses to leave, will Harlow finally let him into her heart…?

To The Stars - Tour Teaser 2

Excerpt

Despite the glimpse of the Collin I’d once loved, it only ended up being that—a glimpse. Over the next forty minutes I messed up too many times, and Collin’s anger with me continued to grow. I knew I could have done a better job at being the wife Collin thought I should be; I just couldn’t concentrate.

I could feel Knox’s eyes on me, and it was too easy to turn and find him. But I was terrified that if I looked at him, Collin would notice. Forcing myself to look away from what my soul reached for was draining and taking every ounce of focus I had. I knew I needed to get it together, I needed to start impressing Collin even; but Knox was there. There. As was Collin. And both were incredibly pissed-off. The only good part of the night was that Ren had already left with a girl my age.

“You know what I’m finding hilarious?” Collin asked as he pulled me away from the latest couple we’d been speaking with, his lips brushing my ear. “It seems like for the past hour I’ve had to convince people you love me. You’re holding yourself stiff and away from me, you seem distracted and your responses are delayed, and you’ve barely made eye contact with me. Now tell me, Harlow, why would I have to convince all these people that my wife loves me? Better yet, why would I have to try to convince myself that she still does?”

I froze. In the years of going through all this, in the years of him having sex with someone who couldn’t bear to look at him or take part in it, Collin had never questioned my love for him. Dread filled me, making it feel like there were hands gripping and twisting my stomach. His questioning something like this would end horribly. “Collin, don’t be ridi—”

“Do not speak.” His fingers dug into the inside of my forearm, and my mouth immediately popped open, a harsh breath blowing past my lips. “Don’t show your pain, Harlow,” he warned.

I snapped my mouth shut and tried to control my expression, but I knew I wasn’t succeeding when his fingers pressed in harder.

“Do not show your pain,” he gritted out—his smile never wavered.

I clenched my jaw and somehow managed to plaster a tight-lipped smile on my face.

Collin’s lips ghosted along my neck. “Do you love me, Harlow?” His grip loosened enough to allow me to answer.

I loathe you with every fiber of my being.

TTS Teaser 5

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5starribbon

Tracey’s Review

From the moment they’d met, Knox Alexander and Harlow Evans had just known that there was something special between them, something so special that neither time nor distance could dim it. But when choices were made that changed the course of their love, and life took them in different directions, would that love be enough to anchor them to each other?

TO THE STARS by Molly McAdams is one of those books that you cannot bear to put down, even as it is tearing you apart. Knox and Harlow met when she was still very young, and, even though she was mature for her years, she was unable to see that Knox was trying to let her find her own way before settling down with him. The choices that she made, completely understandable ones for a young woman her age, would bring heartache that neither she nor Knox could imagine.

This book is a love story, yes, but deals with some very timely and very uncomfortable scenarios, including many that are most definitely triggers for some people. Molly has done a phenomenal job of detailing a relationship gone so very horribly wrong, and of the dark side that can exist just below the surface. The paralyzing fear that Harlow experiences, the devastation of realizing that the veneer of civility is so very thin in certain individuals, is almost visceral, and I found myself moved to tears of sorrow more than once when reading TO THE STARS.

This is the sort of story that gives you pause as you read, because it is very easy to imagine this very situation happening to someone that you know. And, honestly, statistics show that the sort of things that Harlow suffers happen all too frequently.

In the end, TO THE STARS paints a picture of a love strong enough to overcome even the most heinous evil, and shows that love always does, indeed, win. I would recommend this book without fail, and encourage you to add this one to your TBR, but make sure to have your tissues ready. 5+ stars for a story beautifully and tragically told, one that is a warning, a lesson, and, ultimately, a story of hope.

***ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review.***

5Star

Michel’s Review

This may be one of the most difficult reviews I will ever write. I don’t really want to give away spoilers but feel like there are some things that need to be disclosed to the readers about To The Stars by Molly McAdams.

First of all I want to say that this is a solid 5 Star book. The writing is superb. The delivery of the story from duo POV’s, as well as past and present, make this story authentic. Molly McAdams unique talent of writing an emotionally involving story that wrenches the readers heart goes beyond expectations. What she delivers in To The Stars will engage every emotion imaginable and will engage the reader physically to the point of pain. This book is quite different from her previous new adult romances. It goes beyond the emotional angst and delves into emotional terror.

The synopsis for this book is a bit deceiving. It leads readers to believe that this is a second chance romance after teenage angst tore this couple apart. It has the second chance romance that readers were expecting. The difference is the journey Harlow has had to travel. It is beyond a teenage girl making bad choices due to immaturity. The choices she made led her down a road no woman, young or old, ever wants to be on. She chose the wrong man and ended up scarred for life, emotionally and physically. She endured physical abuse that led to a life of terror.

This is a book about surviving domestic abuse. If this subject matter is a trigger or hard point, do not read it. Molly pulled out the big guns and gave the reader a very vivid, graphic, and painful look at domestic violence.

Harlow was in an awkward position in life that led her to choosing the wrong man to spend her life with. When she met Knox she was a fifteen year old girl. She was too mature for the boys her age but not emotionally mature enough for an older guy. Rather than diving into a romantic relationship, they developed a strong friendship with the promise of more when she turned eighteen. By the time she reached eighteen, she still did not have enough life experience or social experience to make the right choice where romance was concerned. Because of her inexperience and immaturity, her perceptions of Knox’s behavior were off base. What she perceived as rejection was something different altogether. Her reaction was what a typical girl would do at that age. She moved on to another guy. She didn’t look at the overall picture, she didn’t analyze her emotions, and she didn’t listen to her gut instinct. She dove head first into a relationship that appeared to be perfect in everyone’s eyes even though deep down she knew her heart ached for the boy she had once loved. She rushed into marriage and ended up in living hell. For five years she lived in a nightmare where the monster was very real.

When she runs into Knox at a coffee shop in town, she’s a hollow shadow of the girl he once loved. When her secrets begin to surface it awakens the horrific beast that was hiding beneath the terrifying monster she already knew. It’s too late for her and Knox. She has finally reached her breaking point and resigned herself to the life she chose. She’s lost all hope. She’s lost all her will.

Knox has loved Harlow for seven years. He is going to do everything in his power to save the girl he has always loved. It doesn’t matter that she chose another man. What matters most is that the girl he loved is freed from the nightmare. He wants her to reach for the stars. He wants to see the girl he once knew find herself again. He has loved her to the stars and back. Now he wants her to love herself.

As I read this story my stomach was in knots. At times I was physically sick to my stomach. I was horrified at Harlow’s life. I felt every emotion, every moment of terror, and the resignation in her soul. I could easily see how a young,impressionable young woman could easily fall into this kind of abusive relationship. It clearly is not from lack of intelligence, lack of good judgement, or lack of self esteem. It’s from inexperience and emotional immaturity. There isn’t wisdom or previous experiences to draw upon. There’s the desire to find romance and prince charming. There’s the desire to be an adult and make your own choices in life. Harlow didn’t give herself the chance to blossom. Growing as an individual takes time, life experience, and reflection.

Molly McAdams delivered a powerful story that will make readers cringe but also become aware of all the ramifications caused by domestic violence. She didn’t sugarcoat the story or add fluff to the romance. She gave the readers a very real view of a life many women have lived. The one message I took away from this book is that no matter how bad life can be there is always hope if you are brave enough to reach for the stars.

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And don’t miss the first book in the Thatch Series…

LETTING GO

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About Molly McAdams:

Molly grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband, daughter, and fur babies. When she’s not diving into the world of her characters, some of her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach … which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies and fried pickles, and loves curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm … or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren’t really happening.

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TO THE STARS Goodreads Molly McAdams Goodreads**

To The Stars - Available Now
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Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2016 Favorite: JOCKBLOCKED by Jen Frederick – Gridiron Series – Book 2

Posted on 02/10/2016 by shellbellereads

Jockblocked

Gridiron Series – Book 2

By Jen Frederick

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

BLURB

She’s always played it safe…

College junior Lucy Washington abides by one rule—avoid risk at all costs. She’s cautious in every aspect of her life, from her health, to her mock trial team, to the boring guys she dates. When a brash, gorgeous jock walks into the campus coffeeshop and turns his flirt on, Lucy is stunned by the force of attraction. For the first time ever, she’s willing to step out of her comfort zone, but can she really trust the guy who’s determined to sweep her off her feet?

He’s always played around…

Entering his last year of college eligibility, linebacker Matthew “Matty” Iverson has the team captaincy in his sights. And it’s his for the taking, if he can convince his quarterback Ace Anderson to give up the starting position. Luckily, Matty already has an edge—the hottie he’s lusting over just happens to be Ace’s childhood best friend. Getting Lucy on his side and in his bed? Hell yeah. Matty is more than confident he can have both, but when he falls hard for Lucy, it’s time for a new game plan: convince the woman of his dreams that she’s not sleeping with the enemy.

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

I grab her foot and pull it into my lap. “Let’s do a risk/reward test.”

“Let’s not.” But her foot doesn’t move.

I massage her foot beneath the sock, pressing hard against the ball and then digging into the arch. She releases a tiny moan and her head falls back in a dick-hardening sexy motion. Fuuuuck. If this is how I feel from just touching this girl’s hand and foot, what would it be like to be between her legs, to suck on her tits, to feel her pussy pulse around my dick? Light-headed and incredibly aroused, I almost fall off the chair.

I gotta focus here. If I’m ever going to get past the foot and hand, I need to convince her that the reward with me would be off-the-charts amazing.

Clearing my throat, I keep rubbing her foot. “Having your foot in my lap, that’s a risk right? But you’re enjoying the rubdown. That’s a risk worth the reward.”

“Keep rubbing and stop talking,” she orders. Her eyes are closed.

Okay, but I’m not touching some other guy’s sock, particularly the guy whose bed she’s sleeping in. I don’t know if I fully buy into her “just friends” explanation for Ace. He has her picture in his locker. She’s wearing his socks. For all that, he’s at the Gas Station dry humping a Kappa and Lucy’s home alone. I pull off the sock and toss it aside and stare at her toes.

“Your nail polish is blue.” Since when did I think toes were sexy?

She wriggles them. “Yes, on both feet. You’re very observant. Haven’t you ever seen a girl’s toes before?”

“I’m sure I have.” I just don’t remember them. I have this strange feeling I’ll remember hers, though.

I run a light caress over the anklebone, down the spine of the Achilles tendon, and around the edge of her instep.

Her breathing hitches, so quiet and so soft, I might have imagined it.

“What’re you doing?” Her words are a husky whisper and my body responds accordingly.

My balls tighten and my dick’s so hard I’m worried it’ll snap in half, but I can’t reach into my jeans to readjust or I’ll scare her away.

“We’re testing your risk assessment.” And driving myself crazy.

“You should stop.”

“I can’t.” I move my hand up her ankle to cup the slender calf. “Feel good? Worth the risk?”

“I’m not sure.”

That’s an invitation if I ever heard one.

Is it possible to come from just rubbing a girl’s leg? I might test out that theory. “And now?” My fingers find the tender hollow behind her knee. Her pulse beats rapidly against my palm. She’s as turned on as I am and I haven’t even gotten to the good parts.

“It feels riskier,” she croaks.

Yeah, because pretty soon my hand is going to be on your thigh and I don’t know how I’m going to stop there.

Her fingers are turning white as she grips the sides of her chair. Is she holding herself back? Or keeping herself there?

Fuck, I want to kiss her so bad. I want to kiss her lips but I’d settle for her toes or her knee or‑shit, if all she’ll allow is for me to touch the tips of her fingers, I’d be okay with that. I need a taste of her. I’m dying for a taste of her.

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Michel’s Review

As an avid reader and blogger I am always looking for that next great book that is going to push all of my buttons. With over a thousand blog reviews and thousands of books under my belt there isn’t much that surprises me. I have learned from my reading experiences that there are only so many plots, subject matters, and character personalities to cover. It’s very hard to find new and fresh story ideas. In a sense that doesn’t really matter because the most important thing is how an author delivers the story and brings their characters to life. It’s their job to engage the readers and get them invested in their characters lives. It’s all about the writing. When I open a new book I am looking to be entertained, engaged, and emotionally invested. I want to escape into their world and become a part of it. I’ve learned to put aside preconceived assumptions, not to be influenced by previous books in series (unless it is a continuation of a previous cliffhanger), and put aside my personal likes or dislikes for subject matter. We all have genres and types of stories we like better than others. We all have our own personal triggers. I try to step outside of my personal preferences and delve into a book with an open mind. I want to judge a book on it’s own merit and not lean on previous experiences. I’ve learned to finely tune the formula I use for reviewing books. I look at the overall picture, the plot, the subplot, the character development, the secondary characters and their involvement, the pacing, the dialogue, word usage in the text, story format , delivery technique such as first, second, or third person POV, editing, and emotional involvement. I then factor in my personal reactions and emotional engagement. With that said… I can honestly justify my 6 Star review of Jockblocked by Jen Frederick.

Jockblocked by Jen Frederick is a 6 Star Book.

Jockblocked has everything that readers want in a book and more! The writing is superb! The story line was fresh, unique, and had a combination of different subplots feeding into the main plot that kept me glued to the pages. It had a swoon worthy romance and an unusual love triangle. In the midst of the romance there are other things going on that test both of the main characters in different ways as individuals. It also redefines their place in their world as members of their individual teams. It tests their code of ethics, team obligations, and makes them question their future ambitions. The story gets more complex when the author adds a coach with a devious agenda, serious medical issues, and a team of headstrong, testosterone fueled football players becoming divided. The tensions are high and makes the romance all the more difficult. I read this book in one sitting and walked away completely satisfied but wanting more of these college gridiron heroes. The book ended with so many possibilities for this series. This series could easily branch off in several different directions.

It all begins in the second semester after the championship. The team is still on a high from winning the National Championship. They are in the partying mode and not at all dedicated to their academic responsibilities. Matthew “ Matty” Iverson is high on life. He had a great season and is next in line to becoming the Defense Team Captain. Life is good. The partying is getting a bit boring and Matty is beginning to want something more than hookups, random chicks, and loose living. He finds himself in the local coffee house rather than at the bar with his teammates. There he meets Lucy Washington. Lucy is different from the girls he’s been around most of his college career. She’s not into jocks. She’s smart, witty, and off limits. That makes Matty all the more determined to get to know her. The more he comes around , the more he strikes out with Lucy. That is until he runs into her again at one of his teammates house. He rescues her from a potential bad situation and this begins their complex relationship that will be tested over and over again.

Matty has his sights on winning the girl, becoming the Defense Captain, and hopefully moving onto the NFL. But when the coach dangles the carrot, the position of Defense Captain, over his head it puts Matty in a precarious position. A position that will divide the team, makes him question his ethics, and lastly could affect his relationship with Lucy. It’s too much pressure. Matty has to make choices and depend upon his gut instincts.

Lucy Washington is not the average coed. She’s a determined student with high goals. She is a member of the mock trial team and depends on these experiences for her law school applications. She doesn’t have time for a social life let alone a fulltime boyfriend. She doesn’t want to date and especially a jock. She knows what jocks are like. Her best friend, Ace Anderson, is a prime example. They also made an unwritten pact not to date people from each other’s social network. It’s an understanding they both stand by. But her opinion begins to waver when she meets the sexy defense football player, Matty Iverson. She begins to question the unwritten rule. This guy is more than just a jock. He’s smart, witty, and an overall good guy. It’s easy to be around him and enjoy their time together. He respects her aspirations, goals, and dedication to her team. Maybe it’s time to take a chance and let go of the “friend” code.

Ace Anderson is the winning quarterback for the team. He’s riding high on his championship win and life is good. Or it was good until his best friend, Lucy Washington, starts dating a guy from the defense team. Matty Iverson is a player like himself, and we’re not talking about football. Matty Iverson is poaching on his personal territory, he’s poaching his forever girl. Things couldn’t get any worse but somehow they always do. Coach has enlisted Matty to convince him to step down as quarterback so that he can bring in a star high school quarterback. Ace knows the coach’s agenda is more than for the good of the team. It’s personal. The war is on. Ace is going to win the girl and keep his quarterback position. His future is depending on it.

As this story unfolds it’s more than Matty and Lucy’s relationship on the line. The football team has become divided. The offense and defense have become separate teams. They are pitted against one another and no longer have team unity. Lucy is put in the position of choosing between friendship and love. At the same time she’s dealing with her mock trial team falling apart. Matty is forced to do things he would never do and it goes against his obligation to the team. At the same time he’s trying to hang onto his relationship with Lucy. Ace is going to bring his A game to get what he wants.

Both Lucy and Matty’s teams are falling apart. The lines have been drawn, sides have been declared, and the tensions are high. All of their futures are on the line.

This is just a brief summery of what is going on in Jockblocked. There are so many other things happening and each player has an integral part in the story. The emotions were so high in this book. They bleed off the pages. The main characters are on an emotional rollercoaster and they are not the only ones. The secondary characters are right along for the ride. The way the book ended gave Lucy and Matty their happy ending but also left playing field wide open. Who’s up next in this series? It could be anyone of these gridiron jocks.

Jen Frederick delivered a book that is worthy of a championship title. Jockblocked is a 6 Star Champion!

Read Jockblocked by Jen Frederick. It can be read as a stand alone romance or in series order.

The Gridiron Series

Sacked – Book 1

What he wants he gets…

Knox Masters is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Warrior. Champion. And…virgin. Knox knows what he wants–and he gets it. All American Football player? Check. NFL pros scouting him? Check. Now, he’s set his sight on two things. The national title. And Ellie Campbell. Sure, she’s the sister of his fellow teammate, but that’s not going to stop him. Especially not when he’s convinced Ellie is the one.

…but he’s never met her before.

But Ellie isn’t as sure. She’s trying to start a new life and she’s not interested in a relationship…with anyone. Beside it’s not just her cardinal rule of never dating her brother’s teammates that keeps her away, but Ellie has a dark secret that would jeopardize everything Knox is pursuing.

Knox has no intention of losing. Ellie has no intention of giving in.

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

****

Jockblocked – Book 2

She’s always played it safe…

He’s always played around…

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

___________________________________________

Author Bio:

Jen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog. She’s been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway : To The Stars by Molly McAdams – Thatch Series – Book 2

Posted on 02/09/2016 by shellbellereads

We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Molly McAdams’ TO THE STARS! TO THE STARS is a contemporary romance novel being published on February 9^thby HarperCollins’ William Morrow Impulse imprint and is the second novel in Molly’s Thatch Series.

To The Stars

Grab Your Copy Today!

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About TO THE STARS:

He promised to wait for her.
She told him he was wasting his time.
Not waiting for him ended up being the biggest mistake of her life.

To The Stars - RWB Teaser 2

5Star

Michel’s Review

And don’t miss the first book in the Thatch Series…

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LETTING GO

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About Molly McAdams:

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TO THE STARS Goodreads Molly McAdams Goodreads**

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Excerpt Reveal: Fighting Solitude by Aly Martinez – The Ropes Series – Book 3

Posted on 01/21/2016 by shellbellereads

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Fighting Solitude

The Ropes Series – Book 3

By Aly Martinez

Release Date : February 2, 2016

Pre Order : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

I was born a fighter. Abandoned by my parents, I spent my life forging my own path—one guided by my fists and paved with pain.

Untouchable in the ring, I destroyed everyone who faced me, but that’s where my victories ended. Outside the ropes, I repeatedly failed the few people who loved me. Including my best friend, Liv James—the one person I’d die to protect.

Even though I didn’t deserve her, Liv never stopped believing in me. Never gave up. Never let go. After all, she understood what I’d lost, because she’d lost it too.

Liv was everything to me, but she was never truly mine.

That was going to change.

I lost my first love, but I refused to lose my soulmate.

Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting to be the man she deserves.
Fighting the solitude of our pasts.
Fighting for her.

FIGHTING SOLITUDE TEASER 1

Excerpt

“Jesus Christ, Quarry! Calm down. You’re making it worse.” Till pointed toward the building where the woman I loved lay dead in a coffin.

Oh, God.

My eyes, tunneled by rage, flashed around the mob of reporters before landing on the front steps of the funeral home, where an even bigger crowd of Mia’s friends and family were watching me violently break down—again.

“I need to get out of here,” I mumbled, straightening my shirt.

“Good idea,” he replied, shoving me toward my car. “I’ll drive.”

“No. I want to be alone.”

“You can’t drive right now, Q.”

“Watch me.”

“You cannot be behind the wheel…” He carried on with some explanation, but I was more than done listening. The silence had never sounded so good.

Looking up at the sky, I sucked in a breath so deep that it caused my lungs to ache. I refused to release it though.

Don’t exhale.

Ignoring Till’s protests, I dug my keys from my pocket and folded into my car. Barely managing to squeeze around the relentless reporters, I started toward the exit.

This is not happening.

Don’t breathe.

My lungs were on fire, but it felt a hell of a lot better than what was going on in my heart, so I bit my lip and let it blaze—praying that it would eventually engulf me.

Glancing in my review mirror, I saw the cops rolling into the parking lot, but that wasn’t what made me stop. My breath left me on a rush as I slammed on the brakes the moment she came into view.

Liv was standing in the middle of the road, staring at my taillights.

Her big, brown eyes were as empty as I felt, and her face was painted with absolute anguish. Without out a single second of hesitation, I leaned over and pushed the passenger’s side door open in invitation. In a pair of heels and a short, black dress, she sprinted forward, not slowing until her ass hit my leather seat. Her door hadn’t even shut before I was off again.

After turning her cell phone off, she tossed it in the glove box. Mine quickly followed. She didn’t ask any questions as I pulled onto the highway in the exact opposite direction of both of our apartments. She didn’t want to go home any more than I did.

Our destination was unknown, and that alone made it infinitely better than the one we’d just left.

I drove.

And drove.

Then, when I was sick and tired of aimlessly driving, I drove some more.

With the exception of Liv flipping the radio on when the sun went down, we sat in absolute silence for over four hours.

Alone, yet still together.

Finally, around ten p.m., with an empty tank of gas and sleepy eyes, I slipped into a parking space in front of the apartment Liv and Mia shared. Liv didn’t delay in pushing the door open, but that’s the only effort she put into getting out.

Dropping her head against the headrest, she whispered at the windshield, “Her parents told me she left letters for us. We can pick them up whenever we’re ready.”

“I don’t want a fucking letter. She lied. She’s sorry. I got it. Nothing left to say.”

“Maybe it will explain stuff though. It might help.”

My angry gaze jumped to her, but she was still staring out the window.

“Will it bring her back?” I asked. “No? Then I don’t need a goddamn letter. Fuck that. Fuck her parents too. I don’t want shit from them.”

“They didn’t kill her, Quarry.”

“How can you say that?”

Her eyes finally met mine. “It was what Mia wanted. She signed the Do Not Resuscitate order, not them.”

“What the fuck are you doing here? Please, God, tell me you are not actually siding with them? Because, if I recall correctly, we both begged them not to give up on her. They didn’t give a shit about anyone. Liv, they didn’t even get a second opinion.”

“I’m not siding with anyone but Mia. She made a choice. We have to respect it.” Her expression was emotionless, even though her voice trembled.

“Respect it? Fuck her shitty choice. She should have respected me enough to let me have a say.”

She laughed without humor. “You never would have let her go, Q.”

I slammed the heel of my palm against the steering wheel. “You’re goddamn right I wouldn’t have!”

“She had brain cancer. It was going to happen one way or another. She knew it. And she made a decision. We don’t get to be mad about that.”

“Get the fuck out of my car.”

“No. Listen to me—”

“I’ll start listening the moment you stop spouting the bullshit her parents shoved down your throat tonight.”

She raised her voice for the first time all day. “It’s the truth!”

“It’s bullshit! All of it. How am I supposed to respect the fact that she lied to me for six months? Six fucking months that I could have used to prepare for this.”

“Oh my God, Quarry!” she yelled, exasperated. “Do you seriously think six months could have ever prepared you for this? I could have known since the day I met her and I still wouldn’t have been ready to lose her.”

“I could have tried! I could have spent that time devoted to being with her instead of traveling to fights. Jesus Christ, Liv, last weekend, I went out with the guys from the gym to play pool. The last fucking Saturday night of her life on this Earth and I was shooting pool with a bunch of assholes I can barely stand. Six months she kept the fact that she was dying a secret. Six. Fucking. Months. You’re right. I wouldn’t have been ready to let her go, but at least I could have figured out how to say goodbye. Instead, all I got was to squeeze her hand, say, ‘I love you,’ and then be escorted out of the hospital by security. Fuck!”

“That’s because you were acting like a fool and threatening her family! That was your choice!”

“Get the fuck out of my car. Now!”

“And it’s also the reason you got thrown out of the visitation tonight. Get your shit together or you won’t be allowed at the funeral tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to go to the funeral!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, making her flinch. “I don’t want there to be a funeral at all. Now, I’m serious. Get. The fuck. Out. Of my car.”

Through gritted teeth, she seethed, “You know what I’ll never understand? How you claim to be so in love with her, but in this entire conversation, I haven’t heard you say a single word that wasn’t about you. How this affects you. How this hurt you. Last time I checked, you aren’t the one being buried tomorrow.”

“I wish I were!”

“Fuck you! The world doesn’t revolve around Quarry Page!” With that, she jumped out and slammed the door.

I didn’t even wait for her to make it to the sidewalk before I was peeling out of the parking lot.

beautiful young woman in an elegant dress studio shot

________________________________________________

The On The Ropes Series

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Fighting Silence – Book 1

Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it’s the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?

I’ve always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn’t a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.

You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.

They both happened anyway.

Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting for my career.
Fighting the impending silence.
Fighting for her.

Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.

I think that’s the sound I’ll miss the most.

Each book in this series can be read as a standalone.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

*****

Fighting Shadows- Book 2

I come from a family of fighters. I always thought I’d follow in their shadows, becoming unstoppable in the ring. That changed the day I saved the life of a woman I loved, but could never have.

My brother hailed me as a hero, and my reward was a wheelchair.

Paralyzed, my life became an inescapable nightmare.

Until I met her.

Ash Mabie had a heart-stopping smile and a laugh that numbed the rage and resentment brewing inside of me. She showed me that even the darkest night still had stars, and it didn’t matter one bit that you had to lie in the weeds to see them.

I was a jaded asshole who fell for a girl with a knack for running away. I couldn’t even walk but I would have spent a lifetime chasing her.

Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.

Fighting the shadows of our past.

Fighting to reclaim my future.

Fighting for her.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

_____________________________________

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Blitz + 5 Star Review : Xavier Cold by Michelle A. Valentine – Hard Knocks Series – Book 2…Conclusion to Phenomenal X

Posted on 01/20/2016 by shellbellereads

The long awaited conclusion to PHENOMENAL X is here – get more of Xavier in New York Times Bestselling Author Michelle A. Valentine’s XAVIER COLD, available now!

About XAVIER COLD:

The conclusion to the New York Times bestselling romance that began in Phenomenal X, about one woman’s pulse-pounding relationship with a notorious bad-boy wrestler.

“What’ll it be, Anna Cortez? Are you in, or are you out?”

One momentary loss of control has now ruined everything Xavier Cold had going for himself. With his world unraveling fast, he’s willing to do anything to save not only his job but his relationship with the only woman he’s ever loved.

Anna Cortez, still reeling from shock, tries desperately to save the man that’s consumed her heart, body and soul. She’ll have to dig deep and find courage she never knew she possessed to help Xavier fight demons from his past—a past that’s even more haunted than she ever imagined.

Add XAVIER COLD to Goodreads here!

Buy XAVIER COLD now (more links coming soon): Amazon

*****

Missed PHENOMENAL X?

Grab it now! Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iBooks

SNEAK PEEK AT XAVIER COLD

“You tired?” he asks.

It doesn’t hit me until he mentions being tired on how exhausted I actually am. Tonight’s been stressful, and I’m sure, if I allow myself to close my eyes for even the briefest time, I’d fall asleep on the spot.

But I refuse to let go of Xavier. When I thought they would lock him up and throw away the key, the opportunity to hold him against me anytime I wanted felt like it was quickly being ripped away. So, for now, I choose to stay here, in his presence, breathing him in as much as I possibly can.

I tilt my head up and stare into his light-blue eyes. “I’m ready for bed, but I don’t want to sleep just yet.”

For the first time since the chaos of the day began, Xavier smiles, but it’s not just any smile. It’s the heart-stopping one-sided smirk that drives me out of my ever-loving mind.

“Have I turned my good girl naughty?”

I give him my best wicked grin. “Afraid so. I can’t seem to get enough of you.”

His large hands cradle my face. “Glad to hear it because I’m fucking addicted to you.”

His lips press on mine, and I’m immediately lost in his kiss. The stubble on his face scratches my fingertips as I trace his jawline.

“I need you.”

A wicked gleam is in his eyes. “Is that so?”

Xavier bends down and nips my lower lip. “You don’t know how much it turns me on when you ask for it. It takes every ounce of willpower in my body to stop myself from throwing you down on that bed and ravaging every inch of your body for my pleasure.”

At the very thought of what that would be like, my pulse races under my skin. “What’s stopping you?”

“You’re too sweet for that.” He leans in and runs his nose along my cheek, causing my entire body to quiver with anticipation. “And because you’re not ready to go there— to allow me to have full control— yet.”

“How do you know?”

Tracey’s Review

“What are you doing to me, beautiful? You’re changing me in ways I never thought possible.”

Author Michelle Valentine left readers with one whopper of a cliffhanger in PHENOMENAL X, the kind that has you staring at the page thinking ‘What the HECK just happened? Are you kidding me? I have to wait HOW long to find out what’s next?!’ Yeah, that kind of a cliffhanger. Suffice to say that XAVIER COLD, the second book in Michelle’s Hard Knocks series, was heavily anticipated by fans of the first book, and well worth the wait.

The rivalry between Xavier Cold and Rex ‘The Assassin’ Risen, wrestlers for the Tension group, has reached an all-time high. Having lost control in the ring, Xavier finds himself banned from all things Tension for three months. Determined to keep his suspension from destroying their relationship, Xavier and Anna return to Detroit, X’s childhood home, and the dwelling place of all of his personal demons. But the road to happily ever after is not an easy one, and these two have their work cut out for them.

Where PHENOMENAL X is the story of the beginning of Anna’s and Xavier’s relationship, this book is about overcoming the things that keep us from being the best version of ourselves, and creating our own reality. It’s about their love for each other, and the freedom that this kind of love offers. And, finally, it’s about the redemption that comes through such unconditional love.

I could not read this book quickly enough. It’s full of grittiness and intrigue, secrets that are jaw-dropping, and the kind of love that completely changes the landscape of lives. 5 phenomenal stars for XAVIER COLD, and kudos to Michelle Valentine for another awesome read.

***ARC provided by the author for an honest review.***

________________________________________________

ABOUT MICHELLE A. VALENTINE

Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

Be a little naughty – join Valentine’s Vixens on Facebook for sneak peeks at Michelle’s upcoming works, as well as fun and chatting with her and other readers.

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review + 2016 Favorite: Cunning by Aleatha Romig – The Infidelity Series – Book 2

Posted on 01/19/2016 by shellbellereads

“He owns you. Whatever he tells you to do you do”.

One year. No future. A past that won’t go away.

Lennox “Nox” Demetri broke his own rule by making a deal. It may not have been directly with the devil, but that doesn’t mean Satan himself isn’t watching. Was it fate that brought Charli into his life and his bed? What will happen when rules are broken and secrets are revealed?

“New rules…my rules.”

Alex “Charli” Collins found pleasure with Nox like she’d never known. That was before she knew his last name. Now that Infidelity is involved and the rules have changed, what will result when real life and fantasy collide?

Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, the depth of this new, epic dark romance reaches new levels and will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next.

Have you been Aleatha’d?

CUNNING is a full-length novel, 360 pages, and the second of five books in the INFIDELITY series.

Infidelity – it isn’t what you think.

BUY

AMAZON | B & N | ITunes | Kobo

EXCERPT

Charli

The storm of raging tension that had surrounded us since our eyes met in the bar changed. The intensity was still off the charts, but this was something different. Whatever it was affected us both. Our breathing suddenly took effort as both of our chests rose and fell.

“Take off that dress.”

Nox’s command echoed throughout the glass stall. I considered arguing, but common sense stopped my rebuttal. I’d already pushed him far enough. Starting at the neckline, I slowly exposed myself, inch by inch. His gaze followed the soaked material. As I revealed my breasts, my nipples hardened, and he let out a low growl. Down the dress went, exposing my tummy and red lace panties.

Shaking his head, Nox ran his finger along the edge of my panties. With his large hands now at my hips, he asked, “Did you do anything I told you to do in my note?”

“No.” My honesty left a trail of vulnerability and shame.

In one quick motion, Nox ripped the lace, and the shredded panties joined my dress on the shower floor. I blinked away the water as he tipped my face upward.

“No more disobeying. Do you understand?”

I nodded—not in acknowledgment of his words, but in response to the rush from once again being in his presence. Nox electrified me in a way I’d never known, and even in the absurdity of our current situation, he was doing it again. The way he scanned my nakedness as his Adam’s apple bobbed tingled my skin.

He hadn’t released my chin. “Say ‘Yes, Mr. Demetri.'”

My chest hurt. “N-Nox.”

His grip tightened.

“Yes, Mr. Demetri.”

Robin’s Review

Aleatha Romig never ceases to amaze me with her ability to weave a multi-layered story, one full of mystery and intrigue. No matter the genre, her writing style is unique and addicting. Thousands of individuals have discovered just how incredible her writing can be by devouring her Consequences series. Whether or not you have read any of her previous novels, do yourself a favor and set aside some time to begin reading Romig’s new Infidelity series.

If you’re hesitant to begin the Infidelity series because of the series name, let me put that to rest. The Infidelity series is not about cheating or a love triangle. According to Romig, “The Infidelity series does not advocate or glorify cheating. This series is about the inner struggle of compromising your beliefs for your heart. It is about cheating on yourself, not someone else.”

We’re introduced to Lennox “Nox” Demetri and Alexandria Charles “Charli” Montague Collins in Betrayal. Just before she is scheduled to begin law school at Columbia, Alex casts aside the meticulous focus on her goals when she meets Nox at Del Mar resort. But Alex is a Montague, and her family has some very different plans for her now that she has graduated from Stanford. When her parents force her hand, Alex makes a decision which could negatively impact the rest of her life so that she can still attend law school.

Alex Collins has cost Nox an outrageous sum of money, and he’s IRATE, to say the least! She lied to him in Del Mar, and he’s about to teach her a lesson she won’t soon forget! Things aren’t always what they seem – isn’t that the way in each of Aleatha Romig’s novels? There are layers, so many layers, in the Infidelity series, and Romig is only just beginning to peel the layers back in Cunning. If Betrayal is the top layer of the story, Cunning just barely breaks the surface. Hold on to your hats because it’s about to get real, and we have three more novels before the Infidelity series is complete!

Aleatha Romig knows just how to pull our strings! She’s very adept at writing a mystery. Nothing in her story happens without purpose, so you want to pay close attention. Romig gives subtle clues. And dark thrillers? Let’s just say that Romig really knows how to stir up my emotions! I laughed, felt anxious and angry. Nox and Charli are just fantastic primary characters! Both of them lead complicated lives, but they sure are easy to love. In Betrayal, Romig captivated me with the special time they had together at Del Mar. Now, I’m on pins and needles, turning over questions in my mind, pondering the possibilities by the many things that I read in Cunning.

Aleatha Romig is a creative writing genius. From what I’ve read so far, the Infidelity series is just outstanding! By stirring up my imagination, Romig has accomplished exactly what she intended to do in this second installment of the Infidelity series. I’m pleased to give Romig a 6-star rating, and I am adding Cunning to my list of 2016 favorites!

__________________________________

The Infidelity Series

Betrayal – Book 1

One week. No future. No past. No more.

Alexandria Collins has one week to live carefree—no ghosts of her past or pressures of her future haunting her. Reinventing herself as “Charli,” she is knocked off her feet by a sexy, mysterious man who brings her pleasure like she never imagined. With her heart at stake, she forgets that decisions made in the dark of night reappear in the bright light of day.

“Some of my tastes are unique. They aren’t for everyone. I understand that.”

Lennox “Nox” Demetri is wealthy, confident, and decisive—he knows what he wants. From the first time he sees Charli at an exclusive resort, he knows he wants her. Although he is usually the one to make the rules, together they agree on one:

One week. No more.

When betrayal comes from those closest to Alexandria, she must decide how far she is willing to go to survive. Choices are not always easy, especially when they involve the heart, body, and soul. After all, Infidelity is a business, and some rules are meant to be broken.

“Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?”

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants, and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, this new epic dark romance will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha’d?

BETRAYAL is a full-length novel and the first of five in the INFIDELITY series.

Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

***

Cunning – Book 2

“He owns you. Whatever he tells you to do you do”.

One year. No future. A past that won’t go away.
Lennox “Nox” Demetri broke his own rule by making a deal. It may not have been directly with the devil, but that doesn’t mean Satan himself isn’t watching. Was it fate that brought Charli into his life and his bed? What will happen when rules are broken and secrets are revealed?

“New rules…my rules.”

Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?

CUNNING is a full-length novel, 325 pages, and the second of five books in the INFIDELITY series.

Infidelity – it isn’t what you think.

____________________________________________________________

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!

Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These standalone thrillers continue Aleatha’s twisted style with an increase in heat. In the fall of 2015, Aleatha will move head first into the world of dark romance with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series.

Aleatha is a “Published Author’s Network” member of the Romance Writers of America and represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Browne & Miller Literary Associates.

Pre Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review + 2016 Favorite: Cunning by Aleatha Romig…The Infidelity Series – Book 2

Posted on 01/18/2016 by shellbellereads

“He owns you. Whatever he tells you to do you do”.

One year. No future. A past that won’t go away.

“New rules…my rules.”

Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?

Have you been Aleatha’d?

CUNNING is a full-length novel, 360 pages, and the second of five books in the INFIDELITY series.

Infidelity – it isn’t what you think.

PREORDER

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EXCERPT

Nox

I couldn’t concentrate. Shit, I could barely function. Thoughts of Charli consumed my mind—her gorgeous eyes, the way she looked at me when I came out of that room and our gaze met. I hadn’t planned on going to the Mandarin yet or being there when she arrived. I had things to do, but I couldn’t stay away. I couldn’t not see her. The attraction was too strong.

That was what she did to me. She made me lose focus on the world and see only her.

In only the short time we’d been together, she’d gotten under my skin like no one else, even Jo. I’d never fallen so fast or so hard. I didn’t do drugs, never had. Nevertheless, I imagined that Charli was like cocaine. One casual hit at a party—that was all I was after in Del Mar. One hit, one week. Since returning to New York, I’d tried to deny my addiction. Each day we were apart was another day clean, another day sober. I was able to detox because she was out of my life.

That was then.

This is now, and now she’s mine.

Deloris said her name was Alexandria, or Alex, but that didn’t change anything. We’d confessed that our names were nicknames, and to me she’d always be my Charli.

Robin’s Review

__________________________________

The Infidelity Series

Betrayal – Book 1

One week. No future. No past. No more.

“Some of my tastes are unique. They aren’t for everyone. I understand that.”

One week. No more.

“Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?”

BETRAYAL is a full-length novel and the first of five in the INFIDELITY series.

Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

***

Cunning – Book 2

“He owns you. Whatever he tells you to do you do”.

“New rules…my rules.”

Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?

CUNNING is a full-length novel, 325 pages, and the second of five books in the INFIDELITY series.

Infidelity – it isn’t what you think.

____________________________________________________________

Aleatha is a “Published Author’s Network” member of the Romance Writers of America and represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Browne & Miller Literary Associates.

Blog Tour + Review: Wicked Lust by Sawyer Bennett – Wicked Horse Series – Book 2

Posted on 01/12/2016 by shellbellereads

Wicked Lust

The Wicked Horse Series – Book 2

By Sawyer Bennett

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes

Synopsis

Cain Bonham is as big and bad as they come. After serving in the Marines, he’s returned home to Wyoming and now works as head of security at the exclusive sex club, The Wicked Horse. His job is to protect not only the patrons, but to zealously guard the secret existence of the club itself.

Sloane Preston is all about discovering secrets. As an undercover reporter, she’s determined to reveal the truth behind the facade of The Wicked Horse and expose it for all the world to see. She just didn’t count on her pathway into the club coming at the hands of one gorgeously scarred and bad ass bouncer who manages to easily possess her body and soul.

While Cain’s not looking for anyone to catch his eye, Sloane did it all the same, and he’s not bemoaning the fact that she’s as wickedly kinky as he is. As both get caught up in the sinful fantasies that only The Wicked Horse can create, secrets and loyalties will be tested and hearts will risk being broken.

**Warning: this book has sex in it. Lots of sex. Dirty sex. The Wicked Horse Series is a bit different than what Sawyer Bennett normally writes. While you’ll still enjoy fabulous characters, a suspenseful story, some witty banter and an epic romance, there’s just… a lot of sex. You’ve been warned.

Michel’s Review

Ready for a red hot book to heat you up this winter? Wicked Lust by Sawyer Bennett will have your blood boiling, heart racing, and panties melting.

Wicked Lust is the second book in The Wicked Horse series. This series is based around a secretive, selective sex club. The Silo, that is located on the premises of the Wcked Horse Saloon. This is an exclusive club for a high profile clientele with a deviant sexual appetite . Anything goes in the Silo. The darkest fantasies and sexual depravities are just a few of the delicacies at the Wicked Horse Silo.

Cain Bonham is the man in charge of security at the Wicked Horse. While he takes his job very seriously, he also appreciates the fringe benefits that come along with the job. His job as head of security isn’t the only thing in his job description. He is also part of the fantasy crew. Add in his extra work at Wolff Jennings ranch, his incredible debt, and a jaded past relationship, and it adds up to one intense man. While he loves every minute of his job at the Wicked Horse, he is also more than his job description. His sexual appetite is fulfilled on every level until one intriguing lady starts frequenting the Wicked Horse. He has finally found a conquest that intrigues the inner Cain.

Sloane Preston isn’t the typical Wicked Horse patron, let alone a potential member for the Silo. She is a reporter undercover. Her assignment is to uncover the dirt on some of the political clients that frequent the Silo at the Wicked Horse. Her main target is Callie Hayes father and his dealings with the Silo. She’s determined to expose the existence of the secrets behind the Silo doors. Her way in is through the sexy security chief, Cain Bonham. It will be a pleasure to use Cain Bonham to get her dirty story. She will do anything to get her story.

The sexual chemistry between Sloane and Cain is red hot. The two of them experience the most erotic scenes and find something more along the way. When Sloane’s cover is blown and her secrets are revealed, it is the defining moment for each of them as individuals as well as their relationship.

Sawyer Bennett has always written an enthralling story. She has come to master the erotica romance genre. Her characters are always dynamic and come to life. I must say that Sloane and Cain were not one of my favorite couples she created. Cain came across a little too hard and lacked compassion. Sloane’s character was a bit flighty. One moment she came across as a strong, decisive woman and the next moment she was whiny and weak.

The overall impression was that Cain and Sloane were much better together in the bedroom. Outside of the bedroom, I didn’t feel the tenderness and romance that I was hoping for.

Overall Wicked Lust was a very good book and kept me glued to the pages. I am ready for the next book in the Wild Horse series.

__________________________________________

The Wicked Horse Series

Never in your wildest dreams could you begin to imagine all the filthy and depraved things that go on inside The Wicked Horse. Step inside and Woolf Jennings will make every one of your dirty fantasies come true.

He’s covered in a facade of deception. An enticing blend of multi-millionaire and hot-as-hell Wyoming rancher, those that think they know Woolf Jennings admire his abilities to preside as CEO of his family’s cattle and oil empire. But only a privileged few truly understand what fuels the glitter of depravity in those gorgeous blue eyes. Only a few know he’s opened up a sinfully erotic and private sex club named The Wicked Horse right at the base of the beautiful Teton Mountain range.

Sweet Callie Hayes has returned home to Wyoming and is looking forward to starting her life over again. After a night of impetuosity, she’s managed to put herself right in Woolf’s line of sight… the man who she foolishly offered up her virginity to years ago and was flatly turned down.

Now Woolf is seeing that Callie is all grown up and has a kinky side to her that leaves him as confused as it does turned on. Worse yet, both Callie’s dirty desires and sweet heart are getting under his skin, and making Woolf question everything he’s ever believed about himself.

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes

*******

Buy : Amazon / B & N / ITunes

________________________________________

About the Author

USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

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Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Tag Archives: Book 2

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Break My Fall by Jessica Scott – Falling Series – Book 2

Cover Reveal: Hooker by Brooke Blaine – L. A. Liaisons Series – Book 2

Book Tour + 5+ Star Review + Giveaway: To The Stars by Molly McAdams – Thatch Series – Book 2

We are so excited to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Molly McAdams’ TO THE STARS! TO THE STARS is a contemporary romance novel being published on February 9^thby HarperCollins’ William Morrow Impulse imprint and is the second novel in Molly’s Thatch Series.

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And don’t miss the first book in the Thatch Series…

LETTING GO

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TO THE STARS Goodreads Molly McAdams Goodreads**

Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2016 Favorite: JOCKBLOCKED by Jen Frederick – Gridiron Series – Book 2

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway : To The Stars by Molly McAdams – Thatch Series – Book 2

We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Molly McAdams’ TO THE STARS! TO THE STARS is a contemporary romance novel being published on February 9^thby HarperCollins’ William Morrow Impulse imprint and is the second novel in Molly’s Thatch Series.

Grab Your Copy Today!

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And don’t miss the first book in the Thatch Series…

LETTING GO

Amazon Barnes and Noble iTunes Kobo GooglePlay ** Audio

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TO THE STARS Goodreads Molly McAdams Goodreads**

Excerpt Reveal: Fighting Solitude by Aly Martinez – The Ropes Series – Book 3

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review : Xavier Cold by Michelle A. Valentine – Hard Knocks Series – Book 2…Conclusion to Phenomenal X

The long awaited conclusion to PHENOMENAL X is here – get more of Xavier in New York Times Bestselling Author Michelle A. Valentine’s XAVIER COLD, available now!

About XAVIER COLD:

SNEAK PEEK AT XAVIER COLD

Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review + 2016 Favorite: Cunning by Aleatha Romig – The Infidelity Series – Book 2

BUY

AMAZON | B & N | ITunes | Kobo

EXCERPT

Pre Release Blitz + Excerpt + 6 Star Review + 2016 Favorite: Cunning by Aleatha Romig…The Infidelity Series – Book 2

PREORDER

AMAZON | B & N | ITunes | Kobo

EXCERPT

Blog Tour + Review: Wicked Lust by Sawyer Bennett – Wicked Horse Series – Book 2

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We are so excited to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Molly McAdams’ TO THE STARS! TO THE STARS is a contemporary romance novel being published on February 9th by HarperCollins’ William Morrow Impulse imprint and is the second novel in Molly’s Thatch Series.

Grab Your Copy Today!

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes ** Kobo ** GooglePlay

And don’t miss the first book in the Thatch Series…

LETTING GO

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes ** Kobo ** GooglePlay ** Audio

Website ** Tumblr ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Google+

TO THE STARS Goodreads ** Molly McAdams Goodreads

Share this:

Share this:

We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Molly McAdams’ TO THE STARS! TO THE STARS is a contemporary romance novel being published on February 9th by HarperCollins’ William Morrow Impulse imprint and is the second novel in Molly’s Thatch Series.

Grab Your Copy Today!

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes ** Kobo ** GooglePlay

And don’t miss the first book in the Thatch Series…

LETTING GO

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes ** Kobo ** GooglePlay ** Audio

Website ** Tumblr ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Google+

TO THE STARS Goodreads ** Molly McAdams Goodreads

Share this:

Share this:

The long awaited conclusion to PHENOMENAL X is here – get more of Xavier in New York Times Bestselling Author Michelle A. Valentine’s XAVIER COLD, available now!

About XAVIER COLD:

SNEAK PEEK AT XAVIER COLD

Share this:

BUY

AMAZON | B & N | ITunes | Kobo

EXCERPT

Share this:

PREORDER

AMAZON | B & N | ITunes | Kobo

EXCERPT

Share this:

Share this:

We are so excited to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Molly McAdams’ TO THE STARS! TO THE STARS is a contemporary romance novel being published on February 9^thby HarperCollins’ William Morrow Impulse imprint and is the second novel in Molly’s Thatch Series.

Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes Kobo GooglePlay

Amazon Barnes and Noble iTunes Kobo GooglePlay ** Audio

Website Tumblr Facebook Twitter Google+

TO THE STARS Goodreads Molly McAdams Goodreads**

We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Molly McAdams’ TO THE STARS! TO THE STARS is a contemporary romance novel being published on February 9^thby HarperCollins’ William Morrow Impulse imprint and is the second novel in Molly’s Thatch Series.

Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes Kobo GooglePlay

Amazon Barnes and Noble iTunes Kobo GooglePlay ** Audio

Website Tumblr Facebook Twitter Google+

TO THE STARS Goodreads Molly McAdams Goodreads**